Chapter 01

View Online

Consciousness stirred. That fundamental spark of awareness. Alongside it, a nagging sensation. Something missing, or lost. It was hard to quantify. And then, a dull point of light, on the border of sensation. Something was... It was almost...

A stirring. My thoughts aligned into a semblance of coherency. Popped into place, was an instant pain as well. It reverberated throughout what was my body, straight up the nerve center of my spine. After the initial burst, it resigned itself to a dull throbbing sensation at the base of my skull. I tried not to groan, in case any nearby danger could be alerted by sound.

Listening hard, I tried to pick up anything that could be in my surroundings. Where was I? What had happened? The only thing that answered my silent query was a gentle wind, and the sound of leaves being called to motion by it. Grass alongside the contours of my body, danced with a slow yet steady rhythm. Think. What was the last thing I remembered?

More throbbing. Flashes of light and heat. An impossible force that shattered through my body. My mind seized up, and I involuntarily winced, feeling liquid warmth running from my mouth. Uh oh. That was usually never a good sign. Actually, I couldn't think of when that was a good symptom, now that I considered it. My eyes opened gently, to find my head at a smooth, thirty degree angle to the ground, elevated slightly. It felt like dirt that my neck was on, but grass further up by my cheek and hair line. Something was… very wrong, though. My vision was out of focus, as if I'd been sleeping for a long time. A sense of urgency came about, but I couldn't seem to remember what it was that would be driving it.

My attempt to sit up was met by sharp throbs of protest all down my back, and I promptly collapsed again. Well, at least the dirt was warm. Sun heated, maybe? I could make out a blurred flickering in my vision, trying to stop the liquid swimming sensation. A light. It was orange in color, and dancing chaotically. Fire. My depth perception was off, but I estimated it at about two meters away. It was difficult to think properly. I couldn't seem to formulate basic thoughts, and numbers like I should.

Moving my tongue inside my mouth, I very rapidly discovered the source of the blood, and sighed. I should have known. My breathing was okay, and the pain wasn't centralized in my chest or stomach. My tongue certainly didn't feel too well, though. Whatever impact or trauma I'd suffered, chances are that it was my tongue injured, and not my insides. At least not the squishy insides. I couldn't exactly speak much for my bones and whatnot.

Something still felt off. I moved my tongue around a bit more. It felt swelled, as if there was more tongue than before. I must have really done a number on it! Or my mind was screwed up, still. Feeling along the roof of my mouth, it felt elongated as well. Well, all the more votes to it being my mind instead. Damn. Okay, external test time!

Slowly and carefully, I tried moving my legs. There was a bit of a lag, but they slowly started to move. I mentally smiled as the thighs obeyed properly, but then I got to my knees and a deep sense of dread resounded through me. My knee, as I was shifting my thigh, bent backwards in entirely the wrong direction! My chest tightened as I braced for what I presumed to be a horrible wave of agony heading for me.

Several seconds passed, and I felt nothing. System shock? Nerve damage? I swallowed hard, and tentatively tried to bend the knee in question. It bent and shifted its muscles with little difficulty, much to my surprise, albeit entirely in the wrong direction. I didn't know what to think. I carefully tested the other knee, only to discover it similarly mutilated. Something told me that looking down at them would be a rather bad idea. Well, the ultimate test of the nerves is to probably shift my attention to the toes, right?

Nothing. No response, or feeling from them whatsoever. Wonderful. My legs were probably obliterated beyond recognition below the knee. I winced as moving my thighs sent another spike of pain up my back. Well, at least those nerves still worked, and I wasn't paralyzed. Healing these legs, if I could get back to a medic, should be reasonably easy. It's a pity I never specialized in healing spells.

Bitterly cursing my own choice of profession for its lack of flexibility, I shifted attention to my upper body. My shoulders seemed fully functional, just like my hips. Shifting to the elbows, I immediately became aware of a now familiar sensation. My joints bent backwards, just like my knees. There was no pain associated with moving them, and the muscles seemed fully functional, but no response from my fingers. My day just keeps getting better!

Of course, the second I tempt fate, I feel the warm trickle of heat running down my forehead, and sliding off my face between my left eye and nose. A head wound. That would probably explain the groggy sensations and vision problems. I might have a concussion. The sensation brought attention to my nose as well, which felt swollen and distended. Broken? Well if I landed on my face, that was even better. What I wouldn't do for a professional medical unit. Or even a medic. Hell, knowledge of healing spells even so I could do it myself!

My vision was finally clearing for the moment, so I took advantage and looked about my immediate field of view. There were indeed flames, six, maybe seven feet away. Their source appeared to be a large branch sticking upwards at a thirty degree angle or so. Its base was on fire, and its leaves were browned and falling off rapidly. Its resting place appeared to be the lip of a small crater. The very crater I appeared to be residing in. Did I make the crater? Where did I fall from? Frustration built up as I realized I couldn't even recall what the last thing I had been doing was. There was a fight. No, a lot of fighting. Battle, maybe? My head protested via dull throbbing. Magic. Spells. I knew my capabilities, but was too tired to try the mental images required to form the spells. Okay, that was something for the memory banks, anyway. What else did I have?

Recollection of training, for various forms of combat that I was never very good at, came back into my mind. No, that wasn't enough! Schooling. Basic stuff. Math, geometry, physics, chemistry, history, geography, writing… No, no, no! I could barely remember anything apart from the classes. I needed something identifiable. Panic and horror set in, when I suddenly realized I couldn't even remember my own name! I suddenly felt nauseated, and my stomach clenched up in attempts to resist the urge to expel whatever it was I last ate. I bitterly decided that my stomach contents would probably provide more information about me than my memory just did. Damn it!

Breathing came first. I slowed my breathing down, and felt the panic subside partially. Extra oxygen to my blood, to flush out the chemicals causing the panic. Relax. Freaking out wasn't going to help me any. I knew my limbs were messed up, and bits of my face was probably broken. People have lived through concussions before, and it wasn't the end of the world. I opened my eyes again, having not realized I had crushed them shut, and tried to move my neck.

Flares of pain, but I took it very slowly. Oh yeah, definite head trauma. Able to shift my view again, I could finally catch a glimpse of my own body. Several seconds later, I closed my eyes rapidly. Well, wish I hadn't done that! My skin appeared to be a pale bluish white. Okay, so I was still alive at least, somehow. Somehow. Swallowing, I opened my eyes slowly, and confirmed the color. It varied little up and down my right arm, largely consistent in hue. Well, that wasn't what I expected from the sliver of a second glance I'd gotten prior. Closer examination revealed a light coat of hair entirely covering the arm. Like an actual coat? Okay, what the hell?!

I brought my right hand up to my face, bracing myself for the site of my likely mutilated appendage. I was greeted by what appeared to be a hard, flattened marshmallow, shaped vaguely like a hoof. Ah. Well, that explains it.

Pretty sure I lost consciousness about then.

* * * * *

A stirring. My thoughts aligned into a semblance of… Wait!

My eyes opened up instantly, and I glanced about. Crater, check. Blue coat, check. Mush hoof for hand, check. Dull pain in head, neck, and back, check. Damn it. Alright, so I had either suffered from a rather harsh and complex forced transmutation attack that had a really bizarre goal, or was on one heck of an acid trip. Having no experience with the latter, I decided to stick to what I did know and assume that I was somehow transformed into, well, something. What I would do for a mirror…

The pain had decreased since last I visited consciousness, and I tested moving my, noticeably longer neck, around. Okay, so whatever I was, I probably had more vertebrae than I was used to. Or longer ones, anyway. My mind re-visited the memory of my joints, and it suddenly made a lot more sense. Not mutilated, but reverse jointed. Alright, so chances are, instead of arms and hands, I had an additional set of legs. Wonderful. Annoying, but I could manage, especially if I could clear my mind long enough to do magic. Telekinesis was amazing.

There was no sense of time at all, which honestly didn't surprise me due to the state my memory was in. Think! I was still in the crater. The blood was dried to my face as well. No medical attention. If I were in a battle, it either moved on, I somehow moved, or someone had won and it wasn't my side, decidedly just leaving me for dead. Great, even better, and crap. My muscles bunched up in my shoulders, and I rolled onto my stomach. There was little complaint from my back, so I got a little confidence and sat up partially. My arm, well, I guess it was a foreleg now, was actually multi-jointed, I rapidly discovered. So like a dog or horse? The hoof shape on the bottom of my foreleg resembled a horse the most, and was made of reasonably the same substance as the rest of the limb, albeit much harder. Stallion or bull, then, I noted, recalling I was definitely male. Well, this could also be corrected via reversing the transmutation magic. I remembered what my arms and legs used to look like, so it shouldn't be too difficult.

Shifting my eyes down further, I noted I could see the end of my nose. Or was it muzzle now? I sniffed, and smelled burnt grass immediately. My ears flattened back out of newly found instinct, and I glanced around further. My awareness extending away from myself finally, I noted that I was in a small crater, three or four meters across. The dirt was now cold, and charred branches and twigs lay at the edges. Glancing up and behind me a little ways, I confirmed that there were indeed trees there. A singed groove was cut through the canopy, and painted a clean path directly over where I was sitting. Damn. I came in at a slight angle, and somehow impacted this location with enough force to alter the terrain. How was I still alive? The only thing I could think of was that I had a barrier up from whatever caused me to go flying. Not that I could remember what had happened.

My eyes scanned the terrain, now that my immediate self seemed reasonably okay. Healthy looking grass spread out upon what seemed to be a field of flowers in-between two forest lines. My eyes lingered on the colors and shapes, causing a shiver to go down my body. Where was I? Surely these kinds of places no longer existed. Did I really die and fall into some heaven or something? I inhaled sharply, trying to smell past my crater, and immediately picked up the lovely scent of all the flowers. The sky overhead was overcast, but far lighter than the perpetual hellish haze I was used to. Things seemed brighter, and cleaner. The trees were healthy, and I caught a few actual apples in some! Wherever I was, it definitely wasn't where I used to be.

I tested my balance carefully, and stood up on all fours. My spine was apparently shaped for this kind of travel, and my hind legs were about the same length as the forelegs. My strength was sapped, but I managed a very slow shifting, one hoof at a time. Running water resounded from the forest behind me, and I was suddenly extremely thirsty. Around the same time, my stomach growled. I mentally quieted it. One thing at a time, body.

Embarrassingly enough, it took three tries for me to get out of my crater, and I ended up falling on my face when I finally stumbled out. Groggily, I managed to sit up again, mindful of the protesting ache dancing up and down my back. Now, I wondered if the pain was from some sort of impact, or the probably violent transformation that the magic put me through, that I was mercifully unconscious for. I stumbled along at a snail's pace for a good five minutes, trying not to trip over my own hooves. This was nowhere near as easy as I thought it would be. My mind was adjusting very slowly to the extra joints, and I took several breaks to stop and look around.

There didn't seem to be any sign of habitation nearby. The trees were colorful and leafy, with the occasional apple tree sparsely sprinkled through. They were rather healthy looking apples, and my stomach growled lightly again. Normally wild apples wouldn't look that healthy, I wouldn't imagine. Of course, I tried not to assume as I wasn't entirely sure where I was. Normally for that healthy of an apple to 'randomly' germinate into a forest like this, I'd think there was a farm of some sorts nearby for the pollination. That gave me some hope as to my future survival, anyway.

A good five minutes later, I finally managed to stumble upon a rather clear looking stream in a forest clearing. It ran freely, and I'd never seen water look so fresh! Tentatively, I dipped a hoof into it. No sizzling or burning sensation, so it wasn't laced with acids or chemicals that I could tell. Without any equipment, that was probably the best I could manage. I sniffed the drips running down my raised foreleg, but didn't smell much of anything out of the normal. Gently, I licked the edge of my hoof to get some of the water on my tongue.

To my surprise, it was pure, and largely tasteless! Encouraged, I lowered my muzzle down and tried drinking directly from the source. It took a bit of practice, but the cool water float readily down my throat with ease, and I almost died of bliss. From what I could remember of the last place I was in, this was significantly better. Why? Why couldn't I manage to remember much of anything? I tried thinking harder, but the headache came back with a vengeance. All I could remember were classes, training, and then battle. Pain and death. I shuddered as I pushed it out of memory again. No, I'd try that later when I had more time. It didn't seem a particularly pleasant set of memories, regardless.

My stomach rumbled again, reminding me that I should probably get some food soon. I double checked my sides, but my packs were indeed gone, as I'd noted earlier. As far as I could tell, I was utterly naked. I blushed a little at the thought, but it's not like there was anyone around anyway. My coat provided a bit of modesty and warmth, anyway, and was a light blue color, so much so that it was almost white. The skin under, as far as I could tell, was extremely pale, and oddly the same hue as the hair above it. Or was it fur? I didn't know much about horses, with them having gone extinct a long time ago, alongside most of the rest of the animals after the sky was poisoned.

I exhaled in defeat as I swished an elongated tail around behind me. It was very equine indeed, and an impossible mixture of dark blue with silver streaks in it. Wonderful. Whoever cast the transmutation spell either had an amazing imagination, or was on some pretty potent drugs. Wait, oh crap… In slight panic, I flopped backwards onto my hind end and glanced between my legs. My vision was met with everything in its anatomically correct spot. Well, for my new shape, anyway. Oh thank goodness! I'd heard of some transmutation spells that were of the more… sadistic variety in that regard.

Having confirmed I was still male, I rolled back into a more comfortable sitting position and stared into the water. My reflection was reasonably easy to make out on the surface, and I glanced to each side of my muzzle. It was shorter than I'd expected, although that's hard to see from a first person perspective. My eyes were also larger than what I'd been assuming. Maybe not a horse, entirely. I was too small for that. A pony? I guess. Of course, did it really matter? Focus! I needed food, as it felt like I was suddenly starving.

The nearest apple tree was a good dozen meters off. With my slightly improved movement techniques, it only took me three or four minutes to get there! I glanced upwards from the base of the trunk at the tantalizing apples hanging almost three body lengths off the ground. Crap. I hadn't thought of this. Think. The food was right there, and all I had to do was either get to it, or bring it to me somehow. I braced a front hoof against the tree and extended myself upwards slowly, until I was almost standing up on my hind legs. It didn't make much difference, as I swung at the apples with my free hoof. They were still a good meter out of reach. Dang. So close, but so far!

Option two. I closed my eyes after sliding back down into a sitting position. Symbols. They helped focus and shape thought in specific ways when meditated upon. When done with training and force, caused effect outside of my body. Come on, telekinesis! I'm hungry, so don't fail me now! The symbols came from memory surprisingly easily, and I directed the force of my mindscape along them as I had a thousand times before. Upon completing, I felt the feeling and energy built up. Yes! It was working! Smiling now, at least I think I was with my newly formed muzzle, I released the energy in my mind and directed it to carefully snag a couple apples off the branches above me.

It felt like someone had come up next to me and sent an armored boot into the side of my skull. Somehow, from the inside. I was jarred sideways from the force of my own telekinesis, and stumbled from my sitting position, flailing to the ground. Arg! My neck screamed in agony as I was jarred, and I held my head still with both hooves once I had rolled onto my back. Okay, that was a no go.

That, I can honestly say I had never experienced before. It was as if the energy was somehow stuck inside of me or something? I'd never heard of anything like it, and had no idea what to do about it. Was it some strange disease I'd picked up in this new place? Maybe it was some malicious fact of my transformation that I'd just discovered. Maybe the unorthodox form I was in was planned not to limit my physical abilities, which technically it didn't do too much, but to halt my magic? I swallowed lightly once my head stopped ringing. I think I'm in trouble now.

Glaring up at the unreachable apples, I sat up again. Damn it! They were right there! My stomach gave another protest, as if agreeing with my frustration in its own way. Okay, I prided myself on being a rather smart, er, pony. Surely, I could figure out a way to get at those apples. Looking around the clearing, that I was in, I noticed several fallen branches of varying sizes along the forest floor, along with several, rather mushy looking, fallen apples. Probably from the most recent storm, if such weather existed here, I decided. My eyes widened as a sudden idea came to mind.

After testing the strength in my legs, I discovered I was significantly more powerful than my prior form. With a little shoving, I managed to roost a sizable rock from next to the river, and shift it about seven or eight meters from the apple tree. Measuring out the distance with my hoof, I tried running the calculation in my head, but had difficulty suddenly with the numbers. My head was still too foggy from before. Ug. I decided to just guess and set up the alignment.

A few minutes later, I'd secured a large tree branch to the rock with a series of vines I found on a nearby tree. The forked end of the branch had its leaves brushed off, and I loaded a mushy apple into it with a smirk. It took a few practice shots, but soon I was able to hit one of the tasty looking apples with one of the mushy ones. Now watch my luck. They won't be apples and instead be some sort of horribly toxic fruit of death.

I picked up the two apples I'd knocked loose between my two front hooves, trying my hardest not to squish them. Not having fingers was making everything a lot harder than I wanted it to be. I made a mental note to figure out what the hell was wrong with my magic as soon as possible. With a bit of washing in the stream, I cleaned the apples off with my hoof, and took a sample bite of one, while nestling the extra between my shins.

Finally, a pleasant surprise! The apples were not only actually apples, but quite delicious. They were crunchy and juicy and totally different from the synthetic ones I'd had in the past! I hummed happily while I munched, making myself forget about the mess I'd gotten into, and just being content with my stomach filling up. It was a very nice feeling. I'd felt like I hadn't had a good meal in a very long time. I probably hadn't, given what I remembered of my past.

Battle was an understatement. I remembered war, the longer I thought about it. A war that I was forced to fight in. It was either that, or die anyway as we were crushed down upon from all sides. The sky aflame with the aftereffects of the devastating weaponry both sides used. Thresholds were repeatedly crossed, as things got worse and worse. What were a few unused pieces of land? Who needed a few species of animals here and there? Who was counting how many moons we lost? Who cared if we burned the upper layers off our ozone around the planet? All in the name of guarding our precious smoldering rock that we had claimed. I sighed, remembering the friends I'd joined the war with, and those that I'd made along the way. It made me feel both better and worse that I couldn't remember their names either. Most were dead now, anyway, if such a thing as 'dead' truly mattered at this point. Maybe I was dead too?

My head hurt again, but I forced myself to start on the second apple. I'd need the sustenance later, I imagined. If I was a equine-like animal, that meant that I was probably a vegetarian. Apples kept reasonably well, and I wished I'd had a pouch or something to carry a couple extra with. Food was always scarce where I was from, I recalled. I contemplated knocking a couple more down, but decided I was reasonably full. I could get more later, now, and felt like I should do as little disturbing as possible. Resentment flashed through my mind. No, if whoever side I was with abandoned me for dead, I was probably better off without them at this point. I certainly didn't want to damage things unnecessarily, like what happened with our planet.

Finding myself in a stupor now, I slowly wandered back in the directly of my crater. With timing, I discovered I was getting a little better at walking, anyway. I needed to go slowly, in case I kicked one of my front hooves with a back one, but at least I didn't need to watch my steps precisely now. If I was going to spend any time as a quadruped, I decided that I'd best learn how to walk properly as one. It gave me all new respect for the voluntary shape shifters. Doing this in battle would have gotten me killed rather quickly, I had suspicion.

Directions were difficult. Assuming wherever I was had somewhat similar physics, there should be a standard magnetic North. That would let me pick out four cardinal directions and at least prevent getting lost, in theory. The only issue is, did this planet rotate? Of course, I assume I'm on a planet of some sorts. I sighed weakly and sat down at the edge of my crater. Assumptions were just that. As much as I 'knew', I was drugged up and imprisoned somewhere, having an amazingly ineffective adventure in my head. But thinking that way was pointless.

Glancing skyward, I saw that the sun I'd noticed earlier had indeed shifted a little, indicating movement. I could use that for directions for now. It was as good as any, assuming it moved in a straight line, anyway. I was pretty screwed if it didn't, so I'd cross that bridge when presented it. Given an East to West progression assumed, that put the clearing to the South of my crater, and the stream I'd found flowing in a Southeastern direction. If there was a settlement around, I'd probably find it to the Northwest, then, following the river. Hopefully. If civilizations built upstream here.

Shaking out my apprehension, I followed the forest line to the Northwest of my crater, trying to circumvent the forest and see where the stream exited on the other side. I hoped it was a small forest.

* * * * *

Son of a bitch. Normally I considered a cross country hike nothing, as I was in good shape from training, like every other recruit had been. Walking in an uncoordinated fashion, tripping every few hundred meters, and generally blundering through the path I'd set myself on slowed me considerably, and took up a lot more energy than anticipated, however. As far as my rattled mind could estimate, it had been an hour or so, and I felt like I'd barely made a couple kilometers.

The forest edge finally collided with the stream exit, although it was more of a river at this point. It was flowing the correct direction still, so bizarre physics could currently be ruled out. The terrain was getting more and more hilly however, and I didn't exactly look forward to attempting to navigate them with the equivalent of wearing four roller-skates on stilts. Sitting down next to the river edge, I debated what to do.

The sun slowly drifted off to my right, meaning West. My eyes shifted back to the river and traced it further North, as it slipped between two hills. Even if there was a town that was, I doubt I'd be able to see it. My vision lapsed occasionally still, causing bouts of nausea and dizziness. I didn't know how much further I could keep this pace up without some serious resting. If I had a concussion…

Not that I hadn't just fallen on my face a dozen or so times just now, I reminded myself irritably. Having four legs was not something I was used to, nor getting used to at any reasonable pace. At least I was moving faster than I was before. Of course, not while I was just sitting here!

Kicking myself in the butt, I stood up again and slowly started North. Might as well get started. The faster I get moving, the faster I can see if I was right about their being civilization, or see exactly how screwed I am if I wasn't. Knowing beats sitting here worrying about it however, right? The view was pleasant still, and I couldn't get nearly as pessimistic as I would have liked with everything being so pretty like this. Well, until it was dark anyway, and I could no longer see any of the pretty. That thought got me moving a little faster.

Hills were, surprisingly enough, easier than flat land for me to walk on. Apparently having my hooves on different elevations entirely negated their ability to trip over themselves. Now all I had to worry about was keeping them going the right direction, and I was set! Two hills later, and I amended that I hated the downhill part, it seemed.

Picking myself back up from the crumpled heap after my third tumbling roll, I sighed and cracked my now complaining back. Maybe I'd try going down the next one backwards? Couldn't hurt at this point. Well, not any more than going down on my face does. I hiked to the top of the next hill a little more slowly now. This was the biggest one yet, and a little intimidating to my now slightly sore legs. My breath caught at the top of it, and I froze in place.

The sun was slowly starting to set at this point, but the expanse of land after this hill was alit with a warm glow. Multiple buildings lay spread out with lights coming from windows. Faint wisps of smoke, barely noticeable, extended from chimneys, and I saw beings moving about on the streets! The building apprehension melted away at that point. All of the individuals I saw moving around were quadruped, like me. Their coats varied in color as if a rainbow had fallen and soaked them all. Well, now my exotic blues and silvers didn't seem so out there, anymore.

Then it dawned on me. I looked like they did. Which means the transmutation wasn't the will of anyone with a sense of imagination, or drugged. I was shaped to match them, either by intention or accident. Or maybe it was an automatic thing by whatever had dumped me here? I briefly entertained thoughts of a cursed zone entirely separated from our world, that was somehow more pleasant than reality. It didn't add up, though. This place was far more massive than anything I'd seen a caster do. Was I in a different reality, then? Did they exist? Maybe this was just a different planet from mine, although that seemed even less feasible. I was moved here in the space of losing consciousness. Although I truly didn't know how long I was out. The crater indicated that my arrival was slightly more spontaneous, though.

Whatever! I'd sort it out later. What was needed now was some very accurate observations! I needed some information if I were to figure out how to cause the natives to not murder me on sight. With new direction and finally, a plan, I set off towards the village!

And immediately fell off the top of the hill… Groaning, I picked myself up weakly from the foot, where I finally stopped rolling, and glanced towards the now much closer, if slightly spinning village. If I did have a concussion, it probably just got worse. Dusting myself off, I slowly edged through the clusters of trees, heading towards the edge of the village. It was a quaint area. Rustic feeling, although with a flare of personality that I hadn't really seen before. Everything looked customized. Like they had the buildings and furniture together personally, by hand. Well, hoof.

I decided I was close enough when I got within a dozen meters of the road going into the village. Nobody had noticed me yet, so I plopped down in the bushes and peeked out, trying to observe as best as I was able. The equine individuals moved like a standard town community. I saw some talking to each other here and there. Communication! Perfect. Listening carefully, I rotated my ears on top of my head until I was able to pick up things.

"Honestly, is it supposed to be getting this dark already? Those clouds don't look entirely friendly," was whispered by a darker blue looking pony.

My ears perked. They spoke universal common? This was far better than I could have hoped! "I dunno. The weather team was going to bring in a storm, but I thought it wasn't supposed to be until later tonight," the yellow equine she was talking to replied. Weather control? Amazing! They must be far more advanced than I was giving them credit for. I got my hopes up. If they had climate control, maybe they had interstellar travel! Maybe I was just on another planet after all? But if so, how the hell did I get here? I'd assume even I'd make a bigger crater than that, and be quite a bit more dead, if I'd traveled directly.

My listening was interrupted by rustling next to me suddenly. I felt my pupils dilate, as my pulse spiked and I slowly, carefully glanced to my right…

Rabbit? My mind stopped. It just sat there, looking up at me, before slowly looking back in the direction of the village. Uh. Well. Several moments passed in silence, as I carefully let my heartbeat return to normal. Okay, it wasn't eating me. And it wasn't pulling out any weaponry and declaring my painful death. Oh thank goodness, I don't think it was one of them! The creature hopped out of the bush I was in, and slowly made its way onto the path. Instinct told me to scream out. To tell all of the nice looking ponies to flee!

I exhaled quietly as it left, not realizing I'd been holding my breath. My entire body was shaking, and I was distinctly aware of an uncomfortably warm puddle forming under my rear, causing me to blush. Wonderful. Some trained soldier I was. But it wasn't one of them? It hadn't killed any of the ponies yet, so just maybe…

"Oh, there you are, Angel. I was looking all over for you, you naughty bunny. It's going to storm soon, and we need to get you back to your family," I suddenly heard, barely more audible than a whisper. I watched a young looking pony with an extremely light yellow coat walk up. Her hair, I mean, mane, was a pretty pink color, and she looked somehow more vulnerable than the others, yet infinitely more graceful. She. She was definitely a female. Wait…

Sadly, it didn't dawn on me until she'd picked up the small rabbit in her mouth and turned around to head North into the village, glimpses of her rump visible as she went. My blush hit instantly, and I ducked back into the bush, burying my muzzle in my hooves. Curse my horrible, horrible mind! They're all naked! Every pony I saw so far had been without much clothing. It was probably safe to assume at this point that it was optional in their culture. Damn it! Biologically, I must be geared to now pick up on this race as viable mates, since the spell changed... Wait, I don't remember seeing any males in my observations.

I peeked my head out over the bush again, and got a quick confirmation. Vaguely feminine decorations and furniture, every individual on the street appeared to be female, and even the flower arrangements and elaborations felt feminine. Uh oh. I might be in trouble here. Did males exist? If they didn't, surely I was a joke of whatever magic transformed me. Worst case scenario? Lab rat for the rest of my life.

But why have a female sexuality without a male variant? Asexual reproduction typically didn't display asymmetrical gene... OH! What if they're just a segregated society? Worst case scenario? Locked in some slave camp, or drafted into some hidden, unknown military. I gasped. But what they're considered the submissive sex here? I could face horrible torture and imprisonment for being found outside of a containment camp! No! Stay calm. I'll just need to gather a ton more data before making contact with anyone here. Simple.

"Oh, sir? You should get out of those bushes and take cover before the storm hits," suddenly resounded from about a meter away.

My ears flattened back. Oh crap. I had left my head sticking out of the bush. I looked up and saw a bluish-green coated pony with a light blue and white mane smiling gently at me. I froze. Discovered! By a female no less! Visions of certain doom swam before my eyes, and I started trembling again. All she'd have to do is call out, and they'd all set upon me! I pictured myself being torn apart by ravenous, hostile females.

Her head tilted when I didn't do anything. Shivering and a terrified look must not be a part of their communication. Wait, was that some sort of horn sticking off her forehead? My eyes widened as I suddenly considered if she was a warrior or not. "Um, are you okay? You're bleeding. Wait, what's that smell?" She suddenly asked.

She smelled blood! What if I was wrong about the herbivore thing? This was a totally new world! I shouldn't make assumptions based on my prior experience. The females here must be carnivores. The lack of males suddenly made terrible, terrible sense. "I'm sorry! Don't lock me up and eat me!" I pleaded, scrambling to my hooves as fast as I could and taking off back into the forest at top speed. Pity I tripped after a few meters and went sliding on my belly into the river.

"W-What!? Hey, wait!" She called out behind me. Oh hell! I heard rustling of the bushes behind me. She was on my trail. I had to escape. There was no way I was going to be torn apart and killed here, after everything I made it through!

Struggling to my feet, I took off running again, partially wading now, down the river. "Ew! I think I stepped in something," I heard behind me, suddenly drown out by a clap of thunder above. Yes! She was distracted by my, uh, strategically placed trap. I took full advantage and let the river wash me downstream.

* * * * *

And that's how I got here. Where's here? Wet and soggy, under the thickest foliage I could find, in the middle of a massive downpour, trying to ingest a partially rotten apple core I found. Who am I talking to? Not a clue. Where'd I get the apple core? It was one of many in a paper bag that descended from the heavens to bash me in the skull as I drifted down the river. I have no idea how they did it, and frankly, I've given up trying to understand this place. The little bastards are now paying by being dissolved in my stomach.

After I finished the fourth core, I tighten the overly large bag around my forehead. A warm trickle slipped onto my face, so I guessed I was still bleeding from the bag impact re-opening my wound. It certainly wasn't the blasted rain. That was freezing. I sneezed momentarily, then rapidly looked around to make sure nothing heard it.

Darkness was all around me. The only light nearby was from a small cottage I found on the West edge of town after climbing out of the river. It had a very earthly, natural feel to it, which relaxed me. This was as close as I dare get, though! I was about thirty meters from the light, not wanting to risk detection by the carnivorous monsters masquerading as ponies and fearing even worse things roamed in the darkness. Meanwhile, the storm grew worse and worse.

Swallowing, I tried to curl up as best I could. I sneezed again, and the shivering made me suddenly tired. Not really caring, I lay my head down on the mud under the tree, and tried to get some much needed rest.

Chapter 02

View Online

My eyes slowly regained focus as I felt the throbbing and spinning in my head lessen. I couldn't think clearly, everything being a foggy miasma of heat and cotton inside my skull. Wow. It's amazing anyone used drugs when they could just go out and cave their skull in for the same effect. My frame shook with a dry cough as I sat up in the mud. How long was I out for?

The rain still came down just about as hard as before and my 'bed' had slowly been reduced to a slime bowl. That didn't tell me much, however. I estimated a few minutes that I'd been unconscious, maybe? My eyes glanced out towards the house I was parked close to, mind in a haze as another wave of nausea came over me from the motion. Stilling my movement somewhat, I slowly let the feeling pass, feeling warmth spread up my neck and head. Not good. I needed to get out of this rain and soon. A warm light came out one of the windows of the house, and gently spread across the rain soaked ground. My eyes caught motion suddenly and I made an extra effort to freeze in place, as to not be noticed.

It was that mare from earlier. Her light yellow coat was brightened in the soft light of her house and her pink mane swayed nervously as she looked up at the sky from her window. Her hooves were idly fidgeting on some shrubbery in her window garden as she watched the heavens wearily. The rain pounded down and I noticed her window was technically open. She didn't seem to mind getting a little wet, it would seem. Was it the noise that was making her nervous then? Her fidgeting drew my attention and I noticed the meticulous care that seemed to go into the gardening on and around her house. It looked like it blended in with the forest, as if it were made from a tree itself. It was very beautiful and I found myself calming down a little.

Shifting to a better position, I watched her through the underside of the tree. I'd discovered it felt considerably better if I rested with my legs tucked under me, than if I spread them out. This quadruped thing was hard. Suddenly I saw her freeze entirely and my attention snapped back to reality. My eyes went from their relaxed position to locking on her instantly, only to find her looking directly back at me. Oh. She froze, wide eyed and shrinking back a little. Oh crap! My eyes probably reflected the light from her windows but for some reason I just couldn't look away. My body locked up and I started shivering uncontrollably again.

Moments passed. Or was it hours? Neither of us moved. Ironically, she looked as terrified as I was. Any moment now I anticipated the legion of hellish carnivores to descend upon me. All she'd have to do was scream or call out! Even longer passed yet we continued staring at each other. And staring. And even a little more staring. Utter stillness existed between us and finally I relaxed my eyes a little. After several more seconds passed, I saw her frown, but her shoulders lowered from their rigid guard position at the same time, her eyes softening considerably like mine.

We just watched each other. I lost track of time for a while, either because of focus or due to my head spinning and tumbling, I didn't know. She seemed nervous but somewhat curious now. It dawned on me that she probably knew about as much of me as I knew of her. It didn't drive her to action, regardless, and she seemed content with just observing. Her pink mane tilted as she watched and I caught myself blushing slightly. She was pretty. If she were my old species, she'd remind me of some of the posters we used to have hanging in the barracks. The ones meant to sooth and relax of course, not the other kind.

I caught myself smiling slightly; probably my first in quite a few hours. My eyes relaxed a little as my focus re-adjusted. My head felt a little clearer, maybe? That sickening heat that had been possessing it since I woke up seemed to simmer down a little. Then my ears twitched, picking up a low whistling noise from above me. Wait, what was that? Some exotic bird or something? It seemed oddly familiar. She must have heard it too and glanced up at about the same time that I did. My eyes widened and my pupils felt like they might pull into my head as I watched the radiant rainbow ball of death descending towards my position, sounding off a low whistle as it fell. Oh crap! Mortar shells?! I tried to stand up and dive out of the way as best I could, suddenly remembering my training in a hurry.

My body felt weightless as the area around my private sanctum was consumed in a radiant, prismatic mushroom cloud. The raw heat from the particles released burned against my coat and the wind blast lifted and tossed me as if a feather dancing on the breeze. It felt almost graceful as I flipped once, lazily through the air as the world seemed to grind to a halt. I momentarily wondered how they had found me so quickly, and then if I would get a replay of my life before passing. The mud sizzled and quickly hardened to my mane and coat and I felt my throat go raw from the blast of pressurized air. What an amazing weapon. Not only was it utterly destructive but it managed to be beautiful at the same time.

A single moment at the pinnacle of my arc. I hung there with droplets of rain around me, standing equally defiant of gravity as they turned to heated mist from the blast. It was gorgeous. If this were to be my last moment, I could be content. I didn't realize such beauty could exist in destruction. That attack was amazing and rivaled some of the artillery of my prior technology! Even some of the mid level magical attacks would be hard pressed to show that much force, I realized. And certainly not that much style. Style wasn't bothered with largely due to inefficiency. It was an ugly time, I seemed to recall. At that moment, I was kind of glad I didn't remember most of it.

Nothing lasts forever, sadly. Gravity started its harsh tugging again and I felt my stomach lurch as I descended towards the land once more. It was pointless really. I smiled and simply closed my eyes. I was a dozen meters off the ground at this point with no barrier, nor anything to slow my descend. In my weakened condition, I'd probably shatter every bone in my body upon impact. I simply let it come.

I should have looked down first. Note to self: always look down first. The tree branch smashed into my stomach, catching me totally unaware. Ambushed, all of the air retreated out of my lungs immediately, giving up the fight without even presenting a white flag. There was a snapping noise half a second later as my weight overwhelmed the branch's load capacity and it gave out, sending me further down into the canopy with a dull thud. All four of my legs flailed about helplessly, attempting to latch onto anything with as much grace as a drunken giraffe. Seconds later, I managed to snag another cooperative branch with my hind legs.

Hanging upside down in the middle of the tree canopy, I contemplated how best to get down. My plan for a graceful end had went swimmingly, executed with style and grace that I couldn't help but simply applaud. Irritated, I swung freely a bit and tried to rotate myself around. Sadly, in my weakened condition, there wasn't much I could do to pull myself back upright. My back and stomach muscles were screaming in agony at this point. Well, at least it was a little drier inside of the tree canopy than in a mud hole on ground level, right?

"Rainbow Dash, are you okay?" was spoken quietly, a bit off to my right. I glanced back that direction and watched the rainbow light slowly dissipating.

"Heck yeah! That was awesome! Did you see that? What an amazing recovery from that dive," spoke a small looking pony that was near the location of the newly formed crater. Well, she looked small anyway. It was hard to tell, me being a good six or seven meters off the ground. And upside-down.

The even smaller looking yellow mare was exiting the house, carefully making her way around the puddles in her yard, giving herself a little boost occasionally with a tiny set of wings on her back. Wait, wings? Glancing back to the blue pony with the massively contrasting rainbow mane and tail, I noticed she had wings too. I hadn't seen those on the others from my observations earlier. "Um, that was really dangerous. Are you absolutely sure you're alright?" the yellow pony with the pink mane asked. Was this Rainbow Dash a title or actual name then? It certainly seemed fitting as a title. Wait, rainbow? My eyes shifted back to the glow that was now rapidly fading. She made that blast by herself?! My respect and similarly, fear for these small ponies increased drastically.

"Relax Fluttershy. I had it totally under control. Well, the dive not the storm clouds. I'm still working on those," the Rainbow Dash replied. Fluttershy. That didn't seem as fitting to her appearance but was cute still. Very feminine. Maybe they were names after all? I didn't have one for myself so who was I to judge the sounds of theirs? Wait, I was getting distracted. Get down from the tree before I pass out from blood rush to the head, then spy on... er, observe the ponies.

I swayed tentatively, trying to reach for a lower branch with my forelegs so I could maybe slowly lower myself down. Grace and focus. I could do this! Taking a few deep breaths, I tried to relax myself. "So the storm really isn't meant to have been this bad, huh?" Fluttershy asked, barely audible above the rain hitting the ground. My thoughts drifted slightly as my forelegs brushed against the branch I was targeting. Did Rainbow Dash have something to do with the weather? Maybe they controlled their climate through magic instead of technology.

There was a light cracking noise above me, and I sighed. Today really kind of sucked, so far. I glared back to my right defiantly, staring at the back of the small, blue and rainbow colored pony. Sure, she probably would never know, but I had to salvage what little ego was left after she absent-mindedly blew me up without even noticing my existence. By braking! I shuffled myself closer to the trunk of the tree to move the center of my mass closer to the main support and slowly took hold of the lower branch, testing my weight against it lightly. It seemed to be able to support my weight so far.

"Eheheh. I might have gotten a little impatient with the schedule. But it's not my fault they interfered with my training regiment and I had to jump things up a notch, right? Besides, I totally got this. Just head back inside and stay dry, okay?" Rainbow Dash suggested, in her much harsher voice. They seemed about the same age and acted like friends.

Fluttershy drooped noticeably but nodded. "Um, well, if it will help of course. But if it's not too much trouble, could you maybe see if there's somepony else around? I thought I saw another pony, um, hiding under the tree. That you kinda blew up," she pointed out, glancing back at the crater. My heart stopped. She knew I was a pony? She acknowledged me. I smiled mentally. Wait. Oh crap! She acknowledged me. And she didn't say to help the blown up pony! I might be in quite a bit of trouble. I'd not be able to escape from the rainbow colored one if she decided to attack.

"Psh, Fluttershy, why would anypony be out in this weather, hiding under a tree? I'm sure your imagination just got the better of you looking out into the dark," Rainbow Dash tried to assure. Whew. Wait, 'anypony'? Oh, clever. Now that I thought about it, I think I'd heard 'somepony' earlier too.

Fluttershy just nodded weakly and seemed to believe her. I felt both badly and relieved at the same time. Maybe the winged ponies were nicer? Or at least didn't eat meat. I shuddered as I remembered the horrifying blue pony from earlier and almost lost my balance. "Good! And don't worry about this storm. I'll have it all fixed up in ten seconds flat!" Rainbow Dash announced before giving a curt yet confident nod to Fluttershy.

Her yellow friend looked less than sure of the boast but slowly started making her way back towards her house, daintily avoiding the puddles. I watched her go, trying to resist smiling and blushing at the grace and simple adorableness that she oozed from every portion of her body. Well, I wasn't sure if it was blushing at this point as a good sixty percent of my blood felt like it was swelled into my skull. I squinted my eyes shut as the thought of her body formed a shortcut to the, well, other image I had of her from earlier. My body heated up and I wobbled, trying to calm myself down again. Stupid, dirty, filthy mind! Why was this such a big deal?! Their culture obviously didn't actively endorse clothing like mine used to. I was a mature, fully grown, rational, and reasonable individual. Surely I could halt these barbaric thoughts that plagued my head.

Rainbow Dash rocketed into the air at speeds I couldn't follow, shooting straight back up towards the cloud line while leaving a very familiar looking trail. Wow, well that was fairly impressive. The sheer power she must contain in her body left me in awe. I wasn't a raw attack mage though, so most displays of pure power surprised me. Still, I thought I'd seen it all. Her grace and style left me feeling somewhat cheated with what few memories I could recall of the battles I'd participated in. Then something dawned on me as my brain momentarily processed physics. Oh no.

The blast of wind hit my tree suddenly, from her spontaneous takeoff. Oh crap! I swayed and flailed trying to keep my balance. Several antagonizing seconds later, I slowed my rotation and managed to still myself, trying to grasp for the lower branch I had prior. Success! Well that was a close call. That's about the time when the branch I was dangling from snapped of course. If I had time to sigh, I would have. They're very therapeutic, I hear. My head bounced off the lower branch I'd had my sights set on as I fell backwards. Several more collisions wracked my body from various angles before I smashed, screaming, into the mercifully muddy ground below, making everything go black. Again.

* * * * *

Half a dozen worlds fell in the space of months as the sky burned and split, letting the demons through. Our allies lost half that but only had half as many to begin with. Everything was ending and our last event wouldn't be some natural occurrence, many decided, but a hostile race bent on our demise. The extinction of our species. The very concept of it was frightening and I simply couldn't wrap my mind around it. Dwelling on it too long rapidly caused madness as many had attested to firsthand. It would seem that our psyche simply couldn't hold up to thoughts of cessation of existence.

Most of my friends joined the military, either willingly or through conscription. I was one of the few who actually chose to join. Not due to a rash desire to prove myself nor through some larger sense of duty or obligation. No, I joined to stop the invaders before there was nothing left for them to destroy. Because I could easily see where they were going and it left me terrified, crying, and unable to sleep at night. They wouldn't stop until everything I knew and loved, and every person I cared about, were erased from existence. I fought to make a difference, even if it was next to nothing. To stop them from destroying everything I cherished. Because if I didn't fight, it wouldn't really matter anyway.

I made no difference of course. Our last world was the worst, as to be expected. I remembered it clearly somehow. Everything was as if a movie with no ending. The seventh world had fallen, leaving us with only our home planet. Our allies had retreated and we had fought tooth and nail for this ball of rock floating around a star. As the plans became increasingly daring and futile, what we accepted as losses expanded greatly I noticed. Eventually it was perfectly acceptable to weaponize a moon to strike out at the impossibly large fleet in our orbit. Forgotten so easily was the cherished traditions and culture surrounding the moons around our home planet. In trying to defend ourselves, we lost who we were regardless.

And even then it didn't matter. The sky exploded into flames and a haphazard chorus of screams erupted around me. Bunker number three hundred and twelve was my charge. I can't remember a point before or after thist. Ponies scattered into the corners of the bunker as I sealed it up behind me, activating the complex shielding magic with my muzzle. It wouldn't do much good of course but it helped them feel safer. The orbital strikes could eat through three layers of similar shielding in seconds. I swallowed hard and directed my platoon into guard position. The last line of defense. Honestly, we would fade away here. There was no hope at this point. Everything we could do had been tried, and failed. Some comfort was found as I stood there on the charred landscape surrounded by my friends. We were all about to die but we were to die as ourselves. I knew nothing had changed who I was and nothing the invaders did could take that away.

The hellish monsters descended from the burning heavens themselves. Massive and pale, their cyan coloring clashed violently with the crimson sky. The four long, leg-like tentacles extended menacingly towards the planet, their ships a cruel mockery of our forms. Rainbow maned figureheads jutted out from each of their hulls and an equally prismatic exhaust pushed them forwards. My mind mentally pictured the unnatural cyborg rabbits that piloted the diabolical crafts. Their entire race was bent on the utter destruction of my people and would stop at nothing to achieve their goal.

The heads of the mare-looking figureheads seemed to laugh arrogantly as they opened their mouths and fired burning, rainbow apple cores towards the surface. My body braced for impact as I conjured what was possibly my last barrier.

Wait a second. Something seemed, well, a little off suddenly.

* * * * *

My eyes slowly opened and a faint dawn light greeted them. A dagger of pain stabbed into my head as the light was processed and I groaned weakly, trying to will the image away from me. I closed my eyes again, feeling drained and sick. It was just a dream. Or was it a memory? It felt like my current memories and the old ones were kind of leaking together. Why was I not dead yet? My mind retreated into myself for the moment and I tried to ignore the light stabbing sensation at my gut. Probably internal bleeding or something. If I was lucky I'd lose consciousness and die in my sleep.

"Will ya stop pokin' him with that there stick! It's mighty rude, Scootaloo," sounded behind me somewhere. Wonderful. Internal bleeding sounded even more merciful now. The voice was lighter, maybe coming from a younger pony? What would that be, a foal?

The newly identified jabbing continued however and I kept my eyes shut. "Oh come on. I'm just trying to wake him up, Apple Bloom," was the reply, apparently from one 'Scootaloo' foal. Well, I assumed they were ponies anyway. It wasn't like I bothered to check.

"Just let him sleep, Scootaloo! Can't ya see he looks plum tucker'd out?" was the comeback, from the same heavily accented, younger voice from before. Finally a reasonable suggestion!

There was a stagnant pause and the poking stopped. "What's that stuff all over him?" a softer, previously unheard of voice asked. I became noticeably aware of the caked mud all over my coat and exhaled sharply. It actually felt kind of nice, being significantly cooler than the sun on my body.

"It looks like, ah dunno. Maybe Rainbow done romp'd with him or somethin'?" reasoned Apple Bloom. They had such unique names. Wait, romp? If that meant what I thought it did… A light heat made it to my face, separate from the sunlight. Rainbow? It better not be Rainbow Dash she was talking about. Although they pegged my gender already it would seem and I wasn't dead yet. But they were also fairly young sounding. Maybe they were part of a scouting party instead of hunting?

There was a hacking noise behind me. "No way! Rainbow Dash wouldn't romp with him. He's nowhere near cool enough," Scootaloo defended, suddenly. The heat was replaced with a twinge of irritation. Rainbow Dash was definitely a name and could only mean that egotistical blue pony from before. I suddenly remembered I had no idea how long I had been unconscious for.

"What's romping?" the gentler voice asked innocently, sounding a little confused.

There was a much longer pause. "Ah haven't the faintest," was eventually admitted, via the accented pony. I resisted chuckling.

"You don't know what romping is?" asked Scootaloo incredulously with a hinting of ego. Suddenly I realized why she liked Rainbow Dash.

There was a derisive snort in reply, followed by, "Ah suppose ya know, do yeh?" She probably didn't.

"Of course! It's when two ponies wrestle in the mud together to decide who's better," Scootaloo answered almost instantly. Er, what?

There was another pause. "Wow. That makes sense then, looking at him. How'd you know that?" the innocent voice asked.

There was a confident snickering. "Pinkie Pie suggested it to Rainbow Dash and Apple Bloom's Sis after the Running of the Leaves, obviously to decide who was better," Scootaloo explained.

"Ah remember that. It doesn't sound so bad, thou'. What did Sis yell at 'er for, then?" Apple Bloom questioned, sounding doubtful.

"And Rainbow got all pink after, don't forget!" the innocent one chimed in. I wished I knew her name. And Rainbow Dash must have been embarrassed over something. Maybe this 'romping' held some sort of social significance that the younger ones weren't aware of? Huh.

There was an apparent moment of reflection. "I dunno. Maybe she wanted to give Applejack a sporting chance? She obviously didn't with this stallion. Dang," Scootaloo finally replied. My irritation spiked back with a vengeance. Oh, who was I kidding? Rainbow Dash could probably mop the floor with my face even with me at full strength, from what she displayed yesterday. Still, Scootaloo could have been a little more considerate to my ego.

Wait, what the hell was I doing? These three assumedly ponies obviously were members of the community of carnivorous equines! Dang, they got me to let my guard down. Clever young ones. Maybe they were sent intentionally just to get me to relax and lead to a false sense of security? Were they just scouts or some sort of hunting party bent on my horrible death and roasting? My eyes opened up rapidly and I shifted my neck to glance back at where the poking was coming from.

Three tiny foal slipped into my field of vision. They were considerably smaller than the ones I saw before, so I assumed they were younger. Apparently yesterday, by the position of the sun above me and to the right I also noted. Was it morning? The center pony looked almost tan but I guessed it was just an orange coat color. Her mane was either purple, or a really dark pink. She also sported a set of smaller wings on her back. Her head was rotated away from me, looking back at the pony to her left. Speaking of, the one to her left was almost yellow in coat color, somewhat similar to Fluttershy's from yesterday. Her mane contrasted heavily being a vibrant red. The last pony, looking on from the back with careful examination, was whitish in color, similar to my coat but without the blue hue to it. Her hair was an equal measure of purple and pink, making mine far less eccentric feeling. My eyes were drawn to a tiny horn that protruded from her forehead, seamlessly connected to her skin it seemed. That was like the carnivorous pony from before.

All three ponies jumped with my sudden movement and rapidly backed up slightly, as a group. No direct confrontation. They must not be a true hunting party. Surely they could have used their superior numbers to overwhelm my defenses fairly quickly if they had attacked. I rotated my butt around so my rear and flanks were away from them and glared more directly. Out of my peripheral vision, I scanned the river bank again and planned a potential escape route. Guess I would try to fight to live another day after all.

"Oh, ya startled us. Hay there, stranger. Ah don' believe we've met before. Ah'm Apple Bloom," the red maned suddenly greeted. This caught me off guard but told me what I'd already guessed from her accent. Her smile was polite but I was on to her!

My eyes narrowed slightly and I risked a direct glance towards the river. It was six meters away or so and flowing faster after the storm last night. The one in the middle raised an eyebrow but otherwise wore a neutral expression regarding my complete and total silence. To my surprise, the white pony to her right stepped a little closer though. "Um, hello. My name is Sweetie Belle and this is Scootaloo. She uh, apologies for poking you with the stick, right?" she offered up. Well at least I knew her name now.

"I what?!" Scootaloo, the now identified middle foal asked, staring at Sweetie Belle in surprise while shoving a small stick near her feet away from herself. Attempts to act non-violent and hide prior transgressions. She was crafty! Maybe their leader?

My mind spun its gears rapidly as I thought. I came up with an amazingly brilliant escape plan within seconds. My eyes widened and I gasped, looking over the three. "Oh no! Burning apple cores are falling from the sky!" I shouted, pointing back behind them.

All three ponies freaked out and spun around faster than I thought possible. Yes! They fell right into my trap. With great agility and speed, I booked it towards the river in full retreat, tripping a half meter later and smashing along the bank when hitting the wet dirt. Less than elegantly, I managed to roll twice and splash into the water. My protesting muscles gave out rapidly but victory was achieved!

Apple Bloom walked up next to my slowly drifting form and trotted next to me as I drifted down the river. "That was awfully mean, ya know? Are ya playin' some sorta game, er somethin'?" she asked, giving me an irked look. Crap.

"Maybe he's not feeling well and just wanted us to leave him alone?" Sweetie Belle asked, following along after her.

"Or maybe he's just a dork?" Scootaloo chimed in, mirroring Apple Bloom on the other side.

I sighed, wishing I could just drown so I could escape. "Ya need ta be nicer ah reckon, Scootaloo. He ain't lookin' so good, if ya know what ah'm sayin'," she pointed out. Didn't that work in their advantage?

My head started to ache again and I felt the warmth leaking from it and into the water. Great. I hope blood didn't excite them. Reaching up, I rotated my impromptu bandage and tightened the tie on the one end of it. The stretchy tie knot was within view of my eye that was above the water now and I noticed its rainbow patterns, now my least favorite color. Er, colors? I weakly let my forelegs drop, wondering why they didn't seem to be attacking me and at the same time kind of wishing they'd just get it done and over with.

"Oh my! He's bleeding. We should get him back to the village. That needs to be tended to," Sweetie Belle suddenly announced right on cue. Crap. They did pick up on it instantly. And tended to? What, with seasonings and spices? Oh no! They must keep their food live until they cook it up!

Scootaloo sighed. "Dang, Rainbow Dash must have done a number on you. Fine, let's fish him out of the stream and get him to…" Her ironically truthful statement was interrupted by a sudden, massive gasp. It took me a second to realize she herself had done it.

My eyes shifted over to her instantly and noticed she was staring with utmost intensity at my… butt? Huh? The other two fillies on the other side zoomed in on the same spot the instant they saw her look. There was a momentary pause, and then they suddenly matched her stare. What? What was going on? I was so confused. Was my butt bleeding too?

"Oh mah goodness! He ain't got no Cutie Mark!" Apple Bloom suddenly declared, as if the world were ending. Cutie what?!

"What the hay?! He's a full grown stallion. How can he not have one?" Scootaloo asked on the other side, sounding utterly stunned.

Sweetie Belle stopped walking though. "Oh no. Does that mean we might not get ours after all?" she asked, suddenly sounding extremely sullen. My mind rapidly tried to piece things together. As an adult, I was supposed to have something on my butt or flank that indicated something but I didn't have it. They wanted one as well and seemed downright depressed that they didn't yet. Scootaloo indicated it had to do with adults, so maybe it was some sort of rite of passage?

Apple Bloom suddenly smiled, which made me exceptionally suspicious. "Wait ahn apple buckin' minute! If he doesn't have ah Cutie Mark yet, maybe he can help us get ours instead?" she suddenly reasoned. I swallowed tightly, memory suddenly jumping back to last night. There was, if I remembered correctly, something on Rainbow Dash's flank! A mark of some sort. Oh hell. It was some sort of ritualistic tattoo they got upon reaching adulthood! If I could 'help' them get it, it must be based off their first kill or something!

Thrashing upright in the water, I rapidly tried to swim away, mindful that the water was barely half a meter deep. The lack of capability to trip actually made my progress faster, however!

"Hey! She's right, don't you want to help us get our Cutie Marks?" Scootaloo shouted after me, breaking into a gallop to keep up. Damn her! If only I had half the skill she did at making all of these confounded legs move the right direction.

Panicking, I flailed rapidly into a turn of the river, trying hard to get away from the carnivorous ponies chasing me. All three were managing to keep up, sadly, and I cursed my ineptitude at this current form. I should have practiced more before coming into town. I should have prepared! How stupid was I?

"Wait girls! He needs to get that wound looked at first, then we can help him get his Cutie Mark too, right?" Sweetie Belle suddenly called out, stagnated between gasps of breath.

Wait, help me get a mark? Something fishy was amidst the situation. I glanced back to see how much distance I'd gained on them. I was disheartened to discover that it was barely five meters. Damn their little legs! Scootaloo's eyes suddenly widened considerably and she shouted out, "Hey, look out for the…"

The river suddenly turned, this time without me as I was looking back at them. My surprise set in just as the side of my head smashed into a rather large rock on the bank.

Chapter 03

View Online

A stirring. My thoughts aligned into a semblance of… Damn it. Not again.

A dull throbbing shifted throughout my body. Well, there's proof that I was still alive anyway. Somehow. And only for now, I guessed. My breathing was regular and I felt surprisingly dry. When was the last time I had been dry? And clean, I realized, when I couldn't feel any mud or dirt clinging to my coat.

Wait. I had lost consciousness in the presence of those three young fillies, hadn't I? Which meant that if I had been tended to, I was captured. A deep, sinking sensation pushed through my chest. My struggle had been valorous but it looks like it was finally over. My muscles relaxed again and I felt myself sink a little deeper into what felt like a mattress. Was I on some sort of bed?

I opened my eyes softly and was met with the image of a dim room. Some light orange sunlight drifted through the blinds that were closed on the window, but that was the only source of illumination. The small room had a very crisp, clean feeling to it, almost sterile. Various cabinets aligned the wall to one side with what appeared to be a sink. A medical facility I noticed, as there were bandages and salves laying out on the surfaces.

Feeling along my forehead with a hoof, I discovered that my impromptu bandage had been replaced by a series of real ones. There were several smaller bandages on my arm as I raised it in front of my vision. Why would they give medical attention to food? It didn't really make sense. I didn't bruise like an apple. Well I did, but it didn't detract from my taste I assumed.

Things were starting to not add up. Maybe they didn't eat their males but instead segregated them? Well being locked up for the rest of my life was debatably better than being torn apart and eaten. By a little bit. As I was laying on my side, I shifted my forelegs out a little. They were stiff and reasonably sore but I was able to move them. I wasn't restrained? This gave me a little more confidence and I slowly shifted to a sitting position on the bed I'd been placed on. A small IV ran into my right arm and looked to still have a partially filled bag of clear fluid. Probably to restore the ton of fluid I'd no doubt lost. I saw an empty blood bag on the counter as well. I'd gotten a transfusion? My head gave a light throb to remind me of my wound, as if on cue.

Alright, so they were interested in my long-term survival. The transfusion would be pointless if they weren't. Assuming this were true they wanted to probably integrate me, or at least get me on my way to wherever I was supposed to go. Chances are I was also accruing medical expenses now. Perfect. I now owed somebody, well, whatever form of currency this place uses. Or a favor. Or some sort of forced enslavement. I sighed weakly. Well, I suppose the important thing was that I was still alive I guess. Deciding I was too sore, I leaned back and rested my head on the pillow again.

My mind flickered back to before, after smashing my head into the rock. I'd danced in and out of consciousness not really realizing where I was. I just felt someone moving me and tried to fight against them, probably making myself look like a total idiot. I'd wished that I could have died with some dignity at this point. Like all of my comrades probably did wherever my home was. Well it probably didn't exist as my home anymore. I wonder if I had any loved ones there.

A knot slipped up into my throat, and I quickly swallowed it. I couldn't remember anyone who was close to me, friend or superior. Not just names escaped me but everything. Who they were. It felt as real as the dream I'd had earlier, which is to say, not at all. I felt cheated really.

The sound of a door closing rapidly got my attention. It wasn't my door but sounded like one reasonably close. I'd no idea what size of building I was in but from the hill view of the town, I didn't think there were any extremely large ones here. The main clinic door, probably. "Hey Applejack. I got tied up with the storm cleanup. What's up?" I suddenly heard reasonably clearly. Were they on the other side of the wall? The voice sounded familiar.

"Ah thank ya for comin', Rainbow. Apple Bloom an' her friends found somepony in pretty rough shape. Ah was wonderin' if ya could gimme a hand with em?" I heard asked, assumedly by this Applejack. Apple Bloom had the same accent. Her sister then, probably. The one that was competing against Rainbow Dash who apparently just walked in. Great. Just the pony I wanted to see again. Hopefully she didn't have some claim over me due to blowing me up or something.

There was a rustling of what sounded like papers and something opening closer to the other side of the wall. "Yes, we found this wrapped around his head and the foals reported that he was covered in rainbow colored mud when they found him. We thought you might be able to tell us who he is or something about him?" a softer voice asked, sounding much more professional.

"Wait, is that a garbage bag?" Rainbow Dash asked. I could almost hear the disbelieving tone to her voice from here. Hey, that was my bandage! Why would she have anything to do with that?

There was a light snickering. "Poor Nurse Redheart had ta give him ah stomach pumpin'. It was right gross ta watch. Figures, from what was inside him an' all, he had more than ah few rottin' apple cores," Applejack explained, causing me to blush heavily. It seemed like a good idea at the time as I was starving. Glad I didn't remember my stomach being pumped out…

"He ate those?! They were rotting for like, weeks. Why would he uh, well I mean, where did he get them from?" Rainbow Dash asked, suddenly sounding unsure. Or embarrassed. My thoughts deadpanned. There was only one way she could have known that.

There was a brief pause followed by more paper rustling. "Oh fer cryin' out loud, Dash! Yeh dropped another bag o' garbage bah accident, didn't yeh?" Applejack accused, sounding upset now.

Dropped? Well they did fall on my head. But they felt like they fell quite a ways before hitting me. Honestly, I'm lucky it was just a grazing hit. Up until now I'd just assumed it was divine apple retribution for the two I'd ripped off the tree and consumed when I got here. Maybe the apples here weren't sentient after all?

"Just one, sheesh. It's not my fault if he's so stupid that he ate rotting apple cores!" Rainbow complained, sounding annoyed. I got a little annoyed too. Those hurt!

