Judgement

My heart was pounding, my mind swirling with the fear of being caught. As the last of the sunlight left the skies, and the remainder of the shopkeepers left their stalls, I made my way slowly to the alleyways I had spotted earlier. I knew what I was looking for, but had no clue where to look. This complicated things, and I figured the best thing to do would be to wander about the town until I found something noteworthy.

It was somewhat eerie amidst the alleys, every few minutes I’d come across a dimly lit lantern hanging from protruding posts or stands, and aside from the occasional stack of hay, stray box, or garbage bag, darkness was the only thing these alleys seemed to be good for.

After wandering for a few dozen minutes, I noticed a turn leading back out into the town, I had to be somewhere near the middle of this maze of buildings by now. I heard no steps or other noise coming from the open area, and decided that this outing would be pointless if I didn’t at least peek out of these alleys.

Slowly, I looked out, part of me expecting a crowd of eyes to be staring back… Luckily, the only thing that greeted me was the silence of the sleeping town. Still a little paranoid, however, I cautiously walked out from the alley, checking every angle and direction as I did so.

Content with the lack of surrounding activity, I started to walk through the main streets of the town, glad to finally be out in the open air. I eventually reached the centre of the mess of roads and pathways. Looking around, I could see some highly decorated stalls, devoid of stock or shopkeepers. I lightly sighed, realising that these stalls would carry no scraps or leftover food stuffs.

Judging by the arrangement of the buildings around here, and all the stalls, I figured that this was either a marketplace, or a town square of some sort. I made sure to mentally map the surrounding streets out for future reference, before a brightly coloured building, decorated with pictures and logos of cakes and other baked goods caught my attention. I walked over, observing the wide variety of interesting looking snacks on display behind the shop window.

“Well, this is no good…” I mumbled to myself, making sure nothing else would be able to hear. For a brief moment, I considered breaking the glass in order to obtain the treats inside, although that would gather way too much attention, leaving me to continue my wandering.

I turned away, trying to block the sugar-loaded treats from my mind. As I started to walk away, I took a final glance at the sign hanging from above the door.

Sugarcube Corner…

So far, tonight had been a total bust, aside from mapping out the town a little bit--Wait, what!?

I turned back, making sure I had read the sign correctly... Yep, right there, clear as day… Sugarcube Corner… Ponyvilles local sweet shop… There’s no way that this was the Ponyville… That’s make-believe… Although… Last time I checked, so were multi-coloured, magical ponies… Alright… This situation was starting to get a little weird…

My stomach growled, reminding me of my original focus. This wasn’t the time to be mentally debating the reality of this situation. As far as I know, I’m in Ponyville, and in Ponyville, there is one place that obtaining food would be as easy as apple picking… Sweet Apple Acres

Now, all that I had to do was work out where that was… I let out another sigh, this one slightly louder than before. How hard could it be… A bunch of apple trees couldn’t be hard to spot, right?

I wound up searching for almost an hour, as it turns out, a bunch of apple trees aren’t actually as easy to find as you’d think. All the while, I began to feel more and more tired, not to mention how hungry I was getting. After another few minutes, my efforts were finally rewarded, when in the distance I could make out a sign with the words ‘Sweet Apple Acres’ written across it, as well as an arrow pointing a little further down the road.

After following the directions for a little while, I finally spotted what I had been hoping for, an apple tree. Never before in my life had a fruit looked this tempting. I quickly hopped over a small white fence that stood between me and the surrounding orchard. Immediately, I greedily snatched an apple from a tree and bit into it. Maybe it was just how hungry I was, but it was one of the tastiest things I had eaten for as long as I could remember. I made sure to stash as many as I could carry in my pockets, just in case I ever felt peckish. With my hunger satisfied, I could get back to my exploration.

The night pressed on, and I took note of many of the noteworthy places within Ponyville. I had kept a record of most of the towns exits, entrances into alleyways, memorable areas, and just about anything else I came across. I had never thought I’d ever get an opportunity to see something like this so close-up and personal…

A faint whistling, and the distant sound of someone approaching caught my attention, causing me to panic slightly, I quickly glanced around, checking for the nearest hiding place. Without thinking, I darted toward a nearby alleyway and took refuge from the passer-by, who walked by obliviously, quietly whistling to themselves.

I didn’t dare to look out until the sounds had passed. Thankful to have not drawn any unwanted attention to myself, I very cautiously made my way back out into the streets. Checking up and down the road to make sure that no one else would interrupt my endeavours.

I silently myself, noticing that in my panicked fleeing, I had neglected to cover any tracks my shoes had left. Luckily for me, whoever went by wasn’t very attentive to detail. I made sure to remove any sign of my presence before I decided that it was time for me to leave. Since I had no place to really go, I figured that I’d head back to the cave I had spent last night in.

