A Whole New World

22nd Autumn's Dawn

It was, yet again, a sunny day in Ponyville, and Lyra was sitting in Sugercube Corner with seven of her friends, enjoying an early lunch. Pinkie Pie had suggested a little get-together for no apparent reason, but everyone was happy enough to attend, and were now all talking and laughing amongst themselves.

Spike, obviously, was sat next to Rarity, and was just about to start another story in the hopes of impressing the white unicorn, when suddenly his cheeks puffed up, and belched a large green flame that blackened a plate of cupcakes and dropped a scroll onto the centre of the table, ruining his chances with her for the day.

Twilight smiled as she picked it up, breaking off the wax seal and unrolling it to read.

Hey everyone,

Princess Celestia told me that she was sending my letters via Spike, so hopefully by the time you're reading this, I should be on the train back to Ponyville. I've got two friends coming with me as well. One is a pegasus who went through training with me, the other is someone I met in Canterlot. She's very friendly, and I hope you can become good friends like I have. The train ride will take a while, and I should be back around one o'clock.

See you soon,

Dutch

As soon as Twilight put the letter down, Pinkie started hopping around with a massive grin on her face.

"Two new someponies coming to Ponyville?! This means I can plan twice as many Welcoming Parties!" She began to zip around the shop, planning her next party, "We're going to need balloons, and cake, and--"

"Hold yer horses there sugarcube," Applejack interrupted, "We don't even know who these ponies are yet."

"Sounds like Dutch has finally decided to find a special somepony. He mentioned a 'she' somewhere in there." Dash said, her lack of tact making Lyra nervous.

Twilight shot a glance at the mint-green unicorn. She was still the only pony who knew of Lyra's feelings for Dutch. Her eyes had shrunk, and would dart nervously to whoever was talking.

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity exclaimed, "He's only been gone a few weeks. Do you really think that just any pony, especially one from Canterlot of all places, would go out with him in such a short space of time? Don't get me wrong, I hold the utmost respect for Canterlot citizens, but I don't think they would find Dutch the most... appealing of characters."

"Ya know Rarity, Ah actually agree with ya," Applejack said, oblivious to the drop of cold sweat running down Lyra's forehead, "Ah mean, Ah've known Dutch the longest out of all of us, and Ah've never once seen him as more than a friend. Whether it's cuz he's human, Ah don't know, but that's the truth."

Lyra was getting extrememly worried now, What if Dutch has already found a special somepony? What if he doesn't share my feelings? "H-Hey guys, I'm getting a little hot. Do you mind if I go out and get some fresh air?"

"Sure thing!" Pinkie said, "We'll make sure to save you some cupcakes."

Lyra took her leave while Pinkie started planning her Welcoming Parties again. She trotted round the corner and sat down on a bench, sitting like a regular pony for once. As she sat there thinking about what could happen, she heard another set of hooves and saw Twilight sit down next to her.

"You ok Lyra?"

"Yeah," she replied despondantly, "Twilight, do you really think Dutch has found somepony?"

"I don't know," Twilight said, "But we both know Dutch, he wouldn't find somepony special just like that. He mentioned how long it can take for some human relationships to develop. This mare he mentioned is probably just a friend, nothing more."

"I suppose you're right," Lyra said. Her ears folded back, "But what about what Rarity said? What if other ponies don't approve of us if he says yes to me?"

"There's nowhere in Equestrian law that says you can't love someone from a different species. If you get together, you will have my full support Lyra," Twilight said, resting a hoof on her shoulder, "And I have no doubt that our other friends will feel the same. You have nothing to worry about."

Lyra smiled, "You're right. Sorry for getting so worked up. It's just that after hearing that letter, I'm a little on edge. I know I'm just being paranoid, but that doesn't stop the feeling."

Twilight giggled, "That's alright. Come on, we'd better get back before the others miss us."

Lyra hopped off the bench and followed Twilight back to Sugarcube Corner. She was still nervous from what the letter had said, but not nearly as much as before. She pushed the thought of this new mare aside; she'd burn that bridge when she reached it.

She only hoped it wouldn't be made of stone.

