Iron Anon: Zebra on Ice

“Frostbite”
>You don’t shout it, but you make your voice loud enough to be heard through the barn walls
“Your friend, has frostbite”
>For a while there is complete silence
>Eventually, you hear hushed whispers being exchanged outside as you subconsciously shift in your bindings
>Purple magic unbolts and opens the barn door to reveal a handful of uneasy looking ponies
>They all seems to take a step back and stare up (except Rainbow) at your impressive height
>The purple unicorn is the first to regain composure, taking a step forward and putting a hoof down in show of authority
>Twilight [demanding]:”You know what happened to Zecora ?”
“I’m only going off the few symptoms you told me, but yes it sounds like this ‘Zecora’ has contracted frostbite”
>Rarity[worried]:”W-what is it?”
“It’s a pretty serious health condition and is fairly common where-“
>The flash of a pink ball flying into you cuts off your sentence and sends you falling onto your back
>When you open your eyes, you notice a little pink pony standing on your chest
>The first thing that hits you is her smell
>Her mane and coat had a very distinct scent… like fairy floss
>Pinkie Pie is giving you a single, bulging dirty eye that looks like it’s about to pop out of its socket
>Its actually quite horrifying
>Pinkie Pie:”So you’re the big meanie that foalnapped Dashie, huh!”
>She pulls you up by your collar, just when something purple glows around her

>She’s levitated back next to the group again, kicking and screaming
>Pinkie Pie:”Let me at him, let me at him!”
>Twilight:”Pinkie Pie calm, we actually might need him…”
>Pinkie turns her back on the group and pouts for a moment
>You see Twilight try to pick you up too, but gives up shortly after she remembers about what happened last time
>Seemed their ‘magic’ didn’t work on you
>You didn’t know whether that was a really good thing… or a really bad one
>Especially considering how you’re supposed to get home using their magic
>You manage to get back on your feet yourself
>Twilight:”Do you know how to treat it?”
“Yes, but I need to get there now”
>Rainbow[demanding]:”Why, what’s going to happen?”
“She might lose a few appendages for starters…”
>They seem to all pick up their ears at that comment, even Pinkie Pie…
“Now, you need to take me there-“
>Applejack:”How do we know y’all ain’t trying to trick us?!”
>Before you can reply, Twilight intervenes
>Twilight:”Applejack, we don’t have time for that. Besides, didn’t he treat your wounds in the forest, Rainbow?”
>She reluctantly nods, not looking at you
>Applejack:”Fine. But I’m not taking any chances”
>With a lasso loped around your torso, Applejack takes lead of you with the rope in her mouth
“A leash? What am I, a dog?”
>Applejack[rope in mouth]:”All thingz considered, you’re less than dirt to me”
>She yanks at the lasso and the group was off towards Ponyville, you traveling in the most back of the pack with the rest of them walking side by side about 10 feet in front of you
>Twilight turns back to you while walking

>Twilight:”Sorry, but she’s right. It’d be irresponsible to just let you walk without restriction, knowing what you are…”
>That voice she used to start out was almost apologetic, but it ended with a very different tone
“…The name’s Anon. Anon Stoneman”
>They all look back at you a bit bemused
“Just wanted to get over the formalities”
>Twilight:”Oh well, I’m Twilight Sparkle and this is Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rarity respectively… I believe you’ve already met Rainbow Dash”
“Yeah…”
>The rest of the trip is silent, aside from the mares constantly murmuring among themselves, occasional glancing back at you
>It’s when you get to Ponyville that the real fun starts
>You are only in the town for a minute before turning out into bridge towards the hospital… but it’s enough time for all the pony folk to react to you
>As you would have guessed, the market was in full swing at that time of day
>Well, at least before you got there
>As soon as you and your pony captives came in sight, everything went silent
>Ponies backed away with either faces of pure disgust or completely puzzlement, stopping whatever they were doing at the time
>Halfway through, ponies began to speak to each other in hushed whispers
>Just as you were leaving the town, something slams into the back of your head
>Because your hands are bound, all you can do is recoil from the blow, as red juices flow down shoulder and neck
>Tomato juice
>Some p0ny had thrown a tomato at you…
>Your escorts stop to see what the noise was
>Rainbow as you probably should of guessed, falls lazily onto her back, laughing
>Rainbow:”BWAHAHAHA!”
“Ugh- can we keep moving?”

