Through the Door

“Do you know how ridiculous you sound right now?”

“Hey, I’m being serious. I seem to be the only one here who might have an idea on how to find this Twilight character without having to leave others behind. I’m serious when I say I want to help.”

“Well I suppose if you want to help, then you can. But, it is going to take months, maybe even years to train you so you’re prepared for the trek through many dimensions. Who knows where Twilight will be by the time you’re done with your training.”

“I’m ready for whatever you are going to throw at me Celestia. I want to help, and that’s what I’m going to do. You are not going to stop me from doing so.”

“I know that I’m not going to stop you Sky. In fact, I’m advising you about the length of time and how treacherous the trip is.”

“Okay, so when do I begin?”

“Start whenever you feel like Sky.”

“I’d like to start now if that’s the case.”

She stared at me with wide eyes before nodding solemnly. She then walked out the door, not even telling me to follow her. But took her leaving as an indication that I should follow her to wherever she was going.

“These are the barracks. Feel free to make yourself at home.”

I glanced inside and found ponies of all sizes and shape in the barracks. There didn’t seem to be a place for me there, so I turned to ask Celestia where I would be staying in the barracks. Before I did, she had stopped in front of a tent and said, “This will be your living quarters. I had it prepared for Twilight when she was here, but now that she’s gone, it’s yours. There’s a standard cot, a sink, a toilet for your convenience, and a desk for writing if you’d like. Other than that, there’s nothing special about it really, but feel free to talk to Rarity for any changes you’d like to make to it.”

We continued walking until we stopped at a large, concrete building.

“This is the armory,” Celestia said. “I don’t think there’s armor in there that would fit you, but we do have swords, shields, daggers, bows and arrows, and axes. Depending on your personal preferences, I think you’ll find a weapon that suits you. I also found a small metal weapon in your bag and was unsure of what it was so I-”

“It’s called a gun. Those things are far more powerful than any sword or bow. And if you found a small cardboard box full of little gold things, those are called bullets. Each is filled with gunpowder I believe. If you’d like, you can have your smiths disassemble the gun and very carefully take apart the bullet to see how to make them.”

“I will consider it Sky. Thank you for the information, I’m sure it will help. Anyways, if you’d like, speak with our armorer to get yourself sized so she can make you an effective suit of armor. When you go in, ask for Rarity.”

“Okay, I will. Shall we continue the tour?”

“Ah yes. Up ahead, there’s the mess hall. Our cook did the best she can with what she has, but all she could make were cupcakes and anything else sweet. So, we got a second chef to help her with that. Tell them that Celestia sent you, they’ll get you situated. Further up ahead and to your right you’ll find the training grounds. Speak with Rainbow Dash; she’ll be your trainer. On the opposite side of the training grounds, you’ll find Fluttershy, who is in charge of training our attack dogs. Speak with her and she’ll give you a dog to fight by your side. Though she doesn’t like to have animals killed, it’s her duty to equip each pony with a four legged companion. Then, past the mess hall, you’ll find both mine and Luna’s tents. Speak with us if you have any questions. I’ll be available during the day while Luna will be available at night. Cadence is in charge of healing since our old healer, Zecora, died. You’ll find her back at our makeshift hospital. So, any questions?”

“No, no questions yet.”

“Okay, good. If you need me, you know where to find me.”

She then spread her wings and flew into the air, her silhouette disappearing into the sun’s rays.

Okay, where to start? I suppose I should begin with Rarity since it’s best to have armor before I do anything else.

“This will certainly not do my dear. Your figure is so much more different than that of a pony’s, making it difficult for me to make you any armor. I mean, what are these,” she asked, cupping my breasts with her hooves.

“Those are my breasts thank you very much. Look, Celestia told me that you’d be able to make me some armor.”

“I can darling; it’s just going to take a lot of time.”

“Then can’t you start now?”

“I suppose so, though I’m not used to making armor for, well, humans. Let’s get you sized first.”

She didn’t even move, yet a neatly wound roll of measuring tape floated over to her.

“How are you doing that?”

“It’s simple darling. I am a unicorn as a matter of fact. Don’t you know that we can use magic?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Well now you do. Can you please stop moving?”

“Sorry,” I mumbled. Standing still for a horse was hard enough, but for a horse that’s using magic to measure you, it is not an easy task.

She mumbled as she worked, sighing every now and then. I picked up small snips of what she was saying. At one point, it was that she’d have to add an extra five inches or more in the front for my breasts, while the next moment, she was saying that she’d have to make room for “my plot” as she put it.