There was an impatient sigh. "I'm assuming you don't know who he is, then? And what about the mud?" the professional voice asked again. Maybe that was the nurse.

"What mud? The only person I talked to since this morning was Fluttershy. I've been too busy with the weather to even see anypony near the ground. Besides, uh. Oh. Uh oh," Dash started to defend. Uh oh indeed. I silently prayed that she didn't remember anything Fluttershy might have said.

"Yeah, I heard how all that business went. Must'a kept ya real busy fixin' yer mess! An what's 'uh oh'?" Applejack asked skeptically.

There was a long pause then, "Oh nothing. I uh, just remembered something I told Fluttershy I'd do for her. Yeah. Oh, she wanted your help with a tree that got well, damaged in the storm. And a bit of the ground around it."

There was a long sigh. "Fine, fine. Jus' help meh with him later, okay? An get ah message ta Twilight. Her magic might be a wee bit useful with this one," Applejack asked, seemingly admitting defeat.

"Hey, sure thing AJ. I got this covered! Be back in a flash," Rainbow Dash assured cockily before I heard the door slam open violently. Wait, did I hear that correctly? Magic! This Twilight knew how to perform magic? I was suddenly a lot more interested. She was probably a pony of some kind as well but if I could get anything out of her on how to make mine work, maybe I wouldn't be quite as screwed as I thought!

Sadly, I was so distracted by my own thoughts that I didn't hear the hoof steps coming down the hallway just outside of my door. I almost peed my pants when the door to my room suddenly opened! Well, if I were wearing pants. My head jerked to the left and I stared directly at a rather lanky looking pony who entered my room. Her coat was as white as I'd seen so far and her mane a shocking pink color. Somehow, she was holding some sort of clipboard in her mouth and still managing to angle it up enough to read it while she walked. She set the board down on the counter near the door and examined it with a frown for a few more seconds. Her mane was done up in a tight bun and I suddenly got a good look at her flank as she turned to the side. Sure enough, there was a big red plus there, easily visible. It looked almost like it was a part of her coat but probably ran much deeper than that. A tattoo of some sort? The plus shape was similar to our medical symbols and I wondered how universal it was. Maybe a pony's symbol designated what they did as a profession after having achieved their rite of passage?

Up until then she was absorbed in her notes. She had probably been the one monitoring me so chances are, they were my reasonably short charts. Then she glanced up to look at me staring back at her. I didn't even try to hide it this time as pretending I was asleep probably wouldn't fool a medical professional anyway. She started in surprise momentarily before gaining a smile suddenly. I maintained a healthy air of skepticism.

"Oh! You're awake. And looking much more alert I might add. You surprised me. How do you feel?" she asked, in a standard cheerful and positive outlook.

I guess some things never change, even in totally different places involving magical, talking horses. "Like I hiked ten miles, got clobbered by a bag of apples, and then blown up. Oh, and the rocks. Couldn't forget the rocks because blunt head trauma is so fun," I muttered sarcastically, wishing they'd just drop the façade and restrain me or something. They'd captured me. They won.

The nurse's demeanor remained unfazed in the slightest and she giggled at me. It was funny now?! "Dash hit ya? Dang! Her accidental aim must'a gottin' quite a bit better. She's never hit anypony before with her garbage slippin' issues," suddenly came from behind her. Ah, Applejack?

My eyes widened as a tanned looking mare rounded the corner into the room behind the nurse. Her coat was an orange color as if lightly tanned skin. Her blonde mane glowed naturally and had an unkempt look to it, hastily held together by a hair tie towards the end. Cute looking freckle-like dots were sprinkled on her cheeks, right below her eyes which were a vibrant emerald green. A dusty and well worn looking light brown hat adorned her head. Her appearance surprised me entirely and I momentarily found myself unable to respond.

"She should really be more careful with that kind of thing. She lives in a home that's how far above the ground? She could seriously injure somepony one day!" the nurse interrupted.

Sighing, I shifted my eyes over to her instead. Technically she already had, although it wasn't the bag of apples that did the worst of it. "Don't be gettin' the wrong idea, now. Rainbow Dash wouldn't intentionally hurt ah fly. Ah'll get her ta apologize right quick when she gets back," Applejack continued, offering a reassuring smile towards me.

Apologize? Why? I was a male. Did I assume something incorrectly or was I just going totally crazy? I sighed weakly and shook my head. "No, it's fine. Just so long as I'm not assigned to her or anything, I don't mind. I have a feeling that being too close to her is going to be really hazardous to my health," I muttered, feeling a little uneasy. They were being too nice. They didn't even know me and I probably wouldn't be allowed to stay for long, if my prior guess was right.

There was dead silence for the longest time. Curiosity got the better of me and I looked up at the two mares. Both were giving me a slightly surprised, questioning look as if I were insane. Well, maybe I was? I momentarily entertained the idea of this all being an elaborate fantasy as I was locked away in a mental institute somewhere. "Uh, what do you mean assigned? And do you know her or something?" the nurse asked, tilting her head. The pink bun that was her mane shifted distractingly as she did so.

"Oh, so your breeding system must not be maternally selective then. Are their camps or something?" I asked, suddenly curious. They had to have some sort of organized structure if they didn't kill males but didn't keep them out in the open, right?

The nurse looked suddenly lost and confused. Applejack however, went light pink and stared at me, eyes as big as saucers. Well maybe a little bigger as they were close to saucers before. Were mine that big? "Yeh wanna tussle with Rainbow of all the mares?!" she asked, sounding utterly shocked. There was a hinting at something else but I wasn't quite sure what.

"What?! No! I said I didn't want to be assigned to her!" I corrected as rapidly as I possibly could! Oh for the love of all that was holy and just in the world, don't let me get assigned to that egotistical lump of explosives with legs and wings!

The nurse shook her head. "Uh, no, no, no! I'm not sure what you're talking about but that sort of thing isn't assigned. It's kind of yours and her choice to, ah…" she blustered, now blushing and looking exceedingly awkward.

Something seemed incorrect here. I considered the possibility that I might have jumped to a few conclusions along the way. Okay, solution! All I needed to do was get a little bit more data, right? I decided to attempt honesty. "Oh, well I guess that makes sense. I mean, when I got here I didn't see any males or anything. At first I was horrified at the thought that you might, I don't know, eat them or something. But then I wondered how you got more of you so I figured you must keep them locked up somewhere or something. I mean, I might have the totally wrong idea, but I'd like to know what was going to happen to me. Is that alright to ask?" I questioned as honestly as I could manage. Didn't want to mention the whole "another dimension" thing. They might think I was crazy or something if I did that.

Both mares stared at me. The nurse's expression was blank, mostly unreadable, but Applejack wore a mixture of shock and unadulterated horror at what I had just said. Well that wasn't quite the answer I was looking for. There was a long moment of utter silence, before Applejack slowly turned her head and looked at the nurse. "Ah, well, ah think ah'd best be goin' ta get Twilight sooner rather than later. This one sounds ah might bit confused after all. Ah'll be back in ah bit, Nurse Redheart," she muttered weakly, before spinning and sprinting out into the hallway.

"Um, did I say something wrong?" I asked, suddenly feeling extremely self-conscious. Okay, I guess it was a little late for them to not think I was crazy in the first place.

The nurse stared blankly at me for a few more seconds. I started to wonder if she'd somehow passed out while standing up. "Oh! Uh, no. Um, you just might be a bit confused, that's all. You did hit your head fairly hard, didn't you?" she rapidly asked, sounding as if she was trying to cover for something. Oh! She did examine me, I assumed.

"Oh yeah, what's the verdict, by the way?" I asked, suddenly extremely curious as to whether or not I was going to die within the next few hours.

"The what?"

"Uh, my condition?" I offered, wondering if there was a language gap after all.

"Oh! Yes, I did a full examination of you. You have a moderate concussion, a small linear skull fracture, complications due to blood loss, and a series of contusions and minor lacerations. I might also add that you're in a state of horrible malnourishment," she informed, looking more than a little upset suddenly.

I sighed, avoiding her frown. Doctors and nurses always made me uncomfortable. At least the military ones did. They always had this air about them of disdain, like it was my fault that I got into a situation where I got injured. It made it more than a little hard to willingly go to one although you'd never admit that. Well, not and live it down anyway.

She surprised me by suddenly smiling. "Relax. None of it's too life threatening. Now that you're awake, I can get more information however," she assured, sitting down on a raised cushion near the bed. She looked more comfortable and I made a mental note to avoid talking about the thing that freaked out Applejack.

"I'm not sure how much I can answer but I'll do my best," I agreed weakly, feeling my resolve lessening. Why was I upset that I scared Applejack off? I didn't like to stand out and that definitely looked like it sounded bizarre to her. Maybe that was it? Lying to myself was really easy after a while. Practice makes perfect. I felt awkward around females and even if she wasn't my species she was still nice to me. Well, I guess I was her species now though.

The nurse nodded politely and slid the chart over to her left to peek at it. "Alright. Let's start easy okay? What's your name?" she asked, nodding up at me and watching patiently.

I stared blankly at her for a few moments then frowned. "Uh, well I'm not entirely sure," I muttered, looking away. Her eyes widened slightly.

"Oh, you don't have one or you don't remember?" she asked carefully, surprisingly serious.

I shook my head. "Not sure if I had one or not. I don't remember much of anything since waking up nearby," I lied. No point in making the situation worse by trying to convince her that I was from another dimension or planet.

"Oh dear. I was afraid of this actually. How long ago was this? If you had the concussion prior to the incident with the bag, you might be suffering from long term amnesia," she explained needlessly. I already knew that I was, distinctly realizing how much I was missing.

"It was sometime yesterday afternoon that I woke up not even remembering how to walk properly." At least I guessed it was afternoon, not really having access to anything that told time.

The nurse frowned and took down a few notes, somehow writing with the pen in her teeth. "Retrograde amnesia and motor control disruption. Definitely head trauma. Can you tell me what you do remember so far?" she asked, looking back towards me with a now forced smile. I looked away to save her the trouble.

"Not a lot. I know that I'm a stallion and what I look like but that I learned after I awoke. I can remember some basic skills and knowledge, but…" I tried explaining, doing an analysis as I went. The little amount that I did remember suddenly surprised and depressed me. I found myself staring at my hoof quietly, not entirely sure what else to say. It was weird but I suddenly had a desire to just tell her what I really thought I was, but there was no way she'd understand.

Nurse Redheart looked thoughtfully at her paper for a while, solemn expression adorning her face. She didn't seem like she was used to dealing with this kind of thing. "I've never seen this extensive of retrograde amnesia before. Normally these kinds of things recover on their own. Some of the worst cases never fully restore their memories, but usually bits and pieces can be recovered with time," she explained.

It took a little bit to sink in. Nothing made sense anymore. All I had was the obscure memory of being someone else and the facts surrounding my waking up. I felt lost, suddenly. Even had I evaded this community, I still didn't belong anywhere. My plan to survive never included a conclusion clause.

"I'm sorry. You probably don't know anypony around town, do you? I wonder if anypony would recognize you," the nurse pondered absently.

I shook my head, looking back up at her. That one I knew for certain. "No, the entire town is new to me," I elaborated.

"That and you appear to not have a Cutie Mark, which is very odd considering your age. I've never heard of somepony going this long without one and definitely not a way to get rid of one," she added.

I frowned and shifted the bed sheets down slightly, revealing my slightly bandaged left flank. There was indeed nothing there, symbol-wise. In comparison, I glanced at hers curiously. I'd not noticed the tiny hearts in each corner of her plus symbol when I peeked prior. "I'm uh, not entirely sure what a Cutie Mark is," I muttered, trying to be vague so I didn't sound like an idiot again.

Nurse Redheart just smiled gently. "They're a symbol that appears on its own when a foal discovers what they're really good at. Some call it their special talent even. Usually it represents, either directly or abstractly, an important part of them," she elaborates.

"So they appear automatically?"

"Yes. Whenever a, usually foal, finds something they're really good at. I'm not sure if they can disappear with memory loss but I highly doubt it. Twilight might know more about it when she gets here. Why don't you get some rest until then?" she offered, sliding all the pages back in place on her clipboard.

I lowered my eyes, wishing I could explain the real reason why I didn't have one. Only having been in their world for about twenty hours or so would probably cause that. I had no idea what I was really good at. "Twilight?" I asked, mostly to distract from my thoughts.

"Twilight Sparkle. She's the town's librarian and the personal student of Princess Celestia herself. If anypony knows the answer to your questions it's probably her. And if she doesn't, she's the type to try to find out no matter what," the nurse replied, snickering towards the end.

My mind reeled at the new information but I just nodded, keeping my expression neutral. Royalty huh? I should have assumed there was some sort of government in place. This wasn't a beginning society from what I'd noticed so far. "I think I will try to get some rest then," I agreed, suddenly feeling the dull ache pick up again. The tree branches were probably to blame but I idly wondered if the rainbow explosion had some sort of radiation or something.

"Alright. Rest well then. I'll let you know when she gets here," the nurse assured, before I heard her quietly leaving.

I didn't bother to respond, already deep in thought.

* * * * *

Sleep didn't come. Either it was the pain or my level of distraction but I couldn't get my mind to settle down. I'd felt like this happened a lot, even before getting the memory knocked out of me. Sleep felt rare to me. Instead, I ended up just staring at the wall and wondering where I went from here. Was not seeing any stallions pure coincidence? I doubted it given the decoration. Maybe just an extremely narrow gender ratio?

It must have been a good two hours before I heard the door opening again. The light was rapidly diminishing from the window so I figured it was probably getting close to evening. "Sorry I'm late, Nurse Redheart. I had ponies in the library until close to closing time," I heard, shortly after the door quietly closed. The voice was soft and gentle, and I immediately got a good impression.

"Oh, it's fine, Twilight. Thank you for coming. He's been resting for a couple hours now, room one," the nurse replied softly, probably expecting me to be asleep.

There was a slow hoof step pattern down the hallway. I wondered how many rooms were in this building. Due to size constraints, probably not very many. The door opened gently and some sort of artificial light spread into the room. Turning my head to the left, I saw another mare enter through the doorway. Her coat was a soft lavender color and her mane looked dark blue but like me, had streaks of other colors in it. Hers were pink and purple however, rather than silver. Her eyes matched her colors well, being a brighter violet color, and my gaze locked onto the horn extending from her forehead. She gave me a gentle, assured smile as she walked in.

"Hello, sir! I'm Twilight Sparkle and my friends asked if I could help you out," she greeted, sitting down on the same raised cushion the nurse had used earlier. I rested my head back down on the pillow to reduce the strain on my neck and watched her carefully.

"It's very nice to meet you. I'm sorry but I don't have a name to give back to you," I apologized, wondering if she already knew that.

Twilight seemed unfazed and didn't miss a beat, nodding. "I'd heard you were suffering from amnesia", she explained, making a motion towards the other wall. It took me a moment but I realized she was actually gesturing past the wall to the entry area. Oh, the nurse. If she was here to help me the nurse probably showed her the chart so far. Not that it had much information on it I assumed.

"Rainbow Dash and Applejack must not have come back with you, then?" I asked, suddenly realizing that they had said they were coming back and hadn't.

Twilight suddenly looked extremely uncomfortable. "Oh, well Applejack had to turn in early. She had a lot of work to do tomorrow, bucking and all. Rainbow, well, she said something about practicing her moves," she explained hesitantly, after several seconds.

I stared at her for a few moments, watching her sweat profusely suddenly before laying my head down on the pillow again. I'd scared them off, then. Applejack's reaction earlier indicated that she probably thought I was weird. Or insane. Rainbow Dash was probably irritated with me for getting her in trouble about the apple thing. There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments and Twilight looked unsure of herself suddenly, frowning.

"It's alright. I apologize for my behavior earlier," I finally apologized, hoping it would make it back to Applejack at least. Why did it bother me so much about what she thought of me? I wasn't even sure of what their culture was anymore. From her reaction, it would seem I was apparently fairly, well, off on a lot of things.

Twilight blinked repeatedly before rapidly shaking her head. "No, no, it's alright. You got a fairly nasty hit to the head and amnesia is nothing to be ashamed about. The nurse's report mentioned that you don't remember much of anything so I decided that I can try to help you out a bit with my magic. There's been reports of limited success with small memories being restored in the past using the technique," she explained. That got my attention almost instantly, although something about the way she said it made me wonder if she had just read that somewhere.

"Magic?" I asked, much, much too quickly for my liking but I dismissed it. I locked eyes with hers immediately, and she giggled.

"You seem to have a healthy interest in that anyway, even if you don't remember it. Unicorns can perform magic, yes. It's a major part of what I'm studying under Princess Celestia," she explained.

That name again. I pushed it aside for now however and nodded. Wait, unicorn? My eyes locked onto her horn instantly and something snapped in place. There were different types of ponies! Some had wings, some had horns, and some apparently had neither. Sadly, due to self survey I appeared to be one of those 'neither' types.

Twilight grinned as she noticed my gaze. "A fast learner. Yes, the horn lets me use magic. I'm going to try using some of it to heal you, alright?" she assured, her horn starting to glow with a gentle, purple light. Channeling. The word popped into my head from nowhere and took on the meaning of pulling energy from yourself to cause an effect with magic. I didn't realize I knew it until I saw her do it. Wait…

"So without being a unicorn, I can't do magic?" I asked suddenly, a little on the sullen side. This new form of mine suddenly became a lot less useful. I'd been silently hoping to be an exception with my magic capacity, but if it's already a studied fact here that I needed a horn to use it, my hopes diminished rapidly.

Twilight shook her head quietly. "I'm sorry. Only unicorns can do magic as far as I know. Try to relax. This shouldn't take long," she requested quietly, closing her eyes and magnifying the light around her horn. Wait, what was she doing?!

Colors and images suddenly exploded into my vision, causing me to jerk backwards as I felt another presence pushing into my mind. She was using mind scanning magic? The intrusion felt uncomfortable and very offensive, and I mentally backed away from it, not used to this sort of contact. She seemed to notice and adjust herself more carefully inside my mind before almost brushing against memories that I had already, trying to coax them to reveal themselves.

She seemed to target recent memories first, going backwards. Fleeing from the three foals, falling out of the tree, and being blown up by Rainbow Dash. She stopped at that one for a moment, and I felt a small burst of irritation and an almost cynical sensation. She continued however and touched upon me being belted with a falling bag of apples, then running away from the bluish green pony and falling down a series of hills. I caught a sense of amusement from her but she hid it almost immediately. I started blushing as I watched her work in my mind.

Her path continued rapidly, skimming over smaller events to try to order them properly in my mind. I saw what she was doing, understanding the process. She was ordering my thoughts for me and trying to piece in parts that I wasn't aware of. Kind of like housekeeping for someone when they're not at home. She halted momentarily, locked in an instant of my zoomed in awareness on Fluttershy's rear. I felt a sense of shock and intense embarrassment as she rapidly shuffled past it. My body on the outside felt as if it were blushing furiously now. Well this was getting awkward.

She rewound through my victorious attempts at getting the apples and I picked up on an impressed sensation, before she rewound and halted again at me waking up in the crater. The impressed sensation shifted to puzzlement and she seemed to hesitate. I wonder if she picked up on this being the end of my recent memory? I braced myself for what I saw coming and she tried to rewind again.

The sensation was remarkably similar to riding along in a train and suddenly running out of track over a chasm. Twilight felt entirely unprepared for the plunge into the miasma that was thoughts and feelings only. There was no sense of order or time and I suddenly felt absurdly sick and dizzy. She flailed, attempting to get control of the magic again while smashing into memories at random.

Images flickered before me. A planet exploding and a sense of sheer terror and horror, watching it tear itself apart in slow motion. Battle and war with sparsely furred bipedal beings marching in armor against robotic looking four armed monstrosities coming out of pods, those of which descended from the burning skies. Bloodshed and death surrounded me and I thrashed violently as I watched individuals I realized were my friends getting torn apart by energy weapons.

Twilight recoiled from the image as if burned and I felt her trying to pull back into her own connection. The bloodshed shifted momentarily into nothingness. Thousands of focus symbols drifted in and out of my mind and I tried to lash out and almost catch them as they flew past. I knew almost instinctively that each produced a magical effect when thought upon. Had I really known all of these? It lasted barely a heartbeat before we fell into a desolate field. There were no flowers in this field, just burnt and cracked earth. The sky was a crimson and looked like it was literally on fire. Columns of heat and destruction descended on the horizon causing orbs of pure oblivion to tear apart everything in their wake from the point of collision.

My viewpoint shifted upwards, showing the barely visible barrier above me. Beyond that, a pinpoint of light in the sky. It expanded rapidly and I realized at once that it was one of those beams coming down directly over us. It was death, in its most direct form. My squad strengthened the barrier around me but I knew it was pointless. The beam would consume everything around me and we would be gone. But this is why I fought. To protect those in the bunker behind me. To stop those so far above me from destroying everything. But even if I gave it my all, there was no stopping them was there?

Did it matter? I asked it almost to my past self. He seemed to agree with me. The barrier above me exploded with light. For a single moment, I smiled and created a thing of pure beauty. The barrier increased exponentially, expanding on all sides in an explosion of protection that suddenly covered the entirety of the bunker. I felt it. Well, I felt it through my past self as it took all of my energy to do. All of it. There would be none left to keep breathing or keep my heart beating. But wasn't this what I wanted? To protect.

The beam smashed into the barrier and for a moment, everything stopped. I suddenly became aware of a terrified Twilight Sparkle trying to pull us out of the memory. The barrier held and bent unexpectedly, twisting into something that wasn't entirely possible for my mind to comprehend. A Non-Euclidean plane of force, twisting into itself and bending the crushing wall of burning death with it. It compacted into one point, and exploded in a brilliant prismatic expanse. My very being felt torn apart in an instant and I was aware, barely, of my physical body spasm and curl away from reality as best it could.

The memory ended and I realized that I hadn't survived the destruction of my people. Twilight's consciousness was reeling at this point. Inside of my mind, I pulled up the runes I knew from before and sent a series of them into my awareness, severing my mind from the outside world. Her connection faltered but flared up. For a moment I thought she was going to forcefully hold the connection open with sheer willpower. Her amount of magical energy was staggering; almost impossible for me to comprehend! Suddenly I felt a twinge of guilt from her and she pulled back. There was a single pulse of purple before her presence faded away.

Everything went dark with a lack of energy and I was pulled back towards the already existing memories. There was no real transition and I simply remained unconscious, slipping into sleep instead.

Chapter 04

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Waking up slowly, my eyes opened to be greeted with the same sight as the day before. And sadly, the day before that. I'd been in the hospital for three days already, largely unsure of what was going on. The nurse had let me get up and stretch, walking around occasionally, but she hadn't wanted me leaving her care for a couple days. She said it was to make sure that I was full strength again but I knew the dangers of a concussion without needing her to say anything. Besides, it's not like I really had anywhere else to go. Once I had to leave here, I was essentially on the street.

Aside from her checkups, we didn't actually talk much. Something told me that I'd made a fairly bad impression on her that first day and she was a little nervous around me. There was a second nurse who apparently shared responsibilities at this clinic as well. Nurse Tenderheart I believe. They dressed similarly but she seemed quite a bit more unsure of herself than Nurse Redheart. I didn't see much of her regardless, aside from checking in occasionally.

The first day I'd woken up, I discovered several books by my bedside table with a note resting on the top of them. It was written in small, very delicate handwriting that had an odd sense of precision about it. Somehow I had guessed it was from Twilight before I had even read it.

Mr. Earth Pony,

It's unfortunate that I don't know your name but I had to leave you a message. I'm sorry I couldn't have been there when you woke up after our session, but I was unsure of when you would and have my duties at the library to attend to as well.

The nurse mentioned that you'd be there for several days so I decided that you should probably get as acclimatized as possible. The best way to go about that of course, is books! I've loaned you several on different subject matter about our world and magic here. I thought you might find those interesting.

When you get released, feel free to return the books to the library. I'd like to talk in length with you about your memories and the events surrounding your arrival at Ponyville. I obviously deeply respect your privacy so I won't go into details in this letter. May Celestia bless you with a speedy recovery and I hope to see you in a few days!

Your New Friend,

Twilight Sparkle

I had read it dozens of times in the past two days since I awoke. Three books were stacked in an extremely orderly fashion under the note, alphabetized and in very good condition. I smiled almost immediately when I saw them. Seeing the work of someone else can tell you quite a lot about them. She seemed an incredibly organized, tidy individual, and definitely loved books.

Of course I had no problems with books myself. They were often better company than others could be I felt. It was the strangest sensation, having a certain feeling and desire but not knowing why. I knew that I enjoyed the company of written text though, and losing myself in a good story. I didn't need memories for that as I had a perfect example the last two days.

The first book was simple. A Geographical Study of Equestria. It listed major cities, gave information about them, and went into basic information about the land itself and what was where. Apple crops appeared to be heavily influential in this region, maintained by a healthy amount of Earth Ponies. I guessed Applejack had something to do with that, vaguely recalling apples on her flank.

Historical Documentation and Important Dates was as expected. I was mostly interested in the cultural statements it made and in how things were run, of course. Two goddesses, then one, and now back to two. That last part wasn't in the book as it was a bit older, and I was surprised to acknowledge that it had recently changed again. Of course they weren't called goddesses, but Princesses. I idly wondered how accurate the statement was in the first place. Were they truly physical goddesses? Celestia, whom I kept hearing about, was one of them. Apparently her younger sister, Luna, had recently returned from Exile and redeemed herself with the help of, much to my surprise, Twilight Sparkle and her friends.

It was kind of an honor to be partially mind-raped by a celebrity. I sighed and took the third book off the stand again. It's not like I was bitter, exactly. I knew she was only trying to help me but I just wished she had slowed down a bit and, I don't know, asked me if that was what I wanted? Maybe I'm just being a chicken but I like to take things one step at a time. Getting excited was one thing but doing things safely took precedence. Of course, this was largely due to my own blundering into the village itself. I should have prepared more before trying to observe them.

Looking down at the third book, I smiled gently. Magic of the Lands: A Practical Look. It was a little older than the other two but very beautifully maintained. Dutifully, I'd saved it for last, deciding to go through the books in order. She probably hadn't intended me to but I guess I might be a little weird like that as well. I was a good fourth of the way through it by now and fascinated by every word. Stepping back however, I decided that it was probably a good thing that I read it last. My mind had opened up a little by the time I got to it and I wasn't in as big of a rush anymore.

The second book had corrected me significantly about a lot of the culture around me. There was quite a gender differentiation here. The ratio was skewed heavily in favor of the females but it didn't really come up all that often in day to day lifestyle, it would seem. Stallions were given just as much freedom to do whatever they wished as the mares and there wasn't the segregation I thought there would be. Surprisingly, a large amount of crime I'd anticipated was all but non-existent except for in the largest cities. This was an amazingly peaceful world compared to the foggy memories of my only other comparison. Part of me was happy that I was here instead of there, and not just the alive part.

Another part of me was uneasy however. I had nothing to my name at all. No skills, no money, no place to live, and no friends. The last part of Twilight's letter always snagged me no matter how many times I read it. My new friend? The mare who'd seen the horror I barely remembered didn't seem like a likely candidate for friendship. Part of me was worried as to what she'd told other ponies but I heard nothing of the outside town, regardless. Nobody had visited, which kind of made sense. I was a crazy little pony who showed up long enough to get his head caved in by a rock, then shuffled away to a hospital. That wasn't all that eventful was it? Applejack and Rainbow Dash had jobs. Friends. I wasn't one of them so why would they visit?

There was a certain bitterness I felt inside of myself at not fitting in very well. I'd stuck out too much and screwed up royally by assuming things. This is a new world, totally unfamiliar to me for the most part. Jumping to conclusions should have been the last thing I did and that irritated me.

But there wasn't anything I could do at this point. I continued reading the book carefully, absorbing all the information I could. It contained no spells or even hinting as such, but I hadn't expected it to. Their system was quite different from what I had known but I could apply what I knew easily enough. Wording had changed and theory was totally unrelated but I knew enough to make a reasonably healthy educated guess. Well, healthy might not have been the best wording, especially should I actually try some of it but I'm sure you knew what I meant.

I made a mental note to stop talking to myself, as expecting an answer was the first sign of insanity I supposed. Leafing through the next chapter, I noticed that I was getting out of theory and into practical applications. They used magic for most things in their day to day lives it would seem. From producing the weather to more mundane things like cooking. A lot of older technology was mixed in however, and I was impressed by the foundation it all seemed to form. Their community was very stable. Sadly, without the ability to 'channel' the energy outside of my body there wasn't much I could do, personally.

Shifting to a more comfortable position, I nudged the pillows higher up and sat up against them. My back hardly even ached today and I could tell that my body was recovering much faster than I had anticipated. I wonder if this is the norm for this new form? The small lamp next to me spread a soft glow over my bed and I took my book back up again, smiling. I'd kept very irregular hours, with the nurses urging me to sleep as much as I could. I'd guessed that it was a few hours past midnight at this point. Reading for a few hours then sleeping again sounded pleasant, in a lonely sort of way.

I almost didn't hear the absurdly light tapping on the glass. My ears twitched and shifted towards the window above and to the left of my bed. After a few moments, there was another light tap and I frowned before closing the book again. Raising an eyebrow, I decided to investigate and get this over with. If a tree grew that close to the window, why did they put a window there in the first place? Posterity? Oddly, I vaguely recalled looking out the window before. Just peeks through the blinds of course. I don't remember a tree being there.

There was a moment of surprise, followed by a sense of horror slowly sinking into the pit of my stomach as I saw the blue pegasus outside of my window. She looked a bit tired and her rainbow mane was pushed up against the glass as she watched me, both forehooves framing each side of her face. Slowly, I started retreating from the window, unable to help but remember the prismatic explosion that had almost killed me. Chances were she had no intention of doing so but a more primitive part of my mind reasoned that it was dangerous to be this close to her.

Rainbow Dash's violet eyes widened and she shook her head rapidly, making a pawing motion with her right hoof. I stopped for a moment and took a deep breath. What was I doing chickening out like this? My friends had already grinned into the face of death, wherever they may be now. I'd be laughed out of the barracks if they saw me running away from a rainbow colored pony.

Swallowing, I stood more upright and walked back to the window, mustering a determined look. Dash smiled and nodded as I slid the lock on it gently to the side and opened the window a crack. She wasted no time in wedging her muzzle into the crack and forcefully nudging the window up. In less than a second, she touched down on my floor with a light flick of her wings. Damn she was fast!

Her hair flicked as she rapidly turned her body fully to face me. In my surprise during her sudden movement, I had fallen backwards and stumbled over and onto my bed again. Composing myself as best I could, I rolled over onto my side and looked at her.

There was a long and awkward silence where we just stared at each other. There was no force behind her eyes at all and she looked more like she was staring through me than at me. Finally, she gave her head an exasperated shake and huffed. "I'm not very good at this kind of thing, so I'll just come out and say it. I know Twilight told me to wait until you were up and moving again but I saw your light on down here and didn't feel like waiting around anymore," she rapidly released

"To do what exactly?" I asked wearily, starting to feel a bit fidgety again. I knew the book said their society didn't endorse violence and murder, so I tried to keep my conclusions on a tighter leash this time.

She let out an irritated sigh and gave me dagger looks. "Hold on a minute will you? I don't do this often so consider yourself lucky!" She declared, raising her head a little.

I shrugged. "I just thought you didn't feel like waiting around is all," I reminded, probably a little more bitterly than intended.

Rainbow glared at me, looking serious this time. I backed away from her a little, remembering what she was capable of. "Ah, sorry," I hastily added.

Her eyes softened instantly and she looked down again. "No, that's just what I came here for. Look, I'm," she started, before swallowing painfully, and finally finishing, "I'm sorry. For dropping a bag of apples on your head and then hitting you while trying to land in that storm."

There was a long moment where she simply stared at the floor. Rainbow Dash didn't seem like the type that apologized often so I was a little surprised.

"I'm none the worse for wear so there's no serious harm done. I forgive you, of course," I replied, after a bit of thought.

She glanced up at me, eyes peeking through her bangs. My mouth dried a little when I realized how cute she was. Wait, no! Bad hormones! "I wasn't talking about your body. I've never had somepony scared of me before. I just, ug, wanted no bad blood between us. How about we start fresh?" She offered, raising her right forehoof towards me.

After a few moments, I realized she was right in a roundabout way. Even if she didn't want to say so, I sympathized. Having someone scared of me would leave an awfully bad taste in my mouth. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all?

I smiled and nodded, pushing my hoof against hers and 'shaking' with her. She smirked at this and that familiar cocky expression returned. "Good! Thank Celestia that's over. I mean, it wasn't really bothering me and was more AJ's idea but I guess if you're gonna be hanging around for a while, having you cowering all the time would be bad, right?" She reasoned.

Thankfully I was laying down or I might have fallen off the bed. "You're really something, aren't you?" I asked in disbelief, trying not to chuckle.

"Of course I am! I'm Rainbow Dash, best flier in Equestria!" She announces, hitting a hoof proudly to her chest.

My overhead light suddenly turned on and I almost wet my bed in surprise! "Then you'd best show some speed in leaving, Miss Dash. Visiting hours are well done and over with!" I heard from the doorway, turning in time to see Nurse Redheart staring disapprovingly at her.

Oh crap. I didn't want to get Rainbow in trouble again. "I'm sorry, Nurse Redheart. I let her in and shouldn't have," I apologized, bowing my head to her.

"Ah, no way! I showed up and was the one who wanted in. I just had something I really needed to talk to him about is all. I'll take off now," Rainbow explained, smirking at the nurse.

She didn't want to say she had felt like apologizing, I saw. Respecting her wish, I nodded but kept my mouth shut.

The nurse rolled her eyes, but nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Just use normal visiting hours next time, alright?" She requested, looking irritated. Frankly, I'd forgotten she lived upstairs above the three room clinic.

Rainbow Dash through her a sharp mock salute before looking over at me, winking, and adding, "Will do! See you later, okay? And think of a name for yourself!"

With that, she was gone out the still open window in the blink of an eye, leaving a shimmering rainbow trail in her wake. A name huh? Nurse Redheart walked over and closed the window again, re-locking it. "She's so stubborn. I take it you were already awake?" She asked, gesturing towards the book near my pillow with her head.

I nodded weakly, looking at the book as well. "Yeah, I couldn't sleep. She saw my light on," I elaborated.

"Well at least she didn't wake you to do whatever," the nurse muttered, turning the overhead off again.

I smiled, remembering the cute mare. Ug, I needed to do something about this. There probably weren't many females in the military in my world and my hormones were going crazy. Maybe there was a spell that I could cast on my insides at least?

"I think I'll go back to sleep for a while," I muttered, earning a gentle smile and nod from the nurse. I turned off my bedside light as she slowly closed my door.

* * * * *

Adjusting my saddle bags for probably the tenth time, I stood in front of the door to the library, looking up. Wearing these felt absurdly awkward but they were really convenient. The nurse told me Twilight had left them with the books the other day. Surprisingly, it was nice to wear something, even though they didn't cover much. I was still a little embarrassed about being naked.

Apprehensive about seeing this particular mare, I hesitated while raising my hoof towards the door. She had meant well but could have been gentler about things. I didn't know what she thought of me, though.

All was going well until a sudden outburst to my right, "That's not how ya knock on a door, Silly!" I almost fell off the step in surprise. "This is much better!" a pink mare with an equally pink, curly mane exclaimed suddenly, from next to me.

She then, to my shock, leapt at the door! She released a series of rapid fire knocks followed by a double stomp, a spinning kick, and finally a light, rhythmic tapping. "Just a second, Pinkie! Relax!" was shouted from inside. That sounded like a very irritated Twilight Sparkle.

Seconds later, the door slammed open magically and an indeed very irritated looking Twilight Sparkle glared out at Pinkie. I decided her name was very fitting as she was extremely pink. Now that I looked, the only thing not pink on her was her eyes, which were light blue, and her Cutie Mark, which was three balloons of blue and yellow. She looked unfazed by Twilight's glare and beamed at her. "Hiya, Twilight!" she greeted, loudly. I started to notice a pattern.

Twilight shook her head and then glanced over at me, suddenly. Her expression shifted instantly from anger, to surprise, and then to a light blush as she regarded me. "Oh, hi. It's you. Uh, do you wanna come in?" she asked tentatively, as if she wasn't used to talking to ponies.

Somehow, Pinkie was in her face almost instantly, eyes bugging out suspiciously. I hadn't even seen her move! "Oooooh? Are you two hiding something? Are you getting all super duper lovey dovey with him and not telling me?!" she accused, her entire body twitching.

"Oh Pinkie Pie, don't be ridiculous! We're just friends," Twilight explained, looking away from Pinkie with a large blush on her face. I felt heat rushing up into my cheeks too, regardless of the situation.

Pinkie suddenly wasn't there. I was shocked and really did fall off the steps this time, as she practically landed on me, somehow from above. "Really!? And what do yoooou have to say about this, Mr. Mysterious Stallion?! I've never seen you around town, before!" she declared, giving me a stare that would surely haunt my dreams for the rest of my life.

"Uh I, um, have no idea what's going on?" I offered, worried she was going to give me similar treatment as the door.

"Pinkie! He's our guest and you're being rude," Twilight dejected, glaring at her as she stood on my side.

Pinkie Pie didn't look like she was listening. She glared at me suspiciously for a few more moments, before suddenly gasping as if a bird just flew up her…

"Oh my! I haven't seen you around town before! And I know every pony around town! So that means that if I don't know you, you're new here! We need a party!" she suddenly screamed out and was gone in a flash.

I stared up at the lip of the library roof, shaking still. It felt like she somehow violated me just by her very presence. Where did all that energy come from?! Surely, she was breaking some form of laws of conservation of energy, somewhere! "Oh dear, I'm sorry. She's like that with new ponies in town," apologized Twilight, who wandered outside and helped me up.

"Ow. Thanks, Twilight. Does she always have that much energy?" I asked wearily, looking back over my shoulder at the pink blur disappearing into town.

Twilight sighed and nodded before turning and heading back into the building. I followed after her at a slower pace, trying to get the saddle bags back on properly. They probably weren't fully attached to begin with but I thought I'd done pretty good for my first try. The door closed quietly behind me and a sign dangled down in the window, reading "Out To Lunch."

She wandered into the rather spacious main area. There was a set of stairs going up towards what appeared to be a loft but it would seem that the entry was on the library area. Well that did kind of make sense. She wouldn't want library goers to have to wander through her bedroom to get to the books. She sat down quietly at one of the tables and nodded towards the chair across from her.

"I was hoping you'd visit me when you were feeling better. Did they just release you today?" Twilight asked as I sat down at her table.

I nodded quietly before sliding the saddle bags off my back with my teeth, and resting them on the table. "Yeah, I was just released a half an hour or so ago. I'm still not very used to walking yet so it took me a couple minutes to get over here. Thank you for the books," I added, attempting to not sound awkward.

Twilight smiled gently at the books I lay down before nodding. "Books always entertain me and I hazarded a guess that you liked reading. And you mean walking on four legs, right?" she asked, shifting her attention to me instead, still smiling.

I had kind of assumed she'd be able to draw quite a few conclusions from our little memory session. "Yeah. Apparently I was a biped prior to arriving here, although you probably know as much as I do about that," I muttered, sliding my hoof in circles on her table.

I started slightly as a small plate suddenly slid my way, having not been paying attention to what she was doing. There was a sandwich on the plate, and some sort of fried, battered sticks it looked like. Maybe similar to fries in my memory? "I figured you'd be hungry, having just been released. Dandelion sandwich with hay fries. I'm uh, not a very good cook," she explained, flushing slightly.

"Probably better than me, but thank you," I replied, chuckling at her expression. It was followed by, "And I take it you haven't told anypony about me yet, huh?"

Twilight shook her head while she took a bite of her own sandwich. I tried a bite of mine while she was pre-occupied. It was surprisingly good if not a little sour. "No, I haven't told anypony else. It stays between us, everything I find in your memories. And well, I'm sorry," she apologized suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere.

"For what?" I asked, unsure of her intent. My chest, I suddenly realized, relaxed as I ate. There was an unknown restless feeling that I had been plagued with for a couple days and I just noticed, a tense sensation in my muscles as I walked through town in broad daylight. But something was truly simplistic about just talking, and eating a meal in this library. It felt like things weren't as complicated as I had thought and that I could just relax.

Twilight Sparkle looked back up at me, a bit of guilt showing through in her eyes. "In truth I had only ever read about that magic, never actually done it. I used too much force and it probably hurt you. Plus, I should have explained it more before doing it. I was just too excited to try out the new spell that I didn't consider your feelings in the matter," she elaborated quietly.

I looked at her for a long moment but she remained staring towards the table, sandwich floating a little ways from her head. Eventually I sighed and shook my head quietly. "As long as you tell me what you're doing in the future, no harm right?" I added, smiling again.

Twilight's expression shifted to a grin and she nodded before taking another bite of her sandwich. I idly wondered what was in these. The texture was that of some sort of flowers or something. Given my newfound diet however, I guess I'd best get used to them. Then I remembered something.

"Uh, did Pinkie Pie really mean it when she said she was planning a party?" I suddenly asked.

Twilight momentarily choked on her own sandwich before she started laughing. "Yeah, Pinkie wouldn't be herself if she didn't throw new ponies a party. And put together one for everypony's birthdays. And holidays. And special events. And well, whenever she felt like having a party, which is most days," she explained, unable to stop her snickering throughout.

"Ug, so she's throwing a party for me? I don't even have a name. Now what am I gonna do?" I asked, suddenly dreading the social event. I wasn't very good at socializing in normal circumstances. What was I going to do with a party thrown for me?

Twilight kept smiling though. "Well I'm sure you can just pick something to call yourself, right? A name you really like or maybe something historical. Or you can ask us to help you think of one. Rarity or Applejack would probably be the most serious about it," she offered.

That struck a chord. I winced, and looked down at the table again. "I don't think Applejack likes me very much. Maybe I'll ask this Rarity pony," I contemplated.

She sighed and shook her head towards me. "You two just got off to a bad start is all. That, and she was worried you'd well…" she started to explain, trailing off and frowning towards the end.

I raised my head and looked at her again, frowning myself. Twilight seemed to understand and nodded without me asking. "I know. I'm on your side and I understand now why you acted the way you did. She was concerned for her little sister and thought you might have done something to the three fillies and Apple Bloom just didn't want to say anything," she finished, frowning again.

My eyes widened and I suddenly had difficulty swallowing my bite of sandwich with the lump in my throat. "But why would I hurt them? I only wanted to get away at the time," I muttered, feeling a chilled sensation sinking in my stomach.

She nodded in assurance. "I know. Applejack's just rather protective, especially of her sister. When you mentioned eating ponies she apparently freaked out," she explained, wincing at the thought herself.

My appetite went away, suddenly. "No, I don't eat ponies. I thought that, ug," I tried to defend, giving up. She already said she understood my side. Defending myself was kind of pointless.

Twilight Sparkle nodded gently and finished off her sandwich, looking as if she was thinking about something. Feeling suddenly tired, I lay the side of my muzzle down on her table and stared at the sideways view of the couple bites left of my sandwich. I guess in my assumptions, I had made a rather poor impression. Reality was starting to sink in again.

The facts were obvious. I died. The spell I had used had killed me. But something happened in that instant of casting that caused something. Instead of dying, I was brought here. I don't know if a new body was formed or if my old one just changed, but I was a pony now. My world however, for all practical purposes, was gone. Either destroyed or taken over completely. I didn't have a place to return to even if I had wanted to. I was stuck here, in this form and in this reality. This wasn't temporary but something I needed to face as my new existence. The people here, ponies rather, were my new species.

"Don't worry about Applejack. She'll come around soon enough. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and myself already vouch for you and that's got to mean something to her," Twilight reassured, after a few quiet seconds.

Raising an eyebrow, I shifted my gaze to her. "Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy too?" I questioned, wondering why they did.

I got an enthusiastic nod in return. "Yup! Rainbow Dash apparently visited you to apologize and you made quite an impression. And Fluttershy said you had gentle eyes or something," She added, looking a little perplexed at the last part.

A gentle blush slipped into my cheeks. Her eyes were beyond gentle after all, so she would know. I felt an indescribable calmness after locking eyes with her that time. I didn't know what to think of her ultimately, but it was definitely good thoughts!

Suddenly, I snapped back to attention, and noticed Twilight wearing a smirk towards me. "Hey! What?" I denied, blushing harder and looking away.

"Heh, I saw your memories you bad boy. Cute, isn't she?" Twilight asked, mirthful and amused.

I buried my head in my hooves and sighed. "Shush. It's just been a while since I've interacted with girls," I protested, trying to regain my composure. Of course that was just a guess on my part. I hadn't actually known how much interaction with females I'd had prior to arriving here.

Twilight snickered but added in a more serious manner, "Relax, I'm teasing you. Just be careful because she doesn't react to strangers very well. Get to be her friend before putting moves on her."

"I'm not one to 'put moves on' in the first place. I probably won't do anything at all," I muttered, face still hidden. One would think I'd remember a mate if I had one. Of course, I didn't even recall my old friends which was depressing enough. Given my age, maybe I had never gotten one? Might as well leave that as is for the time being. I was more interested in finding a way to not starve to death on the street, anyway.

There was a long moment of silence and I got curious, finally glancing up at Twilight. She wore a soft smile as she looked down at me. Catching my gaze, she nodded. "I'm sorry. You must still be adjusting to things but you are indeed nice. I shouldn't have needed Rainbow Dash to tell me that, but I guess I was just a little wary considering what I discovered by accident in your mind," she reasoned.

"What, the situation of my arrival?" I asked, snuggling against my forelegs and feeling comfortable, now that my stomach was finally telling my brain it had food.

Twilight shook her head, however. "Given what you'd been through. That would have turned a lot of ponies very bitter. Or worse. I'm glad that you're not one of the majority," she elaborated, smiling then.

I closed my eyes softly, suddenly ready to fall asleep right here. "Yeah. I, well, think I can vaguely recall it happening to others but nothing specific. I'm just me." After I said it, I decided it probably sounded reasonably nonsensical. I had such a way with words, my mind retorted sardonically.

Twilight giggled however, and agreed, "You are indeed just you, which is a good thing. Have you thought about what you're going to do? If you don't mind, I'd like to do a few more sessions to try to bring your memories back. And I'd like to investigate into how you came here. All in good privacy, of course," she requested.

"I don't mind. I'm more worried about a place to stay and a way to get food, though," I explained, frowning again. I'm assuming they had some sort of currency here and that I could acquire some through labor, or similar, but getting a place to stay probably cost significantly higher than what I could achieve in what little was left of the day, meaning a bed for tonight was out of the question.

Twilight thought for a moment, before tentatively nodding. "I know how you feel but you should hold off work until you fully recover. You've only been released today. Wait at least a week before you do anything strenuous, okay?" she requested, sounding a little concerned.

"But how am I going to get currency? If I'm going to afford a place to stay and food to eat, I'm going to have to work, right?" I asked, probably letting more worry through than intended.

"You can stay with one of us for a while of course. I don't have a lot of room here but getting a cot or hammock wouldn't be that hard. I'd like to run a few tests on you, anyway. I'll also ask Applejack about possibly employing you on her farm after you recover. That's good work for an Earth Pony like you," she started to say, almost as if thinking out loud.

Sitting up again, I asked, "Are you sure Applejack would like that?" I was also concerned about making this up to Twilight but something told me that she'd get a lot of enjoyment out of turning me into a guinea pig for her experiments.

She was unfazed and just nodded. "Of course. Like I said, once we get her to see that you're really a good guy, she'll be all for having competent work for the farm. They're always expanding the business and you seem like you'd be a hard worker," she promised.

In truth, I was looking forward to doing manual work that didn't involve killing something. The thought of that caused my stomach to tie itself in knots. I can't imagine I made a very good soldier. "And what about you? What do you want in return for me staying here?" I asked hesitantly, unsure of how to go about this.

Twilight shook her head gently. "You seem like you're going to be a good pony to be friends with so don't worry about it. I don't mind company on occasion and it'll be nice to have another pony to practice my spells on. Spike starts complaining if I use him too often," she furthered, winking at me. I swallowed nervously but nodded. Figured she wanted a guinea pig. Wait, who was Spike?

Wham! The door opened and a large stack of banners with two purple, scaly legs walked in. Well this was certainly an interesting new creature. Twilight watched the moving stack with a slightly confused expression, probably mirroring of mine.

"Spike, what is all that?" She asked after a few seconds.

The stack was set down on the floor carefully and a tiny purple fellow stepped around it. He was half my height when I stood, but quite a bit different. He had scales instead of a coat, claws for hands, and a purple ridged back and tail. A lizard of some sort?

"Well I was over at Rarity's, you know, helping her with things, and Pinkie Pie burst in and started getting fabric for a party. She then hauled me halfway around Ponyville gathering supplies and sent me back here. Apparently there's a new pony in town!" He explained.

There were several awkward moments, followed by, "Wait, she's having it here?!"

"Yup. She looked everywhere but couldn't figure out where they were going to live, so she just decided to lure and surprise them here. Hey, who's he?" Spike asked, finally glancing over at me after explaining.

Twilight coughed lightly and glanced back to me. "Uh, he's the new pony," she muttered. I suddenly felt extremely awkward. Whoops. I wasn't supposed to have heard all that.

Spike looked amazingly like I felt, though. "Aw, what? Dang it, now Pinkie's gonna be mad at me. Can ya work some magic to make him forget or something?" He protested. I'm pretty sure I paled considerably at that point.

"Spike! I don't use my magic for that," she berated, before glancing back to me and asking, "Can you come back later for the party? Apparently we're having it here now."

I nodded, swallowing a bit uneasily. I'd not cherished the thought of going out there again, and naked this time. Twilight looked like she wanted to say something but glanced at Spike and went quiet. She didn't want to discuss anything about my memories in front of him, it seemed.

Understanding, I turned around and headed out the door before I further complicated her day.

Chapter 05

View Online

The day was reasonably sunny outside. Birds danced about in the air, flowers in full bloom, and all the trees were proudly displaying their colors. I watched the clouds gently drift overhead as I walked down the street. Not being in any particular hurry worked well for me in this sense. I was able to keep my legs and hooves going the all the right directions and I blended in better with passing ponies. Regardless of my blending of course, I still heard hushed whispers as I passed. Usually they involved either my flank or talk of cutie marks directly. Sighing, I tried not to pay them any heed as I considered names. I had to call myself something after all.

Regardless, there were only two ponies I had yet to introduce myself to out of Twilight's five friends. Blushing, I considered Fluttershy and thought better of it. In my current state of comfort with my nakedness, there was liable to be an accident which would embarrass both of us. That left only one choice.

Finally arriving, I stood in front of a small door to the Carousel Boutique. Rarity apparently owned this establishment and from what I heard, held herself highly respectably. Less chance of accidents, I'd assume. Bracing myself, I knocked lightly on her door.

As I waited, I contemplated how to greet a pony like her. She was one of the Elements of Harmony after all, and held herself in more of a regal light. I'd have to try and remember my manners and politeness. Didn't want to screw up this first impression after all my prior mistakes!

The door opened and I bowed politely in an instant. "Good afternoon, Miss. I was told I could meet you here," I greeted as properly as I could muster. I was more than a little nervous.

There was a light giggling instead and I raised my head curiously. A light gray filly with a purple and pink mane greeted me instead. Oh! "Oh, Sweetie Belle?" I re-greeted, recalling her from before.

"You remember me! Yay! I'm Rarity's little sister. Are you looking for her?" She asked, giving me a warm smile.

I nodded and smiled back. "Yeah, I'm trying to get to know ponies so I figured I'd start with those Twilight was already friends with. It's well, easier for me?" I tried to explain. You mean safer, right? Friends of a nice pony are more likely to be nice and less likely to think I'm a nut. I chastised myself for the white lie.

Sweetie Belle nodded immediately. "It makes sense. I'm sorry for my friends chasing you the other day, by the way," she offered, turning and leading me back into the house.

"Don't worry about it. I wasn't exactly in the best mindset anyway. I wouldn't have run otherwise," I explained. I wasn't going to hold it against a few young children, regardless.

Sweetie Belle stopped suddenly and I almost smashed into her. A few seconds later she turned around, eyes getting watery. "Can you please help my friends and I find our cutie marks? If there's a chance we can simply not get them, I'd..." She started to rapidly spill out.

I put a hoof to her muzzle and nodded. "I'll help you as best I can. And don't worry. I think I'm something of an exception," I assured her.

Her expression shifted to a smile and she nodded to me before wiping her eyes with a hoof. She was worried about it, obviously. This mark must have been a really big deal! A door further down the hall cracked open, suddenly.

"My, my, good with foals and kind. Very nice indeed," a soft, lightly accented voice spoke. A pure white mare exited the room into the hallway and smiled at me. Her mane was a beautiful purple color, both long and stylized professionally.

My eyes widened and I bowed politely. Again. "Miss Rarity I presume. An honor," I spoke quickly, if a little shakily. Giggling ensued from the filly to my left now, as she pretend bowed as well.

"Oh my, and he has manners!" She exclaimed, a tone of amusement and fake shock dancing in her voice. "What brings you to my lovely Carousel Boutique?" She asked eloquently.

"I'm going to be staying at Twilight's for a while and wanted to get to know some ponies in town," I started to explain.

"So he decided to start with friends of Twilight!" Sweetie Belle added with a small bounce.

Rarity slowly circled around me a couple of times, seemingly sizing me up. I blushed and tried to remain as still as possible, regardless of feeling awkward as hell. "A good idea of course. Friendship is very important. Hmm. No Cutie Mark indeed," she muttered, mostly to herself.

Sweetie Belle nodded rapidly. "Yeah, I was telling the truth, Sis! But the Cutie Mark Crusaders are gonna help him get his," she reminded, batting her eyes up at me.

I nodded weakly. "Yeah, it's true. No cutie mark, no name, and very, very little memories of anything past three days ago," I agreed, watching her finally come to a stop in front of me again.

"That's very unfortunate. Hmm. Has Twilight any thoughts as to what happened or if you can get your memories back?" Rarity asked, not really looking at me, but looking around the hallway instead.

Curious as I was to what she was looking for, I had to prioritize lest I offend her. "Well, she wants to investigate where I woke up at and she's been using her magic to help me try to remember things, but not much luck yet," I explained, getting a bit distraught as she suddenly pranced into the room she had just exited.

"Oooh, measuring?" Sweetie Belle asked, sprinting after her sister in an instant.

Flustered, I had no idea if I should follow after her or wait in this hallway. It was awfully dark here, which I thought was weird as she should be open this time of day. Wait, did I enter through the right door? Slapping my forehead with a hoof, I suddenly realized that in all likelihood, I had entered through a side door. That would be why I had to knock rather than seeing shop windows or something.

Feeling rather stupid, I slunk towards the open door and peeked in. Sure enough, it was a large Boutique filled to the brim with beautiful looking dresses! My eyes widened as I stuck my head in and peeked around. The store largely catered to females it would seem, but that made sense. She probably wouldn't get nearly as much business keeping a half to half ratio.

"Do come in, Silly! And let me welcome you to my Carousel Boutique. Please, have a seat and some of my delicious tea," Rarity requested suddenly, in an assured voice. My eyes locked onto her in a plush looking lounge chair, relaxing pleasantly. Another similar chair was across from it with some sort of elegant coffee table between. I idly wondered if they had coffee here. The way she was sitting just oozed elegance and her triple diamond cutie mark was proudly displayed on her flank as she lounged. A clipboard drifted up in front of her by itself as she motioned with her horn.

Sweetie Belle sat at the foot of the other chair, looking towards me expectantly with a tape measure floating next to her. Wait, they were taking measurements? Why? I suddenly started to panic, worried that they thought I was going to purchase something!

"Uh wait, why are you taking measurements?" I asked, hesitantly walking towards the empty lounge chair.

Rarity gave a pleasant smile before responding with, "In case you need any orders in the future of course. Plus, stallions of your size are rare around these parts and with you as a model; I might be able to appeal to more of the city-type with my suits."

"Of my size?" I asked, breathing a slight sigh of relief now that I realized she wasn't expecting to acquire some of my non-existent currency. Future note to self, look up the name of the currency here. Pity it wasn't in any of the books Twilight had let me borrow.

Rarity gave a suddenly blank look. She recovered rapidly however and shook her hoof repeatedly. "Oh, think nothing of it at all, Silly. You just have a more slender build. Anyway, do sit down on the chair. Sweetie Belle will take your measurements while I record them. And I simply must hear your story from the beginning! Feel free to share while we work," she rapidly excused.

I raised an eyebrow and glanced down at my body as I lay down in the chair. My stomach was almost non-existent and I could count several of my ribs still. My mind wasn't adjusting to this vegetarian diet very well and I doubt I had much to eat before I came to this world. Was she referring to my gaunt, deathly appearance or something? A little irked, I looked back up at her as she was starting to look flustered.

"No, no. You have a very um, healthy looking shape. Most of the stallions around here are all big and burly so it's uh, nice to have a change of pace?" she tried explaining, giving a weak 'reassuring' smile after.

Sighing, I lay my head down on the chair cushion and just let the little filly work out measurements. "It's fine. I think I get it, anyway," I muttered, feeling a bit disheartened at my appearance now. Ug, I really needed to do something about these hormones. Why were they suddenly so much stronger than before? My old body was well past puberty after all. I think.

Rarity looked a little flustered still but I decided to change the topic by launching into the story she requested. Hopefully I could still recover her impression of me.

* * * * *

It took over an hour, much to my surprise. For the most part, that was because of the measurements distracting me and Sweetie Belle's almost insatiable curiosity about the various situations. Rarity surprised me by only commenting or asking questions when I paused, or when it truly fit. It wasn't too bad, though. Rarity's tea really was quite good, even if it took me a bit of practice to sip with the teacup. She politely showed me how best to hold it and manipulate it with my mouth to drink. Well, drink without accidentally inhaling it or spilling it all over the place. Sadly, that took me a couple of tries.

The measuring was done long before my story was concluded but both mare and filly listened intently to the very end. The attention and focus made me feel kind of awkward, but not in a bad way. Rarity must have noticed my blush towards the end and raised an eyebrow.

"My, you must have either a bit of a flush or are terribly uncomfortable about something," she concluded, still wearing her pleasant smile.

Chuckling, I shook my head. "Well, no. I'm just not used to this kind of attention. I don't remember what my life was like before but I have a feeling I was never really the focus of attention," I explained.

"Aww, but your story was interesting. I wanted to pay attention," Sweetie Belle reassured, smiling happily.

Rarity nodded, adding, "Indeed. You needn't be humble, although it is a praiseworthy attribute. You must stand out, however! Hmm. I think you'd look amazing in a lightly tapered dress coat. Something simple with a solid coloring. Maybe some gemstone buttons to offset, even!"

My eyes widened. Gemstones?! I swallowed painfully. "As much as your assurance is appreciated, I don't think I'll have enough currency anytime in the near future to purchase something as well, amazing as these clothes. The quality looks far, far out of my budget," I muttered, gesturing around myself at all of the colorful clothing and dresses adorning the stands and walls.

Rarity's eyes widened momentarily but she recovered very quickly and almost seemed to puff up. "My! You certainly know how to give a mare compliments. You almost look like you didn't realize you're doing it," she praised, looking amused.

I blinked in confusion, unsure of what she was talking about. Compliment? My empty pockets and lack of employment was depressing, not something really to be celebrated and this level of expertise was way out of budget. Rarity stared blankly at me for a few more seconds, suddenly matching my confused expression. Then a light blush drifted onto her cheeks.

"Oh, or you didn't realize that was a compliment," she corrected gently.

Uh oh. Did I screw up again? "Uh, I'm sorry, Miss Rarity. If I offended, I didn't mean to," I rapidly apologized, bowing my head gently.

"No, no! There's no reason to apologize. That just means that you were being truthful instead of striving to compliment. That's much, much better!" she reassured, smiling again then.

Sweetie Belle giggled and sat up on the floor next to my lounge chair. "Oh, and our currency is called bits," she added.

My mind momentarily lagged out until I remembered that I had said currency a little while back. "Oh, thank you Sweetie Belle," I replied, smiling as I glanced down at her.

"Oh yes, thank you, dear sister. I'd momentarily forgotten that he likely didn't know that," Rarity added, also smiling at her. She looked proud as punch and puffed up on the floor. For a moment, I noticed she looked a lot like Rarity when she did that.

I nodded weakly, wishing I could read more books on the subjects I was missing. It was weird, being a fully grown adult but having next to no information about the world around me. "I just wish I knew all of the basics. It gets frustrating not knowing what everypony else takes as general knowledge," I muttered, looking around her shop still. All of the gemstones adorning the outfits were amazing and I wondered how she could afford the overhead of all of this. She must be quite well off indeed.

Rarity nodded politely. "Well I will happily fill you in on anything you so desire. You know you can always make new memories rather than lamenting the lost ones. Besides, I'm sure Sweetie Belle will agree but your presence is very much welcome here, worry not," she spoke, causing me to shift my attention back to her and smile.

