Well, here i am. Sitting here in my room thinking about what to do next. Anything i ever do in life just doesn't seem to get me anywhere. I help anyone that ever needed me around the are. Living in a tight neighborhood has it's cool sides when you have the ability to do alot of odd jobs with not much trouble, and not being too big on being paid back. The word spread, and as i went along, people demanded me somewhat or expected me to do the things i do almost for free. After a while, nobody seemed to care, and i ended up getting about 5% of what i would get when i started, thanks to my pityful generousity and my fear of complaining. I thought to myself, if i can't be respected by actually helping out alot, all over the place, then screw it! I have the heart of a saint, but i'm treated like a guy who doesnt even do the jobs. Most days they just leave the payment outside the door, or put it in my mailbox, whenever they seem to remember. I don't see anybody anymore. What happened?
I honestly have no idea. People just started acting like jerks. It was like a wave of hate had invaded my neighborhood. Nobody wanted contact with anybody. Not that i had that with many people from the start, so i don't really have that much to be sad about. But still.
I had started to take a liking to the internet. A lot of attention has been made to a show called 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'. Now, as i've grown up, all i ever thought about when the name 'My Little Pony' came to mind, was girly toys of horses with hair you can brush and fool around with. But this particular 'rebirth' to the show really made it's way to the spotlight of the internet community.
About a week or so later, i decided to take a look at this show as the whole week i had spent on finishing my remaining jobs that i had promised to do. It was finally summer! And i had all the time in the world to do whatever the hell i wanted. I was now done with school, and until i decided to get a real job, i wasn't going anywhere. But im getting off the point. The first thing i did was plant myself firmly in my chair and fired up my browser and searched up the show.
Episode after episode. I. Just. Could. Not. Stop. Seriously, you just couldn't stop. You just HAD to see what happened next. Every episode made me feel even more special for whatever character was involved. I didn't work anymore. Nobody ever appreciated my help anyways, so why would i? I mean, whats the point in working if nobody ever appreciates it? Kill me if im being so overly dramatic about it.
As of where i am with friends or family.. nah. It wasn't good. It never was. I didn't even live with both my parents. I lived with my father who only seemed to care about his 'girlfriend' down in Thailand. He goes there ALOT, and leaves me home alone. Much to my enjoyment, as i now have a habit of staying inside, wanting to be left alone to do more procrastination. My mother was dead. She died a few years ago of cancer.. and i really hate thinking back to the event. That night was the worst night in my life, and it will remain as that. I was the only one with her when she passed. I watched her pass away.. damn. I always tear up thinking about it. She was the only one who cared about me, and now she is gone. Forever.
My dad didn't seem to mind as much as i did about my mom's passing, as he only spent a day and a half or so to mourn over her, as i spent a week. That, and that he about one month later took his first trip to Thailand and came back with lots of 'good memories' with his new lover.
But im sure you've had enough of my boring backstory. Time to illuminate the present.
"Alright. Here we go!" I said talking to myself as i played episode one of season one.. for the 5th time probably. I just can't get enough. Equestria.. just makes me feel so warm. It makes me feel so.. left out. After all i've done in my life, helping everybody with everything, and always being a well behaved and helpful person, i deserve something like Equestria to make my life better. Ofcourse, that won't ever happen. Never.
I had been home alone for 3 weeks now since my dad left again. I didn't have any other family than him, exept for my aunt, who lives in another country anyways. God, this world is just so boring. My world. The world that isn't Equestria.. Ever since my mom died i've basically been alone. The few friends i ever had either ditched me because i wasn't 'cool' enough, or i just wasn't fun to hang out with. I did my best though, despite my slight shyness.
Things were just average to me in this period of time i spent home alone. I woke up, had some food, and spent the rest of the day on the computer. I sometimes went outside to go for a walk in the park to have a chat with the homeless guy i somewhat got to know by the amount of times i go to the park on my own. Don't misjudge, the guy was actually a pretty decent person. We usually just share stories, sometimes i even bring with me my lunch to offer him some. Seriously, how can i not be considered a nice guy? I havent really done anything but give it my best in life. That was my usual day to day cycle. Well, that was until that happened.
I was taking my time in walking home from the store, as i actually enjoyed the fresh air. I walked by the public school, and looked at the playground that the kids were playing in. Damn, i had done a fine job with that. It's not more than 2 months since i built that and it looks very used already. I didn't exactly build it, but i did most of the work. I am really good when it comes to handywork. Any kind. I sort of feel like i miss doing helpful things to the society.. even though it never got me anywhere.. God i feel so useless. What am i even alive for if i have no use? I feel like im starting to enter some sort of depression, but i would like to avoid that.
