Apple Scratch: New Arrivals

Chapters

Ch.1: Toward the (new) world
Ch. 2: Squatting for Apples
Ch.3: Getting a Kick out of practice
Ch.4: Slightly Awkward Lunch
Ch.5: The Stray Humans
Ch. 6: Backstory (Derailed)

Ch.1: Toward the (new) world

A fair skinned teenage boy with short, dark brown hair stirred from his sleep, noting he was sleeping in the shaded area under an apple tree. For a second, he remembered that this wasn’t where he went to sleep last, so he figured he was in a dream. He gave a short yawn and laid back down, about to close his eyes when a girl looking similar to him suddenly towered over him.

“Whoa!” The boy shouted, jolting awake and sitting up. “Give me a break, sis.” He told her as she giggled.

“Brandon, you lazy bum. Figures you’d be the one to wake up second.” The girl said, still laughing a bit as she bit down on an apple she was holding.

“Oh, be quiet, ‘Kairi.’” Brandon joked, what with the certain scene the two nearly re-created.

“Me, be quiet? As if.” ‘Kairi’ replied, leaning against the tree and eating the apple.

Brandon stood up, still feeling a bit dizzy. “Okay, let’s get serious for a second. Where are we, Brianna?” He asked, calling his twin sister by her real name.

“I’d guess some apple orchard, because we sure as hell don’t have a tree in Jordan’s backyard.” Brianna replied, pointing up to the rows of trees with apples in them. Jordan referred to a friend of theirs that they had been living with for a few months after moving out of their parent’s home.

“So, how’d we get here?” Brandon also asked.

“Dunno, but I’ll think about that after I’m finished with this.” Brianna said, finishing off the apple and storing the core in her pocket. “I’ll find a place to throw that out later, it just wouldn’t be right to throw a core down here.”

“Tell me, was it delicious?” Brandon asked, since it was obvious he wasn’t getting the answer to his first question.

“Like you wouldn’t believe! Seriously, I don’t normally have raw apples, but these are just heavenly!” Brianna beamed, backing up from the tree.

“What are you gonna do, buck it?” Brandon laughed. “You’re not Apple-“

Brianna kicked the tree, at least getting one apple to fall, though slightly hurting her foot in the process. “Ow…okay, my foot is good enough collateral damage for an awesome apple.” She said, hanging the apple to her brother.

“Wow, so you CAN applebuck to an extent.” Brandon said, a little impressed and taking the apple.

“With some training, I bet AJ would be happy to see any girl become a quick applebucking expert!” Brianna said as the two started walking while Brandon bit down on the apple.

Brandon made sure to chew and swallow his bite before answering. “Wow, this IS great! Just imagine what you could do with these apples!”

“I’d make the best damn apple pie ever! Now, if only I could actually cook…” Brianna said, crossing her arms.

“Or, we could make apple juice make a comeback in our lives after not having it for so many years.” Brandon suggested.
“Argh, now I WANT apple juice!” Brianna said, hearing a couple voices. “Bro, do you…”

“I hear them, too.” Brandon said, keeping quiet and staying behind a tree where Brianna propped herself up against.
One of the voices had a southern accent tied to it while the other was a bit more subdued. They heard something about training somewhere in there, but nothing too specific.

“Did Jordan take us to a farm and we forgot about it or something?” Brianna whispered.

“Nah, I doubt we’d have amnesia about the last few hours of a trip with no trauma or anything.” Brandon whispered back.

The twins hopped from tree-based cover to tree-based cover, hearing the voices sound closer. They could make out the voices a bit easier as well.

“…Jack, we’ve still got a month! I’m sure we’ll get the other girls as fit as a fiddle!” The second voice said before a banging sound was heard near the voices.

“Okay, she only said Jack…” Brianna breathed out with relief.

“Please, you thought that Apple would’ve preceded that?” Brandon rolled his eyes at her.

“Plus, you-know-who will be coming back the day before.” The voice from before said in a teasing manner.

“Ah know, Vi’! Ah’m just not sure if we’ll be ready in jus’ one month!” The girl with the southern accent replied.

“Vi? I guess like Violet.” Brianna guessed.

“With you being scared before, I was sure you were gonna say Vinyl.” Brandon said with a chuckle.

“Oh, be quiet.” Brianna replied.

“Me, be quiet? As if.” Brandon shot back.

“Now, one last tree and ah’m headed for the showers!” The southern voice said, followed by another bang.

“I’ll do a couple extra while I’m at it.” The other girl added. “You go and shower, sis. I’ll be right with you.” She said.

The twins moved closer, getting a glimpse of one of the girls. She had two different shades of blue as her hair colors, prompting Brianna’s eyes to widen.

“Th-that’s…” Brianna said, moving behind the tree she girl was standing in front of as a more musical bang rung through the air. Brianna covered her ears a bit late, as her ears were ringing from the blast. “Could this GET any worse!?” She whispered to herself as a couple apples bonked her on the head, making her fall over.
“It got worse…” Brandon said, still a couple trees away from her.

Brianna looked up at the blue-haired girl that was very clearly worried about her. The combination of the loud bang and the apple headshots made her a little dizzy on top of her ears still ringing. “Hang on…can’t hear you yet…” She said, unsure of how loud she was. The other girl seemed to understand and sat down with her as Brianna brought a hand to her head.

In the meantime, Brandon had approached the two and kneeled down in front of his sister. “Sis…” Brianna could faintly hear. “Sis, speak to me.” Brandon had told her, the sound coming in a bit clearer.

“Alright, I hear you.” Brianna told him, shaking her head.

The blue-haired girl sighed in relief at hearing her response. “Well, thank Celestia for that.” She said, watching the both of the twins’ eyes widen. “Are you guys okay?”

“Huh? Oh, sorry.” Brandon said, turning to the girl. ‘Wow, so she IS Vinyl. I mean, it’s GOTTA be, right? But, she’s…human.’ He thought, shaking his head after having stared at her for a good few seconds.

“Are you two sure you’re okay? Maybe I should take you guys over to Redheart, just to be sure.” The Vinyl Scratch-like girl replied.

“We’ll be fine, don’t worry.” Brianna said, standing up. “I’m Brianna Sky, and this is my brother Brandon. What’s your name?” She asked, nudging Brandon to follow along just in case he wondered why she asked for a name the two already know.

Fortunately for her, Brandon got the hint and simply stood up with her.

“Name’s Vinyl Almata Apple Scratch.” Vinyl said, standing as well.

It took the twins a bit of effort to prevent another twin eye widening, with Vinyl having introduced herself as part of the Apple family.

“So…uh, Apple, huh?” Brianna awkwardly said back. “I’ve heard that’s a pretty big family.” She randomly commented, the awkwardness doubling with asking for information she already knew. ‘Big enough to somehow include Vinyl of all people…’

“Eeyup, it sure is.” Vinyl replied, her red-colored eyes darting between the twins. “There’s no mistaking twins when I see them, that’s for sure.” She said with a grin.

“Well, you’d guess right.” Brianna replied as she noticed Vinyl’s grin disappearing.

Vinyl had been looking at Brandon, but down at his hand which had a half-eaten apple in it.

Brandon wondered where she was looking until he remembered the fruit. ‘Ohh, I’m in a lot of trouble…’

“I can explain!” Brianna quickly interjected as Vinyl looked back up at both of them with a neutral expression. “We just woke up a little while ago and we thought we were on a farm a friend of ours knows, so we just had a couple apples. We didn’t realize it was Sweet Apple Acres until we saw you and…the other girl applebucking! I’m really sorry, honest, it wasn’t just his fault! Here, I have the core from the one I ate to prove it!” She said, pulling out the core from before. She had almost called Applejack by name until she stopped herself to avoid raising suspicion.