"I can see how you got the Element of Generosity, Miss Rarity. Thank you," I thanked softly, feeling less awkward. She certainly had a way of defusing uncomfortable thoughts.

"Just Rarity, please. You're a friend now so formalities aren't needed. You mentioned you were staying with Twilight, right? Does she have a cot or anything for you to rest in?" she asked, closing her eyes softly and making a quiet humming noise after.

Sweetie Belle looked at her questioningly, before asking, "Wait, doesn't she have a big bed?"

My blush peaked and I immediately wanted to bury my head in the cushions. Rarity just giggled however, and shook her head. "I'm sure Twilight would like her comfort zone intact so a cot or hammock would be highly recommended," she explained democratically, smiling down at her little sister.

"Yeah, I couldn't agree more," I muttered, closing my eyes and trying to fight back the blush, before answering her prior question, "And no, she doesn't have one. I think she was going to ask somepony before Pinkie Pie distracted her."

Rarity sighed and shook her head. "Yes, I heard the outburst earlier before she oh so rudely stole my assistant, Spike. But it is no problem, I'm sure. Applejack will be at the party as well, no doubt. I'm sure she'll have no issue securing a cot for you," Rarity added, sounding a little irked with Pinkie.

I swallowed and shook my head. "I'm not so sure she'll be there. I kind of made a bad impression with her, remember?" I reminded weakly.

"Oh hardly. Applejack might be stubborn sometime but she's an honest, hard working pony who trusts her friends," Rarity argued, frowning at the implication.

"She seems to be nervous that I did something to her sister," I informed, unsure of what to believe exactly. This was the second pony who thought I was worried for nothing and I didn't think it was a good idea to jump to more conclusions.

Sweetie Belle looked shocked, however. "Hey, you didn't do anything to Apple Bloom! I was there and well, we just ended up chasing you into a rock. Applejack didn't believe her?" she asked incredulously, also sounding a little embarrassed.

"Sometimes a pony's worry for their loved ones overwrites common sense, Dear. It's alright. She'll come around soon enough," Rarity assured Sweetie Belle, smiling down at her.

Sighing, I shook my head. "Honestly, it was my fault. If I hadn't been so scatter brained and freaked her out at the clinic, she probably would be alright," I explained, feeling a tad on the stupid side again for screwing up the first impression. Second impressions seemed a lot harder to make.

"You had a concussion and amnesia, Silly. It's not your fault that you didn't make as much sense as you had wanted at the time and I'm sure she understands that," Rarity disagreed, nodding softly to herself.

"That's when somepony hits their head too hard, right?" Sweetie Belle suddenly asked, looking up at Rarity questioningly.

A silent coo went through my mind and I caught a chuckle before it got out. Little foals were so adorable. Well, most of the time. I wondered if I had had any siblings. Something told me I didn't have a mate, so children were a tad out of the question. It bugged me that I couldn't remember. Sure, it would be more painful now but it felt like I was doing everyone I had known a disservice by not honoring their memory.

"Yes, that's right. But it wasn't the rock, Sweetie Belle. He had amnesia before that, remember?" she reminded. I saw a brush of purple light go through Sweetie Belle's mane and the young filly cooed. A telekinetic brushing? Very interesting.

Sweetie Belle nodded softly, after opening her eyes again to a half-lidded state. "Yeah. I'm glad it wasn't us that caused it but still…" she added, looking backwards and up at me.

I smiled down at her and shook my head. "Not your fault at all, Sweetie Belle. And you and your sister have been a big help to me so far," I assured, alongside Rarity.

Sweetie Belle grinned and nodded, looking backwards and upside down at me. Rarity snickered and then smiled up at me instead. "Very good with kids. You'd make a good foalsitter, if you needed some bits on the side," Rarity pointed out, gesturing with her forehoof.

I laughed. "Yeah, if I'm ever going to be able to afford some proper clothes, I might have to," I joked, causing Sweetie Belle to snicker again. Rarity just smirked.

"Don't worry about it. I've prepared dresses for my friends so if I have some free time, I might like to try my hand at designing a suit or similar for you. Or at least a saddle bag, no?" she suggested, tilting her head at me.

My eyes widened a little and I was surprised. How had she known that I liked the saddle bag earlier? Chances are she didn't and it was just speculation. "Oh, well I'd hate to be a burden or anything. You're probably very busy with clothing orders after all. I definitely wouldn't mind a saddle bag," I admitted, blushing lightly.

For some reason Rarity blushed again, lightly this time, after I mentioned clothing orders. I didn't fully understand this mare but she was a lot more relaxed than most of the ponies I'd met so far. Rainbow Dash seemed really high strung, like dynamite with legs. Pinkie Pie was like a spastic ferret on sugar. Rarity however just seemed relaxed and confident. It was kind of refreshing. I made a mental note to visit her when she wasn't busy.

"Oh, it would be nothing to make you a saddle bag. Complimenting your colors would be easy enough too. We must be stylish after all! I'll see what I can surprise you with, later," she agreed, smiling now and looking as if she looked forward to it. Well, she was a designer so she probably enjoyed her work.

I nodded quietly, still blushing at the generosity. "Thank you, Rarity. Although I've been here a while, and was also going to go see Fluttershy before I'm supposed to be back at the Library," I explained, feeling a bit bad that I had to go so soon.

Rarity smiled contently however and nodded. "I truly understand. To be honest, I do have a bit more work to do before I'm clear for the party tonight but I'll definitely be there, worry not," she assured properly, puffing again.

I chuckled and nodded towards her, starting to find her puffed pose a little cute. "Alright. I look forward to seeing you two tonight, then," I agreed, looking down at Sweetie Belle as well.

Sweetie Belle perked up instantly and nodded. Rarity smirked down at her, before sighing. "Fine, as this is a special occasion, you can stay up past your bed time. But I want no complaints when we get home, okay?" she offered, laying down a harsh ultimatum.

Sweetie Belle threw a perfect salute however. "Yes, Sis! Thank you!" she gushed, smiling happily.

Rarity patted her gently on the head and nodded to me as I got up off the couch. "Thank you, you two. I'll see you later, then!" I thanked, feeling a lot better than when I came.

Rarity nodded in a courtly fashion towards me as I headed out the door. The front one, this time…

* * * * *

Finding Fluttershy's house was reasonably easy for me. I'd technically already been close to it once and the memory was very fresh in my mind. But even if I hadn't, the sheer volume of animals in the proximity would have given me quite a scientific estimate to go with. Walking quietly along the path, I stopped to sniff at several of the flowers along the path. The smells wafting along the breeze were pleasant to say the least, and I felt more relaxed. I couldn't tell if it was because of the smells directly or if the visit with Rarity had been more therapeutic than I had thought.

There was a light tickling sensation and I sneezed suddenly, knocking myself off my yet untrained feet and landing on my rear. I rubbed my nose with my right forehoof and sighed. Walking was still a little bit of a, well, challenge. I didn't trip often but I still wasn't exactly the most stable thing to grace the landscape.

Standing up again, I used my tail to dust my rear off and continued down the path. It was difficult to ignore the small squirrel in the tree that almost sounded like it was laughing at me. Were all of the animals largely sentient here? There didn't seem to be much in the way of natural predators at all and I wondered at the state of their ecosystem. Still, I wasn't exactly trained in those matters so I had to let the thought go. I was still surprised that a majority of the animals paid little to no heed to my presence. Maybe they were used to ponies being gentle and not doing anything to them?

Or yet again, it might be some sort of proximity to her that does it. I noticed a huge amount of birds near her house, seemingly content with chirping amidst themselves. Walking up to the door, I noticed them stop and watch me quietly as if unsure of my being here. Trying to not get nervous again, I quietly knocked on Fluttershy's door.

Moments passed uneventfully. I yawned, suddenly a little sapped of energy after all of my walking and looked up towards the sky tentatively. She was a pegasus, right? Maybe she was out and about flying and whatnot. Did she have weather duties too, like Rainbow Dash? My eyes locked onto a rogue cloud suddenly and I frowned. What was that? I lowered my eyelids and looked closer, shadowing out the sun with my left forehoof. A small tuft of rainbow coloring was extending off the side of the cloud. My eyes weren't tricking me after all. Well, that seemed highly unnatural for a cloud. Unless they were issuing some sort of tagging system that I didn't know about, chances were that was a mane or tail of a pony. And, having not seen any other rainbow colored ponies around, I guessed wildly that it was Rainbow Dash up there.

I vaguely recalled that pegasi could walk on and interact with clouds. If it wasn't a conscious thing, could one sleep on a cloud? I pondered quietly, sitting on the front walk while looking up. Having wings would be really awesome. Pity that it would increase my likelihood of death by fatal velocity by a few thousand percent. On the first attempt at flight.

Flattening my ears back, I sighed weakly. Fitting in wasn't something I was so good at, it would seem. Even in a new world with a new body, I was adjusting very slowly. While reading, I'd hoped my new knowledge would let me just slide into place but it wasn't as easy as I thought. I felt tired after just an afternoon of talking to ponies. How was I expecting to ever have enough energy to work a full time job on a farm? I suddenly felt extremely weary just thinking about it.

There was, abruptly, a sharp intake of breath from somewhere to my left. Huh? Turning and looking over my left shoulder, I noticed a very lovely creature looking towards me. Her yellow coat shone brightly in the sunlight and her pink mane and tail accented her shape very nicely. I suddenly caught a blush as Fluttershy blinked once, and remained frozen there.

There was an incredible sensation of déjà vu, as we locked eyes and stared at each other. It went on for I have no idea how long. Minutes, or maybe hours. No, hours were a bit extreme. I think I would have noticed the sudden hunger I'd undoubtedly get and the light shift from the sun. Eventually, her eyes softened a little and she thawed, stepping out of her prior frozen appearance, mid-stride.

Slowly, I rotated in my sitting position to face her, still eye-locked. She didn't even seem to blink as she continued watching me carefully. Her pose was more relaxed now however and she gently, yet fluidly sat down on her haunches, tilting her head somewhat. I had no clue suddenly what to say at all, my tongue feeling like it swelled to impossible sizes and gummed up my mouth.

She looked about as nervous as I did and we sat there for even longer, simply staring at each other. Her sky blue eyes were so soft and gentle looking, and I caught myself starting to get a heat in my cheeks as I couldn't look away. The gentle slope of her mane, the tender tucking of her feathered wings against her sides, and even the way her tail curled around her flank as she sat there. It was all so graceful, radiating a gentleness that I hadn't seen before. My eyes widened a little as her cheeks started to turn a little pink as well.

Her eyes immediately widened alongside mine and I saw a bit of concern in her expression, as if she was suddenly worried she had offended me because of my slightly surprised shift. I smiled at her, trying to re-assure her. Her eyes softened again, and she smiled timidly back at me.

Wham! Something collided with the back of my skull and I went from smiling to shock in an instant briefly, before smashing my face into the dirt of her walkway. Fluttershy let out a startled yelping noise and I felt scurrying to my right, suddenly. "Oh no! Oh… oh no! A-Are you ok-okay?" I suddenly heard, in a very tender voice to my right. Ow. Instead of responding, I just lay there contemplating just going to sleep and never waking up. Massive head trauma was apparently my number one chance of dying, still. My left eye opened painfully to get a brief glimpse of the dirt and a really detailed pebble, before looking up and out from the ground a little. An apple landed in my field of vision, with a newly formed bruise on one side and rolled away from me. Damn you, apples!

"Huzzah-what, now?" came from somewhere above, in a sleepy sounding, Rainbow Dash voice.

"Uh, um, Dash? You dropped an apple and uh, hit somepony. Could you maybe come down here and at least get your apple, if it's not too much trouble?" I heard Fluttershy ask quietly. Wow, if Rainbow Dash heard that at all it would be an absolute miracle.

There was a flapping noise however, and I felt a brief burst of air behind me. I slowly tried to get my forehooves under me again, currently spread eagle and in a very prone position feeling a little flattened. "Oh what the hay?! Why is it that whenever I drop something lately, you try to catch it with your face?" Rainbow Dash asked behind me, dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh my! This um, isn't the first time?" Fluttershy asked rapidly, sounding worried.

I glared back at Rainbow Dash, who had her forelegs folded over her chest and was wearing a similar expression. She felt grumpy to me and I looked over at Fluttershy, who was staring at her now instead. Rainbow hadn't told her? I sighed but decided not to say anything, partially out of respect and partially out of desire to not get blown up. Defeated by myself this time, I looked away.

Rainbow glared at me for a few more seconds before rolling her eyes and slapping a hoof to her face. "Okay, let me try that again," she requested, thinking for a moment, before continuing with, "Sorry for hitting you with an apple."

Shaking my head, I suddenly wished I hadn't as it gave a sharp throb. I must have winced as Fluttershy made a quiet 'Eep' noise. Suddenly, I was yanked sideways faster than I could react and unceremoniously deposited onto a soft couch. Rainbow snickered as she hovered inside Fluttershy's house as well and watched as Fluttershy rapidly gathered up a few medical supplies. "It's alright, Rainbow," I muttered, once my head stopped spinning.

She landed gently next to the couch, still watching Fluttershy zipping around gathering medical stuff. I didn't actually feel all that bad except for my headache. "You should totally stop trying to catch things with your head, though," she reminded, winking at me.

I gave her an irked glare and she simply grinned. Fluttershy zipped over suddenly, and gently wrapped a towel around my forehead, with an ice pack in it. She fussed with the edges, hovering in front of me, before darting away again. "She likes helping injured things if you couldn't tell," Rainbow Dash added, returning to watching her.

"I'd noticed. She seems very shy though," I muttered, watching her as well with light blush.

Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Normally she's a lot worse than this. But you aren't exactly the most intimidating pony, so I guess it's easier for her?" she offered.

"Hey!" I protested, crossing my forelegs irritably.

She just snickered at me as Fluttershy came back with a bit of what appeared to be salve. She carefully slid up the cold pack and bandage and applied some to the new bruise I imagined I had on the side of my head. "Now just h-hold still, please. You'll be feeling better in no time," she assured quietly, smiling at me.

I looked up at her and smiled back and she suddenly seemed taken aback, remembering that she was treating a pony instead of a woodland creature. She blushed and did a small, fluttering hop away from me, landing on the armrest of the couch. Rainbow Dash started laughing. "Oh come on, Fluttershy! You were fine before. Besides, doesn't he look familiar?" she asked, looking back at me.

Fluttershy tilted her head and looked at me for a few more seconds. Her eyes locked with mine again and I tried smiling at her. Her eyes suddenly got considerably wider! "Oh, you're the pony with the gentle eyes that was under my tree," she muttered, earning a nod from Rainbow Dash. "Wait, didn't Rainbow blow you up?" she then asked, looking back to her friend.

Rainbow looked momentarily stunned and then averted her eyes towards the ground in front of me. "Ah uh, yeah, I had forgotten about that part. But he's fine, as you can see!" she distracted.

Fluttershy looked skeptical but turned her attention back to me. Now I was blushing lightly and lay down on the cushion, tucking my legs under me as gently as I could. For some reason, I was seriously nerved out, as if I was walking on egg shells over a pit of lava. I didn't want to disturb anything in the house so I just stayed as still as I could. Maybe I was just afraid of offending or scaring her?

After a few seconds, Fluttershy smiled and plopped down on her rug. "See? He's a nice stallion, Fluttershy. You don't have to worry about him," Rainbow Dash declared, grinning and flopping her left foreleg over my back. It felt warm, so I just let it rest there.

"As long as there are no apples or other falling objects near me, I'm reasonably safe," I muttered, holding the side of my head with my right hoof.

Fluttershy made a little giggling noise, barely audible but still there, before timidly asking, "Um, do you think you could tell us how you came here? I mean, i-if you have time, of course."

Smiling, I chuckled and shook my head. "I can if it won't bore you two lovely mares to tears," I added, averting my eyes and giving a weak sigh. Were they all this curious, or just polite?

Rainbow Dash gave my side a shove and stuck her tongue out at me. "Nah. I'm sure we have time to kill before the party, regardless," she pointed out. Wait, Pinkie had managed to get invitations out already?! I was suddenly even further scared of the pink mare.

Swallowing my reservations, I nodded and broke into my second recount of the tale, today.

Chapter 06

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Both mares now sat across from me on the couch as I finished my story with the visit to Rarity concluding it this time. Rainbow Dash, much to my prior expectations, was snoozing lightly, her wings tucked to each side of her and her head resting lightly upon the couch cushion. Fluttershy surprised me however, by remaining in a sitting position and being extremely attentive. Apart from a few timid questions, she had listened quietly the entire time. Her posture had gotten more relaxed over the course of the story, too. She had started with her muscles tense and her shoulders tightly bunched. Now she relaxed lightly against the back of the couch and simply smiled innocently at me. It was, well, a little distracting but I kept things under control.

"And then I got belted with an apple. Again," I finished, releasing a dejected sigh.

Fluttershy let out an amused giggle and nodded. "Yeah, I um, think I know the rest," she assured quietly. Of course, I had left out a few parts, such as my view of particular parts of her body. A good first impression was what I wanted, not her fleeing in pure terror while screaming ‘pervert’ at the top of her lungs. Well, maybe whispering it quietly to nearby guards, I appended instead.

"Heh, I'd hope so. Your memory would be worse than mine if not," I muttered, poking the side of my head with a hoof and earning another shy chortle.

She shook her head after and smiled down at the sleeping blue pegasus next to her. "I apologize for Rainbow Dash though. She uh, sometimes has a short attention span," she appended softly, looking a little sad.

"I warned her it was a little dry. So it's all right," I assured, not really too worried about it.

"Oh, no! It wasn't dry at all. I was very entertained by it," she suddenly corrected, catching me off guard with her suddenly discovered vocal force.

My eyes relaxed and I just let the light blush form, along with a smile. As uncomfortable as I was, the warm sensation was quite nice. "Thanks, Fluttershy. I'm glad I entertained you at least," I thanked.

She perked a little and nodded, looking a lot happier than when I got here. "You're very nice but sadly, that's not enough to qualify you for the breeding program. You've failed several physical tests, unfortunately," she explained. I blinked, and there was suddenly an odd sensation of static sounds drifting along my left ear. My head gave a dull throb, and I got the distinct image of a scalpel before I winced and shook my head clear.

"Um, w-what did you say?" I asked her again, suddenly feeling dizzy and unsure.

Fluttershy tilted her head, and suddenly looked concerned. "Oh, I'm s-sorry. I said you're very nice and that I was glad for the company? Does your head hurt still?" she repeated.

Something felt wrong, suddenly. Out of place maybe? I looked around the inside of the house and felt a detached surrealism. This wasn't my place. Where was this? Feeling sick suddenly, I shifted sideways and lay down on the couch cushions again. My mind whirled as I tried desperately to hold onto something. Anything. I was lost. This wasn't my home. Where was I? Things felt flat suddenly and I started to panic. Was this real? Feeling started to slip away in my extremities.

My focus snapped back to this reality as I knew it. Two gentle, yellow hooves clasped my slightly outstretched right one. My heart felt like it was trying to beat a hole out of my chest and my breathing was fast and ragged. A light sweat had started to form and I felt a sick heat seep up my chest and into my throat. Was I here, maybe? The two hooves squeezed slightly and my unfocused eyes slipped up the forearms and into two pools of gorgeous cyan. She smiled quietly, and made a light 'shh' noise.

Slowly, the world faded into the pretty blue tint, my lungs and heart slowing down again. Maybe I could take a little rest. I'm sure things can move on without me for a while.

So quiet.

* * * * *

Dancing lights and shifting sounds. A thousand scenes from a play, told completely out of order. Was it a comedy or tragedy? Both? Did it matter? Battle, war, and death. My mind quietly cried as it tried to dream of cute ponies. Scattered. As of the lighting coordinator had gotten drunk and decided it would spice the scenes up if he swung wildly from the light racks. The script director had gotten fed up and tossed the pages into the air before storming out of the theatre.

I woke up with a horrible taste in my mouth. Something metallic, but maybe it was my imagination? My eyes flicked open in surprise, feeling a hoof still brushing against mine.

"...still, we're going to be late if you don't wake him soon," I heard Rainbow Dash say, sounding a little on the chastising side.

My eyes spotted her, now awake and lying on the couch across from me. Her eyes must have picked up the movement, as they locked onto mine a heartbeat later.

"I know. Just a little more? Please? He's hurt," Fluttershy asked. I felt her hoof against mine and blushed gently, looking down at her. She sat on her haunches at the foot of the couch, facing me but with her head currently turned towards her blue friend.

Rainbow Dash gave me a smirk before replying, "He doesn't look all that bad to me."

I raised an eyebrow to her but Fluttershy rapidly shook her head. "No, he's more hurt inside than out. More than he's told us. You shouldn't tease him," Fluttershy muttered. My eyes widened a little of their own accord and I felt the blush fade, washed out in a chilly sensation. How did she know that? Wait, was I hurt on the inside? Memories of what just happened came back fairly easily. I'd best talk to Twilight about this, either at the party or tomorrow.

Rainbow Dash momentarily lost her smile and nodded in my direction. Fluttershy started and slowly turned her head back around to face me. Her eyes bulged out as she saw me staring back and she hopped backwards so fast that she crashed into the end table next to Dash's couch. Dash clamped both hooves onto her mouth to prevent bursting into copious amounts of laughter and I blushed lightly, trying to smile at Fluttershy. "Oh no, I'm so sorry! I was worried, but I was going to let go of your hoof, but you looked so lost and then peaceful when you were sleeping so I thought you wanted me to keep…" she started rapidly apologizing before I could say anything.

I held my hoof up to quiet her and shook my head. "I did want you to. It was well, an anchor. I don't know why but I suddenly felt lost, like you said. I'm sorry for losing it," I apologized, looking away from her.

"Are you okay though?" Dash asked, sounding a little concerned.

I nodded softly and smiled at her. "Yeah, I'll be fine. My memories are just a mess still and it seems they're spilling over into other things now," I tried to explain, unsure of exactly what had just happened.

"Oh, did you get new memories back?" Fluttershy asked quietly, collecting herself and carefully walking towards me again.

Nodding, I looked back over at Fluttershy. She looked a bit jarred but otherwise okay. I made a note to not make any sudden moves around the mare. "We need to get going though, you two. Normally I don't care but we're going to be late to a Pinkie Pie Party, which I really don't want to miss," Rainbow Dash reminded us wearing a grin again, standing up finally from the couch.

Fluttershy closed her eyes and nodded rapidly. "Oh yes, they're a lot of fun! Plus she usually invites a lot of different ponies. Maybe somepony will recognize you?" Fluttershy suggested.

I knew that wasn't a possibility but I nodded along anyway to humor her. "Well the Library's quite a hike so we'd better get going," I muttered, suddenly self-conscious of my speed again. I'd hoped they planned enough time for me to get there too.

"Ha! Forget that, we'll fly there in no time!" Rainbow Dash boasted, pounding a hoof to her chest and smirking.

Fluttershy looked a little apprehensive and I raised my eyebrow towards her, before glancing behind me for the non-existent wings. Not that it would have done much good for me to have them. Tripping while walking at least had the benefit of limiting the distance I fell in most cases. "Uh, I don't exactly have wings you know," I reminded weakly.

Rainbow Dash snorted and zipped over to the door, suddenly. "Oh come on. You're an Earth Pony! Running is supposed to be something you're good at and Applejack can practically keep up with me no problem. Besides, we need to get some meat on your bones," she declared before kicking the door open and zipping outside with ease. Yeah, but Applejack had been on hooves her whole life!

"Oh dear. Not again," Fluttershy mumbled weakly, drifting after Rainbow.

Well this was probably going to end in disaster. With much apprehension, I slowly walked towards the door, suddenly self-conscious of the direction my hooves were going in. I wobbled outside and looked around timidly. Rainbow Dash drifted gently in the air about twenty feet up, looking pleased as punch at us. Fluttershy drifted up towards her lazily and nodded towards her. "Sweet! Let's make a race of it then! Ready?" Rainbow Dash asked, grin getting bigger.

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea, Rainbow," Fluttershy muttered quietly, almost a whisper.

"Awesome! Let's go!" Rainbow Dash shouted out, seemingly either totally ignoring, or more likely, not hearing her friend's protests.

Regardless, she was gone in a flash of rainbow colored light. Fluttershy made a yelping sound and tried her hardest to fly after Dash, nowhere near as fast. I sighed. Okay, I might as well try this. Rapidly extending my two right legs, I boosted off with my left while trying to repeat the pattern with the other side. Shockingly enough, I managed to actually repeat the movement three times before smashing into my own right forehoof with my back leg, and vaulting off to my left. Sadly, I was a victim of my own success as my successful sprint had put me to the bridge that connects Fluttershy's house to the main area of Ponyville.

Side note: the water was freezing. Thankfully I landed on my side and grabbed a nearby rock to stop my drift. The river was fairly deep this close to town but not particularly fast. I managed to wade under the bridge and back up onto land on the other side, now shivering and more than a little wet. Why is it that everything involving Rainbow Dash leads to more pain for me? Although admittedly, that instance was at least half due to my own stupidity.

Shaking myself off, I let the water spray in all directions and sighed. That trick didn't work nearly as well as I had hoped it would. Well, I guess I'd best just walk to the party, lest I die trying to get there. If I didn't freeze to death anyway. Slowly walking along, I winced as I realized my right foreleg was a little sore from being kicked, then used as a bracing to vault off the side of a bridge. Feeling a little bitter again, I flattened my ears back and pressed towards the Library, ignoring the amused looks of the townsfolk as I climbed from the riverbank.

A light flapping noise overhead surprised me and I wondered if they turned around to see if I had died or not. Glancing up, I saw Fluttershy slowly drifting down towards me. "I figured that was um, a bad idea. But don't be mad at her. She slept through your story explaining your walking troubles," she requested, setting down in front of me.

"You came back?" I asked, suddenly very aware of the drops of water dripping off my coat and how I must look like a drowned rat. Thankfully it was dark enough that nopony noticed my blush.

Fluttershy made a light giggle and nodded. "I uh, h-heard your splash," she muttered, looking down at her feet. I tilted my head down to catch her face and noticed she was still smiling, so I wasn't too worried. I hadn't known her relationship with Rainbow Dash, nor her capacity for flight. I figured she might be upset at not being able to keep up with her friend because of my accident, but she seemed to be alright with it.

I couldn't help but smile though. So far, she'd been the nicest to me apart from Twilight. But she felt a lot more amiable than the much more bookish unicorn. Not that I had a thing against books, having loved the three Twilight lent me while in the infirmary. "Well um, thank you, Fluttershy. You could have kept going towards the party with Rainbow Dash, though," I offered, nudging my head in the direction of the Library and spraying another arc of water off my chin. Fur or coating or whatever this was technically called that covered me was an amazing sponge, it seemed.

Fluttershy shook her head weakly and I heard a very faint sigh. "I'm nowhere near as good at flying as Rainbow Dash. She's p-probably there already, so," she explained, looking a little sad now.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. Well you can walk with me instead if you want," I offered, trying to cheer her up. Looking back at the bridge, I frowned. I certainly knew what it felt like to not be up to par and unable to keep up.

Fluttershy smiled quietly but nodded after a few seconds of hesitation. "Yes, that would be g-good," she agreed, voice almost non-existent now. Was she honestly getting quieter?

I smiled in attempts to be reassuring and continued my careful wobbling towards the Library. After a few seconds, I didn't hear her following and turned to look back at her. Her gaze, however, was locked steadily onto my front foreleg. Uh?

"Oh dear, you hurt your hoof in the fall, didn't you?" she asked, sounding a little stronger but worried.

Uh, fall? Yeah, that's it. Not wanting to admit to kicking my own hoof hard enough to bruise it, I nodded weakly. "Yeah. It just hurts a little; it's all right," I assured, waving the injured hoof as nonchalantly as I could manage towards her.

"No, no. Walking more on it could do damage," Fluttershy warned, looking horrified at my casual treatment of the wound.

I blinked and looked around, wondering if she wanted me to lie down and take a nap in the street. At night. "But I kind of need to walk on it in order to get back to the Library, right? It's not that," I started to point out but trailed off as she took to the air again.

I was about to ask her what she was doing, when she drifted over me and lowered again. My eyes widened as I realized what she was doing a few seconds too late and her forelegs wrapped around my chest from above, lifting me up carefully. I dangled there, unsure of what to do for several seconds before she slid her left forehoof down my chest and supported my stomach, holding me against her body as she put more power into her wings. "Just try to um, r-relax, okay?" she requested, as she started slowly shifting her weight and we moved in the direction of the Library, my feet still dragging along the ground.

"Uh, are you sure this is a good idea?" I asked her as our movement slowed and I heard her groan, trying to get more air.

"Uh, y-yes, of course. If Rainbow Dash can carry four ponies at once, I have to be able to carry one," she muttered quietly, straining and starting to drift sideways before adding, "Wow. S-Stallions are heavier th-than mares." Four ponies?! All new fear of the blue and rainbow pegasus flooded into my mind as I briefly pictured her casually carrying me up to the stratosphere and just laughing as she let me fall. Note to self, do not piss her off! Thankfully, Fluttershy didn't seem to notice my shocked expression.

Swallowing, I watched us drift to the left, not really gaining much forward momentum as she attempted to balance herself to my awkward weight. My eyes widened as we headed towards the base of the bridge at higher and higher velocity. "Oh dear!" Fluttershy squeaked as she veered hard to the right to correct the shift. We slowed just in time for me to stick my back leg out and brace against the side of the bridge and I gulped. Then I realized she had over-corrected and veered almost sideways in the other direction.

I managed to land the same hoof I used to brace against the bridge on a rock as we came in. Seeing what was about to happen, I bit the bullet and pushed off it, sending me under Fluttershy as she yelped. I landed on a bigger rock stomach first and she smashed into my back before we both lost balance and tipped off into the stream. At least the water was much warmer the second time I landed in it.

* * * * *

"I'm still s-sorry, though," Fluttershy squeaked as she finished clamping the bandage wraps around my side. Aside from some bruising, I don't think I damaged anything when I hit the rock but the salve she put on it made it feel a lot better.

I shook my head gently at her. "Fluttershy, it's all right. I'm not that hurt and neither are you, so all that happened is that we're going to be a few more minutes late to the party," I consoled, smiling again. Her much longer mane was wrapped up in a towel bun while I just had a towel draped over my head. We stood in her bathroom as she adjusted the size of the bandage around my torso.

She looked up at me, still looking quite sad. "You were already injured too. I knew I wasn't going to be able to carry you, b-but," she groaned weakly, losing her voice rapidly.

"But you felt like trying to emulate Rainbow Dash, I know," I finished, still smiling at her. They really were best friends.

Fluttershy sighed airily and sat down on her haunches again, rubbing her second towel up and down her coat and over her wings. "Sometimes I wish I fit in with the other pegasi more. I'm not as brave or strong as Rainbow Dash and it's hard for me to keep up sometimes," she admitted, eyes softening. That feeling rung true to me and I could definitely relate. Fitting in with this world was a little tricky for a newcomer.

"I'm having difficulty fitting in too so I know what you mean. But you're already Fluttershy, right? You don't need to be Rainbow Dash in order to fit in anymore," I reasoned, wishing I was already somepony too. Pity dimensional or planetary travel doesn't come with Travel Agents to set things up ahead of time for you, it seemed.

Fluttershy frowned and stared absently at my right foreleg. Or more accurately, through it as she seemed deep in thought. "I-I know who I am and what I like, you're ri-right," she slowly accepted, giving a quiet nod.

“Rainbow couldn't have bandaged my chest like this or even made that amazing salve stuff you put on it, to begin with," I pointed out, shifting my torso around for emphasis. It made a warm, tingling sensation go down my chest and I flushed at the feeling of the cream under the bandages. What was this stuff?

Fluttershy giggled suddenly and I caught her looking at my expression. "It um, promotes blood f-flow to the area. B-Bad for cuts, good for sore muscles a-and bruises," she explained, a light blush going into her cheeks as she stared at the bandage on my chest.

Giving a warm smile, I complimented, "Wow, you really know your stuff." I tried to catch her eyes as she suddenly dropped her head, her entire face going scarlet. She didn't take compliments well I noted. But giving them to her made her look so adorable; I discovered that I could rapidly get addicted. Trying to peek under her newly fallen bangs from her mane coming partially out of the towel wrap, I got her to squeak suddenly. She scampered around me and out of the bathroom faster than I realized she could move. Flushing again, I wondered if I had done something wrong. I still didn't know much about their culture so maybe I was being taboo again?

Sighing weakly, I turned around and walked out of her bathroom. The main room of her house was flooded with all assortments of animal-related objects, which I had only skimmed over earlier while relaying my story. She definitely liked animals. By the time I got downstairs, I was surprised to see that she was waiting for me at the door. I figured she'd be halfway to Twilight's, given the speed she left the bathroom. She smiled shyly at me however and turned to face outside, watching me over her shoulder. I trotted a little faster to catch up, after composing myself. Getting flustered at her cuteness and wiping out would be more than a little embarrassing.

"Ah, sorry for being so slow," I apologized upon reaching the door, wincing as I slowed to a stop again. My right forward ankle was still bothering me it seemed.

Fluttershy shook her head and peeked down at my hoof again. "I couldn't let you walk by yourself with that hoof. Besides, I like things nice and slow," she replied gently, looking back up at my face after a few seconds. She still wore a meek smile as she walked around me and got to my right side instead.

"Hmm? Is something wrong?" I asked her, curious now. Oh no. What was I doing wrong now? Even back in my past life, I had a sneaking suspicion the more minute details of social interaction eluded me. In this reasonably new place they were even harder to keep track of.

Fluttershy bent down to peek at my ankle instead, dropping her shoulders to get a better look. I tried really, really hard not to stare at her flanks that were now elevated in the air. "It looks like it's starting to swell a little. Hmm. Th-that's not good. We need to get you off of your hoof as soon as possible," she warned. I swallowed weakly. Figured as much.

"Well I can rest at the party, right?" I reasoned, assuming she'd been to one of these parties before. Of course she had. She’d said so earlier so she knew what to expect, right?

Fluttershy nodded and smiled gently at me. "Of course. Pinkie Pie is usually more active but I'll tell her off if she tries to make you stand or anything," she assured.

I snickered, trying to imagine a bold version of the yellow pegasus in front of me and failed terribly. Tell her off, huh? That would almost be worth it to see but I didn't want to press my luck. "Very well. We should probably get going then. We're what, twenty minutes late?" I tried to estimate, looking up towards the lowering sun in attempts to estimate the time passage. A personal watch was high up on my list of things to get once I got actual bits.

"About a half an hour by the time we get there. I um, k-kinda don't want to tell th-them that we fell in the stream," she suddenly muttered, flushing and looking apprehensive.

I laughed and pointed out, "You know it's probably better than the alternative." I instantly regretted saying it. Oh great, now she's going to think I'm a pervert!

"What w-would that be?" she asked curiously, tilting her head at me. Oh thank you, whoever was in charge of this messed up universe! She was extremely innocent which definitely played to my interests in this case, of not being executed of course.

"Oh, well um, having a bad sense of time or direction?" I offered, trying my hardest to smile at her.

She exhaled gently and looked suddenly relieved? "Whew. I th-thought you were insinuating they'd think we were l-lovers or something," she muttered, shaking the blush out of her face as she started to move forward again.

In surprise, I tripped over my own hooves again and ended up running my muzzle into the loose dirt of her walkway. Okay! Not as innocent as I anticipated. "Oh no! I-I'm sorry! Did I s-surprise you? Was i-it your ankle?" she suddenly asked, immediately helping me back up to my hooves.

"N-no, I'm all right. Just got a little uh, dizzy there," I lied, head swimming still. Being pelted by apples, falling off a hill, and almost drowning in the stream were forced through my mind as I concentrated on anything but the yellow mare next to me.

"Oh, of course! I'm sorry, I f-forgot about your hoof. Here," she offered, and suddenly dipped sideways.

My blush magnified and the battle in my mind became an uphill one as she pushed the left side of her body into my right, folding her left wing over my back and helping me lift my right front hoof off the ground. "Here, we'll keep the p-pressure off it this way," she explained, nodding and smiling meekly up at me.

"A-ah, yeah, th-thank you," I muttered, suddenly extremely self-conscious.

Both of us blushed and looked away from each other for a moment or so. I was the first to break the silence by gently hobbling forwards again, gaining support on my right side using her. "You don't um, need to thank m-me. I love helping. Especially those that n-need it," she added, slowly keeping pace with me.

"You do seem to. All of the animals seem to instinctively love you," I remembered, thinking of all of the birds gravitating towards her house earlier.

She giggled, her flush fading now and seemingly getting a little more secure footing in the conversation. "I love animals most of all. I'm well, kind of a strange pegasus like that. Most love flying and being in the sky but I'd prefer to stay near the ground with all of my lovely animal friends," she explained, eyes softening in what were probably fond memories.

I nodded gently and picked up my pace slightly, feeling a little more confident in my walking now. I was able to tuck my leg up as if preparing to kick something and with our height difference, it slipped right between her extended wing and shoulder blade, holding it in place as she probably intended. Her wing was amazingly soft but surprisingly tough. Even though she couldn't lift me earlier, I still felt the muscles rippling through it as she held my leg in place. Of course, she did regularly lift herself entirely off the ground with them so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

"Strange isn't a bad thing, I've learned. I haven't met a normal pony yet but they'd probably be nowhere near as fun to be around. Loving to help individuals should be cherished," I returned, smiling gently. Maybe if there had been more like that in my world, I'd still have a world. Of course, then I would have never met these amazing ponies. Of course, some would have preferred that I decided, remembering Applejack.

I felt her nod against my shoulder. "You're very open-minded. I wish I had known you a long time ago, honestly. I've been teased quite a bit about my uh, h-habits," she wished, sounding a little sad.

Sighing, I knew again what she was talking about. I didn't feel like I fit into the 'norm' anywhere at this point. "Most people are just insecure about who they are. Seeing people different from themselves makes them scared so they ridicule them in order to hide that," I reasoned.

"Um, what's 'people'?" she asked suddenly, looking back up at me.

Oh. Oh crap. "Oh, I'm sorry. Ponies!" I corrected, suddenly feeling the blood rush out of my head this time.

She raised an eyebrow towards me but turned away after a few intense seconds. "Oh, well, that does make sense," she agreed quietly, suddenly distracted.

Swallowing, I decided not to provoke her thoughts further. We walked in silence for a little ways and I looked up at the slowly darkening sky. It was so beautiful, here. Most ponies here probably took it for granted but from what was left of the memories of my old world, this place was heaven. Maybe it really was heaven?

"You c-came from a pretty bad place, d-didn't you?" she suddenly asked, sounding a little edgy again.

For a moment, I wasn't sure how to reply to that. I eventually just settled for the truth, "I don't remember much of it at all, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't a pleasant place, yes."

She seemed to think for a few more moments. She wasn't asking the question I thought she was going to and it was making me a tad uneasy. "If um, if you get your memories back, are y-you going to go back there?" she finally asked, getting a bit more strength to her voice. She looked back up at me as she asked it but I couldn't read her expression properly.

"Ah, well, I don't think there's much left there for me anymore. So no, I'll probably stay here. This town seems pleasant," I replied, realizing I had made that decision a while ago. Stay in heaven or return to hell. Well, that was a choice that was delightfully simple. Kind of refreshing.

Her sudden smile caught me totally off guard, however. "I'm g-glad. I'd uh, l-like to become better f-friends with you," she muttered, blushing lightly again and looking down.

My heart skipped a beat and I swore for a second that I swallowed it. "Ah, I'd l-like to get to know you a little better too, Fluttershy," I decided, joining in her blush. Both of us probably looked pretty silly at this point.

With both of us looking down, we almost walked directly into Twilight's door. Thankfully, it was open or that might have hurt more than a little. Wait, we were here already? Dang. I was enjoying the walk with her, I supposed. Further wait. The door was open? "Aww! Are you getting all lovey dovey with Fluttershy too?!" I heard the pink one suddenly ask from practically right in front of us.

Crap! Pinkie Pie! Fluttershy let out a startled squeak and slid away from me as if I was on fire, now deeply flushed. Crap, my support! Suddenly finding myself tipping sideways, my eyes widened as I tried to rapidly bring my front right hoof down again. It cracked against the cobblestone and a nail of white hot pain flashed up my leg. I yelped and instantly retracting it before remembering the whole reason I had brought it down again. Far too late at this point, I simply planted my face into the cobblestone instead. "Ooooh, his hoof was hurt. My bad," Pinkie replied, giggling at my now fallen form. She was a monster!

"Ah! Are you okay?" Fluttershy asked rapidly, kneeling down to try to help pull me to my feet again.

"Bah! He'll be extra super-duper fine once he's at his party! Let's go," Pinkie suddenly declared. Before I could so much as protest, I was hauled entirely out of my prone form and felt myself being pulled across the main Library room at high velocity! There was a sudden sensation of vertigo as I felt my stomach drop out but before I could so much as react, I landed on the cushion of a couch near the main table. It had been decorated with banners and balloons and was sporting a massive amount of sweet treats on it, of all assorted shapes and sizes.

The pink monster stood up on the table then, puffing proudly as she motioned towards me. I suddenly realized I had no idea of how she got me to the couch. "And now the guest of honor has arrived! He's new to Ponyville and is going to be a new, bestest, most awesome friend to everypony!" she shouted out, sounding ecstatic. Her grinning face would surely haunt my dreams from this day on.

There was a burst of streamers and cheering as I suddenly realized how many ponies they had packed into the library. They blurred together, a miasma of colors as three cookies were practically shoved down my throat, to where I thought I'd almost digest Pinkie Pie's hoof along with them.

Rarity caught my eye with a sympathetic look off to my right and Sweetie Belle gave a snickering motion beside her. A filly I recognized as Scootaloo burst into laughter next to her, not even trying to hide it. Pinkie Pie, victorious, gave a delighted spin on one hoof still on the table, and inhaled a small cake that was across from me in one bite. My eyes widened as her throat distended, similar to a snake, and I saw the lump that was the cake sink into her tiny body. On second thought, that would haunt my dreams for the rest of my life for sure!

Coughing and hacking dryly, I could have sworn I saw a couple cookie crumbs bounce away from me on the table. Was this some sort of vile hazing or something?! Gasping for air, I looked around the room only to see that several ponies had already broken into groups and were talking. Did that mean it was over?

Pinkie Pie flopped into the couch section next to me and smiled gleefully. "You're so interesting! I've never met a pony who couldn't remember anything before. So I was extra, extra excited and baked all of these for tonight's celebration! I want you to feel all welcome and stuff," she spilled out, almost faster than I could keep up with.

My eyes roamed the table. I was surprised at the variety and sheer amount of treats on it. Cupcakes, candies, puddings, chips... The table was filled to the brim, minus the treats she had launched across the room when she used it for a makeshift stage, of course. I was impressed. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all?

"Um, thank you," I tried to mutter, feeling embarrassed now. She smiled mirthfully at me before sliding a tray of colorful cupcakes over to me, before nodding.

"No problemo! I just wanna be bestest friends, after all. Try some of my newest recipe! I made them just for you," she offered. I looked down at the pretty cupcakes. They were obviously chocolate, with a white frosting on top. The frosting had another layer of very nicely designed rainbow swirls on top of the white. I was instantly reminded of Rainbow Dash herself and chuckled. I wondered if she was the inspiration for the treat or something.

Pinkie watched in what could only be described as fascination as I picked up the closest cupcake to me, peeled the wrapper back a bit with my teeth, and took a bite out of it carefully. Much to my surprise, it tasted quite good! She was an excellent baker. Some sort of strawberry jam filled the chocolate caking, and the top was a blend of flavors.

She let out a coo of delight as I smiled and nodded towards her, “You like it! Awesome! Hey, does it taste like rainbows?" She asked suddenly, grinning at me again.

A sudden sense of horror and dread overcame me. Oh no... What did she put into this cupcake?! The twinkling in her eye burned into my soul and I braced for the worst, painfully swallowing.

A sudden impact on my right side made me lurch, almost coughing up the accursed thing. Glaring to my right after dismissing thoughts of it somehow trying to get out of my stomach, I found Rainbow Dash sitting on my other side. "You know, 'cause I licked it all over before she put the frosting on," she added, winking.

The blush flooded to my face instantly and I started coughing uncontrollably. Both Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie burst into laughter to either side of me and bumped hooves in front of my face, as if congratulating each other.

"Why?!" I managed to cough out, glaring back at Pinkie. But that would be like she…

She just patted my muzzle affectionately, though smirking still. "Oh relax, Mr. Pony! It was just a joke," she assured, earning an eye roll from me.

"Yeah. We wouldn't really do that too you, sheesh. I mean, ew," Rainbow Dash started. I looked back at her in silent agreement but she continued, "That would be like kissing you."

I stared at her for a long moment, her disgusted look carried over from prior. Ew? A cold sensation dripped down my chest and pooled around my stomach. Finding myself unable to say anything, I just looked away from her, back at the table.

Before either could continue, I was pulled backwards by a purple glow, up and over the couch. My eyes widened but I was placed down gently next to Rarity instead. "Just ignore these unsophisticated, insensitive brutes! They pull these uncivilized shenanigans on everypony," she comforted. Sweetie Belle nodded politely in agreement, before giving me a gently hug on the foreleg.

A bit of warmth returned to me at her display and I smiled down at her, lightly hugging her back with my right foreleg, which was still free. "Hey, it was funny!" Scootaloo defended, smiling back at Rainbow Dash, who was glaring at Rarity.

After a few seconds, Sweetie Belle sat back suddenly and looked up at my chest. "Wait, why are you all bandaged up like that?" she asked, tilting her head at me.

Rarity broke away from the glare duel with Rainbow and quizzically turned to look at me. Her eyes roamed over the bandages, swelled ankle, and now scuffed up muzzle from the cobblestone. "Oh my, what happened to you?" she asked, suddenly quite surprised.

"Yeah, you look like you were run over by a field plow," Scootaloo agreed, snickering in amusement.

I gave her an annoyed glare before sighing and turning back to Rarity. Fluttershy walked up and sat down next to her however, interrupting with, "We had a little accident on the way over here and I had to bandage him up a bit." Her voice was quiet still but much stronger than when it was just us. Suddenly, I was envious of Rarity. They must be great friends. I was a new pony in town though. My thoughts drifted back to Rainbow again and my eyes softened. Why was I thinking this way? Surely I wasn't expecting her to like the thought of kissing me? Well, I didn't think it could hurt but she honestly didn't know me. So wasn't her reaction normal? Then it was my reaction that wasn't normal. I felt confused again and a little lost. I guess I was never very good at evaluating myself.

"…and then we managed to get out of the stream. He protected me from the rock," Fluttershy concluded. Oops! I hadn't realized she was talking the whole time. Wait, she told Rarity?

"Well! He truly is a gentlecolt, then. I'm impressed. You really should be more careful though, Fluttershy dear," Rarity decided, smiling at Fluttershy instead, who blushed lightly and nodded.

Sweetie Belle nudged Scootaloo and grinned. "See? I told you he was a good pony," she rubbed in, winking at her friend.

Scootaloo rolled her eyes and crossed her forelegs, sitting on her haunches. "I never said he wasn't. I just said he was a klutz, which he still is. Applejack is the one who thinks he's nuts," she denied.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, I think," I muttered, trying not to feel the twinge of pain run through me at the reminder of Applejack.

Scootaloo snickered and grinned at me instead, ice cracking a little. "Relax, relax! Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle dig you and anypony who's all right with them is all right by me. You're cool enough," she assured, looking amused.

Before I could answer, Sweetie Belle cooed gently and went back to squeezing my foreleg. "Don't listen to her. You're super cool," she approved. Fluttershy and Rarity both smiled down at her gently and Scootaloo made a gagging motion with her hoof. I patted Sweetie gently on the head with my right, unused hoof, careful to mind the pain dancing along it still.

"And very good with foals," Fluttershy added, smiling up at me as well. I blushed lightly, unused to the compliments. Maybe I was more similar to her than I thought?

Rarity let out a polite giggle. "I seem to recall also saying that earlier today. I offered him a job foalsitting as well," she remarked.

Fluttershy giggled. "They're a handful but I think we've come to understand each other, right girls?" she asked.

Scootaloo swallowed nervously suddenly but Sweetie Belle nodded enthusiastically, returning, "Of course! And if he's a friend of Fluttershy, we're definitely going to behave for him. Not that we wouldn't anyway because he's really nice."

"Yeah, otherwise he'd tell her," Scootaloo muttered quietly, ears flattening back and seeming a little nervous. I blinked and looked back up at the pleasantly smiling Fluttershy. I had a feeling she was hiding a great deal of depth to her, now. Some of that depth might be a tad unpleasant, it seemed.

All five of us were distracted at once, as another explosion of confetti went off and Pinkie Pie tumbled past us to my right, laughing and giggling as Rainbow Dash flew after her, rolling her along the floor with her forehooves. "Wheee! We need to get Twilight down here. She's missing so much fun!" Pinkie exclaimed as she crashed into a bookcase, knocking the old archives everywhere. My eyes widened as she was buried in a flood of books and Rainbow Dash burst into laughter, fluttering in the air above the pile. Pinkie popped out a few seconds later, laughing hysterically as well. Wow, this was going to be a mess in the morning.

Fluttershy looked on apprehensively, as both mares burst up the stairs. She seemed to think for a second, before turning back to Rarity, however. "Um, Rare? Do you think you could help me keep Pinkie off him for tonight? He shouldn't be standing on that hoof," she asked.

"Oh good heavens, yes. In fact, now that the rowdy mares are off the couch, why don't you go lay down on it again? Girls, do you think you could help him over there and make sure he doesn't need to walk about to get anything?" Rarity requested, smiling down at the two young foals.

Scootaloo groaned instantly and crossed her forelegs again. "I am so not playing maid for klutz," she rejected.

"I'll help him and you can hang with me, okay Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle offered, smiling at her friend.

Scootaloo sighed and nodded apprehensively and Sweetie Belle smirked, "Besides, it beats holding down fabric so Rarity can cut it," she added.

"Aww, but Sweetie, your soft little tush is so useful for holding it in place!" Rarity protested, looking amused. My eyes widened. Well, that wasn't what I was expecting.

"A stack of books could do the same thing!"

"But that would damage my beautiful fabric!" Rarity exclaimed, strangely looking actually horrified this time.

Sweetie rolled her eyes before turning back to me. "See what I mean? Lead on, Mr. Pony," she requested.

I chuckled gently at her before giving her another pat. She pouted for a few seconds before giving in and smiling up at me again. I nodded down at her and slowly stood up, wobbly hobbling towards the couch. Sweetie Belle traveled along to my right, seemingly ready to brace me up if I were to topple over.

Thankfully it wasn’t needed and I made it to the couch with no additional bruises or fractures. I gently settled down and curled against one of the ends. This form felt a lot smaller than my last one which was surprisingly convenient at times. Sweetie Belle hopped up on the cushion next to me, resting against my back haunch and Scootaloo yawned before hopping up on the table instead, peeking at all of the snacks. "At least we can help ourselves to these, right?" she pointed out, grinning.

I chuckled weakly. "Indeed. Pinkie's a better cook than I gave her credit for. Don't eat the rainbow cupcakes, though. Rainbow licked them," I joked, before remembering that Scootaloo had already laughed at me for it. Oh well.

"Those two love pranks but they are nice mares, don't worry," Sweetie Belle assured, smiling at me gently from over my back hip. Only hip? Were the base joints for my front legs still called shoulders? I wished I'd paid attention in quadruped anatomy lessons.

There was a muffled humming noise, and I glanced back towards the table. "Mhey dun mhapsed amy differemp," Scootaloo pondered, mouth loaded to the brim with rainbow cupcake.

"What?" I asked, not understanding a word of that.

"Hey! You'd put a cupcake that Rainbow Dash licked in your mouth?!" Sweetie Belle asked, looking revolted.

Scootaloo froze, staring at her for a few seconds before a light blush danced across her cheeks and she rapidly shook her head, swallowing. "Uh, no way! You heard her. She was just kidding," she denied. I rolled my eyes, deciding I really didn't want to get involved in that and closed them moments later. After a rather long day, I discovered one of the most amazing wonders of the universe was to simply lay down on something soft and rest.

My mind drifted, ignoring the crashes and shouts from upstairs and the two, now bickering foals nearby. Admittedly, I was tired. Very, very tired. The party ebbed and flowed around me. It wasn't what I had expected exactly, but not unpleasant. Pinkie had gathered quite a bit of attention with three or four party games that she got going after being flung down the stairs again, covered in purple light. Pin the Tail on the Pony apparently, alongside what appeared to be a grid of dots that several mares were getting tangled up on, attempting to touch them with specific hooves. There was also a strange looking game where they were spinning something around and then pouncing on each other. I decided not to get close enough to examine it, lest I be targeted. Most of the games I didn't get but I seem to recall a beverage being served in my memory that had rather intoxicating effects. These were noticeably absent from this particular party. Maybe it was just because younger foals were here? Maybe they didn’t exist in this world.

I didn't entirely feel like trying any of the games however. From what I was told of Pinkie Pie, there would be plenty of parties for me to sample in the future. Rarity kept the pink one distracted for most of the night. I don't quite recall when I heard the two foals quiet down but the next I looked up from my mild napping, I saw they were both asleep. Sweetie Belle was curled up next to me using my tail as some sort of makeshift blanket and Scootaloo was equally curled up on the table, surrounded by empty cupcake wrappers.

Fluttershy returned later without Rarity, who was mingling. She just smiled and put a newly found blanket over me and Sweetie Belle. I returned her expression before curling up again. She had apparently found her own blanket and got on the other end of the couch. She was staying here? How late was it? It didn't matter all that much I decided, as I tried to drift back to sleep, mindful of the filly tangled up in my tail. Maybe sleep would do me some good. I'm not quite sure when the party stopped and when it slipped into my dreams instead…

Chapter 07

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Dancing lights filled the sky. They were the glare of blast refractions off of our planetary ring. Starlight slipping through drops of the last rain as well.. Vehicle lights cutting through that perpetual night, which was the last one before they burned our sky. This was the theme for tonight’s delve into memories it seemed. They typically ran in themes, I noticed. Maybe it had something to do with what I was doing prior to sleeping? It was strange, knowing you were dreaming because you were forced to view your memories from a disassociated third person perspective.

It was definitely our last rain, I recalled. Everyone was dead now, right? Nobody left to turn the water back on. Hope the last one to leave turned out the lights. Oh wait. That would technically be me, wouldn't it? Last, as usual. I vaguely remember that being a running theme of my prior life. But why did it matter if I died before being transported or the act of dying transported me? I was alive now wasn't I? Even if I couldn't remember the exact transition, that had to count for something.

Lines were as abundant as panic by the end, I think I recall. I watched myself standing in one in the memory. There was a strange abstraction to the dream. I knew it was me but I couldn't see my own form. My mind substituted everyone as ponies, which wasn't altogether bad I suppose. Absently, I read a sign that was on the building the line lead to. 'Survive, even if you don't!' It was catchy at the time as far as slogans go, for a breeding clinic anyway. The irony is a little uncomfortable now.

But that doesn't matter. Not prime material, right? It meant, mostly, not enough credits. Always used to laugh at the well off because I had my values, right? Ideals were more important than life. Than continuation. Why did I even try to come here during that last rain? Fear? Hopelessness? Obviously, I wasn't the only one of course. And I, well, think I can remember trying a time before but my memories seemed just out of reach.

"Kha. And, mmh, falling!"

Yeah, the planets fell one after another. My viewpoint shifted to some sort of news channel. It was never good, with the best being bleak starvation cases instead of all out attacks and genocide. Planets themselves were targeted in some cases; being destabilized, irradiated, blown up entirely... The lucky ones just suffered mass murder and climate collapse. Hell, at least you could use the drifting chunk of rock again after that.

"I'll, no! Catch..."

Huh?

* * * * *

Wham! A cyan hoof collided with my snout and figurative stars exploded into my vision, replacing my dream ones. Yelping, I snapped back away from the blow and held my muzzle with both hooves. Fluttershy, apparently curled in a ball in the recliner across from me now, woke with a start and looked around. My head spun from the force of the collision and I momentarily felt extremely nauseous. Son of a bitch that hurt! Pulling my right forehoof back, I sighed weakly as I discovered fresh blood on the surface of it. Fluttershy's eyes widened at my muzzle, at the same time that mine narrowed at Rainbow Dash who was sprawled on her side in front of me, powerful hind legs kicking and thrashing in her sleep. Damn her! Even subconsciously she loved to hurt me. Wait, why the hell was she where Fluttershy used to be? Both fillies were also gone but I had just assumed Rarity had taken them with when she left. Looking about the room blearily, a headache flared up in full force. A soft, morning light came through the windows and I realized I must have slept through the entire night.

Fluttershy landed next to me rapidly, interrupting my thoughts, and had a couple napkins in her mouth from last night's party. Her tongue deftly rotated the folded paper and she pushed them hard against my muzzle, applying pressure. After they were adjusted, she reached up and held them there with her right forehoof, then leaned back and smiled at her work. Her eyes were focused, examining as if a doctor. She seemed like she was good at taking care of injuries.

Being a light shade of pink by then, I tried not to consider that she technically kissed me through the paper of course. My blush got stronger but I managed a sheepish smile, anyway. "Th-Thank you, Fluttershy," I added upon recovering my voice. She didn't have hands, so how else was she supposed to do it? I had to start getting adjusted to my new culture to get over this awkwardness.

She blushed as well and nodded. "Gotta, mmph, save you," Rainbow Dash muttered, interrupting us. Her wings were twitching lightly in her sleep and I wondered if she was flying in her dream. Saving someone, huh? Well, somepony. I reminded myself about culture again and managed to smile at her.

"She sometimes talks in her sleep," Fluttershy commented, watching her as well. At first I thought it was an obvious observation but then I realized that it had meant this wasn't the first time Fluttershy had heard her.

I nodded and pondered out loud, "It sounds like she's trying to save somepony from falling." Or just hurrying to get to somepony, I supposed. I'm assuming she was faster flying than running. Well, she was dang fast at flying and a pony would probably break their legs trying to run that fast. Yeah, that was a fairly safe assumption, I decided.

Fluttershy considered it for a few seconds. "It might be a memory of saving Rarity at the Best Young Fliers Competition," she offered, sailing it right over my head. It must be a pegasi event which, not so oddly, made sense.

She giggled when I gave her a look of confusion. "It takes place outside of Cloudsdale, which is a pegasi city that floats way up in the sky. Twilight gave the non-pegasi friends we have magic so they could watch Dash compete. Rarity ended up falling though, and Rainbow Dash barely pulled off a Sonic Rainboom to save her," she summarized.

"Sonic Rainboom?" I questioned, tilting my head towards her. It sounded like a strange portmanteau of 'sonic boom' and 'rainbow'. I wonder if that's too obvious though, reminding myself to try my hardest not to jump to conclusions.

Fluttershy suddenly started squirming and got a giddy look on her face. "Oh! They're so cool! She gets going really, really fast and all of a sudden, bam! There's an explosion of rainbow colors and light and she goes faster than the eye can see. Only Rainbow Dash can do it. It's amazing," she started rapidly gushing out. She caught herself seconds later and blushed, raising a hoof to her mouth. I was suddenly struck by how adorable she was, yet again.

I held a hoof up, to stop the likely incoming apology and shook my head weakly. "I don't mind you getting excited. It's actually really cute and nice to see," I explained quietly.

Her eyes widened for a few seconds, then softened. She nodded and smiled wider, starting to say something but was once again interrupted.

"Mmph, got ya, AJ," Rainbow Dash suddenly mumbled weakly, curling up in her sleep and rolling onto her side, facing the back of the couch.

Oh, it was AJ, not Rarity? Applejack. I sighed weakly. "She must be dreaming about Applejack, instead," I pointed out, trying to distract from my momentarily sour expression I noticed I flickered to. Maybe that should be my goal for today? Attempting to console things with Applejack probably wasn’t going to be easy. Not that distracting Fluttershy from my expression slippage was needed I noticed, as Fluttershy was looking at Rainbow Dash instead. I tilted my head when I noticed the frown she wore.

"Um, yeah. I guess she is. Maybe we should give her a little p-privacy?" Fluttershy suggested, after a moment's thought. She suddenly sounded nervous again for some reason.

Privacy? Like when I was rudely awoken to being kicked in the face? I didn't voice that of course. "Oh? Wouldn't she like it if we heard her heroics in her dreams?" I asked instead, chuckling lightly at the thought. She seemed to be a rather boastful person, and I don't see how that would be limited from her dreams.

"Oh, well uh," Fluttershy started to protest, suddenly looking flustered. I let my smile drop, and raised an eyebrow to her.

"What's wrong, Fluttershy?" I asked, starting to get a little concerned. Uh oh, was I missing something again? The desire to have more culture books slipped back into my mind. I didn't have to worry about offending a book.