When i got home i didn't start making my dinner right away like i always do. I sat down on the couch. I was thinking alot about the fact that i had no friends, no family, nobody to talk to. I was actually all alone. The thought never really hit me before, as right now i felt a tear starting to fall from my eye. Why did i suddenly start thinking about this? Probably becase i've been thinking about colorful ponies for the past months.. that were loyal, friendly, kind, honest.. you know the drill. I guess i just wanted friends just like that.
I went up to my computer to get lost in watching the only show that made me smile. I started up my computer and got ready to watch my slow Windows Vista start up with it's usual starting noices. Something didn't seem right however. My computer didn't start up as it usually should have. It made a noise that i could only say sounded like the squee from the show.
"Wierd.." I said quietly to myself scratching my chin.
i was afraid the pc was going to give me trouble again, and would make me risk having to take it apart and hopefully put it back together in on piece. I've done that several times now, each time it gets closer to it's point of death. I just sat there watching the screen, confused and prepared to see something pop up, like a warning or something.
Suddenly text filled my screen. Letters i did not understand, wierd shapes and patterns. I watched in confusion as i felt like i was in some sort of trance. I was watching the monitor getting filled with strange letters, as i suddenly realized the letters and shapes escaped the screen and spread out across the room. I was still staring directly into the computer screen. Suddenly i felt something dragging me, like i was being vaccum cleaned or something.
My mouth hung open as my whole vision suddenly got blinded by a shining white light as i suddenly felt my body not touching any surface anymore. I felt weightless. I couldnt see anything, as all i saw was a bright white light.
After the feeling of being tossed around into a white limbo watching multicolored shapes and patterns all around me, i could see the sun, and i finally felt a surface. I was now lying down, as i saw my arms were spread out on the ground. As the white light slowly faded, i noticed i wasn't in my room anymore. I wasn't INSIDE anymore. I was outside, lying on a dirt road. I looked up at the skies, being blinded by a bright sun.
"Where am i..?" I said with a crack in my voice, looking around me.
I was surrounded by trees. The trees around me were so close together that i could not see further than about 2 or 3 trees behind it before it was all dark. The sun had just enough space to get in to where i was with a little opening above me, splitting the treetops apart from each side of the dirt road.
"Is anyone there?" I managed to raise my voice.
I looked at the trees surrounding me hoping they would answer me. They didn't, much to my dissapointment. What the hell? Where am i? Why am i suddenly on a forrest road? I thought to myself.
I lifted myself off the ground as i looked around for.. something else than the woods surrounding me. I had a pounding headache and i took a hand to my head as i started to walk slowly along the dirt road to the brightest end of the road. I figured i was probably in a dream, so i just went along with it.
"Hello? Anyone out here!?" I shouted as i scouted around for answers or movement. Nothing.
I followed the dirt road, abit scared of the scenery. Things didn't look friendly in these woods. When i say friendly i mean i didn't hear ANY birds or signs of life except for maybe a cricket. I saw light ahead of me and i started to jog, and paced up until i was running. I was relieved as i reached the end of the bright clearing as i had found an exit from the woodland. What i saw was beautiful. I saw a huge plain of pure green grass. The dirt road just kept going along to the side of the plain. It sure was wierd, seeing how it made a clear border from being woods to being beautiful grass.
I walked along the dirt road and followed it until i got to what seemed like an orchid. An orchid of appletrees, and a field or corns. I walked along the fields, that were closed off by a very straight and very new looking white fence. I noticed a big red barn as i walked closer to the center of the orchid. As i got closer to it, i found it difficult to take my eyes off it, as something seemed familiar. The barn just looked.. familiar. While i was staring away, i didn't notice the rock in my path. As expected, i tripped and laned with my face first.
"OW!" i yelled as the initial shock hit me.
That was when i noticed this could NOT be a dream. Since when did dreams simulate real pain with real blood as your leg slid across the sharp end of a slightly big rock? This was the first for me. The rock looked like it was made to cut you up. It literally looked like a big knife sticking up from the ground lying down with it's sharp side up.
I grabbed my foot and i inhaled with gritted teeth as the pain started to flow. In my pain, i could'nt hear that something was coming up behind me. Before i could get myself together, i heard the voice from behind me.
"What in tarnation are Y'all supposed to be?" A southern belle said with a slight bit of confusion.
I turned around slowly. When i had turned my head fully, i saw something i never thought would be real. It was.. Applejack. From the show.. but how? I just realized that i'm NOT dreaming. I could never dream of having such a real pain in my leg. I looked into her eyes as she was standing just a carlength away from me. She was staring back with a lot of confusion in her face, along with a little fear in her eyes as i saw her ready to run for it if i would try something.
