Chapters Chapter 1 - My name is Hannah Faust
Celestia skimmed through the piles of books that were stacked beside her. "I know it's in here somewhere, so why can't I find it?"
Celestia had spent the last few days holed up in the royal archives, searching for the spell that would finally allow Celestia to meet with the great creator once again. But she couldn't find the stupid book!
Somepony knocked on the doors. "Princess Celestia, are you ok? You've been in there for a couple of days now and we're all getting a little worried about you. Do you mind if I come in?" Twilight was greatly concerned for Celestia. As much as Twilight loved books, she knew that it was important to take a break every once in a while. But locking yourself up in the library for five days straight just wasn’t healthy.
"Oh, my," Celestia said. She looked at herself for the first time in days and noticed how dirty her coat and mane were. "J-just a minute, Twilight! I just need to uh... tidy up a bit!" Celestia yelled as she tried to simultaneously shelve the books, burn the dirt off her coat, and blow her hair with the celestial winds. Unfortunately, in her haste, she instead shelved her hair, burned the books, and blew her coat so that it frizzled up like Fluffle Puff.
"What's that noise? Are you ok, Princess?" Twilight shouted through the door.
Celestia tried to pull her wedged mane out of the shelf but to no avail. "Y-yes! Absolutely! I'm perfectly fine, Twilight!" Celestia yelled back.
"I can smell smoke!"
"That's just the oven!"
"You have an oven in there?" Twilight asked.
"It's for the cupcakes! Don't judge me!"
Twilight wasn't buying it. "I'm coming in, Princess."
"Nonono, don't open the–" It was too late. Twilight had swung open the doors to reveal the strangest scene that anypony had ever witnessed. Even worse was the fact that Spike, Luna, and a handful of guards had been waiting outside the doors with Twilight in case Celestia needed help. And boy did she need it.
Nopony moved. Celestia was frozen from sheer embarrassment while everypony else was too shocked to do anything. All except for Luna who was busy rolling on the floor.
"Hahahaha! Tis humorous to see thee in thine current state dear sister. We are greatly amused!" The guards snapped out of their daze and ran over to help untangle Celestia's mane as Spike ran in to put out the burning books.
"Princess, why are you acting like this?" Twilight asked as she walked towards Celestia.
"I-I was reading, and the knocking, but the dirty coat, so with the burning, I-"
"No, I mean why are you locking yourself in the archives?"
The guards just finished untangling her mane when Celestia smoothed out her coat with her magic, and cleared her throat. "Thank you guards, I can handle it from here." The guards bowed and excused themselves quickly.
Celestia turned back to Twilight. "I was searching for a tome I had lost many years ago. I know that I had filed it away somewhere in the archives, but when I looked for it I couldn't find it! It is very important that I-."
"Is this it?" Spike asked. In his hands rested an ancient book covered in runic symbols, untouched by the flames. "It was the only book that wasn't all burnt up."
Celestia levitated the book closer for inspection. "T-this is it! Oh thank you so much, Spike!" She gave Spike a powerful bear hug, and dropped him onto the floor. "I must prepare the spell immediately."
When Luna finished laughing and stood back up, she trotted over to Celestia. "What is the purpose of the spell you are attempting to cast? Is it important?"
Celestia nodded. "Very important. When lady Faust made us alicorns and showed us how to use the elements to defeat Discord, she gave me a book with instructions for a spell that was capable of summoning her in times of need."
Luna was shocked. "Why wasn't I informed of this?"
"Faust told me not to tell you about it because she knew you would become Nightmare Moon soon after Discord's defeat." Celestia said sadly. "But now that you have returned, and Twilight has become a princess, I feel that I need to ask for Faust's guidance on what to do next." Celestia smiled. "And I also wanted to talk to her for a bit."
Luna absorbed the information and nodded. "We understand. Now art thou going to cast thy spell or not?"
"Of course," Celestia answered. Can you assist me, Twilight? We require three alicorns for this spell, and Cadence is currently busy with the Crystal Empire."
"You can count on me, Princess," Twilight said.
"Thank you, Twilight. Please join me in the throne room in an hour. I need prepare myself for the summoning." With that, Celestia teleported to her room, walked inside, and threw herself on her bed. She closed her heavy eyes and fell asleep.
"Is everypony ready?" Celestia asked.
"Ready, Princess," Twilight responded.
"We art prepared as well," Luna said.
"Then let us begin." Celestia started the spell by aiming her magic at the book and pooling her raw energy into the shape of a circle. Her magic would act as the base for the spell so that the portal would have an energy source.
"Tis my cue," Luna said as she placed a powerful layer of magic over Celestia's. Her magical layer gripped onto their world as well as the creator’s, creating a tunnel.
"Here I go," Twilight said. Twilight shot a long string of her magic through the portal and had matched her magic signature to that of the book’s. By doing so, her magic was able to lock-on and search for Faust's magical signature in order to summon her.
They all strained their eyes in effort. Celestia's magic was draining quickly, Luna's tunnel was losing its grip, and Twilight's magic was becoming harder and harder to control as the line extended.
"Have you found her yet, Twilight?" Celestia asked.
"Not yet, but I'm close. I can feel it!" Twilight shouted. Her magic weaved and waved around the foreign world until finally, it gripped onto something. "I've got her! I'm pulling her through!" Twilight yelled as she pulled on the magical line.
"Our grip is loosening!" Luna shouted.
"Quickly, Twilight!"
"We cannot hold on much longer!"
"YAAAAH!" Twilight gave one final tug before the portal closed. The magic portal exploded outwards, and proceeded to engulfed itself along with the book.
"Ohhh," Twilight groaned. Something slammed her into the ground when she gave that last tug on her line, but was too dizzy from exhaustion to see what it was.
“T-Twilight, don’t move,” Celestia warned.
“What is it, Princess?” Twilight asked while holding a hoof to ease her aching head.
“Remain calm, Twilight Sparkle. We suggest that thou doth refrain from making unnecessary sounds or movements,” Luna said cautiously.
Twilight shook her head and blinked. The room stopped spinning and began coming into focus. When she was able to see clearly, she looked at what was pinning her down and gasped. On her stomach slept a warm, small, slightly adorable, human.
After all of the commotion, Celestia had brought the child over to her bed so that she could rest more comfortably. As soon as she was tucked in, the three alicorns left the room quietly to talk.
“What should we do?” Luna asked. “The child is certainly not lady Faust, although she appears to be of the same species.
“I’m not sure, Luna. I didn’t expect something like this to happen. Are you certain that you set your magic to the correct frequency, Twilight?” Celestia asked.
“Yes, Princess. I triple checked the book’s frequency and quadruple checked my own. It was definitely identical.”
“How could this have happened?” Celestia asked aloud. “When the portal closed, the book disappeared along with it. Without that book, we cannot recreate the spell.”
