private Shifted: The Remake

Key Gear · August 28, 2012

The longer he battled the wolf, the weaker he became. He was losing blood too quickly to keep up any kind of steady resistance. His mind began to slip into unconsciousness. If only I hadn't been taken by surprise. I hate surprises. His thoughts became more incoherent as the blood loss continued. He was only dimly aware of being saved by the blue pegasus. So, this is what death feels like. Even as Aurora dragged him to the light, his vision went dark and his senses faded.

His eyes were focused intently on the screen. It was massive. The screen took up his entire field of vision, and it was filled with numbers, mathematical formulas, and charts. His fingers flew across the keyboard. The formulas changed, the numbers moved, and the charts shifted. He could feel his emotions but not his thoughts. He felt determined, unsatisfied. His fingers moved faster.

Finally, he stopped. He stared at the screen. Time seemed to slow down as his eyes roved across the page soaking in every detail. After taking in all of this information, he closed his eyes. An almost surreal calmness took hold of him. When he finally opened his eyes again, the screen had darkened itself to save power. In his reflection on the screen, he could see himself smile. He had the solution.

Numbers woke up. As his eyes flickered open, he could see the forest passing by as Serah carried him. He felt strangely tired, far too tired to move or to speak. He closed his eyes again and faded into a world of his own thoughts. His mind reviewed the events in the forest. The last thing he could remember was Aurora starting to drag him across the forest floor.

Aurora saved my life. This red unicorn fought side-by-side with me and was now carrying me out of the forest. The two that I hesitated most to trust were actually the most trustworthy. I misjudged them. But, that was only because I had inadequate information. Now, I can update my perceptions…

@@Aureity, Despite her small size, she fought against the wolves with intensity. Besides this, somehow, she saved my life. I don't know exactly how, but that had to be the reason that she dragged me. She could've left me for dead or simply ran when I distracted the other wolves, but instead she stayed and helped me. I don't think that this pony is a warrior, but some inner force definitely drives her to feats of bravery, courage, and honor. The honorable can always be trusted.

@@Legendary Emerald, She isn't simply aggressive. I was right to think that she was more complex than that. She warned me to run from the larger group of wolves, but then left without verifying that I had done so. Yet… Now she is carrying me out of the forest? Intriguing. I believe I understand her now.

She is proud but not arrogant. Self interested but not selfish. Brave but not foolish. Undoubtedly, she has seen many things in life and these experiences have shaped her into being a calculated risk taker. Probably, she decided to carry me out of the forest because I have proven some kind of value in combat.

She maximizes her benefits and minimizes her costs - including risk. I like that. It reminds me of myself, though her approach seems to be more derived from the philosophies of Machiavelli and less derived from any type of cost benefit analysis. Undoubtably, she most likely has her own code of conduct. Perhaps not so much one of chivalry as one of practicality and survival. And yet… I do not have enough information to draw that conclusion.

I can respect this red unicorn. It'll be interesting to see when and if our viewpoints ever part ways. Somehow, while our thinking processes are remarkably different, I believe that our conclusions will be mostly similar. She's a strong combatant and a rational thinker that favors realism - a good ally.

@, This blue pegasus went from screaming in terror to tackling a wolf at full speed saving me from being completely destroyed. She may not be as reliable as the others, but she can be relied on in a tense situation…

With his eyes still closed, Numbers frowned. He didn't have enough observations to draw any conclusions about the others that had been there. His mind went back to the fight against the wolves. I hesitated; I was immobilized by fear and confusion. In the future, I'll have to maintain rational thinking even under stress. In order to do that, I need rest. This place with all of its differences from the place that I once knew… It overwhelms my senses. Somehow, I need to find time to recover.

Wait… Machiavelli? Cost-benefit analysis? My memories! I have some of them back! Numbers was comforted by the thought that all of the chaos in the forest had not been in vain. Some good had come out of it after all.

“Why don't you go find out?” Serah asked coolly. “But don't expect me to carry you out too.”

Serah kneeled, depositing Numbers haphazardly on the ground. Then she stood up, mirroring the confrontational mare's pose. Rustling from behind marked the reappearance of the ice wielding pony, who was carrying Aurora on her back. ”

The feeling of being deposited onto the ground interrupted Numbers before he was able to explore his newfound memories. He listened to the conflict between the two mares for a moment.

“We have wounded. In stable condition, but need rest. Important matters to discuss with everyone.” Serah explained to Tich. Serah looked around at all the gathered ponies, arching an eyebrow. “There seem to be more of you than last time.

Numbers's eyes opened lazily. From his position in the grass, he surveyed the group… There were more of them. He noticed one in particular, because this pony carried a weapon - a bow and a quiver of arrows. Numbers made a mental note to ask this pony about his equipment.

@,

Numbers spoke to Tich while struggling to stand. “Tich, you have no need to be upset with this unicorn. She is a friend. And, don't go into the forest to investigate that sound. I can satisfy your curiosity. The forest is filled with large, hungry wolves that are made of tree matter. You are better off not encountering them. They would probably kill you, and that would be a decisively suboptimal outcome. Has anything interesting happened out here?”

"It's a long story and I'll be happy to tell you all about it when we get a little further away from the forest. My name is Alex Night, by the way." Alex said. "Is this everyone?" He asked the group.

Numbers turned to examine the newcomer. He seems rather friendly considering that we are total strangers. “Hello Alex. It is nice to meet you. My name is Numbers. Your long story wouldn't happen to involve a crack appearing and then suddenly falling, would it?”

Electrobolt · August 28, 2012

As Electrobolt continued to observe the forest, waiting for a while, he noticed as some ponies began to pop out of the forest. *They made it...! Huh, that tan pony was right in suggesting that we wait...* Seeing as Alex and Silver were already rushing over to see if they were alright, he himself decided that would be for the best as he began to move as fast as his hooves would allow. Once he got there, he saw the red pony that had a fierry attitude along with the pony whom he had embarrassed himself in front of by speaking to her, then going back to the pink-and-purple pony, whose name he still hasn't quite gotten. There was also a light blue unicorn, and another pony similar to him that was just lying on the ground, amongst other ponies.

@@Aureity

Looking back to the white unicorn, his memories of his embarrassment returned into his mind. Letting out a small sigh, he figured now would be a good time to apologize to the unicorn. So he slowly approached the unicorn, head looking towards the ground, and then stopped a bit before her. Looking up to her face, he said, "Um... Hello... I, um... I'd like to apologize, about earlier... I... I don't know what came over me earlier, and... I'm sorry..."

@

Looking back down to the ground, Electrobolt tried to hide his look of embarrassment after having said all of this to the white unicorn. *Why did I just say that...* he thought to himself, his embarrassment getting to him. Just then, Silver had spoken up, saying that they should find a safe place to rest. Shaking his head to try and clear out any possible embarrassed looks he may have on his face, he looked back up and nodded. "Yeah, he's right. We should try to find someplace not around the forest for now." His mind then brought his attention back to the fact that he has no idea about anything in this new world again, so he looked over towards Silver. He WAS about to ask him if he had any ideas where a safer place might be, until...

Numbers turned to examine the newcomer. He seems rather friendly considering that we are total strangers. “Hello Alex. It is nice to meet you. My name is Numbers. Your long story wouldn't happen to involve a crack appearing and then suddenly falling, would it?”

Upon hearing this voice, Electrobolt looked back over to the pony whom had been tossed onto the ground, seeing that he was now awake. Upon looking back, he noticed the pony had a strange symbol on his hip, similar to one found on calculators. After hearing him speak, a tiny smile appeared on his face as he thought, *He said his name is Numbers? Heh... That image is rather fitting then... And he also recalls that crack...* Although he was thinking of something to say, his mind just drew up blanks. So instead, he just chose to listen to the group.

Legendary Emerald · August 28, 2012

Serah heard a groan from behind her, and turned to see Numbers struggle to stand back up. He addressed the pony who had confronted Serah upon exiting the forest.

“Tich, you have no need to be upset with this unicorn. She is a friend. And, don't go into the forest to investigate that sound. I can satisfy your curiosity. The forest is filled with large, hungry wolves that are made of tree matter. You are better off not encountering them. They would probably kill you, and that would be a decisively suboptimal outcome. Has anything interesting happened out here?”

Serah rolled her eyes at the “friend” comment, but held her tongue.

“Don't care what these ponies think of me. Do what needs to be done.”

Alex looked all at the ponies that came out as she spoke. Some of them were unconscious and some that were awake had cuts and bruises over them. Whatever they experienced in there, they were lucky to be alive. "It's a long story and I'll be happy to tell you all about it when we get a little further away from the forest. My name is Alex Night, by the way." Alex said. "Is this everyone?" He asked the group.

The pony who'd just introduced himself wasn't familiar to Serah, but she decided to save her questions for later. The pony next to him was much more interesting; this one was armed, looking for all the world as if he'd just stepped out of a fantasy novel.

"We shall save introductions for later, we must get thou someplace safe to rest." He said to the white unicorn, gesturing towards the others as well.

“Shall? Thou?” Serah cocked an eyebrow. “Perhaps the normal dialect in this world. Unpleasant. Won't be adopting it.”

The pony known as Electrobolt voiced his assent to the armed pony's statement, and Serah found herself nodding in agreement.

“Had my fun for the day. Now just let myself be dragged along.”

Ice Storm · August 28, 2012

When Aurora slid off of Ice's back and fell she immediately tried to catch her but she wasn't able prop herself up against her as she fell the opposite direction than she was standing. She had told her that she could walk, but Ice was concerned about that statement at the moment. She watched as Aurora stood back up and was indeed able to at least move a bit. She also thanked her for carrying her out of the forest that she would have hated to have been left for timber wolf food. "There's no need. The entire reason I went into the forest to begin with was to make sure that you were okay. Finding the others in there were a fortunate bonus, but the entire reason was to get you out of there. What type of friend would I be if I just let you stay there? I sure as hell wasn't going to let that happen," she spoke as she heard that gray pegasus start talking again asking why somepony would willing go into that forest without hesitation. That was the breaking point for ice.

She approached the gray stallion with eyes as cold as the element that she bared. "Why would a pony go into that forest without hesitation? It's called being there to protect others, helping your friends when they need it and NEVER leaving anypony behind. Her," she said pointing to Aurora, "And Daylight were the only two ponies that hadn't completely ignored me when I tried to answer the same questions as everypony else and actually treated me like a fellow pony and acknowledged that I even existed. When those whatever the hell they were tried to attack us, Aurora did the smart thing and ran, as there were far too many to fight. She ended up running into the forest which I whole heartedly knew was one of the most dangerous places in Equestria, but I didn't care. I don't leave my friends behind," she confronted him nearly shouted.

"Now I don't know how many others are in this same ship as me, but none of us are even from this world let alone Equestria. Most of us have just learned how to walk and fly and we came from a place where humans dominated everything. Hell we were all humans for the most part! Magic didn't exist there hell almost nothing from Equestria existed there. This was a television show in our world for pony's sake! Yet here you are expecting us to know everything about what is going on around us when most of us haven't even figured out how to control what we even are yet, let alone even remotely why we were brought here. So, how about you stop degrading us with your pathetic attitude for once and actually try helping us, or is that below your nobility as well?" she stated calling him out.

Alex Night · August 29, 2012

As Alex was looking around the new group, he took note of each of them. The red unicorn definitely looked like a no-nonsense pony. The unicorn had light-green eyes and sported an unkempt mane of pink, which was the same with her tail. On her flank was some type of dark flame that didn't look familiar to Alex. The pony on the ground next to her was unconscious. His body was bright gray, his mane and tail were a deep shade of blue and appeared unkempt as well. His flank bore a strange symbol as well, but Alex knows he has seen it before.