On my way out of the small town, I spotted another familiar building, one I hadn’t take notice of earlier. A large tree, with windows and a door carved into it… Twilight Sparkle’s library…

A light could be seen shining through one of the windows. I hadn’t the slightest idea of the time, but I knew the night had progressed enough for it to be considered ‘late’. As it usually does, curiosity got the better of me, and I went to get a closer look into the hollowed-out tree.

I made sure to stay out of the light, I didn’t want to get caught now, not after I made it through the whole night without a single incident. As soon as I got close enough, I caught a brief glimpse through the window. Inside, I saw a lavender coloured unicorn, with a large star emblazoned on her flank, sitting in front of a desk, reading through a book. Twilight Sparkle.

I froze somewhat, unsure of everything I had argued with myself over… What was happening… Why was I in Ponyville, surrounded by colourful equines… What happened to home… To Earth?

This wasn’t the time to be losing my mind… I had to stay focussed, at least until I was out of here. I turned my attention back to the interior of the library, noticing another being in there. An owl… It had its eyes fixed on me… I was spotted. By an owl… Okay, time to get out of here before I’m spotted by something that can actually articulate proper speech and thought. I slowly backed away, locked in this staring contest with Owlowiscious.

As soon as I was out of sight of the library, I turned and ran from the town, being cautious to keep my footsteps light and untraceable. After gaining some distance between myself and Ponyville, I started to circle around the town, keeping a keen eye out for the dirt path that led to the cave.

By the time I had finally reached the destination I sought, I was exhausted. All I wanted to do was collapse into a soft bed… But all I had was this empty slab of rock. It wasn’t all bad, at least… The cave did have a kind of welcoming warmth to it, I guess it’s better than sleeping outside in the freezing cold, which is more than what some people have.

I slumped against a wall and slowly sat down, considering everything that had transpired tonight. I guess I’d have to start planning my next few days… Maybe I can get some answers for myself…

After another few minutes passed, I laid down, closing my eyes and slowly fading from reality. I couldn’t believe what had happened over the last 48 hours. Of all the people to wind up in Equestria, it’s me… Me. Insanity or not, this was an incredible development…

With my hunger satisfied, and fatigue finally getting the better of me, I drifted to sleep with one last thought stuck in my mind…

A perfect world…

I woke up with a jolt, and after slowly gathering my senses, I realised I had been sitting in the family car as it travelled down a long, country road. I felt like the last two days had been a vivid dream, I also felt strangely refreshed… Younger, even... Looking around, I noticed my father at the wheel, his eyes fixated on the road.

“What did I miss?” I asked, still trying to get a firm grasp on reality.

“Trees, road, and a lot of empty space.” He replied, a cheerful grin spread across his face. “It’s almost twelve, we’ll stop and get lunch the next chance we get.”

“Awesome.” I grinned back. My father was a great person. Even in the worst situations, he’d look to the lighter side… It was what made me look up to him. I had tried so hard to embody everything he had taught me. It was always good to know that he was there to help out.

I figured that we’d be on the road another few minutes before our next stop, so I decided to pass the time by checking out the scenery. But my dad was right, there really was a lot of empty space, nothing really interesting about it. Before I knew it, I had started drifting off again.

Once again, I was awoken by a bump, this time it was much more serious though. I opened my eyes, the sight before me sending a jolt of panic through my body. The ground was above me, or at least I had thought so before I realised I was upside down. I tried desperately to make sense of my surroundings, tiny shards of glass covered the ground, a deep pain was shooting through my shoulder. I looked around…

My father was gone.

My eyes shot open, and with a sigh of relief and a check of my surroundings, I began to recognize the area around me. I was greeted by the hard stone walls of the cave, and the morning light shining in through the opening. I settled down after a few slow breaths.

I had been having that recurring dream now for almost a year and a half… It felt less and less like a dream each time… Like I was actually reliving that day… The day I lost my father…

I tried to push the memory from my mind. It was the last thing I needed right now. I had to focus on the plan I had conceived last night. It probably wasn’t one of my better ideas, but I had decided that I’d head back into Ponyville during the day, my goal was pretty simple, catch up on the town’s most recent events. Sure, it wouldn’t be that simple, but I was feeling good about it.

I was still planning to do all of this from the shadows, making matters much more complicated. But I still didn’t want to risk a hostile reaction. Hopefully if I stuck to the alleyways I had explored last night, there wouldn’t be any risk of being caught out.

I stood up, stretching my various limbs and muscles, if I wanted to avoid attention, I had best get to town early. I followed the dirt path toward the town, stopping just short of the main road leading through. My best bet was to slip in through the outskirts, waltzing along the main road probably wouldn’t get me too far.

I managed to squeeze through a small space between a couple of homes, ducking under the windows for good measure… You can never be too sure, right? This small crevice led me straight into a much larger space, which I speedily recognized as the alleyway I had entered Ponyville through last night.