>You start walking, moving past them to get out of town as soon as possible
>Effectively taking the lead for the moment
>They soon catch up after Rainbow had finished her little fit of amusement
>The Sun was setting by the time you get to the hospital
>It’s pretty big, leaving you still wondering how ponies could build this stuff
>Applejack pulls at your ‘leash’ (God, you hate that) so that they can get in front of you again
>Rarity magically opens the door and everyone files inside
>As you’re about to set a foot in, the door slams in your face
>Rarity:”Oh, I’m terribly sorry about that”
>The sarcasm in her voice through the glass door is palpable
>Twilight[annoyed]:”Rarity…”
>You deal with opening the door yourself, stepping inside
>The place smells of chemical cleaner with a little touch of old people
>It’s pretty clean for a place run by ponies. Everything is mostly a light shade of a neutral color and everything that can shine, does.
>You all walk to the help desk as every single pony in the immediate vicinity stares at you in disbelief
>Twilight:”We are here for Zecora, what room is she in?”
>Nurse Pony[edgy]:”Um, she- she is in room 26… why did you bring that thing with you?”
“It’s Anon, I appericat-“
>The nurse screams and throws a bunch of paper in the air
“….?”
>Another tug at your leash and you’re off to (you assume) room 26
“Yank that thing again and see what happens…”
>Applebitch gives you a shit eating grin through the rope in her maw right as she prepares to do it again
>Thankfully, Twilight pulls the rope away from her mouth in a purple spell, levitating it next to her now

>Good, she just saved you from having to murder a pony
>You all enter a single containment-like room, with only one bed and 3 doctor ponies around it
>The doctors are all wearing clean white shirts (which only covers their chests) along with personal neckties
>You also spy another yellow pegasus in the corner, trying to stay out of the doctors’ way
>They all turn to see your group enter, you in particular
>You can’t see their expressions, however, due to the white paper masks they had on
>The yellow one (Fluttershy, right?) averts her gaze and buries herself in her pink mane, letting out a tiny ‘mep’
>Doctor1:”Ah Twilight Sparkle, you came just in time!”
>You and the mares move in closer to the bed, the doctors noticeablely backing up from you
>Twilight:”What’s her condi-“
“Bring me half a dozen clean towels and a bucket of hot water, but not boiling”
>They all look up to you
“And get this rope off me”
>Everyone hesitates but eventually the doctors go running out of the room to get what you asked for
>Weird. Being a 6 foot meat-loving monster that was feared by ponies DID have some perks
>Twilight magically unties the cords around your forearms as everyone in the room takes a step away from you, cautious
>Applejack:”Don’t try anythin’ stupid…”
>You ignore her and move over to the bed
>There lay a… zebra? Well, the pony version at least
>It had a Mohawk mane of respectable colors to its coat, along with some piercings and jewelry
>Its snout seemed to a bit of a mix between that of a mare and a stallion. So you didn’t know what gender it was, nor were you daring enough to try and look
>…They had said ‘she’ before, right?
>Whatever, not important

>You put a hand to her coat as a few hushed gasps ring out behind you
>It’s cold, alright… but there’s still a faint heartbeat
>Hypothermia might have set in if she had stayed where she was when this happened
>But… how had that happened?
>The Everforest had been mostly warm and a pretty relaxed humidity… not to mention it obviously wasn’t winter around here yet
>You’d worry about that later
>Right now, you got a zebra to fix in order to win some points with these ponies
>Softly, you brush off the waning hair on her ears and see what you had predicted
>White and blackening tissue
>Twilight[worried]:”Is she going to be ok?”
>You check its hooves
>Somehow, it seemed these female ponies here had hair grow OVER their hooves
>Strange, but whatever
>Talking Pony Bullshit
>Lightly, you brush the hair off the top of the two hooves that seemed to be affected
>Just above the bony hoof, you saw the familiar blackening tissue
“I need to have someone here help me remove her jewelry…”
>Finally, the white unicorn steps up, visibly scared of being this close to you untied
>She gets to work using her magic to undo the ear rings
>You kind of stare, dazed, at the golden rings around her neck, after easily slipping off the ones on her leg
“Umm, how am I supposed to get there off?”
>Twilight:”Hold on, let me”
>The rings are engulfed by a purple haze before flashing into a bright white light and disappearing
>They reappear a second later on the counter next to the bed
“How…”
>Oh yeah,
>Magic.
>Why exactly did they need your help again?
>Oh, because they had seemly no knowledge on one of the most common ailments in nature
>Soon the doctors comes back in with what you had ordered