Twilight paced nervously. “Are you certain that there is no other way to contact Faust? I mean, there has to be a backup plan or-“
“No, there is no other way that I know of. But finding a way to contact the creator is not my greatest concern. What’s troubling me is why this child appeared in her place. Perhaps, she was brought here for a reason.”
“We shall find out soon enough. We must be silent, for I can hear the child awakening.”
The little girl opened her eyes. She looked around the room slowly and quickly realized that it was not the same room she fell asleep in. She sat up on the bed and noticed that the sheets were tucked around her. They were amazingly soft and warm. Wherever she was, it was comfortable. She was just about to get out of bed when the doorknob began to turn. She quickly bundled herself up, and stayed quiet.
Celestia walked into the room and found that the human had wrapped herself up in the blanket like a little ball. My, how cute! “Hello, child. Are you feeling well? Do not be afraid. I am only here to help you. Can you tell me your name?” The girl shuffled around and uncovered her mouth so that she could speak.
“M-my mom told me not to talk to strangers.”
Celestia nodded. “Your mother is very wise. Then can you tell me your mother’s name so that I can help you find your way back home?”
“W-well, I call her mommy, but everyone else calls her Mrs. Faust.”
Celestia froze. She couldn’t believe her ears. Did she just say that Faust was her mother? No, that couldn’t be . “I’m sorry little one, I didn’t quite catch that. What was your mommy’s name again?”
The little girl began to pout underneath the sheets. “I already told you. All of the people that work with my mom call her Mrs. Faust! But my daddy calls her Lauren.”
Celestia started to pale (if that was even possible). She didn’t summon just any human through the portal. It was the creator’s own daughter . She needed to help her.
“Little one, please believe me when I say that I am a close friend of lady Faust.”
“You are?”
“Yes. And if you want me to help, then I'm afraid you'll have to come out of those sheets.”
The girl tilted her head thoughtfully. “Are you sure you’re not a bad guy?”
Celestia gave a warm smile. “I’m sure.”
“You’re not lying are you?”
“I promise, I’m not. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” Celestia said as she did the motions.
The girl didn't quite understand what Celestia said, but she could tell that she wasn't bad. "...Ok," the girl said as she came out of her shell. Celestia looked at her closely for the first time. The child wore what looked like a pair of pink pajamas. Her body was small and skinny, her hair was long and bright red, and her skin looked soft and pale. She looks so much like lady Faust , Celestia thought. When the girl looked at Celestia, her face made an unexpected expression, one of both shock and excitement. "Oh... my... GOSH YOU'RE A PONY!" the human squealed. She leaped off her bed and wrapped her arms around Celestia's neck, dangling a few feet off of the ground.
Twilight and Luna burst into the room. "Sister, art thou unharmed? We heard screaming and-"
Luna was interuppted by another squeal of joy. "MORE PONIES!" She let go of Celestia's neck and ran over to pet Twilight's head. Twilight jumped a little from the touch, but relaxed when she realized that the action was harmless. Also, being petted felt good .
"Ooh, keep petting me right there," Twilight purred. She bent down so that the girl had an easier time petting her.
Luna looked at Twilight worriedly. "Art thou feeling fine,Twilight?"
"Ohhh, I'm feeling better than fine." Twilight said as she instinctively rolled over onto her back as the little girl rubbed her tummy. "I'm in heaven."
The girl giggled as Twilight kicked at the air. "You're a silly pony!"
Twilight giggled as well. "No, my name is Twilight Sparkle. What's your name?"
The girl gave a big smile. "My name is Hannah Faust."
Chapter 2 - Small package, Big suprise
“Ok, let’s go over this again,” Twilight sighed.
The day after Hannah's arrival, Celestia informed the guards and the castle staff of Hannah so that everypony wouldn’t panic when they saw a human girl walking around. They also hired a royal tailor to make some new clothes for her (since Hannah insisted on having bigger selection of clothes than just the one pair of pajamas that she was wearing). For now, Hannah was to stay inside until Celestia could properly introduce her to society.
Celestia was busy setting up the arrangements for her announcement while Luna was in the archives, searching for a way to contact Faust. That left only Twilight to watch Hannah. And Twilight planned to take full advantage of her time with Hannah.
“I’m bored! I wanna play outside!” Hannah complained. For the past hour, Hannah had been sitting in her room, on a chair, answering questions about her home. Unfortunately, she was 8 years old, which meant that she wasn't exactly the best source of information for the human world. Also, she was getting REALLY bored.
“I’m sorry Hannah, but this is important! We need to get as much information about your world as possible if we’re going to send you back. Plus, it’s so interesting! Learning about the human culture will have a big impact on Equestrian society. We’ll be able to create new art, music, architecture, literature, everything! And your technology seems to be amazingly advanced. Being able to talk to others from far away with a plastic box? I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it! Now tell me… how does a ‘T.V.’ work again?” Twilight asked, paper and quill ready.
Hannah gave a large sigh. “A T.V. is a big metal box with a screen that shows moving pictures. You can watch cartoons and movies on it when you turn it on.”
“And this, ‘remote,’ lets you switch between channels?”
Hannah gave a quick nod. “Yes, now can I go play outside?”
Twilight finished writing her last note as she looked up with a dreadful amount of enthusiasm. “But we’ve only just begun! In fact, I don’t think I'll have enough parchment to record it all! I’ll be right back, Hannah.” Twilight left the room with a stack of parchments, covered in notes from their previous, one hour long, talk.
Hannah just sat in her chair, bored out of her mind. Is this all I’m going to do today? Am I just going to sit here, talking about how to work a television remote ? Hannah looked at the closed door. I bet it’ll take Twilight a while before she comes back. Maybe I can find something fun to do while she’s gone . Hannah jumped out of her seat, and opened the door. After checking to see if the coast was clear, she went out into the hallway. I think the kitchen was… that way ! Hannah ran down the halls toward the kitchen, thinking of fun things to do along the way.
A few minutes after Hannah had left, Twilight came back with a stack of parchments and a dozen quills. “Ok, Hannah! I’ve got more parchments for us to-“ Twilight opened the door to find an empty bedroom. Twilight’s left eye began twitching uncontrollably. “HANNAH!”
Hannah was in the kitchen, exploring the vast array of cupboards and drawers. “What’s this thing? What does this do? I bet this is really cool!” Hannah tossed various kitchen supplies behind her as she dug deeper and deeper into the cabinets, interrupting the cooks that were working in the kitchen.
“L-lady Hannah. Please don’t touch tha- *crash *- never mind. You really shouldn't-*clatter *- oh well. L-lady Hannah, that's very dangerous! Please be careful with-*slice *- ... oh my.”
Hannah was getting tired of this. “I’m bored. Well, thanks for playing with me, but I’d better go. Twilight’s probably found out that I’m not in my room anymore. Bye!” Hannah jumped down from the counter, and ran through the double doors.