"W-we're still waiting for Daylight and Starry Sky," Aurora murmured to the stranger with a hint of worry in her voice. "I thi-" her voice was cut short by a shadow swooping overhead, and she glanced skywards to see the source of the commotion. "Oh...never mind, that's all of us," she said, relief seeping into her.

"Nice to meet you, Alex," she added cheerfully, holding out a hoof for him to shake. "Normally if I just met you ,I'd offer you a pastry, but I, um, dropped my hamper somewhere." She looked slightly embarrassed. "Sorry."

Alex turned to his right and saw the pony that was lying on the ice blue pony's back was on her feet and addressing him. This pony had a body shaded white, her mane as well as her tail held a brilliant mix of red and orange as if it looked like fire with a small horn protruding from her forehead, her eyes were both turquoise. Alex also saw that she had a symbol on her flank as well, but he could not completely understand what it was. He could see that it had a blue star with a small twinkle on each side, but he couldn't understand what the purple arrow above the star was.

When she spoke at first, Alex could sense in her voice that she was worried about two ponies known as Starry Sky and Daylight. Alex was about to ask what they looked like until a shadow appeared between the two of them. Alex looked up and saw a dark image of two ponies. "I guess that's them." Alex thought. Looking back to the white Unicorn, he heard her say that everypony was accounted for, which brought some relief to Alex. The white Unicorn extended her hoof and greeted Alex with a voice full of cheer while expressing a hint of regret at not offering Alex some food. At that moment, Alex saw her face was replaced by another. It belonged to a young woman that looked so familiar to him. She had light-blue eyes with black hair along with peach skin. This face was smiling at Alex as if looking back at a good friend. Before Alex could attempt to comprehend who the mystery woman was, the face of the white Unicorn returned with her hoof still extended. "That woman... Who was she? I know I have seen her before." Alex wondered. Quickly returning his mind back to reality, Alex returned his front right hoof in kind to the young Unicorn and wrapped it in a sort of "hoof-shake".

"Well, I'm glad everyone is okay now. It is nice to meet you as well. Don't worry about it, I'm fine without some food." Alex said with a small smile. As Alex finished that last word, he heard a loud growl near him and realized that his stomach was yelling in protest. Alex quickly wrapped his belly with his front right hoof. "Eheheh. Although, I don't think that my stomach agrees with me." Alex said with a nervous laugh trying to hide the embarrassment on his face from the white unicorn. "Smooth, Alex." Alex told himself, mentally kicking himself. He regained his composure to continue. "I guess that adds another reason why we gotta get away from the forest." Alex said bringing the small smile he had back. He was about to ask what her name was until...

Numbers turned to examine the newcomer. He seems rather friendly considering that we are total strangers. “Hello Alex. It is nice to meet you. My name is Numbers. Your long story wouldn't happen to involve a crack appearing and then suddenly falling, would it?”

Alex turned his attention to the bright gray pony that was unconscious, who was now addressing Alex. "Well, I guess everyone is awake now." Alex thought. An alarm rang in his mind. "Wait a minute!" Alex thought in a haste. "What did you just say?!" Alex asked the bright gray pony.

"What happened within yonder forest? Art thou alright?" Silver said approaching the new ponies.

"Thou art fortunate to be alive. The Everfree forest is dangerous beyond belief. Why wouldst thou go in there without hesitation?" He asked.

"We shall save introductions for later, we must get thou someplace safe to rest." He said, gesturing towards the others.

Before Alex could get an answer from the bright gray pony, he turned around to see Silver join the group with Electrobolt following behind him. Alex could see that he was still interested in the reason why these ponies were doing around here, but this time there was genuine concern in his voice. Alex was about to voice the same solution that he had been trying to tell everyone to Silver. That is, until an angry pony stepped up in front of Silver to face him.

"Why would a pony go into that forest without hesitation? It's called being there to protect others, helping your friends when they need it and NEVER leaving anypony behind. Her," she said pointing to Aurora, "And Daylight were the only two ponies that hadn't completely ignored me when I tried to answer the same questions as everypony else and actually treated me like a fellow pony and acknowledged that I even existed. When those whatever the hell they were tried to attack us, Aurora did the smart thing and ran, as there were far too many to fight. She ended up running into the forest which I whole heartedly knew was one of the most dangerous places in Equestria, but I didn't care. I don't leave my friends behind," she confronted him nearly shouted.

"Now I don't know how many others are in this same ship as me, but none of us are even from this world let alone Equestria. Most of us have just learned how to walk and fly and we came from a place where humans dominated everything. Hell we were all humans for the most part! Magic didn't exist there hell almost nothing from Equestria existed there. This was a television show in our world for pony's sake! Yet here you are expecting us to know everything about what is going on around us when most of us haven't even figured out how to control what we even are yet, let alone even remotely why we were brought here. So, how about you stop degrading us with your pathetic attitude for once and actually try helping us, or is that below your nobility as well?" she stated calling him out.

Alex saw that the ice blue pony was giving Silver the lecture of his life and now he can clearly see her. "Wow, this unicorn is really letting him have it." Alex thought to himself. When she went on about how the ponies were formerly humans from another world and all other sorts of truths in her rage, Alex was completely thrown. However, Alex knew that this wouldn't get them anywhere good. Alex stepped between her and Silver, determined to end this fight before it goes somewhere horrible. "Hold up. Just take it easy, alright? I understand that you are all on edge. I know I won't understand what everypony here just went through in that forest. I get it, but this isn't going to help us at all. We are nowhere near the clear from the danger of this forest and we can't just stand here pointing hooves at each other." Alex explained to the ice-blue pony in a calm manner.

Grace Braid · August 29, 2012

@,

Jack nodded towards Silver, saying "Good. We'll need all the help that we can get. It is rather dangerous in there after all, apparently." He once again noted the odd speech pattern Silver had, and couldn't help but wonder again just what was up with that. And then, Silver asked a question that fully solidified a minor, off-the-wall suspicion that he jokingly had: Silver had asked the year. Nobody asks what year it is. Sure, they may ask the date, or the day, but definitely not the year. Unless of course you were a time traveler. Jack had to completely and utterly resist the urge to immediately pester and ask Silver if this was true or not. That question might not clarify things, as Jack doubted Silver would tell him the truth. There's also the fact that Silver might not really know that he's traveled through time(if he did, that is; Jack also had to remember this world was weird and asking the year might be normal, but probably not), and thus he might answer no and think he was telling the truth. Or maybe...

Okay. That's enough thinking about that, this is making my head hurt, Jack thought, still noting to himself to somehow find out the full truth.

@,

Thankfully, Artsy spoke up right after that, allowing for a convenient distraction for Jack. Unfortunately, he did not particularly like her suggesting that they just abandon whoever was in the forest. It was true that they didn't really know who they were, but it was also true that it wouldn't exactly be a very good thing to do, since they were the only other people(or ponies. Whatever, they used to be people) that they knew. "I don't know Artsy...We're probably going to need those that are in the forest sometime soon, and leaving them to just rot in the forest or something like that does not sit well with me. It might be dangerous, but we need to find them."

@@Legendary Emerald,

Of course, then the most unexpected thing happened: the group from the forest...wandered(or, in one of the cases, crashed) out of the forest. Several looked injured, but none of the injuries appeared to be permanent or overtly serious(to Jack's very bad and untrained eyes), thus he breathed a sigh of relief. "C'mon Artsy, we should probably help," he said, nudging his girlfriend to get up and help him help the others.

@@Ice Storm,

Of course, before that happened a blue pony(who Jack vaguely remembered hearing being named Ice...something. Jack's not good with names), went off on Silver. Apparently he managed to offend her horribly by questioning why anybody would run into the forest, with her saying that she did it to help her friends. Blinking in surprise at the outburst, he managed to snap out of it when Alex stepped in to break it up. Jumping in too at this point, Jack said "Alex has a point. We don't have time really to handle this here. We need to go, now, and once we find a safer place we can stop to discuss this."

Edited August 29, 2012 by Skyman

Marcato · August 29, 2012

She approached the gray stallion with eyes as cold as the element that she bared. "Why would a pony go into that forest without hesitation? It's called being there to protect others, helping your friends when they need it and NEVER leaving anypony behind. Her," she said pointing to Aurora, "And Daylight were the only two ponies that hadn't completely ignored me when I tried to answer the same questions as everypony else and actually treated me like a fellow pony and acknowledged that I even existed. When those whatever the hell they were tried to attack us, Aurora did the smart thing and ran, as there were far too many to fight. She ended up running into the forest which I whole heartedly knew was one of the most dangerous places in Equestria, but I didn't care. I don't leave my friends behind," she confronted him nearly shouted.

"Now I don't know how many others are in this same ship as me, but none of us are even from this world let alone Equestria. Most of us have just learned how to walk and fly and we came from a place where humans dominated everything. Hell we were all humans for the most part! Magic didn't exist there hell almost nothing from Equestria existed there. This was a television show in our world for pony's sake! Yet here you are expecting us to know everything about what is going on around us when most of us haven't even figured out how to control what we even are yet, let alone even remotely why we were brought here. So, how about you stop degrading us with your pathetic attitude for once and actually try helping us, or is that below your nobility as well?" she stated calling him out.

As soon as the pony with the blue mane stepped towards him in the aggressive manner Silver dropped into a guard position and put one of his hooves back to his bow. She kept coming, so Silver tugged lightly on the string and the bow leaped into life. It split in two at the handle and he pulled it away from his body by the string. All bows that royal guards used were like this for quick access to their weapon. Silver was about to grab an arrow as well, but suddenly the mare in front of him began lecturing him.

She acts as though we do not understand friendship! He said angrily in his mind. He was about to speak up and protest against her but then she said something that really caught his attention. Not from Equestria... how...? Silver began to think but his thoughts were interrupted as she kept going.

Silver froze as she said the word "human." It was terrifyingly familiar and jogged memories. He tried to keep his focus but he couldn't stop himself from stumbling as he stepped back. He dropped his bow and put a hoof to his forehead in pain. The insults barely reached Silver's ears by the time she had finished. Silver's teeth were clenched as his head throbbed and images flashed through his mind.

Silver suddenly found himself lying on the ground, however the grass was unusually tall. The sun beat down on him and a gentle breeze blew the grass causing it to sway side to side hypnoticly. Silver blinked and pulled himself to his... feet?

Silver looked at himself after he got up. He was standing tall, and instead of back legs and hooves he had feet. His front hooves were now hands and fingers. He stood tall and had skin instead of fur.

"W-what is this...?" He said outloud. The moment he asked the question a voice in his head answered "home." The memories hit Silver so hard he stumbled to the ground again holding his head. The headache throbbed and he wished it would just go away, but he knew it wouldn't work.

Michael. The name suddenly popped into his head, but it was unfamiliar. A small cottage was visible in the distance. He recognized it very faintly and saw himself as a child running through the fields. He could hear animals like sheep and cows coming from that direction.

Silver shook his head trying to return to reality, but he a mind blowing question came to his mind. "What is my reality?" He asked himself, addressing by one person instead of multiple.

A massive crack appeared in the ground ahead, and he watched as a younger version of him was swallowed up by the gaping hole. His head throbbed as the scene shifted. He found himself on all fours and he was a pony again. It was raining, pouring in fact, and he was in the Everfree forest. Just ahead there was his younger self while he was a filly.

Crying in the rain, a mare came out of the bushes and ran to the fillies side. She was saying something but he couldn't make it out, because it was muffled and unclear.

Then he realized. This is how I got here... I was once... a human! Silver remembered. His head hurt as he accepted the fact and he suddenly awoke into the real world. (Or at least what he thought was the real world.) "Ah!" He exclaimed as his head throbbed one last time. He collapsed to the ground and lay there a moment shaking.