Vinyl inspected the apple core before walking up to the two of them, keeping her neutral face. Just when the twins seemingly couldn’t get any more nervous, her grin returned and she started laughing. “It’s cool, guys. Heck, my sister Applejack would be happy with that honesty.” She said to them. “Us Apples can understand if you were just hungry. In fact, why don’t you join us for lunch later?”

The twins both blinked and sighed with relief. “That’d be great, Vinyl. Oh, and thanks a lot.” Brandon replied.
“Don’t mention it, Brandon.” Vinyl told him. “It’s still a while until lunch, so would you want to join me and Applejack for some exercises?”

Brianna shrugged, since the two had nothing better to do. “Sure, why not? Lead the way!”

“Cool, now follow me.” Vinyl instructed. After a few steps, she held her hands out to stop them. “Oh, and that’ll be two bits for the apples.” She said in a serious tone. Once she heard one of them audibly gulp, she chuckled again. “Didn’t I just tell you it’s alright? Relax a little.” She said without even turning around.

The twins looked between each other, with Brianna glaring at Brandon.

“While we walk, did you guys have any questions about the farm?” Vinyl asked as they continued walking.

“Umm…” Brandon mumbled, turning to Brianna. “Do we try to spill the beans, or just throw out random questions?” He whispered.

“I’m still wondering that myself…” Brianna whispered back.

“If you guys wanna know anything, just lay it on me.” Vinyl prompted them.

Brianna took an extra breath and began. “Actually…”

Author's Note

I'm still getting used to re-formatting the text here, since I normally have the lines automatically start a few spaces further like you see here. Unfortunately, it seems to re-create that, I have to manually Tab each new line. So, what'd you think of this short intro? Should I try to space things better? Any errors I may have missed? Any criticism of the twins yet?

Oh, and I should note that yes, Brandon is technically a self-insert. Him having a twin sister is completely different from me, since I only have a younger brother, so I like to think that shapes him to be at least a little bit different compared to me, but I don't mind any similarities. Also, if you like this, go read Mariacheat's stories if you haven't!

Ch. 2: Squatting for Apples

“Did I mention those apples were delicious?” Brianna asked, prompting Brandon to raise an eyebrow at her.

’Tension destroyed. Way to make me nervous.’ Brandon thought, facepalming.

“Well, they WERE Red Delicious after all if I remember your brother’s apple correctly.” Vinyl joked, earning a groan from Brandon and a giggle from Brianna. “Come on, it wasn’t THAT bad.”

“I thought it was funny, Vinyl.” Brianna replied.

“See? It wasn’t that bad.” Vinyl told Brandon, who still mentally disagreed.

The two were led to a barn that was a fair distance from the main house. Once Vinyl opened the doors, the twins saw equipment and training stations set up for various activities. There was a wrestling ring, sheathed swords off to the side, among other accessories.

“Whoa, this barn’s pretty spruced up! What’s the occasion?” Brianna asked, to which Vinyl stepped back outside and pointed above the door. On that spot was a small sign that read “Ponyville Team Training Barn.”

“At some point, I thought we didn’t need the sign anymore since it was obvious where this was, but I didn’t feel like taking it down.” Vinyl said, shrugging at her past laziness. “Besides, it feels good to have something labeled as a team effort.”

“So, what’s this team for?” Brandon asked the obvious question, to which Vinyl tilted her head at them.

“You…don’t know?” Vinyl said, sighing and shrugging again. “Oh well, I don’t mind telling you guys anyway. It’s for the Equestria Games. We’re using this place to train for it.” She explained, walking around the barn that really looked more like a gymnasium now. “Sure, it’s not the best place one can train for an event like this, but I say it works just fine. We’re making good progress with our team and I can even see us winning gold medals if we keep our pace up.”

“I guess it’s like an Equestrian Olympics.” Brianna whispered to Brandon.

“Same thing, really.” Vinyl replied, making Brianna jump in surprise. “You’re really bad at being quiet enough to whisper, just so you know.” She grinned. “She’s normally a bit loud, so that might explain it.” Brandon pointed out. The remark led to him being thwacked in the back of the head by her. “It’s the truth!”

“I can tell you two can brighten up dull moments. Even if you aren’t competing, maybe you can stick around a little while to bring some life here.” Vinyl suggested to them.

“Training can’t really be that boring, can it?” Brianna asked.

“It’s not really boring, but it’s obviously straining. A pair of twins lifting people’s spirits might be all we need to keep going.” Vinyl answered. “But hey, that’s your decision.”

Vinyl began to stretch to start her workout, leaving the twins to just watch her for the time being.

“Being an Apple and training for an Olympics equivalent…I wonder if she’s still a DJ.” Brandon thought out loud, though Vinyl was too focused on working out to notice their conversation.

“How about you ask? I mean…not directly ‘hey, are you a DJ?’ Just dance around that a little bit.” Brianna suggested.

Brandon simply nodded and walked up to Vinyl. “Mind if I ask you something?”

“Go right ahead.” Vinyl said, switching to squats.

“When I heard the applebucking earlier, the one you did sounded like music. I’m guessing you have music-based magic, right?” Brandon asked her.

“I sure do. Sorry I made your sister deaf for about a minute before. I think I made it a little too powerful by mistake.” Vinyl replied.

“That’s alright, you didn’t know she was there.” Brandon said back. “This might sound weird, but…would you happen to know anything about being a DJ?”

“I’ve learned some things about it at the Royal University of Manehatten. It sounds cool, but I don’t think I have the time to do it right now.” Vinyl said back.

“You’d rather help out at home, huh? I can understand that, especially with Sweet Apple Acres’ reputation.” Brandon told her.

“Not only that, but with me and AJ working together, we can double our output of Zap Apples once it comes time to harvest them. That’s just the icing on the cake of being there with my family.” Vinyl said back, watching Brianna approach. “If you have something to ask, go right ahead.”

“Mind if we have a squat competition?” Brianna asked, with Brandon raising his eyebrow at her again for the second time in the past few minutes.

“Ah, a challenge, is it?” Vinyl grinned, taking a breather. “How long should we go for?”

“Exactly sixty seconds, most squats wins.” Brianna told her, grinning back.

“Ah’m finished, Vi’, if y’all want a shower.” Applejack’s voice came from the back of the gym. She came out in a yellow tanktop and some workout shorts. She stopped once she noticed Brianna and Vinyl having a stare-down. “Ah hate to interrupt, but who are they?” She asked her sister.

“Perfect timing, AJ!” Vinyl said, inviting her over. “I’ll introduce you in a minute, since Brianna and I are gonna have a squat contest.”

Brandon had stepped away for a moment, returning with a stopwatch. “I’ll count squats for Brianna.” He announced.

“Ah guess ah’ll count for Vinyl, then?” Applejack said, still a little confused as to who these two were.

“Can you make some music to go with this, Vinyl?” Brianna said, taking a few steps back and getting into a ready stance.

“With pleasure, Brianna.” Vinyl replied, generating waves in her hand and tossing them into the air to act as background music. “Once the music starts, hit the button!” She instructed to Brandon. Vinyl kept her hand glowing, acting as the trigger for the music to start whenever she pleased.

Brianna and Vinyl continued their stare-down as Vinyl still held her magical trigger. Brandon looked focused, making sure to hit it the exact moment the music would start, though he was nervous seeing as he didn’t know what Vinyl would do to trigger the song. Applejack…still wanted an explanation, but would kindly wait until all was said and done to get one.

Vinyl snapped her fingers, the floating stands generating notes…but the music wouldn’t start until they hit the bar near the G clef, nearly causing Brianna to have a false start.

‘Crap, crap, crap!’ Brianna quickly thought, managing to get back to her stance just before the first note hit. ’READY!’

