-Hello there once again readers! It's been awhile…almost a year in fact… (o_o) To tell you the truth I don't have an excuse good enough to pacify you. I REALLY don't. All I can do is apologize for the long…long…LONG wait, besides any mistakes you might find in the document, and I hope you can find it within your hearts to forgive me. To cut a long story short there have been a bunch of things happening in my life; family problems, the constant need for work, the struggles of being an amateur author, and finding a niche in life.

I'll admit for more than six MONTHS I didn't touch this chapter. It's only been in the last three months that I actually sat down for more than a few hours every so often and worked on it. The time spent on it were bits and pieces. The total time I put into it? Around 2 ½-3 weeks. I don't know what curveballs I might have to avoid in the future but I will make it a priority to AT LEAST finish this story for you readers. If I was a great author, full time and popular, then this would be easier than apple pie.

Otherwise...please Comment, Review, and Follow. Thank you for your time and hope you enjoy.

Chapter 7: New Name

"Dang it!" A rainbow maned Pegasus nearly shouted; stomping her hoof onto the ground. It had been nearly two hours since the two ponies had left Rarity's shop to go to Fluttershy's cottage. The reason why it had been nearly two hours…animals had barred their way.

It was an odd sight. Almost as odd as who was leading the group.

"Angel, move. We want to see Fluttershy!" Rainbow ordered; staring down a white rabbit with black beady eyes. Raccoons, beavers, mice, rabbits, and other woodland creatures stood behind Fluttershy's smart pet. The animals, though they did nothing but stand there, did not advance and drive them out. It was almost as if they were waiting for somepony…

Angel just stood there, crossing his arms, to look back at the angry cerise colored irises with a raised eyebrow. His left ear twitched as he all the harder at the Pegasus when she refused to look away. This went on for a few minutes before the white rabbit shook his head from side to side; silently denying Rainbow Dash passage.

Rainbow, in the process of opening her mouth to demand, had a raspberry colored hoof cover her mouth.

A small chuckle escaped the smiling face of the Earth Pony; removing her hoof after a few moments. "Let me try it R.D." The mare reassured the Pegasus by calling her friend by one of her pet names. "Ahem…" Pinkie Pie cleared her throat before inhaling a large quantity of air.

What followed was something completely unexpected.

Pinkie Pie bent down to the rabbit's level and looked him right in the eye; staring at him with her bright blue eyes. Angel looked back at the pony unflinchingly toward the pony and raised an eyebrow in a questioning gesture but continued the silent contest. The other animals gathered around the two combatants and watched curiously.

The Pegasus sighed then shrugged to herself before sitting down on her rump to watch the two. "We're wasting time here…we need to go." Rainbow Dash thought with some worry tinted irritation. The longer the two ponies spent playing Angel's little 'games', and not out looking for Fluttershy, something bad could happen to their shy friend. It may be exaggeration or an overprotective instinct of the timid pony but it would be best for somepony to move their raspberry pink rump out of here.

"What's going on?" A voice asked softly from behind the cyan Pegasus.

Rainbow shrugged as best as she could from her resting position on the soft soil and grass as she continued to watch the spectacle. "Just what it looks like; Pinkie Pie is having a staring match with a bunny. Same old random Pinkie." She commented with a small grin as the raspberry colored Earth Pony slowly turned her head clockwise to, what had to be, a practically impossible angle. Nopony but Pinkie could accomplish such a feat. The Pegasus sighed tiredly; thinking of Fluttershy again and was about to say something to Pinkie Pie when the voice behind her spoke again.

"Oh…I don't think she's so random Rainbow Dash. Pinkie Pie is just perfect the way she is." Rainbow could practically hear a smile creeping into the mystery pony's voice.

Something sounded…familiar about this pony.

It wasn't uncommon for somepony to know about Pinkie Pie, especially since the raspberry mare herself can memorize their names and habits, but not as many knew about Rainbow Dash. When a pony mentioned a flying cyan Pegasus sleeping in the clouds then there will be at least one pony who knew her name.

But who was this?

Rainbow, after tearing her eyes away from the contest, turned her head to look over her shoulder. "Do I know y—". The Pegasus had begun to say but stopped when her cerise eyes fell on the pony behind her. She unconsciously let her jaw drop before standing back up to face the mystery pony properly.

Angel, at that moment, looked away from Pinkie Pie to the newcomer and smiled warmly. With a few bounds he stopped at the hooves of the new pony before turning to look over his shoulder; raising an eyebrow questioningly at the cyan Pegasus as she tried to get her voice to work properly again.

"Fluttershy!" Pinkie Pie shouted; startling the shy Pegasus as the raspberry Earth Pony raced towards her. Within mere moments Pinkie's hooves had already encircled the shy Pegasus before she could make her escape into a nearby bush. A small squeak had escaped Fluttershy's throat before she warmly, but gently, returned the affectionate gesture. Though Pinkie Pie's hugs could be over the top with Rainbow, and her other friends, Fluttershy was the exception; it would be a loving squeeze instead of a constricting rib-breaking hug.

Angel hopped out of the way to watch the two friends hug each other with the group of animals and gestured to the biggest one of them all to come and join them. A large lumbering mass of brown fur made its way as quietly as it could around the two ponies and sat down with a soft thump next to a family of raccoons; smiling in his own way at the white rabbit.

Rainbow stuttered for a few more moments before sighing in defeat; walking to embrace both Fluttershy and the Earth Pony. Cyan hooves wrapped around the two friends in a tight, but friendly, squeeze. "It's good to see you again, Flutters." The stunt devil rubbed her hoof in Fluttershy's mane affectionately before grabbing a hold of Pinkie's tail within her teeth with a tug; effectively ending the group hug. "Give 'er some space Pinks. Gotta let a pony breathe." Dash said in response to the raspberry mare's watery puppy-like dog eyes.

Pinkie Pie, reluctantly, nodded in understanding and smiled in spite of herself. "Okie dokie loki." A thoughtful frown appeared on the pony's face when she looked at Fluttershy. For once it seemed like the Earth Pony was trying to word a question on her mind. Many moments passed but only a quick nudge from Rainbow made the thoughts form into words. "Not like it's any of our business Fluttershy…but where did you go? We looked every—well maybe not everywhere but most places where you would've been—and we couldn't find you. Dash asked me if I'd seen you—and I didn't— then we asked Rarity and she didn't know either!" She took a moment to regain some of the air she lost when talking.

"BUT—". Rainbow interrupted Pinkie; silently nodding to her in appreciation before continuing for the raspberry colored pony. "—we thought about coming to your cottage to check on you. We kinda thought…you know…you were in trouble since we haven't heard tail nor feather of you." A small chuckle escaped her throat before she nudged Pinkie Pie again in a silent attempt to keep the Earth Pony from trying to go on another monologue.

A quiet, contented, sigh issued from the pale rose and gold colored Pegasus. Fluttershy, after giving a warm smile in return to her two friends, briefly gathered Rainbow into a hug. "Thank you…but I'm fine. I'm sorry for the trouble." She softly whispered into the pony's cyan colored ear; giving her a gentle squeeze.

Pinkie Pie, feeling left out, encircled both her friends as well. "Are you kidding?! This was like a scavenger hunt…great fun!" The raspberry colored Earth Pony exclaimed with a fit of giggles; tuning down her normally loud and shrieking voice for this occasion.

The two Pegasus laughed; Rainbow Dash in her rambunctious heart-felt style and Fluttershy in her soft tinkling voice. Many minutes passed by before they noticed how low the sun had set in the sky. The day had turned orange by the rays of the sun and the dark blanket of night, with woven shimmering white-blue lights, not far behind.

"Later Fluttershy! See ya tomorrow!" Pinkie yelled from down the road; waving back at the Pegasus standing in her doorway. The shy mare waved back at the energetic pony as her fluffy raspberry mane disappeared around the bend in the road leading back to Ponyville.

Only further down the road did Rainbow Dash flap in place; groaning in frustration at a sudden realization.

She hadn't asked where Fluttershy had gone for the majority of the day.

"Eh. Tomorrow's another day." Rainbow mentally reassured herself; waving to Pinkie as they parted ways to their separate homes. "Besides, this is Fluttershy for crying out loud. When does that pony ever get herself in trouble?" The cyan Pegasus laughed to herself at her own question; streaking through the darkening clouds to her airborne home in Ponyville.

