Waking up in Equestria

Ponyville General Hospital, one day after being admitted.

Celestia's ever radiant sun gleamed happily in the skies above, casting warm bands of sun down onto the land. Down below, in a small town, a rather bored stallion sat in his bed, bouncing a rubber ball back and forth against the stark white wall in front of him. The sun decided to brighten this stallion's day up by blessing him with warm and comforting sunlight.

Wrong move.

The sunlight was glaring into Harry's hospital room, shining right into the corner of his eye. No matter how hard he tried to readjust himself, the ray of sun seemed to follow him and continue to blind him. With a scream of aggravation, Harry ripped the blinds closed, effectively sealing the sunlight out.

Off in Canterlot, Celestia herself felt a small pang of offense, as she could have sworn somepony just shut her sun out.

Returning to the matter at hand, Harry resumed bouncing the ball against the wall. However, one throw managed to make the ball have a shallow bounce and roll under his bed. A sigh of defeat came from the anthro-pony as he flopped back down onto the bed and stared directly at the ceiling.

Now, instead of the sunlight bothering him, the hospital room lights seemed to start drilling into his mind, their low buzzing slowly becoming ever more noticeable, growing louder and louder with each passing minute. Harry could have sworn the lights were purposefully installed to make whatever patient slowly slip into the abyss of madness...

A sudden knock on the door tore Harry out of his descent into the abyss.

"Come in." he called. His doctor, who he learned was named X-Ray, poked his head into the room, a smile on his lips.

"And how are we doing this fine day, Harry?" X-Ray asked. Harry gave a shrug in response and the doctor gave a chuckle. "Well, some sun will do you some good." X-Ray said as he walked in and opened the blinds again. The sunlight blasted Harry on full brightness, seeming to mock him as it shone.

Harry was going to find wherever that sunlight was bouncing off from, and effectively remove it from existence.

Sighing, Harry turned his attention to X-Ray. "So, what's the plan for today, Doc?" he asked.

"You have some company today." X-Ray said happily as he approached the door.

What?

"Uhm, Doc, who came to see me? I'm a stranger here." Harry said. "I bet no one besides you and the staff know I'm here." he added. X-Ray simply chuckled again and gave a small sigh.

"Come now Harry, who do you think brought you here after your incident?" X-Ray asked as he stepped out and left the door open. "You may enter ladies." X-Ray said. A couple of seconds later, five ponies, and a baby dragon entered the room, looking at Harry with curious and careful eyes.

"Oh. Fuck. Me." was the only thought to go through Harry's mind at that split instant.

Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Spike all stood there, eyes locked onto Harry's bespectacled ones. The silence filling the room seemed to stretch time from seconds, to eternity. With a cough, Applejack spoke.

"Uhm, hello. Ah'm Applejack. This here is Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and the little critter thar' is called Spike." she said, her voice slightly shaken and nervous. All the others she called either smiled or gave a small nod. "What's your name, stranger?" she asked.

"H-Harry..."

"See, we're gettin' somewhere. Funny name though." Applejack said smirking a bit at her small bit of success.

"You're one to talk." Harry began. "Your name is a cereal brand where I'm from." Harry said, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Applejack's jaw dropped at bit as it registered that he had insulted her name. Almost instantly, her shock began anger and she looked ready to break Harry as he laid there.

"Now see here-!" she began. However, Rarity stepped in.

"No need to be uncouth, both of you! You, Harry was it? There's no need to go around insulting everyponys' name. Yours is just as weird to us. And Applejack, there is no reason to rough our guest up. He was already injured enough from that stone that struck him." Rarity said, casting glances to both parties. Applejack simply glared past the diva pony and at Harry.

"Fine, Rare. But Ah'm keepin' mah eye on you." she warned Harry. Harry was about to say something when Pinkie suddenly appeared right in his face.

"He is sure handsome though! OH! Maybe I can throw a 'Welcome to Ponyville, Mister Handsome stranger called Harry!' party! Oh, I'm going to have everything! Cake, punch, balloons, games, music..." she said, continuing to ramble on about what activities the party would have, as Rarity used her magic to float the oblivious party pony away from Harry.

"Uh...sounds fun..." Harry said as he gave a nod to Rarity, who simply smirked.

"Enough chit-chat already! Where are you even from? We've never seen a pony like you before." Rainbow Dash asked, looking him over.

"I'm not going to say anything until I find out how I got here." Harry said defiantly, crossing his arms. Dash simply gave a scowl and looked to Fluttershy, who was currently perplexed by the still rambling Pinkie Pie.

"Uhm, Fluttershy? Is Pinkie scaring you again?" Dash asked. Fluttershy simply turned her head to the cyan pegasus, her eyes wide with shock.

"I-I'll never s-see frosting the s-same ag-again..." she muttered. Rarity cleared her throat once more.