Rainbow giggled lightly though, in a tone I hadn't heard her use before, suddenly. I shifted my attention back to the squirming blue pegasus just as she started again, "Ah, AJ... Here? Oh!" Her voice was lower and in a definitely unfamiliar tone. I'd not really heard anypony speak quite like that so it was hard to describe.

Confusion was an understatement as I saw her wings slowly but surely starting to extend, expanding from her sides. Her left just folded sideways along the couch, but her right extended freely into open air. Okay, this was a little weird. Normally her muscles should have limited that much movement during an unconscious state unless it was the byproduct of something else. A nerve reaction of some sort, I guessed. Now I was starting to get intrigued.

"Oh dear," Fluttershy muttered in a very soft voice and moved over to Dash before trying to brush her wings down again. Uh oh, was this a bad thing? Well, if her left wing kept expanding, it might hurt itself by being pushed into the couch like that.

"What's with her wings?" I asked, trying to give her a hand in flattening them again. I wasn't entirely sure what I was doing of course, but I just tried to follow after what she did.

She shook her head rapidly. "It's just a side effect. Uh, nothing to worry about!" she assured a little too quickly. So it was something to worry about? Or had I missed my mark and she was trying to distract me and go with it?

"Mmm ah, AJ!" Rainbow added, giggling again and getting a light flush. She wore the makings of a grin now and looked more than a little pleased.

Fluttershy made an 'eep' noise, bringing both hooves up to cover her mouth. Wait a second... Privacy? Flush? Giggles? Something clicked in my mind, and my eyes grew wider. The wings must be a side effect of some sort of mating ritual of pegasi! But that meant…

They must be a mated pair and haven't announced it officially, yet! The females must almost exclusively mate with each other. Maybe they have magic or technology to help them? Of course! How else must they keep sociological norms? It must be taboo to hear of it before it's announced. Oh no! What if it's so taboo that they don't write of it in history books? Maybe the one I read simply didn't cover that sort of thing. Of course, it didn't cover mating really at all or any of the practices around it. I might have just broken a very grave law in hearing this. They were probably going to execute me now, due to my great shame!

"Oh no, please! I've learned my lesson. Please don't kill me," I begged Fluttershy, panicking and flopping down in front of her feet on the couch. Begging for mercy might shame me more, but at least I'd try.

She went from panic, to an inspiring visage of confusion, to utter shock in the span of about two seconds. "Um, what?" She asked, blankly. Hmm. Not the reaction I had expected.

"Mrawh? Wha? Where am I?" Rainbow Dash asked suddenly, starting and looking around. She immediately noticed Fluttershy who was now looking back at her instead, hooves still on her wings. "What? Ug, again?" She asked her, shaking her head. Whew. That might have just saved me from another faux pas.

Fluttershy hesitated for a second before swallowing and adding, "You um, were also talking in your sleep."

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened and a blush danced across her cheeks as she finally noticed me. I got the jump on it this time. "I-I won't tell anypony, don't worry," I promised as rapidly as I could. Maybe if I were sworn to secrecy, I wouldn't have to be killed?

She swallowed and asked, "Tell them what?"

She must not have realized I knew. She looked hesitant, and I momentarily thought about lying but decided against it. "About you and Applejack," I furthered, looking away from her. I saw her eyes expand to full size and the pink in her cheeks shifted red.

"Wh-What?! I don't know what y-you're talking about! I'm not a Fillyfooler," she protested, looking remarkably similar to how I probably looked while fleeing from carnivorous ponies. Fillyfooler? Filly was a young female pony but I wasn't sure as to the importance of attaching 'fooler' onto it. The most literal interpretation would be a pony that tricked or lied to young female ponies.

"Thank you for keeping it a secret. You took much less time to figure it out than I did," Fluttershy interrupted, catching her breath and sounding a bit calmer.

Rainbow Dash shot her a glare. "Fluttershy! You said you'd keep the crush a secret! You Pinkie Pie swore," she berated irritably. Crush? Whoops. Not a mated couple then! I was suddenly glad I had been accidentally vague. So I was more at risk of offending Rainbow Dash's sensibilities, rather than being executed. Of course she might kill me out of spite, so weren't they the same thing? I resisted chuckling at the thought and realized I wasn't entirely serious. I thought higher of the cyan pegasus now than I had a couple days ago it would seem.

"He caught on already, Dash. You heard him p-promise not to tell," Fluttershy tried to defend, cowering away from Rainbow. I frowned at the sight and suddenly had the compulsion to not think higher of the cyan pegasus anymore.

Rainbow's eyes softened and she looked away from her yellow friend. "I... You're right of course. It's not your fault I was stupid and fell asleep where others could listen," she corrected after a few seconds. I’d thought she wouldn’t stay mad. If what Fluttershy had said about her being her best friend was true, anyway.

I frowned and shook my head, interrupting. "You're not stupid. I'm not going to tell anypony about your feelings so no harm is done," I reasoned, looking back up at her. Maybe I could fix this?

"Especially not AJ," she appended, still looking apprehensive and sitting up finally.

Laughing lightly, I agreed with her. "Even if she didn't think I was insane, I still wouldn't tell her. That's your responsibility."

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow, but Fluttershy interjected. "I had wondered why she didn't show up last night. This isn't like her," she mused quietly.

"Why does she think you're nuts? You seem totally fine every time we've met," Rainbow asked quizzically, blush diminishing. Fluttershy gave her an exasperated look.

Accepting her obvious agreement with Fluttershy's topic change, I explained, "I made a bad first impression. Now she kinda thinks I molested Apple Bloom and her two friends, or something."

Fluttershy gasped instantly and looked horrified, while Rainbow Dash gave me a surprised look. "How'd ya get her to think something like that?" Dash asked, sounding skeptical at best.

"Oh, well when I woke up, I didn't know anything. When I got to town, I didn't see any males so I might have uh, jumped to a few conclusions that lacked basis. You know, like that the females were carnivorous and ate a majority of the males, or that the males were locked away in breeding camps or prisons. Or both. Regardless, I kinda asked her if I was going to one of them or if I were to be assigned to somepony. That was um, the last time I saw her," I retold, gasping for air towards the end.

Fluttershy's expression had shifted from shocked horror to just plain shocked as she momentarily made no attempts to hide it. After several seconds, she clapped both forehooves to her face and started blushing again. Rainbow Dash stared in surprise at me for a few seconds as well before making a pained snorting noise, momentarily clamping her front hooves onto her muzzle. It didn't last for very long before she burst out into copious amounts of laughter. Well, that wasn't exactly the reaction I had been expecting.

"Wow, you really are nuts!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed between bouts of chortling.

"Rainbow!" Fluttershy protested, looking horrified again but at Rainbow this time.

Shaking my head, I sighed weakly. "No, she's right of course. I've not been thinking straight since I woke up four days ago. A lot of what I say probably does sound fairly nonsensical," I admitted, looking away from both of them.

"That one did, anyway," Dash chimed in bluntly, still laughing.

Fluttershy drifted to her right then again and put a hoof reassuringly on my shoulder. "Don't listen to her. You're doing fine. You got a bad hit to the head so it's not your fault, right?" she offered, trying to smile at me. Something seemed off with the way she said it but I nodded. I couldn't exactly give her the real reason why I said weird things. Maybe I should just stop saying stuff?

Rainbow Dash snickered however and raised an eyebrow to Fluttershy. "I'm just teasing. Although you seem awfully fond of him," she pointed out, winking at Fluttershy.

Fluttershy went bright pink, eyes getting massive as she squeaked again. "W-What?! No, n-no, it's not like th-that at all," she started stuttering, getting more and more quiet again. I blushed too but smiled down at her. Rainbow gave her an amused expression and Fluttershy got really flustered looking, continuing, "It-it's like m-my animals! He's hurt and, um, n-needs help, right? So I c-can nurture and, uh, take c-care of him until h-he's better."

I barely heard the last part by the time she was done speaking. It felt like a rather chilly brick had landed on my chest though, and I lost my smile. She was just nurturing me until I'm better? Rainbow Dash snickered and shook her forehooves at her. "Relax, I was just teasing you. I understand," she assured her, before looking back over at me and getting a questioning look, inquiring a moment later, "Er, what happened to your face?"

That wasn't really the question I was expecting. I slowly took the napkins off and tested the wounds, absently noting there wasn't any more blood. "It seems to have stopped bleeding, anyway," I muttered, setting the napkins down on the couch. The sudden urge to just escape drifted through my mind and I wondered why I was really that shocked. She didn't like me like that but that didn't mean she wasn't friendly and nice. Did my mind really jump ahead that quickly? Come to think of it, it had done the same with Rainbow Dash last night. Something needed to be done. Why was I doing this? I'd been hanging out with her a lot, sure, but she hadn't made any outward signs of it being more, right?

"You okay?" I heard Rainbow ask carefully and I looked up to see her tilting her head at me.

Snapping out of it, I nodded quietly to her before folding the napkin up on the couch so the bloody sides were tucked together. More sanitary, I guess. "Yeah, I'm fine. Um, thank you for helping me with the bleeding, Fluttershy," I thanked again, trying to smile at her. I think I managed, anyway.

She looked up at me then and nodded timidly, looking unsure of herself. I'd managed to make both of them feel awkward, it seemed. The same thing that happened with Applejack, I think. Maybe it would be best if I took my leave before I put my hoof in my mouth again and made things worse? Every time I mentioned things based off where I was from, it seemed to make everyone uncomfortable. But I guess that kind of made sense. "I think I'm gonna go for a little stroll. Maybe I should talk to Applejack and see if I can clear things up," I excused, standing up carefully on the couch and stepping off it.

"Oh, good idea! We can go with you and help ya straighten her out," Rainbow Dash agreed, smiling suddenly and nodding.

Swallowing, I rapidly shook my head. No, relying on them to fix my problems didn't sound like a good idea. It would probably just make me look like a leech or something. Of course, I had technically been leeching off both Twilight and Nurse Redheart for the last few days, anyway. I suddenly felt restless and didn't particularly want to impose on anypony anymore. "Ah no, I should probably do this myself. Besides, I don't think I'm going to go straight there, plus I'm a bit of a slow walker," I added, looking back at them over my shoulder.

Rainbow Dash's expression was largely unreadable and she just watched me carefully. Fluttershy looked nervous however and was biting her lower lip, looking at the floor towards my feet. Well, I suppose it was better than nothing. I seemed to have a problem getting attached to ponies too quickly and a bit of chilling on my part was probably for the best.

"I'll talk to him. Tell Twilight he'll be back later when she wakes up, okay Fluttershy?," Rainbow Dash suddenly asked, looking back over at Fluttershy. There was a brief moment of surprise in both Fluttershy and I, but for apparently different reasons.

Fluttershy nodded quietly a second later. I logically asked, "Um, what?"

Rainbow Dash responded to neither of us and momentarily flickered out of my line of sight with a wing flap. My eyes widened as I was suddenly rocketed backwards. I immediately felt dizzy as I spun once through the air and then was violently hauled off at high speed into the sky, two cyan hooves around my waist!

* * * * *

Glancing down again, I shuddered and shifted to the left, trying to keep my careful balance on top of the outstretched wings and legs of the relaxing cyan pegasus. She didn't seem injured at all by my hooves on her wings or on her shins where my rear hooves were. I attempted to remain standing, wobbling carefully as she relaxed on top of the cloud, looking amused. Damn it! As far as I understood, the only solid thing here was her. If I stepped on the cloud, I'd pass through it like air and become a pancake on the ground within seconds. She'd held me captive up here for almost ten minutes now, not saying a word no matter how much I asked her not to kill me. Or more aptly, let me die from falling, I suppose. She did look absolutely entertained, however.

Getting frustrated, I finally asked her, "Okay, fine. You're obviously not trying to kill me directly. What is it that you want?"

Rainbow Dash's rose-red eyes opened up, and her smirk shifted to extremely mirthful instead. "Finally, you calmed down. I told you, you're a friend. I'm not about to let a friend get hurt," she explained.

Looking off the side of the cloud again, I swallowed as I saw the spotted trees below me. They were nice and orderly, in lines. An apple grove, maybe? The spots were red, so I could only assume apple trees, anyway. "Then why are we like, a mile off the ground and residing in a place I can't physically stand on?" I asked, not quite getting the joke as I wobbled again.

She giggled and shook her head slowly, as if disappointed. "Well it shows you that you can trust me for one. It's also a pretty nice view. It's my favorite spot and I come here a lot to think. Lastly, you certainly can't run away up here, right?" she reasoned, tilting her head. The movement caused me to wobble again and my eyes widened.

"Okay, okay. I get it. You're not trying to kill me. Just scare me until I pee all over the place," I accepted, swallowing and looking at anything but the ground.

Dash's eyes narrowed, and she warned, "You'd better not pee on me. Besides, something was wrong, so I figured you could talk about it."

"Does it have to involve being a fatal distance from the ground?" I asked skeptically.

"Of course. You can't get away now. Plus, it's just a quick drop to see AJ afterwards, right?" she reminded, causing me to grit my teeth. Quick drop indeed. Pity for the sudden stop at the end.

I sighed and tried not to be irritated. "That's the real reason this is your favorite spot, right?" I deduced, raising my eyebrow slowly at her. If she was dead set on making me uncomfortable, I could at least return the favor.

She blushed lightly and looked away from me again. "I'm not a love struck little filly, you know. It's just a, well, crush," she denied, suddenly looking a little sad.

"If it's just a crush, why don't you just tell her? If you truly don't have that much invested in it," I pointed out, straightening my legs out a bit to try to lock my joints. My muscles were getting quite a bit tired at this point. I had been standing up on Rainbow Dash for almost fifteen minutes now.

Her glare returned but she didn't say anything. She wasn't even looking at me. It almost seemed she was angrier with herself than at me for saying it. She had more invested in this than a crush, it looked like. I didn't need to jump to conclusions to see that. "I just don't want to ruin our friendship. I'm not really a, well, fillyfooler. It's just AJ, I guess," she tried to explain, sounding frustrated at her inability to properly describe it. There was that word again.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what a fillyfooler is," I informed, sighing weakly. My anger was fading fast by now. It was hard to stay mad at somepony who you honestly knew had your best interest at heart. I just wish she would be less blunt about things. Oh, and not carry me away to potentially lethal areas just to have a discussion.

She narrowed her eyes at me for a second but gradually let them soften a second later. "I forgot about the amnesia thing. I won't stand for teasing, but you really don't know do you?" she asked, looking quietly at my face.

I shook my head as carefully as I could, both to convey the correct feeling and to not rock myself off my very unstable perch. She watched me for a few more seconds before nodding. "It's a filly or mare that 'fools around' with other females," she explained, in an uncharacteristically quiet manner.

Oh. "Well that makes more sense than what I was considering. Um, to clarify, 'fooling around' is sex or mating, right?" I requested.

She went pink instantly and to my surprise, shook her head. Then, a few seconds later, frowned. "Well, it can and does include that, but its love, as well," she corrected.

"Well that seems easy enough to justify. Why hide it?" I asked, somewhat confused as to her reaction now. Her eyes widened slightly and she looked surprised about something, but shrugged.

"Well it's not really frowned upon, but it's not something everypony likes, either. I guess I just don't like ponies just assuming that about me," she elaborated, huffing towards the end. They assumed that about her? I was probably missing something due to my lack of memories but decided it really didn't matter all that much.

I chuckled and nodded. "Well if it's any consolation, I didn't assume anything about your sexuality. Although it wasn't really foremost on my mind, admittedly," I assured. Well, except for when I noticed how cute she was, but that also didn't matter, I reminded myself.

Rainbow rolled her eyes but smirked regardless. "Well I didn't assume you were crazy either, for what it's worth," she countered, now amused. Well, I guess that's a good thing, anyway. Wait. Hey!

"So you do now, right?" I asked, giving a playful glare at her.

"Heh, after that little comment back there, I'm considering it," she informed, giving me a wink in return. Okay, so she was still a brat but I could deal with that.

I laughed and looked around at the clouds, suddenly getting a chill. It really was pretty up here. Pretty cold too, but pretty. The clouds were so white and pure looking. "Hey, I'm curious. What did you think Fillyfooler was?" Rainbow Dash suddenly asked, still wearing that amused smirk.

Blushing, I sighed weakly. "A mare secret agent," I replied, waiting for it.

Right on cue, she snorted sharply and then burst into laughter. At first, I was annoyed but after a few seconds, I noticed she wasn't laughing at me but over the notion. She was amused, not considering less of me. I started to laugh as well. Then we both laughed more because of each other's laughs. Soon it was hard to breath and I was wiping tears from my eyes with a hoof.

Then, of course, she absently rolled over to hold her forehooves to her mouth, almost attempting to hold in the giggling. My world inverted as I tipped off her, still hearing her laughter.

Damn it.

* * * * *

Sneezing abruptly, I watched flecks and straws of hay drift away from my face. I was greeted by the upside down view of the inside of a barn loft, it looked like. Hay was all around me and I lay on my back in it, apparently on my head. Well, what else was new?

Falling was slow and gentle. It was kind of relaxing once I got over my 'oh crap' moment. I guess what they say about it being the abrupt stop at the end that kills you was reasonably true. The fall itself was fairly all right. Now I knew for certain though. Rainbow Dash, while airborne, is a monster of velocity and speed. Those wings were way stronger than they appeared to be and she was far faster than what she should be capable of. She caught up with me, despite me having a significant head start, and managed to snatch me out of the air as I fell. I have no idea what happened after that until the point where I landed rather roughly in this hay pile. It happened way too quickly, but I vaguely recall lots of rolling after we hit something rather hard. She didn't have enough time to pull up after catching me and we must have hit this barn at an angle.

Wincing, I rolled forwards, my butt coming down first, and plopped onto the wooden platform, now looking at the hay pile that had been a very nice cushion. Well, I was reasonably unscathed after that mess, surprisingly. A part of me had secretly wished she wouldn't catch me in time, I felt. Sighing, I shook the thought out of my head. Plus, at the speed she was going to catch up, the stubborn pegasus probably would have cratered herself into the ground after me, refusing to just let me fall.

A light groan sounded from behind me and to the right. Glancing backwards, I noticed a tangled mix of ropes, pulleys, and a blue coat starting to stir and wobble about. Raising my eyebrow, I saw she was getting tied up in the rope as she tried to get out further, it wrapping around her left wing and between several of her legs. Standing shakily, I made my way over to her and started lightly tugging the heavy coil off her wings and away from her face.

Rainbow Dash blinked a couple of times, eyes probably full of dust from the barn and looked up at me. "Whew. You're all right. That was, uh. No, what I meant was I had it totally under control, of course. You didn't have a thing to be scared of," she assured, giving me a self-assured smirk.

I'd seen it coming and just chuckled at her, helping her pull the ropes off herself. We struggled for a good two minutes trying to get the mess off her wings without hurting them. I made a mental note that the base of them was quite sensitive, it seemed. I noticed that she appeared to be tied up in a pulley system. The individual pulleys each had a locking hook and two grooves, as well as a clasp attached to the tops. Strangely, they looked brand new.

My eyes widened as I realized I knew how these functioned. A basic series of pulleys formed a block and tackle system. The rope was fed around the pulleys twice and then attached to the lower pulley. The other end was then drawn back, probably with a redirection pulley from the ceiling, and used to lift things. My head started to hurt as it ran the mechanical advantage to friction equations out of almost instinct.

"Earth to blue pony? Can you unwrap my forelegs?" Dash suddenly asked. I started, but snapped out of my daze and nodded towards her.

Pulling the loops out and away from her at an angle, she was able to pull her forelegs free, and turn over onto her back. "Um, were these hooked up when we crashed?" I suddenly asked, as it occurred to me. If we obliterated Applejack's lift system, I might not get the chance to apologize for the first thing before she scalped me alive for this one.

Rainbow looked questioningly at the mass of ropes in her lap and then up towards the ceiling. I followed her gaze to a square frame mounted there. A pulley was attached to each of the corners, and I traced the line through the air. A square hole, slightly larger, resided in the loft platform. It was an elevator to lift heavy things up here, then. I saw a square frame of wood near the hole and swallowed weakly. Well, it was a pleasant afterlife while it lasted.

"Uh, I don't remember. Great. AJ's gonna be mad," Rainbow Dash muttered, trying to untie her rear legs.

I nodded weakly, pondering how much it would hurt to have a hoof cave my skull in. "Wonderful. At least I can help get you out," I returned, about equally as disheartened.

Her cheeks flared up pink as I tried to slide the rope down her legs to undo the coil. "Ah! No, it's alright. I can get this part," she assured, swatting my hoof away.

I raised an eye at her her, until I noticed her clamp her hind legs together after sliding the rope away. Oh. "I thought you only liked mares? Why do I bother you?" I asked with a chuckle, flopping tiredly onto my haunches a few feet from her.

She glared of course, blush increasing. "I never said I only liked mares. Stallions are nice too. I just have my sights currently on Applejack is all," she corrected, rolling her eyes.

Blushing as well, I shook my head slowly. "Don't worry about me. I'm not going to look," I promised, smiling softly.

"Why? You exclusive into stallions or am I just ugly?" she suddenly asked, with obvious mirth in her voice.

I squeaked and my blush roared up furiously. "Hey! I like girls, thank you! And you're not ugly. You're cute, actually," I protested, defending my honor.

Looking back up, I saw her stand and grin at me, still blushing lightly. "So you're just a gentlecolt. Rarity would like you," she deduced. Wait, was she flirting? Nah. It was probably just her usual playful manner.

"That and you called me disgusting already," I added, sticking my tongue out playfully.

Rainbow Dash got a look of surprise, however, and tilted her head towards me. "I did? Huh. I don't remember doing it," she pondered, looking a tad perplexed. Ug. Why had I expected her to remember?

Before we could carry the topic further, not that I wanted to, I suddenly picked up the sound of voices. They sounded really far off and I couldn't hear them properly. Dash must have heard it as well, as she burst over to the loft window and peeked out.

"Horseapples! AJ and Big Mac are on the horizon and headed here over the hill," she reported, turning around and looking worried. Oh crap. My blood felt like it slowly turned to ice, and I tried to think of what to do to fix the situation. They must have seen the crash and were investigating. And here I am, the 'foal molester', and their lift system is busted to pieces. This was just perfect…

Chapter 08

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Swallowing, I realized there was only one thing Rainbow Dash and I could do if Applejack was closing in fast. "Uh, I need your help, Rainbow," I rapidly spat out before snagging a hook end to one of the rope lengths, and pulling it out of the pile.

"Huh?" she asked, drifting back over to me.

Pulling out a pulley from the pile with my mouth, I ran over as best I could to the wooden frame. The bottom locking hook fastened on to the frame easily enough as I lined it up with my mouth. It tasted terrible, but not being murdered by Applejack took precedence! As I slid the deadbolt into the lock, I pointed up to the wooden frame on the ceiling.

"Oh! We're fixing it, got it. What do you need?" she asked, throwing a mock salute to me.

"I can't get up there, so you're in charge of threading the rope lengths through the pulleys on the ceiling. They each have a plain and hook end," I rapidly instructed, nodding towards the pile.

How did we hit this thing just right to knock the pins out? Well, I guess it's a good thing we did. Otherwise we'd still be dangling over the elevator hole, all tangled up. Not that that was a particularly bad concept. Wait. No, bad body! Just because you discovered Fluttershy thinks of you like one of her little woodland creatures, doesn't give you a right to get hormonal and switch targets! Targets already spoken for, even. Rainbow Dash moved with a surprising level of speed and precision. She had all four ropes threaded by the time I slid the last pin in and I had a head start!

Pushing the frame right next to the hole with my forehead, I rotated it so it lined up. "Okay, lower the hooks and I'll attach them, and then thread the other ends through the pulleys," I requested, looking up at Rainbow Dash floating above me. She nodded and gently lowered all eight ends down.

"How do you know how to do this?" she asked curiously, watching as I threaded the ropes through the pulley systems.

"I uh, don't know?" I offered back, trying not to think too hard about it. With the ropes through, I gave the four blank ends back to her and pointed up at the ceiling frame with a hoof again, adding, "Put them through the second slots this time."

She frowned but scooped the ends up in her forearms and flew upwards again. "Is it a memory or something?" she asked as she reached the frame and started working. Well she was nothing if not persistent.

"I, no, not really. More like a technique I didn't know I had. Probably from training before I lost my memory," I theorized. What had I been? Not a very good soldier, that much I knew. But that was good, as soldiers weren't needed here.

"What's the point of these loops?" she asked, coming back down automatically with the four ends again. She caught on fast. Her curiosity was almost adorable.

I looped them easily back through the pulleys, completing the 'blocks' of the block and tackle system. "They redirect the force of the pulling, to lessen the amount needed to lift a heavier object," I summarized. Pointing back up to the second, outer set of pulleys, I tacked on, "Loop the ends through those now, and just let them dangle."

"So these thingies make it easier to lift things. That's really smart!" Rainbow Dash agreed, drawing the ropes back down.

Chuckling, I shrugged weakly. "Beats trying to get enough ponies together to do it pound for pound," I pointed out.

We were both interrupted by the barn door opening beneath us. I swallowed lightly, and hoped this was how they had it before. Maybe they wouldn't notice? That was probably wishful thinking on my part, sadly.

"Ah reckon she's probably alright, but normally she'da flown right on outta 'ere, ifin so," I heard from below. It was Applejack. My anxiety spiked. It had been the first time I'd heard that delightful accent since coming to in the clinic.

"Eeyup. Ah good idea to check," I heard reply, in a lower but gentler voice. Rainbow Dash had also said a 'Big Mac' was coming too. Assuming that was a name, highly probable, that was probably him. The voice was definitely masculine.

Dash gave me an affirmative nod, before peeking over the lip of the loft. "Heya, AJ. Did ya see the crash?" she asked with surprising enthusiasm. Of course, they were best friends and she didn't need to worry about being strung up and gutted with blunt instruments. She probably wasn't nearly as panicked as I was.

"Oh, there ya are! Are yeh all right, Rainbow?" I heard Applejack ask, sounding concerned.

Rainbow Dash nodded and smiled down at her. "Yup! It was totally under control, of course. We're fine. Didn't break a thing!" she assured, and I saw her swallow quietly. Dash! If she didn't notice, don't say anything!

"Uh, ya broke somethin', didn't yeh? Wait ahn apple buckin' minute; 'we'?" she suddenly asked, sounding more than a little suspicious now. Oh crap!

Deciding to bite the bullet so to speak, I shakily stood from my sitting position, and joined Rainbow Dash in peeking over the side of the loft. "Um, hey," I barely managed to greet.

Applejack was looking up towards us, still wearing that dusty cowpony hat. That was the right term, right? A larger looking fellow stood next to her and was a deep red in coat color, with a lighter orange mane. He had a massive green apple on his flank and was busy looking towards the pulley lift off to our left, instead. Double crap!

"Oh, it's you," Applejack returned dryly, ears flattening down a little and eyes narrowing.

Rainbow shook her head irritably. "He's not a bad stallion, AJ. You two just got off to a bad start," she defended.

I put my left hoof on her shoulder, and shook my head, appending, "What she means is, I apologize for my rude and improper behavior when we first met, Miss Applejack."

Applejack looked surprised for a moment, but dropped her gaze away. "Rarity was already over this mornin' and gave me ah good what for. Ah, um, should apologize as well. Fer missin' yer party an' all," she apologized. Wait, Rarity visited her? She didn't have to do that just for me. I'd have to thank her later.

Smiling, I nodded softly towards her. "Then can we start over?" I requested.

"Yah. Ahm still ah might suspicious, but Apple Bloom musta been tellin' it straight after all," she agreed, looking back up at me.

Rainbow Dash exhaled a sigh of relief next to me, and drifted off the loft in a lazy gliding spiral. "Well at least that's over. Now I can get back to Fluttershy and," she started to say, before trailing off as she landed. All three of us stared blankly at her for several seconds. "Hey! You never told me what was wrong, earlier!" she suddenly exclaimed, glaring back up at me. Huh?

My eyes widened and my blush returned as I realized she was referring to Fluttershy. I squeaked and ducked behind the lip of the loft again, not wanting them to see the color in my cheeks. Definitely didn't want everyone here knowing what an idiot I was!

"What the hay are ya goin' on about?" Applejack asked, sounding deeply confused.

Rainbow let out a short exhale, and elaborated, "He was acting weird with Fluttershy and I earlier and she got worried. So me, being an awesome friend and all, decided to tag along with him and figure out what was wrong."

I made a sharp coughing noise. "Tag along?! You mean ponynap and haul a mile or so off the ground to interrogate, under the risk of potentially reducing me to the consistency of pancake batter, right?" I corrected, slightly irate now.

Rainbow Dash snorted. "It was under control! I totally could have caught you anytime. I just waited until the perfect moment to make me look the awesomest!" she defended, crossing her forelegs as I glared at her from over the loft edge again. Was that even a word?

"And crash us through a barn," I added.

"Well that solves that there mystery," Applejack muttered tiredly, shaking her head.

Big Mac shook his head and glanced back over at Applejack. "There's still the matter o' the lift," he added in a soft voice again. Uh oh. In my irate rant, I'd forgotten about that! Rainbow shifted from irritated to apprehensive in less than a second.

"Oh uh, that. We accidentally hit it when we came in. But it's cool, right? Good as new," Rainbow Dash preemptively defended, making me sigh on the inside. That could have gone much, much better.

Applejack simply raised an eyebrow towards her, and shook her head. "Ya mean ya landed in that there pile o' ropes up'n the loft? How'd ya manage ta damage 'em?" she asked, tilting her head.

Huh? So they were just in a pile when we landed? Suddenly, the pins becoming dislodged made a lot more sense if they weren't actually in place to begin with. "Uh, what? But the lift was all wrapped around me and," Rainbow muttered in a confused manner, pointing behind her to the left, in the direction of our newly formed lifting device. It wasn't put together to begin with, then.

"No, no, Rainbow. The lift ain't put together so ya can't have damaged it that badly," Applejack assured, smiling at her friend.

Big Mac made a light coughing noise, and gently shook his head. "Ya might wanna take another look, Sis," he pointed out, nudging his head in the direction of the lift.

Applejack raised an eyebrow over at him but nodded and walked under the loft, out of my sight. I heard a light gasp and then a chuckle under me somewhere. Standing up, I carefully got my hooves under me again and walked over to the lift hole. Rainbow followed Applejack apparently and looked up at me from the bottom of the lift hole, smiling now as well. She looked relieved that we weren't in trouble, anyway.

"Well ah'll be! The lift is put together, all right. Did ya think yeh broke it, an' repaired it anyway, Rainbow?" she asked, smirking over at Rainbow Dash.

Dash blushed and shook her head weakly. "Ah, no. Well yeah, but I just did all the awesome physical stuff. He was the brains," she explained, nudging her head up at me.

Blushing as well, I was more than a little surprised she hadn't simply taken all the credit for herself. But admittedly, she was growing on me now that I saw that there was a lot more to her than the ego and competitiveness. "Well, I couldn't have done it without Rainbow as well. I just told her how to put the thing together," I added, smiling lightly at Rainbow Dash.

"Well, this is ah good thing, definitely. Now we don't need'ta wait for Twi to get on up here an' do the same thing," Applejack muttered, giving an experimental tug to the ropes.

Big Mac agreed with a simple, "Eeyup!" I watched the ropes go taut, and the wooden frame slide gently over the hole. Applejack grinned as she watched it behave as anticipated and lowered the frame to match the level of the hole.

"This will work wonders come apple buckin' season. Gotta store 'em somewhere until they can be movin' on out ta the buyer's," she explained, before shifting her attention towards me again. "Ya need ta get down, Ah reckon. Why don't ya hop on the frame, an' all lower ya ta the floor," she offered a moment later.

My eyes widened and I swallowed weakly. The frame was barely an inch wide at the top, with a totally hollow middle and almost a meter across. I was just now getting the hang of walking without braining myself against the ground! "Uh, maybe that's not such a good idea, AJ. He's not the most graceful pony I've seen," Rainbow Dash warned. Truth! I wasn't going to disagree if it got me out of grievous injury.

"Nonesense! Ifin' ya stand behind yer fancy mechanical work, ya should have no problems ridin' it down, right?" she offered, with a smirk and stubborn stare. Oh no, she was doing this intentionally. A little voice inside of me warned that she was probably still a little irritated with me.

If I refused, she'd probably think a lot less of me and defeat the whole point of me coming here today. If I accepted, I'd probably fall off the stupid lift and break something. Well damn. Why couldn't this choice be easy too? Well, I was usually one for just biting the bullet so… Swallowing nervously, I stepped forward, careful to line my hooves up with the thin wooden boards. Once I got my front hooves on, I shimmied along the length of the board, ducking around the ropes and carefully got my back hooves on, wobbling a little as I stood there.

Applejack nodded approvingly towards me and I caught her eyes glancing down my now spread out body, an amused twinkle danced in her eyes as she added a wink to it. My blush hit furiously and I wobbled, sliding my back hooves along the board behind me so that they were pushed together instead. Now she was just screwing with me. Ug, I hoped I broke my neck on the way down so this would be over. Rainbow shot me an annoyed glare after catching the exchange herself. Wonderful. Balancing was tricky enough as it was. Applejack didn't have to tease me while I was trying to focus, too!

"Al-righty, then. Hold 'er steady. You'll be down in ah jiffy!" Applejack instructed, slowly letting the rope slide out from under the hoof she had pinning the main anchor to the ground. I slowly started to lower and swallowed, praying for a quick death.

Nothing happened, though. No, literally nothing. I stopped about half a meter down and winced. After several seconds, I opened my eyes and looked around. I was stuck up to my chest through the loft and not descending any further. Applejack frowned and glanced up past me at the ceiling frame. "Well, that's weird. Ah think it's stuck," she muttered, letting more rope go and having nothing happen. Eventually she moved her hoof off the rope entirely and I just sat there, hanging in midair. Well there goes the quick death option. I heard starving wasn't entirely pleasant, too.

My mind shifted to analytical mode as I peered down at the pulleys that were attached to the frame. They rotated freely, however, and were held taut by the rope. There was no tangling, so that meant there was a friction hold near the top. "Ah, it's the pulleys on top. One of the ropes might have had a loose fraying or one of the pulleys isn't turning right. If Rainbow flew up there and nudged the pulleys, it would probably work again," I reasoned, peeking up at frame above me. My suspicions proved correct as I saw one of the pulleys hanging at an angle and trembling under supporting the full weight of, well, my malnourished and underfed self.

"Will do, Boss!" Rainbow exclaimed, throwing another mock salute while smirking now. She walked back out into the main area and took to the air, flying up towards the frame. I tried not to snicker at her display. I hadn't meant she needed to with that much gusto, but it was cute still.

"Ah didn't know ya were so good with the thinkin' stuff," Applejack added, drawing my attention back down towards her.

I smiled and shrugged as best I could with my front hooves a good meter apart. "I'm not really sure how I know this stuff but if it can be of use to somepony, I'm more than happy to share," I explained, wishing I myself knew more about how I knew. If that made any sense.

Applejack gave a gentle chuckle and nodded towards me. "Ah'm thinkin’ now that ah mighta judged ya a might harshly. Is Twi gonna help ya with the memory thing?" she asked politely.

"Hey, is this pulley the one doing it?" Rainbow Dash shouted down, interrupting. I glanced upwards and saw her hanging lightly onto the frame with one hoof, supporting her weight with her wings and nudging the pulley with her left front hoof.

My eyes widened and I tried to shout out, "Wait!" Sadly, like my usual timing, it came a few seconds later than I would have liked. Applejack's eyes bulged as she tried to slam her hoof back down on the rope but Rainbow had already knocked the snag loose.

Crack! The world became a pretty, yet numb white and black starburst as I felt the right side of my head and jaw collide with the loft surface as I dropped. I momentarily felt weightless and the dirt floor felt like a fluffy pillow as I landed in a crumpled heap, rear twisted upwards at an odd angle as I got tangled up in the wooden frame.

There were faint, echoing voices around me, but I kept my eyes closed as my inner world spun and it felt like bombs went off inside of my skull. I had said a painless death! Damn it! Somepony was shouting, from what I could tell, and I felt myself being pulled. Sadly, I wasn't quite sure in which direction as I didn't know where I was facing now or where my head was angled. Everything was numb and tingly, and it was harder and harder to think as I felt myself go light headed. Why couldn't I have been trained in medical magic? Surely, I could at least heal myself in this body, right?

The pain suddenly shot down my spine as something felt like it snapped back into place. The spinning took a jolt sideways then and I felt like throwing up, no longer very certain of where I was. Still in the barn, was it? I kept my eyes closed, suddenly not having the energy to open them. It wasn't exactly heaven, was it? No. Maybe I had been mistaken in what heaven truly was. Suddenly feeling rather sleepy, my thoughts drifted. A light giggling resounded through my mind. Ah, it was her. I wish that things were different. My mind slipped away.

* * * * *

Closer and closer. My mind screamed in agony as I lay broken across the pieces of stone. Heat and pain flooded through my body. I felt lines of power dancing through me and things were hazy. A dark, deep mist hung over everything as I looked up at our shattered, burning sky. No, I was dead. I had to be dead. Most of me was missing. This wasn't real. It couldn't be! I screamed out silently into the dusk, as the sky exploded to my left.

Horror struck me as I saw a massive, churning ball of fire descending from the atmosphere, igniting streaks of flames across our sky like cracks in the glass of a window pane. It was oddly beautiful. The pure white center of the ball, mixing with the orange and blue edges, lit up the entire sky as if a second star was descending upon the surface of the planet. It was the end. I saw it slowly inching towards the planet. My planet. My voice caught in my throat and I gave up screaming. Running. It was pointless at this moment, right? What did I care? I was dead already. Fading away with everything I had ever known seemed almost soothing at this point.

The lines of energy tugged at me from what felt like my very life force. Urgency, suddenly. I had some strange sense of hurry. Did I have to be somewhere? Heaven came to mind and I found myself chuckling at the irony. That seemed the only logical place left that I had to be. Heaven. Yes, that was familiar. But what was Heaven? It was synonymous with paradise, wasn't it? Not here.

Laughing, I suddenly felt sleepy again. None of this felt real. Was it a memory? The haze was so thick as I watched the light distort from the ball of burning fire. Bending away from it, the light formed a rainbow splintering across the sky. A rainbow. The raw heat beat down upon me suddenly, finally catching up. A memory of the end of everything. No, that was wrong. Was it? The rainbow was so pretty, though. The impossible ball of heat and death descended, regardless of my designs. It was their planet cracker. I'd seen it before. But what about that rainbow?

* * * * *

Oh for the love of anything that was holy and good in this place, my poor skull! Son of a bitch, what I'd do for some aspirin. Groaning, I winced and slowly opened my left eye, discovering my right was deciding to go on strike. My view was met by deep amethyst, as two gentle eyes looked back at me. "Oh, thank goodness. You're awake again. You know, I think we should start calling you Murphy," Twilight pointedly suggested, breathing out a tense sigh before leaning back away from me again.

"Wait, why Murphy?" the small, purple lizard boy I'd met earlier asked. I saw him sitting at the end of the apparent bed I was resting in. Well, it wasn't really a bed. More like a mattress of some sorts.

Sighing weakly, I rolled my open eye as best I could, and suddenly realized the other tried to roll with it and was a tad sore. Well, at least it was still there. "Murphy from Murphy's Law, I'm guessing. It's an adage that states that if something can go wrong, it will," I muttered, feeling really tired still.

"Indeed. Kind of another word for bad luck. And we do need a name for you," Twilight reminded, smirking.

"If you're joking, I must not be that bad," I groaned, nudging into the pillow more. I smelled the faint odor of books and decided I was probably back in the library. My left eye confirmed it, as I looked about with it and saw that I was back in the upper loft of Twilight's library.

Twilight Sparkle snickered and shook her head gently. "The nap probably did you some good. You've only been out a few hours. Minor blood loss, muscle strain in your neck, and a contusion on the side of your face," she informed in an extremely orderly manner.

Well, another day, another almost maiming and embarrassing death. "Who moved me here?" I asked weakly, rotating around and looking at Twilight straight on this time.

"Applejack showed up about three hours ago, carrying you on her back. Big Mac was in tow, hauling the cot you're currently sleeping on in a wagon," she answered, nudging her head towards my bed. Ug. I felt a swell of guilt as I realized I'd been a dead weight again. Twilight must have noticed the blatantly dejected look, because she smiled softly and shook her head. "Relax. You don't owe them anything. Applejack said she felt horrible for what had happened after she explained it and said to definitely not worry about the cot. From what I saw, she definitely considers you a friend now, so you must have improved her disposition towards you," she reassured, sitting down on the mattress again.

I nodded tiredly. "Rarity apparently helped by visiting her this morning. I just wish I didn't keep causing problems for everypony. My medical bills must be absurd by now," I worried, shaking my head to clear it again.

Twilight snickered and shook her head as well. "If that's all you're worried about, I covered it myself for the clinic visit. And Applejack patched you up this time, so that was definitely on the house. Plus, it's not like it's your fault when you get injured," she enlightened. Well, at least I knew whom I owed, now.

"Yeah, I mean, I do stupid things all the time, too. But Twilight's really nice, and I work out the medical things out of my allowance when needed," the purple lizard boy added. Thinking hard, I vaguely recalled his name was Spike. Maybe. Wait a second. Hey!

"Spike, you're not helping," Twilight scolded, giving him a light glare. He held his clawed hands up in defense, shaking them back and forth.

I chuckled and smiled at the display the two put on. "Well, I guess I owe you instead, right Miss Twilight?" I asked, focusing on her with my eye.

She blushed lightly but shook her head, holding a hoof up. "No, you don't owe me anything, Silly. It wasn't that expensive and besides, you seem like a very nice stallion now that I've gotten to know you a little better. Friends?" she asked, smiling at me.

"Well, I'd like to at least help work it off a little bit. But of course I'll be your friend. You're a very nice mare," I complimented, smiling back at her as warmly as I could manage. It must have been a fairly pathetic sight with half my face wrapped up in a bandage, but at least I tried.

"I’m glad. You picked up our lingo fairly quickly, I notice," she noted, looking across the room suddenly. I saw her eyes lock onto a bookcase that appeared to be one of her private ones, and she frowned in seemingly thought.

Sighing, I relaxed my heart again, having momentarily freaked out at her insinuation. I'd forgotten for a moment that she knew what I actually was. Or more accurately, what I wasn't, which was a native to this place. Place being either planet or dimension, I still hadn't decided, but it was looking more and more like dimension. "Yeah, I kind of had to, to fit in. I guess I'm sort of a fast learner," I commented, thinking about it probably for the first time, embarrassingly enough.

"Well, I bet it's easier when everypony around you is speaking the same. Still, what you did with the pulley system in the barn hinted at something more than learning quickly," she pondered, almost as if to herself. Several books floated out of aforementioned bookcase, and drifted over to her, opening as they flew.

"You think it has something to do with his old life in that scary place?" Spike asked, frowning at Twilight's back as she read through one of the books.

Being her assistant, she must have told him about me. Well, that made things a little less awkward than I was starting to feel with him still being here. "Yes, I believe he had the skill already. Machines are extremely complex and most ponies don't specialize in them. He wouldn't have picked it up here," she explained, flipping a few more pages. I saw complex magical diagrams and notes in the book, and what looked like celestial bodies in specific order and rotation.

"An engineer. I think that's what… well, I think that's what I was," I managed to stutter out, frowning suddenly. The thought had been a reoccurring one, just bordering a subconscious level but I was aware of it for a little while now.

"An engineer?" Twilight asked, suddenly sounding surprised and looking back at me over her right shoulder.

I nodded quietly, head starting to give a dull throb again. I ignored it. "Yeah. I think that's what they called it in that um, wherever it was. To repair things, or put them together, or even come up with new things to make something work. I think that was my job. I certainly wasn't a very good soldier," I remarked, a bit more cynically than desired.

Twilight smiled and nodded. "Purposefully ending something's life doesn't come that naturally, here. I don't know about your world, but I can definitely tell you, I fully support who you are," she assured. She had a warmth about her and I felt safe again. She knew, and didn't judge me or think I was crazy. Plus, she accepted what I used to think was cowardly, instead telling me that it was a good thing. I guess it was logical that I felt safer around her. Behind these walls, even.

"Thank you, Miss Twilight Sparkle," I thanked as sincerely as I could manage.

She flushed again, and shook her head, smile becoming a shy one instead. "Ah, you don't need to thank me. And please, just Twilight or Twi. Um, I'm not very used to dealing with things like this," she requested, suddenly looking more than a little cute.

"Like this?" I asked, tilting my head but smirking as I watched her fidget a little. The blush across her cheeks widened a little and she looked uncertain as to what to say.

Spike let out a snickering sound first, however. "Twilight likes books better than ponies," he interrupted, smirking at her as she glared back at him again. Well, that snapped her out of the awkwardness, anyway.

I smiled, but looked down at the soft blanket covering me instead. "There's nothing wrong with that, though. Sometimes, a book is better company. They don't judge and they'll always be there when you need them," I muttered, suddenly feeling a wave of bitterness I couldn't entirely place.

Twilight's gaze could be felt, even though I wasn't looking at her. There was a soft, sadness to her expression when I looked back up. "Well, friends are also like books in that regard. We'll be here for you as well, you know," she spoke quietly. I looked back at her and immediately felt a pang of something missing.

"I've only been here four days though," I muttered.

Twilight chuckled instead and recovered her smile. "They snagged me in just a few hours, so you must be a record," she admitted.

"It's probably because he's been unconscious for most of his stay so far," Spike added, snickering.

I glared at him and shook my head. "Well, I obviously don't have any intentions of going back to where I came from, so maybe friends here would be a good thing," I conceded.

"I wasn't going to try to send you back. Although I would like to go to the crater site with you tomorrow, if you don't mind," she asked gently, looking hesitant.

I raised an eyebrow to her. "It's no problem. What are we going there for?" I asked.

She exhaled quietly, as if she was afraid I'd not want to. "Well, your memories didn't tell me where the crater was, so I need you to lead me to it. And I'd like to do some readings in the area to see if there's any magical residue left there. It should still have some, not even being a week yet," she explained, flipping another page in her book and glancing over it.

"It has to be some pretty powerful stuff to move somepony through dimensions, though. What caused it?" Spike asked inquisitively. He was a rather intelligent fellow. Of course, for being her assistant, he probably picks up quite a lot. I wonder what assistant truly meant in this regard. He obviously wasn't a slave and had an allowance, which also indicated not a worker. Servant? Normally they didn't get their own allowance. She treated him closest to that of her child, in all actuality. I somehow doubted species here could interbreed like that, so adopted maybe? That led to further questions of exactly how old Twilight was. She looked about the same as her friends, age-wise, but certainly acted a lot more mature than some of them. Then I realized my mind was drifting again.

Twilight looked up from her book, deep in thought prior, before nodding and agreeing, "Yes, very powerful. But something tells me largely accidental. I've never heard of something shifting into a different existence entirely. Are there any similarities between your old world and this one?" She glanced back over to me, probably getting quite an interesting expression in return. I stared at her as if she were the crazy one, and not me.

"Uh, no. Not really," I answered easily, with no need to consider it at all.

Twilight nodded absently and I could almost see her sharp mind moving on to other thoughts. There was a level of cold calculation behind those eyes that surprised me. "Not a shift then, but a totally different spot entirely. This is entirely unheard of before now. I'd have to say that this has to be an accident, then," she reasoned quietly, largely talking to herself.

An accident? I thought about it more, and agreed that she was probably right. I was supposed to have died in that moment. Me being here instead of dead was an accident. Some random luck of the draw against a million to one odds. Maybe that's why I've had nothing but misfortune since I got here? It might be some sort of retroactive karma backlash.

"I think I'd rather be a pony than dead," I admitted, realizing that it was probably a fairly obvious conclusion.

Twilight started, but then smirked back at me again. "One would hope. How are you adjusting?" she asked pleasantly, closing the book again and rotating around to me.

Sighing, I shook my head weakly. "The culture here is a little strange. I've tried going with instinct but it isn't always accurate. I'm not sure what's right or not, especially since a lot of things seem to be taken as common knowledge," I tried to elaborate, frowning as I went.

"Well you know you can ask me anything you wish. I know where you're coming from and can probably explain things faster than you can pick them up yourself," she reasoned, shrugging her shoulders lightly.

I nodded to her, and frowned a little further. Well, I might as well ask my most recent one, anyway. "Is their some sort of social stigma against two fillies, or two mares loving each other?" I asked her, still unsure of how to handle everything surrounding Rainbow Dash and Applejack.

Twilight looked surprised but then smiled in amusement. "Ah, Rainbow Dash. No, there's no real stigma against it in either gender. A lot of the more fundamentalist ponies think that it's a 'waste', but other than that, it's largely just accepted as something normal. Rainbow Dash is more worried about Applejack finding out," she explained simply, causing me to chuckle.

"Wow, so it's not that big of a secret after all," I noted out loud, amused.

"Well I wouldn't say that. She's simply asked for my advice about it, is all. Rarity, and obviously Applejack, wouldn't know about it. Pinkie well, is Pinkie. I have no idea if she's caught on or not but if she has, she's not told anypony," she elaborated, stretching her shoulders lightly.

Momentarily distracted by the shifting motion of her mane, I nodded quietly after a few seconds. "She talks in her sleep. And the whole wing thing," I added, shrugging as well.

Twilight's eyes widened, then a light blush formed across her features. "Oh, she was aroused. Must have been one of those kinds of dreams," she mused quietly, snickering.

"I kind of figured it had something to do with that. Fluttershy was vague and said that it was a 'side effect' though," I suddenly remembered.

"It's a muscle reaction, is all. It's not widely documented for obvious reasons, but it's largely assumed to just be a secondary reaction to the chemical release," she explained.

That had made sense. I had doubted wings were sexual organs, so it was a side effect more than likely. Lying back down against my cot, I yawned sleepily and peeked towards her window. Modest amounts of sunlight came through, warming the room. It looked late afternoon or so. "Well, if you don't need anything at the moment, I'll slip back downstairs and get a bit more studying done on your case before tomorrow," she spoke, after waiting a few more seconds.

I accepted her request, deciding it was best not to tell her about the Fluttershy thing. She got off the cot and left down the stairs almost without sound, Spike slowly wandering after her. I listened to the scratching noise of his claws on the wood slowly disappearing down the stairs and then exhaled gently. This was the first moment I'd had to myself for a little while now. I wondered idly what the others were doing. That familiar pang in my chest returned, and I swallowed uneasily.

Surely I wasn't lonely, right? I mean, I'd been in the company of others for a few days now almost nonstop. No, it was something more abstract than that. I stared blankly at the wall under the window, holding no expression at all. My breathing slowed and I just let myself relax. I was safe here, that much I knew. But something was missing. I still felt very vulnerable. For some reason, I got the feeling that this was something I'd felt before. I could quantify it easier anyway, not that it helped any. That uneasy sense of urgency came upon me again, even though there was nothing near me that suggested a need for such. It was like I couldn't remember something that I needed to do and it was really important. It felt like I was alone, even though I technically wasn't. A pervasive sense of loneliness slipped through me.

Emptying my mind, I tried to drive out the thoughts, only absorbing the visual. The light from the sun outside glowed softly across the floor. A flicker. A tree branch moving outside of the window. The stray particles of dust drifting through the light. Particles. I felt a spasm and momentary vertigo. No, that wasn't a memory I wanted.

The sunlight outside seemed to brighten and I momentarily saw the window as not a window, but a hole. The cracks burned through the wall and the beam of intense light looked like hellfire descending from the sky. Gasping, I slid away from the beam, pushing myself up against the wall my bed rested against, pawing desperately with my clumsy hooves to get away from the light.

A shattering, as reality gave away to the beam and it ripped through everything. No! Their weapons weren't even something fathomable. How could something design things so horrible?! I wanted to scream but my throat felt paralyzed as I shook violently, slamming back against the wall, with blankets flying away now. I panicked, the light expanding from the hole, burning through everything and cracking the wall apart. No, they were here too? This wasn't possible. Rune after rune I formed in my mind, trying to make the old magic work. What I learned couldn't be pointless! I felt thick and heavy in the torso, starting to blister the more I tried to form a shield. A barrier. Anything to protect me from that light!

Noises could be heard from below me, followed by a crashing noise as I felt the air heat up. My skin felt alive with flames as I tried to violently push the energy out of myself. The blanket lifted into the air by itself, billowing as if in a hot gust of wind, and still the beam approached, twisting and laughing in my vision, as if taunting me with the inevitability of my death. Hoof steps came up the stairs rapidly, and I heard a shout, not quite making out what they were saying. There was a sharp gasp, and then…

Several vases worth of water splashed across me at the same time, causing me to yelp out loud. There was a noticeable sizzling sound and my free eye widened. Steam was coming off my skin, as the cool water made contact with my overheated flesh. Heat distortions could be seen in the air and my coat suddenly came alive with a shivering pain, causing me to wince. It felt raw suddenly, and I started panting for air and coughing. The window blinds slammed shut suddenly, plunging the room into a cool shade. Shaking, I fell back into a weak laying position, not remembering having sat up.

Twilight stared at me in shock and concern, shaking lightly herself. Several empty vases drifted in the air around her and a host of flowers lay at her hooves. Spike scrambled past her and started picking them up off the wood of the floor. Her breathing steadied and her eyes softened as she lowered the vases into Spike's outstretched arms. He gathered them up wordlessly and rushed downstairs, avoiding eye contact with me.

I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what was happening or what was wrong with me. I didn't really know anything. I'd felt nothing except for lost and confused, blundering from one event to the next since I woke up in that crater. I've done nothing but jump to conclusions, make ponies feel awkward, and generally complicated everything I happened to stumble upon. The frustration that had been building up crashed to a head and I just let go. There was no one left alive from my old life to make fun of it anymore. No more reservations. Curling up into a ball, I just let myself cry.

Chapter 09

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I have no idea how long I lay there, crying pathetically. Everything caved in at once and I suddenly felt overwhelmed by where I was. Who I was. I had no idea of either one of them. Twilight said nothing, surprisingly. No questions or comments. She just sat on her haunches next to the bed with her front legs tucked up on the mattress and her head resting on them, watching me from a sideways perspective. She wore a quiet smile and her horn glowed softly in the darkened room. She didn't flinch, even as I started shaking and lightly pounding the mattress over and over again with my hoof. The frustration of everything and feeling so useless and helpless just spilled over.

It must have been a while going. The light slipping through the windows was starting to dim and I realized the sun must be setting. The sun. Yes, it was the sun, not a horrible death ray. It sounded so stupid now that I could think properly again. My nose ran lightly and I sniffed to try to keep it under control. My tears finally stopped, but the uncontrollable shaking persisted. A small tissue was put against my nose and I shifted my left eye to see Spike, giving a timid smile while holding a box of tissues. The one in his clawed hand rested lightly against my nose and I nodded, reaching a hoof up myself to rub it. I was soaked, and it was hard to tell which came from the vases and which from my nose. Folding it lightly using the surface of the mattress, I used the dry side to wipe my left eye. I was suddenly aware that the inside of my bandage felt a little soggy.

Shifting my eye back towards Twilight, I saw that the light blue and purple glow from her horn lit her features in a soft illumination and she looked very pretty. The colors complimented her well, it seemed. Her smile never faltered as she finally, gently spoke, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you by yourself."

I was more than a little stunned by her comment. I shook my head, trying to tell her she didn't need to apologize; that it was my fault, but she gave a single nod, silencing me again. "I know you're going to try to take the blame but no. It's all right. Sometimes I get wrapped up in things and I should have thought about how you felt instead. You really have nothing and that must be really, really scary," she continued, her eyes almost piercing through me as she gazed. The words were true enough and I felt a light, frosty stabbing sensation in my chest at them. But it was hard to look away from the soft glow of her horn and I found myself relaxing. There was no tingle of magic. This didn't seem like a spell she was using. She was just lighting the darkness.

"So I want to," she started, and then frowned. She seemed momentarily unsure of something, and hesitated. "I want to help you. There's something deep inside of you that's hurting immensely and we need to get it out. But, unfortunately, I don't know the best way to go about it," she finished, looking back up at my eye after she regained focus.

All I really could do was nod gently. Then I remembered I hadn't told her about yesterday, either. "Um, I think there's something wrong in my memories. I, um, this has happened before. Yesterday, in fact," I finally admitted, feeling a bit better at telling her.

Twilight frowned, concerned looking but nodded me to go on. Taking a deep breath, I continued, "I was talking to Fluttershy and something bled through, overwriting her voice with something else, but in her voice still if that makes sense. A light headache started after that and I started to panic but I don't know why. Things started feeling well, not real, and I suddenly felt lost and unsure."

"Did something similar happen today?" she asked carefully, watching my expression intently.

Sighing, I nodded timidly, feeling vulnerable again. If the guys in the barracks saw me like this, I'd be laughed out of the reserves. But they were all dead now. "Yes. Only visual instead," I confirmed, taking deep breaths and trying to relax.

"The window. You were staring at it looking terrified, so I slammed it shut as fast as I could. I came up here when I sensed… magic," she spoke quietly. A chill shifted up me, and my left eye nervously darted towards the window again, past her. My body lit up its fight or flight response again, but my view was suddenly obscured completely, eclipsed in purple. Twilight had shifted so her head totally blocked my view. I was about to freak out when the tip of her horn touched my forehead. There was a pulse of silver and pale, pale blue, as the colors from the soft illumination washed over my senses again.

My heart slowed and I exhaled quietly. Twilight smiled warmly as she heard it, eyes closed as her surprisingly warm horn rested on my forehead. It wasn't naked bone but covered in a soft velvet-like substance. "The light calms you?" she asked quietly, after a few seconds.

You calm me. "Yes. The color," I whispered, voice still wanting to hide.

"Your coat color," she revealed, smile shifting to an amused smirk.

My eye widened and I glanced at my nearby arm to check, already knowing she was right. "It's the color of moonlight on a cloudy day. Very pretty," she elaborated. Her amethyst eyes opened, then widened a little as she realized her calming technique had placed her inches from my face. A faint blush drifted across her cheeks but she didn't move away, instead giving a more questioning look with her eyes as she looked into my single one.

"Hey, Moonlight is kind of a cool name, no?" Spike suddenly asked. I started slightly, but Twilight just smiled and shifted her gaze to the left, giving an amused look towards Spike.

"He should get the final say in that. But it is a good name,” she agreed, seeming to think again. Moonlight? I lost my thoughts and just watched the silvery blue drift through her horn. It felt so well, correct, for lack of better words. Was there a reason I was this color? Maybe I had resonated with it and this was the color of my life force, or something. It felt right, regardless.

Twilight shifted her attention back to me, smiling warmly again. There was a certain glimmer in the mirrored pools of amethyst that were her eyes, and she appended softly, "He's very good at fixing things, both mechanical and involving ponies' feelings. Repairing? No. Too forced. Fixing? Hmm, no. A little too literal."

"Mend?" I offered, smiling shyly at her. More abstract than the others, and it had a nice ring to it. Her smile widened, and she nodded in agreement.

"Moon Mender," Twilight tested in a soothing voice, becoming the first pony to use my new name.

"Wicked awesome!" Spike chimed in, excitedly pumping his right arm into the air.

Chuckling, I nodded, careful to avoid skewering myself on her horn. "Sexy. It has a nice ring to it," I agreed, repeating what I had already decided in my mind. Twilight couldn't seem to help herself and burst out into mirthful laughter. She pulled us along as if moons in orbit and soon all three of us were laughing.

It took a good three minutes before I could breathe properly again. Spike, in his rolling chortles, had fallen off the bedside table that was above my head and landed behind me somewhere. I could still hear his weak, breathless laughing. I didn’t even know why it was so funny but something about her laugh just drew us in.

Finally Twilight calmed down and rested her head back on her forelegs, giving me a pleasant smile. “I think it suits you. Although you don’t need to be afraid to say things to me, I hope you realize. Now I understand that your prior interest in magic went beyond the fundamental,” she pointed out softly. I swallowed lightly but oddly felt conflicted with her expression. She radiated non-threatening with her smile and gentle speaking. I decided to once more bite the bullet.

“Yeah. I was a mage in my prior existence. Utility and supplemental if I recall correctly, using spells that shielded, repaired, and physically manipulated. They well, they don’t work anymore,” I revealed, unable to keep my nervousness out of my voice.

The lavender unicorn simply smiled however, before asking, “Does it feel like it’s stuck inside of you?”

My eyes widened a little bit and I nodded timidly. She smiled wider and nodded, a new light seemingly dancing in her eyes that I couldn’t quite place. “Oh, this is exciting. An Earth Pony who has training in magic. I could learn a lot from you! If I could figure out a way to let you use it, it could revolutionize theory and…” she started excitedly spewing.

