Waking Upby Calamity JayChaptersChapter 2: DiscoveriesChapter 3: TwilightChapter 4: FriendsChapter 5: ExperimentationChapter 6: RegretsChapter 7: RecoveryChapter 8: ArrivalChapter 9: CelebrationChapter 10: FeelingsChapter 11: DawnChapter 12: LessonsChapter 13: Praescitum, Part OneChapter 14: Praescitum, Part TwoChapter 15: HomeChapter 16: ComfortChapter 17: SorrowChapter 1: EmergenceChapter 2: DiscoveriesChapter 2: Discoveries By: Calamity Jay “I know this might be hard for you to do, but could you please wake up? I wish to know more about you,” "He needs blood stat! We're losing him!" "Alright what do we have here?" "Victim is an alien creature brought in by the princess! They specifically ordered us to do everything we can to save him!" "Okay, have you stemmed the bleeding?!" "We're having a hard time! He seems to have cranial injury! Bleeding profusely! Do we have any blood for him?!" "Blood pressure falling! Cover up that Luna damn gash he's dying! Doctor, he's not going to make it!" "Yes he is! I'm going to use third tier healing spells!" "Patient is slipping away! Do it!" "Patient stabilized! Let's fix up the rest of him!" ooo000oo000ooo Darkness… All you could see was an endless void of darkness. It was scary, but your mind was aware of what was going on in the real world. You could feel that you were lying down on something soft and warm, but for some reason you could not move. 'What the- where am I? What's going on? Why can't I move? Why can't I see? Am I dead? Is this purgatory?' You thought frantically to yourself, but if purgatory sounded like a hospital then- a hospital? Yes the sounds you were hearing were indeed of a hospital. The sound of a heart monitor beeping, people outside talking in urgent tones; you could hear doctors giving out orders to their nurses. Yes, you were relieved that you were still alive and escaped from death's embrace. All of a sudden, you hear a door open up; most likely to the one you were staying in. What was even stranger, was that you could hear the sound of hoof beats again. Most peculiar... You could also vaguely hear what they were saying. "Right this way, Your Majesties. The patient is right in here," A male voice speaks up, who you assumed was the doctor. "We appreciate all you have done for our new guest, Dr. Soft Hoof," A female voice replied. "Aren't we Luna?" Luna? Soft Hoof? Those are names that strike you as strange, weird even. “Why yes, we are very thankful for thine help doctor,” A more regal and elegant female voice agreed. ‘What the actual fuck am I hearing? Soft Hoof? Thine? Where the fuck am I?!' “I am glad that we were able to save him. We worked for over an half an hour trying to stabilize him, then another hour to fix up the rest of his injuries. His body is certainly more frail than ours and for a moment I thought we were going to lose him." You could hear him sigh and for some reason you hear him let out a snort, much like a horse would. 'What the fuck?' "You and your staff are to be commended, I will see to that personally." "Thank you, Princess Celestia, will there be anything else that would require my service?" "No, but when you see Princess Twilight arrive could you tell her what room we are in? I wrote her a letter and she should be arriving within the hour." "Yes of course! I'll make sure to inform her. I'll be going now, let me know if you are in need of anything." "Goodbye doctor!" Well, now you are completely alone with whoever these people are; whether or not they are people. This fact registers in your mind and you begin to panic. ‘Fuck, fuck, what the hell is going on?! What’s gonna happen to me? Who are these people?! What are they?!’ You think when you hear two sets of hoof beats approaching your bedside. "Luna," The soft female voice spoke up. "If you had just told me about little venture of finding this one I could have helped you bring him here! Crossing planes with somepony who has never experienced it can have some major side effects! And bringing him here in this state?!" “Oh please Tia, spare Us the lecture. We do not wish to be scolded like a foal,” The regal voice called Luna groaned. For some reason you recognize this voice, but could not remember how or where you heard it. “Luna would you please speak a little quieter? I would hate for you to disturb our new guest. Oh, I am sure he will most likely be confused when he wakes up." The voice called Tia groaned. "The many questions he will have. And will you speak normally? This is not the Old Age anymore." “Okay fine,” Luna sighed. “I hope he won’t think I brought him here through ill will.” “You’ll find out when he wakes up, what did you say his name was?” “From my several days of observation, I gathered that his name is Leroy Evans." "Hmm, I still have no idea why you had the insane idea to bring him here in this condition. You know that since you crossed dimensions with him you may have prolonged his condition. Already they had a hard time healing him and it will be a while before he becomes mobile again." “How bad were his injuries?” “He seems to have a bipedal build. They reported that he had several fractures in different parts of his body. The thing they were worried about the most was his cranium. He had a large gash on his forehead which was bleeding quite badly. They scanned his head and they saw that he had a severe concussion, bordering on brain damage. I'm glad you gave them clearance to use higher level spells to heal him, otherwise he would not have made it." “So he will survive then?” “Yes he will survive, but the doctor is unsure if whether or not he will be the the way he was when he wakes up. He set all of his fractured bones to their right places and mended all the broken ones. He also healed what he could of his concussion. Right now he is just healing." “Then, why is he not awake?” “As I've said before, you brought him here when he was in a dire condition. Exposing him to such magical force took a massive toll on his body. Urgh, I still do not know why you had the sudden impulse to bring him here." “Look sister, I had stumbled into his dimension by accident. I heard his voice while I was watching over the dreams of everypony. Me being the curious one I wanted to know where his voice came from. You should have heard him, sister. He was praying for his life to get better, for something to make his life more exciting. So I thought if I came to him he would feel a little better." “I know you meant well Luna, but what if he had a family? Or if he had an important job in his world?” Tia asked. “I observed him for a few days in my aura form. And from what I saw, he lived on his own, no mother or father from what I could see. I never saw him with any friends, only things that he would do is just go to some sort of tavern and get drunk. In fact, that was actually what caused him to be like this. He had a bit too much to drink and he got himself hurt. I was going to approach him when he was alone and offer him to come to Equestria, but the situation called for desperate measures. It was either I leave him there to die or save him. I was not about to choose the former." Although your mind was hazy at the moment, this was a lot to take in, but when you woke up everything would be forgotten. You had the concussion to thank for that. Either way when you wake you would have many questions indeed. But one question lingers in your mind and that is whether or not you are still sane. ‘Fucking hell, so according to these women, I'm in some world called Equestria? That sounds a lot different from Earth. Christ, why do I feel like I'm being punished? Okay, from here on I promise to lay off the sauce if I can get out of here!' All of a sudden you hear the door open again and the sound of hoof beats are heard entering the room. “Princess Celestia! Princess Luna!” A new voice spoke up. This voice was again feminine, and sounded extremely excited, if not a bit too excited. “Ah Princess Twilight you've finally arrived,” Celestia giggled. “Yes, my sister and I have been expecting you, and you also brought Spike along with you as well,” Luna added. “Forgive me for being late, a certain purple drake had a little difficulty waking up this morning,” She said and you hear her let out a snort. “Sorry Twi, I kinda stayed up late last night reading the new issue of the Power Ponies,” You hear a voice known as Spike speak up. Wait a second... Drake? As in the rapper? But why is he purple? What the hell did you drink last night? “Right, well, what have we missed?” Twilight asked. “Yes of course, allow my sister and I to fill you in,” Celestia offered. “Oh please do fill us in on what’s going on, and spare no details please Princess,” “Very well, Luna? Would you please tell Princess Twilight on how you found our guest?” “Of course. Now, it all started when I heard his voice during my dream watch, so I got curious and decided to find out where it came from…” It was at this point where your brain decided you had had enough and lulled you back into unconsciousness. However it was still uncertain when you would actually wake up, but that time would come soon enough. ooo000oo000ooo You didn’t know what it was, but for some weird reason you felt your body stirring. It was slight at first, such as wiggling your toes, shifting your position a little, and moving your head. But then it proceeded into actually moving your arms and legs, to tossing and turning on your bed. You weren’t sure how, but your eyes opened and at first your vision was extremely blurry and all you could see was the whiteness of the walls of your room. Eventually, it goes away and you can see everything crystal clear. You turn your head left and right to get a good look at your surroundings. On your left you see a pole holding a bag of clear liquid and the heart monitor which was keeping an eye on your heart rate, the IV from the bag lodged in your left forearm. Obviously, this was keeping you alive and hydrated the entire time you were here. In front of you was just white wall with a door on the far right corner, you could still hear the multitude of voices and hoofbeats outside. To your right was a drawer with a potted plant sitting atop it. The room itself wasn’t very large, being about ten to twelve feet long, and about eight to ten feet wide. To the left there was a window almost as long as the room itself, which was at the moment covered with blinds. You could tell it was daytime by the light seeping through the small gaps in the blinds. Your bed was reclined at a forty-five angle so it wasn’t too difficult to look around. ‘The hell am I doing in here? I don’t even know exactly where I am. Hah, I wonder what my boss is thinking at the moment? Probably wondering where the hell I am. I’d pay to see her face when I’m not there to help when the store opens. Hell, she’s probably giving the other workers a bitch fit,’ A smirk forms on your face as you think about the poor bastard who have to work for that she-devil. Time seemed to go by very slowly, the clock on the wall in front felt like it was moving in slow motion. Hell, it even seemed like the hands had been reading half past 3 in the afternoon for hours. Maybe it was because you were awake and bored with your body feeling absolutely weak. It was unknown to you how long you had been out, but considering how nauseous you felt, it had most likely been a while. Wait, when you had you started feeling nauseous? Why was it getting worse? And why the hell were you feeling something going up your throat? Oh dear… You quickly developed the strong urge to vomit your guts out. Frantically, you pull away the sheets and look to your right and see something that gave you temporary relief. There was a wastebasket right next to your bed, so you quickly swing your legs over the edge to position yourself to purge your system. You had to be careful with the IV in your arm, thankfully the tube was long enough for you to move. However, your body disagreed with your rapid movements, being in bed for an unknown amount of time. You feel the needle tugging at your skin as you fell to the ground in a heap, groaning from the intense pain shooting through your bones. The only bright side to this was that you had no casts that were restricting you from movement, which was strange. Your mouth started to salivate, your stomach urging you to empty it's contents. After several failed attempts to reach your target, you give one last ditch effort to reach the wastebasket and not make a complete mess. Finally, you reach the basket and place your chin over the edge and you begin to retch; unfortunately, some of your bile got on your hospital robe. After you finished your long ralphing session, the fatigue had caught up with you and you slumped to the floor. You tried to roll over onto your front to push yourself up, but your arms gave up and again you fell to the floor. This time, you placed your hands on the edge of the bed to pull yourself up. Your strength failed and fell onto your back, groaning in pain. With every beat of your heart, pain pulsed through your body. You wanted to yell out for help, but your throat was on fire and you could only manage a silent yelp. Hopelessness and panic began to set in; you were immobile, sick, and in major pain. There you lie in a pitiful heap, face down covered in your own sick, honestly it was a truly sad sight to see. However your heart skips a beat as you hear the door open. “Here you go Princess Twilight, the patient should be in- By the Goddesses what happened to you?!” Doctor Soft Hoof exclaimed. You only manage to groan in reply, your head facing away from them. “Leroy! Are you alright?!” Twilight asked with concern in her voice. How does she know your name? “Leroy? Who’s Leroy?” Soft Hoof asked in confusion. “That’s his name!” “Oh, I wasn’t aware of that.” “Well now you are, let’s help him onto his bed.” “Um Princess, I hate to be rude, but that is my job,” “As a Princess of Equestria, it is my duty to protect everyone in it. Pony or otherwise!” “Hmm, can’t argue with that. Let’s help him up.” You hear them approach you and feel your body encased in a tingly sensation. When they lifted you into the air, the feeling of being afloat nearly made you vomit again. On the outside you seemed unconscious, but on the inside you were screaming your head off because of the fact you were being lifted by some unknown force. “Gently now doctor, he’s quite heavy isn’t he?” “Yes he is… quite the heavy one. Haven’t had to... lift this much in... a while.” He groaned. You feel yourself gently being place down onto the soft bed again, the nausea going away. “There, oh my he made quite the mess didn't he?” Twilight observed. “Don’t worry I can clean that right up!” Your eyes were still closed, you felt a tingling feeling on your hospital gown and you hear a slight snap and a poof. “There we are, all done!” “My my Princess Twilight, you truly are the Element of Magic,” Soft Hoof complimented. “Ehehehe, thank you doctor, you’re too kind." You weren’t too sure but she was probably blushing. “My pleasure Princess, now will there be anything else you may need? My rounds start in less than five minutes.” “No doctor, that will be all. You are dismissed.” “Very well, I will be on my way then,” The doctor then makes his way out the door and you hear it close. There is now complete silence in the room beside your slow breathing and the sound of someone else breathing beside you. “Ohhh, I really hope you’re okay, I have so many questions to ask. So much that I wish to know.” ‘Huh I really wonder who this girl is, she sounds beautiful. I think maybe its time I open my eyes and see who these people are.' For some reason, you feel the woman next to you moving closer to your face, and your heart begins to beat faster. Was she going to kiss you? You don't even know her name! However, she stops just close enough for you to feel her breath on your right cheek. “I know this might be hard for you to do, but could you please wake up? I wish to know more about you,” She cooed in your ear, giving you goosebumps. So you take a leap of faith and you slowly crack open your eyes. What you see next shocks you to the core. When your vision clears, you first see two wide lavender-rimmed eyes staring straight into yours. These eyes strike you as beautiful at first, but when you see whose eyes they belong to is what shocks you. You looked at her forehead and noticed there was a horn protruding out from a row of what looked like bangs. Followed by the horn was the two pointy ears behind her head and what seemed to be her nose turned out to be an elongated muzzle which was shorter than a dog’s. Her coat was a light lavender and her hair was a dark indigo with a pink and violet streak running through it. She had what looked like her forelegs leaning onto the bed and you saw her tail which had the same color scheme as her hair. Wait a sec! Forelegs? A muzzle? Pointy ears? A tail?! A fucking tail?! She wasn’t human! You noticed her build was like a horse, but smaller. What did they call those small horses? Ah yes ponies… She’s a pony! Either you had a really bad hangover or this was real. You prayed to God it was the hangover. Without really knowing how to react, you did something that anyone would do in this situation: Scream like a bitch. "AHHHHHHH!!!!" "AH!" She screamed in reply and hid her head below the covers; just in time to not see you pass out once again. “Leroy! Are you okay?! Leroy?” Sorry Twilight, Leroy is not here at the moment, you may leave a message if you wish. “Leroy?” Still, you could not answer her. “Oh dear…” She sighed as she sat on her rump. "Why did he scream like that? Am I that scary? Oh, I hope he's okay. I guess I'll just have to wait even longer for him to wake up..." Chapter 3: TwilightChapter 3: Twilight By: Calamity Jay "What in the world did I drink last night?" “Princess, are you sure everything is alright?” “Yes Lieutenant Storm Rider, our new guest just had a little scare and so did I. But don’t worry everything is fine!” Twilight reassured with a smile and a wave of her hoof. “Very well Princess, just let me know if this one gives you any trouble,” Storm said gesturing to the passed out human on the bed. He had been unconscious for over two hours since the guards were called when Twilight had screamed. “Don’t worry Lieutenant, I am sure he won’t do me any harm.” She replied with a grin. “Hmm, you’re too trusting Princess." “I like to be trustful, to ponies or otherwise. Trust in my judgement, Lieutenant,” “I do trust you Princess, it’s that thing over there I don't trust." He pointed at the human with his hoof. "After all, it is my duty to distrust any potential threats. Especially ones that come from different worlds." Storm Rider then let out a resounding snort. “He is a not a thing I assure you. Besides, if he tries anything I can handle him myself. If I can take on a giant Minotaur demon god then I can sure as hay take care of myself. And considering the fact he got scared just by looking at me, I'm sure he's no threat." She assured the armor clad guard. “Okay then, I’ll take my leave. Still, I’ll be posted outside.” The unicorn lieutenant said before he opened the door with his magic and made his way out. Twilight turned to the passed out human with a sigh and proceeded to sit on her rump, her head reaching eye level with Leroy who was still unconscious. “Urgh, if only you could just wake up already. Honestly, I wasn’t trying to scare you, I was just trying to wake you up." She groaned, ears drooping. “Please wake up so we can talk!" She begged as she pressed her hooves together and closed her eyes, praying for him to wake up. A few minutes passed, and still he would not awake; not even stir slightly. Frustrated, she let her face fall down onto the bed sheets with a soft ‘fwumpf’. “This is hopeless.” She groaned into the sheets. “You’re never gonna wake up-” Then as if God had an amazing sense of humor today, he decided to answer the young Princess’s prayer. Lo and behold, she felt movement from the sheets while her face was still pressed into them. She looked up to Leroy with a gasp and saw that he started to stir. *2nd Person* For the second time in less than a few hours, you began to regain consciousness. You were also pretty sure that all this passing out was not at all good for your brain. ‘God, the hell was that thing that I saw? It was some sort of horse-looking thing from what I remember. And it talked, horses don’t talk right? Shit, must’ve been drugged that night at the bar.' You tried to convince yourself. ‘Okay, I’m in a hospitable in Katy, and the doctors are normal people, not talking horses! Now, when I open my eyes, I won’t see anything that will be out of the ordinary! Nothing weird whatsoever!’ You slowly open your eyes and start to sit up in your bed. At first your vision is a bit blurry and you rub the sleep out of them. The fog in your vision clears up and you look straight ahead at the wall in front of you and relief flows through you. However, you hear a certain someone next to you give a small gasp and a tiny little ‘squee’. Your heart skips a beat. Do you dare look at who is standing next to you? The answer is yes as you slowly, yet surely turn your head to the right and face whoever it was next to your bed. Your eyes nearly pop out of their sockets as you see who this mysterious girl was. It was the same purple horse with a horn on her head, what do they call those? But you also see that she was sporting a pair of wings as well. Damn, there goes normal, flying out the window. ‘A pair of wings as well? A horse with wings is called a... Pegasus? But she has a horn too?! I don’t think pegacorn is the correct term- Oh what am I saying?! There’s a Unicorn-Pegasus crossbreed in my room and I’m wondering what the hell she’s classified as! What the hell is wrong with me...’ You mentally face-palm from your ridiculous thoughts. Now back to the situation at hand. You react the same way you did before, but this time without the earsplitting scream. Trying to move to the other side of the bed, you pull the sheets up to your chin, similar to the way a child does when trying to hide from a monster. In this case the monster was an adorable-looking, brightly colored, cartoon pony. "What in the name of sweet Jesus are you? You look like a pony, who is surprisingly cute, but why are you here?! Where the fuck am I?! Why am I talking to a damn animal?!" "Hey! I am not an animal! I have feelings, I can think and talk! I'm considered sentient!" She replies defensively, rising to all fours and stomping her left hindleg. "And who the hay is Jesus?" Great, she can talk; you did not see that coming and your eyes widened well beyond their capability. "Hokay, yeah. That's it. I'm done. I admit it I am on some bad acid trip and now I'm seeing a colorful unicorn-pegasus crossbreed and I'm having a conversation with it. Great! This is just so fucking great! Hallelujah!" You throw your hands up into the air and slump back down onto the pillow. "I'm sorry, but can you please calm down? You're not going crazy, you're not an 'acid trip'." She air quotes with her hooves. "And this is all real. Trust me!" "Why should I trust you?! You're talking when you aren't supposed to be talking! Why should I trust a talking horse? For all I know I could still be in a coma!" "I am not a horse, I am a pony!" "Whatever! Now tell me, why should I trust you!" "Because," She sits back down on her rump. "We just saved your life. If it weren't for us you would very well be dead right now. If I were you I'd be extremely grateful! We literally stopped you from dying! And now after a week of being unconscious, you wake up asking why you should trust me? You are so rude mister!" She pouts her lip and crosses her forelegs, trying her best to look mad. 'Jesus, I know she's mad, but... Why does she make mad look adorable? And for a week? Fuck that's a long time! Alright, maybe I should just calm down.' You take a deep breath and calm yourself down. "Okay, I'm sorry its just, you don't see a talking horse-" "Pony." "Right, um... you don't see a talking pony everyday on my world. Not only that they are not as bright and colorful as you look." She laughs and develops a blush. "And they are also a bit bigger, hairier, their muzzles are longer, their eyes aren't as big or colorful, and their manes aren't as well done like yours. And, not to offend you, they smell pretty bad sometimes as well." You wince as you remember how bad horses could smell. "Sounds like you live in a very strange world." She giggles and you could not help but laugh as well. "Oh. My world?" You scoff. "I've only seen you and I already think this world is a lot more stranger than mine." "Well, where are you from? If you don't mind my asking?" "I guess I could tell you, but you mind telling me your name first? I'd like to know the name of the perso- pony that I am, surprisingly having a conversation with." "I will if you properly introduce yourself first." She grins wryly. "Really? So that's how its gonna be?" She nods her head and you let out a laugh. "Alright, well then I guess you can call me Leroy. Leroy Evans, but I guess you already know my name don't you?" You grin at her, but for some reason she gains an apprehensive expression, almost as if she was frightened of you. "Uh, is something wrong? Do I have something on my face?" "No, its just... Your teeth," She points to your mouth with her hoof. Why does she have a problem with your teeth?" "Why? What's wrong with them? Is there a piece of food in there? Speaking of food I'm actually pretty hungry right now." "That's not what I meant," She says, slowly shaking her head. "Its just, you have canines. Which means you eat meat. You're a predator, aren't you? And you're hungry too..." She then rises to her hooves and takes a step back from you, as if you were going to hurt her. "No, why would you say that?" You think for a moment and suddenly it strikes you. "Wait. You think I hunt and kill animals for food because I have canines? That I am a danger and I could very well hurt you?" It made sense to you, even though she was a sentient equine she still maintained her animal instincts. And her instincts were telling her that you are a threat. The purple mare just stares at you inquisitively, as if waiting for you to make a move. "Listen, before you say anything, I am not going to eat you. I have never killed anyone. Animal or otherwise. I don't eat just meat, I am an omnivore. I eat both meat and vegetables." "Oh," She eases herself up. "Well uh, that's good to know. I'm glad you're not a hunter, you had me going there for a second." "Forgive me for frightening you, I really don't see myself as a viable threat." "But still, bared fangs are a sign of hostility. And they look very... Sharp." She points once again to your teeth. "So for future reference, try not to show your teeth to everypony. Some might take it as a real threat." "Right right, I'll keep that in mind," You nod in agreement. "But you know that I'm not going to hurt you right? Especially since you ponies saved my life. You literally gave me a second chance and I'm grateful for that." You were about to grin again, but instead you gave her a soft smile. "Good, I'm glad we got that straightened out." "Hmm, indeed. You know I gave you my name, so where's yours?" "Oh! I almost forgot!" She clears her throat for a moment. "I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, former protege of Princess Celestia. As of now I am the bearer of the Element of Magic and Princess of Friendship." "Wow, that's quite a resume. I don't think I can top that. Nice to meet you, Princess." "Please, just call me Twilight. I don't like it when people address me by my title." She smiles sheepishly. "Why not? I'm sure you had to work extremely hard to attain your title. Why not show it with pride?" "Because, I just like to be modest." "Alright your 'Majesty' I guess I cold work with that." You laugh at your joke and see that she isn't laughing as well. "Oh, you're serious." "Quite." "Right then, sorry about that, Twilight." Saying her name feels strange as it reminds you of a certain cheesy romance book involving vampires. "Its fine," She smiles and waves it off with her hoof. "So, now that that's out of the way, why don't you go ahead and tell me where you're from?" "Right, well I'm from a planet called Earth, which is much like the way your world is you know with grass and trees and technology. But, the only difference being that most equines on our planet are not sentient like you are. Much less have a horn and wings. Anyways, my world is populated with billions of other people like me and many different species of plants and animals." "Ooh, sounds interesting! Here let me just get my note pad so I can take some notes on this." She reaches into her saddlebags which was placed on floor against the drawer and for some reason a quill and a notepad seemed to float out of the bag by themselves. A violet aura emanating from her horn. What surprised even more was that she seemed totally nonchalant about the whole situation; most likely because she is used to seeing something like this. "Whoa, what the hell?" You jump out of your skin as you see the floating writing tools. "How in the world is that happening? What are you doing?" "Magic," She replies casually. "What? Don't tell me you've never seen magic before." "Well, not this type of magic. On my world what's known as magic is mostly just illusion and sleight of hand. Not something this literal where it really is magic. What is causing this to happen?" "All over Equestria, a magical aura surrounds and penetrates us." You stifle a laugh as she unknowingly quotes one of your favorite movies. "Alicorns and Unicorns have the ability to directly manipulate the aura and use it to perform magical spells like I am doing now." She gestures to her floating notepad and quill. "However, Pegasi and Earth ponies have their own magic. Pegasi can manipulate clouds and control our weather and Earth ponies have amazing farming abilities to grow our nation's crops. For Unicorns, using magic is much more convenient, as since we can't do many things with just our hooves alone. But for the other two races, they have to use their hooves and mouths for most of their daily activities. Pretty cool, huh?" "Wow, you seem to know a lot about magic. How do you know so much? Does this knowledge come to you naturally?" "No actually, I studied magic extensively ever since I was a little filly." She looks out towards the open window. "Ever since that one day I witnessed Princess Celestia raise the sun, I was so enthralled by the beauty and wonder of magic. Then the day I when I earned my cutie mark, Princess Celestia came up to me and made me her personal student. For years I was under her tutelage, learning much more than I could ever have hoped for. And it was only recently did Princess Celestia ascend me to princess after I solved an ancient spell by Starswirl the Bearded. So I guess I haven't been a princess for that long..." She trails off and blinks once. "I'm sorry am I rambling? I'm rambling aren't I?" "Uh no I don't think so. I think you were just telling me details about your life. And I'm glad you are," You were about to grin, but instead smiled. "Now I know a little bit about you, albeit I don't have much of an idea about what everything means, but still at least now I know. Please, continue." You gesture with you hand, causing Twilight to giggle. "Maybe some other time, so enough about me." She focuses on her quill and notepad. "What about you? I want to ask you a few questions about your species and your world as well." "What kind of questions?" "Oh just your social habits, origins, technology, cultures, history, and several other things." This earns her a deadpan from you. "What?" "Thought you said a few questions." "Well I like to be thorough!" You can't help but let out a laugh. "Alright then, I think I can tell you a few things about my world. Of course you already know that there is lack of magic and talking ponies." You take a moment to clear your throat. "Okay, where do I begin? Hmm, well what my kind are called are humans or homosapiens. What we are, are evolved forms of our primate cousins, who are much like us, bearing intelligence, but having no sentience whatsoever maintaining their animal characteristics. Another difference is that their skeletal structure is very different from ours, they can walk on two feet like I usually can, but not at the moment." You gesture to your condition, causing Twilight to laugh momentarily. "Another thing about them is that they have articulation on their feet as well, which causes them to be able to climb trees and other structures. They also have longer arms and their backs are more hunched over, and they also move with their hands on the ground, despite their bipedal build." "Not only that, but their bodies are covered in fur and in technicality humans are basically hairless apes. Weird I know." You chortled. "Anyways, one thing that apes are physically stronger than us and gives them an advantage. Albeit unfair. So, that's basically where we come from. What else do you want to know? There's quite a bit of information about my world that I can tell you about. It could take me a while to explain everything to you." She stopped writing on her notepad for a moment and smiled. "Please, I have time. So if you will?" "Alright then," A smirk makes its way onto your face. "Let me see what else I can tell you..." ooo000oo000ooo A few hours pass by with you explaining to your new friend everything you could tell her about Earth and it's many wonders. Of course you did your best to refrain from telling her about the really bad things about humans, you did not wish to roast your own species and make yourself look bad. You told her everything you knew about history, technology, cultures, everything you could possibly come up with. "So let me get this straight," Twilight chews on the end of the quill. "You say that males are the dominant gender on your world right?" Her notepad was already filled with several pages of notes. "Yeah, why? Is that a bad thing?" "Well no, but here in Equestria mares are the dominant gender. In almost every aspect of our society." "Whoa, really? So I'm guessing the gender roles are reversed then aren't they?" "Yes they are, and not only that, but mares also outnumber stallions by a large margin. Because of that, mares do a lot more than stallions such as holding political positions and the sort. Whereas, stallions only do most of the muscle work that mares can't do, such as construction. However, there are stallions like Dr. Soft Hoof that end up sticking out from other stallions and become doctors." "Holy crap, that's actually the way it is back on my world only that woman are in the position that stallions are in. I mean, back in the older times of our planet, most women were even considered inferior, good only for cooking, cleaning and well... I hate to say it, but for reproduction purposes." "No way, that was the way it was back when Luna and Celestia first came to power over a millennium ago. Stallions were greatly discriminated, and most mares kept stallions as slaves to work in the fields and uh... in the bedroom. Even today stallions have less rights than mares." "Really? How so?" A world where males have less rights than females. Just because you have a penis means that you have less rights. "Stallions can't own or sell property, can't run for political positions, and most don't even get a full education. Most of them only spend maybe a few years in the school house to learn basic reading, math, and social studies, then after that they go and find a job that pertains to their cutie marks. As I've said before only a special few actually go further into university studies." "Wow, I guess now I know how women felt on my world. Tell me, what are your social habits? Like who goes for who when looking for a mate?" "Well, usually a mare tries to woo the stallion to win him over. Then if they want, and if another mare likes the stallion the first mare has, then they have the choice to start a heard with the second mare-" "Whoa whoa, so you're saying that a stallion can have two mares at a time? Seriously?" What she said struck you as absurd, perhaps the reason why was because polygamy was something that was frowned upon. "Yeah, why don't things work like that back on your world?" She asks, putting down her notepad and quill. "Well no. Much differently in fact. The way it works is that one male with one female. If either partner gets involved with another, its considered infidelity and will cause major problems." "Really? So that's how it works for all relationships on your world?" "Yeah, but there are some cultures who practice polygamy, but most people don't agree with it. Mostly for religious reasons." You never really agreed with it either even though you were not exactly religious. "I for one don't really agree with it, mostly because it just sounds weird. I mean c'mon, wouldn't feel weird having to share your lover with someone else?" "No, usually the mare would only allow another mare into the relationship if they have known each other for a while and have built up a certain trust. Like two best friends usually share a stallion." "Wow, that just sounds weird." You lay back against the pillows. "No offense to your cultures or anything, I'm just not familiar with it. Then again I haven't really met anyone else from this world, so I guess I don't have the right to judge." "Oh, don't worry about it," She says waving a hoof. "Besides, who can blame you? Coming from a world where magic of all things doesn't exist. Much less my kind." "Indeed, but another thing, how do we speak the same language? I mean isn't that a bit peculiar to you?" "Yeah it is actually." She scrunches up her nose in insanely adorable concentration, causing you to hold back a 'D'aaww'. "Its like what are the odds right?" "Yeah I know, huh? What do you call your language? The one I'm speaking right now is called English, and believe it or not there are countless languages in my world." "Hmm, I think there are close to maybe three or four languages. Right now I'm speaking Pony as most of every creature in Equestria seems to call it." She scratches her chin with her hoof. "I think that buffaloes and zebras have their own unique dialect. Donkeys I think speak the same as we do and I don't think they have a distinguishable language. Hey, could you by some chance give me an example of another language from your world?" "Umm, I don't know, let me think." Back in your high school and college days, you took a few language classes. Hopefully what you learned would come in handy at this moment. "Okay uh, here let me try this, its going to sound horrible because I don't have a great accent." "Its fine, just give me your best." Twilight assured, clearly wanting to hear you speak. "Alright then," You take a moment to clear your throat. "Hola, me llamo Leroy. Mucho gusto senora, pero es muy extraño conocerte." Twilight seemed thoroughly amazed, even though you merely said a simple sentence. You were, by no means fluent in Spanish. "Well, uh that's all I can really say in that language, I'm not exactly fluent." "Wow, that sounded pretty good." Twilight gasped and smiled brightly. "What did you say?" "I think I said 'Hello my name is Leroy. Nice to meet you miss, but it is very strange to meet you.'" "Why is it strange to meet me?" Twilight asked, seeming a bit offended. "Oh no, don't take it the wrong way. Like I said before, its not everyday I get to have a conversation with a pony. So forgive me if I think that the situation is a bit weird, heh." You smile sheepishly, rubbing the back of your neck. "I guess you're right." Twilight purses her lips and shrugs her shoulders. "So, you say that there are many more languages on your world?" "Oh yeah, you have no idea. I just showed one of the more common ones. Back in the States, Spanish is a pretty common language in some areas. Especially the city that I lived in." "I'm still kind of confused on your world's geography." She flips through her notepad. "You said that there are seven huge continents, each of them having separate provinces and countries right? And you lived on the one called North Aw-mur-icka, in a country called the United States of Aw-mur-icka..." You chuckled at her attempts of pronouncing 'America'. "...In a state called Texas, and a small city called Katy. That sound right?" "Yep, all of it. I must say you take pretty good notes." "Like I said, I like to be thorough." She closes up the notepad and puts back in her saddlebag along with the quill. Twilight glances at the clock on the wall and lets out a gasp. "Oh my gosh, is it that late?" "What?" Suddenly you yawn deeply. "What time is it?" "Its about ten o'clock already." She floated her bags onto her back and strapped them down. "And you sound pretty tired, mister." "Yeah I am, having to entertain a girl with facts about my home world for a few hours is fun, yet taxing." You stretch your arms and your back, feeling a few pops. "I hope I was able to give you some good information on my world." "Believe me, you did." She smiles and nods, turning back to the door. "Well, I guess its time for me to go, I have to go and pick up Spike from Rarity." That name 'Spike' felt familiar, but you could not remember from where you heard it. "Spike?" You tilt your head in confusion. "Who's Spike?" "He's my dragon assistant, I've had him ever since I hatched him myself. I'm practically his mother!" She giggles, but stops when she sees you staring at her slack jawed. "What?" "A dragon? As in a winged, fire breathing, man eating behemoth?" She merely laughs at your question, further confusing you. "Oh, Leroy." She stops her laughing and wipes away a tear. "Spike's no behemoth! He's a baby! Then again, he has gotten quite big in the past few months, he's almost up to my shoulders." "But still, a dragon? How did that come about? And wait, if dragons exist on this world, what else does?" "Well, I got Spike when I had to hatch him as an entrance test to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. And when he got bigger I put him to work as my assistant. As for your other question, there are creatures such as manticores, dragons, giant sea serpents, minotaurs and a number of other creatures as well. I'm guessing you've never seen those types of creatures either?" "Well no, actually I have." "Really?" She asks, arching an eyebrow. "I thought you said magic and other things don't exist in your world?" "Well yeah, but back on my world, unicorns, pegasi, and all the other creatures you just listed are actually creatures of myth. You know, mythical creatures, they only exist in books and legends and all that jazz." "Whoa, really? That's very strange. Its like your world knows of ours or something." "Yeah maybe, but that honestly sounds like something that could take a very long time to explain and I don't know about you, but I am actually extremely sleepy." You yawn again and lay back against the pillows. "Mhm, I can see that," She nods and turns around to trot back to the door. It was here that you could actually see her entire body; you had to admit, for a pony you expected her to be a bit bigger, but instead she seemed to have lithe and petite form. Her fur didn't seem to be overly shaggy, but seemed to velvety and soft. If you had to put it in literal terms, she looked like a soft purple marshmallow! Your eyes went from her head, shoulders, and drifted all the way down to her flank, where a purple star surrounded by white stars was imprinted. "Well I guess I'll be going then." "Excuse me, Twilight. What is that on your flank? A tattoo of some sort?" "Uh no." For some reason she seemed to flush and a tinge of red crept onto her cheeks. "That's not a tattoo, that's my cutie mark. I think I mentioned them?" "I think you did, but I had no idea what they were or where they actually appeared. And you also said something about cutie marks pertaining to what your talent is. I'm gonna take a strong guess that yours pertains to magic?" "Why yes it does actually! My starburst cutie mark represents my love for magic. Nice guess, Leroy!" "Eh, its nothing." You rub the back of your neck sheepishly. "Well, um, I guess you should get going, I'm sure you're busy and all that." "Yeah. Ooh, I have to get going, maybe I'll bring my friends to come and see you if they're not busy." "Hmm, that sounds pretty good. I'm guessing this Rarity you mentioned is one of your friends?" "Yeah she is! Hopefully you'll be able to meet her tomorrow!" "Looking forward to it." You smile, nodding at her. "Great." She smiles and opens the door, but pauses as she is halfway out. "Oh, Leroy?" "Yeah, Twilight?" You reply, getting comfortable in your bed. "Try not to stare at somepony's flanks." She said with a small smile. "Its considered checking them out." Oh... "Bye now!" She then leaves and closes the door behind her, leaving you there thoroughly embarrassed. Great, smooth move. Barely your first day and already making things a bit more awkward than they need to be. "Right, don't stare at any'pony's' flanks." You chuckle as you lay your head down on the pillows. It was here you take the time to actually think about everything that has happened so far. 'Okay, I got hammered at a bar, took a wrong turn going home, got annihilated by a car, a pony princess by the name of Luna brought me to a strange world where mythical creatures exist, and I've been in a coma for a week. Hmm, sounds about right. I wonder what the boss is thinking back home, probably giving the newbies hell and trying her ass off to find a new assisstant manager. Hmph, not my problem!' You turn off the lamp next to your bed and turn on your left side, hopefully everything will turn out okay. Questions still linger in your mind, would you ever go back home? Do you want to go back home? This place certainly does seem more exciting than Earth. Your thoughts go back to your parents; will you ever see them again? Much less talk to them. Ever since what happened all those years ago. Nevertheless, things seem to be looking up. A new era in your life has begun and a long road stands before you and you spend a few minutes wondering what you're next move will be. Soon, your fatigue catches up and you become drowsy, feeling your eyelids become heavier with each passing second. Before you know it, you fall into the sweet bliss of sleep and rest up for the next day.... Chapter 4: FriendsChapter 4: Friendship Chapter 4: Friendship By: Calamity Jay "Sometimes, all you need are some friends to be there and help when you need it," Sunlight seeps in through the blinds and shines on to your face. You begin to stir as you can feel the light and slowly open your eyes. The hospital seems to have woke up as well since you once again hear the noises ponies (not people) moving around and attending to other patients in the hospital. However, you simply sit there and twiddle your thumbs because well you quite literally don’t have anything to do. You can’t watch television because they obviously don’t have that… right? About thirty minutes pass and you perk up when you hear voices outside your door. You listen closely to make out what they were saying. “So um what’s it’s name again, Twi?” A high pitched feminine voice speaks up. “His name Rainbow, and its Leroy, look please try to be as welcoming as possible. I want him to feel comfortable here in Equestria." You hear Twilight demand. “Honestly Rainbow Dash, please use whatever manners and politeness you can muster up. I’d hate for our guest to feel unwelcome." An elegant woman voice speaks up. “Don’t you worry now Rarity, Ah’m sure Twilight here and the princesses have already rolled out the welcome wagon for the what is he called? Hoo-man?” A voice with a southern drawl rang out. You were slightly amused when she tried to spell the name of your species. “Its pronounced hue, Applejack. And yes me and the other princesses made sure he was welcome.” Twilight giggled. “Ooh Twilight! Think he’d wanna be my friend?! I wonder if he likes parties? Do you think he likes parties?! I hope he likes cake ‘cuz I looooove cake! With extra icing and layers with a whole bunch of sprinkles on top of it-ummpf!” the light speed, girly, and somewhat unusually chipper voice was suddenly muffled. Perhaps one of them had shoved a hoof in her mouth to stop her from rambling on and on? You were kinda glad since you could barely keep up with her words. Huh imagine having an argument with this girl. “Jeez, cool it Pinkie! I’m sure he’ll like your party when you throw him one. He’d be pretty dumb if he didn’t enjoy them.” The voice called Rainbow Dash assured. You assumed she was the one who shut her up; to you a party sounded like a pretty good idea, it had been a while since you actually went to a decent party. “Okay well if we’re all ready, want to go in and meet him?" Twilight asked. “Yep!’ “Sure.” “Of course, darling.” “Ready when y'all are Twilight.” “Um he’s not dangerous is he Twilight?” A timid-sounding voice asked. Who was this? You could barely hear her voice over the others. “No Fluttershy, I assure you he is absolutely harmless.” She reassure her friend. “Okay girls, he may probably still be asleep. So let’s go in quietly okay everypony?” “Can we just go in already Twi?” Rainbow asked impatiently. A bit brash isn't she? It was here that you became a bit nervous and your mind started drawing up worst case scenarios. 'Oh man, I'm gonna meet her friends! Are they gonna like me? What if they don't? Oh I'm terrible at making new friends while sober! Then again I think I made a new friend with Twilight right? I don't know! This is gonna suck so much ass! Fuck!' You chew your nail nervously and you hear the door knob shaking, causing you to start panicking. 'Fuck! Okay, stay cool. Everything will be fine. They're just a bunch of talking cartoon ponies, what is the absolute worst that could happen? Alright, fuck it. I'm going to pretend I'm asleep!' You quickly turn and cover yourself with the bed sheets, trying your best to look natural. The door opens and your whole body freezes, your eyes clenching shut. To make it seem a bit more believable, you exaggerate your snoring a bit, your mouth slightly open. You hear the clopping of hooves on the floor as they approach your bed. “Oh dear it seems like he’s asleep, should we come back later?" You hear the voice of Rarity ask. "Yeah, Twilight." You hear Applejack agree. "I don't think he'd take too kindly to waking him up so early." "Oh, I'm sure he won't mind." Twilight assures. "Besides, he was looking forward to meeting you guys! So, who wants to wake him up? Any volunteers?" This does not bode well and you already made them think that you are asleep. If you woke up all of a sudden you might frighten them, giving them another reason not to like you. So with that in mind, you decide to just let things unfold. "I don't think I have the gall to disturb this poor creature." You hear Rarity speak up. "How about you, Applejack?" "Uh, Ah dunno 'bout that, what if he gets violent? And didn't you say he eats meat, Twi?" "Yes he does, but he says he also eats plants too, Applejack. And don't worry! He's harmless!" Twilight reassured. "Well if you're so sure then why don't you wake him up?" Rainbow chides, snickering a bit. "Oh no, I can't do that. How would I even go about it?" "How about I use my party cannon?" The hyper active mare suggests. "I think that oughta get him up and at em!" You fought the urge to give in and sit up, but still you laid there frozen. "No, Pinkie Ah don't think he needs a heart attack, especially the way he looks right now with those bandages on his face and everythin'." 'What?! I have bandages on my face?! Why didn't Twilight say anything?! God damn it, why didn't I feel them or something?' "Hey, you said he's a colt right?" You hear Rainbow ask, causing you to feel a bit nervous. "Yeah he is, but- wait what are you planning?" Twilight asks with a bit of apprehension in her voice. "I don't know, but if he is asleep, I'm sure he won't mind if I-" Before she could even dare to finish that sentence and put her plan into action, you bolt straight up into a sitting position. "I don't think whatever you were planning will be necessary!" Your sudden outburst causes them to gasp and you see a creme blur duck down under your bed accompanied by a small 'eep!'. "Sorry for the surprise, just didn't want you to do... Whatever it was that you were planning." You chuckle nervously at the cyan mare, who you assumed to be Rainbow Dash since she had quite the colorful mane and tail. Her mane seemed a bit unkempt and had almost the same bangs as Twilight, but was a bit scruffy looking. Her eyes were a rosy violet and were just a wide as Twilight's were. Then again most of their eyes were big as well. "Meh, whatever! I knew you weren't asleep anyways!" She giggled. "I mean c'mon you looked like a foal who was trying to skip out on school!" "Well, I was uh, a bit nervous to meet you all. I mean you should've seen what happened when I first met Twilight here." "We know, darling." The snow white mare, with the curly purple mane and cerulean eyes spoke up. She struck you as quite the looker even for a different species! She seemed to take quite good care of herself and her figure, looking very slim yet healthy as well. "Twilight told us all about the fiasco that was your meeting. Quite amusing if you ask me." You flushed and shrugged your shoulders. "How could you blame me? As I told Twilight not everyday I get to meet a talking pony. Or ponies in this case. By the way, it is very nice to meet you all. I understand you are all friends of Twilight?" "Yep! We've all been friends for a while now, going on about three years." The orange mare with the Stetson hat answered. She had a blonde mane which was tied up into a... Ponytail. There's a bit of irony in this, somewhere. The mare looked quite in shape and you could see the tone in her muscles on her back and shoulders, and you took a strong guess she worked on a farm. Seriously why else would she be wearing a cowboy hat? "Wow, that's quite a long time. What are your names by the way? I'd like to know." "Hey there, Ah'm Applejack, but y'all can call me AJ if ya like. Nice to meet ya." Applejack greeted. “Hello there darling, my name is Rarity. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." "Pleasure is all mine." You smile, making sure not to show teeth. "What about you?" “Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie!" The exuberant pink mare with the poof mane at the front of your bed chirps. "You wanna be my friend? I know you're new to this world and I have no idea what you are, but you wannabe my friend? Huh?" It was difficult to keep up with her words, but you can manage a response. "Uh, sure sounds great." She only grins in response and you look to her right, where you can see a bit of pink mane peeking out over your bed. "Umm, who is that next you Pinkie?" "Oh! Here ya go!" She grabs with her hooves and pulls her into view, a creme coated pegasus mare with a flowing pink mane. "So, what's your name?" You are only greeted with silence as she stands there avoiding your gaze. "Uh hello?" "Umm..." You can barely hear what she is saying. "My name is Fluttershy..." "Come again?" "My name is Fluttershy..." "Excuse me?" "Urgh, her name is Fluttershy." Rainbow speaks up. "Sorry, she can be a bit, uh, shy at times." "Oh, its alright. Nice to meet you, Fluttershy." You give your softest smile and thankfully she gives you one in return, however a bit a sheepish. "And what's your name?" "Name's Rainbow Dash!" She states proudly, puffing up her chest. "The fastest flyer in all of Equestria!" "Really? Sounds impressive, nice to meet you Rainbow." "Same here, dude." She says with a friendly grin. "So we told you our names, mind tellin' us yours?" Applejack asked. "Not at all. My name is Leroy, Leroy Evans. You all can call me Leroy, pleasure to meet each and every one of you." "Likewise, darling." Rarity agrees. "So, what do you all do for a living?" "Ah run a farm called Sweet Apple Acres in Ponyville, where we plant, grow, and harvest apples and make 'em into delicious treats." She stated proudly. "Really?" You ask, remembering your days on Earth, eating apples on a regular basis. "What kind of treats?" “Oh jeez, you had to ask,” Rainbow groaned, putting her hoof to her face. You were about to ask what she meant, but the jubilant look on Applejack's face answered your question. "Sweet Celestia! Where do I begin?" Applejack exclaimed. "We make apple fritters, apple pies, caramel candy apples, baked apples, apple cinnamon crisps, apple strudel, and the best darn apple cider, fermented and unfermented, you ever tasted! Oh Ah don't even know what to list anymore!" "Damn." You mire, amused at her excitement when telling you about her farm. "You must take a lot of pride in your farm." "Darn tootin'! I work hard to make muh farm the best it can be." "Sounds like you do. Remind me to come and visit if I get out of here." You smile at her and look over to Rarity. "What about you Rarity?" “I am a fashion designer, I can make any kind of clothing for anypony! From dresses to suits and much more!” Rarity said, “And speaking of clothes, I would love the opportunity to take your measurements! It would give me the chance to make some clothing for you and to broaden my horizons in design!" “Hmm, I might take you up on that offer Rarity, I’m probably gonna be here for a while and well I might need clothes." You smile sheepishly at the fashionista. “And you Fluttershy?" “I umm, I take care of the animals for Ponyville,” she whispered, blushing a little and hiding behind her mane. 