The first note started a relatively bombastic piece of music, sounding hilariously unfitting a simple squat contest. Brianna and Vinyl both took off performing their squats at an equal rate, with Brandon relaxing after knowing he got the stopwatch running on time.

After a few seconds, both of them sped their squats up. As for their spotters, they kept quiet to make sure their counting was accurate. They had been mentally cheering for their sisters, sure, but now wouldn’t be the time as their task required the utmost of silent focus.

With every few seconds, the two kept speeding up and speeding up. Brianna might’ve been keeping up with Vinyl, but she seemed to be pushing herself more than Vinyl was. The music kept up the tense atmosphere, reaching a point where less instruments seemed to be playing, yet building up to an epic confrontation as the challenge neared its end.

Brandon slightly brought the stopwatch up to where it was visible, yet could still perfectly see Brianna’s squats. He kept an eye as the timer ticked up to 55...56…57…58…59…”STOP!”

Both girls immediately ended their motions, with Brianna letting out a gasp to get some air. Vinyl had been panting for a moment, but nowhere near as pronounced as Brianna. “You REALLY should join our team.” Vinyl suggested.

“Thanks…but…no thanks.” Brianna replied. “I can go for short bursts, but that’s about it.”

“Hey, some of the events are all about that. Maybe you can be a sudden edge in the competition, coming out of nowhere like you did.” Vinyl told her, still excited by the prospect.

“Maybe if I called myself the Lone Wanderer, I’d draw some fans.” Brianna laughed. “Or, maybe the Mysterious Stranger.”

“Both good names, in my opinion.” Vinyl replied as Brandon and Applejack came forward.

The spotters had whispered the results to each other, both pleasantly surprised at the results. “Well, Vinyl…y’all got 52 squats.” Applejack reported.

“Yes, a new personal best for one minute!” Vinyl cheered.

“What’d I get?” Brianna asked.

“Well, sis…you got…”

Author’s Note:
Bet you’re eager to see the result of that ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny, huh? Oh, by the way, that whole squat competition came from

PSYCHE! Here you go, I’m not gonna pull a Deal or No Deal on ya! XD

“52.” Brandon stated.

“She really kept up with ‘er!?” Applejack said, amazed by her performance.

“She did, AJ.” Vinyl replied. “You didn’t need to count us up to see that. We went squat for squat, even when we sped up.”

“Wow…I didn’t even notice that!” Brianna said. “Good thing we tied there, cause that’s probably the only thing I can match that kind of strength in.” She told Vinyl. “That’s just because it’s the only exercise I’m really good at.” She sheepishly said, putting a hand behind her head and glancing at Brandon. He knew the reason why she liked squats so much.

“Still, I bet if you applied that to an actual exercise routine, you could go pretty far; at least far enough to endure more of the pain.” Vinyl said with plenty of encouragement.

“Maybe I should! I’d still rather watch those Games from the sidelines, but who knows? Maybe I could compete in something else someday.” Brianna said.

“That’s the spirit!” Vinyl said, putting her hand up for a high five.

Brianna accepted the high five as the two grinned at each other.

“Well, if you want to…” Brianna said, giving her competitor a thumbs up. “Hey, I’ll play with you some other time!”

Author's Note

Okay, NOW we're done. Seriously, I was grinning like such an idiot writing that squat competition. If you clicked that link and have played what I'm talking about, you know why I put it to that music. Just let me know if you're not sure why. ^_^

So, criticism ahoy! ...Yeah, I ran out of humorous trifectas of opinion-synonyms compared to Blue and Bass. XD

Ch.3: Getting a Kick out of practice

To save time, Vinyl introduced the twins to Applejack, intentionally leaving out the accidental thievery of when she met them.

“Nice to meet you, Applejack.” Brandon said, before Vinyl shushed him.

“Oh, and they confessed to having a couple apples before realizing where they were.” Vinyl added.

“…Y’all did what now?” Applejack deadpanned at the twins, who both went stiff as a board. “Well, at least y’all owned up to it. Ah appreciate that. Just don’t let it happen again.”

“Geez, you looked like she was going to pounce on you for just a couple apples.” Vinyl chuckled, glancing at her sister.

“At least they came clean right away unlike a certain someone.” Applejack shot back as Vinyl chuckled some more.

The twins weren’t sure what they were talking about, but didn’t want to ask.

“So, where do y’all come from?” Applejack simply asked. Little did she know the simplest question could pose the most challenge for them to answer.

“That’s, uh…a bit complicated, actually.” Brandon replied, getting Vinyl’s interest.

“Do you guys just wander around?” Vinyl asked. Two young adults supporting each other on the road seemed feasible to her.

“No, we have a home, it’s just…shall we say, very far from here.” Brandon attempted to clarify.

“Okay, enough beating around the bush, let’s-“ Brianna started before a knock was heard at the door. Applejack approached it to let the person in. “Is there a trope for interrupting important revelations?” She whispered to Brandon.

“Ah’m glad y’all got up bright and early today, CK!” Applejack said, letting in a fellow blonde girl with purple eyes as opposed to AJ’s green.

“Hey, Cloud Kicker! Meet our new temporary pep squad!” Vinyl waved her over.

“I guess we don’t have a choice now.” Brandon laughed.

“Hey, I’ll take it! Besides, it gives us something to do while we…umm, I’m not sure actually.” Brianna said.

“We’ll go over what we should be doing later.” Brandon told her as the three girls came up to them.

“Cloud Kicker, Sky Twins. Sky Twins, Cloud Kicker.” Vinyl introduced, pointing out Brandon and Brianna for convenience.

“How’s it going?” Cloud Kicker said, holding her hand out.

“I just tied with Vinyl here in sixty-second squats.” Brianna replied, eagerly shaking her hand. Brandon wondered why she seemed particularly excited to meet her.

“You what?” CK said, turning to Vinyl. “This new girl comes out of nowhere and she can keep up with you in a burst exercise? Next you’ll tell me she likes swords or something.”

“Well, I have a replica of a special sword hidden in my room.” Brianna immediately responded.

CK’s face froze for a moment. “GAH, if only you showed up a month ago!” She groaned.

“Why, what’s wrong with showing up now?” Brianna asked. She could tell where she was going for a moment, but the whining seemed a bit off to her.

“It’s a long story. I’ll just leave it at that.” CK replied, perking up pretty quickly. “Say, if you’ve competed against Vinyl, wanna try me on for size? …With swords?” She added, silently cursing for almost forgetting the last part.

“Maybe later. I’ll go see how the practice weapons feel, though.” Brianna said, grabbing a sheathed sword and having it hang from her right side.

“What a tease, she’s a lefty, too!” CK said, her antics getting Vinyl into a giggling fit.

“Y’all gonna be okay, Sugarcube?” AJ asked. “Yer not gonna get all bent outta shape from last month, are ya?”

“I know I shouldn’t. Still, a good-looking lefty sword-fighter that just became Vinyl’s new rival...” CK trailed off, sighing. “Oh well, I’ll get over it.”

Brianna couldn’t help but blush, over-hearing what Cloud Kicker had said. She wasn’t quite sure how to feel, but Brandon sure knew how to feel about being confused.

“If she gets any cuter, I’m challenging her right there to vent.” CK muttered to the Apple sisters.

Brandon waved his sister over before she was able to take the sword out of its sheath. “I understand the compliments, but you look almost beet red right now.”

“Well, I…let me tell you something.” Brianna said, her cheeks indeed red. She whispered a bunch of information about Cloud Kicker to him.

“Wait, so she’s acting like…” Brandon trailed off.

“Not the same way, since I don’t remember that kind of complaining. I wonder if the rest of that is the same…” Brianna said. “Still, you get what I mean, right?”

