Three Kings

Chapters

Prologue
Arrival
A Night of Questions
A Royal Farewell
Brothers to the End
Debts Repayed
A Facade (Part 1)
The Strength to Move Mountains
Admiration and Adoration

Prologue

It is late in the evening, around just after sunset, in late July at the Nashville International Airport. Large crowds of people are hurriedly travailing in and out of the terminal building. One man is sitting alone on a bench outside of the building. His name is Gary King, and he is waiting for his two younger brothers to pick him up to drive him to their father's new home. He has light brown hair that reaches down to the middle of his neck. His ice blue eyes, that shine against his fair skin, quietly scan his surroundings observing every detail. He is wearing a light blue button-down shirt under a dark grey coat and black slacks. He pulls a pack of cigarettes out of his coat pocket takes one out and lights it with a gold Zippo lighter with an intricate engraving of a heart on the front. He returns the cigarettes and lighter to his pocket, then pulls a phone from his pants. Checking the time, he sighed,

"Fifteen minutes late... Where are those idiots?" He quietly said to himself. Another ten minutes pass and he begins to lose hope. Just as he stands to go call a cab, a large Dodge truck pulls up in front of the bench he was at. "Impeccable timing as always." he thinks as he lets out a small chuckle as he looks at the large truck. The driver steps out of and walks toward him.

"Gary! Long time no see, bro!" The driver, Michael King, exclaims. His voice is loud and has a very noticeable Southern accent. He is well built with tan, olive toned skin, tar black, short cut hair, and brown eyes. He is wearing well worn and torn blue jeans and a light yellow t-shirt. On his head, there is a camouflage ballcap with two fish hooks, one silver, and the other pink.

"Hey, Mike. Its been too long if you ask me." Gary responds as Michael gives him a quick hug. Gary's voice contains a slight Southern accent but also has a slightly refined tone to it as well. "Where's Danny?"

"Right here!" says a third man who had just stepped out of the passenger seat, His voice is also lightly accented but lacks the refinement that Gary's speech has. "You sure that eye surgery worked?" says Danny as he enthusiastically hugged his older brother. Danny has hazel eyes and dark blonde hair that is cut short. He is wearing a purple polo shirt with khaki cargo pants. Danny like Gary has fair skin and is tall, but has a slimmer build like his other sibling. Micheal is the shortest and thinnest of the trio but also has the most defined muscles. Gary is the tallest at even 6 feet. He is fit, but not as toned as Michael and is also fairly thicker in build. Danny is slightly thinner than Gary and is just about as toned as his oldest brother.

"Haha. Real funny." Gary responds sarcastically. Gary was legally blind since birth, but he received laser corrective surgery on his twenty-first birthday and has only needed glasses for reading since.

"So how's the Southern Gentleman been lately?" Danny says as Gary loads his suitcase into the truck bed. Danny only calls his brother that when they first see each other after an extended period of time apart, or whenever one of them is leaving for a while. He also has a similar name for Michael, calling him "Country Boy." Given their personalities, the nicknames are quite fitting. Gary was always polite and formal except around his closest friends, he was also pretty smart, according to many friends, it was hard to find someone smarter. His personality was almost like a liquid that would shift and change to fit every situation best. Pinning down the real Gary was hard, but his brothers knew him well, he had a kind heart and strong will, always ready to do the right thing no matter the personal cost. Gary always tried to be the epitome of a gentleman. Michael was almost the exact opposite, he was polite and kind, but was never one for formalities. He was kind and caring, just not formal or sophisticated. If one word was used to describe Michael it was 'redneck'. He, unlike Gary, always loved the South, hunting, fishing, big trucks, and country music and was always very strong and athletic, but was just below average in intelligence. He wasn't stupid just not incredibly smart. He was simple and straightforward, what you see is what you get. Some would view this as plain or shallow, but they miss that being caring and strong is a lot more than most people have. Danny was a sort of median between his two brothers. He was fairly athletic and decently smart. He was smarter than Michael but not as athletic and was more athletic than Gary but not as smart. His personality was also an even mixture of two. He was kind and was formal when necessary, but generally casual. He had Gary's flexibility, albeit less extreme, and he still had a more grounded side like Mike. The closer someone got to him, the more they'd see the grounded side, as Dan would often stay rather reserved until someone got close.

Danny enjoyed a few sports and a few classes but wasn't sure what he wanted from life yet. Michael was always interested in having a simple life, with a job working with his hands as his goal. Gary, on the other hand, did whatever interested him at the time until he grew bored and quit. In high school Gary spent months learning magic tricks, then guitar, then programming, then French. He never stuck with one hobby for very long, he was the jack of all trades, master of none.

Even as kids, the trio had their own clear roles among themselves. Gary was always the brains and the leader. He was always calm and serene no matter the situation. Gary seemed to just radiate an aura of intelligence and serenity, and he was versed in the gift of gab and was always ready to make a sacrifice for the sake of others. All of which made him a natural leader. Michael was always the muscle. He was always the strongest and if you needed him to do something he would gladly oblige. Danny was always a follower. He was strong and caring, and he always loved being a helper, which he found easier with someone to guide him. If you needed help Danny was there.
Danny climbs into the middle seat as Mike climbs into the driver seat and Gary takes his place in the passenger seat.

"What's in the bag?" Danny says pointing to the small duffel bag on Gary's lap.

"Just those books that you said you wanted, so I thought I'd bring them for you," Gary said with a smile as Mike drove away from the airport. "I went ahead and brought the book I just got published as well."

"Sweet, thanks, man," Danny responded grinning like an idiot.

"So you finally got a book published. What else has been up lately?" Mike suddenly spoke.

"I just got a job as a reporter, it's been nice so far and I just managed to get a new apartment in Brooklyn," Gary responded happily. "You still working in that auto shop in South Carolina?"

"Yep! I'm loving it too. Just got promoted to manager so it's been good." Mike said with a smile. He was happy to hear Gary had settled down for a while. Gary hadn't stayed in one place long since he graduated from college. He had served a short term in the Army National Guard to help pay for college. Danny had just graduated High School, while Gary had graduated college two years prior and Micheal got a trade school certification four years prior. Gary had a bachelors degree in English. Michael, however, went to a tech school for two years and had been working as an auto-mechanic in South Carolina since.

"What about you Danny? Do you have any plans since you graduated?" Gary asked looking at the youngest brother. "Sorry I missed it by the way."

"No worries," Danny responded sincerely. "And honestly, not really. I think I may just serve a term in the military and then decide what to do from there."

"Sounds good bro, seems like a plan if you ask me. You definitely have more of a plan than I did." Gary responded with a smile. Mike continued driving down the road until he suddenly turned off to a small clearing onto a small dirt road through the forest. "Woah! Where are you going? The road is back there."

"I'm pretty sure this is a short cut.." Mike responded enthusiastically. "I want to get back quicker so dad can have a few hours to talk with you before tomorrow."

"Okay, but forgive me for questioning your methods. We've only driven here a few times," Gary sighed. "It's hard to believe dad turns fifty tomorrow."

"Makes you feel old, huh?" Danny said as Gary lightly punched him in the shoulder. "Really though, Dad is really glad you came too, it's been a while since anyone's seen you."

"I know dude," Gary said patting Danny's head. "Travailing the world does that." After college Gary managed to get a considerable amount of money that he used to travel to various places across the world.

"Where all did you go?" Danny asked curiously.

"Let's see, most of Europe, and a lot of places near the south of China," Gary responded as he recalled his travels.

"Which place was the best to visit?"

"London and Berlin were both beautiful cities and were very interesting." Gary said to his curious younger brother. "India and Tibet, though, were also great and really got me thinking about life, you know?"

"Sounds great. Any other place that you want to visit?"

"Not at the moment, but if I get the chance to visit some far off land, believe me, I will." After that the next few minutes were spent in silence as each brother was content to enjoy the night sky and the serene forest.

Suddenly there was an earsplitting crashing noise and a sudden bright flash. Danny instinctively ducked as Mike dove over to cover him and Gary reached over to cover his two younger brothers There was another sudden flash and then there was darkness.

Author's Note

This is my first Fic ever so any constructive criticism or ideas for improvement would be greatly appreciated. Let me know if you like how the story seems so far. Thanks for reading! And also: Yes the name Gary King is taken from The World's End, but no it has no connections to the character or film I just thought it was a cool name.

Arrival

It is a beautiful morning in midsummer. It is arguably one the most gorgeous mornings Equestria has ever seen. Twilight Sparkle trots down the road on her way to the outskirts of Ponyville with her baby dragon Spike to meet her friends for a picnic. They had planned this picnic weeks prior and Twilight had been well anticipating it for some time.

"It's a wonderful morning isn't it Spike?" Twilight asked the adolescent dragon, who was currently half asleep on her back while taking a deep inhale enjoying the scent of the mid-morning. The only response she received was a discontented grunt and a small murmur of a complaint from her purple and green companion. After being made a princess and taking time to adjust to her new role, she hadn't seen her other friends much, and she missed them dearly. Thinking about it simply got her more excited to see them again, as she found herself walking much faster now.

Twilight made her way out of town and toward a clearing in the field. After walking a short distance, Twilight could make out the familiar sounds of her friends voices and, not long after, was able to clearly see all five of her friends sitting on a large checkered blanket. Spike opened his eyes and stepped off of the purple unicorns back as she smiled and walked forward to greet her friends.

"Mornin', Twi." said the orange cowpony, Applejack. "Glad you made it. This really will be a good time now won't it?"

"Good morning, darling." the alabaster unicorn, Rarity, spoke second. "it truly is a pleasure to see you again. Good to see you as well my little Spikey-Wickey."

"Uh-uh. Hey, Rarity." Spike spoke, slightly embarrassed by Rarity's nickname for him.

"Hello, Twilight." came a timid voice belonging to Fluttershy.

"OHMYGOSHTWILIGHTIT"SSOSUPERTOSEEYOUAGAIN." the hyperactive pink mare, Pinkie Pie, said all in one breath. She took a deep breath and spoke again. "This is so great don't you think?"

"Hey, Pinkie," Twilight responded with a smile. "It definitely is. I've been looking forward to it."
Suddenly a rainbow blur sped up toward Twilight.

"Heya, Twilight" the blur, Rainbow Dash, spoke last. "So if everyone's here can we start eating?" Rainbow asked as a low grumble came from her stomach, which caused the five other mares to laugh.

"Sure, Dash. I don't see why not." Twilight said as she sat on the large blanket. "So how has everyone been?"

The six mares spent the next half hour reminiscing, telling tales of recent happenings in their lives and enjoying each others company while eating. It seemed as though it was going to be a truly perfect day, surely nothing strange or terrible would happen. That was how it seemed at least until a large crash is heard not far off in the distance from where the six mares were currently enjoying their picnic. The noise startled the six mares and cause Fluttershy to let out a soft 'eep' and attempt to hide beneath the blanket.

"What in Equestria was that?" Applejack said to her friends.

"I have no idea." Twilight quickly responded. "We should investigate." Four of the five other mares nodded in response, Fluttershy simply squeaked and continued hiding until Rainbow Dash grabbed her by the tail and began to drag her off in the direction of the noise.

"Come on Fluttershy, what if some animal is hurt," Rainbow said to her timid friend. Upon hearing this Fluttershy's attitude completely changed, and she immediately turned around and began to run in fear that some poor, defenseless animal may have been endangered. She immediately stopped as she reached the site of the noise, for the sight, was one that none of the six mares were prepared to see. There before them in a pile of ashes, blood and metal were three strange, furless creatures with strange appendages, that looked like hairless monkies. They each had on tattered, and in some places burned, clothing and appeared to be severely injured.

Gary found himself slipping in and out of consciousness. Every time he opened his eyes his vision is assaulted by bright colors he noticed a blur of purple, yellow, cyan, orange, pink and white. He groaned and attempted to reach toward the blur of colors but found he couldn't move his arm. With a grunt of pain, Gary slipped back into the peace of unconsciousness.

Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow, Applejack, Pinkie, and Rarity stood still and silent for several minutes shocked at the sight before them. Finally, Fluttershy spoke up.

"We need to help them," Fluttershy spoke rather determinedly. "They look badly injured. We need to take them to the hospital."

"Fluttershy is right. We can't sit idly by. Without helping these... these whatever they are. They may die." Rarity confirmed. "Oh of all the things that could have happened this is certainly THE. WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!"

"Are you sure?" Twilight questioned. "We don't know who or what they are. They may be dangerous."

"I don't know sugar cube. I don't think they'd be able to do much like that." Applejack said pointing at the strange creatures. "And what else would we do? Leave 'em? That just ain't right."

"I guess you're right.'" Twilight sighed feeling a bit guilty. "Stand close and I'll teleport us and them to the hospital." The five other mares nodded and huddled close near the three creatures. In a bright burst of magic Twilight teleported all nine of them to the Ponyville hospital. Upon arrival Nurse, Redheart approached them slightly panicked.

"Twilight! What's wrong? Did Rainbow injure herself again?" Redheart asked frantically.

"No... not quite. I'm afraid we have a much bigger issue." Twilight said with a grunt of pain. She paused, feeling drained. "that was a simple teleport, I've done that since I was a filly, why did that take so much energy now?" she thought to herself as the six mares stepped aside to display the three severely injured aliens. Redheart gasped and then she gave Twilight a serious expression.

"I'll get the doctor."

Danny King awoke with a light pain in his head and blurred vision. Eventually, his vision regained clarity and he looked around to see that he was in a hospital. His arm was attached to an IV, and he was laying in a hospital bed that was adjusted so that his back was slightly elevated. From the window on the adjacent wall, he could see that it was definitely night time. He looked across the room to see Michael on a bed on the opposite wall, and Michael was also hooked up to not only an IV but an EKG, which kept a steady beat, as well. In between himself and Michael, Danny saw his eldest brother, Gary, who also had several wires and tubes running from his body to an IV and EKG. We must have been in one serious accident, Danny thought to himself. He also noticed that a few things seemed off. He was naked, and from what he could tell, so were Gary and Michael. The hospital also seemed strange; it was bright in color which seemed uncharacteristic for a hospital. Danny tried but could not seem to recall what had happened. He decided that Gary may remember so he should attempt to wake him.

"Gary... Hey Gary. Wake up." Danny said softly. Before Danny could continue his attempt to waken his injured sibling, he heard two voices from the hall.

"Will they be alright, doctor?" a feminine voice asked.

"I believe so." a much more masculine voice responded. "The magic surgery didn't work, but their injuries were simple enough to fix without it, fortunately." Danny looked toward the door and waited for the doctor. Perhaps the doctor would have more information on his current situation. The door opened, but instead of a doctor a small colorful horse with a horn, a unicorn, dressed in a doctors coat came in followed by another small horse with a white coat and pink mane. This has got to be some sort of prank Danny thought. The doctor then saw that Danny had been staring at him and Nurse Redheart since they walked in. "Ah! You're awake, wonderful. I was hoping you could answer some questions." As the doctor stepped toward Danny, Danny jumped in surprise and screamed.

"HOLY FUCKING JESUS! TALKING HORSE!" Danny screamed absolutely shocked.

"Calm down, son. It's okay, just calm down." The doctor responded attempting to prevent the human from having a panic attack.

"SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!" Danny screamed still panicking.

"Deep breaths, son. Don't worry I just want to ask some questions" Danny nodded breathing deeply a few times. "Better?"

"Yea, I guess. If I answer your questions will you answer mine?" Danny said regaining his emotions.

"Certainly son." The doctor said with a smile. "First of all what are you?"

"I'm a human. What are you?" Danny said as the doctor take some notes.

"I'm a pony. Where are you from?'

"Earth. Where are we?" Danny replied again as the doctor continued writing.

"Equestria."

This continued on for nearly two hours as the doctor gained some basic information on humans and Earth, and Danny gained some basic information on ponies and Equestria. Nurse Redheart had left some time ago. The doctor yawned checked his pocket watch and saw that it was nearing one in the morning. The doctor informed Danny that it was late and he would be leaving, but they would continue later and he should sleep. As the doctor turned to leave Danny spoke,

"One last thing, what happened to us?" Danny asked with a sad look in his eyes.

"I have no idea... Sorry I wish I knew." The doctor said with a sigh. Suddenly, before the doctor could turn to leave again, Gary shot up in his bed bumping his left arm on the side of the bed.

"ARRRRRGH! Damn that hurt." Gary yelled holding his arm.

"Careful son, you had some second-degree burns and some pretty bad sprains in your arms. It will hurt for some time but will heal soon enough." The doctor said to the injured human.

"Sorry, I'll try to remember that," Gary said examining the bandages that ran from his elbow to his hand. Then he looked over to face the doctor. "What the fuck? A talking horse!" Gary said looking over to Danny who simply nodded.

"Well technically I'm a pony, but that's fine." The doctor said looking at Gary.

"Apologies, doctor. My name is Gary King. Nice to meet you... I think." Gary said with a small smile extending a fist.

"My name is Doctor Cardio Vascular." The doctor said bumping his hoof to Gary's fist. "And I believe I should fill you in on what is happening." The doctor said as he began to explain the current situation to Gary.

After nearly an hour of speaking, Gary was finally up to speed on the situation he and his brothers were in. The doctor then informed him that it was late and he and Danny should rest. The doctor began to leave but turned just as he opened the door to leave.

"One last thing, the six mares who saved you would like to visit tomorrow. Is that okay?" The doctor asked the two awake humans.

"Of course, we owe them our lives! I'd love to see them!" Gary responded as Danny simply nodded.

"Wonderful." Cardio Vascular said as he turned and left.

Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy followed Doctor Cardio, eager to see the three humans that they had found the previous day. Fluttershy was a bit reluctant at first but calmed down when the doctor informed her of the conversation he had the previous night. The doctor opened the door to the room where the humans were recovering. He stepped in, followed by the six mares who looked on in awe, as the three humans sat idly waiting for the visit. Gary took a long pull from a glass of water on the tray next to his bed. Michael had awoken a few hours prior and was greeted by Nurse Redheart. He was, at first, very shocked and attempted to climb out the window until Gary talked him into calming down. Gary nodded to the doctor as he walked in, and placed down the glass of water.

"Good morning, ladies. My name is Gary King." Gary spoke to the six mares as they entered. "Pleased to meet you."

"Ah. The pleasure is all mine darling." Rarity said stepping toward Gary's bed. "It is truly great to see a true gentleman. My name is Rarity."

"No, I insist," Gary said. "The pleasure is mine, Miss Rarity." Rarity giggled as both her friends and the other humans rolled their eyes at the exchange the two displayed. Danny always knew his brother was a flatterer, but he still thought Gary could go too far at times. "But enough about me, these are my brothers," Gary said pointing to his brothers on either side of him.

"Danny," Danny said with a smile. "Nice to meet you."

"Michael, but you can call me Mike," Michael said. "Nice hat by the way." He said looking at Applejack.

"Thank ya kindly, partner." Applejack said with a nod. "Nice to meet the three of ya."

"I'm Rainbow Dash, the fastest flyer in Equestria," Rainbow said with a smirk as she placed a hoof to her chest.

"I'm Fl...Fluttershy." Fluttershy said very softly as she tried to hide behind her mane which caused each brother to think 'dawww' simultaneously.

"And I'm Pinkie Pie and I'm super excited to meet you." Pinkie said as she suddenly was hanging upside down in front of Gary causing him to flinch. He looked over to the other mares confused, but they all simply shrugged in response.

"I'm Twilight Sparkle," Twilight said as Pinkie suddenly reappeared near her friends. "It's so fascinating to be speaking to another species from... who knows how far away."

"I also, believe a word of thanks is in order," Gary said, after clearing his throat. "You all saved our lives. Thank you, truly, and if I can, at some time, I shall repay you." Michael and Danny nodded as they both said 'thanks' as well.

"You don't need to worry about that. We're just glad you're okay." Twilight said with a smile as the five other mares smiled and nodded.

"Well, thank you anyway," Gary said smiling himself. "I have a few questions if you don't mind." The mares all shook their heads so Gary continued. "Well firstly, where are our clothes?"

"That would be my doing darling." Rarity spoke up. "Your apparel was in such poor condition I simply could not condone it. They shall be good as new tomorrow at the earliest."

"Thank you. Secondly," Gary replied, "How badly were we injured?"

"I can answer that." the doctor said as he stepped forward from the back of the room with a clipboard floating in his magic. "Gary King: second-degree burns on left arm, with minor sprains in the shoulder and, wrist? you said it was? mild concussion, and a large puncture wound in right side. Luckily it missed you're vital organs and is a simple flesh wound" The doctor said to Gary who let out a low whistle. "Michael King: first degree burns on the lower back, mild concussion and deep laceration along the left shoulder." Michael nodded and shifted uneasily. "Daniel King: mild concussion and several bruises on the abdomen."

"What about my truck?" Mike asked.

"You're what?" the doctor responded in confusion

"A large metal carriage that moves on its own," Gary interjected, knowing Mike had not yet been fully informed on the technological differences.

"We found this, but everything else was ashes or scrap metal," Twilight said as she levitated a license plate that had several burn marks and was bent and severely dented over to Mike. Mike was on the verge of tears as he continually ran his hand over the plate quietly whispering 'my truck' to himself.

"How long until we heal, doc?" Gary asked as the brothers looked at each other glad that their injuries weren't too serious.

"The magic surgery we originally attempted had no effect so we had to do things the old fashioned way." The doctor said examining the clipboard. "Three days, until you'll be good enough to walk out on your own. We would like to keep you for five just to be sure." The three nodded trusting the doctor.

"How'd you know my name was Daniel. I only said, Danny." Danny asked raising an eyebrow at the doctor.

"Among your possessions, we found a card on each of you containing your basic information it was very helpful."

"So... What about after we get out?" Michael asked

"I sent several letters to the princess, and she requested a meeting the day after you leave the hospital," Twilight said smiling enthusiastically.

"Interesting. I've always wanted to meet a monarch." Gary said with a smile.

The next five days went by in a consistent routine. The six mares came in every day and spoke with the humans for several hours. They would share stories of their past experiences and one side would ask the other about their world and culture and the other side would answer to the best of their ability. The concepts that confused the other side the most was weather and celestial rotation. Gary, Mike, and Danny were shocked to find that weather was controlled by ponies and that one pony raised and lowered the sun while another did the same for the moon. Conversely, the six mares were stunned to find that Earth's weather controlled itself and the planet revolved around the sun. Upon mentioning that she was a librarian Gary got her to loan him a book on the history of Equestria, and all three were lent Daring Do books upon recommendation from Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy eventually opened up and began to speak with the humans normally. Rarity and Gary would discuss high society, from business practices to food and drinks, and they also compared how the rich act between the two cultures. One day Rarity nearly fainted when Gary told her of the fashions he had seen in Paris. Applejack and Mike also got along well, and they would often discuss farm life and their experiences with the city versus more rural areas. Danny would often speak with Twilight about magic which he was particularly interested in, and, after some insisting, she even gave a display of a few of the spells she was able to do. Twilight was also very interested in the technologies of the human world which Danny did his best to describe in great detail.

Today was the day Gary, Mike, and Danny would finally be released from the hospital. It was in the late afternoon, and the doctor had just informed the trio that they had been cleared for release. Also, they were given a first-time alien creature discount and would not be charged. As the doctor left to give the three time to prep for departure, the six mares came into the room led by Rarity who was levitating three outfits by magic. She placed each outfit on its owner as they all exchanged greetings.

"Would you girls mind stepping out of the room for a moment so we can get dressed?" Gary asked the six mares.

"Why?" They asked simultaneously.

"So you do not witness us in the nude," Gary responded flatly.

