//-------------------------------------------------------// Meeting Them -by Craterfist- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 1 //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Hey, I'm Jacob. So, before I get into the story, I want to tell you readers about me. I am in eigth grade, and I love to read, solve math problems, anything that makes me use my brain. I am not the most physically fit, but I can hold a run for a while.  I have blonde hair and hazel eyes. I stand five feet seven inches tall. I walked into the library, breathing in the scent of paper and worn carpet. I loved the library, it was my one quiet place in the entire school. Of course, our library was so big, it had two floors, and doubled as the town library. I walked in and found my favorite spot clear on the second floor, which was much quieter than ground level. The teacher let me come here to study for my physics test. I opened my textbook and began studying. I didn't need to study much, since I remember most everything, so I would have some time left over. I pulled out my iPod and played my favorite song from the show, Pinkie's Smile Song. I quietly hummed the tune as I worked, and very soon, I had studied to my satisfaction. I put away my IPod, and as I got up, I looked over the balcony down to the first floor, and I saw a girl with soft pink dyed hair wearing a yellow sweater and a skirt. She was wearing slip-on shoes. She seemed to cringe at every noise, every passing of a car outside, every slam of a book cover. Why does she...? I thought to myself. She looked like she needs a friend. I gathered up my things and quickly descended the stairs to the ground floor. She was still there, and I now noticed she had green eyes as I approached, and she was hugging a book of animals to her chest. The resemblance is uncanny.... I sat down at the table she was sitting at. I whispered "Hey." She looked at me, and quickly tried to hide behind her hair. I smiled and whispered "You know, the second floor is much quieter." She looked at me again and whispered "N-no thank you. I... I'm afraid of heights." My mind was reeling at all the similarities, and I just had to check. I whispered "What's your name? I'm Jacob." She seemed to have to work herself to whisper "F-Fiona." I put my face in my hands and said simply "Wow. Just.... Wow." That's when I heard behind me "Is this boy givin' you trouble, Sugarcube?" I turned in my seat to see another teenage girl of about the same age as Fiona standing there. She was wearing a white tee shirt, jeans, leather boots and a Stetson hat. She had blonde hair, and green eyes that were a bit brighter than Fiona's. She was very muscular, and her hands seemed calloused from years of hard work. She looked me hard in the eyes and asked with a Southern drawl "An' jus' what do ya think YER doin'-" Fiona spoke up "Oh, Ashley, he's not bothering me. He was just talking to me." Ashley?! This was bordering from uncanny to downright freaky-deaky. My logical brain concluded that they were role-playing. I sighed, pulled out my IPod and played Get Out Alive by Three Days Grace. Just as the intro guitar started playing, a girl with short, multi-colored dyed hair ran in to our area and stopped when she saw me. I stopped the song. She was wearing a cyan tank top and cyan jogging shorts, cyan sneakers, and she had magenta eyes. She asked "Who's he?" Ashley stated "Fiona seems to like him, so Ah guess he's fine. And Rebecca?" Rebecca asked "Yes?" Ashley tipped her hat and pointed at the 'No Running' sign above the librarian's desk. Rebecca crossed her arms and pouted "Such a stupid rule..." I heard a British voice from behind a bookshelf state "Rebecca, darling, you know each place has it's own rules, and we have to abide them." I decided to test them and see if the name trend would continue. I asked back "Would your name happen to start with an R?" She peeked out to see who asked, and she had crystal blue eyes, and she had dark blue, almost violet dyed hair. She was wearing a white formal dress shirt and a skirt. She was wearing about two-inch heels. She said with uncertainty "Yes, dear, it does. I'm Rachael. How did you...?" She trailed off. I heard from behind another bookcase in an American accent "Come on, Rachael. It was just a lucky guess. It's not like he can do it twice." I asked "Does your name start with T?" I heard some books being dropped. The girl walked over and firmly asked "How are you doing that?" She was wearing a purple sweater and a skirt with leggings, and purple sneakers. She had purple eyes, and black hair with pink and purple highlights. Rebecca got in my face and asked "Are you a spy?" I chuckled. I had been thinking it was innocent role-play up to this point, but now... I decide to try something. I said the word "Discord", and Fiona went 'eep', and the other four cringed. I asked aloud "Well, we seem to be missing one of you. Where is that pink one?" I heard footsteps, and turned around to have my eyes assaulted by pink. Everything, from her tee shirt and sneakers, her sweatpants, her curly hair. ALL PINK. Only her blue eyes seemed unaffected. She began talking at a-mile-a-minute. "Hi, I'm Paulina! Sorry I couldn't join you earlier, I was in the cookbook section, looking for tasty baking recipes! You won't believe what I found! Hey, Tiffany, Ashley, Rachael, anyone?" She waved her hands in front of the shell-shocked girls, who remained blank and unflinching. I remained calm and stated "This was fun. I'm Jacob, by the way." As I got up, I asked "Same time tomorrow?" Rachael snapped out of her state and walked up to me. "Now, hold on, darling. How did you you know all those things? You act as if we have met before." I smiled knowingly and stated "Perhaps I have seen you before. At least, that's my theory." Tiffany broke out of her state and joined Rachael. They looked at each other and nodded. Tiffany thought aloud, though I could tell she wanted me to hear it. She wanted to get information out of me. "What did the teacher call it, a being having knowledge it technically shouldn't?" I offered "Paradox? Pareidolia?" Tiffany went along with it and nodded. "One of those two." The others had already broken out as well and were just listening at this point. I smiled and explained "I can tell when someone is trying to make me slip up and tell them something, but for you, I'll go along with it. A paradox is like circular reasoning, a statement, idea, or action that denies it's own existence and effect. For instance, if I said 'This statement is false', then it's own effect would make it false. But since it is supposed to be false, that would make the statement true." Ashley grabbed her head and mumbled "Ah'm not following. It's true, but it's false, but..." I continued "A pareidolia is a sort of mind trick, you could call it. It is when our mind perceives shapes and patterns where they don't actually exist. For example, clouds don't really take the shapes of animals or objects, yet we think they do anyway every time we look up at them." All six seemed to come to their own levels of understanding. I wanted to give the ultimate test. If they were roleplaying, then they would just laugh and have fun with it. If not.... I said "My knowledge of you guys comes from a television show, a cartoon to be exact. I guess you guys are interdimensional celebrities. Well, I hope at least some of this is interesting enough to put in your letter, Twilight." Rebecca pointed a finger at me and exclaimed "He's blown our cover! Grab him!" Whoops, I may have said too much. I bolted as fast as I could all the way back to class. I caught my breath before entering. My teacher welcomed me back, and I sat down and class continued. Thankfully, only students were allowed into the school through the library. //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 2 //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Classes were finally finished and we were let out to the buses. As I took my seat next to my friend, I pulled out my IPod. We listened to the song Not Ready To Die by Avenged Sevenfold. I was hoping that those girls wouldn't find me, so I kept my head down and away from the window. When I got off at my house, I looked around and realized they didn't come after me. Or so I thought. I felt something thwack the back of my head, sending me into the void of unconsciousness. I woke up tied to a chair in my house's dining room, surrounded by the six girls. Fiona was behind me icing the lump on my head. I looked sternly at them, despite being tied up, and stated "You know, being held against your will is a federal crime." They appeared unwavered, though I could sense Fiona's regret emanating off of her as she moved the ice pack. Rachael took a deep breath and stated "Jacob, dear, we need to know how you know about us." Rebecca and Ashley both gave a look saying 'Or else', so I sighed and considered my options. I was tied by thick rope, so cutting it would take time. I chuckled and stated "Wow, you girls take role-play WAY too far. Okay, you want to know?" They all nodded. I took a deep breath and stated "Okay, here's how it works. I know about Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy through a television show called My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic that," I looked at the clock. "Is probably on right now. I don't know jack squat about YOU girls." Rebecca got in my face and asked "You think this is some kind of game?!" I laughed maniacally and retoricallly asked "What do you think?" Tiffany, who seemed disturbed at my laugh, asked "Can we see this 'teley-vision show'?" She had trouble pronouncing the words, as if she had never said them before. I bargained "Only if you untie me." Ashley stated "Not likely, partner." I rolled my eyes and said in a sing-song tone "Alriiight..." After a few seconds of the stalemate, Ashley sighed and said "Alright, you win!" She began undoing the knots. "Just don't go runnin' off anywhere." The rope fell loose, and I stood up and cracked my neck, which put a look of disgust on Rachael's face. I pulled out my IPod and put in the song Remember the Name by Fort Minor. I left one earbud out so I could hear them as we walked into the living room. I grabbed the remote, flipped dextriously a few times for show, and flipped on the tv to the right channel, right as the My Little Pony theme song started playing. They seemed shocked to see the ponies, which puzzled me deeply. Weren't these just role-playing girls? As the song ended, I realized the episode was Over a Barrel, and as we watched the show, I saw different expressions across the girls, as if this wasn't a cartoon, but memories. After the show ended, where Pinkie broke fourth wall and opened the closing circle, Paulina was giggling her head off. Tiffany turned and solemnly stated "We need you to come back with us to Equestria." I shrugged my shoulders and stated "Sorry, lady. I am perfectly fine staying in my own home." Ashley lassoed me, costricting my arms to my sides. "I don't reckon we gave ya'll c ahoice in the matter. I sat down on the cuch, still lassoed, and propped by feet up on the coffee table. I stated "Unless you girls have physical proof that you are ponies from another dimension, I'm staying right here." Tiffany and Rachael stood close together, eyes closed. Then, their foreheads started glowing. I was freaking out at that point, struggling to get the lasso off me. Their foreheads continued to glow, and the air started to shimmer around us. I was about to scream for help, when there was a flash, and my ears popped. I blacked out from the intensity. I regained consciousness after an unknown amount of time. I opened my eyes to see a tree in front of my face. I looked up, and saw it was an apple tree. I looked left and right, only to see neat rows of apple trees in both directions. I still felt unbalanced, so I had no idea what compelled me to try to stand up. Almost instantly, I fell backwards with an undignified "Whoa whoa WAAA!" escaping my throat. I landed on my back and looked up to see six familiar ponies standing over me with knowing smiles. Rainbow Dash giggled and asked "Not a game now, is it?" I gave a confused