>You grab the blankets from the one doctor’s back and dunk them in the warm water bucket
>You then, easily enough, gently wrap two blankets around the two frostbite hooves
>Moving to the other side of the bed, you hold another damp blanket in place over her two ears
>After standing idly holding the pair of ears for a few minutes, one of the doctors speaks up
>Doctor2:”Is there… is there anything else?”
“In about half an hour, I’m going to have re-soak the towels in hot water. That bucket will be too cold by then so I’ll need it dumped and refilled.”
>He grabs the bucket in his mouth and walks out
“And seeing how I’m going to be holding this in place for quite awhile *you gesture with your head to the ears* I’d like a chair”
>Doctors #2 and #3 start to leave
“And one that’s big enough for me”
>They nod nervously and rush out of the room
>Another awkward 10 minutes pass in silence
>Twilight:”She’s going to be alright… right?”
>You stay silent, trying to stay focus as too not damage the sensitive tissue any further with your touch
>Applejack:”Hey, she’s talkin’ to you!”
>You wonder if you maybe should’ve just ran warm water over her ears instead of-
>Rainbow:”Anon Stoneman!”
>The use of your name surprises you and you turn to face them
“What? Oh, yeah, she should be fine… The frostbite isn’t too severe, though I have no idea why she passed out…”
>Twilight[suspicious]:”How do you know about this ‘frostbite’?
“Where I from, it can get really cold and snowy. Frostbite happens when tissue starts dying as a result from extreme cold… It’s fairly common.”

>Twilight:”But… it’s not even winter here. How could she have possbily contracted something like that?”
“You tell me”
>The doctors come back in with more water and a stool that’s still a bit too small but it works
>You re-submerge the towels in the bucket and reapply them
>The other doctors depart to tend other patients, leaving the rest of the ponies to watch you work
>The yellow one had literally crawled from the corner to the back of the group, hiding herself from you
>They all just stood there, helpless, some fiddling with their hooves nervously
>Twilight:”So… um”
“Yes?”
>Twilight:”Why are you helping us?”
“…Because you tied me up and lead me here on a leash?”
>Twilight:”No, I mean, you could have just stayed quiet in the barn… you didn’t have to say anything”
“I knew what was wrong and you obviously didn’t, so I decided to help”
>Twilight:”But why… you’ve only ever done harm to Ponyville in your short time here. In fact, you’re very nature is a threat to harmony itself…”
“You mean ‘cause I have these?”
>You show you teeth, revealing your canines
>Twilight:”Yes… so I’m asking what part does this play in your scheme?”
“What scheme? I told you, I came here by accident. By chance. You make it sound like I want to be here in order to take over the world or something”
>Rarity:”How do we know you don’t plan to?! After all you done…”
“It seems you don’t know much about me then”
>You glance at Applejack as you say this, but she huffs and averts your gaze

“All I want is to go home, so why don’t you just send me back already?”
>Twilight:”Even if I wanted to, you need to answer to Princess Celestia first”
“And why is that?”
>Twilight:”Because even if you aren’t planning something, that doesn’t excuse responsibility for your prior actions. You’ve broken more laws than any pony I have ever met and probably ever will!”
>She takes a step forward, self-righteous justice burning in her eyes
>Twilight:”You’ve caused a lot of pain and unnecessary stress for everyp0ny here in Ponyville and have yet to show any signs of remorse”
“What the hell is this then? You think I like holding some damn zebra’s ears all day?”
>Twilight:”But-but, you haven’t done anything for any other pony, especially Rainbow!”
“…I believe the manticore would disagree.”
>You could hear a pin drop in that room right now
>Maybe that wasn’t the right thing to say, but it sure felt good
>Everyone was as quiet as can be, almost creepily so
>An eerie, silent hour passes and you remove the blankets
>They spots were going to blister, but the zebra wasn’t going to have to chop anything off
>You order a nurse pony to wrap the affected area in sterile bandages and to keep any pressure off it
>When the nurse pony asks if there was anything else, you told her lance the forthcoming blisters in five days and to give the zebra pain medication when she regains consciousness
>She nods her head in acknowledge and leaves