"Hate ta burst yer bubble partner but we don't normally wear clothes and you've only seen us nude." Applejack replied with a deadpan expression.

"Yes, but we do not have fur, and it is not usually acceptable for humans to see each other without clothing."

"If you insist, but please do hurry." Rarity said as the six mares left the room and the three humans began dressing. The three soon exited the room and walked to the front desk to see the six mares and Nurse Redheart waiting for them. Nurse Redheart returned their possessions to each man. A lighter and near empty pack of cigarettes neither of which she had any idea what they were, or their purpose. She also gave him his wallet, duffel bag and phone, the last of which was completely destroyed so Gary simplify discarded it in a nearby trash can. Lastly, she gave him an ornately decorated playing card which just so happened to be a King of Hearts. Michael received his hat and his wallet. Danny was given his wallet and a shiny silver pocket watch with a 'K' engraved on one side. The three men followed the six mares as they proceeded outside. The sun was beginning to set as it cast an orange glow over the town.

"We'll meet at the library tomorrow morning to take a chariot to Canterlot to meet the princess," Twilight said nearly jumping for joy at the idea.

"That's good so far Twilight but where will we stay for the night? We don't have any of the local currency." Gary said staring into the sky as he lit a cigarette.

"I have a spare room in the library for one of you," Twilight said.

"We have the old guest room at the farm as well." Applejack interjected.

"And the Cake's said one of you could use their spare room too." Pinkie said bouncing around happily. "It'll be so much fun like a sleepover." The trio then decided, through an intense game of rock, paper, scissors, that Gary would go to Twilight's, Danny would go with Applejack and Mike with Pinkie. The six mares all split their separate ways to go home, three of whom had a human tagging along. They may not know how or why, but the humans knew for certain, somehow in this strange new world, they had arrived.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy.

A Night of Questions

Twilight guided Gary through the streets of Ponyville, as he looked on in amazement at the homes and shops that were in the city. It reminded Gary of medieval architecture and even some of the older cities in Europe. Twilight and Gary walked along in silence as Gary continued to smoke his cigarette.

"What is that anyway?" Twilight asked pointing at Gary's lit Newport. "And why does it smell so bad?" Gary raised an eyebrow to the lavender unicorn.

"You don't have cigarettes in Equestria?" Gary asked. Twilight shook her head in response.
"I assume it's like a pipe, but it seems different,"

"Well, it's like a pipe, but with more chemicals mixed and rolled up. You light it, and breath in the smoke through this filter." Gary said as he traced his finger across the cigarette.

"Is that healthy?" Twilight asked with a slightly disgusted look on her face. Gary shook his head.

"Not at all."

"Then why do it?" Twilight asked slightly bothered by the human's self-destructive habit.

"I honestly don't know," Gary said with a sigh. "Its an addiction and I've been trying to quit. I only smoke between two a day or one every two days." He followed up upon seeing Twilight's expression change to anger, unsatisfied with his original response, and the two of them fell silent for the next several minutes. Gary began to rub the back of his neck as he put out the cigarette and began to feel an overwhelming sense of awkwardness. He couldn't tell if it was from Twilight's silence or the glances from the citizens of Ponyville. Every pony they passed looked on for several seconds with emotions varying from fear or astonishment to curiosity or confusion. One mint green unicorn even squealed and ran up to Gary and grasped his hand between her hooves before gasping and quickly running off.

Eventually, without any other incidents, Twilight and Gary reached the library. Gary was amazed to see that the library was actually a hollowed out tree. He stepped inside behind Twilight, and he set down his duffel bag by the door. Gary took a seat on the coach that was in the middle of the center room. He looked around the room from the couch. His ice blue eyes darted across the shelves, impressed by the sheer number of books. He also noticed that there were several desks with various writing materials. He jumped slightly upon seeing an owl staring at him from atop one of the desk. Gary gave the owl a small wave to which it responded with a hoot and lost interest in the human. Twilight then came back into the room followed by Spike.

"Twilight, you didn't mention owning a giant lizard," Gary said excitedly.

"Hey! I'm a dragon, and she doesn't own me I'm her number one assistant." Spike said puffing out his chest with pride. "My names Spike by the way." He continued as he extended a claw to the human.

"Apologies, Spike. My name is Gary King." Gary said with a smile as he shook the young dragon's hand. "But please, call me Gary." Spike nodded and left the room leaving Gary alone with Twilight who had taken a seat on a small pillow across from the couch.

"I wanted to ask you some more questions," Twilight said as she looked over at Gary.

"Did you not get enough information at the hospital?" Gary responded as he raised an eyebrow.

"Well in the hospital you only answered questions about your home and humans," Twilight said. "I wanted to ask questions about you."

"Oh. Well, I don't see why not." Gary said shocked Twilight was actually interested in learning about him. "As long as I'm allowed to ask questions in return." Twilight nodded and left the room and quickly returned with two small cups filled with tea.

"What was that small paper you got back in the hospital?" Twilight asked as she took a sip of tea.

"You mean this?" Gary asked as he pulled the playing card out of his coat pocket. Twilight nodded so he continued. "It's a playing card. Do you not have card games in Equestria?" Twilight shook her head and placed down her teacup.

"We have dice games, but we don't have cards," Twilight replied.

"Well, you use a deck of fifty-two cards which are dived into four houses: hearts, clubs, spades and diamonds and numbers two to ten along with four aces, jacks, kings and queens," Gary said with a smile. "This card is a king of hearts."

"Interesting, but why do you have it?" Twilight asked raising an eyebrow.

"A few years ago, I had turned old enough to gamble and my father took me on a trip to Las Vegas, a place famous for among other things gambling."

"Like Las Pegasus," Twilight said with a smile. Gary chuckled at the similar names and the pun in the Equestrian version.

"Yea, I suppose so," Gary said drinking his tea. "When we were there I ended up winning a large amount of money at one establishment and the card that won me the final hand was this." He said rotating the card in his hand. "I managed to convince the dealer to let me keep it." Gary finished his story with a smile.

"Okay, what about the other thing?" Twilight said finishing her tea.

"This?" Gary said pulling out his zippo. "It's a lighter. You use it to make fire." Gary said as he opened it and the flame glowed softly. "I guess its one of the things human made to make up for a lack of magic. It was a gift from my best friend from a while back." Gary returned the lighter to his pocket along with the card with a sigh. "Now anything else?"

"Just a few more things." Twilight said, "What job did you have on Earth?"

"I'm a writer and journalist. I currently have one book published and I've written a number of news articles." Gary said as he stepped over to his bag and pulled out a book. "Here. This is my book." Twilight smiled as she looked over the cover the words 'Dead Man Walking' was in large black letters on the front. On the back, the description 'What becomes of the man when survival is all he has for hope?' Gary took a quill from a nearby desk and opened the book and scribbled his signature on the inside cover. "Go ahead and keep it. Now you have a book written and signed by Equestria's first human." Gary said with a smirk. Twilight rolled her eyes and chuckled as she levitated the book to a nearby shelf.

"One last thing. How old are you?" Twilight asked.

"Twenty three," Gary replied. In the hospital, they had learned that human's and ponies have similar life spans, and Gary assumed that Twilight and her friends were in their early twenties as well. He wouldn't be rude enough to ask directly, however. "Now as for my questions. Firstly, Rarity has a horn making her a unicorn. Fluttershy and Rainbow have wings making them pegusi," Twilight nodded as Gary continued. "You, however, have both. What does that make you?"

"An alicorn. Technically I'm a princess." Twilight replied biting her lip. "I was a unicorn, but Princess Celestia turned me into an alicorn for how well I did as her student and apprentice. Nothing has really changed though. I have no royal duties and my life's the same as it has been." Gary's eyes went wide and he tensed up. He couldn't believe that he had been speaking with royalty this whole time and didn't even know. He also couldn't believe the power Celestia must have to completely change someone's race. He stood there silent with shock for several seconds before he regained his composure.

"Well now. My other question," Gary paused finding the proper wording "What are the pictures that everyone has on their sides?"

"This?" Twilight asked pointing to her cutie mark, Gary nodded. "It's called a cutie mark. It appears when a pony finds his or her special talent. Do humans not have anything like that?" Gary shook his head as Twilight yawned. "Well, it's getting late we should probably go to sleep now. Let me show you the guest room." With that Twilight led Gary to the guest room where he fell asleep wondering what it would be like to meet an immortal, princess, goddess pony.

Mike followed Pinkie as she bounced happily down the road. He was both impressed and confused by the amount of energy she had. He was also slightly annoyed that she had not stopped speaking since they left the hospital, but he didn't mind too much. She only stopped when a mint green unicorn saw Mike and shouted 'There's two?' and fainted. Pinkie had been hitting Mike with a bombardment of questions and also giving him stories on whatever she was thinking of. She stopped talking as they entered a large building that looked like a gingerbread house. Mike was immediately hit with the aroma of various baked goods and then noticed how hungry he was. He took a seat at a table on the side of the room and Pinkie immediately took a seat across from him.

"Hiya." She said happily she said enthusiastically. He responded with a wave. "Why do you have those?" Pinkie question as she pointed to the fish hooks on Mike's visor.

"Just because," Mike answered with a shrug. "I got this one from my mom though." He said pointing at the pink hook. "So I guess I wear it for her," Mike said with a sigh as he looked away from the pink mare. Upon seeing the human become sad Pinkie left in the other room to find something that would help. Mike continued to look down as a small tan colt with a brown mane approached his feet. "Hey there little guy," Mike said as the colt punched his shin. Mike winced for a second then looked back at the young colt who was laughing heartily. "Hey now, you shouldn't hit people," Mike said waving his finger and the baby who stopped laughing and began to look very sad until Mike patted him on the head. "It's okay just don't do it again ya' hear." The colt began laughing again and crawled off.

"Aww, that was so cute!" Pinkie exclaimed as Mike turned back to see her right beside him holding a cupcake. "Here. This is for you. I made it extra special for you because you're a human and that means you're extra special so you get an extra special treat." Mike smiled and quickly devoured the pastry. He also noticed that it was one of the greatest things he had ever eaten. Upon telling Pinkie this she screamed loudly and began bouncing around on her tail happily.

"Pinkie what's all the racket for?" A thin yellow stallion said as he stepped out from the kitchen "Oh is this the creature you told us about?" He asked as Pinkie nodded happily. "Well nice to meet you. I'm Mr.Cake." He said as he extended his hoof towards Mike.

"Mike. Same." Mike said bumping his hoof.

"Honeybunch, come out here and met our guest." Mr. Cake called back to the kitchen. Soon a slightly pudgy blue mare with a pink mane stepped out.

"Nice to meet you, dear. My name is Mrs. Cake." Mrs. Cake said smiling at the human in front of her.

"Same to you. My name is Mike." Mike replied with a smile of his own.

"Well, the shop's closing soon so why don't we have Pinkie show you the guest room." Mr. Cake said as Pinkie began to bounce up the stairs motioning for Michael to follow. He obliged and she showed him the room he would stay in. Pinkie sat on the bed and patted a spot next to her as Mike sat down.

"Pinkie whats the picture of balloons mean?" Mike asked as Pinkie began to giggle.

"That's my cutie mark silly. It means I'm great at throwing parties and making ponies happy." Pinkie replied. "What's yours?"

"Humans don't have cutie marks," Mike replied flatly which caused Pinkie to gasp and jump up from the bed.

"Then how do you know what your special talent is?" Pinkie said

"We just do I guess," Mike said with a shrug.

"Huh. Some humans must be confused. What if they never find their talent?" Pinkie said with a frown.

"I don't know. Maybe travel everywhere and not talk to their old friends or family." Mike said with a shrug, placing a bit of sadness and venom in the second part, as Pinkie began lightly sobbing. "Hey, it's alright most humans find a thing they like to do and make money doing them, like me," Mike said with a smile. Which caused Pinkie to perk back up.

"Well, that's nice. We should go to sleep now though." Pinkie said as she began to exit the room. "Good night."

"Good night, Pinkie," Mike said as he laid down and began to sleep.

