~5 years later…

Snowflake was on an enclosed sky chariot on her way back from Cloudsdale. There was significant air traffic on the direct route from Canterlot to Cloudsdale, so they had to take the long way round, which took them on a low flight over the Everfree Forest. Much to their surprise, however, there was something in their way. Now, normally, Ursa Majors don't come out of their caves unless provoked. Nopony provoked this one. It wasn't even rampaging. It had come out of its hole in the mountain, hadn't even seen the pony chariot when it was emerging, and the pegasus pony drawing the chariot had tried to avoid it to no avail. The chariot crashed, the pony pulling it barely got out. He flew away as quickly as he could. But when he landed in Ponyville, he remembered who was on board that chariot. He then flew as quickly as possible to Canterlot to inform Luna and Celestia and Twilight. They'd know what to do.

~Meanwhile…

A human boy, of around 16 years, was walking back to his cave home in the Everfree Forest when he saw the Ursa Major emerge from its cave. "Oh, hello, mom," he said, "You're not usually out of your cave. Stretching, I assume?" The huge constellation bear crouched down to look at him. "Yes," she said, "I'll be in soon. Make yourself some dinner, okay?" "No problem, mom," he said. He walked inside, looking at himself in the mirror (or, rather, the large piece of shiny metal that acted as a mirror for him) and saw his reflection, as usual. It'd be odd if he saw anything other than the youthful face, a necklace of claws around his neck and a crown of timberwolves' sticks on his head, the crown adorned with leaves as well. He took off the crown and set it on the table, then he took a cup of soup and sipped it. He sighed, picking up a note on the table and reading it to himself. "We have intercepted the most recent messages to Princess Celestia. They suspect nothing." That was what was on the note, scribbled in berry juice which had this blue-purple color.

The Ursa Major walked in. "Hello mom," said the boy respectively, "You are early. Would you like some stew?" "No thanks," said the Ursa, "I'd prefer pony. Thankfully we'll get some when we assault Canterlot, I'm going to enjoy the delicacy that is Celestia. Good riddance, I think. She's veritably insane." "I know," said the boy, "I have heard the stories." "I saw something odd when I was out earlier," said the Ursa, "I saw a pony chariot. It crashed. I don't think there were any ponies inside, though. If there were I could smell them." "Maybe we can still salvage the parts, though," he said, "I shall go check it out, mom." "Good idea," she said, "Good luck."

He ran, actually at a speed that could rival most ponies, to the site of the crash. There was a small amount of smoke rising from it, from the sheer friction of the chariot's parts. He saw the open door of the chariot and looked inside, nothing. Nothing at all. He looked around, to see if there were any ponies around. He got out his magically imbued, wooden dagger, although it was made of wood it was made of the same wood that had created the timberwolves, and therefore it was very strong, nearly as much as steel. It glowed green a little. Earlier, he'd used it to cut apart several berries, smearing the juice across his face to disguise his scent. He didn't know that Equestria had long since changed, and therefore thought that if he met any ponies, they'd want to kill him. He'd been told stories of woe by his adopted mother, the Ursa Major, an immortal constellation being who had lived since such olden times. But he was surprised to find something incredibly different.

There was a human.

A human girl.

She was laying there, dressed in a golden top that was also incredibly flexible, he'd never seen alluminite so he couldn't recognize the metal. She also wore a miniskirt, the same golden color. Just under her skirt, he saw her cutie mark. And so he was confused. He'd been told that humans didn't get cutie marks, unlike those barbarian ponies. Should he kill her, or should he save her? She'd lost a lot of blood, she was still bleeding profusely from her arms, legs, she had scratches all over her middle, and pretty much everywhere that wasn't covered by her sports-bra or miniskirt was bruised and scraped. She had a bloody nose and a bleeding lower lip as well, and she appeared to be unconscious. She was breathing, but very faintly, and she had a pulse, but it was growing weak. Knowing that if she was a pony, that he could interrogate her for information, and that if she was a human gathering forces to fight the ponies, which he could join with her, he gathered some medicinal herbs and healed her.