>This was all pretty werid.
>You were no doctor but you somehow knew more on what to do then these ponies, whose life time professions was (supposedly) medicine
“There. She might be a bit sore when she wakes up, but she’ll live.”
>The mares give a sigh of relief
>You begin walking out of the room, when a lasso catches and tightens around you
>Applejack:”And where do ya think yer goin’!”
“Um, to find a bathroom… For someone who just sat in a room for over an hour watching me save your friend’s life, you sure are gratefully”
>Applejack:“-Somep0ny-”
“What?”
>Twilight puts a hoof on Applejack shoulder
>The orange pony grunts with frustration, but pulls the lasso off of you
>You move down the hall, eventually finding the little ‘colts’ room
>Only one time had you dealt with indoor plumbing and that was at one of the checkpoints in the derby
>Taking a piss indoors… and in a hospital no less!
>You’d never understand how they kept these things so clean
>Luckily, the place is empty
>There’s a collection of stalls on the left and… some kind of weird sink looking things jutting out from the wall
>You’ll stick with the stalls
>Finding a toilet that’s two sizes too small, you get to work
>You finish and wash our hands before coming out

>As soon as step out the door, you come face to face with a single cyan pegasus hovering at your eye level
“What?”
>She stares daggers at you, arms crossed
>Twilight:”We need to have a talk”
>You look down to see Twilight beside Rainbow, coming up to about your stomach
>Her horns glows and a door down the hallway opens
>You all walk inside as she shuts the door behind you
>It’s an empty room, so it just you and them
>Twilight:”First off can you ,um,…sit”
>You get down in a cross leg position next to the wall
>You are now on equal level with Twilight but Rainbow stays hovering above
“What is this about? You finally gonna send me and Gus home?”
>Twilight:”No, and who is Gus?
>Rainbow[bothered]:”That white diamond dog Applejack’s been talking about…”
>You sense a bit of displeasure in Rainbow’s voice at Applejack’s acceptance of Gus
>That’s rich

>Twilight[irritated]:”Why, might I ask, are you grinning?
“Oh nothing but, might I ask, what is this about?”
>She ignores your smart ass comment
>Twilight:”It’s about the manticore”
>Silence
“So what of it-“
>Twilight:”We run out into the clearing to not only find Rainbow, but the corpse of manticore with a hole in its chest about as big as myself”
>Her voice is monotone
>Twilight:”Rainbow said you used some kind of weapon…”
“That’d be correct”
>Twilight:”But why did you have to kill it!?”
“…Excuse me?”
>Was this bitch crazy or did she really not know?
>Twilight:”Manticore are no doubt violent creatures but there is absolutely no record of one seriously harming another pony… It was probably trying to protect a nest or something and would have stopped attacking if you had just ran”
>Before you can strangle the ignorant purple pony, Rainbow speaks up
>Rainbow:”I-I don’t think so Twilight”
>Both of you look up at her
>Rainbow:”We tried to back away when it charged us… it even followed us when we climbed that mound”
>Twilight’s jaw slightly drops
>Rainbow:”But there was something else too”
>You’re kind of surprised how serious sounding Rainbow is
>She was still a bit shaken by it all
>Rainbow:”Something about its eyes and the way it looked… like something had sucked out all its color”
>The pegasus pony looks off as she talks, deep in thought
>Twilight:”I… didn’t know that”
“Well, now you do. Rainbow was about to have her little pony self torn apart by that thing, so I stopped it the best way I could”
>Rainbow looks like she wants to say something but doesn’t
>Twilight[apologetic]:”Sorry… …. ….thank you for-”
“Don’t mention it”