Shadow, Sarah and I made our way onto the train, finding an empty compartment and setting our bags aside. I looked over at Sarah, who was sat opposite me, staring out the window at the mountains. Her clothes had been cleaned, though there were still a few tears in her jeans, and her eyes glimmered as the sun reflected off them.

"You know, you've been taking all of this a lot better than I thought you would." I said.

She gave me a deadpanned expression, "Remember who you're talking to Dutch. If there's anything I'm good at, it's moving on. Besides, this place looks better than London, so it seems to be a good trade."

Satisfied with her answer, I turned to Shadow, "And how have you been doing since yesterday."

"Much better," Shadow gave me what seemed to be a genuine smile, "I guess I've managed to move on as well, sir."

"Glad to hear it buddy," I patted his shoulder, "And we're off-duty, you don't have to call me sir."

"You know what?" Sarah said, "I'm going to have forty winks. Jumping worlds really takes it out of you."

"I know how that feels. I might do the same," I said, before making myself comfortable.

"If you two are going to spend the trip sleeping, I'm going to go for a wander around the train," Shadow said, "Maybe see what they have in the food carriage."

He left the compartment, and before I closed my eyes, I took one last look at Sarah. Finally, a member of my own species, here in Equestria. I felt a wave of warmth wash over me just before I drifted off.

I found myself stood in a large garden. It was familiar, and I recognised it as the Canterlot Castle Gardens. There was just one thing wrong with it; it was empty. Not a single shrub or statue was in sight. However, after taking another look around, I saw to small pieces of stone, right in the middle of the empty garden.

As I got closer, the pieces of stone took shape, and became small headstones. There were two names engraved on them.

Thunderlane

Rumble

I felt a pang of guilt as I looked at the stones. Was it my fault that they were dead? If not, then whose. And what about Shadow? What had he done to deserve this? Did he deserve it?

"You can't keep thinking about this," said Valiant as he walked up alongside me, "It'll only eat away at you. Take your friend's advice, and move on."

"It was always easier for Sarah to move on, that was just who she was," I said, finally taking my gaze off the stones and looking down at the spirit next to me, "Do you think I did the right thing? Telling Shadow not to tell anyone."

"I have my own conscience Dutch, I cannot tell you what to do, or whether it is right or not. That is your decision to make, and yours alone. While I am obliged to serve my host, I can't decide or justify their actions for them. What I can tell you is that if you focus too much on what you have left behind, you never be able to see what lies ahead."

"I suppose that's one way of looking at it," I said, "Thanks Valiant. I don't know where I'd be without you."

"Probably slightly worse off than where you are now," he said with a chuckle, "I'll let you enjoy your dreams. See you soon."

He faded into dust as the empty garden began to change shape, trees sprouting out of the ground, and some patches of land rising into hills. On one of these hills sat a fimiliar figure, with a mint-green coat. As I got closer, they were joined by a pair of large, golden eyes. The scene played out exactly as before, and just as my lips were about to meet with Lyra's...

"Hey, wake up, we're here."

I must have slept for a few hours, because Shadow was waking me and Sarah up as some familiar buildings came into view.

The train slowly came to a halt, and I could see the faint colours of ponies standing on the platform through the steam. I grabbed my bag and stick and left the compartment, with Shadow and Sarah following me. Just before I opened the door to leave the train, Sarah put a hand on my shoulder.

"Can I just... wait here a sec?" She asked, "This'll be the largest amount of ponies I've been around so far, I think I need a minute."

"Sure, come out whenever you're ready." I stepped off the train and was immediately jumped on by a group of ponies. I lay there for a few seconds as several sets of multi-coloured hooves hugged me, before releasing me one by one. Lyra was the last, who sat on top of me a few seconds longer, nuzzling me and whispering, "Welcome home Dutch," before climbing off and letting me stand up.

"...Well, it's good to see you guys too," I said with a huge smile, "Feels like ages since I left this place," I looked at the group, then noticed somethng out of place, "Where's Rainbow Dash?"

"She got pulled away on last-minute weather duty," Twilight explained, "She'll be done soon, and we've arranged to meet at the library."

"What happened to yer leg?" Applejack asked, "Ah thought Ah told ya not to get into any trouble."

"Applejack, you of all ponies should know that trouble usually finds me." I said with a smirk.

"Enough chit-chat!" Pinkie shouted with a grin, "We've got new ponies to meet."