Danny's walk with Applejack to the Apple family orchard was rather uneventful. It was long but quite boring. The two of them had to walk a considerable distance out of Ponyville until they reached the apple orchard. Danny remained fairly quiet throughout the walk, only speaking when Applejack would ask him a question. Most of her questions involved human farming technology which Danny was completely clueless about. His answers were not very helpful and he began to think it may have been better to go with Pinkie and let Mike go with the orange farm pony. Danny noticed the sun had begun to set and he checked his watch which fortunately was still working.

"Where'd ya get that watch?" Applejack asked looking over to Danny. "It seems too fancy fer your taste."

"It is," Danny said with a small laugh. "It was a gift from my dad. Gary recommended the design, though." Danny then placed the watch back in his pocket as it gave out a soft glow in the sunset. They walked up to the home of the Apple family and Applejack stepped inside as Danny followed quickly behind her. From the middle of the room, a large red stallion approached Danny.

"My sister has said a lot about you and your brothers." He spoke in a deep voice. "Nice to meet ya. Name's Macintosh, but you can call me Big Mac."

"My name's Danny. Nice to meet you." Danny said as Big Mac nodded and gave a quick 'eeyup' before leaving.

"Well let me show you where you'll be staying." Applejack said as she walked up the stairs motioning for Danny to follow. As they reached the top of the stairs an elderly mare approached Danny.

"Hey there sonny. Nice to met you. I'm Granny Smith." Granny said smiling at the human. "Boy how you are a tall one ain'tcha?"

"Nice to meet you, ma'am. I'm Danny." Danny said with a chuckle as she smiled and entered a room to the side which he assumed was her bedroom. Applejack opened a door on the opposite side of the hall.

"You'll sleep in here for the night. The bathroom is across the hall, my rooms next door if you need anything, but we have an early start tomorrow so goodnight." Danny replied with a soft 'night' and laid down on the bed and began to think. He let his mind wander as he laid on the bed in the quiet until he heard the door creak open.

"Yes?" Danny asked as a small yellow filly came in from behind the door. She had a large pink bow in her mane and looked to be pretty young. "Can I help you?"

"Who are you?" the young filly said attempting to appear intimidating.

"I'm Danny. Who might you be?" Danny asked the small yellow filly.

"I'm Applebloom," she said proudly. "Are you the huma-thingy my sister was talkin' about?" Danny nodded and the filly gasped with amazement as she began to look him over. She suddenly stopped and had a confused expression. "Where's your cutie mark?"

"Cutie what?" Danny asked confused.

"The thing that tells you what your special talent is," Applebloom said. "Everypony has one."

"Well, humans don't," Danny told her. "We just have to figure it out on our own."

"You don't have a cutie mark?" Applebloom asked him to which he simply shook his head. Applebloom gasped. "You should join the Cutie Mark Crusaders." She said excitedly.

"I'd like, but I won't be here long." Applebloom frowned. "We can still be friends, but now it's late so I'm going to sleep and you should as well." Applebloom perked back up and left the room happily. Danny sighed and began to drift off to sleep.

A Royal Farewell

The next morning Michael, Pinkie, Rarity, Rainbow, and Fluttershy met with Gary and Twilight in the library as they began to prepare for the trip to Canterlot. The seven sat around chatting for some time as they waited for Applejack and Danny. Gary and Mike spoke with each other for several minutes as the four mares had their own conversation. The way Mike and Gary spoke it was almost as if the past week had never happened, and they were speaking just like they did back at the airport in Nashville. Twilight shared what she had learned about Gary as Pinkie spoke about Mike while the three other mares listened intently. Eventually, the seven began to converse freely with each other. Rainbow began to argue with Mike as he told her the speeds that some airplanes are able to reach on Earth, and she insisted that it was impossible. Gary complimented Rarity on her extravagant yellow dress that she said she simply had to wear if she was going to see the princesses. Fluttershy and Gary spoke for a while about animals until she became worried when he mentioned a stray cat that he had rescued. Gary quickly assured her that the cat would be fine as Gary's friend, Mitchell and Mitchell's wife were currently taking care of it. Mike and Twilight also found interest in similarities and differences in Equestrian magic and human technology and they spoke for several minutes comparing the ingenuity of each other's worlds. Not long after, Applejack arrived with Danny in tow.

"Well, how's the Southern gentleman and the country boy doing?" Danny said with a smile as he entered.

"Fairly well, given the circumstances." Gary was quick to respond. "How are you dingus?" The three humans laughed as the six mares each raised an eyebrow and gave them a questioning look. Danny explained the nicknames and soon the six found themselves laughing as well. The group relaxed for several minutes until Twilight informed the group that the chariots had arrived and it was time to leave. Rarity let out a squeal of delight as they approached the chariots which, to the three humans, looked more like the carriage from Cinderella. They each had two pegasus ponies hitched to the front with shiny, golden armor.

"We're taking two chariots?" Gary questioned Twilight who nodded.

"I figured it would be more comfortable than cramming all nine of us in one." She responded. Gary nodded and stepped inside the second chariot with his brothers as the six mares stepped in the first. The chariots were just as magnificent on the inside as they were from the outside. Inside it looked like the interior of a limousine with an ice box with fine wine, champagne, and various nonalcoholic drinks. Gary grabbed a cola and sat across from his brothers on one of the cushioned seats. As he sat down the chariot shook lightly signaling that they had departed. The three brothers sat in silence for some time until Danny spoke up.

"Do you think we'll get home?" Danny asked with a saddened expression.

"Of course man," Mike answered first.

"Agreed, from what I've heard, Celestia must be monumentally powerful," Gary said, though truthfully he still had doubt, but he preferred not to tell his younger sibling for the sake of his feelings. He placed his free hand on Danny's shoulder and shook it lightly giving him a reassuring smile.

"When we get back, how long until you leave?" Danny asked Gary who continued to smile.

"I'll stick around for a few days, but I have to go back home not long after," Gary said and Danny once again had sadness across his face. "How about this? This Christmas I'll take the three of us back to New Orleans. We'll go see the old house, visit the quarter and maybe catch a Saints or Pels game." Upon hearing this Danny perked up and nodded enthusiastically. Mike, at this point, even began to smile. The rest of the chariot ride was silent as each brother prepared for what was to come.

Meanwhile, in the first chariot, the six mares were happily discussing the events of the past week and their opinions on the humans.

"I find that Gary is quite the gentleman. He is a kind one, and he seems rather smart as well. " Rarity said happily. "I must say he is quite the charmer as well."

"He really is nice, and smarts an understatement, after talking with him, I'd be scared to challenge him in chess or trivia that isn't just Equestrian. He showed me the book he wrote as well. It's quite good from what I've read so far." Twilight said. "Danny is quite nice himself. He seems a little quiet though..."

"Applebloom sure seemed to like him." Applejack said with a chuckle. "That little filly would not stop asking him questions all morning. She won't stop talking about him for some time. Mike sure seems like a good guy too. He seems like a hard worker, shame we won't get the chance to get him to help out on the farm."

"Mike is super nice!" Pinkie said excitedly. "You should have seen him with Pound Cake. He got the little guy to laugh without hardly even trying. He also likes cupcakes, so he must be good."

"I agree. I think they are all very nice." Fluttershy said softly.

"Yea they are! They're pretty cool too. Not as cool as me or the Wonderbolts, but they're pretty cool " Rainbow said excitedly. The chariot was then quiet for a couple of minutes as a realization came over the six mares.

"They're going to leave soon and we won't get to see them ever again." Pinkie said sadly as her mane deflated and her coat suddenly became dull and darkened.

"It's not so bad," Twilight said. "They may be able to come back and visit, and if not then we'll still be friends and we won't forget them. I don't think they'll forget us either."

"Yea! I guess, even if they leave we'll still have the memories." Pinkie said as color returned to her coat and her mane regained its puffy texture.

"I think we may have a friendship report for Celestia when we see her," Twilight said as the six mares all laughed happily.

The two chariots landed on the clean marble path in front of the castle. Gary, Danny, and even Mike were all in awe of the architecture. They had spent the last several minutes viewing Canterlot from the sky, and they were amazed. The door to the chariot opened and the three were greeted by the six mare and several Royal Guards who were guarding the entrance of the castle. The guards informed the nine they would have to wait before entering, but they would not give a reason. Gary began squinting and using his had to shield his eyes from the sun. I wish I had my shades still. he thought to himself, then face-palmed shortly after. He reached into his duffel bag, removed a pair of rose-tinted aviators and put them on. The nine stood silent for a few minutes until the door to the castle was opened. Three guards stepped forward, two were in the normal golden armor and appeared to be grey unicorns, while the third was a white unicorn with purple armor. Gary, Mike, and Danny tensed up unsure of what to expect.

"Twily!" The white unicorn said excitedly as he removed his helmet. "It's great to see you again."

"Shining? I wasn't expecting to see you here." Twilight responded hugging him.

"Cadence and I decided to come back when Celestia told us about the strange creatures you found." He said turning over to the three brothers who were attempting to suppress laughs at Shining's nickname for Twilight.

"Hello, my name is Gary King. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Gary, regaining his composure, said extending a fist which Shining bumped with a hoof.

"Name's Mike, Pleasure," Mike said tipping his hat to Shining who nodded in kind.

"Danny. Same as they said," Danny said as he bumped Shining's hoof.

"I'm Shining Armor, Twilight's brother and Captain of the Royal Guard," Shining replied. "The princesses are expecting you. We'd better not keep them waiting." Shining once again donned his helmet and returned to the castle. Gary was the first to step forward.

"After you, Princess Twily," Gary said with a laugh and a bow.

"Why thank you. You really are the Southern Gentleman." Twilight said with a laugh of her own. Soon the five other mares and two other humans were laughing as well as they entered the castle. Gary, Mike, and Danny were all impressed by the glory of the castle. They walked through several long, well-lit hallways with cold marble floors and glorious red carpets. The final hall they entered had several elegant, stain-glass windows displaying different events in Equestrian history. Gary recognized the banishment of Nightmare Moon from the book Twilight had lent him. He also noticed two windows portrayed the six mares that had, not only, rescued him and his brothers but had also become quick friends. The final window portrayed Spike and a heart of some sort. He didn't know the specifics of the events, but he was impressed that the six mares had such a large impact on their world in such a short time. The ten of them reached the large red double-doors with ornate golden handles at the end of the halls.

"The princesses are through here," Shining said as the guards opened the doors. "Go on ahead they're expecting you." Gary removed his sunglasses and followed behind the six mares as his brothers followed him. The walked along to the end of the room where atop a large throne sat a large white alicorn with a pink, green, purple and blue mane that flowed in the nonexistent breeze. On one side of her was a dark blue alicorn whose mane resembled the night sky. On the white alicorn's opposite side was a pink alicorn with a blue, yellow and pink mane stood. The white one stood up and approached the group as the six mares bowed and Gary knelt down on one knee. After a second, Danny noticed and copied the motion Gary had done. Gary punched the back of Mike's knee and pulled him down to the same position. The humans were impressed by her stature. Whereas the other mares stood at their midsection the white alicorn was easily as tall as Gary, if not taller.

"It's wonderful to see you again, my little ponies," Celestia said with a smile a bow of her own. "I must say, it is a pleasure to meet you three as well." She said turning toward the humans. "I am Princess Celestia, the ruler of Equestria."

"Aye, and we are Luna the Princess of the Night," Luna shouted as she approached behind her sister. Celestia looked at Luna with a soft glare which caused Luna to look away with a light blush and a soft sorry.

"I'm Princess Mi Amore Cadenza," Cadence said stepping forward as well. "I prefer Cadence, though."

"Cadence!" Twilight shouted jumping toward Cadence. "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake, clap your hooves and do a little shake." The two alicorns said simultaneously. Danny and Mike fell over laughing, and Gary nearly fell over while attempting to help them up. A few seconds later, the three regained their composure and looked toward the princesses.