>Twilight:”Ok… Well, we ARE getting off track”
>She points a hoof at you
>Twilight:”Where is it now? Where’s the Weapon?”
“I can honestly say I don’t know”
>Twilight opens her mouth to accuse you of lying but Rainbow cuts her off
>Rainbow:”I saw his ‘dog’ take and hide it somewhere in the Everfree forest-”
“Where it will remain until I’m sent back home”
>Twilight:”A device with that much power is a danger and grave threat to Equestria itself!”
>She brings her accusing hoof down into a stomp near your legs
>Twilight:”It cannot be allowed to fall into the wrong hands, especially something like you”
“Pretty sure I own it, snookums. Besides, I already know that”
>Twilight cocks her head to the side
>Twilight[puzzled]:”You do?”
“That’s why I had Gus hide it. I can’t allow it to be used against me nor can I allow you guys to have it because, well, it’s mine”
>Not entirely true
>Except for the times they were calling you a monster and beating you up, you had seen that these were nice people err- ponies
>Even though they only had simple spears, they also had buildings with advanced indoor plumbing
>That meant they weren’t primitive or stupid… just not prone to violence
>Giving them something that can so easily take life could change all of that…
>You didn’t want that, especially while you were being held by them in contempt
>Twilight:”So you just expect me to let you keep it?!”
“I already told you, I don’t ‘really’ have it. It will stay hidden in the forest, away from me or anyone else”
>You lean and look her in the eye
“You just have to accept that”

>She angrily gawks at you, trying to win the stare-down
>She doesn’t
>Twilight sighs as she makes her way to the door
>Twilight:”I guess I don’t have a choice…Fine. Just promise me no one else is going to get hurt by that thing”
“I promise, God be willing”
>Rainbow follows the unicorn closely out the door
>You get up and head out as well
>As soon as you step out, a lasso loops and tightens around your wrists, binding them together
“What do I have to do to prove that I’m not a risk?”
>Applejack:”Stop foalnappin’ our friends for starters”
“Whatever… Well, I for one, think I should have the right to walk around without looking like a God damn pet!”
>Rarity comes up and pokes you in the stomach (as that’s the highest she can reach)
>Rarity:”YOU don’t have any rights, brute. Not after what you did to Rainbow!”
“Are you ponies really still mad about that?”
ALL: “YES!”
>Jesus that much volume almost knocked you over
>Pinkie:”We also can’t have you trying to take a bite out of somepony!”
>She holds up Rainbow’s hoof as she says this and opens her mouth to take a dramatic bite
>Rainbow, though, moves it out of the way in time
“Why woul- I-wouldn’t… dammit it, nevermind”
>The walk back to the barn is long one
>So far, you really hadn’t made as much progress with these ponies as you had desired

>Twilight seemed less hostile to you than the others, but she still saw you as a threat nonetheless
>Applejack must be really good friends with Rainbow, because she probably wouldn’t hesitate to end you for what you did to her
>At least her little sister seemed a bit more neutral
>You wondered how the other two small fillies felt about you…
>Rarity obviously seemed to be the most stuck up of the group and wouldn’t have you anywhere near her or her sister
>Fluttershy… you had no idea but she avoided you like a plague
>Pinkie Pie obvious didn’t like you, but her aversion was… different. It wasn’t hateful or spiteful, but more childish ‘I think you’re a big poo poo head’ kind of thing
>Rainbow had been the one you kidnapped… but you had also saved her life
>It was hard to guess how she felt about you but then again, you already knew she was going to be last person or pony on earth to forgive you
>Welp, at least you saved their friend from becoming earless
>That will definitely mean something to them
>You get to the barn, Moon high in the sky by that time
>The others, excluding Applejack, departed from your group when you had passed through town square. All going their separate ways
>Pinkie Pie even said goodbye to you, though she had called you ‘Mr. Meanie Pants’
>Everyone else gave you the cold shoulder
>Oh well
>Applejack leads you inside before grabbing the lasso around your wrists with her teeth
>She pulls it off and, without tying you up again, begins to leave
“Thanks…”
>Applejack:”I’m only doing this ‘cuz ya helped Zecora… Don’t be mistak’n, I still hate your guts for what you did to Rainbow… ta all of us”

