My Little Pony: I'll See You on the Other Side

Chapters

I: Hidden Memories
II: Winter's Night
III: Around the Corner
IV: Sea of Trees

I: Hidden Memories

My Little Pony: I’ll See You on the Other Side

By: The Swedish Alicorn

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Chapter I: Hidden Memories

“Maybe when you’re older,” she would tell me.
“Maybe another time.”
“When you’re older.”
“Now isn’t a good time.”
“You’ll find it boring.”

For many years, my mother, Sunset Shimmer, kept secrets from me- secrets about her past life. I never saw any pictures of her family, we never visited her relatives, and the few remnants of her past were kept away from me. My mother had only six friends, though I only met five during the span of my then fifteen-year-old life. It was not until one day in November when I began to uncover that which she hid from me so relentlessly.

I was fifteen years of age, although I had not been so for more than a month when my mother had gone out for a few hours. I was given the task of watching my younger sister, who was three at the time. It was my chance! I had long grown suspicious about what secrets she kept hidden in her closet, and a few days prior, I became closer to finding out. We were in her room together, specifically in the closet. I was doing my best to help her pick out a dress to wear to a party when I noticed her trying extra hard to hide a certain box from my view. It was one of the last places I had looked. Whenever she would leave, I would search high and low for any signs of her past. In hindsight, I should have checked her room, first.

I watched carefully to make sure her car door was moving down the street before I raced up the stairs and twisted her creaky bedroom doorknob. I burst through her bedroom door and jerked a small box from its permanent home upon a wooden shelf near the back of her closet. Dust and bits of debris took flight and swirled around the room, illuminated by the buzzing light overhead that I turned on moments before. It was a brown, generic box. There were no markings upon it of any kind, beyond dirt and scrapes.

Without waiting so much as a second, I placed the box on the carpet floor and pried the lid from its place. I tossed the lid aside, and inside the box, I found that which she hid from me for my whole life. A picture and a book were inside. Initially, I did not care about this picture. The teenage girls photographed were now women I knew and had met before. All except one, which is what drew my attention closer.

“Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow, mom, Pinkie, and Rarity,” I read aloud, muttering to myself. I then whispered, “Who is she?”

On the back of the picture, someone scribbled a date with a felt-tip pen, followed by the names of the girls in order. The girl standing beside my mother was a girl with purplish skin and midnight blue hair- labeled Twilight Sparkle. Of course, that was not the most suspicious item inside the box. That position belonged to the book, leather-bound, with a red and yellow marking on the front cover, a shimmering sun. The passages written within this book were all addressed to a Princess Celestia, and later Twilight Sparkle, by my mother as though they were diary entries.

I did not know how to bring up the fact that I went snooping through her room, and shoved the contents back into the box before replacing the box back on the shelf. I returned to the lower level of my house to check up on my sister. When my mother returned some time later, she found my tampering and brought me into her room in private. My heart sank, as I feared punishment. My curiosity got the better of me.

“How did you find out about this box?” she asked me, sternly. She pulled it out and went through each item. Even though she was cross with me, I could see tears glossing over her eyes. Her eyebrows fell low, and her lips creased downward at each end of her mouth. A long lock of her wavy hair broke free from her part, and dangled across her nose.

“I found out about it a while ago,” I replied. “I noticed when you tried to hide it the last time I was in here with you.”

She paused, looking at the picture of her and her friends, and replied back to me with a low and soft voice, “I haven’t opened this box in so long. I nearly forgot about this day.”

I did not know what to say. My heart kept beating heavily, I felt warm, and I could feel sweat collecting all over my body. Quickly, I said, “I’m sorry, mom. I shouldn’t have…”

She stopped me, “No! It’s my fault.”

“How?”

She replied, “It’s not a memory I like to think about, but I suppose it’s too late, now.”

I took a deep breath, as did she. She looked up and smiled. The light above us brought to my attention a turquoise glow in her shimmering, wide eyes. Her bright, vividly colored red and yellow hair was passed down to me, as was her light orange skin tone. In most physical aspects, I looked exactly like her, though I had not noticed it until that moment. I even inherited her wavy hair and naturally smooth skin. The one trait that I did not match her with was the yellow color of my eyes, given to me by my father. That, and his height. It was always estimated that I would surpass my mother in height, but by that point, I had not. I was a naive teenager in the middle of puberty. My voice still squeaked, my breasts were still growing, and acne made their intrusions on a daily basis. With a mother like her, I admit I often felt hideous.

I kept quiet as she perused through her book. We both sat on the soft floor as she thumbed through several pages. I watched as her eyes skimmed over the written words, shifting left and right, up and down. On some passages, she would laugh lightly, and others she would grow solemn and still. This lasted for about a minute before she smiled contently and shut the book. She placed the book in her lap, clutching it tightly with her hands.

“I’ve been keeping this hidden for so long. So few know about it. Only my closest friends and a few others. Heh, now that I think about it, we’re a lot alike.”

“What do you mean?” I asked her.

“When I was young, I snuck into a restricted section of a library to find information I wanted, as well.”

“What did you want to find out?” I asked. I wanted to know for such a lengthy amount of time.

“Back when I was a child, I did not live in this world,” she began.

“What do you mean?” I asked her, again.

“You might not believe me, but I used to be a unicorn in a land called Equestria. It was an entire world populated by ponies and other magical creatures. It was my home world and the only one I knew about. I was a personal student under Princess Celestia’s wing. From her, I learned powerful magic.”

At first, I thought she was lying to me. Who would instantly believe such a tale if someone told them this? Yet, I grew more and more invested as she continued.

“I looked much like I do now, but with the hooved body of a young pony. I stood on four hooves, I had a horn on my forehead, and had a tail. In that world, all ponies developed a ‘cutie mark’ on their flanks when they discovered what they would do in life. Each one was unique. My cutie mark was the symbol upon this book, a shimmering sunset. Their meanings are not always obvious, leading to some interpretation.” She brushed her hand over the shimmering sun on the front cover of the old book.

She continued, “I was a fool, back then. I was arrogant and greedy. The Princess saw how impatient I was and tried her best to get me to understand. In a fit of rage for not getting what I wanted, I found my way here.” She paused and held up the photograph.

“Was Twilight Sparkle involved?” I asked. She nodded in return.

“Yes, she was, but not until later. She, too, is a unicorn from Equestria. She came into this world the same way I did, after I took something of hers. After a fight, she took it back.”

“You two had a fight?”

“Yes. I soundly lost, and you could say I was reformed. That’s how I became friends with her and the other five you’ve already met. I still can’t believe it’s been so long. I wonder how they’re all doing.”

Curious about her secrecy, I asked her, “How come you’ve never mentioned this before?”