"Anyway, we've come to let you know that you'll be discharged from here today. Once you're situated, we will take you to Mayor Mare and get you registered." Rarity said. Harry felt happiness flood him as he smiled.

"Oh, thank God! You honestly have no idea how boring this place is!" he said. Rainbow Dash popped her head up from under his bed, rubber ball in her hoof.

"Actually, I know the feeling." she said, gesturing with the ball. Harry simply blinked at her and shook his head.

"So, when exactly am I leaving?" he asked.

And, as if on que.

"Right now, actually." X-Ray said, poking his head into the room once again. He used his hoof to slide a small bundle of Harry's clothing into the room. "Get dressed, and come sign the papers. Then, you're free to go." X-Ray said leaving. Harry threw the bedsheets off of himself and stood up, revealing his true height to the mares in the room.

All of whom gave a gasp as they watched him rise and grab his clothes.

Fluttershy simply blushed as she caught a glance at Harry's rear from beneath the open-back patient gown.

"Uh, if I can get some privacy...?" Harry asked. Snapping out of it, Rainbow Dash gathered the others in a blue blur and shoved them all out of the room, slamming the door behind them.

"But I want to see his sense of fashion!" Rarity pleaded. Harry shook his head once more and sighed.

"I honestly cannot believe that this is happening..." he thought as he proceeded to unfold his clothing. Boxers, a pair of cargo khakis, a white t-shirt with a long-sleeved blue plaid over shirt, and his Vans' and socks. "Hmm, all cleaned. They even got that bothersome ink stain out of my undershirt!" Harry said as he looked his small wardrobe over.

About five minutes later, he exited the room and proceeded down the hall to the Reception area. The others were all sitting there, and as soon as he stepped into the lobby, their heads snapped to him. Rarity seemed to give a nod of approval as she looked him over.

"Well, somepony can sure clean up quick!" Applejack said tilting her hat up at Harry, who gave a light blush in response.

"Right then. Here are the papers you need to sign, and you can go about your merry way." said the receptionist. Harry nodded and approached the desk, taking the pen into his grip, and started to write.

Immediately, the murmuring began.

"Ah've never seen a pony write like that before..." he heard Applejack whisper.

"You must remember, he's not from here..." Rarity replied quietly.

"Think he could teach us...?" Rainbow asked.

Harry put the pen down and turned to the girls, flexing his fingers as he looked at them.

"Kinda need these to write like how I do." he told them.

"And what are they exactly?" Rainbow asked.

"Eh, maybe I'll tell you when I feel like it." Harry said with a smirk on his face. Dash simply scowled at him and turned to the others.

"So, who's staying here to look after Twilight?" she asked. Fluttershy raised a hoof and nodded, along with Pinkie.

"We will." she replied. Rainbow nodded in agreement and turned back to Harry.

"Alright, let's get going." she said, beginning her walk out of the lobby, the others in tow.

"I wonder what happened to Twilight..." Harry thought as he walked out.

"Heh...maybe something terrible..." spoke a darker voice.

Harry stopped and looked around, looking for the source of the dark tone. After not being able to find it, Harry simply shrugged and followed the small group of mares to town.

*     *     *

"Welcome to Ponyville!" Applejack said with a large smile, gesturing to the town with her hoof. The town was alive with activity, sounds, and delicious smells. Vendors were haggling their goods to customers, calling out their sales and such. Ponies went from store to store, gathering small bags or boxes in tow. Then, Harry realized the fact that there were wreaths hanging on buildings with garland and holly berries.

It was the Christmas season.

Or in the case of Ponyville, Hearth's Warming.

"Very busy." Harry simply said.

Nearby, a mint green mare with a harp as her cutie mark turned her attention to the new voice she heard. As soon as her eyes made contact with him, her golden eyes went wide with giddiness as she looked him over and stopped at...

The hands.

Immediately, a crazed look came to the mare's eyes as she began to giggle madly, and began to approach the new stallion.

"LYRA, NO!" screamed a cream colored mare with three candies as her cutie mark. Bon Bon tackled Lyra to the ground and dragged her away, kicking and screaming.

"BUT I HAVE TO TALK TO HIM! I WANT HIM TO SCRATCH ME BEHIND THE EARS!!" Lyra screamed at the top of her lungs. Ponies nearby watched with shock as they watched the mint mare struggle from Bon Bon's unearthly grasp, vanishing behind a building. Then, they all went about their business, as if nothing happened at all.

Harry simply blinked and cringed. The thought of Lyra even speaking a syllable to him frightened him.

"Uh...don't mind her. She's just crazy..." Rainbow Dash said, rubbing her neck.

"Anyway, let's go see the mayor!" Rarity said with gusto, hurrying the group to Town Hall. As they walked, ponies stopped their shopping to watch the newcomer walk by, some backing away in fear, some even walking close by to get a better look.