look at her comment, and she replied "Have you seen yourself lately?" I looked down at myself, and gave an 'eep' characteristic of Fluttershy. I saw four blue hooves and a spiky red and green striped tail. I looked down at my flank and saw a cutie mark consisting of a musical note and several magic runes. I rolled onto my hooves and tried standing up on all fours. I instantly felt better and more balanced. I looked around at the six ponies who were all smiling at me. It was then I decided to start swearing. "... WHAT THE FUCKING HELL WERE YOU THINKING TYING ME UP THEN INTERROGATING ME THEN TURNING ME INTO A FUCKING PONY I HAVE HALF A MIND TO-" I felt my mouth being clamped shut. Twilight's horn was glowing, and she stated "The Princess wanted you over." She unclaimed my mouth. She continued "Besides, now you can live here in Equestria. Did you notice your horn?" I lifted my hoof to my head, and felt the aforementioned horn. All this... Being tied up, then turned into a unicorn, then being thrown into Equestria... It was just too much. I looked down and shed a single tear. As it fell, I heard a familiar guitar track play with no discernible source, and my cutie mark was glowing softly. I don't really know what happened next, just that I was singing, and my voice sounded different. No time for goodbye he said As he faded away Don't put your life in someone's hands They're bound to steal it away Don't hide your mistakes 'Cause they'll find you, burn you Then he said If you want to get out alive Whoa-oh, run for your life If you want to get out alive Whoa-oh, run for your life This is my last time she said As she faded away It's hard to imagine But one day you'll end up like me Then she said If you want to get out alive Whoa-oh, run for your life If you want to get out alive Whoa-oh, run for your life If you want to get out alive (If you want to get out alive) Whoa-oh, run for your life (Life) If you want to get out alive (If you want to get out alive) Whoa-oh, run for your life If I stay it won't be long 'Til I'm burning on the inside If I go I can only hope That I make it to the other side If you want to get out alive Whoa-oh, run for your life If you want to get out alive Whoa-oh, run for..... If you want to get out alive (If you want to get out alive) Whoa-oh, run for your life If you want to get out alive (If you want to get out alive) Whoa-oh, run for... If I stay, it won't be long 'Til I'm burning on the inside If I go I can only hope That I make it to the other side If I stay, it won't be long 'Til I'm burning on the inside If I go, and if I go Burning on the inside Burning on the inside Burning on the inside After I finished, I looked up and saw that the six of them had tears forming in their eyes. Fluttershy was already crying openly. After the six had dried their tears, Twilight asked "I.. What happened?" I looked at her and answered "I often sing a certain song depending on what I'm feeling inside. Nothing usually happens, though." Pinkie exclaimed "But that wasn't just singing! You sounded all different, and there was a whole band playing, like BEWW-NEWW-NEWW!" Pinkie stood up on her hind legs and strummed an air guitar. "But we couldn't find 'em!" Applejack added "An' when I heard ya, it felt like mah heart was bein' torn apart." She wiped a stray tear rolling down her chin. I wasn't sure what to say or do at this point. I stated "Well, I was feeling sad. So I sung a sad song." Twilight stated "We need to look more into this, Jacob. So you are going to stay at the library with me." I could tell she wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer, so I just nodded, and the seven of us walked off towards Ponyville. //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 3 //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 3 A/N: Wow, some of you are actually desperate to read this chapter. I hope it satisfies! Chapter 3 The Mane Six and I have been walking along the path from Applejack's farm into Ponyville for the past ten minutes, and I've spent every one of those minutes thinking over the Princess's rather sudden desicion to bring me here. I was angry at the Princess for ripping me away from my home for her own agenda. I was worried that my parents would think I was gone, and perhaps I was, considering my current situation. I felt alone without any of my friends, even though the others insisted they were my friends. Above all else was an overwhelming feeling of confusion, and apparently, that same confusion transferred to my ability to play music. The air around me was pulsing randomly like a broken amp, spitting out parts of the many songs I know one after the other. I just used it as white noise to block out their voices from my mind. My mind finally settled on a single suitable feeling, the feeling of pain. I felt a hoof on my shoulder, breaking me from my trance and cutting my musical meltdown short. Twilight put her hoof back on the ground and asked "Are you okay, Jacob?" She looked genuinely worried about me. I looked out and saw we were about to enter Ponyville. I looked back at her and breathed "Yeah." Pinkie Pie, never one to leave somepony depressed, ran over to me and started belching out lyrics to one of her famous on-the-spot musical numbers. Hey now Jacob, don't be sad! Pinkie's here to make you glad! We're here for you, your ponytastic friends! We'll be here until the end! Soooooooooooooooo Just turn that frown upside down, Go in there and embrace the town! Just go in and you'll see All these friends will fill you with Gleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee She ended her song, and the other five were grinning and laughing at Pinkie's antic. I, being the soulless depressed creature that I am, felt nothing at her song. I stated flatly "Are you done?" The six looked visibly shocked that I wasn't even phased by the musical number. Pinkie asked with wide eyes "Why aren't you happy?" I looked at her hard with the deepest scowl I could muster. I stated "Because I'm angry, that's why!" I heard my self giving off an aggressive guitar solo, though what song it was