She paused for a few brief seconds, but quickly gave me this response, “Well, it’s not something you hear about every day. And, I’m not proud of my actions.”

“Where is Twilight now?” It felt like a random question to me at the time, but I did not know what else to say.

She smiled and answered me, “She’s back in Equestria. The second time she came into this world, she told me she had become a princess there.”

She stopped, looked up at me, and asked, “You want to see this Equestria, don’t you?”

Still unsure about what she had told me, I nodded my head eagerly. Even if she was lying to me, I wanted to see what she would do. She flipped near the back of her book and lifted a picture from its wedged place on a fully written page. The shiny surface of the colored picture clearly depicted six ponies side-by-side and smiling. The pony in the center, one with both a unicorn’s horn and wings, was colored just like the Twilight Sparkle in the picture of my mother’s friends. The pony five also resembled my mother’s friends. The only major difference between them was their skin colors. As humans, their skin colors were less saturated, it seemed.

As with the other picture, there were words on the back. She handed me the picture, and I read the words aloud, “To Sunset. May we meet again on the other side! –your friend, Twilight Sparkle.” Wherever the picture was taken, I could see what appeared to be a castle built onto the side of a mountain in the background. All six ponies stood in a grassy plain with snow-topped mountains behind them. It was beautiful and unlike anything I had ever seen. By this point, I was sold. I believed her story and wanted nothing more than to go to this land and learn magic for myself. After all, if my mother had not left, I could have been born a pony.

“Mom, is it possible to go to Equestria?”

“I think so,” she said with a deep and bellowing sigh, “Twilight made a way long ago.”

“Can I?” I asked.

Those words were among the hardest things I would ever have to say. At first, she resisted. She grew silent and avoided eye contact with me. Her eyes watered and tears streamed down her face. Eventually, she said, “Yes.”

We put the box away, but she kept the book out. That night, she called me into the kitchen after my sister had been put to sleep. My heart raced, and I assume hers did as well. She was armed with a pen in her weak grasp. She flipped through the yellowed pages to near the back of the book, where she had now yet written. With the pen in her hand, she pressed the metal tip against the grainy paper and dragged it along the uneven surface. The tip left a smooth line of ink on the paper as it passed over.

Dear Twilight, it began. I could not read much of the rest. She wrote a good paragraph before she yanked the pen away from the paper and shut the book.

“I’m not sure about this,” she told me. “But, who knows. Maybe your destiny is in Equestria.”

I did not ask her what she wrote. In my mind, I kept reassuring myself that I was making the right decision. I had a break from school and little else to do. I wanted to try something new. Yet, I could not help feeling selfish for wanting to leave my mother and sister behind, alone. That was when I made the decision- two weeks. I would only stay for two weeks, providing I could go at all.

It was not long before we received a reply. Black, cursive words formed underneath where mom had written her message. They were from Twilight! The words read as follows, “Sunset, it’s great to hear from you! If you’re serious, I’ll open the portal tomorrow night. I hope to see you soon, Twilight.”

Mom looked up at me and asked, “Are you sure you want to go?”

I nodded. Who could possibly give up wanting to see another world inhabited by magical ponies and other creatures?

Mom replied, “We’ll see you then.”

I wrapped my arms around my mom and told her, “Just two weeks, ok?” I had it marked. School would start after that time, anyway.

She hugged be back, tightly, and muttered, “I love you.”

II: Winter's Night

Chapter II: Winter’s Night

“I love you, too, mom.”

That night, as I laid in my warm bed, I stared up at the ceiling with my eyes opened wide and affixed to a Wondercolts poster I put there. My mom’s old friend, Rainbow Dash, was once a Wondercolt. I had never seen anyone with more medals. For a time, I wanted to join a Canterlot High sports team, as well, but I was never good at athletic activities like that. Even though I had just begun my freshman year not long before, I gave up the idea of becoming a sports star, and instead decided to focus on a few clubs that interested me. However, after I found out about this other world that I could have been born into, my mind raced about all of the possibilities. I thought of dragons, flames, magical shields, Pegasi taking flight! I asked myself, what couldn’t happen in such a place?

I rested there, yet with eyes still wide open. My thin quilt was draped over most of my body, ending at my upper chest with both arms folded across outside. Through my window, headlights from travelling cars poured yellow light into my room. The beams distorted from the imperfect glass sprayed a colorful rainbow upon my white ceiling. With each new burst of light, the colors danced around in unison. All this did was add to my excitement. I wanted to see the wonders of this world. I wanted to see it all. It was almost as though I were there with these colors calling out to me.

Yet, even though I felt so emancipated, my heart kept sinking lower and lower into my chest. For so long, it had only been the three of us. I felt so selfish for wanting to leave it. I finally managed to get some sleep after reassuring myself, two weeks. I would be there for only two weeks. I did not realize it until I awoke, but after I shut my eyes for two brief seconds to take in my excitement; I dozed off into a deep sleep. I was awakened by the sun’s light flooding my room. The bright rays of orange and white smacked against my closed eyes and forced me to get up and on with the day.

All went as it normally would. I ate a rather disgusting homemade breakfast, took a shower, messed around with my sister, and wrote some in one of the various stories I had been working on since my early adolescence. I admit I never finished any of them. My mother, after returning from work, acted as though nothing had changed. We all had dinner together and watched some television. Hours passed and my excitement did not wane in the slightest. The sun crossed over the sky and made way for the rising moon. After what felt like an eternity, the day was over. The city lights prevented the beautiful stars from shining through, but no light anywhere was strong enough to block out the soothing glow of the moon. I soon retired to my bedroom, unsure of how I was feeling.

When my former energy drained from my body, I began to doubt that she remembered our plan. I said nothing about it, and neither did she. It did not feel right to me to pester her about it. Suddenly, she knocked on my bedroom door. I was at my desk, trying my hardest to keep my head up high. Alarmed, I jerked my body around and watched as my mom entered my room with my sister at her side, holding hands. My heart jumped in its place.

“Are you ready?” she asked me. Her eyes showed no signs of tears, nor was there a falter in her voice. I nodded my head, keeping my brows pressed down with my lips pulled into a slight frown. I was the one holding back the tears.

“Then let’s go,” was her curt reply. “It’s getting late.”

Without hesitation, I leapt from my seat, turned off my bedroom light, and shut my door as we all left. It was a cold night out, being late in the year. The icy air caressed my skin with frozen kisses, each breath I took was visible for all to see, and I could not prevent my arms and shoulders from their uncomfortable spasms. My coat did little to warm me, though I was not the only one of us three who was hindered by the weather. My younger sister shook more violently than I. To keep her warm until the car fully heated, I wrapped my arms around her as I sat in the back seat.