>She starts walking out again but you stop her
“Why am I still here?”
>Applejack:”What do ya mean?”
“Me and Gus just want to go home, we both have family and friends that care about us too”
>She looks to the barn floor, obviously never considering that possibility
“If I’m such a monster, why not just send me back already and be done with it?”
>Applejack:”…Thay don’t know how”
“What?”
>Applejack:”Twilight’s really smart when it comes ta magic and stuff, but she said she don’t have any idea how ta send you back”
>You feel your stomach tighten
>Applejack:”Princess Celestia might know… she knows everythin’”
>She turns to face you in the shadows
>Applejack[stern]:”But that ain’t why we’re taking you to her. We’r taking you there so SHE can decide wat to do with you”
>Without another word, the orange pony tilts her Stetson over her eyes and trots outside, bolting the door behind her
>You go over and fall into your own bale of hay
>Something jumps down from the loft above, but you already know its Gus
>This time though, you can pet him with your free hands
>Suddenly he shots his head up as if remembering something, and disappears into one of the many empty stables
>He comes back out with… a stick?
>And his tail was wagging
“Sure, why not?”
>The barn was long enough to play a little fetch and you really weren’t all that tired
>He trots over and drops it into your lap
>Before you can pick it up, you hear something crash into the loft above followed by three little yelps

>Scootaloo:”Ouch!... Do ya think it heard us?”
>Sweetie Belle[hushed]:”It will if you keep being so loud… I don’t know about this Apple Bloom”
>Apple Bloom[whisper]:”It’al be fine, he don’t seem very scary”
>Did they just climb through one of the ventilation windows to get inside a ’locked’ barn?
“Um… Hello?”
>…
>Scootaloo[whispering]:”…I think it heard us”
>Apple Bloom:”Um… Mr. Anon?
>Sweetibell:”Don’t talk to it!”
“….”
“Yes, Apple Bloom”
>Her tiny little head and bow appears just over the loft’s edge
>Apple Bloom:”Um, well, uh… Seeing how I never got ta interview ya’ll today, do ya mind if we did it now”
“Is your sister ok with this?”
>Apple Bloom:”Ah… I don’t kno-“
“Perfect!”
>Apple Bloom:”Oh ok… we’re coming down now”
>Scootaloo:”Wait!”
>You see both an orange and white hoof pull her back
>Sweetie Belle:”How do we know it’s not going to eat us or something?”
>Scootaloo:”Yeah, especially after it foalnapped THEE Rainbow Dash?”
“I promise not to eat or kidnap any of you…”
>…
>Apple Bloom:”Pinkie Promise?”
“Pinkie what-…Sure”
>Instantly you hear another trio of ‘umfs’ as three little fillies jump down and land into a pile hay, about a few feet from yours
>First pops out Apple Bloom, followed by Scootaloo and then Sweetie Belle
>Both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle cower behind Apple Bloom, who seems to be rather relaxed around you
>Apple Bloom:”Hey there, Mr. Anon! Ah’ brought mi’ friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Thay’re the ones I was telling ya ‘bout, and they’ve here to help ask questions”
“Yes, I believe I have met one already”
>Sweetie Belle shrinks more behind Apple Bloom

>Sweetie Belle[whispering]:”Do we have to do this? Maybe we could do another story…”
>Scootaloo nods her head in agreement
>Apple Bloom:”A bigger story than this!… Do ya guys want your cutie mark or not?”
>Scoot & Sweetie[sadly]:”…yes”
>Apple Bloom:”Ok then! Scootaloo, you take notes.”
>The pegasus filly whips out a notepad and quill, finally moving up to Apple Bloom’s side
>Sweetie Belle, feeling lonely in the back, moves up to Apple Bloom too, but avoids eye contact with you
>Scootaloo seems to be gawking at you, a bit angrily
“Hey Apple Bloom, you mind if say something to your friends first?”
>Apple Bloom:”Um, sure!”
“Hey…  Sweetie Belle? That’s your name, right?
>She looks away fearfully and mumbles something
>You decide to move closer, getting on your knees so you’re not that much of a giant to them
“I’m really sorry if I scared you in the woods before, no hard feelings?”
>You extend your hand and smile
>Foals were the equivalent of kids to people, so they probably didn’t hold grudges as much as their elders
>She first ‘meps’ at your approach but turns back at your words, the little bit of tears in her eyes disappearing
>Sweetie Belle:”You… you apologized!?”
>There was a little voice crack there, but she or her friends didn’t seem to care
>Cute.
“Ah, yeah. I was only trying to get a message to your sister and Twilight… I never intended to frighten such a cute little filly”
>You try not to cringe at using ‘cute little filly’
>This wasn’t how you’re use to talking… but you needed to get these ponies to like you in order to get home