"A pleasure to meet you all," Gary said with a light bow. "Thank you for offering assistance and for making us feel so welcomed in a foreign world."

"Agreed. Thank ya'll," Mike said tipping his hat.

"Same from me. Thank you," Danny said with a nod. Celestia smiled at the humans.

"You're quite welcome. We welcome any peaceful creatures in Equestria.." Celestia said. "I feel that you do not wish to stay long, though." The three humans nodded.

"Then we will do our best to help you," Luna spoke at a normal volume. "We will need to perform a spell on one of you to gain information about your home." Gary raised an eyebrow and was about to speak but was interrupted.

"We need information if we are to send you home properly," Celestia said calmly. "Accuracy is important." Gary nodded. "It's a simple spell that will allow me to view your thoughts and memories. Which of you has the most knowledge of your world?" Mike and Danny pointed at Gary who raised his hand. "Very well." Celestia's horn was wrapped in a golden aura, and soon, so was Gary's head. The glow lasted for a moment but suddenly fizzled out and stopped. Celestia had a shocked look that was shared by Twilight and Luna. Gary raised an eyebrow and spoke to the shocked royals.

"What's wrong?" He questioned. Celestia shook her head and responded.

"You're... you're immune to magic." She said utterly astonished.

"WHAT?" Twilight screamed.

"How is this possible?" Gary said calmly as he noticed Mike shift nervously and Danny's expression becoming saddened.

"Magic is like a river. It flows and can be manipulated or, in some cases, blocked." Celestia said. "It requires something to run through to carry the flow, and your kind doesn't have anything of the sort." Mike and Danny were near stupefied and found it hard to understand Celestia's explanation.

"It's like electricity," Gary said to them. "And we're rubber. If that's the case then how did we get here?"

"It was likely an overflow of magic. The use of the Elements so often recently is the most likely cause." Luna said with a peaceful voice. "You must have been inside something that was hit with a powerful magic blast and was transported here. That is likely how you got here."

"This is what's left of our transport," Mike said with a sigh as he pulled the damaged license plate from his pants.

"The magic must have been very strong to have done this," Celesta said with a sigh. She paused for a moment looking away shortly. She returned her gaze to the humans. "There is no possible way for you to return. We cannot send you alone and anything we could use as a means of transport would likely be destroyed along with you in it. Also, we have no way to know where you will be sent, but it will most likely not be your home or anywhere friendly." Danny began to cry heavily and Mike, who was also beginning to cry lightly, held him. Gary remained stoic; his crystal blue eyes remained locked with Celestia's large magenta eyes.

"What should we do then?" Gary asked Celestia. His voice was tinted with sadness.

"I will give you a moment to collect yourselves. Then we will discuss where to head from here." She answered calmly and Gary could hear the concern in her voice. Mike and Danny walked down to the hall to a small sitting room still sobbing heavily. Gary walked out the door onto the balcony running his fingers through his hair and letting out an exasperated sigh. Rarity and Twilight began to follow Gary as Pinkie and Applejack began to follow Mike and Danny, but Celestia stopped them. "Give them time. This will be hard for them and they should have a moment to collect themselves." The six mares nodded and stayed put.

Gary King sat alone on the balcony of the majestic castle in Canterlot. A lit cigarette was laid on the railway along the balcony. Gary was resting against a chair. He removed his jacket and enjoyed the mild temperature of the summer evening. He had lost track of how long he had been out but could tell it had been at least an hour. His eyes were still red, but it was hidden by his rose-tinted glasses. He could feel where tears had run down his cheeks. He would have liked to comfort his brothers but now felt wrong. He began to recap his little sojourn had brought him through.

Okay. First I was with my brothers on the way to dad's. Next, there's a bright flash, then nothing. The next day, all three of us are in a hospital in this place, Equestria. This land is run by sentient ponies, and humans have never been seen here. Six mares, who are approximately my age group, rescued my brothers and I. Over the past week we all have become close friends. Now, we discover that we are trapped here and we have no way home. I suppose it could be worse this place really is nice and the people err... uh, ponies, are rather nice. The landscape is truly gorgeous as well. Gary looked out from the balcony to see the land. The view was spectacular. He noticed a difference, though. Earth's colors seemed solid and dark, but in Equestria, the colors are vibrant and seem fluid, almost pastel. He was interrupted from his thoughts by soft hoof falls behind him. They were too soft for Rainbow or Applejack, and the space between them was too long for Twilight. He deduced that it was either Rarity or Fluttershy.

"Hello, darling. Are you alright?" Gary mentally applauded himself for being correct.

"Yea. This whole thing is a bit much," Gary sighed. "I guess it could be worse." Rarity walked over and placed a hoof on his shoulder. She could tell he had been crying.

"I can't say I know how you feel. I can, however, assure you that I will be here for you. All of us will." Rarity said with a warm smile. Gary gave her a smile of his own.

"Thank you. That means a lot." Gary said pulling her in a hug which she returned happily. "Well then, I believe we should return." He said breaking the hug and removing his sunglasses. Rarity nodded and the two returned inside. Upon returning, they saw Celestia and Luna sitting at the end of a large, opulent dining table. Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow, and Pinkie were sitting at the sides of the table, and Mike and Danny were on the opposite end of Celestia and Luna. Gary and Rarity took the empty seats, as they did, servants gave them each a glass and offered them a variety of drinks. Once everyone was settled, Celestia spoke.

"It is good to see you three in a better mood," Celestia said in a cheery tone. "I believe, before anything else, we should discuss what to do about you," Celestia said and the three humans nodded. "I believe I have an idea. You will be given full citizenship and be treated just as anypony in Equestria. I will also give you a home to share in Ponyville. You all will stay here for tonight and when you return to Ponyville tomorrow everything should be ready. Does this sound good?" The princess finished. Gary, Mike, and Danny were shocked and found it difficult to form words.

"Thank you, Princess. That is a wonderful offer, and if you wish, we will accept." Gary said as his brothers nodded and Celestia smiled.

"I thought you may like it," Celestia replied as Luna and the six other mares cheered.

"I purpose a toast," Gary said tapping his glass with a fork. "To the princesses, for welcoming us and giving us much more than we could have asked for. To you six, for saving our lives and becoming our first friends in this world. Lastly, to new beginnings. Farewell to the troubles of our past and may the future bring prosperity and happiness." The eight mares and two other humans cheered and clapped. The rest of the night was spent with them chatting happily and preparing for the future. Gary was glad to see his brothers happy.

"Maybe this won't be so bad. Hell, this could be fun " Gary thought to himself. He smiled as he looked over at his brothers, and he could tell they were thinking the same thing.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading! Hope you've enjoyed so far. Most chapters from here on will involve one brother, though some may still be about all three.

Brothers to the End

Gary awoke in a slight daze. He, somewhat reluctantly, stepped out of the comfort of the palace bed. He walked over to the window and noticed that is was still incredibly early. The moon was high in the sky casting a soft glow over the landscape. Gary stared into the beautiful night sky that was full of stars. Sighing, the young man walked over to a nearby chair and grabbed his shirt and pants. Once he was clothed, he grabbed his gold lighter with an intricate engraving of a heart and his pack of cigarettes. He was down to four. Well, I needed to quit anyway, he thought as he left the room and proceeded down the hallway.

Gary reached an open door to a balcony, the same one he had sat on once he learned that he was stuck in Equestria, and stepped out into the cold night air. He was not alone. He saw his brothers, Danny, and Michael, also on the balcony. They were both looking out to the landscape in silence. Gary pulled up a chair and joined the two in silence. The three of them sat in silence for several minutes just staring off into the distance.

"Couldn't sleep?" Gary finally spoke looking over to Mike, who simply nodded. "Same," Gary said with a sigh as silence once again befell them. It was a sharp contrast to several hours ago when they all seemed so happy and lively.

"What do you think about all of this?" Danny asked Gary, who had lit a cigarette.

"I think it could be worse," Gary said as he inhaled. "A lot worse. I think it's okay, not ideal. We've already made six friends. We're being fully accommodated and given a home for free. This land is also a lot nicer than Earth that's certain."

"It's not Earth, though. What about all our friends and family we're leaving behind?" Danny said a bit angrily.

"Do you remember what I told you when Mike and I were leaving for college, and you and dad were moving to Nashville?" Gary responded blowing a large puff of smoke.

"You said that the present and, sometimes the future, is what counts, not the past," Danny said with a small laugh. "I always thought that was funny because you're so into history."

"What else did I say?" Gary said smiling.

"The past is already gone, the future is not yet here. There's only one moment for you to live, and that is the present moment." Danny said with a sigh as he started to see his eldest brother's point.

"Lastly, what did dad say?" Gary said taking a long pull from his cigarette.

"He said sometimes you don't always get exactly what you want, but you have to make the best of what you have." Danny started to smile. "Thanks, bro. I see what you mean. I think this will be alright." Danny stood up and gave Gary a quick hug. Danny walked back and sat down. He was coming to accept the situation that he found himself in, and Gary's ever-positive outlook helped remove any lingering doubt and reluctance.

"It ain't that easy," Mike said in a low tone.

"Pardon?" Gary questioned. "I believe it is. Things change, and this could be fun." Gary said with a smile. Mike looked at him with anger in his eyes. He grabbed Gary's shoulders and pushed him against a wall causing Danny to gasp.

"FUN?!? THIS ISN'T A FUCKING GAME, GARY! WE DON"T BELONG HERE!" Mike yelled angrily. "We're stuck here, and we'll never see anyone we knew again."

"You don't think I know that," Gary shouted back. "I said it wasn't perfect and there's some shit we've got to deal with." Mike let go of Gary and sat back down sighing. "We've got to accept it. We can't get back, so we can either sit and be miserable or look life in the face and smile." Gary said sitting next to Mike and patting his shoulder. "You've got to play the hand you're dealt." Mike looked back at Gary and gave a light smile.

"It's just tough, ya know," Mike said looking back into the distance. "There were so many things I wanted to do."

"We're not dead. They probably think we are, but you can still do all those things." Gary said with a smile. Mike returned the smile and hugged his brother.

"You're right"

"I always am." The three brothers all began to laugh. They had begun to accept their situation and were ready to move forward. They sat in silence again, only this time it was out of contentment and peace and not of anger or doubt. They sat like this for some time, until the silence was broken by the sound of hoof steps. The brothers turned their backs expecting to see a guard, but instead, they were greeted by the Princess of the Night.

"Ah, good evening. I did not expect to see you at this hour." Luna said with a shocked look and a smile.

"We had trouble sleeping," Gary said with a smile. "I've always liked the nights, anyway. The nights in Equestria are much prettier than Earth as well." Luna let out a small 'squee' which caused Gary to laugh lightly.

"Agreed. The nights were great when I went camping, but that doesn't compare to this." Mike said smiling as well.

"I've never seen so many stars," Danny said. "It's really pretty."

"Why, thank you," Luna said beaming with delight. "Not many ponies enjoy the night like yourselves."

"I wish I knew the constellations. Mitch tried to teach me some, but I was never really interested." Gary said smiling.

"Who is this, Mitch?" Luna asked raising an eyebrow to Gary.

"He is, or was, my closest friend. He's an astronomer." Gary said. "He always loved the night. We used to sit outside and talk for hours some nights back in college." Gary sighed and disposed of his cigarette. He pulled out his lighter and began to look at it.

"He sounds like a good man," Luna said with a warm smile. Gary returned the smile as did his brothers. "May I ask what your occupation was on your world?"

"I'm a writer and journalist," Gary said to the blue alicorn.

"I'm an auto mechanic," Mike said to Luna, who raised an eyebrow. "I fix cars. They're like big, metal carriages that move by themselves." Luna nodded and looked over to Danny expectantly.

"I was a waiter, but I just finished school. I was planning to join the Navy like our father." Danny said with a shrug.

"Your father was a sailor?" Luna questioned the three humans who all nodded. "What about your mother?"