Soon she awoke, she sat against a rock, and she opened her eyes just a little to see the face in front of her. She opened her mouth to talk, and he lifted a bowl to her mouth, tilting it up and forcing her to drink it. So she did, it dribbled down her face a little and fell on her chest. She went to wipe it off, but the boy got there first, licking it up. She blushed a bit, but she didn't move. She didn't have the energy. But she had a little energy, and she used it to look at him and say, "Where am I?" "You are in the Everfree Forest," he said, "And what is your name?" "Snowflake," she said, "What's yours?" "I do not have a name," he said. "You need a name if you're gonna be my friend," said Snowflake. "Friend?" he asked, bewildered. He didn't have friends. He had his mom, which was counted as… family, he guessed, and he had his army. "Yes, friend," she said with a smile, grasping his hand between hers, "Have you never had a friend before?" He shook his head. "Well, I'm glad to be your friend," she said quietly, she groaned as she tried to sit up, but he pushed her back down. "No," he said simply, "You need rest."

"Okay," she said, "Come rest with me, then." "Okay," he said, "I shall go and get some food. Then I shall rest with you." "Thank you," she said, "By the way…" He turned to look at her. "Could you find my crown?" Snowflake asked. He looked bewildered. She looked around, then Snowflake found it. She pointed at it, the gold crown gleaming in the sunlight. He nodded, grabbed it and placed it beside her. "Thank you," she said, picking it up and placing it on her head. Then she closed her eyes and smiled. He went and gathered some berries.

He came back quite soon, bunches of berries in his hands that Snowflake either didn't recognize or couldn't name. "Eat," he said, "You shall feel better then." "If… you say so…" said Snowflake, gritting her teeth as she shifted enough to grab a berry. She placed it in her mouth, and she shivered from the sheer tanginess. Then she grimaced, because her injuries hurt when she moved, and she'd just involuntarily done so. "Careful, Snowflake," he said, "You may hurt yourself again. I believe you have broken a rib. You shall be okay, if you rest. Not so if you do not." "Okay," she said, "Then you'll have to feed me." He nodded and plucked several berries off, placing them in her mouth one by one. Snowflake continued smiling, even when her eyes showed that she was in great pain. "Even if she is a pony," he thought, "She has guts to keep smiling even when she is in pain." "I'm not a pony," she said, he'd been inadvertently staring at her cutie mark most of this time, trying to comprehend it, "But I was altered, like they were altered. And I was raised by ponies. My mother is Princess Luna, my aunt is her sister, Princess Celestia." "You… you know… Celestia?!" he exclaimed, "THAT MENACE DESTROYED OUR RACE!" "I know," said Snowflake, continuing to remain perfectly calm with a smile on her face as she explained, "But she wiped her own memories. She no longer is that same mare. She's nice, kind, compassionate… she helped raise me, for pony's sake!"

Half of him wanted to continue arguing that Celestia is evil, argue on the behalf of all the humans who were destroyed in the war. But the other half reasoned that, if Celestia had helped raise such a kind, happy… gorgeous… young girl, that she couldn't be that bad. At least, not anymore. "We must have our revenge on the ponies for killing off our race," he said, remaining determined. At least, half of him did. "You're doing it wrong," Snowflake said matter-of-factly, still smiling. "How?!" he exclaimed. "They taught me friendship, kindness, loyalty, honesty, generosity, laughter…" Snowflake said, "They made me the person I am today. I wouldn't be me if it wasn't for them. And I don't really consider myself a human. Just a really odd looking pony. I'm not a pony… But Dear Celestia knows I wouldn't mind if I was suddenly turned into one."

Then he came to the realization that he hadn't really seen Celestia being evil. Just heard about it. And now he was hearing something again, but hearing something from another human about how ponies are amazing. All his life, he'd been hearing from animals created by the humans, just like ponies were created by the humans, and that ponies are evil and terrible and killed off all the humans. "They only did that because they were sick of being slaves," half of him argued. "It was still wrong!" the other half retorted. "Maybe, but Equestria is a different place now than it was then, and your mom only does not realize that," the first half said simply. "I… would not mind… either…" he said finally. He'd be defying his own mother's orders, but it was okay. He needed to hear the truth. "May I come with to your home?" he asked. "Sure," said Snowflake, "But how do we get there?"

Meanwhile, he had already bounded over, pulled the chariot out of the hole it had created with the impact, and set it down. He hooked himself up to the chariot and pulled it over. "Like this," he said. Snowflake tried and failed to get up, then he unhooked himself and lifted her into the chariot, setting her on the cushy bench inside. Then he got back in the proper place and ran, incredibly fast, towards Ponyville.