“Twilight, focus!” Spike shouted from behind me, now standing up and resting his claws on my foreleg. I was a little concerned she was going to dissect me but decided I could trust her still. Also, I was more than a little curious as to what kind of creature Spike was, suddenly having a much closer view of him than normal.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Um, sorry,” she muttered, blushing lightly and giving me a sheepish grin before continuing, “All three pony subsets have some amount of magic inside of them. Unicorns have horns which they can use to manipulate their reserves directly through…”

“Channeling. I was watching you earlier,” I interrupted, starting to figure out what went wrong myself.

Her eyes widened and she let out an interesting sounding squeak before nodding enthusiastically. “You understand theory too! Oh, even better. Yes! We channel the energy using our horns to directly affect things. Pegasi use their wings to channel theirs, allowing for easier and much faster flight, while innately having the capability to walk on clouds and other air-based entities. Earth ponies are different, however. Their magic remains inside them all the time, instead strengthening their muscles and constitution. Everypony is different of course, in how much magic they have and how they use it. I think you’re the first Earth pony to try to use their magic like a Unicorn!” she exclaimed in one long but rapid instruction.

I blinked but rapidly absorbed the host of new information. “So my body’s geared for one manner of using the energy but I’m trying to force it to use it a different way, right? Hence the burning, pain, and almost setting your house on fire…” I theorized, sighing weakly.

“Um, yeah. Well, that’s what I think, anyway. Your style of magic might be significantly different from ours as well, so there might be something more fundamental going wrong instead,” she reasoned, scratching the coat under her chin with her right forehoof.

Just wonderful. So it was like attempting to use a Phillips to turn a Flathead screw. Suddenly, my capabilities with magic seemed very, very far away. Twilight seemed to notice my dejected look and shook her head at me. “No, I’ll see what I can do. We might be able to get your magic working again, so don’t give up yet,” she admonished.

“Well, maybe we can find something tomorrow,” I reluctantly agreed, earning an encouraging nod.

“Yes, it’s a big day tomorrow, so why don’t you try to get some sleep? I didn’t realize it was so late,” she suggested, suddenly looking back towards the window.

Swallowing, I nodded hesitantly towards her. I suppose sleep would do me some good, although admittedly the prospects of what I could potentially dream of unnerved me a little. She smiled and nodded to me before walking over to her desk by the window. “Good. I’m staying in the room this time, so I’ll be right here if you need anything. Even if you feel like you’ve got nothing, remember that you at least have me, alright?” she reminded, a warm smile gracing her features.

Blushing at the potential implications, I pushed the thoughts out of my mind and nodded back to her before resting my head down on the pillow again. Twilight shifted to a softer smile after my eyes lidded and I pretended to close them. She remained watching me for a few more moments before seemingly snickering at something in her mind and turning back to her desk. A book opened on it as she sat down. Listening to the occasional flipping sound of the pages, I drifted lightly between waking and unconscious thought before succumbing and slipping away into sleep.

* * * * *

The day was a surprisingly pleasant one. The sun heated the landscape gently with just enough cloud cover to make it nice, rather than overbearing. Yawning sleepily, I stared into the undisturbed puddle of water in front of me. Bits of dirt drifted through it but not nearly enough to label it as mud. I could clearly see the bottom of the pool through the water, even if it was slightly distorted. The surface of the crater consisted of hardened, cooked dirt. It had splintered in a spider web pattern out from the center and looked vaguely reminiscent of dark brown clay. Of course, there was potentially a little bit of clay in it already so I might not be that far off.

Lying lazily in the grass next to the crater, I stretched and folded my legs back under me before looking back up at Twilight Sparkle. She was a couple meters away with a strange, metallic contraption on a tripod. I knew enough about magic to identify that it was taking readings in the locations she set it up in, but the design was foreign to me. We hadn't used magic for detection in my world, it seemed. Or at least I couldn't remember anything about that from what lessons I did remember. She adjusted another dial on it and then darted back to the other side to read the output again, her curious eyes flicking back and forth excitedly. She hadn't said a word since she started taking readings but I didn't particularly mind. This is what I had led her here for and she was definitely finding something, if the clicking on the machine indicated anything. Plus her excitement was simply adorable to watch. I just wished I could help out more.

Flopping over onto my side, I watched the clouds pass gently overhead. It was strange realizing the weather didn't truly depend on natural occurrence but in producing the correct clouds and moving them to the right spots via pegasi. That was a bit of a shock when I read about that. Rainbow Dash was one of the weather ponies for Ponyville if I recalled correctly. The clouds were still pretty, and these were largely allowed to simply drift wherever they desired. There were no occasions today, or storms scheduled. Not until the weekend anyway. That put today as, hmm, Thursday if I recalled. Time keeping was a tad difficult when I had to find the clock tower in town in order to be exact. At least my right eye was uncovered, now. Making the trip here through the mud sinkholes and hills would have been… entertaining with no depth perception.

Twilight had used a minor healing spell on my eye this morning and it was recovering nicely. Now I just had a tiny little nick to the right of it with an elongated bruise surrounding it. It basically looked like I had lost a hoof fight, in an epic manner. My chest wasn't damaged it would seem, although Twilight insisted on checking it as well. She was horrified to find dozens of scars under my coat that weren't in the nurse reports. They were tiny, some lines and some indented circles. I had no recollection of them at all so they didn't really bother me. You couldn't tell unless you were playing with my coat, regardless.

She let out a quiet squealing noise and resumed frantically recording things in the notebook floating next to her. Spike, who was sitting on a blue blanket nearby, chuckled at her and shook his head. He had ridden along on her back, helping her carry a smaller container on his own. She elaborated, after we had gotten here, that it was food. Apparently she had decided to make a picnic out of it, to my surprise. Oh well, I suppose. Nothing of today indicated it couldn't be pleasant, as I really felt no particular attachment to the crater. It was just a depression in the ground, to me.

Returning my attention to the sky, I noticed a yellow speck on the horizon and frowned. It was quite a ways in the air and slowly getting bigger. A pegasus or large bird heading towards us. Yellow? I swallowed lightly and started to worry a little. I hadn't seen her since yesterday and my thoughts were still pretty fresh in my mind. Of course, it was really my fault for setting myself up like that. I shouldn't punish her simply for not feeling a certain way. That was stupid and immature.

Sighing weakly, I saw that my suspicions were indeed correct. The pink mane became identifiable shortly afterwards and I saw that it was Fluttershy drifting through the sky. She was traveling a lot slower than Rainbow Dash which didn't honestly surprise me. She had said she enjoyed the scenery more than the rush of adrenaline. Her path wasn't directly targeting us, however. She drifted a little off target and appeared to be aiming for a small cloud bank to our left. West? She was also carrying something small, it looked like.

Twilight must have heard my sigh and glanced over at me. She followed my gaze and also caught the sight of Fluttershy in the sky. She raised an eyebrow back towards me, quizzically, but didn't ask anything. We watched Fluttershy land on top of the cloud bank, apparently totally oblivious to our existence, and not come out again. As I couldn't see on top of the bank, I shrugged and lay back again, relaxing. Maybe she was having a cloud picnic instead? I didn't know if there was such a thing but if there was, this seemed like a good day for one.

My concentration and guess was blown out of the air as a bolt of rainbow streaked across the sky above me with an extremely distinct whistling noise that I definitely recognized almost immediately. Oh, Rainbow Dash was here? Maybe she was meeting Fluttershy for something. Sure enough, she took a beeline towards the cloud bank and disappeared over it. Twilight had seemingly decided that they were otherwise distracted and went back to her machine’s readings, shifting the location of her scanner using her telekinesis. I just watched the bank for a few seconds before I saw the bolt of rainbow shoot away from it again.

Raising an eyebrow, I wondered what the colorful pegasus was doing. After a few more moments, she flickered back into my vision, spiraling this time in a slightly downward pattern. She corkscrewed for a few seconds, before bursting out of the dive and slipping sideways, causing a burst of rainbow to keep spiraling where she would have been. Oh, that was pretty. She was showing off? That sounded a little more like Rainbow Dash. It was way too high up to hear anything if Fluttershy was cheering or not. Well, it was hard to imagine Fluttershy cheering, regardless.

Her pattern continued, bursting through the air in the corkscrew again and splashing like she did before. This time, though, she dipped through her own splash, picking up a trail through the air as she zigzagged. Oh! I couldn't help but smile as she wrote out 'Hello!' in the sky using her trail. Very cute indeed. Was an event coming up that she was practicing for or something? Her patterns repeated for quite a while. Every time she let the pattern fade, she'd repeat and write something new in the sky. Simple things, sometimes misspelled. Twilight caught me chuckling on more than one occasion as the afternoon wound on and snickered herself as she watched Rainbow Dash work. She was practicing, I realized. Showing off was entirely different. This was definitely her training for something. She was at it way too long to be otherwise.

Every fifteen minutes or so, she'd zip back to the cloud for a few minutes. That thing Fluttershy had been carrying was probably a basket. Refreshments maybe? They really were good friends, it seemed. I got a little self-conscious at that point. Was I being a little too nosey? A minor twinge of jealousy went through me, but passed rapidly. Did I wish I had a good friend to spend the day with like that? Kind of. But…

Smiling gently again, I glanced back at Twilight who was in her fourteenth location around the crater, writing more casually now. We didn't really have to say anything to be hanging out, right? Well, she was more than a little distracted and this was kind of an experiment for her, but she was still spending time with me, right? Glancing back towards the blanket, I pondered striking up a conversation with Spike, only to discover him snoring while lying on his back, spread eagle.

Well there went my chances for intelligent conversation. I stared blankly at the pool of water, idly wondering how crazy Twilight would think I was if I just started talking to it instead. Well, probably not more so than she did already. Deflating a little, I raised my head to the skies to update myself on the only other source of activity for miles. My eyebrow rose, as I saw 'Rainbow' written, amusingly enough using rainbows themselves. Below it, she was swooping in for another run. My eyes got progressively wider, the more of 'Applejack' she got spelled out. Was this what I thought it was? Twilight caught my expression and also turned her attention to the writing.

Sure enough, she veered back around, and completed the message with a cute looking heart symbol in-between the names. I guess some things are universal. Still, I had to give her credit. Spelling out her heart's desire a mile off the ground in a hundred thousand-point font size took some serious guts! I was impressed. For it being practice, she was taking quite a risk.

"Oh my. That's an interesting confession idea," Twilight finally commented.

I chuckled and couldn't help but smile. "One that's definitely unique to Rainbow Dash too," I added, watching the writing slowly fade. As expected, Dash had zipped back to the cloud once it was completed, probably to admire her work and get Fluttershy's opinion.

"Agreed. I wish somepony would confess to me like that," she spoke wistfully, watching the fading letters.

"You like Rainbow?" I asked, tilting my head towards her. I'd not expected Twilight to match very well with the much more spontaneous pegasus.

Twilight's eyes shot open fully and she blushed. "No! Not exactly like that. Just something huge and out there, you know?" she tried to explain, looking back down at me. A small part of me was relieved when she said no, I noticed.

"Well that's unfair to us little guys without wings or horns, you know," I pointed out, sticking my tongue out at her. She gave me a skeptical look and rolled her eyes.

"Easy there, Romeo. You can't like me as well if you already like Fluttershy," she fired back, giving me a sarcastic looking smirk.

Normally I'd have blushed, but knowing the irony of the statement deflated the amusement factor a few notches. She saw my expression falter and sighed, putting down her pen and notebook. "Look, I'm not that thick, Mender. Your reaction when seeing her, coupled with this, leads me to think something happened yesterday," she reasoned, standing up and gently walking towards me.

I might as well get it over with. "Nothing much, really. She just doesn't like me like that. Just give me a few days," I requested, sighing weakly and looking away from the lavender unicorn.

"You asked her?!" Twilight asked in a shocked, somewhat horrified voice. Okay, so now I blushed. I had been doing so well, too.

"What? No! She told Rainbow Dash that she saw me as a wounded animal that she needed to nurture until healed," I rapidly corrected, panicking at the thought of bluntly asking her.

Twilight visibly relaxed but sighed weakly at the same time. "That seems unlike Fluttershy. Did she know you were listening?" she asked, closing the distance a little and sitting down a meter or so in front of me.

I gave a miniscule nod before furthering, "She knew I was there but Rainbow Dash was giving her a hard time about showing interest in me." I'm still not sure if it was an excuse to get out of the situation or if she actually meant it.

"Yeah, she probably just panicked, knowing Fluttershy. If she noticed, she probably feels badly now," Twilight reasoned, looking up towards the cloud bank that the two were on. Well, I hadn't seen them leave it but I wasn't exactly paying attention.

I chuckled feebly. "Is it strange that I was a little bit happy that she said it?" I asked, suddenly a little unsure of myself.

Twilight slowly looked back over at me, and tilted her head a little. "Why is that? Wouldn't you be happy if she liked you as more than a friend?" she questioned, seeming mildly perplexed.

"Well, I was happy she didn't take any teasing from Rainbow Dash but I'm also kind of glad she turned me down, even if either unintended or unknowingly. I think I needed it," I admitted, a little irked that I had taken so long to make the connection.

She looked surprised but her expression remained largely neutral. "I'm glad Fluttershy is getting a bit more confident as well. Did you remember something else, though?" she guessed, being very close to dead on.

"Yeah. Well, not directly. My world had an extremely skewed gender ratio, I think. It was the opposite and then some of the situation in Equestria, from what I’ve seen. I can vaguely remember male friends, but no female ones. Plus there are definite memories of breeding programs in effect. I'm thinking it was something of a long standing problem for our race. Well, my old race anyway," I concluded, at least sharing what I had thought about.

Twilight considered it for a few seconds, before smiling and nodding quietly. "An educated deduction and as good a theory as any. I'd love to have definite data but that would go a long way in explaining things in your memories. So you think you're unused to females?" she asked gently, ever watching my reactions.

I sighed and considered it. This wasn't very well put together or thought out yet on my part. Eventually I decided upon, "It's been bothering me, yes. I've never been this well, hormonal to my knowledge. Admittedly, my knowledge is rather limited, but it's more of a general feeling I get."

"Oh my! Well, what's good for the body is good for the soul I hear, right?" I suddenly heard from my right. Twilight and I both about jumped out of our skins and I rapidly turned my head, only to see Rarity slowly approaching. Oddly, she wore a heavier looking saddlebag set and lightly pulled a wagon attached behind her. A shovel handle was stuck out from a saddle loop at a forty-five degree angle. She looked like she was about to do some serious excavation or something, which struck me as more than a little odd considering her personality.

"Rarity! You shouldn't eavesdrop on people like that," Twilight berated, looking irked at the white unicorn. Uh oh. How much had she heard?

Rarity let out a knowing sigh and waved a hoof nonchalantly in our direction. "I know, I know. I'd not meant to listen in. I simply was nearby looking for gems for my collection and latest project, is all. Then I heard two dear friends talking and decided to see if they wanted a little company. How was I to know you were having such an intimate discussion?" she reasoned, smiling politely at us.

"And how long had you been listening in?" Twilight asked, giving her an extremely suspicious look. I swallowed wearily.

"Oh, not long at all. Barely a few minutes, of course," she assured, waving us off again and blushing lightly.

That… That was pretty much the whole conversation. Twilight's eyes danced with anger now and she glared towards the white unicorn. A sinking sensation dropped into my stomach and I suddenly had the strongest urge to crawl into the watery crater and hide there until I drown. Rarity watched me for a few seconds before she sighed quietly. "I know, I shouldn't have and I apologize. I'm not entirely certain of what's going on but I realize it's bigger than I thought. I'd originally come here because I was getting strange signals of interesting minerals that are under that crater over there," she spoke softly, in an uncharacteristically informal manner.

Twilight's eyes shifted slightly in the direction of the crater and I saw a twinkle of curiosity in them, but she maintained her glare at Rarity. "What do you plan on doing with the information?" she asked, a little warmer this time as she straightened out of her hostile posture.

"Nothing if you wish it. But as I said, I would really enjoy helping. He is a very nice stallion, after all," she repeated, giving a polite bow of her head at the end towards me.

Twilight frowned but looked over at me, unsure this time. Thinking for a few seconds, I sighed, coming to the obvious conclusion. Twilight had spoken for Rarity when we first talked, saying she was one of the few to take things seriously. It wasn't for the same severity of topic but I had a feeling it still applied. After a few more seconds, I swallowed and nodded quietly, looking back up at Twilight then shifting my gaze to Rarity, who was now meeting it.

"I'm not from this dimension. This place, Equestria, is totally new to me, as is this form. I remember very little before five days ago when I woke up right here, in the middle of this crater. My memory is riddled with bits and pieces of another life, however. One where I was something else and in a place very much not pleasant," I summarized, after taking a breath.

To her credit, Rarity's face remained perfectly neutral throughout and she gave me a soft smile once I finished. I imagine I probably looked fairly vulnerable. "Thank you for telling me. I imagine Twilight discovered this when she tried to repair your memories?" she deduced, glancing back over at the lavender mare who was now sitting next to me. Feeling antsy, I remained standing.

Twilight nodded softly to her friend. "Yes. He's suffering from a very unique condition. It shares similar symptoms with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder on a more acute factor. We're here today trying to find out more information about him," she explained, giving the shortened form of what she'd mentioned this morning over breakfast.

"Oh, and we came up with 'Moon Mender' as a name," I added, blushing lightly at my own silliness. It certainly hadn't matched the gravity of the prior statements.

"It’s very nice name indeed. Would you let me assist you as well, Moon Mender?" she asked, returning to her warm smile, after looking a bit concerned at Twilight's diagnosis.

"She's really good at finding minerals. We might be able to find out more about what brought you here," Twilight vouched, looking back over at me with a smile now. She was calming down fast. Wait, did that mean she had only gotten angry to defend me?

I blushed lightly but nodded. "Yeah, anything that can help would be deeply appreciated," I agreed, shifting away from Twilight's gaze and feeling a bit awkward suddenly. Stupid hormones.

Rarity perked up and nodded pleasantly. "This is an excellent outcome. You won't regret it! The interesting stones are under the crater," she announced, horn starting to glow. The shovel drifted into the air behind her.

* * * * *

Hooves aren't meant for digging. At all. Twilight went back to taking scan measurements for the rocks of course. Sadly, Rarity complained of a headache five minutes in. A half couch came out of nowhere, almost running me over, and she flopped onto it. Unsurprisingly, the shovel was tossed to me instead.

A long twenty-five minutes later, I was down maybe a half a meter. It didn't help that neither mare could narrow it down to less than a four-meter wide area. My coat was soaked with sweat and I felt lightheaded. My technique for shovel manipulation got progressively better but my body was reasonably weak still. Plus my forehoof was acting up again from the accident before the party. Ug, I was going to die here yet!

Rarity let out a cheer ten minutes later or so. Both Twilight and I glanced over at her, me full of hope that the rocks were found and I could peacefully pass out now. Sadly, her eyes focused upwards and I watched as Rainbow Dash zipped overhead. Ug. Wait, did she just?

Sure enough, Dash had heard her and swooped down upon us. "Hey, Rare! What's up?" she asked in a chipper manner. My urge to beat the happiness out of her with the shovel steadily rose.

"Oh, we're just digging for magical stones while having a picnic. Do you two care to join us?" she asked politely.

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow to her, and then shifted her gaze down to the couch. Then she looked over at Twilight sitting next to the scanner, writing. Then to Spike, snoring on his back, and finally to me, panting painfully in a shallow pool of water, holding a shovel. "Er, sure? Shouldn't you be helping him?" she pointed out. Yes! Thank you!

"Oh? Ah, nah. He's got it covered and needs the exercise," she assured. What?!

"Oh, okay. Be right back, then," Rainbow agreed, smiling happily. Traitor! She was gone in a beat of my about-to-explode heart, which was impressive. Rarity went back to sunbathing and Twilight to oblivious study. Some days, I hated my life.

She was back all of three minutes later, Fluttershy in tow. The yellow pegasus took one look at me, sadly, and visibly wilted. Rainbow Dash gave her a weird, questioning look before shrugging and trotting towards me. "Heya! How's your head feel? Sorry about yesterday," she spewed out rapidly, looking nonchalant and distracted.

All I could manage was an irritable glare through my drenched bangs. "Er, you look kinda soggy. Training is cool and all but you should watch yourself," she advised, before giving a merry nod and walking over to Twilight instead. Shovels were, ug, used for, ah, digging! I must resist bludgeoning with it. It wasn’t a weapon! The conflict drifted back and forth in my mind as I developed an interesting eye twitch.

Fluttershy was gone when I turned back around and I sighed. Wonderful. Now she was scared of me. Splat! I landed on my side in the thin pool of mud, shovel jutting up like a weird headstone. Too tired. Forget this.

"Uh, Rarity? Are we even getting close to the stones?" I heard a concerned Twilight say from somewhere behind me.

"Huh? The what? Oh! Yes, the stones. Oh, oops. There are three of them total and they're in that pile of mud over there," she informed after a moment. Pile of mud? The pile of mud I excavated out of this pit? Ten minutes ago? For a very long moment, I felt like screaming until I passed out. The urge to alter the shovel’s weapon classification rose significantly.

Slowly sitting up, I let the cool water run gloriously down my back. It felt amazing after the massive amount of exertion I just put out. I glared over at Rarity, who had gone back to sunbathing and was oblivious. Giving up the ineffectual death stare, I stood, now totally soaked in water and sweat and dragged the blasted shovel towards the pile of mud, dirt, and rocks I had made.

Twilight wandered over to help me search but it truly wasn't needed as finding them in the pile was exceptionally easy. They were an unassuming gray color. There were numbers painted very, very clearly on all three chunks in a bright yellow, however. It was strange, as my eyes hurt looking at them. An uncomfortable sensation crept into the back of my skull the longer I looked. Nudging them around with the shovel, I managed to get them to line up. 312? My eyes widened, as I instantly recognized the number of the vault I had been tasked to protect.

"Weird. What's with the number?" Twilight asked, staring intensely at them.

Rarity finally looked curious and got up to her hooves, dispelling her couch and revealing a shaking Fluttershy behind where it had been. She swallowed nervously and carefully followed Rarity over to where we were standing. I did my best not to look at her, or make any sudden moves. "My, ugly things. They certainly don't look very magical," she muttered, sounding unimpressed.

"Whoa, they're cool! You can see the number no matter how you look at it," Dash exclaimed in amusement, drifting around us in a lazy circle. Frowning, I nudged the first one over on its side using the shovel and was shocked to discover it 'rolled' into the exact same shape and position it was in before. I definitely didn't like these!

Twilight's eyes widened as she watched and she started rapidly writing in her notebook. "They don't follow normal rules of geometry. I wonder if the effect is physical or purely optical."

"Huzzuh-what, now?" Dash asked, looking annoyed now.

"She wants to know if they feel the same, even after we rotate it," I explained, staring at the rocks. They felt wrong to me. They shouldn't be here.

Fluttershy had gotten curious by then and come out from around Rarity. She sported a nervous expression and I couldn't help but watch her cute shifting as she got a better look at our find.

"Oh! Well whack em with the shovel and see?" Rainbow suggested, sounding as if she were rapidly losing interest.

Twilight stopped writing long enough to glare up at her. "Don't you dare! I need recordable results, none of which are how far they can fly," she warned sarcastically.

"They feel k-kind of squishy," Fluttershy suddenly reported, in her typical timid manner.

All four of us looked back towards her in an instant and my eyes bulged out when I saw her nudging the closest rock with her hoof, of all things. It sank into the surface of the rock and she gasped, a suddenly terrified look spreading across her face. Oh crap.

Chapter 10

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Fluttershy let out a weak crying noise as she tried to yank her hoof back, away from the rock’s surface. Much to my shock, the rock came with her however, stretching out like some sort of organic ooze. Its texture warped and twisted as it stretched out, the large number three drifting down the newly formed tentacle as if it were a stream, somehow staying in the same shape. She flailed her hoof around violently while trying to back away further, but apparently reaching the limit of how far it could stretch, it held her in place.

"C-cold! It-It's cold!" she exclaimed, in full panic now.

There really wasn't a decision made, formally. A primal part of my mind decided she shouldn't be hurt. It's kind of unfair for something to suggest that and then offer no real method to achieve it. I went with option one. Probably idiotically, I lunged onto the cord of rock that was connected to the yellow pegasus before anypony else seemingly processed what was happening fully. There was a loud snapping noise as the elastic tension in the cord was overwhelmed and it tore away from her hoof. Of course, it was now strung across my chest in a long line. Okay, yeah. That was rather stupid of me.

Fluttershy stared in shock at her right forehoof and my eyes widened as I saw darkened veins extending partly up her leg. What the hell were these things?! That's when I felt the chilly numbness seep into my chest. Glancing down, I saw the ribbon of malformed rock slowly sink into my chest, dark veins extending out on all sides of it.

"Hold on!" Rainbow Dash shouted, suddenly colliding with my back. I had no other choice when she hooked her forelegs underneath mine and yanked me forwards off the ground. We spun in midair and slammed into the limit of the cord, not unlike a kite. It felt like a frozen line of fishhooks was anchoring me and I screamed in pain, jerking stiffly against Rainbow.

Twilight snapped out of her shocked stare and rapidly looked around her. Spotting the fallen shovel, she snagged hold of most of the handle with a purple aura and lifted it a good three meters into the air. Rainbow Dash struggled to pull me further from the rock at the same time. Wait, how was the rock on the other end not getting yanked with us? It probably only weighed a half dozen pounds or so! Possibly the second rash decision of the day, Twilight let out a sharp scream as her horn flared with a purple light. A split second later, the shovel whipped downwards at high velocity, faster than I could follow. A new fear and respect for the lavender unicorn passed through me. The shovel stabbed through the warped rock as if it were butter, sending a shower of sparks in every direction.

Wait, if the line was elastic, wasn't it going to..? Snap! A few pounds of weight collided with my chest and Rainbow Dash suddenly found herself with no resistance whatsoever. We were violently launched backwards through the air and she spiraled, attempting to right herself as we fell towards the treetops. She managed to correct our position but the angle of descent was too steep and we dipped below the canopy level. My lungs felt like a block of ice and I couldn't manage to breathe in anymore. Darkness danced at the edges of my vision as I weakly watched her dodge three trees before kicking off a fourth to avoid crashing. Then we landed in the stream.

The chilly water only magnified the already cold sensation in my chest and I tried to scream out, falling on my side as I felt somepony drag me out of the water. I couldn't hear anything at all and pulled into myself, blocking out everything I didn't need. Calm down! I managed pained sips of air and felt it slowly spreading into my chest. Into me. Into? A light smile graced my lips as I activated my magic once again but on the inside this time. I'm not sure if it was the panic and stress of the situation but memories came slipping back, as if by muscle reflex. New trained techniques came back into my memories as my energy swept through my system, picking up what was damaged and what wasn't. The scan isolated the invading source from the good tissue. A defensive technique I never thought I'd have to use, as our enemies were far less subtle than that. Why take over your enemy using magic or biochemical when simply blowing them to the consistency of strawberry pudding was so much faster? I felt my body still and my heartbeat slow as the ward was erected inside of me, rapidly closing off the intrusion in the space of a heartbeat. It worked!

Getting a better look at the intruder with scans after stopping its advance, I noticed it felt like energy, not some hostile chemical. So like a spell? The skin closest to the melted rock was starting to shift away, not dissolve like it looked like at first. But shift away to where? Interestingly enough, I could still feel it, even though it technically wasn't physically present. Deciding Twilight might be better at figuring that out, I decided to just get it out of me instead. Sliding my barrier along the intruder, the magic hit my skin level and I winced, bracing myself for that familiar burning sensation. Nothing happened however and it just kept going, outside of my body now. Tiny symbols of light appeared on the surface of the rock, which was rapidly becoming a rock again. Crap! That would mean I needed to get it out of my chest as soon as possible. Breathing through a chunk of solidified minerals didn’t sound particularly easy.

Glancing up, I saw Rainbow Dash staring at the symbols now covering the outside of the 'rock' mass in shock, seeming unsure of what to do. "Rainbow. Help me pull it out," I wheezed, unable to fully inhale.

"W-What?! But it will," she started to protest. No, my barrier would hold and protect her. It had to.

I shook my head weakly, trying not to spasm as the rock hardened in consistency further. "Trust me," I managed to whisper.

Her eyes softened and she nodded once before lunging. She surprised me completely by grabbing the putty-like stone with her teeth instead, in a large glob, and yanking backwards with all four legs and her wings. I was almost pulled off my hooves, but managed to dig in and pull in the other direction. She was unbelievably stronger than me and I slowly started sliding across the loose dirt next to the stream, the stone in my chest barely coming out an inch. Damn it! Pain started to wash through me and I shook back and forth, pushing on the inside with my barriers.

This wasn't going to work, was it? I thought about how decidedly stupid I had been to tackle the thing. Too much of its mass was inside of me now. My legs started to weaken as I ran out of oxygen to send to them. Rainbow looked frantic, pulling even harder. I didn't know what more I could do.

Then it felt like a brick wall slammed into me. My eyes widened as my entire body became lit up with a purple glow that violently shoved me backwards. Twilight Sparkle rounded the corner into the clearing at full speed, horn radiating energy as her teeth clenched. Dash grinned into the stone as she saw the energy and yanked backwards with way more force than I could match. She’d been holding back?!

Slowly, the rock started to pull out. Twilight skidded past Rainbow, being followed by Fluttershy and Rarity. Rarity's horn lit up as well, and I saw the stone around Dash's mouth start to glow with a light blue color. The pulling force effectively doubled as Fluttershy wrapped her forelegs around my waist from behind and started pulling backwards with her wings.

The rock pulled out most of the way, leaving just the original tendril in my chest. I winced as I started to physically feel it inside me. It needed to be out of me, now preferably. Otherwise it might take a bit more of me with it than intended. Twilight hesitated, and then swallowed nervously before blushing and pushing the flat of her horn into my forehead. My eyes widened, seeing her right one from less than an inch away, cheek to cheek. I wasn't sure what she was doing until I felt the explosion of energy dance into my mind. I gasped as I was pulled inwards again and felt a pure image of Twilight smile and nod at me.

"I thought you'd count as a unicorn for this technique. I'm going to connect my power into your magic and help you with the barrier. I don't know how to use your spell, so you direct us," she spoke gently, directly into my thoughts. I suddenly realized I had no idea how to 'speak' back.

Her energy flowed like a waterfall all around me. I hadn't really comprehended how powerful Twilight was before now. If I possessed roughly a bucket of power, she was more akin to a lake! It was overwhelming, yet felt so much like well, her. I felt the flush enter my cheeks outside on my body, but I couldn't shake the feeling, starting to get giddy suddenly.

"Mender, please! Focus," she pleaded, causing me to shudder. I fought through the liquid pool of heat my mind was becoming and shifted my attention down to the barriers my magic had made. She noticed them the instant I pushed on them a little and watched me carefully. There was a sense of extreme curiosity and she watched as I activated the pushing effect again. Seemingly understanding, I felt a gentle nod and all of the energy rushed towards the barrier like a tsunami. My eyes widened as I was washed out of the way, flailing.

The popping noise was very audible. Rainbow Dash smashed into Rarity, who stumbled but caught her. She immediately spat the large rock out of her mouth and sent it hurtling into a tree to my left with a kick of her hind leg. I landed on Fluttershy, who tipped over with me, causing both of us to land in the stream. Struggling to stand and get my weight off her, we both splashed onto the bank a few seconds later, her shivering and me trying to hack up my newly liberated lungs. Twilight rushed over, looking terrified and slid into range before carefully feeling along my chest, testing each rib. "Are you alright?" she asked gently. I saw her hoof shaking a little. Rarity and Rainbow Dash slowly walked over after her, both looking tired. Although I don't know why Rarity was, having been 'resting' for the past forty minutes.

I nodded weakly to Twilight, smiling at her momentarily before coughing again. My lungs felt raw. I wondered how much internal damage there was. My magic was too low to run a scan at this point. Chances are, as it hadn't solidified in me, I'd just have some bruising and chest pain for a few days. Hopefully. "I'll be all right. Although I think Fluttershy and I should stay away from streams from now on. How's the hoof?" I asked, turning and smiling softly at the drenched yellow pegasus who just helped save me. Twilight snapped to attention, seemingly remembering Fluttershy's hoof when I said something. Both of us looked down at the bruised appendage as she sat there, shaking. The veins had gone down considerably and it looked like only a few blood vessels burst. She was going to be fine. She couldn't seem to stop shivering, however. I frowned, looking back up into her face and noticed she looked like she was about to cry.

"Th-Thank y-you! Y-You saved me," she stuttered out, hiccupping lightly before performing a gentle pounce. Getting knocked over, we both fell into Twilight instead. Blushing, I did my best to reassuringly hug her now crying form as Twilight smiled sympathetically at her. Think platonic thoughts, Mender!

"I don't blame her. That was kind of scary," Twilight added, hugging Fluttershy around me. Scary? That didn't even begin to describe it. What were those things? I don't think they were quite what they looked like. They had something to do with my arrival here, I had a sneaking suspicion.

Rarity snickered politely. Rainbow grinned however and pounced on Fluttershy from the other direction, squishing her between the three of us. She looked up from my shoulder, and smiled at both Twilight and Rainbow, sniffing and trying to wipe her eyes. "Thank you. Everypony," she thanked, blushing and seemingly unable to stop crying. Rarity gently sat down next to Twilight, and pulled out a handkerchief, using it to wipe Fluttershy's eyes.

A twinge went through me as I suddenly felt warm and content again. Maybe Twilight was right. Friendship, huh? "Something tells me those aren't exactly rocks," the purple unicorn in question muttered sarcastically, a few seconds later.

* * * * *

Today wasn't a good day for keeping secrets, that's for sure. We had pooled our picnic resources after getting back to the crater. Spike was just waking up, yawning and looking around as we walked into the clearing. He freaked out at first as to why he was alone when he awoke but was rapidly placated at the sight of Rarity, apparently. It didn't take a master of psychology or behaviorisms to note the massive infatuation he had over her. A pity it appeared to be largely one-sided, as Rarity smiled politely at him before settling down on the half couch once again.

Regardless, I knew what was coming before we'd even reached the crater site. Settling down in a vague semblance of a circle, we all got onto the large blanket. It was 'Grill the Alien' time, I'd guessed. Hopefully that wasn’t in a literal sense. Rarity was almost opposite of me, and Rainbow Dash fluttered once before flopping next to her at the base of the couch with a light roll. She came out of it with a smirk and tucked up, looking oddly comfortable, rainbow mane spread wildly. Fluttershy descended much more gently and landed off to my left, a few feet from me, before tucking herself up politely. Her legs crossed gently in the back, as she slid onto her side and gave me a shy smile.

Dragging my eyes, barely, away from her, I glanced to my right when something gently bumped into me. A light flush appeared across my cheeks as Twilight's rump was momentarily pointed in my direction as she rotated once. Completing her turn, she settled down directly to my right, barely an inch from me much to my surprise. Of course, she'd been giving me concerned looks the entire way back so I had this sneaking suspicion it was to keep a close eye on me. Her notebook was out an instant later and she flipped over the freshly taken notes.

"All right, enough small talk," Rainbow Dash declared, looking over at me instantly, eyes energetically dancing, and a smirk spreading across her face.

"Uh, nopony was talking, Dash," Fluttershy started to point out.

She was silenced when Rainbow raised a hoof to her and nodded. "Don't get technical. Spill it, Moon Mender. You know weird magic and seem to have something to do with those rocks," she ordered, staring right at me.

"Relax, Rainbow. It's up to him in how much he wants to say," Twilight reminded, not looking up from her notes.

Fluttershy nodded politely in agreement, adding, "Yes, v-very much so. Just tell us what you f-feel comfortable with."

I smiled over at her, and tried to fight back another blush. She was so kind, it was difficult not to like her. Nodding as well, I turned back to look at the center of the blanket. "You all deserve an explanation after all that, as you probably saved my life," I accepted, frowning slightly.

Spike slid into the center of the blanket with both baskets and started carefully unpacking lunch as I started in with an extended version of the story. They'd all heard most of it, minus the not so normal parts, so I was able to skip over quite a bit. Rarity listened with interest, already knowing that I wasn't a native but still apparently curious as to the specifics. Fluttershy also listened politely, but her eyes slowly kept getting larger and larger as she became more and more attentive. Rainbow Dash looked skeptical at best for the first half of the story and it wasn't until Twilight started confirming and explaining the things in her notes about my memory that she started to actually look surprised. Much to my horror, her surprise shifted steadily to a rabid excitement the longer I droned on.

I skipped most of the gory details in my memory and just covered the basics. What I knew of my old world, what I remembered, my pathetic level of magic, and my profession I thought I had been. It was a lot easier and shorter to give them what I did remember, rather than what I did not. Spike finished laying out a very delicious looking picnic lunch by the time I concluded the story and I had to admit that the diet was starting to grow on me. This body was more akin to a temple with how I took care of it now and it felt pretty good. Of course, given that comparison, I had a sneaking suspicion that if this body was a temple, my old one was a run down, one bedroom half bath apartment in the seedy neighborhood. Military MRE's were probably some of the healthiest I ate.

"For real? You're a dimensional traveler?" Rainbow Dash asked after a few seconds, sparkles almost dancing in her eyes as she grinned at me. Spike held back a snicker as he rapidly started putting a sandwich together.

"Really? Were you listening at all, Rainbow?" Twilight asked bluntly, with a hint of dripping snarky undertone. Fluttershy moved up closer to the food and started gently putting together a salad of some sorts, mindful of her bruised hoof. Her surprise seemed to have faded and she was oddly accepting, for some reason.

I sighed weakly, wishing I could find somewhere to curl up and hide. "It's not that special. Where I'm from doesn't exist anymore and wasn't the most pleasant place prior, anyway. I just want to stay here," I muttered, frowning as I considered it. Yeah, this place was infinitely better, no doubt at all.

"That's not a bad thing, right? I-I mean, you're perfectly welcome here and if where you're from is well, such a b-bad place, then it's a really easy choice," Fluttershy agreed quietly, smiling timidly at me as if to try to cheer me up.

Chuckling, I nodded reassuringly to her, glad she was talking to me again. "I agree fully. But I doubt I have much choice in the matter. Not that I'm complaining," I added, snickering to myself.

"That's simply nonsense! We have Twilight here, a very accomplished user of magic. If anypony short of the Princesses can send you back, it's her," Rarity assured, sounding quite proud of Twilight. Was she not listening to the 'no longer existing' part? Well, I had glazed over it a little. Maybe they thought I was speaking metaphorically?

Twilight gave a timid blush and shook her head. "I well, thank you for the vote of confidence, but I um, don't think that's workable," she explained quietly, frowning. Nice wording. She floated several sandwich ingredients up with her horn, and started rapidly assembling them. I idly wondered why Rarity hadn't done the same, yet, but decided I was getting off track. I'd simply wanted to spare them the details but I had a distinct desire suddenly to spare Twilight's reputation instead.

"She's probably fully capable of sending me back. From what I've seen, she's got an awe inspiring amount of power inside of her and a brilliant mind for magic to boot. She's not the problem," I spoke up, trying to redirect them before anypony else questioned her. Twilight looked surprised and I saw a soft pink tint to her cheeks form. Rainbow seemed to be losing interest and tackled one of the chip bags.

"Then what is?" Fluttershy asked quietly, a sudden hint of concern in her voice. She momentarily ceased salad preparation.

Spike snickered, eyeing up one of the sandwiches before looking up. "He doesn't have a home to go back to, like he said. Those big, mean baddies blew up the whole planet!" he exclaimed, with a certain oddly placed level of excitement. He emphasized the blowing up part with his arms extending out dramatically, and a 'woosh' noise.

"Spike!" Twilight scolded, glaring up at him over her notes. Fluttershy let out a stifled gasping noise to my left and scooted closer with a flap of her wings. I winced as I saw her salad bowl rock, but relaxed as it stabilized.

"That's terrible. I'm so s-sorry. I don't even k-know what to say t-to such a horrible thing. How are you c-coping?" she asked, looking more worried than I'd seen her before. The question caught me off guard, and I frowned.

Rainbow made a sighing motion and shook her head slowly. "I didn't realize anypony could be so cruel. That's just, well, evil," she agreed, sounding a bit disenchanted to the topic. She seemed to take it out on the paper chip bag, utterly destroying the top of it to get at the crunchy goodness inside.

Evil? They were monsters of hatred, given flesh. They wanted to exterminate all life that wasn't them and from what I recalled, had done just that for a hundred thousand years before we even saw our planet from orbit. We were totally outclassed from the start. But how was I coping? The concept was totally foreign to me. Nobody had said I could stop moving long enough to mourn before now. How did one get over the loss of their entire species? I was all that was left and I was now a pony. That meant my species was extinct now, right?

The question was inescapable and felt entirely too large for me to manage. What now? I was in a new place, a new body, and had nothing else. My head spun as I suddenly felt very small and alone.

"Um, are you alright, Mender?" Fluttershy asked quietly, looking up at me at an angle, peeking under my lowered head.

I snapped out of it with a start, and sighed. "Sorry. Sometimes I just feel a tad lost. And very small," I apologized, looking back at the center of the blanket. And zone out a lot, but that much was obvious.

"Hey, anypony here would if they were dumped in a new place, in a new form, with nothing to their name," Rainbow concurred, giving an 'assuring' nod. She then offered me a chip.

"Not helping, Dash," Twilight groaned, shaking her head next to me. The blue pegasus shot her an annoyed scowl before retracting the offered chip and violently crushing it in her mouth.

"Well, she's right. You ponies have been really helpful so far. Without you," I interrupted, realizing it fully, finally. I owed everypony here quite a debt. But they said they were my friends. Does that mean I pay them back with friendship, then?

Fluttershy giggled lightly, and shook her head. "You're a kind stallion and a good friend, right? We're happy to help," she assured. Her wing gently extended on her left side, and I was momentarily mesmerized in watching her scoop up her salad bowl with it and move it in front of her.

Twilight nodded in agreement next to me, snapping me out of it. "She's right. Friendship has well, taught me a lot since I came here. Some things either are a lot harder, or aren't possible at all without it," she added. Her attention shifted back to the sandwich in front of her and she took a greedy bite. Regardless, I suddenly got the impression that things with the Elements of Harmony were a bit more complex than I realized. Nurse Redheart had made it sound like a sort of storybook fantasy.

Both Rarity and Rainbow Dash perked up, nodding towards me. Kindness, Generosity, Loyalty, and Magic were present. I suddenly felt a little awkward. Weren't these mares heroines? I was just a lone newcomer. The only thing different from me was my history and penchant for incredibly bad luck, it seemed.

"I think I'm going to need to find work soon," I muttered absently, frowning, before adding, "To be less of a burden on everypony, anyway."

Fluttershy looked perplexed but Twilight seemingly followed my cognitive jump. "You're still worried about room and board, aren't you?" she asked softly, resting her head on her legs and looking up at me, her sandwich re-adjusting to her new position. All of this food was theirs too, now that I thought about it.

There was definitely no denying it. "I deeply appreciate all of your help but I feel terrible with all of the attention. I mean, you're the Elements of Harmony and I'm just a newcomer here," I admitted, feeling minutely better for getting it out, but still insecure.

I wonder where it came from. It had bothered me at first but now I barely noticed it. I was slowly developing personality traits over the time I spent here. For example, I now knew for a fact that I was incredibly uncomfortable with accepting generosity. Coupled with incredible bad luck, my tendency to jump to conclusions, and my annoying habit of acting before I thought something through, and I seemed to be rapidly setting myself up for disaster. I wondered how accurate I was to my pre-amnesia self?

There was silence for a little bit before Twilight finally sighed. "We don't think we're all that special, really," she explained, and I could almost see her mulling words over in her head.

"Well, Twilight's awesome with magic and I'm totally the best flier in Equestria, so in a way, you are pretty lucky," Rainbow Dash interrupted, winking playfully, but causing me to flinch and bury my muzzle in my front legs. Her grin switched to a puzzled look.

Rarity gave her a scornful look. "While I admit to being quite capable of designing simply fabulous outfits, I think what Twilight is actually trying to imply is that we don't look down upon less fortunate," she started. She seemed to realize what she was saying and trailed off, covering her mouth lightly with her right forehoof. Well I was definitely less fortunate, regardless of her desire to be diplomatic.

"Oh, for crying out loud," Twilight muttered, lightly slapping her forehead beneath her horn.

"I um, that didn't come out right. Dreadfully sorry," Rarity apologized, giving a soft, yet mortified look.

Fluttershy giggled at my expression and I buried my entire face instead. Ug. "Relax. What they meant was, you're our friend, honest and t-true. We met by pure chance and e-each of us um, l-likes you for their own reasons," she enlightened. I felt two gentle hooves, one on each shoulder, giving me a soft, encouraging massage. I was then distinctly aware of how sore and knotted my shoulders were.

I peeked out of my hiding spot, but was surprised to find only one of Fluttershy's hooves so occupied. That meant... Glancing to my right as well, I saw Twilight also smiling gently at me, gently massaging my shoulder. "She's right. We're not perfect. We all have wants and wishes. If you paid attention, you might notice some ponies are taking as much away from interactions with you as you think you receive," she reasoned, gesturing towards her notes with her right, unused hoof. Her sandwich drifted, seemingly momentarily forgotten.

Huh? Oh, yeah. She studied magic, and as I caused quite an anomaly when I arrived, of course she stood to benefit from the new data.

Rarity scoffed and I started, looking back towards her. "Surely you value his conversational etiquette as well! He's very polite and truly honest in discussion. Simply a pleasure to converse with," she added, earning a sudden blush.

"Wasn't he just 'beneath' you?" Rainbow asked dryly, giving her a scrutinizing stare. Was Rarity trying to save face, then? That had sounded a little too over the top.

"Well I never! You were the one who made the poor fellow feel terrible over his lack of wings or a horn," she shot back instantly, starting a glaring duel.

Fluttershy gasped quietly at their antics and tried to interrupt with, "But Earth ponies are really strong and hearty. Tha-That's special too!" Sadly, she was so quiet, I doubt they heard her. Not that I had the 'strong' or 'hearty' thing going for me either.

"Maybe my special talent is bad luck," I mused, snickering to myself quietly. What would that look like as a cutie mark?

"Oh please. You made it sound like a bad thing when it's totally awesome and you know it. I wasn't trying to hurt his feelings," Dash bickered back.

Rarity didn't look amused. "Well, it's hardly awesome for him!" she returned. I winced again. It was true, though. But I didn't really feel the need to be like them, so much as simply be useful.

My mind wandered back to Twilight's comment earlier. I had a want too, didn't I? My memories. The more I could get back, the better. I might not like the pony, er, person I was back then, but the knowledge would be nice. Even if I didn't like my old me, it wasn't like just knowing about it would turn me into him, right?

"Girls! Knock it off! We still need to figure out what to do with the rocks," Twilight suddenly shouted over the two of them, causing me to almost pee myself, being right next to her. She angrily took another chomp on her sandwich after. Fluttershy nibbled politely at her salad as well, watching the two friends bicker.

Rainbow and Rarity glared at each other for a long moment, before the latter broke away and looked back over at Twilight. "Could we not simply bury them again?" she offered, flipping her well-styled purple mane back again, as if shaking away the previous anger. Spike further disarmed the irritated look by regally offering the sandwich he finished preparing to her. She gracefully nodded towards him before accepting it.

"Oh no! The worms or bugs might get hurt if they touched them," Fluttershy protested, looking worried and interrupting her munching.

"She's right. Other ponies might find them too and they'd have no defenses," Twilight agreed, thoroughly shooting down the idea.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and huffed out, "I say Mender puts those symbol thingies on them, then I Rainboom them into orbit!" She emphasized the point by launching a chip almost straight up, before catching it with her mouth.

I chuckled at the mental images, but shook my head. "That would only work if I touched them again. My magic is stuck inside of me," I informed.

"Stuck?" Fluttershy asked politely from my left, resuming her dainty eating.

"He doesn't have a horn to channel it outside his body with. I wish I knew those spells," the lavender unicorn to my right added before I could reply.

I raised an eyebrow to her. "Didn't you see how from my memory?" I questioned, distinctly recalling her blundering upon all of the symbols I had used. Now I'm happy she did!

"No, they're your memories. It was like trying to read a book while the wind blows my pages along for me. You have them memorized," she explained, after swallowing the bite I caught her in the middle of.

I thought about it for a moment. "Well you could take another peek, if you wanted," I offered, secretly hoping she'd agree. She'd get more data and I'd get more memories back. It was win-win for both of us.

Twilight looked honestly surprised for a few moments before smiling. "After what happened the first time, you'd let me try again?" she asked, sounding unsure.

Rarity interrupted my gentle nodding with, "The first time?" Twilight acquired a faint blush and glanced over at her now gracefully smiling, if not somewhat knowing expression.

"I might have been a bit eager to try out the new magic. There were memories I shouldn't have touched upon, which really should have been left to his privacy. And I shouldn't have been so forceful or invasive. Oh, and I should have explained it more before getting started. And of course," she started. Like a slow motion train wreck, I watched her explanation derail and slide downhill into a mortified lamentation of sorts.

"Twilight, stop it. It's all right," I affirmed, this time placing a hoof on her shoulder, instead.

Rainbow surprised me by letting out a saucy giggle. "Ooh, the good stuff! What'd ya find?" she asked eagerly, grinning. I thought I was getting pretty used to blushing, but her entirely unabashed question threw me for a loop.

"Dash!" Twilight berated, and I watched Fluttershy shift pink a little. Hmm. As much as I faulted her bluntness, she had indeed defused Twilight's self-loathing. I wondered how much of it she did on purpose.

Rarity snickered softly in amusement, though. "While I abhor her wording, I must say that a few details might be permissible, no?" she suggested calmly, taking another small bite of her sandwich. She, on the other hoof, was obviously just curious. I swallowed weakly and glanced back at Twilight for support. She stared agape at Rarity instead.

"Um, d-did you l-like somepony uh, back in y-your old dimension?" Fluttershy asked in a shaky, unsure voice. I froze and slowly turned to look at her, horrified. Not her too! Letting out a squeak, she momentarily looked mortified before covering her mouth and going scarlet. "Oh! Oh, dear. I'm s-sorry. I didn't mean to m-make you uncomfortable. You don't have to tell us an-anything, if you don't want," she rapidly apologized, voice fading fast until I wasn't sure if she was still talking.

Sighing, I shook my head weakly, losing my blush somewhat. "I guess there's not much to hide, really. From what we've gathered, my world had an extreme gender ratio. I don't believe I had actually seen a female before coming here," I explained quietly.

All three mares looked surprised, minus Twilight of course. Rainbow, sadly, recovered fastest. She smirked and nodded towards me. "I'm surprised you realized we were female at all, then. The whole pony thing, tossed in," she remarked, sounding amused, slowly biting down on a chip, almost as emphasis as she remained eye locked with me.

"Ah, well um, I didn't at first, but I'm not naïve. Uh," I muttered, blushing yet again. I tried really hard not to look at Fluttershy. Now that's something I definitely didn't want to have to explain!

Rainbow snickered and looked absolutely impish. "Ooh, it makes sense, then," she agreed.

I was unsure if I wanted to know but curiosity got the better of me and I asked, "What does?"

"You ogling Twi's flank as she turned," she answered simply, giving me a wink. Yup, definitely shouldn't have asked.

"What?!" Twilight exclaimed, shifting bright crimson and looking over towards me with an utterly shocked expression, her sandwich falling out of the air.

I did my best to bury my head in my forelegs.

"Um, you really shouldn't, well, turn like that in front of him. It's n-not polite in the f-first place," Fluttershy spoke up, in the closest I'd heard to a stern voice from her.

"Er, huh? Wait, is she telling the t-truth? But," Twilight started stuttering in confusion, sounding extremely flustered from my hidden position.

A light nuzzling sensation occurred to my left shoulder suddenly and I shuddered, trying my hardest not to freak out and run away. "Shh. Its okay, M-Mender. It's not your f-fault she showed you t-that," Fluttershy assured in a shaken, but soothing voice.

"Hey! I didn't intentionally show him anything!" Twilight denied, suddenly sounding a little miffed.

Rainbow laughed almost continuously through the exchange, rolling around at the base of the couch when I peeked out. "This is hilarious! You should chill a little. Just take it as a compliment, Twi," she suggested, grinning mirthfully.

"A compliment?! That he wants to, ug! Do things with me?!" she asked, looking somewhat disturbed. A metaphorical boulder ran me over about then and I went back into hiding, wishing somepony would mercy kill me. Okay, so feelings for other ponies weren’t working out very well in this dimension. About as well as modesty and self-esteem it seems.

"Well yeah! I mean, you can't all have smokin' hot bodies like mine," Rainbow teased, sounding deeply amused, but I definitely picked up the joking tone. Let's hope Twilight did.

Fluttershy let out a tired sighing noise and I heard nothing at all from Twilight, which struck me as a bad sign.

"Relax, girls. We're letting this get out of hoof. Surely, he meant no harm by it. And you shouldn't tease him either unless you mean to act upon it, Rainbow," Rarity chastised.

Dash looked momentarily shocked and I tried to keep the weak chuckle in. She thought I was gross and already had her sights set on somepony else. No need to worry there. Filtering it, I added, "She thinks I'm gross. No need to worry about teasing me, Rarity."

"Hey! You're not gross. You know I just have my sights set on, uh," Rainbow started before trailed off. Her cheeks suddenly lit up and she glanced over at Rarity, who gave her a raised eyebrow in return. Well I had tried to spare her. She was just lucky Rarity hadn’t seen her earlier display. If she was already out here, the cloud bank that blocked it from Ponyville and Sweet Apple Acres wouldn’t have helped much.

There was a long moment's hesitation as I saw Dash visibly start to fluster. "Oh, will you look at the time. I have weather duties to do. Sorry! Gotta fly!" she spewed out rapidly a few seconds later.

"Wait," was all Rarity got out before she shot off into the sky, faster than the eye could follow. Several seconds passed, then a half consumed chip bag landed on my head with a quiet rustling sound. I sighed. At least it wasn't apples...

Chapter 11

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The walk back to town was exceedingly uncomfortable. Twilight hadn't said another word since the awkward conversation over lunch. She just walked along behind me with her head down and cheeks scarlet. Fluttershy was also behind me, after having insisted that I walk in front so I didn't see anything awkward. She seemed to be referring to Twilight, but I couldn’t be sure. I felt kind of like a little schoolboy being punished, really. The worst part was that I couldn't read either of their expressions. Neither of them seemed outwardly angry at me, which confused and frustrated me. I'd almost rather take yelling than this strange alienation. Spike shot me a confused shrug from Twilight's back before I turned my head to face forwards again. Rarity, seeming totally unfazed by the events, walked directly to my right. She looked deep in thought however so I decided not to bother her. I guess the Elements of Harmony were imperfect enough to have disagreements. Oddly, I could relate a little better with that.

Once again, I wore saddlebags. These were Twilight's picnic bags this time. I found an odd comfort in wearing them. Honestly, they didn't really cover much or protect me all that well, but it was more a psychological effect of carrying them. The extra weight, this time of three stones alongside the picnic supplies, made me feel a little more stable on my hooves as well. It was Rarity's idea that I be the one to carry the accursed things, having shown an ability to somewhat resist them just in case they decided to seep through the fabric or something. I doubted they would as they hadn't affected the shovel, ground, or the fabric when we put them into the bags. Still, it couldn't hurt.

It was a long twenty minutes of walking before we got back to the library. Rarity parted ways, saying she had fabric in today that she needed to sort and unpack. Fluttershy seemed hesitant but followed us into the building. Twilight slowly climbed the stairs to the loft immediately and I purposefully turned away as deliberately as possible, in order to not be accused of ogling again. Spike shook his head and followed after her. Fluttershy watched them go, before sighing tiredly again. When I glanced over, she noticed and gave me a worn out smile.

"You okay?" I asked her quietly.

She nodded, and her smile got a bit more warmth to it. "Yes, thank you. I'll go up and talk to her. Try to get her to calm down again," she offered, starting towards the stairs.

"What do you think is the matter?" I asked her, hoping for insight.

"She's a very um, disciplined pony. She's probably never considered the uh, t-topic before and is over-reacting to an obvious joke," she reasoned, sounding extremely diplomatic.

I sighed and nodded, wishing I could ask the same of herself. I settled with, "Are you sure you're all right?"

Fluttershy didn't say anything for a few moments. Gazing directly at me, she smiled and a light blush crept up her cheeks. "I'm fine. It makes me happy you're concerned for me though. You um, we should talk more. And I want to l-look at your injuries again," she suggested.

A light twinge of sadness slipped through me but I squished it down fast. Fluttershy still looked surprised momentarily, but I quickly flashed a warmer smile seconds later.

"That sounds good. Perhaps I'll drop by tomorrow?" I offered.

Fluttershy observed me with careful speculation, but then smiled and nodded timidly. "Um, y-yes, that would be g-good. I'll go see if I can talk to Twilight, t-then," she agreed, and I kicked myself for letting her see that falter.

"Tell her I'm sorry, for what it's worth," I added, frowning again and looking up the stairs. Fluttershy nodded and turned, and I was snagged in hesitation. She was to the base of the stairs, when I continued with, "And to you, too."

She stopped, with her right forehoof on the first step, pink mane shifting forwards gently. She peeked back at me questioningly, eyes locking with my own as I watched her. She was so pretty. It upset me that she didn't feel the same but I didn't want that feeling upsetting her, or getting in the way of our friendship.

Her eyes softened and she blushed again before giving a single shake of her head. The warm smile said she forgave me, but the headshake indicated either otherwise, or disagreement with something else entirely. I had no idea what the blush meant. "T-Tomorrow," is all she said before heading back up the stairs.

I sighed weakly, exhaling the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. Something had to be done. If I was going to fit in here, I needed to get myself under control. This was causing tension which was throwing everypony off balance in extremely subtle ways. To distract myself, I went about unpacking the saddlebags after slipping them off of myself and onto a nearby table. Carefully adjusting the stones through the fabric, I shifted them until I could get at the picnic supplies instead. I moved them out of the bags first and then just stared at the rocks. One side contained two rocks, and the other contained the other rock and a sealed bag of soil and grass samples from the crater. Twilight had collected them before going emotionally comatose, I recalled. Another twinge of guilt struck me and I sighed wearily. I needed to get a hold on my emotions.

Then the proverbial light bulb flashed on in my head. Turning from the saddlebags, I looked around the main room curiously. Walls and walls of carefully organized books met my gaze and I smiled. Surely I wasn't the first with this issue. Maybe there was some sort of magic already formulated to help?

I trotted over to the nearest shelf and tried to get a grasp of how the books were organized. Twilight didn't seem to keep any index cards for the place so she must use some sort of organization method, right? It didn't take any time at all to realize they were alphabetized. Rapidly going along the shelves, I got down to the 'S' section in reasonably short order.

Spells, spells... Twilight was a magic user, so she had to have spell books somewhere. After searching for several minutes, I rapidly got frustrated. There was nothing on spells directly at all. History, background information, important ponies, styles... No application or technique to be found. Crap. Then it dawned on me. This was a public library. Twilight's personal books would be upstairs in her bookcases I saw earlier.

My ears deflated back and I sagged, wandering back over to the table the saddlebags were on. I heard voices and debated if I should listen or not. Of course, they probably assumed I was down here. I mean, I didn't exactly have anyplace else I could go.

"You know how Rainbow Dash is, Twilight," I heard Spike say, from somewhere near the stairs. He sounded a little frustrated.

"I know, I know. I just don't know how to feel. I don't have time for a boyfriend, with all of my studying," Twilight muttered, sounding stressed. What?! I did a double take, and was definitely listening now. Screw propriety!

"Twilight, all he did was accidentally l-look at your f-flank when you turned. You're overreacting," Fluttershy spoke softly. Well uh, true I guess. I started considering my own feelings.

Twilight was definitely pretty and really nice to me, most of the time. She got distracted a lot though, and it really didn't look like somepony else was a priority in her life at the moment. But Fluttershy had her animals she took care of, in which I got classified into, sadly. That kept her rather busy, probably. Neither of them liked me like that, to my knowledge. I however, saw good traits towards both. I frowned. I certainly couldn't have both, obviously. But neither wanted me anyway so why was I even thinking about this?!

I set my head down on my hooves at the table. Frustration boiled over and I felt like smashing my head repeatedly into the flat surface. That just left the problem as my own. Time to buck up and just deal with it, I suppose. Teaching my vulgar body a lesson also sounded like an idea if I could find a way to butcher the hormones. There was the answer. I mean, obviously all of this frustration was just chemicals. I didn't want myself to actually be the cause of all of these issues. There had to be a way for me to fix the chemicals, right?

"I've never done this before and couldn't find a book on it anywhere. What does that mean?" Twilight asked, sounding as frustrated as I was. That was easy enough to answer. Although, was it? I started to question my own desires, so I wasn't so sure anymore.

There was a sardonic sigh. "That he's into mares and thinks you're cute? It seems simple enough to me," Spike groaned out. Well yeah, but which mare was I into?