"She was a lawyer. They met at school." Danny said with an awkward laugh. Mike looked down, and Gary averted his eyes and looked off into the distance. "What can you tell us about yourself?" Danny questioned Luna hoping to change the topic.

"Well, I can share a few stories, but it may take some time," Luna said with a questioning look.

"We've got all night," Gary said pulling up a chair and motioning for her to sit. She did and began to regale the humans with stories from a thousand years ago. She even told of recent events, such as her Nightmare Night visit to Ponyville and the return of Discord. The brothers even shared some stories of their own, most of their childhood. She spoke for several hours as the moon descended to the edge of the sky.

"This was a most interesting night," Luna said with a giggle. "I would say the fun has most certainly been tripled, but I must leave to lower the moon. You three enjoy yourselves. Oh, and welcome to Equestria."

"Thank you. Have a nice morning, your grace." Gary said as he and his brothers waved goodbye to the Princess of the Night. They returned to look out at the sunrise. The three sat in silence enjoying the view and each others company. Gary let out a contented sigh and a yawn. "We should go grab our things and some breakfast." His brothers nodded as they each let out a yawn and returned to the castle. The three went their separate ways toward their rooms and gathered their things. They met once again in the dining hall and enjoyed a quiet breakfast with the two alicorn sisters.

Gary, Mike, and Danny once again found themselves in a chariot, but this time, they were on their way to the quaint little town of Ponyville. Rarity, Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow, and Pinkie were in the second chariot eagerly awaiting their return home with three humans. Who were now their friends, as well. Back in the castle in Canterlot, Celestia looked at her younger sister a bit cryptically.

"I wonder if I made the right decision," Celestia said to Luna with a sigh. "We know nothing about those creatures."

"Our decision was right on all accounts," Luna said with a smile. Celestia raised an eyebrow to her younger sister. "I have spoken with them. They are kindhearted and show true devotion to their friends and family. Their unique, different, and may not be perfect, but no one truly is. I think they will be a great fit with the Elements, and I'd like to call them my own friends as well."

"That is good to know. They should make fine citizens." Celestia smiled. She was happy to hear that the humans were not harmful and that Luna was making friends.

Gary, Mike, and Danny were, meanwhile, happily speaking with each other in the carriage. The mood was significantly better than the fear, doubt, and sadness from the early morning. Mike had come to terms with the situation. He had to agree with Gary that, although it may not be perfect, Equestria was, in many ways, nicer than Earth. He also figured they could be much worse off. Danny seemed to actually be looking forward to their new life. He felt a hint of sadness at the loss of his friends and family, but most of his friends were leaving for work or college, and he still had his brothers, which he took great comfort in. Danny looked over at Gary and smiled. Danny hadn't seen his eldest brother in nearly four years but now was great to make up for the lost time. Like his brothers, Gary felt conflicting emotions. On one hand, this was a glorious adventure and could be a huge improvement for his life. On the other hand, Gary could tell his brothers were still conflicted, and he felt saddened by that. Gary was always the leader and the protector with his brothers, so when things went wrong Gary always felt responsible. They all put these thoughts aside and decided to enjoy the ride back to Ponyville, They began to laugh as they reminisced about their childhood.

"Mike, do you remember Maria Smith?" Gary said with a small laugh

"Yea, yea I do," Mike said with a nervous laugh.

"I still remember how you hit on her, in front of her boyfriend... Chris, was it?.... and he was so close to smashing your face in right there." Gary said as his laughter increased. "I had to come in and save your ass and talk him into not killing you on the spot."

"I remember that. You even talked him into helping us in that fight." Mike said as he began laughing. Danny had heard the story before, but he still laughed every time his brothers recapped their high school drama.

"Man, we nearly caused a riot. The bastard had the nerve to call me a liar, then attack me from behind."

"What was the issue again?" Mike paused to think then snapped his fingers "Didn't he say that you got his girlfriend pregnant?" Gary nodded.

"He and three others all said I slept with their girlfriends," Gary said laughing again. "I didn't know any of them and half of them, I wouldn't even want to consider sleeping with. After that, Mitch started to call me the 'King of Hearts.'"

"How has Mitch been by the way?" Danny asked. He had always liked Gary's childhood best friend. Danny always looked up to Mitch, who was stoic, but always around when someone needed them. A man of few words and great actions. The two of them looked quite different but had incredibly similar personalities.

"Good. He got married to a French girl named Natalie last year." Gary said smiling. "That was a great night."

"Care to elaborate?" Danny asked in his best attempt to imitate Gary's voice.

"When we graduated from the university, he gave me this lighter," Gary said as he removed the golden zippo from his pocket. "And I took him on a trip to Paris. He always said how if he could visit anywhere, it would be Paris. While we were there, I accidentally ran into this gorgeous local girl who was carrying several bags. I helped her carry them back to her apartment and then offered her to join Mitch and me at a cafe for lunch. She accepted and the two of them just hit it off. Love at first sight. Mitch moved out to Paris and got married the next year. At the reception, I had a bit too much to drink and woke up the next morning in bed with Natalie's best friend. That was a good night indeed." The three brothers began to laugh together. The rest of the carriage ride was spent sharing stories of events that had happened while Gary was gone.

The carriages pulled to a stop, making a soft screech in front of the Ponyville library. The three humans stepped out of the second carriage to see the six mares waiting beside the first. One of the guards unhitched himself from the carriage and approached the group.

"If you follow me, I will show you to your home." He said flatly. "You six may come along as well." The mares nodded and walked along as the guard led them and the humans through Ponyville. The group followed the guard out to the outskirts of town. They began walking on a road out of town when a mysterious hooded figure approached them. The figure removed its hood and revealed that it was a female zebra.

"Twilight Sparkle, you I am glad to see. Who might these three be?" The zebra smiled at the lavender mare.

"Hello, Zecora. This Gary, Mike and Danny," She said pointing a hoof at each of them as they waved. "They're humans."

"Pleasure to meet you. How do you do?" Gary responded trying to emulate her rhyming speech.

"I see you know how to rhyme, to do so must have taken time," Zecora said with a large grin.

"I've learned some tricks. It provides a quick fix." Gary struggled slightly to rhyme, but it was hard to tell.

"I wish I could stay and speak, but I shall return next week," Zecora said as she began to trot off toward the forest. The group all waved as she left and then continued on their journey. Just past the outskirts of Ponyville, the group approached a nice looking two story house that had the same design as all the other houses. The guard led them inside and left to return to Canterlot.

The inside of the home was nice, a bit plain, but nice. There was a large living room that had a large couch, a loveseat, and a small coffee table. The kitchen was attached to the living room and had all the necessities. There was one bedroom downstairs and two more upstairs. The master bedroom had a nice spacious bathroom and a door that led to a small balcony outside.

"Dibs," Gary shouted loudly to his brothers who sighed simultaneously.

"Fine, but I get the room downstairs then," Mike said.

"I think that works," Danny replied as his brothers nodded. They all shook hands and proceeded to explore the house. After checking each room the group all went into the living room. Gary offered the mares to have a seat in the living room, and the group began to converse. Eventually, the six mares left and returned to their own homes. Gary had decided that it was late, and it was a good time to make up for the lack of sleep the previous night. Mike and Danny agreed and the three all went into their new rooms and began to sleep.

Author's Note

Sorry this took a while. I should have at least two chapters out by this time next week.

Debts Repayed

The light of the moon is blocked by the large red curtains from entering the spacious master bedroom of the Kings' new house in Ponyville. Except for one thin ray of light that just so happened to pass over Gary's eyes causing the young man to stir and awaken from a peaceful slumber. He sits up and mutters several obscenities as he gets out of his bed. He proceeds to the bathroom and takes a shower and prepares himself for the day. Luckily, he had a change of clothes in his duffel bag, just a pair of khaki cargo shorts and a plain white v-neck t-shirt. As he descended the stairs, he noticed the house was silent and neither of his brothers was awake. He noticed from the clock on the wall that it was only 5:30, still pretty early. Gary fancied himself as more of a night owl and usually preferred to sleep until noon if possible. He decided to take advantage of his early rise and prepare breakfast for himself and his brothers. He would also decide what they need to do for the day. He found the kitchen well stocked except for, not surprisingly, any meat. He did, however, find eggs and the other materials necessary to make pancakes, an old favorite of his and his brothers. He started the stove, pulled out a skillet and began to make breakfast.

A short time passed as Gary prepared breakfast for his siblings. Making the pancakes from scratch wasn't a challenge due to the fact that Gary had a fair amount of culinary training from a cooking class in high school and from taking care of himself for so long. He found himself constantly musing over thoughts of his situation and accidentally burnt the first flapjack in his distraction. Shortly after the clock's hands passed showing the time as 6:00, Daniel stumbled lazily into the living room toward the kitchen. His short hair was damp, and he had a towel hung around his neck, indicating he just left the shower. He threw his shirt on the couch and took a seat on one of the two stools at the kitchen counter.

"Morning, sunshine," Gary said sarcastically as he passed his brother a plate with four, fresh pancakes and a bottle of syrup. "What are you doing up early?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Danny retorted as he poured some syrup over his plate and reached over for a fork. "Was all this here?" Danny questioned as he gestured to the food and utensils.

"Well, I made the pancakes from scratch, but the materials were all here," Gary smirked. "Celestia certainly is a generous woma--err mare. I checked out everything; There should be enough food to last about three weeks between the three of us."

"What will we do after that?" Danny said as he began to devour his breakfast.

"We'll talk about that as soon a Mike is here. Is he in the shower?" Gary said pointing toward the bathroom down the hall.

"Yep," Danny replied continuing his breakfast. Gary took the time to set out a plate for Mike in front of the second stool. After taking a moment to clean Gary leaned over the counter to eat once he noticed Danny was almost finished and Mike was seating himself at the counter. After a quick greeting exchange, the three brothers ate hastily in silence, Once they finished and cleaned up the kitchen, they each took a seat in the living room with Gary on the recliner, Danny on the love-seat and Mike on the sofa.

"Well, first things first, we should make a quick plan as to what to do today, agreed?" Gary asked his brothers who nodded in response. "Okay, I think we need a way to pay back Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie. Any ideas?"

"A party," Mike said snapping his fingers. "A "thank you" party. It could be for all of them, but mostly Pinkie."

"Good idea. Pinkie, check." Gary paused for a moment to think, "I've got it, for Twilight we can donate the books from Earth that are in my bag to the library."

"Two down, four to go," Danny said nodding. "Any other ideas? Rarity, Rainbow, Shy and Applejack are left."

"Well, we could always ask Rarity if she wants anything in particular," Gary replied. "We need to visit her anyway for new clothing. It would favor us to have more than one set of clothes or two in my case."

"What about Shy and Rainbow?" Mike asked, "Can we get them anything or help them in some way?"

"Well none of us can fly, control the weather or take care of animals very well so those ideas are out." Danny sighed. "We could always go help Applejack at her farm."

"Uggggghhh... Manual labor." Gary groaned, throwing his head back dramatically.

"Come on you big baby," Mike said grabbing Gary and pulling him up from the couch. "You were never opposed to working when there was a pretty girl involved." The three brothers shared a quick laugh, recalling Gary's antics back in high school. "Besides, this is a perfect way to help her and pay Applejack back." Gary sighed accepting his fate and proceeded to open the door.

"Well then, let's be off. Shall we?" Gary said with a smirk bowing at the open door. "Ladies, first."

After a short walk in the sunrise and a quick stop to ask for directions, much to Mike's dismay, the three brothers found themselves walking through the apple orchard at Sweet Apple Acres. They were surprised to find that the ponies of Ponyville friendlier and more accepting than before. When they first walked through Ponyville, they received only an occasional fearful glance, but this time, they found the occasional pony waved as they passed. Though it was clear most were still suspicious or worried. After a swift search, Danny spotted a large red stallion hooking himself to a plow in the middle of a field.

"Hey, Big Mac." The youngest human said with a wave. The large stallion stopped hitching himself to the plow and looked up at the three humans.