If I remembered correctly, if I was to follow this alleyway all the way down, I’d end up in the middle of the marketplace, an area which was probably quite populated already, despite the time. It was a gamble, but probably my best chance at hearing the latest news. I decided to go for it. For a little while, at least.

I hastily made my way through the alleyways of Ponyville, avoiding prolonged exposure to the open streets of the town. After a minute or so of walking, I reached the opening that led out to a mess of ponies and stalls. I stood in the dark, watching as the stall owners would shout about their products and bargains, watching as lines formed and disbanded one after another… It was so similar to home.

A familiar voice caught my attention, “C’mon everypony! We got fresh apples, ripe from harvestin’!”

I looked over, confirming my suspicions. In front of a large line of impatient-looking ponies, stood an orange mare, wearing a country-styled hat, calling out to the crowds shuffling through the marketplace. None other than Applejack.

I couldn’t help but feel a little excited, similar to how I felt after seeing Twilight Sparkle the previous night. After taking a moment to regain my perspective, I decided it would be best to get closer to the marketplace, hopefully I’d be able to catch someone talking about the last few weeks.

As I got closer to the open air, I noticed a second, and a third familiar figure standing by the exit of the alleyway. Both were mares, one was a white Unicorn, with a neatly tended purple mane, and the other, a pale yellow Pegasus, a long, pink mane covering her face. After taking a more thorough glance, I realised that I was observing Fluttershy and Rarity.

Once more, I felt excited. My eagerness was quelled quite quickly however, when I caught ear of their conversation…

“… Applejack sounded awfully concerned about this, and a few others have been talking about somepony wandering the streets late at night.” Rarity said, a hint of concern in her voice.

“Oh, my… That’s dreadful… Did Applejack say how many apples were stolen?” The Pegasus replied.

My eyes widened, I ignored the remainder of their conversation. After all the effort last night, they knew about the apples, they knew I was going through the town… All that effort for nothing… I realised that the two were still talking, but had moved slightly, just out of earshot. I had to get closer.

However, before I could get a better position, a sound coming from only a few houses in the direction I had approached from became audible. It sounded like things were being thrown about… Part of me wanted to investigate, but I knew that would cost me the rest of this conversation.

For a brief moment, the sounds silenced, only to begin once more after what sounded like a frustrated growl.

“Damn it…” I quietly muttered as I turned and started to head toward the sounds, leaving the two ponies to converse in private.

I began to close in on the noise, as I neared, it began to sound less like it was coming from the interior of a home, and more like it was coming from the alleyways. As I rounded a corner, I noticed the figure of a small filly, rummaging through a small stack of what looked like garbage. I couldn’t make out the identity of the small figure because of the shadow that the walls of the alley had cast over them.

The dark stretch was lined with the silhouettes of various objects and stacks that could do nicely as cover, I decided to get a closer look, and hopefully determine the identity of the figure digging amongst the trash.

Being careful to minimize any noise I was making, I slowly moved behind a stack of crates. This continued as I approached the filly. It was unclear what she was looking for, I made a mental note to try and work that out, too. As I moved from one obstacle to another, I felt my foot snag on a loose object, tripping me.

Immediately after hitting the ground, a sharp pain made itself known in my wrist, this was the least of my problems, though. I began to scramble to my feet, hoping that I just had the quietest fall in history. As I made it to my knees however, I noticed the rummaging had stopped. I looked back over to the filly, who was staring straight at me, a look of fear spread across her face.

Well, shit.

The fall had partially disoriented me, and the dark alley wasn’t making things easier. All I could see were a pair of eyes fixated on me, before quickly darting to an object at her hooves and back. Suddenly, the pain in my wrist intensified, pulling my focus from the situation. The mysterious filly used this opportunity to snatch up whatever she had been after and hastily retreat through the alleyways. As I looked back up all I saw was the filly disappearing around a corner.

I thought it was best for the both of us if I didn’t try to go after her. Instead it was time to get the heck out of here before the consequences of that little encounter became evident.

As I followed the dirt road back down to the cave, the pain in my wrist had begun to intensify. I must’ve sprained it from that fall. Not only that, but I still felt quite dizzy and confused after that landing. In the light of the late afternoon sun, I could see that my arm was starting to swell a bit. One thing was for sure, I wouldn’t be going back into Ponyville anytime soon. I still had my stolen rations for the next few days…

I checked my pockets, realising that a lot of the weight they had been carrying was gone. I could’ve sworn I had more than this… I pondered this for a moment, trying to ignore the pounding in my head. That was when it hit me… The things that filly had grabbed, they must’ve been some apples that had fallen out of my pockets when I hit the ground.

Wait… Why would a filly be stealing apples from someone…?

The pounding in my head intensified, now wasn't the time to be obsessing over this, I needed to rest. Hopefully I’d feel better afterward.

Once I reached the cave, I stumbled inside, slowly laying my head down against the stone floor. I tried resting my arm in the most comfortable position I could, before closing my eyes and steadily drifting off.