About 30 seconds later, Twilight burst inside. “W-was Hannah in here?” Twilight asked between breaths.
The kitchen staff nodded furiously. “Lady Hannah was just in here, throwing our kitchen supplies out of the drawers. She went out that door,” the chef said as she pointed towards the direction Hannah escaped from.
“Thank you for your help. And sorry about the mess, you can take the day off,” Twilight said as she ran out the kitchen.
The chef looked back at her staff. “What just happened?”
“Doesn’t matter to me,” a nearby cook replied. “I have the day off.” He threw his apron off and walked out, others following his example. “I need some aspirin.”
Hannah was running down the hall but slowed down when she saw a pair of guards standing in front of the archives. She walked over to them with a big smile. “Hi there, Mr. and Mrs. Guardpony. Whatcha doing?” Hannah poked the guards repeatedly. “Are you playing a game? Aren’t you bored of standing there all the time?”
The guards didn’t move an inch, their expressions unreadable. Hannah decided that it was time to resort to her secret weapon. She stood on her toes so that she could reach their heads, and began petting them.
“Lady Hannah. Please refrain from touching us. We’re on duty,” the male guard said.
Hannah didn’t give up. She continued to pet their heads and began rubbing behind their ears as well. She could tell that they were about to break.
“L-lady Hannah. Please stop immediately. We don’t have time to play around with you.” Although the guard seemed to be composed, his legs were wobbling like crazy, threatening to topple him. The guard beside him simply fell to the ground and rolled onto her back. “Blue Angel! What do you think you’re doing?” shouted the male guard.
“Settle down, Swift Wing. We’ve been standing here all day, and if she wants to give me a belly rub, then I’m not complaining. Ohhh yeah, that’s the spot.” Blue Angel moaned.
Swift Wing couldn't stand it anymore. “Ah, I give up.” He fell onto the ground next to Blue Angel and joined her in kicking the air.
Twilight watched all of this with a dumbfounded look on her face. I should be more careful around Hannah. Her belly rubs are really powerful ! Twilight tiptoed up behind Hannah and cleared her throat. “Ahem .”
Hannah looked back and saw an unamused Twilight Sparkle. “Oh, hi Twilight!” Hannah said sheepishly.
“Hannah… what are you doing?” Twilight asked.
“I’m petting the guards. Sitting in my room was really boring!”
“I know, but it’s really important that we finish our discussion. Please, let’s just go back to your room and-“
Hannah stopped rubbing their bellies and stood up. “Whelp, I’m going to go play outside now, Bye!” Hannah sprinted down the hallway, leaving a confused alicorn princess with two guards laying on the floor.
“Hey! Come back here, Hannah!” Twilight yelled as she chased after her.
Swift Wing and Blue Angel looked at each other. "So... does this mean that the belly rub is over?" Blue Angel asked.
“Catch me if you can!” Hannah shouted. Despite her small stature, Hannah had a lot of energy. She shot down the hall at impressive speeds, laughing the whole time.
“Hannah, be careful! Please, just slow down for a second!” Twilight tried to stop Hannah with her levitation spell, but was somehow was unable to get a grip on her. What the… Twilight tried a second time, but failed once again as Hannah slipped right through her magic. S-she’s resistant to magic ?!
Hannah looked back and giggled as Twilight continued to pursue her. Hannah had plenty of energy, but a fully grown pony was still much faster than an adolescent human girl. However, what Hannah lacked in speed, she made up for with agility. At the end of the hallway, when Twilight was within hoof’s reach, Hannah took a sharp left turn, causing Twilight hit the wall face first, unable to slow down in time.
“Wheeee! I win!” Hannah cheered as she ran out the door. "I'll be back later, Twilight!"
Twilight shook her head to clear the dizziness and ran out after her. "Hannah, wait!" Twilight threw open the doors to the courtyard, but Hannah was nowhere in sight.
“Hannah! HANNAH!" Twilight called, hearing no response. Twilight switched into panic mode. "Oh no! What am I going to do? Oh, I’m in so much trouble! If Celestia finds out about this, she’ll banish me from Equestria! Or throw me in a dungeon! Or even banish me and then throw me in a dungeon in the place that she banishes me to!” Twilight began hyperventilating. “Ok, I have a plan. I’ll transform back into a unicorn, change my name, face, and color, and travel all throughout Equestria as a stage-show magician! That way, the princess won’t find me, and-“
Twilight slapped herself. "Snap out of it, Twilight. Hannah's safety is the priority right now." Twilight got up, and ran towards the barracks. When she arrived, she ran past the guards who immediately stood to attention and tried to salute her. "Shining Armor! I need to talk to you!" Twilight yelled as she furiously knocked at his office door. "SHINING ARMOR!"
The door opened and the captain of the royal guard quickly put Twilight in a headlock to noogie her head. "Hey there, Princess screams-a-lot. Why are you yelling in the hallway and destroying my door? If you wanted to visit I could've-"
Twilight didn't have time for this. She reached behind herself, grabbed Shining Armor's head, and flipped him over her body, slamming him onto the ground. "Shiny, I'm sorry but we really have to hurry. "Hannah ran outside the castle and I can't find her!"
Shining Armor didn't know what surprised him more. The fact that Twilight had let Hannah out of her sight, or the fact that she just broke out of his headlock and threw him onto the ground without breaking a sweat.
"Shining!"
Shining Armor broke out of his daze. "Sorry, I'll get the guards to look for her right away. Come with me." Twilight and Shining Armor ran down the hall towards the training grounds, where most of the guards were at this time.
"Around what time did Hannah get outside?" Shining armor asked.
"About 5 minutes ago, but she's really quick. She could be at Canterlot station by now."
"Got it. Don't worry, Twilight. I'll get the guard right on it." When Twilight and Shining Armor had reached the field, Shining Armor cleared his throat. "DETAIL! ATTEN-HUT!" Hundreds of guards immediately stood at attention and shouted back.
"SIR!"
"Hannah Faust is missing. She could be anywhere from the castle grounds to edge of Canterlot, and we need to find her. Spread out and search every sector. I don't want even one stone to be left unturned. DISMISSED!”
The guards saluted and shouted back in unison. "SIR, YES SIR!" They immediately left the training grounds, leaving only Twilight and Shining Armor.
"I’ll want to help search for her too," Twilight said.
"All right. You take to the skies and search overhead. I’ll go tell the princesses what happened. Hopefully, we’ll be able to find her before there's any trouble."
Hannah skipped down the roads of Canterlot, humming happily. I wonder if there's something fun to do around here . She continued along, completely oblivious to the large amount of attention that she was attracting. Hannah looked around for somepony to talk to and saw a pony couple sitting at an outdoor table together, sharing ice cream. She walked up to them, and gave them a big smile.
"Excuse me, is there a-"
"Eeeeek! Monster!" The couple jumped out of their seats and ran away.