"Howdy, Danny," Mac said with a nod. "You two must be his brothers. What brings y'all to the orchard?"

"Heya, I'm Mike," the man said in a similar accent to the stallion he was greeting. He stuck his fist out which the hulking red stallion bumped.

"And I'm Gary," the final human said repeating the gesture. "We were hoping to help out Applejack as thank you for the whole saving our lives and whatnot."

"She's over in the west field. She may refuse at first, but trust me, we appreciate all help here so just be persistent." Mac said plainly. The three humans began to walk toward the west field. Gary turned around and gave a short wave to Mac.

"Thanks, Big Mac. Nice to meet you." Gary shouted to the stallion who had finally finished hitching himself up.

"Eeyup," was the only reply from the stallion.

The Kings walked a short distance to where Big Mac had directed them. Once they reached the west field they saw a familiar orange earth pony with a blond mane that was, comically, tied in a ponytail with a brown Stetson hat on top. The mare known as Applejack was to busy bucking a tree to notice the three humans approach her.

"Hey there, Applejack!" Danny said enthusiastically. Applejack was startled by the sudden shout which caused her to slip and fall on her face. Gary gave a small laugh as Danny attempted to avoid doing the same, and Mike walked over and assisted in getting the mare to her hooves.

"Howdy, ya'll. Sorry 'bout that, just caught me off guard was all," she said with a light blush and a small smile.

"No worries, it was worth a good laugh. Are you alright?" Gary said with a smirk.

"Ah'm fine thank you. What brings ya'll to Sweet Apple Acres?" Applejack questioned.

"We were hoping to pay you back by giving you whatever assistance you needed on the farm for a day," Mike replied with a hopeful smile.

"Ya'll don't need to do that. We just did what anypony would have done." Applejack replied earnestly. "You don't owe me anything."

"Don't be so modest, Applejack," Gary said with a sly smirk still on his face. "You did assist in saving our lives after all."

"I'll say it again, we just did what anypony would have." Applejack replied a bit more sternly.

"Please. We really want to repay you, and I've always wanted to try farm work." Mike said matching Applejack's seriousness.

"Fine, you can help for the day," as Applejack finally caved Mike raised his fist in victory and high-fived his brothers. "Ya'll can help me harvest the west field."

"How exactly should we do that?" Danny inquired pointing at a tree.

"Well I just buck 'em like this," Applejack said as she positioned herself on her forehooves and used both of her hind legs to give a strong kick to the tree causing all the apples to fall. The three brothers clapped their hands which elected a small blush and a tip of the hat from the orange mare. Mike and Gary looked at each other for a brief moment, then with a nod and a cocky grin, they each moved in front of two nearby trees. Simultaneously, they kicked the trees which caused three apples to fall out in front of Gary and four in front of Mike. They both reeled back, realizing too late that they were still injured, albeit lightly.

"I believe, there is a more efficient way to do this," Gary said as he grabbed a low lying branch and pulled himself up into the tree. Quickly, one by one, the apples fell out of the tree into a basket on the ground. Mike and Danny quickly followed suit and climbed into two nearby trees and began plucking all the apples from them. A moment later Gary, Mike, and Danny descended from the trees to see Applejack waiting for them.

"All right, we need to harvest all the apples in the west field," Applejack said in an authoritative tone. "With four of us, it should be done before sundown." With that said they all proceeded to begin working for the day. Other than the occasional joke or small talk, the only sound was Applejack's rhythmic kicking of the apple trees.

After many hours of work and a lunch break that consisted of the best apple-based foods the three humans had ever eaten, the sun was beginning its descent from the sky, and the brothers and Applejack finished harvesting the west field. The brothers were about to discuss what to do next, but they were interrupted as the orange mare spoke up first.

"Thank ya'll kindly. Ya'll didn't have to pay me back as you did, but I appreciate it." Applejack said with a gracious smile. "There still a bit more work to be done, but as far as I'm concerned you've earned your keep and then some. I'm glad to call ya'll my friends, even if you are weird aliens from some far off land."

"Thank you, Applejack. We can never truly repay for saving our lives, but thanks for letting us do what we could." Gary said with a smile of his own. Mike and Danny each nodded and smiled in agreement. "And we're glad we can call you a friend as well." After a quick hoof bump with each of the humans, Applejack left to give the humans some time to discuss the rest of their day. As Applejack left, the three brothers huddled up and began to plan out the evening. Gary spoke first.

"Okay, so we still need to visit Rarity, and I would prefer to get Twilight those books as soon as possible," Gary said as his brothers nodded in contemplation.

"If it's all the same with ya'll, I'd like to say here and help A.J. finish the work," Mike said with a pleading look in his eyes.

"I'm sure that'll work, but can I ask why?" Danny spoke next.

"I'm really liking this work, and I feel like we helped but could do more," Mike said sincerely.

"Alright, that works. Danny, you and I go to Rarity's then the library?" Gary said as he raised an eyebrow to his youngest brother.

"I'd like to go to the library to return the books to Twilight. I may take a while because I want to check out some more books as well." Danny said hopefully to his brothers.

"Okay so you head home, get the books to give Twilight as well as the books to return and then head to the library. I'll head down to the boutique and find a solution to our clothing situation." Gary said with a smirk. He felt a bit strange referring to their new house in Equestria as 'home', but it felt almost normal. The brothers nodded, broke the huddle and went their separate ways. Gary and Danny waved to Mike and Applejack as they departed from Sweet Apple Acres. After a short walk, Danny and Gary reached the outskirts of Ponyville. They were about to separate ways, as their home and the boutique was on opposite sides of the town when Gary spoke.

"The books are in the bag in my room," Gary said to Danny with a serious expression. "Also if you could, ask Twilight for a book or two on Equestrian history, specifically the Elements of Harmony."

"Yea, sure. No problem." Danny said with a smile and a nod. The two brothers then went separate ways and were officially on their own for the second time since being in Equestria.

Author's Note

FINALLY!!! The next chapter! Sorry for the huge delay. I got busy between school and other life things. Anytime I tried to write I would just not be able to get anything written. I rewrote this chapter three times, but I finally got it done. The next chapter will be in three parts that will be released at the same time. That time should be before Christmas.

A Facade (Part 1)

Author's Note

Wow. IT LIVES!
Years later. Back to writing. Life got busy, but I hope to be able to write more now. I went and edited the earlier chapters. Nothing really changed, just changed some details and drastically improved grammar. This story will continue to take place between Seasons 3 and 4. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy

A Facade (Part 1)

Gary sat in his new apartment in Brooklyn. He always enjoyed the big cities. There was always something to do, and fun was always a few steps away. That was Gary's favorite thing in life, fun. That and helping people, but he always said that was something anyone enjoyed. He gave a quiet chuckle at his thoughts. He stood up, grabbed his laptop and a cigarette and stepped out onto his balcony, which had a spectacular view of the Brooklyn Bridge. Gary lit the cigarette and took a seat, enjoying the light breeze. He liked it here, but he wondered how long he would stay. He always found that something always pulled him forward to the next place. He had been around the world and back, but he never found a place to stay for very long. Maybe he was destined to do this, wander on from place to place and never stop until he dies.

Gary let out a long sigh and pushed the thoughts from his head. If only he could find some direction and stability. He had just gone with the wind since he left high school. He picked up his laptop and started it up. He immediately went to his email to see if there was any news on his first published novel. He saw that there were thirty-two messages in his inbox, so he started at the bottom and began to check each message. Spam. Spam. Spam. Spam. Spam. More Spam and More Spam. Just as the hope to find anything important was leaving, he saw an email from Leonard King, his father. Gary quickly opened the message and quickly scanned its content.

Son,

How has it been? No one's heard from you since you and Mitch went to Paris. Anyway, I've moved. After you know... I couldn't stay. Everything reminded me of her. I needed to move on. I wish you could have come to the funeral. If not for her then for me, and if not me, then for Danny. He misses you, a lot. He admires you. Every day he gets more like you, and like Michael. I want you to visit for the week. I'd love to see you again, and I know Danny would even more so. Mike should be here too. If you want to come just print out the tickets from the link, if not, I love you and hope to see you sometime soon. Danny says he loves you too.

Gary contemplated for a moment. It had been so long since he left. He sighed. His parting was not a good one and the emotions were high and everyone was upset when he left. Could he really go back? Should he? He missed his father, but most of all he missed his brothers. He hadn't seen any of them in a long time. It wasn't likely they would all be together for a while. As he tapped out his cigarette Gary opened the link and smiled.

"Guess I'm going to Nashville, I better pack."

______________________

Gary strolled through the quaint streets of Ponyville absentmindedly enjoying the cool late afternoon air. Going on solitary walks was something Gary possessed a great fondness for. Walking as he was, he couldn't help but be reminded of Earth. 'Guess no matter what happens or how much time passes, I'll still be human.' He thought to himself as he looked at the ground and smiled. His thoughts were interrupted by a barking dog. Gary looked up to see that he had made his way to the center of Ponyville's market where many ponies were busy going on with there day. Gary looked back down to see a small brown and white dog happily smiling and wagging its tail next to Gary's leg. The small canine rolled over and Gary gave it a few pats on its white underbelly.

"Hey there..." Gary says as he read the dog's collar. "Wiona." Gary stood back up, and, as quickly as it had come, the dog ran off. Gary shrugged and continued his walk. He began to look around the semi-busy streets of Ponyville, noticing the cheery atmosphere of the town. He began to hum Sinatra's "That's Life" quietly to himself and continued on his way to Carousel Boutique. His walk was relatively peaceful; it seemed that not many ponies were used to the presence of humans yet, but some did give Gary a polite greeting as he passed.

Gary stopped for a moment. It suddenly dawned on him that he didn't know where the boutique was. He knew it was in town, but nothing more. He decided to forego bothering anyone for directions and instead go from the central market and work his way around. Gary stopped as he rounded a corner to leave the central marketplace. Right in the direction, he was heading was that mint green unicorn from the other day.

She was sitting, in a way that had to be difficult and uncomfortable for a pony, on a bench on the side of the road. That wasn't even what bothered Gary. He stopped because, as soon as she saw him, she had a comically grin on her face and was staring intently at him. After several seconds, Gary decided that maybe she was just a little crazy, and he would just continue walking without paying her any mind.

This plan, like many of Gary's plans, was poorly thought out, and as he neared, the unicorn hoped down from the bench and approached him. She remained silent and walked alongside Gary as he continued down the road. Eventually, the silence became overbearing and Gary spoke up.

"Can I help you?" He asked with a light smile, hoping to remove the creepiness of the situation.

"You," The unicorn replied. "You're a human."

"That I am," Gary said with a grin. "And you're a pony. Anything else?"

"I'm Lyra." The pony said, extending her hoof. "I'm so excited to finally meet a human."

"Well, I'm Gary," Gary said as he gave her hoof a light shake. "I didn't think any pony knew about humans."

"Most don't," Lyra replied. "Most think they're myth or legend or just fake."

"Oh, like aliens."

"Don't be silly. Aliens don't exist, but humans do." Lyra said laughing loudly. "As you can tell."

"Well. I'm glad I could help." Gary said with a grin still on his face. "Was that all?"

"Well, I'd love to know more about humans," Lyra said with a sheepish grin as she blushed slightly. "If you'd like to visit sometime."

"I don't see why not. You should visit Twilight. She has a ton of notes from the information I've given her." Gary replied with a light chuckle. "After that, give me a place and time and I'll be there." Lyra nodded enthusiastically, glad to get more information.

She began to trot away when Gary remembered something and stopped her.

"Do you know the way to Carousel Boutique?" He asked with a shy smile. Lyra laughed and gave him directions. Gary turned and walked toward where Lyra told him to go as she trotted off happily. He was glad to know he wasn't far from the boutique.

__________________

Gary opened the door to the large, colorful boutique causing the bell on the door to chime softly.