'Jeez, she really does live up to her name.' "Animals? Ah that's great I like animals." “Oh, you do? Well maybe when you get better you could… come visit?” She asked sweetly. “I will make it a point to do that, once I get my legs moving,." You let out a laugh and turn to the pink earth pony. "So what about you Pinkie Pie?” “I throw the bestest parties you will ever see! Just wait and see what I have planned when you get released!” she exclaimed, jumping into the air a little. So a party planner huh? Interesting… “Can’t wait, haven’t been to a real party in a while. So I’m curious to see what you have planned." You chuckle at her antics. “Okay, what do you do Rainbow Dash?” “I’m the weather captain for the pegasi in Ponyville. And I’m also in the Reserves for the Wonderbolts!” She exclaims proudly. “Uh, what are the Wonderbolts?” You ask, curious of what exactly they are. This was obviously a trigger for her as she looks at you dumbstruck, as if you were the biggest idiot in the world. What happened next was inevitable. “Are you kidding?!” she leaps into the air and hovers in front of you, her eyes peering into your soul, but you could not help but give her an amused look. “The Wonderbolts are like the greatest team of flyers to ever come out of Cloudsdale! Only the best pegasi in all of Equestria are allowed to even be considered to be trained as a Wonderbolt!” She exclaims flailing her forelegs in the air for emphasis, her voice cracking slightly. “So I’m guessing you had already gone through all that? And you’re in the Reserves? Not bad Rainbow, congratulations.” You say giving her a sincere smile. “Heh, thanks Leroy. I hope they come to their senses and recruit me soon." She lands on the ground and sits on her rump. “Wow, you all have some very cool jobs. I’m kinda jealous actually." You admit to the six mares. “And why is that sugarcube?” Applejack asked raising an eyebrow. “Yes darling, please tell us.” Rarity begged. "Well, long story short, I never really found something that I was genuinely good at. Yeah sure I finished school and all that, got my degree and found a job that I didn't even like, but in the end everything that I went through in high school, all the tests that I took and notes I had to memorize were all for nothing. Two years after I got out of college, I just spent my days working and well, drinking at a bar on my days off. I honestly didn't feel very happy with how my life turned out. I didn't know what to do, I spent a lot of money getting through college with the hopes of getting a good career. After I graduated, I couldn't find a good job, got the one that I had, I didn't like it, but my debts were catching up so I had no choice. I guess after all that I never had time to find what I was really good at. So, there you have it. That's my story, well uh, most of it anyway." "Goodness, that doesn't sound very fun at all, darling." "Gosh, sounds like you had a rough time there, pardner." "Well, I did my best to get by, but I don't want you guys to worry about that. The past is the past." You assure them. “That sounds bad and all, but can I ask you something, Leroy?" Rainbow asks. “Sure go ahead." You concede. “What’s all that fur your head? And why you do you have patches of fur on your face too? But you don’t look like have that much fur anywhere else, its kinda weird.” She leaps up with her wings and ruffles your curly black hair with one hoof and touches your facial hair with her other. Wow, these ponies have no sense of personal space do they? But what were you going to do? She was just curious, its not like everyday a human comes into their world. “Rainbow, what are you doing? Careful with his bandages!” Twilight exclaimed. “Having fun there, Rainbow?” you ask, amused at her curiosity. “What? His fur is all curly on his head, and the fur on his face is so weird. And don't worry I'll be gentle." Rainbow replied, still messing with your hair and growing stubble. “Okay, Rainbow as long as you’re having fun." You sigh. Before things could get anymore awkward, the door opens and in walks Doctor Soft Hoof. Rainbow stops toughing your face and she turns to look back at the doctor “Ah hello there everypony, certainly nice to see all the Elements of Harmony greeting our new guest, whom I need to speak to at this moment,” Soft Hoof said. “Please doctor, don’t let us stand in the way,” Twilight encouraged. “Yes, now Mr. Leroy, you seem to have made progress. Your concussion does not seem to have affected you. Your bones have mended nicely, your wounds have healed as well, and from what I can see you've made good recovery,” Soft Hoof informed. “Well that’s good, so am I cleared to leave?" You ask hopefully. “That’s the thing though before you can you need to regain your strength and mobility. Being in bed 5 days in a row can really affect your muscles. And there is something else I need to ask you about Mr. Evans,” Soft Hoof asked. You look at Twilight with a concerned expression. She reassures you with a smile and a nod. “Ok, give it to me straight doc." “Well, since you are a new species in Equestria, we had a bit of a tough time trying to heal you,” Soft Hoof levitated his clipboard, “And during the scans, we saw that your bone structure is a little more frail than a pony’s. Since you were in critical condition we didn’t exactly have any time to study your anatomy properly, so we immediately had to find where the injuries were located quickly. As soon as we found the injuries, we had to apply class III healing spells to them,” “Class III healing spells?! Those are only used for severe injuries!” Twilight exclaimed. “Jeez Leroy, what’d you do? Get mauled by manticore?” Rainbow asked incredulously. “Uh no? I got ran over by a car,” you corrected. What in the world is a manticore? This world is getting stranger by the second. “What’s a car?” She asked, tilting her head in an adorable fashion that almost made you shed a tear. “Uh, n-nevermind. Tell ya later,” You promise her. “Well then, as I was saying, his bone structure is not as strong as ours. So from what we saw he is not as resilient, and therefore we had to apply them. In spite of this I must ask you to stay longer than needed,” He said, adjusting his glasses with a stern expression. “What? But I’ve been here a week already. Why do I need stay longer?” “Here at Canterlot General, we also do a bit of research in order to make advancements in the medical field. I’ve asked the Princesses along with Princess Twilight, and the other doctors here if they would like for us to perform tests on you. They all agreed to do so. However, we cannot allow you to leave if do not comply. We do not know if you are carrying any pathogens or diseases that may bring about a pandemic. So I'm afraid we offer your an ultimatum: either you comply with our request and be cleared to leave after we are done. Or you will have to stay here until you do. And, please do not take this personally, Leroy. We are merely doing this for your safety and our safety as well." "Well uh, given those choices," You chuckle. "I don't think staying here longer than I already have is a good idea. So I guess I'll do it, but you're not gonna like, cut me open to see my innards are you?" “Uh no we don’t need to do that. We used X-Ray spells to view your bones and organs, we only cut you open if we need to perform surgery,” Soft Hoof assured you. Still, the thought or your organs being put on display made you shudder. “Okay um, what kind of tests will you be performing on me?” “Well, you will have to regain your mobility to perform any kind of physical test, so we will be testing your range of movement on your limbs first and measure your total body length and weight. Then we will test your mental abilities, then your reaction to different medicines and injections, and some other tests,” he said looking at his clipboard. “Huh, that doesn’t sound so bad. Ok then, when do we start?” You ask confidently. “Tomorrow, but first I need to see something. Mr. Evans, I would like for you to stand up,” “Yeah I guess I should. It’d be a great first step to moving around again,” you begin to pull the sheets away when you realize something. You don’t have underwear on! Thankfully, the hospital gown is long enough to cover your privates. “Please do move slowly, I’d hate to see you fall and hurt yourself,” Twilight said worriedly. “Don’t worry Twilight, I got this,” You smile reassuringly. Twilight moves out of your way as you pull back the sheets. Your arms are still strong enough to move and you swing your legs over the edge of the bed. You take a deep breath as you lift your rear off the bed. Immediately when your feet are placed flat on the ground, you feel your legs give out and you stagger around. Twilight comes up to your side. You marvel at how small she is, as she only comes up to just below your stomach. And you find it kinda cute how she looks up at you with those beautiful violet eyes-okay back to the task at hand. “Here, you can lean up against me,” she offered. Rainbow Dash hovered around behind you and wrapped her hooves under your armpits. “I’ll be back here to keep you steady big guy,” “Thank you both,” you smiled. You then placed your hand on Twilights back just below her wing joints and leaned on her a little. Step, after staggering step, your legs were burning and were begging for you to just lay back down on the bed. The other four mares were looking on in worry, hoping that you would not hurt yourself. "Whoa, that hurt a lot more than I thought it would." “Hmm, it seems as though you are more strong than I thought. Good work Mr. Evans,” the doctor said as he scribbled down notes. Unfortunately, your legs decided you had had enough and you fall to one knee. “Leroy! Are you okay?” Twilight gasped. You groan in pain, your knees on fire. “Yeah yeah, just getting back my land legs,” You say trying to regain balance. “Careful there big guy, don’t hurt yourself,” Rainbow said. For someone who's as brash as she is, she sure is caring. Rainbow and Twilight help you back on your feet and guide you back to the bed. “Very well done Mr. Evans, but you will have to take foal steps for a while. Another thing, you are quite tall by the way. Taller than I remember actually,” Soft Hoof mused scratching his chin. It was true, Soft Hoof and the other ponies only reached up to your waist. So you had to look down at them all. “Yeah, you’re actually… pretty big Leroy,” Rainbow observed, with a small hint of… interest? Strange... “Uh thanks, Rainbow,” You said. “Right well, that will be all for now, we will continue tomorrow,” Soft Hoof said putting away his clipboard, “Oh before I forget, Mr. Evans?” “Yes?” “I don’t know if Princess Twilight has informed you of this, but she will be joining me and the other doctors during our research on you. Due to her interest in learning more about your species and anatomy, she has requested to be apart of the testing,” “Really? Cool,” You say smiling at Twilight, who responds with one of her own. “Yes it is… ‘cool’, makes the whole thing about twenty percent cooler I believe,” Soft Hood chuckled. “Hey! That’s my line!” Rainbow exclaimed, flaring her wings. “Oh dear, forgive Ms. Dash, I did not know,” The doctor apologized. “Consarnit Rainbow, would ya relax?” Applejack said giving Rainbow a scolding look. “What? C’mon AJ, that’s like my catch phrase!” She argued. “Rainbow, Ah swear Ah’ve only heard ya say that once,” “Nuh uh! I’ve said it plenty of times! Right Fluttershy?” Rainbow turned to her pegasus friend. “Umm, sorry Dash. I agree with Applejack, I think you only said it once,” She said giving a blushing smile. “Ya see? Told ya so!” Applejack smirked. “Uggghh, whatever,” Rainbow said sitting on her rump folding her forelegs. You had to admit, it was pretty amusing watching them bicker and you laughed at their antics. Back home you enjoyed watching people argue about ridiculous things. Only reason being is because you literally had nothing better to do, however you did have some shred of integrity when it came to certain situations. You did know when and where to be serious man and a comedian. “Wow, you guys should get your own stand up comedy show. I’m getting a laugh out of just watching you guys argue over this,” You say chuckling. “Ehh, Ah dunno ‘bout that sugarcube. Ah ain’t the funniest mare in town, but Pinkie over there will get ya gigglin’ like a foal in a second,” She said motioning to the pink party pony. “Hmm, a party planner and a comedian? Welll done,” You compliment her. “Thanks! Not only do I love throwing parties for everypony, but I do my best to make sure everypony is happy!” she said proudly. A very noble cause indeed. "Right then, I will be taking my leave. Mr. Evans nurses will be coming in to prep you for tomorrow." The light brown unicorn informed as he opened the door. “Okay, thank you doctor,” “Princess Twilight, we will begin tomorrow whenever you are able to arrive,” “Yes, I will arrive early in the morning,” Twilight said. “Very well Princess, I will see you all again some other time, goodbye now!” he said as he closed the door. ooo000oo000ooo Twilight and her friends stayed with you for a few hours, all of them having questions about you and where you came from. You gladly answered their numerous questions as best as you could. They also answered some of your questions as well. It turns out besides just being Twilights friends, they were all heroines of their world. There were these gems known as the Elements of Harmony, all of which represented different characteristics of friendship, were once able to be wielded by Celestia herself. What shocked you was the story they told of you Luna, how she once tried to take over Equestria and how she transformed into the evil goddess Nightmare Moon. Celestia had to use the Elements to banish her sister to the moon for a thousand years. The elements were lost to time, until Nightmare Moon’s return from her thousand-year banishment. It was then Twilight had to find the elements and use them against the evil goddess. She was going to find them alone, but it was when her friends, whom she met on her trip to Ponyville, offered to help find the elements. Reluctant at first, she accepted their help and journeyed to find the Castle of the Two Sisters to find the Elements. It was during their confrontation with the Moon Goddess, did they discover their virtues. Applejack’s truthfulness made her the Element of Honesty. Rarity’s willingness to give, made her the Element of Generosity. Fluttershy’s tenderness and caring, made her the Element of Kindness. Rainbow Dash’s refusal to leave her friends behind, made her the Element of Loyalty. Pinkie Pie’s ability to remain positive in any situation, made her the Element of Laughter. Twilight’s unmatched magical prowess, made her the Element of Magic. They also told you that the Element of Magic was the Key element to activate them. So? you’ve made friends with six mares who were considered heroines all throughout Equestria… things were definitely looking up around here. It was when they all had to leave due to their responsibilities, did you begin to feel a little lonely. Already they were growing on you, and you couldn’t wait to see them again. Well, right now you had other things to worry about, so hanging out with them would come later. Tomorrow was a big day, and you had to be focused so you could give them the best possible results. Your body was in good condition when you left Earth. Despite your constant trips to the bar, you managed to avoid the beer belly with a few workouts here and there. Also due to the fact you lived alone and only ate when you had to; that and you didn’t have much in the first place. Twilight stayed behind after her friends after you chatted with them for an hour or two. While you and Twilight were talking, a nurse walked in, like Soft Hoof said and checked you to make sure that you were okay for tomorrow. Shortly after the nurse finished her work and left, Twilight said goodbye and took her leave, which meant that you could finally go to sleep and rest up for tomorrow. You lay there on your bed, thinking about the great time you had talking with Twilight and her friends. Eventually you begin to feel your eyelids grow heavy and you decide to turn in for the night, and rest up for tomorrow. Chapter 5: ExperimentationChapter 5: Experimentation By: Calamity Jay "So this is just for research purposes right?" The next day came much quicker than you could possibly have anticipated. A nurse by the name of Sunny Day, a light pink unicorn mare, with a yellow mane done up in a bun topped with a nurse hat, came into your room to give you breakfast which consisted of what looked like… lumpy oatmeal? She informed you that it was oats, so you took a bite and it was quite literally raw oats soaked in warm milk. Your taste buds rejected it, but you forcefully swallowed it as to not look like an ass. She saw your reaction and apologized for not knowing what to give you. You just wave it off. How could they know what to give you? You were an alien creature brought to this world only under circumstance. Wow when you say it like that it sounds negative as hell. On the side, there was a glass of orange juice, a couple slices of toast, and an apple. You drank down the orange juice, ate the toast, and munched on the apple. By the sweet heavens! When you took a bite of the apple it was the sweetest apple you’ve have tasted by far! You savored each and every bite! “Well I must say, that was a nice breakfast,” you say, putting down the apple core down onto the tray. You took a few spoonfuls of the oats, but your stomach didn’t quite agree with it. “I’m glad you enjoyed it sir. Well, now we know that you can’t eat oats. Again, sorry about that,” she said, giving you an apologizing look. “It’s fine, but at this point I would’ve eaten anything. Haven’t had something solid since I got here,” “I know, you had to eat. Today you have a busy schedule ahead of you,” “That’s true, when am I starting on that anyway?” you ask raising an eyebrow. She walks up to collect the tray with her magic. “Well, I think Princess Twilight has arrived, so they’re just preparing everything,” she says moving the tray onto the dresser beside you, moving the table away from your bed. “So not much longer then, right?” “Mhm, should be another fifteen or so minutes,” she places the empty tray on the bed table which she has moved to the foot of the bed. “Well, I guess it’s mental preparation for me then,” you say leaning back and folding your arms. “Why is that? Are you nervous Mr. Evans?” she asked sweetly. “Umm, a little bit. Not sure what they have in store for me. Oh and please call me Leroy.” “Alright then Leroy." She giggles. "And don't worry, I’m sure they won’t make you do anything over the top. They just want to learn more about your kind. So in a way, you’re helping us. And for that you have the thanks from the entire staff here at Canterlot General Hospital,” she says sincerely. This brought a smile to your face. You felt you were doing a service to the ponies of Equestria, and that made you feel great. “Thanks, I’m glad to help,” “Your welcome, well I have to go attend to other ponies, I hope to see you some time Mr. Evans, but hopefully under different circumstances,” she said opening the door. “Right, I’ll be seeing you then,” you say as she exits the room. ooo000oo000ooo Half an hour passes and for some reason an armoured pegasus guard opens the door to your room and enters along with a gray unicorn doctor. “Umm, am I in trouble?” you ask worriedly. “Oh no, we assembled a squad of guards to escort you to the laboratory to begin your tests. And we’ve also brought a wheelchair so you can get there without difficulty,” he informed you. “Uh okay, but why the guards? I’m not dangerous,” you said. “We know, but its just a safety precaution. We’d hate for anything to happen to you on the way to the lab. I mean, not to sound negative, but there are a lot of ponies who are bigots here in Canterlot and don’t agree with an alien in their presence. So that’s why the guards. Oh, by the way I’m Doctor Scalpel, and this is Sergeant Blue Sky,” he introduced himself and the light blue pegasus next to him, the latter giving you a nod. “Right, well I’d hate for anything to happen as well. So thank you sergeant,” you said. “Yes, now, we are running a little bit late, so we must get moving,” the young sergeant said gruffly. “Of course Sergeant. Mr. Evans, are you ready?” Scalpel asked. “Yes, I am,” you say, nodding your nodding your head “Very well, Private! Bring in the wheelchair,” Blue Sky ordered. In walked a young-looking unicorn guard, pushing a wheelchair with his magic. He arrived at your bed and let go of the wheelchair. “Shall I levitate you into the chair sir?” he asked. “Um, no thank you. I’ll do it,” you say, moving your body to the edge of the bed and swinging your legs over. You take a breath and your feet touch the cold floor, you then inhale and lift yourself off the bed. Immediately, you wobble a little bit and the young guard helps you steady yourself. You turn around, and with the guard’s help, you lowered yourself into the chair. “Well that wasn’t so hard was it now? Thanks,” you say to the young unicorn. “My pleasure sir,” he says giving you a nod. “Okay private, wait outside with the others,” the sergeant ordered. “Yes sir,” he salutes and makes his way outside. “Well then, let’s get this train moving shall we?” Scalpel offered. You nod and the doctor moves behind you so he can push the wheelchair with his magic. ooo000oo000ooo Four guards surround you in a box formation, with Scalpel pushing the chair behind you. You had to admit, you felt kind of cool. Being escorted by guards made you look and feel cool. All around there were ponies of all kinds going about their business. Some were hospital staff, while others were most likely visiting a loved one. On the way over there, some of the ponies gave you quizzical looks. How could you blame them? They have never seen someone like you before. Then, there were those that gave you looks of absolute disgust. Those of which were ponies who were dressed in very regal and fancy clothing. You tried to maintain your stoic persona, but on the inside you felt very out of place among these ponies. Here you were, in a world full of these equines and you were sure they saw you as some creature, a thing. All the hostile and confused stares you received made you feel a bit nervous. No wonder the guards were here, someone here might not like the idea of some creature in their world. Fifteen minutes passed, and finally you approached a room with a plaque across it that read 'Research Lab'. “Okay Mr. Evans, this is where we shall leave you,” Blue Sky informed. “Right, thank you gentlemen. Uh sergeant? Would you be so kind as to come back to escort our guest back to his room in an hour or so?” Scalpel asked. “Yes doctor, we will come back in the time you requested. C’mon boys, let’s go,” the sergeant ordered. The guards followed their commanding officer and made their way down the hallway, leaving you and Scalpel at the door. “Well then, shall we doctor?” you asked, looking back at him. “Why yes, certainly,” he answered, using his magic to open the door and pushed you through. ooo000oo000ooo The lab itself was not very large. It was a small room with an examination table in the middle of it. On the left from the entrance was a few chalkboards with some notes scribble on the side of it. To the right was a window with a door leading to the room behind it, most likely where the doctors were going to be observing. All around in the room there was different equipment. A treadmill, most likely for the physical test, a tray carrying a few medical instruments, and a few other things you couldn’t quite name. “Well, here we are Mr. Evans,” Scalpel said proudly. “This place seems uh, legit, heh," You laugh nervously. "Where are the others?" “Princess Twilight and Dr. Soft Hoof should be coming out of the observation room right about-” the door to the observation room opened and in walked Twilight and Soft Hoof, “Now,” Scalpel finished. Twilight had her mane tied up in a bun, she sported a pair of red glasses, and wore a white lab coat with holes for her wings to move freely. She reminded you of the Medic from Team Fortress II. Soft Hoof wore his usual glasses with lab coat. “Well, someone is looking professional,” you compliment. “Why thank you Leroy, are you ready to begin?” she asked giggling. “I guess so,” “Good, Dr. Scalpel, Soft Hoof? Are we ready to begin?” “Yes Princess,” they answered. “Good, now bring in the nurses. Leroy, we will be in the observation room. The nurses will be administering the test. Do you understand?” she asked adjusting her glasses. “Yeah, I got you,” you assure the Princess. “Good, ah here are the nurses now,” Twilight said In came two nurse mares, one a unicorn and the other an earth pony. One of them was a charcoal color with a cyan mane and tail. The other a light brown color and a dark brown mane and tail. “Leroy, this is nurse Soothing Song,” she pointed to the brown mare, “And this is nurse Starlight,” she pointed to the other nurse. “Nice to meet you both,” you smiled at them. “Very nice to meet you Mr. Evans,” Soothing Song said. “We look forward to working with you,” Starlight agreed smiling sweetly. You had to admit, the two nurses before you were quite lovely (for ponies) and them just being there made you feel a little less nervous. “Thank you, I look forward to working with you as well. Oh and please, call me Leroy,” you say, giving a charming smile, remembering not to show teeth. The two mares giggle and give you an ‘ok’. “Okay then, shall we begin?” Twilight asked. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement and the doctors along with Twilight made their way into the observation room. Once in, you hear an intercom crackle to life. “Okay, can you all hear me?” Twilight asked through the intercom. “Yes, Princess, give us your instructions,” Soothing said standing next to you. “Okay, beginning anatomy research on Subject 084 aka Leroy Evans. Please begin by stripping subject of robe,” Twilight ordered. You began to panic as she said this, if they did this you would be completely naked! You’d be showing them Little Leroy! This can’t go on! The two mares proceeded to undress you. “Wait, Twilight!” you begged. “What is it Leroy?” you had to figure out how to explain your situation, remembering the conversation you had about your taboos. “Uh Twilight, if you take off my robe, then I’d be naked,” you tell her. "You remember what we talked about right?" “I understand your species' taboos, but don't worry about it. We're all technically naked here anyways. You don't have to be embarrassed." “Yes, but my privates would be showing. I don’t have fur or a tail of any kind to cover them,” “It’s fine Mr. Evans. When you came in, we stripped you of your clothing to examine your injuries. So not to worry, you have nothing to hide from us,” Soft Hoof explained. You looked to the two mares beside you. “It’s okay Leroy, don’t be shy,” Starlight said. “Yes, everything’s alright Leroy,” Soothing cooed. “But are you sure I have to be naked?” you asked. “We have to be thorough in our tests Leroy, are you ready to continue?” she asked. Wow, she can be really serious when she wants to. Now you had a situation in front of you. You had to strip down to your birthday suit in front of two mares, pony doctors, and a Princess… this was a situation indeed. Your thoughts argue with themselves for a bit, debating whether or not the absurdness of this situation was worth the gain of the ponies. Come on, you’ve been through worse. 'Oh how did things end up like this?! I only had a few drinks! A few!' You bite your lip, debating whether or not you should do this. Finally, you decide that you don't really have a choice in this, seeing as how you already submitted yourself to these experiments. "Alright then, Twilight, let's just get this over with. “Okay, nurses, help him disrobe please,” she ordered. The two nurses beside you start to disrobe you. Soothing uses her teeth to untie a rope on the back of the robe while Starlight uses her magic to encase the robe in her gray aura. “Could you lift your arms please?” Starlight asked sweetly. You comply and hold your arms above your head. She uses her magic to lift the robe off of your body... And well here you are, in the nude. A chill runs across your body, causing you to get goosebumps and shiver. The two nurse mares giggled. Starlight folded your robe with her magic. “Feeling a little cold there, Leroy?” Soothing asked. “Yeah, a little, but don’t worry I’m good,” you say, moving your hands to cover your privates as best you could. Your body shaking from the cold and from anxiety as well. “Okay, just try to relax, Leroy okay? You'll do fine!” Twilight assured. "Alright, let's begin the experiments..." ooo000oo000ooo “Well, that wasn’t so bad now was it Leroy?” Scalpel asked as he pushed you through the hallway, with the guards on your sides. “Yeah I guess, but it wouldn’t have been a bad idea to get me my boxers I brought from Earth,” you say, leaning back into the chair. “Yes, I will ask Princess Twilight and Dr. Soft Hoof to allow you to wear your what did you call them? Boxers?” “Ah! That’d be great!” you say smiling. The testing session was not all that bad. Besides being naked, all they asked you was to show them your range of motion, you had to tell them the proper names for your limbs and body parts. All your body parts, including Little Leroy. You had to have the two nurses help you move around a bit, but other than that it went by smoothly. However, they also took a measurement of every part of your body. Every part of your body. You felt a lot better and for some reason you could move on your own a little more. When you got to your room, Blue Sky and his guards left you, and Scalpel helped you out of the wheelchair. Instead of limping to your bed, you walked by yourself with very little pain. At this rate, you’d be fully recovered in no time! “Thank you doctor for your help,” you say while getting into bed. “Not a problem Leroy, always glad to help. Oh before I forget, tomorrow is the physical test, Twilight has asked me to make a report on your condition for the test tomorrow. How are your legs and arms feeling?” He asks you, floating out a quill and notepad. “Well, I’m feeling much better. My legs and arms are feeling stronger than yesterday. Much stronger actually, kinda weird if you ask me,” you said. “Really? That is strange. Well I will have to definitely report this to Twilight, thank you Leroy,” he said, putting away his notepad and quill. “Will that be all doctor?” “Yes, I will be going now” the doctor made his way to the door, “Good day Leroy!” “See ya later doc,” you give a small wave as he exited the room. Now it was just you and your thoughts in the room. A few minutes later, the door opens up again and Twilight walks in with her mane down and her glasses off, but still wearing the coat. She is also carrying a few books on her back. You can only guess those books are for you. Great, now you had something to do besides just sitting there thinking about life. “Hello there, Leroy, I have a little something,” she says, floating the books off your her back and onto your bed, “I’ve gathered a few books on Equestrian History and Social Studies you might wanna read. Since you’ll be here awhile, why not read up on Equestria itself?” “Ho ho, I always did like history, thank you Twilight,” you say as you pick up one of the books, “Hmm, ‘Guide to Equestrian History’ eh? I think I’ll read this one first,” You open the book to the title page. “I’m glad you like reading, I remember how much Rainbow hated reading," she says with a roll of her eyes, "I remember when I was a filly, I would read a lot of books. That’s actually how I learned so much about magic, everything I know was from books. Reading is what got me to become Celestia’s apprentice and in turn a Princess,” she said, looking off into the distance in her reverie. “Wow, you were quite the bookworm weren’t you Twilight?” “Yes I was, and I still am, but because of that when I still lived in Canterlot, I never really had time for friends. I was always so busy studying and practicing my magic, even when others tried to reach out to me I’d always say I was too busy and didn’t have time,” Twilight said lowering her chin. “Hey from what I can see, you have six wonderful friends who from what you all have told me stick by your side and help whenever they can. You have them, and you also have me Twilight,” you say, reaching over to ruffle her mane. Strangely, she gasps when you scratch her mane, just behind her ears like you do with a pet, and she develops a goofy grin. “Mmm, that felt good. Could you do that again?” she asks sweetly. You again reach over and scratch her ears, Twilight letting a little gasp and a sigh from your touch. She closes her eyes and one of her hind legs begins to thump against the floor. You can’t help but laugh at the way she kicks her hind leg and her silly grin. Her tail also begins to flick here and there. For some reason she began to moan a little, she rose to all fours. She then placed her forelegs onto the side of your bed, begging wordlessly for you to continue. Okay, now this was getting awkward. But for some reason, you kept scratching her ears. You kept scratching and she kept moaning, sighing, and flicking her tail. Alright this is becoming absurd, could you please stop scratching her ears? This is really getting awkward! Without warning you pull your hand away and she looks up at you with a flushed expression. “You okay there Twilight?” you ask her. "All I did was scratch your ears." “Mhm, yes I am. Wow that felt amazing, those hands of yours are great!” she said giggling. “Well I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. And to give you more info on hands, they give us humans added dexterity in our everyday activities, allowing us to perform various actions. Uh, including what I just showed you,” you add, wearing a sheepish grin. “That felt amazing! I think maybe its just been a long day and I was feeling a little stressed out. Oh, by the way, Scalpel told me that you were feeling a lot better. And he also told me that you were walking on your own without trouble. Hmm, you’re making a quick recovery, even quicker than a regular stallion would, interesting,” she said putting a hoof to her chin. “I don’t what it is really, just one day after the other I feel a little bit better. Huh, I guess I should be out of here in no time at this rate,” “Maybe so, but we still have another two days of research we have to do. And it’s the physical test, so rest up for tomorrow okay?” she then got her forelegs off of your bed, “I gotta get going Leroy, I have to report all of this to Princess Celestia. But I will be seeing you tomorrow alright?” “Okay Twilight, take care,” you say giving her a little wave. “Bye Leroy!” she says cheerfully opening the door and exiting For the rest of the evening, you take the books Twilight gave you and delve into the sea of knowledge that they offer. At about half past seven, Sunny Day shows up again to serve you dinner, which comprised of a sandwich made up of lettuce (damn), hot noodle soup, and a glass of apple juice. It was a delight to chat with Sunny again, her bubbly personality made the mood just a little bit brighter. You guess that’s why her name is Sunny Day and her cutie mark is a smiling sun. Very fitting indeed. “Well, it was nice chatting with you Leroy. I’ll be back in the morning with your breakfast,” Sunny said, picking up your tray with her pink aura. “Goodnight, oh and try not to stay up too late reading’ “Will do!” you reply, she leaves the room and you pick up the history book and start where you left off. The book is really detailed, mentioning very important events and figures; especially of this wizard called Starswirl the Bearded. You guess he had a major hand in shaping Equestrian history, since he is mentioned numerous times in many events. By the time you got to the part where Celestia and Luna first face off with someone named Discord, the god of chaos, it was already close to midnight. ‘Damn, now I know how Twilight felt when she was always reading as a filly, oh well time for bed,’ you sigh and close up the book, making sure to fold down the upper corner so you don’t get lost. A huge yawn escapes your mouth and you turn of the lamp next to you and settle into the soft sheets. You look up at the ceiling, again having some pre-bedtime thoughts. A few minutes pass and you close your eyes. Soon you fall asleep and once again go to dreamland ooo000oo000ooo “Leroy! Good morning!” Sunny Day trots in with your breakfast in her magic. She seems cheerful today. “Hey there Sunny, nice to see you again,” you greet putting down a book on different species in Equestria. “It’s nice to see you too, here’s your breakfast!” she floats your meal onto the bed table and rolls it up to you. “Here you are, today you have egg whites, two slices of toast, an orange and apple juice,” she lists off the items on your tray. It all looks very appetizing so you dig in right away. “Ahh, thank you very much Sunny, I appreciate your service,” you say biting a piece of toast. “It’s my pleasure,” she giggles, she sees the way you’re vigorously eating your meal, “My my, you seem to have gained your appetite back,” “I know right? Especially from yesterday’s physical test. I can’t believe I could run on the treadmill only after two days of regaining mobility. Kinda weird if you ask me,” you finish a piece of toast and start on the eggs. “Yeah it is weird how fast you’re recovering, almost too fast since you’ve got here,” “I don’t know, maybe it’s magic,” you chuckle putting a piece of egg in your mouth. “Hmm, I wouldn’t doubt it. You were fixed up by magic so its a possibility,” she said. The fact that magic actually exists in Equestria escaped you, and you mentally facepalm again. “Oh, well that I did not expect, scratch that off the list of things I’ve never seen,” you chuckle. “Hmm, well I’m pretty sure that list is long. In Equestria, there are many things that most likely aren’t on your world. One being magic from what I’ve heard,” “But, there are also things on my world Equestria hasn’t seen,” “Really? Like what?” she asked raising an eyebrow. “Well a lot of great things like advanced technology, wildlife, monuments, and there are other beautiful things too. And from what I've read, Equestria has beautiful things as well." Sunny giggles and blushes, confusing you, but nonetheless you go on. "But there are things on my world that Equestrians should never see. Like the dark side of the moon, there is a dark side to my world." You mutter with a grimace. “What do you mean?” “Well I'd hate to slander the name of my species, but things such as technology can be a good thing and a terrible thing as well. On my planet there have been numerous wars, technological advancements that created weapons of war that are capable of terrible things. Everyday it feels as though we are always on the verge of war with some other country. I don't Equestria should be exposed to such horrors, I'm afraid that it will just end up as another Earth. I would not want it to come to that." “But there hasn’t been war in Equestria for thousands of years, ever since Celestia and Luna came to power. Was there really that much war in your world?" “Most of our world history is based off of gains from others in their victories in war. Simply stated, history is written by the victor. Many nations and civilizations all throughout time have waged war for various reasons. And well, the ones who win, are the ones who dictate the flow of history,” “Sweet Celestia, that’s terrible. I can only imagine what you’ve seen,” she said putting a hoof on your hand. “Well I haven’t seen that much, but when I left, things weren’t exactly great. All over my world there was still war going on. People always fighting because they want change, equality, and freedom. I guess fairness is a concept my world has failed to grasp,” you say softly holding her hoof in your hand. “I’m sorry your world is so hard Leroy, I hope Equestria can help you be a little happier,” she said nuzzling your hand. It caught you off guard what she did, but you brushed it off. After what Twilight had let you do, you figured ponies weren’t all that big on the no touchy thing. “Ah its alright, even though life on Earth was tough, I still managed to find some happiness,” “Really? How so?” she asks tilting her head. “Well, after college I found escape in music. I started liking the saxophone and the drums, so after I made some money I went to a pawn shop and bought an old saxophone and at a garage sale there was a drum set for a hundred dollars,” “What’s a saxophone?” “Well its an instrument made of brass, but its called a woodwind about this big,” you say estimating the size with your hands, “Reason why is because it uses a piece of wood called a reed, to make sound. It has a bunch of holes with buttons over them, and you can manipulate the sound it makes by pressing the buttons to make notes. You can combine these music notes to play songs and stuff,” “Hmm, sounds great. It’d be amazing if I could hear the music you play sometime,” she says smiling. “Well you never know, maybe I could work something out,” just then the door to your room opened and in walked Scalpel with Blue Sky. “Well Leroy, today’s the last day! Are you ready to go?” he asked happily. You failed to realize that you and Sunny had talked for over thirty minutes, but hey you weren’t complaining, she is a sweet, pretty mare who was nice to chat with. You rise out of your bed, and stretch out your limbs, a few joints popping back into place. “Alright doc, let’s get going,” ooo000oo000ooo You were escorted for the third and final time to the Research Lab by the guards. All the way over there you again received mixed looks of interest, confusion, and disgust. Again, you did your best to remain calm despite the numerous stares. You reach the research lab and the guard bid their farewells and promises of return, leaving you and the doctor outside the door. “Okay, Leroy, here we are. I must inform you that Princess Twilight will be the only one present and observing the final experiments,” Scalpel informed you. “Really? Why is that?” you ask, confused. The other doctors were there the other two days, why would they not be there now? “Hmm, sorry to tell you that I can’t say. She gave me specific instructions to only inform you that me and Softy won’t be there,” he said shaking his head. You began to feel slightly nervous, you were going to be alone with Twilight wearing neigh but your boxers; the instinctual modesty of your species coming to light. “I suggest you go in now Leroy, she is awaiting your arrival,” the doctor said, pointing his muzzle to the door. “Right, well thanks doc, and thank you sergeant,” you say with a smile. Scalpel smiled back and turned around to leave. After he leaves, you open the door. As soon as you enter the room, in place of the examination table, you see a small twin size bed with a single pillow and white sheets. ‘Is she planning to… noooo, that can’t be right. I gotta stop being ridiculous here man,” you think to yourself. ‘Its probably for a therapy session or something.’ Your heart jumps as you hear the door to the observation room open. Hmm, skittish are we? In walks Twilight followed by… Applejack?! Why is she here? Not that you see it as a problem, she is a wonderful mare, but what is the reason? “Uh hi Twilight, Applejack,” you greet them nervously. “Hey Leroy,” Twilight smiles. “Howdy there, sugarcube,” Applejack smiles and tips her hat to you. “Sooo uh, what’s going on?” you ask them. “Well, from the research we’ve conducted, I’d say we learned a lot about your anatomy, but there is one more thing that I would like to see,” she says adjusting her glasses. Oh dear… “And what is that?” you already know the answer your perverted mind has conjured up, but just to be sure… “For this stage of research, I am very curious of your reproductive system and your mating rituals,” she said without missing a beat. Well, that throws your non-sexual scenario theory out the window. “Uhhh, well when a male and a female love each other very much…” you begin as if explaining to a child. Immediately, Twilight and Applejack start to laugh at your childish explanation of doing the dirty deed. “We know how it happens Leroy,” Applejack said, coming down from her laughing fit. “But, we wanna see firsthand how your mating rituals play out. Applejack here has volunteered to be your sexual partner in this study. Of course if you’re not comfortable with doing this, you could always just say so,” her words hit you like a ton of bricks, your heart rate speeding up slightly. “Honestly Leroy, if ya don't wanna do this, Ah'd understand." She smiles up at you. "Ah know you've never been with a mare before, but Ah'd be really grateful if ya did this for me and Twilight." 'Oh fuck, this is quite the predicament isn't it? But this is wrong! I can't do this! She's a pony and I'm a human! People back home would think that I'm a freak!' "Uh i don't know about this, just uh give me a moment to think will you?" "Of course, take all the time you need, Leroy." Twilight smiled. You nod and walk over to the bed and sit down, trying to think about the pros and cons of what this will bring. Twilight looks over to Applejack and whispers in her ear. "Hey, he seems a bit nervous about this, why don't you go talk to him?" "Ah guess Ah could, what will you do?" "I'll go into the observation room, if he doesn't want to go through with this, then I'll just come out. Just trust me on this one, I know you'll find something with him." You see Twilight walk towards the door to the observation room and Applejack walking over to you. She stands in front of the bed with a soft expression on her face. "You alright there, hun?" She asks worriedly. "Uh, yeah I'm fine I guess," "Mind if Ah sit with ya?" "Sure, go ahead." She then climbs onto the bed and sits next to you. "Ah take it you're a bit nervous ain't ya?" She takes off her hat and places it onto a table nearby. "A little, just that I've never been with someone that's well- not a human. So forgive me if I'm a bit hesitant to do this." "Don't worry Ah ain't mad," She chuckles, waving her hoof. "If it makes ya feel any better, Ah'm nervous too." "Really? I guess that makes two of us then." You reply. "But even then, I still feel like I shouldn't do this." "And why is that? Are you uh- you know, a virgin?" "What? No!" She recoils at your outburst. "I mean no. I'm not. Like I said, I've never had sex with someone that isn't a human. Back on my world, having relations with another species is bad enough to get you in jail." "Really? Well that seems a bit extreme." "Thing is, and I'm not sure if Twilight has mentioned this, mares back on my world don't exactly talk or have feelings. They're just basically animals." "So you're saying we're animals?" She arches an eyebrow. "No no, that's not what I mean at all. It's just, they're not like you, all bright, colorful, with eyes that you can just get lost in." Applejack lets out a small chuckle. "And well, there's that and I would just feel bad for doing this." "Why is that? If we both agree to do this then why should ya feel bad?" "Because, I'd feel as though I'm taking advantage of you like this. That sort of thing happened to me back on Earth and I just don't want it to happen again." "You mean using somepony for sex?" "Yeah, that's exactly what I'm afraid of." "Hmm, Ah see what ya mean." She nods and purses her lips in thought; a few moments of awkward pass by, your legs swinging to and fro off the edge of the bed. "Hey, Leroy?" "Yeah?" "Mind if Ah tell ya somethin'?" "Be my guest." She takes a deep breath. "Leroy, Ah am an honest pony. Ah'm not one of them loose mares who have a new stallion in their bed every other day. In my life there have been maybe one or two stallions. Ah hate to say it, but its been so long since Ah've had anypony with me." "I know how you feel. Being alone is the worst feeling. Its been years for me, what about you?" "The last colt that Ah had was before Ah met Twilight. Then we started going on all those little adventures of ours and well, Ah kinda just forgot about colts. Its only been recently that Ah started lookin' for a mate, but sad to say there are that many good stallions these days. Most of 'em just want me 'cuz of muh status as the Element of Honesty and friendship with a princess." "I'm guessing that's why you volunteered for this? Because you thought that maybe you could find something in me?" "Ah was hopin' maybe Ah could?" "But, you realize that what you want me to do is like going from step one to step twenty, right?" "What does that mean? Ah really don't see sex as a big deal, Ah do know its something that you should do it with somepony that you really trust." "But we met not a couple days ago. And I'm not a pony." You let out a small laugh. "What makes you put so much trust into me? Not that I'm not flattered, it just seems a bit unusual to put so much trust into an alien creature you just met." Applejack merely smiled at you. "Listen, sugarcube. Twilight says that you're trustworthy and I trust her with muh life. So if she's alright with you, then so am Ah." You give her a small smile and she inches just a bit closer to you. "And uh, if this will make you feel any better, you're also kinda cute for somepony who's not a pony." She gains a half lidded expression and places her hoof on your hand. "With a handsome face like yours, it kinda makes me wonder." "Well I gotta say." You get even closer to her and hold her hoof in your hand. "You look pretty good for someone who's not a human." "Aren't you quite the flatterer." She develops a sly smile and turns around to face you. "So, what do you wanna do about it?" Applejack then leans forward and nuzzles your neck; the gesture itself is foreign to you and did not know how to react. She notices this immediately. "What's wrong? Am Ah going too fast for ya?" "No, its just, can we talk about this for a little bit?" "Okay then," She backs off a bit. "We'll talk. About what exactly?" "Just uh, look I'm afraid that things will get weird between us. I don't like doing something like this." "Like what?" "It just feels strange. I don't know if its because you're another species or because I feel like I'm taking advantage of you or something! I guess its because I'm afraid of getting close to someone again, only to lose them in the end. I just don't want history to repeat itself." "Ah get what ya mean, but hey," You feel her hoof on your cheek and she turn you to face her. "Ah don't want ya to worry 'bout that, ya aren't takin' advantage of me. Ah really want to do this and Ah was hopin' that you would too. Reason bein' is 'cuz there's just somethin' about ya that Ah find so attractive." Her words astonish you thoroughly. "Ah don't know if maybe its 'cuz you seem different than other stallions that Ah've met. Ah guess its 'cuz you're genuinely polite, kind, and almost as honest as Ah am." "How am I as honest as the Element of Honesty?" You quip with a wry smile. "Well, ya did just tell me all the reasons why you didn't wanna do this and why you're so nervous." "Huh, I guess I did." "Now, why don't ya tell me all the reasons why you want to do this?" She leans forward and nuzzles you again; it feels so strange yet so good whenever she does that. The way her soft velvety fur felt on your skin was amazing and believe it or not, you wanted to feel it some more. You move closer to her and run your hand from the back of her head, feeling her soft, silky golden mane slip through your fingers. She groans a bit as you slowly run your hand to her shoulders, but there is something about them. You apply some pressure to the area and almost immediately she groans again, closing her eyes in bliss. "What's wrong? Are you sore?" You ask, slowly rubbing her shoulder. "Yeah, a bit. Ah spent the last few days hauling some apples to and from town, so yeah Ah guess muh shoulders are pretty darn sore." She said, sighing as you continued massaging her. "Sweet Holy Celestia, that feels so good!" "Does it? Well, I'm glad you're enjoying yourself." You chuckle. "Ever gotten a massage before?" "Ah believe so, but you mind givin' me one? Its been a while and-" You hold up your hand with a wry smile. "Say no more. I got you fam." You bop her on the nose. "Why don't you go ahead and lie down? I'll do the rest." Without question, she turns around and lays on her belly, looking back at you with a light blush on her muzzle. "Just relax alright? I'll help you feel better. Just tell me where it hurts." "Well Ah guess muh shoulders, muh back, and muh lower back. Mind gettin' those spots?" "Not at all," You pat her back and fix your position so that you are sitting next to her, leaning right over her back, where you start rubbing and lightly pressing her pressure points; as you rubbed her sore muscles, she let out content sighs and groans. "Mmm, ya know, Leroy?" She asks, laying her head down. "Yeah?" "Ya never told me the reasons why you want to do this." "Oh yeah that, umm..." You trail off and think of the pros of this situation. One, you could have sex with her, break through the barriers between your species. Two, you could possibly find love with this girl, even though it will be a bit rushed. Three, she has an amazing physique for a pony as you can feel the strength emanating from her body as you feel her up. Not to mention she was incredibly small. You could possibly pick her up with one arm if you wanted to. "Well, for one thing I think you're a wonderful pony." You move down to her upper back and softly work your fingers on her. "Oh sweet goddesses, that feels good." She sighs and squirms under your touch. "Keep going." "And from what I can see you have an amazing physique, how did you get this fit?" You ask as you rub her toned back. "Years and years of working on the farm can do great things for a mare. Such as earning muhself a nice toned body. And eating apples all the time helps a bit too." "I can see that." You chuckle. "Ya mind moving down lower?" "Sure." You move down lower and start rubbing her lower back, just above her flank. "Here?" "Mmm, how about a li'l lower?" You move down even lower to where you almost have her nicely toned flank in your grip. "Lower." Your heart begins to race as you realize what she wants you to do, her tail twitching back and forth. She moved her tail to her right, and you knew that you were staring right at it; she was quite literally presenting herself to you. You stared slack jawed at her marehood, marveling at how different it looked from what you expected. What thought it was supposed to look like huge leathery lips, but it actually turned out to be quite different. What you saw was a small pink slit surrounded by orange lips, it almost looked exactly like a human girl. "Enjoyin' the view there, Leroy?" "Uh what?" You were broken out of your stupor. "You say something?" "Ah can see ya drinkin' in muh flanks, why don't you go ahead and give 'em a rub?" "Sure," You find your hands right on her flanks; out of curiosity you lightly squeeze them. They're nice and firm, but with an unmistakable softness to them. "Wow, you sure got nice flanks. Very firm." "Aww, you're too kind." She giggles and lays her head back down. "Oh that feels good." You move your hands to her cutie marks and started to slowly rub there as well. "Oh! Yes! Right there!" Applejack yells as your massage her cutie marks. 'I think I hit a nerve. Okay then, cutie marks equal sensitive.' You couldn't hold back a grin as she was putty in your hands. "You enjoying yourself there, AJ?" "Yeah," She gasped out. "Ah'll be honest, your hands there are really good. Ah gotta say you're turning me on here." It seems this has taken a turn for the sexual. "Am I? I must say I didn't think that I was that good." You chuckle, still working on her flanks. "Well Ah think ya are, gettin' me all worked up here. Ya know, you got to feel me up, how 'bout ya let me do the same thing?" "What do you mean?" "Y'know, ya got to explore muh body an' all that, let me uh, get to know yours?" She says with a sly smile. You feel yourself flush and your feel your cheeks begin to burn. "Uh, y-you want to what now?" "Here, turn around will ya?" Reluctantly, you turn around on the bed and sit, waiting for her to do what she is going to do. "Uh, Leroy? Ya mind takin' off that robe of yours?" "Uh, y-yeah sure." With your hands shaking slightly, you stand up and untie your robe, lifting it off your body, exposing your body minus your groin as you were wearing your boxers. Your throw it off to the side and sit back down in front of her. "So, what now?" "Just relax, sugarcube. Ah'll be gentle, 'kay?" Without another word, she puts a hoof on your shoulder and runs it down your arm. It felt strange at first, as if a palm with no fingers was running down your arm. "Wow, your skin feels so soft," She mires, moving her hooves to your chest and rubbing them up and down. "And your chest- whoa nelly, are those uh, nipples? You're a stallion right?" Immediately you break down into a fit of laughter, further confusing Applejack. "What?" "Yes I'm a male, its just all humans, even males, have nipples," You explain. "I don't really know why, but its just part of our anatomy. Only difference is that female breasts are larger and produce milk, unlike males. I think because of the estrogen in their bodies or something like that." "Wow, so they're not sensitive or anythin'?" "Well, no not really. Why?" "Nevermind," She giggles and continues feeling your body with her hooves, exploring your whole upper body. "Wow, Ah gotta say, Leroy, you have a nice lookin' body. You work at a farm too?" "Not really," You shake your head. "I just didn't have much to do on my days off, so I just worked out and stuff. You know push-ups and sit-ups and all that good stuff." "Really? Well, Ah think it worked out pretty well," She continues her explorations, feeling all over you. Suddenly she leans forward and plants a soft kiss on your neck. Goosebumps form on your skin and you let out a shudder. "Ooh, did I hit a sensitive spot?" "Yeah, you kinda did," You chuckle. "Hmm, let do that again," Before you could protest in any way, she kisses your neck again, but this time she starts pecking at it multiple times, going up below your ear and back down to your shoulder. "Like how that feels?" "Y-yeah, that feels good actually," You groan as she continues her assault on your neck. Her ministrations begin to take its toll on you as you can feel your manhood begin to stir in excitement. She begins to go further and further up your neck til she's now pecking at your cheek and close to your mouth. "Hey, Leroy?" She whispers and you turn to face her. "Yeah?" "Ya mind if Ah kiss ya? On the lips?" 'I know I'm about to break some human rules here if I do this, but then again I just spent like ten minutes touching her sensually. And as much as I hate to say it, but she is really turning me on. You know what? I've already come this far, let's go a little bit further. Fuck it.' "Sure, I'd like that." Without uttering another she slowly leans forward and presses her lips against yours. It lasts only for a few seconds, but its enough for you to get a feeling of her lips. They are soft and supple, almost exactly the same as human lips, but the fur makes them feel even softer. "Wow, I gotta say I liked that. Wanna do it again?" "Ah would love to," She moves forward and you embrace her again, this time the kiss lingers. Your lips glided seamlessly over hers, as if they were made for each other. Eventually you needed to take a breath, so you pulled back. "Wow, that felt... Great." She breathed out. "I agree, but you got tease me, how bout I tease you?" You say with a sly grin. "Okay, give it your best shot, lover boy," She winks at you. "I'll see what I can do," You lean forward and kiss her neck the same way that she did, slowly going up and down. She shudders and moans as you work on her. Getting a little adventurous, you go ahead and reach up to her ear and give a soft nibble. "Ah! That tickles!" She laughs, fidgeting about. "Really? I guess that means I should do it again," You continue your assault on her ear, causing her to giggle uncontrollably. This goes on for a few seconds until you finally meet in the middle again, coming in contact with her lips once more. You feel her press her weight on you and you fall back against the bed, with Applejack laying on your chest. Too pull her closer, you wrap your hands around her back and hold her tight. You then run your hands down her back, all the way to her flanks where you squeeze them lightly, causing her to pull back. "Oh my, gettin' a li'l grabby, huh?" "How could I not? Wanna see what else hands can do?" She nods and you turn her over on her back. You start pecking at her neck again, then you begin to move down slowly, kissing her all the way down to her soft lower belly. "Wait, what ya doin'?" She asks, looking down at you. "Don't worry, just relax," You assure, continuing your descent down to her nethers. Soon you reach her marehood, and you could see that she was already quite excited considering how moist it looked. You were not sure if you should do this, but you might as well considering the fact that you've come so far. Taking a leap of faith, you move your face forward and plant a light kiss on her now visible clitoris. Her reaction is instantaneous as you feel her hips jerk upwards and you hear her gasp. "Ah! D-do that again please!" She begged. You granted her wish as you pressed your mouth to her mound again and lightly sucked and kissed at it, causing her to gasp and moan even louder. Her taste was not that bad, you half-expected her to taste pretty horribly, except she actually had a sweet, tangy flavor which you wanted more of. In order to make her feel even better and to get a good finish, you slip your index and middle finger into her entrance. Right away she begins to moan even louder, which only causes you to finger her even faster and your own arousal to grow as well. All of a sudden, without any warning whatsoever, you feel her legs squeeze tight around you and you can feel her marehood gush with even more of her juices. Everything topped by her loud scream. "OHHHH MOMMA~!" You pull back and admire your handiwork, seeing her lying there all flustered with her chest heaving, it brings a strong sense of excitement to you. Speaking of which, your manhood has already hardened to the point of being painful. "Sweet Celestia, Leroy, that was amazing. Hands are fun." "Thanks, but don't you think its time to move on?" You emphasize your point by moving your hand to your boxers to pull them down. She notices your raging erection. "Leroy, is that what Ah think it is?" "Maybe, you know what I'm going to do with it?" You ask with a grin. "Ah might, but ya mind holdin' yer horses there for a sec? Ya treated me so nicely, how's about Ah do the same?" You comply with her request and you back off. "Go ahead and lie down, will ya?" You nod and lay yourself down, where she moves around you and sits in between your legs, eyeing your clothed erection. "Just relax and let me do the work." She raises her hoof and starts to stroke your hard on over your underwear, making you groan in the process. "That feel good, sugarcube?" "Oh yes it does, keep going please." You beg. "Ah guess Ah will then," She continues stroking you, causing you to get even harder than you could possibly imagine. "Hmm, Ah think Ah wanna see it already, how 'bout Ah take these off?" "You want me to do it? They're kinda hard to take off." "Its fine, Ah'll find a way." She puts her hoof on the top of your waistband and tugs at it. When that didn't work out well, she tried to hook it up and over the elastic. To help in her endeavor, you lift your hips up slightly and she ends up pulling it down just a bit, to where she can already see the top of your crotch. "Hmm, let me try something," Before you can ask what, she goes down and bites down on one of the leggings with her teeth and pulls. With a bit of effort, she pulls it over your raging erection and it pops free, for her to view in all its glory. This is where you were kind of worried whether or not she would approve of your size. By human standards you were above average, but what about her standards? Would she laugh and say you looked small? If she did you could not blame her, she was most likely used to stallion sizes. "Wow, Ah gotta say it looks a lot different from a stallion's. All rounded and everythin'. But either way Ah think it looks nice and... Enticin'." Before you could say anything, she runs her tongue across the tip, and you let out a groan. "Oh, did Ah hit a nerve? Ah'm sorry," She drawls with a sly grin. You just sat there in stupefied silence. "Ah'll take that as a 'yes'," She laughs and continues to fellate you, running her tongue up and down your rod. "Ah gotta say you taste pretty good, sugarcube. Not to mention you smell pretty good too." 'Uh thanks?' You lay back and grip at the sheets, feeling your end coming closer and closer with each second she has your cock on her tongue. Suddenly, she puts most of it in mouth, encasing it in warmth and wetness while she runs her tongue all along the underside of it. You wanted this pleasure to continue, but unfortunately your body disagreed and you could feel that inevitable finish line fast approaching. "Applejack, I'm gonna come," You groan. She lets go of your cock with a pop. "Aww, already? Ah was just gettin' started." "Sorry, its just been a while." "Its fine, but you got me off, why don't Ah do the same?" She then swallows your erection once again and pumps her head up and down at an even quicker pace. All you could do was just lay there and enjoy the feeling of your end coming even closer until all of a sudden you feel the massive tidal wave crash down on you as your cock twitches wildly and your seed bursts into her mouth, and you can hear her gasp in surprise, but even then she hastily swallow everything you shot into her mouth. "Wow, you made quite a mess in muh mouth there, Leroy." She wipes a bit of your seed off her muzzle. "Sorry about that, AJ." "S'alright there, hun, but," She moves up to sit on your chest. "Ah don't think we're done here." "I didn't think so either." She leans in and you kiss her passionately once again, your tongues brushing against each other. You can feel her tail flicking between your legs and your cock becomes hard once again. Applejack pulls back and positions her slit over your manhood. "So, you ready there, Leroy?" "Only if you are," You smile up at her. She smiles at you with a half-lidded gaze and lowers herself until you feel yourself prod at her entrance and the two of you gasp at the contact. 'Oh, sweet Jesus, I am about to break the sexual barrier between men and ponies.' Finally, you hit your target and feel yourself slip into her love canal. "Oh fuck, tight." You groan. "Mmm, you're pretty big yourself," She purrs as she slides down even further until you bottom out inside her. "Oh, that feels good." With the two of you in position, she begins to bounce up and down, covering your cock in her essence. Well, you just did it. You broke that natural barrier. Congratulations you just proved that humans and ponies can have relations. You're a hero. Both of you maintain this rhythm, slowly moving up and down, you pushing at her cervix with each time she came down. Applejack seemed to be thoroughly aroused, as she had her eyes closed as she rode atop you; a few times she reached down and pulled you in for a heated kiss. 'God this feels great! I am so turned on right now!' You think as she speeds up her pace and you hold on to her hips to keep her steady, her hooves planted on your chest. The whole time you maintained eye contact with her, feeling the intimate connection between you deepen with each passing second. Could you possibly have a relationship with her? A pony? Then again you just broke the human laws and she was more human than other women you've met in the past. So were you going to let the fact that she was a different species stop you from being with her? "Oh, Leroy~!" She screams out as she seems to go rigid on top of you and you feel her marehood convulse around your member. "Oh, oh, sweet apples," She pants as she goes limp and lays down on your chest, exhausted of her energy. "You know, I still got some energy left, AJ." "Ya wha-?" You silence her by flipping her onto her back. Thankfully she was tall enough for you to line your hips up with hers. "What are ya doin'?" You answer just by bringing your hips forward and reinsert yourself into her. You steadily increase your pace, slamming your hips against hers. She moans out your name several times, and you kiss her with all your passion as you ram into her. Soon enough, you start to feel that burning sensation again. The end was near. "AJ, I'm close," You whisper. "Please! Inside! Ah want it!" With that green light you bury your face into her neck and move your hips at an even faster rate than you even thought possible. Before your know it, she throws her forelegs over your shoulders and pulls you into a tight hug, screaming out your name again as she came. That was the last straw. You give one final push and let out a primal grunt and you feel yourself burst inside her for the second time, your cock twitching madly as you shot your load into her. "Oh Goddesses, Ah can feel it, Leroy." She gasps, still holding onto you. You lay there atop her, frozen from having came harder than you ever thought possible. Moments go by and your brain starts to work again so you push yourself up and roll off and out of her. Applejack then scooted closer, snuggling up to you and placing her head on your chest. "Mmm, Ah gotta say, sugarcube, ya sure know how to give a mare a good time. And don't worry, Ah won't be forgettin' about this anytime soon." "What do you mean by that?" You ask, slowly stroking her mane. "You 'member what Ah said right? Ah don't like just gettin' with stallions and leavin' em there like nopony's business. And we're two lonely peoples..." "I think I know what you're getting at, AJ. And well, I know we're both lonely, I don't think that having sex right off the bat is a conventional way of starting a relationship, but I do think that its a rather effective one." "So whaddaya say? Wanna be muh stallion? My very special somepony?" She asks fluttering her eyes at you. "Hmm, give me some time to think about it..." The surprised look on her face was priceless. "Relax I'm joking! Of course I'd like to, but if this is gonna work you gotta have a sense of humor!" You let out a laugh and she does as well. "Alright if Ah could put up with Rainbow and her highfalutin ways Ah think Ah could get a sense of humor." "Great, but another thing, you have to let me take you out on a date as well. Its only right, you know?" "Well we did just rut like crazy, so Ah think Ah could do with a date." "Awesome, so its a deal?" "Deal," To seal the deal, you lean forward and share a quick kiss. The two of you then lay down on the bed and bask in the ecstasy that is afterglow. Minutes go by and Twilight comes out of the observation room; either she has a really good poker face, or she really was unphased by the wild sex scene that took place in front of her just minutes ago. "Well," She clears her throats. "I must say you're quite the love machine, you lasted a whole lot longer than the average stallion does. Not only that, but you were quite big on the foreplay. Are all humans like that?" "Yes, foreplay is a good way to go and most human males last an average of three to five minutes. Um, how long does a stallion last?" "I believe the average stallion lasts about thirty to forty seconds. Give or take a minute." "Jeez, that's uh, good I guess?" "Yes it is, now you mind getting dressed?" "Right." You roll off the bed and find your boxers and robe on the floor and slip into them while Applejack simply puts on her hat. "So, what now, Twi?" "That's all for today, I'll take you back to your room whenever you're ready." "I'm ready when you are." "Okay then, c'mon Applejack." "Comin'!" The three of you leave the room and Twilight turns off the light and closes the door behind you. After a short walk through the hospital, the three of you having idle conversation on the way, you finally reach your room. "Ah! Home sweet home," You quip as you make your way to your bed and sit down on it. "Oh man I'm tired, I could use a nap." "I think you could use a shower," Twilight giggles. "You don't exactly smell that great. I mean somepony could smell you a mile away!" "Ah second that." "Really?" You life your armpit and give a sniff. "Ooh, yikes, I do need a shower." "Yes, you do. Well we'll just let you get to that and me and Applejack will be on our way. Anything else you might need?" "No I don't think so, I still got some of those books over there that I can read so I won't be that bored." You point back to the books on the nightstand. "Great, Applejack? Ready to go?" She asks her friend. "Ah'm good to go if ya'll are, Twi." "Okay then, Leroy? We will be seeing you very soon." She turns around with Applejack and they trot towards the door. "Bye now!" You watch the lavender princess leave the room, but Applejack lingers. She turns back around to face you, her expression becoming nervous, her hoof kicking at the floor. "AJ? Something wrong?" You walk up to her and kneel down to face her. Instead of answering verbally, she just gives you a lingering kiss on the lips. After a few seconds she pulls back. "I'm gonna take that as no?" "Don't worry, Leroy," She pulls you in for a hug. "Everythin' is fine." "I'm glad it is." "Ah'll be seein' you later okay?" "Looking forward to it." She pulls away from your embrace and gives you a smile as she trots out the door and meets Twilight out in the hall. At first you just stand there, wondering what to do next, but your strong odor reminds you. As you make your way to the bathroom, you can't help but smile and laugh to yourself. 'Well, after everything that's happened, I only have one thing to say..." You strip off your robe and turn on the shower, waiting for it to warm up. "How the fuck did this happen?" Chapter 6: RegretsChapter 6: Regrets By: Calamity Jay "The past is the past, only thing you focus on now is the future. Focus on what lies ahead, not on what's behind you..." For some reason, you wake up... And see that you are in your old room. In your old house... You are able to recognize it easily, due to the fact that you see some very familiar posters of games you played back on Earth. Wait, was everything you experienced a dream? Was the hospital you recovered in all a hallucination? What about Twilight and her friends? The Princesses! Was Equestria real? Was... Applejack real? Was what you felt with her real? Your fears are confirmed when you see your old television set sitting on the entertainment center, complete with a familiar black rectangular shaped object sitting next to it. Your old Xbox, but what is it doing here? When you moved out, you took it with you! You rise up from the bed and find you are fully clothed, a pair of jeans, shoes, and a t-shirt. 'The hell is going on here? Why am I in my parent's house?' you wonder. You look about the room and immediately feel a sense of nostalgia and also... sadness? You walk up to your Xbox and place a hand on it, immediately you are reminded of all the fun times you had with friends, screwing around online playing games. A smile curls on your lips as you remember all the laughs and cries you had. Your television was a 32 inch, just the right size. You turn and look at the random posters all across your wall, ranging from the occasional pin up girl, to posters of your favorite games. To your left is your old bookshelf, it mostly held DVDs and some books lined the bottom shelves. On top you see a few trophies you earned. 