These last thirteen years... what hath they been? He thought questioning his life in Equestria. He closed his eyes shut trying to return to his memories in order to learn more but he couldn't. I don't know what my life is anymore... Silver was torn between two realities. Equestria and Earth.

"We... I... Human?" Silver finally said out loud. "Thou once were a... human?" He said. He couldn't take it anymore, he needed to know.

Standing up quickly he looked around at them desperately. "What year is it!?" He cried. "Is there at least one of thee who knows the year?" He begged. He figured if they had once been human and had arrived here like him, then they likely didn't, and yet still he prayed one of them knew. A part of him didn't want to know, but it was crucial. "Dost anypony know how long it hath been since Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon?" He said hopefully trying to get an answer.

Arylett Charnoa · August 29, 2012

Speak of the devil.

After she had opened her mouth to say what she had said, everyone appeared to have come out of the forest mostly unscathed. A few injuries here and there, and an unconscious pony with a horrendous symbol on his side awakening... but other than that, they weren't dead. She smirked a little to herself, basking in the satisfaction of how she was right for once. That never happened! Artsy always believed that all that came out of her mouth was just nonsensical babble.

@,

There were meeting and greetings, but she wasn't one who was for confrontation, so she stayed away from it and kept her mouth shut. It didn't really require her to speak up, and Jack was distracted with the others... for a bit, at least. He disagreed with her. Why did he want to get involved? Helping people they barely knew... honestly. It wasn't her business. All she really was concerned with was herself and Jack. They didn't need to start... ugh... talking to people they barely knew. The further away they got from them so they could figure out these issues to themselves, the better. Those people to her were perceived to be only in the way. Sounded a bit cold, and she knew that. But to Artsy, the phrase "the more, the merrier" was complete nonsense. It was more like: "the more, the more problems and complications."

Jack and his silly sense of responsibility. She should set him ri-

@@Ice Storm,

...The hell was happening here?

She wasn't really sure. That unicorn who was the gender bender suddenly started talking some crazy nonsense that really bugged her. Her nerves were already frayed and irritated by all the new people, and Jack's odd sense of responsibility towards them. Usually, she wasn't one to butt in... but...

It wasn't something she could take anymore.

Stepping from behind Jack, she glared down the suddenly shouting periwinkle-hued unicorn.

"Excuse me. Is that what you call a friend? I don't mean to be rude, but as far as I know, you've only just met these people a few hours ago. So now, you're their friends? Do you even know them? Do you know their likes, their dislikes, what makes them upset, what they're thinking?" Her voice was slowly rising, shakily, but with a strange sort of steadiness to it. A sort of anger the others had not heard before. She may have been small, but she could feel a small fire within her radiating... stoking... flames burning higher and higher within her.

"That's what I... thought. You, you're not a pony. It doesn't matter what transformation has taken, or what shows you've seen! Now stop acting like one. Everypony, somepony... bah! It sounds so ridiculous. Everything about this world is ridiculous. So it's from a television show, is it? No wonder. If there's anything I know about TV, it's that running into a dark creepy forest is dangerous, no matter why you did it. Running in there for somebody you barely... even know! You were playing right into their hand! Really, you could've all gotten yourselves killed. I don't know you, but he is absolutely right." Higher and higher... she was starting to lose that uncertainty as the edge of her personality revealed itself. Mortification, shame, hesitation... her usual traits were leaving. Fires burning brighter, as crimson as the flower in her hair.

"There's no need to yell at him like that. He didn't even say it in a rude way! And you say apparently we're beneath him and his nobility? What about you? Flaunting yourself, like you're so noble for running into the forest after a complete stranger. How hypocritical. He isn't expecting you guys to know everything, he's expecting you guys to have common sense. But such is in short supply, I see. Don't you even start. I'm not in the mood for this! I didn't come here for this... I didn't even want to come to this... godforsaken place! We don't need to hear it. So why don't you just shove off? Stop yelling at people for no damn reason." As she went on about her spiel, her horn glimmered slightly and she could feel the flames inside of her chest heating up to a fever pitch. Almost like a hateful acid, a combination of conflict and emotions from all of this confusion. Artsy let out a long sigh, and glared at the other unicorn for several moments. For the moment, she didn't care what others thought of her outburst.

...It almost felt good.

Ice Storm · August 29, 2012

When the tan unicorn started degrading her, but everypony else as she basically stated that nopony here was important or worthy enough to be call friends in her eyes only et her off further. "I don't give a damn about what were were in the past, and something that you need to realize is that we aren't humans anymore. Look around you. Is anyone here currently a human? I didn't think so. So regardless of what your deranged mind thinks right now we very much are ponies for however long it is that we are here, and as long as we are here we need to do things by their customs, not ours.

And everything in this world is ridiculous? Reality check, this is their world and is the world that we are very much in. If you don't like it then deal with it, as unless you see some magic portal linking back to whatever hole you crawled out from then there is absolutely nothing that you can do about it. Just because it's from a television show doesn't make it any less so. If you go into a forest anywhere, regardless of what world or what dimension that you are on, then there is going to be danger involved. There are predators even where we are from so don't try to paint something as ridiculous just because it's not where you are from.

And I had every right to lay into as from what I've heard from him has been spewing the same nonsense that you are and the fact that you say that no one else's life is more important than your own makes me sick. Regardless of who it is or what they are doesn't make life any less precious of less important. So yes actually, the fact that I willing went into a dangerous forest to save ponies that I don't even know does in fact bear weight. I didn't see you going anywhere to save anypony and your trying to lecture me about your views of friendship? It's not something to where you have to know every single little detail about every single pony, or I guess in your case person, that you come across to call someone a friend.

In fact, the very fact that someone needs a reason to put someone's life on the line to help defend someone else that can't is as I said, appalling. I at the very least don't need a reason to call somepony a friend or much less even do the right thing. Just because you're too worried about what you used to to be to be able to give a damn about any pony else isn't my problem. I don't leave anypony behind regardless of any reason, and while I know with an absolute fact that you never in a million years put your life on the line for anyone else, and would never do the same for me, I will still lay my life down for you to defend your right to forsake everyone else and let them die all around you. Now if that makes me a fucking hypocrite then yes, I'm a hypocrite.

Humanity on the other hand, I could care less about right now. Like I said, just because we were humans on the plane or planet that we came from doesn't make us humans now so the thought of wasting energy wondering what's happing where we're from is pointless and a waste of time. If we ever end up getting to go home, then I will worry about human problems again, but again reality check. We are not humans anymore. Stop trying to hold yourself above everyone else by pretending that you still are," Ice Storm yelled as energy started flowing around her as her temper has gotten to a point where ice was forming on the ground around her and that coating of ice that she had put on her coat earlier was returning as if it had a will of it's own.

Legendary Emerald · August 29, 2012

A lot transpired after Serah nodded her head; nothing which got any of them closer to their goal of finding a safe place to rest. The armed pony had turned out to be not as native as Serah had though, and was now having some sort of panic attack. Then the tan pony decided it was her place to chastise Ice Storm for the way she had spoken to the armed one.

“Rage without reason is useless. Don't like situation anymore than her, but don't have time to... is she heating up?”

Sure enough, Serah began to feel heat coming off of Artsy's body, emanating from the tan pony's very core. It wasn't altogether to different than the feeling Serah had felt while using her own magic, which might have been why she noticed it.

“That's right. She was the first to unlock magic, and then hell broke loose. Dangerous, to herself . To all of us.”

Ice Storm began to defend herself against the verbal tirade, while Serah began to concentrate on her own body temperature. She called upon her inner fire and directed it towards her forelimbs, feeling them warm up.

By the end of Storm's rebuttal, the ground was frozen where Ice Storm stood. Serah nodded, an let loose the heat she'd stored, setting her hooves aflame. She held them at her sides, like a wild west gunman prepared to reach for his weapon.

“Holding onto humanity is one thing. Holding us back is another.” Serah warned darkly. “You threaten any hope we have of returning to normal. Stop bitching. Control your magic. Fight with us, or you can be god-damned sure I'll fight against you. 'Friend.'”

Serah spat out the last word, since it seemed to be that word which set the tan pony off in the first place.

Edited August 29, 2012 by Legendary Emerald

Dave247 · August 29, 2012

@

Starry jumped up and hovered above him. He lifted his hooves up for her to grab on and then stood upright with her holding on waiting to take off.

She just hovered there for a while, which made him hope she wasn't having second thoughts about doing this but she then apologized for the delay and took off.

It felt strange as his hooves left the ground, suspended only by starry holding him. "it's a good thing I don't weigh much due to being a fussy eater" He thought.

Rising above the treetops, he could see the forest stretch out in all directions and feel the warmth of the the sun shine down on them.

"Oh my, even a view above this dangerous place looks beautiful, don't you think so too?" She asked him, holding his hooves tight.

"Yes, yes it does." Day replied. Although he felt a little awkward dangling in mid air, it was also rather calm and peaceful. He decided to savior this moment as he thought it would probably be the closest he would ever get to flying himself. He closed his eye for a bit, and focused on the sound of Starry's swings flapping, and the feeling of the wind as it rushed past his body. He could not remember ever feeling this relaxed before.

"Oh look! It's them!" Then she saw the red pony with the grey one, "And them too! Oh, and some new faces!"

Day then opened his eyes and looked down. He noticed that they were hovering above the clearing they first found themselves in. Looking closely, he could indeed see some new faces, two in fact.

He could hear voices shouting though, and a number of ponies standing around in a group. "Not again" he thought, rolling his eyes. "Are we ever going to be able to get along?"

He then realized that one of the voices sounded a lot like Ice Storm's. Looking closer at the group, she was indeed one of them standing there. He also saw Ice start to form around her body, like it did before but he thought that this time it wasn't a good sign. "This doesn't look good. We need to get down there." he said to Starry with a sound of urgency in his voice..

He then realized they still had to land. "Umm... you can land with both of us right?" He said to Starry, starting to feel worried.

Edited August 29, 2012 by Dave247

Arylett Charnoa · August 29, 2012

The tirade made her begin to feel that unpleasant feeling again... the heat... the sensations dancing on the base of her forehead and sprinkling off. It was that reddish glow again as the other pony replied. What an ignorant son of a... she couldn't even think of words right now. Only anger. Blind, mindless, acidic. Some voice in the back of her mind struggled for recognition, struggled to quell the fighting, but she disregarded it. She had the right, because she was always do damn quiet. Now she wanted to yell.

@@Legendary Emerald,

She saw the red pony had sided with the other, however, and that was when she absolutely lost it. The negative thoughts spiraled out of control as all she could feel was rage explosively convulsing on her forehead. But she had to let out her last words. She struggled through the intense emotion that was overwhelming her, her face took a reddish hue.

"Bitching?! So that's what I am to everyone, useless, and holding us back! I see how it is. I'm not even with your stupid group anyway. Does it really matter what I do? I admired you, but now I can see clearly. You are cold, callus, and lacking of tact. Both of you... you... you goddamn bastards. You sicken me. You... as if you really think that's going to calm me down! Fight me, whatever. I don't care if I'm disposed. And I doubt you care either."

Artsy took a deep breath to try to tame herself, to try to form words from beneath the rage. She felt a high urge to just start screaming curses, but she had to make sense. Just for a little longer, to prove her point. Then she rounded back to Ice Storm, the sharp daggers of her intense rage. The little voice in her mind continued to tell her how disproportionate this reaction was, how unrealistic she was being, but she was already tired of these ponies, of what she had experienced in her life, being pushed around, and this horrid place. It was time to let off more.