With the only sounds being the car engine and whooshing from passing vehicles, we sped down our road and across town to the high school. There were few people outside and nearly every house light had been extinguished. Christmas decorations- lights, statues, blow-up dolls, and garlands adorned most of the houses and every street lamp. It was my favorite time of the year, but not because of the presents. No, I loved seeing the decorations in their full glory. When I left, our decorations were not yet placed, but every year we would set up a glorious fir tree and place upon it glass ornaments and candy canes of every color. Working on it together was worth a lack of presents, to me.

I kept thinking about it as though I would miss it. Somewhere deep in my mind, I could not get this thought out of my head the whole while we made our way across the town. In the corner of my eye, I would see my mom look back in the mirror at me as I held my sister. I do not know why, but I pretended not to notice and looked away each time. Each time, I could see a silvery layer of tears gathering slowly upon her eyes. I never asked her about it, but it always felt to me that she could feel something off about everything as well. It was as though I were to never return. My stomach churned endlessly.

She stopped the car at Canterlot High school, parking it along the side of the road. To our left was a vast courtyard before the school- a large brick building with many windows and golden decorations upon the domed central rotunda. The lit street lamps did not have the strength to fully brighten up the schoolyard, leaving the establishment bathed in a gray shadow. All that was clear was the stone statue of a horse standing on its hind legs, built upon a thick base in the middle of the yard, surrounded by a concrete walkway leading to the sidewalk and school entrance.

Mom left the car running since my sister would remain inside, asleep. I gently left my place, keeping her head leaning against the seat. Mom and I stepped out into the cold and hugged tightly. When we parted, I shivered harshly from a sudden and fierce chill that swarmed the scene. Darkened clouds overhead cast their burdens upon us, emptying their icy glitter into the air. Glimmering in the light, the flurries pasted themselves to everything in sight. My hair, mom’s hair, our car, the grass, and the statue were all subject to this new invasion.

Mom carried with her the book she used to contact Twilight the day before. She held it close to her chest and told me, “If you ever need to contact me, use the book Twilight has. And remember, you can always come back.”

“Mom,” I began, “I plan to anyway.”

She smiled and said, “I know. Please let me know how things go. I’ll miss you.”

We hugged again, but briefly. When the snowfall grew more powerful, she pushed me away and said firmly, “You should probably go, now.”

I had not noticed it at the time, but I looked around and affirmed her plan. I nodded confidently, smiling and keeping my eyes locked into hers. I backed away from her and approached the statue. Seeing nowhere else to go, I assumed this portal into Equestria was on it, somewhere. I did not have to wait long before my mom finally shouted, “It’s on the side closest to the school!”

I felt around the statue until my hand reached through the stone surface of the statue effortlessly! My arm had vanished, and without looking back, I went through. I felt no pain, but I could feel my body changing and altering. I was blinded by intense lights as they danced all around me in a seemingly endless tube. My fingers had gone numb, as did my toes. My skeleton rearranged itself to support a horizontal spine, my neck thickened and lengthened, I grew a tail, my fingers and toes were replaced with hooves, and my pierced human ears pointed upward along the sides of my enlarged head. When the tunnel ended, I wobbly stood inside a library, balancing on two weakened hind legs.

With a cry, I fell onto all fours. My knees trembled from my journey and my eyes still stung painfully from the shining lights that performed before a blind audience. I was there, a four-hooved pony in a library. Through several small and tinted windows, I could tell that it was night there, as well. I took baby steps away from the mirror that acted as the portal, along with the rudimentary contraption built into it. High above the mirror was a pedestal with a book placed within it. This book was the one my mom referred to me before I left- Twilight’s book. Unlike mom’s book, this one had a symbol of a sun on its front cover.

I was engulfed by rows upon rows of books, thousands of books in every possible place inside this library. Purple and bluish crystals made up most of the walls, including the archways, pillars, stairs, and floors. Tapestries woven from fine materials hung from the stone walls between the crystal arches. Rugs equal in quality had been placed along the floors between tables and shelves of books. All was lit by ignited candles resting gently in gold and silver candelabras.

My hooves clacked against the floor. I felt so unsure of each step, being unused to walking on four limbs. My new pony body made the learning process easier, however, as I was designed physically to do so. It was then that I noticed several changes to my senses. I could see more with my larger eyes, and I could pick up more sounds with my extended ears. My skin, blanketed constantly by a soft, orange fur, felt mostly warm despite the colder air inside the room. I even had an addition to my old body- a horn perched firmly upon my forehead. I was in absolute awe.

After a few minutes of walking slowly from one shelf of books to another, I gained much more control of my footing. I raced over to one of the windows, hooves tapping against the crystal floor excessively. I pounded by fore hooves against the wall to each side of the window I approached and gazed out through the green-tinted glass. Alas, the sky beyond was far too dim to allow me to see anything. Yet, I could feel something just waiting eagerly for the day to come. I felt that if I stared long enough, I would see that of which I dreamt. Then, in the corner of my eye, I saw the largest and most illuminate moon in my entire life.

The Equestrian moon hovered over the land, casting her ethereal light upon us, unfazed by the near coming of the next day.

I was quickly interrupted from my moon watching by a pony I recognized from an old photograph. A purple pony with both a horn and set of feathered wings opened a door at the far end of the room with her magic, and entered calmly and collected with soft hoofsteps. Her mostly midnight-blue-yet-tri-colored-hair hung down the right side of her head and neck like a curtain, waving regally about even without any breeze. Her stature had increased since the picture was taken, as she stood much taller than I despite me being just barely younger then she during the time those pictures were taken. I backed from the window and crouched lower upon my forehooves, bowing. I wanted to show my respect. It was the first time I had to bow, ever.

When she came up to me, she bent down and whispered into my ear, “You don’t have to do that.” Her voice was sweet, not quite delicate, and kindly. She used such soft language around everypony she met. She always smiled, said please or thank you, and acted like every other pony in the town.

I nervously grinned, showing off my teeth with my brows bent inward. I chuckled and muttered, “I’m sorry.”

“So, you’re Sunset’s daughter, eh? What’s your name?”

I told her, “Solar Shimmer, but most people call me Sol.”

She smiled, “Welcome to Equestria, Sol.”

I smiled, but said nothing in return. I had a terrible catch in my throat.

“Do you know what you’re here for?” she asked me.

I shook my head and said, “Not exactly, Princess Twilight.”

“Twilight is fine, Sol. Your mother told me you wanted to see her home world. I can’t say I blame you.”

“When she told me about this place, I didn’t really believe her until she showed me your picture.”

With a grin, she replied, “I know that feeling, myself. Back when I first met your mother, I had to go after her into the world you’re used to. I know what it’s like.”