OOOOOOOOO

Fluttershy waited until her friends had disappeared from her sight before quietly closing the door behind her. Some of the animals from outside had already dispersed and returned to their homes in the forest. The ones that remained were those that were active in the day and either injured, sickly, or needed a safe haven for the night. They entered through their specially made doorways throughout the cottage to the warm and comfortable darkness inside; cuddling in their burrows and nests until light breached the horizon.

Of course the pale pink maned Pegasus was more than happy to share her home with all of the woodland creatures.

A small contented smile graced her face after she placed her saddlebag on the table. The bag, being unbalanced, tipped and spilled some of the supplies she had stored. "Oh my!" Fluttershy softly exclaimed; hurrying to pick up some of the ointments and other medicinal herbs. Placing the medicinal items upright and, having gathered them from the floor, was when she noticed something that made her stop.

It was a cotton cloth… with a splotch of dried blood staining it.

The cloth had been folded within another cloth, one that hadn't been dirtied, and placed in the bag just a few hours ago.

"Zecora…I hope you'll be alright with him." She thought to herself with some concern as her teeth closed on a corner of it; placing the dirtied cloth within a wooden basin in the kitchen. The water began to cloud with the dried blood; swirling and expanding in its hydrated surroundings. Liquid soaps were added into the basin before long and, delicately, she washed the blood from the cloth. Fluttershy, after a few minutes or so of washing, nodded her head in satisfaction at the newly cleaned cloth. A blue jay, having watched the shy Pegasus, perched at the edge of the basin and chirped questioningly.

Fluttershy smiled thankfully and nodded. "Thank you so much Mr. Blue Jay." She pressed the cloth on the side of the basin and wrung out as much of the water as she could before the bird pick up the damp cloth and flew out an open window to the clothes line she keeps out in her backyard. Something pulled on her tail a few times with an insistent energy.

Angel, having caught her attention, turned towards the door with a pointed paw to direct his friend's attention. Beyond the door was a faint sound but something the Pegasus could've heard if she had paid closer attention.

Scritch, scratch, scritch.

The rabbit arrived at the door first and, with a large leap, turned the door handle using his legs and paws; swinging with the door as it opened inwards to reveal the mystery noise maker. Fluttershy, in her surprise, blinked in shock before shaking it off to welcome the brown bear that had 'knocked' on her door. She recognized this certain brown bear by the small scar on his muzzle and the grizzled hair on his back. This bear was a frequent visitor to the cottage and, in time, named the male brown Harold. At times it would seem that Harold would go more often by Harry; seeming to prefer the nickname than the name given by the Pegasus.

"Is there something wrong Harry?" Fluttershy asked questioningly to the bear, deciding to, tilted his head slightly to the left with his brown eyes staring at her intently. For a few moments Harry did nothing but stared then turned toward the creek snaking by her cottage; making a soft grunting noise to her. Fluttershy gasped softly when Harry exposed his left flank to her once he had turned. Immediately she realized what the bear wanted; rushing back into the kitchen to grab a brush and some of her liquid soaps into a miniature basket she kept for quick herbal trips to the forest.

More of the same dried blood had caked onto Harry's fur and the Pegasus knew it was his blood; The Stranger's blood. Why hadn't she noticed it earlier?

Fluttershy, flinching involuntarily, thought back to a few hours in the Everfree Forest when Zecora had gone into that dark place...alone with Celestia knows what. She puzzled over some of the ideas make out beneath the cloak he wore; waiting for Harry to sit down in the stream to be washed by the brush she had carried within her mouth.

"He was pretty tall, wore a dark cloak, I think he was about…six foot? Maybe a few inches taller…?" She thought to herself while comparing Harry for height reference between soapy scrubbings.

Of course in terms of actual height…Harry was just about Fluttershy's height when he stood on all four legs. Standing up proved the opposite.

The bear grunted in approval of her gentle scrubbing motions before lying down in the stream to rest his head upon his paws. His half lidded brown eyes watched the water flow around the chin and upper lip of his muzzle in a peaceful daze.

"Either way…" Fluttershy mentally convinced herself; having finished her scrubbing and placing the brush on a small patch of grass next to the creek. Seeing Harry lying down reminded her of how tall he could be when he stood up. The closest she could come up with a size reference is if two ponies', and a foal, stood on one another's back. "He's perfect how he is." Fluttershy smiled and nodded slightly to herself; firm in her belief.

Harry snuffled and, having stood up to let the remaining blood tainted water to drip off, gently bumped the Pegasus's shoulder blade with his snout in gratitude. With another soft grunt he left the creek with water streaming down his back and soaking the ground in the process. He let loose a tremendous shake; hurling water droplets into the grass, and onto Fluttershy, like a miniature rain shower.

She laughed softly, giving a small shake herself, as the bear rubbed the side of his damp grizzled face into the pale yellow Pegasus's pale pink mane before lumbering towards his home in the Everfree Forest. Though today was a little scarier and, oddly enough, exciting to her…

"I'm glad for having friends; both ponies and my animal ones too." The comforting thought staying with the Pegasus long after she had brought her soaps and basket inside her cottage, performing her evening duties as a caretaker, and finally retiring to bed.

Fluttershy, in the warm folds of her blanket, looked to the sleeping animals in their nests and perches with a sleepy smile. A yawn escaped her mouth before she could quiet it; eyes heavy with weariness. Something small scurried across the hardwood floor and underneath her bed and toward the window to her right. Moments passed and Angel, jumping to catch the edge of the window, climbed up to sit on his haunches; staring intently out toward the forest and the night sky. "Goodnight…Angel…" The shy, sleepy, Pegasus whispered in her last moments of consciousness before entering the realm of wishes and dreams.

Her white rabbit watched the Pegasus drift off into slumber for a few moments before turning to gaze back out into the night. Angel scanned the constellations as he has for the past few nights. There was something that he was searching for…

Then he found it; a star in the center of a small group of stars that glowed as bright as the moon.

Harry had explained to Angel, in his own special way, about today's events while the three ponies had caught up with their own lives. Harry had begun a tale about the herbalist, and Fluttershy, encountering a strange being in a cloak within the Everfree Forest; something nopony had ever seen before. It was not a pony or beast.

At first the rabbit had been incredulous and thought Harry was making a tall tale…until the bear had shown the blood stains on his fur to Angel.

Blood would smell like blood; metallic and sharp. But a different smell lingered in the earthy musk of the bears hide as Angel sniffed…something strange. The rabbit could not compare the smell to anything he had encountered in Equestria. Whatever was in the Everfree Forest with the zebra sounded so bizarre and out of place in this world; hopefully the herbalist could handle it.

The new star in the blanket of night was the start of something extraordinary. It could possibly change the lives of many ponies. With the appearance of a strange creature wearing a dark gray cloak, and a new star, there would definitely be new changes…

But will those changes be for the better?

OOOOOOOOO

"Ugh…I'm hungry…" A pale green pony with dark dodger blue mane and cropped tail complained mentally to himself; his arctic blue eyes watching a few chattering ponies nearby.

Today had gone on rather poorly. First the residents seem to be almost entirely ignorant of what goes on outside of town and, to top it all off, somepony's seem to have pretty strange talents. Some were more respectable; such as the florists, bakers, carpenters, and musicians. One Earth Pony had a shop named Quills and Sofa's. Though respectable it was a dead giveaway about what that pony was selling…if the Cutie Mark on the shopkeepers flank was missed.

Speaking of Cutie Marks…

Staring at his own flank didn't make him an exception to the strange community. "This is ridiculous." Wisp grumbled irritably about the fake Cutie Mark he had placed on himself; glaring at the image of a rolled up piece of parchment with a blue flax, a red zinnia, and a yellow daylily. The stems of the three flowers encircled the scroll in a downward spiral; holding the scroll closed instead of a wax seal.

It would be very strange if the Changeling had come in without a Cutie Mark when the majority of Equestria had one. Then again the disguise had been hurriedly made once he had reached the outskirts of Ponyville. Of course he had nopony else to blame but himself.

Then again nopony seemed to think Wisp strange for it.

A majority of the shopkeepers and merchants were friendly enough to exchange a 'Hello' or a 'Good Day!' when he passed by their stalls. Whether it was a pure act of kindness, or business, it didn't concern the Changeling in the slightest. The town, from what he had gathered by listening on a few conversations and asking a few questions on the side, had just recently experienced a strange storm. Some ponies think a Pegasus was having a little fun up in the Weather Factory and had gone too far. Others think that it was a surprise drill the Weather Patrol would be tested on.