from, I couldn't tell. I poured my feelings onto these ponies that called themselves my friends. "I'm angry, okay?! I'm angry at the Princess, you, everyone!" Quietly I added "Mostly myself." My guitar solo stopped, and the six came over and group hugged me. Applejack stated "Well, bein honest is the first step, Sugarcube, an' ya passed that step with flyin' colors." Fluttershy added "We're always here for a friend." Twilight concluded "Nopony should feel sad or angry. Come on, let's get to town." We broke the hug and crossed the border into the town. We walked for about five minutes, Pinkie drillling me with questions about my favorite candies and sweets, most likely for her 'suprise' party to welcome me to Ponyville. She seemed horrified at my dislike of chocolate, but I put her at ease when I said anything vanilla or white chocolate will do perfectly. She pranced off, telling me to meet her at the Sugarcube Corner at sunset. The others split off from the group one by one until only Twilight and I were left. We entered the library to find Spike reshelving some books. He turned and asked Twilight "Hey Twilight, who's this? Is he your... Frieeend?" He smiled and jumped his eyebrows. Twilight blushed and stated "No, this is Jacob. He will be staying with us for a while, understood?" Spike gave a mock salute and walked up to me. He raised his claw and stated "Nice to meet you, Jacob. I'm Spike." I shook his claw and stated "Glad to be here. Now, what is there to do in Ponyville?" Twilight answered "Well, you could visit Fluttershy's cottage, or the Sugarcube Corner, no, scratch the bakery, Pinkie's is really busy. Well,....." She trailed off. I asked "Can I find a book to read?" She broke her train of thought and nodded. I walked up to the bookshelf and saw a copy of 'An Unabriged Guide to Equestrian History' at eye level. I rotated my head and grabbed the book with my teeth. I walked over to the library's couch and sat down to read. Spike walked over with a confused look and asked "Why didn't you just use your magic to grab the book?" I stated without looking up as I read the introduction "I have never used magic before." He gasped and asked "How could you not have used magic before?!" I turned my head and stated "Spike, I am thirteen years old, soon to be fourteen. I have only spent an hour as a unicorn." He looked at me disbelievingly until Twilight shouted from upstairs "He's telling the truth, Spike." Spike got on the couch next to me and said "Gosh, I'm sorry, Jacob. I didn't know." I smiled and stated "No problem. Hey Spike?" I asked. He leaned over and asked "Yeah?" I lowered my voice to a whisper. "Does Twilight like metal?" He shook his head and whispered "She hates it." I put on a devilish grin and stated "Well, she's REALLY gonna hate this. Spike, cover your ears." He followed my request. Ponyville was usually quiet, even during the busy day. So that means nopony expected to hear a band brutally dishing out ear-piercing melodies, from the library of all places, while a singer sung something about entering Sandman. //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 4 //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 4 Chapter 4 It was sunset now, time to go to Sugarcube Corner for Pinkie's 'surprise' party to welcome me to Ponyville. Twilight and Spike were walking to my left and right respectively. Twilight was still a tad irked at me since I, and I quote, "Broke the solemn silent state of the library with monstrous maniacal melodies". Now, some of you may stop reading the story for this, but I happen to dislike parties to some degree, mainly because they give me migranes. That, and the fact that I can't remember most of it the next morning. Nevertheless, I hoped to at least survive the party tonight. If I remember it the next morning, I will likely want to forget it all over again. Twilight noticed my silence on the walk through town. "Jacob, is there something wrong?" I looked at her while I composed my thoughts. "Huh? Oh, no, nothing's wrong." She pressed on and said "You don't have to be nervous. You're going to enjoy tonight, Jacob, I promise." I chuckled. If she only knew. "Oh, I highly doubt that, Twilight." Spike piped up "But everypony likes Pinkie's parti-" He slapped his hand over his mouth. I smiled and replied "It's okay, Spike. I already knew." Twilight and Spike both asked in unison "How?" I looked at Twilight and asked "The show, remember?" Twilight thought for a second and replied sheepishly "Oh, yeah. Say, wouldn't the show make everypony in Equestria, like, super-famous back on Earth?" I nodded at her question. "The show mostly follows you guys, though." Spike exclaimed "Wait, I'm famous?! Rarity will have to love me now!" His eyes, following cartoon physics, were now heart-shaped. I laughed and replied "Spike, you know that's not going to happen. Though, now that you bring it up, you and Rarity are a popular pairing in the fandom." Twilight and Spike stopped walking. Twilight asked "What do you mean, 'pairing'?" I turned around and stated "A pairing is a fictional idea where two characters in a story fall in love with each other. The show is classified under fiction back on Earth, though I now see it is clearly real. The idea of Spike and Rarity falling in love is extremely popular among fans." I took a deep breath upon finishing. Twilight asked "How many pairings are there?" I thought for a second and stated "As many as you can think of, though I really don't plan on going through each one." Twilight got the message not to continue, and we continued to walk in silence for another few minutes until we reached the door of the acclaimed bakery. Twilight pushed the door open and the three of us walked inside, Spike shutting the door behind us. I covered my ears and shut my eyes, just managing to muffle the loud shout of "SURPRISE!" and shield my vision from the lights flicking on just before either could give me the dreaded headache. I slowly opened my eyes to gaze upon a towering five layer golden vanilla cake with strawberry icing. The long table it was on was covered with