I did not say anything back, so she added, “Well, I’m going to make sure you see as much of Equestria as you can. How long do you plan on staying?”

I answered, “Two weeks.”

“That should be plenty of time.”

She turned her attention to the mirror. A peculiar purplish glow seemed to be running through the machinery. I thought it was odd that I had not noticed it earlier, but I blamed it on nerves and excitement. To add to the machinery, the book I saw before seemed to be powering it. Twilight, with her magic, picked up the book and carried it swiftly over to our location. As soon as the book was taken, the machine powered down, which most likely closed off the portal. I did not ask about it as I figured it was obvious. What else would all that machinery be doing?

She slipped the book into a tan saddlebag strapped around her, and closed it tight.

“It’s late,” she said. “Come with me.”

I followed her out of the library and into a long, dark hallway. Like the library, everything was made from sparkling crystals or stone. It was pretty, sure, but I found the tapestries and paintings set up to be the most interesting aspect of the décor. Most of the tapestry banners hanging depicted ponies of all kinds, interacting with one another, or around certain landmarks. My favorite was a banner with a white Alicorn and a bluish Alicorn circling around a sun and crescent moon. The white Alicorn had a teal mane and tale. The other Alicorn’s mane and tail were dark purple in color, just barely darker than Twilight’s coat color. I later found out that this banner was the Equestrian flag, or a rendition of it.

I was once again amazed when we entered the main chamber of what I would soon realize was Twilight Sparkle’s Castle- a rotunda of violet crystal, with six massive thrones arranged in a circle around a highly detailed circular map at the center of the room. Each throne had a cutie mark symbol high over the seat, one for each of Twilight’s friends and herself. Beside hers, which was marked by a large star, was a much smaller throne. Each throne, unlike the purple crystal everywhere else, was a light shade of pink. A few green windows let in some light, but most of the room was lit by the vast expanse above, where huge columns of crystal supported the stone walls holding the ceiling high, forming a fine point at the very top.

I was so awestruck that I did not realize I stopped moving. I had never seen anything quite like it. Twilight cleared her throat, which took me out of my trancelike state. I shook my head, looked at her, and said, “I’m sorry!” My hooves pounded heavily against the floor as I hurried back to her side.

“It’s fine! Really. I had the same reaction when it first appeared,” said she, calmly.

Appeared?

We pressed onward. I kept telling myself, expect strange things. Expect strange things. So, I expected strange things to happen with everything I saw. We walked outside of the castle. As in my home world, the Equestrian air was brutally cold with a sharp wind that tore away at my previous contentment. Being unclothed, I felt increasingly subject to the ferocity of the winter’s coming. My hair… mane… blew wildly in the wind. The chill stung at my eyes, causing them to water. I could hardly see, and although the Equestrian moon provided much more light then the Earth’s moon, all around us was nothing more than thick shadow. It was by Twilight’s magic glow that I was able to open my eyes and see where we were going.

We wandered into a town seemingly in the middle of nowhere. In every direction I looked, I could see nothing but hills and mountains. The roads we walked on were mostly dirt, though a few near the center of town were made with small stones. Almost every house was timberframe, with straw thatched roofs and overhanging upper floors. The ones on the outskirts of town were more spread out, while those within the town itself were built close together. I saw few lights in the windows, but I could distinctly smell the wood burning fireplaces.

I tried my best to get my bearings, but the flame-lit lamps were rather inefficient at lighting the streets properly. It could have just been me, though. I do not remember just how well I was paying attention. I was mostly trying to keep up with Twilight. We walked quickly through town, and eventually stopped near the center in front of an immense, hollowed-out oak tree. The small windows carved into the side of the tree glowed bright yellow, and smoke poured from a small chimney near the barren crown.

She pulled the door open and let me enter first. I found myself standing inside a hollowed-out tree that had been turned into a library, albeit much smaller than the one inside the castle. It was warm inside and very comfortable. I could smell flowers, burning firewood, and books. There was a spiraling staircase going around the side of the wall leading to higher levels, with niches cut out all over for books and more books. I had been in Equestria for a good fifteen minutes, and I had already seen over one thousand books at least.

“Home, sweet, home,” Twilight announced.

III: Around the Corner

Chapter III: Around the Corner

I awoke from my deep slumber after hearing a shrill cock-a-doodle-doo from a rooster somewhere outside. With a yelp, I leapt from the warm bed I spent the night in and landed face-first onto the wooden floor below. My heart pounded heavily deep within my chest. I had nearly forgotten in my fatigue that I traveled into another world alone. Without thinking too much about it, I pushed myself up to a standing position with my forehooves. Even though I was now fully aware that it did indeed occur, I also did not consider how it felt to be a pony. I assumed before I left that the differences would be obvious- that being a pony or human would feel different. Instead, it seemed as though I were born a pony. I felt as though I had always walked on four hooves, had a tail, and a muzzle.

Apart from what I felt internally, I could not quite grasp the other nuances of pony life- opening things, writing, eating, sitting, and the like. I struggled on day-to-day activities at first. I then began to ponder about the three pony races, and how they interacted with the world. For example, earth ponies had neither wings nor horns, yet they could function just as easily by using their mouths and hooves. I am still not quite sure how hooves work. On the other hand, hoof; unicorns could use their magic to accomplish just about any task. It seemed unfair to me that some ponies were born with a natural advantage, but this thought was torn apart by the general apathy everypony I saw had on the matter. Nopony seemed to care.

In any case, my abrupt outburst caught Twilight Sparkle’s attention. She promptly raced up the spiral stairs to the second landing, which was where her bed and other assorted bookcases were located. This was also where my guest bed had been placed. There was another, smaller landing, which contained a telescope aimed high into the sky, along with stairways leading to two outside balconies: one high in the tree’s crown and another lower on the side of the trunk. It was a terrible case of where something appeared small on the outside, yet was intricate and spacious inside. Twilight burst into the room and looked all about for any signs of danger.

“Are you all right?” she asked me with energy in her voice. Her voice reminded me of mom’s, soft and gentle, and even with similar pitches and pronunciations.

Twilight stood in front of me with a slight frown upon her face. One of her brows was lowered while another was raised. She lifted her left hoof from the ground and kept her hind legs firm. I nodded hesitantly and took a few steps closer to her. Her bed, which was across from mine, was already made. The sun outside had already risen. I knew I must have slept in too much.

The golden oak surface of the walls and floors reflected the light from the sun outside. Everything was spotless. I found no traces of dust anywhere insight. There were no scuffs even upon the floor, which was regularly walked upon by a hooved creature! It was either magic, or the wood was actually a disguised diamond.

“Well, come on down for breakfast,” she told me as she lowered her hoof. “I’ll take you around Ponyville, after.”