"Wait! i just wanted to..." Hannah watched them gallop out of sight. What's their problem ? Hannah simply shrugged and continued to walk forward. This time however, she had begun to notice all of the stares that were being thrown her way. Ponies that were once conversing at their tables, taking walks outside, and eating at restaurants, had all stopped what they were doing to quietly stare at Hannah. Even the fillies and colts stopped playing to stare at her. Hannah wanted to know what the big deal was so she walked straight up to the kids. “Why are you all staring at me?”
They immediately started screaming and ran away. “AAHHHH! The monster’s coming to get us! Help! Help!” They ran off, leaving Hannah all alone.
“W-wait! I’m not a monster!” Hannah looked around her. A crowd were starting to form around Hannah, eyes staring at her from all directions. Although the ponies remained silent, Hannah could tell what they were thinking.
What does it want?
It went after those poor kids!
Stay away from that thing.
It’s a monster.
“N-no. I’m not a monster! I’m not!” Hannah was terrified. She was all alone without Celestia, Luna, or Twilight to protect her from the menacing glares of the ponies around her. Hannah was overwhelmed. She fell to her knees, shut her eyes, and covered her ears. "H-help! Twilight! Luna! Celestia! Anyone!"
From the crowd, a royal guard emerged and walked towards her. "Lady, Hannah. I’m here to take you home."
Hannah looked at him in fear and backed away. "No! I'm going to wait for Twilight!"
The royal guard grabbed Hannah's arm and lifted her to her feet. "I'm sorry, but I have my orders. You’ll have to come with me." The guard kept his grip tight and started to drag Hannah away from the crowd.
Hannah started crying. "No no no! Twilight! TWILIGHT!" Hannah struggled and twisted to get out of his grip, but it was too tight. “Let me go! LET ME GO!” Hannah screamed desperately. Without her realizing, Hannah’s entire body began to glow. The guard's eyes widened in surprise as the magic around her began to collect and glow brighter as it condensed into Hannah's body. When magic stopped flowing into her, it dispersed outward, creating a powerful explosion. Ponies that were nearby were blown away while the explosion forced the guard to let go of Hannah's arm and slammed him into a wall. That was when the crowd started to panic.
"HELP! THAT THING JUST KILLED A GUARD!"
“RUN AWAY!”
"THERE'S A MONSTER IN CANTERLOT!"
Ponies scrambled to get away, pushing, shoving, and screaming to escape Hannah’s wrath. Twilight, who was flying overhead, saw the explosion and flew towards its direction. Twilight landed in the midst of all the chaos. “What’s going on here? What happened?” Nopony listened and ran right past her. Twilight gave up trying to talk to anypony and started walking towards the explosion site, calling for Hannah. "Hannah! Are you around here? Answer me!" When Twilight got close enough to the crater's edge, she could hear the sound of Hannah crying. Twilight quickly flew inside and landed beside her.
"Hannah! Are you ok? Are you hurt?"
Hannah immediately recognized Twilight’s voice and jumped up to wrap her arms around Twilight’s neck. "Twilight! I was so scared! They were all staring at me, and they called me a monster, and they were going to take me away! I'm sorry for not listening to you. I promise I'll listen to you from now on and I'll never run away again!"
Hannah continued to cry as Twilight wrapped her wings around Hannah. "It's ok, Hannah. You're safe now." Twilight said gently. "Let's go back to the castle."
Hannah was told to wait in her room while Twilight, Luna, and Celestia discussed Hannah’s future. The chaos from today’s events had shaken the citizens of Canterlot greatly, and the princesses couldn’t leave things as they were. The throne room was cleared out so that they could speak to each other privately.
"So, were there any casualties?" Celestia asked.
"No, Princess. The guard had a few broken ribs, but there were no other injuries." Twilight reported.
"Tis nothing short of a miracle. Judging by the size of the crater, the guard should have been crushed by the sheer force of the explosion. We should be thankful that he was wearing protective armor," Luna said.
"Indeed. But what truly concerns me is Hannah. What are going to do with her? From what you told me, not only is she resistant to magic, but she creates magical explosions when she is distressed. If this is true, then she is even more difficult to handle than we initially thought."
“But it wasn’t her fault! Everypony was scaring her and calling her a monster! Plus, that guard just grabbed her arm and tried to take her against her will. She was only defending herself.” Twilight argued.
“Yes, but that guard had orders to bring Hannah back to the castle. And If I remember correctly, it was you and Shining Armor who gave the orders.”
Twilight flattened her ears. “You’re right. And I’m also the one who let Hannah leave the castle in the first place. So please don’t punish Hannah for my mistakes. Punish me instead.” Twilight lowered her head, ready to accept whatever punishment Celestia deemed fit.
Celestia closed her eyes in thought. “After what happened today, I don’t believe that Hannah will be able to stay here in Canterlot. And it also seems that Hannah needs somepony to watch her during her time here in Equestria.” Celestia had made her decision. “Twilight Sparkle, element of magic and my greatest student, until we are able to find a way to contact Faust and return her daughter, you shall be appointed as Hannah Faust’s legal guardian.”
Twilight whipped her head up. “Huh? B-but, Princess Celestia, I was the one who let Hannah leave the castle grounds!”
“But art thou not the one who hath saved her as well? She has seemed to take a great liking to you. We recall Lady Hannah saying something along the lines of ‘We apologize for not obeying thee, we shall listen to thy commandments from this day forward, and we shalt never run away from thy presence again’. If Lady Hannah keeps true to these promises, then the safest place for her to dwell will be with thee, Twilight Sparkle.”
Celestia nodded. “Well spoken, sister. And as I have said, staying in Canterlot is not an option for Hannah. At least not until we give enough time for things cool down. So, Twilight, what do you think about staying in Ponyville with Hannah for a while?”
Twilight's face lit up. “You’re sending me back to Ponyville? Oh my gosh, thank you! I’ll be able to visit all of my friends again!"
Celestia smiled. "I know you must be excited, but do not forget. You are also charged with the task of keeping Hannah under control. You must help her understand her powers, as well as protect her with your life. Do you understand, Twilight?"
Twilight bowed. "I understand. Thank you so much, Princess, I’ll start packing right away. And don’t worry about Hannah, I won’t let you down.” Twilight left the room and ran towards Hannah’s bedroom to tell her the news.
Luna looked to Celestia with worry. “Sister, are you certain that this is a wise decision? Ponyville is not the safest place to keep the daughter of a goddess. Especially so for a wild card such as Hannah.”
Celestia looked to Luna. “Twilight has proven herself to be the one of the most capable mares I have ever met. She will undoubtedly give Hannah the love and protection she needs. And if there is anypony that can help Hannah control her powers, it is Twilight.”
Twilight ran up to Hannah’s room. *knock * “Hannah? Are you in there?” Twilight asked through the door.
Hannah walked up to the doorknob. “Is that you, Twilight?”