"Just a moment~" an elegant, sing-song voice called from the stairs toward the back of the building. A moment later, the young mare known as Rarity entered the front room. "Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is chic, unique and tres Magnifique." She paused for a moment after noticing the tall human in the doorway. "Oh. Hello, Gary. How can I help you?"

"Parlez-vous français?" Gary replied in his best attempt at a foreign language.

"Oui, monsieur. Et toi?" The unicorn said with a happy smile as she fluttered her eyelids gleefully.

"Ah, tres jolie et intelligente. Impressionnante." Gary said with a wide grin, which caused Rarity to blush. "Oui, Je parle français."

"Lovely, not many ponies here speak Prench. Certainly not in Ponyville." Rarity said with a bright smile. Gary paused shortly, again distracted by the similar pony pun name.

"Yes, though I prefer my native tongue if that's alright with you." Rarity simply nodded and smiled.

"Well, it's lovely to see you darling, but the look in your eye says you're here for more than pleasant conversation."

"Very perceptive madame. While I enjoy your company, I find myself without any clothing other than what I'm wearing. I figured a talented seamstress such as yourself could design clothing for other species." Rarity gasped and then blushed at the compliment.

"Of course dear, I have made clothing for Griffons and Donkeys before. It shouldn't be to difficult a jump. Plus, I have your other clothing to go off of." She paused before letting out a loud *squee*. She then began running over to her equipment. "Oh, where to begin? Three piece suits, new slacks, maybe even a new ensemble...." She began to trail off but was stopped when a gentle hand was placed on her back. She let out a quick yelp of surprise before looking back at Gary's calm, ice blue eyes. She found herself almost enchanted by them. She reeled back as Gary cleared his throat.

"One thing at a time Rarity. I appreciate the offer, but right now we desperately need casual clothing." Gary smiled lightly, "Just about two or three outfits each, similar to the ones we already have."

"Of course dear, I just got exited. My apologies." Gary gave a nod in return, "Well, first things first, I need your measurements." Gary face-palmed.

"Drat, I didn't think about that. I'll be sure to send my brothers tomorrow. Also, feel free to take as long as you need, and we will pay whatever your normal cost for clothing is."

"Oh no, don't be silly darling, I could never ask a friend to pay full price, much less stranded creatures far from home." Rarity noticed from Gary's gaze that he was going to give up without paying something. "Fine, half price. 30 bits each. 10 per outfit, but I will not accept a cent more."

"Deal."

"Now be a dear and come over here so I can get your measurements." Rarity said, pointing at a small stand in the room. Gary obliged and stood patiently as the ivory unicorn grabbed the tape measure and a pair of glasses. 'That is so cute,' Gary thought to himself as Rarity put on the glasses and began getting measurements.

It didn't take long, and Rarity was nearly finished with her measurements. Just Gary's chest and neck were left unmeasured. After, measuring the human's chest, Rarity paused.

"I'm sorry dear, would you mind taking your shirt off, so I can get a better measurement."

"Miss Rarity! A bit soon to be making such demands, wouldn't you say." The unicorn simply deadpanned, so the human complied while laughing to himself. Rarity paused before continuing.

"I didn't know humans had cutie marks and such elaborate ones at that." She gazed at the markings on the human's chest. A large elaborate circle surrounding scales in front of a blue flag with a yellow cross.

"Humans don't have cutie marks." Gary replied with a laugh, "It's a tattoo. Humans sometimes get these when that have something that means a lot to them. You pick an image, and then it's painted on you for life."

"Ah, I see. Griffons, Zebras, and Minotaurs often do something similar. What does this mean to you then?"

"The scales are a constellation on Earth, Libra, and the flag is of the country where my mom is from, Sweden." Gary winced lightly, "I have another on my back. It's the National Guard emblem of where I'm from on Earth."

"You were in the guard? My, Gary, you certainly are the interesting one." Gary smiled at the compliment as Rarity rounded to see his back. She nodded at the design, but then winced as she noticed the large, heavily bandaged wound below it. "You were hit quite bad before arriving weren't you?"

"Ah, that's nothing, just a parting gift from Earth." Gary laughed. "I had to protect my little brother, otherwise that could've really hurt him. All I really remember was covering him and Mike as soon as I saw the flash." Rarity nodded.

"I can relate. I would do the same for my younger sister." She continued speaking as she finished her measurements.

"You have a younger sister? That's lovely. What's her name?"

"Sweetie Belle. She's with my parents right now, but she comes by often. I'm sure you'll meet her soon enough." Rarity continued to talk while Gary listened intently. She again found her self drawn to his eyes. They were a bright blue, and they seemed to pick up every detail they could find. As she continued to look, she noticed his left eye was slightly different. It seemed a bit hazy compared to the other.

Rarity stopped herself from staring or questioning any longer, as she finished her measurements.

"Well then Mister Gary, you're all done for now. I'll start working as soon as I have your brothers measurements." She smiled widely at the human. "It was a pleasure, I really enjoyed the company. I will certainly have to have you over for tea soon."

"That sounds wonderful," Gary said while redressing." I will hold you to that, and my brothers should be over tomorrow." They shared a quick hug as Gary began to leave. Just as he reached the door, he stopped.

"I almost forgot." He said as he turned back to the unicorn. "My brothers and I would really like to repay you for saving us. If there's anything you need or want, please. We will do our best to help."

"Oh dear, that's far too generous of you," Rarity said, shocked. "Meet me for tea later this week, and we'll talk about okay dear? Now you really should head out. It's getting late, and I need to work. Ta-ta." Gary waved back as he left. 'Another good day' he thought as he began walking in the direction he was pretty sure led home.

The Strength to Move Mountains

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Admiration and Adoration

Danny awoke one morning at noon, thankful that it was a Saturday. He went downstairs to find Mike watching television with their mother, while Gary was in the kitchen making a sandwich. Danny noticed Mike was holding a new football and there was a gold trophy of a bull on the shelf in the living room. Danny took a seat in the kitchen, and Gary quickly approached, sandwich in hand. Gary used his free hand to search through his pockets for a moment. Gary was always giving Mike and Danny various gifts, usually cash from his poker winnings. Neither Mike nor Danny knew exactly why he did it unless he just didn't want them to expose his illegal gambling, or maybe he was just a giving person. Danny was expecting Gary to pull cash out of his pocket but was surprised to see him pull out a long black box.

"Normally, I'd just hand you cash, but since I leave today and all, I decided to get you and Mike something special," Gary said as he smiled at his brother's confused expression. Gary handed Danny the black box and he opened it to reveal a silver sword with a white chain. Danny looked at the necklace in disbelief.

Danny gave his brother a quick hug and put the necklace around his neck Danny then walked into the living room and showed the necklace to his mother and Mike, who both gave shocked looks. Gary sat in the kitchen with a smile as Mike showed Danny his new ball and the trophy on the shelf. Danny didn't shut up about his gift for the rest of the day.

The only time Danny had taken the necklace off was to shower. Until his mother's funeral, it didn't feel right to wear it that day. After giving the necklace to Danny, Gary left. After that, the only person in their family to see Gary was their father and even that was only for a weekend. Danny became severely disheartened when Gary didn't come to his graduation, though he was happy that Mike had shown up. When Danny asked Mike why Gary hadn't been seen for so long and wouldn't even come to Danny's high school graduation, Mike shrugged and said 'You know Gary. He's always off doin' his own thing.' Danny knew his brother was right, Gary was a free bird, but it didn't make him feel any better. Danny admired both of his brothers and always strives to be like them, but he wished they could have spent more time together

Danny let out a long sigh as he continued down the road to his new home. Home, it was strange to him that he was already considering this place his home. Whether it was the shock of the whole situation or because he wasn't alone it was probably good he was adapting so quickly. He opened the door and quickly sped up the stairs to his brother's room. After a quick search, he found Gary's duffle bag and began to rummage through it. After pushing Gary's newly refurbished clothes out of the way, Danny found the books his brother had brought. He also found a few extra papers, and despite knowing it wasn't right, he couldn't hold back his curiosity. He examined the papers, Two letters and a photo, one of the letters was already opened, but oddly both were addressed to their father, Leonard. The photo was Gary standing with a sickly looking middle-aged woman with eyes almost identical to Gary's. Regretting his breach of his brother's privacy, Dan placed everything back and began to leave their house with the books.

He found himself enjoying his walk greatly, he found the town gorgeous, and despite its small size, the town was quite lively and active. Dan couldn't help but smile at the stroke of luck he's had following the strange accident that brought him and his brothers here. They had a nice house, plenty to live on, friends, and most importantly, each other. He could tell that ponies were starting to adjust to the presence of humans as most would simply smile or nod as he passed, which was a pleasant change from the stares and whispers he'd seen before. As he began to find his grip waning from the weight of the books, he saw the large hollowed out tree just a block away.

Just as he neared the building he was stopped by a flash in front of him. He stumbled nearly dropping the books in the process.

"Woah, sorry about that," the blur returned, revealing itself to be Rainbow Dash. "I was trying for a new race record, and I didn't see you around the corner," Dash landed and started helping Danny collect his books.

"No worries, I wasn't watching where I was going anyway." The human replied with a grin. "Thanks," He added after she handed him the books. "I'm heading to the library to loan these to Twilight, care to join?" He asked as he sorted himself.

"Sorry, I gotta hurry up and sort the clouds for the night, weather control." The pegasus replied with a sigh.

"Oh, speaking of work, do you know anywhere I could apply?"

"Sorry, all I know is weather work, and you wouldn't fit the part" She stated, "Unless you can fly and move clouds." She snickered, "Don't worry, you'll find something kid." Danny sighed as she finished.

"Yea, thanks though, I'll see ya around." He headed back down the street with a wave. Rainbow simply waved back and bolted off. After a few more uninterrupted moments, Danny found himself at the library door. He felt weird walking in without a knock but continued in. Twilight was in the open room, sorting shelves with Spike. She looked over at the sound of the door, smiling when she saw the youngest human.

"Danny? What brings you by so late?" She asked as she walked to greet him at the door.

"Hey, I, well, my brothers and I, wanted to pay you back for saving us. Gary thought it would help to give you his books for the library." He coughed a bit awkwardly but smiled all the same.

Twilight's eyes lit up as she gasped, "Oh, you didn't have to do that, we didn't save you for a reward." She beamed, "But thank you so much. I'm gonna set up a new section, just for human books." She squeed in excitement before pausing with a sigh. "I'm not sure how though. Even with Spike, there's always so much work to do here as is."

Danny held up a hand, "If you don't mind, I could help. I picked up a lot of handy skills after my bros moved out."

Twilight smiled in response, "Aww, that would be great. Actually, I could pay you to help around here some. Spike's my number one assistant, but I could use a second. If you don't mind."

Danny laughed, "That's perfect actually. Don't worry though, I'm the youngest of three, I'm ok being second." He smiled.

Twilight chuckled, "Don't talk like that, you and your brothers seem to get along great. Like me and Shining." Danny simply nodded and smiled back.

"I didn't mean anything bad. I love my bros. I'm just used to being the younger is all."

The two would have a long conversation from there, sharing stories and laughs about their shared experience as the younger sibling. After nearly an hour, Twilight would ask, "So how much younger are you? Shining is almost seven years older than me, but what about you and your brothers?" Danny paused a moment to think before answering

"Gary is the oldest, and he's about just shy of six years older. Mike is a few months closer." He replied. Twilight took her turn to pause.

"That's a bit odd. Their so close in age, but a large gap before you. Any reason?" The question hung in the air as Danny bit his lip and thought.

"It's... personal." He replied, shifting the tone in the air. Twilight frowned.

"I'm sorry, I won't bring it up." She hung her head. Danny sighed again,

"No, it's fine. Ask Gary instead, better if he's the one to tell you." Danny stood and turned to the door, "I'm gonna call it a night. Thanks, this was nice. I'll be back tomorrow to help more." He smiled softly. Twilight smiled back,

"Of course, I look forward to it. Goodnight Danny." She said with a wave.

"Goodnight." the human replied as he waved back and headed home.