"Fair enough," I said, before gesturing to the dark grey pegasus next to me, "This is Shadow Breeze," he gave a wave to the group, "He trained with me, and is going to be staying in Ponyville for a while."

Each of the ponies said hello to Shadow, and when Fluttershy trotted over and whispered a quiet, "Hello," whilst hiding behind her mane, I swear I could see a hint of red in Shadow's dark grey cheeks.

"Your letter also spoke of another mare that was accompanying you. Where is she?" Rarity asked.

"Mare?" I asked, then I remembered what I had written, "Oh yeah, give me a sec,"

I poked my head back onto the train, "Sarah, you ok? They're ready to meet you."

She nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine." She put her rucksack on and followed me to the door. Before I stepped out I said to her, "Brace yourself, you're about to get a lot of funny looks."

I walked out the train again, and I could see the eyes of everyone in front of me widening. I took that as my cue to make introductions.

"Everyone, this is Sarah Clarke," I announced.

They all remained silent as they took in the sight in front of them. Finally, Applejack broke the silence, "Another human?"

"Yep!" I said, putting my arm around Sarah, "Fantastic, isn't it?"

"Cool!" Scootaloo exclaimed.

"I'll say," said Twilight. The rest of them nodded in agreement. I didn't notice the look of nervousness in Lyra's eyes, "Come on, we'd better get to the library. No point staying here and chatting."

We left Ponyville station and headed towards the library. As we walked, I noticed Shadow kept shooting glances at Fluttershy, so I decided to have a private talk with him.

"So, is Fluttershy as pretty as you remember?"

He blushed before replying, "Yeah, even better actually. I just don't know if I can muster up the strength to ask her."

"Well you'd better be quick before someone else does," Shadow's head whipped to me as I gave him a joking smile, before turning to Twilight, "Hey Twilight, can you hear this?"

Twilight kept walking. There was no pause in step, no hesitation, not even a twitch in her ear.

"Apparently not," said Shadow.

We shared a small laugh we arrived at the library and went inside. As I looked around at the books and scrolls lining the walls, I thought to myself, It's good to be home.

"So," I said as we sat down in the middle of the library in a circle, "Time for introductions." I gestured at each pony and gave Sarah their names. Applejack gave a tip of her hat, Pinkie waved ecstatically, and Scootaloo just stared in amazement. As I reached Lyra, who was the last pony in the circle, I heard a whooshing noise from outside slowly becoming louder, and could only turn my head as a cyan blur smashed through the window and collided with me, sparking pain in my wounded leg.

I raised my head to look at the ball of fur lying on top of me, "And lastly, this is Rainbow Dash. Ow."

"Sorry Dutch," Rainbow said as she stepped off me, "I was practicing a new trick and it didn't exactly go as planned."

"I think that's apparent." Sarah said, pulling Rainbow's attention towards her.

"Rainbow, this is Sarah, an old friend from Earth." I said.

"You found another human?" Rainbow gasped, "That's so rad!"

"Well now that we have introductions out of the way, why don't you tell us a bit about yourself Sarah," Twilight said.

"Not much to tell really," Sarah replied, "Anything in particular you want to know?"

"How about when you and Dutch first met." Applejack said.

"Sure," Sarah turned to me, "Hey Dutch, you always enjoyed telling this part. Want to tell it now?"

"Thanks," I looked at the ponies, "It was in the middle of the college year, I was about 17 or 18 at the time..."

2009
Wiltshire, England

It was just another day at college, teachers and students wandering the halls, either going to or from the classrooms. I was on my way from the bus stop, heading for my first lesson of the day.

I passed through the college gates and headed round to the back of the college, the quickest way to my lesson. As I turned a corner I saw a trio of students standing over a girl. They were kicking dirt at her, throwing insults and generally doing other things a normal bully would do. Of course, having a strong sense of justice meant I couldn't just walk past and let this happen, so I walked over to the three boys.

"Hey!" I called to them, "What are you doing?"

They all turned to me. The all looked about sixteen, with one of them being considerably bigger than the others. I wasn't intimidated by them though, I knew how to fight if things turned south.

"What do you want?" Asked the larger student, his voice carrying a thick chav accent as he sized me up.