@@Ice Storm,

"It doesn't matter what we are now. This isn't a real form. For all you know, this could some illusion. You may chose to reject your humanity in such a hurry, and frankly, it sickens me. So childish are their words so far. But I will cling onto it, and I will be the one to get out of here when you are stuck here in pony land playing around like a child. It's not deranged to live outside of the fantasy, I would appreciate you not have such rude comments on my person. You... don't. Even. Know me." She paused for a moment as she began the next part of her tirade, emphasizing each word. It was getting so warm... sweat was beading down her face, dripping. The light was blinding and annoying. It only served to irritate her more.

"How dare you make such assumptions? What ignorance! Frankly, I'd rather not be saved by such a rude person who attacks people for simple words. Leave me to die.I won't save you, and you won't save me. It's mutual! But don't you dare tell me that I don't care about anyone. You have no idea what I'm thinking, just like you have no idea what's in the minds of your so-called friends. In fact, you completely misinterpreted everything I said! I don't mean you need to know every detail about... um... 'everypony'" There was particular emphasis on that final word, in a sort of cruel mocking tone that was completely uncharacteristic of her. She let out a little disgusted scoff as she did so. "But... that you at least need to know them for longer than five seconds! There's a difference between being chivalrous, being generous, being kind... and being a flat-out idiot who disregards their safety and the safety of others. And that might just be you. That attitude will never get us anywhere, and for that matter, neither will completely forgetting where we came from. Feel free to live in delusions and your fantasies. Quite frankly, I've had enough!"

Her vision began to cloud as she squealed out, and her horn emitted another burst of light which very nearly hit the ice at Ice Storm's hooves. But at the last moment, it spiraled upwards... her thoughts were becoming clearer, more into focus. An anger that was hazy taking shape. A monster... a beast within her mind, with glowing yellow eyes. The ray of red light took shape accordingly, a blob that had had vaguely become a manner of creature. It had claws, it had fangs, and a set of deep amber eyes. An illusion of sorts... for now, intangible. But this creature represented her emotions exactly. A manifestation...

Exhaustion set in.

She felt it again. A dizzy, winding feeling. Her head spinning, everything was spiraling out of control. Her eyes watered as she became hysterical in her rage... tears. Frantic, unending tears. The beast reeled at the red and blue unicorns, ferociously baring its claws...

...And that was it.

@,

Without so much as another thought on her head, she needed to be alone. To get away from this situation. She only gave a glance at Jack before she turned tail and ran off away from the forest, and the others. In an indeterminate direction. She knew nobody except Jack would care enough to follow, and she didn't care. No longer would she travel with this group. They didn't need her, and she didn't need them. It was made abundantly clear.

Goodbye.

Edited August 29, 2012 by Doggess Arylett

Key Gear · August 29, 2012

As the conflict between the others began to develop, Numbers backed away from the group. He backed away not out of concern for his safety but because he wanted to get a better view. To him, such a conflict as this provided the excellent chance to make observations of the personalities of the ponies in this group. Sometimes the statistical model must be subjected to stress for the purposes of gathering data.

With a completely expressionless face, Numbers focused on observing the other ponies and their interactions with one another. He listened intently to every nuance of each pony's speech absorbing anything that he could gather from their emotional states. His eyes darted between each participant in the conflict, carefully observing their body language.

I need to understand all of these ponies in order to know how to approach them. If I see how they behave here, under stress, then I will have some idea of how I can predict their actions the next time we are in some type fight or conflict. Hopefully this incident doesn't go too far out of hand. It would be bad for everyone if a fight were to occur and injuries or casualties resulted. None of us are familiar with the laws of this place. It will be best not to find out accidentally.

"What year is it!?" He cried. "Is there at least one of thee who knows the year?" He begged. He figured if they had once been human and had arrived here like him, then they likely didn't, and yet still he prayed one of them knew. A part of him didn't want to know, but it was crucial. "Dost anypony know how long it hath been since Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon?" He said hopefully trying to get an answer.

Numbers's eyes widened. This pegasus doesn't know what year it is. The linguistic patterns of his speech are medieval. Yet, he uses the phrase anypony without any hesitation. How could he not know what year it is if he has been here the entire time? And then his weapon… He is some type of archer? But what kind…

He remembered his earlier visions of humans fighting on the field of combat. Numbers spoke out loud, “Perhaps he is a knight?” Numbers made up his mind to watch this pony very carefully.

Ice Storm yelled as energy started flowing around her as her temper has gotten to a point where ice was forming on the ground around her and that coating of ice that she had put on her coat earlier was returning as if it had a will of it's own.

Numbers blinked. He hadn't expected something like this to happen so quickly. One of the unicorns seemed to be losing control. Hesitantly, he took a few steps towards the group. He wasn't particularly interested in finding out what types of law and law enforcement existed in a place that had forests filled with wolves made of vegetation.

“Holding onto humanity is one thing. Holding us back is another.” Serah warned darkly. “You threaten any hope we have of returning to normal. Stop bitching. Control your magic. Fight with us, or you can be god-damned sure I'll fight against you. 'Friend.'”

“Not exactly the most graceful way of putting things, but hopefully effective enough to derail this conflict.” Numbers spoke while shaking his head slowly.

He wasn't particularly interested in ending his observations so quickly. He was also uninterested in the potential for unnecessary violence. He found himself to be at something of an impasse. The unicorn's words had been remarkably crude, but he hoped that they would be effective.

The tirade made her begin to feel that unpleasant feeling again... the heat... the sensations dancing on the base of her forehead and sprinkling off. It was that reddish glow again as the other pony replied.

Number started walking towards the group slowly. He remembered the last time he had seen this unicorn's horn glowing. That time, the target was the giant insects that had been hiding in the forest. This time, the target would most likely be one of them. As much as he wanted to continue observing, he could not allow that to happen. We know nothing about this place. A violent conflict between us at this point could potentially prove completely disastrous.

Her vision began to cloud as she squealed out, and her horn emitted another burst of light which very nearly hit the ice at Ice Storm's hooves. But at the last moment, it spiraled upwards... her thoughts were becoming clearer, more into focus.

When the blast of light happened, Numbers started to move quickly towards the group. When it spiraled upwards, he stopped. As suddenly as it had appeared, it was gone. The small unicorn broke down into tears and ran off. Numbers felt sorry for her. He couldn't fault her for becoming upset. However, since she ran away from the forest instead of into it and she had demonstrated her ability to defend herself against the insects earlier, Numbers was was unconcerned with her safety. His thoughts were occupied with something else now.

He was tired of making observations. He was also tired of watching the conflict unfold. He had questions that he greatly wanted answers to. Numbers approached the group. He judged that this was the ideal time to finally try to piece together some answers to questions that have been plaguing him. He calculated… The only thing that compares to the calm before the storm is the calm after the storm has passed.

His face was expressionless, his eyes unblinking. Calmly and purposefully, he walked right into the middle of the ponies there remained. He looked around for a moment before his eyes settled on the ice colored pony. Thinking about the words that had been exchanged in the conflict, he concluded that this pony seemed to have the most interesting perspective on things. He weighed his words very carefully and smiled in a manner that he judged to be reassuring.

@@Ice Storm, @,

“I can understand why you're upset. You risked your life for others, and you received mockery for this. I would be upset too if I were in your position. With that said, you should calm down. No constructive purpose would be served by you losing control of your powers. Especially when you don't know what you're capable of. Surely, you can agree with this?”

Now, he looked directly Ice Storm's eyes, and he spoke in the most neutral tone possible. “I noticed that you said that you considered the ponies that you followed into the forest to be your friends. I think that, for the purposes of clarity, perhaps you should consider them to be your allies instead. Were it not for the unusual circumstances that brought us to this place, most of us would not be here. It is unwise for you to extend the trust of friendship to those that only mere chance has brought into your path. You don't have enough data to draw that conclusion, but there is no denying that some common thread has brought us all to this place - making us allies of a sort.”

Numbers's eyes sparkled and his smile widened. Throughout the conflict, he had been waiting to ask this question. He spoke quickly, his curiosity was burning him from within. “Now… You say that you have seen a place like this before on some type of show? Could you quickly describe this show for all of us? But before you do that… You wouldn't happen to remember, from that show, the year that the show took place in within the show's universe? You see, this pony with the bow and arrow is very interested in knowing what year it is in this place.” Numbers clumsily gestured towards Silver using one of his hooves.

Flow · August 29, 2012

He then realized that one of the voices sounded a lot like Ice Storm's. Looking closer at the group, she was indeed one of them standing there. He also saw Ice start to form around her body, like it did before but he thought that this time it wasn't a good sign. "This doesn't look good. We need to get down there." he said to Starry with a sound of urgency in his voice..

He then realized they still had to land. "Umm... you can land with both of us right?" He said to Starry, starting to feel worried.

"Um...sure...I guess I could...." Starry nervously said as they approach the group of ponies, then she begins her decent, but because of her limited knowledge on flying, she descends too rapidly and ends up plummeting towards the ground, "Aaaaaah!......n-not good! Oh no!!" She tries to recover, but her efforts proved futile, and as they fell, the pressure forced her to let go of Daylight's hooves "Aaaaah!!, Daylight!!" She panicked as she lost her grip on him, and then she screamed as she was about to crash into a tree

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

THUMP!

Starry had managed to avoid the tree, instead hitting the bushes nearby, remarkably it wasn't anything rough because it turns out that they were pretty close to the ground by the time she was thrown off balance after losing Daylight.

As she got up from the bushes, she felt real dizzy "...Oh......wow...a.aa...that wa....ffffun....aaaahhhhhh!" Afterwards, she fell to the ground in comical fashion, and got knocked out, it wasn't long till she started drooling again.

Edited August 29, 2012 by Narutardedscum!!

Klopp · August 29, 2012

@@Ice Storm

As Klopp asked Magenta for his hat, the other ponies began arguing about something rather loudly, interrupting his thoughts and he lost interest in reuniting his fedora with his mane. While he may have missed the first bits of the conversation, he did pick up on the fact that the blue unicorn was upset at the fact that the new gray pegasus, Silver, had asked why anyone would want to enter such a dangerous place as the forest. "Huh, this guy actually seems to be from around here, unlike the rest of us who I believe used to all be humans, like me."

@,

He then heard Artsy defending him, mentioning that all they needed was a bit of common sense to realize that entering the forest was a bad idea. Klopp certainly agreed, as just taking one look at the place grounds enough to scare the jeebles out of anyone. Listening to what everyone was saying, the stallion began to get a bit angry at how the blue unicorn was treating Artsy. He was getting a bit tense as he wanted to waltz over and give her a good slapping. In fact, he started to walk over to her to do just that when a formation of ice was created beneath her hooves on the ground below. "What the hell? Now THAT is strange."

@@Legendary Emerald,

He continued walking towards her, when the other bright red pony next to her went in on Artsy as well, very intimidating, and if her tone of voice and harsh words weren't enough she had somehow generated flames around her, and seemed to be preparing to throw them at Artsy as she told her to 'stop bitching' and 'control her magic'. That was about all Klopp could take of this, and he didn't want Artsy getting hurt, especially when she seemed to be the only one making any sense. He jumped forward, finally getting the hang of this silly pony body, nearby where Artsy was standing, close enough that he could prevent any harm from coming to her if necessary. While her boyfriend, Jack, seemed dedicated to the task of protecting her, unfortunately, he just didn't look like he would be strong enough to keep these two hostile ponies from doing her harm.

As Klopp stood there ready to prevent any shitstorms from occuring, Artsy went into a bit of a rage and lashed out at the two nearby ponies, before realeasing a large... illusion-thing? He was not quite sure what to make of it, but it appeared to be some kind of... creature. A brilliant red creature, with bright amber eyes. Klopp looked away from the creature and brought his gaze to Artsy. She began welling up tears, and it was quite clear she had become, understandably, upset about the behaviors of the pair of ponies, whom Klopp officially labeled in his mind as "Fire and Ice" from this point on.