Somehow, due to his exploring, he had ended up at one of the parks Ponyville seemed to have. There were plenty of dirt paths and grassy spaces for a foal to run and play to their hearts content. Merchants seemed to be here as well; selling cold drinks such as lemonade and small confectionaries. It had been a nice day with plenty of sun and a light cool breeze blowing through every now and aga—

A grumble from his stomach interrupted his train of thought.

This made Wisp glance down at the green amulet he wore. Her Majesty, as brief as she could, had explained that the amulet would aide him in gathering sustenance. Though the drawback being that if he didn't find food then the amulet would start harvesting his energies to help support the link between him and the Queen. His disguise, to make matters worse, also took energy to sustain it.

Ponyville, luckily, had more than enough positive emotions such as happiness and love.

Wisp, with the amulet acting like a sponge, mentally gathered bits and pieces of emotional energies to himself from the surrounding ponies; cautious of how much he had gathered while walking about. A Changeling, if they weren't careful, could literally extract all positive emotions until the victim was a shell of their former selves; mindless and practically unfeeling. Only stories of Changelings from hundreds of years past, when their species were prosperous, gave a hint of their dark heritage.

The amulet glowed brightly for the briefest of moments before going dark as it had when it was first given to him. "Finally full aren't you? So am I." Wisp thought with a small smile; finally able to think properly without his hunger getting in the way. Nothing he had learned from other conversations, gossip, or even rumors hinted anything about new arrivals. Meaning his objective was either dead or lost. Neither option made the Changeling feel too pleased about the prospect of explaining to Queen Chrysalis the day's findings and the missing blue creature.

Walking along the trails eased Wisp's mind, to a degree, about his current predicament. "Only thing to do now is play the 'waiting' game…" He muttered to himself; the trail leading towards more visitors either traversing the trail or otherwise enjoying the bright day.

Where is he?

"—and last night I saw the strangest thing ever!" One pony nearly yelled to a group of friends, drawing them closer with a beckoning look, below she spoke again barely below a whisper.

This made Wisp stop in mid-step to listen in on a little more of the conversation.

"You know how everypony in Ponyville was affected by that freak storm?" The pony, a light brown color with a gardening rake and hoe as a Cutie Mark, quizzed her two friends. She blew a strand of her moderately long mane of grass-green before continuing. "Apparently there was rumors about other ponies from Manehattan, and the like, that didn't have any problems with their weather until three days ago."

"Interesting…" The Changeling thought to himself before moving to a patch of brightly colored tulips. He kept an ear open to the group as he examined the bright yellow, red, and pink, plants with a false pleasured expression; seemingly fixated to the plants to passersby.

The green-maned Earth Pony smiled and, having her friend's complete and undivided attention, continued her story. "I heard from my neighbor who heard from his friend that was told by his cousin who then was told by their brother that he heard it from—".

"Come on, Beatrice!Would you get to it already?" One of the Earth Ponies in the group griped; eagerness evident in her voice. She had a light gray coat; lightly spiral curled short black mane with a well braided tail. A bottle of ink and a quill was imprinted on her gray flank.

The pony, looking slightly crestfallen at the interruption, nodded. "R-right. Sorry Amelia." After a few moments Beatrice cleared her throat. "Anyway...a Unicorn named Orius had looked at the stars the other night and saw a star!"

"Really? A star…?" The Changeling thought to himself with no small amount of disappointment. Any annoyance he felt, having wasted the valuable time he had, took the form of a small frown on his face. Wisp was sorely tempted to squash one of the tulips underneath his hoof; grinding it into the ground until it became mush…but he settled for a sharp sniff of the colorful flowers instead. Disappointed and irritated, but not foolish, he had to maintain his cover and see if the small group knew anything else of interest.

Wisp wasn't the only one to be let down either.

"A star?" Ameila voiced questioningly and, practically, in disbelief. It was as if somepony had placed a piece of candy in front of a foal and taken it right as they were about to bite into it. But, after a few moments, Ameila looked to the other mare in the group with a raised eyebrow; posing a silent question. The mare, bright red coat with dark orange swirly mane and tail, shrugged her reaction before looking back at Beatrice.

She buckled underneath the questioning stares and sighed; shaking her head a little. "Not just any star. Look!" Ameila pointed to the ground and began tracing something in the dirt, at an angle, that Wisp was unable to see from. The other two gathered a little closer in interest to look at what Beatrice had drew. "Orius had said he had only found this star two nights ago after the Pegasus cleared the skies. Apparently it was the night for a constellation in his book." The pony pointed her hoof at the ground as her explanations continued further. "But when he looked into his telescope…"

Ameila and the other pony leaned in as Beatrice's voice dropped to a whisper as if, what she said, would change the lives of many.

Wisp, unknowingly, had begun craning his ear toward the conversation and halted before some other pony noticed.

Beatrice seemed to love the attention and spoke in a tone above a loud whisper. "A new star was added to the Equestrian skies." She smiled widely; apparently happy to know something that her friends didn't.

"Woah…that's something alright." Ameila said after a little while, having looked at the drawing with some interest, looking over to the bright red pony on her left in surprise to get an astonished look from the silent pony. "Should we tell Mayor Mare?" The ghostly gray pony asked Beatrice as the three moved toward the center of Ponyville.

"Nah. Somepony, if there was something to worry about, would have told us something was wrong. I mean it's only natural Mayor Mare would tell us something." Beatrice assured the two ponies with a bright smile and a cheery attitude.

Wisp, while the three friends chatted away about prices on goods and other small things, walked toward the small patch of earth the pony had drawn it. The drawing, though it seemed simple and innocent, gave the Changeling what to look for come nightfall. "I wonder…" He thought to himself as he walked away from the dirt road and towards the homes of Ponyville; pondering what he had heard…but first things first.

It was time to form a plan to find the blue stranger.

OOOOOOOOO

It was like a horror movie; the thought of being discovered making him restless and wary.

Once the hoof beats had stopped just outside of his hideaway there was some unintelligible whispering…then silence…at least for a few more moments. That's when he heard movement again.

Footsteps…and something made of metal?

Walked right into the lion's den… Brandon thought with grim humor; grimacing when another bone aching throb struck his leg. The tips of his fingers roamed the shred of blanket covering his wound before he felt the telltale warm liquid covering his fingers. Blood lost would get the beastly teen before one of his pursuer's did.

What the hell was taking them so long?

The person, from what Brandon could tell, was walking in on foot. Before it was difficult to tell how many were after him but he figured around three, maybe four, had come after him. One of the party-or was it two?-was being deliberately slow about approaching him. Between his aching leg, coupled with the dark environment and steady loss of blood, it was more than a challenge seeing straight. Then again no matter how hard the teen concentrated on using his night vision…it wouldn't come. His vision was limited to raising and stretching out an arm, approximately two and a half feet from his face with a lot of effort, towards the dark space; meaning he could just barely see the outline of his form and the ground he sat on.

Time for a quick review.

Earlier, before they stopped at the opening, Brandon had judged from the sound of horses running it sounded like there were three of them. Horses at top speed, at least what he thought, could go over forty miles per hour and even faster speeds for short bursts. Either the people riding the beasts were very light or the beasts themselves were a superb breed. As to how they found him…he didn't know. It wasn't like he made it a point coming out into the open. Unless…

Did word reach other towns and, if so, why are they so hell bent trying to find him for apples, rope, and a tarp?

Time for some answers. Brandon thought to himself before turning his head towards the incoming footsteps; pushing his tired body into a half crouch. His injury pulsed angrily; causing a small grunt to escape his clenched teeth. The person, perhaps having heard a noise, stopped for a time. Moments passed by almost slowly as the steps steadily, but cautiously, continued toward him.

And…there!

In the darkness he spotted a faint form and took the chance. His cloak rustled as he leapt up from his crouched position; springing forward toward the unknown pursuer. One arm slid around something hard, at the same time, warm and long before pulling the unknown person onto their back and in his lap. His left hand, having heard an intake of breath, quickly pressed the palm of his beastly hand into something soft. Something vibrated underneath his fingertips and, though it was covered, a muffled sound came from it.

Well…it looked like he had succeeded in capturing someone.