"I want you to leave that girl alone," I said, not breaking eye contact.

"Who does he fink he is?" Said one of the other bullies, "Some hero ready to save the day?"

"I'm hoping it won't come to that," I replied, "Just leave her alone and we can avoid a confrontation."

The big guy laughed, "How about we beat the shit out of you, then leave her alone?"

I put my right foot behind me and got into a combat stance, "Not going to happen."

The biggest of the three started walking towards me, clenching his fists and getting ready for a fight. I watched his legs as he approached, and as he brought one forward, I lashed out and kicked it out from under him. He fell to one knee, and I smashed my knee into his face. He was thrown backwards and lay on the floor, groaning and trying to stand, without much success. One of his friends grabbed my collar and brought back a fist to punch me. Luckily, I was faster, and punched him first, before twisting his arm and kicking him in the stomach as he was bent over.

I turned to face the final threat, but he got to me first. I saw a fist appear into my vision, and tried to move with it as it connected with my jaw. The punch threw me off balance, and as I shook my head to clear my vision, and heard a scuffling, followed by a grunt of pain.

I looked back up to see the final bully on the floor, with the mysterious girl standing over him, looking ready to strike again. I picked up her bag and walked over, giving it to her.

"I believe this belongs to you," I said. Her green eyes twinkled as she looked at me.

"Thanks," she said with a Scottish accent, "Got me out of a tight spot there."

"Thank you for dealing with that last guy," I replied, "You know how to fight?"

"A bit," she said, "Took a few classes, but it seems you know more than me. Plus, they knocked me on the floor before I knew they were there."

"What was their problem anyway?" I asked.

"Just some dicks who think they own the place. You know, usual crap," the girl said, shrugging, "I only just arrived to this college and they're already trying to pull this off."

"Yeah, they'll do that," I said, taking a step towards one of the bullies as they stood up and watching him run off, "So you're new? What lesson have you got?"

She pulled a timetable out of her bag and examined it, "Applied Science, room 207."

"Really? Same here! Come on, I'll show you the way."

We entered the college and ascended a flight of stairs, heading for the science labs. The class was just starting as I sat down, and I saw the girl sit down next to me, giving me a warm smile as she pulled her books out.

"So what's your name?" I asked.

"Sarah Clarke."

"Well Sarah, it's nice to meet you," I stuck out my hand, "Douglas Jones. My friends call me Dutch."

She looked at my hand, "Do I count as a friend?"

"Do you want to?"

Sarah smiled, before shaking my hand, "It's good to meet you too Dutch."

I looked around the library at my friends as I finished. After a brief silence, Fluttershy was the first to speak.

"Oh... my,"

"That's... quite a way to make a friendship," Twilight remarked.

"Are you kidding?" Rainbow exclaimed, "Beating up a bunch of bullies and making a friend in one day? That's awesome!"

"So what happened afterwards?" Applejack asked.

"Not much," I said, "Those bullies never bothered us again, and they must have spread the word because it wasn't long before some of the more notorious students were stepping out of the way whenever we were walking down the hall together."

"Plus it was kinda cool to intimidate them like that," Sarah added.

Rarity gasped, "That's not a very ladylike thing to say."

Sarah laughed, "Rarity, if there's one thing I'm not, it's ladylike. I don't do make-up, and you won't catch me dead in a skirt or dress."

"You sound like Rainbow Dash in a human's body," Twilight said, giggling, "I think I can see you two pulling pranks already."

"Anyway, after a few weeks we were inseparable," I said, "We did everything together. Birthdays, meals out, I even trusted her enough to tell her what had happened to me when I was fifteen." I looked at Twilight, who gave a look of understanding, "I don't think I'd ever had a closer friend before." I smiled at the old memories.

"Did Sarah become your special somepony?" Scootaloo asked.

Everyone gave an audible gasp, though Lyra's was considerably louder. Sarah looked at me, confused.

"She's asking if we became more than friends." I stated.

"Oh," Sarah said, nodding, "Well, you answered the first one, so now it's my turn."

She turned to the group and cleared her throat, "To answer your question kid," Scootaloo's brow furrowed, "No, Dutch didn't become my 'special somepony'. Though he did ask me."

"What happened?" Asked Rainbow, "Did you end up fighting each other?"