'A Honor Roll' 'Best Leading Male Actor, Theatre Arts' '1st Place, Little League Baseball' And a few other Perfect Attendance and academic awards. And there lay a picture of your baseball team, you remember a few of their names and faces. Some of them you had played with for years, grew up to be close friends. But after high school, you just grew apart. A tragedy really... You feel tears beginning to brim as you look at the picture. You look down at the picture, you see yourself standing with your old teammates, celebrating winning the city championship, all of you holding the trophy together. All of you look so overjoyed, your coach looking extremely proud of his team. You smile, remembering that day. Before the waterworks flow, you put back the picture. Walking to the other side of your room, there are some drawers standing there, with a mirror standing on it. It was exactly how you remembered it... a mess. A few coins here and there, a hair brush, various sticks of deodorant, colognes and hair gels, a sock or two, and a picture? You go over to the picture and pick it up. It was you and... your parents... happy... You stare at the picture and you see your father sitting on a haystack, your mother standing to his left, her arm around his neck. And there you were, standing behind them with a big smile on your face. This picture was taken Christmas Day your sophomore year in high school. It was at your grandfather's ranch, you remember having dinner in the barn and taking that picture. This was before your relationship with them had collapsed and you had estranged them. Now you look at this picture and wonder what could've been. 'We look so happy here. We'd just had dinner, we opened gifts, rode one of the horses, and sat down in the barn for hot chocolate. What a night,' you smile as you remember the festivities that had taken place that day. It was possibly the greatest Christmas you had ever celebrated... where did things go wrong? You and your family were so happy, then all of a sudden, you just grew apart... tragic is it not? You look around at your room, it was always so messy. Your mother always telling you to clean up all the clothes and junk on the floor. You look back at the picture again, but this time, something is off about it. All of you are still in the same position, but with serious expressions, not the jubilant ones you had worn. You blink and rub your eyes, thinking it was your imagination, but then the picture changes again. This time you are not there any more, only your mother and father, wearing faces of sorrow and regret. A gasp escapes from your mouth as you look at the picture and you feel a great pain within your chest. You knew what this meant... whether this was real or not, you knew what this was telling you. Tears begin to flow down your cheeks and you press a hand to your mouth to keep in the sobs. You hunch over from the strain, putting your hand on the dresser, tears flowing down your cheeks like a river of sadness and pain. You let the picture fall to the floor and through the blurriness of tears, seeing the morose expressions on your parent's face's. Its painful to say the least, knowing that your own parents had disowned you. Simply because you had a disagreement and looking back on it maybe you could've done something more rational. Maybe you should've just reasoned with them instead. Something completely unexpected happens next... Out of nowhere the picture of you and your parents catches flames. A scream escapes from your mouth as the entire picture is engulfed by fire. You can only look on, stunned by what had just happened. Soon the whole picture is burning, your parents faces being the only thing visible. The last thing you could see before the picture turned to ash, was the faces of your parents... with expression of extreme sadness. You put out the last of the flame with your foot and kneel to look at the burnt remains. There was nothing left that was recognizable, only ashes. Sitting back on your rear and taking in the unexplainable event that just took place, the dam finally breaks. You curl up in the fetal position and begin to sob like a boy who's lost his parents in a grocery store. Ironic, because you feel exactly like that. Time seems to slow down and you have no idea how long you are laying there. Your face covered in tears and your throat is straining from your sobs. "Leroy..." The voice you hear is extremely familiar. Could it be? "Leroy... Fear not... This is only a dream..." "What? Luna? Where are you? W-what's going on?" you ask. "Calm thyself, You have nothing to fear. Allow me to reveal myself" Suddenly, you see a familiar midnight blue alicorn appear out of thin air. Luna, the Princess of the Night. "Luna," you say relieved," I uh, did you just see everything that happened just now?" "Yes I did Leroy," she says with a solemn expression, " I am sorry that you feel such pain inside you. I cannot begin to imagine how you must feel," "Well, I'm just glad that this isn't real," you go over to sit on your bed. "Leroy," Luna walks over and climbs up to sit next to you. " Do you miss your parents?" "Well before I saw this, I never realized how much I missed them," "I see. So it took you seeing a picture of you and your parents being set on fire to realize that? I expect better of you Leroy," "I guess I was just still being bitter about how much I hated what they thought about my future goals and stuff. They wanted me to be a doctor and I wanted to pursue an acting career. Then we had a big argument one night and that was the last straw. I remember him saying that he wanted to disown me, that I wasn't apart of the family anymore," you feel the tears well up again. "I'm surprised it took that much time for you to realize that. Have you not ever thought about writing to them and saying how much you love them?" huh never thought about that did you? "I just never got around to it. I was just too busy with work and getting drunk at the local bar. Life's good ain't it?" "Hmm, quite. But you must do better Leroy, tell your parents you love them. Ask them for forgiveness and I am sure they will accept you into their hearts" "How do you know they will? They'll probably just gloat and say how they were right all along," you lean on your elbow on your knee and rest your chin on your palm. "Let me tell you something," you turn around and look into her light blue eyes. " When I was released from Nightmare Moon's influence, I was afraid my sister would not take me back. That I would forever be shunned and left alone. However that was not the case, my sister had taken me back with open hooves. In fact when Nightmare Moon was vanquished, it was almost as if I had never left. Tia told me that everyday she felt the pain of having to banish me to the moon and all she wanted was her sister back. She was overjoyed to see that I was broken free and finally pure once again. If my sister could forgive me for threatening to take over all of Equestria, then I am certain your parents will forgive you Leroy," she places a hoof on your shoulder. "But, I don't know how. What do I even say? I never knew much about the whole apologizing thing," "Leroy, stay in Equestria for a few weeks. Learn from us about friendship and love. Then, when you are ready, I will bring you back here so you can finally apologize to your mother and father," "Will I get to stay here? I mean it is pretty nice here. And what if things don't go as planned?" "However things turn out, whether or not you wish to stay in Equestria will be of your own accord. We will not force you to stay here, after all you do still have a family. No matter how you see it," "Hmph, well I guess I have a lot of learning to do, thank you Luna," then without thinking, you lean over and kiss her on the cheek, pulling in for a hug. You feel her tense up a bit when you do so, but then she eases up and hugs you back by wrapping her forelegs around you. "I never did to thank you for taking me to Equestria, Luna. So thank you, you made a big change in my life and I will never forget this. If there is ever anything you need, anything at all, you just let me know okay?" "Y-yes of course Leroy, I will let you know," you pull away from the hug and see she has a mad blush on her muzzle. You can't help but develop a blush of your own. "Right well, am I going back anytime soon now?" you ask rubbing the back of your neck. "Ah yes that, its almost morning in fact so you should be waking up soon. I should be going," she hops off the bed and walks towards the door of your room. "Oh and Leroy, this room is quite a mess, perhaps you should clean it when you go back?" "Uh yeah maybe I should," you chuckle. "Yes, well I will be going now. I'll be seeing you Leroy," "Yeah, see ya," you wave as she opens the door. A bright light fills the room and blinds you. Then all of a sudden, everything goes black, and you go unconscious. The next thing you realize is that you are awake, still lying in your hospital bed. Sunlight seeps in through the blinds and you groggily sit up. Rubbing your eyes of sleep, you rise up and stumble your way to the bathroom to take care of morning business. You grip the doorknob and pull. Walking into the small bathroom, you turn on the light and look at yourself in the mirror. You notice something strange about yourself. For some weird reason, your eyes are a different color. The last time you remember they were a dark brown color. Now for some reason they were a series of blues and greens. "What in the world," you say, focusing in on your eyes. In doing so, a light blue aura overtakes the mirror and when you step back it shatters. You stand back astonished at what happened, also trying to avoid stepping on glass. Things are getting weirder by the second. You have no idea how you did that and Twilight is most likely going to want to hear about this. "Oh dear," is all you can mutter, being at a loss for words. Well, seems like you might have some explaining to do. Chapter 7: RecoveryChapter 7: Recovery By: Calamity Jay "A whole world filled with adorable, pastel colored ponies, dragons, and other creatures? Sure, let's do it..." "Uhh Leroy, what happened here? Why is the bathroom covered in broken glass?" Sunny Day asked with a concerned expression. She had come in to give you your breakfast and have a chat. But she received a great surprise when she saw you sitting on your bed in 'The Thinker' position whispering to yourself 'oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit'. Truly a predicament. "Umm, funny story that. I just woke up, looked in the mirror, saw my eyes took on weird color, and for some reason the mirror glowed and it broke," you say in one breath, shrugging your shoulders. "What do you mean your eyes took a weird color? Let me see them real quick," you lean down to her eye level and you look into her purple irises. She squints and concentrates her gaze into your eyes. After a few moments of awkward staring, she stops and develops a worried expression. "I know Princess Twilight will want to see this, I'll go get Doctor Soft Hoof, be right back," She leaves the room and you still sit there on your bed, wondering what is going to happen next. But that thing that happened in the bathroom, was that... magic? No, it was impossible. Twilight said that Unicorns and Alicorns were the only ones to cast magic. Right? What if... Equestria is changing you? In more ways than one? This thought frightens you, since you had little knowledge of magic in this world, this could be harmful to your body. About ten minutes go by, you sitting there on the bed, worried about what will happen. Suddenly the door opens and Sunny and Soft Hoof both walk in. "Hello there Leroy, Nurse Sunny here has just informed me that there have been some interesting developments with your body. Care to give me your side of the story?" "Well I just woke up, went to the bathroom, looked in the mirror, the mirror started to glow, and it broke. Simple as that," you explain for the second time that day. "Hmm, let me give you a scan real quick. Please stand up," like the Real Slim Shady you stand up straight, "Okay, now hold still. This will only take a few seconds,"he closes his eyes and his horn begins to glow a brown color. You feel your body begin to hum slightly, most likely it was his magic flowing through your body. After about ten seconds go by, the spell stops and he opens his eyes. "Well, I must say this is quite intriguing. Leroy, how does your body feel?" "I'd say it feels great, better than the way it was before. What's wrong doc?" "Nothing is wrong, but if you think that your body being altered by Equestria's magical aura is wrong, then yes something is terribly wrong. From what I saw in the scan, your bones and the rest of your anatomy have been affected. It appears that your entire body's resilience, strength, and endurance has been bolstered. And from what you had mentioned it appears you may have gained some magical abilities as well, although uncontrolled," "So I have magical powers now? Cool..." you say smirking a little. Now that you knew that the magic in Equestria was not affecting you in a negative way, you felt significantly better about the whole situation. "But does this mean I have to stay longer so you can run tests?" "No, we made an agreement. This recent development was unknown to us, so I believe it would not be fair to keep you longer. Besides, we already know everything we need to know. Most importantly we know that you're not carrying any pathogens from your world that may start a world wide contagion that could threaten Equestrian life, but no one is complaining," you raise an eyebrow at that. "So do not worry, when Princess Twilight arrives on the train from Ponyville with her friends, we will discharge you," "Really well I'm glad to hear that, I've been itching to see what's outside. Uh, not that it isn't nice here though," you say grinning to the intelligent doctor and the lovely nurse. Truly they have given great service to nurse you back to health. But in all honesty you wanted to get the hell out of there, though you would never say that to them. "So, what do I do 'til then?" "Well I-," he looks over at the clock on the wall, "Oh dear me, I believe I have rounds to tend to. I am sorry Mr. Evans, but I must be going. Perhaps you could read some of those books that Twilight gave you to pass the time? I do believe that is a good idea," "Hmm, I agree. Well I guess I could catch up on some reading. Alright I guess I'll get busy then," you reach over to the stack of books on the drawers to your left. "Very well then Mr. Evans, I shall leave you to your devices. Nurse Sunny? Are you coming along?" he asked opening the door. "Oh yes doctor," she answered quickly, "Bye Leroy, I'll be back to check on you in an hour or so," "Alright, see ya later," you smiled and waved at her. "Oh and Leroy?" she asked halfway out the door. You looked up at her from your book. "Please do be careful, you have no idea how to use magic. So please don't do anything silly okay?" "Will do, don't worry about it Sunny," "Okay, well I'll come back soon," "Don't worry, I'll be here," you chuckled. She exited the room and closed the door. Now it was just you, your thoughts, and a book on 'The Species of Equestria' for you to read. You open it to the title page and continue on to delve into the two inch thick sea of knowledge. *Scene Break* "Wow, this got boring real fast," you rub your eyes after only about forty five straight minutes of reading. It wasn't that you were bored, you loved reading, but the fact that time seemed to slow down. If Canterlot was that far away from Ponyville, it'd be quite a while until Twilight arrives. You had reached the chapter 'Pegasi of Equestria', and all that it explained was the anatomy and social habits of pegasi. Earth ponies and Unicorns were quite interesting, but you're anxiousness seemed to make everything boring. However it was at this moment, you're brain was straining to come up with some form of entertainment. Something that didn't involve playing with yourself. "it appears you may have gained some magical abilities" Those words that the doctor had told you echo in your head. It was at that moment you came up with probably one of the most hair-brained ideas you've ever thought of. You were about to do something you did a lot of back in your days on Earth. Breaking. The. God. Damned. Rules. "I know I'm probably gonna regret this. I might hurt myself or do something that I'll regret... eh, I've done worse.," you shrug your shoulders and look around the room for something to levitate. The lamp? No, that could break. The clock? No, that could also break. You look over to the books. Aha! The books, perhaps you could lift one of those. Yes, a soft leather book that won't break or break anything else. Right? You stare at the books, wondering how in the hell you were going to attempt this. You thought about trying to float onto the bed, but honestly you weren't prepared for what would happen if you did one of your famous 'fuck-ups'. So like a smart person you grab the book with your hands and gently place it onto the bed in front of you. Not that what you were doing was exactly smart in the first place. You sit staring at the books, trying to figure out what to do. An idea pops into your head to place your index and your middle fingers to your temple and reaching out with your other hand to lift it. You screw up your face in concentration trying to lift the book with your magic. After a few moments of looking like a complete idiot, you relax and try to think of another way to attempt this. You raise both of your hands up and point your fingers towards the book and put all of your concentration into the task. However it fails as there is not even a faint glow coming from the book. You get up from the bed, kneel down on the floor, and place your arms and elbows on the bed. "How in the hell do I do this?" you ask, dropping your head onto the white sheets. You remember back in the bathroom when you broke the mirror without even thinking about it. Maybe that was what you had to do for this? Just don't think about it. Staring at the book you relax your mind, your body, and concentrate on the book. Nothing. Maybe it had to do with emotion? No that's not possible, if that were true then Twilight would be angry, sad, or scared every hour of everyday. So that theory is thrown out the window. Another crazy idea pops into your head. "Maybe, if I imagine the book being levitated? That might work," you relax yourself and close you eyes, trying to imagine lifting the book with your hands. You still feel that the book hasn't moved and not anytime soon. "Dammit, how do I do this?" you plop your face down onto the mattress softly thumping your head against it. You keep this up until another one of your brilliant ideas pops up again. "Okay, how bout I imagine myself lifting the book, but while concentrating on the book itself? Yeah that's gotta work," you put all your focus on the book and without closing your eyes, you imagine yourself lifting the book with your hands. After half a minute passes you stop and sit on top of the bed with one leg dangling off the side. This was honestly something you really should not be doing, but for some reason you just kept using different strategies to lift the damn book. With your luck you would probably make the book explode or something. Yet another idea pops into your head. "Maybe if I just imagine something else lifting the book?" you focus on the book and try to imagine something else lifting the book. You try to imagine a giant metal claw like the one at the arcades picking up the book. That does not seem to work due to the fact that nothing was happening. Remembering some things from Star Wars, you "reach out"with your mind, block out everything else, and concentrate on the book. At this point you're concentrating so hard your head is beginning to hurt. You were also beginning to feel as if this was all in vain; that perhaps this was all hopeless. That was, until the book started to glow... Wait a second, when did that happen? Yes, the book started to glow! The book was sheathed in a navy blue aura and a low sparkling hum was being emitted from the aura you had cast. Now would be a good time to do that imagining thing. First you imagine yourself lifting the book with your two hands, then you "reach out" and lift the book with your mind and imagination. You feel a straining sensation in the frontal part of your brain while the book seems to be wiggling around a bit on the bed. Gritting your teeth, you focus even harder, the strain starting to build up even more. The book still wiggling in it's place on the bed, almost as if struggling to lift off from the mattress. You lose track of how long this is taking and the straining feeling in your head is becoming excruciating. With the pain in your head you immediately regret your decision, admitting that this was a very stupid way to relieve you boredom. After what felt like an eternity, the book actually began to lift off the bed! Granted, it rose less than a few inches, this was still incredible to see! You had just taken a huge step for your kind, possibly the first human being ever to life something with their mind! Much less use real magic! "Whoa, whoa! Holy shit, this is cool!" the straining in your head had gone as the book lifted just a little more and it no longer felt like you were lifting a huge cinder block. Now it felt natural, as if you were lifting a feather. "Jesus, this is incredible! I gotta show this to Twilight," you chuckle still focusing on the floating book. This was perhaps one of the most exciting moments of your life! However, in your bravado, you failed to notice that the door had opened and in walked Sunny Day. "Hey there Leroy!" she greeted cheerfully. "Gah!" you were startled by her sudden entry and focused your attention to the pink nurse mare. Little did you know that your attention was somewhere else at the moment; because of what you were doing prior to her entry and your little experience with magic, this brought consequences. Said consequences involved you launching the heavy leather-bound book directly towards Sunny. The nurse mare's eyes grew wide and she let out a yelp of surprise as she ducked down to avoid the flying book coming right at her head. The book had made contact with the wall behind her, leaving a visible dent in the wall. Immediately, you go over to the mare who was lying down on her belly, forelegs over her head, and eyes open wide. "Oh jeez, Sunny you alright?" you kneel down in front of her, "I'm so sorry about that, I was just uh, well I was-" "Doing something you weren't supposed to?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Uh yeah. You could say that," you say with a sheepish grin and a chuckle. "Leroy, didn't I tell you not to do anything that would be dangerous?" "Well, I just got bored and I tried lifting that book with magic. And well, you can see that I was successful in doing so," you pick the book up off the floor and walk over to put it back onto the nightstand. "Again I'm sorry I almost hurt you, thank goodness you have good reflexes," "Yeah, I'm glad I reacted quick. Hold on, let me fix this dent," her horn glowed and the dent in the wall was encased in her pink aura. Then the dent seemed to come back together and the cracks were fixed up as if by... magic, of course it was how could you forget? "Whoa, that was cool, how'd you manage that?" "It was just a spell that I learned a while back. Always knew it would come in handy," she giggled, walking over to the door and closing it. "So all craziness aside, how did it feel using magic for the first time?" she asked sitting back on her haunches next to your bed. "Well my head started to hurt a little bit. After I actually lifted the book off the bed, it just went away and the book just felt like lifting a feather. Other than that it felt pretty cool being the first human ever to use magic," you say smiling at her. "Hmm, that's true you are the first human to do something like this. But I would advise you not to do something like that again, maybe when Twilight comes to pick you up she could give you lessons?" "Yeah, that would be nice, oh by the way, when is she getting here?" "She should be here in the next hour or so, her friends are coming along as well," "Cool, oh man I can't wait to get out of here," you say stretching out your back a bit. "Yeah, I guess you will be leaving," her tone of voice surprises you a bit. Her voice is always upbeat and cheerful, but the way she lowered her voice when she said that it was... strange. Immediately you call her out on it. "Hey you okay there? You seem a little upset," "Oh its nothing," she says giving a grin and a wave of her hoof. You give her your famous 'be honest with me' look, silently asking her for the truth. "Okay fine, I'm just gonna miss you is all. I just found you so interesting when you first arrived I had to get to know you. And now that you're leaving well, I'm gonna miss you... a lot," okay this you did not see coming. "Hey, I could always come back and visit you from Ponyville. There's no need to feel so bad Sunny," you give her a reassuring smile. "I know, but you'd probably be so busy I feel like you could forget," "How could I forget a pretty face like yours hmm? Especially the way you've kept me company these past few days. I could never forget what you did for me," She looks at you with a soft smile, your words obviously touching her heart. "Thank you Leroy, that is the sweetest thing anypony could have said to me," "You're an amazing mare Sunny, I'm sure stallions fall in line just to talk to you," you chuckle. "Aww how sweet of you to say, but I wish that were the case. For some reason I haven't had the best of luck with stallions," "Really? Is that so?" "Mhm, the last stallion I was with was only after one thing and well, we both know what that is," she said looking down at the floor. "I must say that stallion must have been an idiot trying to pull a fast one like that on you," "Yeah, but I'll be honest, its been a while since a stallion has been tender with me, instead of just being a gentlecolt, they just go straight for the sex!" she says with a stomp of one of here hooves. In all honesty you weren't really that comfortable with where this conversation was going, but you just sat there and listened. "Are all stallions like that here in Equestria?" "Well, there aren't that many good stallions to choose from. Some lucky mares got their hooves on them and well, not many good stallions are left," "Hmm, I'm sorry to hear that Sunny. There are guys like that back in my world as well, so I know what you mean," for some reason she looks at you funny, she keeps shifting her eyes here and there, avoiding direct eye contact with you. "Hey you got something on your mind? You can tell me if you want," "Its just that..." she takes a deep breath, "I- I just, ugh, I heard about what happened yesterday! I heard about what happened with you and Applejack!" she exhales deeply. Oh dear, how were you going to get out of this one without something resulted with you doing something extremely lewd. "Oh uh, so you heard about all that?" scratching the back of your head with your hand. "Well when you pass by the research lab, hear Applejack moan out your name, and the other hospital staff gossiping about it I only assumed what happened. But I just want to know one thing Leroy," her tone becoming serious. "And what is that?" you ask nervously. "Why did you do it? I know that Twilight wanted to observe what you did for mating, but why? You could've said no," You take a deep breath, "It had been so long since I had been with a girl. I didn't just have pent up passion I had pent up love. And what I did with Applejack, I released all that love and passion I had inside me. The last girl I had been with, well, it didn't really work out. I know what I did seems really shallow and you might think that I am, but you understand me right? Why I did what I did?" "Yes I do, I understand you all too well," she rose up to all fours and started to approach you slowly with a half-lidded expression. You began to grow nervous, was she planning to- she reared up on her hindlegs and placed her hooves on either side of you, her muzzle inches from yours. Oh dear, your fears have been confirmed. "Uh, what are you doing Sunny?" you give her a nervous expression and lean back placing your palms on the mattress, trying to get away. "I didn't just hear about what happened, I also heard about what you did with Applejack. How you caressed her, kissed her passionately, ravished her with those hands of yours, and rutted her like no other stallion had done before. I heard about how you made her come, how you made her scream out your name while you filled her up with everything you had. All the while you were so gentle, making sure that she enjoyed every last bit of it, not like a stallion where he made sure that he was the only one satisfied. And you know what? I want to feel that as well," "Umm, I don't know Sunny. I'd feel terrible betraying Applejack like this," "She doesn't have to know. Besides, its not like you're in a relationship with her are you?" she says nuzzling your neck and pecking it gently with her lips. You shudder at her ministrations and your heart begins to beat a little faster. "Please Leroy, I really need you. I wanna feel you caress me, I wanna feel your hands all over me, and I want you to make love to me. I want you and I need you, please Leroy," Her whisper makes your face flush and your manhood begins to swell with excitement. "Umm, a-aren't you afraid t-that someone will walk in and see us?" she stops and looks at you. Her horn glows and you hear the door click, the deadbolt locking in place. "There, I don't think anypony will be coming in now will they? Now Mr. Evans, I believe its time for your medicine," she places a hoof on your chest, pushing you on your back and her sitting on your stomach. "And I'd be happy to give it to you," *Several minutes of foreplay later and for the sake of saving time* Honestly, anyone that walked in at this point would be in for a big surprise. You didn't really care right now, your instincts were in control, blocking out everything else. The only thing you were could hear was the sound of the bed springs creaking and Sunny's silent moans and whimpers; the only thing you could see were two pink eyes staring up at you while you plowed into her marehood as hard as you could. "Oh by the Goddesses yes! Rut me harder please Leroy!" she squealed under her breath, trying not to scream so that others won't hear her. Already you were going pretty fast and your body was straining from the effort. And you were also getting pretty close, so this won't last much longer. She pulls you close to her and you bury your face into her neck like you did with Applejack. You had already made her come at least twice just by using your hands and mouth and even then she still wanted you to keep going. It was astounding at how much she wanted you to keep fucking her, even after orgasming twice she still needed more. She is even more pent up than Applejack. "Sunny I'm gonna come," you whisper into her ear. "Wait, don't come yet," she pushes you off of her with her hoof and rolls out from underneath you. She trots over to the side of the bed and places her forelegs on the mattress. "C'mere Leroy, I want you to take me from behind," she winks at you, her mane hanging down her shoulders. She looked like an absolute goddess. You do as she says and take position behind her, inserting your rod into her dripping sex. Wanting to get this over with, you vigorously begin to pump in and out of her like you were doing before. "Ohhhh yeessssss," Sunny moans out. You were already close to the edge, in this position where you could go deeper and feel her walls pulling at you, the edge grew ever closer. "I gotta cum," you said under your breath. "Pleeaaaseee inside! Fill me up with your love baby!" she moaned out looking back at you with pleading eyes. You comply to her request and give one final push inside her; you feel her walls tighten up once again as you release your load inside of her. It felt absolutely heavenly, but the exhaustion took over and you double over onto the bed, still naked. You could not believe what was happening, back on Earth there was no way you could've gotten some as much as other guys. Now, granted you made love to a different species, but its not like they're animals! All the ponies in Equestria are just as human as you are, so that does not make it weird right? More than likely, but you put these thoughts aside as you have other problems afoot. "Leroy, thank you so much. I love you," she said in between pants as she laid on her belly against the bed. You get up and you put back on your boxers and robe. "No problem, glad to help," you say sitting down next to her. "Hey aren't the others gonna worry about you not tending to your rounds?" "Oh, don't worry about that, I got somepony else to cover my rounds so I could have you to myself," she says laying down next to you and placing her head on your lap. "Really? That's pretty clever of you Sunny," you say softly stroking her mane. "Oh sweet Jesus, I don't know about you, but I could use a shower. You had me working pretty hard there," you chuckle, getting up from the bed and walking over to the bathroom. "Hey, you uh, want some help with that?" "Well, honestly I could bathe myself Sunny," "Leroy, I'm your nurse and its my duty to help you in any way possible," she says trotting over and looking up at you. You would hate to deny her of doing her duties, so you agree. "Alright I guess you can help me then," you walk into the bathroom and turn on the light, you look to the left and remember when you broke the mirror, which was put back together by Soft Hoof. You undress once again with Sunny's help and turn on the hot water. As soon as the water is warm enough you step in and let the water cascade over you. When Sunny asked to help you, you didn't think she would actually join you. Which to little surprise she did, but you weren't complaining. So you and Sunny proceed to wash each other and enjoy the comfort of the warm water washing over you. ooo000oo000ooo Soon after your steamy experience with Sunny, she left and went back to her rounds. Tired from the lewd activities before, you go over to the bed and take a nap. You arose an hour later when Soft Hoof came trotting in. "Hello Mr. Evans," he greeted. "Hey there doc, what's the word?" you ask him groggily. "I just came in to let you know that Princess Twilight is has arrived here in Canterlot. You should very well start preparing to leave, we will return all your belongings you arrived in Equestria with," "Really? That's great!" You exclaimed. "So where exactly are my clothes?" "Oh right here, we took the liberty of cleaning them for you," with a flash of light and a snap your clothes appeared neatly folded out of nowhere. Well that was convenient. "Oh and all of your other belongings in this bag," another flash of light and a small sack appeared out of thin air. Magic truly was amazing. You take your clothes and the small bag with your belongings. These were the clothes, along with your shoes that you had worn to work before the little incident. The clothes were made up of brown Sperry shoes, khaki pants, a white t-shirt, and a navy blue button up shirt. The bag had contained your wallet (which had twenty bucks in it) and miraculously your smart phone! "No way my phone, I thought it was destroyed or broken or something," you turn it over in your hands and press the button at the bottom. The screen lights up and you have no signal or service available. It isn't like Equestria had phone service. "Wow and it still has battery, weird," you look at the battery symbol and see that for some weird reason its charging. Hmm, probably the magic in the air. "Yes well our technicians analyzed this 'phone' of yours and we discovered that it was of no threat so we didn't turn it into dust," Soft Hoof chuckled. "I thank you for that, well I better get dressed before Twilight gets here," "Very well then, I will return when they arrive," the doctor turns and leaves the room for you to get dressed. You start by taking off the robe, you pull on the pants and slip on the belt. You then pull on the white shirt, put on the blue shirt, button it up, roll up the sleeves for style, and slip on the shoes. You fold up the bottom of your pant legs so they wont go under your shoes and leave open the top button of your shirt. Going into the bathroom you look in the mirror to check yourself. Your hair looks a little bedraggled, your facial hair growing back, but overall you still cleaned up well. About fifteen minutes later, Soft Hoof walks in, along with six familiar mares and Sunny. "Leroy, Princess Twilight has arrived as you can see," "Hey there everyone," you greet them cheerfully. "Hello darling," "Hi Leroy!" "How's it going big guy?" "Um, hi, Leroy" "Hey there sugarcube," "Hey Leroy, all set to go?" Twilight asked. "Uh yeah I'm good, all dressed as you can see," you motion to the clothes you are wearing. "I must say darling those are some interesting clothes you are wearing, I simply must take your measurements when we get to Ponyville," Rarity said, giving you a once over. "Thank you Rarity, you're looking fine as ever as well," "Oh you are too sweet, Leroy," she giggles. "Well, since you are ready to leave, why don't we get going?" Twilight offered. "Sure let's get going," you put your phone in your pocket and your wallet in your back pocket. Twilight and the others make their way out the door, but before you leave, you take one last look at your hospital room. A sense of nostalgia hits you. You had spent a little over a week and a half in this room, now you are leaving and hopefully never having to come back again. Still, so much had happened in this room, but now it was time to leave. "Leroy?" Applejack calls out, grabbing your attention. "Ya comin'? "Yeah, I'm going," you reply, closing the door and leaving the compact room once and for all. You caught up with the others and made your way down the hall with your new friends. Applejack had trotted up beside you and you gladly walked with her. As you walked down the hall, ponies of all kinds were still giving you looks of contempt and disgust. Even then you tried your best to maintain your stoic expression and also refusing to make eye contact with them. All along the way, you could feel everyone staring at you, some smaller ponies stopped and gave you awestruck gazes, but were pulled away by their parents. You could never get over the fact that these ponies were legitimately afraid of you. At long last, you reached the cavernous lobby of Canterlot General where ponies were trotting about or sitting on benches and waiting to go in or for a loved one to come out. The lobby itself was a rotunda, the ceiling rounded and dome-shaped. All of it was exquisitely designed, the walls were mostly white with gold trim running along them. Light was shining through the skylight down onto the center of the lobby, which held a wondrous fountain as a centerpiece. Inside the fountain were two crossed golden alicorns dressed in regalia, striking dignified poses, and water spouting from their horns. Around them were three ponies, one pegasus with it's wings spread and water coming out from it's mouth, a unicorn standing on all fours, chin held up high with water spurting from it's horn; and finally an earth pony rearing up on it's hooves, water bursting out of it's mouth as well. As you were looking around marveling at the decor, you look down and see Scalpel standing at the receptionist desk. "Hey Dr. Scalpel!" you call out, he turns around and sees you approaching him. "Ah! Hello there Leroy! Feeling better I presume?" "Better than ever doc," you answer with a smile. "Wonderful! I am glad things turned out okay. I assume you are leaving with your new friends am I right?" "Yeah," you chuckle. "I'm leaving alright." "Very well then Mr. Evans, I hope that I was of good service," "Don't worry doc, you did your job very well. You have my thanks." "Oh it was a pleasure, my friend. I do hope to see you again some time." "Yeah, maybe I'll come visit you guys in Canterlot when I get a chance." "That would be most delightful," he held out his hoof for a hoofshake? "Hoofbump? Mr. Evans?" "Oh, yeah sure," you balled up your fist and bumped it against his hoof with a chuckle. "Great, well I must be going, patients to tend to and what not. Good day, everypony!" the gray unicorn doctor turned and went through the door leading into the rest of the hospital. "I believe this is where we part ways, my place is in the hospital after all," Soft Hoof chuckled. "It was an absolute pleasure working with you, Mr. Evans. I too hope that we will see each other again," he held out his hoof. "The pleasure was all mine doc, I'm glad that I could help," you bumped his hoof. Sunny walked up to you with a sad smile, seeming as though she would break down into tears right then and there. "Well, I guess this is goodbye for now Leroy." "I guess so, but thank you Sunny for all your help. I appreciate all the work you did for me. I wish I could repay somehow." "Don't you worry about it, I enjoy taking care of everypony, even if you're not a pony." She grins at you sheepishly. You could only smile back and nod at her, unsure if another form of a goodbye would go well with Applejack. You look back at Soft Hoof, "By the way, doctor, I'm pretty sure that you know, you don't do all this sort of stuff with patients for free. I'm sure that-" He raises his hoof to stop you. "Say no more my good man," he assures. "Princess Celestia has everything taken care of. You have nothing to worry about." "Oh, well that's great then!" "Yes it is," Soft chuckles. "Anyways, I bid you all farewell, duty calls and what not. Come along Sunny, goodbye everypony." you say your last goodbyes and watch them walk back into the heart of the hospital. With that you turn back to your friends who are looking at you expectantly. "All set big guy?" Rainbow asked, fluttering about as you walked towards them. "You bet, let's get going!" with that you walk to the glass front door of the lobby and pushed through it. The bright sun blinded you for a few moments since its been a week since you were outside, so you shield your eyes and let them clear up. Seconds pass and your vision clears up. As you looked around you could see towering skyscrapers that pierced the clouds, street lamps marked the corners of each street and ponies of all kinds were trotting along the sidewalk or riding in chariots that closely resembled taxis with their yellow color and checkered stripes. Inside the buildings were numerous shops, restaurants, and plazas; all of which were decorated with sophisticated decor. Not to mention the ponies of Canterlot dressed like they belonged in this placed. Stallions were wearing pony-sized suits and ties; some even dared to take it to the next step and wear top hats and monocles. The mares of this city lived up to the standards of their society as well, sporting long, flowing dresses and jewelry that looked too expensive for their own good. "Jesus, this city is huge!" you shouted over the noise of the hustle and bustle of the city. "Well yeah! Canterlot is the capital! The Sister's Palace is here!" Rainbow yelled as you all walked down to the sidewalk from the large staircase that lead up to the hospital. Now that you could see the outside of it, the front was very well designed, with Greek pillars lining the entrance. Strange, where did they get these designs? "Wow, I've never been to a capital before." "Not even on your own world?" Twilight asked, looking back at you. "Unfortunately, no. Never had the time for it." You notice that at the bottom of the staircase were two taxis that stood in wait. "So, where are we headed off to?" "We're going to take these taxis to the train station, from there we go to Ponyville." Rainbow explained. "Sounds great." You finally reach the taxis which were pulled by burly earth pony stallions. You walk up to the first one and- "Ow! Damn it!" -end up hitting your head as you tried to climb in and stepped back down. "Jesus." you groan as you rub your forehead. Rainbow and Applejack were standing right behind you and the both of them could not hold back their laughter. "I'm glad you guys enjoyed that." "Sorry, sugarcube," She walks up to you and nuzzles your side. "You're okay though right?" "I guess, but I really don't need another concussion." "Yeah neither do I," Rainbow groaned impatiently. "C'mon let's go already!" She floats into the carriage and takes a seat; Applejack follows and sits next to her. At first you were afraid you were going to be too large to fit into the carriage, but you duck down below the roof and step into it. The carriage was not very extensive and you had to tuck in your legs slightly and bow your head since the roof was too short. 'Fucking hell, everything is so small here,' You think to yourself as you settle in next to Applejack, your neck straining from bending forward. 'Oh yeah, definitely going to have a nice time adjusting to this.' "All set there, Leroy?" Applejack asked, to which you responded by nodding. "Alright then, to the train station if ya don't mind?" "Yes ma'am," The stallion nodded and took off down the street at a steady pace. On the way to the train station, you chatted with Rainbow and Applejack, who were pointing out certain shops and restaurants. Along the way, you found Applejack leaning on your shoulder, so you did the smart thing and wrapped your arm around her withers. You saw several landmarks as you rode along, there was huge library that they pointed out as the Canterlot Archival Library. There was another large building that looked similar to the hospital in design with the Greek pillars, but instead of white it was painted brightly with gold; Rainbow and Applejack told you that the building was known as the Royal Depository, where Celestia and Luna keep their gold. Finally after passing by several more points of interest and turning on more streets, you finally reached the train station; where there was indeed a train lying in wait, steam coming out of its wheels. The train, oddly enough, looked as though it came straight out of Candyland or something. It was brightly color and looked as though it was made of marshmallows. You almost wanted to take a bite out of it. Everyone had gotten down from the wagons and made their way to the train to board. All around there were ponies about to embark and there were those that had just disembarked as well. While drawing a few stares your way, you made your way to the train along with your friends and stepped into the open- "Ow! Not again!" you groan as you recoil from hitting your head for the second time in a row. "Leroy, you really have to watch your head," Twilight giggled. "Or else you'll get another concussion before you know it." "He'll probably get knocked out again or pass out. Could be either one," Rainbow snickered. "Yeah laugh it up Rainbowbutt," everyone laughed at your remark, leaving Dash a bit embarrassed as she snorted and walked past you onto the train car. You adjust yourself again and duck down below the frame of the door and follow the others into the car. Upon entering you could see that the car was pretty much vacant considering the number of ponies that were boarding the train. In the car there were several rows of benches with soft-looking cushions on them. The others took the pleasure of taking their seats and you plop down on one of them next to the window. Thankfully they were evenly spaced and not too small so your legs could stretch out. Applejack casually sat down next to you and placed her head on your shoulder again. "Well, this seems pretty nice, but aren't there any others that will be in this car?" "Nope!" You let out a yelp when Pinkie came up from behind you. "Since Twilight is a princess we get a car to ourselves!" "That's great, but Pinkie?" "Yeah?" "Don't do that again." "Do what?" She asked tilting her head. "What you just did." "What did I do?" "Scare me." "How did I scare you?" "When you- ugh, nevermind," You groan and wave your hand; she nods and goes back to doing... whatever she was doing. Soon after everyone got settled, you hear the loud whistle of the train and the voice of the conductor. "Alllllll aboard for the next train to Ponyville!" other ponies had hurriedly boarded the train as to not be left behind. A minute later the train whistle blew again, then the train began to move slowly forward. You looked out the window to the station as it slowly moved from right to left, ponies of all kinds waving goodbye to their loved ones. Within a minute, the city had grown farther and farther away as the train descended down the mountain side on which Canterlot resided. Before you know it, the hustle and bustle of Canterlot was replaced with grasslands and rolling plains. You leaned on the window while Applejack laid on her belly, head on your lap. "So, how long is the trip to Canterlot?" You ask, idly scratching her ears. "Oh it's gunna be a good four hours to Ponyville, so might as well get comfortable sugarcube," "Right, well with you here I don't think getting comfortable should be too hard." you remark, stroking her golden mane. "Oh you, makin' me blush and all," she giggles, red on her cheeks. "I know, aren't I the best at it?" you chuckle, tickling her ears. "Ya sure are, but that ain't the only thing you're good at," she winks at you and flicks her tail. Oh dear, now you were blushing. "Maybe when we get home Ah can show you the farm. And maybe have a little... fun in the barn?" "Ah stop, now you're making me blush," you say looking away from her. "Ah know, aren't Ah the best it?" she imitates your comment from before. "Hmm, very funny." you chuckle, rolling your eyes. "Ah'm just messin' with ya sugarcube, 'cept about the 'fun in the barn' part," "Right well, I'll see what I can do okay?" "Alright then," You spend the train ride talking with Applejack and the rest of her friends, asking questions and getting to know you better and what not as you made your way to Ponyville. You do not know what awaits you in the future and you also want to keep your promise to Luna about your parents. You have a lot to learn about love and friendship, so there was a long road ahead for you. Now that you are out of the hospital, it is time for a new adventure to begin. Chapter 8: ArrivalChapter 8: Arrival By: Calamity Jay Editing by: Sausage "Welcome to Ponyville!" Somewhere along the ride you had fallen asleep with Applejack on your shoulder and everyone else had settled down as well. Rarity, Twilight, and Fluttershy were all chatting away in the seats next to you and Applejack. Pinkie and Rainbow were in the seats in front of you, giggling and possibly exchanging jokes. This continued for almost the entire trip to Ponyville, that was until Twilight tried waking you up. "Leroy, hey Leroy. Wake up will you?" she whispered, appearing in front of you. With no reaction from you she reared up and shook you with her hooves. "Leroy, can you please wake up? We need to talk," she whispered, shaking you gently with her hooves. Still no reaction, you still lying there snoring away. "Urgh, c'mon Leroy, wake up!" You mumble some incoherent response concerning not wanting to go to school and to stay home. Quite the heavy sleeper you are. "What seems to be the problem, Twilight?" Applejack asked, waking up from her slumber. "Whaddaya tryna t'wake Leroy for?" she asked straightening her hat. "Rarity, Pinkie, and I need to talk to him about some things before we get to Ponyville. Can you help me wake him up?" "Oh heheh, Ah believe I can wake him up for ya," Applejack said with a sly grin, she sat up and put her muzzle to your ear, "Oh Leroy~," she cooed in a sing song voice. "Leroy~, time to wake up sugarcube," "Mmmm, momma is that you?" you mumble in your half-awake state, much to the confusion of the others. "Please, momma just five more minutes," you say shifting over to get comfortable in your seat, leaning your head against the window. "Oh for Celestia's sake," Twilight says, facehoofing and groaning. "Pardon me a sec, let me try somethin' else. This always works on Big Macintosh when he don't wanna wake up in the morn," Applejack laughs before clearing her throat. She takes a second before she begins to inhale deeply as if getting ready to take a dive into a pool. The apple farmer stop inhaling, opens her mouth, and let's out the air she was holding in. "LEEERRRO-" she began hollering, but was stopped short when you suddenly woke up and pressed your lips against Applejack's. Oh you sly devil, you. She let out a surprised yelp at your bold move, but relaxed as she fell into the kiss. However before it could get any more intimate, Twilight cleared her throat to get your attention. "Sorry to interrupt your little moment, but we do have something to discuss," Twilight said as you and Applejack separated, both of you giving Twilight a sheepish grin. "Leroy, could you come sit with Rarity, Pinkie, and I?" "Uh sure, Twilight," you reply, rising up off your seat and walk over to the benches on the opposite row. Pinkie and Rarity take up the seats across from where Twilight was sitting, so you let Twilight sit on the bench in front of them first, and then move in to sit next to her. "So, what's the word?" you ask, leaning back in the chair and crossing your legs. "Well, we need to discuss with you what's going to happen when we get to Ponyville. Things such as living space, clothes, food, and the sort," Twilight explains. "Oh yeah, and Pinkie wants to throw you a 'Welcome to Ponyville' party. Right, Pinkie?" "Yeah! You should really come to the party! It'll be really fun!" Pinkie said with a gleeful smile. "I remember when Twilight first came to Ponyville and I threw her a 'Welcome to Ponyville' party, she was really surprised even though it wasn't a surprise party, or was it a surprise party? It was planned, but Twilight didn't know about it so I guess it was a surprise party. Oh yeah and there was a whole bunch of sweets and punch and cake and party hats and-" before she could go on talking at the speed of light, Twilight magicked a barrier over the pink party mare's mouth to stop her. "Yeeaaahh, well that takes care of that. So Pinkie will be handling the planning of your party. You like parties right Leroy?" Twilight asked raising an eyebrow and releasing her friend's mouth. "Uh, yeah sure. I like a good party," you say smiling. In the back of your mind you were not so certain of this party. Sure you like to have a good time, but these were peo-ponies that you did not know. Not to mention that you are an alien creature to them, so how they will react when they first see you is a mystery. For all you know they could have the same attitude as the ponies from Canterlot. You remember their faces clearly. That look of complete and utter dislike. Even though you did not want to lose face and react to their attitudes towards you, deep down you knew it was affecting you. No matter how much you had been through, how tough your spirit was, it still affected you. "Umm, Twilight, you think the ponies at Ponyville will be more... easygoing than the ones at Canterlot? A lot of the ponies in Canterlot were giving me the stink eye big time," you say, unfolding your legs and putting your elbows on your knees. "I'm sure they will, everypony in Ponyville is really friendly. So don't worry, but even if they don't really open up to you that well, I'm sure that with time they will," Twilight assured you. You find comfort in her words as you smile cheerfully. Perhaps she is right, maybe they will be open with you. "Don't worry about a thing darling, we will help you get along with everypony, we promise," Rarity said across from you, smiling sincerely. "Yeah! So just relax Leroy! We'll handle everything," Pinkie said with a bubbly smile. "Right, so we have that out of the way. Now we need to talk about living space, where are we going to have you live?" Twilight said as she tapped a hoof on her chin. That was true, where were you going to live? You felt a little bad that you possibly have to live with Twilight or someone else, you would hate to impose. Suddenly, Applejack appeared on your side and put a hoof on your shoulder. "Ah believe Ah got y'all covered. Leroy, can stay with me at the farm if he wants to, but he'll have t'help out and work the farm with me, Big Mac, an' Apple Bloom," Applejack offered, nuzzling your neck. To be honest you liked the idea of working on the farm, you always liked farms. Also, you'd be able to spend time with Applejack, and her family. The name Big Mac, however, automatically makes you think of the burger you would eat on Wednesdays, which is ironic because it contains meat... meat that is possibly from equines... and this world is full of equines... okay pushing these thoughts aside. Just make sure you never bring that subject up. "That sounds great, but who are Big Mac and Apple Bloom" you ask. "Big Macintosh is muh big brother and Apple Bloom muh little sister," Oh dear, siblings. The thought of having to meet her older brother terrifies you. His name already intimidating, you could only imagine what he looked like, and how he would react to a stranger to this world having made love to his sister. You believe that her little sister would be easier to handle than her brother, but you would cross that bridge when you get to it. "Oh, boy. I'm gonna have to meet them, aren't I?" you ask nervously. "Ayep, but don't you worry bout a thing sugarcube. Ah'm sure they'll like you, Ah do and Ah'm sure they will too," she says licking your cheek affectionately. You flinch a little when you feel her wet tongue go up the side of your face, but it wasn't that bad, it comforted you a little. And you also kinda liked it... "Thanks AJ," you reach over her back and wrap your arm around her in a hug. "Oh and what about toiletries and all that, Twilight?" "Don't worry about that, we'll get them for you," she replied with a wave of her hoof. "Oh, well that's good, then." "Okay, so we have that covered. Now what about clothes?" Twilight looks over at Rarity. "Rarity, got anything?" "Ah yes clothing, well darling, if you want me to make you clothing I will have to take your measurements. I believe it will be a challenge making clothes for your build, but I think I have the resources to make them. Oh! I would also like to see how you'd look in a tux! I'm sure you would look dashing!" she definitely had a lot to say, but you are grateful nonetheless for her generosity. "That sounds great Rarity, but I'd have to work a little to pay for all that," "Oh no darling, I am doing this as a favor for you. To make things a little easier so you can adjust to life in Equestria," her generosity is astounding to you. There she was, offering to make clothing for you, an alien creature, free of charge! You could feel that slight tingling sensation in your chest, something you have not felt in a long time. That certain feeling was something you felt when you won the city championship in baseball with your friends, those times you had with those you would never forget. Friendship... so this is what true friendship feels like? To you, it felt like magic... maybe there is something you could learn from these ponies. "B-but Rarity I, I really think I should pay for the clothes you're giving me," you try to insist to her. "Please darling, just take the favor. It is okay, I promise," she assures smiling. She truly is the Element of Generosity. Back on Earth, you had never seen this type of behavior from other people. Maybe that's why you are not used to it and wish to pay her back. If your parents taught you anything, it was that nothing in life was free and you lived by that your whole life. "Thanks, Rarity. No one on my world has ever been that generous with me before," you say trying not to choke up. "It is my pleasure Leroy, I am the Element of Generosity after all," she says with pride. "I can see why," you chuckle. "Okay, well I guess that covers everything. Housing, clothes, and food well you'll be living with Applejack, so I'm sure they could provide food for you," Twilight looks out the window for a second before her eyes widen and she gasps. "Oh hey girls, we're close to Ponyville already! Leroy, come look at your new home!" You rise up from your seat and crouch down to look out the window. There, past the slopes of several hills, surrounded by fields of grass, was Ponyville. It was beautiful, from what you could see, the town itself was made up of mostly one story and two story cottages with wooden walls and windows, and roofs that were made of hay. This was something you would see in the America's Colonial times, then again Ponyville was probably cut off from technology; unlike Canterlot, it had a rustic charm to it. "Wow, it looks great! Real peaceful and everything, I love it," you say smiling. The rest of your new friends fall into the other benches to look at Ponyville with you. "Ah'm glad ya like it Leroy," Applejack comments from behind. You look back at her and smile graciously before turning back to look at the view. Deep in your heart you are terrified of having to meet a whole lot of ponies at once, but with your new friends, and possible girlfriend, thing would undoubtedly be easier. With that in mind you were confident that things would turn out fine. ooo000oo000ooo You remember all that confidence you had approaching Ponyville? The swagger you were developing? Yes well, you still had that while you were on the train psyching yourself out and giving yourself mental preparation. However, all of that disappeared as soon as the train stopped in the Ponyville Train Station. You sat back in the bench, looking at the dozens ponies walking around the station, getting ready to leave or seeing off a loved one. The train had come to stop with a hiss and zero hour had come at last. For some reason, you could not move and you sat frozen, glued to your seat. "Uh, I don't think I can do this," you say to Twilight, sitting down and holding yourself. "I just realized how nervous I am," "C'mon Leroy, it'll be fine I promise. Your friends will help you get through this, right girls?" you look at Twilight and the others, all of them giving you looks of confidence and comfort. It caught you off guard when she said "your" friends, instead of "her" friends. It was strange to you when she said that, you had not made a friend in so long on Earth you almost forgot what it was like actually making a friend that would be there for you when you need it. And right now you felt just a little bit better knowing you would have theses six wonderful mares behind you. "T-thanks you guys, couldn't do this without you," you say hiding your face so they wouldn't see the tear fall from your eye. "Aww~, there there Leroy, no need to cry now sugarcube," AJ came up to you and dried your tear with her hoof, then reaching over and nuzzling you. You nuzzle her back affectionately. "Hey, if it makes ya feel any better, hows about Ah lend ya muh hat? Hmm?" "Well I don't know about that AJ, I mean that hat means a lot to you doesn't it?" before you could protest more, she places it on your head and adjusts it so it fits you. "Um, but how would this help?" you ask her, adjusting the large Stetson hat. "If anypony gives ya mean look, just pull the hat down so ya won't have to look at 'em," her advice seems to make sense. "Thanks AJ, I really appreciate it," you kiss her on the cheek with a grateful smile. The hat itself feels very worn, most likely from all the years that she has been wearing it. Nevertheless it is in good condition. "Yeah, don't worry about a thing, if anypony gives you a problem, they're gonna have to deal with me," Rainbow declared, hovering and pounding one hoof into the other. "So don't you worry darling, if anypony asks us about you, we will have nothing to say but good things," Rarity assured, "I am positive that Fluttershy will give her positive feedback about you to her animals. Won't you darling?" "Um, yes I will," Fluttershy nodded meekly with a smile. "Good, okay you ready to go Leroy? We need to get off the train already," Twilight asked. You still felt a little bit nervous, even with AJ's Stetson of Eminent Courage. Nevertheless, you comply and rise from your seat and stretch your limbs, preparing yourself to face the music. But then again, you think about the details here. Here you were, a big, strong, magically enhanced human, a stranger to this world and something no one here has ever seen! You'd be considered a bad ass! There's no reason you should be scared of a bunch of cartoon, brightly-colored ponies! With a huff you make your way to the exit ramp of the big steam train. Twilight and the others make their way out first with you following behind them; as you are about to exit, they await you on the outside, each of them looking at you. Still pumped up from your mental pep talk, you confidently take a big step down from the train and onto the ground of the train station and immediately- oh dear... Eyes... big, round, cartoon pony eyes, all around you... staring into your very soul.... judging... You freeze in place, unable to move a muscle. You wish you could follow Applejack's advice and pull down the hat, but your body won't respond to you. Just. Reach up. And move. The damn. Hat! But still you stood, glued to the spot where you stepped off. You look around and see ponies of all kinds giving you quizzical looks. At least they were not like the ponies at Canterlot; every single one of them giving you the dreaded "stink eye". It felt like an eternity just standing there, all of that self-confidence you built up all gone with just one step. You had gone deaf, seeing your friends mouths moving, but hearing nothing. You wondered, was this what true fear felt like? You had no idea how long you stood there like an idiot. 