I nodded and smiled. Breakfast sounded wonderful. I followed her down the stairs to the first landing and main floor of the library. Like upstairs, everything was neat and orderly. I saw nowhere to sit and eat breakfast, however, so I was not expecting her to take me further into the depths of the tree to a basement. Yet, that is where we ended up. Her basement was not quite as lit as the floors higher, of course, though there were a few windows looking up to the streets of Ponyville. Pushed into a corner were what appeared to be large scientific devices, complete with wires, metal boxes, and paper rolls with which to collect data. On the other side of the room was a kitchenette with a small table nearby. Instead of chairs, large pillows served for our seating arrangements.

Two glasses of orange juice were already set at our places on the table, as were a few slices of toast and blueberry muffins. Muffins were not my favorite, but I already knew ponies were herbivores and did not eat meat. I gave up even mentioning my usual diet of eating bacon or eggs. I figured that if ponies were sentient, along with various other mythological creatures roaming about, that other animals were the same way. After all, how could ponies develop their own societies, but pigs or cows could not? I had so many questions about this new world.

I sat down on one of the pillows and after turning something off on her stovetop, Twilight did, too. My stomach was growling fiercely, but I was having a good deal of trouble picking up the pieces of toast with my hooves or mouth. I eventually created a system where I would pinch a side of the toast with my hooves so that I could simply bite into it while the other half was lifted off the plate. My struggles were unnoticed by Twilight, who had her nose buried in the pages of a Manehattan-based newspaper. I later found out by personal experience that Manehattan was a very, very, very large city- even larger than the capitol, Canterlot. That last fact did not surprise me much, however, as Canterlot was built on the side of a mountain. Not a lot of room for expansion. Coolnesswise, Canterlot beat Manehattan easily.

While I managed to finish my meal of toast and a muffin, my next venture was picking up the glass of juice without smashing it into several pieces. I attempted his by placing the cup between both of my hooves. However, I was interrupted by Twilight, who exclaimed, “Ooh, Trixie’s doing well for herself!” I put the glass back on the table after I nearly spilled it, and gave a questioning glance at Twilight. Who was Trixie? She did not see me as she was still looking at the paper. I do not remember much more about the breakfast because we were finished after ten minutes or less. I never did manage to finish my juice.

When we were done, I helped Twilight clean up the dishes and together we went out into the town. It was a dreadfully chilly day, with weak but biting gusts of wind, and frigid temperatures that made me shiver. There were a few dark gray cloud puffs high in the sky, but they were overpowered by the glistening sun shining through from behind a range of tall, snow-capped mountains off in the distance. I only wished the heat from the sun would land on my coat and heat me up. As on earth, it did not. At least, not to what I was hoping.

After I looked around for a while, I was amazed at just how large Ponyville was. For being a small town in central Equestria, it was neatly spread out over several rolling hills, surrounded by trees and steep mountains. As I said previously, the roads further in the town had been paved with small rocks and stones embedded into the earth. Most of the main roads were worn down from years of use, which was no surprise. Horse-drawn carts and stomping hoofmarks certainly gave the roads a hard time. I stepped lightly, not because I was still unbalanced, but because the streets were terribly uneven. Large rocks jutted out or there would be a sudden dip where the ground sank inward.

Everypony else did not seem to mind, and most of the carts stuck to the marked grooves in the ground like some sort of a track. Most of the grooves, I found out, lead into the town’s central market, and possibly the busiest place therein. Like any old-timey town, the market consisted of wooden stands outside where everypony could go and buy fruits and vegetables grown locally. With the weather being so cold, most of the produce coming in would be stored for later use. All other kinds of items, such as furniture, were given their own buildings. One store I saw sold only quill pens and sofas. I found it odd that a store would only sell those two things, but I had to remind myself of where I was.

“I go there all the time!” exclaimed Twilight, commenting on the Sofas and Quills store. It did not surprise me.

I also saw a restaurant where the patrons would sit outside on piles of hay, an obscenely decorated store with bright pink horn-like structures on its roof, a drink shop designed to look exactly like a massive chocolate cake covered with strawberry frosting, and a round dress shop colored light purple with what appeared to be a carousel built onto the second floor. The carousel was simply a decoration, I later found out, which matched the shop’s name- Carousel Boutique. A white pony with a purple and heavily styled mane, named Rarity, owned and ran the shop. We stopped in for a few minutes.

A bell on the door dinged as we entered, and I was then confronted with a room of endless pink. The curtain blocking a miniature runway was pink, the floor was pink, various other curtains hanging from the ceiling were pink, and the darker checkered patterns on the arched ceiling were pink. The only things not pink were the three oval mirrors surrounding a raised platform, and the platform itself, on the floor across from the main door. The main door, by the way, was purple inside and out. I shut the door behind me to eliminate the collected cold air inside. Rarity met us as she pranced ever so gracefully down a set of stairs opposite us. She kept humming as she did so, which I found cute. I then remembered who she was- one of Twilight’s friends in the photograph!

Her purple mane and tail had been curled to perfection, her eyelashes were primped and clump-free, her hooves were so shiny they were reflective, and one would be hard-pressed to find an imperfection on her smooth coat. To top it all, an opaque layer of light blue eye shadow had been applied behind both of her eyes, which was similar in color to the three-diamond cutie mark on her flank. She left no preparation undone.

“Oh, hello Twilight! What can I do for you?” said she in what I would call an English accent, though in Equestria, such accents were common in Canterlot. “And who might you be?”

Twilight replied to her friend, “This is Sol. She’s…” She was unable to finish.

“GAHH!” the unicorn exclaimed brashly. “Your mane!”

She stormed over to me in less than a flash and placed me atop her circular platform I mentioned earlier. That was the first time I saw myself as a pony. Overall, I thought I looked pretty decent. My orange skin had become darker with the addition of a shorthaired coat, my hair had become a flowing mane that draped over the right side of my neck, and my yellowish eyes were even more noticeable. I knew what Rarity was in a panic over, though. I saw it immediately. I forgot to brush my hair that morning, and my mane was in a dreadfully tangled mess.

“Now, Sol, whatever happened to your mane?”

“I forgot to brush it this morning,” I replied as I circled around, trying to keep her in my line of sight. She moved around so quickly to gather supplies, I felt as though I were studying a tennis game. Within seconds, or even less, my once-wavy hair was detangled, curled, and styled in a similar fashion to Rarity’s. I was also thrust into a dress I did not feel being placed on my body, which was rather attractive. It fit like nothing I had ever worn before. Well, of course not. I had never worn a pony dress.

