Chapter 1: The Outset of His Voyage

The sound of a fence post being hammered into the ground echoed across the field in which two young men worked, sweating under the brims of their hats in the hot midday sun. The taller of them, a lanky fellow with sunburned skin and light brown hair, sat as the last post sank into place. "I tell ya what Joe, I'm bushed," he said to his companion before taking a pull of water from a canteen. Some of the water dribbled into his beard. It wasn't quite cool after so long in the heat, but it was still refreshing enough to elicit a satisfied sigh.

Joe, a short, thickly built man of German heritage, chuckled at his friend's apparent exhaustion. "You went and got yerself used to city life Lewis, fergot yerself how tah work." Lewis punched Joe playfully in the leg but didn't respond. After all, Joe might have had a point. Lewis had just returned to the small Texas town he called home after completing his college education. Two semesters off the ranch, and he lost some of his endurance. He tried, but could not recall a simple job like putting up fence posts ever tiring him out this quickly.

Still, he reflected, it had been worth it. His time at school had shown him exactly how ignorant he had truly been. He had known so little, and now in spite of all he had learned, he felt like he knew even less. The world had turned out to be much bigger than he had thought, for all the talk people made of it getting smaller. Yes, he had gone to the gym, tried to keep in shape, but exercise like that never quite made up for the lack of hard manual labor, and his physique had suffered for it.

At least I still remember how to ride, he thought, glancing at his horse. He had been given a colt by his grandfather six years before, a fine pale quarter horse named Bourbon. There wasn't a faster horse in the county, and everybody knew it. Joe had been kind enough to look after Bourbon during Lewis' absences, and he had returned each summer to find the horse in fine shape. Bourbon and Lewis understood each other perfectly, and the long periods apart had no effect on that. Bourbon seemed to know when Lewis was coming home, and was always waiting for him at the gate to Joe's pasture, eager to resume their partnership.

Lewis worked on his families' ranch every summer, and it was good to come back and recall once more the feeling of work gloves and the smell of fresh hay. His parents had been so proud when their son had gotten a scholarship to attend college. They had sent him off to get a proper education, and he hadn't disappointed them, graduating at the top of his class. He had chosen not to continue his studies, however. He knew that, while the knowledge he had gained was and would always be dear to him, he belonged on the ranch.

"I'm guessing we should check along the south line for any more gaps, then go fetch the wire and get this job finished," said Lewis at last, not wanting to appear lazy. Joe nodded, and the two mounted their horses without further discussion, Joe heading west and Lewis heading east, to check for any more gaps in the fence line. In the days to come, Lewis would regret not having said something more profound to Joe, as this would be the last time they saw each other. They had been friends since childhood, and he would miss the short man's raunchy jokes and off-key singing.

As Lewis guided Bourbon along the fence line, keeping his eye out for damage as they went, he couldn't help thinking about some of the people he had met while attending college. In general, he had learned that people in the city weren't mean, exactly. There were just so many of them going about their business all the time, that it was difficult to get any of them to hold still long enough to make friends. City folk weren't lazy, quite the opposite in fact. They just had the convenience of sitting down more often.

It was while he was lost in thought that Bourbon suddenly shied away from the fence line. Lewis didn't quite notice at first, and it was only when they passed several small shrubs that he realized they had veered off course. "Whoa boy," said Lewis, trying to direct his mount back, "where do ya think yer goin'?" Oddly, the horse refused to turn, but persisted in his course, stubbornly ignoring Lewis' orders. The rider soon ceased his efforts. If Bourbon thought going his way was a bad idea, Lewis knew there was a good reason. He had learned to trust the stallion's instincts. Several times in the past, doing so had saved both their lives.

Gradually, he became aware of an odd humming noise. It seemed to come from directly ahead, around the bend of a small hill with an old oak tree atop it. Lewis knew the spot; he had climbed the tree often in his childhood. As they rounded the bend, the humming intensified. What Lewis saw made him gasp. A strange ball of light hovered a few feet above the ground. Bourbon made straight for it. Lewis, certain that this was a mistake, hauled on the reigns. Rather than slow down, the horse increased its pace, stopping only when they were directly in front of the odd light. "Wha-?" was all that Lewis had time to say, before he Bourbon unceremoniously bucked him off, directly into the center of the light. There was a flash and a bump as he struck the ground. Then, there was only darkness as he lost consciousness.

"Oomph!" Applejack let out a grunt as she loaded the last barrel of apples for the day onto her cart. She was pleased with herself, having finished the southern corner early, earning some long-overdue time off. Sweet Apple Acres was a glorious sight to behold. Trees, as far as the eye could see, brimming with fruit, and glistening in the sun thanks to the brief rainfall the night before.

She looked back to the edge of the property and saw Twilight Sparkle, sprinting like a mad-mare along the dirt road that ran past the farm. "Hey Twilight," she called out, "Where yah headed in such a hurry?" Either the purple unicorn didn't hear her, or was in too much of a rush to respond. She tore past, and kept going, headed out of town. A panting, exhausted Spike came trailing after her, the baby dragon dragging his feet. "Heya Spike," said Applejack, "Where's Twilight goin' so fast?"

Spike plopped down on the side of the road, trying to catch his breath for a moment before responding, "She got a letter from Princess Celestia. She looked at it for a few minutes and then tore out of the library. No explanation, no nothing. Not even a word or two to me. I was worried so I went after her, but I just can't keep up."