"But he likes you, Fluttershy. I already said that! What does that mean?" she returned, confused and frustrated sounding.

A ball of ice fell into my stomach. She told Fluttershy? But she was supposed to keep that a secret. Why did she tell her? More importantly, when did she tell her?

"Are you s-sure? Oh dear. That's why he w-was upset then. I'm so s-stupid," Fluttershy muttered, barely audible.

There was a light chortle from Spike, then, "You just now realized how it sounded?" Spike was acting like he knew what she had said before I mentioned something to Twilight this afternoon. Wait, he was asleep when I was talking about that!

"Spike! You aren't stupid, Fluttershy. Relax. He can't like both of us and he likes you, so he must not like me, right?" Twilight reasoned.

"B-But what if he d-does like both of us? Or if he hates me now that I w-was so stupid?" Fluttershy asked, sounding hurt. I didn't hate her. My brain felt like it was stuffed with lukewarm mud. Damn it. Everything was falling apart. What hadn't I been told? Who had said what to whom?

"No, just, ug. I can't think about this right now. I have these readings to analyze. Oh no, he sleeps up here, too!" Twilight exclaimed, getting louder and faster with her speech. I heard her shift closer to the right corner, where the cot was. She started to sound panicked, which was something I could relate to, as well.

"So? He did last night too," Spike reminded, sounding a little annoyed now. Oh no. Don't make her even more agitated, Spike!

There was a momentary pause. "W-What if he t-tries something, t-though?" she asked. Another ball of ice joined the first in my stomach. Why would I..?

"Why would he do that, Twilight? He wouldn't f-force you. He's a nice pony," Fluttershy asked, voice getting a little stronger. I blushed lightly.

"But what if I," she started, before trailing off weakly. What if she what? I swallowed painfully, dreading what she must think of me in her mind. "No. Just no. He sleeps somewhere else for now. I need to think. And compile this data," she finally decided. Ball three joined, and I started to shiver. I tried to blink away moisture in my eyes, wishing I had a time machine to go back and fix everything. Or just bitch slap and garrote myself before I left the crater.

"B-But what about his b-bed?" Fluttershy asked, suddenly sounding panicked.

There was a snarl of frustration above me, somewhat akin to what I presumed a lion pouncing on a large goat would sound like. "It's the Apple Family's bed, not his! And I don't care!" Twilight shouted.

There was a loud crashing noise, followed by Spike's exclaimed, "Whoa, Twilight!" The bed suddenly slid down the stairs violently, legs folded up under it and popping stubby wheels out in their place. Not that the wheels were helping its violent descent much. I swallowed heavily and just stared at the bed that lay there on the floor.

Well, that confirmed it. Because of my stupidity, I was homeless again. Wow. A simple gaze caused all of this. One I hadn't really even thought about at the time. I decided a lot of this would be easier to shrug off if it wasn't mostly my doing, of course. I felt a couple warm streaks slide down my cheeks but I shook my head rapidly, sending them flying. I should leave them be and let feelings cool off. It sounded like a reasonable idea, in light of the mental image of being flung out the second story window by similar energy that propelled the bed.

Glancing over at the saddlebags, I decided the stones were probably safer here. Twilight would probably be pissed if I took her saddlebags with me, anyway. Having nothing of my own, I reminded myself, I didn't exactly have anything to carry them with. With nothing left to do, I wandered over to my cot. Well, Applejack's cot. It didn't take me long to find leather straps on the front of the mattress.

* * * * *

Son of a bitch, this thing was heavy. I mean sure, it had wheels, but they were tiny and obviously not meant for distance. It didn't help that the straps were awkwardly angled and I had to balance the strap carefully across my collarbone, or else it would slip downwards and trip me, or slip upwards and choke me. The setup was starting to seriously chafe my flanks, too!

Still, I must have been quite the strange sight. A bandaged up, emaciated stallion with no cutie mark, dragging a folding cot down the road while crying pitifully like an idiot? Well rumor had probably already spread that I was batshit insane, so maybe they were jaded to strange behavior from me by now? Me, bitter? Nah. A few ponies stopped to whisper but I was largely avoided. Wise. Never talk to the crazy ones. I momentarily entertained thoughts of this being all one long and detailed hallucination, and me being locked away in some padded room somewhere for my own safety. Ah well. Thoughts like that would hardly do if this was the reality I was restricted to anyway. Who cared about what wasn't right in front of them?

The makeshift harness suddenly went taut and yanked my head back! Choking and flailing my forehooves into the air, I realized my own back hooves were wedging me in place. Trying not to panic, I shifted backwards, bracing my neck against the leather, and falling back away from it onto my haunches. With the strap loosened now, I took welcomed gulps of sweet, sweet air.

Okay, what the hell?! I whipped my head around, and came face to face with two bright blue eyes and a whole lot of pink. Aw, crap.

"Hiya! Hehe, you're messy," Pinkie Pie pointlessly observed, whilst standing on the mattress. My impromptu landing had knocked up a lot of dust which I assumed had coincidentally mixed with the tear streaks. I probably looked like a drunken, washed out punk rocker or something. The metaphor would probably be lost in this world, though.

"Now I have streaks of mud, rather than water on my face. Thank you, Pinkie," I groaned irritably.

She giggled in absolute delight, though. "You're welcome, Mender!" she exclaimed. Sarcasm was lost on her as well, I noted. Wait, I hadn't told her my name.

I opened my mouth to ask, but a sigh came out and I clamped it shut again. No. I'd never told Fluttershy about my crush either but she knew now. Probably the same effect, as both Rarity and Rainbow Dash could have told any number of ponies. Why ask, then?

Pinkie watched me for a few seconds before giggling. "Well somepony's all frowny-faced today. We're gonna have to fix that!" she declared, as if diagnosing me with the common cold. I noticed she made no attempt to actually figure out what was wrong.

"Don't you have a job to tend to about now?" I asked, groaning lightly as I stood up.

"Nope! Today's a day off so I shall devote it to you," she pledged, throwing a cute salute and puffing herself up. Damn it.

I sighed and shook my head. "I'll be fine. I just need to give Twilight some space is all," I assured, picking the leather strap back up in my teeth. I'd gotten a lot more flexible with what I put in my mouth, I noticed. Maybe because it was effectively the only body part that I could grasp things with?

"Aww, but I need to eat up all these muffins and you were going to AJ's farm anyway. Might as well share," she whined, making a silly pouting face. Wait, muffins? What the hell did that have to do with hanging around me? As if on cue, she smirked and pulled an entire tray of them out of her side saddle, all of them somehow still on the thing. Well dang. My head suddenly started to hurt from the attempt at fully processing how she did that.

My stomach betrayed me with a rumble and she snickered merrily. I suddenly remembered that I had technically eaten absolutely nothing at the picnic earlier. Er, hold on, I was going to Sweet Apple Acres? Turning to look, I noticed I was indeed aimed in the direction of the farm. Dang. Pinkie's intelligence was subtle but irrefutable. Her seemingly innocent insanity might just be a ruse to throw us off the scent of her master plans! Suddenly she was even more of a monster than I had originally thought. What if she was leading everypony astray with her cute and innocent demeanor while secretly plotting the downfall of Equestria?!

"Twitchy twitches say Applejack needs some help, anyway! And muffins! They're always needed," she added, pointing in the direction of the farm.

Or I could be jumping to conclusions again, I decided. "Muffins? Really?" I asked, giving in to the fact that she wasn't going to leave, or get off the mattress. I groaned as I pulled and got up momentum again. I was very careful to balance the strap further onto my chest this time, lest I be accidentally garroted instead.

"Of course! Beats cupcakes, right?" she reasoned. Ug. I tried not to think of either cupcakes or Rainbow Dash. That was a low blow, Pinkie. Sighing, I hauled us at a moderate turtle's pace towards the farm.

* * * * *

"But are you sure that's true?" I asked, finding it shocking at best.

Pinkie nodded to my left in my peripheral vision. We rode down a rather large hill, traveling down a light dirt path that seemed to be heading towards the prominent barn on the property. The mattress made for a very nice makeshift cart after I jury-rigged a stick into the front two wheels. It formed a simple bent axle I could 'steer' with the leather strap.

"Of course. Muffins are the best for long journeys. They can last practically forever. But cookies beat 'em out, pound for pound in space saving," she repeated.

I did the calculations, and realized she was right, due to surface area taken into account. "Amazing! I never would have thought of that," I admitted.

"I've packed for long trips before. You always need a towel too, no matter what. Oh, and a book to keep entertained!" she explained, waving her hoof in front of her, as if making a point to a lecture hall.

Towel, book, muffins. Got it. I made a mental note to stock up on these vital items as soon as possible. "But what about the maple syrup?" I asked, suddenly confused.

"It makes good adhesive and it's yummy! Or do you prefer caramel?" she asked, tilting her head towards me. Crap! I had never thought about it before. Had I been doing everything wrong up until now?

I frowned. "I think the caramel would be easier managed, but only in colder temperatures. Otherwise, I'd have to say syrup, so it depends on the climate traveled to?" I reasoned.

Pinkie Pie made a squeal of delight and nodded enthusiastically. "Wow, you're right! I'll have to add that to my notes later. I never thought of that," she replied, sounding giddy again. Her energy was infectious and I found myself smiling and nodding along with her as we reached the bottom of the hill.

Applejack rounded the side of the barn, apparently hearing the noises, and gave us the most confused look I'd ever seen. "What in tarnation are ya all doin'?"

"I woke up this morning and I was twitchy twitchin' with my Pinkie Sense, and knew you'd need help today so I made supper and brought it here, but then I was worried about how much I could have fit in my pack, and we were discussing if I could have put more treats in it, or fit an extra muffin or two, but eventually decided that I couldn't possibly fit anything else in the saddlebags!" Pinkie enlightened, in one long, unceasing statement. When did she take time to inhale?

Applejack gave her a deadpan look for a few seconds, before releasing a sigh and nodding. "Dead on as usual, Sugarcube. Big Mac an' ah couldn't get back ta the house on account o' the cart we brought bustin'. We could definitely use some food, if ya are in ah sharin' mood," she explained, looking a tad glum before noticing me again, and adding, "And what brings ya here, as well?"

"I met him on the way! He was all dirty and I was all, you're coming with me to feel better and help! And then there were frogs! It was so cool!" she spilled out, before I could even open my mouth. She only seemed to have one volume when excited. Wait, help? She never mentioned I was supposed to... Oh no. No, she promised!

"Pinkie! We promised to never speak of the frogs again," I reminded, glaring at her. The stain on my memory and purity was just too great. No, I had just repaired my relationship with Applejack, as well.

Pinkie gasped and looked pleadingly back at me. AJ just looked bewildered. "But, but, please? How you used that vine and tree bark was so creative," she whined. Ug.

"Please no, Pinkie," I begged, falling at her hooves and looking hopefully up at her. I hadn't even known they could jump that high! Or stretch like that.

Applejack exhaled sharply, looking a little worn down. "Ah really don't care anymore," she muttered, looking back up at me from her sudden stupor. Her eyes subtly traced the lines that ran down my cheeks and then shifted down to the cot. She stared at it for a few seconds, while Pinkie started playing with my mane, as I was still at her hooves. Oddly, she seemed sated now, as if she had never intended to tell Applejack to begin with.

"Ya can move the cot inside the barn fer tonight," Applejack suddenly spoke up, gesturing in the direction of the building.

Wait, what? Just like that, it was okay for me to stay? "You mean I um, I can stay here?" I asked tentatively.

Pinkie giggled gently and patted my on the head. "Of course. She's not gonna put the cot in the barn for its own sake is she?" she 'reasoned', smiling at me knowingly. Hey! Unfair. If she was immune to sarcasm, she wasn't allowed to use it for herself.

"Ah expect ta find out why Twilight kicked ya out eventually, mind ya. Ah just need ta get our supplies back ta the house before tonight. We're supposed ta get rain, an' the barn ain't as dry as it used ta be," Applejack added, giving me a warmer smile and a nod before turning and trotting back around the barn.

I felt a little warmer, glad that she was willing to give me a chance to explain it. She probably assumed I was a more innocent form of insane now, rather than a deranged molester or murderer. Wait, not as dry?

Pinkie smiled happily and much to my confusion, hopped around the barn instead of walking, following after Applejack. Ug. I stopped caring. It was still a roof, which was better than the tree I was anticipating hijacking. Which said something, considering the luck I had with trees, really. I gave a grunt and continued pulling the mattress forward and around the side of the barn.

I was able to get it inside easily enough, with the main door open like it was. The inside of the barn was a little smaller than I recalled before I realized that the process of loading it with apple crates had started. They seemingly got the bottom filled up first, which didn't surprise me. I went over to the corner directly to the right of the door and set the cot down there, kicking the legs down on it again. My makeshift axle popped loose, and I smiled as I undid the straps with my hooves. It was a clever little idea but I tried not to let it go to my head. On a whim, I also grabbed the coiled up vine lengths I had on the back of the mattress, and dropped them in front with the axle and leather strap. How we managed to swing that far without hitting any trees was beyond me. I shuddered and pushed the memory away, hopefully forever.

Peeking over at the cart, I noticed the same red stallion from earlier. I shuddered and realized just how massive he looked close up. He was at least a full head taller than me and easily twice as heavy. There wasn't a bit of him that wasn't muscled, though. It was more than a little intimidating.

"Ug, still no go on the fixin'?" Applejack asked, sliding down onto her tummy and peeking under the collapsed cart. Now that I was looking closer, I saw she had quite a bit of muscle as well. A part of me wished I had a little more shape to me, aside from 'stringy' and 'squishy'. Those weren't appreciated adjectives.

"Nnnope. Got the wheel back on, thou'," he replied in a low, but calm voice.

Frowning, I walked over, ignoring Pinkie playing with the pulley system in the background, and looked under the cart as well. The axle was very plainly split in two and I predicted what had happened. The wheel had popped off as they were loading it and the cart had tipped and smashed the end of the axle into the ground with the full weight behind it. Big Mac groaned as he lifted the snapped axle up again, trying to line it up so the broken ends wedged themselves together. I shook my head weakly.

"That's not going to work. If you're lucky, you'd get maybe ten more feet before it rotated out of place and snapped again," I warned, not wanting them to waste the effort.

Applejack looked over at me from under the cart, wearing a frown. "What? Aww, pony feathers. We need ah professional ta come an' take ah gander, then?" She groaned, sounding frustrated. I was hearing that a lot today. This frustration I could fix, though.

Looking around, it didn't take me long to spot an older, retired looking dusting broom lying against the wall with other, newer ones. The bristles were frayed and it looked like they were getting ready to replace it. Perfect! I trotted over to it with a slightly more enthusiastic step and grabbed it in my mouth. Mmm, dust and wood. My favorite flavor.

Big Mac gave me an interested, yet reserved look as he watched me carry the broom back. There was a light thudding noise, followed by, "Ow!" Applejack slowly sat up on the other side of the cart, rubbing her head with a hoof.

I sat down upon reaching them and gave the dust broom head an experimental nudge with my right forehoof. As anticipated, it rotated. Encouraged, I spun the head around until it slowly popped off. The length was just about perfect! I spit out the wooden pole and smiled at Applejack. "The old axle is toast but if we replace it with this, then secure the wheels on to both ends, I bet we can at least get the cart back to the house," I explained rapidly.

AJ went from a perplexed stare to a warm smile. "Well ah'll be. That'll be mighty useful. Thank ya, Mender. Think we can swap 'er out, Bro?" she asked, turning back to Big Mac.

"Eeyup!" he answered simply, with a gentle smile and brisk nod. He then nudged the side of the cart up with ease, and Applejack turned around and used her back leg to start to pry the wheel off. I saw that it was a simple insert with a peg locking system, and frowned. Screws with a peg lock were much more secure. No wonder it popped off.

An idea popped into my head and I trotted rapidly over to the cot again. "Hey, Pinkie! Could you help me carry these vines over? We can secure the wheels with them," I requested, accepting that the broom handle didn't have holes put through each end for the peg locks. We'd just have to improvise.

"Okie Dokie Lokie!" she agreed whimsically, letting go of the rope in her mouth. I watched the lift smash into the floor with a dull thud but she seemed unfazed. Instead, she pranced over and snagged the second coil in her mouth. I chuckled at her before picking up my own and following.

Applejack smiled as both of us arrived, lining up the new 'axle' while Big Mac slid it through the bearings. After it was secure, he went around the back of the cart and lifted it up using his back, causing it to rise at an angle after the forward shafts hit the ground. Taking cue, Applejack hooked the fallen wheel on her side, and propped it up, sliding it onto the pole. I dropped my vine bundle and quickly repeated the movements on my side, earning another soft smile from the mare.

"Aw, shucks. It's too small. The wheels don't," she started to add a moment later, losing her smile. Pinkie trotted up first, interrupting her by presenting the vine length. Applejack stared at it for a few seconds before getting my idea and smirking. Big Mac gave a knowing smile and nod, before slowly letting the cart body down. I held my breath lightly, as everypony eagerly watched.

The broom handle held. I exhaled in relief and picked up one end of the vine at my hooves again. I saw Pinkie go to town on her side as well and smiled at the energetic mare. Not wanting to be called lazy, I quickly got to work securing the wheel, wondering why I had been taught how to tie knots as an engineer as well. Well, I suppose the basics would be useful regardless and were probably taught to everypony. Er, everyone.

It took barely thirty seconds for us to finish and all four of us backed away from the cart to admire our work. Honestly, I couldn't help but laugh as I saw Pinkie's side. Our styles were totally different. Mine was methodical, securing the wheel with mechanical precision and bundling the remainder. Pinkie's was elaborate and fluid, forming the excess into a large, cute bow tie. She grinned mirthfully at me as I laughed and Applejack snickered, patting her gently on the shoulder. My breath caught as I watched, eyes widening. Even if for only a moment, I was envious. In that split second, between the look I saw them share with each other, I realized they were truly friends. It was impossible to put into words. A warmth and knowing familiarity. An assurance of trust and companionship. Nothing really gave the feeling justice. Suddenly, I wanted to feel that for myself, like a parched pony might want the rain. In disdain, I glanced back down at my knot and noted its distinct lack of personality. I huffed quietly but was washed out by Applejack talking.

"Well ah'll be. This might just work," she declared, sounding deeply relieved.

"Eeyup. Ya judged him too fast, Sis," Big Mac slowly added.

Applejack blushed and momentarily looked away from me. I looked down awkwardly, really wishing they'd just put that behind them already. "Ah reckon yer right. To be honest, it was downright unfair o' me. Ya have mah apologies," she interrupted, causing me to start and look up again. She was watching me, eyes much softer and that smile back again that heated me up a little inside. Friendship. That seemed to be a reoccurring theme to my thoughts, lately.

Regardless, I shook my head rapidly and smiled back. "No, it's alright, Miss Applejack. I'm just happy to be helpful," I assured. To my surprise, she slipped around the front of the cart and circled to my side. I fidgeted a little.

"Yer ah right gentlecolt. Rarity was speakin' true. Although ya can drop the 'Miss', an' just call meh Applejack or AJ, fer short," she offered, stopping a yard away or so and nodding affirmative with a smile. I relaxed a little and nodded back, still somewhat unsure of how to handle myself around her.

My thought process was deeply disrupted as two hooves extended to each side of my head, hooked the corners of my mouth, and distended my lips into a horribly exaggerated smile, causing me to flail about and bulge my eyes out. What the crap?! "More smiles, Mr. Frowny Face," Pinkie announced from behind me, causing me to inwardly sigh. What, did she have a quota or something?

Applejack snickered in amusement at her antics and just shook her head. "Well we'll talk more when we git indoors. It'll start rainin' soon now an' ah wanna get these supplies back ta the house before it does," she reminded, turning back around and giving a nod to Big Mac, who was now attached to the front of the cart via the collar he always seemed to wear.

For the first time, I got a good look at what she was hauling. Oddly, it looked like metal tools and some sort of cloth-like material that had light colored stains on it. Ah, so she didn't want the cloth getting wet before she could wash it? Weird. The tools were more obvious, though. Hammers, nails, and what seemed to be metal wedges. I glanced back towards the already packed up apple crates and saw that they were indeed sealed. So this was what they had used to seal up the crates after moving the apples into the barn? The cloth was probably to keep the apples that might have accidentally dropped from falling on the ground.

"Can ya watch ah wheel as we go, Mender? Ah'd feel better if we were careful in haulin' it back ta the house," she asked. I smiled and nodded politely to her, taking my place to the left of the cart. She nodded back and took the right side of the cart herself. Pinkie, of course, dived onto the top of it, and grinned over the side at Big Mac, as he smirked at her.

"Giddy up, big guy!" she exclaimed merrily, with a playful wink to him.

Big Mac gave a light chuckle before starting out at a light trot, easily pulling the entirety of the cart by himself. Holy crap! I figured he was going to pull it by himself but I didn't think he'd manage it so easily. He made it look like he was just strolling casually. I got a lovely image of my collarbone and shoulders snapping off if I tried doing the same thing.

Gulping lightly, I followed the cart as it headed off back to the house. This day was certainly going quite differently from how I'd anticipated it when I woke up. Sighing lightly, I focused on keeping a steady eye on the cart wheel.

Chapter 12

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Yawning tiredly, I brushed the towel through my messy mane, gently picking up the excess moisture with the cloth. The room was dimly lit and I sat quietly, watching the warm fire crackle in the fireplace a meter or so in front of me. There was a definite earthy, homely feel to the house and I felt at ease. Tension I didn't realize I had slowly ebbed out of my shoulders and back, and I let the towel drape there on my head. The storm outside caused a light rainfall to come down, dancing lightly across the roof in a soothing pattern.

Smiling gently, I glanced over at the still drying orange mare nearer to the fire. She'd gotten as wet as I had in that last ten meter sprint for the house. Big Mac ran the cart to position and started undoing himself, while AJ and I grabbed the tools as fast as we could. Pinkie, who had yanked the sheet over herself and the tools when the rain started, kept the sheet around her the entire time, staying phenomenally dry. She surprised me by jumping onto Big Mac's back after we started gathering the tools, and acted like an umbrella while helping him undo his collar. As a result, she was damp, he was wet, and Applejack and I were soaked to the core. I tried really hard not to abuse the usage of the hammers I carried on Pinkie's skull. No, the moisture from the blood would probably oxidize the hell out of them. I sighed, realizing I wasn't really that mad at the gently swaying, pink mare to my right. She had her eyes closed and was softly humming a very gentle, surprisingly sleepy tune. I decided she'd actually done quite a bit for me today. Subtle, but she had cheered me up, distracted me, led me to where I could help, then shared muffins with all of us, all without requesting a single thing in return. She may act strange but she was totally all right in my book, I decided with a certain level of fondness.

My attention shifted again, momentarily observing the heavily bundled up Big Mac, who was wrapped in a larger towel with just his sleepy looking eyes peeking out. He looked oddly comfortable in there. He gave a quiet yet respectful nod to me and I smiled, nodding back in return before shifting my attention back to Applejack. Her coat was damp still, giving her a slightly 'fluffy' look that she'd probably belt me for mentioning. Mine probably looked similar anyway. A faint aroma of fur, mixed with the delightful yet light scent of apples drifted into my nose and I felt myself grow warmer, relaxing a little. It was far from an unpleasant sensation, but there was something else, practically unperceivable, mixed it. I gave up trying to identify the aroma after a few seconds and just let myself relax. My eyes danced along her Cutie Mark, and I absently wondered how she had gotten the triad of apples. Her special talent was obvious, but I couldn't help but wonder if I'd ever get such a mark. That mild sense of urgency danced about in my mind again.

Shaking the feeling, I distracted myself with the subtle shifting of the muscles under her skin. She was sleek, but corded with strength, probably from years of working on the farm. It was impressive, really. I quietly wished I was half as strong as her. I was eating better, but needed to pick up the exercise again. It was strange, as I doubted I had been quite this bad off in my prior body. Of course, who knew what I lost in the dimensional transfer? Maybe it had burned off vital constitutional energy or something.

Applejack's tail shifted lightly to the left and I watched the tie in the end of it ruffle along the floorboards quietly. I blushed lightly as the curve of her tail led my eyes directly back to where it met her body and I realized her shift had revealed more of the gentle curves back there. In mild mental panic, really not wanting a repeat of last time, I averted my eyes rapidly, shifting them the other direction along her body. Stupid, Mender! You don't want to piss her off a mere day after she started talking to you again.

My eyes locked directly onto hers however, and she wore an amused smirk. Aw crap. My blush brightened and I dropped my head onto my forehooves, letting my towel fall over my eyes and muzzle. Maybe if I didn't move, she couldn't see me!

There was a light, airy giggle followed by, "Ah think now's as good as any ta tell us what happened with Twi."

Double crap! Well, at least she shifted the topic from where I had dreaded it would pick up. "Ah, well she kinda got freaked out because I happened to um, catch a glimpse of her flank as she turned," I muttered, just wanting this over with.

There was a delay, and silence, before AJ sighed. "That's it? Fer real?" she questioned cautiously.

"Well mostly. Rainbow Dash called me out on it and might have made a bigger deal of it than expected," I added weakly, still hiding.

"Ah, that makes ah tad more sense. Twi tends ta be ah little, hmm, overthinkin' when somethin' she isn't familiar with is involved. What 'bout you?" she asked quietly, sounding curious.

Sighing, I tried to bury my head further. "Just frustrated. Don't mind me," I assured, silently pondering using the hammers on me instead.

"Ya sound ah little uh, tense, iffin' ah'm guessin' correctly," she remarked, earning a chuckle.

Regardless, she was dead on, and I confirmed, "More than a little."

Pinkie let out a quiet giggle, and I turned just in time to see her open her eyes and scoot closer, smiling at me. "You need to relax more. Should I plan another party for ya?" she asked.

"Ah no, it's okay, Pinkie. You helped me tremendously today and really yanked me out of my funk. It was," I started, before trailing off while watching the warmly smiling mare. Her bright blue eyes danced with a soft light that seemed to deny outright any traces of sadness at all. "I mean, thank you, Pinkie Pie. From the bottom of my heart," I muttered, giving up trying to find a proper wording.

She softened in expression before shaking her head lightly, giggling. "You're my friend now and I love cheering ponies up. So you're very super-duper welcome," she accepted. I started to smile but she surprised me by scooting up flat against me and tucking her legs up, gazing happily into the fire. I blushed again, but pulled this one inside much easier. The realization occurred that I didn't feel anything but friendship for this particular mare. It was distinctly different from Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle. It felt like a soft heat from my chest that left a pleasant sensation, not a wildfire that threatened to consume me, and left my head spinning and filled with hot cotton.

It was almost like Applejack could visually see the difference, somehow. Her expression softened to a warm smile and she nodded to me before looking back at the fire. I watched the flames dance for a little while as well, feeling the gentle thumping of the other pony's heart against my side. It was peaceful, and I just let my thoughts drift for the time being. It was strange, but at least that sense of urgency pulled back somewhat. A twinge of guilt replaced it. How would they react? That didn't take too many brain cells rubbing together to figure out. Pinkie would be deeply amused, and AJ would think I was nuts. Well, more nuts. Screw it. I'd rather be nuts than hide things from my supposed new friends.

"Um, I have a confession to make if, uh, if it's all right," I finally managed to get out.

Applejack gently turned to look at me, still smiling but now with a curious expression. Pinkie started against me but made a whimsical squeaking noise. "Ooo, secrets?" she asked, sounding wide awake now. Uh oh. Well, second thoughts be damned. Too late now.

"Yeah. A big one. It used to be between just Twilight, Spike, and myself, but this afternoon, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash found out. I guess I just wanted you ponies to not be left out," I explained, trying to keep my apprehension under control.

"Why Twilight an' Spike?" Applejack asked, expression neutral.

I sighed. That question was easy at least. "When the nurse diagnosed me with retrograde amnesia, Twilight came and tried to help me recover a few memories. She uh, stumbled upon some startling ones," I answered, blushing lightly. Not just Fluttershy's butt, either. The toweled mass that was Big Mac slowly rotated its head towards me and he also listened with a quiet interest.

"Oooh, big secrets! I promise not to tell anypony else! Cross my heart and hope to fly," she started, knocking me over as she sat up and flapped her arms in the air like a bird, before continuing, "Stick a cupcake in my eye!" She then poked her own eye with her hoof.

Aaah! My eye hurt just looking at her and I asked, "Wh-What was that?!"

Pinkie seemed unfazed and unhurt, giggling even, but Applejack smiled and beat her to the punch. "That there was ah Pinkie Pie Swear. Around 'ere, it's the most sacred o' promises. Ah add myself ta her pledge too," she informed, putting a hoof against her chest.

"Eeyup," Big Mac sleepily chimed in. I guess that meant he swore himself to secrecy as well. Not that I was too worried about him.

"Oh um, thank you for taking this seriously. I'm not entirely comfortable with it," I thanked, feeling a little better about telling them, at least.

"Ya don't have'ta tell us, Sugar Cube," Applejack spoke gently, and smiled. Her mane shone softly by the glow from the fire and it made her friendly demeanor all the warmer feeling.

I shook my head softly. "I know but I still feel like I should be honest," I added, frowning but remaining adamant. If I wasn't honest with the Element of Honesty, I had a sneaking suspicion she'd think less of me.

Applejack gave me a smile and nodded reassuringly. Pinkie, however, was utterly absorbed in my words, listening with a level of enthusiasm that was almost frightening. Sighing, I committed myself with a nervous swallow and launched into the story.

"Well to start, I'm kind of from another dimension..."

* * * * *

"Eeeeee, it's still so cool!" Pinkie exclaimed, bouncing around me in a circle in-between bouts of rolling and laughing.

Applejack smiled gently at her antics before looking back at me again. "Admittedly, it's ah might hard ta swallow but givin' yer reaction before ya said anything, an' the fact that Twi found it, ah suspect yer tellin' the truth," she remarked, with an oddly amused glint in her eyes as she looked me over again, seemingly in a new light.

"Of course he's telling the truth! I mean, sure I thought it was a super amazing and fun story at first and kept waiting for the punch line, but this is just so much cooler. A dimensional traveler! Just imagine. And now the 'no cutie mark' thing makes sense, well, more sense, not that it didn't before, but he obviously could have got one when he shifted forms. I mean, it would be really convenient but since he didn't, it must mean he doesn't know what he's really good at, which is even more exciting! There are so many things that we could try out and," Pinkie Pie started excitedly spewing forth, almost faster than I could keep up.

"Whoa Nelly, slow down there, Pinkie. Ya get right hard ta understand when excited. Ah'm interested too but let him get ah word in edgewise," Applejack interrupted with a light chuckle.

I smiled at them regardless. The reaction to the story was significantly better than I had worried it might be, so I honestly didn't care how excited she got at this point. "I was worried you'd think I was more nuts than already proven," I muttered, blushing lightly. Was it silly to assume AJ would take it badly?

The orange mare let out another soft chuckle, and shook her head softly. "It's definitely somethin', but ah actually think yer a tad more sane than ah originally gave ya credit for, an' ah apologize again. Ye were investigatin' the landin' point then when all that craziness happened?" she asked, frowning lightly.

I nodded quietly, shuttering as the cold sensation drifted back into my chest in remembering. "Yeah. Twilight wanted to test for magical energy. Fluttershy is all right, though," I assured again.

"Ooo, that's right. You saved her! Did she give you smooches?" Pinkie suddenly asked.

I think my brain hit the floor at roughly the same time as my jaw. Applejack just laughed though. "Ah think ya know Fluttershy ah bit more than that, Pinkie," she reminded.

Pinkie giggled and nodded. "Oh, I know. He's just oh so wuvably adorable when he blushes!" she admitted, halting her bouncing long enough to squish my cheeks together. They felt all the hotter for it and I tried my best to scowl at her, despite admitting she got me good.

"Yer horrible sometimes, Pinkie Pie," Applejack muttered, shaking her head and grinning. Pinkie gave her a knowing smirk and finally let go of my cheeks.

The three of us were interrupted by a light snoring noise. Looking over, we saw that Big Mac was quietly sleeping; his head down and tucked in the now dry towels. Applejack smiled warmly at him and nodded. "It is gettin' that time o' night. Ya can stay 'ere tonight, Pinkie. Ah don't want ya out in that rain," she spoke up. Oh yeah. Crap. It was raining.

I stood up shakily at the same time Applejack did and looked out the window. The barn was a good quarter of a kilometer from the house and I wasn't looking forward to sprinting back there. Well, whatever you called my fastest running pace. An energetic turtle? I couldn't see how wet it was in the dark but I could definitely hear the rain on the roof. Scratch that. I'm just going to walk. I'll be soaked regardless and walking has less chance of spontaneous injury for me.

Applejack shook her head curtly after closing the grate on the fireplace, disrupting my thoughts. "Don't yeh even think about it, either. Yer staying inside too," she warned, giving me a stubborn stare. Oh, well that changed things. Wait…

"Ooo! Who's he staying with? You only have one guest bedroom," Pinkie asked, looking impishly amused again.

Applejack gave a dry chuckle and an eye roll. I panicked slightly and added, "I can just stay with Big Mac, right?" I glanced over at where he was and jumped slightly when I realized he was gone. The towels were politely folded and left there, against the couch. Holy crap! How does somepony that large move so quietly?!

"He can be awfully quiet when he wants ta be. Probably ah good thing, as Applebloom an' Granny are asleep already," she explained, noting my surprise. Crap. Wait, the couch!

"I'll just stay on the couch, don't worry," I assured, smiling and waving a hoof nonchalantly through the air.

Pinkie pouted, but AJ just smiled and nodded. "Mighty right an' honest of ya, Mender. Ah know many ah stallion probably wouldn't think nothin' of tryin' his chances. We'll go over ta Twi's tomorrow an' have a talkin' with 'er, don't worry," she promised, giving a perky smile instead. Trying my chances? I swallowed lightly and nodded.

"I don't want to force her. If she'll have me back, all right, but if not I'll just have to find a different place to lay my head," I appended, trying not to show my concern.

"Yer ah hard worker, an' that brain'll come in handy, ah think. Ifin' she doesn't, we'll whip up somethin' in the barn for ya," Applejack offered, shifting back to a less energetic, but still warm smile.

"Thanks, Applejack. I'll help you out, even if she does let me stay with her," I added, hoping she didn't get the wrong impression prior. I mean, it's not like I had to live here in order to help around the farm. Besides, it might get some of my muscle mass back, eventually.

Applejack nodded again before pulling Pinkie towards the back, who was now giggling and looking like she was getting amusement from sliding backwards across the flooring, instead. Whew, she must have been joking about sharing a room with one of them. Pinkie felt like a friend and I didn't need Rainbow Dash actually trying to kill me for flirting with Applejack. The prior did a good enough job almost killing me when it was accidental.

Yawning, I curled up gently on the end of the couch closest to the fireplace. My eyes slowly closed and I let my thoughts drift. I was feeling much better about things but that sense of urgency reared up again. It was a while before I could get to sleep.

* * * * *

The sky was almost gone. Stars danced beyond what was left of the atmosphere, seen easily now. A rainbow hue followed the burning embers slowly across the horizon, as the air thinned. Space itself seemed to open up before me and I couldn't fully comprehend my place in things anymore. I felt so tiny, as thousands of stars shown above. We had lost. Our species was ended, like who knows how many prior. Did it matter? Ultimately, no. I'd have died sooner or later. Our species would have died out eventually. Our genetic anomaly was promising that, far more rapidly than we'd have liked. But even that was a moot point.

It all fell into perspective and my fragile personal thresholds tore away like tissue paper in a rainstorm. One day, none of it would matter anyway, even if they hadn't come. Everything ends. Maybe even time itself, if something were to live that long. And at the end of everything, long after our star is destroyed, the bits of our galaxy cool, and all of everything is reduced to a chilled nothingness, what's left? Them? Hardly. We killed some of them. They weren't indestructible and sometime in the future, their time would come too. Maybe that's what all this was about? Them, struggling meekly against their fate in a race for supposed immortality. It was a race that we hadn't wanted to compete in from the start.

My hand gently extended upwards, a light blue fur up to the knuckles of all three fingers and the thumb. Dark crimson coated the back of the hand from an inconsequential gash but I ignored it, reaching out and grasping at the stars as best I could. So beautiful. They were so foolish. Immortality was right here and they couldn't even see it.

The rainbow hue shone brightly through the splintering sky and I could still see shards of my final barrier in the air around me. The impossible heat was still present to my side somewhere and I knew this ball of rock that used to be a planet was going to come apart. I couldn't stop smiling. If there was an end of everything, I wish I could be there to see it. The amount of sorrow and joy the universe must contain. By the end, I bet it would be impossible to comprehend. Why was that so beautiful to me? Was it wrong to want to see and experience everything this universe had to offer?

The shard of my barrier closest to me shown with a rainbow hue and attracted my attention. A refraction of light from the atmosphere? My eyes widened as I saw a perfect image lining up inside of the shard, matching to the faded hues in the sky above. An expanding rainbow light, as glorious as the rising sun. Rainbow. Wait. Cyan blue met my eyes and my head hurt. The strangest sight of a pony inside of the shard appeared. She streaked away from the expanse, a streaming trail of prismatic light following her. It was as beautiful as the sky above.

Rainbow Dash. Equestria. It wasn't a dream. It couldn't be. Was this the dream? Which was it? Maybe both were real. She drew me towards her excitement and I felt her energy almost calling to me. Through me. My eyes widened as I felt the pulse of energy running through my veins. That final spell. It was keeping me alive. I was still alive. The cords of rainbow light danced from what was left of my chest and I felt nothing. Trying not to cry, I traced the energy gently with my fingers until they got to the floating shards and faded away. The energy went somewhere else. Somewhere that wasn't here. Why couldn't I just follow it and never look back?

Closing my eyes again, I could almost hear them. Was this a memory too? Was any of this real or was I already dead? I heard my name, a gentle whisper of a voice calling out to me. Was it my name? No. But it was my new one, which I now felt was more important. Coughing weakly, I fought through the fog in my mind and went as best I could towards the voice.

* * * * *

"…lease, wake up now, Mender. You need to wa…" echoed through my mind. I winced and coughed weakly, feeling cold inside. My head spun and my eyes cracked open. It was mostly dark still, the sun barely lighting a sliver of the horizon. My vision was fuzzy, and a light silhouette of a pony flickered in my vision, between me lying on the couch and the window.

"…sleeping still. I'm scared. I think it's…" echoed in and out, and I groaned, feebly trying to shift my left leg to block some of the light from the window, so I could hear her. Her. It was a mare. I almost, maybe, recognized the voice. Who was it? The echoing continued with, "…nightmare. It has to be. You… wake up! I'm scared…" She was almost too quiet to hear, and I reached out towards her, trying to touch her. She let out a quiet whimper that resounded in ghost sounds throughout my head and tried to nuzzle my outstretched hoof as I extended it. I smiled warmly momentarily before another coughing fit struck me.

Gasping and wheezing for breath, I clutched at my chest with my other hoof as best I could. It felt like shards of ice were buried in my lungs and it hurt to inhale. I jerked awake more and looked back up again, only to find myself alone in the living room. The light bled softly through the window, giving a gray illumination to my world. My head swam with a lukewarm mud sensation and I tried to stand. There was little strength in my legs and the only thing I accomplished was falling off the couch with a sick, wet thud. Wait, wet?

My eyes widened as I saw the light dance across my stretched out forelegs, as I sprawled there on the floor. Thick, black veins extended down my skin, and a damp sweaty sheen coated my fur almost completely. I managed to shift my head down enough to see a mass of darkened, poisonous looking veins extending from under the bandage wrapped around my chest. Son of a bitch. Why now? Why me? Fluttershy had healed up entirely in a matter of minutes. Why wasn't it going away on me as well?!

Trying really hard not to pass out again, I pushed my foreleg against the floor and got both my front legs up, trying to lift myself. It felt like they were made out of putty and I struggled to stop them from shaking as I saw drops of sweat touch down on the floorboards. A light clinking sound came from behind me somewhere. In the act of turning to look, I slipped sideways and collapsed to the floor again with a wet slapping noise. Giving up, I just lay there, trying to catch my breath through the chunky agony that was my lungs. I saw a light coming from what appeared to be the kitchen. I hadn't really paid much attention to the layout of the house last night.

"Is that ya out there, Big Mac? Yer up awfully early," I heard a sleepy sounding Applejack ask quietly, peeking her head out of the door frame with what looked like a small cup of water in her muzzle.

For a moment, she seemed perplexed to not see the large, red stallion, but then she looked over at me, lying on the floor. A heartbeat went by where she stared at me without recognition. It was over in less than a second and she dropped her water cup as her eyes widened. "Mender! Are ya okay?" she asked, rapidly rushing over to where I was.

I tried to speak but my throat was too dry and I shook my head weakly before trying to stand again. Applejack caught me as I wobbled and helped me get my balance. With a bit of effort, she pushed me up to my hooves, hooking me under my left foreleg and bracing my shoulder. "What happened? Yer really not lookin' too good," she asked, a spike of worry very evident in her voice now.

Looking over at her, my eyes softened as I momentarily saw through her completely. The room shifted briefly to a burnt image of hell itself, the sky being a dark void with rainbow flames falling like ash. That wasn't sky at all. Gravity momentarily fell away, and I had the sensation of my stomach drifting up into my chest cavity before my throat clenched again and I broke into another coughing fit. When I finally managed to open my eyes again, I was back in the dimly lit room in the farmhouse. What, what was happening to me?

"Focus, Mender. Stay with meh, okay?" Applejack asked gently, trying to extend her hoof up and feel my forehead for fever. Sadly, she couldn't. Both of our eyes widened, as my flesh went with her hoof. She gasped and tried to pull her hoof away from my shoulder, but long strings of ooze, vaguely similar to the color of my coat, was still attached. No. No, no, that looked way too familiar to be a good thing. No! I panicked, and tried to fall backwards away from her, scampering along my hooves. Damn these four legs! When I really had to move them, it's like they were spaghetti.

Applejack let out a quiet yelp as I fell away from her, flailing. The trails of ooze fell over me again, and seemed to sink back into my flesh. Her eyes widened even more as I fell over and she dove to try to catch me. No! I tried to scream out to not touch me but my voice cracked and I let out a pained gurgle instead. She managed to snatch me before I hit the floor and braced against my momentum, setting me down instead. I rapidly shook my head towards her but it was far, far too late at that point.

She looked down at her chest with an almost calm manner as blue, flesh colored ooze covered the entire front of her body now, and at least a dozen strings connected her to me. "W-What is this, Mender?" she asked, voice uncharacteristically shaky as she tried to pull the strings of me off her. Her eyes widened as she realized she couldn't and probably felt the cold starting to spread through her. My mind screamed and spun itself in circles as I, somehow, felt AJ there. It was like my consciousness was drifting into awareness and the parts of her I touched were registering as my skin instead?!

"It's dangerous. D-Don't touch me anymore," I managed to whisper, trying to pull myself away from her more but finding myself stuck. Mental curses drifted through my head as I tried to think of a way to fix this. Okay, so it seems I was like those rock now. My magic activated in a heartbeat and I scanned myself again out of instinct.

My heart froze. That invasive energy was back. It was everywhere, filling me almost completely. That um, really wasn't good. Yeah, I couldn't think of anything good that could come of this. Applejack saw me trying to pull back and braced herself against the ground, slowly backing up to try to yank the slime off her. My sheen of sweat only made it that much easier for her to slide me across the floor. "Ah! These… They're startin' ta hurt, Mender!" she exclaimed, whisper no longer in her voice as she started to panic.

There was no choice. It had to be sealed. My containment field activated inside of me, and I got an idea. A reckless idea, but at least it was something. Wrapping a ball of the hellish energy up in a field, I simply smashed it into the inside of my chest as hard as I could, aiming to miss ribs if at all possible. The pain was unbelievable and I managed to actually gasp and cry out this time as I suddenly smelled blood. The front of my chest bandage took a deep tint of crimson then, spreading rapidly as a black blob of energy emerged from my chest. That would have to do! My barrier expanded, and I barely held back the scream as it felt like raw fire erupt from my chest. My symbols poured forth, with no small amount of blood alongside, and rapidly covered the entirety of my body. I smiled weakly as I watched them extend down the lines of fleshy slime, towards the now horrified looking Applejack.

She screamed. I had to give her credit. It wasn't something that was girly, or undirected. She turned her head backwards as she did so and directed it back towards the bedrooms as the slime fought against my magic, trying to pull her closer. "Help!" she added, at the top of her lungs as she shifted to the right rapidly.

The effect was instantaneous. There were several loud crashing noises from the bedroom area and I swore he almost took the door off its hinges as he smashed it open, sliding into the hallway less than three seconds later. "AJ!" Big Mac shouted, expression impossible to read, somewhere between rage and worry.

Big Mac charged, heading right at Applejack, who was struggling to try to pull the end table at the end of the couch between us, to try to break the lines. In any other circumstances, seeing him charge at me with that look probably would have caused me to wet myself and pass out from fear, as a side note. He smashed into the table, as Applejack cried out again, a line of the slime hitting her face and expanding those dark veins rapidly. Damn it! I fought as hard as I could and managed to lash symbols over it and pull it off her. Yes! This would work, provided I didn't bleed out and die before I managed to pull them all off her. He grabbed her around the waist, paying no heed to the slime trails at all, and started pulling backwards, kicking the end table into me and trying to use it as leverage. The collision of wood against my side barely registered, although I knew it would leave a nice sized bruise. I held no fault at all for him and even encouraged it as I tried to push off it in the other direction.

My mind barely registered the curious whistling noise from outside at that point. My insides felt like they were being vacuumed out of my chest but the pressure at least eased up after I was encased entirely in the symbols. The only tugging I felt was when I tried to reach out and stop the tendrils attached to her, which I wasn't about to stop, even if it tore my heart from my chest. The whistling got louder however, and I noticed it on more than a subconscious level after a few seconds. I looked over at the door just as the knob busted and splintered into the wood, the cyan mare hitting it with enough force, hooves first, to snap it open and fall inside into a roll. "AJ!" Rainbow Dash shouted, coming out of the roll and rapidly assessing the situation.

Horror danced in her eyes as she saw the strands of goo. Yeah, I figured she'd have no problem identifying them, although I had no idea how she knew to come here, nor how she got here so fast. "Mender, what's going on?!" she asked, fluttering into the air again. She also seemed to recognize the symbols covering me, as she dove instantly and latched onto me around the waist, pulling me backwards.

"I, I woke up like this. Help me get them off her!" I shouted, struggling with my back forelegs against the end table. There was nothing I could do with my legs, at this point. Instead, I went limp and shifted myself into my mind. Everything I had. There was no choice. I wouldn't remain conscious but I couldn't do this without Twilight's help, by myself.

Resigning myself to what I had to do, I activated the secondary symbols in my mind and opened my eyes, feeling the natural limiter temporarily disable. The force of the energy pulsed at the back of my eyes and the room was lit in an unnatural glow as the symbols all over my body flared up. I saw the weave of energy drifting through the tendrils now, with my enhanced vision, and pushed everything I had into spreading the symbols up them.

Applejack gasped and involuntarily blushed in surprise as the symbols hit the edges of her skin and sunk in, following the tendrils and encapsulating them. This time, I was ready for the sensation, which, while similar to Twilight slipping into my mind, was also entirely different at the same time. A different type of energy was inside Applejack, and this time I was doing the invading, as I felt my mind sink into her skin and feel out where the tendrils were. She shuddered and went limp, as I scanned her and pulled the ward over every single little branch. I couldn't afford to leave even a hair of these things inside of her.

Big Mac stared at her in shock for a split second, before narrowing his eyes and glaring up at me, obviously not knowing what I was doing. Rainbow Dash cut him off however by shouting out, "Pull! Now!" She remembered.

He looked up at her momentarily, before nodding and yanking again, hard. That all too familiar popping sensation was felt to me again, and I lost all feeling of Applejack's body. Did that mean? I smiled as I saw all the tendrils of my skin break free entirely and rapidly pull back as if burned. They sucked back into me painlessly and I felt the added mass re-assimilate back into my being, sealing the hole in my chest, much to my surprise.

Blood and sweat was splattered across the floor under me at random at that point. Rainbow Dash let go rapidly and I fell three feet before smacking into the floor, legs first, and becoming a tangled heap. Everything darkened as my energy diminished rapidly from the effects of removing the magic limiter and I saw the symbols starting to flicker. Feeling it out, I noticed the connection between them through my chest was still there. With my last little bit of strength, I latched the spell onto my life force and then everything went dark.

Chapter 13

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Dreamless this time, I drifted in a void that was my own being. Surrounding me, as much as I could call it me, was nothing. Not darkness per say, or any other shade of color. It was an absence of existence. I myself was also without body, being only a thinking entity. This was new, right? Did that mean I was doing something right, suddenly? A snap of realization hit me. Everything made so much more sense to me now. I was stuck inside of myself because the barrier I put around myself to stop the ooze was still active, wasn't it? My consciousness couldn't slip back through the link that was still inside of me to that other world; to my other self, who I now realized wasn't as dead as I had originally assumed. What I saw in my dreams weren't dreams at all then, but me 'waking' as my other self?

How was it possible? I knew enough about magic to realize that I should have died almost a week ago. That was the nature of 'Denique Veneficus', after all. It used my life force in order to heavily magnify my casting capability. All of it. That meant that either something was keeping me alive on the other side, or...

Well, it had never been proven or disproved, really. It was just a theory, set aside until alternate dimensions were stumbled upon. If the Einstein-Rosen Bridge could be crossed, they debated that the time flows between dimensions might not entirely match up. I usually stopped paying attention when 'parallel universes' and 'doubles' started getting mentioned, though. Prior to suddenly finding myself as a pony, it didn't exactly have a lot to do with my life. Essentially, from what little I understood, the theory was that time might move slower or faster in different dimensions. Normally a moot point as most 'dimensionally traveling' objects got squished into a fine singularity after entering the more traditional wormhole. Something tells me my case is slightly different, based off the fact that I was somewhat more alive than I'd be otherwise.

What did that mean, though? Ultimately, it came down to only two things. Something might be forcing me to stay alive, which was really bad news if 'they' had me. Or time was moving so slowly there that I just hadn't died yet. Better for Equestria, worse for me. Now that I had found these ponies, I suddenly realized I didn't want to give them up. But I was either on a time limit until I died or holding a link open from hell itself directly to their doorstep. What was I supposed to do?

* * * * *

A stirring. My body recovered from its exertion enough to regain consciousness, it seemed. Slowly, my eyes cracked open. Lavender mare staring at me, check. Feeling like an icicle was stuck through my chest, check. Symbols covering my skin holding back a hungry eldritch abomination of quantum physics, check. Still in Equestria, I see.

"Oh, you're awake. Thank Celestia!" Twilight Sparkle muttered, exhaling weakly.

Honestly unsure of what to say to her, and suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable, I simply nodded quietly. Her eyes softened and lowered a little as she saw my reaction and she looked away.

"Chin up, ponies! He's all right, so don't let the silly thing from yesterday stop what's important," I heard Pinkie chime in from somewhere behind me, in a surprisingly whimsical voice.

Twilight sighed, but nodded. Her head slowly lowered and rested on the edge of the couch I resided on. "She's right. I apologize for my horrible behavior. I didn't know how to react, and freaked out. Plus all of this happened. If you’d been at the library, I might have been able to help you. After what happened yesterday, I should have realized I needed to keep a watch on you. This is all," she exploded into apologies, burying her eyes in the edge of the couch.

“Twilight!” I interrupted, if only to get her attention. She stopped and looked back up at me, tears now going down her cheeks. I shook my head gently however and smiled at her. Once I had her attention, I continued with, "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, so I'm sorry too."

"I've been thinking about it a lot all of last night and I think we need to talk about it later. But there are more urgent things for now," she muttered, nodding again but looking away from me. This I wasn’t expecting. She acted almost ashamed of herself. I sighed, but was interrupted before I could say anything further.

"Aahh-greed! Fer example, properly thankin' ya fer the hocus pocus ya did to get the stuff offa me. That looked mighty painful for ya from mah end," Applejack suddenly added, popping upside down into my field of vision from above. There was a light bruise on her cheek and another on her neck from what I could see. Based off Fluttershy's recovery time, that meant I must not have been unconscious long.

I chuckled, and reminded, "I was the one that put you in danger in the first place. If you'd gotten hurt..." Trailing off, I sighed. Yeah, I was selfish sometimes. Ultimately, I didn't want to die. I wanted to stay here, in this amazing heaven I found. But it looked like my time was running out and if it came down to dying or potentially killing everypony here, was there really a choice?

"This isn't your fault, Mender. I finished compiling the results of my readings from yesterday. Your arrival was purely by accident and those rocks caused the link still in you to resonate, becoming active again," Twilight explained.

I nodded weakly. "I'm connected to my world still and now I'm acting like those rocks, and trying to pull anything with a life signature through that link," I confirmed, not really feeling the energy she had found, somehow. Still, she had come to the same conclusion I had.

Her eyes lit up and she suddenly smiled. "Yes, that's what the readings say. It explains all of the tiny discrepancies I noticed around the crater. My machine was picking up on you as well! It was coincidental that this dimension 'passed' close to yours at that exact moment, from what I've gathered so far. The only two questions that remain are: how did the connection form, and why is it still stable?" she speculated, sitting down on her haunches again and looking perplexed.

"I'll give you 'insider' information. The original me is still alive. Somehow," I revealed, sighing. I might as well give her as much information as I could. I didn't see what good any of this would do, as what was coming was pretty much inevitable.

Twilight's eyes widened and I heard both Applejack and Pinkie Pie gasp. "Does that mean you're two ponies at once?" Pinkie asked, sounding amazingly fascinated.

We were all interrupted by a light snoring sound, followed by, “That’s hogwash!” Blinking, I and everypony else in the room momentarily turned towards the older mare with the light lime coat. Wait, I thought I’d seen her last night. Oblivious, her snores continued regardless of the new influx of attention to her.

Applejack coughed lightly, sounding a little embarrassed. “Ahm mighty sorry, folks. Granny’s not used ta havin’ to get up this early. Don’t mind her,” she muttered, cheeks flushing a little. Twilight blinked as well, then shook her head and shrugged before looking back at Pinkie Pie.

"You're not that far off, Pinkie. So those dreams and visions were dimensional bleeding, not memories. That explains why Mender displayed elevated PTSD symptoms. But what made the link and how are you still alive? It would require a massive amount of energy to open an even temporary gateway," Twilight remarked, looking back at me seeming flustered. She flipped open what appeared to be the same notebook from yesterday, and started rapidly going over her notes. Huh, I hadn't considered that. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder by itself would have been just fine. But I guess I get the 'dimensional bleed' version. I'm lucky like that. Still, it was kind of refreshing to slip back into magical discussion so naturally. It felt like it was comfortable to me. I somehow felt safer in topics where I could actually contribute.

"Now wait just ah apple buckin' minute. Yer sayin' that he's actin' like ah link ta that place he's from?" Applejack asked, looking flustered. Twilight seemed perplexed, but simply nodded. "An' now everypony that pokes him gets pulled away ta that there world?" She continued. I nodded this time, wondering where she was going with this. "Then what happens when that one on the other side kicks the bucket, so ta speak?" she asked, uncertain this time. Ah, that's where she was going.

Twilight frowned, and her eyes drifted down towards her notes, as if trying to draw assurance from them. "I... I don't know. There are theories, but," she spoke uneasily, before trailing off.

"Mender's gonna stick around, though, ra-ight?" came the uneasy voice of Apple Bloom. I glanced over my own body and spotted her sitting next to Pinkie Pie, both on the other cushion of the couch. Pinkie looked surprisingly thoughtful, but Applebloom was watching me with a rather sad expression. She was worried? I hadn't thought I made that good of an impression, unless Sweetie Belle had been talking to her. Out of the three I’d met so far, she seemed to like me the most, anyway.

Twilight looked torn and started flipping through her notes again. I saw a few stray strands of hair that were splitting off from the others at odd angles, and she looked stressed now that I looked closer. Was it because she stayed up too late analyzing the readings, or because of her freak out yesterday? Silence held for several moments and I sighed. She didn't want to say it, and I sort of understood why. I'll say it for her then, as it had to be said.

"Anything could happen. I might be fine, and the link shattered. Or I might be reliant on that form and fall apart without it. Alternatively, I might keep functioning but slip into a coma, my mind leaving with the link. We don't know," I spoke up, feeling gloomy.

Applejack let out a frustrated snort and came around the side of the couch, stomping her hoof and glaring at me. She looked a mess honestly, with bruises covering her entire front and both forelegs. They were ignored however, and she gave a determined nod. "Well ah say pony feathers ta that! That just means we gotta hurry up an' do somethin' about it," she declared. I was slightly taken aback and it must have showed as she got a confident smirk on her expression after a few seconds.

"Uh, what do you propose?" Twilight asked, looking as surprised as I felt.

"Easy-peasy! We just send somepony through with ah link ta Twi, then have 'er do that teleport thing she's so good at, pullin' both the pony, an' Mender's twin back. Patch him up, good as new, an' we're all fine an' dandy," she elaborated, whacking the floor with her hoof to punctuate each step.

Twilight stared at her as if she were crazy. A light smile spread across my face, however. It was rather simplistic and a few parts needed expanding upon, but honestly, it was a better idea than I had. Although I had no idea how I could be two people in one spot.

"It's feasible, although a tad more complicated in execution," I agreed, looking at Twilight. She seemed to be the undeclared leader of the group, plus I trusted her extensively when it came to magic. My experience with her was limited, but aside from yesterday, she had always been stable and knowledgeable.

She watched me for a few seconds, before nodding. "Well, maybe. It might work, but we'll need to figure out how to make a safe portal first," she finally admitted, looking a tad flustered. I raised an eyebrow to her, a little confused by her tension. Was she still upset about yesterday? Well, it seemed unreasonable to expect her not to be.

Twilight dropped her notes to the floor, along with the quill, and sighed weakly, finally looking away from me. "I scoured the library last night on anything to do with dimensions and came up with pretty much nothing. Theories and speculation don't help us and the potential risks are massive," she warned, hanging her head and letting her bangs cover her eyes.

"What choice do we have, Silly? We need to do something to get him to feel better again, right? You seem pretty concerned about him," Pinkie added, back to her usual sing-song mannerisms. Well, she technically spoke true, as I doubted I'd 'get better' on my own.

Twilight surprised me by simply blushing and remaining quiet. Pinkie got a knowing grin on her face, but relaxed into the sofa again. I was about to question Twilight when a quiet "Oh dear," sounded from the doorway. Glancing over, I saw the busted front door open again and Fluttershy come in, followed rapidly by Rainbow Dash and Rarity. Fluttershy looked momentarily taken aback before rapidly trotting over to where I lay. Twilight watched her curiously as she brushed a hoof timidly over my skin, causing a ripple to go along the symbols.

"It's warded," I assured her, finding the energy to smile at least. Something about her presence was comforting, regardless. There was something... An echo in my mind when she spoke. What was that?

"How are ya feeling, Mender?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously, sitting to the other side of Twilight. Her question snapped me out of my sudden trance and I glanced back over at her.

Applejack snickered though, and bumped her sideways with her flank, spilling her off her hooves. "Probably ah tad sore from when ya dropped him on his head, right?" she reminded, winking down at the now blushing cyan pegasus. Pity I knew it probably wasn't guilt tinting her cheeks, but Applejack's flank instead.

"Hey, if he lost the barrier when he passed out, I would have been toast if I was still carrying him!" she protested, waving a hoof dismissively towards Applejack. True enough. I could take a meter drop or so. I wasn’t so sure she could survive being eaten by an eldritch abomination.

Rainbow Dash. I stared at her for a few seconds before I got a twinge in my head and winced. Twilight and Fluttershy both started, and leaned closer to me, and the former asked, "Are um, are you a-all right?"

"Oh dear. Perhaps we should get him someplace warmer, and a bit to eat?" Rarity suggested, resting on her haunches in front of Pinkie’s spot on the couch and frowning at me.

I closed my eyes for a few seconds as another wave of dizziness crept over me. Her image was in the dream. Was it a dream? I doubted it. Those colors. That meant she was connected to that day. I looked over at her upon opening my eyes, and found her also looking at me. Then I noticed they all were looking at me now, having heard Fluttershy and Rarity. Dash looked surprised to be locked into my focus however, and tilted her head.

I watched her for a few more seconds before asking quietly, "Rainbow Dash, were you practicing above the field that day of the really bad storm?"

Her eyes widened in surprise and everypony turned to look at her, Twilight grabbing her notes again with record speed. "Uh, wait, how the hay did ya know that?!" she asked, looking honestly surprised, and vaguely angry.

Swallowing, I realized I was right. Twilight was right. "Did you do a Sonic Rainboom that day?" I asked weakly, starting to get a bit apprehensive. Things were starting to slide together again and it was starting to look bad.