“Yes, Hannah. May I come in?”
“Ok.” Hannah opened the door for Twilight and yelped in surprise when she was lifted up into the air.
“Hannah I have something amazing to tell you. We’re going to Ponyville!” Twilight laughed as she hugged the living daylights out of Hannah. “I can’t wait for you to meet my new friends! There’s Pinkie Pie, Rarity, FlutterShy, Rainbow Dash, AppleJack, and even the Cutie Mark Crusaders! You’ll fit in perfectly!”
“I…can’t…breathe,” Hannah squeaked.
“Sorry,” Twilight said as she let Hannah go. “It’s just that I’m just so excited! Everypony there is really kind and accepting. So you’ll be able to play outside all you want. And there's all sorts of fun things to do at Ponyville. It's going to be great!”
Hannah jumped into her bed and covered herself with the bed sheets. “I’m not going. I'm staying right here in the castle.”
“What do you mean you're not going?" Twilight asked. When Hannah didn't respond, Twilight walked over to the bed and sat beside her. "What’s wrong, Hannah? Wasn't playing outside and having fun the reason you ran away in the first place? Don’t you want to make some new friends?”
“I don’t need any new friends. Having you, Princess Luna, and Princess Celestia, is good enough for me.”
Twilight sighed. Hannah reminded Twilight so much of her old self that it hurt. “Hannah, I also once thought that I didn’t need any friends. I had my parents, my brother, my foalsitter, and Princess Celestia to take care of me. I thought that making new friends would be a waste of my time, but I was wrong. By opening my heart to others, I've become happier than I had ever been in my entire life. So please give Ponyville a chance. For me?”
Hannah looked out from under her sheets and was stared down by a pair of the biggest, widest, and shiniest magenta eyes she had ever seen. Hannah was defeated instantly. Hannah wasn't the only one who could be cute and adorable. “Oh alright. I’ll go.” Hannah said.
Twilight smiled and gave Hannah a hug. “Thank you, Hannah. Now go to sleep, you've had a rough day. We’ll start packing early in the morning so that we can be in Ponyville by mid-afternoon, tomorrow,” Twilight said as she tucked Hannah in and switched off the lights. “Sweet dreams,” Twilight whispered as she shut the door.
Chapter 3 - Welcome to Ponyville
“Did you pack all of your clothes?” asked Twilight.
“Yes...” Spike and Hannah groaned.
“And your toothbrush?”
“Yes...”
“How about-”
“We got everything, now can we get going already?” Spike asked impatiently. The three of them had been packing since morning, preparing for the move to Ponyville. While Twilight was excited to see her friends again, Spike was ecstatic. He was about to get a second chance to woo Rarity, and the only thing that was standing in his way was Twilight’s checklist.
“Fine, fine,” Twilight said, dropping the agenda. “But don’t come crying to me when we arrive at Ponyville and you forget to bring items number 264 and 340.”
“I won’t,” Spike said with his arms crossed. He snuck a peek at the checklist. “But uh, just to be safe, what’s number 264 and 340?”
Twilight smiled and whispered in Spike’s ear. “Item 264 is that stash of diamonds you’ve been trying to hide from me. And number 340 is that book you’ve been writing. It’s interesting how the main character is a dragon, and how the love interest sounds a lot like Rari-”
“WHAT?” Spike yelled as he slowly started walking towards his room. “I CAN’T HEAR YOU, YOU’LL HAVE TO SPEAK UP! NOW IF YOU’LL EXCUSE ME, I’M GOING TO GO FINISH UP MY PACKING NOW. BE RIGHT BACK!” Spike ran up the stairs to secure his “hidden” belongings.
“What? What is it?” Hannah asked curiously.
“Oh it’s nothing,” Twilight chuckled. “Now, let’s see how well you packed young lady.”
Hannah opened up her bag to reveal a couple sets of clothes, the latest Daring Do book, and a toothbrush.
“Is that all you packed?”
“It’s not like I have a lot of things to pack,” Hanna said simply. She tried not to show it, but Twilight could tell that she was still reluctant to leave.
“Hannah, everything is going to be fine. Ponyville is one of the nicest places I’ve ever lived in, and there’s a lot ponies that would love to meet you.”
Hannah looked down while shifting her feet. “It’s just that... I’m a little scared of other ponies staring at me again. And I don’t want to be called a monster...”
Twilight wrapped a wing around Hannah and smiled. “I don’t know one pony in Ponyville who would ever call you a monster. There is absolutely nothing to worry about.”
“If you say so, Twilight...”
“I’m ready!” Spike yelled as he ran down the steps. “Now let’s get going! I wanna show Rarity how mature I am now. After she sees how much I’ve grown, she’s sure to fall for me!”
It had only been a year since they left Ponyville, but Spike had grown considerably. He’s now only inches shorter than Twilight.
Twilight rolled her eyes amusedly. “Settle down, Casanova. We’re not even in Ponyville yet.”
“And we’re never going to be if all we do is talk all day,” Spike said as he lifted his bags over his shoulder and ran out the door. “I call the window seat!”
“No way! I called dibs first!” Hannah yelled after him.
Twilight facehoofed. It’s a chariot... the whole thing is a window seat. Twilight levitated her saddlebags onto her back and sighed. It’s gonna be a long ride to Ponyville .
“... Are we there yet?” Hannah asked.
“No.”
“Are we there now ?”
“No.”
“How abou-”
“No,” Twilight replied for what seemed like the hundredth time. When they had first taken off in the chariot, Hannah was at a loss for words, completely enraptured by the beauty of Equestria’s landscape. The luscious trees, the crystal clear lakes, and especially the majestic mountains. However, much to Twilight’s discontent, she became bored within minutes. “Hannah, please be a little more patient. We’ll be in Ponyville before you know it.”
“Humph,” Hannah said with a pout, her arms crossed. “Can’t this thing go any faster? It’s taking forever !”
Twilight chuckled to herself. Just this morning you were complaining about having to come here, and now you’re so excited about it. “Just wait a little longer, Hannah. All good things are worth waiting for, trust me.”
“Well you won’t have to wait much longer, cause we’re here!” Spike shouted excitedly. He pointed towards a small town as it slowly came into view. Hannah joined him in standing at the edge of the chariot, leaning to get a better look. As they entered the town, the chariot flew over the buildings, giving Hannah a birds eye view of Ponyville.
“Wow, everything’s so colorful!” Hannah exclaimed. The small town was completely different to Canterlot. There were homes of all shapes and sizes, each with their own separate colors and designs. “That one is really pretty!” Hannah said, pointing at the Carousel Boutique. “And that one looks like candy!” Hannah said as Sugarcube Corner passed them by. She could hardly keep up with everything. To Hannah, everypony in town seemed to be in a good mood, smiles on their faces. “You were right, Twilight! Everyone looks so nice!”