Luckily he had placed his hand over the person's mouth; shutting off a possible cry for help. Then his right arm must have wrapped around the neck meaning he had some bargaining room. When the teen leaned his head forward he felt something bristly brush against the side of his hood and, taking a small sniff, smelled a mixture of odors strangely familiar to him…

Something wasn't right.

Not only the smell…but the way this body he held felt against him wasn't normal. An idea occurred to him then. "Don't move..." He whispered warningly; letting his words sink in for a few moments before uncurling his arm from, what he thought was, the neck and placing it on it instead. Gently sliding his hand down the length of the neck revealed, in his mind, a series of round metal loops surrounding the neck but only so far. Fingers felt something warm and furry; having met the end of the loops and continuing onwards to the shoulder.

This wasn't a normal shoulder.

But it was a shoulder. His fingers had touched, what it felt like, the shoulder socket and the beginnings of…a leg? It was rather slender toward the socket…then it thickened to something hard and rounding into an open half circle.

A hoof? What the hell was going on?

For a few moments he sat there with his paw-like hand gently cupping the hoof before letting it go to raise it back toward the where he had started. Cool metal briefly brushed against his hand before he found what had touched his hood; then that was when he finally put together the pieces. The bristles…the smell…and the weird anatomy.

It all made sense now.

Another thought had come to mind. Throughout his examination, and before even that, the thing he held had not done anything except make some noise. The only thing he rationally thought about, that could explain this situation, and everything else that has happened to this point. There was only one way to confirm it…

Brandon, after a few more moments, leaned over and whispered; tapping one finger against a metal loop to make sure he had its complete attention. "Listen. I'm going to let you go now. Once I do I'm going to back away and let you up. Understand?" Another small noise came from underneath his fingers.

Close enough.

Nodding once to himself he peeled his fingers away from it before scooting backwards toward the tree he had been leaning against; using his hands to pull himself along. A small sigh escaped his lips when he finally made it back to the tree and the pack he had laid aside. The wound must have opened again because, when he touched his leg with his index finger, fresh blood came with it. There was some rustling as the creature stood up from its position; barely an arm's reach away. "Are you…?" Brandon asked reluctantly not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

Silence for a few moments…then it spoke.

"I am the one you saved before, you even brought me to my door." A deep feminine voice spoke softly from the darkness when a soft clink resounded as she moved; probably the same type of jewelry she wore on her neck.

He didn't say anything more to the talking zebra for a few minutes due to the questions swirling around in his head. Questions about where he was, why she could talk when most animals can't, and most importantly…why did she chase him? What could this creature, with the ability to talk and think with human-like qualities, want with someone as vastly different like him?

The she zebra spoke again, after minutes ticked by, and he could feel her eyes staring intently at him through the dark. "Where do you hurt friend, Perhaps my help I can lend?" She offered; seemingly concerned and aware of the fact of his injury.

Friend, huh? Well aren't you a friendly talking zebra. The suspicious thought crossed the teen's mind for a moment. Reaching into his pack he grabbed one of the few remaining apples and started to roll it in his palm in thought. There wasn't much he knew about the zebra and she could very well be tricking him. On the other hand if her offer was genuine and he refused it...the thought of dying of blood loss and infection wasn't very pleasing. Not only could her help be useful but the information she has could give him a few answers. Another bone throbbing ache issued from his leg whilst he was trying to place the apple back into the bag; involuntarily dropping it until it rolled somewhere in the darkness. Teeth clenched in pain he grasped a tree root in each of his fists. Only when the pain receded, to a degree, did Brandon ask as calmly as he could. "Why? Why do you care what happens?"

For, what felt like, a long time there wasn't anything but the sound of his ragged breathing and the steady breathing from her. Brandon, having heard nothing in reply for a time, shook his head to himself and pulled his pack closer to him to retrieve the blanket. Tearing another piece of the wool blanket into strips was nearly impossible in the dark and he struggled with it until he heard the zebra move with a steady clink-clink as she walked to somewhere off to his left. Listening carefully, having given up trying to tear the blanket, the steps grew nearer again and something small and round was dropped onto his lap.

The apple he had dropped earlier.

In the darkness the zebra's outline was the most vivid the teen had seen since she came into the clearing. White spots on her fur were almost ghost-like in the absent light. Her eyes, whether it was a small ray of light hitting them in the near darkness, seemed to glow faintly for an instant. Two pools of turquoise with black centers stared at him intently. "Why are you so morbid, when the only thing that matters is what you did? There is nothing else I'd rather do, than to help somepony like you. Now…" More footsteps, or hoof steps, and he felt a gentle breeze that made a soft swish in front of his face. Brandon could almost swear he could see something white and black moving across his vision.

Is that a tail? Nevermind the word 'somepony'…but wasn't that a tail swinging in front of his face right now?

"Come with me, back to my tree." She offered; talking softly after the few moments she took to turn around toward the opening where the two had come in earlier. The zebra stayed within reaching distance, whether she knew it or not, making another metallic clink upon shifting her leg.

I guess its sink or swim… Brandon thought tiredly before stuffing the blanket back into his pack; having wiped the blood from his fingers on the plant life around him. A grunt and, with much effort, he stood up shakily. Tired, blurry vision, and a wound that was likely infected, made him shake with the effort…but he could stand at least. A part of him thought of finding a cane, or a crutch fashioned from a thick forked tree branch, to take off some of the weight on his throbbing leg.

Something brushed against his cloak near his, thankfully, left leg.

The zebra must have noticed something, maybe from his hesitation or something she heard, and had moved closer without Brandon realizing it. Another soft swish whispered in the darkness and brushed once more into his cloak. "Tonight let me lend you my back, but we must hurry before the day returns to black."

Houston, we have a problem.

His hand, experimentally, reached for the zebra beside him and felt her slightly broad back. Brandon doubted that the zebra, though she was about the size of a miniature horse, could effectively carry a portion of his weight. He knew, even if his mind wasn't foggy with fatigue and pain, that if he leaned on her back…then the teen would become nothing more than dead weight. Not to mention that last night had to take a toll on her—

God damn it. Just a steady conveyer belt of irritating problems…and why did it have to happen in a day?

"No offense…but I don't think we'll…be able to get anywhere before sunset." Brandon grunted out; using the trees as support while making his way to the exit. The progress he was making was definitely slower; feeling beads of sweat flow down his brow after only moving mere feet away from the zebra. Another good indication of his distance was the steady, but soft, hoof beats making their way slowly beside him.

How far was it back to that tree-home of hers?

Probably too far. Brandon thought to himself dejectedly; disappointed in himself for this sorry state his unusual body was in. It had taken him nearly an entire day just to get this far and by the time night fell those wolves, or whatever monstrosities could exist in a world where a zebra could talk, would be back. If there was only something he could sit or ride on…

"By any chance—" He paused to catch his breath for a moment before continuing; stopping his circuit towards the exit. "—do you have a…cart?" The teen asked without turning around to look at the female zebra.

Silence.

"Nevermi—" The words had begun to form when he was interrupted by a sudden movement to his right followed by hooves striking the ground. Air rushed past him in the zebra's wake; exiting the enclosure and out into the forest.

What was that about?

Brandon, rolling his eyes in exasperation, adjusted his pack to hang from his left shoulder and rest against his right hip. There was still about six feet until he reached the opening. His legs shook beneath him; threatening to bring him down. At this rate it would be an entire night before he reached that tree-home. Not to mention that the only guide he had just left hi—

Hoof beats. Coming from the entrance?

Oh, for the love of—! Brandon cursed mentally for his stupidity; finally realizing that the zebra had come back. From where was a mystery to him…until she said something that came as a shock.

"Hurry come this way, we must not delay!" She called to him; waiting for him to join her at the entrance. The zebra was little more than a dark silhouette in the darkening light. There was this small smile on her face when she looked at him. Her turquoise eyes seemed to beckon him to hurry.

At least it looked like a smile.

After a few minutes of working his way around he made it to the entrance. Brandon though tired, somewhat dizzy, and in more than a little pain than he was before had finally gotten there. Everything was like it was before; the trees were relatively darker thanks to the upcoming darkness, crickets and other insects were making their almost clockwork noises, and there was a bear sitting—

Hold the phone… Brandon thought with no small amount of confusion. About twenty feet away, sitting on its haunches, was a large brown bear. The bear's back was to him and the zebra but it was the biggest animal he had ever seen…almost unnaturally so. It, sitting taller than the teen was standing, had large shaggy brown fur and a very broad back. His eyes never strayed from, luckily, the back of the bear as he eased himself into a crouch to deposit his pack on the ground. But it had only just grazed the ground when he heard someone clear their throat in a manner to grab his attention.