The pony, with her glasses wet from tears, took off in the direction away from the forest, and seeing her in such a state put Klopp into a rage as well. He turned towards the Fire and Ice ponies, and roared at them furiously for their actions of pure assholery towards this small, innocent, pony.

"What the hell is wrong with you two?! Not a one of us knows what is even going on here, but it is quite obvious that we were all humans before, and came through those stupid cracks to find ourselves stuck here in this odd, nonsensical, world! We don't even know if we will be able to change back to our former selves, and we are never going to find out if all you do is yell at the one who, I don't know whether you've noticed or not, seems to have the most powerful magic out of all the unicorns here! I wouldn't be surprised if she's the one who ends up fixing everything, taking us all back to wherever it was before we left! But if you dumbasses are going to just going to insult her and make her cry... Well, You can just be stuck here forever if all you wish to do is prevent the rest of us from getting things done! Now, If you'll excuse me, I have an Artsy to go comfort!"

@,

Klopp turned around and walked towards Magenta, he hadn't forgotten about her pretty little face during the whole ordeal. "Would you care to come with me, Magenta? I'm sure she could use a little more support than I have to offer. And of course, Jack!"

@,

Klopp turned towards Jack, and he was still standing there as he were before, and the pony, still lacking his Fedora, thought Jack looked unsure of what to do. Klopp decided to give him a little motivation, "Jack! Why are you still here? You should already be chasing after your girlfriend! Get goin'!"

He then charged off after Artsy, and was hoping Magenta was following close behind.

Dave247 · August 29, 2012

"Um...sure...I guess I could...." Starry nervously said as they approach the group of ponies...

This did not comfort him. As they began their decent, he could feel they were descending too rapidly to safely land, and began to plummet to the ground. Day could feel his stomach rise up into his chest and to his horror, also felt Starry left go of his hooves.

He looked down to see the group that they were aiming for were directly below him, and he was on a direct course for the middle of them... right where the gray pony was standing. Unable to change direction in any way he did the only thing he could.

"Look out below!" Day shouted, before landing right on top of top of him.

"Ugh..." Day groaned. He could feel some pain around his body but what he landed on must of helped break his fall. Day opened his eyes a little to check, and saw that he was indeed lying on top of the gray earth pony. "Sorry about that" he said, then rolled off him. Remembering that the group was in a middle of a argument, he jumped to his hooves, determined to bring it to a end. Feeling dizzy and barely able to stand he managed to say, "We shouldn't be fighting...", before collapsing in a heap where he stood.

He then closed his eyes and decided to just lay there for a while until his head stopped spinning.

Edited August 29, 2012 by Dave247

Aureity · August 29, 2012

As Alex focused his attention elsewhere, a bright green stallion came shuffling up awkwardly to Aurora. I think I recognize him, Aurora thought. Oh yeah - he's the socially awkward one. She stifled a laugh inwardly as the pony spoke.

"Um... Hello... I, um... I'd like to apologize, about earlier... I... I don't know what came over me earlier, and... I'm sorry..."

"Don't worry about it," Aurora said brightly, feeling slightly sorry for the forlorn pony. "It happens to everypony eventually - we can't all be smooth talkers. You'll get over it one day, though - I did," she said to the pony, giving him a reassuring smile. Although it might take him longer than most, she guessed as the pony shuffled his hooves, looking mightily embarrased.

"We shall save introductions for later, we must get thou someplace safe to rest."

Aurora turned, startled by the unfamilar voice, and saw yet another pony, a menacing-looking bow slung over his back. She hesitated a split second, intimidated, but decided to give him the benifit of the doubt and welcome him anyway. Unsure of what to say to the new arrival, she pondered her possible options. None of them turned out to be neccesary, however, as Ice Storm behind her suddenly began lauching a furious tirade that startled everypony in the clearing.

Aurora watched, wide-eyed, as Ice Storm began yelling her argument across the clearing, momentarily stunned. Of all the ponies who she knew, Ice Storm seemed one of the least likely ones to lose her temper. The gray pony who Aurora had been just about to greet stiffened, and Aurora couldn't blame him - if it had been her, she probably would have ran away again. The words "television show" in Ice Storm's rant made no sense to Aurora, but she assumed that it had to do with the acronym "human" that was being thrown out repeatedly. She did, however, manage to get the point of the tirade.

They're not from this world? Aurora thought, puzzled. That's just silly. Did they come from the moon? The very idea of moon-ponies intrigued her, but Aurora thought it was best not to interrupt at this time. Just do what you normally do when there's an argument, she thought hopefully. Wait until it all blows over.

The gray archer-pony, unfortunately, being on the recieving end of Ice Storm's rant, was not taking it too well. He broke down, in fact, lurching forward with his eyes screwed up in concentration. So much for a warm greeting, Aurora thought dismally. We'll be lucky if he doesn't snap and start shooting at us. Thankfully, Ice Storm's rant had ended by now, leaving an awkward silence to fill the whole clearing, punctuated suddenly only by the gray pony's plea:

"Dost anypony know how long it hath been since Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon?" He said hopefully trying to get an answer.

"It's been a little over a thousand years," Aurora chimed in, thanking the stars above that she had actually paid attention in history class. Trying to fill the silence, she added, "And the year, it's -" But before she could finish, a tan mare that Aurora hazily recognized suddenly began her own rant (again, what the heck was the word "TV" supposed to mean?), and Ice Storm wheeled to face her, their voices filling the air with cacophonous roars that made Aurora's head pound. Especially the tan mare, she had an awful habit of screeching in a tone that made Aurora's ears ring painfully. Aurora backed away quickly from their confrontation, eager to put as much distance as possible from their argument.

Am I being a coward again? Aurora asked herself as she backed up. A-after all, Ice Storm did call me her friend...and she did carry me out of the forest. I-I think she'd expect me to take her side in this argument...But before she could decide what to do, a fresh round of yells filled the area, shattering her thought process and forcing her to flee towards the two ponies that seemed to be standing the furthest away from the confrontation - the red unicorn whose expression was unfathomable and the gray earth pony who was watching the argument with a calculating look on his face.

This didn't turn out to be the best of ideas. The red unicorn that had seemed so expressionless just a second earlier now flared up - literally, throwing out a challenge to Ice Storm, who had now encased herself one more in a glittering layer of reflective ice.

Oh no, t-they're going to fight, aren't they? Aurora thought desperately, casting a pleading glance at the ponies still uninvolved in the confrontation. This crazy group was together peacefully just moments ago! A-and I don't have enough energy to stop anything... As if to confirm her fears, the tan mare's horn suddenly glowed, and Aurora closed her eyes.

And nothing happened. Aurora's eyes opened again cautiously. The tan mare was nowhere to be found and the gray earth pony was now talking in a reassuring voice, trying to be as diplomatic as possible.

Just then, Daylight and Starry Sky caused a rather large diversion by crashing forcefully onto the ground.

Legendary Emerald · August 29, 2012

@@Legendary Emerald,

"How dare you make such assumptions? What ignorance! Frankly, I'd rather not be saved by such a rude person who attacks people for simple words. Leave me to die. I won't save you, and you won't save me. It's mutual! But don't you dare tell me that I don't care about anyone. You have no idea what I'm thinking, just like you have no idea what's in the minds of your so-called friends. In fact, you completely misinterpreted everything I said! I don't mean you need to know every detail about... um... 'everypony'" There was particular emphasis on that final word, in a sort of cruel mocking tone that was completely uncharacteristic of her. She let out a little disgusted scoff as she did so. "But... that you at least need to know them for longer than five seconds! There's a difference between being chivalrous, being generous, being kind... and being a flat-out idiot who disregards their safety and the safety of others. And that might just be you. That attitude will never get us anywhere, and for that matter, neither will completely forgetting where we came from. Feel free to live in delusions and your fantasies. Quite frankly, I've had enough!"

Her vision began to cloud as she squealed out, and her horn emitted another burst of light which very nearly hit the ice at Ice Storm's hooves. But at the last moment, it spiraled upwards... her thoughts were becoming clearer, more into focus. An anger that was hazy taking shape. A monster... a beast within her mind, with glowing yellow eyes. The ray of red light took shape accordingly, a blob that had had vaguely become a manner of creature. It had claws, it had fangs, and a set of deep amber eyes. An illusion of sorts... for now, intangible. But this creature represented her emotions exactly. A manifestation...

Exhaustion set in.

She felt it again. A dizzy, winding feeling. Her head spinning, everything was spiraling out of control. Her eyes watered as she became hysterical in her rage... tears. Frantic, unending tears. The beast reeled at the red and blue unicorns, ferociously baring its claws...

“What I was afraid of.”

As soon as the creature manifested itself in front of her, Serah jumped back and unleashed twin jets of fire from her hooves at her the figure made of red light.

...And that was it.

The beast dissipated right before the flames could strike it, passing through the air harmlessly. For the first time, Serah was actually worried. Luckily for all of them, Artsy stormed off after throwing her fit.

“Go after her, put her down before the next time she lashes out?” Serah wondered to herself, panting slightly. “No. Let her take herself far away. Can't hinder us if she isn't here. No need for bloodshed.”

The pony, with her glasses wet from tears, took off in the direction away from the forest, and seeing her in such a state put Klopp into a rage as well. He turned towards the Fire and Ice ponies, and roared at them furiously for their actions of pure assholery towards this small, innocent, pony.

"What the hell is wrong with you two?! Not a one of us knows what is even going on here, but it is quite obvious that we were all humans before, and came through those stupid cracks to find ourselves stuck here in this odd, nonsensical, world! We don't even know if we will be able to change back to our former selves, and we are never going to find out if all you do is yell at the one who, I don't know whether you've noticed or not, seems to have the most powerful magic out of all the unicorns here! I wouldn't be surprised if she's the one who ends up fixing everything, taking us all back to wherever it was before we left! But if you dumbasses are going to just going to insult her and make her cry... Well, You can just be stuck here forever if all you wish to do is prevent the rest of us from getting things done! Now, If you'll excuse me, I have an Artsy to go comfort!"

Serah sat through the tirade with an unamused expression, not bothering to point out the numerous ways the fedora wearing pony had misread the situation. The pony left without waiting for an answer; a good idea, since Serah didn't feel like giving one at the moment.

Numbers chose that moment to walk up to Ice Storm and address her.

“I can understand why you're upset. You risked your life for others, and you received mockery for this. I would be upset too if I were in your position. With that said, you should calm down. No constructive purpose would be served by you losing control of your powers. Especially when you don't know what you're capable of. Surely, you can agree with this?”

Now, he looked directly Ice Storm's eyes, and he spoke in the most neutral tone possible. “I noticed that you said that you considered the ponies that you followed into the forest to be your friends. I think that, for the purposes of clarity, perhaps you should consider them to be your allies instead. Were it not for the unusual circumstances that brought us to this place, most of us would not be here. It is unwise for you to extend the trust of friendship to those that only mere chance has brought into your path. You don't have enough data to draw that conclusion, but there is no denying that some common thread has brought us all to this place - making us allies of a sort.”

Numbers's eyes sparkled and his smile widened. Throughout the conflict, he had been waiting to ask this question. He spoke quickly, his curiosity was burning him from within. “Now… You say that you have seen a place like this before on some type of show? Could you quickly describe this show for all of us? But before you do that… You wouldn't happen to remember, from that show, the year that the show took place in within the show's universe? You see, this pony with the bow and arrow is very interested in knowing what year it is in this place.” Numbers clumsily gestured towards Silver using one of his hooves.

Serah nodded along with what Numbers had said about the group not being 'friends'. If there had been any part of Artsy's tirad she'd agreed with, that had been it.