Twilight smiled brightly. “I’m glad you think so. And look, that’s where we will be staying,” Twilight said while pointing towards the Golden Oaks Library. When the chariot landed, Hannah jumped out, and ran up to the entrance. Before her stood an enormous tree with windows and balconies built around it.
“It’s like a giant treehouse,” Hannah said, starry-eyed.
“Come on in,” Spike said as he opened the doors and walked inside, Twilight and Hannah following behind him.
“Just leave your bags anywhere, we can unpack later tonight,” Twilight said. However, Hannah wasn’t paying attention. She was too busy looking around at the hundreds of books that were lined up in the bookshelves. “Oh, those are nothing,” Twilight said as she waved a hoof dismissively. “We keep most of the books in the basement below. Why don’t you come upstairs with me to check out your new room?”
“O-ok,” Hannah said, a bit overwhelmed. She quickly walked up the stairs after Twilight, anxious to see what was next.
Twilight opened the bedroom door with her magic. “Now, I know it’s not as glamourous as the rooms in Canterlot, but-”
“It’s so cool!” Hannah exclaimed. The room was large with bookshelves carved into the walls, completely filled with books. Beautiful designs and patterns were painted on the walls in the form of flowers, constellations, and Celestia’s and Luna’s cutie marks. The room even had stairs leading up to a second floor where their beds were. Hannah span around to face Twilight. “I love it! We get to stay here?”
“Of course! This one is my bed, this one is Spike’s, and this one’s all yours. I hope you don’t mind sharing a room with us.”
Hannah couldn’t contain her joy. She squealed and jumped around happily, much to Twilight’s amusement. “Of course I don’t mind! I get to share a room with a pony and a dragon! How cool is that?” While Hannah was busy bouncing around, Twilight noticed something strange. It was faint, but she could see the magical traces that Hannah was leaking as she moved.
It’s almost like her magic is overflowing. Twilight made a mental note to analyze the traces when she had the time. But for now, she needed to settle Hannah in. “Alright, Hannah, I think it’s about time I introduced you to everypony.”
Hannah stopped bouncing and looked at Twilight. “Do we have to? Can’t we do that tomorrow?”
Twilight shook her head. “No, we can’t. It’s considered very rude if you don’t introduce yourself right after moving. Since everypony has already met Spike and me, it’ll make things easier for you.” Twilight pulled out a small checklist from her bag. “Since this is your first day in Ponyville, I’ve written out a planner for you to-”
Twilight was cut off as there was loud knocking at the door followed by yelling from outside. “Twilight! TWILIGHT! I know you’re in there!”
Twilight stuck her head out the window and recognized Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and a certain hyperactive, pink pony standing outside the entrance. “Girls? How did you know I was here?”
Pinkie took a step forward from the group and looked up at Twilight. “I had wobbly knees, itchy hooves, and something in my eye!”
“What?!”
“My Pinkie sense told me you came back!” Pinkie explained.
Twilight groaned. No matter how hard she tried, she could never explain the inner workings of Pinkie Pie. “Just a minute! I’m coming outside righ-”
“Where’s your friend?” Pinkie interrupted.
Twilight looked at her, completely flabbergasted. “How did you-”
“I had that feeling where you have something in your nose and you really want to sneeze but you can’t so you tilt your head back and breathe really slowly so that it’s easier to sneeze but it doesn’t work so you look at the sun for a long time until you-”
“Pinkie...”
“My Pinkie sense told me that too,” Pinkie Pie beamed.
Twilight sighed. “Spike, please let everypony inside!”
“Got it!” Spike yelled from downstairs.
Twilight looked at Hannah and smiled. “C’mon, let’s go down and introduce you to everypony.”
“W-what if they don’t like me?” Hannah asked while looking down at her feet.
Twilight put her hoof on Hannah’s shoulder. “We’ve already been over this. Everypony in Ponyville is really nice, especially the ones downstairs. They’re some of my best friends, and they would never dislike such a sweet girl like you. Now let’s go say hi.”
Hannah’s nodded nervously. “Ok.”
Twilight went down the stairs, Hannah following closely behind. When Twilight walked into the living room, everypony stopped talking. “Hello girls! It’s good to see you again.”
“Twilight!” the ponies cheered.
“Howdy, Twi. How’s yer fancy life in Canterlot been treatin’ ya?
“Did you practice any new moves? You gotta try this new course I made!”
“I-it’s good to see you again, Twilight. I hope we’re not being a bother...”
“It’s been ages , darling! And my, oh my, Spike’s grown so much! Why, I hardly recognized him!”
Twilight greeted all of them cheerfully. “Nice to see you all again, girls!” Twilight walked forward and brought them all into a group hug.
“Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie. What’s your name?” Pinkie Pie asked. They all turned their attention to Pinkie, who was staring at Hannah with enlarged eyes. Hannah simply stood still, feet planted firmly into the ground. Everypony was deathly quiet as Pinkie and Hannah stared into each other’s eyes, unmoving.
“Um, Twi? What is that thing?” Applejack whispered. “It don’t look like anything I ever saw.”
“I-is it dangerous?” Fluttershy asked timidly.
“Why won’t the poor dear say anything?” Rarity asked.
“She’s just a little nervous, that’s all,” Twilight said. “Go ahead, Hannah! Introduce yourself to Pinkie.”
Hannah’s mind went blank as she stared into the abysmal eyes of Pinkie Pie. C’mon, Hannah. You only have one chance to make a good first impression .Hannah clenched her fists tightly, and forced herself to speak. “H-hi, my n-name is H-Hannah Faust, and I’m a h-human. N-nice to meet y-you.” Oh great. There goes my chances of friends. Way to go Hann- . Hannah was unable to finish her thought as she was being squeezed to death by Pinkie Pie.
“Oooh, you’re so cute ! You know, you look kinda like a mini-minotaur but you don’t have hooves for feet and you’re not as hairy. I met a minotaur once and boy was he a riot! He tried to teach Fluttershy how to be assertive, and he had a bunch of goats, and he rhymed all the time. Kinda like Zecora but he didn’t do it as much. *gasp * Do you rhyme when you talk? Can you tell me a rhyme like, right now? Oh wait, I got one! Mmphmph-” Rainbow Dash stopped Pinkie’s rambling by stuffing her hoof in Pinkie’s mouth.
“Let’s not scare the kid away, alright?” Pinkie nodded as Rainbow Dash took her hoof out of her mouth and wiped it on the wall. Pinkie Pie let go of Hannah, allowing her to breathe. “Hey squirt, you ok?”
Hannah gasped for breath before speaking. “Y-yeah, I’m ok. Thank you, uh...”
Rainbow dash struck a heroic pose. “The name’s Rainbow Dash. I’m only the fastest and most awesome pegasus in Equestria! If you’re ever having a problem, then give me a call. I’d never leave a friend hanging.”
“Ok, Rainbow Dash!” Hannah responded. Wow, she’s so cool!