"W-well?" She said. This time with alot of fear in her voice. She must have no idea what kind of creature i am.
"H-hi." I managed.
I slowly tried standing up, still holding my leg as i tried to process what was happening. Applejack.. was there. Real. This was not a dream, and she was here. How the hell? I was now on my feet, staring at the confused pony. I slapped myself in the face, just to check if i was really not asleep. Nothing. The pony tilted her head as she had no idea what i just did.
"Is this.. are you.. r-real?" I asked with a bit of crack in the ending of my sentence.
She was still standing with her head tilted in the same way that she was before. She slowly opened her mouth.
"Well.. uh, yeah ah suppose, but ah believe ah asked ya a question." She said now with slightly calmer voice than before. I think she saw that i wasn't going to charge on her.
"Im.. sorry if i scared you, i dont know how i.. got here." I said. I had no idea what to say.
I took hold of my leg looking down at it. My pants had a hole,and i saw blood filling up around it on my pants. I inhaled, gritting my teeth again as i held over the place of the wound.
"Im.. My name is Ethan." I said, nodding my head to her still holding my leg.
Applejack nodded back with a look of unsure of what she was even doing. She slowly opened her mouth again.
"Howdy' Ethan, mah name is Applejack." She said back to me, now sounding less worried.
She took her eyes off mine and moved them down to where my hand was. She was the bloodstain that had gathered itself around the hole in my pants. She looked back up into my eyes and she slowly started to walk one step closer to me. I had still not come over the shock that the one and only Applejack was standing right there, infront of me.
"What in the hay' are ya? Ah have never seen anythin' like yerself before in mah life." She said to me as she walked one more step closer to me.
"I'm a.. Human. I'm not really from around here." I said now actually communicating with her.
"Well pardner, ah just don't know if ah should fear ya, or help ya. Ya seem to have hurt yerself pretty bad there." She said.
I looked at her. She was there. I just couldn't get over this. Applejack.. she's here. Then it hit me. Where the hell am i? Am i in.. Equestria?
"Please, i have no intention of hurting you. I just.. woke up in the forrest and i dont know how i got here." I said.
Applejack now shaped a little smile on her face, to my relief. I think she believed me. She was now coming closer to me as she was almost close enough for me to take my hand out and touch her. She was now right infront of me. I looked at her with confusion as she stared into my blue eyes, and i stared back at her green, big eyes.
"Do ya need some help with that? You could come back to mah house, and ah could patch that wound up, if ya want the help." She asked.
Wow. She just met a strange creature she had never seen before. She trusts my first word of me promising not to hurt her, and she then offers me home to her so she could patch up my sore leg. Was i in heaven? Did i die and got send here to be happy? There was only one way to find out. Do the best i can, be polite, and be as friendly and helpful as i was before. It seems now i have a chance to get things right.
"Yes, i would like that. Thank you, Applejack." I said to her with a smile on my face as i grabbed my leg.
She started walking towards a farmhouse, and i followed holding my leg. I was still struck by the fact that i was talking to a pony. Not just any pony, but one of the ponies from a show i was a huge fan of. It was like i just met a celebrity, in a very wierd kind of way. And i was more scared than exited to be fully honest.
"So uh, Y'all are a what now? Hyumen?" She asked breaking the awkward silence between us as we walked a little distance from eachother. I didn't want her to feel uncomfortable.
"Yes, i'm a human. But please call me Ethan." I said to her.
"So.. how did ya end up in the Everfree Forrest?" She asked with a frown.
I shrugged. "No idea. One moment i was in my room at home, the other second i was trapped inside a white limbo, and then i was lying on my back in the forrest.." I told her.
"Hmm.." She mumbled.
She turned her head again, facing the direction we were going. I could see someone.. somepony, standing outside the farmhouse with a wagon. It was a little filly. Not just any filly. A butter-yellow filly with rose colored mane, and a pink bow-tie in her mane. She was throwing empty baskets in the wagon, and as we got closer she turned to face us. Her jaw dropped and she quickly ran off hiding behind the wagon.
"Applebloom! There's no danger, sugarcube!" Applejack shouted after the scared Applebloom that now poked her head out from the side of the wagon. We were now very close to the wagon, and i stopped. I didn't want to scare Applebloom.
The little filly turned to her sister, then to me. She looked at me with her adorable orange eyes. I just wanted to pick her up and hug her so tight. She was just so cute. I looked at her with a calming face, trying to signalize that i wasn't going to hurt her. I think she understood.
"Big sister.. wha' in tarnation is that thing..?" She said sounding a little frightened. No wonder.