What was the zebra trying to tell him?

He only knew it was the zebra from the intent way she was staring at him. A few more moments passed, once she was sure he was paying attention, and she gently shook her head side to side before the bear turned its head in their direction.

Brandon found that the brown eyes of the bear, strangely, locked onto his cat-like yellow eyes beneath the shadow of his hood. The staring match would have continued longer if something hadn't…whimpered? And it was coming from in front ofthe bear. He, after breaking eye contact with the bear, saw a glimpse of something in front of the bear and tried to peer around it to no avail.

The teen didn't have to wait long to find out what was behind the bear.

A head peeked out from behind the bear to stare up, at what Brandon thought, was the zebra. Several long strands of pink mane covered part of the face; making the blue eye contrast greatly against the curtain of mane…yet Brandon found it strangely fitting. It almost looked like a miniature horse…but the shape of its head was out of proportion. Normally where there would be a long muzzle was something quite smaller. Now that the teen thought about it…the zebra had a broad muzzle and it was also shorter than what he thought it should be. If only he could see the rest of the hor— A quick throb in his leg and head made him stop the contemplating before he grimaced beneath the hood.

Get medical attention now; questions later.

"Where is the cart?" He whispered to the zebra; glancing at her as she began chuckling. Brandon, not understanding what was so humorous, raised a hidden eyebrow in a questioning manner. The strangely colored horse chose that moment nudge the bear in the direction of him and the zebra.

She stopped after a few moments, watching the bear approach them, speaking in her strange way. "No cart as you can see, just a bear as it should be." She smiled with good humor once the bear had closed the distance and stood before them; turning to look up at him and gesturing with her head. "Fluttershy and her friend Harry, aide is what they carry."

A bear? She can't be serious.

His gaze drifted first from the bear, to the one named 'Fluttershy', then back to the zebra. Did the two talking, having thought that Fluttershy could talk as well; quadrupeds really expect Brandon to casually climb onto the back of a wild looking bear? Apparently they are serious. How would one go about even riding a bear? It's not like he has ever ridden a horse before either.

Too many questions and not enough answers to go around.

Brandon glanced at the small yellow horse and the bear, named Harry, once more before nodding his understanding to the talking zebra.

The zebra, giving an encouraging smile, nodded to her yellow and pink colored friend; conveying some kind of silent message the teen could only raise an eyebrow in curiosity. His eyebrow rose even further beneath his hood when the bear, at some nudging from the largely obscured pink maned pony, grunted then rocked itself from its dog-like sitting posture to fully stand on four powerfully built legs.

"Harry" snorted softly in the general direction of the teen before lumbering toward him. Brandon could feel the earth shake gently with each step through the pads of his beastly feet…and it only grew worse when the bear stopped a mere couple of feet from him; just a little out of arms reach. The yellow horse, once the bear had gotten up, stayed where she was standing with her eyes downcast to the ground. She, Fluttershy, glanced up from the ground to only find the teen staring at her before quickly letting out a soft noise. Strangely irritating, almost pitiful, it made him sigh in both mental and physical exhaustion before breaking his gaze away from the strangely colored horse.

Such strange things have happened in so little time…like riding a bear.

Harry, most likely from a silent signal from his owner, knelt down on his front legs; lowering his large bulky front to the ground for the teen to climb up. Brandon glanced at his hidden and, definitely infected, leg once more. He gently laid his paw-like hands on the back of the bear and, hopefully, it would allow the teen to ride it long enough to get to the tree house. All that came from the bear was another snort.

An animal sound…at least something was normal.

Lifting his left leg first, deciding to put a little pressure of his right while adjusting his hands, he heard a small gasp from in front of him where the horse stood. The cloak, having to move for his leg to reach up and over the other left ribcage of the bear, had moved enough to show his oddly formed right hybrid leg…along with the blood-soaked bandage. Brandon, once realizing this, carefully adjusted himself on top of the bear's broad back before pulling the cloak back to cover his leg and injury. He kept his eyes focused on the thick fur of the bear beneath him; avoiding eye contact with either talking creature.

Whether it had been fear, disgust, or concern…it didn't matter.

"Follow me you three, time to leave the Forest of Everfree." The zebra announced in her strange rhyming way before nudging Fluttershy, breaking her awkward staring contest with the ground, and standing a small distance way. Apparently the zebra would be the guide of this strange group.

Now how does this work? The teen mentally questioned himself; staring first at the shoulder blades of the animal his hands rested on before finally looking at the back of the bears head. He remembered seeing pictures of people riding on the backs of horses with their Texan cowboy hats and farm wear…but this would be the first time he had actually sat on the back of another living creature. It was a pretty strange feeling.

Not to mention that bears weren't the standard beasts of burden.

Somehow, whether by training or instinct, the bear stood up suddenly from its forward bowing position without a physical or verbal command; nearly spilling him to the ground in the process. Only by firmly grabbing the rough fur in front of him, involuntarily tensing his legs to only further accomplishing a new bout of pain and blood to run down his right thigh, prevented his backwards descent. The zebra, having noticed the bear rise, smiled to the pink maned horse and nodded to the teen before turning toward the path from whence they came.

With that the odd group of two talking equines, a bear, and a teen with an animalistic appearance himself, began the trek from this strange forest.

OOOOOOOOO

Many minutes had passed since they had left the enclosed clearing. In that time Brandon had come to the conclusion of two things.

Firstly Fluttershy, at least that's what he thought her name was, chose to stay off to his right about a yard behind him. Maybe it was to make sure he didn't fall off the bear's back but it was highly doubtful. This particular horse seemed to have a particular interest in wildlife and, having seen the evidence with the bear firsthand, had to be a form of animal trainer…either that or his tired mind was trying too hard to make sense of an already bizarre situation.

As to the other discovery…riding a bear is not comfortable in the least.

Every jostle had felt like a nail being driven into the bone of his leg and kept the wound from closing. Instead the wound continued weeping blood out and around the bandage to only roll down the fur of his leg and drip onto the ground. The thought that the wooden beasts would follow the trail of blood, if they were similar to actual wolves, did cross his mind more than a few times. Animals acted on instinct; just like those wooden wolves did when he got in between them and the zebra.

His yellow eyes turned to the two quadrupeds in question.

The zebra, though strange in the way of speech, seemed to know this forest well enough to get out of it. Speaking the English language, as if talking wasn't surprising enough, when her white and black coat signified her African origins. She had to have some way to learn another language or someone. There had to be some sentient being capable of organizing such events.

"Damn it." He whispered to himself; half frustrated with so little information and then being helped out by strange talking creatures that he knows nothing about. Bone tired, hungry, possibly experiencing a psychological breakdown, and incapable of walking long distances thanks to an infected bite from a creature made of wood and green blood. Fatigue kept his mind from making sense of many things, his wounds denying him the rest he needs, and the blood Brandon needed was either dripping slowly away or otherwise soaked in his wool bandage.

That's when a small memory came to him.

It wasn't much. The memory was a time when Brandon tried to understand a word from a book he had once read. He couldn't remember it but it had felt like a good book and his curiosity got the better of him. There was a large black book in silver writing on the cover.

At the time he could have been able to read the cover…but it wasn't an important enough memory. It's what was inside the book that held the true memory.

Brandon once again found himself in a memory; sitting at a desk with a large open black book. His fingers reached out, not being the blue furred claws as of before, and touched the pages. The paper had felt dry to the touch and lighter than what he expected at first. Brandon even spent a few moments, gently rubbing a corner of the page between the tip of his thumb and index finger, before returning to the task at hand. At first he briefly saw words he either knew or at least recognized. 'Advent'…'Fare'…'Iron Sulfide'….and a range of other words he couldn't picture. Finally he got to the V section of the book.

His finger traced a line down the column of words and lines before finding the word. It was—

"Vane." He whispered to himself; the memory having appeared only to become part of a picture puzzle that was his current mind. The word meant a few different things though he had found a phrase that caught his eye.

Vane; one that is changeable or inconstant.

The word was meant as an add-on to another definition. 'A flat or curved surface rotating on an axis due to the flow of air or water.' That's what it felt like; being pushed along by forces that didn't make an ounce of sense. It was sad how fitting that word described him as a person…or was he a beast? Reality had been driven to the ground. There wasn't much to understand anymore.