Brandon nodded. “This is becoming a mish-mash of canons here.” He noted.

Brianna went back to taking the sword out and stepping away from her brother. She swung at the air a few times, grinning as she practiced.

“Does she look up to a challenge?” Vinyl nudged CK, who shrugged.

“She looks pretty excited for one.” CK replied, watching Brianna take a breath and start swinging a bit faster.

Brianna had been stepping forward with each swing, making sure to keep out of the path of the others. After several more swings, she held the sword behind her and spun around with the blade extended.

“Brandon, does she normally do that?” Vinyl asked, stifling more laughter. “I’m sorry, I can’t resist it.”

“Don’t apologize, she does that a lot.” Brandon replied. “I’ll admit, sometimes I do something similar with the replica I have.”

Brianna returned the sword to its sheath and returned it. “Well, that was fun.” She said, seeing Vinyl about to burst out laughing and AJ looking at her like she was crazy. Brandon’s and Cloud Kicker’s expression hadn’t changed much. “…What?”

“Don’t worry about it, Link.” Brandon told her, to which Brianna couldn’t help but giggle along with Vinyl.

“Do you always yell like that when you practice?” Vinyl asked her.

“Sometimes. I think it’s fun and the reactions I get when people see it is priceless.” Brianna said back, looking at Applejack.

“Ah’m not saying anything! It was just a little weird, that’s all!” Applejack said.

“When are you free for a duel?” Cloud Kicker asked.

Brianna thought about a good time. “Actually…mind if we do it tomorrow? We’re still new around here, so we’d want to see a little more of Ponyville.”

“Sure, tomorrow it is!” CK agreed.

The group heard more knocking at the door. “Seems like the rest of the morning crew is here!” Vinyl announced, letting multiple other girls…and exactly one guy in. “Ready for more perfect practicing for Ponyville?” She asked the new group.

“Gotta love alliteration.” Brandon grinned.

The group that Vinyl let in all cheered and entered the gym. Vinyl promptly introduced the twins and said they were here as some encouragement or backup training if necessary. Thankfully for the two of them, the latter job wasn’t necessary for the time being.

Once Applejack had taken a break, she went over to Brandon as he watched over Cloud Kicker’s sword training. “Y’all got a minute, Sugarcube?”

“Did you need anything?” Brandon said back.

“Y’all were staying over for lunch, right? Ah’m just a little curious about the two of ya.” Applejack replied.

“Yeah, how we seemingly popped out of nowhere and became instant friends with your sister, I understand. The two of us were gonna speak with you and Vinyl later anyway.” Brandon told her.

“Well, ah’m glad we had a similar plan in mind. That’s all ah needed for now. I’ll see y’all then.” Applejack said, walking away.

“Yeah, there’s no getting around it at lunch…” Brandon muttered. “I just hope they don’t think we’re crazy.”

The Ponyville team broke for lunch, with the Apple sisters and Sky twins heading for the main house overlooking the whole apple orchard.

“I think it’d be better to say this now instead of when Granny, Big Mac and Applebloom are gathered at the table.” Brandon whispered to Brianna.

“But, what ARE we gonna say? That we should’ve expected everyone to be ponies?” Brianna whispered back, learning her lesson from the last few instances and trying to lower her volume.

“I’m not sure about that one. The fact that we’re not at all from Equestria, though, yes.” Brandon explained. “Besides, magic in general still exists here. Perhaps dimension-hopping isn’t as far-fetched as one might think.”

“So…tell them on three?” Brianna asked.

“Well, just get their attention on three.” Brandon said back.

“Right! One, two-“

“At least your sister’s learning; I can only hear that she’s talking about something, but not loud enough to hear what it is.” Vinyl spoke up.

“How can we have a private conversation with her around?” Brianna asked out loud. “And before you say ‘don’t be around you’ we kinda need to be to get to lunch!” She huffed.

“Hey, I’m sorry, I can’t help it that you’re a little loud for whispering.” Vinyl replied with a grin.

“The only way you’re getting around that is if she suddenly goes deaf, sis.” Brandon noted.

“Which isn’t gonna happen unless I forget to wear ear plugs.” Vinyl responded.

“Or forget to take them out.” Brianna added, to which the group stopped.

“…How would y’all forget you put those in yer ear?” Applejack asked out of curiosity.

“She was curious to see if that would help her sleep more easily a few months ago. Turns out, it did, but she thought she was deaf in the morning cause she forgot about them.” Brandon laughed. “She managed to make a Monday fun.”

Brianna playfully nudged him, turning her attention back to the Apples. “Anyway, the two of us have something we want to share. And I’ll warn you, it might be a little…weird to listen to.”

Applejack especially paid attention to what she was saying, thinking that maybe she could answer any questions she had about them right there.

Brianna took a deep breath to concentrate.

“Sis, just let it out before you start hesitating. You’ll never get it out if you get nervous.” Brandon told her.

Brianna nodded. “You see…we’re not at all from Equestria. In fact, we’re probably not even from this world in general since we live in a world called Earth. I’m not exactly sure how we got here, but it probably had to do with a certain TV show that has a lot of people in it that are similar to you guys and everyone we just met. We kinda-sorta know a few things about you guys, but it turns out that you turned out very different than your counterparts in that show and…well, your counterparts aren’t even humans, they’re all ponies! And-“

“Whoa whoa, slow down there!” Vinyl interrupted.

“Y’all were going as fast as Pinkie Pie, and there ain’t no one else in this world can do that! Take it slower; y’all got plenty of time to explain…whatever y’all just said.” Applejack added.

Brianna shot a quick glare at Brandon. “Just let it OUT, huh?”

“Hey, I thought it would’ve helped!” Brandon held up his hands in self-defense.

Brianna sighed. “First…I’ll just preface that by saying ‘please don’t tell anyone else about this for now.’ I’m not sure how anyone will react to that whole dimension-hopping explanation.”

“Speaking of Pinkie Pie…is it alright if we make that a Pinkie Promise?” Brandon asked.

“Well, y’all know about that. As long as y’all promise to not rush it this time, then ah don’t see why not.” Applejack said back.

The twins prepared the motions, as did the Apples. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” The four of them said, all bursting into laughter at saying it at the same time.

“Okay, NOW I’ll tell you guys for real.” Brianna said. “And I’ll take it slow, since AJ was nice about it.”

“Thank ya kindly.” Applejack tipped her Stetson hat.

“So, as I was saying…”

Author's Note

So, the twins are now the pep squad for the Ponyville team during their Games practice. Which, I suppose, would amount to more accidental Cloud Kicker teasing, being amazed at the abilities of the competitors (and I thought THEY were the ones encouraging others) and the promise of a squatting rematch.

Also, I sorta found an accidental pun out of following up a chapter with one giant Crisis Core reference to a character who's half-named Cloud. I'd have made a joke about that in chapter, but I would've likely heard you guys groaning from a distance if I tried, so...yeah.

And Applejack finds that her curiosity doesn't really need to be voiced to much as Brianna's going to try and answer as much as possible. Of course, you guys probably don't need to see the extended version of "We came from Earth and watch MLP!" explanation since that'd be obvious to assume they'd say. The Apple sisters won't interrupt this time anyway.

So, critique away! ...And I'm not sure why, but I'm feeling a little nervous about uploading this one. Maybe it's cause I've already been on a roll last night and that excitement has worn off? I dunno, maybe I'm just being silly.

Ch.4: Slightly Awkward Lunch

Right outside the Apple home, Brianna had given a rundown of how humans on Earth lived without magic or wings, and how they sort of knew the two through a television show called My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. Other than the obvious pony-to-human difference, she explained a few examples of how different this world was to the world they saw on TV.

“For the record, I’ll be the first to admit it’s a bit creepy in concept saying we’ve kinda been watching you this whole time, even if it is a different ‘you.’” Brianna said after she finished her explanation.