"Curious, aren't they?" Harry asked as he waved to a small colt, who watched him go past with extreme curiosity.

"They're usually like this when somepony new comes to town. Then they just wait for Pinkie's usual 'Welcome' party, then they will get to know you better." Rainbow said. "Pretty common behavior."

"Ah, I see." Harry replied.

"Not much of a tahlka', are ya'?" Applejack asked.

Harry shook his head and sighed. "I'm usually like this back where I'm from. Quiet and observant at first, but once I'm comfortable, I let loose." he said. Applejack nodded and smiled when they got close to Town Hall.

"Alright, let's go in then." Rarity said, taking the lead. As they walked, the Secretary gave a happy smile and let the group past. She eyed Harry curiously as he went past, then returned to her paper work.

Applejack knocked on Mayor Mares' door, and a cheerful voice responded.

"It's open!" called the mare. Rarity opened the door and walked in. "Hello girls! How can I help you today?" asked Mayor Mare. Her question was answered when Harry stepped into the room, a sheepish grin on his face. "Ah! A new resident, I see?" she asked. They all nodded together. "Well then, let me get the registration papers, and we can get underway." she said reaching into a nearby filling cabinet.

From within, a mountain of papers was brought out. Mayor Mare grunted as she struggled to keep the mountain aloft, slamming the paper menace down on her desk. The slam caused the entire room to jump with surprise. Placing a hand on the top of the stack, Harry raised an eyebrow.

"I really hope this isn't all related to registering." He said, a small hopeful tone in his voice. Mayor Mare simply gave a chuckle and shook her head.

"No, no. I am just very disorganized at the moment. The papers are the first two on the top. Fill those out, and you're officially a citizen of this lovely town!" she said with a cheerful smile. Shrugging, Harry took the first tow papers, a pen, and sat down at the desk and began writing.

-Outside-

Lyra had managed to escape Bon Bon.

She felt her escape went rather smoothly.

Well...it may have involved a lot of kicking, and eventually breaking Bon Bon's snout.

...

BUT LYRA DID NOT CARE! She HAD to talk to that stallion, to get him to use his...haaaaannnndssss...

Lyra stood there, at the corner of Mane Street, gazing lazily into the sky, her tongue lolled out and drooling profusely. Her breathing shuddered at the very thought of one of his finger nails scratching behind her ear.

"Oooooh...yeah..." she breathed. Nearby, Rose Luck spotted the drooling mare.

"Hey Lyra, are you alright?" the flower salespony asked. Snapping out of her daydream, Lyra quickly reeled in her tongue and faced Rose Luck.

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine Rose. I was just thinking of something tasty I saw earlier." She replied with a smile.

Lo and behold, she was telling the truth.

"Oh, okay Lyra. Are we still good for lunch Wednesday?" Rose Luck asked. Lyra nodded happily and waved good-bye to her friend. Rose Luck did the same, and went about her business. Lyra's features slowly reverted back to the drooling, daydreaming mare she was.

"Now...where is he...?" she asked aloud, looking about the intersection. Her golden eyes scanned the landscape, looking for that stallion. Then, a flash of silver caught her eye and she immediately snapped her gaze to it. Sure enough, there was her prey, walking into Town Hall with the Elements. "There he is..."

Jumping into a nearby bush, Lyra vanished.

-Inside Mayor Mare's office-

With a click of the pen, Harry put the writing utensil down and tapped the papers into an orderly manner, passing them to the Mayor. Mayor Mare happily accepted the forms and began looking them over.

Silence filled the room as Mayor Mare looked the papers over, her eyes scanning every detail and sentence. Suddenly, she spoke.

Outside the window, a flash of light caught Harry's eye.

"If that reflection is back to taunt me, I'm going to..."

"Alright! Everything here is good to go! Welcome to Ponyville, Mister Harry!" she said standing up and offering her hoof for a hoofshake. Harry took her hoof into his hand, gave it one firm shake, then departed the office, the Elements right behind him. Peeking into the window, a pair of golden eyes watched him leave.

*     *     *

As the entourage of ponies walked, Harry suddenly had a thought.

"Hey, hold on. I just realized something." he said. The mares in front of him stopped walking and turned their gaze to him.

"And what's that, dear?" Rarity asked.

"I don't have a place to stay. And I sure as hell can't afford a home, I'm broke." he said, giving a slightly worried shrug. The girls all exchanged looks and shrugged their shoulders as well.

"He can stay with me, if that's okay." said a new voice. They all turned around to see a sleepy Twilight standing there, a small smile on her lips. Bags were under her eyes, along with a small bandage replacing where her wrappings had been earlier.

"Twilight, oh it is good to see that you're alright!" Rarity said, going to give her friend a hug.

"How ya' feelin' suga'cube?" Applejack asked.