Why was everything so…tense all of a sudden?

At some point the bear had stopped walking and come to a halt with the strangely colored horse and the rhyming zebra a few feet in front of him. From underneath his hood he could see their front legs; one pair of yellow and the other pair black and white. The reason why the bear had stopped had become abundantly clear when he sat up from his slouched position. Apparently it was enough of a memory to make him lose strength for a few moments and tip over dangerously.

What strange creatures.

"I'm alright." The teen spoke as softly and as clearly as possible; having raised his head up just enough to see the concerned expression on the zebra's face. Fluttershy, when he turned his head slightly to look at her, had lowered her head once his yellow eyes made contact with her own. Her eyes, though brief, highly resembled the clear blue sky earlier today and seemed just as big.

Something, besides the color, seemed off about the pink maned horse.

Her ribcage seemed to…shift with his examination. The motion wasn't that of breathing or movement of body recognizable to him. Brandon didn't know if she could see his eyes but she probably didn't need to since his hood was staring in her general direction. She made the same sound as before…was that a whimper? Not only that but she seemed even more nervous of him than previously and seemed to shy away from his gaze.

There it was again.

Are those…wings? The question came to mind when he heard a very faint rustle. It was a sound heard many times when birds took off in flight. Though this was the first time he heard it in a long time it was unmistakably familiar. Logic fought with fantasy in the few moments it took him to realize something else about Fluttershy. Combining a sound made by feathers rubbing across one another, the strange colors of her mane and tail, and finally the actual wings fit into another discovery.

It can't—it isn't possible.

But here it was; clear as day. Or here she was…standing there uncomfortably in the fading light. Not only could something like her not exist in reality but no amount of advanced genetic engineering could replicate such a creature in anyone's life time. Fluttershy, whether she knew it herself, was a prime example of a mythological creature from story books. These stories, originating from Greek mythology, told of creatures like her and had become the most widely known for its fantastic appearance.

A Pegasus. A living, breathing, Pegasus.

The world had begun to swirl around him as the unexpected discovery nearly tipped him over. Nothing was making any sense. There was a reason why Pegasus were called 'myths' in the first place; they just didn't exist. It almost felt like a boxing match was taking a place inside his head with Logic in one corner and Fantasy in the other. Logic fighting for the idea that this was all just a realistic dream conjured up by too many stories and a high imagination while Fantasy fought for just that; situations that could only be made up to form stories, movies, and similar things.

Which is the reality and which is the fantasy?

Round One goes to Fantasy; win by a knock-out.

"Come Stranger. Come Fluttershy, right now we must fly." The zebra interrupted Brandon's train of thought with her quiet shout. Apparently it did the same with Fluttershy, though she had jumped at the sound instead, before quietly nodding and whispering something under her breath. Brandon couldn't hear what Fluttershy had said…but what did the zebra say?

Wait. She didn't mean…

Brandon, once he realized what the female zebra meant, tried to voice his concern but it was too late. The answer came soon enough in the form of a cloud of dust and stampeding hooves. Harry, having seen his master moving ahead of him, quickly adapted to the situation and started running.

Bears are not built to ride comfortably. Especially while running.

There wasn't much warning either. It was a quick, Brandon had been trying to figure out how he was going to catch up, backwards jerking motion that nearly spilled him from his four legged perch. A forward jerking motion followed closely after; nearly whacking his nose on the back of Harry's neck. His fists firmly, not having anything else to hold onto, grabbed the loose skin and fur around the neck. Whether the bear minded this at all was something Brandon didn't stop to think about before flailing for a handhold. The fur felt amazingly soft for such a big predator but it didn't feel fragile in the least. Harry did not stop to look back at him and instead decided keep 'running' after the Pegasus and the zebra.

Only by sitting up, with no small amount of effort, did the teen realize the way the bear ran was uneven. Bears, from his general knowledge, tended to mainly stick to foraging and scavenging the occasional herbivore carcass. They were capable of taking down larger animals such as moose but tended to only do so if it were either sick or very young. A bear's body, though it wasn't officially meant for running, could chase down some of the faster mammals such as moose or elk. What they lacked in speed was made up of endurance and power.

Which leads me back to this... Brandon thought in silent misery; gritting his teeth as his leg kept getting jostled with every bronco-like back and forth movement. There wasn't time or a way to readjust the makeshift bandages without falling off the lumbering giant. Sweat had begun traveling, even more now than earlier, down his leg and into the wound from the exertion. The phrase 'like rubbing salt on ones wounds' line came to mind…and it added to the discomfort.

Thankfully he figured out that by using his waist, since falling off and onto his furry ass wasn't something desirable, and moving with the bear made it more difficult to fall off. Thoughts, since he couldn't get his mind off of it even he wanted to, of the two talking creatures didn't completely sit right with him. There were plenty of cartoons, movies, and even some books, that had similar situations like this.

As to whether or not the antagonists were talking animals and mythical creatures was a different story.

Brandon, first off, can't completely rule out that this could be a delusion. Perhaps he was in a comatose state and his mind was tricking him to believe that everything he touched, tasted, or smelled were real. Perhaps it was trying to replace the world he was familiar to and made this world up in its place. What he couldn't understand was where had he even seen or read these places? Nothing came to mind when he examined his surroundings.

Not to mention that riding on something akin to a bucking bronco wasn't helping.

Harry's bulk must prevent him from running fast, compared to most animals, but it was still remarkable how fast they were going currently. Most of the weight, at least what he could tell by leaning slightly to the right and down, seemed to be centered on the back legs where most of the locomotion was taking place. The bear's legs were quite...short yet powerful enough to propel the body forward while revealing the sharp, forward and backward, rocking motion.

At least it explains why it feels like I'm riding a crazed bull. Brandon thought to himself with a small, pained, smile. Soon the bear and his passenger were able to see the Pegasus and zebra in the warm orange glow of the light in relatively open spaces of the forest canopy. Luckily they had slowed down their galloping into a less, though still fast, speed or Harry would've never caught up. Fluttershy seemed to be glad that the bear was alright; seeing as how she smiled warmly when Brandon and Harry came into sight. The zebra seemed mutual in her feelings as well though she looked the opening of his cloak before, giving a smile and a quick nod, turning back to the path in front of them.

Vane.

That word felt like a whisper in the back of his mind. The next six minutes the sounds of hooves and the heavy thuds of Harry's paws striking the ground passed somewhat quickly for Brandon in an odd way. Both mind and body had been focused on either hanging onto the bear or ignoring his body's injuries to keep him from falling off. One thing seemed to remain certain though; plans to find answers would need to be revised and put on hold. It was an infuriating development…but what could he do? It's not like he planned to get injured and get his mind blown all in a few days.

Vane.

The word was fitting. Everything was either changed dramatically or his mind finally decided to throw him for a whirl. All that the teen could do at the moment is to be swept up and carried to an unknown place with a blurred future.

Why not?

A small amount of time passed, Brandon being too absorbed in staying on the bears back, while the beastly teen contemplated a few plans he could move into place. It all depended upon the help of these quadruped 'friends' of his. But, if they meant to trick him, at least the teenager would get as much information as possible out of them in the time it took for his wounds to heal.

Vane.

"But first…" Brandon spoke softly to himself; watching the two equine-like creatures race in front of him at a canter-like speed. It was almost too soon that the small group came upon a familiar tree with strange glass windowpanes. Colored bottles hung from branches of the tree in, what appeared to be, a random order. At the time Brandon had only wanted to bring the female zebra to safety then go. Why hadn't he noticed them in the first place…?

Watching the bottles hang and swing from their places felt slightly…relaxing. Strange, though it was similar to decorating ornaments on a Christmas tree, but it probably was for something different. Maybe it was decoration?

What have I gotten myself into? The teen thought to himself in silent agony; starting to feel the events of today and the night before rapidly begin to catch up to him. He was bruised where he didn't know he could get bruises, been bitten, hungry, and exhausted to the point of collapse. Whether it was his will, or some other circumstance, it had been nearly impossible that he made it this far in his current condition. Harry, either having sensed his 'passenger' was near his limit or having seen the tree, gradually slowed down from running to a lumbering walk.