When Rarity stepped back to review her work, she apparently saw my bare flank and asked me, “So, where are you from, Sol?” At first, I was not sure what she meant. What was it about my flank that made her act so strangely? I then remembered that cutie marks were important, all ponies got one, and I would not have one because I was a newcomer. So, that was something to make me stand out in the crowd. Where’s Sol? She’s that blank flank over there!

Twilight stood next to her friend, chuckled softly, and answered, “This is Solar Shimmer, Rarity.”

Rarity’s eyes opened wide. With a stutter, she said, “A-As in Sunset Shimmer?”

“Mhmm,” Twilight hummed with a nod. “This is Sunset Shimmer’s daughter!”

“Hi,” I squeaked with a forced smile. Okay, it was not exactly forced, but it was involuntary. It just happened without my control. I also waved my right hoof.

“I-Well-You must have come through that mirror then, right?”

I nodded.

“What brings you here? Sol, was it?”

I answered, “I wanted to learn about where my mom came from.”

She muttered to herself, “Yes, I can see that.”

“I’m going to show her around Equestria and teach her some magic,” Twilight announced with clarity in her voice.

Rarity pulled Twilight away from where I was standing and asked her in a hushed voice that I could secretly hear, “Will Princess Celestia be all right with you doing this?”

“She already knows. She thought it’d be a great idea.”

“She did?”

Twilight nodded and said, “She’d be a pony if she was born here, anyway.”

I asked, pretending not to know what they said, “Is everything okay?”

Rarity spoke first, “Of course, dear! I was just thinking about how I could improve that dress…,” until her voice trailed off.

“We should probably get going. I promised Pinkie Pie I’d stop by today,” Twilight told both of us.

“Oh, all right. Sol, dear, you can keep that dress. And do tell Pinkie I said, ‘hello.’”

“Thank you, Rarity!” I said.

“You’re most welcome. It looks fabulous on you!”

Alas, I no longer remember what the dress looked like. I wore it very few times. From what I do remember, it was a bit too posh for my personal tastes, but it matched my coat perfectly. My styled mane, which was also not quite my taste, lasted for only a few brief seconds once we walked out of the door. The wind made sure those curls would not last, and it won. Within seconds, my mane blew in complete disorder until it almost looked straight.

We backtracked through the town to the building I saw that looked like a giant cake. The supporting walls were timberframe like every other building in town, yet the chocolaty roof and cupcake-shaped upper floors at the center with candles atop made it the most unique place I had ever seen. With a name like Sugarcube Corner, I knew I was in for a treat inside. The interior was fairly standard, with a glass container showing off their goodies, and candy-themed decorations all around. I saw a few tables and booths for customers to sit. A few of the supporting pillars were red and white spirals, like a candy cane. Most of all, it was nice and warm with a fresh aroma of baked cookies.

Then, from behind the glass counter appeared a fully pink pony with a curly mane. She kept bouncing and smiling, but instead of her hooves clacking and damaging the floor, all I could hear were squeaks. Together, we walked up the counter.

“Twilight! You’re here! And you have a frieeeend!” the pink one exclaimed.

“Hi, I’m…,” I began.

“SOLAR SHIMMER! I know, silly!” she interrupted.

“Did Twilight tell you I was coming?” I asked.

She answered, “Nope. I just knew.”

Twilight leaned over just slightly and whispered into my ear, “Just go with it.” I followed her advice and smiled.

“Do you have the cupcakes I ordered?” Twilight asked Pinkie Pie.

“Oooof course!” A closed box, colored pink, was slammed on top of the counter. Twilight picked up the box with her magic, which caused a purplish glow around both the box and her horn.

“Thanks, Pinkie,” Twilight said.

“Feel free to come back anytime,” Pinkie told me, smiling widely.

I smiled and told her, “I will.”

Just as we were about to leave, another pony hurried into the room and made her way behind the counter. She was another unicorn, with a solid blue coat and a snow-white mane that covered most of the top of her head. Her cutie mark was some sort of musical note. She exclaimed, panting frequently, “Sorry I’m late!”

“The muffins should be ready,” Pinkie ordered. The unicorn galloped into another room, presumably the kitchen. “She asked if she could work here for a while, but she’s late every day.”

“What’s her name? I don’t think I’ve seen her around, before,” Twilight remarked, lowering her right brow.

“Sound Wave. She moved here from Canterlot.”

“Is she related to Vinyl Scratch?” Twilight asked. “Her cutie mark is a musical note.”

Pinkie shook her head and said, “No, she’s not. But, I’m sure she wants to be. She’s always talking about music and concerts. Hey, she’s around Solar’s age. You two should hang out!”

I chuckled, “That sounds great!”

When Sound Wave came back into the room, carrying a tray of muffins with her, Pinkie Pie introduced us, “Sound Wave, let me introduce you to Solar Shimmer!”

She waved and quietly said, “Hi, nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” said I.

IV: Sea of Trees

Chapter IV: Sea of Trees

While the dress Rarity gave me fit nicely and was quite attractive, it felt odd to me because I so rarely wore dresses as a human. Not to mention my becoming of a pony- this did not help whatsoever. It feels strange to write this down, but it actually felt more natural and normal for me not to wear anything at all. After all, most ponies I met were completely derived of clothing. Twilight wore no clothes, Sound Wave did not, Pinkie did not, and even Rarity was this way. Of all the ponies, Rarity seemed like she would be the one to dress well every hour of the day. I soon realized that clothes were more of a special occasion thing, much like how humans would dress casually until formal attire was called for.

In any case, Twilight and I left Pinkie and Sound Wave to their work, and once again ventured into the brisk outside. The rising sun finally warmed the place up, though only slightly. The clouds high in the sky remained, swirling slyly in the air. Not a moment later, I watched as a bright blue Pegasus soared through the sky and dashed those clouds to oblivion. With tremendous speed and lightning fast agility, she stormed through and beat each cloud until it disappeared. She flew so swiftly and quickly that a rainbow-colored trail of light followed her, marking where she had gone. She zigzagged across the sky until all was clear from Ponyville to Canterlot. Not a cloud could be seen for miles in every direction.

I was not counting, but this event only lasted for a few seconds. I seemed to be the only pony staring up at the sky with her mouth wide open, as nopony else even batted an eyelash. Well, maybe Rarity did, but I was not around to see it happen. Twilight took notice of where I was watching, and told me, “That’s Rainbow Dash.” Unlike I, she did not seem surprised or impressed at what just happened.

The blue Pegasus with a rainbow mane and moderate cerise eyes flapped her wings violently as she moved, her teeth shining for all to see. Her legs, back, and wings were all built and practiced, firm with experience and ability. Her eyes were intently scanning the ground, a fixed look on her face of determination. She was quite like the Rainbow Dash I had met before, ready for action at a moment’s notice.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash!” Twilight shouted, waving her hoof.