vanilla-flavored sweets to the point where I couldn't see the table. The most surprising thing at the table, however, was sitting in an interactely carved golden chair at the end of the table. She was tall, white, and had an aire of royalty about her. I walked over to the Princess and stuttered "P-Princess! What in God's name are y-you doing here!? Shouldn't you be busy in Canterlot?" That was what I wanted to say. But the aire around her clearly stated 'I'm the God around here, idiot. Get it right.', so I just stood there, gaping like said idiot. She spoke first. "You must be Jacob. Such a pleasure to meet you." Twilight voiced my thoughts and asked "Pardon me, Princess, but I thought you wanted to meet with Jacob in Canterlot." Celestia giggled and replied "Twilight, you of all ponies should know I hate formalities. I wanted to be casual about our first meeting. Besides, I heard he can sing." I slapped myself (it hurts much more with hooves) and stated "Well, here I am. I can see Pinkie so conveniently 'forgot' to hire a DJ. Well, I guess I'm up." I cracked my neck and walked into the middle of the room, where I saw Pinkie talking with some ponies. "Glad you could make it! Jacob's really nice, he'd love to be your friend!" I cleared my throat. Pinkie turned and saw me standing there. She zipped over, threw her arm around my shoulder and stated "This is him! Isn't he cool?" I ducked out from under Pinkie's arm and stated "Pinkie, I didn't ask for this party. I don't want all this attention." Pinkie lost her smile and asked "But everypony likes to party!" I sighed and stated "I don't like parties, Pinkie. They never end well for me." I thought that right then and there was when Pinkie would become her depressed counterpart, Pinkamena, when her smile came back even harder. "Well, then this will be your first superdy-duper fantastical terriffic party ever!" She literally dragged me into the center of the room and shouted at the top of her lungs "Hey everypony! Here's the guest of honor!" Everypony turned to see Inkie holding up my left hoof like I was a boxing champion. I ducked my head, but my long, spiky red and green striped mane in contrast to my blue body made me stick out like a sore hoof. Pinkie continued "Well, I forgot to hire a DJ," she winked at me "but we don't need one! Jacob here can do it all by himself!" I gave her a look of half pleading and half murder. She was oblivious to it and whispered to me "You're on." before joining the crowd. The entire room was silent. I could feel all of there eyes on me, but I was here, so I wasn't going to disappoint them. I concentrated, and my cutie mark started to glow. Everypony took a step back as I thought of a song to play and sing. Then it came to me. (Anything in parentheses during the song is describing my movements.) Uno, dos, tres (http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=T2Isw8iNrUo) It's been a really really messed up week (I put my hoof on my face and closed my eyes) Seven days of torture, seven days of bitter And my girlfriend went and cheated on me She's a California dime but it's time for me to quit her La la la, whatever, la la la, it doesn't matter, la la la, oh well, la la la (I began dancing, as did everypony else) We're going at it tonight tonight There's a party on the rooftop top of the world Tonight tonight and we're dancing on the edge of the Hollywood sign I don't know if I'll make it but watch how good I'll fake it It's all right, all right, tonight, tonight I woke up with a strange tattoo (I guestured at my cutie mark) Not sure how I got it, not a dollar in my pocket And it kinda looks just like you (I pointed a hoof at Princess Celestia) Mixed with Zach Galifianakis La la la, whatever, la la la, it doesn't matter, la la la, oh well, la la la (Dancing) We're going at it tonight tonight There's a party on the rooftop top of the world Tonight tonight and we're dancing on the edge of the Hollywood sign I don't know if I'll make it but watch how good I'll fake it It's all right, all right, tonight, tonight You got me singing like Woah, come on, ohh, it doesn't matter, woah, everybody now, ohh (I began stepping in time with the beat) Just don't stop let's keep the beat pumpin' Keep the beat up, let's drop the beat down It's my party dance if I want to We can get crazy let it all out Just don't stop let's keep the beat pumpin' Keep the beat up, let's drop the beat down It's my party dance if I want to We can get crazy let it all out It's you and me and were runnin this town And it's me and you and we're shakin the ground And ain't nobody gonna tell us to go cause this is our show Everybody Woah, come on, ohh, all you animals Woah, let me hear you now, ohh Tonight tonight there's a party on the rooftop top of the world Tonight tonight and we're dancing on the edge of the Hollywood sign I don't know if I'll make it but watch how good I'll fake it It's all right, all right, tonight, tonight It's all right, all right, tonight, tonight Yeah it's all right, all right, tonight, tonight Just singing like Woah, come on, ohh, all you party people Woah, all you singletons, ohh even the white kids Just don't stop let's keep the beat pumpin' Keep the beat up, let's drop the beat down It's my party dance if I want to We can get crazy let it all out Just don't stop let's keep the beat pumpin' Keep the beat up, let's drop the beat down It's my party dance if I want to We can get crazy let it all out (I struck a pose) I took a deep breath and finished my song. The building was alive with the sound of stomping hooves of applause. I looked around, and for the first time at a party, I smiled. Then it occurred to me. If this world was 'created' by a tv show, how much did the fanfictions affect it? I found Pinkie and the Mane Six chatting with the Princess, who had not moved from her chair the entire party. I went over to Pinkie and asked "Who's number came up recently?" She looked at me funny for a second, then burst out laughing. "Oh, Jacob, that's just a story! I don't even know where that Sargent Sprinkles got the idea for the story!" I joined in the laughter. After about a minute of laughing, the others looked at us oddly. Pinkie and I looked at each other and winked. I don't know how she knew, and I didn't really care. I went to get some vanilla cake, which was amazingly sweet, though not too sweet. ****** I woke up in the guest bedroom in the library with a surprising lack of a headache or nausea. I don't know wether it was the new pony body or what (pony tails are like cotton, you can use them like pillows), but I still remembered last night. It was so special, and Pinkie helped make it special. She brought me out of my shell. I looked at the clock. 