The zebra, once the bear had stopped just a few feet from the door, moved toward Brandon as if to help him. Brandon quickly held up his left hand to keep the zebra at bay; taking a few moments to prepare himself for dismounting. He swung his right leg up, using his tired arms to keep him balanced, and around the bears back so his legs would straighten in his drop to the ground. Pain lanced up his leg in an instant; making him grit his teeth to keep sound from escaping his lips.

One step in the right direction.

His right hand sought the grizzly hair of Harry and was not disappointed to find it before giving it a good rub. "Thank you for carrying me." Brandon whispered to the bear; feeling it was strange but justified to thank the animal bearing his weight. Harry, perhaps in understanding, made a noise similar to a low growl mixed with a dog's whine…at least that's what it sounded like. Brandon stared at the bear for a few more long seconds before shaking his head to clear the thoughts away.

It wasn't possible. An animal can't understand words.

Something firm nudged him in the left leg; similar to the time in the clearing. Turning his head to the nudge revealed the same culprit. She stood there with a smile. The kind of smile that made it seem like the worst was over. Brandon could feel the corners of his snout curl into a small smile in return; feeling the presence of Harry move away from him. The zebra, as the bear walked off to the side of the rose maned Pegasus, closed the distance between them.

Another strange thing occurred that day that threw the teen for a loop.

The two quadrupeds…hugged? It was an interesting sight to say the least. Striped front legs curled gently around the underarms of the Pegasus; bringing Fluttershy into a warm hug.

Somehow, though it wasn't like he hadn't seen a hug before, it made the teen feel uncomfortable watching the affectionate display. There was a feeling of…unease in his stomach; like he was an unknown element tossed into the mix with the other chemical ingredients. With the feeling of awkwardness came a small mental image in similar proportion to these two creatures. The memory was rather simple but it meant the worldto him; happier times from a time long ago. Bonds, true bonds, could be powerful things tying together friends and family.

Though the reality was so much crueler than the fantasy a person's mind could dream up.

He turned his eyes away, for politeness and his own benefit, choosing to stare at the house he would be staying in. Fatigue gnawed on his legs, as well as the pain, making it feel like he could collapse at any moment…but it could wait a little while longer. It had to wait for what he had to do next. Brandon, to ease the wait, began tuning out the world around him to help him forget his needy body.

The two quadrupeds released each other after a minute or so; the female zebra speaking just above a whisper to the Pegasus.

"I can never repay you for what you've done today, Speak your mind though and I most certainly will try one of these days." She smiled again; seemingly grateful for the help. Her smile turned to Harry and winked. "Take care of her for me my furry friend, Tonight I have a patient to attend." The bear grunted in response; making the zebra smile and nod in approval.

"It was no problem Zecora. Y-you've done a lot for me too." Fluttershy said barely above a whispering voice; making Brandon's ears twitch to catch the noise. The Pegasus had begun looking down in embarrassment while making small circular motions with her hoof.

The zebra made a small chuckling sound in her throat; walking back toward the tree house. As she was passing him to climb up the small steps to the door she motioned with her head and eyes; glancing back between him and the door. Though the smile remained…it seemed like she wanted the teen inside now.

…better not take too long then.

Brandon nodded to the zebra; holding up two fingers with his right beastly paw for the time he needed. She must have understood before glancing at the Pegasus behind him and smiled before disappearing into the tree house. He turned around to see the broad backside of the bear and the rose colored tail of Fluttershy turned and leaving. "Wait!" Brandon called; hobbling a few steps to outstretch his beastly hand in a stopping motion.

Fluttershy visibly cringed at the sound of his voice; probably startling her. Though, slowly, the winged horse turned around to face him. Luckily the two only moved a few feet so it was bearable on his leg until, with some more stumbling, he came within a respectful distance of the Pegasus.

I wish you would stop acting like I'm going to eat you. The teen thought to himself tiredly; slightly winded from the exertion of moving on his own legs only to find the rose maned creature was still avoiding eye contact with him. Was it something he did? Was it something he said? What exactly did he have to do to at least talk to her like sensible peo—well sensible beings?

Mentally shaking his head an idea came to mind for this situation that seemed to come out of nowhere. Taking a small steadying breath he knelt down on his left leg; planting his right foot so it only bore a small portion of his weight while he placed his right fist on the ground next to his foot to further relieve pressure. At this height he was almost looking the mythological oddity in the eye from within his hood and, once she realized that a shadow was hovering over the ground she seemed to be staring at, did she look up at him with surprise. Apparently it had been the right course of action…at least she didn't act like she was going to run, or fly, away.

"Your name, its Fluttershy…isn't it?" Brandon asked as gently and quietly as he could; placing his left paw-like hand carefully on his right knee cap. Kneeling in this hunched position was uncomfortable but necessary to appear...somewhat harmless. The Pegasus's eyes darted toward his abdomen for a long moment. Making the teen raise an eyebrow in puzzlement before realizing what she was staring at; part of his strange, at least strange to a creature like her, anatomy and the ruined clothing were exposed to her.

A slow nod confirmed his question.

Finally getting somewhere. The teen thought with a small smile though slightly uncomfortable where she had been staring. Placing his left hand, slowly and non-threateningly, over his sternum he bowed his head slightly for a brief moment. "Thank you. Without you—and your zebra friend—I wouldn't have survived the night in these woods." Brandon, lifting his head for a moment, cautiously stretched his left hand out; vertical to the ground with an open palm. "For now this is all that I can manage. Hopefully, if the next time we meet, I will have found a better way to thank you for your trouble."

The Pegasus, when the teen held his hand out like that, seemed puzzled; returning to circling her right hoof in the dirt for a few moments. Was she embarrassed?

Carefully, almost painstakingly, a pale golden hoof touched his palm.

Somehow, perhaps the infection getting to his head, Fluttershy actually smiled at him. Quirking his muzzle in a ghost of a smile he firmly, but gently, closed his beast-like hand around the hoof and shook it once in an up and down motion. Just when he was about to stand up did the Pegasus say something that made the teen stop.

"U-um…please wait a moment." There was a small stutter then a soft thud as a saddle bag she was holding behind her wings was slid off to hit the ground. The pack, very similar to his modified one, was a heavy lidded double saddle bag. One saddle bag hung from her left flank and the other on her right. It was the right saddle bag she was currently ruffling through; alternating using her hoof or muzzle to push aside items in the search for something.

Curious he looked at some of the items she picked up; carefully using her mouth to set them aside from the bag. One small jar, though he didn't know what it was, made his nose itch when he took a sniff. Those items, if he had to take a guess, were used in medicine; probably similar to what was inside the zebra's tree house.

Finally, after a minute, the female Pegasus pulled out something from the bottom of the bag. She held the corner of it in her mouth; stretching her neck a little in his direction. A small smile on her face. "There's blood on your leg. Y-you can use this—that is—if you want. You don't have to though…" Her voice was slightly muffled with the cloth in her mouth but was still understandable.

Looking down at his right leg he found she was right; blood from the soaked bandage had decided to start running down his leg to make a small puddle around his heel. Watching her hold the cloth made him chuckle softly; reaching the small distance and grasping offered cloth with his index finger and thumb. "Thank you."

She smiled and nodded in response.

Unfolding the cloth once he pressed the edge of it against the back of his leg; traveling it up and toward the bandage. It had been a thin trickle yet the cloth came back rather dirty so he folded the dirty side inwards once then twice. The Pegasus had watched him do this with a somewhat worried expression.

"I don't think you want this. I'll clean it up and give it back to you another time." He held up the cloth to eye level before proceeding to stand up again.

Then he was stopped again.

"It's fine! I-I can take it. There's no trouble." The Pegasus seemed to be insistent about it. In her mouth, probably to prove her point again, she held up another identical cloth for him to see. "If you could put yours in this one I can take it back…if you don't mind." She turned her eyes away in embarrassment; going quiet with him staring at her.

What a strange thing you are. Brandon thought to himself with some amusement; taking the second cloth like he had the first. He took thought in how he placed the first cloth into the folds of the second cloth while keeping care not to press them together. Presenting a clean corner of the cloth to her, after holding it out as far as he could, the Pegasus took it carefully between her teeth and laying it onto a few items she had begun piling into her bag.

Once the Pegasus had organized herself, having minimal trouble sliding her head under the two straps linking the bags together and sliding it onto her back, the teen stood up to his full height.

The two stood there for a few more moments before Brandon broke the silence.

"Thank you again young Pegasus. Until we meet again." He bowed his head respectfully once again; lifting it up again to raise his right hand in farewell.