"No, no, nothing like that," Sarah replied, "We were friends through and through. It's just that, when I found out his feelings for me, it got... awkward."

*7 months after Dutch and Sarah met*

This is it, I thought to myself, I'll tell her, and ask her out. How hard could it be?

The answer? Very hard. I found Sarah in the canteen eating lunch. She waved as I walked over, giving me that smile she always gave me. I returned it as best I could, but my mind was elsewhere. I had had weeks to think this over, and I still didn't know how I was going to tell her as I sat down.

Sarah seemed to pick up on my expression, "Hey Dutch, something bothering you?"

"N-No, I'm fine,"

She sighed, "Look Doug, I know you, and you know me. You've got something on your mind, I can tell by your face. Just tell me what it is, and I'll see if I can help."

"Alright," I took a deep breath, "How do you tell somebody that you like them? I mean more than a friend. There's someone I like, and I don't know how to tell her."

Sarah thought for a moment, "That depends on the person. Who are we talking about, and do I know them?"

"Yeah, you'd know them,"

"Is it that Rachel girl with the blonde hair? Please tell me it isn't."

"No, calm down. It isn't her," I decided to take the quicker approach, and tell her outright, "It's you."

Sarah stopped eating her food and set it down on the table, focusing on the wood and not blinking. Finally, she spoke.

"I see. Well, Douglas," she only called me that when she was being serious, "While I appreciate that you think of me like that, I'm afraid I have to say no."

I sighed, "That's ok. I mean hey, it's not the first time."

I got up to leave, but Sarah stopped me, "No Doug, listen," she took my hand in hers, "I know you been turned down before, but hear me out. You're a good friend, I couldn't ask for a better one. But trust me when I use a cheesy line and say that it isn't you, it's me."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I'll be blunt about it too," she said, "I'm... not interested in guys."

My eyes widened and I cocked my head, "You mean you're..."

"Yup."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, about four years now," I cocked my head, "Don't give me that look, you know I don't lie to my friends."

Neither of us said a word for a few minutes, until I said, "Thank you. You're the first girl to have a legitimate reason for it and not lie to my face," I held my arms out, "Still friends?"

That smile returned, and she hugged me, "Still friends."

The silence lasted considerably longer than it had for my story. No one was quite sure how to react to it.

"Um... that was er..." Fluttershy stammered, "I don't know what to say."

"Well... that was a great story," Twilight said, before composing herself, "As much as I would love to hear more, I need to get back to my studies. It was great meeting you Sarah."

"Ah agree," Applejack said, "It's good to meet another human, maybe Ah can get ya a job at the farm like Dutch. Speakin' of which, Ah don't want you workin' until ya leg's healed, it would only make it worse."

"Bugger, I was hoping to get back to work."

Applejack left with a tip of her hat, and Rainbow Dash approached me, her normally cocky expression replaced with seriousness.

"Dutch, there's something important I need to discuss with you," she said, "About Scootaloo."

"Is there something wrong?" I asked.

"I can't talk about it here, meet me tomorrow at 3:30 after Scootaloo finishes school, in the field where we usually spar. She'll be there with me, and I'll tell you then."

She left too, as did everyone else except Scootaloo and Sarah. As Lyra started to walk out the door, I said to Sarah, "Would you excuse me for a minute?"

She nodded, and I walked out of the library, catching up with Lyra and saying, "Are you alright? You've been awfully quiet since I got back, and I was starting to get worried."

"I'm fine," she said, "I was just having a bit of internal conflict. Don't worry though, I've managed to sort it out."

"I'm glad," I said with a smile, "But if there's anything you need to talk about, don't be afraid to ask, ok?"

"I won't be. I trust you enough for that."

I smiled, and pulled her into a hug. She gasped, but eventually wrapped her hooves around my back and wings, nuzzling me, "It's good to have you back Dutch."

"It's good to be back."

I released her, and she gave one final look in my eyes before turning and leaving. I watched her leave, thinking about how and if I should tell her. She rounded the corner, and with a sigh, I went back into the library.

"Hey Sarah, we've got a few hours to ourselves. Why don't Scootaloo and I show you around the town."

"Might as well," she said, standing up and following us out, "I should get to know where I'm going to be living for the rest of my life."