>Taking a chance, you redirect your potential handshake into gently ruffling her pink and lavender mane instead
>She’s at first startled and recoils a bit, but then returns a smile to you
>Bingo.
>Apple Bloom[professional]:”Scootaloo, take a note pls, ‘Tha monster seems to be cap’buble of remorse’
>Scootaloo scribbles it down with the quill, putting the notepad on the floor and using her mouth
“And you must be Sc-“
>Scootaloo:”Scootaloo”
“Yeah an-
>Scootaloo[hostile]:”Why did you foalnap Rainbow Dash!?”
>Oh boy
“Look, I’m sorry about foalnapping your sister-“
>Scootaloo[shocked]:”She’s not my sister!”
>Ok, you got that one wrong
>Scootaloo[praising]:”Rainbow Dash is the most awesome pegasus pony in all of Ponyville… Heck, in all of Equestria!”
>She looks to the ground and mopes
>Scootaloo:”…I could never be related to somep0ny so cool”
“And why do you say that? I think you’re pretty awesome”
>Scootaloo[excited]:”Really?!”
“Yeah, I saw you riding that… wooden thingy awhile back, and you looked pretty ‘cool’ on it”
>You never heard the term back home, but you had pretty much deduced that the word ‘cool’ here meant something like amazing or at least along those lines
>Scootaloo pumps her hoof in the air with a huge closed eye grin at your compliment
>Scootaloo:”Yes! Somep0ny that actually thinks I’M cool enough to be related to thee Rainbow Dash!”
>She looks to you, still smiling
>Scootaloo:”Ya know, you seem pretty cool too… for a talking monkey that is”
>Well, guess that’s a step in the right direction
>Either way, that little compliment had distracted her hate of you for the moment
“Thanks… So what questions you want me to answer?”

>Apple Bloom:”First off, let’s start off with an introduction… like where ya’ll from and all that”
>Scootaloo gets ready with the quill to write down whatever you say
“Ok. My name’s Anon Stoneman and I’m a human from a little town located in South Dakota”
>Apple Bloom:”What’s a ‘South Dacoata’, is ‘dat a country?”
“Um, not quite… It’s a state that exists WITHIN my country, America. It’s kind of like how Ponyville is to Equestria only... much bigger”
>You watch Scootaloo scribbling furiously on the quill,
>But you don’t seem able to read any of it
>They probably had a pony equivalent of cursive here to compensate for the slowness of using their mouths
>Some characters looked familiar but nothing legible
>Apple Bloom:”And you said you weren’t actually a monkey but some kind of ‘hooman’?”
“Yeah, back where I live everyone is a human. I’m not a monkey or ape”
>Apple Bloom:”How did ya get here, Mr. Anon”
“Well, one day Me and Gus were mushing are way back home when we somehow ended up at the bottom of freezing river”
>Apple Bloom[surprised]:”Really? How did that happen?”
“You see, I was on the sled when the ground came loose and then fell onto the frozen river below… But the ice broke and me, Gus and the sled were dragged to the bottom”
>They all looked a little confused but let you finish
“Just when I thought it was all over, there was a bright glowing light that kind of engulfed us… then we both woke up here, in the middle of the Everfree Forest”
>Apple Bloom:”Ah, pardon me if ah’m asking a stupid question but how was the river frozen in the middle of Spring?”