“Just a little, but y’all didn’t know this place was even real, so ah don’t blame ya for not thinking of it like that.” Applejack told her.

“Is that why you asked about if I was a DJ?” Vinyl asked to Brandon.

“Yeah. Your pony counterpart is pretty well known. Her nickname’s DJ-PON3.” Brandon replied.

“More like a stage name…and a cool one at that.” Vinyl nodded.

“Y’all don’t think it’s a good idea to admit that to everyone, though, do ya?” Applejack asked.

“Well…I think we had to tell SOMEONE to not be lying to ourselves every five seconds.” Brianna said back. “You two don’t mind keeping that a secret, right?”

“Well, shoot, all ya had to do was ask, Sugarcube.” Applejack smiled.

“Where should we say you’re from if anybody else asks?” Vinyl asked the two.

The twins looked at each other, pondering their answer.

“Say, since literally every place here is a pun on horse terms, can you think of one for the name Florida?” Brianna asked. “Say, why IS every location still horse puns, anyway? I mean, you’re all human in this version of Equestria.”

“Don’t ask us, it wasn’t our decision.” Vinyl chuckled.

“Give me a second, ah’ll think of a name.” Applejack said, crossing her arms. “Gosh, thinking of those kinda names on purpose is harder than ah thought.”

“Sure didn’t take Faust long, I’ll bet.” Brandon murmured.

“Nah, she didn’t make the names.” Vinyl waved him off. “At least, I think…”

Brandon tilted his head. “Wait, you know who we mean? We…didn’t mention Faust’s name before that.”

“Wait, who’s Faust in your world?” Vinyl asked.

“The creator of the show.” Brandon answered, waiting for Vinyl to reply after a short pause.

“Wow, that explains a whole lot…” Vinyl said back. “She’s essentially our ‘creator’ of sorts, too. Even of a higher power than Celestia and Luna themselves.”

“Hey, and another thing-“ Brianna started.

“Consarnit, ah thought AH was gonna ask all the questions here!” Applejack vented a bit. “Mah apologies, go on.”

Brianna tried not to chuckle, but had failed. “Anyway…what do they call Earth ponies, Unicorns and Pegasi here? It obviously can’t be the same names, can it?”

“Well, that’s pretty easy to connect.” Vinyl said. “Your pegasus would be called a Jupitarian, like Cloud Kicker. I’d guess someone like me would be a unicorn, and that one is a Titanian. Lastly, Applejack, being land-based with no magic is an Eponian. The names are essentially each race’s representatives, which would be Jupiter, Titania and Epona.” Vinyl explained, seeing Brianna crack up. “What’s so funny?”

“Epona?” Brianna repeated. “Oh wow, that is just oozing irony right there!” She laughed.

“Uh…” Brandon said, getting the joke, but not needing to respond quite that much. “Er, Epona is the name of a horse in a video game series called The Legend of Zelda. Although, I’m not sure if you know what video games are here…”

“Ah reckon those are the kinda games that one little boy in town plays.” Applejack said, realizing she broke her focus of finding a punny name for Florida. “Agh, ah can’t think of a name!”

“Never mind, we’ll just say Manehatten. We used to live near a place called Manhattan in our world anyway.” Brianna told her.

“Ah just hope no one get suspicious with that answer.” Applejack said, sighing upon being relived of making a non-existent pun.

“Well, we know what the city looks like in our world, and unless this Manehatten isn’t a bustling city with some pretty rude people in it, we don’t have a problem.” Brianna giggled.

“I can confirm that’s true.” Vinyl nodded. “Say, does your home have half of their sports teams suck and the other half perform very well?”

“Where do I begin…” Brandon said back, cursing the fact that those sucky teams happened to be his favorites even after their move to Florida.

The group was about to enter the house when Brianna stopped them one last time.

“Wait, did you bring up a little boy with games, AJ?” Brianna asked.

“Ah did…what of it?” AJ responded, seeing Brianna’s face brighten.

“Oh, nothing. Just another person we’d recognize.” Brianna replied, nudging Brandon.

“I know.” Brandon whispered with a grin.

The group (finally) went inside, taking in the overwhelming smell of apple flooding their nostrils.

“Bro…did we just die? Because I think we’re in heaven.” Brianna said, earning a playful punch in the shoulder.

“Uh, guys?” Vinyl said, snapping her fingers in front of Brianna. “Come meet the family.” She said as three other Apples took their seats at the table. One was an old lady wearing a green shirt with an apple pie on it. The lone male was a very tall man wearing red, his own shirt emblazoned with a large, green apple. The last was a little girl with a yellow shirt, red hair and a pink bow in it. “Guys, meet Granny Smith, Big MacIntosh and Applebloom.”

“And everyone here, this is Brandon and Brianna Sky.” Applejack introduced in reverse.

“Howdy there, young fellers! New friends of mah daughters, are ya?” Granny Smith spoke up.

The twins both nodded. “Your grandchildren are very kind, Granny.” Brianna smiled.

“Well ah’ll be, you skipped callin’ me ‘Ms. Smith.’ Ah don’t mind, ah prefer it that way.” Granny Smith said back.

“Where are y’all from?” Applebloom asked the two.

‘It’s almost like we just rehearsed this question.’ Brandon thought. “We’re from Manehatten.”

Applebloom gasped. “Do y’all know mah cousin, Babs Seed? Ah plan on makin’ her a part of the Talent Crusaders!”

“Talent Crusaders?” Brianna asked, the name throwing her off. “Oh, you mean-“

“The Talent Crusaders swear to find anybody their special talent, no matter who they are, what their talent is, where and when they find it, why they have that talent and how they find it! You can say we’re all Talent Crusader Talent Finders! YAY!” Applebloom stated and cheered, during which Brianna fought her hardest to prevent herself from copying the last word. “Do y’all have yer special talent yet?” She asked the twins.

The twins looked at each other, then back at the perky, little girl.

“I don’t know if we’ve found ours yet. People back home don’t usually find it until they’re around our age.” Brandon told Applebloom.

Applebloom gave a long gasp before her eyes widened. “We could find older Crusaders!”

The thought of more Crusaders brought a look of sheer horror from both sets of siblings, leaving them scrambling to change the subject. “Hey, uh…Applebloom, that’s a nice…umm…BOW, yeah, bow! That’s a nice bow you have!” Brianna stammered, still keeping Applebloom’s beaming smile afloat.

“Thank ya, Brianna! Ah’ve had this bow as long as ah can remember! There’s no way it’s gonna leave my head, ever!” Applebloom said, nodding her head to that condition.

“You live by the bow, you die by the bow.” Brianna giggled, hearing Brandon resist joining in.

“Say, Big Mac? Y’all managed to prep our latest batches?” Applejack asked the tall boy.

“Eeyup.” Big Mac answered in his trademark single word deep voice.

“Good job. Ah need ya to take inventory before we start buckin’ tomorrow, so can I count on ya for that, too?” Applejack asked as well.

“Eeyup.” Big Mac repeated. Brianna had mouthed the exact response, seeing it coming a mile away.

“You’re having way too much fun with this.” Brandon chuckled.

“What are you guys waiting for, anyway? Dig in!” Vinyl told them as everyone was passed a piece of apple pie.

The twins took in the smell of the apple pie as if they were staring at a piece of the heaves itself, Brianna especially. “First bite, bro. Come on.” She instructed her brother to prevent their hesitation.

Brandon quickly took a bite of the pie, closing his eyes in bliss from the taste. He might’ve preferred pumpkin pie, but this certainly ranked up there.

Brianna, on the other hand, seemed determined to over-exaggerate holding the piece of the pie up to her mouth. She took the plunge and took the bite.