11 A.M. Guess I should get up. I found Twilight already up with pancakes hot off the oven. I wasn't in the mood for anything sweet, so I asked Twilight "Do you have any apples?" She nodded and grabbed an apple with her magic. She held it in front of me for a second before realizing "Oh, yeah. Say, now would be a good time to learn basic levitation! Just focus on the apple, Jacob." She set the apple down on the table. I focused and concentrated on the apple, and after a few seconds, the apple began to be covered in a blue bubble-like energy. Twilight praised "Good, good! Now, think of where you want it to go." I thought of the apple floating into the air, and lo and behold, the apple began o levitate into the air. I thought of it floating near my mouth, and so it complied again. I kept it steady and took a bite from the apple, still keeping some focus on it. Twilight clapped her hooves together and stated "Very good! And on your first try, too!" I shrugged and stated through a mouthful of apple "I'm juth awethome thath way." I threw the core in the trash before turning to head out to town, when Twilight said "Wait!" She gave me a small bag of bits and a pair of saddle bags, which I fastened on. She then stated "Go have fun!" I nodded and walked out the door, heading to the market in town square. (There will be some video game references in this section. The first is obvious, the next two are less so, and the third is uncommon. Try to find them all!) ***** I began walking through town square, hoping to find something good to buy. I found a merchant standing in a corner, dressed in a hooded cloak and wearing a blue bandanna across his mouth. He was standing next to a tall torch with blue flame. I went over to him and his eyes lit up at me approaching. He said slowly "Ahllo, stranger. I got some good things on sale today." He opened his cloak to reveal an assortment of jewels, trinkets, herbs, and..... Were those guns? I just briskly walked away without saying a word. I then found a statue that appeared to depict a golden Herculean pony hoisting with his front hooves some sort of hourglass above his shoulders, with a coin slot at the base. There was an antique shop seeking a hook-shaped cane that had, according to the label, been passed down through generations of a so-called Cooper family. I saw a pony at a blacksmith shop looking disappointed because he couldn't carry more than eight weapons at a time, so he sold one and bought the weapon he was looking for. I just walked past and found Applejack's apple stand at the very end. Applejack waved to me, and I walked over to her. She grinned and greeted "Well, howdy do, Jacob? Ah hope yer findin' Ponyville to yer likin'." I replied "Oh, just fine. I was just looking for something good to buy, though I can't really find anything." She thought for a second and replied "Well, would ya' like at come on over fer dinner tonight? Ya know, meet the Apple family?" I replied "That sounds delightful." I walked away, looking for a stand with something that would perk my interest. //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 5 //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 5 Chapter 5 I walked to Ponyville Park to rest after a fruitless day of shopping in town. I sat on a bench, hoping I could come to a better sense of my situation rather than just go about without a care in the world. I saw a filly with it's mother sitting on the opposite bench, and I couldn't help but now feel guilty. I was just ripped fom my world on the whim of colorful horses, away from my family, and what do I do? I go out and party. I can see it now. 'Jacob, where the hell were you?!' 'I was kidnapped, and then I went to a party!' A single tear dropped from my red eyes, and when it hit the ground, a guitar chord strummed, a soft one. I gritted my teeth, my sadness slowly turning to anger. Twilight. She was the one who brought me here. And now, she will bring me back. **** Ponyville was trapped under an aura of hate and rage at that moment, the center of it all a pissed-off unicorn who had a new resolve. Ponies literally leapt out of my way, despite the fact I was walking up to the library. I knocked hard on the library door, so hard a small crack formed. Twilight swung the door open and gasped at the aura of hatred emanating from me. She backed up, her eyes wide and never leaving me. "Jacob, wh-what's wrong?" I walked in, my anger growing. "You took me away from my family. I need you to send me back." She stuttered in fear "B-but the P-Princess-" "SCREW THE PRINCESS! JUST SEND ME BACK HOME!" I was really angry at this point. She asked "Aren't you happy here?" I lost it. I let out a primal roar of anger and swiped my hoof across her face, giving her a nasty nosebleed. She raised hooves to defend from further strikes, but I just couldn't stop, wouldn't stop. I unleashed all my anger in a flurry of punches, never showing a sign of letting up. I then felt a pair of hooves drag me back from Twilight, and a second pair hit my head hard. As I felt conciousness leave me, I saw Rainbow Dash and Applejack standing over me, not looking angry, but concerned and scared. **** I woke up slowly and painfully, trying not to agitate my splitting headache. I raised a hand to my face and rubbed my eyes... Wait, hand? I slowly got up and looked around. Miraculously, I was in my bedroom. Was that whole thing a dream? I got out of bed and checked the calendar. Thankfully, it was Saturday, the American day of rest, mainly