'C'mon damn it! Move! Do something!' you scream in your head, urging your body to move. All of a sudden you hear a child's voice call you. "Mister?" you look around to see who called your name, but you could not see who called for you. "Hey mister, what's your name?" again you hear the little girl voice but this time look down and see a little unicorn foal staring up at you. You could not help but smile at the sight of this cute, little pony staring up at you with it's big, round, and adorable amber eyes. Her coat was a light shade of purple and gray; her mane a dark shade of blonde and was messy, her horn protruding out from her forehead. "Who are you? You're really big, you don't look like a pony." You had no idea what to say to her, but you got down on one knee to make eye contact with her. "Hi there little one, my name is Leroy," you say waving your hand a little and giving a friendly smile (without teeth). "What's your name?" "M-my name's Dinky, Dinky Doo," she replied smiling back at you. You almost shed a tear at how cute she looked and her name fitted her small stature. Before you could continue talking with her, a pegasus mare who looked almost the same as the little filly before you, came trotting up from behind her. "Dinky, how many times have I told you not to wander away from momma? You had me really worried there, muffin," she said as the filly known as Dinky, looked down at the ground in shame. "You know I worry about you sweetheart," "I'm sorry momma, I looked over here and saw this- this-, I don't know what he is momma. He said his name is... Leeyroy?" her mother looked over to you and immediately moves in front of her daughter protectively, with a quizzical yet cautious expression on her face. The first thing you notice right away, as if you were drawn to them... were her eyes. Her eyes were a beautiful gold color, but the most defining feature was how one was looking up and the other was looking down. In fact, you were not exactly sure if she was looking at you or not, but you still kept eye contact. "Whoa, what are you? I've never seen a pony like you before," she said giving you a once over. "Uh, my name's Leroy, Leroy Evans and I'm a human," you explain. "A hooman? What the heck is hooman?" she said raising an eyebrow. You almost laughed at how she looked when she raised her eyebrow, more because of how cute she looked. And her being cross-eyed, made her about twenty percent cuter. Still, you did not know how exactly to answer her question, and you just now became aware of all the pairs of eyes staring at you once again. You look over to Twilight for help, but she shakes her head with a smile and motions you with a foreleg to go on and explain. As much as you did not want to do this, you had to think of something. You try to think back at how you felt whenever you played sports and hundreds of people were watching you and your team play. You think of how well you performed when your team needed you to make a hit in baseball and you did so! You think back at how well you did under pressure and this situation was no different. You were in front of a crowd, expecting you to perform. So you think of this mare as the pitcher and you were the batter. Right now, she had thrown you a low and outside fastball, and it was your job to knock it out of the park. You take a deep breath and prepare yourself. "Well, uh," You scratch the back of your head nervously; you were still aware of all the eyes that were on you. "I come from a different work you see. And uh, I'm called a human, I was brought to this world to visit so they can learn about me. I was also hoping to make some new friends as well. By the way uh, you mind telling me your name?". As confident as you sounded, your legs were shaking slightly and you felt a little bit of sweat beginning to form. Things were quiet for a time, ponies murmuring things all around you. You were certain they would all just walk away from this awkward silence and think you were a complete idiot. That was until Dinky's mother decided to break the silence... "Sure! I'd be glad to! My name is Ditzy Doo!" she reached out with her hoof for a hoof bump, to which you gladly complied. "Hey everypony! Come meet Leroy, the Hooman!" she shouted at everyone with a bright, cheerful smile. It was so strange. Just a moment ago, these ponies were clearly apprehensive towards you. Some were reluctant to greet you, but most of them had gladly greeted you. This went on for quite a while, after you had met and greeted all of the ponies, you regrouped with Twilight and the others. "Ah must say Leroy, you have quite a way with words there," Applejack complimented. "Honestly, I was nervous as hell and I just winged most of that," you chuckle, rubbing the back of your neck. "But you know we were right darling, we told you everypony here is friendly. Unlike those bigots in Canterlot," Rarity said. You heartily agreed with her. "See Leroy? There's nothing to be afraid of!" Rainbow said, hovering in front of you. "I guess I can see that now, Rainbow," you agreed. "Yeah! Oooh, I just remembered! I gotta get going to Sugarcube Corner! I have to get ready for your party!" before another word could be said, she had disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving you confused. "How did she-" "Don't ask sugarcube, its just Pinkie being Pinkie," Applejack said. "Right," you say, still scratching your head over what happened. "So, where to now?" "Well, how about you head off with Applejack? Maybe she could show you her farm?" Twilight suggested. "Sounds good, how about the rest of you?" "I'm going to take a nap somewhere before the party tonight, need my energy to party," Rainbow said stretching her wings. "I'll be going back to my boutique to get everything I need tomorrow when I take your measurements," Rarity said. "After that I will be going off to the party," "Great, what about you Twilight?" you asked her. "Oh uh, I have to go back to my castle to check on Spike. Then I'll meet you guys at the party," she said as she began to trot away to a different part of town. You were close to the town center, so everything was in a certain direction. The center was comprised of what you assumed was the town hall, a huge rotunda-looking building and was surrounded by cottages and houses. But wait, Twilight had a castle?! A damned castle!? "Castle? You live in a castle?" you ask astounded. You knew Twilight was a Princess of Equestria, so you should have expected her to live in one. But still the fact remains, that she lives in a goddamn castle. "As of right now I do, I used to live in the Ponyville Library and worked as it's librarian. But during my battle with Tirek, it was destroyed and when we unlocked the chest from the Tree of Harmony and defeated Tirek, the chest holding the power we needed to defeat Tirek made my castle appear. Any other questions before I go?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. That was a lot to take in, but you were sure she would give you the details later on when there was time. "Nah, but you're gonna have to tell me all about this 'Battle with Tirek' thing. Sounds pretty epic," "Maybe I will, but later on. I'll see you all at the party," she said, trotting away. You and the others wave her off and soon you all separate and part ways for the time being. Fluttershy left with the reason being she had to go feed her animals, but would meet you and the others at Sugarcube Corner for the party. You and Applejack went off and walked down the road in the town, AJ pointing out different locations and places of interest. "So how do ya like Ponyville so far, Leroy?" Applejack asked as you took a turn down to a dirt road leading to the outskirts of town. "Its nice, I like it. Everyone in town seems real friendly, but again some of them still looked pretty scared of me," you say, putting your hands in your pockets. They all really did seem nice, but there was still a reluctant air about them as the greeted you. Then again, how you would react if you were in their... shoes? Well, if you were in their position and a strange, talking, hairless, six-foot-tall ape your reaction would probably be the same as the ones you saw a while ago. "Well, not everyday they see somepony else from a different world like you, sugarcube." "Yeah, I guess that makes sense," you say looking down at the ground. A thought strikes your head and you look back at her. "Hey, so what did you think when you first met me?" "Ah'll be honest, when the thought of first meetin' you came to my mind, ah was kinda nervous, but a might bit curious too. In the end, when we started getting to know you, ya kinda started to grow on me," she said with a wink. You felt good when she said this, but there was one question remaining. It was probably dangerous territory, but you had to know. "So two days later you thought it'd be cool to have sex with an alien creature you just met?" you chided, causing her to scrunch up her nose in mock annoyance. "Why do ya gotta say it like that, all negative? Ah swear, yer makin' me sound like one of those mares that just sleep around with a bunch of stallions." "I didn't mean it like that, I mean c'mon," you shrug your shoulders. "Its just not something that I'm used to. Like I mentioned before I don't exactly agree with just sleeping with a girl and moving on. I'd just feel terrible for doing that." "Well, we did talk about it. Remember?" "Yeah, not to mention that I singlehandedly broke the sexual barrier between our species. I guess it goes to show that love doesn't have any boundaries." "You really don't restrain yourself when you talk do you?" "Nope!" "Ah swear you're more honest than I am," She laughed. "Ah guess that's one thing that Ah like about ya. Ya remind me so much of me and muh brutal honesty." "I just like to speak my mind, what can I say?" "Ah can see that," She remarked as she shook her head. "Anyways, but remember what we talked about? How we said we'd give this a shot?" "I know, I'm willing to do this if you are. We're both looking for someone to spend time with, I figure it would the sensible thing to do." She looks up at you with an eyebrow raised. "Ya know that there's a lot more to having a relationship than just ruttin' and cuddlin' right?" You balk for a moment before you answer. "Uh, yeah I know that..." "Do ya know? Ya do know that right, Leroy?" "What? Of course I do, why wouldn't I?" Memories flash in your head; you remember the very first time you got physical with another woman. And how badly it turned out. Loveless. Lustful. "I mean I uh-" "There something on your mind? You look troubled." "I am, but I think I'll talk to you about it later." you groan and rub the bridge of your nose. "Hmm, Ah think we should just talk about it right now, seein' as how we got plenty of ground to cover 'fore we get to the farm." you didn't want to tell her about what happened with your sexual ventures on Earth. What would she think of you? Would what you tell her throw everything you could have with her out the window? "Well?" "Argh, well you see-" Before you could say another word, a loud noise reaches your ears. "CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS, MONSTER CATCHERS! GO!" You and Applejack looked to the left where the sound was coming from. It became apparent as to who was making the noise when you see three small blurs charge at you. Before you could react, all three of them leaped and clung onto different parts of your body. A creme colored filly with an apple red mane clung onto your left arm, one having a dark orange coat and purple mane, clung onto your right leg, and the last one with a white coat and purple and pink curly mane clung onto your midsection, her muzzle digging into your hip. "Scootaloo! I got 'em!" "Me too! Sweetie Belle?!" "I'm barely hanging on, but I got him!" "Apple Bloom! What in the hay are y'all doin'?" Applejack asked, astounded. "We're monster catchers, sis! We heard there was a monster walkin' around Ponyville so we thought we oughta catch 'em!" ah, so she was Apple Bloom, and obviously she was AJ's little sister. The little filly was still clinging onto your shoulder and tried making her way up to your neck. "So, are you all having fun?" you ask, sarcasm in your tone. These little fillies felt heavy, but for some reason you carried them with relative ease. Probably from your magically enhanced strength. "We're taking you in Mr. Monster Guy!" The orange filly named Scootaloo shouted. "Well, first of all my name is Leroy. And I am not a monster, I'm a human. Now could you please get off?" "No way! We ain't giving up!" Apple Bloom shouted. "Yeah! We're not letting go till we get our Cutie marks in Monster Catching!" the white filly squeaked in agreement. "Alright then, you asked for it," now what you planned would probably end badly, but you think to yourself that you have levitation down, so you try something very dangerous next. You focus on the three ecstatic fillies and imagine them being lifted by giant hands. Your giant hands to be exact. The next thing you notice is the three fillies being encased in your familiar navy blue aura, their grips being released from you, all three of them being lifted gently into the air, and floating idly in the air with wide-eyed expressions on their faces. "Sweet Celestia, how in the world are ya doin' that Leroy?" Applejack asked. You had forgotten she did not know of your newly gained magical prowess. "Oh yeah I forgot to mention, I have magical powers now. Funny ain't it?" "Hilarious, now could ya please put my sister and her friends down?" she deadpanned. "Oh right, sorry girls," you focus and gently place them back down on the ground. That was incredible what you just did! Not too long ago, you were barely able to lift a damn book off a bed! Now you could probably lift a full sized pony! Or make that ponies. "So, now that you have stopped trying to arrest me, how 'bout I introduce myself?" the three fillies listen intently. "My name is Leroy, Leroy Evans. And I am not a monster, I am a human," you explain to them. "A hooman?" Apple Bloom asked. "What the heck is that?" the orange filly known as Scootaloo asked with a puzzled expression. "You're tall," the while filly known as Sweetie Belle squeaked. "Well, I come from a different dimension from a planet called Earth. Earth is similar to Equestria in some ways, but minus some other things," you explain to the curious fillies. "Now how about you introduce yourselves?" this triggers them somehow because they all beam up at you and gather together in a line, as if they'd practiced this before. "Ah'm Apple Bloom!" "I'm Scootaloo!" "I'm Sweetie Belle! "And we are..." they took a second's pause to huddle closer, "THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS! Their volume made you cringe a little bit, but you still smile at the performance that played out in front of you. "Wow, you guys sound like you've actually rehearsed that before," you say rubbing one of your ears. "Uh, we have actually," Apple Bloom answered. 'Oh, well that was very good then," you smile sheepishly. "Well, now that that's over with, Apple Bloom, ya mind comin' with me to show Leroy around the farm?" "Uh Ah dunno sis, me an' the others were gonna go off to find other ways to get our Cutie marks," Apple Bloom said. "Apple Bloom, our new guest needs a warm welcome to the farm. Besides, ya played with your friends all day long an' yer gonna have to come back and help me an' yer big brother around the farm later on today," Applejack scolded. Hmm, she really is the motherly figure. But wait, she never mentioned her parents, you should ask her about them later on when you were not so busy. "Fine, Ah guess Ah'll see ya guys later," Apple Bloom conceded. "Alright, I'm gonna go see if Rainbow Dash wants to hang out," Scootaloo said. "Yeah, I guess I'll go back to Rarity, she probably needs me for something," Sweetie Belle sighed. "Why would Rarity need you Sweetie Belle?" you ask her. "Oh, that's because she's my sister," she explained. Huh, you did not see that coming. "She is? Rarity never mentioned she had a sister. I guess now I know," you chuckle. "Yeah, now you do," she giggled. After Apple Bloom said goodbye to her friends, the three of you started making your way further down the dirt road to the farm. ooo000oo000ooo Since you and Applejack walked most of the way already, it was only another fifteen minutes until you reached the barn, Apple Bloom asking you questions along the way about what you were, what you did for work, why you were so tall, and many other questions. AJ had asked the young filly to stop asking so many questions, but you told her you were happy to answer all of them. It was actually quite adorable how curious Apple Bloom was. Before she could ask any more questions a new sight was laid before your eyes. As you walked down the trail, you began to see rows upon rows of trees. It was truly a wonder indeed and your jaw almost fell off your mouth when you saw the multitude of trees. "Whoa, Applejack this is a beautiful orchard you got here," you complimented. "Thank ya sugarcube, yer looking at generations of hard work. Here we grow every sort of apple you can think of, including our legendary Zap Apples!" she stated proudly. Wait, Zap Apples? What in the name of all creation are Zap Apples? "Uh, what are Zap Apples, AJ?" you ask with a bewildered tone. "Apples that only appear under special conditions once every winter. We harvest 'em to make Zap Apple jam, the best darn jam you'll ever taste!" she stated proudly. "Well, if they're as good as you say they are, then I hope I'll get to taste them someday," "Maybe you will sugarcube, if you decide to stick around," "I might just have to take you up on the that offer," you reply. The three of you continue to walk down the trail along the fence until you come across a gap in the wooden fence which is the gate. The gate was nothing much but just a gap in the fence, the only defining feature being the mailbox with the insignia of a shiny red apple. The apple farmer opens and checks the mailbox for anything she might need, but after coming up empty, she joins you and Apple Bloom still moving down the trail that leads to the heart of the farm, the Apple Family farmhouse. Along the side of the house is what you assume to be the barn where they most likely keep the apples when they harvest. You look around the farm a bit and you see different things such as a chicken coop, a field where they have corn, and a pen where they keep different kinds of animals. For some reason you realize they don't have a stable, then again this entire world is filled with equines so there should be no reason for them to need beasts of burden. So you assume since they are ponies, they transport their own goods. It is ironic in a way since back on Earth you need horses and the like for farm work, here they were horses basically. All of this thinking is starting to become confusing and your head starts to hurt. So for now you put these thoughts aside. "What do you think of our farmhouse Leroy?" Apple Bloom asked, looking up at you. "I think it looks absolutely beautiful, Apple Bloom," you reply, smiling down at her. "How long have you all been working on this farm?" "Our family's owned Sweet Apple Acres for generations, Ah think we've had it since before Granny Smith was born," she said, truly a wonder that her family has had this farm for years and years. You can just smell all the hard work that was put into this farm. As you approach the farmhouse, you see someone sitting on a rocking chair. That someone was a light green mare, with a grayed mane tied in a bun. You could very well see that she was elderly, due to the wrinkles on her face. If you were to take a guess, you would say that she is Granny Smith. "Granny! Granny Smith!" Applejack called out, so your guess was in fact correct. The old mare seemed to be asleep in her chair and did not give a response. "Granny!" Apple Bloom shouted, she began to stir when the little filly called her name. She slowly opened her wrinkled eyes and immediately they go to you. And for some reason, they grow wide as you have seen them and she takes a deep breath. "BIG MAC! There's a monster here tryna eat your sisters! Git 'em!" she yells out. Suddenly you look to your right towards the barn and see a big, red, orange maned stallion that burst out of the barn with murderous intent in his eyes. With a loud snort, he charged right at you. Your reaction was as follows. "OH FUCK!" you yelled as you turned heel and hauled it as fast as you could, away from the charging stallion. "Big Mac! Wait! He's a friend!" you hear Applejack yelled. However she went unheard as he lowered his head and prepared to ram you. You moved your legs as fast as you could, desperately trying to get away. To try and confuse him, you change directions into one of the rows of apple trees and begin to weave your way through them, all the while the big red stallion in pursuit. You ran back and forth between the trees, yelling and hollering out at him to stop. "Easy there! Stop! Please don't kill me! Wait a Goddamn second! AHHHH!" were some of the words that you were spouting while the chase was going on. Honestly, this is one hell of a comedy act and anyone who happened to stop by would have a laugh. After about a few minutes of this hilarious chase, you decided enough was enough and you were going to stand your ground. You run back out onto the trail and turn around to face the bull rushing Big Mac. Getting low and bending your knees, you get ready to hold him back. "Alright, you wanna piece of me?! C'mon you big son of a bitch! I'm ready for you!" You challenge him. Big Mac lets out another loud snort before speeding up to ram a hole through you. You wondered why Applejack hadn't stepped in, but you figure she wants to see how this plays out. In all honesty, you didn't want her too, this big red horse wants to kill you and you are not just going to let him do so. You had expected him to just simply try and tackle you down to the ground and you would use your magical strength to hold him back. However, this stallion is smarter than he looks as moments before he hits you, he stops and turns his body and uses all of the gained momentum into one powerful double-legged buck. You hold out your hands in a vain attempt to block the blow and something unexpected happens. A light blue aura sheaths your hands; a half circle of light encases the front side of your body like a shield as his hooves are about to make contact. Instead of feeling the heavy impact of his bucking kick, you hear the sound of his hooves hitting the shield with a loud "thump!". He is then knocked back from the recoil and lands on his face. You relax and the shield dissipates, and you let out a sigh of relief; Big Mac isn't done yet as he scrambles to his hooves with a nicker, ready for another round. He paws the ground preparing to charge, but Applejack finally decides to step in. "Alright you two! That's enough! Big Mac, you say you're sorry for attacking this nice uh-," she pauses trying to figure out what to call you. "Man," you correct her. "Right, Ah want ya to say you're sorry for attacking this nice young man," she demanded. The big stallion relaxed then looked over at you with a sorrowful expression. "Ah am very sorry mister," he says with a deep voice. You almost laugh at how deep his voice is, it actually reminds of Darth Vader. If he ever said 'Leroy, come join the dark side,' or 'You are part of the Rebel Alliance, and a traitor, take him away!' you would absolutely lose it. "Ah, don't worry about it. If I saw a strange alien creature in front of me I would probably attack 'em as well," you say with a slight chuckle. "Eeyup," he says. "Sorry I called you a son of a bitch. No hard feelings right?" "Nnope," "AJ is your sister, am I right?" you ask. "Eeyup," "You don't say much more than you have to, don't you?" "Eeyup," "Cool, well my name is Leroy, Leroy Evans," you reach out with your fist for a hoofbump. "Nice to meet ya," he says, tapping his hoof against your fist. "Now that y'all have gotten to know each other, how 'bout we go an' give Leroy the grand tour of Sweet Apple Acres?" Applejack offers. You and the other two apple siblings agree and you set off to explore the metropolis of apple trees. ooo000oo000ooo "Well, I must say that was quite the tour. Truly a wonderful farm here you got AJ," you say patting her on the back as you walk along side her. You had also met Granny Smith who subsequently apologized for setting Big Mac on you. How could you blame her? She's an old mare who made an honest mistake. You put all of what happened behind you and acted as polite as possible. After that, you explored every nook and cranny of the farm, from the North to the South field, from the chicken coop, to the corn fields, to the lake back behind the farmhouse. For some reason you had not gone into the barn yet, but Applejack promised she would show you the barn later. When the tour finished, Apple Bloom and Big Mac went off back into the farmhouse, leaving you and AJ to your business. "Ah'm glad ya liked it sugarcube," she says nuzzling your hand. "Say, I still gotta show ya the barn. Care to come see where we keep all the harvested apples?" she asks. "Sure," you replied. You approached the huge, open barn doors and stepped on through. All around there were barrels and barrels of what you guessed was apple cider. Now where the actual apples were, was a mystery. "So, where are all the apples?" "Oh, they're down in the apple cellar," she says, checking on a barrel of cider. "Well, where is it?" "It's back in the far corner over there, where all that hay is," she points with a hoof to the left corner of the barn. "Alright then," you turn to go back into the corner to look for the door to the apple cellar. You get to it and look around the huge pile of hay, wondering where the door was. "Applejack! Where's the door at?" "Oh just look around in the hay, it should be there!" she yells back from the other side of the barn. You begin to sweep around the hay, looking for the outline of the door, but no luck. Suddenly you hear the door to the barn close, so you look back to see the orange cowpony standing next to it. "What was that?" you ask. "Ah dunno, Ah think it was the wind, just keep looking for that door Ah'll get it open," she replies. You shrug your shoulders and continue to sweep around the hay. Said task would be much easier if a certain somepony had not tackled you into the pile?! Wait when did this happen?! Why are you getting the feeling this will ensue an erotic encounter?! You flip back over to see two emerald eyes staring into yours and Applejack breathing heavily, as if she had just chased down and caught her prey. In this case, you were the prey and she was the predator, but for some reason you were okay with this. "Ah dunno about you Leroy, but Ah've been waitin' to get to rut you again since the last time we did it," she says circling a hoof on your chest and grinding on your lower torso. "So I'm guessing you liked it then?" "Here's a hint," she leans in to give you a deep kiss, already shooting her tongue into your mouth. She moans into the kiss and you let out a moan as well, both of you melting into the kiss. Pulling her closer by wrapping your arms around her back, you roll her over onto her back. You feel her hooves hook around your upper torso and her hind legs around your waist. Passion overtakes the two of you as you roll back and forth on the pile of hay, both of you fighting for dominance. A battle which Applejack wins by rolling you onto your back and pushing you down with her hoof. To even the playing field, you slowly run your hand down from her neck, to her shoulder, chest, belly, and then- "Oh~," she lets out a sudden moan from the contact you made with her already moist nether regions. "Like how that feels?" you whisper, peppering chest with kisses. "Yes, please do it some more," she begs, so you comply and flip her over once again, lowering yourself so that your face was level with her marehood. You give one long lick from the top to the bottom of her outer lips, eliciting a moan of pleasure from the apple farmer, all the while you keep intimate eye contact with her. You could not get enough of how good she tasted. Taking ahold of her left hind leg, you slowly kiss and nibble your way down, trying your best to give a pleasurable time. That time was interrupted however, just as you were about to get to work on her, you hear the barn door open, and a familiar voice calls out. "Applejack? Leroy? Where are you guys?" Rainbow Dash calls out. "Pinkie said the party is set up! We need to get going," "Damn, to be continued?" you whisper to Applejack. "Sure, maybe after the party Ah can show ya some other things Ah know," she says in a sultry tone, tapping your nose with her hoof. After you get off of her and shake off all the hay you reveal yourselves to the impatient pegasus. "There you guys are- wait, what were you doing?" she asks, raising an eyebrow. "Uh, we were just uh-'" you sputter "We were havin' a nice little quiet time, until you came in and interrupted us," she said matter-of-factly. Wow, she really is the Element of Honesty eh? "Oh, you were, were you?" she struts over to where you are and begins to circle you. "Yeah I heard about you and AJ. How good you are in the sack and all that. I don't know about you AJ, but I'd like to see how humans like to rut. Whaddaya say Leroy? Wanna include me in on the fun?" she asks, flicking her tail under your chin. A mad blush creeps onto your face. "Well, I mean I don't know- I mean uh- I'd hate to uh-," "Maybe some other time Rainbow, right now we gotta get to Sugarcube Corner for the party. Let's get going," "Yeah yeah, let's get going then," Rainbow agrees. Meanwhile you stand there, still trying to mix together a string of words that actually make sense after what Rainbow had just offered. "Leroy!" they call out. "Eh?" "You comin'?" "Yeah, I'm going," you jog to catch up with them and walk out of the barn and then go back out onto the trail to make the trip to town, preparing yourself for what could be, one hell of a night... Chapter 9: CelebrationChapter 9: Celebration By: Calamity Jay Edited by: Sausage "Any party is a good party as long it has beer, music, food, and more beer. Or if there's just beer then that's okay too," "So, every single pony in Ponyville is going to be at this party?" you ask Rainbow Dash, who is trotting next to you on your left. You had set out for Sugarcube Corner after you had pulled yourself together from Rainbow's lewd suggestion. Honestly, if the situation was different you would've accepted her offer in a heartbeat, considering the fact that you had never had a threesome before. Keep in mind, you had never been with a female of another species before up until a few days ago. Sure, you were up for many things; a threesome with mares was something that you were not too sure of right off the bat. You had barely gotten through making love to just one mare and you weren't exactly ready for that challenge. But maybe after a few drinks... "Yeah, Pinkie always invites the whole town. She sees it as a way to make everypony happy. You don't mind do you?" she asked raising an eyebrow. Seeing as how most of the ponies in this town had reacted positively to your little introduction, you were confident that the entire town being there would not be so bad. Besides, you have your new friends there with you. However, there was still that one nagging thought in the back of your head. "Uh, no, why would I have a problem with that? I ain't afraid of nothing," you say, pounding your chest with your fist. "Right, coming from the same human that was shaking like a little foal on his first day of school because he was afraid to meet everypony. Okay then Mr. Tough Guy, I believe you alright," Rainbow laughed, rolling her eyes as she mocked you. "Hey! I was not scared!" you argue. "Yeah, you were totally scared! For a moment I thought you were gonna wet yourself or something!" "Rainbow, leave him alone will ya? He's got enough to handle as it is without you mockin' him," Applejack demanded. "If Ah remember correctly, you were mighty terrified during the Best Young Flyers Competition. So terrified you didn't even wanna come out!" "Yeah, but I still came out when I needed to! Remember when I saved Rarity and the Wonderbolts?" she retorted. "True, but here ya are berating Leroy for being scared when you have been scared too. Besides, I'm sure that everything will turn out fine just like the way everything turned out fine for you," she says, nuzzling your hand, to which you respond by petting her mane. "Yeah I guess, whatever," she concedes, rolling her eyes once again. "Hmm, I can hardly imagine the great Rainbow Dash being scared," you tease, furthering her embarrassment. She turns and glares at you for a moment and you just give her a small smile; instead of furthering the argument, she snorts and turns away to focus on the road ahead. "Hey, I'm just messing with you Rainbow," you say ruffling her mane a bit, she responds by giggling. "Yeah, yeah sure big guy," she laughs. "Right, oh by the way, AJ?" you ask. "Yes hun?" "Can I borrow your hat for tonight? Just in case someone gives me a nasty look?" you ask adjusting the hat. "Of course ya can sugarcube, whatever makes you feel comfortable," she replies with a grin and a wink. "As long as you take good care of it," You stop for a moment, face her, kneel down, and place the hat on your chest. "You have my most solemn word, my dear Applejack," you say, giving her a bow of your head. Okay, maybe that was a bit overdramatic. "Alright then sugarcube, no need to be overdramatic there," she laughs. "Ah do believe you'll do your best to keep it safe," See? Told you so. Overly. Dramatic. "Right, sorry," you apologize with a sheepish smile, putting the hat back on. "So how far away are we? Feels like we've been walking forever," "Shouldn't be too long, if you keep stopping to do your dramatic promises, it'll take us forever to get there," Rainbow deadpanned at you. "I said I was sorry," you say shrugging your shoulders. "I'm sure you are," she rolls her eyes again. "Hey look, we're getting close, ready to officially meet the whole town Leroy?" "I guess so, I'm gonna have to do it one or another," "Don't worry about a thing Leroy. Me, Rainbow here, and the others are gunna help you if things get a little rough, right Rainbow?" "Yeah, so don't sweat it dude!" she says, taking to the air with a wing powered leap. "Thanks you guys, I wouldn't be able to do this without you all," "Hey, what are friends for?" Applejack says, nudging your hip with hers. "Yeah," you reply, nodding your head. You then focus on the road ahead, eyeing the town. 'What are friends for?' *Scene Break* You had made it past the outskirts of town and right into heart of Ponyville. After cutting through the market, you had finally come across the gingerbread house style bakery known as Sugarcube Corner. Said bakery is currently the location of your 'Welcome to Ponyville' party. You and your two friends walked up close to the front porch of the restaurant, but wait, a weird feeling had struck you. You look around and see that there are absolutely no ponies around the bakery, considering the fact that there was a party to be held, you would think that this place would be full of life and noise. Hell, even the door was closed! Perhaps its possible that no one could come to the party? "Wait a sec," you pause, a few feet from the front door. "Why is it that this place looks and feels dead, when there’s supposed a party going on? I mean, if she invited the whole town you would think there would be ponies trying to get inside," "Yeah well, some ponies have things to do, just cause she invited the whole town doesn't mean everypony can go Leroy," Rainbow said, shrugging her shoulders. "She's got a point there sugarcube," "I know but... I just have this weird feeling. Like a great disturbance in the force," you say, putting your hand to your temple and looking off into the distance. Wow. And you are not even drunk yet. "Uh, what are you talking about," Rainbow asks with a weirded out expression. "Nevermind, I just have a weird feeling you guys," you say, rubbing your right eye. "Right. Well, you gon' open the door? Or do I have to?" Applejack asks. "Uh no, I got it," "What are you waiting for then?" Rainbow groans. "Patience grasshopper," "Ugh, there you go with the weird references," she says, facehoofing. "Just open the stupid will you? Before I have to take a nap from how long you're taking!" "Alright, alright! Don't your tail in a bunch," you retort, walking up to the wooden front door of the bakery. Taking a deep breath, you grip the door handle, twist, pull, and the swings open with a creak. You take one step in, seeing nothing but dark. There is no visible light as the windows all seem to have been covered up or closed. You can barely make out the outlines of a few tables in front and to the side of you. You look behind you and see that AJ and Rainbow seem to be hanging back, as if bracing for something. "Hey so where is every-" Suddenly, your question was answered by one word, from a multitude of ponies. "SURPRISE!" Next thing you knew you were on the ground, on your ass, heart pounding, and ears slightly ringing. When they had shouted, your eyes widened way beyond their normal ability and quite honestly the face you made was actually hilarious. Definitely one that was worth taking a picture of. Anyways back to the task at hand. "Leroy! I'm so glad you could make it! We've been waiting forever!" Pinkie shouted, springing out from the crowd of ponies. The lights had turned on and a disco ball was set aglow, illuminating the entire room. Towards the back corner of the bakery, was the DJ stand, complete with turntables, lights, sub woofers, and a snow white Unicorn mare with an electric blue mane and purple lens sunglasses over her eyes, who was nodding her head to the beat while tending to the records on the turntables. The music had started playing immediately after you had the life scared out of you. To be quite honest, the music had a very catchy beat and ponies all around the room were already dancing to the song that was playing. "Yeah, I'm glad that I could make it as well Pinkie!" you shout back, grinning ear to ear. "After a bit of encouragement from Applejack and Rainbow Dash, but how come everyone yelled 'Surprise'? I already knew about the party!" "I know that silly! But to make it even more fun, I decided for everypony to shout 'Surprise!' when you walked in! What do you think of your party?" she asked. The party was absolutely phenomenal, from the food, to the entertainment, and especially the music. You feel as happy as you've ever been, no one has ever offered to throw you a party like this. No less for free! "I love it Pinkie, no one has gone to such great effort to make sure I have a good time," you kneel down in front of her and open your arms for a hug, to which she happily responds by placing her forelegs on your shoulders and embracing you back. "So, what's the plan for tonight?" you ask, rising up from your hug. "Well, the others are over there by the counter," she points a hoof over to the left side of the bakery, where Twilight, Rarity, and even Fluttershy were indeed waiting. They obviously had noticed your presence, so when you looked their way, they waved and smiled at you. Fluttershy kind of just blushed and hid behind her mane, giving a hint of a smile. Nevertheless you wave back and give a smile of your own. Hell, all this smiling will probably make your face split. "We can go hang out and talk for a bit while enjoying the party. Oh! Make sure you try the cake that I whipped up for you! Its really goooood!" "I'll be sure to try it Pinkie," you say to the hyperactive party pony, laughing at her antics. "What else after that?" "We're gonna do a Q&A type thing where you get to introduce yourself to everypony, then after that, we're gonna paaaaarrrtaaayyyy all night long! Doesn't that sound great?!" she asks with a smile that could rip a hole in the fabric of space-time. "It sounds fun as hell Pinkie," you reply, trying to match the magnitude of her smile, but with all your effort there is no way you could pull that off. You, Rainbow, AJ, and Pinkie traverse through the sea of party going ponies, stopping along the way to bump a few hooves and greeting them as well. Soon, you reach the counter where your friends are waiting. "Hey there girls!" you greet happily. "Hello Leroy!" "Leroy! Glad you could make it!" "Um, hey, Leroy," you could barely make out what Fluttershy was saying, but you politely greet her nonetheless. "Leroy, we're so glad you could make it! I'm sure that Rainbow Dash and Applejack had to convince you?" Twilight asked. "Uh yeah, I'll be honest they kinda had to encourage me to come. Hell, they had to convince me to open the door. You could say I had a hunch that Pinkie would pull something like that," you chuckle, everyone else laughing along with you. Hmm, for some reason, laughing with them brings back a sense of deja vu. On your daily trips to the bar, you would have little chats with Johnny the bartender, every now and then having a laugh. However, those laughs were bitter, either because you were laughing at something such as your boss being a grade A bitch, one of your co-workers messing up, or some other gossip. All the while you would be shit face drunk while laughing with Johnny. You always thought that Johnny was some what of a friend, but in the end he was most likely just having pity on you or just doing his job as a bartender; which usually involved listening to his customers complain about one thing or another. But now... Now, you were sharing laughs with peo-ponies, who actually cared about you. Ponies who actually cared about how you were doing. Ponies who wanted to help you feel better and make you a happier human. Its truly ironic, even though theses girls weren't human, they would actually pass for better humans than the ones you knew back on Earth. Maybe if your world had more people like this, then perhaps there would not have been so much pain and suffering. Maybe Earth would actually be a happy place and things would have turned out differently for you and your parents. Thinking back on your parents, you wonder if maybe they actually thought about you from time to time. Did they ever wonder if you were doing okay? Then again, you remember that you went so far as to deleting their numbers from your phone, just to get them out of your life. You think about these things as you talk and laugh with these wonderful mares, but to avoid becoming depressed in a cheerful setting, you push these thoughts aside. Just in time when you feel someone poking your abdomen. "Eh? What's going on?" you say, coming out of your stupor. "Y'all alright there hun? Got somethin' on your mind?" Applejack asks as the others are talking. "Uh, yeah just thinking about things," "What kinda things?" she asks with a hint of concern in her voice. "Just some things that happened back on Earth, I'll tell you about later okay?" "Alright then Leroy, but try to enjoy the party okay?" she says, rearing up on her hind legs to nuzzle your neck. "This party is for you, sugarcube, we all want ya to enjoy yourself alright? Besides, y'all got my hat with ya, that makes ya feel a lil’ better don't it?" "Yeah I guess it does," you reply, adjusting the hat again. "Again, thank you for lending it to me AJ, I really appreciate," "Its mah pleasure Leroy," she licks your cheek affectionately and nuzzles you once again. You once again flinch when you feel her warm tongue go up the side of your cheek, making your face look flushed. She notices this and laughs. "Ah take it you don't like it when Ah do that?" "Nah, no its just a weird feeling. Not everyday I would get licked on the cheek by someone," "Well, better get used to it then," she then proceeds to lick your cheek over and over again, making you giggle like a boy. "Alright, alright stop I get the message," you say, gently pushing her away to stop the licking. "Ok Ah'll stop, but ya know, we have some unfinished business to attend to after the party," she coos into your ear. "Really? Huh," you say blankly. "Would you need some help plowing a field or something of that sort?" "Mhm, Ah think there's a certain field for you to plow. And that field is just aching for you to plant your apple seeds on it," she breathes into your ear. "Oh, well I'll make sure to get the tiller out then and the apple seeds as well," wow, your cluelessness is a marvel. "Leroy, Ah meant sex," she deadpanned at you. Seriously, you are more comprehending when you're drunk. "Oh right, well as I always say, I'll see what I can do," you say, putting your best charming smile and tipping the hat down just a bit over your eyes. That hat really does give you confidence doesn't it? "Okay then, Ah'm gonna hold ya to that," she says, getting back down on all fours. "Hey Leroy," you hear Twilight call your name. "What's up Twilight?" you ask. Certainly this must be about your new powers. Soft Hoof must have informed her about them. "I need to talk to you about something real quick, mind if we go sit at a table?" she asks, gesturing to a table by the wall next to the counter. "Sure Twilight, hey I'll be back. Okay AJ?" "Alright with me sugarcube, hurry back now," With that, you follow her over to the table and pull back a chair to sit in. However you notice that the table and the chair seem to be a bit short for you. Twilight simply climbs up into the chair and lets her legs dangle over the edge, while she places her forelegs onto the table. Your knees come up close to your midsection, but you still do the same and place your arms on the table. "What's on your mind, Twi?" "Back on your last day at the hospital, Dr. Soft Hoof had informed me of some interesting developments with your anatomy. How have you been feeling?" "I've been feeling alright I guess, nothing bad. Still got all my limbs," you chuckle, gesturing to your body. "Right, well, he told me that your bones and organs have become more resilient, making your whole body more durable. Have you taken any serious blows that may have otherwise crippled you?" "Uh no I don't believe I have," "Good, wouldn't want that to happen. Now, he also mentioned, and nurse Sunny as well, that you have gained some magical abilities. Care to give a little bit of an explanation of your side of the story?" "Well, far as I can see, I have really awesome powers and I never thought I'd be able to lift things with my mind," "That's true, you are the first of your kind to use magic. But what have you done thus far with your magic?" "Uh well, in my hospital room, I managed to lift a single book that you gave me. But when nurse Sunny came in I focused my attention on her, then the book went flying at her head. Thankfully it didn't hit her, but I had no idea it would actually go and almost take her head off," you say with a grimace, looking down at the table. "Hey, you had no idea how to use magic, your first time no less. But let me guess, they told you not to use your magic and you did it anyways?" she asks raising an eyebrow. "Well..." you begin to say, rolling your eyes. "I thought so," she giggles. "What else have you done?" "When I was attacked by three adorable fillies, I managed to levitate all of them off of me with little trouble. It was strange, not a day ago I had barely learned how to lift one object, but then I find myself lifting three tiny ponies. And when AJ's big brother tried to smash me, for some reason I conjured a shield and blocked his attack. Its really weird, how can something like that happen? I have little to no experience with Equestrian magic!" "Well, back in my archives, I read up on certain events like this that have happened before; where creatures gain magical prowess through unknown ways. But I wasn't able to find anything, all the recorded cases were just a Griffin coming across an artifact that grants magical abilities temporarily or some other incident like that. However, during the research sessions, I scanned the area around your body and in your body as well. From what me and the doctors had seen, you seem to absorbing the magical aura at an alarming rate. When we scanned you, you already had a substantial reserve of magical power within you. We discussed the possibilities and we believe that when Soft Hoof applied the Class III healing spells to your injuries, you most likely absorbed the massive amount of magic that was used in the spell. And you've been here for over a week already, so I can only imagine how much magic you've absorbed. For all we know, your reserve power is probably close to being on par with mine; considering from you've told me, it most likely is," as she finished her explanation, you were awestruck at how she had drawn up a most likely accurate hypothesis at how the magical aura was affecting your body. "Wow, so uh, how long did it take you to come up with that conclusion?" you ask. "I'm sure it must've take you a couple of hours right? Right?" she looked at you with a cute blushing smile. "It didn't take you that long did it?" "Umm, about five to ten minutes actually. Would've been four, but Spike needed my help with some other thing," she said, rolling her eyes and waving a hoof. "So, what do you think?" She is absolutely amazing isn't she? "Twilight, you truly are the Element of Magic. If I had a drink right now I would most definitely drink to you," you say holding out your hand as if you had a- "Here ya go Leroy! Some hard apple cider!" Pinkie said, appearing out of nowhere and placing a drink into your outstretched hand. Before you could say anything, she turned tail and disappeared into the crowd of partying ponies. Well, that was certainly something that... just happened. What is with that mare? "I uh, thanks?" you say, still staring in the direction the hyperactive pony ran off to. "Anyways, here's to you Twilight," you raise the glass of cider. "The most intelligent mare I have ever seen," you take a swig of your drink, tasting the strong sweetness of apples, but with the slight burn of alcohol. "Wow, this is pretty good, real sweet," you take another swig. "You should taste Apple Family hard cider, way better than the brand that Pinkie use for the party," Twilight commented. "What brand is this?" you ask, looking at the glass. "I think its called Manehattan's Finest. But believe me, when apple cider season comes to Sweet Apple Acres, you'll have the chance to taste the best apple cider in all of Equestria!" "Hmm, when is that coming?" you ask, hoping there might be a chance to taste some good alcoholic beverages. "Well, right now we're in the fall, winter is right around the corner, and Cider season is in spring," "How long are your seasons?" you had no idea how they're years, months, and days actually go, "In fact how is time measured here in Equestria?" "Well, we have our four seasons, each season is about three months, each month is six weeks, each week is seven days. And right now we're in the last month of fall, in the second week, and today is the third day of the week and the weekend is about two days away," "Huh, your measurement of time is similar to ours. We have seasons as well, but what's even stranger is that we were in fall as well. Weird..." you put a hand to your chin, what you always do when you ponder. "Yeah that is strange," she agrees, mimicking your pose by putting a hoof to her chin. "I might have to look into that later, but for now we might as well put all this aside and enjoy the party, right?" "That we should, wanna head back with the others?" you offer, rising out of your seat and gesturing to the others, all of them still chatting at the counter. "Sure! Let's go!" she gets up and trots happily with you back to your friends, where they were in the middle of a conversation. You walk over to where Applejack stood and lean against the counter, standing by her side. She once again rears up and goes up to hold on to your shoulders, and nuzzle you once again. "So, what'd y'all talk about?" she asks, still nuzzling. You nuzzle her back and respond, "Oh just about my super awesome magical powers, nothing too big," "Hmm, sounds interestin'" "Eeyup, sure does," you chuckle. For a little while you enjoy the company of your friends, chatting away about things that had happened the day before, something funny that took place in the past, or whatever else you all could think of. To make things a little less awkward between you and Fluttershy, you tried to talk with her (when you called her name, she squeaked and flew behind the counter; after which it took some calming her down) about what kind of animals she had back at her cottage. To which she replied that she had all kinds of animals, ranging from small birds, rabbits, squirrels, and she even said that she housed a bear. You were quite surprised that a small, timid, and frail mare like her could actually take care of a huge bear. But then Rainbow Dash pointed out that I had never witnessed 'The Stare'. You were puzzled as to what the stare was and asked the shy little Pegasus what exactly 'The Stare' was. With encouragement from Dash, she reluctantly demonstrated her little ability. After she finished, you swore that not even Mom gave you a look as intense as that, to the point where you couldn't even move, much to the amusement of the others. It seemed as though hours had passed having fun with your new friends, sharing laughs and stories. You had told them a few amusing stories about your past ventures with the few close friends you had made on Earth. You could not believe how much a good time you were having with these equines, it had been so long since you had this much fun while sober. Had it been that long, that you actually forgot what a good time felt like? What it feels like to have friends that sincerely wanted to be your friends and not for their personal gain? All this laughter... Happiness... and friendship... "Hey! Leroy! Its time!" Pinkie bounced over to where you were standing, looking as excited as ever. "Time!? Morphin' Time?" you ask jokingly. "No silly! Time for you to officially introduce yourself to everypony! Come here quick!" she says, beckoning you with a hoof. "Alright then be right there!" you turn to Applejack, "I'll be back AJ," "Okay sugarcube, you be careful up there ya hear?" you lean down and give her a quick kiss on the lips. "And knock 'em dead alright?" "I think I'll be able to, just had a drink. I'm much more likeable with a bit of alcohol in me," you joke, putting down the empty glass on the counter. "Oh just get up there will ya," she then nudges your back with her head, pushing you towards the crowd. You swim past the crowd and reach the dance floor where Pinkie was waiting for you by the DJ stand. "So, what's the word Pinkie?" "Let me just talk to Vinyl real quick!" she goes behind the turntables to where the DJ pony was working and jamming out. The white mare, who you now know as Vinyl, takes off headphones, raises her sunglasses over her horn (ah, so she has red eyes eh?), and turns her attention to Pinkie who whispers something into her ear. You see her laugh for a brief moment, then turn her attention back to the turntables. You hear the record scratch and the music stops, you then see her step out from behind the stand with a microphone in her magical blue colored grasp. "Alright everypony can I please have your undivided attention for a second?" you see everyone turn their attention to you and Vinyl. "First off I would like to thank everypony for coming out tonight, I just absolutely love playing music for all you beautiful ponies," after she says that, the crowd bursts into a round of hoofstomps and cheers. "I'd also like to give props to Pinkie for planning this kick ass party for all to enjoy! Thank you, Pinkie," she says, winking and pointing a hoof at the pink party pony. "Now, that that's over with, I'd like to introduce to you all our very special guest. From what I am told this party was planned for the sole purpose of welcoming him to our cute little town. So please help in giving a good ol' Ponyville welcome, to our special guest and Equestria's first ever human, Leroy Evans!" The crowd once again broke into a round of cheers and hoofstomps. In response to their cheers, you take off your hat and give a polite bow. "So Mr. Human, got any words to say?" she asks, floating the mic over to you. You lean over and speak into it. "Uh well," you clear your throat, "First I'd like to thank Pinkie who went to great lengths to plan this magnificent party for me. Thanks Pinkie!" you wave at her in the crowd. "No problem!" you see her hop in the air over everyone. "And uh, well, I'd also like to thank you guys for coming out as well. You know its been awhile since I've been to a good party like this actually," you chuckle, rubbing the back of your neck. Vinyl then takes back the mic. "Well let's make sure you have one hell of a time! What do you say everypony?" she shouts out to the crowd. They cheer in response. "So, tell us a bit about yourself," Vinyl says, floating the mic back to you. "Sure thing, but I don't think I caught your name, mind telling me what it is?" "Not at all! Name's Vinyl, Vinyl Scratch! Otherwise known as DJ Pon-3, with a three! DJ Pon-3 in the streets and Vinyl Scratch in the sheets," she says, with a sly tone and smile... aimed at you... oh dear... She floats the mic back to you. "Right, awesome. Well, a little about myself, where do I begin?" you scratch your chin a bit, wondering where to start talking about your colorful life. "Not much to tell really. I uh, went to college, got a business degree, I play a bit of music, and I'm also into acting as well," "Really? Sounds cool doesn't it?" Vinyl asks the crowd, all of them murmuring in agreement. "So, you think you can answer a few question anypony might have?" "Uh sure, I'd love to answer questions," "Right, so who has a question?!" you see a few hooves raised and for some reason you see Pinkie's hoof raised as well. "Yes you!" she says, pointing her hoof at someone in the crowd. A creme colored Earth pony mare with a blue and pink mane steps out from the crowd. "So what do you got to ask?" the creme mare looks up at you and asks her question. "So, where do you come from Mr. Leroy?" she asks with a high pitched voice. "Good question that, I actually come from another dimension, from a planet called Earth. Which is in many ways similar to Equestria," "Really how?" "Well there's animals and trees and stuff, but there's no magic at all and of course there are a significant amount of humans," "Wow, so there's a lot more from where you came from?" "Oh yeah, a lot more actually," you chuckle. "Awesome, thanks for answering my question," "What's your name by the way? If you don't mind telling me, I'd like to get to know everyone in Ponyville," "Oh, my name's Bon Bon, nice to meet you!" you walk over to her and bump her hoof. She trots off happily into the crowd. "Hokay, next question! Anypony?" Vinyl asks, resulting in more hooves being raised. "Yes you!" A blue unicorn mare with a blue and white mane steps out from the crowd. "Hi! My name's Colgate! Colgate Minuette!" Ha! Colgate! Like the toothpaste brand! "Nice to meet you Colgate!" you use all your force not to laugh at her name. "So, what would you like to ask?" "Why are you so tall?" she asks cutely, looking up at you. It was quite adorable the way she looked up at you with those big blue eyes- okay back to the question! "Uh well, I am bipedal, so I stand on two legs and these are my hands which I use for many things in my day to day activities," you say, stretching out your arms and flexing your fingers. "Whoa, they look like the way Griffins have their talons! Except they're not sharp!" she exclaims, looking at your hands. "So, anything else you wanna ask me?" "Nope! Thanks!" she trots back into the crowd. "Any other questions?" Vinyl asks, you spend about fifteen minutes answering a few questions. Some were typical, such as what did you like to do for fun, favorite food, and the sort. Some were silly, such as what kind of salad you liked or the kind of ointment you used for rashes. And some were about how humans behaved, you didn't really want to roast your own species, so you decided to tell them the positive things about Earth. At the end, Vinyl had asked a question you were not prepared to answer. "So, I know you've been in Equestria for a little more than a week right?" "Eeyup, that's right," "So, have you got your eye on anypony? Anypony caught your eye yet? Hmm?" she asked in a sly tone. Whoa, you did not see that coming. How are you going to get out of this one. buddy? "Well uh," you start, rubbing the back of your neck and blushing; you definitely were not going to tell them you had sex with Applejack simply because you could, so you decided to be vague. "I kinda do have my eye on a certain mare that has caught my eye, but I don't know if you all know her," "Really? Think you'd mind telling us who that lucky mare is?" Oh dear, Level Four Emergency, CODE RED, CODE RED! "Umm, she's a nice mare. Although I haven't known her for that long, but I've seen that she is a special mare with a big heart," you look out into the crowd and see that Applejack is looking straight at you. You continue with caution. "From what others have told me, she is kind-hearted, strong, and well just great overall. The week and a half that I've spent with her, may as well have been a year and a half, because that's what it honestly feels like," you look over to her again and see that she developed a small loving smile. "I remember my mother telling me that when I saw the girl of my dreams, it'd feel like my heart was like a bird flying away. And well I felt just that, when I met her," "Wow, so you really like this mare don't you?" "Yeah, you could most definitely say that," you take another glance over at Applejack, and see that she is beaming at you. As you looked into her eyes, you could see a small little twinkle in her emerald irises. At that, you were sure you said the right words. Hopefully. "You still haven't told us who this special mare is ya know," she says in a mocking tone, waggling the mic at you. "Well I hope she doesn't mind if I do this," once more you look over to her and see her give you the 'sure go ahead' nod. Here goes nothing. "Applejack?" everyone turns and looks to where she stands, you hear a few gasps and a mare scream in glee when you said her name. "Would you please join me up here?" Without hesitation, she begins to trot to the dance floor with a big smile on her face. The whole crowd begins to cheer and stomp their hooves as she trots up to where you stood. She reaches the dance floor and stands right next to you, still with a smile on her face. "So, it appears that Ponyville's very own Applejack has caught the eye of Equestria's very first human, ain't this just nice? Whaddaya say Ponyville? Think they'd make a great couple?" The crowd cheers in agreement. "Any words to say Applejack?" she floats the mic over to the apple farmer. "All Ah can say that Ah'm mighty flattered, but in all honesty Ah think maybe we would make a good couple. Ah think my friends do too," Wow, so maybe she does actually have feelings for you, however fast things were going they were going smooth. "So! How about a nice little slow dance, for this cute couple?" the crowd once again cheers in agreement as Vinyl goes back to the turntables. She takes out a record, flips it over a couple times, places it on the platter, puts the needle on the edge of the disc, and soon a nice, slow, jazzy waltz tune started playing. "How are we gonna do this Leroy?" she asks, looking up at you. You weren't sure how exactly to go at this, so you do the first thing that comes to mind. "Here, get up on your hindlegs real quick," "Okay," she rears up and places her forelegs on your shoulders. "Now what?" "Just hold on to my shoulders, and I place my hands on your waist," you place your hands a little below her midsection. "From here, just follow my lead," "Follow your lead?" "Do you trust me," you ask, looking into her eyes. At this position, her head came a little higher than your chest, right below your chin. "Ah do trust ya," "Then come sway with me," you say grinning. You follow the slow rhythm and move your feet accordingly, swaying side to side. All the while you maintain eye contact with her. As you sway to the music, time seems to slow down and the mare singing the song was hypnotising. "You had me, at the first moment" "I never thought, that love at first sight, was a possibility" "But I guess, not everything is always the way I see~" "And now, I can say, for the very first time in a long time, I am in love" "Oh yes, for the first time, in a long time!" "For the first time, I am... in love... with you... yeah..." The song ended and somewhere in the middle of your dance, Applejack had laid her head on your chest lovingly. The crowd had cheered when the dance finished and after Applejack got back on all fours you gave a polite bow to the crowd, finishing off your stunning performance. "Okay everypony!" Vinyl's voice rang out from the amplifiers. "Let's get this party pumped up! Get your tails on the dance floor and shake what your momma gave you!" at that everyone had filed onto the dance floor. "What are you waiting for Vinyl!?" you call out to her. "Hold on, wait for it. Give me a sec," she puts on her headphones and slides down her sunglasses. Brace yourself. "In three..." she takes out a record, "two..." she places it on the platter, "one..." she slides the needle onto the record and... "DROP IT!" Suddenly the whole bakery seems to explode as the loud house music breaks out from the speakers. You even felt yourself being blown away by the strong wave of catchy dance music. Vinyl was jamming away at the turntables and everyone else was jumping, stomping, and hopping to the beat. You even decided to break out a few moves of your own, which just involved you jumping up and down on your toes. Applejack began dancing as well and the way she moved was captivating. The way she confidently moved her body to the beat, as if her moves were an embodiment of the music itself. So to keep up with her you decide to get creative by bringing your arms into the equation, moving them this way and that along to the beat. Still, no matter how hard you tried, you could not match Applejack's energy. As the party went on, a ring formed in the center of the dance floor. Where, unsurprisingly, Pinkie Pie had taken the center. After you had a few of Manehattan's Finest apple cider, you boldly challenged Pinkie to a dance off. She happily accepted and since you were borderline drunk, you magically became a better dancer. So you broke out a few moves such as 'The Robot', 'The Running Man', 'The Shuffle', hell you even did a 'Good 'Ol Texas Cowboy Jig'. Much to your surprise, the party mare matched you move for move, and later explained the names of her dance moves. Apparently, they were just ponified versions of your dance moves, such as 'The Robo Pony', 'The Trotting Pony', and even 'The Pony Shuffle'. Quite amusing, really. She even managed to match your jig, which was just a series of stomps of her hooves. However good the apple cider was, you managed not to drink too much; so as to not make an ass of yourself. After your little dance battle with Pinkie, you stood off to the side with Applejack to cool off and enjoy her company. "So, am Ah really that special?" she asks, giving you a half lidded smile. "Oh yeah, even though I haven't known you for long, it feels like I've known you for years," you say, taking a sip from the cider bottle. "You sure that ain't the cider talkin'" she says, laughing at your half buzzed state. "Of course I am, I'm as honest as honest can be," you put down the bottle, "Why would I lie to the Element of Honesty?" "I dunno, many ponies have done that before," she looks down at the ground, but you gently grab her chin, making her eyes lock with yours. "Look, I don't know who those terrible ponies