“Allies. Nothing more. Still work for myself. Just need a strong group to succeed. Wolves proved this place more dangerous than expected. Especially for a world based on a... TV show?”

Edited August 29, 2012 by Legendary Emerald

Marcato · August 29, 2012

Silver didn't even notice the argument that continued shortly after Aurora told him all he really needed to know. He was completely frozen. The words just kept ringing in his head over and over again. Over a thousand years... A thousand years... Thousand... His mind went back to that chaotic night.

"It hath been a quiet night. We hath reason to believe it is safe for thee to go and rest." A white pony said to Silver. "We do not rest at night sir, we rest during the day. We shall remain active in my duties until the moon sets." Silver responded to his captain. The white pony chuckled to himself. "If thou dost insist, that is thine decision." He responded. Silver looked to the sky letting out a sigh as the captain walked away. The night had seemed unusually long, and the moon hung high in the sky right around midnight.

"Darius, hast thou noticed the moon hath not moved for a long time?" Silver asked his companion who was on guard beside him. Darius looked up to the sky with curiosity. "We do not pay much attention to the night sky, only what lies ahead and our duty. Not all of us can see in all directions." His friend replied. Silver smiled and rolled his eyes. "We cannot see in all directions, that is simply a rumor! We can just hear and notice things easier than most, that is all!"

Suddenly Silver heard a sound. He turned his head away from the sky and out towards princess Luna's room. He heard what sounded like something crashing. It was very faint, but audible. At least to him. He also felt a significant increase in magical energy.

Silver wasn't the only one wit heightened senses. Those that focused on their senses could train themselves to detect things much easier. Some ponies called it becoming highly self aware, something often used for unicorns, but not too uncommon in guards either. However what he heard now greatly concerned him. He normally wouldn't dare look into one of the Princesses windows, but there was definitely something wrong. From a distance he tried to see in there.

"Silver? What art thou doing?" Darius asked a little confused at why Silver was looking towards the window of princess Luna's bed chambers. "Something is not right... Darius, please remain on guard for us? We must make sure of something." Silver told his friend. Darius looked at Silver seriously. "We can tell by the look on thine face, this is no simple matter. Go on ahead." Darius said.

Silver knew in the back of his mind it could be nothing at all, but better to check than take chances. He made his way up onto the walls of the castle and followed them towards Luna's room. As he was walking there, Luna's door creaked open leading to the walls. Silver jumped into the air and hovered somewhere out of sight. He was not prepared for what he saw next. "Lower the moon she says... Ha! Let the sun rise she says! Night is only accompanied by few, we shall fix that!" A familiar, but somewhat changed voice said.

Silver recognized it as Luna's, but it sounded a little deeper and menacing. He watched as a transformed princess Luna walked out of the door. "Night should be eternal! We have not a single doubt of this!" The altered alicorn princess said. We must sound the alarm! Silver knew she was not herself and that she was surely about to do something. As Silver flapped his pegasus wings to take off towards where the bell was, he realized how terrible this mistake was. Luna had heard him flap his wings!

She instantly turned Silver's direction just in time to watch him take off towards the large bell tower. She took off after him and followed closely behind. "Who art thou? What art thou doing here?" She yelled at him as they both flew to the bell tower. Silver ignored her. She was not his princess and he could not change anything about her. Only her sister could fix this. Silver had heard of split personalities and he assumed this was one of those occasions.

Just as he landed on the path to the bell tower Luna appeared between him and the bell with a POP! Silver clenched his teeth in anger. "We cannot allow thee to do that." She said. Silver glared at her, and pulled his bow off his back. The alicorn laughed, almost hysterically. "Thou wouldst harm us? What sort of guard wouldst thou be if thou harmed thine own princess?" She said smiling. "We have no plans on harming thee." Silver said flying off the ground so he could notch an arrow in his bow. Luna realized his intentions all too late, and Silver let the arrow fly.

Time seemed to slow down as the arrow flew right past Luna's ear, just narrowly missing her head. The arrow struck the bell and it rang loudly. Silver grinned, but Luna suddenly appeared directly in front of him, enraged at what he had just done. She hit him over the head with surprising force and sent him launching into the ground bellow. He hit with a crash and Luna landed right by him. "Thou wilt pay for thine treachery." She said as guards began rushing around. Lights suddenly shone on Luna and she glared at the lights coming from the unicorns in the towers.

"Sleep, and do not ever awaken." She said angrily. With that she touched Silver's forehead and everything went black.

Silver gasped as the memory ended. He awoke just in time to watch Artsy run off from the rest of the group. "A... A thousand years?" Silver stuttered. He looked at the white pony who had told him that in dismay as the fact sank even deeper into his mind. All of our friends have long died, our family, and the world we once knew...! He thought putting all the pieces together. "We... We wish we had never woken up..." He said. "We do not wish to be a part of this unfamiliar world..." Silver said fighting back tears as everything he had likely missed and all that had probably happened while he was away came to him. He meant it, he wanted to go back to that cavern and sleep forever. The life he knew had long passed and he didn't know what to do now.

Electrobolt · August 29, 2012

@@Aureity, @@Ice Storm

After hearing the white unicorn saying it was alright, he looked back over, his small smile still there. Before he had the chance to say anything to her, however, the light-blue unicorn began to call Silver out on something. *Yikes... She's really letting loose on him... But she may not know the full story...* he thought, watching her verbally assault Silver, whom began to take the defensive.

@

However, it seemed he had frozen in place and fell to the ground once the unicorn mentioned the word "humans". *Wait... Was he a human too...? But then... What... What's going on here...?* Confusion and concern were sprawled on Electrobolt's face as he looked at Silver, before hearing him spout out questions. *What year is it? Princess Luna? Nightmare Moon??? Is he really from the past...?* Just as he finished thinking these things, the white unicorn from earlier had answered Silver's questions. *Maybe he is from the past... But... He was a human too...? Then...*

@, @@Ice Storm, @@Legendary Emerald

His thoughts trailed off, however, as he noticed the tan unicorn approaching the group. *Hopefully, she'll be able to calm things down here...* he thought to himself, wanting this conflict to end. Unfortunately, that was not the case, as she began to argue back to the light-blue unicorn. *Oh no... Not more arguing... I just want this to end...* he spoke in his mind, watching in fear at the arguing. Just then, the red unicorn had spoken up, only contributing to the fighting. He wished he could budge, find another place to be so that he could be safe in case things go too far out of hand, seeing flames forming around the tan pony and ice around the light-blue one.

But try as he might, his hooves remain steadfast, unmoving as if someone had glued him down to the ground so that he couldn't budge. So instead, he forced his eyes shut as he awaited the eventual conflict between the three to break out. However, nothing eventually happened as no sounds of fighting had occurred. Slowly opening his eyes, he looked around and saw the tan unicorn had gone off, having apparently run off. Now worried, he looked at the entire group around him. *Why couldn't we have tried to settle this peacefully...?* he thought to himself, seeing the group around him, before looking over to the white unicorn.

@, @

However, when he heard someone speaking, he looked over and saw Klopp, telling Jack to chase after his girlfriend before rushing off himself. *Girlfriend...? That pony is Jack's girlfriend...?* Shaking his head, he felt the strength come back to his legs as he slowly approached Jack. "Jack..." began the lime-green pony. "You... You probably should go after her too... I... I'd go and try to help, but..." He looked away for a moment. "I'd probably just make things worse... I never was good in these kind of situations..."

Flow · August 29, 2012

A girl opens her eyes to see herself riding in the back seat of car, also she was dressed as a twinkle fairy. Apparently, it was Halloween, and she, along with her parents are just going home after a long night of trick or treating around several neighborhoods and the local mall, "H-huh?" "Oh, St####, your awake now, well I want to ask you, how much candy did you get?" It was her mother, the girl answered "Oh! I got a lot, I got a lot of my favorite candies, I even got my very favorite: a chocolate ball filled with candies inside!" "That's wonderful! But don't eat too much candy! It's bad for your teeth!" "Yeah yeah, I've heard that from you so many times."

"Heh, you have so much candy that it'll probably take up to the end of November to finish them," A man driving the car said, it was her father, "Are you going to share some to our neighbors once we get home?" "Sure, why not, I wouldn't want to eat too much candy anyway," "Ah, okay, ha ha that's my girl, let's give them all of it!" "Dad!" "Ha ha ha ha, I'm kidding,"

Minutes later, they get stuck at a traffic jam, "Gosh, this traffic is killing me," Her dad got annoyed by each minute wasted on waiting, and they didn't move a single inch at all, it was then that her father got fed up and decided to take a risky thing, drive on the wrong side of the road, "Darling, are you sure about this?" Mom asked with worry but dad carelessly replied "It'll be fine"

And so they did, and it wasn't long till the brakes failed, "Crap, what happened to the brakes? I can't stop!, "Hey what's going on?" "The brakes failed!" Dad was too distracted by the brakes, so he didn't see the oncoming truck that's heading straight for them, "DAD LOOK OUT!!" "Huh? AHHH!" He tried to swerve off the way, but it was too late.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Aaahhhh!" Starry woke up panting, then she felt her head hurt a bit, "Oww, what happened? And, what was that? What I just saw, oh no...I think I recognize that event.... oh god...." She held her head with one hoof "Was it.....was that, the event where my p-parents....died?"

Alex Night · August 30, 2012

"We... I... Human?" Silver finally said out loud. "Thou once were a... human?" He said. He couldn't take it anymore, he needed to know.

Standing up quickly he looked around at them desperately. "What year is it!?" He cried. "Is there at least one of thee who knows the year?" He begged. He figured if they had once been human and had arrived here like him, then they likely didn't, and yet still he prayed one of them knew. A part of him didn't want to know, but it was crucial. "Dost anypony know how long it hath been since Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon?" He said hopefully trying to get an answer.

Alex turned away from the Ice blue pony when he heard Silver cry in pain. "Silver! Silver, can you hear me? What's wrong?" Alex asked with concern. Alex kept trying to get through to him, but he just fidgeting and speaking in garbled sentences. Finally, Silver stopped panicking, although he looked far from alright as if he had just seen a ghost. He heard the question he asked earlier, but this time with desperation in his voice. "Just who is Silver?" Alex wondered. He went on to mention about a "Princess Luna" and "Nightmare Moon". Alex was about to ask who they were until the white unicorn chimed in.

"It's been a little over a thousand years," Aurora chimed in, thanking the stars above that she had actually paid attention in history class.

"One thousand years... Wait a minute." Alex thought. The pieces were coming together. Silver asked when Princess Luna became "Nightmare Moon" and the white unicorn told that it was a thousand years ago. "Could Silver have come from the past?" Alex wondered. It sounded crazy to Alex, but then again, moving around as a talking blue winged pony is crazy too. Alex saw him fidgeting once again and was about to try and help him when more shouts rang around him.

"Excuse me. Is that what you call a friend? I don't mean to be rude, but as far as I know, you've only just met these people a few hours ago. So now, you're their friends? Do you even know them? Do you know their likes, their dislikes, what makes them upset, what they're thinking?" Her voice was slowly rising, shakily, but with a strange sort of steadiness to it. A sort of anger the others had not heard before. She may have been small, but she could feel a small fire within her radiating... stoking... flames burning higher and higher within her.

"That's what I... thought. You, you're not a pony. It doesn't matter what transformation has taken, or what shows you've seen! Now stop acting like one. Everypony, somepony... bah! It sounds so ridiculous. Everything about this world is ridiculous. So it's from a television show, is it? No wonder. If there's anything I know about TV, it's that running into a dark creepy forest is dangerous, no matter why you did it. Running in there for somebody you barely... even know! You were playing right into their hand! Really, you could've all gotten yourselves killed. I don't know you, but he is absolutely right." Higher and higher... she was starting to lose that uncertainty as the edge of her personality revealed itself. Mortification, shame, hesitation... her usual traits were leaving. Fires burning brighter, as crimson as the flower in her hair.