She saw us and swooped in, landing on all fours with her wings spread gracefully at her sides, feathers extended to form a streamlined layer. Her rainbow-colored mane spiked out from the top of her head, with large chunks of her hair being a separate color. I noticed, now that she was up close, that she wore a thin, white collar around her neck with a gold pin attached to it. The pin was hard to see, but I saw two wings on each side of what looked like a thunderbolt. She kept moving around, so I could not get a better look at it. Oh, and when I say that she kept moving, I mean it. She kept stretching her legs, her neck, her back, and even her ears. Heck, she even ran in place, and jumped up and down.

“Hey, Twilight, what’s up?” said Rainbow Dash. When she saw me, which did not take her long since I was standing right there, she asked, “Who’s she?” She aimed one of her hooves in my direction, but kept looking at Twilight. If you have not already noticed, I was being ‘introduced’ to each pony from the picture. Whether or not these were planned events is still unknown to me. It seemed like they were planned, at least by Twilight. I figured it out once we stopped by Rarity’s house and shop. We did not do anything there besides talk. If we had stopped by Pinkie’s shop, it might have taken me longer to catch on because we had a reason to be there. Anyway…

“This is Solar Shimmer,” said Twilight. “She’s…”

“And what in Equestria is she wearing?” the Pegasus interrupted.

I still do not think it looked that bad, but Twilight replied, “Rarity gave it to her.”

“The color’s off a bit,” Rainbow added as she took a closer look.

“In any case, this is Solar Shimmer,” Twilight said again.

“Oh, right! Right. Well, welcome to Ponyville, Solar Shimmer! Wait…,” she stopped.

“What’s wrong?” Twilight asked.

“Where are you from? Canterlot, Manehattan, Baltimare?”

I did not know what to say, but Twilight answered for me, “She’s Sunset Shimmer’s daughter. Remember? Canterlot High?”

With a nod, Rainbow said, “Yeah, I remember. So, she came through the mirror?”

I will say it now. Rainbow sounded hoarse to me. I really did not want to make a horse is hoarse joke, but compared to the others, she sounded rough and scratchy. Certainly not how I envisioned her to sound, anyway. I guess I expected everypony to have a soft, nurturing voice that emitted constant sweetness and love. I was just making a useless gender stereotype in my head. I could not stop thinking about it.

I nodded in reply and closed my eyes so that my smile would seem ‘brighter’ and fuller. I felt my cheekbones puff out, so I think it worked.

“Is she here, too?” Rainbow asked me, directly. “Your mother.”

“No,” I said, “she stayed on the other side.”

“Huh. So, how long you stayin’, kid?” Rainbow asked me with a grin.

“Two weeks,” Twilight and I said at the same time.

“Awesome! What are you here for, anyway? Are you stayin’ at Twilight’s?”

“I wanted to see what Equestria was like, and yes.”

She began to smile, leapt into the air, and flipped around once before landing once more. She made it look so easy. “Ooh, Twilight, you should’ve told me. We could’ve had a party or something! Too bad she isn’t a Pegasus, though….”

Twilight chuckled and said, “I’m sure Pinkie could arrange one at a moment’s notice!”

“True, true,” Rainbow said, mostly to herself. She cleared her throat and said, “Well, I’m Rainbow Dash, the best flyer in all of Equestria!” She made a pose of some sort, several of them, in fact. I thought she was waiting for a swarm of cameras and cheers to appear.

“She’s also a lead flier in the Wonderbolts!” Twilight told me.

“What are they?” I asked.

“They’re a group of elite fliers from all over Equestria,” Twilight said.

“It took a long time, but I’m finally making my dream come true!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, almost dancing while cheering for herself. “How could they not make me a Wonderbolt?”

“Well, Rainbow, we’ve got to get going. I’m taking Sol around Ponyville, today.”

Rainbow stopped herself, saluted us, and said, “Say no more!” She extended her wings from her sides, and with one major flap, she propelled herself high into the sky and soared off. Before she was completely out of sight, I heard her shout, “See ya later, Solar Shimmer!” She disappeared. I looked all over the sky but found no sign of her.

“Whoa…,” I muttered, my mouth hanging open.

From behind me, Twilight tapped her hoof twice on the ground. This alerted me, and I turned my attention back to her. She smiled, still holding the box of goodies with her magic. If the day were warmer, I might have enjoyed our time outside more than I did. Without a thicker coat, boots, or pants, I felt naked wearing but a light dress. However, I believe I have already mentioned that. I apologize, but going from bundles of clothes to no clothes is very strange, regardless of how it feels.

“Come on! We still have a lot to see. Let’s drop these back off at home, first,” said Twilight. I will not go into detail over the next five minutes or so. All we did was return to her tree home to leave the box resting upon her basement kitchen table. We then left. Although, the brief warmth upon going inside was certainly welcome. We backtracked to where we were before, outside of the Sugarcube Corner. I could hear Pinkie Pie laughing and giggling from inside. A group of three young fillies chased each other down the street, passed us, and slammed open the door of the shop. Other children were already inside. I could taste the cookies being baked by nothing but their smell.

With a quickened pace, we walked along the center streets of Ponyville. We passed by the main square after crossing over a small wooden bridge, where I saw a statue of a saddled mare surrounded by a shallow pool of water with gold bits tossed in the basin. The mare’s eyes were wide open, and her mouth curved upwards and formed a pleasant smile. She stood balancing one hind leg on a round ball, with her forelegs lifted high. Beside this statue was the Town Hall, a round-shaped building with a balcony going all around the middle of the structure, supported by wooden beams along the ground floor deck. The pointed roof curved along the base and was about as tall as the rest of the building. Pink-tinted windows surrounded every level of the Hall.

We did not stick around for long, but as we rushed past, I saw an older pony with a tan coat and a gray mane standing on the deck with two unicorns that appeared to be taking notes. I remember seeing a white collar around her neck and glasses resting upon her muzzle.

With all of the trotting, I was beginning to work up a sweat. My increased body heat was making up for the cold outside, but I discovered that I was more out of shape that I had realized. I hardly got a chance to look at what appeared to be colorful tents pitched up along the town center. Instead, we crossed over a few more small bridges until we had left the main hub of the town. A hilly dirt path was placed before us, leading into Ponyville farmland. I did not get a chance to see the orchard and farm in its full glory at the time. The coming winter already killed off the leaves, leaving everything gray and desolate. From through the crackling branches, I peered through and saw a bright red barn atop one of the slopes. The dirt path led us right to the main entrance.