were, but whoever they are, I'm sure they are regretting lying to the most honest mare in Equestria. As for me, I would never lie to you or hurt you in any way. Not in a million years," She takes your hand in her hoof and nuzzles it affectionately. "Ya really mean that, Leroy?" "Every word, and no that's not the cider talking either," you chuckle, picking up the bottle to take another sip. "So, ya think that cider's any good?" she asks. "Its alright, but I'm told that Apple Family Cider is even better," you say, looking at the bottle. "Mhm that's right, but you know what else is good about the Apple family," she rears up and gets close to you, her forelegs on your shoulders. "Ya know what else Apple family mares are good at? "Umm, making apple pies?" "Nope, think a little harder now," she circles her hoof on your chest. "How bout, candy apples?" "How's about we say goodbye to everypony here, we head back to the barn, and Ah show you the other thing that Apple family mares are good at," she kisses your cheek affectionately. "Well if you're talking about sex, I think you've already showed me that," you say with a smirk. "That's true, but wait til ya see how Ah do it when nopony is watchin'," she whispers, giving your ear a tentative lick. Well, that pretty much seals the deal. Soon after your little talk with AJ, you say goodbye to all of your friends and newly made friends as well. Of course they asked why you had to leave so soon. Saying 'Oh me and Applejack are going to her barn to have wild, passionate sex' was not a viable option; so you improvised and said that you were feeling a little worn out from dancing and decided to call it a night. So they agreed and said their goodbyes and promises were made to see each other tomorrow. You and Applejack walked out the door and set off into the moonlit night, making the journey back to the farm. Little did your friends know, that your night was not over yet and a certain apple farmer was keen on giving you a good 'roll in the hay'. Chapter 10: FeelingsChapter 10: Feelings By: Calamity Jay "Thing is, I don't know what I'm feeling. Its been such a long time since I've actually been this close with anyone. And well, the truth is..." It had been some time you and Applejack were walking down the road back to Sweet Apple Acres. You were not sure how long it had been considering the fact you were borderline drunk. True, you may have only had a few to make sure you would not get shit faced in front of everyone at the party and make a fool of yourself. All the way back to the farm you and Applejack had very little conversation, you were stumbling here and there due to your slightly inebriated state so you had very little thought for conversation. However she would laugh every time you mumbled some incoherent sentence involving who knows what? In fact you had almost forgotten why you were going back to the farm in the first place, but when she had begun nuzzling your thigh from time to time on the way back, a certain part of you remembered why. There was one thought in the back of your mind that kept bothering you while you were walking along with her. What did she think about what you said about her? It was true you meant what you said about her being special, but did you truly have deep feelings for her? Great, see what happens? Sex just complicates things! Now in the back of your head you were wondering if you should have even agreed to doing that little 'experiment' in the first place. Your life has certainly become more interesting, albeit stressful as well, but definitely more exciting than your life back on Earth. After what seemed like hours of walking, you finally reached the farm. "Well, we're back," AJ says as you walk past the gate and onto the trail. "So, ya ready to plow that field Ah was telling ya about?" She looks back at you with a sly smirk. "Uh maybe, as I always say," you come from behind and scope her up in your arms, cradling her head in the crook of your elbow. She is surprisingly light. "I will see what I can do," you then kiss her on the nose. "Alright then lover boy, show me what you can do then," she bops you on the nose with her hoof. "Oh and by the way, when we start ruttin' could ya keep muh hat on?" "So, you want me to make love to you while wearing your own hat? Any particular reason why?" "Ah dunno, you look mighty fine with muh hat on. Besides, Ah think it'd kinda fun," "How so?" "Cuz, you'd be riding me, and..." she points to the hat. "You'd be wearing my hat, kinda would remind me of a rodeo," you huff out a laugh as she says this. Finally you reach the farmhouse. "So, your room? Or the barn?" you ask. "Nah, let's go to the barn," you start walking over to the big red barn. "Ah'd really hate to wake up Granny and the others," "Why? Are we really that noisy?" you ask with a smirk. "You can get pretty loud Leroy," she giggles as you push past the doors with AJ still in your arms. "Let's go towards the back, where the hay pile is," you do as she says and make your way to the back corner of the barn. On the way over there, you turn her around in your grip so that you are face to muzzle with her. Immediately, she wraps her hindlegs around your midsection, her forelegs around your neck, and she pulls you in for a kiss. You instantly feel you own desires take hold as you grab her by the flanks. Reaching the bed of hay, you gently lay her down and continue passionately kissing her, slowly moving down to kiss and nibble at her chest and neck. She starts to groan and gasp as you work on her body like an instrument, passionately making sweet music with her. You proceed to slide further down reaching her soft belly, closing in on her breasts. However, before you could reach you target, she spoke up. "Hey, Leroy?" she gasps out. "Yeah? What is it?" you ask moving up until you are face to face with her again. "Am I going to fast? Want me to slow down?" "N-no, Ah just need to ask ya something right quick?" she presses a hoof to your chest, so you take that as a sign to back off a bit. Although your buddy downstairs wholly disagreed with this turn of events, you fight your urges and listen to her. "Alright," you get off her and lay down on your side facing her, propping yourself up with your elbow. "I'm all ears," She takes a deep breath. "Listen uh, Ah've been thinkin' about things for a little while now. And Ah need to know one thing hun," "Yeah? What is it?" you didn't like where this was going. Although you were most likely thinking about the same thing as she was, which is about your relationship with her, you do not want anything to spoil the moment. "When you said all those things back at the party about me, didja really mean all of that? Were ya sayin' the absolute truth?" Now it was your turn to take a deep breath. You take a moment to think carefully about what to say next; one wrong word could completely ruin your future relationship with Applejack. The last thing you wanted was for this nice night to end badly. So you proceed with caution. "I meant every single one of those words Applejack. And its true I haven't known you for long, but there's just something about you that I just can't get enough of. Its as if, the first day I met you, I could not stop myself from seeing you again. That time where we were talking in my hospital room, it had been so long since I've talked with real friends. I mean sure, I would have drinking buddies back on Earth, but friends that are actually friends. Not just people to get drunk with," "Hmm, Ah see what ya mean sugarcube. So, ya really meant all those things ya said about me?" You smile. "Every word, I promise," you kiss her on the nose. "Well, Ah'm glad you were honest with me, but Ah feel its now time for me to be honest with you," oh no, here it comes. Its over! Game over buddy! Hello rejection, goodbye love! "Ah just wanna say, Ah'm sorry," wait what? "Sorry? What could you possibly be sorry for?" "Ah'm sorry for what Ah did! What we did when we first met! Ah feel terrible for doin' that to you," she looks away from you in shame, a hint of tears in her eyes. "Ah know that Ah didn't force ya to do it, but Ah feel like Ah did!" "Look," you grab her chin and gently pull her gaze towards you. "You did not force anything on me okay? I was just as pent up as you were and both of us were looking for relief. But believe me, I felt bad afterwards as well," "Really? Why?" "Because, I felt like I had used you and argh- I'm sorry I'm really bad at this," you take a moment. "Back on Earth, I had only been with one other girl, but the thing is, it wasn't real at all. We both just used each other thinking that it was love, but rather than love it was lust. After we had realized that, we just stopped talking and I lost touch with her. And it doesn't help that my parents never really showed me any love either," "What are ya tryna say, Leroy?" she asks with an arched brow. "What I'm trying to say is," you can't find the right words to say. "I just- I don't, ugh I don't know what to say really," "C'mon sugarcube, tell me," she strokes your cheek with her hoof. "What's on your mind?" "Honestly, its what's going on in my heart, rather than my head," you chuckle, holding her hoof in your hand. "But, the honest truth is that, it had been so long that I had loved or been loved. So long in fact that, and I know this is gonna sound crazy, but-" you hesitate to say what you're about to say. "C'mon now, let it out," she coos, encouraging you to speak what you feel. "I-" you begin to choke up, remembering all the pain you felt when you had to leave your parents, when you found out your first love was only out of lust, and the pain of feeling alone. Finally, the dam broke and you let out everything you had inside. "I- I forgot what love actually feels like!" you bow your head so she would not have to see you shedding tears. Come on now man, be strong... "Whaddaya mean ya forgot what love feels like? How can that be?" she picks up your head and you see she has a worried expression on her face. "Leroy, was it really that bad on your world you actually forgot what love feels like?" "Yes," you say, choking back a sob. "I can barely remember what it was like when I was with my parents, but when I left them and never talked to them again. The years went by and I just turned into a cynical, cantakerous, grumpy old bastard. I spent most of my days working or getting drunk at a bar. And when I wasn't at a bar, I was just alone in my apartment, just watching days go by," "If it was that bad, why didn't ya look for somepony? Somepony to make you not so lonely?" she suggested. "Remember when I told you about my first intimate relationship?" she nods. "Well, after me and her broke up, I was just so afraid of an intimate connection with someone else, that in the end it would all be meaningless and for nothing. I didn't want to feel that again, that feeling that I was just using someone for sex," "So is that what you felt with me?" "Honestly, yes," you look deep into her eyes, showing her that you were honest. "I started to think about what happened between you and me, that same feeling of me using you came back up. After that I wanted to do everything I could to make sure you weren't feeling used! Please, just understand that I didn't want to hurt you," you bow your head once again, tears beginning to streak down your cheeks and sobs escaping your throat. Applejack lifts your chin again and this time you see something unexpected... She was smiling... She had tears in her eyes... But she was still smiling at you with a loving smile... "Now you listen to me here now," her emerald gaze was boring straight into your heart and soul. "Ah am absolutely touched that you went to so much effort to make sure that Ah didn't get hurt. No stallion had ever done that for me and you, Leroy Evans, have shown me that you are more than a stallion," she nuzzles you gently. "You are a human. With a heart as big Ah've ever seen. And that, is something that Ah've always wanted from anypony," she leans in and kisses you on the lips. With tears still in your eyes, you kiss her back with all the heat of your passion. Deep within your chest, you feel a certain burning sensation as you kiss her. Something you had not felt in such a long time, as if a fire was being rekindled within the kiln that is your heart. Before you had only felt the rush of lust, but now you were feeling the soft warmth of love coursing through your body. And it felt absolutely heavenly... You finally pull back and she looks up at you. "Let me get up for a sec, Ah wanna show you somethin'," "Alright," you roll off her and she get up on all fours. She walks over to a sort of ladder that leads up to the second floor of the barn. "Well," she begins to climb the steps of the angled ladder. "Ya comin'?" "On my way," you get up and shake off the excess hay on your pants and shirt. You walk over to the ladder and begin the climb up to where Applejack was now waiting. As you reach the last step and pull yourself up, she begins to trot over to a large open window sill that sat at the front and center of the barn. Applejack reached the big squared window and sat down on her rump. She looked over to you and patted the spot next to her, motioning for you to sit. You walk up to her and do so, letting your legs dangle over the edge of the window. "So what are we up here for?" "Just look in front of you for a sec," she says, smirking. "Okay then," you look out and see an amazing sight in front of you. The moon looms in the sky, illuminating all the ground below it. From here, you could see the entire orchard, seeing the lines of trees stretch for miles. Off in the distance, you see the lights of Ponyville, most likely the party had already ended. Its a breathtaking sight and you marvel at the beauty of it all. "Wow, this is quite something alright, beautiful view," you close your eyes and breath it all in, smelling the scent of the farm itself. "Its on nights like these Ah come up here by muhself and just look out over the orchard. Every time Ah look at this big ol' farm, Ah remember that its all up to me and muh brother and sister to take care of it all," "But, what about your parents? Aren't they helping too?" you immediately regret saying this, seeing that her face takes on a grim expression. "What's wrong? Oh, wait I get it. I know that look. Its a touchy subject isn't it?" she nods at looks out at the sky. "Been a long time since anypony asked me that. Only ponies that know about that are me, muh brother and sister, Granny Smith and everypony else in our family. Never told anypony else about what happened, not even Twilight or Rainbow or anypony," "Really? So, I'm guessing it was something terrible then?" you asked, pulling her close to you. "Yeah, you could say something like that," she leans her head on your shoulder. You kiss her on her forehead, stroking her mane with your hand. A few moments pass, the both of you sitting in silence, enjoying Luna's moonlit night. "Hey, Leroy?" "Yeah?" "Ah'm guessing you're kinda curious about what happened aren't ya?" she asks, looking up at you. "Um, well I don't know I mean..." you scratch the back of your neck. "Leroy, ya can't lie to the Element of Honesty," she says, smirking at you. "Alright," you exhale. "I guess you could say that I am a bit curious. Its just, what happened that was so terrible?" She looks for a moment before she pulls away from your arms and turns to face you, her gaze locked onto yours. "Leroy, if Ah tell ya this, you have to promise me something," "Okay, what is it?" "Ah have never told this to anypony that ain't family. So that's why, you gotta Pinkie Pie swear that you won't tell no pony else," "Pinkie Pie swear?" you ask, tilting your head in confusion. "Follow my motions and repeat after me," you nod and focus on her. "Ah cross muh heart..." she crosses her heart with a hoof. "I cross my heart," you imitate her motions. "Hope to fly," she raises her hoof slightly in the air. "Hope to fly," "Stick a cupcake in muh eye," she presses her hoof to her eye. "Stick a cupcake in my eye," you finish off by pressing your hand to your eye as well. "Alright, so no telling anypony else right?" "Right," you caress her cheek. "I promise," "Ah'm glad to hear that," she turns once again and looks off into the distance. "Well, If Ah'm gonna tell ya what happened, might as well start from the beginning..." *Scene Break* *Applejack's Point of View* Ah always thought that things would be good and stay the same way forever as long as Ah lived. But, fate's got a funny way of not going the way you want, no matter what ya do. Back then, when Ah was a little filly, Ah thought everything in the world was all fine and dandy. Ah was under the impression that nothin' bad would ever happen to me or muh family. But Ah guess, fate has a horrible way of proving ponies wrong. It was around the time Ah was already old enough to earn muh cutie mark, Big Mac had already gotten his, so of course he helped Pa with most of the work around the farm. While Ah did the light work with Ma and helped her cook meals and bake apple pies and other treats to sell at the market. Ma had just given birth to Apple Bloom, so while we worked the farm, Granny Smith would be taking of muh baby sister. Things were going fine, we would wake up, work, sell at the market, come back home, sleep and do it all over again the next day. Ah was happy, Pa was happy, heck muh whole family was happy with our lives. But, like the saying goes, all good things have to end some time. Ah remember Pa had said we all had to go on the road to Appleloosa to visit a family member of ours. At the time Ah was so happy because I'd be able to visit cousin Braeburn again, so we loaded up the wagon and set off for Appleloosa. Granny stayed behind to watch over the farm while we were away. Pa was pullin' the wagon along the dirt road leadin' to the ol' town and we were singing songs on the way over there. Huh, Ah loved the way Ma sang, she sang so beautiful and Ah couldn't help but sing along when she started. It was funny though, 'cuz Big Mac wasn't no singer, so only me, Pa, and Ma singin' our favorite songs. Ah remember one of them. "Ah'll be seein' you, down by the end of this old road" "Ah'll be seein' you along the way, maybe the next day" "Cuz when you trot down this old road, lookin' for a place to go" "Maybe Ah will see you, a little further down the way" "Cuz all roads lead to somewhere, a place you could call home" "And when you reach the end, of this long ol' road" "Maybe Ah'll be seein' you, at the end of this old road" "Oh yes Ah will be seein' you, all the way~ back home" That was Ma's favorite song and we sang that same song at least three times on the way to Appleloosa. We traveled for about three hours, before we reached a forest. Right away Pa got real nervous, so he started to pick up the pace so that way we could clear the forest quicker. By the time we entered the forest, it was already gettin' dark and there were rain clouds comin' up quick. We were about halfway out out the darn forest, but then I guess the Pegasi decided it was time for a good thunderstorm right then and there. So Pa trotted even faster just so we could get out of there faster. Ah remember Ah could see the exit pathway out the forest and we weren't too far from it. But then, the worst thing that could've happened, did happen. Outta nowhere, three Timberwolves had come out of the bushes and blocked our way out of the forest. Ah remember Pa telling Ma to grab Apple Bloom, telling Big Mac to go with me and Ma so we could get away. And of course, Big Mac wanted to stay and fight alongside Pa, but he just told him to do as he says and get on out of there. One of the darn wolves lunged right at me, but Pa stopped it and bucked 'em right in it's muzzle, breaking him into twigs. That's when the other two wolves started to attack. Right away, Pa told us to get the hell out of there, right as one of the wolves jumped on him. Ah ran to help him, but Mac had stopped me, draggin' me along with Ma and Apple Bloom. Very last thing Ah saw, was Pa trying his damnedest to fight off those wooden beasts. In muh heart Ah knew he could beat 'em, muh Pa was the strongest pony Ah ever did saw. But of course, fate's gotta funny way of making you suffer. Ah remember, Apple Bloom was on Ma's back, while we galloped for our lives. Ah thought we were gonna get away and Pa would beat those Timberwolves and we'd all be happy again. But as fate would have it, things didn't go exactly as Ah wanted. We were almost out of the forest, but then, two more Timberwolves appeared out of the forest. We were all terrified, we didn't know what to do. Before Ah knew it, Ma was tellin' me and Big Mac to take our little sister and get away. Ah didn't wanna leave, Ah didn't. Ah was scared, Big Mac was scared, and Ah was pretty sure the way Apple Bloom was cryin', she was scared too. 'Fore Ah knew it, we were runnin' as fast as we could out of the forest and on the way back home. Ma had drew away the wolves and lead them deeper into the forest. And we ran. And ran. And ran. And ran. We ran til our legs didn't wanna move anymore. Somewhere along the way, it had stopped rainin' and we were on the trail back to Sweet Apple Acres. Ah had no idea how much time went by, but when we got back to the farm, we were filthy and our bodies were exhausted. Ah remember Granny had to nurse us back to health. When we told her what happened, well, you can pretty much guess what happened. Big Mac was worried about Apple Bloom and how she was doin'. But me, Ah was blind and deaf to the rest of the world. Ah felt like a part had died. But, deep in muh heart Ah had hope that Ma and Pa would make it back to the farm and we would be happy again. As Ah've said, fate had different plans for us. Ah remember always tellin' Big Mac and Granny that Ma and Pa would come back in one piece. Ah remember them tellin' me that they weren't comin' back. Ah remember sayin' they were wrong, that they just didn't believe in them. Every night, Ah would come up here and sit at this very spot, just prayin' and waitin' for the day that Ma and Pa would come back. That Pa beat them and Ma got away. But, days turned to weeks, weeks into months, and months into years. It had took me years to accept the fact they were gone. That they weren't comin' back. Now, all Ah can do is just sit here, rememberin' every single vivid memory of Ma and Pa. All the songs we sang together. All the pies me and Ma baked. Every time Pa would read to me under a tree on his free time. He was gonna do the same with Apple Bloom when she was old enough. But, as you can see, that never happened. And Ah had to face the cruel reality of it all. The rest of our family had been told of the news, and everypony gathered here at the farm for a funeral. Even though they never found their bodies, we still held a funeral service. In remembrance of them, we had planted a Red Delicious tree in the south field. Every harvest, we would buck the apples off of that one first, in honor of their memory. Ah know, that even though they ain't here with me, Ah'm sure they're somewhere else, just waitin' for us to be together again. And one day, Ah'll see Ma and Pa again... *Scene Break* *2nd Person* "Even to this day, like we're doin' right now, Ah always come up here every night and think about 'em" she says, finishing off her story. "My God," you wipe a few tears streaking down your face. "That was, I-I am so sorry about your loss Applejack. I never thought you'd been through that much suffering," "With time all wounds heal sugarcube," she nuzzles you. "Oh and that hat you're wearin'? That was Pa's hat," "What? It is?" you take off the hat and look at it. "Yup, look at the inside of the hat," You flip the hat around and look at the inside of the worn Stetson. Along the edge of the inside, you see a name stitched into the interior. "Propery of Applebuck" "Whoa, so this was your father's?" "Yeah, its all Ah got left of him," "Wow, I gotta say I'm quite surprised you would let me wear this hat when its all you have to remember your dad by," "Well Ah trusted ya to take care of it and well you did. So thank you, sugarcube," she leans over to kiss your cheek. A thought comes into your head. "What about your mother? What do you remember her by?" She points to the entirety of the farm. "All of this, every single tree and the apples that grow from them is how we remember her. Her name was Sweet Apple. When she married Pa, he decided to name the farm after her, 'cuz he thought her name was the most beautiful name in the world. So that's why he named it after her," "Wow, that's beautiful," suddenly, you let out an involuntary yawn. "Oh jeez, I'm sorry AJ," "Oh its no trouble at all, to be honest Ah'm tired as well," she gets up and trots over to the ladder again. "Wanna turn in for the night?" "Yeah sure," you follow her down the ladder and she leads you out of the barn and into the farmhouse. You pass through the front door and into what looks like a living room, complete with a couch and a fireplace. To the left you see is a kitchen, spotting a table with chairs and a stove. Applejack leads you up a staircase and into a hallway. The hall splits up into a t-shaped intersection, with a dead end at both hall ways. You follow her and turn to the left and she leads you to the first door on the right, which is what you assume to be her room. At the opposite hall, you hear a low rumbling sound, what you assume to be Big Mac snoring. "Quiet now, Ah'd hate to wake up everypony," she whispers to you. "Follow me," She leads you into the room. The door is a bit too short for you, so you duck slightly below it. The room is a cozy, medium sized room, with a full sized bed in the middle of the room right in front of the door. To the right of the bed is a window sill. On the right side of the bed is a night stand, with a couple of picture frames on it. "Put muh hat on the rack will ya," she points to the rack to the left of the door. "Sure," you take off the hat and hang it on one of the wooden hooks of the rack. You look back at her and see she is pulling back the covers. Right now that bed felt like it was calling to you. Begging you to sleep on it. "Sorry, Leroy," she apologizes. You are a bit confused at her apology. "For what?" you ask, raising an eyebrow. "Ah know Ah promised we were gonna rut tonight, but Ah'm just plum tuckered out," she then climbed onto the bed and stretched out on it. "So, are ya gonna get in bed or not?" "Yeah, I guess so," you kick off your shoes. "Just let me get a little more comfy," "Ah guess Ah'll do the same," she bites on her hair band and pulls it loose, her mane falling over her shoulders. You stop to look as you unbutton your shirt. "Wow, you look good with your mane down like that," "Aww, you are too kind," she giggles. You continue to undress taking off your blue shirt, you then undo your belt and slip your pants off leaving your skivvies and your white undershirt. "All nice and comfy?" she asks. "I don't usually sleep like this, but unfortunately I forgot to pack some jammies," you chuckle. Its not like you had time to pack for a cross dimensional trip on the verge of death anyway. "Right, well why don't ya come on over here so we can get some sleep, hmm?" "Sleep sounds pretty good right about now," you walk over to the bed. Applejack scoots over to the other side so you can slide in. Your feet barely reach over the edge of the foot of the bed. Oh well, it would have to do. You pull the soft cool bed sheets over the both of you, encasing yourself in the soft silkiness of the sheets. You let out a sigh as you lay your head down on the pillow. "Comfortable?" she asks. You turn towards her and smile. "Yep, man I needed some sleep, its been quite a day hasn't it?" "You could say that again," she agress, laughing. "Its been quite a day hasn't it?" "Ah didn't mean that literally Leroy," she giggles. "I know, I'm just messing with you," you boop her on the nose. "Alright alright, that's enough tomfoolery for today, try to get some sleep okay?" "Sounds good, will do," you move in closer to snuggle closer to her. "Alright, well goodnight sugarcube," she kisses you lightly on the lips and you kiss back. "Goodnight, Applejack," you whisper back, holding her close and stroking her mane. It didn't take long before the blissfulness of sleep had taken over and you gladly joined Applejack in dreamland, sleeping the night away... Chapter 11: DawnChapter: Dawn By Calamity Jay "Finding my place in a new world is not as easy as it sounds. I mean you try fitting in with a bunch of ponies!" You glare at the man in front of you. You recognize him as someone from your past, but you could not determine where. You feel your heart pumping at a mile a minute. Deep within your chest, you feel the burning sensation of rage. At first you could not understand why you were feeling this way and who it was directed at. But then, you hear words... words from someone you had not heard from in a long time... words that were once said to you a long time ago, by someone you thought you'd never see again... "You'll never amount to anything and you Goddamn know it!" Yes, it just occurred to you that you do in fact know who this man was. But most of all, you remember this exact moment and what was going on. This was the moment where you had the last fight with your parents... Another voice speaks up in the background. One less harsh and more comforting than the former. "Leroy please! Can you just listen to us for once?!" You shouted something back at them, but strangely your voice was muffled and you could not hear anything you said to them. Whatever you had said, you were certain that it angered them, as the man you confirmed as your father's face contorted into one of anger and the woman behind him looked ever so distressed from the situation. "I always knew he would be a loser Laura! I knew it from the start!" he looked to the woman behind. "Some kind of man you turned out to be, might as well just have aborted your dumb, sorry ass and gotten a dog or something that has a brighter future than you do!" His words hit you hard and you feel a twinge in the back of your head, your anger reaching a boiling point. The catalyst of hate within you needed one last element to create a massive combustion of rage and hatred that will surely result with terrible consequences. "Always knew you'd be a fucking disgrace, just get out of my sight before I end up having to teach your pansy ass a lesson," "Richard please!" she walks up to hold him back, but he just shoves her off of him. "You stay the hell out of this!" he turns and shoves her once again. She falls against a table and lands on the floor with a loud thud. That was it... That was the last thing you needed before you feel the explosion of rage within you as you see the sight of your father pushing your mother to the floor. You feel your fist clench and your body propelled forward by the force of your enragement. The last thing you see is your fist connecting with the left side of your father's face before everything fades to black *Scene Break* *3rd person* The sun shone through the window, shedding it's light on Applejack. She started to stir once she felt the light shining on her face. Slowly, she opened her emerald eyes and stared at the wall in front of her. The apple farmer rubbed the sleep out of her eyes with her hooves, trying her best to wake herself up. As she looked at the clock on her nightstand, she almost panicked when she saw the clock read past nine o'clock. She had to be up by six to start working! But after a moment of clarity, she realized that today is a day off from working the farm. Hence the reason she went to the party in the first place. It was true she is a hard worker, but everyone needs a break every now and then. She was actually going to get out of bed and start her day. That was until she realized something as she felt someone holding her close. She was not alone in bed. Applejack was about to gasp as she felt the arm that was holding her around her abdomen, so she looked behind her to see who this individual was that was in bed with her. She looked back to see the snoozing human behind her, happily snoring away the morning. 'Oh, its just you Leroy. Whew, almost gave me a heart attack there,' Applejack breathed out a sigh of relief as she specifically remembered that she invited the young human into bed. Although she had offered him to sleep with her, it had been quite some time she had actually slept with anyone, much less a human. Perhaps that is why she was surprised to feel someone in bed with her. As the human snored, she stifled a giggle at the way he was sleeping. The way he slept with his mouth slightly open and the way his snore was soft and stuttering. She found it quite cute the way he slept, albeit a bit goofy, but still cute. In a way... 'Hmm, Ah should probably wake him up,' she thought as she just stared at the slumbering human, running her hoof through his curly black hair. 'Awww, but he looks so peaceful. Ah'd hate to wake him up, he's sleeping like he hasn't slept in days. Then again...' she remembered how he had slept on the train. 'Ah well, might as well just let him wake up on his own. Hmm, Ah could use a bath. Been a day since Ah've washed up. Might as well go do it then, but wait... Ah wonder what else those hands of his are good for,' she thought, looking over at his hand on her hip. 'And Ah'm pretty sure he needs a bath too, ain't no harm in waking him up for a bath right?' that was it, her decision was made. But she wondered what it would take to wake up this human. She didn't want to cause a scene trying to wake him up in a loud manner and it took a little more than a gentle voice to wake up this heavy sleeping human. So, the apple farmer laid there and thought of a way to wake him up easily. A thought popped into her head. A light blush crept it's way onto her muzzle. 'Oh my, should Ah really pull something like that?' the method she thought of using to go about waking up the snoozing human made her feel flustered. 'Well, maybe Ah should make it up to him from last night. Ah'm sure he would appreciate somethin' like this,' her mind made up, she gently moved his hand from her hip and slowly rolled off the bed and onto her hooves. She wouldn't want to wake him up and ruin the surprise now would she? The apple farmer moved to the foot of the bed and chuckled slightly when she saw that his feet were poking over the edge of the bed. 'Hmph, he's so tall,' she mused, pulling back the sheets and revealing his full body. 'Urgh, those pieces of clothes are gonna be a problem,' it would be hard for her to remove his undergarments without waking him. He would have to lift his hips for her to remove them. She moved her forelegs onto the bed and positioned her mouth at the legging of his boxers. Gently, she placed the piece of cloth in her mouth, gripped it with her teeth and pulled hard. Applejack felt a lot of resistance from the piece of clothing, so she pulled harder and harder. After a few seconds of pulling, the waistband from the right side came down just a few inches. 'Maybe Ah gotta pull from both sides?' she went to his other leg and began pulling. Slowly she started pulling at each leg simultaneously, until the waistband was pulled down past his waist and part of his crotch was showing. With one final pull on the left leg, the human's boxers slipped down way past his lower thighs, revealing his privates to her. She sat there, looking at his penis, taking in the sight of it. She had seen what it looked like before, but never took in every single detail about it. After all, the last time they had sex, she was not exactly keen on inspecting every single detail of his manhood. But now that she saw it in a brighter light, she could finally see it all of it's glory. 'Wow, Ah never really looked at it this closely before. It really does look so different from a stallion's penis,' the way it was rounded at the tip instead of being flat. Granted, the stallions of Equestria were definitely well endowed, perhaps too endowed, but nevertheless well endowed. She remembered the last time she had a romp with a stallion. It was painful, feeling that huge rod being slid into her nethers and over stretching her love canal. It sent shivers up her spine whenever she remembered that feeling. Especially when she fellated a stallion from before, her mouth was stretched beyond it's limits as well and her throat had hurt from it afterwards. Although she had done what she thought would please her stallion, he ended being very selfish in bed and finished way before she did. She sometimes thought of getting with other mares, but she never really had a liking for the thought of intercourse with another mare. Even then, she wasn't enjoying sex with stallions and she was afraid to get with other mares, so her sex life was at the moment, dead... That was until Leroy came along. She remembers when they first had sex it was nothing like she ever felt before. The things he had done to her, she had never felt before. Making sure that she felt as good as she did. It was like a perfect fit for her, not too big and definitely not too small. Her favorite part being when he used his hands on her. Funny, his hands were the very reason why she was doing this in the first place. Okay, back to the task at hand. Slowly, she started to stroke up and down along his shaft, eliciting little groans of pleasure from the human. 'Ah got him right where Ah want him' she thought as she giggled and continued stroking him. *Scene Break* *2nd Person* Your body was still in a deep sleep, you snoring away the morning, completely unaware of the mare on top of you. Still asleep, you started to feel a pleasant sensation down below on your groin. Involuntarily, you let out a few groans and your pelvis bucks up and down slightly. Suddenly, through your half conscious daze, you hear a heavenly yet seductive voice. "Leroy~, time to wake up sugarcube," you hear Applejack coo at you. It sends shivers up your spine, so you peek your heavy eyes open. What you see, shocks you, but the kind of shock you want to feel more often. You see Applejack, her hoof on your manhood, slowly stoking up and down, "Mmm, Ah never thought you'd wake up," she says, nuzzling your crotch. "Well, what you're doing there is a pretty effective wake up method," you gasp as she licks at your erect spire. "One that I-I could actually come to like. Ahhh, that feels good," you feel the shocks of pleasure run up your spine as she continues to lick and stroke you. "What's the occasion?" "For one thing Ah wanted to make it up to ya for last night. And Ah also need your help," You raise an eyebrow at her request. "You must really need my help since you're using fellatio as a wake up technique. Alright, what do you need?" "Well, as a hardworking mare, Ah need to wash up after a long day. But, since Ah ain't got no magic to use to help me wash muhself up," You motion with your hand around to urge her to continue. "Okay, go on?" "And, Ah couldn't help but notice those mighty fine hands of yours. Ah bet they can get those hard to reach places," she moves up to sit on your stomach, drawing circles on your chest with her hoof. "So, how's about you help me wash up?" You take her hoof in your hand and kiss it gently. "I would love to help you wash up, my dear Applejack," "Alright then, follow me," she gets off of you and jumps off the bed. You follow suit, picking up your boxers as to not walk around nude, but you remove your shirt so you have less to take off in the bathroom. She leads you out the door and to the second door on the left side of the hallway. You get in front of her so you can open the door for her. "After you," "Aww, such a gentlecolt," she winks at you as she saunters into the bathroom, exaggerating the sway of her hips. For a moment you are hypnotized by the size and shape of her flanks. Huh, you never thought you would actually find horses attractive, but then again you have pretty much crossed that line. Okay, killing the mood now with all these technicalities. Back to the task at hand. She goes to the bath tub and pulls back the curtain. The bathroom itself is not that big, complete with a toilet, the bath, a mirror, and a few shelves that hold flowers. The bathroom also had a window overlooking the farm. Applejack twists one of the knobs with her mouth and water pours out of the showerhead. In the shower itself is a shelf with a few bottle of shampoo and other things. Below the showerhead is a rack for the sponges. After adjusting the knobs, she feels the water with her hoof, testing the temperature. "There, all nice and warm," she steps into the shower, letting the raining water from the shower cascade over her mane and coat. The sight of her in the shower reminds you of Sunny Day, the way she "helped" you in the shower. Now that you think about it, would you ever see Sunny Day again? Maybe... okay enough distractions. Either way, she looked beautiful and ever so sexy the way her wet mane hung down and in this moment you felt ten times more attracted to her. "Join me?" she asked, winking at you. You did not have to be asked twice as you removed your underwear in the blink of an eye. Before you fall over and trip, you slow down and gently step into the tub, placing one foot down and then the other. After you get in, you close the shower curtain behind you, but there is just one problem. Applejack takes up most of the shower standing on all fours and you barely had any room to stand. "Okay I don't think we both fit in here like this," "Whaddaya suggest?" "How 'bout you get up on your hindlegs? That way we have more room?" She does as you say and hooks her forelegs over your shoulders. Now you stand face to muzzle and Applejack smiles sheepishly as you both stand under the warm stream of water pouring over the both of you. "So, maybe you could put those hands to work and help me wash up?" "I'd be glad to," You reach to the shelf holding the bottle of what you assume to be the shampoo. 'Hmm, apple scented shampoo? Why did I not see that coming?' You muse to yourself as you pop open the top and squeeze out some of the green goop into your hand. "Shall I start with your mane?" "That'd be just fine, sugarcube," She kisses you on the cheek affectionately as you reach up with both hands and begin to massage the shampoo into her mane. She develops a goofy looking grin as you massage her head, slowly using the dexterity of your fingers to wash her golden mane. Applejack lets out a few moans at your ministrations, closing her eyes and tilting her head as if she was afraid your hands would go away and never come back. You reach behind her ears and lightly massage the foamy substance into them, making her giggle and moan. After a few minutes of this, she finally leans her head back and lets the water rinse off the apple scented soap. She lets the water drip off her face and she opens her eyes. "Ah must say that was really nice, Leroy. You used to be a masseur or somethin'," You chuckle at the thought of people actually paying you to touch them. "Nah, not really. I just do what I do whenever I wash my hair," "Really? Well, that was still good nonetheless," "Thanks, anywhere else you want me to wash? I charge by the hour so you may want to tell me," you joke as she rolls her eyes at you. "Okay then, how 'bout you help me wash my back?" she turns around and places her hooves onto the wall beside you. "Whenever you're ready, Leroy," She turns to look back at you, her muzzle a deep shade of red, her eyes half lidded and beckoning. The whole look drawn together by her wet mane, draping over her shoulders. She winks at you. At that very moment, you lost control of yourself and did what your instincts were telling you. You place the bottle of soap on the shelf, grab her firmly by the waist and pull her close. "I'm sorry Applejack, but you are fiercely turning me on, so washing your back will have to come a little later, right after you do" You begin to kiss and lightly nibble at her neck and shoulders. "Its fine, besides Ah owe ya from last night," "Well, let's make up for lost time shall we?" You run your hands up and down her body, feeling her damp fur on your fingers just makes you want to pull her closer. You turn her around so she faces you once again, you press her against the wall, and kiss her like you never have before. Pouring all your love into the kiss, she moans into your mouth, your tongues dancing around the other, feeling the love and passion flow between the two of you as you make sweet passionate music. After what seemed like an eternity, you pull away from the kiss, and start kissing her neck, eliciting moans from your mare. But a thought hits you, how are you supposed to make love in the bath tub? Where you both barely fit? "So, how do you wanna do this? I'm too tall for you standing up," You whisper to her. "Here, let me lie down on the floor," She moves to the other end of the tub, sits on her rump and slowly slides her back down onto the floor. Thankfully the tub was wide enough to compensate for the two of you, but not quite long enough. As you lied down on top of her, you had to bend your knees back a little because of the length of the tub. You were finally in position, the water from the shower hitting you lower back. Applejack wraps her hind legs around your waist, and you kiss and gently bite at her chest and neck. You would've gone down on her, but you would've had some difficulty moving all the way down her body, so it should be sufficient just doing this. In fact, just being here with her was good enough for you. Her hips started gyrating as you worked on her, telling you wordlessly that she wanted you inside her right at this moment. "Leroy, please stop teasin', Ah can't take it anymore," She begs, whimpering. "You know, I think I owe you from the first time we did this," You whisper into her ear, eliciting shudders from your mare. "Remember? When you made me beg? I think now I wanna hear you beg me to fuck you," You grasp your shaft and slowly tease her by poking and prodding at her entrance. "Well?" "Oh please don't make me do this," She groans, shuddering from your ministrations. "Yeah? Are you sure? All you need is to say is just a few words and I'll fuck you like I've never done before," You get up and look down at her. The way her mane was splayed out all over the shower floor, her heaving chest, the half lidded gaze from her eyes, and the mad blush on her muzzle. It was a beautiful sight for you. "Just tell me what you want me to do, and I promise I'll do it," "Okay then," She takes a deep breath. "Please, rut me," You hear her whisper, barely catching her over the sound of the rushing water. "I'm sorry what was that?" You ask, to further convince her, you begin running your hands up and down her body. "Oh, for sweet Celestia's sake, please just rut me," She half shouts, you were pretty sure the whole house could hear you two going at it. Unless by some chance they were all outside. But you still had your doubts. "Alright, I guess since you asked so nice-" Immediately, she grabs you with her forehooves and pulls you close. "Leroy Evans, if you do not rut me with all ya got this instant, Ah will make you regret it later on. You hear me human?" She whispers sharply in your ear. Wow, she does not play around when she's turned on. "Yes, ma'am. I'll get right on it," You move your hand to your rock hard length and push it into her hot, wet marehood. She lets out a silent moan and writhes in blissful agony as you fill her up, closing her eyes and arching her back. You straddle her sides with your hands as you bottom out inside her. "You ready?" "Please, just rut me. Please?" She whimpers as she opens one of her eyes and looks up at you on top of her. You feel a pang of guilt as you look down at her. You feel the rush of lust you were feeling fade away and the slightly familiar feeling of love fill your chest. You get close to her and gently brush your lips against hers. "I'd do anything for you, you know that right? And I'd never want to hurt you... Ever," You whisper in her ear. "Ah know," she whispers back, loosening her grip on you, she gently holds onto you with her forelegs. "But, please. Do start ruttin' me, Ah can't take it anymore," "Of course, my sweet Applejack," You gently caress her lips with your again as you slowly begin to rock in and out of her. You feel her hot walls pulling at you, almost as if begging you to come back. However, you had no intention of her leaving her, so you continue your gentle love making. An eternity seems to pass as you lay entwined on the floor of the bathtub, grinding your wet, warm bodies against each other; Applejack's moans were only driving you to keep you going, no matter how tired you were getting. At one point, Applejack had let out a series of frantic moans and pulled you into a tight hug and by the way her walls convulsed violently around your member, you assumed she had came. Nevertheless, you kept going. And going... And going... "Oh sweet apple fritter!" She came again, shouting into your ear. Still you kept going. And going. "Oh, oh, oh, sweet Celestia!" She came once again. You sure are quite the love machine. After the third time she came, you were getting pretty close as well, starting to speed up your thrusts. "Oh shit, I'm close," You gasp. "Oh, please," She whimpers, hugging you close. "P-please, just finish off. Ah need ya to," "Alright, as you wish," You continue rutting her at the speed of knots, getting closer and closer to your own finish line. You felt the huge wave of release building up and finally you fall into the current as you give one final, hard thrust into her and release all your love and passion you had built up from the last time. Your body seized up and your member twitched violently as you shot your load into her hungry womb. After you finished, you collapsed on top of her like you did before, burying your head into her neck. Moments passed, the two of you basking in the afterglow of your orgasms. Finally, you spoke up. "You know, I think we're wasting water by lying here. Sorry I took so long," You chuckle. "Oh its fine, here, let me get up," You rise up off her and let her stand, assuming the position to where you both fit in the bath. "Ya know, you still have to finish washing me," She says, raising an eyebrow. "I know, I'd be happy to oblige," You take the soap in your hand and continue to wash her body. "Ya know, Ah owe for the way you were teasin' me," "But, I thought I made it up with the three orgasms I gave you," "Ya may have given me three orgasms, but Ah still owe ya for the next time," "Hmm, right. I'll be prepared to suffer the consequences then," You chuckle as your wash off the soap from her body. "Here, let me wash up real quick then we'll get out?" "Alright, Ah'll wait up for you," You proceed to wash yourself, with Applejack watching you as your wash off your body. However, it was kind of awkward when you had to get the 'hard to reach' areas. Still, you finished up nonetheless, turned off the water, and got out of the bathtub. "But still Leroy, Ah thought you did amazing. Ah must say, Ah- Ah really like you," "Yeah? Well, I really like you too," You knew deep down you wanted to say something else. But, you weren't sure if AJ was ready for that huge step, so you kept those three little words to yourself. You grab a couple of towels from the rack and start to dry yourself. Applejack asked for your help to dry her, to which you gladly complied. After you both dried off, you got your underwear back on and went back to Applejack's room. "So, you think they heard us?" You ask as you pull on your shirt and pants. "Ah reckon they might have, but Big Macintosh already knows about us and Apple Bloom, well, she knows about this sort of thing," "So you told her about the birds and the bees?" You ask, tying up your shoes. "Ayep, a little while ago actually," She laughs, putting on her hat. "Well, today is a day off, so Ah was gonna head down to eat some late breakfast. Want somethin' to eat?" You had not realized how hungry you were; when she mentioned food, your stomach let out a growl. "Well, as you probably could hear, yes I would love something to eat," You say, rising off the bed, fully dressed. "Alright, well, follow me then," She opens the door and goes through with you following behind her. You prepare yourself for the possible awkwardness that would surely follow after your passionate session in the bathroom. Eh, how bad could it be? Chapter 12: LessonsChapter 12: Lessons By: Calamity Jay "Cool, so I get to learn how do to magic? Always wanted to do that. Oh and the learning about friendship thing too..." You and Applejack headed downstairs to the living room and then took a turn into the kitchen. On the way down you could smell the sweet smell of breakfast being made. To your surprise it smelled like apples, but you remembered, you were being taken in by the Apple family. Who farmed nothing but apples. Nevertheless, you still liked apples. Always did. "Mornin' there Applejack, Leroy," Granny Smith greeted as you walked into the kitchen. The old mare was standing at the stove cooking breakfast for everyone. Big Mac had his head in the fridge, pulling out a carton of milk with his mouth and trotting over to the table. Apple Bloom sat at the table on a chair working on a coloring book. It was strange when you saw that she was holding the crayon in her mouth to draw. Of course you remembered you lived in a world full of ponies... With hooves... No fingers there buddy. However, you wagered that Unicorns found it easier to write and draw seeing as they could use their magic to levitate things. So you figured that some things were easier for others in Equestria. "Hey sis, hey Leroy," Apple Bloom chirped from the table, putting down the crayon in her mouth. "Why were y'all takin' so long in the bathroom?" "Uh well-" You started but Applejack nudged you with her hip. "Apple Bloom, you don't need to know exactly what we were doing," Applejack told her sister, seeming a little embarrassed. "Oh wait so you guys were uh, ya know?" She made some kind of gesture with her little hooves, one that looked like it meant something lewd as she slowly tapped on hoof on the other. Your face could not have gotten anymore red. "Apple Bloom! That is none of your business, now just get back to your drawing will ya?" AJ said as she trotted to a chair and took a seat. You followed and did the same as she did, sitting down next to her. Big Mac came with the jug of milk, set it down on the table and then sat down on the chair across from you, leaving the chair at the other end of the table open for Granny Smith. "Applejack, would ya be a dear and come over to help me set the table?" Granny called from the table. "Be right there granny," She was about to rise off her seat, but you reached out a hand and you stopped her. "How about you let me help set up the table, eh? You all let me stay here, I'd feel pretty terrible for not helping out," You offered, giving a soft smile. "Alright then, go right ahead," You walked over to where Granny stood, flipping pancakes with her mouth onto several plates. You half expected there to be maybe eggs or bacon, but then you remembered. Ponies. Herbivores. No bacon here. "Wow, Granny these look and smell amazing," You say, picking up other plates. "Ah, glad ya think so, ol' family recipe right there," She replies, smiling backup at you. "No problem, I look forward to eating these very soon," You then go over to the counter to pick up plates. Pausing, you think over on how you can show these ponies just how good hands are, just to make this morning a little bit more entertaining. At first you thought about using your new magic abilities to pick up all the plates, but then again you were not terribly adept with your abilities; throwing the plates at your new friends or against the wall is a good way to ruin the morning and take the awkwardness to a whole new level. So, like the intelligent individual you are, you place two plates on your forearms and pick up another two plates with your hands. "Hey guys check me out, I'm like a circus act over here!" You then start humming the circus tune while walking over to the table. Meanwhile, Applejack and Apple Bloom start giggling at your antics. "Hey, can you stand on one leg while doing that?" Applejack asks, still laughing. "Yeah can ya?" Apple Bloom asks as well, looking up at you expectantly. Putting down the plates, you stop the circus act. "Sorry, but I'm afraid if I did that, breakfast would be a little shorter than we'd like," You chuckle, going back to pick up the last plate for Granny. After setting the table, you take your seat next to Applejack and prepare to dig into the meal. "C'mon Granny, you're makin' us wait on empty stomachs," Applejack calls over to her. "Alright, hol' on there young'un, Ah'm comin'," She shakily trots over to the table and slowly takes her seat at the head of the table. "Okay Ah'm here, go ahead and dig in everypony," The others begin to heartily dig in to their piles of apple pancakes, but something felt off to you. You were always used to eating with utensils, using a knife and fork when necessary to eat your food. First thing you noticed was that there were none of those here that your could use, so of course you felt awkward without a fork and knife to eat. Looks like adjusting here to life in Equestria would be harder than you thought; including adjustments like this. "Somethin' wrong, Leroy," Applejack asks, swallowing a bite of pancake. "Uh no, just thinking," You reply, picking up one of your pancakes to take a bite. "No need to worry," You then take a bite and immediately your taste buds and stomach shout out in glee as you chew the morsel a few times and swallow it. "Wow, Jesus, these are good," "Ah'm glad ya think so. Hear that Granny? Leroy likes your pancakes!" She calls over to the old mare who is slowly eating her breakfast, but pays no mind to her granddaughter. "Hey Granny!" "Uh whaaat? Who called me?" She asks, looking confused. "Granny, Ah said Leroy likes your pancakes," "Oh he does? Aww aren't ya just the sweetest thing? Ah am glad ya like 'em," She says, her wrinkled lips curling into a smile. "They really are good, thank you," You take another bite out of the soft, warm, pancake. "Mah pleasure" She goes back to eating her own food. As you all eat your breakfasts, you have idle conversation about the plans later for today. Since it was the weekend, everyone had a day off from working the farm. So that left you some free time to hang out with Applejack. Apple Bloom was talking about how she was going to go off and play with her friends and to figure out how to get their cutie marks. You had asked why and she happily explained to you the goal of being a Cutie Mark Crusader. Their main goal was to work together and find their cutie marks. Remembering what Twilight had said, you were about to explain to her that they could not possibly get their cutie marks at the same time; let alone having the same one. However, as you started explaining, Applejack had nudged you in the ribs. You wanted ask why and she gave you a look that obviously told you 'let her figure it out on her own'. Eventually, everyone had finished their breakfast. Applejack was about to go and was the dishes, but once again you insisted to do the work yourself. It was the good thing to do after all, they did let you into their house. "So, what's the plan for today?" You ask, finishing off the last plate, washing the syrup off the ceramic dish. Big Mac, Apple Bloom, and Granny had all left the kitchen to go about their activities. So that just left you and Applejack alone. In the kitchen. Not that you could do anything sexual in here. Right? "Well, Ah believe we could go off into town, see what there is to do. Maybe stop by Sugarcube Corner and have some sweets. Or..." She looks at you with her eyebrow arched. "We could probably," She trots up behind you and you turn to face her. "Just stay home all day," You back up against the sink and place your hands against the counter as she rears up and places her legs on your shoulders. "And get to know each other a little better," She nuzzles you, burying her face in your neck. "And Ah know how much ya like it when Ah do this," You feel her warm, wet tongue go up the side of your face, stopping just below your earlobe. She giggles when she feels you shudder and you let out a soft groan. "Yeah? Well I know how much you like it when I do this," You run your hands up all the way to her shoulders and down close to her flanks. Then you crane your neck to bite down on the tip of her ear, gently nibbling on it. Immediately, she lets out a deep, but silent moan caused by your sensual ministrations. "N-not fair," She gasps out as you continue caressing her. You start to kiss her neck softly and making your way up to her cheek. Eventually you both meet in the middle for a soft kiss which quickly escalates when you shoot your tongue into her mouth, dancing with hers. You lose yourself in the kiss, passionately caressing her lips with yours, running your hands down along her barrel, feeling the soft fibers of her coat. At this moment it was just the two of you there in the kitchen, but it might as well been the two of you alone in the whole world. Just you and Applejack. It felt like hours had passed and before it could escalate any further, a series of loud knocks came from the front door of the farmhouse. At first you ignore the person knocking at the door, still kissing your mare. That was until a certain Princess' voice called from the porch. "Applejack! Leroy! Are you guys here? Its me Twilight!" You pull your lips away from Applejack's. "Damn, well, I guess we could continue this some other time." "Yeah, maybe we could. Let's go and see what Twilight needs," The two of walk over to the screen door where Twilight is waiting. You open the door for her. "Hey there, Twilight," You greet cheerfully, smiling down at the young Princess. "Howdy, Twilight, care to come in?" Applejack offered. "Actually I can't really, I came here for Leroy," She said, pointing at you. "Really? What do you need me for?" You ask, arching an eyebrow. Most likely Twilight has come to fulfill her promise of teaching you magic. "Remember at the party how I said I was gonna train you in the arcane arts?" "Yeah?" "Well, here I am. You wanna get started? I also have this book here as well that will help you get started," She floats out a book titled "Learning the Arcane Arts: Beginner's Edition" out of her saddlebags. "If you're busy then maybe we can do this some other time?" You look down at Applejack, wordlessly asking her if you were going to be busy. She gives a little shrug of her shoulders. There you have it. "Alright, I don't think we have anything on our schedule for today, so I think we should go and get started." "Good, well I think we should practice in an open area, knowing you, you'd probably blow up my castle or something," She giggles, earning her a scowl from you. "Well, just in case. Better safe than sorry right?" She grins at you sheepishly. "Yeah yeah I got you, Twilight," You huff out a laugh. "So AJ? Wanna come along? Watch me try and do magic stuff?" "Much as Ah'd like to, 'fraid Ah can't sugarcube," She says, pursing her lips. "Ah think you need to focus on that kind of stuff and well, Ah'd hate to distract ya." "Aww come on, you don't distract me. I mean, its not as if... I..." Your words leave you as you look at Applejack, who develops a half lidded expression, a look she gets whenever she is 'in the mood'. You continue to sputter out words, but you fail to form a coherent sentence. She then lets go of her look and returns to a normal expression. "Okay, maybe I do get distracted by you. Quite easily actually," You chuckle, rubbing the back of your neck. "Alright, its settled then. Twilight, Ah will be seein' you later, teach him good for me will ya?" "Of course I will," She replies, grinning at her friend. Applejack looks up at you. "You take care now ya hear? Ah'd hate for anything to happen to ya," She reaches up and nuzzles you. "Don't worry, you know I will," You lean in and kiss her on the cheek. "What are you going to do while I'm away?" "Oh probably just help out Granny or see if Big Mac needs some help with somethin'," "Alright then, I'll be back soon okay?" You give her one last kiss on the lips and leave with Twilight to go and begin your lesson. *Scene Break* "So, you seem to know what you're doing, Leroy," Twilight complimented, as you were levitating a few rocks the size of your palm. You and Twilight had walked a little ways away from Sweet Apple Acres, practicing in an open grassy field, occupied by a lone tree where Twilight happily laid on her belly under, forelegs tucked in. A book being held by her magic grip. She had begun by once again scanning your body to see how it was reacting to the magic it was absorbing. To her surprise you had actually absorbed a substantial amount in only a day since she last scanned you. She theorized that the reason why you have advanced so quickly with your new abilities, is because of the amount of magic you have been absorbing. Even Unicorn foals who have barely coaxed a few sparks out of their horns would take a significant amount of practice and study to utilize the magical aura that surrounds Equestria. Only a few unicorns in the history of Equestria were prodigies in the Arcane Arts. Where they were immediately masterful in magic with very little practice. "Yeah its amazing really, I have no experience with magic whatsoever. And yet I'm doing this," You say as you levitate the rocks around you. "Its weird, I'd say almost extremely peculiar." "I know it really is. Or maybe you are just another prodigy, but a magical prodigy that is not a Unicorn. This truly is strange indeed," She looks at the book and flips through a few pages. "Well, the entire book is just the basics of magic and you've pretty much got them all down. Which is why I think that we are done for today." She closes the book she had in her magic grip and placed it into her saddlebag. "Now, you'll continue magic training again another day, for now we will start on the next part of your lesson. Do you remember the reason why we are letting you stay in Equestria?" She asks, rising up off the ground. "Uh because I came here only under circumstance and that I was pretty much on the verge of death?" You say flatly, it really was the honest truth, no matter how ridiculous it was. "No," She giggles, "One reason is that we discovered a new world and you are a sentient being coming from the world that Princess Luna found, albeit by accident. Second reason is that we can learn so much about your kind. Cultures, social habits, everything. And the last reason we have you here is to help you, Leroy." She says walking up to you. "Leroy, we know about how much pain you have been in on your world. You told us about how you had a falling out with