Finally, after a lot of measuring, sighing, and pencil breaking, she approached me and said, “I think that I’m ready to begin on your armor. Come back tomorrow, it’ll be done then.”

Walking out of the armory, I saw that night had fallen. I went over to the mess hall and found a few ponies inside, two standing behind a counter.

I approached them, and asked for some dinner.

“Ah’m sorry, but we’re closin’ up for t’night. Come back t’morrow, maybe then we’ll have somethin’ for ya.”

“Oh c’mon Applejack! Don’t you think we could make just one more meal for another hungry soul?”

“Ah’ve made up my mind Pinkie and that is no.”

“Pardon her she’s just a little crank…y…”

The one who was willing to make me something looked me up and down, a look of shock on her face.

“What,” I asked. “Have you never seen a human before?”

She shook her head then said, “They usually stay in their little nook of the world. We call it My Little Earth, but they like to refer to it as Earth. May I ask what you’re doing here and not at home?”

“First of all, I can’t get home. I fell through one of those damn interdimensional doors that the princesses opened up. It sealed behind me and now I can’t get home. Second of all, Celestia sent me over here. She told me to talk to you guys for food.”

The one pony that was referred to as Applejack immediately grew sheepish; her voice was barely audible.

“Well, if that’s the case,” the one known as Pinkie said. “Then I assume that Applejack and I are going to have to make you something to eat! So, what’ll it be?”

“Um, what can you guys make exactly?”

“Darlin, Ah can make anythin’ you wish, as long as it’s apple related that is. Pinkie here can make any kind of desert. Ya say it, she’ll make it.”

“Can I just have an apple?”

“Well… Ah suppose so… are ya sure that’s all?”

I nodded, feeling pretty confident with my decision. I wasn’t all that hungry, and was still getting used to being in a land full of colorful, talking horses, which only lowered my appetite.

Dinner had served its purpose for the night. Sure, it only consisted of a single apple, but it was filling enough for me.

Exhausted from an unproductive day, I walked back to my tent, sitting on the edge of the bed. I glanced at the pillow, not taking notice of its form.

As my head connected with its rough, lumpy surface, I was met by a slight murmur. Startled, I sat up, staring at the pillow. It looked discolored, almost purple. It was also lumpy and had small, green spike-like things on its back, and as if to make things more suspicious, an arm extended from the other side, and scratched where my head had just been.

“Jesus, what the hell are you,” I cried, throwing the object off the bed, revealing the actual pillow in the process.

It hit the wall of the tent and fell to the floor. It blinked rapidly and looked around as if in a haze. Finally, its eyes fell upon me. Squinting, it muttered, “You’re not Twilight, and if I’ll have you know, I’m a dragon. Now, if you don’t mind me asking, what exactly are you?” It finished this statement brushing some dirt off its body before looking to me again.

“I’m a human, and no, I’m not Twilight. The name’s Sky, what’s yours?”

“If you have to know, it’s Spike.”

“Pleasure to meet you Spike, now, what are you doing in my tent?”

Spike looked at me in amazement before saying, “Your tent? I’m sorry, but the last time I checked, this was Twilight’s tent, not some human’s tent.”

“Well look. Celestia told me that I can have this tent just this morning. She specifically said that it was mine since Twilight was no longer occupying it. So, if you have an issue, talk to her about it, alright?”

“Fine,” Spike said, throwing his hands in the air. “I just don’t see why you have to throw me off the pillow.”

“I’m going to be sleeping on this cot from now on, that’s why. Don’t you have your own bed or something?”

“No, all my stuff was removed, along with Twilight’s. I don’t know if she took them with her or if Celestia trashed them, but I honestly didn’t care until you came along.”

“Will it make you happy if I can get you a new bed or something tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I suppose so. Do you know what would be better though?”

“No, I don’t. Please, enlighten me.”

“Being able to stay with Rarity for a few nights, that’s what.”

“Wait, you have a thing for Rarity? I can’t believe what I’m hearing, a dragon in love with a unicorn. That is just about the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard all day, you know that?”

“So I’ve been told. Look, can we just get to sleep?”

“Sounds good to me,” I grumbled. My day had been bad enough as it was, but having a dragon as a tent-mate was just the cherry on top.

As I lay back down on the cot again, I began to reflect on my day. I woke up to find myself in a world of colorful, talking horses, offered to help find some princess that has been missing for fifteen years, had my breasts groped by a unicorn who had no clue what they were, ate only an apple for dinner, and found that I had a cranky dragon living in my tent.

If you were to ask me, I would’ve said that my day was both unproductive and horrible upon many levels.

Sadly, it was only the first of many long, tiring, and boring days to come.