"There's no need to yell at him like that. He didn't even say it in a rude way! And you say apparently we're beneath him and his nobility? What about you? Flaunting yourself, like you're so noble for running into the forest after a complete stranger. How hypocritical. He isn't expecting you guys to know everything, he's expecting you guys to have common sense. But such is in short supply, I see. Don't you even start. I'm not in the mood for this! I didn't come here for this... I didn't even want to come to this... godforsaken place! We don't need to hear it. So why don't you just shove off? Stop yelling at people for no damn reason." As she went on about her spiel, her horn glimmered slightly

Alex couldn't believe his eyes. The tan colored unicorn was in rage mode towards the ice-blue unicorn and she did not miss a beat. The words she spoke were understandable to him, but he didn't like how she would disregard the other ponies to not be important enough to help them. Despite what she says, it goes against his belief to help those who need it, even if they are total strangers. It seemed apparent to Alex that what he said to her earlier when they were about to enter the forest fell on deaf ears. For a small moment, he saw her horn glimmer a small spark, which made Alex uneasy since she was in a complete rage. "It doesn't matter if you barely know them; it doesn't change the fact that they are in the same ship as we are. When in an unfamiliar world, you have to rely on friends to get through it all." Alex thought.

When the tan unicorn started degrading her, but everypony else as she basically stated that nopony here was important or worthy enough to be call friends in her eyes only et her off further. "I don't give a damn about what were were in the past, and something that you need to realize is that we aren't humans anymore. Look around you. Is anyone here currently a human? I didn't think so. So regardless of what your deranged mind thinks right now we very much are ponies for however long it is that we are here, and as long as we are here we need to do things by their customs, not ours.

And everything in this world is ridiculous? Reality check, this is their world and is the world that we are very much in. If you don't like it then deal with it, as unless you see some magic portal linking back to whatever hole you crawled out from then there is absolutely nothing that you can do about it. Just because it's from a television show doesn't make it any less so. If you go into a forest anywhere, regardless of what world or what dimension that you are on, then there is going to be danger involved. There are predators even where we are from so don't try to paint something as ridiculous just because it's not where you are from.

And I had every right to lay into as from what I've heard from him has been spewing the same nonsense that you are and the fact that you say that no one else's life is more important than your own makes me sick. Regardless of who it is or what they are doesn't make life any less precious of less important. So yes actually, the fact that I willing went into a dangerous forest to save ponies that I don't even know does in fact bear weight. I didn't see you going anywhere to save anypony and your trying to lecture me about your views of friendship? It's not something to where you have to know every single little detail about every single pony, or I guess in your case person, that you come across to call someone a friend.

In fact, the very fact that someone needs a reason to put someone's life on the line to help defend someone else that can't is as I said, appalling. I at the very least don't need a reason to call somepony a friend or much less even do the right thing. Just because you're too worried about what you used to to be to be able to give a damn about any pony else isn't my problem. I don't leave anypony behind regardless of any reason, and while I know with an absolute fact that you never in a million years put your life on the line for anyone else, and would never do the same for me, I will still lay my life down for you to defend your right to forsake everyone else and let them die all around you. Now if that makes me a fucking hypocrite then yes, I'm a hypocrite.

Humanity on the other hand, I could care less about right now. Like I said, just because we were humans on the plane or planet that we came from doesn't make us humans now so the thought of wasting energy wondering what's happing where we're from is pointless and a waste of time. If we ever end up getting to go home, then I will worry about human problems again, but again reality check. We are not humans anymore. Stop trying to hold yourself above everyone else by pretending that you still are," Ice Storm yelled as energy started flowing around her as her temper has gotten to a point where ice was forming on the ground around her and that coating of ice that she had put on her coat earlier was returning as if it had a will of it's own.

As Alex saw the ice blue unicorn start giving her rebuttal, he was torn between what she was saying. "Thinking about home doesn't hamper what we are. Her heart is in the right place when it comes to helping others, but she is going about this the wrong way." Alex thought. While she was speaking, Alex noticed that her body was starting to be covered in ice. "Oh no, this is NOT going to end well." Alex thought. Unfortunately, it was about to get worse. MUCH worse.

Ice Storm began to defend herself against the verbal tirade, while Serah began to concentrate on her own body temperature. She called upon her inner fire and directed it towards her forelimbs, feeling them warm up.

By the end of Storm's rebuttal, the ground was frozen where Ice Storm stood. Serah nodded, an let loose the heat she'd stored, setting her hooves aflame. She held them at her sides, like a wild west gunman prepared to reach for his weapon.

“Holding onto humanity is one thing. Holding us back is another.” Serah warned darkly. “You threaten any hope we have of returning to normal. Stop bitching. Control your magic. Fight with us, or you can be god-damned sure I'll fight against you. 'Friend.'”

Serah spat out the last word, since it seemed to be that word which set the tan pony off in the first place.

Now, the red unicorn joined in to instigate the standoff. Her hooves are enveloped in hungry flames and positioned herself in a very aggresive manner. "What in the world is she doing?! This isn't going to solve anything at all!" Alex thought in a panic. Seeing the three unicorns in what is now a 3 way standoff waiting for the first one to move, Alex knew this was now a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Alex looks around the group and sees the looks on all their faces. The bright-gray pony was standing off at a distance with curiousity instead of fear. However, it was a completely different story when his eyes settled on the white unicorn he just met. She was standing off in the distance next to the bright gray pony. The look of terror in her eyes was enough to set Alex off as well. "This has to stop now before somepony gets seriously hurt." Alex thought with a final resolve. All of a sudden, he felt his wings open a bit and that gave him an idea. Alex give a thought to his wings, willing them to flap so that he can hover over the 3 way standoff. Sure enough, he was off the ground. He looked around and he couldn't believe his eyes: he was actually flying. He really wanted to give them a try, but he knew he had important things to do first. He willed his wings to fly over the group.

Her vision began to cloud as she squealed out, and her horn emitted another burst of light which very nearly hit the ice at Ice Storm's hooves. But at the last moment, it spiraled upwards... her thoughts were becoming clearer, more into focus. An anger that was hazy taking shape. A monster... a beast within her mind, with glowing yellow eyes. The ray of red light took shape accordingly, a blob that had had vaguely become a manner of creature. It had claws, it had fangs, and a set of deep amber eyes. An illusion of sorts... for now, intangible. But this creature represented her emotions exactly. A manifestation...

@,

Without so much as another thought on her head, she needed to be alone. To get away from this situation. She only gave a glance at Jack before she turned tail and ran off away from the forest, and the others.

Before Alex could get a word out to attempt to end the fight, there was a bright flash from the tan unicorn's horn. Alex shielded his eyes from the initial burst and saw a form of a dark creature. All of a sudden, the eyes of red amber were switched to a piercing green and Alex was hearing a most disturbing laugh in his head. He couldn't believe it: they looked like the same eyes he saw in his vision when he looked at the shield on his flank. It was more than Alex could stand. "Why so scared, little colt?" Said the mysterious voice. The words were spoken as if dripping with poison. "Aggghh, stop it! Get out of my head! STOP IT!" Alex yelled in pain holding his head with his front hooves. The voice just kept laughing, taunting at Alex's frustration. Alex opened his eyes and the voice was gone along with the dark creature. However, licks of flame appeared in their place and Alex was in its path. His survival instinct took over and dropped down his wings to duck the flames. Sighing with relief, Alex looked to that the tan unicorn was running off away from the forest on her own. Alex was considering on going after her since she can't go on her own until he heard more shouting from the ground below him.

"What the hell is wrong with you two?! Not a one of us knows what is even going on here, but it is quite obvious that we were all humans before, and came through those stupid cracks to find ourselves stuck here in this odd, nonsensical, world! We don't even know if we will be able to change back to our former selves, and we are never going to find out if all you do is yell at the one who, I don't know whether you've noticed or not, seems to have the most powerful magic out of all the unicorns here! I wouldn't be surprised if she's the one who ends up fixing everything, taking us all back to wherever it was before we left! But if you dumbasses are going to just going to insult her and make her cry... Well, You can just be stuck here forever if all you wish to do is prevent the rest of us from getting things done! Now, If you'll excuse me, I have an Artsy to go comfort!"

@,

Klopp turned around and walked towards Magenta, he hadn't forgotten about her pretty little face during the whole ordeal. "Would you care to come with me, Magenta? I'm sure she could use a little more support than I have to offer. And of course, Jack!"

@,

Klopp turned towards Jack, and he was still standing there as he were before, and the pony, still lacking his Fedora, thought Jack looked unsure of what to do. Klopp decided to give him a little motivation, "Jack! Why are you still here? You should already be chasing after your girlfriend! Get goin'!"

He then charged off after Artsy, and was hoping Magenta was following close behind.

Alex saw the winged pony who wore that cool looking fedora standing off against the red and ice-blue unicorns. He was giving them quite earful before he ran off to another young pony and yelled out to Jack Stache to give chase with him to Artsy, which he heard him call her. "So, Jack is in a relationship with this Artsy? I feel sorry for her and envious of Jack." Alex thought. As Alex watched him go off, he decided it was best that they handled this problem. Alex flew close to Jack Stache to talk to him. "You heard him, Jack. They need you, she needs you now more than ever. Don't worry about us. We'll find our own way." Alex told Jack with a smile.

“I can understand why you're upset. You risked your life for others, and you received mockery for this. I would be upset too if I were in your position. With that said, you should calm down. No constructive purpose would be served by you losing control of your powers. Especially when you don't know what you're capable of. Surely, you can agree with this?”

Now, he looked directly Ice Storm's eyes, and he spoke in the most neutral tone possible. “I noticed that you said that you considered the ponies that you followed into the forest to be your friends. I think that, for the purposes of clarity, perhaps you should consider them to be your allies instead. Were it not for the unusual circumstances that brought us to this place, most of us would not be here. It is unwise for you to extend the trust of friendship to those that only mere chance has brought into your path. You don't have enough data to draw that conclusion, but there is no denying that some common thread has brought us all to this place - making us allies of a sort.”

Numbers's eyes sparkled and his smile widened. Throughout the conflict, he had been waiting to ask this question. He spoke quickly, his curiosity was burning him from within. “Now… You say that you have seen a place like this before on some type of show? Could you quickly describe this show for all of us? But before you do that… You wouldn't happen to remember, from that show, the year that the show took place in within the show's universe? You see, this pony with the bow and arrow is very interested in knowing what year it is in this place.” Numbers clumsily gestured towards Silver using one of his hooves.

Alex looked over to see the bright gray pony talking to the ice-blue unicorn and decided it was time to get back to the group. Not looking back to see if Jack took chase on Artsy, he flew quickly and landed back into the group. His eyes fell first upon the red unicorn. "This unicorn is a loose cannon. She can't be relied on for the safety of others. I have to be sure to keep an eye on her." Alex thought. He walked up a distance to the red unicorn and positioned himself in a firm stance. There was no smile on his face for this unicorn. "I don't know who you are or where you get off acting like that, but that kind of attitude is NOT welcome when I'm here. I've seen others like you. They are nothing more than just a bully. Bullies are someone I have no patience for. However, I understand that you were only trying to get that unicorn to calm down before her powers get out of control, but pushing her with intimidation is not the way to do so. Here is how it goes for the both of us. You can go about your business, but if your actions threaten the safety of the group like you have done today, I WILL do whatever it takes to stop you. Do we understand each other?" Alex finished. He looked with a fixed stare at the red unicorn for a few moments before he turned away.