And then she died and went to apple heaven.

Author's Note

Man, I'm so sorry this one took a while to come out, but I got it out. And I'm kindly going to shove any slight lack of self-confidence aside for now and just say enjoy!

That, and I'm reeeeeeeeeeally gonna like making the next chapter. You'll see what I mean when we get to that. ^_^

...Also, yes I know that chapter title was horribly bland, but I had nothing for one. XP

Ch.5: The Stray Humans

19:30:00

1st-Day

Bon Bon’s Tavern

The twins entered the tavern after a long day of being motivational speakers. Brandon had simply talked to the various members of the Ponyville team for encouragement while Brianna performed quick exercises with them. Brianna had also given an encore performance of her squat contest with Vinyl, proving she can keep up with her in front of a crowd.

As the training session started to wind down, Vinyl offered the twins a guest room at their house since they didn’t have a place to stay, nor did they know where they would be going. A quick glare from his sister made Brandon quickly drop the modesty he would’ve put forward to the offer. After they agreed upon the room they’d stay in for now (and potentially a few more days just in case), the Apple sisters brought the two to a tavern in the middle of Ponyville, run by their friend Bonnie, aka Bonbon.

The twins took a seat at a small table across from each other as a young lady with mint-green hair walked over to them. “How’s it going? New here, aren’t you?” She asked.

The twins had immediately recognized her, but knew better than to blurt out her name. “Do you have a menu?” Brandon asked.

The young woman pointed at the tiny stand at the end of the table, listing the available drinks.

“Uh…wait a minute, we’re-“ Brandon got out, noticing that all of them were alcoholic.

“Ooh, apple cider. Fresh from Sweet Apple Acres, I take it?” Brianna asked.

“It sure is! It’s quite the popular drink here. I’d recommend that to start, but that’s just me. By the way, the name’s Lyra Heartstrings.” Lyra introduced herself.

“Brianna Sky, along with my brother, Brandon.” Brianna replied. “Why don’t you try some cider, too, bro? We both know how awesome those apple recipes are.”

“Uh…s-sure, I-“

“I’ll be right back then!” Lyra said, walking away before Brandon could finish.

Brandon shot a dagger-filled glare at his sister. “In case you forgot, we’re 18!”

“I don’t see us being in America right now, so what’s one drink gonna hurt? Besides, I don’t even think it has THAT much content in it.” Brianna said, leaving Brandon with a mouth hanging open.

“You…I…wow. You’re gonna be an alcoholic when you hit 21.” Brandon facepalmed.

“Oh, Vinyl!” Brianna waved her over for a quick second. “What’s the drinking age in Equestria?”

“18, why?” Vinyl asked. “I’m sure you could pass off as that if you’re-“

“No, we’re actually 18. Thanks!” Brianna smiled.

“Why, is it different back home?” Vinyl asked, to which Brianna simply replied “21.” Vinyl grinned at the answer. “Well, someone’s getting an early sample, then.”

“Didja HAVE to encourage her?” Brandon asked.

“Don’t worry, if she does something stupid, AJ and I will help you out.” Vinyl replied. “Just lighten up a little. Come on, you can’t tell me no one let you take sips when you were younger?”

“Well…yeah, our dad did. He still would’ve if we didn’t move out of our old home.” Brandon chuckled. “He made sure it was just a tiny sip, though. He didn’t drink much anyway.”

“See? Now there’s a responsible parent.” Vinyl said back.

“Remind me to bring you to a bar back home when we’re legal there.” Brianna said to Brandon.

“Well, look who will be quite the party animal.” Brandon commented with a smirk.

“Believe me, I know party animals. And with her attitude…” Vinyl trailed off, shrugging. “Yeah, she’d rank up there.”

“Compared to Pinkie Pie? Hell no, not even WITH alcohol.” Brianna said back. “…Remind me to meet her someday, by the way.”

“Duly noted.” Vinyl nodded, walking away to the bar stools.

There was a short silence from Brandon until he sighed. “Okay, fine. I’ll try it. Just this once, though.”

“Just one drink, I promise!” Brianna said.

“Do you-“

“-not taking the Pinkie one, just in case.” Brianna cut him off.

“Man, you ARE going to be an alcoholic…” Brandon groaned.

Lyra came back with a couple apple ciders for each of them, walking off to serve someone else.

“I bet you somewhere, the original Lyra is incredibly jealous of us right now.” Brianna told Brandon.

“The original Lyra would want to STUDY us.” Brandon replied.

“Touché.” Brianna conceded.

The two clanked their cups and took a sip.

‘After this, we need to find some way to get back home. Not immediately, but I’m afraid that time might be passing in our world…Celestia help us if it is.’ Brandon thought as he put down the cup after one long drink.

‘Hot damn, this is pretty good. Of course, it’s from Sweet Apple Acres, so it makes sense. I'll have to thank AJ and Vinyl later. Brianna thought, putting her cup down after a third of the drink was gone.

Brandon picked his cup back up to sip some more. ‘Still, why do I feel the need to put off worrying about this? It’s almost like I feel…used to this place already. Maybe it’s because everyone’s human, so we don’t have to waste time getting this town used to seeing two humans appear from nowhere?’

Brianna took up her drink at the same time. ‘Something’s kinda familiar about this…and it’s not the fact that this is just a different Equestria. There’s something about this bar that makes me think of…’ She thought, putting her cup down and noticing it was two-thirds empty. ‘I wonder…after one more, will…’

The twins both finished off the last third of their drinks in one sip, slamming them down at the same time with a relieving breath. A strange, almost soothing sound seemingly came out of nowhere when they had finished.

“I know this may be sudden, but here is some trivia about apple cider, now that you’ve finished your glasses.” A deep, calming voice communicated to them. Brandon had looked around for the non-existent source while Brianna sat and grinned.

“Did you know that the actual definition of apple cider describes is as a NON-alcoholic beverage? This drink was actually ‘hard cider,’ the alcoholic original. Some places, particularly different states in the United States, have varying definitions on what is and isn’t apple cider, the most obvious difference being if apple cider is or isn’t hard cider. It might be easier to remember to just ask if it is alcoholic rather than trying to memorize which states have ‘alcoholic’ apple cider and which don’t.” The voice explained. “And that was the apple cider trivia for tonight.” He finished.

Brandon blinked at Brianna, who grinned back at him.

“I’m not even gonna ask.” Brandon simply said.

“Very well then. Hey, Lyra!” Brianna waved the minty Titanian over.

“One more drink for you two? Oh, and if you’re wondering about payment, Vinyl’s got you covered. Something about paying one of you back for a contest.” Lyra told the two.

“Wow, awesome! Hmm, I wonder…you have more than what’s on this menu right? I mean, other than apple cider, it’s a bit…ordinary.” Brianna glanced over at the menu while speaking.

“I’ll check whatever you want me to get for you, so just order away.” Lyra replied.

Brianna pondered what to have next. She then had a light bulb go off in her head and got Brandon’s attention. “Bro, you know you’ve always wanted to try a certain drink.”

“What do you…?” Brandon stopped himself when he got what she meant. “Well…wait, you only said ONE drink!”

“Bro, did you feel that much from that cider anyway? Come on, just this once, say it.” Brianna said back, still playing it cool with the alcohol content.

Brandon sighed, knowing trying to argue a second time was fruitless. “Alright, alright…”

“So, what’ll it be?” Lyra asked Brandon.

Brandon cleared his throat before giving his answer. “I’ll have a vodka martini. Shaken, not stirred.” He said in his best Pierce Brosnan impression, failing to resist the blush appearing on his face after saying that out loud.

“I’ll take it, too. I’ve always wanted to try one, though I’m no good at the voice.” Brianna giggled. “And hey, that wasn’t half bad, bro!”