your parents and I feel that nopony should have to go through that. So that's why me and my friends will teach you about friendship. And I believe me and my friends as the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony can teach about true friendship. I believe Pinkie has already showed you what Laughter can do as an Element." You furrowed your brow in confusion. "What do you mean?" "I mean you've already learned a lesson in friendship," She says with a soft smile. "Remember the big party she threw for you, remember how you had a wonderful time?" "Yeah I did, but what is that supposed to prove?" "Let me teach you something, Laughter is versatile in it's uses; can be used for anti-depressants, medicine for the brokenhearted, spread cheer, a very important building block for parties, and other things as well. You have already experienced what Laughter can do. Tell me, you had fun at the party right? Then again it was a Pinkie Pie party so if you didn't have a good time, I'd say you're what Pinkie would call a partypooper." You thought about it for a moment. Thankfully you were not completely shitfaced during the festivities so you were able to remember the fun parts of the party. After a moment of reflection you came to a conclusion: That was probably the best Goddamned party you have ever been to and you would gladly fucking do it again. But you were not about to tell a Princess you had a good time in such a manner. "Yeah, I actually had a wonderful time. Probably the best party I've ever been to," You say leaning back on your hands and looking up at the sunny sky. "In all honesty Twilight, I was very touched that Pinkie did all that work just to give me a heck of a party. It kinda made me realize that I can have a good time with friends, even though those friends are ponies who walk on four legs, but still friends." You chuckle, grinning at the young Princess. "Right, well I'm glad you did learn something from that. Oh and speaking of learning, when you get a chance I want you to write a letter to Celestia detailing what you have learned so far about friendship. That way she can know of your progress." "Why would she want to know that?" "Because, the Princesses want to help you, Leroy. Including me and my friends," "Am I really that bad?" "From you've told us, then yes your situation is pretty bad." "Oh. Huh, man that's depressing," You grimace and hang your head. It was true what she said. Your situation back home was not a good one. Separating yourself from your parents and living a life like the way you were was not a good thing. No matter what, you had to change your ways. The best thing you could do right now is listen to the young Alicorn. She trots over to where you are sitting under the tree and sits back on her haunches. She then places a comforting foreleg on your shoulder. "Leroy, I promise you, me and my friends will help you change," She nuzzles your neck, causing you to flinch. You make it a point to ask Twilight about how social habits work here. "And when you go back to your own world, you will reunite with your parents and fix things with them because no one should have to be separated from their own parents." You hook your shoulder around her back and give her a friendly squeeze. "Thanks Twilight, I appreciate all the things you are doing for me. I'm sure I'll find some way to repay you, AJ and everyone else," You release her from your grasp. Now came the time where you had some questions of your own. "Hey Twilight, could I ask you some questions? There are things that I'm kinda confused about." "Okay sure, ask away," She replies with a grin. "Alright, well first things first. I know you've seen AJ nuzzle me. Actually she nuzzles me quite a bit," You rub the back of your neck. "That's something that only couples do here right?" "Well not really, I've seen mares and stallions who aren't couples nuzzle each other sometimes. Even mares nuzzle each other, like sometimes I nuzzle my friends. Like I also do with my brother, Shining Armor, I nuzzle him on the rare occasions I see him," Whoa, she has a brother? It shocked you a bit now that you know she has a brother. "You have a brother? Wow, I was not aware of that, please fill me in. I don't mean to stray off the topic, but it'd be great if you told me about your brother." "Oh well, he is my big brother best friend forever as I like to call him. He's always been there for me whenever I needed his help. Of course there were times where we did not always see eye to eye, but then again what normal siblings don't disagree from time to time?" She lets out a giggle and you huff out a laugh as well. "Anyways, he joined the Royal Guard when I was a filly, around the time I got accepted to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns and then he went off to training. After a few months he came back as a Private and of course my parents and I were elated to see him return. The years went by and due to his excellent work in the Canterlot Police Force, he was selected to be a candidate for the Princess' Guard, which is where only the best guards can be placed. So of course he passed the trials, they were very impressed with his aptitude for magical shielding and armor spells, he was chosen as a Guard for Celestia herself. Years went by and the time came to choose a new Captain of the Guard. He was nominated as candidate along with three other lieutenants for the position. And well, Celestia entrusted the leadership of the Guard to Shiny and made him the Captain." "Wow, I didn't know I was friends with a Captain's sister," You say letting out a laugh. "Well, he's not Captain anymore. After he married Princess Cadance, he became her Prince and they went off to rule the Crystal Empire together." Whoa looks like being a royal figure runs in the family. "Huh, so you're a Princess and he's a Prince. I gotta say Twilight your family seems to be quite prestigious." "Well, not really," She says shaking her head slightly. "Ahem, anyways we can talk about that later. Going back to your question, nuzzling somepony does not necessarily mean that they're a couple or in a herd. Its really just a display of affection between friends and lovers. Like hugs, but you only really nuzzle somepony you know quite a bit. I mean it'd be kinda awkward if you nuzzled a mare or stallion you don't know," This seems to make sense to you. These ponies certainly were more open about physical contact. "Why do you ask this all of a sudden? That doesn't bother you does it?" She arches a brow at you. You never were that sensitive when someone touched you; of course if someone touched you inappropriately then maybe you would have a problem with it. "Its not that I have a problem with the concept of physical contact. Just the fact that I'm not used to it all the time. Humans on Earth considered things such as nuzzling and cuddling with good friends a social taboo. And if let's say you were with someone and they saw you hugging, nuzzling, kissing, or just plain touching anyone else... its not exactly a good thing to do." "Right, so your species is uptight about the whole touching thing. I hate to say it Leroy, but your species seems to be full of well... and excuse my rudeness, but it seems to me that humans are prudish. Almost as prudish as Canterlot nobles." "Well you can thank thousands of years of evolution for that," You purse your lips and cross your arms, leaning back against the tree you were sitting in front of. Another thought comes to your mind. "Twilight, can I ask another question?" "Of course, you can ask me anything you wish," She says, grinning at you cheerfully. The next question you had in mind would definitely help in clearing up a few things about your budding relationship with Applejack. "Okay, I'm going to be kind of blunt here, but me and AJ have had sex at least twice ever since we met in the hospital. I know you won't really understand what I'm trying to say, but the thing is I'm confused here. How do relationships work here in Equestria?" "Ah, the big question about how relationships work. I was hoping you would ask this," You were hoping that she would be able to clear your head about this whole thing. "The thing with relationships here in Equestria is that most ponies are very open with their relationships. Take this as a lesson in friendship, love is something that helps bring Equestria together. We see love as something that has no boundaries, by that I mean that a mare can get with another mare, a stallion with a stallion, a group of mares to a stallion, or a whole group of mares and stallions together. Us ponies don't judge each other on who they court or with how many. Its what brings peace and harmony to Equestria." She flips her mane over her shoulder. "Of course within limits though; for example if a stallion who was courting a mare and courts another mare behind her back then that's where problems occur. As long as one mare is okay with the other and don't mind sharing a stallion then that's how herds start." "Herds? Whole groups of mares to a single stallion? Sounds like polygamy at it's finest." You muse, letting out a soft laugh. "I'm guessing that you humans aren't keen on the whole polygamy thing?" She asks curiously. "Yep, polygamy is something that is frowned deeply upon. Of course there are a group of people in our world called Mormons who practice polygamy and have multiple wives or husbands. Let's just say they aren't well liked. On Earth, the most common rule about relationships is that if you have more than one lover at a time you are considered a cheater and unfaithful. Of course there are those who are real casual when it comes to sexual encounters," You see Twilight blush a little when you say this, ergo causing you to blush as well. "So yeah now you know how relationships work on Earth. And I guess I know how relationships in this world work as well. I appreciate your help Twilight." You reach over and ruffle her mane again. She giggles when you ruffle her mane. "I'm glad you enjoyed our lesson. I hope you take what you learned to heart. Remember, love and tolerance are key elements to friendship. Accept others for who they are and never judge someone because of your differences. Whatever those differences may be." You do your best to make a mental note of Twilight's sage wisdom and make sure to remember that if you ever see your parents again. "Thanks Twilight. Anything else we need to go over?" "Nope that is all for today!" She goes over to her saddlebags and uses her magic to stash the books in them and straps them to her back. "We'll continue this some other time. Let's see today is the fifth day of the week, which means the weekend starts tomorrow, so how does the first day of next week sound?" "Uh sure, but I'll have to make sure AJ doesn't need my help with something first," You say getting up and stretching out your back and legs. "Of course and if you can't then maybe the day after. How does that sound?" "That sounds great," Just then another question suddenly pops into your mind. Its a question that has to do with something that you would someday want to do. Something you want to share with a special someone... "Hey Twilight?" "Yes?" She replies. You take a moment to prepare yourself. "In Equestria... Ponies get married right? As in two ponies who swear to spend the rest of their lives with each other? Holy Matrimony? You know what I mean?" She laughs softly. "Yes I know what you mean, Leroy. And yes ponies do get married or did, here in Equestria, but the only thing is is that mostly noble ponies get married. Like two families of nobility who want to ally themselves with each other. Unfortunately, a tradition like that has fallen out of style since, well, times change and so do traditions. Most ponies these days either just get together in a herd if they wish or just find a special pony and stick with them for the rest of their lives. Take Mr. and Mrs. Cake for example, they've been together for quite a while and they have even have a couple of foals to show for it. In a way they are married, only they didn't go through the whole ceremony." "So its a choice whether or not ponies can be monogamous or polygamous?" "Like I said, as long as one is okay with the other or others, everything is fine and we don't judge. Why did you want to know about our marriage customs anyways?" She asks arching an eyebrow. "Well back on Earth, marriage is actually a common thing. If a man and a woman love each other, the man proposes to the woman, they plan the wedding, they go through the ceremony, and then figure out the rest of their lives together; maybe have a kid or two." "Really? Is it that simple to humans? And the male proposing to the female? I mean in noble weddings the mare always chose her suitor and the stallion really didn't have a say in anything," She develops a curious look. "Is your society male-dominated by some chance?" "Yeah it kinda is, how'd you know?" "Lucky guess, heh," She laughs and begins to walk back towards the trail to town. "Here let's walk and talk, we need to get going." You follow her down the trail. "So since you're questioning who the dominant gender is in my world, I'm gonna go ahead and take a guess that Equestria is a matriarchal society?" You ask with an eyebrow raised. "Yeah it is actually. Usually mares here are the ones that do all the thinking and such. While stallions are basically the muscle. Not only that, the filly to colt ratio weighs in favor of the mares. So yeah, mares are the dominant gender," Ah the primordial table has been turned. Gender role switch... "Wow, that's kind of shocking, almost absurd. All throughout history men have dominated women. In fact there still is a lot of controversy about equality between men and women. And that's just one of the controversies in our world, next to homosexuality." "Humans have a problem against that sort of thing?" "Well some cool people don't, but then some overly religious people are extreme in their disliking against gay relationships and marriages. To the point where they go out into public places and protest with signs and stuff." You look over at Twilight who has scrunched up her nose and pursed her lips in concentration. "Twilight?" "Hmm, let's see... Some humans practice polygamy, but others frown upon it... Some humans are homosexual, but others frown upon it... Females are considered inferior... Humans get married like its nopony's business... But you say that two humans of the same gender can't get married... Aha, I think I've come up with a conclusion!" She exclaims brightly. You raise your eyebrows at that. "Really? And what would that be?" "From all the information I've gathered, I think I have one thing to say about the human species..." "Yeah?" "Seeing how your customs and social habits contradict each other and how humans act in general..." "Can you just tell me what it is already?" You deadpan at her, wanting to hear the answer already. "You really want to know, Leroy?" She says looking up at you with a sly smile. "Yes, please professor I just want to hear your conclusion," You mutter in a flat tone. "Okay, from everything I've learned, I'd say that..." "Yes?" "Humans..." "Yes?" "Are..." "Uh huh?" "CRAZY!" She shouted, almost breaking your eardrum in the process. *Scene Break* After you made it to a fork in the trail, you and Twilight decided to part ways after talking about many things during your lesson with her. Her lesson proved to be valuable considering the fact that you knew nothing about Equestrian society; with the new information she gave you, you knew more about how things worked here in this strange world. Albeit you would need to adjust a little bit more. As of right now you were on the trail heading back to Sweet Apple Acres, thinking about everything that's going on. 'Okay, so I got drunk, got hit by a car, teleported to another dimension, discovered this dimension was full of brightly colored cartoon ponies, befriended six of those cartoon ponies, had sex with one of them (multiple times), developed feelings for that certain mare, attended a party in my honor made by one of my new friends, gained magic powers... Jesus, where does it end?' You purse your lips and place your hands in your pockets, kicking a rock out of the way. 'And to think this all started with me getting drunk. I guess the only good thing about this is that my life has been made just a little more exhilarating,' You lip curls into a smirk and you let out a chuckle. 'Hah! And they said beer doesn't do things for you-' Your thought was interrupted by a loud, shrill voice slowly growing in volume as it got closer. "LOOK OUT BELOW!~" You look around to spot where it was coming from as to get out of the way of whoever or whatever was coming. However it was too late as a cyan blur hit you from your side and sent you sliding in the dirt for at least ten feet. Pain erupts from the right side of your body, mostly concentrated on your shoulder. But due to your magical augmentation, the pain subsided in seconds. Were the situation different you would have most likely broke a few bones. Or more. After you recovered from being stunned, your focus was drawn to a certain Pegasus lying on the right side of your body, struggling to get up. "Whoa, Leroy! You okay?" She looks down at you with her rose-colored irises. You can see the worry emanating from behind those wide eyes. "Yeah I think so," You rub the back of your head and groan. "So any reason why you decided to use my body as a landing pad?" She rises off you and sits next to you on her haunches, you doing the same sitting on your rear. "I was uh, working on a new trick and well i lost control so here I am." "Hmph, here I was thinking that the awesome Rainbow Dash never crashed when trying a new trick," You chuckle, grinning at her. It was evident to you that the dare devil Pegasus did not appreciate you little quip at her flying capabilities by the way she glared at you. "Hey! Even the greatest fliers in history crashed every once in awhile!" "I'm sure they did, Dash," You roll your eyes at her. "Oh shut up," She demands, blowing her colorful bangs out of her face. You take a careful look over at Rainbow, eyeing up her small form. You could clearly see how much of a good condition she was in, her toned muscles visible every time she moved her legs. She was toned, but she was not overly-muscled; just enough to make her look good. The toned muscles she had made her small petite form look as though she was just humming with strength. Another thing that caught your eye was her prismatic mane. You've never been this close to her before and you could see the very fibers of her hair; to you it looked so soft and silky, you wanted nothing more than to just run your hand through it. But the real gems, were her eyes... A beautiful rose color rimmed around her irises. Just looking at them gives you tunnel vision as you are hypnotized by them. "Uh, Leroy? You okay there big guy?" You shake yourself out of stupor. "Uh yeah, just uh thinking about things," You sputter, flushing and looking off in another direction to hide your blush. 'Yeah, thinking about how beautiful you look.' "Hey, there's no hiding from me you know. I saw you checking me out." She said with a sly smile. "Really? How could you tell?" "Well for one thing you were making it pretty obvious, the way your eyes were moving up and down my body. You like what you see or what?" She purrs at you, waggling her eyebrows. Her confidence was obviously higher than you thought, the way she was calling you out on you gawking at her. Back on Earth you would have just come up with some bullshit excuse to get yourself out of this situation, but after spending time with AJ, you decided to be an honest man. "Honestly, yes I do. I just couldn't help but look at you. The way your body is in good shape, your colorful mane, and your beautiful rose eyes. So there it is, I guess you can make fun of me now for being a dunce," You close your eyes and bow your head in shame, waiting for her wave of teasing and aphorisms. After moments of waiting, you hear nothing. You hear no berating words or teasing coming from her mouth. Surprised, you look up and see that she is blushing and smiling sheepishly. "So... You really think I'm beautiful?" She asks with a curious smile. "Yes I do, I'd be lying if I said I didn't." "Huh, wow. No pony has ever told me that I look beautiful. I mean nopony ever really says good things about how i look at all. They mostly just say 'Good work, Rainbow Dash!' or 'Wow, nice trick, Rainbow!'. You're actually the first one to ever straight up call me beautiful." She looks down at the ground. "What?" You ask, astounded at the fact that a mare of her caliber is not complimented about her beauty on a daily basis! "There is no way that I am the first ever to call you beautiful. I'd like to think that everyone sees you as a desirable mare, I mean why wouldn't anyone want to be with you?" "Because," She lets out a sigh. "Ponies have told me in the past that I'm not beautiful at all," She develops a morose expression. "Even when I was a filly I was always picked on about how I couldn't fly worth a damn and how dumb I was all the time." You have never really seen her fly, so all you could do was just listen to her. "After that I started training in my flying harder and harder, trying to improve myself. When I earned my cutie mark during a race, I thought that it meant nopony would pick on me anymore. Even then ponies called me a freak because of how I looked with my mane and how I was unusually fast and strong for a filly. Then they would always say how I'm over-muscled and looked like a colt. And event though I like colts they always called me a filly fooler and a mare licker. I'd always get into fights with other ponies and get in trouble." "Fights? You fight?" You ask, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, I did. And I won too, but I guess that never really worked out because that only made ponies not like me even more," Her ears droop and she looks down at the ground. You were astonished at what was happening before you. Here she was opening up to you, spilling out everything she had ever experienced onto your listening mind. All of this because you called her "beautiful". "I dunno about that Rainbow, I think you're pretty likeable," You grab her chin and gently pull it upwards so she can make eye contact with her, wiping away a few tears in the process. "You are more than what other ponies think of you. You are brave, beautiful, daring, and loyal to the end. And don't ever think for a second that you are ugly, because you are not. You are the exact opposite of ugly. From what Twilight and the others have told me, you are beautiful in here," You tap her forehead with your finger. "And you are beautiful in here," You go down to her chest and lightly tap it as well. "People who are beautiful on the inside and out never let others bring them down." Her mouth starts moving, her trying to find the right words to say. Finally she asked, "You really mean all that? "Every word. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," You finish by lightly smacking your left eye. "Oh wow, thats- I, I don't know what to-" She sputters trying to find the right words to say. "That's the sweetest thing that anypony has ever told me in my entire life!" She exclaims, throwing her hooves around your shoulders and pulling you into a hug. "Thank you," She whispers in your ear. "Wasn't nothing, just speaking the honest truth," You whisper back, softly stroking her mane. After a few moments of embracing each other, she slowly pulls away and looks at you, her muzzle inches away from your face. Her rose-colored gaze burns into your soul as you look into each other's eyes; she looks as though she wants to say something, but can't quite find the words. That was before she places her hooves on your shoulders and pulls you in for a kiss. Your eyes shoot open wide from her bold move and you can feel her limps trembling. On instinct, you kiss back and immediately feel her relax and she let's out a sigh of relief. You can feel her pull you closer to her body when you feel her hooves tighten around your shoulders. In return, you place your hands on her hips and pull her closer to yourself as well and you feel her smile as you embrace. After a few moments of this, she slowly pulls back and gazes at you with a half-lidded look in her eye. "Can we... Do that again?" She asks you breathlessly. "Well, I uh, I dunno I mean- if you want-" You begin to stammer, but she silences you by pressing her lips against yours once again. This time she leans her weight against you and you fall back against the grass. She begins to really become more into the kiss as you feel her velvety tongue slide into your mouth and you feel it massage your own. At this point your heart is pounding and you begin to become more and more aroused from the dance that your tongues are performing together. You feel the rush of your arousal flow through you and you move your hands to her back and slowly run them down her back; you brush against one of her wings. "Ah!" She gasps and pulls away from you. "Rainbow, you okay? Did I do something wrong?" "No!" She exclaims."Nothing at all, its just, my wings are... Well... Really sensitive. If you catch my drift." "Oh well, I'm sorry if I hurt you," You say, reaching up and stroking her cheek. "Its fine, really," She giggles, nuzzling your hand. "Besides, its not like I asked you to stop ya know?" "Want for me to continue?" You ask arching an eyebrow. But she wordlessly answers your question by continuing her assault on your tongue by once again pressing her lips on yours. Again you run your hands up to her wings and you feel them unfurl with a light 'fwoof'. Slowly, you run your hand along the length of one of her wings, feeling her contentment pulsate from her moans into your mouth. Having had enough of her being on top, you decide to change things up by flipping her over onto her back as gently as possible so as to not hurt her fragile wings. She pulled you closer again, almost as if she was trying to her fuse herself with you so you and her could become one. Your heart was pumping a mile minute, feeling its rhythm pulse through your body with each beat; the heat of your passion and arousal fueling you to go further. Your hand moves down to unbuckle your belt and undo the button so you could truly become one. However, before you were able to get the belt undone, something that Twilight said popped into your mind. "As long as one mare is okay with the other and don't mind sharing a stallion..." Immediately, you stop and pull away from her. "What's wrong, Leroy? Is something wrong?" She asks breathlessly. "Did I... Do something wrong?" "No! Trust me, there is no way in hell you did something wrong," You rise up off of her and sit on your rear. "Its just something is wrong, but its nothing you did." "Then what is it?" "You know that I'm, kinda courting Applejack right now... Right?" "Yeah, what about it?" "I dunno if she would really be okay with this," You rub the back of your neck sheepishly. "I mean I'd hate to cause problems between you and your friends. That's the last thing I'd wanna do to you guys, you all are my friends." "Yeah I know," She looks down at the ground in shame. " I guess I should've talked it over with AJ first before we did any of this," A few moments of awkward silence pass. "Can I be honest with you, Leroy?" She asks, kicking at the dirt with her hoof. "Sure, go ahead," You agree, making a gesture with your hand. "I didn't really lose control when I crashed into you," She says, blushing and looking away. "What? You serious?" You ask, surprised at her revelation. "Yeah, I just kinda saw you down here walking, I decided to mess with you a bit, and well I kinda just did that because I-" She chokes on the last word obviously reluctant about what she wanted to say next. "C'mon, Rainbow. Out with it," "I really like you..." She mutters, and you couldn't hear what she said. "What was that?" "I said I... Like you..." Again she mumbles the last words. "Can you speak up please?" "I said I really like you!" She shouts, closing her eyes in frustration. "There I said it! I like you! I think about you a lot! Ever since that first time I met you! Ever since then I could not stop thinking about you! I dunno what it is about you that I like, but whatever it is its driving me crazy! That's why I pulled this little stunt of mine! Okay?!" She looks at you, panting from all the shouting she did. After a few seconds she calms down and lets out a snort. You sit there simply dumbstruck at what Rainbow had just revealed to you. "Rainbow... I... I didn't know that. I'm sorry," You apologize and reach over to hug her. She gladly accepts the gesture and falls into your grasp. "Wow, I honestly didn't know that you felt that way about me, Rainbow. I really didn't," "Yeah, and I'm sorry that I did what I did. I can get a little reckless when it comes to these types of things." "So you 'accidentally' crash into ponies you like as a pick up method?" You arch a brow at her curiously. "Well no," She giggles and smiles sheepishly. "No, by reckless I mean I just do things without thinking. I guess maybe that's why I've never been able to get my hooves on a stallion 'cause I scare them away." She looks down at the ground again in shame. "Good thing I'm not easily scared then," You chuckle and she looks up at you in surprise. "I mean c'mon I've had a brush with death, it'd take a whole lot more than that to get me scared. Your method was a bit painful at least, but it's nothing that I would go screaming home to mama about and turn down a beautiful girl because she decided to be spontaneous." "You really mean that?" "Yes, I do actually," You take her hoof in your hand and kiss it gently, causing her to blush. "Tell you what, when I get a chance and I think its a good time, I'll tell Applejack about you and ask her if its okay with you and I. I'd hate to go behind her back," "Yeah yeah, I get ya, but if you don't mind, could I be the one to ask her?" "Umm, sure if you want. Why though?" "'Cause, I think it'd be easier if I was the one that asked her," You think about what she said for a moment before you agree to her proposition. "Alright, if that's what you want, then go right ahead," A realization dawns on you as you look at the sun and see that it is setting. "Ah, Jesus, its getting late. I gotta get back to the farm already, I'd hate for Applejack to worry about me too much." "Yeah, you're right," She gets up and stretches her wings; you do so as well and dust yourself off as best you could. For a moment you and Rainbow just simply look at each other, looking for words to say. Finally she speaks up, "So, I guess I'll be seeing you later?" "Of course, definitely," You smile at her warmly and softly ruffle her mane. "Well, I guess I'll go now." You turn to leave, but before you could get anywhere, you hear her call at you. "Hey, Leroy?" You turn to face her. "Yeah? What's up?" She trots up to you, rears up on her hindlegs and places her hooves on your shoulders. "I think you forgot something," She whispers. "Really? Like what?" She leans forward and softly places her lips on yours. You kiss back and gently caress her lips with yours. After a few seconds she pulls away. "Alright, so I'll see you around?" She asks, smiling at you as she prepares to take off. You simply smile and nod. "Yeah, definitely," And you watch her leap into the air and fly off into the sunset, watching her prismatic flight trail fade as she flies further and further away from you and she disappears from sight. Chapter 13: Praescitum, Part OneChapter 13: Praescitum By: Calamity Jay "So you're saying what I had was a vision?" "I'm saying maybe it was a vision, but let's just hope it was just a bad dream..." A street. For some odd reason, you find yourself on street, similar to the ones you would see back in Katy. In fact, this street looks a little too familiar, but you could not discern whether or not you've been here or not; let alone figure out why in the hell this street looks so familiar. The streetlight was right above you. Buildings lined up all along the side of the street. But one of the buildings caught your eye, a building with a familiar neon 'OPEN' sign and a even more familiar sign above the door with an even more familiar logo. "Johnny's Tavern: 'Come Have A Cold One!'" Shit. So that's where you've seen this street. In the past you strolled down this street many times to the bar where you would drink away the troubles of the day. Not that you had a problem seeing your old haven, but why in the hell you were here at this moment was indiscernible. You were beginning to wonder if maybe some weird portal opened up and you were sucked into and transported back to Earth. You were not too crazy about the idea of having to leave such a nice world like Equestria, behind back to your monotonous, boring old life back on Earth. But the biggest question was whether or not this was real. Or maybe a little bit too real. There were cars driving back and forth on the street. The parking lot filled with cars and people standing outside. This was becoming absurd, you had no idea why you were back on Earth and you had no idea in hell how you got here in the first place. You stood frozen to the spot you were standing on, trying to figure what the actual hell was going on. Suddenly, you lose your train of thought as you hear an engine rev behind you. Turning around, you see a small white car sitting there in front of you with the engine on. It was a Civic with a faded white paint job. At first it strikes you as familiar just like the street itself. You walk closer up to the car and you peer into the interior of the car. Who you see sitting the car... Are two people you thought you would never see again... Your parents. It was them, your father with his unmistakable thinning curly black hair and stubbly beard with wrinkles creeping in from the corners of his eyes and laugh lines. And your mother, with her graying shoulder length brown hair and light wrinkles on her face. You thought that your reaction to seeing them again would invoke feelings of bitter anger within you. But right now all you felt was the cold sting of regret, sadness, and for some reason the warmth of happiness. It was strange to you at first. Being happy to see them after all these years and especially with what happened. But you couldn't help it, a small smile made its way onto your face and tears welled up in your eyes, flowing down to your chin. You place your hand on the window of the car, hoping to grab their attention. When they don't respond, you try tapping the window, but to no avail as they keep on looking forward, mouths moving silently, saying words you could not hear. You called at them while tapping lightly on the window again, hoping to just make them acknowledge your presence. Still, they ignored you. This may have been a dream, but why they were not reacting to you was strange. If this was your dream, why would they not do as you wanted them to do and paid attention to you? Suddenly the car lurched forward and they took off down the road at a slow cruise. You wanted to run to catch up, but instead your body lifted off the ground and you glided along the road with them. Why exactly you were flying was peculiar to you, but you brushed it off still under the impression that this was a dream and you could do anything you wished. So you flew off after them, calling to them and again in vain hope that they would see you. They picked up speed and you did the same, keeping up with them you still kept trying to call them, going up to the window and banging it with your fist as hard as you could. You even tried focusing and using your magic to break open the window, but to no avail as your magic failed to ignite. You helplessly watched and glided along with them. Off in the distance, you hear an engine motor roar and another speeding car comes into view from the street adjacent to the one you were on. Realization dawned on you that you could hear and see the car... But what about your parents? Another horrifying realization dawned on you, they were not aware of the speeding car, and at the speed your parents were going they would be right on a collision course with the other car! You must do something! So you yell and scream and bang on the window with all your might as you float on after them as fast as you could. If they didn't see you, they would crash! Again and again you call to them and warn them about the car they don't see... But to no avail, they still kept going. On a collision course with their certain doom... The other car drew closer and closer, no further than 200 yards away from the upcoming intersection and your parents car. You prayed the stoplight ahead would turn red, but it had just turned green and wouldn't change for at least ten to fifteen seconds. Your parents were close to the crosswalk, about to pass through the intersection. The speeding car, was close now, about to blur past the intersection and blast through any and all who get in it's way And your parents were about to get in it's way... Panic rushing through your veins, you yelled at them to stop or at the very least slow down. Tears were flowing down your cheeks as you begged them to slow down. Again, they did not listen to you and they still went on past the crosswalk and out onto the intersection. Right into the path of the speeding car... You watched in horror as the car crashed into your parents' car sending it tumbling over and over, fifty feet away; the sound of metal crunching, tires squealing, and glass breaking ringing in your ears. Thankfully, the car at least landed right side up so you can see if they were alright. But then you go up to the car and see their bloodied and bruised faces; your father having blood gushing out from his nose and forehead, covering most of his face, his head laying on top of the steering wheel. Your mother was in no better condition, her face just as bloody as your father's, her eyes lay half-lidded and glazed over as she laid slumped over the dashboard of the car. Anguish fills your chest and you let it all out in one loud cry, tears still falling down your eyes as you reach out to your father, with the faint hope that he is still alive. You are stunned when you see that your hand passes right through him and your hand becomes translucent. Sitting on your knees in front of the door, you try to call out to him again, but it was all for naught as he still lay there, most likely dead or close to it. You look over to your mother through your tear-filled vision, looking for any sign of life she may give... But she still lay there with her eyes gazing out into nothingness. The sight itself was enough to break you and the pain of seeing your parents die right in front of you was too much for you to bear. You fell to the ground in a heap, weeping and sobbing; every fiber of your being wanted to believe that this was nothing more than a nightmare. If this was a nightmare, it was perhaps the worst one you have ever been through, and you wish that you could just wake up... o000ooo000o "AHHHHH! MOM! DAD!" You scream as you wake up from your nightmare, covered from head to toe in cold sweat, and your heart beating a mile a minute. Fresh tears still flow down your cheeks as you hold yourself, still sobbing from your horrible vision. However your sudden outburst does not go unheard and a certain mare sleeping next to you wakes up. "Leroy! Are you okay? What's wrong?" She sits up with you and looks at your face."Leroy. You're cryin' and sweatin' too. Didja have a nightmare?" You immediately pull her into a tight hug and bury your face into her shoulder. "Hey, there there now, tell me what happened." "Oh AJ, it was horrible," You sobbed into her shoulder. "What I saw, it was the worst thing you could possibly imagine. It hurt so much, I thought it was real." "Why? What did you see?" "I- I saw-" You choke up and sob more into her shoulder, your nose running and your eyes burning. "I saw my parents. I saw them die right in front of me." "Sweet Celestia, that's horrible sugarcube" She gently pushes you off her shoulder and you look into her eyes. "You listen here now, it was only a dream alright? Nothing is gonna happen Ah promise you, everything is alright, ya hear?" You stare at her, with utter horror etched on your face. "I saw them, Applejack. I saw them. And they ignored me. I couldn't do anything, but watch them die in front of me. I thought I felt alone before, but when I saw them die, it was the loneliest I've ever felt," You break down again into a fit of sobs as you put your head into her chest. "Hey hey, you ain't alone, sugarcube. Ah'm here, alright?" She kisses you on the forehead as she caresses your back with her foreleg. "Ah'm here and Ah'm not goin' anywhere." "AJ, I've never felt pain like that before," You whisper into her chest. "I wanted to the pain to stop so bad, I'd rather be dead than knowing that my parents died without ever getting to talk to them again. Promise me, you won't leave me alone right?" "Ah know what you're feeling, sugarcube," She nuzzles your cheek. "And don't worry, Ah'd never think of leavin' ya just like that. Ah'll be here for ya. No matter what ya hear?" "You mean that?" You ask as you look into her eyes, visible in the moonlight. "Every word, Ah promise," She says and you feel the warm sensation of love burning deep within you. "Now cmon, let me see you give me a smile and let's go back to bed," You give a small smile with tears still in your eyes. She lifts a hoof and gently wipes away the tears lingering on your cheeks. You take her hoof in your hand and give it a gentle kiss. Slowly, she moves in and for a brief moment, you brush your lips against hers. The two of you take a moment and once again move in to engage in a passionate embrace. Reluctantly, you pull away and she nuzzles your cheek again. "Alright, let's go back to bed. I'm sure you're tired and so am I, we got a long day ahead of us. Try to get some more sleep." "Okay, sounds good," After you calmed down and laid back down, you pulled Applejack close to your body and closed your eyes. There it was again, that warm feeling you get every time you cuddle in bed with Applejack. That feeling of love. Though neither of you have ever proclaimed it, you considered yourself her man and her your mare. You were sure she thought the same way. It has been a little over four weeks since you arrival in Equestria and so much has changed in your life. Even though you were in a different dimension, you found friendship, love, and more in this beautiful world. But that vision- or was it a dream? A nightmare? Whatever it was, it will haunt you for as long as you remember it. So you do the sensible thing and try to forget about its harrowing events for the moment and slow down your breathing as you settle in and your mind begins to let go. Soon enough, your body and mind relax as you fall into slumber and you pray that sleep brings no more nightmares... *Scene Break* "Twilight, I don't know what to think on this one," The young princess sat in front of you with her nose buried in a book. For some reason she even made reading look adorable. "That dream I had, it just doesn't make any sense. None of it does!" The two of you sat in the same spot you sat in during your first lesson a week ago. In that time, you had to find a way to keep yourself busy. So you asked AJ if you could help out around the farm so you could earn your keep at the farm. Working on the farm was not that bad as one would think. It was actually fun working with Applejack, even though it was serious work. Your job was to help carry back the apples to the farm for storage in a wheel barrel. You had to move pretty fast to keep up with their vigorous applebucking, lest you fall behind. At first you suggested using your magic to help lift the apples off the trees and into the barrel; which was immediately declined when she told that it would break tradition and on their farm they followed something called the 'Earth Pony Way'. It was all strange to you really, but you did not wish to argue on the subject and upset her. Even though Applejack was a sweet, loving, and honest mare... She can be stubborn when she wants to. Something you quickly found out during your time with her. Not to mention, during that time you have grown closer to her. Not only on a physical level, but a more personal level as well. Everyday you learn more and more about her and her about you as well. You also discovered that you were not in the best of shape and working the farm was a bit of a workout. On your first day you only worked for a couple of hours and you were already worn out, drenched in sweat, and covered in dirt. AJ noticed this and said that you could take it slow and easy to build up your stamina; to which you responded by saying 'Hmph, c'mon AJ! I can take it!' and you continued working. In hindsight you probably should have listened, because that same day you passed out, almost suffering a heat stroke, causing them to dump buckets of cold water on your body so you could cool down. Unfortunately, your augmented body can't seem to protect you against your own stupidity. Since then, you now take regular breaks during workdays. Something else that came to your attention during that time was that your clothes were starting to look somewhat worn and bedraggled. You guessed that since you started working on a farm, your clothes would definitely become torn up. Which prompted you to go and visit Rarity at her boutique. You remember upon entering her shop you could just sense the amount of work that she puts into her craft. Whether or not you really were sensing it due to your powers was beyond you. However the idea of being able to sense magic was quite entertaining. She then went ahead and took all of your measurements. Now, what felt a bit awkward was the fact she asked you remove all of your clothes so she could measure you. Deep within the perverted sub levels of your mind, you felt that she only requested for you to remove your clothes under the ruse that she could 'accurately measure your build', just to check you out. But that went out the window as you stood there in your skivvies and she skillfully wound the measuring tape around your limbs; all the while she maintained a professional persona. After that she went ahead and wrote down your measurements so that way she could work on them later. More than just a few times she suggested that you would look 'simply dashing' in a tuxedo or a suit. But at your request, she agreed to make a few pairs of pants, boxers, t-shirts, button up shirts, and she even measured your legs shorter so that she could make some shorts as well. Clothes like these were ideal for working on a farm. Then you remembered the issue about shoes and you were puzzled about what to do. Wearing your casual work shoes to work on a farm was not exactly good on your feet, as you had gained a few blisters. AJ then gave her own two cents and lent you a pair of rubber work boots that she owned. You were confused at first, since they were far too small, but with a few modifications from Rarity, they fit magically on your feet. Quite literally in fact. It was then decided that you would use the boots for work and your old shoes for recreation. You also made a note to yourself that when you go back to Earth, you would bring back extra clothes, shoes, and other things as well. Maybe your old Xbox as well? No that would be ridiculous! Seriously, introducing Equestria to Call of Duty and Halo? How much more absurd could you be? As much as you missed playing. Then again its not like you would be able to play online here in Equestria. Right? Anyways, after you had the nightmare about your parents, you decided to talk about it with Twilight during your next lesson. Before that, you were about to go over shielding spells, but then you brought it up and started having a discussion about the dream. Why was it so vivid? Why did it feel so real? "Okay, I think you should really talk about this with Princess Luna," She said as she flipped through the book. "As the princess of the night, she is usually the expert on dreams and the sort." "Alright, but we're going to go all the way to Canterlot right now? Its an eight hour train ride Twilight," "Its fine, I can teleport us over there," "Really? You can do that? But its so far away." "Leroy, I'm a princess," She replied with a small smile. "I can do things that most ponies can't do. Teleporting hundreds of miles without breaking a sweat is one of them," "Oh, sweet, when can we go?" "Right now if you're ready," "Well, I guess I'm ready now," "Okay, go ahead and grab onto me then," You go ahead and grab her shoulder as she stands up. Her horn glows for a moment and the world disappears in a flash of light. *Scene Break* The world slowly came back into focus as well as your senses. You tried moving around and soon discovered that you were laying sprawled on the floor. Then you heard a voice calling your name. "Leroy! Are you okay? Wake up!" You blindly try and reach out in your blurry vision. "Ugh, momma? Is that you?" You slurred out in your daze. Suddenly, you feel cold water being splashed onto your face and you immediately snap up to a sitting position. "Ahhh! I'm awake! I'm awake!" You move your hands to feel around your body to make sure everything is where it should be. Okay. Chest, arms, hands, head, nose, mouth- legs! Where are your legs?! Oh, there they are! After gathering yourself, you take a moment to scope out your surroundings. You were in a ginormous room, the ceiling reaching over at least three stories. There were also pillars and columns in between stained glass windows that depicted moments in what you assumed to be their history. On one stained glass you saw what looked like Celestia and Luna, facing the God of Chaos, Discord. Another depicted the scene where Celestia did battle with her own sister and used the Elements to banish Nightmare Moon. The next one showed six very familiar mares retrieving the lost Elements and using them to break Nightmare Moon's hold over Luna. You looked over to the opposite side and saw a scene that depicted Twilight and her friends defeating Discord as Celestia and her sister did. Next to it was a scene that showed a tiny purple dragon grabbing what looked like a crystal heart. What that meant you did not know yet. The windows and the room itself were beautiful and regal. Before you could sight see any further, a voice called to your attention again. "Leroy are you okay?" Twilight asked once again. "Uh yeah. Yeah I'm fine," You groaned as you rose to your feet and stretched your back. "What happened?" "You passed out as soon as we appeared in the Grand Hall," Huh, so that is what this place is called. "Sorry I had to conjure up some water to wake you up, usually ponies who teleport for the first time feel dizzy or nauseous, but since we teleported over hundreds of miles well... it was a little bit more intense. Sorry about that," She finished with a sheepish smile. "Oh no its fine, I kinda needed that actually. And at least we got here fast," You chuckled, rubbing the back of your neck sheepishly. "Where are the Princesses?" "Hello there, Leroy," A familiar Princess's voice chimed. You whirled around and stood face to face with the one and only Princess Celestia. You remember her voice from when you were in your comatose state in the hospital. But she did not look like what you expected. You honestly expected her to be as short as Luna. She was almost as tall as you were if you didn't count her lengthy horn and her eyes a soft pink. Her coat a pure white and her mane was as prismatic as Rainbow Dash's. But what was strange about it was that it was constantly flowing as if some sort of invisible wind was causing her mane to floof about, just like Luna's when you saw her in one of your dreams. She wore the royal regalia that a princess should wear and atop her head sat a golden tiara. "I believe we have not officially met before, I am a Princess Celestia, the Goddess of the Sun, and I rule Equestria alongside my sister, Luna." At that moment you put your best manners to use. You get down on one knee and bow your head deeply before. "It is truly an honor to finally meet you, your highness. I am Leroy Evans," "Rise, young human," She giggles at your overly polite manner. "I know who you are, I believe I was one of the first ponies to officially welcome you to Equestria. Although you were in a comatose state, but nevertheless it is an honor to finally meet you as well," To your surprise she crouches slightly and bows her head deeply, her wings spread open as well. "Now, I believe we have some business to attend to? Princess Twilight? What is the reason you decided to visit?" "Well, I believe that Leroy can better explain why we are here," "Oh? Well then, please do tell," She requested, looking expectantly over to you. "A couple of nights ago, I witnessed something horrible," You then proceeded to tell her everything that happened in the dream. "Oh my, I am truly sorry that you had to witness something like that, Leroy," She develops a sorrowful expression. "I too have experienced loss and know very well what you were feeling," "Thank you, your majesty. I appreciate your sympathy," You smile reassuringly at her, to which she responds by smiling back. "But, what frightened me was that I realized that it was all a dream, but for some reason no matter how much I wanted to stop what happened from happening, it just... I can't-" You choke on the last word as you feel tears beginning to brim in your eyes as you recall the events that took place in the dream. "I just felt so helpless and I want to know what I saw was only a nightmare and not some kind of vision. Which is why I'm here, I wish to speak to Princess Luna and ask her about what I saw." The Princess pursed her lips as she thought over what to do. "Very well. My sister should be asleep around this time, but I shall go and wake her," "Um, are you sure that is alright? I mean, I would hate to interrupt her sleep," "It is fine, she knows very well that the needs of the citizens of Equestria come before sleep," As she said this you had no further argument. In fact you were glad she would go and wake her. You needed answers as soon as possible. "Please, follow me," She said and you followed her out of the Grand Hall. The three of you went down a series of huge hallways lined with pillars and columns, all exquisitely designed. Soon you entered another hallway that lead down a long corridor, but this one was different. It seemed to have a darker color to it, almost like as if it was night time in this part of the castle. The usual stained glass windows were black and no light seeped through. As you walked down the corridor, you could see a dark blue rug running down the length of the hall. The pillars lining the walls were a dark ebony and glowed from the torches that dimly illuminated the cavernous hall. "Wow, its unusually dark here," You commented on the atmosphere of the gloomy hall. "I'm gonna take a strong guess that is Luna's part of the castle. "Yes, it is, my sister sleeps during the daytime when I watch over the kingdom. So that way she can be fully rested during her night watch." "Wow, huh," You walk further down the hall and a door came into view. The door had to two torches on either side of it and was a bit taller than you were. Upon closer inspection, the door was decorated with a stars, constellations, and crescent moons. "Wait out here, I shall go wake her," She ordered as she opened the door with her magic and trotted inside. A few minutes passed with you and Twilight standing outside, waiting for her to return. Suddenly, the door opened again and she appeared from behind it. "My sister is awake, you may go in and see her," You began to walk past her with Twilight following behind. "Oh, Princess Twilight?" "Yes?" She turned around to look at the Sun Goddess. "I believe this is something that we should leave to Mr. Evans. This is, after all, a personal matter for him to discuss with my sister," She looks back at you and you give her a shrug. "Alright, that's fine," She seemed to look a little discouraged. "Hey," You kneel down and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll be sure to tell you all about what I found out okay? I promise," "You promise?" "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," You finish by lightly tapping your eye. "Oh okay, just make sure to find out as much as possible, alright?" "You got it," You nod your head and pull her in for a hug. "I won't be long," "See you in a bit," She smiled as you pulled away and walked into the dark room and closed the door behind you. *Scene Break* The room before you was dim, but your eyes adjusted to the darkness and you could see the room and how it looked. The room itself was circular in build, the walls painted a dark indigo. All around there were paintings of stars and moons, there was a doorway that most likely lead out to a balcony but was currently closed to keep the sunlight out. There was a window with black curtains drawn over it and a telescope sat next to it. An unlit fireplace lay in a small kiln to the left of the desk. There were bookshelves lining the walls and a desk lay close next to the huge bed that sat in front of the doorway. You glance up at the ceiling, but you have to do a double take as what you see astonishes you. What you thought at first to be a large painting actually turned out to be real. It was as if the night sky was in this very room and you could see the light of hundreds of stars lighting up the ceiling. This must have been some sort of enchantment, probably done by Luna herself. As you stared at the ceiling, you saw a few shooting stars fly across the ceiling. A truly beautiful sight; you could stare at this all day. "Ahem, Sir Leroy?" A voice called out. You looked around to see who it was and your question was answered as you saw Luna coming out of what you assumed to be her bathroom. "Uh, Princess Luna," You hastily bowed to her, getting down on one knee. "Rise," She ordered and you did so, standing a few feet away from her. The Princess showed those signs of having just woken up. Her mane, albeit ever flowing, looked a bit unkempt. Her eyes carried bags underneath them and she looked as though she was fighting to stay awake. "Come, sit with me, I will make us some tea," She yawned and trotted over to the fireplace. With a spark from her horn, the fireplace ignited and came to life, illuminating the entire room in an orange glow. Hanging over the fire was a gridiron that held a small pot that was most likely where Luna would brew the tea. You couldn't quite tell where to sit as there was only one chair in front of the desk. "Um, Princess?" "Hmm?" She answered as she poured water into the pot. "Where would you like for me to sit?" "You may wish to sit upon my bed, it is quite soft and I think you would find it to your liking." "Very well then," You walked over to her bed and plopped down upon it, bouncing slightly up and down a few times. Running your hand over the bed, the dark blue covers were made of a fine silk that was cool to the touch. Just feeling it simply made you want to curl up and fall asleep in her bed. "Now, I believe you have some questions to ask me?" She walked over to the desk and climbed into the chair, turning it around to face you. "Please, do explain to me what you experienced." You proceed to tell her everything that you saw, pausing here and there to keep yourself from breaking down in front of the Princess. She seemed to look almost as distressed as you were, her expression developing into one of pity and sorrow. When you finished, tears were streaming down your face and Luna as well. "Oh my, I am sorry you had to experience that, I wish that I could have helped you, Sir Leroy," "Its fine, Luna," You sniffled and wiped away the remnants of tears from your face. "One thing that confused me was that yeah it was a dream, but why weren't my parents paying attention to me? I mean even in a nightmare I'm pretty sure they would have noticed me at the very least," "Yes, it is strange, but what is even more confusing is that if you were having a nightmare, why was I not aware of it?" She rubbed her chin with a hoof as she pursed her lips in thought. "Yeah it is pretty weird, by the time it was halfway through I thought you were going to show up in a huge dramatic manner by appearing in the sky and-" You look over at her and saw that she has developed a hurt expression. "Uh, Princess?" "Do I really appear in an overly dramatic manner? I just like to make my presence known," She rubbed one leg with a hoof and looked away from you clearly embarrassed. "That's not what I meant at all Princess, I did not mean to offend you," "Oh, forgive me, Sir Leroy," She straightens up. "I am terrible with joking," She looks down at the ground. "No forgive me, Princess, I should not have been joking at a time like this." "It is fine, please continue," She asks with a wave of her hoof. "Right, well, after I saw what happened, I dunno I just kinda woke up after that. It just felt so real and I was terrified," You look down at the ground and run your hands through your curly hair. "I'm just scared that maybe what I saw was real. Please tell me it wasn't real, Princess," "As of now, I am as confused as you are. As I said, it is peculiar that I was not aware of you having a nightmare," "How would you know?" "Leroy, I have the power to watch over everypony's dreams, if you were having a nightmare then I would have been aware of it. Which is why I am afraid that you were not having a nightmare, but a vision. Tell me, are you familiar with the term of astral projection?" "Uh, yeah I think I've heard about it once or twice. Why?" You could feel your stomach tightening, now you were becoming nervous. If Luna wasn't able to detect your dream, could what happened in your vision be real? "From what you told me, it seems that you had experienced that. Now the reason why? What could it be?" She got up from the chair and walked over to the fireplace, the teapot beginning to bubble. "Then what could it have been that caused me to do that? I mean my mind travelling across dimensions back to Earth, but why Earth? I could have landed anywhere else!" "Your unconscious mind most likely made that decision for you and traveled back to your dimension. But usually astral projection means that you traveled outside of your body, and only your body, but travelling across dimensions? What could have caused that?" She pours some tea from the pot into two cups and floats one over to you. You take a sip of the warm liquid and sigh as you taste the sweet tea. "Only someone with great magical prowess can perform a spell of that magnitude." "...your reserve power is almost on par with mine..." Your heart skips a beat as you remember what Twilight told you. "Princess?" "Mmm?" She looks up at you during a sip from her cup. "You are aware that I have magical abilities right?" "Ah yes I forgot," She lifts her cup to take another sip, but pauses with the cup on her mouth, her eyes widening in realization. "Oh dear, oh dear, oh by the fiery pits of Tartarus this is not good," She gasps putting the cup down on the desk. "Sir Leroy, how experienced are you with magic?" "Umm, not too experienced. Twilight has been giving me lessons on how to control my magic. Why? What's wrong?" "If my theory is correct, then your magic may have had a hand in projecting your mind back all the way back to your world, causing you to see what you saw in the vision. I'm afraid what you saw was not a dream, but something that may have happened in real time," At that moment your entire world stopped. Your heart started to beat at a very fast pace and you dropped the cup of tea in your hand. "So, you mean to say that... That my parents could possibly... You're saying they could be..." You stuttered out, your voice becoming shaky. "I cannot say for sure, but if you wish to find out for yourself, I suggest you go back to your world within the next couple of days." At that moment you snapped up from the bed. "Can you take me back there? If you can then how long will it take?" "With my sister and I's combined power we can send you back to Earth tomorrow-" "No," You snapped. "I have to go back now, I need to go back!" "B-but, Sir Leroy- "Princess, forgive me, but you must understand that I need to go back! Please, I have to go back as soon as possible! I need to see my parents!" "YOU WILL NOT SPEAK TO US IN THAT TONE OF VOICE! YOU UNGRATEFUL WHELP!" The sudden outburst caused you to fall on your behind and your head started to ring from the volume of the voice that came from the small Princess. "Oh dear! Forgive me, Sir Leroy! I did not mean to use the Voice on you. It just happens whenever I become frightened or agitated," She apologized as she trotted over to you and used her magic to help you onto your feet. "And yes I do understand, I will speak with my sister about sending you to your world as soon as possible, but I will need some time to convince her. Interdimensional travel is not something that me and my sister do as we please. Only if the circumstances are truly urgent," "Well I believe this is an urgent circumstance then," You said as you walked back to the door. "I will be taking my leave then, thank you Princess Luna, your wisdom has helped me very well," After you give her a polite bow, you open the door and make your way down the corridor, back to the main hall. "Goodbye, Sir Leroy! May the Sun and the Moon protect you!" You heard her shout as you sprinted down the corridor to find Twilight about everything Luna told you. Chapter 14: Praescitum, Part TwoChapter 14: Praescitum, Part Two By: Calamity Jay "We have to go back..." You rushed all the way down the corridor, using all of the force you could muster to keep yourself moving as fast as possible. The Princess and Twilight had to know about what Luna had revealed to you; your parents' lives were at stake! Eventually, you reached the double doors of the Grand Hall and pushed your way past them and saw that Celestia and Twilight were not there in the Grand Hall. 