Applejack introduce herself next. “Howdy there, sugarcube! My name’s Applejack, and I work over at the farm on the other side of town. So come on by if you ever want somethin’ tasty to munch on. If y’all have any questions about anything, then go ahead and ask me. You can always count on me to be honest with ya.”
“Thanks, Applejack!”
Rarity took a step forward. “I believe it’s my turn for introductions. Hello, my name is Rarity and I work at the Carousel Boutique in the center of town. I absolutely adore fashion, as I have made it my life’s work. You’re always welcome to visit, and don’t be afraid to ask me for anything. Helping others is what I do best after all.”
“Thank you, Rarity!”
Fluttershy timidly went up to Hannah next. “Um, I’ll introduce myself next, i-if you don’t mind that is. My name is Fluttershy, and I love taking care of animals. I don’t talk very much but I’m a good listener, so if you ever need somepony to talk to, you can always come to me.”
“I will, Fluttershy!”
“Aaaand, it’s my turn!” Pinkie Pie cheered. “My name’s Pinkie Pie! But you already knew that since I said it before. I like making everypony happy, so if you’re ever down in the dumps, tell auntie Pinkie Pie and I’ll make it all better! My two favoritest things to do in the whole world is to bake sweets and throw parties. I looove throwing parties! Oh my gosh, I should throw one for you right now!” Pinkie turned around and pulled out a pink cannon from behind her back. She pulled a string, and party items shot around the room, decorating everything with streamers and confetti. Her cannon shot out tables, food, and even a banner that hung itself over the top of the room that read, ‘Welcome to Ponyville Hannah!’.
“Where did you get that sign?” Hannah asked, a little disturbed. “You didn’t even know my name until-”
Twilight stopped her. “Don’t question it. Trust me.”
Hannah stared at Pinkie Pie for a second and then shrugged her shoulders. “Works for me! Let’s party!” Her declaration was followed by cheers as they danced and celebrated.
Chapter 4 - First Day of School
Twilight shook Hannah’s body to keep her from drifting back to sleep. "Hannah, get up!"
“Mnnn, five more minutes...”
“C’mon sleepyhead, you wouldn’t want to be late on your first day of school now, would you?”
“School!?”Hannah jolted awake. The thought of having to go through public education, even while she was in a mystical land of ponies, was unbearable. “Why am I going to school? I just got here!”
"Which is why it’s the perfect time for you to get acquainted with everypony. You’ve met some of my friends, but now it’s time for you to make some of your own.”
“But why do I have to make friends at school? It’ll be so boring.” Hannah whined.
Twilight smiled. “I know you don’t want to go, but it would be beneficial for you to become more knowledgeable of Equestrian culture. Besides, you’d be able to make friends your own age while you’re there. Now come on, Spike’s making breakfast downstairs.”
Defeated once again by Twilight’s logic, Hannah groaned as she begrudgingly climbed out of her bed and started changing her clothes for school. When she had finished preparing, she walked down the steps, yawning away the rest of her drowsiness. “Good morning, Spike.”
“Morning, Hannah,” Spike greeted as he separated the sandwiches onto three different plates. “I just finished making breakfast, so help yourself.” Hannah giggled in response, much to his annoyance. “Hey, what are you laughing at?”
“Isn’t that a girl’s apron?” Hannah asked. Spike looked down at the cloth wrapped around his body. The frilly, bright pink fabric clashed with the hue of his dark purple scales.
“Hey, it’s not girly! Real dragons can wear pink and look just as-”
“Feminine?” Hannah said with a smile.
“... Don’t you have a school to get to?” Spike grumbled. He tore off the apron and folded it into a drawer as Hannah sat down at the table. Before Spike was able to get started on his emerald souffle, he heard the sound of Hannah spitting and coughing.
“Eww, gross!” Hannah grabbed a napkin and wiped her tongue to get rid of the foul taste in her mouth. “What kind of a sandwich is that?”
“Oh come on, my cooking’s not that bad. It’s just a daisy sandwich.”
“Daisies? I can’t eat daisies!” Hannah tried to pick the bits and pieces of the daisies, and their stems, out of her mouth.
“Then what do you eat?” asked Twilight.
Hannah laughed nervously. I don’t think I should mention the meat. “Do... you have any pancakes?”
“Pancakes?” Twilight looked at the clock. “There won’t be enough time for us to make you any, so I suppose you’ll have to buy some at school.” Twilight trotted up to Hannah and dropped ten gold coins into her hands. “This should be enough for both breakfast and lunch. If you can’t find the lunchroom, ask somepony in your class to show you the way.”
“Alright,” Hannah said as she pocketed the money. Twilight also handed Hannah her bag and began levitating school supplies inside.
“Here are some quills and parchments in case you need to take any notes. Make sure to ask Ms. Cheerilee about the textbooks you will be needing for the school year, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. There is no point in sitting in a classroom if you can’t understand what you’re learning. Make sure to introduce yourself to everypony in the class, and remember to stay calm.”
Hannah nodded blankly as the last of her supplies organized themselves neatly in her bag which zipped itself shut. “Wow, Twilight. You’re really good with magic!”
“I should hope so. It is my special talent after all.” Twilight giggled.
“How did you know it was your special talent?”
Twilight pointed to her cutie mark. "When a pony discovers their special talent, their cutie mark appears. I got mine when I was accepted as Celestia’s protégé."
Hannah looked at Twilight’s cutie mark, the 6 pointed star adorning her flank. “You’re cutie mark is so cool! Do you think I’ll ever get a cutie mark?”
Twilight thought for a moment. “I’m... not sure. I’ve never heard of other species getting cutie marks before.”
"But... how will I find my special talent if I don't have a cutie mark?"
Twilight helped Hannah put on her backpack and smiled. “You don’t need a cutie mark to tell you what your talent is. Trust me. You’ll know when the time is right. But you won’t be finding your special talent anytime soon if we don’t hurry and get you to school.”
“Alright,” Hannah replied.
“I’ll be back soon, Spike! Try not to burn down the house while I’m gone!” Twilight shouted behind her as they walked out the entrance.
“Yeah, yeah,” Spike replied back as he shut the door.
Hannah and Twilight began walking down the road towards the schoolhouse. Hannah kept an eye out for any signs of trouble, but was surprised to find that nopony was panicking or running away when they saw her. In fact, she was happily greeted by everypony they passed by as if they were old friends.
“You ladies headed to the school? Say hi to my daughter for me would ya?”
“Oh look how adorable she is!”
“If you girls need anything, you let me know!”
Hannah politely greeted and waved back to the townsfolk, her previous fears melting away. Maybe living here won’t be so bad.
After walking a couple more blocks down the road, they had reached the front gates of the school. And like all the other buildings in Ponyville, it was colorful and inviting.
“Well, here we are! Are you ready to make some new friends?”