“For a Canterlot-like impression, that was pretty good. So, two specially-made martinis it is!” Lyra said, leaving the two alone.

Brandon had tried to bring up the subject of brainstorming how to return home from this different Equestria, but Brianna replied that he shouldn’t start worrying about it during a time where they won’t be able to get anything done anyway, no matter what they planned. She concluded that since they hadn’t appeared next to anyone, they might not have been directly summoned, and that whatever did bring them there won’t be easy to find.

“Bro, before you argue with me on this, let me tell you something.” Brianna went on, her serious tone in utter contrast to her chipper attitude. “It’s not like I don’t care if we’re ever able to go back, so don’t you think that for a second. I’m worried about Jordan, too and if time is still going on there, I’m worried about her reaction to us going missing. What I DON’T want is us going Lesson Zero levels of crazy trying to find a way back. We’ll find a solution, I promise you. Until we’re able to start looking, I want you to calm down and try to enjoy this place as much as possible. I know it’s like you to be careful, but it’s not like you to panic. So, please…cheer up a little, alright? For both our sakes, at least?”

Brandon gave another sigh before he looked at her again with a small smile. “I’ll try.”

“Uh uh, do or do not, Brandon.” Brianna corrected him.

“Okay, fine, Yoda.” Brandon laughed.

Brianna got up from her seat and sat back down next to Brandon, giving him a one-arm hug. “Besides, don’t you say ‘Vinyl is Best Background Pony?’ She’s AJ’s SISTER now, for Celestia’s sake! Who knows what else is different? That could be an adventure in itself!” She said, making sure not to say that tidbit too loudly.

“Yeah…and we did just get to hang out with her.” Brandon replied.

“AND we just got offered a chance to temporarily live with her until we find the solution to our problem! Which, by the way, we’re not gonna totally rush and end up wearing ourselves out over.” Brianna reminded him.

“Yeah, yeah, I-“

“AND we might be able to get a gaming fix in if we find Button Mash!” Brianna said to him.

“Uh, sis?”

“AND maybe we can find the rest of the Mane 6 to boot!”

“Sis?”

“AND we-“

“Can y’all keep it down over there? Yer mighty loud, Brianna.” Applejack chastised, shaking her head.

“Oh, er…my bad.” Brianna replied with a slight blush. “Sorry, AJ!” She apologized as Vinyl was stifling her laughter.

“I think we made the right decision letting these two stay over for a little while.” Vinyl told Applejack, able to quell her laughing.

“That girl can talk loud enough to raise the dead, ah swear…” Applejack sighed, returning to her seat next to Vinyl.

Lyra returned with the twins’ drinks soon afterwards. “Here you are!” She said, dropping off the glasses. “If you need anything else, just say so!”

The twins both picked up their glasses.

“Second verse, same as the first?” Brandon asked.

“You know it.” Brianna said as they started drinking a third of their beverage each sip.

After the third and final sip, the two expected the “narrator” of sorts to return.

And return he did.

“I can tell you’re expecting it, so let me give you some cocktail trivia, now that you’ve emptied your glasses.” The deep-voiced narrator began. “Naturally, given the success of James Bond books, movies, games and such, many people who actually order his drink of choice have it shaken, not stirred. But, for those who are merely curious or maybe too afraid of mixing up the phrase on purpose in the public eye, what would be the difference if you have it served stirred, not shaken? The answer is simple. The drink will appear less cloudy and its texture is maintained more efficiently. In all honesty, it’s down to personal preference and if you mind how your drink looks when served. For the Bond movie aficionados, notice the actual drink he receives in the next film you watch and determine for yourself if his drink actually looks shaken based on the cloudiness of it. And that was the cocktail trivia for tonight.”

“Come to think of it, that drink WAS cloudy.” Brianna noted.

“Brianna!” Cloud Kicker said as she walked by. “Remember, sword fight tomorrow!” She merely reminded her and walked away.

The two sat in silence for a few seconds.

“Speaking of cloudy…” Brandon said, making Brianna bust out laughing.

Author's Note

I REALLY loved making this chapter, so I hope you guys like reading it just as much!

Oh, and I'm not sure if Bon Bon/Bonbon/however you spell it is actually called Bon Bon yet or if that wasn't until Equestria Games...minor detail, though. Maybe.

So, enjoy!

Ch. 6: Backstory (Derailed)

20:30:00

1ST-Day

Apple Family Home-Guest Room

“Y’all make yerselves comfortable now.” Applejack told the twins as they each claimed a bed in the room. The simple room had the two already-claimed beds as well as desks with lamps next to them. It was a bare basics room, but it served its purpose well. “Bathroom’s right across the hall, by the way.” She informed the two.

“How are we doing in here?” Vinyl poked her head in the door.

“We were gonna stay up just a little longer to talk, then we’re going to bed.” Brianna said before Brandon could suggest sleeping immediately.

“Mind if I join in or is it private?” Vinyl said, already stepping in the doorway.

“Come right in! It’s your house, after all.” Brianna said. “Just be warned if Brandon tries to kick you out to get some sleep.”

“I think I’d know better than to do that in someone else’s home.” Brandon smirked.

The Apple sisters sat on the desk chairs in the meantime.

“Say, didn’t you mention something about seeing us as humans before?” Vinyl asked Brianna.

“Yeah…that was a weird time, but it was indirectly the fans’ fault for that, since it was assumed fans would love a human movie.” Brianna shrugged. “There were mixed reactions to it, and we didn’t mind it.” She added, turning somewhere else. “So, let’s keep things civil if we’re gonna discuss THAT, okay?” She said to…you, apparently.

“Uh…Brandon? Who is she talkin’ to?” Applejack asked.

“I have no idea.” Brandon replied, staring at his sister like she just went crazy.

“Uh…right, then…” Applejack nervously muttered. “So, tell us more about yerselves.” She said to change the subject.

“What do you wanna know? Personality, hobbies?” Brandon guessed.

“Well, Brandon here used to be shy, for one thing. He still is a little bit, but just in the sense that he’s not one to start conversations with people he doesn’t know.” Brianna explained.

“Knowing us from another dimension was sort of an exception, wasn’t it?” Vinyl asked him.

“Yeah, it was. It was cool to see you and AJ in the flesh right in front of us, but it would’ve been really off-putting if we already came across as incredibly weird.” Brandon said. “Then again, we’re weird anyway, but obviously not off-putting.”

“So, how about yerself, Brianna? By comparison, yer the life of the party.” Applejack commented.

“Well, I am! Energetic, outgoing, heck, I kinda fit a tomboy checklist.” Brianna replied. “I do have to get used to dresses and skirts sometimes, but it’s not like I hiss like a cat at the very sight of them.”

“Ah see whatcha mean, I’m not one for that kinda stuff mahself.” AJ confidently agreed.

“You and I both know one gigantic exception to that, AJ.” Vinyl smirked.

“If y’all try to make me miss a certain someone, y’all will miss yours too, y’know.” AJ huffed with her arms crossed.

“It’s a risk I’m willing to take.” Vinyl challenged.

AJ sighed. “Fine…’unless the dress is from Rarity.’”

“Hah, of course SHE would make you love dresses even if they’re not your thing. Say, I wonder if she could find something for…oh right, Alternate Mane 6 are in Canterlot…” Brianna facepalmed. “Maybe except for Octavia or Twilight, that just feels downright WEIRD that none of them live here.”

“So, Octavia still lives in Canterlot normally?” Vinyl asked her, a touch of sadness in her voice.

“I don’t think so. She still plays for the Royal Orchestra, but she lives in Ponyville as far as I’m aware. I think she’s even your roommate, Vinyl.” Brianna replied.

“Roommate, huh?” Vinyl said, her smirk returning with the addition of a small blush. “That’d be really cool.”