"A... A thousand years?" Silver stuttered. He looked at the white pony who had told him that in dismay as the fact sank even deeper into his mind. "We... We wish we had never woken up..." He said. "We do not wish to be a part of this unfamiliar world..." Silver said fighting back tears.

In all the excitement, Alex completely forgot about Silver. He trotted up to Silver who he could see was trying to stay strong after hearing his ground-breaking revelation. Alex looked with a bit of sorrow at Silver. Walking next to Silver, he placed his frong right hoof on his back, not daring to say anything to him for fear of making his sadness worse. Instead, he just smiled at Silver to comfort him. Out of the blue, Alex heard a crash and saw a winged pony lying on the ground with a regular pony not too far from the other one. "Well, I guess that's everyone. At least, all the ones that haven't left the group." Alex thought. He noticed the sun close to setting and judged that (that is if earth days work the same as here) they only had a few hours before dark. "We have to get to someplace safe and quick." Alex thought as he turned to the group.

Alex looked upon the group in front of him and saw a small number. He was reliefed to see that none of them were hurt from the outburst. He stepped in between the group to speak to them all. "Listen, everypony. In case you haven't met me yet, my name is Alex Night. I'm just like you; I came here from another world and was a human. It is almost sunset now. If I'm correct, we only have a few hours before it gets dark out here. We have to find a town or somewhere safe and away from the forest. Unfortunately, some of the others won't be joining us and we can't wait for them." Alex said with a firm voice. He looked at them all and his heart was hung heavy with sadness as he spoke. He had to get one final point across before trying to work out a plan. "Regardless of what views you have about each other, on friendship, or about whether this is all real, this has to stop. This is real and so far, none of us are gonna wake up. If we are going to find out what is going on and how to fix all this, we have to stand together." Alex finished putting emphasis on the word 'together'.

Alex thought back to the face of that mysterious woman he saw when he first met the white unicorn and also to the green eyes along with the voice he heard a while ago. Alex gave out a heavy sigh and turned his attention to the ice-blue unicorn. "You said that place was like a show you saw before, right? That means you know more about this world than anyone else. Do you know a town close to this forest or just anywhere that is safe to rest?" Alex asked with sincerity in his voice. He extended his hoof to the ice-blue unicorn with a smile. "By the way, what is your name?" Asked Alex.

Ice Storm · August 30, 2012

The emotions that were flowing through ice's body had reached their boiling point as the tan unicorn continued her assault trying to make her sound like the pony that needed scalding when she was the one that risked her life for everyone else. All she did was cower outside of the forest and then accuse everypony else of being unimportant enough to protect just because Ice didn't know who they were. That wasn't going to fly. Then the red unicorn that had fought along side of her had approached her and started arguing for her. Ice felt empowered by this and it apparently made the tan unicorn lose it and she fired a beam of magic towards her. Ice instinctively raised a wall shield of ice but before it hit, the blast shot straight up in the air.

Ice was about to counteract but saw the pony running off. It was a good thing because despite how bad things were getting, she still didn't want to hurt anypony. It would counter act everything that she was trying to accomplish. The ice that was around her as numbers walked over to her as well as another pony she didn't recognize and he started to lay into her as well. She was about to tell him to buck off and actually listed to the conversation before he barged in to what was being said before he left. As soon as he did though, Ice realized that this time she was actually being a hypocrite. Some of the words had sank in from what they tan pony had said, the only ones that made even a bit of sense to her and that she could partially agree with was that she hadn't heard everything that the gray pony had stated.

It was completely possible for her to have jumped everything based on a misconstrued notion of what the pony had been saying and his... awkward accent could have been what threw her off. Upon realizing this she started to feel really bad about jumping down this pony's neck. If he was just trying to help everypony else out then she would be the first to admit that she was in the wrong for jumping him in the first place, but to say that everypony else wasn't important enough to save just because they are a stranger was completely pony feathers and that tan pony, or Artsy, as the other one stated deserved every bit of the tongue lashing that she got.

In a way it made her sad, and she couldn't help but feel bad for the pony. She'd apparently had a relatively good life before that she was taken away from. I wish I was taken from a good life... If only she knew what I've gone through... then perhaps she wouldn't be so quick to judge why I don't want to go home, she thought to herself as Numbers began to actually console her. He told her that he understood that she was upset and that she had every right to be after risking her life for everypony and then getting mocked for it. He added that with that being said, that she should calm down herself before she lost control of herself, which it felt like she had been close to doing. He added that doing so without knowing what the potential of power actually was would be extremely dangerous.

He also told her that at least for now, rather than thinking of everypony as friends at the moment, think of them as allies instead until she could gain enough information about everypony else before placing her friendship somewhere where it could be abused. That most of use wouldn't have even come across each other if it wasn't for the set of circumstances that have broguht them together. What he was saying made sense, at least a lot more than how the tan pony was describing it. She made it sound as if everypony else other than her was worthless and didn't deserve saving. A thought that still made Ice boil inside. Numbers was right though, as much as she wanted to think of everypony here as her friends it was becoming very apparent that very few here actually cared about making friends. Allies would be a better term for a vast majority of them. Still, it didn't change the fact that she considered Aurora and Daylight amongst her friends.

Almost as if on cue though she spotted Daylight fall onto numbers and the entire argument just went out of her mind. "Oh my gosh! Numbers, Daylight, are you okay?" she asked as Daylight stood up briefly to say that they shouldn't be fighting before falling over again. She agreed. All of this fighting wasn't going to get anypony anywhere. She looked up though just in time to see Starry Sky crashing into bushes again. When she didn't see her come out she was concerned. "Somepony go check on Starry to make sure she's okay, preferably somepony that can heal. She landed over there in the bushes," she announced before heading over to where the dark gray pony was and extended a hoof to him. "I um.... wanted to apologize for... snapping... at you like I did. After having a chance to calm down and thing about what was said, and realizing that I miss a lot of the conversation I wasn't hearing things from their full context and I... jumped to conclusions... It still stands though, unlike some ponies apparently, I don't need a reason to lay my life on the line for someone else. If someone else is in trouble, I help them. It's the right thing to do regardless of how dangerous it is in the process.

What wasn't the right thing to do was attack you without knowing the entire context of the conversation, which is the only thing that I agree from anything that the other unicorn had said. It was wrong of me to lash out like that and I'm sorry. I was still a bit on edge from having to fight our way out. Adrenaline still pumping and the heat of the fight still not yet over. I'm sure you understand," she said keeping her hoof extended. She knew that this wasn't going to be an instant fix for everything. After all, she did lay into him pretty hard about something that she might have only been half understanding of. It wasn't going to be all hunky-dory after everything was said and done, but at the very least she hoped it was the step in the right direction. Though if anything she made if very known that she has a very short fuse when it come to disrespect. Even just mis-interpreting something as simple as what had been construed had made her snap. It was something that she would need to work on, and especially since this ice power or whatever it was seemed like it could be potentially deadly.

Somebody · August 30, 2012

"You look very cute in that hat, but the color doesn't suit you too well. I think it looks much better on my head, don't you think? Maybe I should take it back."

Magenta didn't know what to say as a great number of things began taking place. New ponies had arrived in the group. All had returned from the forest, though a bunch of them had somehow managed to get themselves into another mess as they began to argue over something that was said. Hurtful words were spoken, words that pierced Magenta's heart to the core. How can anyone accuse someone of being heartless without even knowing who they are? Deeply saddened at seeing this--a world that was largely without such bickering had quickly spoiled her--she wanted to go and help them all make peace with one another, but before she could try, a great beast appeared in the sky!

This was all too much for Magenta's frail, little self to take. She was a master at concealing her fears with false confidence, but danger like this was always more than she could bear. Magenta fell onto her belly, covered her eyes with her hooves and began to cry. Quickly, things got quiet and Magenta opened her eyes to find the creature was gone. Everything that took place afterward felt like it was flying by in a blur, until Klopp spoke to her.

Klopp turned around and walked towards Magenta, he hadn't forgotten about her pretty little face during the whole ordeal. "Would you care to come with me, Magenta? I'm sure she could use a little more support than I have to offer. And of course, Jack!"

...He then charged off after Artsy, and was hoping Magenta was following close behind.

All Magenta knew was that a ferocious monster had just attacked everyone, and that her knight in fashionable headwear was running away from her--without said headwear. All this was enough to send the already confused Magenta over the edge and into a nervous breakdown very quickly. He's leaving? Without his hat? Without me?? How will he help anypony without his hat? And how will I fight off those horrible monsters? Unmoving from the soft patch of grass beneath her, tears started to flow down Magenta's face. "Don't leave meeee..." she sobbed, extending her forearm toward Klopp. Any mental capacity she had left was totally useless as her mind led her into an emotional train wreck...

Marcato · August 30, 2012

In all the excitement, Alex completely forgot about Silver. He trotted up to Silver who he could see was trying to stay strong after hearing his ground-breaking revelation. Alex looked with a bit of sorrow at Silver. Walking next to Silver, he placed his frong right hoof on his back, not daring to say anything to him for fear of making his sadness worse. Instead, he just smiled at Silver to comfort him.

Silver was grateful to have somepony by his side trying to help. He was having a hard time dealing with the terrifying concept of having slept for one thousand years. In fact, this pony had been exceptionally nice to him. He had defended him when the icey one attacked him, and introduced himself when Silver first arrived.

Silver just realized then that the tan unicorn had also defended him, and she had now run off. Silver felt terrible for standing by as the ponies defended him and went against the icey pony. She clearly disliked him for whatever reason and he promised himself to keep his distance from her-

"I um.... wanted to apologize for... snapping... at you like I did. After having a chance to calm down and thing about what was said, and realizing that I miss a lot of the conversation I wasn't hearing things from their full context and I... jumped to conclusions... It still stands though, unlike some ponies apparently, I don't need a reason to lay my life on the line for someone else. If someone else is in trouble, I help them. It's the right thing to do regardless of how dangerous it is in the process.

What wasn't the right thing to do was attack you without knowing the entire context of the conversation, which is the only thing that I agree from anything that the other unicorn had said. It was wrong of me to lash out like that and I'm sorry. I was still a bit on edge from having to fight our way out. Adrenaline still pumping and the heat of the fight still not yet over. I'm sure you understand,"

Silver was stunned. Very few ponies that he knew would ever admit to their mistakes so easily, this was a complete and total mood change from only a few moments before. She had extended her hoof out in a friendly gesture, and Silver couldn't help but smile half heartily and close his eyes. "I am not one to miss a kind heart when I see one." Silver said addressing himself by one pony. "Thine actions were justified, I should not have been so foolish as to not see how what I said could be offending." Silver said to her.

"On the other hoof, I do not blame thee for running in to help them. That is what any kind pony would hath done. I am ashamed that I did not run in myself. I admire heroic traits like that and you should be proud of what thou did." Silver pointed out, accepting the hoof she had offered and pulling himself up. He was very glad things had turned out this way, and meant every word. He was hoping he could possibly strike up a friendship with this pony now that everything had cooled down.

"To be completely honest, I did not have the full story either. All I knew was that several ponies had run into yonder forest without knowing the danger. We both made similar mistakes." He acknowledged. He nodded and decided to introduce himself. "My name is Silver, nice to meet thee." He said to the pony that had been chewing him out only moments ago.

Looking around, he wondered if anypony actually knew where a place to stay was. Canterlot was out of the question, since for one it was too far, and second nopony there would remember him. The only ponies that could possibly remember him would be Celestia and Luna, and he highly doubted they would remember him, a simple guard. He let out a sigh as he looked in the direction of Canterlot, longing to go back to his original time period.

He figured he should probably tell everyone where he had come from and give a proper introduction, but he wasn't quite sure how to do it. He looked around at everypony cautiously, and unsure.

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