Rainbow's eyes narrowed as she glared at me but Twilight shuffled forwards a little. "Please, Rainbow. It um, might be important," she requested.

"I don't see why it's anypony's business what my training regiments are," she protested, crossing her forelegs in front of her. Why didn't she want to answer?

"Please? Trust me?" I asked tiredly, shifting so I could see her better.

To my surprise, her eyes softened when I said that and she sighed, looking away. "I... I do trust you. Fine. I was practicing skywriting. I got it in my head to try to make the message more awesome with a Sonic Rainboom. I uh, haven't gotten them down to an exact science yet and I knew I'd be busy with the storm later, so I was practicing earlier in the day," she finally answered. Ah, that explains why she didn't want to say anything, with the pony of her affections being in the room.

"Did ya pull it off then, Rainbow?" Applebloom asked with a bit of excitement in her voice, surprising me. She hopped up, using my left flank as a stool for her two front forelegs, grinning at Rainbow over me.

Rainbow smiled at her, irritation apparently somewhat disarmed by the little filly's cuteness. "Yeah, once. I was ecstatic until I realized it didn't mix well with the rainbow trail and turned my message into bits of burning rainbow, falling towards the field," she elaborated, blushing again. Somehow, I managed not to laugh. Yeah, that wouldn't convey that particular message with the best presentation. Nothing says I love you like burning chunks of rainbow falling from the sky I suppose. However, it all slid together in an instant.

Applejack snickered and nodded to Rainbow, helping her up as Twilight turned and looked back at me, questioningly. Yup, it told me what I needed. The rocks and I arrived at the same moment, if Twilight's theory of dimension shifts was accurate. We were phased out of my reality at the exact second my spell activated. It dug into me to use my life-force to fuel it at the same moment the atmosphere exploded from the energy of the planet buster. It had been known to happen before. Barriers were conductive to other forms of energy, and I must have gathered it like a lightning rod. Then, as Twilight said, the dimensions shifted close to each other and Rainbow Dash did her Sonic Rainboom in the same area, generating a huge amount of energy on this side and forming the link with the resonations. Due to the time differences, she actually had a feasible window of opportunity to do so, I calculated.

Of course, her Rainboom wasn't on the same level as the planet buster so there had to be some localization involved. The field she was in probably was close, locally, to my area through the dimensional phasing. The probabilities surrounding the event were phenomenally mind-boggling. Regardless, the Rainboom synergized with my barrier, which was tied to me, and I bled through, splitting my life force and having a new body form due to the regenerative effect I had on me before the battle, standard issue. Probably, anyway. But why a pony? My deductions sort of dwindled at that point. Ah well. It hardly mattered, as I had most of the pieces to the mystery.

I must have zoned for a few moments. "Uh, Mender? Are you okay?" Twilight asked, looking concerned.

"Yeah. I well, um... I think I was one of those burning bits of rainbow, Dash," I admitted, swallowing. Both Twilight and Rainbow's eyes expanded to the size of saucers.

* * * * *

Stretching, I tried to keep warm in the high altitude air by rubbing my forelegs together. It didn't help much and my coat ended up puffing anyway. It was still a beautiful view, however. The hot air balloon swayed gently in the wind and I was positioned so I could look over the side. We were quite high up, and the view was amazing. Gentle moisture from the clouds around us clung to the side of the basket, and silently turned to frost. It was peaceful, if not melancholy environ, that I drew comfort in. The sea of clouds washed away the view of the ground far below and it felt like my worries went with it. Twilight's sensor device continued to make a light ticking noise behind me, and I heard the light scribbling on her floating notepad next to her as she glued her eyes to the device.

"This is crazy," she muttered again, after looking up from the dancing lines across the paper readout.

Rainbow Dash snickered from the other side of me and I heard shifting of leather. "You said that already, Twi, but you know we don't have the time to be sane," Rainbow remarked, sounding deceptively excited. I could tell, even with the potential danger, she was getting giddy. She seemed the type who loved the adrenaline rush.

"We need to think this out more. If anything goes wrong, anything at all, it could mean getting lost in a totally different place, possibly forever," Twilight warned, looking exasperated.

Rainbow rolled her eyes and sighed. "And if we don't hurry, what's the risk of some horrible race of unstoppable monsters invading and destroying like, everything?" she returned, adjusting her wings again. Fluttershy stood behind her, softly manipulating the series of leather straps that Rainbow Dash wore in a makeshift harness. Embarrassingly enough, with my current level of strength and barely having the ability to walk by myself, I wouldn't be able to hold onto her at normal speeds, let alone the velocity we needed to accomplish opening a gate. Thus, the harness. I’d recovered some of my strength after waking up, but I was nowhere near the level I was before. Which was to say, I was even weaker than my prior pathetic self.

Twilight looked beyond frustrated but she nodded sharply, accepting the point. I had to agree. There was no way of knowing how risky it was leaving an open connection to those monsters, because I knew full well what they were capable of. "Without the ability to experiment, this is the most accurate method possible. Recreate the angle, location, speed, and even the mare involved. This is the best shot we have," I added, shifting my attention to the ground instead.

"I know. I just really don't like having nothing really solid to go on. Plus, the plan risks two of my best friends," she muttered, checking her readings for probably the hundredth time. Best friend? She hadn't even known me a week yet. I took a reign check on my thoughts, deciding they might be a little too cynical. I rephrased it a little before voicing it.

"Mmm, you've only known me a little less than a week, though," I pointed out, deciding that was phrased a little less venomously.

Twilight stopped taking scribbled notes and looked back over at me, a slightly saddened expression adorning her features. "You think too little of yourself, Mender. I think I safely speak for everypony when I say you're a good pony, and a friend," she reiterated. I'd heard her say it before, but it was more than a little difficult to actually 'listen' to it; to believe it. Was I a good pony? I didn't want to die, honestly. If that's what it took to destroy the link, what was I supposed to do? Could I honestly live with myself if I potentially doomed this entire dimension to repeat what happened in mine? No. As much as I didn't want to admit it, Equestria was honestly bigger than I could ever hope to be. Was it too late to be a truly good individual, though?

"We're d-doing this to save you, r-right? That has to prove that w-we're your friends," Fluttershy spoke quietly, agreeing in a hushed whisper.

I nodded gently, still plagued with guilt over my own feelings and wondering how much easier it would be to simply topple over the edge of the balloon. No more choices, no more greed or selfish impulses. Equestria's potential problems would be erased along with my life, and ponies could move on without me, no longer in any danger from ‘them’, the Grosh. Shuddering at the name, I found myself considering me more as an intruder, a disruption, than just a traveler. If I was truly a mistake, it meant I didn't belong here complicating things, no matter how kind and friendly I tried to be. No matter how friendly they were to me.

Twilight swallowed uncomfortably in the silence, eyes filled with unease and apprehension. She looked stressed, like she had a horrifying secret bottled up for centuries and desperately wanted to pull it out of her. Well, I probably saw it as more dire than it was, but she certainly looked strung out. "Just be careful today, both of you. You two need to be all right, okay?" she requested, eyes softening as she looked down again.

"Relax, Twi! I'm a pro at speed, so there's really no danger," Rainbow half assured, half bragged cockily.

Twilight let out a giggle and seemed to agree, smiling quietly at Dash. She trusted her, obviously. Rainbow's boisterous nature served to vent the stress of the situation amazingly, as well. She kept things lighthearted, similar to Pinkie Pie. She also distracted them all from noticing I made no such promises. If it came down to either myself or Equestria, no matter how vague the potential threat may be, I vowed to make the correct choice. I turned and looked back over the side, lowering my eyes and steadying my resolve. I needed to focus.

We were at the right altitude. A direct angle to the crater point, at roughly eighty-five degrees, and a good half dozen kilometers off the ground, moderate cloud cover around us. A light parting of the clouds occurred and I watched the four large flags being erected on the ground level by Applejack and Rarity. They were lined up with the crater, and angled to face us as we stayed anchored above the calculated point where Rainbow fired off the Sonic Rainboom that day. It was a simple plan. Fire another one off at the exact same spot, with me in the middle of it, and try to open another stable portal.

Easier said than done, I know. Failure at that step meant pretty much nothing, however. I saw the pink pony circling below us still, on that strange gyrocopter machine she had. She had finished setting up the large net directly in our path of descent. I checked the velocity and mass calculations myself, and both Twilight and I agreed that it should stop a potentially lethal fall should the portal fail to open. Rainbow thought it was unneeded but Twilight insisted on it. I wasn't worried about the cyan mare's abilities so much, but on the effects of trying to pull this off with me on her back. A solid five minutes passed in silence, before Twilight put her now rather sizable notes down again.

"Okay, from these calculations, you're right. I triple checked the results dozens of times, so there's not much else for it. In all theory, repeating the same experiment as close as possible should yield the same results," Twilight agreed finally, giving me a weak smile. On the bright side, things were significantly less awkward now that she seemed frustrated about something other than me and her flank. Still unsure if that's a good thing, but I'll have to look into it more at a later date. Well, provided I was still alive.

I nodded quietly, smiling back at her. "You did the calculations right. With the time lapse variation, our window should still be wide open for a good forty-eight hours. We can try this as many times as needed today and still have clearance to try something else if it doesn't work. And empirically, this is our most accurate shot," I reminded.

Her eyes softened towards me and she nodded, a genuine smile appearing on her face this time. Rainbow snickered behind me, and I braced for verbal impact. "I never thought I'd see another pony who can say so much, yet nothing at all," she remarked.

"Hey, just because you don't understand it, doesn't mean he's not saying anything," Twilight defended, much to my surprise. She actually defended me? Well, technically herself, too, but still!

"Relax, Twi! I'm just happy hearing all the magic dork babbling cheers you up. Or is that a hint of hot and bothered I see in your eyes?" she questioned, teasing playfully with a wink. Twilight switched to shocked and blushing in a heartbeat. Fluttershy, however, jerked stiffly while adjusting the middle back strap as if burned, and Rainbow instantly let out a pained choking noise as she flailed her forearms, eyes bugging out. I tried my hardest not to laugh, as it was rude for one, but would also draw attention to my own lightly flushed cheeks.

Fluttershy was scarlet and gawking bluntly at Twilight, body rigid. Twilight stared back awkwardly, blushing lightly before coughing. Fluttershy seemed to notice what she was doing to Rainbow a few seconds later. She made a squeaking noise, and slid the strap back into place, somehow blushing even more than before. The cyan pegasus gasped and fell to all fours, holding her neck with one hoof while glaring back at Fluttershy.

Twilight glared at Rainbow instead. "Okay, you deserved that," she muttered, shaking her head and wearing a victorious smirk instead. Her cheeks were still a bright crimson, but I said nothing lest she kick me out of the balloon this time instead.

Rainbow sighed and sat up again. "I was just kidding. Sheesh," she defended, rasping.

"Rainbow," I muttered, frowning towards her. Her eyes lowered away from me and she nodded.

"I know. I got you in trouble once already 'cause of my mouth. Honest, I was just teasing," she swore.

Twilight raised an eyebrow at her, however. "Wait, you never got him in trouble. What are you talking about?" she asked. Huh? How was being kicked out of the library not being in trouble?

Rainbow seemed to silently agree, as she tilted her head towards the lavender unicorn. Fluttershy also seemed to be recovered from her massive blood rush enough to give a questioning glance as well. "Uh, Twilight, ya kind of kicked him out of the library. I'd say that's as 'in trouble' as it gets with you, no?" Rainbow pointed out, flexing her wings out again. She had such a way with words.

"What? No, I didn't kick him out. I just um, didn't want him in the loft at night. Is a little privacy so wrong?" she reasoned, defensively crossing her forelegs. I rotated back around to face them again as the whirling noise ascended to my right. This wasn't going to be pretty.

"Oooh, but Fluttershy said you hurled his bed down the stairs and almost flattened him with it!" Pinkie exclaimed merrily, leveling her copter off with the height of the balloon.

"What?!" Twilight yelped, turning and glaring at the new verbal assaulter.

Fluttershy blushed, but coughed. "W-well you kinda did. Um, no offense. Please don’t be mad," she muttered weakly.

"Hey, it had a good couple meters of clearance from me," I tried to defend.

Rainbow burst into laughter, and Pinkie looked deeply amused. Twilight blushed furiously again and looked down at the floor of the balloon. "Y-you could have stayed in the library, Mender. Just um, not in the loft," she addressed directly to me.

Fluttershy looked sad, and beat me to responding unfortunately, asking, "Y-you wanted him to stay in the m-main floor where all the p-ponies visit, and the night d-draft?" Oddly, there was the slight hinting of disapproval in her voice.

"No, she was planning on throwing him in the basement," Rainbow Dash muttered sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Oooh, spooky!" Pinkie added, sounding oddly excited.

Fluttershy gasped, now looking horrified and apparently having missed the sarcasm completely somehow. Twilight glared at Rainbow instead. "That's horrible! H-How could you, Twilight? He's s-sick!" Fluttershy protested, a few decibels louder than usual. Gullible, but very loyal. I caught myself blushing again.

"I was kidding, Fluttershy," Rainbow groaned, slapping a hoof to her face.

"Ug, fine! I'm sorry. I know I overreacted. I'm not comfortable with things I can't study and have no experience in," she apologized, flopping onto her forelegs.

I nodded gently. "I know how you feel. A lot of things can be really scary when you know very little about them," I agreed.

Twilight smiled up at me softly, looking grateful. Pinkie giggled and nodded behind her, as well. "Then you just need to get to know him more, right? He's not going to hurt anypony," she reasoned, smiling while hovering closer on her machine.

Sighing, I slid down the side of the basket and sat down tiredly on the floor. I'd never hurt any of these amazing ponies. Fluttershy sat down half a meter away, and looked at me with concern. Twilight, who was already sitting, frowned as well and scooted closer. "Are you alright?" she asked hesitantly.

"I’m just a little tired. I'd never hurt either of you. And I understand why things are the way they are," I assured quietly, looking down instead.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow but Fluttershy tilted her head and asked, "W-what do you mean?"

I shook my head weakly, not really wanting to discuss it. Rainbow surprised me by suddenly letting out a gasp, followed by a feisty glare. "You never told me what was wrong!" she suddenly announced out of nowhere. Huh?

Pinkie giggled lightly above me somewhere. "He likes Fluttershy, duh! Her saying that would kinda hurt," she explained for me. My 'secret' being told didn't really even register in my mind and I continued blankly staring at a spot on the balloon gondola's wall somewhere between Dash and Twi's machine.

"What?!" Rainbow Dash gasped, looking stunned.

"Pinkie! How did you find out?" Twilight half asked, half reprimanded. Fluttershy looked down sadly but also wore a light blush. I shifted my attention to her.

Pinkie giggled again, sounding like she moved closer to the gondola wall. "Well it was super-duper obvious, but my Pinkie Sense was a twitchy twitchin' when he looked at Flutters! And Twi too! Somepony's rather indecisive!" she exclaimed mirthfully and I felt a hoof patting me on the head.

My eyes drooped and I nodded weakly, looking at my hind legs. This was probably strange posture for a pony, but I didn't really care. "If I'm still alive by the end of the week, I'm going to have to figure out something to fix that," I muttered, mostly to myself.

Fluttershy frowned and shifted closer to me, putting a hoof on my left back knee. Were all four 'knees' now, or were the front two elbows? Twilight maintained a blank expression, but I saw her swallow uneasily. She knew that me not surviving was a possibility. "Don't be a frowny face. Dash here will make sure you're totally all right! She's an amazing flier," Pinkie assured, in a softer voice.

Dash smiled and nodded confidently, walking towards me. "Don't worry about it, Mender. I'm sticking with ya through the whole thing," she assured, a twinkle dancing in her eyes. She still looked excited but proud, confidence almost dripping off of her. It was hard to resist her energy this time and I smiled as well, nodding back up at her.

"Then let's just get this over with. Hit 'em hard and fast, then we can be home and laughing by the end of the day," she offered, extending her hoof towards me, still smirking.

Nodding, I hooked hooves with her and let her pull me to into a sitting position. She nodded and turned away from me, lowering herself to the floor of the gondola. I closed my eyes, gathering my confidence up again, before stepping slowly onto her back and into the harness.

Chapter 14

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The air was a lot chillier up here without the comfort of the gondola to block the wind and the heat of the balloon's burner. I shivered lightly, making the extremely warm coat I rested on all the nicer. Rainbow Dash sat on her haunches on the clouds as we both watched the hot air balloon navigate into position below. My waist and under my shoulders were hooked through the leather harness. To ease up the strain on her, my back legs were resting on the clouds. It was vaguely similar to standing on pillows. Twilight cast some sort of cloud walking magic on me, 'just in case', as she had said.

My eyes remained closed as I gently drifted in and out of sleep. The barrier was hooked up to my life force still and made me tired far faster. It didn't help that I felt sick as well, although my insides seemed to be getting used to whatever my form now consisted of. I wasn't entirely sure if that's a good thing or not, but decided to just go with the flow for now.

Rainbow Dash slowly breathed in and out below me, not seeming apprehensive at all. My head was tucked onto her right shoulder tiredly, her mane flowing over me and mixing with mine. It kept out the wind nicely, and smelled of a faint spice, oddly enough. She didn't seem to be straining in the least and just looked around quietly. Her composure surprised me.

"First line up is almost complete. How are you two holding up?" I heard Twilight ask, a voice lightly whispered inside of my ear. She'd given the spell to all of us, saying it would last about two hours. It was some sort of basic distant verbal communication spell, to time things.

"Totally bored," Rainbow Dash groaned, shaking her head weakly. Her mane tickled my nose and I tried hard not to sneeze.

The urge dwindling, I sighed weakly, adding, "No changes. Just sleepy."

"It’s probably the barrier. I'd tell you to give it a rest, but Dash wouldn't appreciate that," Twilight replied. I mentally envisioned her trademark smirk.

"Oh! That would be bad. Um, could you please keep it up for a l-little longer, Mender?" Fluttershy asked hesitantly, this time earning a snicker from Rainbow Dash.

Twilight groaned. "I wasn't serious, Fluttershy. How are you two doing, AJ? Rarity?" she asked, sounding frustrated.

"We'd be done ahn apple buckin' half hour ago, if Rare here'd stop switchin' the flags out!" I heard Applejack growl. I winced myself out of dozing and sighed at her volume. Rainbow started snickering even more.

"Please! You simply need to pull them to the top faster. I mean, really now. These beauties have to match and compliment perfectly," Rarity protested. It earned a low groan from Twilight, an amused giggle from Pinkie, and a growl from Applejack. "Well, I never! How else is the poor mare to see them from up there? They must stand out!" she added after a huff.

I didn't have the heart to tell her that landing lights might be better suited, not that they likely existed here. Actually, given my 'driver', perhaps a large bull's-eye painted to a stunt-grade air cushion might be the best idea. "But Dashie has really good eyesight, Rarity," Pinkie suddenly spoke up. Dashie?

"Totally true. My eyes are as cool as I am, remember?" Rainbow 'reminded', stretching out her wings and giving what felt like a cliché pose.

"B-But, isn't that a pegasus thing?" Fluttershy asked timidly.

Rainbow deflated and sighed, shaking her head. Her mane tickled my nose again, and I scrunched my face up. "I've got even more awesome eyesight than the average!" she corrected, fussing.

"An' three times the ego," Applejack tacked on in a lower voice, sounding a little annoyed.

Rainbow jerked her head and made a stomping motion, causing me to lurch forward and getting one of her mane hairs shoved up my nose. Crap! I think it was a blue one. I tried to pull my head away but it was far too late.

"Hey, when you're as awesome as I am, you," she started to declare. My entire body shook as I violently sneezed, blowing her mane sideways with a blast of air and mucus, getting her directly in the right ear.

Rainbow Dash almost flailed off the cloud, a shrill, "Yeeeeee!" being emitted. She managed to fall on her face seconds before we took a spiraling dive towards the ground.

"What's wrong?!" Twilight asked, sounding startled. Pinkie must have recognized the sound however, and burst into laughter.

"Not! Cool!" Rainbow Dash growled, scooping up some clouds in her hooves and trying to 'wipe' her mane off.

I blushed and gave a sheepish smile, feeling a little mortified and apologizing, "I'm sorry. Your mane tickles."

Pinkie gasped for air between bouts of laughing. "That was so funny! My Pinkie sense told me he was gonna sneeze and I was so going to warn ya, but I'm so bored down here and I thought a prank would be really fun, so I stayed quiet! Of course, I didn't know it was gonna be such an epic sneeze or I would have given you an umbrella earlier, but I forgot when that group of birds flew past. They were singing the coolest song! But I'd much prefer a banjo. I wonder if a bird could learn to play one? Octavia might know. Of course, I'm almost out of cake, so..."

"Pinkie..." Twilight groaned. My headache flared up again as I painfully tried to follow her repeated topic derailing.

"...and then Derpy smashed into the counter and sent baking supplies everywhere! It took over an hour to clean up, but that was a lot of fun too. Chocolate syrup is really hard to clean out of your coat, but oh so tasty! We must have stayed in the bath for hours because I was all wrinkly pinkly and," she plowed on, apparently not hearing Twilight. Wait, what?!

Rainbow Dash gave up sulking and started laughing instead. "Pinkie!" Twilight shouted, causing me to wince in pain.

"Huh?" the pink one asked, momentarily knocked out of the cacophony of madness she had shifted into once more.

"The net? Is it ready?" Twilight asked impatiently. I sympathized with her pain.

Pinkie giggled merrily. "Oh, that? Yuppers! It was done a while ago, Silly Willy!" she declared whimsically. I caught myself smiling, regardless of how tired I felt. Twilight let out a weak sigh, and I heard a scratching noise. Her pen on the paper?

"Pre-Checklist Checklist is thus concluded. We're ready to begin our first run, then!" Twilight announced. I frowned to myself, wondering what was on full checklist now. Did she really need two?

Rainbow Dash stood up and flexed lightly, shaking her hooves one at a time. "Finally. We should just do this. Whether it works or doesn't, at least it gets the jitters out," she pointed out.

My body shifted at different angles as she stretched, and she smirked back at me. "Are you sure you can do this with me on your back?" I asked, a little nervous.

"You're light as a feather. I could haul you around all day," she assured, giving an absent-minded wave back at me. The powerful muscles were very apparent as they shifted under her skin, and I honestly didn't doubt her. "You really should put on a bit more weight, though. It's kinda sad to see a stallion as shrimpy as you," she tacked on shortly after, returning to her smirk. My ears flattened back as I glared at her.

"He doesn't need t-to. He's fine the way he is," Fluttershy defended. A twinkle lit up in Dash's eyes and I prepared for the most obvious retort.

Applejack beat her, though. "Ah think ah bit o' muscle will do him some good. It's ah healthy look, an'll go ah long way ta gettin' the mares interested," she lectured gently, with a hint of amusement in her voice. Er, what? Rainbow started snickering and nodded in agreement.

"H-Hey, that's n-not true. Some mares l-like the gentler l-look. Lots of m-muscles can be s-scary," Fluttershy nervously defended, voice barely audible. I noticed, interestingly enough, that they all seemed to instinctively quiet down when she said anything, most of the time. They must be used to her.

Twilight made a light tisking noise, before adding, "Fluttershy's right. Personality is a far bigger draw than physical appearances. I for one, greatly value a conversation as well."

"Huh. Well ah'll be. Ah reckon' ya don't need no help attractin' the mares after all," AJ muttered, now sounding even more amused. Ug. That would just stir things up, insinuating they liked me back. Why did she and Dash insist on throwing salt into the wound periodically? Wait, why were we even talking about this?!

There was a light choking noise and an almost inaudible squeak in behind it, from two entirely separate voices. See what I mean? "Wh-What is that supposed to mean?!" Twilight asked, sounding badly stunned. I kinda wish I could see her face, now. The cyan mare I was strapped to promptly burst into copious amounts of laughter and rolled onto her back, wiggling. I sighed in automatic resignation as I was flipped upside down and dipped into the cloud. Okay then, it only treated my legs as solid. That was good to know.

"For Celestia's sake, focus girls! All four of you are correct. Personality is the most important facet, but an appealing body type is obviously not without its pleasantness," Rarity spoke up, intervening and cooling off the debate before it started, and probably saving us the better part of the morning. Not that I was complaining, exactly. Listening to a bunch of cute mares bicker was certainly better than being flung through a potentially lethal quantum portal to another reality in attempts to rescue your other self.

Pinkie disrupted everything with a sharp gasp. "Wait, this is peeeeerfect! We should all have a super awesome sleepover after this, and discuss what we like to see in somepony else! I'll get the snacks, of course," she squealed, sounding suddenly ecstatic. The blood started to pool in my skull. I couldn’t decide if it was from the Pinkie Effect, or me still hanging upside-down.

There was a collective groan from Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack. I think I heard a timid whimper in there somewhere, too, but that might be the effects of the blood rush. "Pinkie, dear, it's a simply splendid idea, but we need to focus now. How about we plan out all of the details after this fiasco is done, all right?" Rarity suggested politely.

"Aww, phooey. Well, okay. I'll just have to make sure it's that much more fun, then!" the pink party mare declared, obviously not staying put out for very long.

"Wonderful! I deeply look forward to it. Oh, also, I would like to have a word with Fluttershy and Twilight in private, after all of this," Rarity requested.

There was a momentary pause before Twilight hesitantly agreed with, "Well uh, certainly, Rarity. I'm not sure why, but Fluttershy and I don't mind." I could almost picture her gesturing towards the probably shaking ball of yellow fur and feathers with her in the balloon.

"Can't... feel my hooves," I muttered weakly, shaking the dizziness away.

"Oh! Oops, I kinda forgot you were there," Rainbow muttered, rolling over again.

The blood rushing out of my head disoriented me and I momentarily clung to her neck as my head spun. "Wonderful. Thank you so much for that," I muttered weakly.

Rainbow snickered, unfazed by my sarcasm. "Welcome! Throw up in my mane and I dangle you off the cloud by your tail," she warned, earning a low groan from me.

"Dash! Be careful with him," Twilight reprimanded, as if I were a fragile technical instrument. Well, I was a little fragile, I guess.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get started, though," Dash requested, walking to the edge of the cloud again and peeking over it.

The four flags were barely visible to me but I imagined her eyesight was several times better. Well, this was either going to be really awesome, or be the most agonizingly painful moment of my brief life. Twilight's balloon was drifting off to the side of the point we were aiming for and I saw the tissue line Pinkie was slowly extending from the gondola. She drifted away from the underside of the balloon on her strange, candy gyrocopter, and gave us a salute as she reached full extension.

Personally, I thought Twilight was the insane one. Our goal was to hit the Sonic Rainboom right there, next to both Pinkie and Twilight. Just based off the explosion I had seen from Rainbow Dash simply landing, I had to guess that her Rainboom was significantly worse. For all purposes, I hoped Pinkie was really good at bouncing at high velocity.

"Okay then. Markup spread, check. Flags lined up visually, check. Balloon and Fluttershy in place, check," Twilight started the final listing. I heard a light scratching against paper with each item and assumed she had a physical list. Her level of preparation was impressive. Scanning past Rainbow's mane, I was frustrated that I couldn't manage to see Fluttershy. Where was she 'in place' at, and what was her duty?

Twilight's and Rainbow's duties were obvious. Rainbow was to generate an absurd amount of energy in however manner she managed to do it, and then hurl me through using the release cord on her chest. I’d been very adamant on being the only one to go through the portal, just in case. Twilight then would solidify the portal that I activated using her magic and hold it open for me. Applejack and Rarity were on ground level recovery, in case something went wrong and somepony hit the net. Pinkie was here for holding the target streamer in place and for midair recovery, which I honestly thought Fluttershy would be doing. Speaking of, I had no idea why Applejack had brought a massive tub of apples along, or why Spike was brought up to the balloon after we were dropped off.

Something was off. I think Twilight was up to something and suspected Rainbow Dash thought so as well, if the looks she was giving Twilight indicated anything. Well, I suppose it didn't matter, anyway. "Net secured, check. Applejack and Rarity in place, double check! The readings are normal as well, and we're dead on," Twilight finished up. I sensed a bit of apprehension, mixed with excitement in her voice.

"We ready to do this, then?" Rainbow Dash asked, grinning suddenly and shifting her weight back and forth on her hooves.

Twilight sighed uneasily. “Is it too late to state that I think this is crazy? I’m sure… um, Princess Celestia could be here by as soon as Saturday. Probably. If I sent… a letter…” she spoke up quietly.

“Yeah, it’s a little late to call it off now. We’ll be fine, Twi. Have faith in us!” Rainbow retorted, bumping her right hoof to her chest and giving a nod. I dexterously avoided her mane this time.

There was another sigh, more frustrated this time instead. "Begin when ready then, Rainbow," Twilight acknowledged, with a light swallowing noise after.

Rainbow gave a curt nod, to nobody in particular, and started backing up. My nerves spiked up and I realized I was now wide awake as my stomach started dancing. "M-Mender, remember, p-please come back. You h-have to, okay?" I suddenly heard Fluttershy whisper, almost drown out by the thudding of Dash's heart beneath me.

I swallowed weakly and squeezed around the cyan mare's neck lightly, wishing I had just a bit more time. "I'll try my hardest, Fluttershy. I really will," I returned quietly.

"Hang on tight, Partner," Rainbow warned. Her voice went cold as I felt every muscle in her body tense and her wings jut out to the side. We took our final, half step back upon reaching the end of the cloud. Her sleek, muscled body tensed, if but for a second, before snapping like a spring. One bound, then two. She skipped on the second, managing to clear the entire surface of the cloud in just those two bounds, wings up at an arc now. My heart skipped a beat at the same time her wings became a downwards blur, and we were gone.

The side of the cloud disappeared frighteningly fast and I felt my stomach lurch downwards into her back. The force of ascension surprised me completely and I wondered what her insides were made of to take this so casually. Coiled steel? Three seconds passed. The pressure was off as we hung in the air, still for a moment. She didn't flap but simply rotated with her velocity, turning her nose towards the ground with practiced precision. The rest of her body followed suit and her wings tucked at an angle. It all happened so quickly I could barely keep up. The wind blasted my eyes suddenly as we dropped into a brutal, eighty-five degree dive straight towards the ground. I closed them finally against the stinging and held on harder. Rainbow twisted and entered an extremely tight spiral in the air.

We completed a solid three rotations before she snapped her wings up again and we lurched out of it, trajectory heading right for the thin ribbon so far below, I guessed. Air flooded my nose forcefully and I wondered if I'd get a nosebleed from this. Breathing in became simple and out lethally hard as she accelerated further. Her neck straightened, her legs tucked in, and her wings angled tightly against her body as she became even more aerodynamic against the air. Somehow, we accelerated even more, slowly building beyond the already insane velocity. I tucked my head in as close to her neck as I could to maximize aerodynamics.

The balloon rapidly grew larger as I tried to lock my jaw shut. My lips and cheeks were catching the flow of air as they were pulled apart. My nostrils burned as well, frigid air blasting into them to match our speeds. She tucked in even more, like a bullet now. Thankfully that comparison would fall short here. That's why you're doing this, Mender. To make sure it stays that way.

"Tsh, too slow!" Rainbow shouted above the airflow. I watched her wings angle slightly, and our trajectory curved. Our angle of descent spiked up to almost eighty-seven percent. Any further and we'd be going straight down!

"Abort, Rainbow! Angle is wrong. You're going to miss the target!" Twilight shouted back.

If Rainbow heard her, she didn't react to it. Our angle ticked even closer to ninety, balloon looming even closer. We were off mark by almost four meters. We also weren't producing a Sonic Rainboom, it seemed.

"No. I... I can do this!" Rainbow snarled, gritting her teeth as the air pressure buffeted us from all sides. It felt almost like she was elongating, forces tearing us backwards as she bull headedly smashed into an impossibly strong barrier right in front of her.

I suddenly realized why only Rainbow had done a Sonic Rainboom. Her very being was geared for this. Most would shy away from these kinds of forces but she just stubbornly smashed on, consequences be damned. It takes, to be figurative, a certain level of balls to see if you or physics would snap first. Either that or insanity. She lived for the rush, and I was both deeply impressed and terrified at the same time.

"Rainbow! I knew it," I heard Twilight growl, followed by, "Fluttershy, now!" What was she doing?

The balloon approached rapidly. There was no correcting our trajectory anymore. I hoped that the precise location wasn't needed because we weren't going to hit it. "Shift tha net, Pinkie!" I heard Applejack scream, to the background noise of her heavy galloping. Then my breath caught.

Twilight dove out of the side of her balloon. Fluttershy followed her less than half a second later, closing the distance through the air. No! We shot past them in an eyeblink and I winced. No explosion of prismatic light. Either it looked different from within, or we missed our altitude as well. "What the hay?!" Rainbow screamed, wings starting to flinch in hesitation.

"Somepony has to wedge the portal, even if it opens well below the height of the balloon," Rarity spoke calmly, which was a strange sensation with winds from hell screaming around me.

"Shy has her, don't worry!" Pinkie added, in a singsong manner. Thank you, Pinkie! I couldn't turn to look, after all.

Sadly, it looked like the ground was our next checkpoint. Giving in, Rainbow dropped our angle to as close to ninety as she could manage. It felt like my stomach dangled from my back hooves. "Too much resistance," I heard her mutter weakly. The last of the clouds blew away and my view of the ground was now unimpeded. Not good. That meant we were running out of air space to pull this off.

"Abort, Dash!" Twilight called out desperately. It felt like my bones were starting to turn to mush as we sped up even more. Way past target now, our chances of this working dwindled into the single digits. Rainbow bottomed out our angle and started a slow rotation. It felt like my skin was going to tear off as I almost saw a physical wall of air we were indenting into! It formed a cone from her rigidly outstretched forelegs and widened out over us. It felt like it was squishing us together and breathing rapidly became impossible. My heart slammed into my ribs repeatedly, as I began to make out the forest and trees below.

What was she doing?! This wasn't working and if we hit the ground at this speed, it would take weeks to find every piece of us! Realizing I was about to be reduced to the consistency of raspberry jam, my eyes slammed shut and I tensed up. Well, they'd definitely get rid of the link this way.

"Rainbow!" I heard Applejack scream out, panic now evident.

"I can do this!" Rainbow Dash shot back as we rocketed towards the ground like a missile. AJ. Rainbow had reasons to live. Why was she doing this? Even if she pulled the rip cord here, she’d still crash into the ground instead.

My thoughts from earlier returned. It was bigger than either of us. Maybe they had nothing. Maybe they hadn't even noticed. But maybe they were mere minutes from opening a stable portal to here. The potential risk was huge. Was I a hero? Did I set out to save this world? Hell no. I didn't want to die. Dying terrified me. But what was the alternative, if I didn't want to risk it? Make this entire universe take the risk instead? I was just a normal person, even before I became a normal pony. The fate of the universe was utterly beyond me when I could barely manage fate of my own breakfast each morning.

But that didn't hold a flame to what was right, now did it? It suddenly seemed so simple. Smiling then, I let go of Rainbow's neck and just let the straps hold me. My forelegs whipped backwards in the blink of an eye with a light snapping noise, going pleasantly numb instantly, probably from shock. There. Aerodynamics maximized.

I heard Rainbow gasp as she felt it but I cut her off with, "Go."

It was barely a whisper but she nodded and snapped her wings back further. The cone tightened, practically crushing us as I saw crackles of energy along the very tip. Individual trees were visible now and the ground lurched into view with amazing speed, familiar crater off to the right. A strange calm slipped into me, as I put my trust in the cyan bolt of pony lightning that was dragging me downwards. A bolt of energy skipped off my left cheek as I wondered what would happen.

"No!" I heard Twilight scream out, as I felt the tingle of her magic trying to catch up with us. Too late. Rainbow seemed to almost outpace reality. She was the fastest pony alive, without a doubt.

The blades of grass in the field burned away as they touched her forehooves. The cone of air snapped into a rainbow explosion that radiated in all directions, obliterating dirt and grass alike in a sudden, deafening roar. Then we hit the ground.

* * * * *

Okay, that was a pretty odd sensation, I admit. We just kept going. I felt the ground as we passed through it, rainbow hues distorting and twisting as all of our velocity was killed in an instant. Well no, not exactly. Our velocity was still here, but shifted in another direction, I guessed. I had no time to consider it, however.

The connection opened fully. I felt it. My mind lit on fire as I screamed, suddenly feeling myself in two very different places at once. He was me, aware of his own body as much as I was aware of mine. Two bodies, two minds, one consciousness. The immediate pain was dulled, as I felt two sets of eyes, both closed. One was asleep. I suddenly realized that. His mind was dreaming it seemed. Frowning, I felt the images drifting. The end of the world was being played back in slow motion. So those were dreams I had visited when my pony body slept? A sudden apprehension occurred then. What was real, if that was a dream? All I could get were the images from the dream itself. Frustratingly enough, no memories returned with the connection.

My eyes opened wide, as I forced myself to think through the disorientation. I was me! Nobody else. I could feel him, and he thought like me, but he was asleep. He was also me, but that didn't do me any good, so I pushed it back and solidified my grasp on just me instead. My eyes focused again and I realized I had gone rigid.

Rainbow Dash flailed under me and ultimately went nowhere. We appeared to be in a strange prismatic tunnel of some sort. "No, flying isn't working, and he's frozen still," Dash responded, to a question I missed.

"Yer moving down the tunnel, thou'?" Applejack asked into the magic.

It suddenly occurred to me. It had worked! We were passing through an active portal. Lines of purple light gently held it open as we drifted. "Yeah. The air is getting thinner, too. It's like when I fly really high up," Dash complained. Uh oh. Wait, my barrier was gone! My cyan transportation showed a distinct lack of screaming in agony while being wrapped up in quantum flesh slime however, so I guessed that I was safe to touch, now.

Groaning, I let my muscles relax gently. The sharp pain from my forelegs told me they were either broken or torn. Either way, they were useless, so I pushed the thought from my head. "We might have a problem, then," I managed to mutter.

"Mender!" Twilight exclaimed, suddenly sounding happy again.

"Oh, th-thank goodness. We were r-really worried about you," Fluttershy added quietly, voice warming me up.

Rainbow looked back at me and gave a smile. Her eyes belayed nervousness, yet a certain amount of relief. Had she thought she was going to be doing this by herself? "Glad you're awake. I thought I'd have to haul you back unconscious. What's the problem?" she asked, shifting back to her brash and annoyed facade in an instant.

"My images were dreams, not current information. I'm not sure if there's a localized atmosphere where we're headed," I informed rapidly, fighting down the headache.

Dash frowned and looked confused, but Twilight beat her to the punch with, "Oh no. That means there's no air, Dash!"

"Like water?" Dash asked, tilting her head slightly.

"No. Like nothingness. It's a vacuum. That means there is no air or other objects of mass present. Space, was our word for it," I explained.

Dash seemed horrified, but finally got it. "What the hay are we supposed to do, then?! I can't turn around and we kinda can't breathe there. Totally not cool!" she declared, entirely understatedly.

"The tunnel's one way, but I'm charging up a teleport spell to pull you two back. Ideas on not dying until it's ready would be appreciated," Twilight requested, sounding a little stressed.

Admittedly, as our air thinned more, I was starting to get a little apprehensive too. Plus, Rainbow wasn't supposed to follow me through this thing. I couldn't let her die, even if I didn't care about myself. My mind whipped into high gear. Wait, I could still feel my other self. We were essentially the same entity, right? If I had fingers, I would have crossed them as I tapped into my other self's energy pool.

Rainbow gave me a weird look when I shouted "Yes!" at the top of my lungs, almost crying in happiness. His entire energy pool had refilled while asleep. My current body was brand new, and its level of magical energy was pathetic in comparison to my other self. Tapping into it, I rapidly started forming symbols around Rainbow Dash and I, forming two independent, skin tight layers of shielding. No hole was needed in me, as ‘he’ was doing the casting! Same as my last barrier, but this one held air in, sealing us. Pulling a massive level of air from the tunnel, I started filling a large bubble in the barrier, for storage.

"Whoa, what's this stuff?" Rainbow asked, looking at her forelegs curiously.

"I pressure sealed us and made a makeshift air tank using my other self's energy reserves," I explained curtly, still focusing on cramming as much air in as possible.

There was a shifting and the tunnel started to disperse around us. I felt Twilight pushing as much air as she could down the tunnel and I greedily sucked it up as it came. There wasn't much time however, as we phased through another rock and were unceremoniously dumped into open vacuum.

It wasn't as dark as anticipated, the light from our old star shining through the massive debris field. Impossibly huge chunks of planet drifted above and I realized in horror that this was in real time compared to Equestria. The chunks had already started to cool and I knew heat loss through thermal radiation took a really long time. Something was keeping my other self alive, then. Gravity was almost non-existent, and it took us almost ten seconds to drift to the ground. Ours was one of the slightly smaller chunks of planet it seemed.

Rainbow Dash gasped, scrambling as she finally touched down, incidentally boosting us weightlessly into a jutting rock, which she latched onto and looked around. "Whoa! This is totally awesome!" she declared, finally starting to grin. Well, that wasn't expected. Considering it used to be my world, I had trouble matching her enthusiasm.

"I finally got a lock on you two with my magic. You're a ways away from the portal, probably having drifted off course due to the change in transfer locations," Twilight reported. That didn't surprise me.

Rainbow got a flustered look again, so I cut her off prematurely with, "She means you missed the target, so we popped out someplace else. How far and in what direction, Twilight?"

"Hey, it's not my fault the aerodynamics were off and slowed us down," Rainbow grumbled, crossing her forelegs in a pout. As that's what she was holding onto the rock with, we immediately started to drift again as the rock slowly rotated. She let out a yelp seconds later and grabbed the chunk of planet once more.

Twilight let out a curious humming noise, before sighing quietly in relief. "Only a kilometer or so. It's straight 'up' from your current location," she informed, a few seconds later.

"An' that reminds me. We’re gonna have ah serious discussion 'bout yer risk takin' when ya get back, Rainbow," Applejack suddenly spoke up. I suppressed a snicker as Dash blushed lightly.

"I had it totally under control, AJ. Don't worry," Rainbow tried to waive off.

Applejack let out a derisive snort. "Too late fer not worryin', Sugar Cube. Ah thought ah was gonna lose ya when ya tried that there craziness, an' ah can't unfeel those feelin's. Promise that yer never gonna do that again, an' we'll talk when ya get back," she requested, sounding surprisingly serious.

"I know. Sorry, AJ. We can talk when I get back," Rainbow actually apologized, looking a little glum.

"A-And please get M-Mender home too," Fluttershy added timidly. My turn to blush.

The cyan mare snickered and nodded to nobody in particular. "Sure thing, Shy. We just have to go up there and grab his other form, and then we'll be back in ten seconds flat, piece of cake," she assured, giving our friendly rock a smack with her hoof. Well, at least she seemed confident again?

"You have cake there?! Jealous! Eating cake in this ‘Space’ place sounds like so much fun," Pinkie chimed in, sounding a bit miffed. Actually, it did kinda sound fun, as much as I hated myself to admit.

"Nah. Cake's what we're havin' after, Pinkie. We're gonna throw one blinger o' ah party!" Applejack corrected affectionately.

There was a gasp, followed by, "Yay! That's an amazing idea! A 'welcome home with your alternate reality self' party! I'll get right on planning," Pinkie promised, causing my brain to spit out error reports. How many types of parties does she have?! How could she possibly plan for this type of situation? She was a genius. Or insane.

"Wait, how do we get up there? I'm flapping, but nothing's happening," Rainbow asked, struggling to gain momentum using her wings.

Oh yeah. No air. "Oh, there's no air here for your wings to use for lift. And no gravity, either. Uh, give me a second," I requested, considering the issue. I could give her magic thrusters but I'd rather leave her in control of the mobility. Her reaction time was worlds ahead of mine.

"Flying won't be like normal, then. There won't be an up or down, Dash. Just fly in the direction you want to go in," Twilight explained, as I got another idea. Her wings! She was definitely used to those. My magic activated and I started weaving thruster after thruster in magic symbols along her wings. Account for her movement, and then give a burst of thrust to simulate the amount of force she’d normally generate per flap! Perfect. It would take a lot of thruster symbols, though.

Dash didn't respond and instead decided to watch what I was doing with her wings. I wove micro-thrusters up and down the length of her wingspan. I hummed to myself as my mind worked. Main thruster on the root of the wing. Output uniformly regulated in ratio to that. All others treated as auxiliary and conforming to regulation. I noticed I was going through a mental checklist as I cast the magic and smiled, finding it oddly comforting. "I'm attaching magic thruster disks to your wings and telling them to turn on and off with your movement," I explained gently, finishing with the left and moving onto the right.

She nodded quietly and continued to simply watch, curious it seemed. "Oh, smart! That way she can use her talents fully," Twilight agreed, giving a contemplative hum after.

"They'll need to be calibrated, but it'll do in a pinch," I agreed.

Rainbow surprised me by whipping her head around and looking up into the dust and chunks of rock. "Wait, did you hear that?" she asked, quietly.

"Hear? You couldn't have heard anything. There's no atmosphere here," I reasoned, frowning.

Sure enough however, there was a light clattering. It sounded like rocks skipping off other rocks. A few moments later, I saw a few chunks of debris clatter into the side of our drifting sanctuary. There must be the tiniest bit of atmosphere still present. I definitely didn't trust it to breathe, though. "There's something really, really big moving around up there. It's huge!" Rainbow exclaimed, squinting into the debris.

I swallowed. Uh oh. The Grosh couldn't still be here, could they? No, of course not. They only stay in systems they're interested in, with the emphasis of interest being planets or structures they decidedly didn't blow up. They blew this planet up, so why would they stick around? Unless of course they found something aside from the planet interesting. My blood ran cold as I shivered. No, it couldn't be.

"She's right. There's a large, moving object close to the portal that's admitting heat and light. I can't get visuals through this thing. Ug," Twilight confirmed. Damn it.

It needed to be identified. "What shape is it?" I asked cautiously. They were predictable, if nothing else. They used technology with singular purpose. Every ship they had, even if complex and massive, only ever had one purpose or theme of purposes.

"Yah, an' how big are we talkin' 'bout, 'ere?" Applejack asked curiously a few seconds later.

I could almost picture Twilight frowning as she let out a low exhale, probably concentrating again. "It seems to be the shape of an angular turtle shell from the front. I can't feel the back, so it's at least two kilometers long, by one and a half.

"Oh mah goodness," Applejack muttered. I groaned weakly in agreement.

"Uh, that's big, right?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking exceedingly apprehensive.

I nodded and peeked through my memories for a comparison. "Um, think Dragon Mountain, but moving?" Twilight suggested a few seconds later.

"What the hay are we supposed to do about that?" Rainbow growled after her moment of horrified shock passed.

"It’s a research vessel without heavy military weapons. Grab my other self and flee in terror through the portal?" I offered, just to toss it out there. In reality, I doubted it would be so simple. The size and shape lead me to believe it was one of their research frigates, which was well, bad.

Rainbow Dash stared blankly for a brief second, before snickering and nodding. "Admittedly, that sounds better. I may be awesome, but taking on a mountain is pushing it," she finally agreed.

"Especially one with Tachyon Lasers," I tacked on, doing the math in my head. We were two dinky sources of body heat amidst still warm planet wreckage. Chances are, they had no idea we were here, which gave us the stealth advantage.

There was a light huff. "Is that somethin' big an' bad from yer world?" Applejack asked, sounding a tad annoyed at my vagueness.

"Technically still in my world, thankfully. And yeah. Long range pulse laser meant for blowing nifty holes in reinforced plating, bypassing traditional shielding," I elaborated, finishing the other wing finally.

"What of magic shielding?" Twilight asked hesitantly.

I smirked and shook my head. "If angled right, it skips right off. They really hated our magic," I informed, still glad my specialty was barriers and support magic.

"Sweet! We have a fighting chance then! They won't know what hit em," Rainbow agreed, sliding naturally back into her confident normal self.

Laughing, I shook my head at her bravado and activated her thruster arrays. She gave a surprisingly giddy grin and gave an experimental flap.

We smashed into the bottom of the landmass above us less than a second later, me first of course. "Whoa!" she yelped, rotating me off the rock and 'standing' upside down on it. My head spun and I coughed lightly to flex my lungs back into inflation, wheezing. Oh well. I didn't need those vertebrae. Ponies have extra, right? Right?

"Can ya turn em down a bit until we clear these rocks?" she requested, looking back at me. My head cleared again and I winced, a sharp pain reminding me of the condition of my forelegs.

I glanced to the right and saw that the leg had come undone from being tucked under me and was wedged against the rocks. "Aaahaha. Can you uh, use your wing to shove my right foreleg back under me, so it doesn't hit anything?" I asked, gritting my teeth sharply.

"Er, you can't do it yourself?" Dash asked skeptically, turning and looking at the mangled and swollen limb. Her eyes widened significantly.

"Ah, not exactly. They're either broken or have severe muscle damage. Not using up magic to find out," I grumbled impatiently, wishing the agony would stop.

"What?!" Twilight shouted over the spell. There was a sharp intake of breath, followed up with a light squeaking that was decidedly very Fluttershy in nature.

Rainbow gently took her wing and shuffled the leg back under me. "Oh dear. This is simply the worst possible thing that could have happened! How did they get hurt?" Rarity asked, sounding, in her own vocabulary, 'simply mortified' at the thought. I didn't have the heart to retort that having our flesh sizzled off by a Tachyon Laser would be a little worse.

"Apparently, letting your arms go limp just prior to, ah!" I yelped as Rainbow secured my leg under me, before pulling it together and continuing, "Prior to Sonic Rainboom velocity is a really bad idea. Air friction did a number on them."

Rainbow frowned, but nodded. "Both front legs, right? Can you manage?" she asked, looking back up in the direction of where the other me should be located.

I smirked, masking the pain with a confident expression. "I used to be a soldier. Of course," I assured. It was a rarely spoken of language. It didn't actually mean 'of course', but instead that the mission was way more important and stopping now wasn't an option. I recalled suddenly having heard it a lot. Most of the speakers of the phrase and its many variations hadn't made it. Oh, wait. I was technically the only one to make it at all, in all probability.

"Oh no. No, no! I'm preparing to teleport both of you back to safety still," Twilight protested.

"Twi, we can't leave without his other self," Dash reminded, scratching lightly at the loose dirt along the underside of the rock we were on.

There was a sharp gasp almost instantly. "Oh no, please don't do that! I'd have to re-write all of these cool 'welcome back with your alternate reality twin' banners!" Pinky protested.

"Uh, yer makin' the decorations now, Pinks?" Applejack asked, sounding perturbed.

"Oh, it's a g-good idea, Pinkie. H-He might need m-medical attention first, is a-all Applejack is saying," Fluttershy spoke up.

There was a momentary pause, as I contemplated exactly what it was like to be Pinkie Pie. "Ooh! Okay, I'll decorate his hospital room then, and we'll party there instead!" she corrected, not really missing a beat.

My head started to hurt, so I finished turning down the thrusters instead. Rainbow lightly flapped off the chunk of rock, doing a spin and landing back on our original one. She stabilized herself and then grinned back at me. "At least let me lock onto you two, and charge up the teleports. Then I can whisk you away in a moment's notice," Twilight finally consented. Wait...

"Uh, Twilight? How visual is that locking spell?" I asked rapidly.

"Huh? Why?" she asked, exactly as she cast it. Rainbow and I both became distinctly aware of a sudden flash as two beams of purple energy homed out of the rocks like angry hornets and smashed into us. We were tagged with a light purple glow, after.

There was a sudden flurry of movement and I saw several beams of light shine down into the debris, following the purple light. Aw, crap.

Chapter 15

View Online

One important rule that comes in handy and holds true in most places, except for when it doesn't, of course, was the first law of motion. It was simplicity in its truest form, really. To summarize: an object will maintain a stable velocity unless acted upon by an outside source. Very simple, right? Pity I totally forgot to warn Rainbow Dash that her usual 'outside sources' of gravity and air friction were almost non-existent here.

We smashed into another chunk of rock, barely managing to avoid the massive beam of charged, superheated particles as it put a rather impressive hole through the rock next to us. My barrier staved off the heat but I could still feel the tingling sensation, as if too much static electricity had built up. Not possible in a vacuum, if I recalled correctly, but it was better than imagining the beam microwaving the outer layer of skin cells off me. Trying to look on the bright side, I assured myself that it was a good thing this wasn’t a military ship.

Rainbow learned very quickly, bless her heart. She booked it rapidly across the surface, turning much faster once she realized she had to counter thrust against her own velocity to slow down. She took to an amazingly graceful swerving pattern to avoid the big shots. I kept my eyes closed, of course. One, to not wet myself by seeing how close we came to becoming a pile of ionized ash, and two, to keep my focus on deflecting the small arms fire of the mechanical soldiers that were following us. Thankfully their aim was traditionally crappy.

The Grosh didn't colonize well, so their soldiers consisted largely of mechanical infantry. The problem was in what they breathed. They called it Icheon Gas in Universal Common. It was a combination of dense hydrogen, a few neurological stimulants, and a fascinatingly large concentration of tiny parasites that infested the Groshs' lungs. They processed the hydrogen for each individual Grosh, somehow turning it into a concentrated oxygen mixture, and were native to their original biosphere. It was a creative process, as the Grosh's bodies in turn processed only the heightened oxygen levels. We didn’t fully understand the process, but then again, we weren’t exactly given much time to research them. Regardless, the drawback was that the parasites had a shelf life of almost nil and nitrogen was poisonous to them. Oops. It slowed down the whole terraforming thing when you had to convert the entire atmosphere to a different gas, introduce several biologically-dependant plant species en masse, and then saturate the planet with a parasite before you could live on it. That also meant their ships had to haul around a full eco-deck just to sustain their life support systems. It made personal space suits a bit complicated, I'd assumed. Yeah, robots were just easier.

Rainbow Dash followed the purple line coming from her chest as fast as she possibly could. The closer we got to the glowing barrier ahead of us, the more of my old energy pool I could tap into. My eyes opened again, once we got within thirty meters or so. They widened to full as I took in the sight. Across our dirty, charred expanse of rock was a partially collapsed but perfectly functioning Aegis Barrier. More specifically, my Aegis Barrier. Our strongest barrier magic, the Aegis formed an absolute field that blocked everything and enclosed in on itself. The downsides were that it kinda stopped air too and wouldn't let attacks out of it from the inside. Its use was really situational at best. Of course, a charged particle blast fired from an orbital battleship was a pretty nasty threat.

The weak atmosphere danced with deflected ion bolt energy as Rainbow broke into a no holds barred line for the bubble. My focus shifted from the now missing shots to keying us into the resonation of the barrier. Her speed almost caused us to pancake into the side of it before I managed to sync us! We passed through the field and she immediately spun, boosting hard in the other direction. We still smashed into the inside of the barrier across from our entry point, but at least she braked. A few lacerations and bruises were better than a caved in skull I suppose.

We collapsed into a panting, breathless pile at the bottom of the barrier wall, and I reflexively checked our oxygen supply again. We had about twenty-five minutes of air left, I estimated. Plenty, I hoped.

Rainbow shakily stood again after a few moments and looked around. I stared apprehensively at the walls until I saw one of the large, charged particle shots skip off. Whew, it was indeed perfectly functioning. The massive, impossibly large moving wall of metal stopped firing after a few deflected shots razed some of their now useless robotic infantry. They couldn't do much to us in here and I decided the new plan was to simply chill until Twilight finished charging her teleportation magic. Heroic, I know.

Rainbow was momentarily fascinated by the gently flowing field of lights and symbols surrounding us and smiled softly as she took it in. I had to give her credit. She was taking having been shot at with an anti-cruiser weapon amazingly well. She seemed to draw in the sights with amazement, like it was a massive amusement park or something. The energy that danced behind her amethyst eyes made me smile.

"That was actually kinda fun, but we should probably stay in here," Rainbow suggested, smirking back at me finally.

"Ug, should I ask, or will knowing cause me to die of worry and guilt?" Twilight asked, speaking for the first time since the barrage of apologies after we started screaming in panic. Getting shot at brings out the best in me, I had to admit.

Rainbow snickered and shook her head to nopony in particular. She remembered with a start a few seconds later, and added hastily, "Ah, n-no. You probably shouldn't ask."

I watched the massive ship slowly start to turn, lining up one of the main cargo bays with our trajectory. "Uh, how much time's left on those three teleports, Twilight?" I asked nervously.

"This isn't a little jaunt across town, you know. I'm almost done with Rainbow's charge, and then I'll do yours and your twin’s. Uh, twelve, twelve and a half minutes?" she estimated.

Rainbow suddenly went rigid under me and inhaled sharply. Had she noticed the ship? Turning my head back, I realized she was looking into the center of our barrier instead. The whole thing was barely ten meters across and a small figure rested in the center that I had previously overlooked. It was extremely tiny now, and cratered partially into the rocks. My mind started to ache and I involuntarily winced as a sharp stab went through it. The figure was me.

"Oh, oh, that's not... I think I'm gonna be sick," Rainbow muttered, looking away from my other self rapidly. It was easy enough to see the source of her discomfort.

My old body was actually smaller than my new one, I realized. For one, I was a runt, really. Two, our race was actually on the small size, barely reaching four foot, if I recalled. Lastly, my other form was severely emaciated, almost a skeleton. The light blue, patchy fur that was covering parts of its skin was falling out and I saw that the tips of the foot long ears were withered and drying badly. Oh, and it was in three pieces. That was important too, I think. Not that it really mattered at that point as the prior starvation and dehydration would have made my survival iffy at best. I could see the organs and blood, frozen in time a week back, still somehow alive as the rainbow energy threads wove through it all. But there was no helping it anymore.

"Scratch that third teleport, Twilight," I whispered quietly, my voice surprising me by catching on her name. I took a moment to close my eyes and compose myself, feeling Rainbow turn around and away from the slowly dying alien body.

There was a light, squeaking whimper, followed by a sigh in a different voice. "You found your other self?" Twilight asked in a weak, but understanding voice.

"Oh dear," Rarity muttered quietly, followed by a low growl from Applejack.

"Are ya really gonna just give up? We should try ta heal him up, anyway," she argued.

Rainbow let out gentle breaths, shivering under me now. I surprised myself by frowning and gently nuzzling my muzzle along her neck. A hug kinda didn't work with broken forelegs. She started momentarily, before sighing and bending her neck against my head, resting there. "It's kinda a little late for healing. I don't think even magic could repair that," she muttered, after recovering for a few moments. I found myself oddly numb, however. I realized that if I searched my memories, I'd seen worse. It was different when it was myself though.

"Rainbow... Are ya alright?" Applejack asked a few moments later, irritation gone from her voice and much quieter. I distracted myself by peeking around the barrier.

Up close, I saw it was a lot more deteriorated than I thought. Thankfully it was strong magic. I watched the four-armed mechanical monsters gather around the edges of the barrier. Then I thought about it more. How had I lived without air this long?

"Yeah. I mean, no sweat, right? He's just a bit worse off than I had anticipated," she excused, waving her hoof to nopony again. She wasn't used to this whole 'long distance communication' thing, it seemed.

I found the tube shortly thereafter. It was pumping a healthy supply of oxygen in through a deteriorated part of the barrier. They were intentionally keeping me alive, then. That entire side of the barrier was lined with scanning equipment as well, now that I looked closer. They knew how the Aegis functioned so they definitely weren't scanning that. That meant…

There was a weak, whimpering noise. "I'm worried about Mender's legs. He n-needs medical attention," Fluttershy reminded. They had gone mostly numb, at this point. It was a blessing, really.

"He'll get it right away, upon the teleport. Don't worry, Fluttershy," Rarity assured.

I stared up at the massive ship above us. It had given up firing upon us. Now I knew why. They didn't want to blow up their research. The transmitters on the scanning system attached to the Aegis were easy enough to see, as well. A sinking chill crept into me as I realized it wasn't going to be as easy as this.

"Uh, Rainbow? Are you up for one more flight?" I asked quietly, losing my strength of voice. They had the data on the ship already. I needed to buy some time.

She glanced back at me questioningly, and then followed my gaze up towards the massive research ship. On the top of it, towards the front, there was a large array of angular, pyramid-like transmitters and receivers. "They're learning about the link, aren't they?" Twilight asked, sounding uneasy.

"The scanner's still running, so they're not done yet. They'd keep the data on the ship until they have it all. But I don't know how much they have," I reasoned. Did they have enough to be a threat? There was literally no way of knowing from here.

Several micro-drones, about half a meter in diameter, landed on the outside of the barrier a second later. Rainbow Dash jumped at the loud impact noises and looked back and forth between them. I counted about five, as they started trying to pull at the weakened segments of shield. My eyes softened as I realized it didn't matter. They had data on Equestria, in all likelihood.

The uneasy silence was broken by my sigh, as I explained, "We need to take out their transmitters, Dash. They're those angular things sticking out of the front up on top." That would buy us time to figure out how much data they had, anyway. I hoped. The radiation they vented during FTL transmission meant they had to be outside of the ship. That definitely worked to our advantage. Dash surprised me by smiling, however.