"This here is Ethan. He's a human, and he is from.. somewhere far away. But he ain't gonna hurt ya sugarcube. Ya know ya can count on me. If he was a bad apple, i would have already bucked him far away from here." She said sounding very confident about herself. I slowly gulped as i thought to myself. Don't mess with Applejack.
Applebloom came out from her hideout, still unsure what to think. She looked at me with her big orange eyes, and she took some steps closer to me. I crouched down as i signalized her to come over and say hello to me. I kind of felt like i was trying to get a cat to come over and smell my hand. She slowly moved her little body towards me, Applejack watching that i didn't try anything stupid. The little filly was now just a few feet away from me.
"Hey there, Applebloom. My name is Ethan." I said to her trying to calm her with a warm smile.
She now formed a tiny smile on her face, still with curiousness in her eyes, as she came up to my hand and place her hoof in it. I wrapped my fingers around her hoof slowly. I didn't want her to think i was going to grab her. I saw her eyes fill with fear as my fingers were now wrapped around her hoof, and i slowly started to shake it up and down. Applebloom slowly realized that i was hand.. hoofshaking her, and she returned the gesture.
"Nice.. to meet ya, Ethan." She said with a bit more calmness in her voice.
I looked over at Applejack. She was smiling at me. I smiled back at her as i noticed something that was stinging in my leg. I totally forgot about the wound. The reason for the sting was that Applebloom had made her way to the side of my pants and put her hoof on the hole.
"What's this wierd hole here, Mr. Ethan? I think ya' ripped yer' clothin'" She she said to me as she poked her hoof on my thigh.
"Applebloom! Hes hurt and ya'll are makin' it hurt even more!" Applejack shouted.
Applebloom quickly took her hoof away and looked ashamed of herself. I looked at her and smiled.
"Don't worry, Applebloom. It didn't hurt that much. And besides, your sister offered to help me with it. Would you like to come along?" I asked her trying to cheer her up.
She quickly recovered her smile and sprinted over to the farmhouse. Applejack chuckled, and signalized me to follow her. I did so, and soon we were on the porch. I followed her inside the house, and there was two other ponies staring at me. I had to crouch down so i didn't bump my head in the doorway.
"Granny, Big Mac, this here is Ethan! He's hurt and were gonna help him get better!" Applebloom loudly said excitedly to the old mare, and the big stallion standing in the livingroom of the house. It seemed they had been watching me from the window, as they both came over and greeted me.
"Tha' there sure is a big fella'! He's even bigger than you, Big Mac!" The old, green pony said.
"Eeeyup." Big Mac replied. I couldn't help but smile at that. I'm really here.. this is all.. real?
About two hours later, i had been having conversations with the ponies, as they were patching up my thigh. I had gotten to know them a little better than i had while watching the show.. naturally. My leg was now fine, and recovering. It was still hurting even though.
"Say Ethan, ah have a friend that knows a spell that can make the wound less painful. If ya want, i could take ya to her. But ah need ya to promise me y'all are a good pony.. err, human, or else ah can't help ya." She said to me sounding very serious.
"Applejack, you have my word." I said reassuring her. She gave me a big smile.
Did she mean Twilight? Was she really going to take me to Twilight? And by that, take me to.. Ponyville? I didn't feel ready, mentally or physically.
"But ya gotta know, all the ponies in town are gonna wonder what the hay y'all are. All of 'em are gonna be starin' at ya." She said to me.
"I know.. i just dont know what to say to them if any of them asks me where im from or what i am.. i mean, i know all of that but i don't know how they will handle it." I said sounding worried.
Applejack smiled at me. "Sugarcube, im sure they will understand. Y'all are with me and them ponies trust me. Don't ya worry. Just tell them what ya told me and ah promise you nothin' bad will happen to ya." She said reassuring me. She rested her hoof on my shoulder.
"Thanks, Applejack." I reached out for a hug. I don't know why. I felt like the moment called for it. Before i could retreat my stupid move, i felt her other hoof over my neck and her head on my shoulder. I returned the hug. I started to cry. I hadn't been hugged by anyone ever since my mother died. And the one that hugged me was my mother. My father told me i shouldn't be such a baby, and want hugs all the time.
"What's wrong?" Applejack asked gently pushing away from the hug. She was the tears in my eyes, and i wiped them.
"Nothing.. it's just nice to get a hug sometimes and i really appreciate that." I told her smiling as i wiped my eyes.
She hugged me again. She was smiling, and i saw Applebloom running up to us as she joined our hug. This was a beautiful moment. And i never wanted this happy feeling to go away. The pain from my thigh was now gone, and i could only feel my heart warm as the two ponies were hugging me tightly.
"Thank you." I said to them both while having the biggest smile on my face in years.