“Waking up all of Ponyville in the morning with your dish-washing wubs…” Brianna went on.

“Go on.” Vinyl’s smirked widened.

“Getting a kick out of Octavia being mildly annoyed at the noise…” Brianna kept going.

“It just keeps getting better!” Vinyl laughed.

“AND-“

“We are NOT starting that ‘and’ train again. Just get to the point.” Brandon interrupted.

“Basically, you have a lot of fun.” Brianna finished.

Vinyl didn’t notice her blush had also reddened during her smirking, realizing that the smile wasn’t necessarily hiding it anymore. “Sorry, just the thought of how kick-ass that sounded got me excited.” She shrugged it off.

“That blush said otherwise.” Brianna said, practically stealing Vinyl’s grin in an instant. “Bro…” She turned to him before turning to Applejack for a moment, “, and this might sound a little messed up once I explain it, but, “ she turned back to Brandon, “I think, if I’m not mistaken, your OTP was just realized in this world.”

Brandon blinked before turning to Vinyl. “Wow, really?” He said, shaking his head and glaring at Brianna. “No, no, saying that right in FRONT of them!? Messed up is right, you don’t just guess or point out someone’s shipping in their world when they’re RIGHT THERE!”

“Shipping?” Both Apple sisters said at once.

“Shit, now we have to explain it…” Brandon muttered. “Okay, first of all, keep in mind that this is coming from the perspective that none of the worlds we view are supposed to be real in any sense. We always assume they’re fictional and nothing more.”

“If we can handle us as ponies from your point of view, ah think we can handle anything else jus’ fine.” Applejack told him.

“Yeah, but…” Brandon stopped, thinking there were worse things to explain in a fandom. “Alright. Anyway, ‘shipping’ is when fans pair people together for various reasons. Maybe they think they’re compatible, or that the canon relationships aren’t as good by comparison, or maybe they just think of random combinations for the hell of it. One example that a giant portion of bronies agree upon is Vinyl and Octavia. Mainly because they’re total opposites that could think the other is a missing piece to their puzzle of life…or something along those lines.”

“That was kinda poetic for a second.” Brianna said, having reclined back in her bed.

“I’m getting revenge for scaring the crap out of me at having to explain that to them, just you wait.” Brandon glared again.

“So, a lot of them bronies like Vinyl and Octavia, huh?” Applejack said while Vinyl’s combination smirk and blush returned.

“I like the way these fans think.” Vinyl commented.

“See, no revenge needed, they don’t mind!” Brianna smiled.

“I said for me fearing their reaction, not their actual reaction.” Brandon pointed out, dropping his sister’s smile instantly.

“So, what was that about an OTP?” Vinyl asked.

“Oh, uh…OTP means One True Pair. It’s basically your favorite shipping out of that media. And, at the risk of Vinyl’s blush doubling…well, her and Octavia is the only ship I’d actually support since I can’t really think of consistent pairings I personally love other than them, so they’re kinda that for me.” Brandon said, shrinking down into his bed, even though he knows Vinyl might completely approve anyway.

“TwiDash is mine, personally.” Brianna blurted out, causing AJ to tilt her head at her and Vinyl to hold laughter.

“Yeah, sometimes there are name combinations to go with ships…” Brandon added, seeing Vinyl look at him curiously. “Ugh, I’ll say them, I can’t BELIEVE you don’t find this-“

“Y’all just said before this, you didn’t know we were real, so ah can’t blame you if that kinda weird stuff is some sort of fun when you like the show so much.” Applejack told him.

“Okay, maybe I over-reacted a little bit to that.” Brandon said, sighing. “I should’ve expected you guys to understand right away, I’m sorry.”

“No problem. Now about those names…” Vinyl trailed off.

“VinylTavia and OctaScratch for starters.” Brandon named off the top of his head.

“I like OctaScratch better. It feels like it fits more.” Vinyl nodded.

“For the record, I know you guys understand, but I just have to say…” Brandon said, trying the same trick Brianna did and turning in a seemingly random direction. “I’m discussing OTP names with the very pony-turned-person I’m SHIPPING IN THE FIRST PLACE and she’s LOVING it!” He said…like Brianna did, to you.

Barring Vinyl and AJ thinking Brandon was going just as crazy as Brianna, Brianna voiced a slight concern. “We just entirely derailed asking about ourselves, didn’t we?”

“Hey, it’s cool.” Vinyl waved her off. “We’ll leave that stuff about you guys for tomorrow, I just have one last question.”

“Shoot.” Brianna prepared, as did Brandon.

“Have you guys thought about how you’re gonna go about getting home?” Vinyl asked.

Brandon and Brianna would’ve answered, but they had nothing in terms of plans so far, having not thought about it at all.

“Say, why don’t y’all go to Canterlot and ask the Princesses yerselves?” Applejack suggested.

“Would it really be such a good idea to walk right up to them and ask?” Brianna said with a grin, thinking the idea was pretty humorous. “Hey Princesses, we’re from another world, can you help us?” She jokingly said.

“You’d better actually explain it before putting it as bluntly as that.” Vinyl told her. “But yeah, you just tell the guards that you wish to ask them something, most likely Celestia when you do so. Oh, and mention that you’re staying with us for a short while, that might convince them.”

“Is it because you’re Octavia’s girlfriend?” Brianna couldn’t help but giggle.

Vinyl shook her head, though she thought that did help. “AJ and I helped to fight back a Changeling invasion and this was before we had girlfriends.”

“We? AJ has a girlfriend, too?” Brianna asked her.

“Yeah, ah do.” Applejack said, blushing a little before saying it. “It’s Rarity. That little hesitation before ah said her name before should’ve given that away.”

“So, we have RariJack to go with OctaScratch, interesting. Well, I’m glad you two found someone.” Brianna said, quickly quelling Brandon’s glare.

“Thanks, Brianna.” Vinyl said, Applejack repeating that after her. “So, are you guys up for that? We won’t be able to join you, so we’ll hand you some bits for the train ride.”

“Y’all shouldn’t need directions once ya get there, you can always see the castle.” Applejack told them.

“Thanks, you guys. You’re the best, helping us out like this.” Brandon said, yawning.

“Since Brianna still has that challenge from Cloud Kicker tomorrow, I guess you’re going the day after?” Vinyl guessed.

“You’d think right.” Brandon replied. “Besides, we have a job to do tomorrow.” He grinned, looking to Brianna.

“Yeah, more moral support.” Brianna grinned back.

“Alright, so we’ll leave you guys alone so you can sleep. AJ and I need to be up early tomorrow anyway.” Vinyl said, walking out of the room along with Applejack. “Night, guys!”

The twins turned to each other and nodded, their plans for the next day and day after being set in stone. Although, there was still something else they wanted to do between practice and the next day’s trip.

Author's Note

We have ourselves an established objective, ladies and gentlemen! ...Or, maybe fillies and gentlecolts, but this is a human world, so...
Clearly, this chapter started out as "Hey, I should give you guys some background on our dynamic (somewhat) duo" and, like most normal conversations I have, end up horribly derailed, but ended up with something I think can be entertaining. I also thought that AJ might just be a tad uncomfortable, but tolerant while Vinyl would outright approve of how much OTP-shipping her own relationship has. I'm fairly certain that could still be in character for Vinyl in general.

However, we still have another day's worth of shenanigans before we head to Canterlot, so tune in next time for Brianna's fight with Cloudy! ...And considering CK's skill in Equestria Games, may Celestia have mercy on her soul.

Oh, and I'm keeping that time-stamp thing at the beginning of each chapter, by the way. It was a neat lead-in to the couple of Catherine references for the last chapter, but I thought it would make sense to give a quick "time and place" tidbit before setting up the scene.