"Hit and run?" she asked, widening her stance and lowering herself, coiling her leg muscles in what looked like anticipation. The soldier in me that I denied for so long grunted his approval and I smirked. She was made of a lot sterner stuff than I had given her credit for.

"One pass is all we need. Then back to here," I added. Simple and efficient.

Dash nodded briskly, eyes narrowing as she locked them onto the array. "Yer kiddin', right? Ya need medical attention, an' you two're gonna go off on some crazy flight?" Applejack questioned incredulously.

Part of me realized she was right. Rainbow gave an angry snort, however. "There's no way I'm letting these jerks anywhere near Equestria. They won't even see us coming!" she boasted and I almost felt her coat bristling up under me. If they'd seen her now, I don't think my old soldier buddies would have found a single bad thing to say, I realized. Rainbow mane included, of course.

I considered the goal, however. There were several reinforced carbon struts that connected the array to the ship. I was unfortunately, a support caster, or I could have just blown the crap out of it from where we stood. They probably realized I wasn't an attack class already. But there was one technique I could do that was offensive. Just one.

Rainbow's eyes got wider in direct proportion to the length of the blade of energy extending off the left side of my mouth. Shields were basically just a plane of force. Smash one to a few nanometers thick and ionize the end, and it becomes a pretty nice blade as well. It was my last line of defense, all else failing. I don't remember ever using it apart from training, but that didn’t surprise me much. For one, blades were a little outclassed in that war. For two, I didn't remember a huge amount still. I didn't have access to my other self's memories, which was a little depressing. I had been secretly hoping I'd recover them when I came here, I supposed.

"Thish'll cut thru it like bhutter," I mouthed through the block of energy between my teeth.

Rainbow started to giggle, but nodded. "Ya got it, Partner. One hit and run, coming right up!" she affirmed, grinning again and turning her head back towards the giant research ship.

"Be-Be careful, you two," Twilight asked, giving in. She knew this had to be done. What I didn't mention was that we somehow had to get rid of the ship too, after we knocked out their communication. My mind started racing through diagrams as I tried to desperately remember my training. There had to be something on the ship. Some weakness we could exploit. It wasn't a military class vessel.

"Piece of cake. Relax, Twilight," Rainbow assured. Heh, it wouldn't be, but I think she already knew that.

I nodded against Dash, leaning down tightly to her. Letting the blade drift from my mouth, I advised, "They have a minimum firing range."

Rainbow Dash grinned openly now. "So fly down their throat. Got it. Give my wings a boost," she requested.

"Be careful, Rainbow. Ya need ta get yer pretty little rainbow flank back in one piece, yeh hear?" Applejack warned. Dash blushed lightly and I tried not to smirk at what I knew she heard that as.

"Yeah, you don't want to miss this amazing party, Dashie!" Pinkie Pie tacked on.

Okay, I snickered at that. "Then let's knock 'em down a peg, Dashie," I spoke up directly into her ear. Her nickname was adorable, I had to admit.

She shot a glare back at me but I just smiled innocently at her, earning an eye roll. "Don't try dumping on the cute with me. I'm not Twilight or Fluttershy," she muttered sarcastically, but smirking now contrary to her tough act.

"W-What?!" Fluttershy stuttered out. We never got a chance to reply, though.

The charge had finished, and I dumped it into Rainbow's wing thrusters. They expanded almost three times, planes of light extending off her wings, over doubling their normal size. She got a look of exhilaration, and turned back to the ship again.

"Hit 'em hard and fast, Rainbow," I affirmed, catching the blade in my mouth again, holding it out firmly before dumping the remainder of my charge into it. The blade exploded in light, expanding almost three meters in length, putting the tip through one of the weak spots in the shield. I secretly was delighted as I saw one of the mechanical micro-drones fall in half as the point of the blade extended through it.

Rainbow Dash dropped low and sprung like a rubber band straight up, an explosion of thrusters lighting up the area around us as we phased through the top of the shield.

* * * * *

If Rainbow Dash didn't have my respect before, she sure as hell did now. We banked hard as she counter-thrust through a laser field, barely slipping through between two shots. They had opened up with everything the second we cleared the gravity field. Dash kept her flight pattern tight and varied, spinning in a tight roll as she blasted out of the thrust, dodging the entire attack field with ease. Her wings of light scorched the darkness of space as she danced towards our target. Best flier in Equestria? Yeah right. She was a goddess of flight!

We came out of our tight spin as she corrected our velocity and burst under their firing pattern. A few smaller, anti-fighter rays grazed us, but were deflected harmlessly by my angled shields. It had to be done. I released the limits on my magic pool once more, this time with all of my other self’s energy, causing Rainbow's wings to explode into light again as she shot past the range minimum in an instant. She let out a roaring battle scream as we swung in along the hull of the ship, hugging its shield line.

Three flaps were all it took. A hundred meters she covered as if it was nothing, lining up the support struts with measured precision. I gritted my teeth hard into the blade grip, letting out a growl around it. The blade flared up and we made contact just as they tried to raise their shields up around the array. Rainbow ducked and I swung.

I barely felt the wedge that was my deflective shield smash through the severed line I made through theirs. We passed the array an instant later. Rainbow flicked her back legs around, pulling a hard U-turn along the shield of the ship. Exhausted, I let the blade dissipate as I felt the dull ache along the back of my head from overexertion. The rest of my body soon joined the skull ache as Rainbow slammed the thrusters against her own velocity, momentarily almost doubling the g-forces on us. Admittedly, her body was probably used to it.

I gritted my teeth as pain exploded through my forelegs. A sharp mineral taste entered my mouth shortly afterwards. Either I bit my tongue, had massive internal bleeding, or it was a nerve overload sensation. Most likely it was option three. Rainbow didn't notice however, as she was now too busy grinning.

The field around the array collapsed as fast as it had popped up. I saw the white hot line going through the struts and gave a sigh of relief. Dash burst forwards and kicked the side of the array a second later, dislodging the entire thing and sending it drifting off into space. We were too close to their hull to target now, and she took the time to do a victory pose. At least research ships didn't have mobile attack drones.

"Ha! We totally took 'em down! That was awesome," she declared, sounding beyond proud of herself.

Weakly, I glanced back at our bubble and swallowed as I saw one of the micro-drones almost inside. I didn't know if it could go back through the portal the other direction or not, but finding out wasn't on my to-do list. Crap. Now I was starting to think like Twilight.

"Rainbow, the portal. A drone," I managed to mutter through the demolition sequence going off in my skull.

"Aww horse apples! I'm gonna kick the hay out of those stupid metal beach balls," she growled, giving a hard flap of her wings and bursting off the hull shield surface. Much to my dismay, her path was taking a straight line.

I winced and smashed my jaw shut at the acceleration but managed to shout, "The beams, Dash!"

She gasped, remembering an instant later. We dove into evasive action instantly just as a full array of five beams scorched through the spot we were half a second ago. My scream was drowned out in the high-pitched wail of the laser energy as it burned through our air bubble hard enough to generate sound. By instinct, I ejected the outer layer of our deflection shield as it was heated to the point of combusting. Rainbow dove into a rough spiral, gritting her teeth as the perspiration turned to steam off of her forehead before dispersing into space. My mind reeled as I felt her make several more dodges and another wave of the large lasers shot past us, missing entirely this time. I felt the anti-fighter shots power up in my detection range, and struggled to anchor my mind enough to move the deflector shields into interception position.

"Rainbow! Mender!" I heard Twilight shout, feeling like the echo bounced around inside my head a few times.

"No yeh don't, ya little monsters!" I heard Applejack suddenly shout out as well.

It was hard to see with my vision swimming, but I swore I saw red objects suddenly exiting the portal at high velocity. The first drone that got through the barrier caught the thing right in the sensor panel. To my amazement, it cracked through the casing and sent the drone hurtling backwards into the side of the barrier! The second drone seemed to panic, managing to block the second red orb with a utility arm, but the velocity tore the arm off and spun the drone around. The third projectile scored a direct hit on the power pack in the back. The coupling must have snapped, and the entire drone lit up like a light bulb momentarily, before giving off weak wisps of smoke and drifting motionlessly.

All other attention was cut short as the anti-fighter turrets fired. Rainbow went into a dodging pattern, slowing noticeably as her wings started to lose power. No! I tried to direct power into both her wings and the shields at the same time, my mind falling into the proverbial acid pit to manage it. One parry. Rainbow spun, dodging two more of the shots. Another parry. She felt her wings flare up again and made a mad dash for the shield, taking advantage of the larger weapon’s firing delay. The third parry. Deflection barrier one of three collapsed. They lead us as we shifted to a straight line and I threw the healthiest barrier into the path of Rainbow's head. Parry four and five skipped off it, narrowly avoiding removing her head as she flew. Four meters from the shield. The lead fire fell behind and Rainbow tucked into a roll to brace for impact. I shifted the healthy shield in-between the barrier and us, using its energy to slow our velocity. We rotated, coming in hard and fast. A glancing blow, barely deflected, skipped off the weakened third shield, reducing it to critical. Two meters. Things slowed as I felt my heart smashing against my ribs. Our velocity dropped, but so did our angle, bringing us back into line with the three prior missing shots. I barely managed to move shield three into position, shifting the now lined up laser fire away from us using redirection. The shield flickered and I saw a burn line lance across Rainbow's right shoulder, an inch from my face.

Startled, I missed the final deflection. The angle was bad. I saw my mistake instantly, but it was too late. The shield took the full force of the shot, having to absorb it rather than deflect. Naturally, the shield shattered, letting ribbons of energy through. The impact knocked the air out of me as I felt a split second lance of burning pain and then nothing at all, as bits of feeling disappeared from the lower left side of my back. We went through the barrier, and cratered into the rock next to the portal.

* * * * *

There was a momentary lapse in awareness. It felt like I took a long blink, and then lost a bit of time during it. Ah, I lost consciousness. Rainbow let out a low groan as she shakily stood up. I contented myself to silence, as I rested limply on her back. There was almost no magic left in either of my bodies now. I did a passive scan of my systems, running on power saving mode as best I could.

Torn muscles in both forelegs. They were effectively useless. Abrasions covered my skin as well, but that was expected. The real damage was done to my back. I had three reasonably deep burned gashes in my back, above my left hip by a few inches. The air barrier I made sealed it but the top one was bleeding badly. With nowhere to go, the blood just pooled and spread out under the barrier, along my coat. I felt light headed, but decided it was probably due to over-exertion of magic and my headache. I tried exercising as much pressure against it as I could using the barrier that was left from before, but my throbbing head made that hard.

We were back inside the barrier, with bits of mechanical parts lying about. There was just enough gravity to keep them anchored and allow Rainbow to stand. Chunks of apple drifted slowly along the surface of the rock, too, I noticed. The barrier looked ragged, but had self-repaired to some extent. The mechanical soldiers stood outside it still, apparently having given up infiltration for now. I caught a glimpse of the giant ship rotating slowly above us, aligning us with the massive, rear-facing cargo bay. That explained why they weren't trying to get inside. They were simply going to swallow the rock whole.

"Ouch. That stung a bit. Mission successful, though!" Rainbow Dash announced, rubbing her singed shoulder absently.

"Oh, thank Celestia you're all right! You took out the communication device, then?" Twilight asked, exhaling in relief. I decided to keep my mouth shut, and put more pressure on the wound, feeling the barrier get a little slick. It was hard to think through the cloud in my mind.

Rainbow nodded pointlessly, and added, "Yup! Kicked it off into space. They nicked my shoulder, but other than that, we were untouchable!"

"S-So you saved Equestria? That's awesome, Rainbow! How's M-Mender?" Fluttershy asked quietly, which sounded odd in an enthusiastic tone.

Rainbow smirked. "Well, I am kinda awesome like that! And he seems fine. His barriers were amazing out there," she added. I was vaguely surprised she gave up some of the credit.

"Then why ain’t he talkin'?" Applejack asked, sounding a little irritated for some reason.

I wasn't sure how to respond to that. "I, mmm, just tired. Cool apple attack," I managed to mutter, watching one of the red, tasty looking snacks roll and twist across the rock near us. Wait, no, it wasn't moving. I think my eyes were instead.

Rainbow frowned and twisted around to look back at me.

"Well ah thank ya kindly. Ah simply agree with Dash. No metal monsters'll set hoof in Equestria, so long as ah have any say 'bout it," the farm mare declared, followed by the unique sound of a hoof impact, probably against her chest.

"And I helped load the apples!" Pinkie followed up in delight.

Rainbow got a look of mild concern, however. Uh oh... "Why is your nose bleeding, Mender?" she inquired a moment later. Whew. She couldn't see my back.

"Oh, he over-exerted his magic. I got a little nosebleed that night after the Ursa Minor incident, too," Twilight answered for me. The constellation? I momentarily entertained an image of her fighting off the stars themselves, and getting a 'little nosebleed' from the ordeal. Damn. She could have done all of this without batting an eyelash, I bet. My ego momentarily felt worse than my body.

"Regardless, Rainbow's teleport is ready and Mender's is about halfway charged. I'll wait and pull both of you out at once," Twilight went on to inform.

Rainbow was watching the giant ship now as well, as we started to pull closer to it in a massive beam of murky green light. "Uh, what's it doing?" she asked hesitantly.

"Pulling us in. Trying to trap us," I managed, getting tired suddenly. It was getting harder to keep my breath.

Twilight snorted. "I'll just teleport you out in a few minutes and we can be done with this nightmare."

"Rainbow can go now..." I whispered, wishing she'd use the escape route available to her.

"Uh, no way. I'm sticking with you until the end, Partner," Rainbow refused, smirking back at me again.

I groaned and shook my head. Stubborn mare. "You don't need to," I protested tiredly.

"Yer with the element o' loyalty, remember?" Applejack spoke up, chuckling after.

Rainbow Dash started to nod in agreement, when we were jolted forwards slightly, to the sound of a loud crash. "Whoa!" she protested, bracing against the rocking motion. I looked forward again and saw them backing up our floating rock, and raising us up a little more using the spatial manipulation field. Idiots. The bottom of our floating island must have smashed into the bottom of the docking bay. They never were too accurate with those.

The artificial gravity took over inside of the ship and I winced as I was pushed down onto Rainbow. My forelegs were on fire with pain and I was starting to sadly recover feeling in my back now. The wound, or more accurately, the nerves around the damaged areas, began to scream out under the newly discovered pressure. I hadn't been expecting this reaction and fought back a wave of nausea and lightheaded vertigo. I felt the warm liquid running down my flanks now and swallowed. Not good.

"...some kind of big room. Ya could hurry that teleport a bit, Twilight," Rainbow continued speaking. My hearing fully recovered after a few more seconds, and I shivered, feeling myself get colder. Not good at all. At this rate, I'd die from blood loss. Trying something new, I let most of the only remaining barrier mostly dissipate until it was the size of a walnut or so. I then gritted my teeth and carefully plugged it into the only hole that wasn't cauterized. My mind exploded into agony and I almost bit my tongue trying to keep from screaming as I rode out the now spinning room. Son of a bitch! I was not cut out for this kind of thing. I winced at the concept of getting a tattoo, for crying out loud.

"I'm trying, Dash. Just keep yourself and Mender safe. Five minutes tops," Twilight assured, sounding a bit frantic.

Rainbow sighed and paced slightly, trying desperately to look at anything other than my other self in the center of the rock. It wasn't that hard, as the hanger gave us ample amounts of curiosities to look at. It was massive, for one. I knew it was almost a kilometer long and half that or so in width. In theory, it was a dry dock for experimental ships. In reality, they used it to store essentially anything they found interesting enough to study. Us, in this case. Lights shone down from high above, illuminating the docks in a murky green light. It wasn't enough to light the place to satisfaction, really. Dark labs were in rows to the sides of the docks, and sinister robots followed us with their sensors through the glass windows. Other ships were also landed; the cool blue pulse of their hover disks simply added to the ambiance.

"This place is kinda cool," my cyan partner noted, looking about with curiosity now.

"Greetings, Last Known Member of Species 5387! Welcome to my ship!" suddenly boomed from unseen speakers high above.

Rainbow let out a yelp, diving to the rock for protection while looking around. A massive panel opened up in the wall next to us as we slowed to a stop. The holographic projector hummed as it powered up, the face of my nightmares coming onto the screen. His hideous visage was twisted and warped and the sickly white fur turned up around the corners of his mouth, a sinister grin bestowed on his features. Two sharper looking teeth dropped down menacingly and half of his scarred face was replaced by gleaming metal. The two longer ears were stretched out far behind its head like some mockery of hair. I shuddered and tried not to convulse. Rainbow stared blankly at the face and I was shocked at her stoic behavior. To show such calm in front of one of them! A Grosh.

The deadpan expression soon gave away into a massive fit of laughter. I was shocked, jaw dropped as I watched her roar with glee until tears came from her eyes. The Grosh looked utterly shocked, then annoyed, and finally downright irritated.

"The big bad oogly wooglies are fluffy bunnies with cheese graters stuck to their faces? Really?!" she managed to gasp out between chortles. She started stomping rapidly on the rock in ecstatic laughter.

"Enough of this! I could destroy you both whenever I want, so silence!" The Grosh screamed. I blinked at Dash, who was still giggling, and then looked back to the view screen. Yeah, it did look like a bunny from their world. Well damn. That totally ruined it for me. Now I couldn't not see it.

Dash finally recovered enough to snort. "Wow. Somepony's grumpy. Remind me to feed Angel a nice big carrot when we get home, Fluttershy. Bunnies apparently get really cranky," she requested.

There was no response. She blinked after a few more seconds and looked around. "Er, Fluttershy? Twilight?" she called out hesitantly.

Nothing. I sighed as I realized the magic had given away. "Her spell wore off, Dash. It must have been... strained going through the portal. Less duration," I muttered, trying to head off the panic.

"Aww, the spell wore off? Pity. Looks like you won't be getting a rescue," the Grosh taunted, looking amused.

I shook my head. "The teleport's still, mm, charging," I assured her, still able to see the energy buildup.

She nodded and grinned. "You don't scare us! We're gonna get out of here, no sweat," she bragged.

"Go ahead. We're still hooked into him. Really, show us how the transfer works by taking him back. Then enjoy your last days," the Grosh offered gleefully. Oh crap.

Rainbow narrowed her eyes, but I shook my head. "They still have the data on the ship. Only... slowed 'em down," I muttered, shivering again.

"W-What? We didn't save..." she started to question, looking worried.

The Grosh started laughing. "Of course not! You just inconvenienced us. It'll take a couple hours to fix the transmitter array."

"Rainbow... Go back. Please," I requested, feeling dizzy again.

"No way! I'm not leaving you here alone," she refused.

More laughter from above. "Aww, it's touching. You know, I could save you, right? All you have to do is help us get the research done. You can live, and become a Grosh commander. Think about it! This deal wasn’t even offered to your traitor allies," the screen offered.

Rainbow snorted and backed away from the screen with me. "He can live without your help!" she shouted, looking irate now.

"I wouldn't... accept anyway," I managed to whisper, getting more tired by the minute. Yeah, definitely blood loss.

Rainbow didn't answer, getting a sudden questioning look in her eyes. I wondered what was wrong until she looked back at her left flank. "You'd better not have peed on..." she started to warn, before freezing in place. I followed her line of sight to the blood now running down her flank. "Oh, no, no, please, no," she muttered, yanking the cord on her chest. Oops. I felt the harness release and I slid gently down her back. She waited until I was completely off her before turning around again, ignoring the blood coating her thighs and running down her back legs.

I winced at the pain of the bump against our rock, but then tried my hardest to smile up at her. It felt weak, and she just shook her head. There was a light chuckle from above, which she ignored. "No, please, Mender. Why didn't you say something?" she whined out, shifting behind me and trying to put pressure on the wound.

"W-What would you have done?" I asked skeptically, resting my head against the rocks. I felt so tired. A little nap sounded so good about now.

Rainbow tied the harness strap over the wound, tightening it as hard as she could. "You stupid, stupid stallion! Why? I would have brought you to Twi! She has healing magic," she shouted, sounding more and more angry.

"My offer still stands," the Grosh reminded, snickering merrily.

No. This wouldn't do at all. A nap would be easy. Is that how I wanted to be remembered? I pushed my head into the floor and shifted my legs under me, wincing at the burning agony crawling up my spine. It didn't matter though, as I slowly shifted to my haunches, looking up at the Grosh.

"M-Mender, please, stay down," Rainbow asked, trying to nudge me over. The anger was gone from her voice again and I saw her eyes starting to get watery.

Turning my head to look at her, I managed a warm smile. "I'm sorry for being, mmm, stupid, Rainbow," I apologized. A tear slipped out of her left eye and she shook her head rapidly.

"We can still get you to Twilight. Don't you dare give up," she warned, trying to smile.

"I flooded the entire hold with Icheon gas. If you exit your bubble, you die anyway, so don't try anything, worms," the Grosh warned.

Wait, gas? Oh yeah, it was toxic and absurdly deadly to us. Probably to ponies, too. What was it again? There was something important.

Everything snapped into place and I suddenly smiled. It made sense now. It was all karma. I threw away my life before, in a pointless attempt to save a few. I didn't want to die. And I had failed. Our species was lost and I was all that was left. I should have gone with them, but I didn't. I was given another chance. Why?

To get my wish. My real, true wish. It was the reason I joined the guard in the first place. To make a difference. To fix what was wrong and lacking justice. I had lost sight of that alongside my memories but it was part of who I am, still. To mend. Both physical, emotional, and justice itself. My memories might never fully return, but I found myself at peace. I didn't need them. I had another chance.

"Can you tell everyone that I'm sorry?" I asked Rainbow quietly, slumping against her left shoulder. Everything in me quieted as she went rigid against me.

"M-Mender, you need to tell them yourself. This isn't... I'm not going to," she started to protest.

Oddly, I felt a sense of calm, finally. "This ship still holds Equestria's secrets. And the others need you..." I muttered, fighting to stay awake.

"Wh-What can you do against this huge ship? I'm staying with you until Twi teleports us," she insisted once more.

I sighed, and the Grosh started laughing behind me. "How cute. But you can't do anything. We have your bio. You focus on support and barrier magic. Your only attack is that silly blade and you're in the middle of a hanger flooded with lethal gas. Really, entertain me with your pathetic plan," he taunted. I ignored him entirely.

"Then... I apologize to you as well. If nothing else, Applejack needs you," I spoke quietly, a lump forming in my throat. It was taking all of my energy just to talk, and I felt my eyes get wet.

"No, Mender," Rainbow muttered.

I shook my head before she could say more. "Please, confess to her. For me, all right? Be happy," I requested from the bottom of my heart. It wasn't fair that I had come so close to the happiness she could still have, only for this to happen. I wanted to hear them one last time, if nothing else.

Rainbow backed her head back, shaking it rapidly. I didn't care if she saw me crying. She was as well. "S-Stop it. You need to," she almost pleaded.

"I'm sorry, Dashie. You're a goddess of flight, if that means anything," I complimented, smiling weakly at her. She swallowed and opened her mouth to say something, but I shook my head. "Goodbye, Partner," I spoke, before gently pushing the polarities of Twilight's teleport spell together with my magic.

Rainbow's eyes went wide as she felt the spell activate on her back. "Mend," she started to shout out, before vanishing in a flash of light. Mend. Indeed. That's what I'd do.

With nothing left to support me, I fell through where she was, collapsing into a heap on the rocks. The spot where she had been sitting was warm. I couldn't hold back anymore, and just let the tears come. They slid down my cheeks and mixed with the slowly expanding smear of blood under me. Fluttershy. Twilight. I wished I could talk to them again. All of those wonderful ponies. It wasn't fair.

"Well that was noble. Bravo, good sir," the Grosh complimented snidely, sounding amused.

I said nothing and just lay there, wishing he'd die. Well, he would die in a few minutes. Of that I could promise. "But now that she's gone, you can make the choice guilt free. Help us recreate the portal, and finish the research, and I will make you the head of our R&D department. You can even hunt down those cowards you allied yourself with. You will live forever and get anything you so desire," he offered.

I rotated my head enough to glare skeptically at him. Was he truly trying to offer me that? I didn't give him the satisfaction of a response as I sponged up the last few dribbles of magic inside of me. He hesitated, and then sighed. "All right, I'll add to it. We have DNA from your species. Your record stated that you didn't get on the breeding lists, so wouldn't having all the subservient females you want now be nice? I'll clone dozens, just for you," he tacked on.

Amusingly enough, I discovered a new level of hatred for the Grosh. It surprised me, because I didn't realize that I could want somepony dead so badly that I thought just killing them might not be satisfying enough. With still no answer, he twitched significantly. "Fine! When we invade, I'll round up all your little friends and give them to you as well. How's that sound?" he asked eagerly.

My eyes widened a little. Fluttershy and Twilight. I could see them again. But, they would hate me. It would destroy everything they loved for my own desires. My eyes softened as the tears came again. I wasn't willing to become a monster, was I? This offer was what every individual would normally strive for though, wasn't it? Such power and control, and everyone I cared about protected. All achieved in an instant with little to no effort. But it would sacrifice everypony else in Equestria to achieve it. That wasn't acceptable.

"Oh ho! I see you're interested, now," the Grosh muttered, followed by, "You're sweet on one of them, aren't you?"

Two, actually. Not that he needed to know that. It was a cold, sinking sensation that matched well with my failing body. What I truly wished for way back then. I rotated my head enough to see my old self slumbering, dreaming of the end of the world. Well, it was the end for him. He died with his species, didn't he? He failed and wasn't able to protect anyone. And he paid for the failure with death. He failed so badly that he almost doomed another universe to the same fate with his selfish desire to not die.

But I had another chance, didn't I? To protect. To fix what I almost destroyed. To mend. I was able to finally make a difference. Then it occurred to me. His offer was massive. Which could only mean one thing.

"You really have almost nothing, don't you?" I asked quietly, smirking.

He froze, and then slowly shifted to a scowl. "We... No. We have about thirty-percent of the information scanned. But it looks like the final results will require your species' magic, aggravating as it is," he finally admitted.

If this ship disappeared, all of the data would go with it, I realized. This wasn't a Grosh project. This was this Grosh's project. He hadn't reported it due to greed and having next to nothing, then. I smiled openly and couldn't help but chuckle.

He glared irritably at me, but I interrupted with, "You were wrong earlier, by the way."

"Oh? Pray tell," he requested, sounding angry now.

"I have one more spell. It's rather simple and only has a few purposes, so it wouldn't be on my bio," I informed, smiling pleasantly up at him from my laying position. My mind tested the stone I resided on, but it was too hard to manipulate with what little I had left in me. Hmm. Oh, I know.

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "And I assume you believe this spell to be powerful enough to bring down this entire ship? Please. Be reasonable, now. I doubt you want to die," he reasoned.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Destroy this ship? Of course it can’t. I'm not crazy," I added in a rasp, after my laughter degraded into a dry coughing fit. I continued, regardless of his now amused expression, "And of course I don't want to die. But if it's asked of me to protect those I care about, even if they'll never know, then I don't have a choice do I? Besides, I admit to a certain satisfaction to taking you with me."

He outright laughed. "You are so entertaining! Now, I await this display of magic eagerly," he added, smirking at me. I saw medical drones lining up outside of my shield. He probably presumed to collect me after I passed out. Pity to disappoint.

"You won't be impressed, as this was only ever used to heat soup and light pilot lights," I warned, deciding upon the closest soft object. My left front hoof shook slightly as the creation symbol was carved into it instead of the rock. I felt nothing, thankfully. Channeling all the energy I had left, I ignited a small flame in my hoof.

The Grosh watched skeptically. "A lighter? Really?" he questioned.

"Mender... I'm coming..." was suddenly whispered into my head, in Twilight's voice. My heart fluttered and I smiled softly. A small miracle for my last wish? I sent silent thanks to whom, or whatever, granted it. Her image appeared in my mind, horn screwing with perspective as it seemed to stretch out towards me. The charge on my back sped up significantly. But it was too slow. Too late. The entrance was a kilometer wide square. Two and a half kilometers back at least meant…

"You Grosh are kinda slow. Did you know that you've surrounded me with roughly two hundred and fifty thousand cubic meters of Icheon gas? The stimulants in it are flammable. The oxygen in the parasites, mixed with the hydrogen in the base, is even more so. I calculated that to be roughly six times the yield I'd need to reduce this ship and surrounding space to a very fine dust," I spelled out, smiling as I killed the power to the Aegis Barrier and watched it slowly start to fade.

The Grosh panicked. "Vent the hold!" he screamed, hitting buttons rapidly.

Way, way too late for that. Now I knew why they didn't let their research ships on the front lines. Our primitive, heat based culture with our solid fuels would have gotten endless joy out of popping them like balloons. I turned my head back to the image of Twilight as the barrier started to flicker.

"I'm sorry, Twilight. I wish I could have stayed in Equestria forever," I apologized, trying to nuzzle her image as her eyes widened. She could hear me?

"No, please, no Mender! Hold on, I'm almost," she started to shout.

I looked up at the shield as it flared up once more and then faded. The docking bay doors hadn't even cleared their unlocking segment, as predicted. It was too late. The gas rushed in to mingle with my oxygen and I watched the flame on my hoof start to flare up as embers drifted into the air. The parasites had gotten to the fire first, and were now regretting their decision it seemed. No stopping it now.

The spread was fast. The flames seemed to coil like a snake. Twilight screamed, her eyes becoming white orbs of energy as her horn flared up. I felt her spell fire off without full charge, just as the flames flared and exploded. There was no flash of memories, or even a pleasant tunnel. Just a momentary pressure, then nothing...

Epilogue

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Twilight Sparkle sat at her desk in the quiet upper floor of her library. A dim, overcast sky greeted her out the window over the desk, providing a mediocre light to see with. Her quill rested idly, point first on the page with a faint purple light dancing around it. It, nor she had moved for minutes, maybe hours. A slowly expanding dot of dark ink resided under the point of the quill as if the blood of the paper slowly spilling forth. Blood.

Twilight shifted, a barely perceived movement of her head as she lowered it towards the page again. Her right forehoof drifted noiselessly up to her temple to give a soft massage. She stared expressionlessly at the only writing on the page, eyes softening and breathing growing a little stiffer. "Dear Princess Celestia," was written in her typical elegant fashion. Her handwriting was kept small to conserve space like she always had but that lead in was always a little bigger. As if she was afraid the Princess would be insulted by a slightly less grand salutation.

An impatient movement. Her attention shifted to the ink well again and she dipped her quill once more. A look of determination graced her face to masking a pained swallowing motion and she started writing once more.

"Recently I learned a very important lesson about friendship. I've learned it before in a different light, but an all new subtlety has been presented now. Nopony is two dimensional in this world. Everyday interaction shows only the surface of most, but I now realize that no matter what that individual looks like or how first impressions turn out, that there is an ocean of personality under that."

Twilight stared at her writing with a critical eye, a minor flash of disdain gracing her face before she gave a tired sigh. Dipping the quill again, she continued, "But that doesn't begin to do them justice. You have no idea what a pony can bring to your life just by looking. Worse yet, you have no idea what you're missing until you feel its absence. To assume or jump to conclusions is to rob yourself of so much potential happiness, that it threatens to overwhelm the senses if considered."

A darkening drop appeared and expanded near the bottom of the page, giving a barely audible impact. The lavender unicorn momentarily looked surprised before the expression melted into that of annoyance. She slid the entire paper over towards the waste basket, going for a new sheet at the same time with her magic.

Seconds passed as she froze in that position. Finally she seemed to come to a decision and slid the paper back in front of her with her right forehoof. She gave a quiet sigh and her quill lowered again. "The worst realization was more subtle, however. Sometimes lessons are learned too late. Sometimes there are no second chances. Sometimes... you're left with a hole that you can't mend. There are some things in this world in which there are no replacements. To give second chances when possible and a second impression when needed is one of the most important things you can give. To see past an awkward introduction or a shocking discovery and see the pony underneath might just surprise you. They might give back far more than you thought possible. I will never overlook this lesson ever again. This hole in my heart shall remind me for as long as I draw breath."

Twilight wiped at her eyes once again, letting the moisture soak into her coat before looking back down at the paper. Giving a soft smile, she carefully added, "Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle".

The paper carefully rolled itself up, a ribbon tying it off as Twilight sealed it and set her head down on the now damp desk. She stayed in that position until a light scratching came slowly up the stairs a few minutes later.

"Twilight? We should probably get going. Are you done with the letter?" the tiny purple and green dragon asked quietly, as if afraid to break the silence of the room.

Twilight exhaled gently before giving a nod, opening her eyes again. "Yeah. You don't need to send it though. I'll give it to her in-person, there," she replied quietly.

Spike gave a concerned look but nodded and slowly made his way back down the stairs. A few moments passed before Twilight managed to get herself out of the chair.

She slipped the rolled scroll into a light saddlebag, and tugged it on with her magic before carefully heading down the stairs. She drew to a stop at the bottom however, looking at the scrape marks on the last couple steps. Another lump formed in her throat and she swallowed painfully to try to banish it.

"Twilight," the young dragon spoke with a heavy concern in his voice. He waited patiently at the door for his oldest friend.

She nodded weakly before tearing her vision from the damaged wood. "I know. I'm coming," she assured. A measure of hesitation in her step, Twilight nodded to nopony in particular and headed out the door.

* * * * *

It was a chilly day, with winter coming on the horizon. A small gathering of ponies met in a tucked away corner of the woods, in a beautiful clearing with a flowing stream nearby. Most would pass it by without second glance if they even came to the clearing at all however, as it contained seemingly nothing out of the ordinary. A fresh pile of rocks was there today, though. It was a simple thing with writing carved into the base boulder they were all piled onto. It stood as a beacon, disrupting the natural feel of the clearing with something very natural looking yet obviously artificially constructed.

There were only eleven ponies there. Not many had known the pony whose name, briefly given, was on the rock. The apple siblings came; Applejack, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom. Fluttershy rested against Rarity for support, light tears still coming down her face. Sweetie Belle also sat at her sister's feet. Pinkie Pie stood next to Rainbow Dash, both looking uncharacteristically solemn. An upset looking Scootaloo stood next to Rainbow on the other side. Perhaps most outstanding of all were the two alicorn Princesses standing near the back. The royal guards were posted outside of the grove in this case. Twilight arrived with Spike on her back a few minutes later, appearing tired but managing a light smile towards the group.

She passed by them all before standing in front of the rock pile. Her saddlebag magically opened and she pulled her short, yet carefully prepared speech out. The cards it was written on drifted in front of her and she looked back up at the small stack of stones. She had spent all night writing it up, but oddly hesitated.

Half a minute passed and the other ponies started to give concerned glances to the lavender unicorn. Finally, she steeled herself and cleared her throat.

"We are gathered here today to remember. To remember and give thanks to a stallion who is no longer with us," she started slowly, seeming to lock her eyes urgently to the paper and away from anything else that might ironically remind her of the very topic.

A pause and slow exhale, followed up with, "Not many came to know him during his brief stay with us, but those who did were touched upon deeply. First impressions were rocky, but a hidden depth of soul resided within him just waiting to be discovered."

"Unfortunately, his stay was cut short by the nature of his existence. A great danger to Equestria presented itself, residing in the very nature of his being. Few knew of it, being the ones gathered today, but that made it no less grave," she drove on.

Stopping there, she looked back up at the stone, a shiver going through her. "But he didn't shy from it. He stepped up and confronted it head on, as brave as any of us. Sadly, the resulting fight cost him dearly. He..." Twilight continued, before trailing off and staring at the rock.

A long ten seconds passed. "Twi..." Applejack muttered quietly.

The lavender unicorn winced as if burned. She shivered again and her carefully prepared speech fell out of the air, landing uselessly on the forest floor. "He... No, I. I failed him. It was up to me to bring him back. Instead I not only p-put him and Rainbow Dash in danger by not thinking but..." she started to mutter rapidly, tears now sliding down her cheeks.

"Twilight, you," Applejack muttered, walking carefully up to her side.

Twilight shifted from her, staring at her speech in the dirt. "No! No. I didn't alert the Princess when I should have. I didn't think about the monsters being alerted by a stupid glowing streak of light coming out of the portal! And worst of all I was too slow. If I had pulled him back even a second later he... He'd still be..." she yelled angrily, directed at herself.

"Twi. Stop it. Ya did the best anypony 'ere could'ah done. Please, jus' rest fer a bit, okay? Let it out, instead'ah blamin' yerself," Applejack coaxed, sitting down quietly in front of Twilight.

Twilight shivered again and something seemed to visibly snap in her as the tears flowed openly. She slumped, and then buried her face in Applejack's shoulder. The country mare simply stayed silent and softly placed her forelegs around the tearful unicorn.

The beautiful white alicorn seemed to approach out of nowhere, placing a comforting hoof onto Twilight's back as she cried into her friend. "Even if not public, this sacrifice for the good of all Equestria will never be forgotten. It's most painful for those left behind, so stay with each other and know that the memories you already have will be yours forever," Celestia spoke, words strong and commanding yet infinitely gentle.

Twilight looked up at her with tears streaming down her face and nodded.

* * * * *

The gathering broke into gentle talking with memories being shared. It was a quiet, reserved event, the mood low but discussion pleasant. Eventually the yellow pegasus broke off from her friends and approached the stone by herself.

"I miss you already. I know I um, said some stupid things but please. P-Please forgive me. What uh, what I really wanted was to be with you, even if I lacked the c-courage to ever say that. I-I guess it's too late now but if y-you can hear me, I... I lo..." she quietly whispered before wincing and trailing off. Frustration building on her face, she leaned forwards and gently kissed the name on the stone before scampering back to her friends, now crying once more.

* * * * *

The white unicorn politely excused herself a short time later from a wonderful exchange with the Princess of the Sun. She bowed politely in parting and walked over to the stone where her little sister already sat. "I never did manage to make you anything, did I?" Rarity asked, mostly to herself it seemed.

"He wouldn't be mad," the young white filly replied quietly, not looking away from the stone.

"Are you alright Sweetie Belle?" Rarity asked, concerned.

The filly nodded quietly and touched the surface of the stone with a hoof. "He was a really nice stallion and I wanted to be his friend," she explained, sliding her hoof along the cool surface.

"I couldn't agree more," Rarity returned, sitting down with her sister for a while.

* * * * *

Applejack wandered over after she saw Rarity and Sweetie Belle leave, making sure to give them their privacy. Uncertain, she sat down in front of the stone pile and just stared for a few moments. She seemed to think to herself before nodding to nothing in particular.

"Ah never made up fer judgin' ya right harshly an' ah guess it's ah bit late fer it now. Ah respect ya fer it no matter what Rainbow says. Ya were ah right honest stallion. Ah just wish ya had been treated better fer it," she spoke, all at once as if saying her piece.

Apple Bloom and Big Mac joined her a minute or so later, the young filly smiling sadly and the large stallion holding a stoic expression of respect. A moment later, the youngest nodded and lightly touched the bottom rock. “You’re ah member of tha Crusaders, no matter what. Ah’ll try fer two marks, one o’ them fer you,” she offered, soft expression dwindling lightly.

Applejack smiled however and rested her right forehoof on the little filly’s head. “Ah think he already got his, lil’ Sis.”

The large stallion nodded in agreement with a soft spoken, “Eeyup.”

* * * * *

The bright pink mare eventually broke off from her friends, uncharacteristically walking in a normal fashion over to the stones in no particular hurry. She sat down in front of them, smiling softly but without her usual bravado.

"You could have said that you weren't coming back. I had one wild party planned, too. Ah well. I'll save up a lifetime of them for you and give em to you when we next meet, okay?" She offered quietly, watching the stone carefully.

A half minute passed and her tail and left foreleg twitched lightly. She smiled and nodded. "Good! And don't worry about them. I'll have 'em smiling again soon enough," she promised, before quietly standing and walking away.

* * * * *

The gathering was slowly starting to disperse. The cyan and rainbow pegasus lingered behind however. Approaching the rock, she stared expressionlessly at it for almost a minute. Her eyes lowered under her prismatic mane and she gave a weak sigh.

"I can't forgive you for what you did. I'm sorry. For a lot of things, really. You made me break a promise to my friends. I can't help but think I might have gotten you out faster had I been there. We could have saved you," she spoke, a hinting of anger in her voice.

Several seconds passed and she exhaled again, adding, "Still, I have to admit you had a ton of guts. You were a lot cooler than I gave you credit for. I'm glad we got to be battle partners."

She hesitated then let a puff of air out of her lips, blowing her bangs out of her eyes before wiping them with a forehoof. "Aw, phooey. I'm not any good at this stuff. I'll see ya later, Mender," she finally muttered before trotting after Pinkie Pie as she left.

Scootaloo smiled gently at the stone after watching Rainbow leave. She gently batted her hoof to her chest then jutted it out to the stone, a silent symbol of acceptance and respect formed too late.

* * * * *

Everypony was gone now. Everypony except the lavender unicorn mare who sat on her haunches in front of the stones. She had told them she needed a little alone time. The way she considered the stone indicated she didn't feel alone, however. Her conversation, while totally one sided, carried on with enthusiasm regardless.

"...but her shoulder was only nicked. Whatever hit her did a pretty good job of cauterizing the wound so I didn't have much trouble healing it. She shouldn't even have a scar! It's an advanced layering technique with the weaved magic. I should show you..." she continue.

The better part of an hour passed. Eventually, her conversation died down and she rested her head against the rocks, horn extending along the pile as it glowed softly with an inner light. "I, well I know they said it wasn't my fault but we both know the truth, don't we? I tried so hard to heal your body. It's just... not fair," she muttered, starting to get the rock wet as tears slid forth again.

A smaller rock slipped and fell off the top of the pile, lightly bouncing off her head. She winced, then smirked. "I guess that's a sign you disagree," she muttered, rubbing her head and floating the rock back into place with her magic.

"Still, even if she likes you, I can safely say I do too. I've been thinking a lot about it and decided that I wouldn't mind giving it a try. I know it's too late now but I guess I just wanted to say it," she added after a minute's hesitation.

There was no answer of course but she smiled anyway before curling up at the base of the stones. She could stay for a little longer yet.

* * * * *

The rock saw many things over the seasons. Not many ponies knew of its existence, let alone location. The only thing truly different was that once a year, six friends would slip away from Ponyville for a day. Of course, they each individually visited more often.

The beautiful yellow pegasus mare came to clean the stone quite frequently, always removing layers of dust and dirt during the summer months and snow during the winter ones. She'd spend a little time talking to it with each visit.

The little white filly came surprisingly often and frequently slept in the shade of the stone, feeling safe and protected there. The glade itself never seemed to wither, or tolerate harsh winds. Maybe a bit of his magic was still alive in the place and she could feel it?

Also frequent, the cyan mare that danced along the clouds would visit. She would always come with new stories of awesome stunts and victorious races. Much later, even with an announcement of making the Wonderbolts. She was often accompanied by the pretty orange mare who lacked wings. It wasn't a downside however, because her girlfriend was her wings instead.

The white mare with the beautiful mane visited often enough, frequently fussing over various decorations and flower arrangements for hours at a time, humming to herself in the silence. She refused to leave until the stone was decorated to perfection.

Even the pink party mare visited pretty frequently. She'd often dress the stone up with decorations and leave snacks for it. Once, she left a rainbow frosted cupcake for it before running away giggling.

Lastly, the lavender unicorn came as often as her studies allowed for. She rarely smiled, looking haunted by lost time instead when she visited. Maybe she missed things she could never have, or maybe she never forgave herself of her self-inflicted fault. She didn't speak of it to anypony other than the rock and it certainly didn't pass on her secrets.

Things went uneventfully for the rock, as such things often do. Not much changed until the orange mare visited by herself in the spring. She carried a wisp of a sapling with her in a saddlebag. A runt, like the pale blue stallion used to be.

As usual, she sat for a while in front of the rock, smiling gently. Eventually she spoke up softly. "Ah know this is probably silly o' meh but it feels right. We're not gonna be able ta keep ya company forever, as ah'm sure ya know. So ah'm gonna plant this here tree right behind ya," she explained gently, before pulling out a small shovel.

She only spent fifteen or twenty minutes on the job. The small tree stood proudly out from behind the stone and she nodded once, admiring her work. "There. When we're long gone, this here tree will always remind ya of us. An' hopefully, by tha time its turn comes, yah'll have yerself a right good forest here ta keep ya company. It's tha best ah can do," she muttered, sitting down in front of the rocks. All things ended, as she knew all too well now. Shortly thereafter, the cyan pegasus showed up to give her a lift.

Now the tree is massive, easily towering above its fellows in the much thicker forest around it, somehow almost eternally old. It stands as a sentinel in the long forgotten glade, a pile of old rocks grown into its trunk like they were meant to be there. Through the layers of moss and vines, a single name can still be seen carved into the largest one. Moon Mender. A long lost, forgotten soul just wanting to make a difference. Maybe he finally had.

The End

Note:
I normally don't do this, but technically as this is the last part of the full story, I figured I'd leave a little note at the bottom. This is the end of the story. However, there is one additional 'epilogue' after this that will get tacked on. It's optional. If you feel like stopping at this point, the story is wrapped up nicely and you obviously may. The second epilogue is actually a prologue for the sequel. You'll only need to read it if you plan on continuing Mender's story. If you wish to stop here, that's totally acceptable as well.

Regardless of what each reader decides to do, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I never expected this to get quite as popular as it was, and I'm glad for all of the kindness you guys and gals have shown. You really are a tribute to the show's values, and for that you should be proud. It was one heck of a ride and you all are awesome. So again, thank you.

For those of you reading on, I eagerly await your input for the sequel and our next adventure. I'll see you all there!

Signed,
Kiroberos

Optional Second Epilogue

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I also normally don’t leave notes at the beginning of the chapters either, but this one warrants a bit of special consideration. This chapter is totally and completely optional. If you are content with the story as is and the outcome of Mender’s journey, you may stop reading here and lose absolutely nothing. The story is concluded successfully in its original ending.

Go ahead. I’ll wait.

Now if you weren’t happy with the prior ending, don’t lose hope. Mender has grown on me significantly, and a lot of new ideas came over the weeks of posting this story. It was a fun ride, and I learned a lot. But part of me thought that maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t giving him a proper end. Maybe he deserved a little bit more?

Thus the sequel was born. The new ideas pieced together nicely into a new storyline to expand upon the thoughts and feelings of the old one. But then I hit a snag. Due to the ending of the last one, I couldn’t exactly have a sequel. So now you have a new ending as well. The old one is still canon, and this ending occurs chronologically after it and leads directly into the sequel. It could easily be considered a prequel, in fact.

So I say once more. This ending is entirely optional. I leave control of the outcome of Mender’s journey directly in your hands. You decide whether he becomes a memory eternal, or gains new breath to continue on with his adventure. If you’re happy with the first ending, just walk away now. If you wish to see him adventure once more, learn more things about himself and the world around him, and maybe even find love, all you need to do is read on.

Regardless, I thank you for reading my story so far from the bottom of my heart. Even if you don’t comment or say anything, the fact that you’re here right now and getting enjoyment makes me happy. So without further ado, here’s your new epilogue!

* * * * *

Twilight Sparkle sat at her desk in the quiet upper floor of her library. A dim, overcast sky greeted her out the window over the desk providing a mediocre light to see with. Her quill floated by itself, dancing lightly across the page as she wrote. "Dear Princess Celestia," was clearly visible across the top of the paper. Her handwriting was normally as condensed as possible to conserve paper but she always made that lead in larger, as if she were afraid a smaller variant would offend.

"Recently I learned a very important lesson about friendship. It’s one that I’ve learned before in a different situation, but all new subtleties have presented themselves now. Everyday interaction with ponies tells barely a fraction of their inner selves. Judging them based off appearance or first impressions robs you of so much potential. That I’d learned before. Now I realize just how much you can lose however. You never know how much somepony can contribute to your life from simply looking. That said, second chances are something everypony deserves and I’m glad that I’m allowed one now," she wrote punctually.

A momentary pause then, as she considered her words. She smiled softly a few seconds later, and continued, "Moon Mender's body is almost fully healed now. He remains unconscious but is rapidly recovering his health. One of us has been in there every day but he is yet to awaken. Tomorrow will be a week since the incident. I know I spoke of it to you directly but I wished to say it again, regardless. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping pull him back to us. If it had been just me at that moment, I'm not sure I would have been fast enough."

She stopped, losing her smile momentarily. "I still feel badly for leaking confidential information without his consent, however. I know he'll find out upon waking up and find myself apprehensive as to his reaction. I still have those well, issues I spoke to you of and discover myself seeking approval, even when he's unconscious and cannot give it," she added, exhaling quietly in relief afterwards, as if the words were infinitely harder to write than they appeared.

"Fluttershy has been keeping up with his health reports more than I have and indicates that Nurse Redheart thinks he should be waking up any day now, based off his body's regeneration and responses to my magical healings. I'll keep in touch and inform you upon his full recovery, and let him know you wish an audience," she finished, smiling and examining her work. It wasn't entirely a friendship report but she looked proud of it regardless.

"Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle," she signed, then rolled the paper up and wrapped a soft ribbon around it, sealing it with a stamp. It drifted gently in the air as she stared at it, seemingly contemplating it quietly until a light scratching came slowly up the stairs a few moments later.

"Twilight? We should probably get goin'. Are you done with the letter?" the tiny purple and green dragon asked quietly, as if afraid to break the silence of the room.

"Oh, shoot! We were supposed to meet Fluttershy at the hospital. Yeah, could you send this while I get ready?" Twilight asked, sounding panicked as she hurled the scroll at the purple dragon and dove for her closet.

Spike’s eyes widened as he barely managed to catch the high velocity scroll. He held it softly and rolled it over in his claws a few times before smiling and shaking his head. Various shoes, scarves, and designer saddles were launched out of the closet haphazardly and he decided it might be best to give Twilight some privacy while she changed. More out safety concerns than modesty of course.

Five minutes later, Twilight was headed down the stairs in a comfortable looking saddlebag and light covering. It was getting a tad nippy outside. She stopped towards the bottom of the stairs, a light blush forming as she saw the new notches in the wood in the last couple steps. She smiled shortly after however, and hurried towards where Spike was waiting while holding the door.

* * * * *

Fluttershy was already waiting at the clinic when Twilight got there. Both mares smiled at each other and entered at the same time. “Has there been anything new happening?” Twilight Sparkle asked quietly to her yellow pegasus friend. Fluttershy gently shook her head as they headed down the hall and into Mender’s room, the nurse giving them a friendly nod on the way by.

The blue and silver earth stallion lay in his bed as he had been for a full week. The stillness and silence of the room was absolute as his breathing could barely be seen in the dark. An intravenous injection was hooked into his upper foreleg that slowly fed him nutrients and fluids, just as a tube ran from under the blankets to handle the outgoing fluids. Both mares stopped and just stared into the dark at him for several moments before Twilight turned on the lights. Fluttershy seemed content to simply stand there, however.

"It's weird that he hasn't woken up yet. You're sure they said there were no head wounds?" Twilight asked quietly as she slowly entered his room further.

"Oh dear. Do you think it's a c-coma?" Fluttershy suggested timidly, as if afraid to say the word out loud.

Twilight sighed but shook her head. "I'm more worried that it has something to do with his other self not making it," she reasoned, sounding a little uneasy. She stepped a little closer and examined him from the side of his bed.

"Is that why we're doing this um, test today?" the yellow pegasus questioned, tilting her head at her lavender friend as she peeked into his eye while holding it open.

"Yes. I wanted you here in case something goes wrong. Pull my horn from him if so," Twilight explained before swallowing lightly and climbing up onto the bed, settling in next to him and folding her legs under her.

Fluttershy blushed lightly and nodded. "Um, are y-you sure the nurse won't m-mind?" she asked, looking back and forth between Twilight and the room door. She hesitated for a second before gently closing it with a back leg.

"She doesn't need to know, now does she?" was the lavender unicorn's reply, a wink in Fluttershy’s direction tossed in for added effect.

The blush deepened on Fluttershy's cheeks as she watched Twilight lean in and gently rested the underside of her horn against his forehead, closing her eyes. "I hope s-she doesn't come in when you're l-like this. It looks like you're trying to k-kiss him," Fluttershy worried quietly, not taking her eyes off the scene.

Twilight gave a light smile and blushed a little this time while nodding against him. "You want a turn after this?" Twilight asked, opening her right eye and looking over at Fluttershy in amusement.

The pegasus made a light squeaking noise as the blood rushed to her face. "Ah uh, um, n-no, it's o-okay!" she stammered, shifting back and forth on her hooves. Twilight gave a knowing glance as the wings lightly started to rise to either side of the pegasus, but decided against saying anything.

"Anyway, get into position. I'd like to at least take a peek before the nurse runs us out of the clinic for being 'naughty' with her patient," Twilight added impatiently.

Fluttershy tilted her head in light confusion. "Position?" she inquired.

"Yeah, get onto the bed on the other side of him. To hold him in if he spasms and to knock my horn away if need be," the unicorn explained.

The yellow pegasus lost her blush and looked surprisingly more concerned suddenly than embarrassed. “What do you mean, spasms?” she asked, slowly approaching the other side of the bed and tentatively feeling the mattress.

Twilight swallowed, looking uneasy before shaking her head. “Like I said, it’s a precaution. I don’t know what I’m going to find in there. If it looks like either of us are in any sort of pain or like things are going badly, separate my horn and his forehead as fast as you possibly can, okay?” she explained a moment later.

Fluttershy sighed and slowly eased herself up onto the bed before pushing her side into his back. She couldn’t seem to get her wing comfortable however. After a moment’s hesitation, she extended it up and across his side, angling it for Twilight’s horn in case she needed to extend it and knock her friend to safety.

After the yellow mare settled in, Twilight gave a warm smile and nod before resting her horn back down against Mender’s forehead from the side. Her eyes drifted shut as the horn lit up with a magical glow. With no further distractions, she slipped into his still sleeping mind.

* * * * *

The 'peek' expanded from there and took the better part of an hour. The nurse came in a few times to bring the mares drinks, interestingly enough. She either knew what they were up to, trusted Twilight rather unconditionally, or had a very unusual set of fetishes herself.

"That's what's wrong then," Twilight muttered after lifting her head up again.

Fluttershy started but smiled, peeking over her relaxed wing that was draped over Mender before asking, "Oh? Did you find something?"

"It took quite a lot of searching but I found his consciousness. It's dwelling in a not-so-nice place it seems. He thinks he died in the explosion that destroyed the Grosh ship," Twilight explained, frowning.

Fluttershy looked confused. "Is there um, something we can do to help?" she asked quietly.

"There is. We need to get him to realize he's still here and alive. I might need your help," Twilight elaborated, averting her gaze and blushing slightly.

"H-Help? What do I need to do?” she asked timidly, suddenly looking uneasily at her friend’s flushed cheeks.

Twilight hesitated, but nodded quietly to herself after a few seconds. “I need you to go in with me, using the spell. You’re extremely empathic and might have better luck coaxing him out of the false reality. He got really, really scared when I tried it,” she explained.

The yellow mare’s eyes softened at that and her fidgeting stopped. “Oh. That I can probably help with. How do we do this?” she questioned quietly.

The lavender unicorn sighed and motioned Fluttershy over towards her. Her horn glowed at the same time and gently shifted Mender backwards. Fluttershy’s eyes widened as her wings flipped open rapidly and she did a light hop over Mender as they swapped places. “Um, w-what?” she asked, looking confused.

“You’re going to push your forehead against his instead and I’m going to cast the spell into you. That will let both of us go inside of his psyche,” Twilight reasoned, light flush yet remaining as she looked away.

“O-Oh. Oh,” Fluttershy muttered before joining her friend’s blush. She swallowed painfully and closed her eyes. A second passed in uneasy silence before she nodded to herself and opened them again, acknowledging, “If it w-will help him wake up, t-then I’ll do it. F-For him, of course.”

Twilight smiled warmly and nodded to her friend, who then got into a laying position similar to the unicorn prior. She hesitated but extended forwards a second later and gently pressed her forehead into Mender’s. Twilight nodded and rested her horn against the nape of Fluttershy’s neck, earning a squeak. She ignored it however and started focusing on the magic again.

“Just relax and close your eyes. You’ll feel a tugging. Accept and go with it, alright?” she requested as the purple glow expanding across Fluttershy’s body.

Fluttershy nodded gently before closing her eyes shut and extending her wing over Mender from the front this time. The room grew quiet as the ambient glow expanded to include the blue earth stallion as well this time. Both mares slipped into his consciousness less than a minute later.

* * * * *

Fluttershy was still wiping tears from her eyes while Twilight wiped her own forehead off from the exertion. "That's a lot harder than I thought it would be. Keeping you in the spell while maintaining the connection takes a lot of energy," she muttered.

"That nightmare is horrible! And his memories… I'm s-sorry it took me so long but he's n-not responding normally," Fluttershy replied, still looking sad and maybe a little traumatized.

Twilight sighed and nodded. "Compared to the rest of his life, that looked rather peaceful really. I have all new appreciation for being in Equestria now," she agreed tiredly.

"He's like a scared animal. I think he was starting to believe me but..." the yellow pegasus mare muttered, visibly calming herself a little.

"I admit, I had my suspicions this was the case. That's why I asked you to help, actually. Your empathy and his feelings for you were invaluable," the other mare revealed, smiling proudly.

Fluttershy predictably blushed but reminded, "He likes you too. That makes us a good team for this, right? Don't forget what Rarity said."

Twilight snickered softly. "Well I think we always make a good team, Fluttershy. And I haven't forgotten the lecture," she assured.

"We did um, get a little carried away."

Twilight shook her head. "No, I freaked out. Your only fault was not noticing his feelings," she disagreed, looking away.

"We pushed you too hard as well," Fluttershy reminded, frowning at her friend.

"Fluttershy, you don't need to take the blame. Relax," Twilight muttered, nuzzling the pegasus on the wing that was being pulled back over Mender as the pegasus unwrapped herself.

Fluttershy smiled warmly at her friend and nodded. "We're both at fault. How do we make it up to him? And each other?" she questioned, sounding better regardless.

Twilight smiled and shook her head. “We can’t do anything about him until he wakes up of course. But we should treat ourselves to some hanging out time. Maybe something to calm our nerves?” she suggested after a second or two of pondering.

Her friend nodded and smiled, looking better by the second. “Yes! But only after we make sure he’s going to recover. We should come back tomorrow after some rest and try coaxing him more.”

“Yes, I was already going to suggest that. Let’s just try to remember what Rarity said. Even after he wakes up, give him some time to recover and recoup from all this,” Twilight agreed, looking back down at the still sleeping stallion.

Fluttershy hesitated, but nodded. “O-Of course. After what I s-saw today, I’m just well, I just don’t know. I’d like to talk to Rarity a-again as well. She has good advice,” she considered, eyes pleading towards Twilight again.

The lavender unicorn nodded but frowned, looking at her friend with concern in her expression. “Yes. We need all the advice we can get. Do you want to talk more about this over supper? It’s on me if you don’t mind restaurant food,” Twilight offered after another moment’s consideration.

The yellow pegasus smiled again and nodded before standing up and getting off the bed. Both mares broke into discussing their own hanging out time as they walked out of the room, hitting the lights as they left.

* * * * *

Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy met every day for three days straight afterwards. The treatments were taking longer than anticipated. Fluttershy purposefully took it slowly, coaxing his consciousness back out like she would a scared bunny from its burrow. The stallion in question would probably dislike that comparison. By the third day, the nurse reported him finally stirring a few times when she checked on him, indicating a definite improvement.

They had told the rest of their friends about the treatment by then. The added good news about him potentially waking further excited matters and Pinkie Pie reacted accordingly, starting to gather party supplies. Twilight, while still acting apprehensive, sent another letter to Princess Celestia explaining the issue and her steps to fix it.

Three days passed by, bringing Mender’s total stay in the clinic to a little less than two weeks. On the fourth morning however…

* * * * *

Consciousness stirred. That fundamental spark of awareness. With it, came a sensation of waking up from a long nap. I felt old and dried out, immediately aware of how stiff my muscles were. But there was a new feeling, wasn't there? Or more accurately, a lack of something. That urgent sensation. It took me a moment to realize it but it was gone.

Smiling, regardless that my body felt like one big bandaged bruise, I opened my eyes. I felt the pupils of my eyes contract sharply as the light hit them and winced. Several seconds of adjusting later and sunlight from a brand new morning greeted me through the window. I appeared to be alone in a very familiar looking clinic room.

Equestria. I was still alive? For once in my rather short life so far, I just took the moment to relax and let in the light. I felt like I’d been given a second chance and I was most assuredly going to take it. The first morning of my new life had begun.

To Be Continued...

Memory Pending

by Kiroberos

Chapter 01

Chapter 02

Chapter 03

Chapter 04

Chapter 05

Chapter 06

Chapter 07

Chapter 08

Chapter 09

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Epilogue

Optional Second Epilogue