"A bit dizzy, but the doctor said that was a normal side effect of magical backfire. And the pain medications he's put me on." She said with a small giggle. "But, I overheard what was being said, and if he'd like, Harry can stay with me." she said, smiling to the anthro-pony in question.

"But how do you know about me?" Harry asked. Twilight laughed and waved a hoof at him.

"Fluttershy filled me in on what I missed. Which reminds me, I have some questions for you." Twilight said, he smile growing to a level of pure anticipation and eagerness.

If Harry was see-through, the girls would've seen that his heart exploded, twice, because of the smile Twilight was giving him. Looking to the others, Harry shrugged and looked back to Twilight. "Alright, I'll crash at your place. But that's only until I manage to get a job and be able to pay for my own home." he said, gesturing with a single finger. "That is, if I can even get a job here." Twilight nodded.

"That's fine with me. I'll have Spike tidy up the guest room for you." she said.

"And don't ya' worry about a job. Ah'll hire ya' as a farm hand if ya' can't find a job in town." Applejack offered. Harry smiled a bit and chuckled.

"Alright Applejack, I'll keep that in mind." he said. The group fell silent and Harry looked at a nearby clock. "So, what is there to do around here at a quarter to one in the afternoon?"

*     *     *

Night had fallen on the town, and the ponies were each going home for the day. The Elements had said their goodbyes to each other after they attended a small fair that the local school children had set up. Harry and Twilight were strolling home, talking about the fair.

"For a little fair, it wasn't half bad. The fairs my school had back home were awful." Harry said with a chuckle. Twilight joined in the chuckle and looked at Harry.

"So, what is your home like?" she asked. Harry was silent for a bit before speaking.

"Well, I can tell you this: This place is definitely a hundred, no a thousand times better than home. There aren't noisy crowds, dirty air, ignorant assholes, and I can actually see the stars in town, rather having to go down to a dark beach at night." Harry told her. Twilight tilted her head to the side, a face of curiosity present.

"Is it really bad?" she asked.

"Imagine living in constant fear of another country attacking you. Imagine living in a country where they make everything seem okay, when in actuality it really isn't. In my home, lies were the normal, and people at them up as if it were truth."

"Wow...I can't imagine that here..." Twilight said quietly as they approached Golden Oaks' Library. "Well, here we are! Home, sweet home!" Twilight proclaimed as she opened the door, and let Harry in.

"Whoa, you live in a library?" he asked. The air smelt of books and paper, in a good way.

"Yup! I'm the librarian here. When I came here from Canterlot, this library was kind of a base of operations when my friends and I ran into some troubles. Afterwards, I moved in and became the librarian. Mayor Mare was more than happy to hire me." Twilight explained as she watched Harry look at the various book spines.

"Wow, these actually sound interesting. Equestria's Guide to Foreign Fauna and Animals, Starswirl the Bearded's Greatest Achievements, Conflict through the Ages: Equestria's Timeline of its' Military. I mean, really! These are better than the crap books we have back home. Hell, I'm not even sure if people read an actual book anymore." Harry said as he turned back to Twilight.

At that moment, Spike walked into the room.

"Heya Twilight! Hey Harry! Your room is all squared away. It's just down the hall and to the left." Spike said. Harry nodded and gave a thumbs up.

"Thanks little dude." He said. With a yawn, Harry reached up and arched his back, making the entire length of it pop. Spike cringed at the sound, and Twilight simply tilted her head once again, her curiosity peaking. A content sigh escaped his lips and he let his arms come down. "Well, I'm going to go to bed. I'll see you all in the morning. Thanks again for letting me crash here Twilight." Harry said as he began to walk out of the main part of the library.

Something tugged on the base of his tail, yanking him back a bit.

"Hey!" he protested.

"You're not going anywhere. I still have so many questions I want to ask! Like, how did your people eat? Are they strictly meat, or plant, or both? Oh, oh! How did your people get around? By foot..." Twilight began, her ramblings going into endless questions.

Harry gently facepalmed.

It was going to be a long night.

Outside the library, a mint green mare stared into the home with envy, her gaze shifting from Twilight, to her target.

"I'll get you one way or another! Ah ha ha ha ha ha!" Lyra cackled.

"Did you hear something?"

"I don't know, I couldn't hear anything above your constant questioning..."

"Stay here, I'll go check it out."

"Oh, horsefeathers!" Lyra whispered. The door to Golden Oak's opened up, and Twilight looked into the night, light from inside pouring out around her. At this point, Lyra had ran off into the night.

"Hmm, nothing. Oh well, hey Harry! Where are you going? I've yet to ask you on your forms of entertainment!"

"Twilight, I- HEY! LET GO OF MY TAIL! I want to go to bed!"

"Nonsense! Who needs sleep?"

"UGH!"