'Shit, where could they be? They could be anywhere, this place is huge!' You thought frantically to yourself. If you didn't find them quickly then that could mean that your parents could be dead already while you wasted time trying to find them. Suddenly, a brown Earth pony guard wearing gold armor came trotting around the corner. He took notice of you and quickly became alerted "You there! Who are you and what is your business here?" He shouted at you, shifting into a combat stance. "I am Leroy Evans! Friend of Princess Twilight and Celestia! I need to know where they are! Do you know where they went off to?" You ask, slowly walking over to him with your hands raised defensively. "Stay back, you," He threatened, trying his best to size you up. "You have no business being here in the castle without permission, now you leave or I will force you to leave!" He snorted and stomped his hoof. "Did you not just hear me? I came here with Princess Twilight to seek out Princess Luna! I have important information to tell them and I need to know where they are!" You argued, your temper rising slightly. "Yeah, likely story," The young guard scoffed, further angering you. "Now, you have three seconds to start walking before I buck you out of the castle myself! One!" "Aw c'mon! My parents lives are at stake here!" You shouted, about to resort to other means to get him out of your way. "Two!" He growled, looking about ready to beat the hell out of you. "Please, I don't want to have to do this!" Your hands began to glow a light blue as you ignited your magic, ready to fight the overzealous guard. This was the last thing you wanted to do and you were sure you would get into trouble, but this jerk wasn't giving you much choice. "Three!" As he was about to rear up and slam his hooves onto you, a certain Princess's voice called out. "That will be quite enough! Private Dusty! Stand down!" Celestia ordered and the young guard did so and stood at attention to his Princess with Twilight standing next to her looking worried. "What do you think you're doing to this young human?" "Your Majesty, it is the duty of the Princess's Guard to beware of any potential threats to you," He thrusts a hoof at you. "And this thing seemed like a potential threat to you, he wanted to know your location and for all I knew he could have been plotting to harm you, Princess," "This thing, Private, is a he! And you will do well to remember that!" She scolded the young guard. "Now, carry on we have other affairs to attend to. Dismissed!" He gave her a salute, turned around, and marched away; as he left, he shot you a look of distrust. After he left you proceeded to tell Celestia and Twilight everything that Luna had told you. Especially the part where you wanted to go back before the day was out. When you finished, Celestia looked astounded while Twilight looked worried. "So you wish for us to send you back today?" She asked, clearly astonished. "Yes, Princess, I have to go and see if my parents are okay," You sighed and tried to calm yourself down a bit. "I'd never forgive myself if something happened before I ever got to speak with them again! Please, you must understand." "I do understand, but you must understand as well. Travelling dimensions is not something we do for fun it is a serious thing," The Princess argued. "I understand that as well, but this is serious as well and with all due respect I must ask to do this for me," You get down on your knees in front of her. "Princess, you must do this for me, I have to see my parents and make sure they're okay! I'd never forgive myself if anything bad happened to them," You bow your head in respect at her. The Princess seemed to be thinking it over as she had not responded yet. Finally she spoke up. "Rise," She ordered and you did so. "I will accept your request young human, but I will have to ask you to come back later on today so I can speak with my sister." "Really?! You'll do this for me?!" You asked with hope burning in your heart. "Yes, I will," She smiled at you softly. "Now go back to Ponyville with Twilight and try to remain calm, I will send a letter when we are ready." "Okay, we will," You look at Twilight and she gives you a nod. "Again, thank you, Princess. This means so much to me," You bow deeply again. "It is my sole duty to watch over the citizens of Equestria, this case is no different," She bowed back to you. "Now, go home, and relax. Princess Twilight, I will send for you soon." "Very well, Princess," She nodded to Celestia. "We will come back as soon as possible!" With that, you and Twilight exited the castle and out onto the courtyard of the Palace. "Ready to go, Leroy?" She asks you, her horn glowing. "Ready when you are, Twilight," You reply, preparing yourself for the jump. "Okay," Her horn glows brighter and you see a flash of white light... *Scene Break* Next thing you know you appear in what seems to be a huge castle. The structure itself seemed to be made of crystal and looked like a huge tree sprouting out of the ground. You could see the roots of the tree curling around the castle which seemed to be sitting on a sort of nest above what you assumed to be the 'trunk'. In the front there was a balcony protruding from the center of the castle. There was spire that rose high in the sky and was adorned with a crystal star that looked like Twilight's cutie mark. A truly magnificent structure. "Whoa, Twilight is this-" "My castle? Why yes, yes it is!" She replies happily and begins trotting over to the massive front door. "This- it- huge!" You exclaimed, running to catch up with her. "So this is what you got as kind of a reward for defeating Tirek?" "Not really a reward," She opens the door and you emerge into a huge hallway, much like the one at the Palace. "This castle appeared after we used the Keys to open the box that gave us our Rainbow powers," Rainbow Powers? "Uh, not to sound rude, Twilight, but Rainbow powers? That sounds kinda sissy if you ask me," You comment, earning you a scowl from Twilight. "It is not sissy!" She argued defensively, pouting her lip. "If it weren't for our sissy powers, we would have never been able to defeat Tirek! Can you defeat an evil Demon God? Oh no wait, you don't have sissy powers so you can't defeat one! Hmph!" She finishes her rant with a snort as she turns away from you with her nose up in the air. She can get really defensive when it comes to her magic. "Whoa sorry, remind me not to make fun of your sissy powers anymore," You say with your hands raised in defense. "Do you want me to turn you into an orange? Because I can!" Her horn glowed threateningly. "Okay okay, just take it easy man," "That's what I thought," She says with a sly smile. "Now, follow me into the meeting room," The two of you walk further down the huge hall and eventually come across a rotunda with about six chairs formed in a circle. You assumed that this was the meeting room. "Wait here, I'll go and get Spike." "Got it," You say and look around the room. The way the chairs were set up, you guessed that this is where they meet to discuss certain things. A smile curls it's way onto your lips as you remember a part from Star Wars and how the Jedi would have council meetings in rooms such as this. "Huh, so I guess Twilight and her friends are kinda like the Jedi Council of Equestria? Awesome," You huff out a laugh and looked at the crystal chairs. Each chair was marked according to their cutie mark. "Hmm, let's see, that one is Twilight's," You looked at the one marked with the starburst. "And I'm gonna take a strong guess that this one is Spike's, then Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and..." You pause and get a warm feeling in your heart as you look at the chair marked with three unmistakable apples. "...Applejack," You walk over to the chair and place a hand on it, feeling as though your special mare were sitting on it right now. You take a moment to look back on all those times you have shared with Applejack. Those times you shared laughs, those times you made love, all the way to the very first time you met. Oh, it definitely feels like years have passed. "Leroy?" You hear Twilight call out to you and you turn around to see the little dragon with her. "Admiring Applejack's chair, huh?" "Yeah, I guess you could say that," You chuckled and walk up to her. "What's up, Spike? How's it going, little guy?" He reaches out with one of his claws and bumps your fist. "Eh, I guess I'm alright. Been busy keeping this castle organized, the library in here is pretty big so I've been working pretty hard." You look over at Twilight. "So, what are we doing in your castle?" "We need to have a meeting real quick," She trots over to her seat and climbs into it, Spike doing the same with his. "We have to discuss what we are going to do next." "Why? What's going on?" You ask, walking up to her. "Is it because I'm leaving?" "Partially, but we need to discuss who will be going with you back to Earth. I don't want you to go alone so we will need somepony to go with you." "Alright, but have you talked it over with Celestia? How will you know if she'll permit it?" Suddenly, Spike clutched his belly, closed his eyes in pain, and looked as though he was about to hurl. "Spike, you okay!?" You were about to rush over to the young drake, but he holds out a claw telling you to stop. Finally he opens eyes and lets out a loud, fiery belch that echoes off the walls of the rotunda. Out of the green fire from his mouth came a letter marked with the letter 'C' for, what you assumed, Celestia. Twilight then picked it up with her magic. "Thank you, Spike. I actually wrote a letter to Celestia asking her if it would be okay to send somepony with you back to Earth and... Okay here is what she said... 'Dear Twilight, I have discussed your request with my sister and have decided that it would be acceptable to send somepony back to Earth with Leroy, however it will have to be somepony that has experience with magic, so I advise if you are to send anypony, it should be you. But nevertheless, discuss it with your friends. Sincerely, Princess Celestia.'" Twilight put down the letter and rolled it back up. "She wants me to go? I don't if I should I mean, I'd love to visit a new world, but that's a bit much to ask isn't it?" Her ears fell and she looks over at you. "Wait 'til our friends come here, we'll have to ask them ourselves," You say with a firm nod. Twilight nodded back and her horn began to glow. She closed her eyes and all the cutie marks on the seats began to glow as if a beacon was being set off... ooo000oo000ooo Applejack had just finished bucking one tree and moved on to the next one. As she was about to buck, she looked at her flank and saw that her cutie mark had begun glowing. She knew what this meant. She had to get going. Applejack looked over at her big brother and called out to him. "Big Mac! I gotta get goin'! There's an emergency! Cover for me will ya?" Before he could answer Applejack galloped toward the entrance of the farm and took off toward town as fast as she could. Sighing, Big Mac bucked another tree clean of it's apples. "Eeyup," He muttered as he moved on to the next one. ooo000oo000ooo Rainbow Dash was flying through the sky, doing flips and tricks, training for whatever she was training for. Deciding to go a little faster, she goes up high into the sky to gain speed to pull off her next trick. "Alright! Let's see if I could pull off the Tornado Blitz!" She takes off at a high speed, flapping her wings furiously to go faster. Rainbow eventually gained more speed and began spiraling in the air. Her spinning was so fast that the clouds she passed by got caught up in her turbulence and spun with her. More and more clouds were caught in her flight trail as she spiraled faster and faster. Soon it looked like she was starting a tornado all on her own! She blasted off once again to get ahead of the tornado. Once she gained a good distance, she pivoted in the air and zoomed right at the tornado! She knew this was a risky stunt and if she didn't pull it off right, she could very well get caught in the vortex if she wasn't fast enough. So with the wind screaming in her ears, she flapped her wings faster than she thought she could have and gained more speed as she approached the rapidly spinning vortex. She closed her eyes from the strain and felt her self going faster and faster. Soon enough she tore through the tornado and burst out of the vortex, using her cloud busting ability to break it up before it could get any stronger. Next thing she knew, she was out in the sky and saw the tornado she built had dissipated. She did it. She had successfully pulled off the Tornado Blitz! "Aww yeah! I did it! I pulled it off!" She then proceeded to do several aerial cartwheels in celebration. "What should I do next?" Before she could come up with another trick to perform, she saw that her cutie mark started to glow. She knew what this meant, but that didn't mean that she liked it. "Darn it! Ugh, looks like duty calls," She sighed as she flew off towards Twilight's castle. ooo000oo000ooo Fluttershy was in the middle of feeding some of her animals at her cottage. She had already finished feeding the small animals, now the time came to feed the big ones. She was about to start giving food to her goats when the huge bear she was taking care of came up to her. "Yes, what is it Mr. Bear?" The behemoth replied with a series of grunts and growls. "What? A tooth ache? How bad does it hurt?" Another grunt that sounded like a howl of pain and it put a claw into it's mouth to show which one hurt. "Okay, follow me, Mr. Bear, I'll give you some medicine to make you feel all better," She cooed at the bear and flew up to scratch his ears. The big brown bear then followed Fluttershy into her cottage where she kept all sorts of home made remedies, medicines, and first aid kits. She went into a large pantry that held most of her remedies. She flew around the shelves, looking for the remedy that cured tooth aches. "Ah, here it is," She pulled out a small container of a home made healing salve. She flew over to the bear and showed him the medicine. "Here you go, now open wide," The bear opened it's maw and Fluttershy looked into it. "Oh dear, Mr. Bear, how long has it been since you brushed your teeth?" He gave her another low growl. "Never? Oh my, remind me to brush them for you, but for now I'll use this," She took some of the white gel into her hoof and smeared it over his gums where the tooth ache was at. "There, it should start feeling better in a little bit, now let's go and brush your-" Suddenly her cutie mark started glowing and knew what it meant. "Oh no, something must be wrong. Sorry, Mr. Bear, but brushing your teeth will have to wait, I must get going," She turned to trot out the door, but the big Ursa let out a howl of complaint. "I know I know, but right now my friends need me, how about a back rub when I come back?" The bear let out a grunt of approval. "Okay then, I'll be back soon! Be good!" She exited her cottage and took off into the sky towards Ponyville. ooo000oo000ooo Rarity was trotting around her shop, looking around at certain fabrics and materials that she would need for the next outfit that she designed herself. "Ah yes, this would look glorious on the ensemble that I have drawn up!" She picked a piece of fabric that looked to be a sort of bright red. "Mmm, I wonder if I have any gems that would go good with this color?" Suddenly, she looked over in a mirror and saw that her cutie mark started glowing. "Oh dear me, it seems like I am needed. Sweetie Belle? Oh Sweetie Belle?" She called out to her little sister who was in her room. "Yeah sis?" She answered, appearing over the railing from the second story. "Sweetie Belle I'm going to be leaving right now! Can you please be a dear and watch over the shop for me?" "Sure, I guess," She replied, shrugging her shoulders. "When are you gonna be back?" "Oh, hopefully not too long from now! But I'll be back as soon as possible!" She opened the door and stepped through it. "Be careful and please do not move anything! Bye now!" "Yeah yeah," She sighed as she rested her chin on the railing and looked around at the mess that lay before her. Or as Rarity would call it "Organized Chaos". ooo000oo000ooo Pinkie stood there in the kitchen of sugarcube corner, waiting for another batch of muffins that have been baking for the last fifteen minutes. She was waiting in front of the oven, her mane itching from the anticipation. "Oh c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, just a little more!" She muttered as she stared intently through the window of the oven, watching the muffins slowly cook. Finally the bell on top of the counter started blaring with a deafening ring. "Ooh! They're done!" She pulls down the door to the oven, feeling the heat emanating from it, along with the sweet smell of freshly baked muffins. She grabs a cloth and puts it in her mouth to grab the hot tray. With human-like dexterity, she grabs the tray and tosses it gently onto the counter top. "Oof, almost burned myself with that one," She starts sucking on her hoof and goes over to grab the icing dispenser. "Okey dokey, time to make these muffins look even more delicious than they already do!" As she was about to start decorating the muffins when she noticed that her cutie mark started to glow rhythmically. "Uh oh! Looks like I gotta go!" She put down the icing and made her way over to the front door. "Mr and Mrs. Cake! I have to get going! I'll be back soon!" She yelled and without waiting for an answer she pushed past the door and went out into town. ooo000oo000ooo Your friends arrived one by one. Rarity being the first to arrive, followed by Pinkie Pie, then Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and you were all waiting on Applejack. "Man, AJ is taking quite some time to get here isn't she?" You commented, looking over at your friends who have already taken their seats. "Well, she does live on the outskirts of town, Leroy," Rainbow explained, lounging about in her chair with her hindlegs draped over the armrest. "It takes quite a bit of time to get from all the way out there to here." "True, but still," You leaned against Twilight's chair, eyeing the entrance to the meeting room. A few more minutes passed, idle conversation passing between the lot of you. Spike, however, was lying in his chair dead asleep. Poor little guy must be tired from all those chores. Meanwhile, you thought about what you should say during the meeting. If it were up to you, you would take Applejack with you to Earth so you can show her where you came from. But then again, Twilight really wants to know more about your world so wouldn't she be the ideal choice? How would Applejack feel if you took Twilight instead of her? Would it even be up to you? As you thought of these things, another thought popped into your head: How would everyone react to seeing a brightly colored, talking cartoon pony? You were pretty sure that the way you reacted to seeing Twilight for the first time would be reciprocated by everyone else back home. And there was also the police, possibly the military, and maybe even NASA as well would probably get involved. Somehow. If the movies were right, then human reaction to a sentient alien life form from another dimension will more than likely involve the military. Before you could dwell on these thoughts any further, a welcome voice rang out from the entrance of the meeting room. "Hey, y'all! Whoo! Sorry Ah'm late!" Applejack trotted in, short of breath and sweating slightly. You immediately perked up at her appearance and stepped forward to greet her. "Hey there, beautiful! Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" Your cheesy and somewhat cliche line was enough to make her happy as she beamed at your appearance and immediately galloped over to embrace you. She hopped up into the air to jump into your open arms, but her force proved to be too much and you fell over to the ground with the amorous mare atop you, nuzzling your neck furiously. "Whoa, you're as happy as an- uh, someone that's really happy?" You laughed at your pitiful attempt at a countryism, nuzzling her back affectionately. "Ah am happy to see ya, after a long day," She kisses you lightly on your cheek. "And try to work a little harder on your countryisms will ya?" She rises off of you and you stand up, dusting yourself off. "You betcha, now c'mon, the others are waiting," You walk back to the rotunda and Applejack takes her respective seat and you stand next to her, leaning on the crystal chair. "Great, now that we're all here, let's get down to business," Twilight announced, settling down and looking around at all of you. "I bet you are all wondering why I've gathered you here today, aren't you?" You had to bite your lip in order to stifle a laugh at how cliche Twilight's line was. "Yeah, I am!" Rainbow exclaimed, with obvious distaste in her tone. "I was in the middle of a very important training session! There had better be a good reason to call us here!" She finished her rant and folded her hooves with a scowl. "Rainbow Dash, will you please calm down! I'm sure Twilight has a very good reason for calling us here on short notice," Rarity argued reasonably. "What is that reason by the way?" "Well, Leroy? You mind explaining?" She looks over at you at you and nods for you to start explaining. "Okay," You sigh and step forward into the circle. "Just last night, I had a horrible vision. In the vision, I saw something that no one should ever have to see." "What did you see?" Fluttershy asked in her quiet, wary voice. "I won't go into the details, because I don't know if I could bare to withstand recalling every single thing that I saw, but," You pause to swallow the lump that was developing in your throat. "All I will tell you, is that..." Another pause, this time you cringe and close your eyes. Applejack stands from her seat, walks up to you and rears up on her hindlegs to whisper in your ear. "Go on now, you can do it," And she gets back down onto all fours. "I-ugh, I saw..." You take a deep breath. "I witnessed the death of my own parents. Right in front of me." Immediately you hear everyone else gasp and see that Pinkie, Rainbow, and Rarity develop worried expressions while Fluttershy looked as though she was about to cry. "I know, it was a horrible thing for me to experience, Applejack here can attest to that." "But what does that mean? Your parents are okay right?" Pinkie asked hopefully. "I don't know for sure, I talked to Princess Luna and what she revealed to me was truly shocking..." You proceeded to tell them everything Luna told you about astral projection. "So, in retrospect of everything she told me, her theory was that everything that I saw happened in real life, which is why I have asked the Princesses, including Twilight, if I could be sent back to my home dimension as soon as possible. However, they have permitted me to bring someone with me to see Earth, which is why we have called you all here: To discuss who will be going with me." You finish your speech and stepped back. "Well, what do you all think? Opinions? Questions?" Twilight asked, looking at her friends expectantly. "I believe that visiting a new world does sound exciting, but however it also sounds very risky. Something that I believe that I'm not cut out for unfortunately," Rarity commented with a down trodden expression. "It does sound kinda fun! Leroy, there are other humans back on your world am I right?!" Pinkie asked, beaming at you. "Um yeah, but-" "Do they like parties?!" "Most do, but the point is-" "What about cake?! Everypony loves cake!" "That's also true, Pinkie, but-" "Ooh ooh! Do you think they'd like muffins too-" Before she could continue any longer, a magical field appeared around the party mare's overactive mouth, ceasing her ceaseless talking. "Right, well, my personal preference would be that I could take Applejack with me to Earth to show her around," You look down at Applejack. "It'd be a hell of a date, right my sweet apple?" "Ah think it would be," She nuzzles your hand. "But, Ah mean, Twilight told us how you reacted when you met her for the first time. How would the others react to seein' me or anypony else?" "Yeah, I think that would be a problem now wouldn't it? Twilight, think you could come up with anything?" "Well, I could maybe turn Applejack into a human?" What she said shocks you to the core. "Really? Its that simple?" You ask, astonished. "Well yeah," She giggles. "Did you know that the Princesses or I could have turned you into a pony if we saw it appropriate?" "I didn't actually and please do refrain from doing that, the feeling of not having fingers is terrifying to me," You say, absolutely terrified of the image of you walking on four legs and having no fingers at all. "That sounds like a good plan, but what about what the Princess told us? That someone with magical experience should go with me?" "I do agree with what she said, if something ends up going wrong, then you could very well get stuck back in your dimension and it would take us quite a while to open the portal back up. I know you would rather prefer Applejack to go with you, but when it comes to if you are able to make it back here safely, then I guess me going with you would be the right choice. However, if Applejack does go with you and something goes wrong, then the both of you could become marooned on Leroy's world. So what do you think? Applejack?" "Ah think Ah have to agree with ya, Twilight," Applejack nodded at her friend. "As much as Ah'd love to go with ya, sugarcube, Ah'm honestly afraid to get stuck on a foreign world with no hope of return. Ah mean, the bright side would be that I would be with ya, Leroy, but if you really want me to go, then Ah'll go with ya. Same if ya don't want me to go, Ah'll understand either way." "Thanks AJ, I'm glad you'll understand," You smile at her and stroke her blonde mane. "Okay, so there you have it. Leroy?" You look over at Twilight. "Who will you be taking?" Now it came the time to choose and even with Twilight being the more sensible option, you were still conflicted over who you should take? You were sure you would have a nice time with either mare; you really wanted to see what Applejack looked like as a human. But what if something went wrong? You may have had experience with magic, but not with opening portals to other dimensions! As cool as that would be. After another moment of you thinking it over, you finally made your decision on who would be going with you. "Well everypony, I think I know who will be coming with me. It was a hard decision for me, honestly, but I think I have decided already," You look down at Applejack. "AJ, you know that if the situation were different I would definitely take you with me," You kneel down to look into her eyes. "But if something did go wrong, I would hate to keep you from your home," You reach forward and kiss her on the cheek and she nuzzled you gently. You got back up and faced Twilight. "Twilight, I hope you're ready to see more humans, because you're coming with me to Earth. I would be honored if you were to accept." "I do accept, everypony agree?" She asked her friends, to which they all responded by saying "yes". "Great, then its settled! All we have to do now is wait for the Princess to-" Suddenly, Spike let out another fiery belch and a letter popped out of his mouth. "Huh? Could it be? Already?" She opened the letter, your heart rate speeding up and you clench your fists. Twilight finishes reading the letter and looks up at you, with a frown on her face. "Leroy. Its time..." That was it, you were going home today. Come hell or high water. *Scene Break* The Princess was courteous enough to send you and your friends some carriages pulled by Pegasus guards to take you to Canterlot. You have never flown before even on an airplane, so the trip for you consisted of trying to keep calm and not wet yourself or letting something equally embarrassing happen. Even though you had Rainbow flying next to you and Applejack sitting with you, you still were afraid of falling from that height. Considering the fact that it was an open carriage with no restraints, you were even more worried. Thankfully, it took less than a couple of hours to fly from Ponyville all the way to the Palace in Canterlot. You landed in the courtyard where a guard lieutenant was was waiting so he could escort you to the Grand Hall. Despite the fact you had your friends with you, the guard still seemed uneasy around you. Eventually, you reached the cavernous Grand Hall, where at the end of it awaited Celestia and her sister Luna. "Leroy, we are glad that you could make it back safely," You bowed to the Princesses along with everyone else except Twilight who trotted up to stand next to them. "Have you made your choice as to who you will be taking with you?" "Yes I have, Princess," You stood up and nodded at Twilight. "I will be taking Princess Twilight along with me, it seems that she is the most sensible pony to take along with me. Although I would have liked to have shown Applejack my home planet, I am afraid of keeping her stuck on Earth away from Equestria." "Very well, Princess Twilight?" She glances over her shoulder at Twilight. "Yes, Celestia?" "Are you prepared to embark on this journey to a foreign dimension? Where it is possibly dangerous for our kind to go?" She asked with a serious tone. 'Hmph, Earth isn't that bad," You scoffed in your head, a frown adorning your face. "Yes, I am ready and willing to go. Whenever you are ready as well, Princess," She stated with conviction. "Good, but have you found a way to conceal your true form?" "Yes, Princess, the spell will trigger when we enter the portal," Twilight nodded. "Excellent, now all of you stand back as me and my sister open the portal." "Princess, how do you know if you can open the portal in the right place?" You ask worriedly. "If we had the time we would explain to you the basics of dimensional travel, Sir Leroy, but we do not have the luxury of time as we must open the portal now if you are to be able to be in the right place, in the right time, and someplace inconspicuous where no one will suspect a thing," Luna stated gruffly. "And don't worry, Leroy," Twilight trotted forward to stand next to you. "I'll explain to you everything once we are on the other side." "Okay, sounds good," You nodded in complement as you readied yourself to literally travel through time and space. "Hey, I won't pass out or anything like that will I?" "No, besides the magical power you and with your augmented body I believe you will be able to withstand the trip." She replied. "So, that means I will still be able to do magic back on Earth as well?" "I'm not sure, Luna was able to do so, but I don't know how it will work with you," She replied, seeming unsure of herself. "I guess we'll find out when we get there won't we?" You muttered as you saw Luna and Celestia with their eyes closed, focusing their magic. "What are they doing?" "They're gathering their power together so that they can power the portal," "So it takes more than one to open the portal? I thought that Alicorns could do things most ponies couldn't?" "Yes, but when Luna found your world it was by accident, and she had to use much of her reserve power to get you here. But with both Princesses using their power to open the portal, it will be much easier and more accurate." She explained. "Any second now..." The Princesses both opened their eyes, a bright light shining from their pupils and their horns glowing so bright you had to shield your eyes. Their horns shot out a beam of light and they both collided, forming a circular gateway that appeared to be swirling. The force of the reaction caused everyone in the room to brace themselves as they felt a mild turbulence emanating from the portal. "Twilight! Leroy!" Celestia shouted out in warning. "You must go through as soon as possible! We will not be able to hold the portal for more than a few minutes! Do what you must and go through!" You turned to Applejack and immediately knelt down to eye level with her. "Applejack, I don't have much time so I'll be quick," You take a deep breath. "I-" But that's all you have time to say as Applejack silences you with her lips and you cherish the embrace, pulling her in closer. After a few moments of your passionate embrace, she pulls away with tears in her eyes, her mane billowing in the wind. "Don't worry 'bout a thing, sugarcube, ya don't have to say anything," She throws her forelegs around your neck and you wrap your arms around her back. "There is something Ah do want ya to know, before you go back though," She whispers into your ear. "Just a little something to give you a bigger reason to come back in one piece." "What's that?" You whisper back, gently stroking her mane. It was then, she stated three words that made your entire world freeze. "Ah love you..." At that moment, your heart felt like it was taking off and you pulled her even closer to you. "I love you too, my sweet apple," You whisper in response. You pull back and kiss her as passionately as you possibly could, her hat falling to the floor as the two of you embraced. Before it could continue for too long, you reluctantly pulled yourselves apart and pressed your forehead against hers. "I'll see you when I get back, wait up will you?" "You bet your sweet apple pie that Ah will," She gives you a quick kiss on the lips again and you stand up. Suddenly, Rainbow flies up to and stands next to Applejack, with an unsure look on her face. The young daredevil looks at her friend. "AJ. Can I?" She asks hopefully, gesturing at you. "S'alright with me, Ah don't mind one bit," She smiles genially. "Awesome," She takes to the air and flies up to you with a small smile. "Leroy?" "What is it Rainbow-" For the second time in a row, you are silenced by another pair of lips. This time you were caught off guard by Rainbow's amorous assault on your mouth. "Whoa, didn't see that coming," You chuckled as she pulled away from you. "So, you asked her?" "Yep! About a few days ago actually!" She stated happily. "And she doesn't mind?" "Well duh! Of course she doesn't!" You look over to Applejack and she shrugs her shoulders with a casual smile. "Now go on, big guy! Your ride is waiting!" She turns you around and pushes you to where Twilight is standing. You feel her chin on your shoulder and you hear her whisper, "Hey, me and AJ have a little surprise when you come back, so make sure you don't take too long. Big guy," She breathed seductively into your ear, causing you to flush and tug at the collar of your shirt. "Alright, I'll see what I can do then," You say and walk up to Twilight; you turn back to all your friends. "I wanna thank you. All of you. For teaching me about friendship. Someday I will make it up to each and every one of you!" "Goodbye, darling! Oh and bring more pictures of human clothing! I'd love to see what humans wear!" Rarity called out. Pinkie pulled out a megaphone seemingly out of nowhere. "BYE LEROY! HAVE FUN! COME BACK SAFE!" Her voice rang out from the megaphone, causing everyone rub their ears. "Will do, Pinkie!" You called out, rubbing your ringing ear. You looked over at Fluttershy and she waved a hoof at you and smiled meekly. You waved and smiled back. "Leroy!" Twilight called out and you faced her. "Its time! We have to go! Now!" "Okay!" You walked up to Twilight and nodded at her, showing that you were ready to go. She nodded back and began to walk up to the bright, swirling gateway. The moment of truth was here and you were about to go home. "Twilight! Where will we be landing?!" "We should be landing close to the area where Luna first opened the portal!" Shouted back over the noise from the portal. "Are you ready?!" "Yeah!" "You wanna through first?!" "Ladies first! I insist!" You reply, bowing to her and gesturing her to go forward. "Alright! See you on the other side!" She then casually trots forward and disappears through the portal. You look back and see Rainbow and Applejack, looking on with worried expressions. You smile at them and nod, turning back to the portal. Without looking back, you stick out your right hand and give them a thumbs up as you take a deep breath and step through the blinding light of the portal. *Scene Break* You felt your body falling. Falling through an endless void, your eyes closed and body flailing. All you could hear was the loud scream of wind as you fell. Then all of a sudden it stopped. The endless falling stopped. The loud scream was replaced with the sound of cars honking and birds chirping. Your felt your feet firmly planted on solid ground. Your eyes were still closed, mostly because you were afraid to open them. A voice piped up. "Leroy? Leroy open your eyes! Whoa!" Twilight urged, sounding as though she was about to fall. "Can't too scared," You replied, your body shaken up. "Just open them will you?" You feel her hands- Hands?! What the hell? This you definitely had to see. Slowly you opened your eyes and saw two round violet ones staring back at you. This time there were no large ears, wings, or a horn accompanying them. Her long muzzle replaced by a small, cute nose. Her violet coat replaced by with normal, light skin. Her former, quadriped build was now the same as yours, standing face to face with you. You looked at the rest of her body and saw that she was wearing a purple sweater vest over a white short sleeved button up shirt, a knee length dark purple skirt, all complete stylish purple boots. Even in her human form, she still looked undoubtedly cute. Especially the way she seemed a bit off balance with her new legs. "Whoa, excuse miss I'm looking for a girl name Twilight," You chuckle as you help her balance. "Funny," She replied with a flat tone, holding onto you so she doesn't fall. "Where are we?" You look around and see that you are in a sort of alleyway. The brick walls surrounding you on both sides. Trash littered on the ground. To the left you see the exit out onto the sidewalk. Even in the alley you could see that the sun was starting to set and you guessed that it was at least seven in the evening. "C'mon, this way," You take her hand and begin to pull her, but see that she is stumbling over her steps. "Ugh, how do you work these things?" She asked trying to walk forward. Looks like you would have to teach her how to walk normally. "Okay, follow my lead," You stand next to her and hold her shoulders. "Right leg," She moves her right leg. "Then left leg," She moves her left leg. You repeatedly tell her to alternate her legs until she gets the rhythm on how to walk. "Good, good, now if you want you could hold on to me while we walk," She wrapped her arm around yours and you slowly walked her towards the street. "Looks like the transformation was a success," You commented, causing her to blush and smile. "How did you know what to put on?" "Well from what you told me about humans and their social taboos, I kinda had to come up with this spell that would turn me into a human. A clothed human. And the clothes I just kinda imagined what I would like to wear as a human." "Good, wouldn't want to see you naked," Just then you felt that awkward ping in the back of your head. "Uh, I didn't mean it like that, I just uh-" "Its fine, Leroy," She giggled, making you blush as well. "Besides, you've technically seen me naked." "Right, right," Before the two of you could talk any longer you reached the sidewalk. "Whoa," You stepped out onto the sidewalk and looked around. The street was definitely familiar to you, but there was a certain bar in front of you that was a sure sign that you were back home. There it was. Johnny's Tavern. Your old haven. "Holy crap." "What is it, Leroy?" Twilight asked as you stared at the bar. "Twilight..." "What? Where are we?" You began to walk towards the bar on the sidewalk opposite from it. "Home. My home..." Chapter 15: HomeChapter 15: Home Written By: Calamity Jay "Welcome back, you've been away long..." "Twilight, I can't believe it! I'm home!" You shouted in glee, staring out at the old bar in front of you. At this moment you were elated to finally be back in your own world, but most of all you were happy to see other people like you. As nice as Equestria is, it still does feel awkward being around four foot tall, quadrupedal ponies all the time. "Wow, it feels like yesterday I was just here, going home from the bar." "I bet it does,"Twilight agrees as she smiles up at you. It was quite amusing that even in her human form she was still pretty short, close to about five feet. Much better than her four foot tall counterpart. "Oh my gosh, this place is so weird! And what's with all these, moving chariots? There's nopony moving or pushing them!" She exclaimed as she gawked at the cars in the street. "All I see is the passengers in the chariots! Who's making them move?! Is it some kind of magic?" "Uh no, Twilight," You chuckle at the way she was having a nerd moment. "Remember how I said us humans are technologically advanced in most aspects?" "Uh yeah?" "Well these cars are a prime example!" You point at a small sedan right in front of you. "Using aerodynamics, auto-mechanical engineering, technology, a little bit of spit, sweat, and ingenuity, with the power of chemically altered fossil fuels we have, the automobile." "Wow, you humans sure are smart. Crazy, but smart," She giggled as the two of you began to walk down the street towards the bar. "So, where to first? This town looks pretty big." "Well, I figure we should go to the bar first," You say, eyeing your old home away from home. Twilight looks at you with a scowl, most likely thinking that you were aiming to go and have a drink first when your parents could possibly be in danger. "Uh, not to drink, heh," You smile sheepishly at her. "I just wanna go and see how long I've been away, see how Johnny has been doing." "Who's Johnny?" "My friend, bartender, and amateur therapist," You reply casually, crossing the street and approaching the parking lot of the bar. "I mean, sure the medicine he gave me during our therapy sessions always seemed to be shots of liquor, but hey I wasn't complaining." "Right, well, you know we should hurry. There is a reason we came back this quickly, you know?" She said with a warning tone. "Yeah, I know," You reply with a grimace, letting out a sigh. "But, first things first, we're here already, let me just get how long time has passed. I remember when you said that time can work differently in our respective dimensions." "Yeah that's true, for all we know, weeks could have passed since you've been in Equestria," With that in mind, you quicken your pace and quickly approach the familiar sight of the entrance to the bar. The neon 'OPEN' sign flashing with the familiar sight of a couple of men outside smoking cigarettes. "Okay, Twilight, follow my lead and play it as cool as you can," You whisper to her as you walk up to the front doors. A wave of nervousness passes through you as you imagine how awkward the upcoming situation could be. Twilight has never been around other humans beside you, so how she will react to meeting other humans is highly variable. Will she be afraid? Nervous? Or maybe excited? You didn't know, but you were about to find out. "Prepare to meet Johnny boy, Twilight." "Okay," She whispered back and grabbed onto your arm even tighter. "Hey, relax will you? He's harmless I swear," You laugh and kiss her lightly on the forehead to comfort her, to which she responds by grinning and blushing slightly. You swear that even in her human form, she still manages to be cute. The two of you pass through the twin doors and into the familiar scene of the bar, with the light country music playing from the familiar jukebox in the corner. With the groups of people sitting in the booths with drinks in hand. With friends at the pool table in the center of the room, laughing and playing a few games. With men, young and old, sitting at the bar either talking or drinking. Or sulking. And finally with the ever more familiar bartender standing behind the bar, with the mustache on his lip, apron around his waist, and his face fixed in a mild expression. At first he was paying attention to another customer, most likely hearing about how they screwed up at work or how they're significant other was giving them problems. As soon as that door opened and the bell rang, he looked over at the door to see who would be his next customer. His old mild expression changed into one of confusion. As if wondering why in the hell you were here and where the hell you have been. "Excuse me real quick," He said to his other customer. He walked over to the edge of the bar where you and Twilight were approaching, with that quizzical expression adorning his face. "Okay," He held out his hand and closed his eyes, looking down at the ground. "Either I have been drugged and on a very bad trip, or..." He opened his eyes and glared at you. "Leroy Evans has come back to my bar, with a beautiful girl on his arm. Leroy, is that you? And if so, who is this charming girl you have brought with you into my bar?" "Nice to see you too, Johnny boy," You chuckle, feeling a lump in your throat from seeing your old friend again. "How have you been doing? Gloria doing okay? How 'bout your kid?" He opened the swinging door leading through to the counter, came up to you and pulled you into a bear hug. "Hey man, what's going on? Have I been away that long?" "Leroy," He pulled away from you and stared at you with a sullen expression. "Where have you been, man? You know how long its been? I thought you were dead or something!" "Well, I'm not dead yet. I'm here in the flesh and doing alright. How long has it been by the way?" "Wait, so you don't know how long its been? Where the hell did you go?" "I was uh, away," You look down at Twilight, who smiles at you sheepishly. "I just kinda lost track of time." "Jesus Christ, man," He shakes his head, looking down at the ground. "You know what? I think you need to come have a seat." Johnny goes back behind the counter and you pull Twilight along with you to take a seat on a couple of stools. To your amusement and Johnny's further confusion, Twilight had a bit of difficulty sitting down on the stool that was about half as tall as she was. After a couple of failed attempts, she finally managed to plant herself firmly on the seat without falling, but she still held onto your arm for balance. "Here, have a little something to drink," He pulls out a couple of shot glasses and a bottle of liquor. You were about to say no to his offered drink, but your old instincts kicked in and you knew, never turn down a drink from Johnny, even then he'll still pour it for you. "Thanks, John," You pick up the shot glass and look at the dark brown liquid in the glass. Twilight nudges you in your ribs and gives you a disapproving look. "Uh, sorry, Twi," You place the drink back on the counter. "Sorry, John, but I can't really drink right now. I still have some things to do right now. But I need to know, how long have I been away?" "Let me start from the beginning," Johnny lets out a breath and looks at the two of you intently. "But first, who is this lovely individual you have here with you?" He looks at Twilight with his usual reserved persona. At first she hesitates, looking over at you, you give her a little nudge, silently encouraging her to answer. "Miss?" "Uh, hello there, I'm Twilight," She introduces herself and gives her usual sheepish smile. It got a bit more awkward when he held out his hand expectantly, causing her to balk and not know how to continue. "Nice to meet you?" "Uh sorry, John. She is a bit shy," You laugh nervously, leaning over to whisper to Twilight. "Grab his hand and shake yours up and down. She looks at you quizzically, but you just nod at her and she reaches out hesitantly to grab his hand. You mentally face palm when she grabs his index finger and slightly moves her arm up and down. Johnny pulls his hand away slowly, slightly perturbed. "Rrrrrrright, anyways. That day you left the bar, you were shit your pants drunk, you remember that?" "A little bit, not really. It comes back in images." "Mhm, well when you didn't come back the next day I got a little bit worried. When you didn't come back the day after, I started to wonder if something was wrong. And after four months went by, I just gave up and assumed that you were either dead or on a permanent vacation." Four months?! That was unbelievable as his words passed through your ears. "Wait what? Can you repeat that? I couldn't quite hear how crazy that sounded." "Leroy, dude. Where have you been man?" He asked, leaning over the bar and glaring at you. "Four months. What could you have possibly been doing during that time?" "Leroy," Twilight tugs at your arm as you stare at the two shot glasses on the counter. "Twilight, how long was I uh, on vacation?" You ask without even looking at her. "I don't know, I think maybe, um I-" She sputters playing with a lock of her hair. "Twilight," You interrupt sharply, causing her to stop playing with her hair and stare at you nervously. "How long. Was I. Away?" You ask with the most serious tone you could muster up. "I think, four weeks?" She replies meekly. "So, four weeks over there?" You look at her with a nervous expression. "Equals four months on Earth?" The reality of the situation hits you hard as you snap up from the stool, grab Twilight's hand, and make your way towards the exit. "Yo, Leroy! Where are you going? What's going on?" You hear Johnny call out, but you ignore him as you push past the door and out into the parking lot. "Leroy!" Twilight pulls on your arm and stops you in your tracks. "Where are we going?!" "Twilight, its been four months here on Earth! My parents could be dead already! I need to go to their house and see if they're alright!" You hastily walk out to the sidewalk, but then you realize that you have no real way to get there quickly. You needed a ride! "Shit, Twilight, there's no way we can get there fast if we walk. From here to my parents' house its at least an hour by foot! Damn it! Fuck, for all I know they could possibly be dead and I wasn't fast enough to get there!" "Leroy! You need to calm down!" Twilight comes up from behind you and grabs your shoulder to turn you around and face her. "You have to relax! We need to find a way to get there. C'mon, you're from around here, find somepony to get you a ride over to their house." "Can't we just, you know, teleport? I mean we can probably use magic here, yes?" "No, I can't teleport to somewhere I've never been before. And no I don't think we can use magic here." "What? Are you serious? Why not?!" You ask, your desperation and temper rising. "Because," She lets out a sigh. "We can't draw attention to ourselves, Celestia told me in the letter to not do that. And you can't use magic here because your power is borrowed! I can use magic because it is naturally mine, you only absorbed the power. If you try to use magic here you could hurt yourself! I mean c'mon, don't you feel it? That feeling you can't describe? There's no magic in the air here for you to absorb! It feels as though I've gone numb from the lack of magic." "Really? What in the..." You stop and take a deep breath, taking the time to look inside and feel around your body, looking for that numb feeling Twilight was talking about. After a few moments, you finally feel something in your chest. It felt as though something inside you was gone. "Wait a moment, let me try something," You focus and attempt to ignite your magic, holding up your right hand to see if it would work. "Leroy, be careful," Twilight warns while you try and make your powers work. At first your magic ignites briefly and your hand is sheathed in a navy blue glow, but then flickers and fades away. "Ugh, damn, let me try again," You focus harder and try again to make your magic work right. "Don't push yourself too hard, you could give yourself burnout," The hell is burnout? Whatever it was, it didn't sound fun, but you ignore here and continue to fumble around with your magic. You cringe as you feel your head begin to ache, but you still keep trying to cast a spell. "C'mon, stupid powers work!" Your blue aura continues to flicker around your hands, refusing to ignite and work properly. "C'mon," You push harder and focus more. "C'mon, now," You grunt again, clenching your fist and furrowing your brow in concentration. "Fuck," You mutter as your head begins to pound and your heart rate speeds up. "Leroy! Stop! You're going to burn out!" She runs up to you and tries to shake you from your determined, but idiotic attempts at activating your powers. Finally, you feel yourself go weak from the knees and your head feels as though it got hit multiple times with a hammer. "Leroy!" Twilight yells as you fall to the ground in an unconscious heap. The last thing you hear is Twilight yelling Johnny's name in a plea for help. ooo000oo000ooo "What the hell happened to him? I mean, he didn't even have one drink and even then he can hammer down a few and still keep himself awake." Johnny looks over at the passed out Leroy, who lay sprawled on the couch in his office. Quite a scene was made when Twilight barged into the bar asking for John's help and telling him that Leroy had passed out. At first he didn't know what to do and was tempted to call the ambulance. But Twilight refused to draw attention to themselves, asking John to help drag Leroy into his backroom office. Many people thought that Leroy was dead, considering the fact that they had to drag Leroy through the bar, surprising many of the bar goers. To which John responded by telling them that he had a bit too much of the sauce. "Is he gonna be okay? You sure we don't have to call the EMT's?" "The EM what?" Twilight asked, lacking in knowledge of Earth acronyms. "The Emergency Medical Technicians? People who save lives? Doctors? Seriously where are you from? Nepal?" "Uh, no?" She replied, nervously twiddling her fingers as she sat on the couch with Leroy's head on her lap. "And uh, he um- had fallen and bumped his head as he stormed out of the bar! Yes, that's it, that's what happened!" She declared. Honestly, Leroy had to wake up soon before this situation got so awkward it became too much to bear. "Rrrrrright, well tell me when he gets better. I gotta go back out there to serve drinks and give advice to depressed customers," He then exited the small office and out into the bar. "Okay, thanks!" She yelled as he left the room. Twilight turns her attention back to the passed out human laying his head on her lap, with a wet towel on his forehead. "Oh, Leroy," She sighed, running her hand through his curly hair. "You never really learned to listen did you? I mean, that time where you asked me to throw a rock at you so you could block it with a shield spell. I swear your nose still looks a bit crooked to me," She booped his nose with her index finger, giggling as she remembered his ridiculous attempt at a stunt. "Huh, this kinda feels like deja vu doesn't it? You laying here passed out, with me waiting patiently for you to wake up. I swear, this takes me back," She brushes back her hair as she sits there talking to her unconscious friend. "But I have to confess something to you, Leroy. Something that I could never say to you while you're awake," She stares down at her friend, with a look of longing on her face. "Ever since I met you, I've always been so interested in you. I wanted to know about you, a new kind of creature in Equestria. To others you were just some freak, but to me you were much more than that," She lets out a shaky breath, as a lump in her throat begins to form. "That time we had our very first conversation, you told me so much about your species and I learned so much more that I could ever have hoped for," She clenches her fists and tears start to well in her eyes. "I never thought that, I could ever have someone as close to me as you, I mean even though I have my best friends, I never felt as close with them as I have with you." "Those days I spent with you in the hospital, having our conversations, and when I gave you lessons in magic, I have treasured those moments for as long I've known you and every moment after that," The dam inside her breaks and tears begin to flow down her cheeks and slide off her face and onto her friend's face. She wipes away the tears that landed on his face and lets out a silent sob, pressing her hand to her mouth. "Life as a Princess, its so hard you know?" More tears fall from her face. "Finding love is so hard for me, knowing that no matter what I'll never be able to be with anypony, because someday I'll have to watch them die as I live on," She sniffles and wipes away more tears. "And because of that, no stallion will ever want to be with me, and I just have a difficult time accepting the reality of my situation. That my friends will eventually pass on as well, leaving me behind. In a hundred years I'll be alone, with no pony at my side to call my close friends. And, this whole time that I've been with you, I just get this feeling in my heart whenever I talk with you or even see you. I know you can't hear a word I'm saying now, but I just thought I should finally get this off my chest." She looks down at her friend, love burning in her chest. "I love you, Leroy. Ever since that first moment I met you, I never thought that it would happen to me, but it was love at first sight," Twilight reaches down with her hand to caress his cheek. "I know that you and I could never be together, the pain of having to watch the one that I love die right before me I-" She chokes up and holds back a sob. "I just wouldn't be strong enough to handle the reality, even with all the magical power in the world. And I every time I see you in pain like this I-" She leans over and lays her head on her friends chest and sobs into him. "I love you so much it hurts, I love you as much as Applejack does," She whispers softly. "But, I have to be strong right?" Twilight asks as she sits up and looks down at him. "I guess that is the way of things isn't it? I was destined to be a Princess and it will be my duty to rule over Equestria when Celestia is no longer able to. Leroy," She runs her hand through his hair. "I will always be there for you, no matter what happens. I will be there whenever you need me, even though we could never be together," Twilight leans down and presses her forehead against his and whispers. "I promise." It was then the young human began to stir on her lap and mumble incoherently. In order to make herself look like she wasn't crying, she quickly wipes her tears and fixes her hair so her friend won't get worried. His eyes open... *2nd Person* You swore that passing out was becoming somewhat of a normal thing with you. Of course, this it wasn't by accident and was caused by your lack of ability to listen to other's advice. But, you have to learn somehow, right? After finally coming to, you open your eyes and see a pair of beautiful violet eyes staring back at you. "Whoa, am in heaven? 'Cause I'm looking at an angel right now," You quip with a smirk, causing Twilight to blush. "What happened? How long was out- and oh sweet Jesus I have a massive headache," You rub your temples and groan from the pain." "Well, that's burnout for you right there," Twilight giggles and rubs your head softly. "It happens when you push your magic too hard." "Really, so what happens now? I'm not gonna die am I?" "No, of course not! You'll just have a bad headache for a few hours," Yes as if having your head hurt was a better alternative. "Ugh, I'd rather be dead than have this splitting headache- oh what are we doing?! We have to go see my parents- Ooh, ow!" You grab your head as you feel a stab of pain shoot through it. "Aw shit, this hurts!" You groan as you writhe in pain on Twilight's lap. "Look, we'll get going in a bit, I'll go get your friend so we can figure out what to do, okay? Here, let me get up," You painfully lift up your head so she can stand up and go get John. "I'll be back in a sec okay?" "'Kay," You groan out and cover your eyes from the bright light of the office. Right now you regret not listening to Twilight about using your magic. Whatever God was watching over you, He was sure punishing you for being an idiot. That punishment being a terrible headache. "Shit, so, no magic huh?" You look at your hand as if waiting to see if maybe it would come back, but to no avail. The door opens once again and in walks John with Twilight following suit. "Hey there, John, got any headache medicine?" "Uh, yeah hold on," He goes behind his desk and pulls out a small container of pain pills. "Here, I don't got any water and you can't take those pills with alcohol so just knock it back like a trooper." You take the container from his hands and pop out two white pills. It takes you a little while to swallow the pills, but you manage to keep them down. "Feel better?" "Uh, somewhat," You massage your temples, trying to alleviate some of the pain. "John, we need a ride to my parents' house. Its an emergency." "Yeah and I want a Corvette Stingray, but you don't see me complaining," John grumbled, plopping down on his chair. You glare over at him to show just how serious you are. "Okay alright, I'll give you a ride to your parents' house, but after that you're on your own, okay? I can't be driving you around town." Getting up from the sofa, you walk over to your friend and shake his hand. "Thanks man, but we need to get going now, like I said its an emergency." "What kind of emergency are we talking about? Did something happen?" "No, well I hope not, but I just need to see them. Now c'mon we have to get going!" You pull him up from his seat, your augmented strength helping you pull him up. "Please John, do this for me." John lets out a sigh and reaches into his pocket for his car keys. "Alright, let's get going then," ooo000oo000ooo "Thanks for doing this Johnny, I owe you one," You said as you stepped out of the car and onto the sidewalk. "C'mon Twi," You hold out your hand and she takes it as she steps out with you. Leaning down through the window, you reach out your hand to give a handshake to your old friend. "I hope everything goes okay, I know you haven't talked to your folks in a long time, Roy," He says as he shakes your hand. "You'll have to walk the rest of the way to your folks' house, I don't know this neighborhood and I gotta get back to the bar, take care alright? And please do watch your step. I mean seriously you run out the bar in a rush and then you end up tripping and hitting your head. Jesus." He shifts his car into drive and takes off down the road out of the neighborhood. "Twilight, what did you tell him?" You ask with a scowl forming on your face. "Uh, heheh, well," She gives her usual sheepish smile and blushes again. "I kinda told him that you fell and hit your head." "Way to go, Twilight," You deadpan, but that would have to wait. Right now, you have other things to worry about. "Alright, I think their house is down this way. Let's go." You grab her hand and lead her down the street on the sidewalk, passing by several houses of varying sizes. "Do you know where their house is?" She asked as she held onto your arm. "You haven't seen them in years right?" "Yeah, but I lived in their house for a good portion of my life. I remember exactly where they live." You continue to walk down the street, turning at a few street corners and watching cars pass by. All the while you kept up at fast pace to get to your parents' house. As you walked you noticed that some rain clouds were coming in. Off in the distance you could hear the rumble of thunder, but you put it off for now. "Damn, their house should be near, I think it- Ah! There it is!" You point to a small one-story house that was on the street adjacent to the one you were on. "C'mon, Twilight!" You pick up your pace to a brisk jog, almost at a sprint to reach your old home. Twilight struggles to work her legs right as she stumbles after you. As you approach your old house, you see that their car is nowhere to be seen, but you assume that it was inside their garage. 'Almost there,' You thought to yourself as you were close to their driveway. Eventually, you reach the driveway and slow down to gather yourself. "We're here. Finally." "Are you ready to face them?" Twilight asked, walking up behind you. "To be honest, I'd rather fight a manticore than have to do this, but I think I am." "Good, just channel everything that me and my friends have taught you, okay?" She comes up from behind and gives you a supportive hug. "I'll be here for you I promise." "Thanks, Twilight. For everything," You smile at her and begin the approach to the front door. Time seems to slow down as you walk up to the front door, hoping that your parents are on the other side. How would they react to seeing you again? Would they be upset? Relieved? So many questions whirled around in your head. Finally, you reached the doorstep. The moment of all moments has finally come. It was time to face your fears. You take a deep breath, loosening up the muscles in your arms and reach out to press the doorbell button. Inside the house, you can hear the doorbell ring out it's tone, but you get no answer. You press the button again and wait for someone to come answer the door. Panic takes over you as you press the button multiple times in a row, anything to get their attention. "C'mon answer the door," You mutter under your breath, still ringing the doorbell. "Leroy, maybe they're-" "No," You interrupted sharply. "They're not, I'm telling you they're here!" You then resort to knocking on the door with your fist, trying your damnedest to get them to come to the door. "Fuck, c'mon! Mom! Dad! Its me! Leroy! Your son! I'm here!" You yell desperately. "Leroy! They're not here!" Twilight grabs your shoulder and tries to restrain you. "Its alright! They're probably just out somewhere!" You stop knocking on the door and face her. "Yeah, I hope your right, c'mon let's go and-" "Leroy?" The voice strikes you as familiar. A voice you have not heard in a long time. At first your heart skipped a beat when you heard it, believing it to be from your mother. But you turn to your right and see that it was not coming from your mother neither your father. It was your old neighbor, old Mrs. Hurley, standing on the porch of her small wooden, yellow house. "Leroy? Is that you?" She comes down from her porch and walks over to you and Twilight. Mrs Hurley was an elderly woman, heavy wrinkles on her face, her hair a pale gray, and her form frail and small. "Oh my! I haven't seen you in ages! Where have you been! I haven't seen you since you left the neighborhood!" She laughs and gives you a light hug. "Oh and who is this young lady? Is she your girlfriend? If so then I must say that you have done extremely well! What is your name sweetheart?" "Uh, my name is Twilight, nice to meet you," She replies shyly. "Very good to meet you too, deary. Now Leroy, what brings you to the old neighborhood?" "Mrs. Hurley, where are my parents? Have you seen them?" Your heart begins to ache as you see her face contort into an expression of sorrow. "Oh," She runs a hand through her hair. "Oh my, I- You don't know? How could you not know? I thought someone in your family would have called you or something?" "Know? Know what? Please tell me!" You beg, holding her hand in yours. "Well, I honestly don't think its my place to tell you, but I guess since no one has informed you, I guess I'll have to," She says, looking down at the ground. "Leroy, the last thing I want to do is hurt you, but I'm afraid you have to know." "Please, Mrs. Hurley," You whisper, tears starting to well up in your eyes. 