"Well you just let Twilight worry about whatever it is," said Applejack, concerned about Spike’s welfare, "why don't you come on down to the farmhouse with me and I'll fix ya up some cider." Spike seemed to perk up a little at that, and offered no resistance when Applejack plucked him off the ground and placed him on her back. She glanced briefly in the direction Twilight had gone. "I hope she's okay," the blonde farm-pony muttered to herself.

Twilight's heart hammered in her chest. She had read the letter from Princess Celestia carefully, making sure that each word was carefully scrutinized and understood. The tone of the message made it clear that there was no room for error. "Something is coming," it had read, "and it is essential that we know what as quickly as possible." Afterward, it had explained quite clearly where Twilight needed to be, and when she needed to arrive. When Princess Celestia gave an order, disobedience was no option at all. Nevertheless, Twilight knew she would have to move fast to make it in time. Even at her best sprint, she wasn't sure she could get there in time.

The small field just past Sweet Apple Acres had been generally untouched by any sort of development. Some wealthy merchant in Canterlot had purchased it years before, and never even come to inspect it. Twilight could already see something, a dim glow, getting brighter in the middle of the field. She poured all her strength into moving her legs as fast as they would go. She would not let her mentor down.

The light had faded by the time Twilight made it there. She was terrified that she had missed whatever was supposed to happen, and despair began to fill her. Nevertheless, she ran the last short distance to the spot where the light had been. Rather suddenly, her hoof caught on something and she went sprawling snout over tail. Shaking herself, she got back up slowly, a hoof to the side of her head. She looked down and gasped at what she had tripped on. She hadn't missed it after all.

Applejack smiled fondly at Spike. The baby dragon had exhausted himself trying to keep up with Twilight. He was curled up on a small blanket that she had set out by the window. Applebloom sat beside him, watching him sleep. It was one of those peaceful moments that did Applejack's heart a world of good, marred only by her concern for Twilight Sparkle's unusual behavior. It sounded like her friend had received orders from the Princess. It would be best to avoid interfering. Princess Celestia was beloved by her subjects, but everypony knew that if she said jump . . . .

Applejack's quiet reverie was interrupted by a dull thump on the front porch. Spike twitched slightly in his sleep, and Applebloom looked up, worried. "Don't yall fret now," said Applejack, "I'll go an' see who it is." Applebloom nodded, comforted that her big sister would take care of whatever the problem was. Applejack quietly wished that Big Macintosh were there, but he still hadn't come in from the north fields, and Granny Smith was still in town, visiting some of her old friends.

Applejack opened the door and was greeted by the sight of Twilight, panting and soaked in sweat, while her horn glowed brightly. "Twilight, what happened to ya? Looks like you tangled with another Ursa Minor!"

Twilight's breath came in gasps. "Feels like it, but can we talk later? I'd like to get this thing inside." She pointed down toward the porch at Applejack's hooves. Applejack's followed downward and were met by one of the strangest sights she had ever seen in her life.

"What in tarnation is that thing?" It was a long creature with two legs and two arms, an oddly blunted face, dressed in clothing that Applejack found oddly familiar, like something she would see routinely at the rodeo. It even had a hat resting on its chest that looked distinctly like her own. A lasso and other implements hung from a belt around its waist. It had short light brown hair atop its head and running along its chin and around its mouth.

"I don't know," said Twilight, stressed to the point of irritation, "All I know is that Princess Celestia thinks it's important. Is Spike here? I need to send a message, quickly."

Applejack nodded. "He's here alright, got plum tuckered out tryin' tah keep up with ya. Ahm 'fraid you'll have to wait awhile while he gets some shuteye. Meantime, let's get it in out the sun." The creature proved to be rather heavy, but Applejack was toughened by long years working the farm, and quickly maneuvered it inside, depositing it on an old sofa in the living room.

"Whatingtha hay is that!" Applebloom squeaked as she hid behind Granny Smith's favorite lime-green armchair. Twilight was amused by the fearful response. Applejack moved to comfort her spooked sister and Spike continued to sleep, oblivious to the surrounding events.

"I don't know Applebloom," Twilight said, "but it doesn't look terribly dangerous. It seems to be completely unconscious." She and Applejack studied the creature more closely. The steady rise and fall of the chest indicated that the creature was not seriously hurt, although there was no way to know for sure.

"Well," said Applejack, "I ain't seen anythin' like it before. Sure ain't from 'round here." She gingerly poked the odd thing lying on her couch in its shoulder, eliciting a slight grumble that caused them all to flinch backward, but it made no further move to stir, and they relaxed at last. "What are you gonna do with it?" Applejack asked, looking at Twilight expectantly.

Twilight put her hoof to her temple and glared at the floor in deep thought. "I supposed we'll have to keep it nearby until it can move. In the meantime, I'll send Princess Celestia a letter asking for further instructions."

Applejack shook her head vigorously, "No way sugarcube, I ain't having something that might be dangerous to mah family staying here."

"What do you propose I do then?" Twilight snapped back, "I can't carry it all the way to the library, and I can't just leave it out to die. I need time to get a response from the princess, and until then, I don't know what to do with it."

Applejack opened her mouth to retort when a new voice entered the conversation. "Where in blue blazes am I? And who let the horses inside?" As one, they directed their attention to the creature, now quite suddenly sitting up and looking at them with a bemused expression.

"EEEEIIIK!" As one, all three ponies dove behind the nearest available cover, panicked. Applebloom did a terrible job of it, her tail sticking out from behind the same armchair.

Spike sat up, rubbing his eyes, yawning, "Hey everypony. What did I miss?"

Author's Note

This is the first chapter of the fic I've worked on for the last year or so. I cleaned it up and got it ready for FimFiction at the request of some of my readers. I hope you all enjoy!