needed after Friday nights. I threw on some pants and a tee shirt and headed downstairs. My dogs, a chocolate lab and a white short-haired pointer, snuggled up next to me as I walked into the kitchen. There was a hastily written note let on the counter. Jacob, We will be gone for the day. Feed the dogs at noon. I looked at the clock. Twelve thirty. I grabbed their food dishes, filled them up, and set them down for them to eat. I decided to go to the library, the one place where I can think clearly in this town. I took the quick ten-minute walk to the library, walking through those familiar hardwood doors, worn from age and use. The library was rather quiet today, just as I wanted. I walked into the main lobby to see barley a soul in sight. The only other people were the librarian and, unfortunately, those same six girls that likely gave me that crazy dream in the first place, sitting at a table. Rebecca spotted me, told the others, and the six got up from their table and began walking toward me. Tiffany called out "Jacob, we need to talk!" Her face had several bruises on it, and looked sore. I turned and ran up the stairs to the second level. My escape plan was simple. This building dated all the way back to the Civil War, and had a large dumb waiter system within the walls. I went to the far wall, moved a bookcase, revealing the hatch. I climbed in and began pulling the ropes, moving the dumb waiter. I kept going down until I saw the light from another hatch coming up. I swung the hatch open and climbed out. I turned to see the six of them just discovering the hatch on the top of the balcony. I pulled out my IPod and played Power by Kanye West. I ran out the front door, only to be somehow confronted by Ashley, her arms crossed. I ran around her, ducking under her arm, and kept going. I saw the cafè on the other side of the street and ran for it. Inexplicably, Tiffany walked out of the door, shutting it behind her. I turned right, only to run smack into Rebcca who restrained me rather forcefully. The song was still playing, and I just sang along under my breath. No one man should all that power The clock's tickin', I just count the hours Stop trippin', I'm trippin' off the powder Till then, fuck that, the world's ours Tiffany came over, showing a look of guilt. She took me from Rebecca and hugged me tightly. She sobbed out "Oh, Jacob, I'm so sorry! I didn't see what I did! Please forgive me!" I uttered an intelligent "Uhhh.... Forgiven?" She held me out, hands on my shoulders, and she said with a smile "Thank you." Paulina hugged me as well, and just like with Pinkie, my heart rate soared. She broke the hug and asked "Did you at least like your party? Huh, did'ya, did'ya?" I was confused. Was she referring to....? I tested the waters and asked "Which party?" She shrugged like it was obvious and stated "Well, the one at Sugarcube Corner, where else?" I threw my arms up and shouted "I knew it, I knew it!" Rachael chuckled and asked "You thought none of that was real, didn't you?" I chuckled and said "Yeah, I did." I turned to the battered Tiffany "Tiffany...-" She held up her hand. "Please, Jacob, call us by our real names." I shrugged and continued "Twilight, I'm sorry I beat you up like that." She dipped her head. "I deserved it. I took you from your home just to prove you wrong on something." I did not answer to that statement, for there was no need to. I asked "Uh, so, I know I want to go back to Ponyville, but what about my life here?" "I believe I can help with that." The seven of us turned to see a tall woman wearing a white robe and multicolored hair. I ever so respectfully asked "Da Hell do you want?" She grimaced at my language, but simply stated "You are still mad. I expected you to be. Now, I can help with your situation. You will have access to both worlds, never missing out on one or the other." I was intruiged. I asked "What exactly did you have in mind?" //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 6 //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Ah, there you are Celestia. First the moon, then this infernal dimension with these idiotic hairless monkeys. You were not smart to come here...... ***** The eight of us walked back to my house, everyone silently thinking about previous events (that is what I assume, anyway) and entered into my bedroom. Celestia began saying something about magic or other, but whatever she said, Rarity and Twilight understood it. All three of thier foreheads began to glow softly, eyes closed, slowly weaving the arcane energies to power the spell. No one said anything, not even Pinkie Pie, who usually is talking without any reason or goal other than to talk. The silence lasted for almost seven minutes, ending with Pinkie and I playing rock-paper-scissors, AJ and Rainbow Dash arm wrestling on my desk, and the three magic casters still, well, casting. Fluttershy was laying down on my bed, apparently trying to relax. I pulled out my IPod and thought a certain song, (http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=gTw2YvutJRA) one almost completely devoid of lyrics, perfect to pass the time. Pinkie took one of the earbuds, and the two of us just listened to the guitar. We looked over at my desk to see Applejack and Rainbow Dash still stuck in the same stalemate as they started with. Pinkie and I giggled at the scene. Suddenly, Pinkie started to shudder all over, her eyes going bug-eyed. When the shuddering stopped, she turned to me and appeared to be about to say something, but then her eyes bugged out even more (if that's possible), her hand clenching her knee. She finally whispered "If a shudder means a doozy's gonna happen, and a pinchy knee means something scary's gonna happen, then we have a scary doozy on our hooves!" It occured to me that she had said 'hooves' out of habit, despite being a human right now, but I got her message. As if on cue, Celestia flung her head back and let forth and unearthly wail of pain. Twilight and Rarity were clutching their heads in pain, their faces screwed up from the intensity. The light from their foreheads was building in intensity, so much so that I had to cover my face with my hands. I don't know what happened to the others. All I know is that I once again blacked out. ***** Meanwhile, in Celestia's mind.... Celestia was in a void, black and featureless, seemingly unending. She looked around to see no one else, and to hear the clopping of hooves. She looked down to see she was in her normal form, an alicorn. As she looked around, a breeze began to blow through the void, carrying with it the faintest of words. Celestia..... Yoo-hooooo....... I'm baaaaaaack........ Celestia recognized the voice. Despite the tone, it was still the same haughty, arrogant voice that posessed her sister over one thousand years ago. "You think you can beat me?" Celestia shouted into the void. "You have no chance against me!" The voice recalled the words of a famous fictional villain. Don't you think I know that? I plan to see you suffer, make you wish you were dead. First, I attack your heart! Celestia whispered "Wha..." Before it dawned on her. She wasn't the target. Hehehehe..... See you around..... A/N: Sorry for the short chapter. I just needed to get a transition chapter so I can get the real plot underway. I've been cooking this one up for a while, now. //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 7 //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 7 Chapter 7 (The story will be in third person from now on.) Jacob threw himself to the ground, hands pressed over his ears to block out the horrid wailing. He laid there clenching his teeth in pain for what seemed like an eternity, untill.... Silence. He stood up, a flicker of hope rising in his chest that no one had been hurt. Only for it to be shattered when he looked behind him. Looming over his friends was a.... shadow. A lagre, menacing shadow. No other words could describe it. It was not the shadow that scared him, but rather, what it was doing. The shadow reached a slender, clawed hand towards Twilight, and reached into her chest. The shadow pulled something out, a lavender orb. What is that? What did it do?! Jacob thought as he could only watch in fear for his friend, too weak to harm the shadow, assuming that was even possible. Then the shadow did something unexpected: It raised it's clawed hand... and snapped it's fingers. As if on command, everyone else's eyes snapped open. One by one, they all got up, took notice of the shadow, and found themselves in a similar position to Jacob, leaving Twilight still unconscious on the floor. Now that everyone was awake, the shadow unexpectedly made a noise, in the form of a sinister, raspy chuckle. Finally, after an agonizing six seconds, Celestia asked the question that was on everyone's mind. "Wha.... What are you doing?" The shadow paused, then let out an even louder laugh, though still just as raspy. Finally, it formed words. "Oh, Celestia, don't tell me you've never seen a soul before?" The shadow let out yet another chuckle, then asked "How does one find a pony's deepest, most sinister fears? Simple. You look into their nightmares. Luna had nightmares of being alone, forgotten and abandoned. And how does one force that pony to succumb to their fears? Again, simple. You shatter their faith. Luna's faith was in you, Celestia, and the ponies of Equestria. Faith that she would someday be loved. All it took was for me to give a small push, and her faith fell." Rainbow Dash retorted "You sure like the sound of your own voice!" The shadow chuckled again and replied "This is the first time in a long time that anypony has been around to hear it." The shadow sighed, then stated "But enough talk. Time to get down to business." With that, he crushed the lavender orb between his claws, eliciting gasps from the whole group (and a tear from Celestia), and took half of the shards in each hand. A portal opened beside him, revealing the beautiful pastel trees and fields of Equestria. He stuck one of his hands through the portal, the other out the window, and stated "Now, time for me to have my fun." And with that, he released the two piles of lavender shards, scattering them into unnatural winds to be carried across both worlds. Rainbow scoffed. "That's your big plan? Scatter the pieces? We can just go around and get them!" The shadow laughed and stated "Just scatter them? Oh, no no no, I've added my own touch to the shards, a bit of 'poetic justice' if you will. Listen...." The group opened their ears, and heard the faintest of voices carried by the same wind that carried the shards away. "I want it!!" "I need it!!!" "Gimme those shards!" The shadow began to fade, but not before whispering a single phrase in mockery. "Good luck. You'll need it." Celestia fell to her knees, tears streaming from her eyes, tears she had been struggling to hide in the presence of that cruel entity. She scooped up Twilight in her arms and quietly spoke "Don't worry, my faithful student. Just rest. We'll find those pieces." Ponyville Hospital, 3 hours later The group, now back in pony form, stood around Twilight's hospital bed. Everypony maintained a solemn silence for a few minutes, before Fluttershy unexpectedly asked "So, Princess.... What's going to happen to Twilight?" The Princess hung her head and stated "A body without a soul is like a machine with no pilot. It will just keep doing whatever function it was performing last until it runs out of fuel. Twilight was unconscious when her soul was taken, so until we find all those shards, that's how she'll stay." Jacob added "The shadow scattered half the shards on Earth, and half here in Equestria. Where should we start looking?" Pinkie Pie piped up. "Hey, I know!" Pinkie turns towards the camera and taps the glass with her hoof. "Hey, readers! Where should we start looking? Tell us in the comments! Please hurry, Twilight's life depends on it!" Rarity asked "Pinkie, who are you talking to?" Jacob caught on and turned towards the unseen camera as well. "Yeah, please hurry. We'll put it to a vote." A/N: You still here? C'mon, I'm not asking you to choose Obama or Romney! Where do you want them to go next? Hurry!