We passed under a white arbor covered with still-green vines and stopped in front of the aforementioned barn, which was decorated more elaborately than any barn I had seen before, with apples being the central theme. Flowerbeds were placed under each window, and the weather vane on top of the highest level rested upon a metal apple sculpture. I saw a stone water well, chicken coops, remnants of a cornfield, hay piles, and an orange building atop another hill a bit further away. I also remember seeing a house somewhere around the barn, but I did not go inside. No, we were almost instantly greeted by another familiar face- Applejack.

An earth pony with a light orange coat and yellow mane spotted us when we were still far away, and without any hesitation, came right up to us and shook my hoof rather violently. I remember not being able to feel that hoof for quite some time afterward. Her freckles on the sides of her face stood out against her glowing green eyes. She wore a brown hat on her head and red bands kept the ends of her tail and mane together. Her forelocks curved outward from her face, but a few loose strands poked out freely from having been jostled from previous labor. We came at a particularly bad time as she had been preparing some of their food stocks for the upcoming winter. We apparently interrupted her.

“Well, who might you be? Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres, the best place in all o’ Equestria! An’ just what are you wearin’? You’ll catch a dreadful cold wearin’ that sort a’ getup!” said she, using what I considered to be an exaggerated Southern accent. It began to grow on me, however. Everypony else in her family also spoke like that. Applejack spoke so fast that it took me a few seconds to comprehend all that was said. She also said all of this while shaking my hoof repeatedly.

“I’m-,” I began to say.

“Twi-light, why didn’ ya tell me ya’ll were comin’? I’d ‘a fixed the whole place up!”

“I,” I began again.

“Oh, where are mah manners? Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres!”

“You already…,” I could not get a word in with her talking so speedily.

“This is Solar Shimmer, Applejack,” Twilight said for me.

Applejack stopped shaking my hoof, but I honestly could not tell for another ten seconds. My hoof kept shaking all on its own. Her brows lowered, and a slight frown crept upon her face. I caught her gazing at my bare flank. I forced a smile, showing all of my teeth.

“Hi,” I muttered, again. Yet another awkward introduction.

“Ya mean like Sunset Shimmer?”

I thought to myself, here we go again!

“She’s my mom,” I finally said.

“Huh,” was her response. “Is she here, too?”

I shook my head. There was a brief moment of silence. I looked around and saw that there was a lovely view of Ponyville from the top of that hill, though the farm was more distant from the town than I originally thought. Miles and miles of orchards and trees surrounded us. Unfortunately, there were no green leaves or apples. There were only branches covering the vast rolling hills. Far off in the horizon were snow-topped mountains. They seemed to surround the valley on every side. Canterlot, of course, could be seen perched on the tallest of the mountains.

“So, Twi-light, does everypony else know?”

“Not yet. We still have to visit Fluttershy. We’re taking a tour of Ponyville,” Twilight replied with a giggle in her voice.

More like a tour of your friends, I thought to myself.

“What ‘bout the Princess? Is she okay with all this?”

“Mhmm, she knows about everything. It was rather last minute, so I wanted it to be a surprise. She’ll be staying with me for two weeks.”

“It’s a surprise, all right!” Applejack exclaimed. I could not tell if she was happy or upset. I noticed beads of sweat upon her forehead, or brow, and scuffmarks all over her coat. I figured she was tired or focused on other matters.

It was then that another pony, an earth stallion, came into the picture. A sturdy, large stallion with a light brown coat and blackish mane trotted by us, pulling a cart loaded with hay behind him. He was much taller then I, with thick hooves and a wide frame. His mane and tail were both short, cropped, like a racehorse. When he walked past, he did not speak until Applejack called out to him.

“Hey, Sandy, come ‘ere an’ meet some friends a’ mine!”

He stopped and turned toward us. He unhooked himself from the cart and made his way to where we were standing. His heavy hooves left deep imprints in the dirt. With a bellowing voice, he said, “Howdy, ya’ll.” I expected his voice to be deeper. It was deep, do not get me wrong, but I thought he would sound older. His voice kept cracking. It was rather cute, I admit.

“This ‘ere’s Sandy Shores, all the way from Las Pegasus! He’s helpin’ ‘ere on the farm for a while!” said Applejack with more energy than before.

“Nice to meet you, Sandy!” Twilight said, smiling.

“Hi,” I said, yet again. I did not know what else to say.

“This is Twi-light Sparkle, a good friend a’ mine, an’ Solar Shimmer, a newcomer to Ponyville, like yourself!”

He did not see my blank flank, or at least I did not think he did. He kept staring at me in short glances. I could see his greenish eyes darting back and forth from Twilight to myself. He gulped and took in a deep breath. Although he was speaking to both of us at once, he looked directly at me when he said, “Hello!”

I smiled back and said, “Hi, I’m Solar Shimmer.”

“Sandy,” he replied.

We stood around for just a little bit longer. By now, the sun was closing in on the halfway point in the sky. The day seemed to be going by so fast. Applejack looked up at the sky and told us, “Listen, ya’ll, we’d better be getting’ back ta work. Maybe we can get together once all this ‘here food’s stored away?”

“Of course!” said the purple Alicorn. “We’ll go head over to Fluttershy’s!”

“Tell ‘er Ah said ‘hi,’ okay?”

“We will!”

“Cya, Sol, Twi!”

Applejack and Sandy went back to what they were doing. We had not left that second, and before we did, I asked Twilight, “Where does Fluttershy live?”

“On the other side of Ponyville,” was her answer.

As we walked back, my stomach had begun to grumble and ache. What little I ate for breakfast made way for lunch. What was strange was that I no longer craved my usual diet. In my mind, I wanted nothing more than a thick cheeseburger, but I really felt like eating some kind of vegetable sandwich. I gave up on the cheeseburger idea. After all, horses are vegetarians.

Twilight heard my stomach growl and told me, “Don’t worry. We’ll get lunch before going over there. I know a great place to eat in town!”

“Sounds great!” I exclaimed.

As we entered the town, I bumped into a pony I will never, ever forget. She was a mail pony, working with the local post office. Her coat was gray and her mane was a pale yellow. Color-wise, she blended in with the rest of the town, except for one major aspect of her physical appearance- her eyes. Her yellow eyes were crossed quite severely. A saddlebag was strapped around her, with mail placed neatly inside. When we bumped, some pieces of mail slipped out and landed all over the ground.

I helped her back up to a standing position while Twilight collected the mail with her magic and placed them back inside the pony’s bag.

“Excuse me, I didn’t mean to bump into you!” she exclaimed. I think she was talking to me, but she kept looking elsewhere. It was hard to tell.

“No, I wasn’t paying attention,” I told her. It was really her who bumped into me, but she was already frowning with water gathering under her eyes.

“Well, anyway, here,” said she, pulling a letter from one of the bags with her mouth. She gave it to Twilight.