Hannah looked at Twilight with pleading eyes, attempting to convince her one last time. “Can’t I just study at home? You could-”
Twilight shook her head. “Books can teach you many things. But friendship can only be taught from first-hand experience.”
Hannah saw that there was no way to convince Twilight and sighed in defeat. “If you say so...” She looked at the school and gulped, the small building seeming to grow larger and more intimidating the longer she stared at it. Slowly, she began walking up to the doors of the school. She placed her hands on the handles, and looked back one last time. Twilight smiled at her and motioned for her to go inside. This is it. Hannah faced the doors, took a deep breath, and pushed open the doors.
Trotting through the halls were colts and fillies of all shapes and sizes. Some walked along in pairs, while others formed group circles, laughing and joking in their cliques. Engrossed in their conversations, nopony seemed to notice Hannah’s presence.
Hannah, determined to make some friends, stepped forward and spoke up. “Um, excuse me? Can somepony help me find the-” Hannah's voice died down as everypony stopped to stare at her. Time seemed to freeze as the halls became deathly quiet. After a short while, everypony's conversations resumed, but in hushed tones. But for reasons she couldn’t explain, she could still hear them, as if they were whispering into her head.
'Who’s that?'
'What does it want?'
'Is it a monster?'
"N-no. I'm not a monster." It was Canterlot all over again. Hannah took a step back to escape but bumped into the pony standing behind her.
“Hey, watch where you’re going!” said an annoyingly stuck-up voice.
Hannah turned around and came face to face with a pink earth pony who had a purple mane with white stripes. She wore a tiara on her head which was an exact replica of her cutie mark. Standing beside her was a dark grey pony with a light grey mane. She wore a pair of blue glasses, wore blue beads around her neck, and had a silver spoon as a cutie mark. Neither of them seemed very happy to see her.
“Eeeew. And what are you supposed to be?” asked the snobbish pink earth pony.
Hannah snapped out of her daze. C'mon, don't mess this up! “Oh, um. I’m Hannah, a human. Nice to meet-”
“A human? Never heard of them. Not that they matter or anything. I’m Diamond Tiara. Just stay out of my way, we’ll get along just fine. Come on, Silver Spoon. We’re leaving.” She gave a haughty smile and whipped her tail at Hannah’s face as she walked by. Silver Spoon followed behind Diamond Tiara while snickering.
Hannah stood there, dumbstruck. Why is everypony so... mean? Not only did that pony ignore and insult her, but some of the ponies had ran away, ostracizing her. I already hate it here. I wanna go home. She was on the verge of tears when somepony tapped her on the shoulder.
“Excuse me, but are you alright?”
Hannah looked to the pony that had asked for her attention. She was a small, yellow filly with an apple-red mane with a big bow tied around her hair. She was so adorable, that Hannah was just about to kneel down and give her a big hug. Unfortunately, that might have scared her away so she pushed the urge away. Hannah quickly wiped her tears and cleared her throat. “Um, yeah. I just... I’m feeling better now. Thanks.”
The small filly gave a friendly smile. “Ah’ve never seen somepony like you before. My name’s Apple Bloom. What’s yours?”
Hannah smiled back. “I’m Hannah. And I’m not somepony. I'm a human.” It was at that moment when Hannah’s stomach decided to begin grumbling loudly, reminding her of the breakfast she still needed to buy.
Apple Bloom laughed as Hannah began blushed profusely. “Sounds like you’re hungry. Don’t worry, it's nothing a little food can't fix. I’ll take you to the cafeteria.” Hannah simply nodded, too embarrassed to say anything. Apple Bloom started walking down the hall as Hannah walked beside her. “By the way, what’s a human?”
After Hannah got some pancakes, the two, newly formed, friends chatted and laughed together on their way to class. Hannah had shared a bit about humans and herself, while Apple Bloom talked about the adventures she had with her friends.
So, you and your friends go on crusades to search for your cutie marks?”
“Yup! We even formed a club. We’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” Apple Bloom exclaimed.
“That’s so cool,” Hannah sighed. “I wish I could join the crusaders. But Twilight says that only ponies can get cutie marks...”
Apple Bloom thought for a moment. “Maybe it’s because humans don’t live here in Equestria. Ah mean, you told me that there’s no magic where you came from. Who knows? Maybe you'll be the first human to ever get a cutie mark!”
Hannah’s spirits were lifted right away. “You really think so?”
“Sure! In fact... Why don’t you join us on our crusades and find out? It’ll be tons of fun~”
Hannah didn’t even have to think twice. “Yeah, I’ll join! But... do you think your friends will like me?”
“Are you kidding? My friends would love to meet you!” Apple Bloom assured Hannah. The two of them stopped walking, as they had reached the doors of the classroom. Apple Bloom looked at Hannah. “Are y’all ready to meet everypony?”
Hannah looked back at Apple Bloom and nodded confidently. “Yeah. That is, if I can count on you to help me out?”
“Don’t you worry none. You can definitely count on me.” And with that, they opened the doors, and walked inside the classroom.
Hannah recognized many of the ponies from the halls. Though some of them looked a bit nervous to see her, she could tell that most of them were friendly.
“Oh, and who do we have here?” asked an older pony as she walked up to Hannah. She had a dark-pink coat and a light pink mane, while her cutie mark was of three, smiling flowers. “You must be the new student that Twilight registered in my class! My name is Cheerilee, and I’ll be your teacher for the school year.” She held out a hoof, which Hannah promptly shook.
“My name’s Hannah. It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Cheerilee.” Hannah tried her best to look as polite and friendly as possible.
“It’s very nice to meet you too, Hannah. I think you and I will get along just fine. I can’t wait to learn more about you and your species. Now, let’s see if we can find a seat for you... Ah! Let’s have you sit right over there, next to Diamond Tiara.” Cheerilee said, pointing at the empty seat in the front row.
“Yes, Ms. Cheerilee!” Hannah said as she walked towards her assigned seat. But as she walked to her desk, there was a small, nagging voice in her head, warning her. Wait a second... Diamond Tiara? Isn’t that- Hannah gasped in horror as she saw the pony that she was assigned to sit next to. Diamond Tiara however, simply smiled and waved.
Hannah slowly walked to her desk, and took a seat. As soon as she started unpacking her backpack, Diamond Tiara leaned over and whispered. “I thought I told you to stay out of my way, freak.”
Annoyed, Hannah whispered back to her. “Hey, I’m not the one who chose this seat. Why don’t you just leave me alone?”
“Cause I’m not about to sit next to a freak for an entire school year. If you’re not going to leave, I’m going to have to make you.” Diamond Tiara grinned cruelly as she took out a straw, and shot a spit wad at Hannah’s face. Hannah simply unpacked her bag, faced the board, and sat still, so as not to give Diamond Tiara the satisfaction of eliciting a reaction. However, this only encouraged Diamond Tiara shoot more spitwads.
Hannah sighed. This was going to be a looong day .