“Oh well, where I live it was early winter”
>Scootaloo:”ahnd whah izh [spits out quill] and what the heck is ‘mushing’?”
“It’s a thing we do back home to get around… Dogs are hooked up to a sled and then pull us and the sled around to where we want to go, so long as there is snow for the sled to glide on”
>You place a hand on top of Gus’s head
“Gus here is the lead dog for my sled team. AND he’s the best in the world”
>You weren’t lying, he was quite officially the best lead dog in the world since winning that derby
>Guess that also made you the best musher in the world
>You never thought about it like that before…
>Sweetie Belle:”So… where’s your sled and the other dogs?”
“The rest of my team escaped before getting sucked into the water. As for the sled, I think that unicorn Twilight has it”
>Apple Bloom:”Ok now that we know how ya got here, let’s talk about Ra-“
>Sweetie Belle:”Hey Mr. Anon?”
“Yeah?”
>Sweetie Belle:”Why is Gus holding a stick?”
>You look over to your side to see the wolfdog had picked up the stick again and was offering it to Sweetie Belle
>Apple Bloom:”OH, He wants to play fetch!”
>Sweetie Belle:”Really?”
>Apple Bloom:”Yeah, I was playing with him and Winona the other day. Here let me show ya!”
>Scootaloo stops writing to watch as Apple Bloom trots over to take the stick from Gus’ mouth with her own
>She cocks her head back and then tosses the stick
>It doesn’t go very far, but it’s enough to get Gus to chase after it
>Scootaloo:”Wow that’s cool! Let me try!”
>Apple Bloom:”Yes sure, but we really should get back to interviewin-“
>Scootaloo:”I think we got enough for the paper, now give me that stick!”
>Apple Bloom[mumble]:”…we only asked 2 questions”

>The little fillies alternate between playing with Gus for quite a bit
>It was a bit weird to see how gentle and playfully Gus was being with them
>On a normal day, he’d see them as a little snack
>But what the canine you saw in front of you didn’t seem like a wolf at all, but more of an overly large house pet
>You lean back into the hay to watch the fillies play
>They weren’t so bad
>Truly no different than the lovable little children back home
>Hell, they even seemed to be even more joyful and happy than children
>For the first time in your life, you actually smile and take pleasure in watching others play
>Odd… But hearing their little giggles and laughter brought a kind of smile to your face that you haven’t felt in a long time
>Finally Gus gets bored of their short timid throws and offers the stick back to you
“No Gus, they-“
>Scootaloo:”We don’t mind, come on, show us what you got!”
>They all nod their heads in approval
>Ok then,
>Might as well give them some entertainment if you’re going to be taking their new toy
>You chuck the stick, up and high, so that it glides in the air
>Gus, being the show off that he is, leaps off a staircase of hay bales into the air
>The girls let out a peal of “awe” as he snatches the stick in mid air, about 7 feet off the ground
>He lands and trots back to you
>The girls do what you can only guess is the pony equivalent to clapping, clopping their front hooves against the ground
>Apple Bloom:”Do another one Anon!”
>You comply with another throw that bounces off the barn walls, really giving Gus a run for his money
>He catches it, nonetheless

>Egged on by your new fans, you kept throwing the stick in new and fancy ways
>Though you were always making sure to give one of the fillies a turn too
>Unknowing to you all was the hefty red pony watching you through a crevice in barn’s side
>He had known that Apple Bloom and her friends were planning on sneaking out tonight to try an interview you probably before they had even thought of the idea themselves
>Instead of stopping them, the stallion had decided to stay back and watch to see what you do… fully prepared to jump in and trample you to a pulp if anything went foul
>But you had acted the way he suspected you would
>Big Macintosh always had the knack of being the shy and quiet type… but he wasn’t an idiot as some ponies might think
>He had a particular talent of deciphering the true nature of a pony by little things so subtle as their tone of voice or manner of walking
>When he had first met you, he didn’t trust you
>He still didn’t trust you… not after what you did
>But he knew instantly you weren’t the evil monster that everyp0ny was making you out to be
>Big Mac didn’t know much about you… didn’t know much about where you came from
>But he knew an honest soul when he saw one
>He concluded that even though you may had done some bad things… you still had a good heart
>Tonight was all he needed to confirm that
>He continued to watch long after you had fallen asleep,
>With three little fillies curled up around you for warmth
>Big Mac didn’t know the reasons for why you did those things in the woods… but he knew that there had at least been reasons and that you weren’t some callous brute
>Finally, he smiles and makes his silent retreat back to the farm house