Fluttershy smiled and nodded; turning around to follow the bear out of the forest. When they were a good distance away is when something occurred to the teen; how many others were like that?

Damn it. The teen thought to himself with a grimace; feeling his bones begin aching as bad as the bite he had received. Brandon turned to look at the tree house and started hobbling toward the door. Soon he found himself at the door and, acting on what came naturally to him, knocked thrice in succession. He didn't have to wait long for the door to swing inwards to show the striped female waiting for him. She smiled and gestured toward a small pile of pillows leaned up against the wall with her muzzle. The sight, somehow, made him queasy and dizzy with the thought of what would happen next.

What his 'nurse' said next wasn't any less savory.

"No need to make such a face Stranger, Your wound is in immediate danger." The zebra gave an encouraging smile before, using her head to butt him against his left leg, pushing him toward the spot insistently. She stopped, having made sure he made his way to sit down where she could reach him, going to her shelves for some more supplies.

He took his seat on the ground; propping his back against the pillows on the wall. Leaning up against the wall was the pack he had dropped outside and been placed there within arm's reach. Clawed fingers dragged the bag over to set on his lap; reaching inside to pull out the torn wool blanket. It probably had seen better days…but it would have one more use left. Brandon, after folding what was left of the blanket, moved aside the portion of his cloak in the way of his bandaged thigh.

Unfortunately his handmade 'cloak' wasn't stiff enough to stay crumpled in the way he wanted it.

"Damn it." The teen muttered when the cloak moved again over the bandage; blood smearing the material on its edge and insides. Brandon, now getting a little irritated, pulled the corner of his cloak away once more before he literally stuffed it behind his back. Adjusting his position in experimentation, finding that it wasn't very comfortable, the teen sighed and placed the folded wool blanket underneath his thigh in hopes of keeping blood from getting everywhere. Sitting there with his legs pointing at the opposite wall was more than a little uncomfortable.

Chest, legs, and his arm were exposed.

Though this current body was superior to his original…it wasn't…right. No one word could describe the alien experience he felt when looking at parts of his body more suited for a monster in a horror movie. Making a clawing gesture with his right hand caused the black claws from before to spring forth and reveal the sharp, and dangerous, points. Relaxing his fingers caused the ebony colored talons to retract into their respective places.

If people saw what he looked like now would cause local authorities to go on a monster hunt. Staying out tonight, even with these new abilities, would have been a suicide decision. Whether the threat was predators, or other people, doesn't make a difference. Exposing his body may be uncomfortable but it was better being exposed insidethis house than outside.

Especially if predators like those tree wolves were running around after dark.

Hoofsteps, with a soft clinking noise from the bracelets on her hoof, came toward him in the candlelit light. Hanging from the zebra's mouth was a basket with medicine and neatly folded towels. She lowered her head to examine the bandage he had made for himself and shook her head gently in wonderment. "This wound is something terrible to behold, Though the craftsmanship did last it wouldn't work…if I may be bold." The zebra smiled apologetically and motioned with her hoof to the bandage before the teen could protest. "Please remove the wrapping, It is time for my healing."

For some reason the zebra seemed to take pride in her capabilities as a healer a little too much.

He nodded and, while he wanted to point out that bandaging wasn't a normal occurrence, tugged on the knots until they were loosened enough for him to slip a clawed finger into a loop; pulling it free. Cutting the vine with a claw and, placing the left overs in a small pile next to him, finally there was a single blood soaked blanket shred glued to the bite mark. A small thought crossed his mind that the pain of tearing this off would be the equivalent of tearing skin off of muscle tissue.

Peeling the makeshift bandage slowly made it all the more unbearable.

Pain, having grabbed the corner of the bandage and applying an agonizingly slow pulling motion, gathered on his wound like hot coals in his skin. His teeth were clenched so hard that he would have probably bit through stone if something else had been placed in his teeth. Air passed through his bestial teeth in a vain attempt to keep himself mute without much success. Blood had begun to flow freely again as the bandage was pulled away from his thigh.

By the time the bandage was off, and placed with the other filthy pile, Brandon was gasping for breath. The wound itself was irritated and swollen though there was still an indentation where the 'teeth' had sunk in. Exhaustion crept over the teen's eyes like a dark blanket while he let the zebra look at the wound herself.

Minutes passed in the relative silence between the two creatures; the zebra poking and prodding the places around the bite. First came the sensation of something damp and heavy landing on his leg before a movement caused him gasp out. It felt like sandpaper over his flesh as the cloth back and forth; cleaning up the leftover blood and bite area. Something went pop like the cork being pulled off of a wine bottle then a liquid was poured over the open wound.

At first it felt cool to the touch and was soothing…until it started burning like boiling water on flesh.

It was a challenge onto itself trying to keep from grabbing his leg and pulling away. The zebra, probably concerned, said something he couldn't hear. He could see her lips moving but the ringing in his ears continued to block out sound. Slowly he unclenched his teeth; feeling the ache in his jaw. Something thick was then applied in a generous amount.

When had the zebra done that? Why was it now that he could smell ointment?

A towel wiped the blood surrounding his thigh and the blanket was pulled from beneath it. Soon something white flashed in his blurred vision, along with the zebra, to only end up touching his leg. In his failing eyesight he placed a clawed finger on one end of the long ribbon of cloth against his wound; letting the zebra take care of wrapping it.

The zebra seemed to, though it wasn't for him, enjoy helping other creatures.

Bandaging his leg took a considerable amount of time; having to flip the bandage over and reaching her head to the inside of his thigh to pull it tight before repeating the process. A hooked piece of metal was placed over the end of the cloth to keep it from coming unraveled. His leg, though the zebra had been careful, ached terribly from the cleaning and bandaging. Luckily the ringing had stopped after a little while.

"Come there is a room for you to use, But that is only if you choose." The deep feminine voice whispered to him; standing in front of him with a warm smile. Her tail moved with a soft swish and moved to his right with her flank facing the wall he was leaned against.

"If it isn't too much trouble, Doc." Brandon said with a small grunt. Using his paw-like hands to support himself against the wall he stood up; applying as little pressure to his right leg as possible. Looking around wasn't much help since most of the walls were accommodated by shelves and their contents. Glancing to his right he calculated the next few actions. Gently placing his right hand on the zebra's back they began their trip across the room and, following the equine-like creatures lead, toward the bedroom from before.

Instead of going through to the zebra's bedroom she steered him down a hall that went past and toward another door. The door was cracked open to reveal a small, though not uncomfortable, room big enough to store a bed similar to size to the zebra's. A rug was placed underneath a small nightstand which sat the source of light; a small fat candle sitting on a small plate. He sighed in relief before sitting down on the edge of the sheets.

Now for the cloak…

Unfortunately the cloak had soaked some of his blood during the operation. Glancing at the zebra he sighed. Guess it's now or never. The teen thought to himself reluctantly; reaching for the small rope keeping the hood of his cloak together. "Remember that night? You asked for my name." He continued and untied the knot slowly.

The zebra nodded in the affirmative.

Using his index finger and thumb to close over where the rope met the holes, the cloak having nothing to keep itself together, he looked down at the floor and bent his head. "I didn't want you to see this…but I don't think it would be right." Motioning with his free hand he passed an open palm in front of his hood. "Please. Close your eyes." His yellow eyes looked up to make sure she had done just that before continuing.

Gaining the trust of a local would give the teen ample information of his surroundings and the current state of the world. Though the zebra seemed to keep to herself in this forest it would only help to keep him out of sight and cause less trouble; establishing a distance from whatever other surprises might want to come out of the woodwork.

Distasteful but necessary.

Brandon, having let go of the hood, reached around his head and pulled the cloak from his shoulders roll it into a crude ball and drop it on the floor; using his wolf-like foot to push it away from the bed. The zebra visibly flinched upon hearing the cloak hit the floorboards.

Fear? Or was it just a nervous reaction?

"There isn't a lot I can tell you right now. But know this; my goal here isn't meant to harm you or your kind. As for my name—" The teen reached out and touched the shoulder of the zebra with his right hand; gently with the fingertips. His eyes stared intently at the closed eyelids of the zebra for a reaction.

Whether it was the act of touching her, or the way he paused, the zebra opened her turquoise eyes to see the face of wolf with yellow cat-like eyes staring back at her. All of his body was revealed to her; from the wolf-like legs from before to the clothes and his blue furry appearance.

"You may call me…Vane."