'Oh God, please don't do this to me.' "Leroy, I'm so sorry to tell you this..." She begins, holding your hands. You can hear the thunder getting louder in the distance. "What is it?" A few raindrops fall from the sky, followed by a few more as the rain cloud got closer. "Your parents..." Another clap of thunder, with more rain following. You could not utter a single word, your throat holding back sobs. "Are not with us anymore," A thunderclap and a flash of lightning illuminates the sky, and the rain begins to fall in a full blown torrent. "Oh dear, the rain..." "What do you mean?" You ask, your hot tears mixing in with the cold rain water. "You mean to say that..." She looks at you with a sorrowful expression. "Leroy, I'm so sorry. But your parents died over two weeks ago. They died in car crash. Their car was hit by another that was going over ninety miles per hour. I heard that they died from the impact. The funeral was last week. Where were you, dear?" It was right there... At that moment in time... Your whole world... Fell apart... Your sorrow and fury raging as strong as the storm that raged above. You fell to your knees, your heart feeling as though it was ripped out of your chest. You couldn't breathe, you couldn't feel anything, but pain and sorrow. And you let all of it out with one loud cry, letting out all of your fury and pain. You felt Twilight try and pull you to your feet to get out of the rain, but you didn't care. You didn't care about anything. At this moment you wanted to die along with them, you didn't feel like living anymore as you felt like a crucial part of you just died. You sat there on your knees, crying out in anguish to the heavens, cursing at any gods that were doing this to you. Was this your punishment for the way you shunned them out of your life? If it was, then it might as well have been death. Because at this moment, death was welcome to you. You could feel the burning rage mixed with the sting of sorrow deep within your chest. The pain was too much for you to bear and you double over and fall in heap to the ground, sobbing as you fell. Twilight still at your side and you could hear her crying along with you. You were not sure if Mrs. Hurley was crying as well, but you were sure she felt sorry for you. You couldn't help but feel that it was your fault, that while you were having a nice time in Equestria, your parents died and you could not do anything about it. If you could have taken it all back, that day you left them, when you lashed out at your father... The memory of that brings you further pain and you make it known to Twilight who was laying on your shoulder, trying her best to help alleviate the pain in any way she thought possible. But even then that wasn't enough, not even all the love, friendship, or hell, even alcohol could help you right now. Suddenly, you felt two pairs of hands grab you and you fought back as much as you could, but in the end you gave in and let them lift you up to your feet. In all honesty it was a pitiful sight, but how could anyone blame you? You were in more pain then you have ever been in in your entire life. Twilight and Mrs. Hurley pulled you to your feet, even though you wanted to stay out in the rain. "Leroy! We have to get out of the rain!" She grabbed your left arm and Mrs. Hurley your right and hauled to her house where you could dry up. As much as you didn't want to comply, you're mind went completely blank. As if your emotions overloaded your mind and caused you to finally just go quiet and not resist any longer. Even as they dragged you into the living room and laid you down onto the sofa, you just sat there unresponsive. You couldn't do anything. You didn't want to do anything. You already let your parents die. So what's the point? "Leroy? Can you hear me?" Twilight called to you as lay sprawled on the couch, with a blank stare on your face. "Leroy? Talk to me, c'mon," She tries to shake you, but you are unresponsive as you just lay there in shock. "Leroy?" Tears start to well up in her eyes as she sits down next to you and buries her face in her hands. "I'm so sorry, we weren't fast enough! I'm so sorry!" Twilight begins to sob into her hands, feeling the pain of regret and sorrow that you were feeling. But you knew. You knew that she was not feeling the same amount of pain you were. She still had her parents. What did she know about loss!? She doesn't what its like to know that you failed even though you tried so hard. That feeling in the pit of your stomach. Failure. Sorrow. Anger. Regret. All of those emotions rush through you and it was too much for you to bear. All of it tied together with guilt. That cold sting of guilt. That sting that was piercing your heart. So much pain. How much more can you endure? *3rd Person* Twilight still sat there in her distressed state, tears running down her cheeks as she sobbed for her friend. She looked upon him with sorrow, seeing that he seemed to be in a state of shock, his tidal wave of emotions overloading his mind. "Leroy, please. Talk to me," She begged, shaking his shoulder and trying to get a response out of him. Suddenly, Twilight felt a hand on her shoulder. "Please deary, let him be. He's going through a lot at the moment," Mrs. Hurley took Twilight's hand and led her out of her small living room and into her kitchen. There she had a pot of tea brewing and moved Twilight to the table where she took a seat on one of the chairs. The old woman then went over to the stove and examined the pot. "Would you like some tea? It is almost finished." "Um, yes please," Twilight replied and sat there at the table, rubbing her cold, wet hands together. "Oh dear, you seem to be cold. Here, allow me to fetch you a towel," Twilight was about to say that she was fine, but a cold shiver ran through her body and nodded as the woman left the kitchen down the hallway. At that moment Twilight began looking around the kitchen, observing the several trinkets that lay on the shelves and pictures that hung on the walls. There was a picure in black and white she saw that seemed to be a younger-looking Mrs. Hurley, sitting on the lap of a young man. She could not help but smile at how happy they looked and she could only assume that the man was her 'special somepony' as everyone in Equestria calls it. Of course, her being an Equestrian, she wondered why there was only one male with her, but then she remembered. Polygamy, bad. Monogamy, good. "Ah, I see you've found Mr. Hurley?" Twilight let out a squeak of surprise, jumped out of her skin, and whirled around to see Mrs. Hurley who was standing at the door way with a small, wrinkly smile, and a couple towels in her hands. "Oh dear me, I'm sorry. Did I scare you dear? I didn't think I was that scary," She chuckled as she handed Twilight a towel. "Uh no, I was just surprised is all," She replied with her usual sheepish grin and took the towel and began drying herself off. Then again her clothes were soaked and pretty much ruined so it was a vain effort to get herself dry. Nevertheless she began working on getting her hair so she won't catch her death from the cold. "That's a very nice picture by the way." "Mmm, yes it is a nice picture," Mrs. Hurley sighed as she looked longingly at the photo. "I was twenty-three years old at the time, and Norman was about twenty-six. Oh, we were so young and in love! That day was when he asked me to marry him! Oh my, I was so happy! We dated for about two years when we met in college. Then after we both finished he asked for my hand. He was so handsome, charming, and the sweetest man any girl could ever have asked for." She then went to the living room with the other towel. Twilight leaned her head to the right and could see that Mrs. Hurley covered her friend up so that he would stay warm. Even then he still didn't seem to notice her. She came back to the kitchen and sat down at the table across from Twilight. "Forgive me, dear, but what was your name again? I didn't quite seem to catch it?" "Oh, well my name is Twilight." "Twilight?" She raised an eyebrow, never before hearing a pony name before. "That is quite an unusual name, not one that I've heard before that's for sure. Where are you from by the way?" "Uhhh," Twilight had no idea what to say, she didn't want to tell her that she was from another dimension. Considering the fact that humans had no experience with magic or let alone interdimensional travel. But she seemed like a sweet old lady, maybe she would believe her or understand at the very least. So, she decided to tell the truth. "Mrs. Hurley? Can I be honest? I know this will sound crazy, but I hope that you will understand. But it will explain why Leroy didn't know about his parent's death and where I am from." "Well then go ahead, dear. I have heard a lot of crazy things in my time and I will try my best to understand." She nodded at the young Princess, showing her compliance. "Okay," Twilight took a deep breath. "I am not what you think I am. This is not how I usually look, I am from another world and dimension called Equestria..." She then went ahead to explain almost everything about her world, including the fact that its inhabited by a bunch of talking ponies. "So, what do you think?" Twilight was afraid that the elderly woman would react the same way like Leroy did and kick them out of her house in fear. Or maybe even call the authorities. Instead, she just sat there, looking like she was thinking over what Twilight had said. "So, you're saying that your from a world called Equestria," Mrs. Hurley held a mild expression as she talked. "Uh-huh." "And that magic and other mythical creatures exist." "And that you are actually a talking pony who helped Leroy recover from his accident." "Yes I am." Mrs. Hurley took a moment and sat back in her chair, looking thoroughly perplexed. "Okay, either what you said is true," She went over to the teapot as it started whistling and lifted it off the stove. "Or that is the most organized amount of hooey that I have ever heard." The old woman chuckled and went to a pantry and pulled out two cups. "But, you seem pretty serious and even though it sounds crazy I don't think its my right to judge. So I don't fully believe you, but it gives me some understanding as to where in the world Leroy has been," After pouring her and Twilight some tea, she returned to her seat and handed Twilight her cup. "Thank you, Mrs. Hurley," She took a sip of the warm tea and felt relieved to taste the warm bittersweet liquid. "Please, call me Abigail," Mrs. Hurley chuckled as she also took a sip of her tea. "So, how are things between you and Leroy? You two seem pretty close. He really seems to like you." Twilight can't quite help but feel a little bit discouraged, knowing that her and Leroy could never be together. Even if they did, she couldn't bear to see him die and her live on. Not only that but her friends as well. "Well, we're really close friends. And we both understand each other very well." "Really?" Abigail puts her cup down. "I thought that you and him were together! You two look very cute as a couple." "I'm glad you think that way, but I just don't see him that way. Besides, there are too many complicated things keeping us from being together." "Oh phooey on that!" She takes Twilight's hand. "You see deary, I know you love him. I could see it when I saw you looking at him. You can't fool me you know?" "Well, how would you know?" "Because," Abigail looks back at the picture of her and her husband. "That was the way Norman looked at me. The way his eyes just seemed to soften up and get that loving look. That look that just says 'I love you with all my heart and soul'. And listen, love is not complicated and do you know why?" "Why?" Tears start to well up in Twilight's eyes. "Love is not a problem that needs to be solved. Its not a question that needs to be answered. Do you know what it is?" For a while Twilight could not figure out the answer. She used to stay up all night reading books. She studied so hard in magic and wanted to learn so much about everything! And yet, Twilight Sparkle, the former protege of Princess Celestia and now the Princess of Friendship, could not tell her what exactly love was. "No, I don't," She hung her head in shame. Abigail lifted up her chin and looked at her with a small smile. "Love, my dear, is not something you can think about. It is something that is felt within you. In here," She places a hand on her heart. "Do you get what I mean?" "Yes," Twilight replied, even though tears were staining her face she couldn't help but smile. She looked over at where Leroy was laying and- he wasn't there. "Leroy?" She could hear the thunder outside roaring in fury, her heart skipping a beat. Quickly as she could, she ran over to the living room where he was supposed to be laying down on the sofa, the towel lay discarded on the floor. "Leroy! Where are you?!" She frantically looked around the room to see if maybe he was sitting somewhere else. "Abigail! Leroy's gone! Is he here in the house?" "No he's not, I would've heard him walking down the hallway," She came out from the kitchen with a worried look on her face. "I think maybe-" Suddenly a draft of wind billowed into the room, from the open front door. "Oh my," Abigail gasped as she walked over to the front door. "Oh no, he left! I hope he hasn't gone too far!" "We need to go find him!" She was about to go through the door, but Abigail stopped her. "Not like that you are, I would drive you, but I haven't driven in a couple of years and I can't see well at night. Come with me," She led her down the hall past the kitchen to a closet in the middle of the corridor. She opened the door, pulled out a black raincoat and handed it to Twilight, along with a flashlight. "Here deary, take this, just press the button and light comes out from it," Abigail pressed the button to demonstrate to the young Princess. "It will help you see in the dark," Twilight slipped into the cumbersome raincoat and Abigail pulled the hood over her head. "Now, are you sure you want to do this? It can be pretty dangerous outside when it rains." "Yes I'm sure," She took the flashlight and fumbled around with it, pressing the button a few times to test it. "I need to go find him and bring him back safely," With that, she walked back to the front door with the heavy raincoat covering her body. The rain was now falling down in full fury, with thunder booming off in the distance. "You have to be careful, dear! You can very well get hurt! The coat will keep you dry, but not for long!" Abigail shouted over the loud torrent of the rain. "I would go with you, but I don't think I would be of any use to you! "It's okay! I'll be careful, but I have to find him so he doesn't get hurt!" Twilight took a breath and stepped off the porch and out into the rain, her coat becoming soaked within seconds. She switched on the flashlight and shined it down on the wet ground. Surprisingly, she saw that there were footprints squished into the grass and led off onto the sidewalk. Now that she had a beat on where her friend had gone off to, she stepped out onto the sidewalk and began her search for her friend. ooo000oo000ooo Was it the rain? Or was it the tears that were staining your face? You didn't care, all you wanted to do was just sulk as you trekked through the torrent of water; your shoes muddied and your clothes soaked through. Most likely you would get sick from being out in the rain, but even then it mattered little to you. Hell, you could get shot right now and you would thank the kind stranger for putting you out of your misery. You stumbled further along the sidewalk and you could not remember why exactly you were out here. Was it to escape? If so, escape from what? You could not, for the life of you remember why exactly you were out here freezing to death. Again, you didn't care. All you wanted was that pain deep inside your chest to stop. Where the pain was from you could not remember. Or maybe you didn't want to remember? What happened that you were wandering about in the rain and trying to escape from the pain? Images flash in your mind. A totaled car. Your parents' bloodied faces. Your mother's cold dead stare burning into your soul. You cry out and grasp your head in pain as these images flash through your mind and you fall to your knees. Oh, there was the reason why you were in pain. The overwhelming wave of emotion passes through you once again and you let out an anguished cry... ooo000oo000ooo "Arrrrrgggggghhhh!" Twilight heard the cry come out from further ahead of where she was. At first she could not discern whether or not it was the wind or the thunder, but her instincts told her that it was her friend crying out in pain. "Hold on, Leroy! I'm coming!" She ran off in the direction she heard the scream. ooo000oo000ooo The rain fell down hard upon you, your clothes stuck to your body from how soaked they were. Off in the distance, you were not too sure if you heard someone yell your voice. You didn't care, you just kept walking through the cold rain. But then, you heard it again, this time closer. "Leroy!" The voice shouted, but you ignored it and kept on trudging through the rain. Your body felt numb. Cold. And you were deaf to everything you heard. Again you heard it, this time it was as if it was right behind you. "Leroy! Wait!" The voice was familiar to you, maybe it was from someone you know. Or maybe you just didn't care. Suddenly, you hear someone's footsteps splashing on the sidewalk, almost as if they were running to catch up to you. This, you had to see. Who in their right mind would follow you out- it was her. Twilight. "Leroy! What are you doing out here?! You could get hurt!" She was shining a flashlight in your face and shut it off as she walked up to you. You also saw that she was wearing some sort of black rain coat, which was thoroughly soaked. You could not help but answer her back. "Why did you follow me out here Twilight? I came out here for a reason, I wanna be alone!" You shout at her through the rain. "I can't leave you alone like out here like this! You know I can't do that! I came out here to help you!" She begged as she walked closer to you. "Leroy, I know you're in pain! But you can't stay out here! Its dangerous!" "Shut up! You don't know what I feel! Tell me, have you ever felt loss?! Ever felt what its like to lose someone close to you?! No! You haven't! Now leave me alone I don't want your help! No one can help me! Not even you with your stupid magic!" You turn your back on her to walk away. "Leroy!" She grabs you by the shoulder and turns you around. "Please! Come back with me to the house! Then tomorrow we can go back to Equestria! Back with our friends! You can leave behind all of your pain and suffering! You don't have to come back here ever again!" "I don't want to go back! I don't want to go anywhere! All I want is to be left alone! So just go! What does it matter to you?! You and your friends never cared for me! All I was in Equestria was just some freak that the Princess asked you to befriend! You, Applejack, Rainbow, none of them! You never cared about me!" "NO!" She grabs your shoulders desperately. "That's not true, Leroy! We all care for you! Remember all the time we've spent together?! We've been through so much you can't just give up on everything! I won't leave you alone!" You shake her from her grip and shove her away, tears burning in your eyes. "I don't care! I've lost too much! My parents, my whole life on Earth! It was just sheer dumb fucking luck that I'm even alive! And you know what?! I wish Luna hadn't saved me that night! I wish that I hadn't gone to Equestria! I wish that I was dead right now! So for the last time, leave me alone! Can't you see that I just wanna be alone!" The dam breaks inside you as you begin to sob and tears fall from your face along with the rain. "I can't do that!" She shouts back at your face, eyes closed as she cried out. "I would do anything for you, Leroy! I can't just stand around while you tear yourself apart like this!" Your temper rises to an inferno and you push her away again, but she loses her balance and she lands on her rear. "Why the fuck do you care?! Why won't you just leave me alone?! Why?!" "Because I-"Twilight stopped herself, she couldn't answer; as you looked down at her, she stared up at you, fear etched onto her face. 'I- I've never seen him this angry before... I don't know, but- I feel so threatened by him right now. No! I can't let him do this!' She stands up and looks at you with hesitant defiance in her eyes. "The reason why is be-because I-" She stopped and choked on her words, unable to get them out. You only laughed and shook your head. "Yeah, that's what I thought," You turned around and started to walk away. "You don't have an answer." It was there you felt Twilight's arms wrap around your midsection, pulling you close and holding you tight. Instead of fighting back, you only sighed and looked down at the ground, shaking your head once more. "Twilight, why? Why are you trying so hard?" You turn around and face her, seeing the strangest look on her face. Instead of seeing a look of distress, you instead see her with the softest of smiles. Her violet eyes shining through the darkness of the night. She moves forward and once again wraps her arms around you, pulling you into a soft hug. "Twilight," You didn't hug her back, all you could do was stand there. "Because," She pulls back and looks up at you. "I love you. And I feel so lost without you..." She lays her head on your chest. "Ever since that first day at the hospital. I started to fall in love with you. I don't what it was, but I was so interested in you. And, when I started to get to know you I- I just couldn't help but fall in love. Everyday I just wanted to see more and more of you. Even now, when you are at your lowest, I still love you. I always will..." "Twilight I-" But you stop yourself, not knowing what to say. All these hurtful things you've said to her.The way you pushed down to the ground. How could you ever apologize? Now that she's confessed her true feeling for you, you have no idea what in the hell to do. Nevertheless, you wrap your arms around her back and pull her close to you. "Twilight, I'm sorry!" You cry out, holding her tighter. "I'm sorry I said all those things! I'm sorry I pushed you! I didn't mean to I swear! I just- I just don't know what do. My parents are dead. I was too late to save them, its my fault they're dead." "No," She picks up her head to look at you, placing her hand on your cheek. "Its not your fault. Its nopony's fault. What happened was just something that neither of us could control. But you have to understand, it wasn't your fault. If there was something that I could do to make this go away I would do it." You take hold of her and hold it to your cheek. "Twilight, I'm sorry. About everything I said, could you ever forgive me?" Without uttering a single word, Twilight leans forward and gently presses her lips against yours. For a moment time stops. At first you stood there stunned, not knowing what to do, but as she places her hands around your neck you do the same and pull her closer by her waist; the heavy raincoat restricting you from getting closer to her. After a few moments of your passionate embrace, Twilight pulls back with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face. "Yes, I do forgive you," You smile, despite your current disposition and pull her in for another kiss. Thunder booms loudly up in the sky and causes you two to jump apart. "Oh my gosh, I think we should go back! Before we get hurt!" "Good idea!" You take her hand and lead her down the sidewalk, making the journey back to Abigail's house. Despite the fact that you were just in a state of utter despair, you could not help but grin as you and Twilight stumbled home through the rain; a warm, tingly feeling in your chest... Chapter 16: ComfortChapter 16: Comfort By: Calamity Jay "You know suddenly, I'm not so happy about coming home anymore..." Right now, what you needed was some way to get warm again. Your whole body was shivering, your bones feeling as though they were frozen solid. It was surprising to you that you were actually able to function! You were shivering like crazy, your clothes soaked through, and even with the towels draped over your shoulders you still felt cold. Twilight was in no better condition. Even with the heavy raincoat she still managed to get drenched. She sat next to you on the couch, towels over her shoulders as well; her hair was stringy and damp, and since she was wearing a skirt she had to drape a towel over her lap to keep her legs warm. Abigail walked over to the both of you with hot tea to help warm yourselves up. "T-thanks Mrs. Hurley, I-I appreciate it," You take the tea and Twilight does as well, but you were shaking so violently that while you were trying to take a sip, some of the tea spilled out out of the cup and onto your lap. "S-son of a-a b-b-bitch," You sputtered, struggling to drink the piping hot tea. "Easy there L-leroy," Twilight tries to take a sip as well, but spills some tea on herself from shaking as well. "S-s-shit," You could not help but laugh considering the fact that she never cussed before. "What? Its hot," She then blows lightly on her drink. "I k-know, but I j-just never h-heard you c-c-cuss before," "Yeah yeah, whatever," She grumbles, holding the cup in both hands and focusing on the light brown liquid maybe a little too much. Perhaps she's not a fan of cussing out loud. "How are you two feeling so far? A little better I hope?" Abigail asks sweetly, sitting on an armchair across from the sofa you two were sitting on. "You know, I got a tad bit worried when you guys took a long time out there. Leroy, why did you do such a thing as walking out like a madman into the rain?" You take another shaky sip from your tea, sighing as you feel the warm liquid flow down your throat and settle in your stomach. "I'm sorry I did something stupid like that. I hope you both can forgive me, I wasn't quite myself." "Hmm, I could see that," Abigail nods and purses her lips. "Listen deary, I'm sorry about all this. I wish I didn't have to tell you what happened to your parents. Ms. Twilight told me everything about-" "Whoa wait, everything?" You ask, glancing over at Twilight who blushed and took another sip of her tea, trying her damnedest to not make eye contact with you. "So I guess you know that Twilight-" "Isn't really human," She finishes your sentence for you. "And that I got hurt and-" "Got taken to a world which she says is full of talking ponies and other mythical creatures." "And that I've-" "Been there this whole time, cavorting about with your new friends. Yes I know Leroy," "Oh, well then," You slump your shoulders, completely dumbstruck that Twilight actually told Mrs. Hurley about everything. "That is all true, but the 'cavorting about' part is a bit over exaggerated." "Yes maybe, but don't get me wrong, Leroy. I still find the whole thing hard to believe. But I'm old and don't really have much time left so I kinda just thought 'What the hell? Why not believe in something crazy for once?'" She laughs and for some reason you laugh along with her as well, despite the fact that you were in a state of sheer distress. "Yeah, well join the club we got jackets," You scoff, remembering just how crazy you thought you were when you arrived in Equestria. "I know it sounds insane, but its true. I remember when I first saw Twilight I screamed my head off. Remember that, Twi?" You nudge her and she just laughs in reply. "Believe me, I thought that I was going crazy. But after I realized that everything that was happening was actually real, things got a little bit easier. Twilight actually helped me adjust to life in Equestria." "Hmm, well this Equestria place does sound kinda nice," She takes a sip of her own tea. "But it also sounds like a bit too much excitement for this old woman. I'm afraid my old ticker can only take so much." "Aw c'mon Mrs. Hurley, you're not that old," "Oh don't try and flatter me now, Leroy," She lets out a wheezing chuckle. "A woman knows when she's not a young spring chicken anymore." "Right right, I see what you mean," You take another sip of your tea, and look down at the ground. "Leroy," The elderly woman calls your name and you look up at her. "Know that I am deeply sorry about your parents. Believe me I know what you're going through. What you're feeling I felt when Norman passed away last year. I know exactly what loss feels like. And it is so very painful. Oh, even though Norman knew that he was gonna kick the bucket soon and I knew it too, it still hurts even when you come to terms with death." "Yeah, tell me about it. I felt like I was gonna die from how bad it hurt. It honestly felt like a knife was being driven into my heart," You press your hand against your forehead and lean back into the chair. "Again, I'm sorry I did what I did. I wasn't thinking straight. And thank you Twlight," You gently grab hold of her hand, which was surprisingly warm. "If it weren't for you, I'd still be out there freezing myself to death. Thank you for talking some sense into me." "I think you would've done the same for me if I was the one out there," She quips with a smirk on her face. "But, please don't do something like that again. You know I hate when you do reckless things." "Yeah, I know," You wrap your arm around her shoulder and pull her closer to you. "I won't do stupid things like that again. I promise you that." She leans her head on your shoulder. "Thanks, I'm glad you promise." "Hey, Mrs. Hurley?" "Yes?" "You said the funeral was not too long ago, what happened while I was away?" "Well, I recognized a few of your family members there," She takes a sip of her tea. "Everyone wondered where you were and why you didn't come. Some thought that you were too bitter to come and show up to your parent's own funeral. I heard some people say that they tried calling your phone so that you could come. I think one of your cousins said they went to your apartment to see if you were there. When no one could get a hold of you they just gave up. If its any consolation they had a good funeral, almost all of your dad's and your mom's family attended." "Shit," Another wave of heartache and pain passes through you, Twilight trying her best to comfort you. "I'm glad they had a good funeral, they deserved one. But, who paid for it might I ask?" "Not too sure, maybe one of your uncles or aunts? Or maybe your uncles and your aunts. Either way, someone paid to have them buried." "Do you know where?" If they were buried where you thought they would be, then you knew what you were going to do tomorrow. "Yes, its at the old cemetery on the outskirts of town. I'm guessing you want to go and see them?" "I do actually, it feels like the right thing to do." "It is," She puts down her tea on the coffee table. "I'll lend you Norman's old pickup truck. Its still in good condition and has gas. Tomorrow you can use it to go down to the cemetery and see your parents." "Really? You'd do that?" You ask, hope filling your heart. "Anything for a good friend. Besides, it is your right to go and see them one last time." "Thank your, Mrs. Hurley, I appreciate what you're doing for me." "Oh think nothing of it," She chuckles while nonchalantly waving her hand. Abigail looks up at the clock that was hanging on the wall. "Oh dear, its getting pretty late isn't it?" You look up and see that the clock reads half past nine. It honestly wasn't that late, but you then let out a deep yawn and so does Twilight as well. "And the both of you sound tired to me. Do you have a place to stay?" "Well, we do have my apartment, but considering how long its been, they probably already took away my room." "I don't know about that, they can't take away your apartment without giving you a chance first. I think you should go and talk to your landlord after you go to the cemetery." "Right, add that to the 'To-Do List'. But other than that we don't have a place to stay, and I don't have the key to get us into my parent's house. Then again, it feels wrong to be staying in there." "Why is that, Leroy?" Twilight asked, looking up at you. "I don't know, it just does," You could not discern whether it was because you simply did not want to or if was just wrong in a morbid kind of way. "Okay then, I guess you two will have to stay here. I have a guest room with a bed for you to sleep on. Unless you wish to use the sofas in here instead?" Mrs. Hurley asked, rising up from her seat and walking over to the hallway. "What do you think, Twi?" You ask, nudging her with your elbow. She lets out a yawn and stretches her back. "Yeah, a bed sounds good right about now. But wait both of us are soaking wet and we didn't bring any extra clothes." "Well, how 'bout you go ahead and use my bathroom to wash up and I'll put your clothes to dry? I think you guys could definitely use a warm shower." You look at Twilight and she happily nods. "Hmm, sounds good" *Scene Break* "So, do you wanna get in first? Or do I go?" You and Twilight both gave your clothes to Abigail so that she could wash them and dry them. In exchange she gave the two of you bathrobes so you don't have to walk around unclothed. "Uh you go ahead and go first, I'll just go and wait in the bedroom." "About that, Twi, I can just sleep on the sofa while you just-" "Its fine, Leroy I don't mind. Really I don't," The immature side of your mind was thrilled to sleep with Twilight, but was also at war with the mature side of your mind. If Applejack and Rainbow found out that you were sleeping with Twilight, would they be mad? Would they mind? But Twilight is their friend so they should not be upset. Then again they could also feel betrayed that you were doing this to them. But, its not as if you would be doing something wrong. All you are doing is sharing a bed with Twilight and nothing else. However, there is always the chance that you and Twilight could give in to your primal needs. Twilight had already confessed her love to you. What if she sought to show you? The two sides of your mind were in conflict and you had no idea if you should do this. "Besides, I want you to be comfortable tonight. I know you're going through a lot and I don't want you to be alone. Okay?" You can't help but smile at your friend. "Okay then, well I guess I'll go and get in the shower then," You give her one last smile and open the door to the bathroom and close it behind you. Turning on the lights you see that her bathroom is actually very nice. The floor was tiled and red. To your right was a closet with a brown wooden door that most likely held towels and other toiletries. Past the closet was a ceramic vanity top with a basin sink and a cast iron two handle top-mount faucet. Truly fancy. You could see that the whole counter was kept very well clean and organized, a towel rack and a soap dispenser next to the faucet. You looked to the shower and saw that it was tiled and the same color as the floor. Instead of a curtain it had a glass slide door. The interior contained the usual knobs which controlled the water temperature, with a shelf that contained an assortment of soaps and shampoos, a sponge hanging off one of the knobs. "Jesus, where does she get all the money to buy stuff like this?" Having a bathroom as clean and fancy as this, one would think she has a lot of money. "Eh, I guess I could ask her about it later or something." With that, you reach in and turn the knob with the blue marking to the left about a quarter of the way. You wait a few moments and reach out with your hand. Ouch, pretty damn cold; reaching over to the other knob, you turn it about half way to the left as well. After a few moments pass, you reach out again to feel the water. Ah, perfect. After deeming the water warm enough, you untie you robe and let it fall to the floor. You step in and let the water cascade over your head and shoulders, all the coldness you felt in your bones being washed away by the hot water. Suddenly, you start thinking about everything that has happened so far. This all started with you taking a wrong turn walking, or rather stumbling, home from the bar. Imagine if you hadn't done that, you would still have been back on Earth, and Equestria would have been no more than a simple dream. You place your hand on the wall of the shower and bow your head forward, letting the water fall over your back. Again, you start thinking about your parents, as much as you didn't want to. You were too late to save them from their doom, you sat there in Equestria, messing around with your new friends while they died and you had no idea. The shower was definitely a bad place to not think about things. In fact you felt as though had to think whenever you stepped in the shower. Great, now you were regretting coming in here. Tears were starting to well up in your eyes, a lump forming in your throat as well. That familiar feeling of regret was burning again in your chest. You could not take it anymore and you started to sob softly, hoping that no one could hear you... ooo000oo000ooo Twilight stood at the door of the bathroom, leaning her ear against the door. At first she was unsure if whether or not she heard Leroy sobbing in the shower. But she listened a little more closely and she could clearly hear him crying. Sorrow burned in her heart, wishing that she could do something to help alleviate some of his pain. Something that she could do to help him feel just a little bit better. "Um, Twilight? What are you doing?" Abigail walked out from her room at the end of the hall. "Is Leroy okay?" "No, he's not," She turned and leaned her back against the door. "He's in so much pain right now. I just wish that I could do something to help him." Abigail stopped and thought for a moment. "You know, dear? I hate to sound like a foolish old woman, but when I was young, and Norman was still around, whenever he was in a bad mood well, I decided to help cheer him up in the best way that I thought possible." "Oh, uh, how did you do that?" The young naive Princess asked, oblivious to the obvious answer. "Tell me deary, what do you think is the fastest and most effective way to get a man out of a bad mood? Something that makes him happy?" "Umm, I really don't know," Abigail raised one of her eyebrows, obviously perplexed by Twilight's naivety. "C'mon now, you're a smart girl. Do the math. What is the one thing that gets every man from a bad mood, to a good mood?" "Uh, let me think," After a few moments of thought, a most perverted answer to Abigail's question popped into her head. "What?!" She whispered loudly. "You really think I should do that?!" "Well, you said you wanted to help him in his time of distress. I believe that's a good way to get him out of his current disposition. But, I'm not gonna tell you to do it, I am only suggesting the suggestive. In the end, deary, it is your choice. Leave him alone and let him suffer or go in there and cheer him up. Its up to you. I'm sure he'd like your company." "You really think so?" She looked at the door and place her hand on it. "You don't think that he would mind?" "Honey, I was married for sixty years. I know what men like. I am very sure he won't mind." "Oh my gosh, I don't know about this," Twilight tugs at her robe nervously. "I mean, I want to help him feel better," She sighs and looks at Abigail. "First of all are you okay with this? I mean if I actually go through with this I'm sure you'll hear us right?" "Please, nowadays I fall asleep within seconds and after that I am deaf to the world. So you can be a little bit vocal, but not to the point where you actually wake me up. Agreed?" Twilight nodded and Abigail made her way back to her room, but stopped and looked at Twilight. "Again, its your choice, sweetie. I'm only suggesting that you do this. In the end, it comes from your own heart and soul. You really love and care for him? Then go on in there and show him that you care." After finishing her motivational speech, Abigail opened the door to her room, entered, and closed the door behind her. "Sweet, merciful, Goddesses," Twilight muttered under her breath, leaning her back against the door. "That woman really has no shame or sense of decency does she?" She stood there thinking about what to do next. "Oh, but she does have a point. I do love Leroy, but I haven't done much to show him that I really do love and care for him. I guess, maybe I really should go in there and make him feel better?" Her mind made up, she gathered her courage and opened the door. ooo000oo000ooo You hear the door open. "Uh, hello? Who is it?" You knew Goddamn well who came into the bathroom, your heart already knew the answer, but your mind wanted to disagree. "Leroy?" Twilight called out, confirming your fears. "I heard you crying. Is everything okay?" "Um, yeah," You sniffle, further adding to the evidence that you were indeed crying. "I'm fine, don't worry about me," Twilight comes into view in front of the glass door of the shower. If it was a curtain that was not see-through, you would be fine. In this case it was clear glass and Twilight would be able to see everything. So to prevent that, you turn around and try to cover up your privates as best you can. Then again, that gives her a clear view of your rear. Honestly, it feels as though you never win. "Leroy? Why are you trying to cover yourself up?" Twilight asks, standing in front of the shower. "You know, I have seen you naked. And you've seen me naked too. So there really is no reason for you to be so embarrassed." "I know that, Twilight. But you're human now and this time we're not doing a biological experiment. Remember what I told you about our taboos?" "Yes I'm aware of that, but Leroy," She tugs at her robe nervously. "I know you're in pain. I could hear you crying and I can't bear to know that you're hurting like this. Because when you're hurting, then I am as well. You know that I love you, even though I just barely confessed to you. I can't stand seeing you in pain and I don't want you to go through this alone. So that's why I..." She undoes her robe and lets it fall to the ground at her feet, exposing her naked human body. You could not help but ogle at her small form; she had small yet sexy curves that ran along her hips, fitting her petite stature. Her breasts were not very big, but were perky and perfectly round. Your eyes ran up and down her body, from her eyes, her breasts, her hips, all the way to her legs."...Thought I should come in here and keep you company." She says, a tinge of red on her cheeks. She starts to approach the glass door of the shower, placing her hand on the iron handle and sliding it to the right, stepping into the shower with you. Deep in the pit of your chest, you wanted to say no. You wanted to tell her that this was wrong. You were already with Applejack and technically Rainbow Dash as well. You did not want to do this to them! This sort of thing already happened with Sunny Day and now it was happening with Twilight! Honestly, ever since you were taken to Equestria, your love life has been a huge roller coaster ride. Even then, it was too late for you to protest and Twilight stood in front of you, stepping under the shower head to let the water wash over her body. It was then you couldn't do anything else, but just let this happen. Twilight wasn't going to take no for an answer; in all honesty you really were feeling lonely. You wanted- no, needed someone to come and comfort you. And that was exactly what Twilight was here for. She comes up to you and places her hand on your cheek. "Its okay now, Leroy," She whispers as she leans in and kisses you softly on the lips. "I'm here, and I always will be." Finally you give in; grabbing her by her waist, you pull her in closer to you, the water cascading over the both of you as you embraced. You pull back and wrap both of your arms around her back, pulling her into a hug. She does the same and throws her arms under your arm pits. You feel a sense of deja vu standing here with Twilight in your arms. Then again, you did do something like this with Applejack. "Thank you, Twilight," You whisper as you stroke violet hair. "For everything. You've done so much for me." "I'd do anything for you," Twilight whispers back, laying her head on your chest. "I love you so much," You hear her start to sob into your chest and feel her squeeze you even tighter. The both of you share a tender moment, just relishing in your embrace and feeling the warmth emanating from your bodies. You feel a few tears stream down your face along with the water from the shower. "Twilight," She looks up at you. "I love you too." You lean forward and plant a gentle kiss on her forehead and squeeze her tighter. She releases her grip on you and gazes into your eyes. "You know, I've seen what your hands can do," She says with a sly grin. "I wonder what else they're good for? Mind showing me?" Major deja vu indeed. "Of course, my princess," You reply as she turns around while you go ahead and grab the bar of soap off the shelf. After lathering up your hands, you start to massage her shoulders and work your down all the way to her lower back. From here you got a very good view of her small, but firm rear; your heart skipping a beat when you saw how close your manhood was to it. Immediately, you bite your lip to keep yourself from becoming erect. "Um, Twi? Is it okay if I-" "Yes, you can do whatever you want," She replies, a content smile on her face borne from your ministrations. With that green light, you begin to move your hands all over her body, from her small shoulders, her slender hips, to her flat stomach, her lower back, and you even dared to grab her supple breasts. She lets out a slight gasp when you start massaging them. "Ahh, I was not aware that human breasts were an erogenous area," She whimpered out as you continued your work on her. "Leroy? Can I be honest with you?" "Of course you can," "I've never been with a stallion before," Whoa whoa, wait. Time out. Hold your horses there buddy. You abruptly stop what you were doing and slowly turn Twilight to face you, who has gained an uneasy expression. "Twilight, you mean to tell me you've never done something like this before? With anyone?" "No. Never. Not even with a mare. I know this sounds pretty embarrassing, but I've never experienced anything outside of my own hand- er hoof," You could only imagine how nervous she was feeling since this was basically her first sexual experience. "I mean, remember when you were in the hospital, and you had sex with Applejack for um, research purposes?" "Yeah, how could I possibly forget?" Having sex with another species for the first time is not something you easily get over. "I'm not sure if she mentioned this to you, but I was actually supposed to be the one to do it. Being a princess is so stressful and I was just so tired of being alone with nopony to be with. I was going to do it, but I was so scared, terrified even! Not because of, you know, you're a different species. I was so curious of your mating rituals and ever since I met you I started... fantasizing." "So after the first day you met me, you start to imagine what it would be like to have sex with me?" You ask with a small smile, somewhat amused at her awkwardness. "Um yes I did. Oh, I'm so embarrassed! Please don't hate me!" She covers her face up with her hands, trying her best to avoid your gaze. Instead of letting her sulk in her embarrassment, you gently move her hands away from her face. "Twilight, its okay. You don't have to be embarrassed and I don't hate you. I could never hate you. Not in a million years," You lean forward and kiss her gently on the lips. "In fact I'm flattered that you actually fantasized about me. I must say that that's a first for me," Twilight starts to giggle and you can't help but laugh along as well. After a moment of laughter, you stop and catch your breath. "But can I ask you something Twi?" "Sure, what is it?" 'Oh I know I'm gonna regret asking this, but I gotta know.' You take a deep breath. "Why didn't you? That day. I just wanna know." Twilight seemed taken aback by your question and she looked as though she was thinking about what to say. "I guess I should just tell you the truth..." ooo000oo000ooo Twilight wandered about the town, troubled by her thoughts. The new human she just befriended, she can't stop thinking about him! When she was talking to him and learning about his species, culture, and history; she just couldn't get enough! Twilight learned so much about him in so little time and she could not wait to learn more. Yesterday she had just finished discussing the procedures of the research sessions she was going to conduct with the doctors back at Canterlot General. Everything was set up and ready to go, tomorrow she was going to go back to Canterlot to start on their research. Twilight wanted to be absolutely thorough in learning about his anatomy; even his intimate areas. She was not sure what it was about him that kept her up at night. But after careful thought, she knew that she was attracted to him. The reason why was perplexing. Was it because he was different? How charming he was? Or perhaps it was just based on physical attraction? The way he scratched at her ears, it was something she never felt before. And she wanted it to happen again. Somehow, she had to do something! She wanted to feel him touch her again! Twilight was so curious, at night when she lied alone in her bed, she would have fantasies about what it would feel like to have him next to her; to feel his hands run through her mane, down her shoulders, over her body, all the way down to her flanks where he would put his hand right on her- "Hey there, Twilight!" Twilight's lewd thoughts were interrupted by the voice of her close friend Applejack. Applejack had been trotting about town running errands for her farm when she Twilight wandering down the street. "Twi? Y'all okay?" "Um, yeah I'm fine, Applejack," Twilight sighed with a defeated look on her face. "No need to worry about me." "C'mon now, sugarcube. Even a blind barn mouse can see that somethin's troublin' ya. Why don't you go ahead and tell me?" Twilight took a moment, unsure if whether or not she should tell her friend what has been on her mind. She lets out a sigh and her ears droop down. "Alright, I guess I should tell you..." Twilight then proceeds to tell everything to Applejack, and she even included the parts about her fantasies about him. After she finished, Applejack seemed thoroughly surprised. "Wow, Twilight. Ah didn't know you saw 'em that way, hoo whee!" Applejack laughed as she fanned herself with her hat. "Ah gotta say, you sound like you really wanna mate with him." "I know! I mean, wouldn't you? He's so different and somewhat mysterious, its so exciting!" Twilight giggled as she and Applejack found themselves trotting into the park, where they found a bench to sit on. "I'll be honest, sugarcube. He does seem like a very nice stallion- er hoo-man, and I am pretty curious about him too. Not only that, he does look pretty cute for somepony whose not a pony. And what'd you say about him? He don't like to be naked in front of others?" "Yeah! He says that in his world its a social taboo to be nude in front of others you're not in a relationship with. But that's weird because, here we hardly wear clothes and its normal for him to wear clothes. Ugh, humans are so weird! But I like it! Do I sound crazy, Applejack?" Applejack just chuckled. "Ah dunno 'bout that now, but you do seem pretty crazy for him the way Ah see it." "I'm just so curious about how he likes to, you know... rut." "Well, why don't you go ahead and ask him? Ah know that y'all and the docs back at the hospital wanna do some sort of experiments on 'em. Ah think that's a good opportunity as any." "It is! But I'm too scared to do it! But I wanna see it too! Oh, I don't know what to do! Applejack, you know that I've never done something like that before right?" "Yes Ah know, Twi," Applejack nodded, tugging at her hat. "Look sugarcube, if you don't wanna do it, then that's fine. Nopony is forcing you to." "Will you do it?" Twilight asked suddenly, surprising her friend. Applejack immediately blushes and smiles sheepishly. "Aw shucks, Ah dunno 'bout that sugarcube. Ah'm mighty flattered, but Ah dunno." "C'mon, Applejack! How long has it been since you've been with a stallion? I know you've been looking for a mate." "Ah have, but I dunno if Ah should." "Are you sure? You did say you thought he was cute!" "Ah did, but ya know me. Ah'd hate to do somethin' like that with somepony Ah barely know. And not only that, ya also know that Ah don't like to just rut and go. Ah'm an honest mare! Ah like to keep the stallion that Ah mate with!" "Well here's an opportunity for you! Leroy is a good human! I'm sure he'll treat you right. Besides, have you seen those hands of his? They're great! I've never had my ears scratched, but he found this spot right at the base of my ears that just made me melt! They feel so soft and, well as Rainbow would put it, awesome!" "Really?" Applejack asked with an arched brow. "Huh. That does sound pretty good." "And, he told me that he's been feeling lonely like you. Think about it, you and Leroy, both of you feeling lonely, and I think that you and him would make a really great couple! Even if you're two different species, love has no boundaries, Applejack." "Hmm, you're right about that. But Ah hardly know him, Ah just met him yesterday!" "Well, think of this as way to get to know each other better!" Twilight was very optimistic about this, even if the odds were against her. Applejack took a moment to think about her friends offer. On one hoof, she could accept and have herself a new stallion. On the other, she could turn down her friend in her moment of need and stay alone. The odds were weighing in favor of the former. She made up her mind. "Alright then, Ah'll do it." Twilight let out a *squee* of joy and pulled her friend into a hug. "Oh thank you, thank you! You have no idea what this means to me!" She lets go of her friend and rises up from the bench they were sitting on. "Ah think Ah have an idea. Now, when do I get to get with my new stallion?" "I'll let you know. Oh! I have to go back to Canterlot to speak with the doctors! I'm sorry to leave, but I have to go okaythanksbye!" She spoke as fast as Pinkie and flapped her wings and leaped into the air. Applejack, waved as she flew off and started to trot back home. "Ho boy, Ah sure hope this is gonna be worth it." ooo000oo000ooo "And that's it, I was honestly too scared to do it. And Applejack was looking for a mate and well she was interested in you." You were indefinitely surprised. Twilight basically asked Applejack to have sex with you! You didn't know if you should feel offended or grateful. Mixed feelings coursed through your body and you didn't know what to do or say. "Leroy, I just want you to know, I did what I did because I care about you. I knew that you were feeling alone and I could not stand to see you like that!" "Twilight, I'm not sure if I should say 'thank you' or be angry. Or maybe its because I'm not used to something like polygamy. But, in a way I guess you did me a favor by helping me find a nice girl." You chuckle, trying to make light of this situation. "I'm glad you feel that way. And you know something?" "What?" She leans in closer to the point where your noses are almost touching. "I'm not so scared anymore, now that we're this close," You gasp as you feel her hand travel to your crotch and touch your member. "I think this is a good time to get some... additional notes?" That tears it, you were definitely ready to just make love to her right here and now. But, there was something that just irked you. You were wasting Abigail's water! "I'm glad you wanna do this, but I think we're wasting Mrs. Hurley's water just standing here. Wanna finish up and head to the bedroom?" "Sure," She replies as you restart on washing her and yourself. ooo000oo000ooo You and Twilight finish washing each other and stepped out of the shower. The both of you grabbed some towels off the rack and proceeded to dry off rather quickly due to the fact that it was still cold. The last time you were on Earth, it was mid-August. Right now it should be about late December and cold fronts do tend to sweep in after it rains. You finish drying and wrap the towel around your waist with another over your shoulders. Twilight tried imitating the way you tied yours, but ended up looking ridiculous. You then showed her how to wrap the towel around her chest. "All set?" You asked after you finished rubbing the towel on your head. "Uh yeah I think so," She replies as you open the door and let her walk out into the hallway first. There was a light on in a room in front of the bathroom and slightly to the left. "Do we go in this one?" "Looks like we should," You push past the ajar door and into the dimly lit bedroom. Upon further inspection, you see that the bedroom is a bit larger than you anticipated. It was about twelve feet in length and ten feet in width, a slide door closet to your right, a vanity across from the door, and a queen-sized bed in the center. On either side of the bed were nightstands with lamps, which were both lit. "Wow, this is a pretty nice room," You say as you walk up to the bed. "Whoa, looks like she left us some pajamas for us to wear." And indeed she did, you assumed that the navy blue t-shirt and plaid pajama pants were for you and what looked like a pink night gown was for Twilight. "Aww, how sweet of her," She smiled, picking up the gown, unfolding it and pressing it against her chest. "Is it too big?" The gown was not too long as it reached just above her knees. "Hmm, it looks pretty good," You guessed that she did not want you sleeping in the nude on her guest bed, so you inferred that these clothes once belonged to her and her husband at one point. "Well I guess I'll get dressed then." As you were about to pull off your towel, you saw out of the corner of your eye, Twilight slightly undid her towel and sat down on the bed. "You know, I think we still have some unfinished business to tend to," She purrs at you, with a half-lidded sultry grin on her face. "Really? Like what? Is there something you wanna know?" You ask stupidly, unsure if the burnout was messing with your head, you were joking, or you were that clueless. Even though Twilight stated just a few minutes ago that she wanted to have sex with you. "C'mon, I think you're smart enough to figure out what I mean," She completely removes her towel and lets it fall to the floor. Suddenly, it all comes back and you hastily remove your towel as well. Twilight moves up toward the head of the bed and you follow, crawling on top of her small form like a wolf on its prey. "Leroy," She gasps as she pulls you in for deep kiss. Almost instantly, your arousal increases as you kiss her; your tongues dancing around the other. You pull back reluctantly to take a breath, but a thought scratches at your head. "Twilight, are you sure you want to do this?" "Leroy, I have never been so sure of something in my entire life. Please, just do this with me." "But what about AJ? And Rainbow? Would they be okay with this?" "Don't worry, just do this for me right now and I promise I'll fix everything with my friends." "Really? You will?" "Yes, I will. So, if you will?" She nodded her head for you to keep going. You were more than willing to do this, but you were still not too sure. There was so many things that could happen. "Twi, you're human. If we do this now, there is a strong chance I could get you pregnant. If you were in your usual form I don't know, but-" She silences you by placing her finger on your lips with a "shh". "Look, I promise it will be fine. Do you trust me?" 'Eh, I don't know about this'. "Yes of course I do." 'What are you doing man?!' "Then, just uh, you know, go on." 'Aw to hell with it all!' You think as you lean in and start pecking at her neck, causing her to let out moans of pleasure and content. "But, please, Leroy, be gentle. Okay?" She begs with a whimper creeping into her voice. "Don't worry, I will. You can trust me," You continue your ministrations on her, kissing up and down her neck, to her shoulders, and back up to her lips. You decide to get a move on with this by sitting on your knees and getting ready to position yourself. Twilight looks up at you with fear, excitement, and anticipation mixed in her gaze. She looks down at your member, which was currently position over her womanhood. "Oh sweet stars above, you're gonna p-put it in m-me?" "Only if you want me to," You whisper, gently massaging her thighs. "Yes. I want it. Please." "Whatever you say," Once more you lean forward and plant another gentle kiss on her lips. With that, you grab your shaft and bring your hips forward, brushing the tip against the petals of her labia, gently finding your way into her entrance. Twilight gasps at the contact, her hands grasping at the sheets and her legs wrapping around yours. Finally, after slowly teasing her, you find your way into her most intimate of areas. You let out a groan from how tight her love canal was, the feeling almost made you come. Right now, you were thoroughly turned on, and you wanted to pump in and out of her as fast as you could, but no matter what you wanted to be gentle with her. Your first priority was to make her feel as good as possible. "Please, go deeper," You comply to her request by bring your hips closer to hers, your manhood now three quarters of the way into her. At first, you were surprised to feel very little resistance pushing your way in. Perhaps she had been up to no good with herself? It didn't matter to you, it felt heavenly nonetheless. Eventually, you bottom out, your hips touching hers. It felt so good being inside her! Almost natural. Perhaps because she was human and it had been so long since you had relations with another woman. You didn't plan on staying here on Earth any longer; there was nothing worth staying for here anymore. So with that in mind, you are sure to enjoy this even more since it will be an indefinite long time before you do this with a woman again. As slowly and gently as you could, you move your hips back and forth, in and out of Twilight. You keep up this tempo for a couple of minutes, kissing and nibbling at Twilight's neck and shoulders. All the while, she had a content look on her face mixed in with the agonizing bliss of pleasure. Soon, the inevitable comes and you feel pressure start to build up in your lower belly, desperate for release. You wanted to give Twilight the best possible finish, so you sit back on your knees and start to pump your hips faster while you vigorously rub her clit with your hand. It seems to work as her silent moans become increasingly frantic, her legs tightening their grip on your waist, and her hands clenching the covers. The wave of ultimate bliss was approaching and the two of you were just about ready to give into its strong current. Twilight had her eyes clenched shut and she was biting her lip to keep herself from screaming. Your body was hot to the touch and sweat was forming on your brow, your hips starting to burn from your effort. Nevertheless, you ignored the fatigue and continued slamming into her with all your might, feeling your balls tingle with the impending release of your seed. Twilight was writhing below you, almost as if she was in pain. But it was a pleasurable pain that she was loving and wanted more of. "Oh, Leroy! I feel like something's going to hap-happ-" That was all she had time to when her entire body froze and her back arched. "Leroy~! Ahhhhh~!" She squeals and lets out a long drawn out moan, her walls contracting around your shaft. That was it for you. You give one more push and let out everything that you had inside; all your love, passion, sorrow, and pain. Twilight gasps from how much you are filling her up with, feeling some of it dribble out of her. "Oh, oh dear. We made a mess didn't we?" You double over from the fatigue and lay down next to her. "Oh no, we did make a mess." "Yeah, I think we did. Here, let me clean you up." You sit up and grab the towel at the foot of the bed. It was still damp, but even then you gently clean up the mess you two made. After you finish, the both of you grab the clothes that Abigail gave you and threw them on. You then pulled back the sheets of the bed and got in, sighing from the cool, softness of the covers. Twilight takes her place next to you and snuggles close to your body. "So, are you feeling better?" She asks, laying her head on your chest. "Yeah, I'm feeling tons better. Thank you," You kiss her on the forehead. "But oh Jesus am I tired," "Who's Jesus?" "Eh, I'll tell you later 'kay?" "Okay," Suddenly she lets out a yawn and closes her eyes, a content smile on her face. "Goodnight, Leroy. I love you..." "Goodnight, my beautiful princess," You pull her closer to you and hold her with both of your arms. "I love you too..." You close your eyes and relax your body, feeling drowsiness overtake you as you slowly fall asleep and join Twilight in dreamland. Chapter 17: SorrowSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.Chapter 1: EmergenceWaking UpBy: Calamity Jay Chapter 1: Emergence " I could really use a miracle right now. God knows I do," “Hey! Leroy!” A harsh, feminine voice calls out your name. It was the voice of your boss, a particular voice you have to come to despise and have deemed it to be the voice of the devil himself. Now that you think about it, the tone of her voice borders on that of a man's. “Yes ma’am?” You answer back, trying not to sound irritated in doing so. “Did you send off the invoices like I told you to do yet?” She asks while approaching you, with a glare that just makes you feel like did something wrong. In this case, you most likely did. 'Fuck' You think to yourself, sitting on the chair of your desk, you whirl around to face her. In the early hours of your eight hour shift, you were out on the front lines with the newly hired cashiers, making sure that none of them fuck up any sales. Unfortunately, most of them were not exactly savvy with the computers that ran the transactions; most of the customers had memberships and needed identification when making purchases. More than once they mucked up a sale, which meant that you had to come in for the rescue. What angered you even more, was the fact that your boss made no effort to help, staying in her office and on the phone most of the time. And now she has the gall to stand before you and ask why you are not doing your job. “Well?! Did you do them or not?!” She demanded, her nostrils flaring. Her face was well wrinkled, showing just how old she was; hair tied up in bun that just made her face seem like it was being pulled back, her eyes were looked like she was about to shoot lasers out of them. She was the devil dressed in a skirt and blouse. “Uh, no not yet. B-but in my defense I was out there keeping an eye on the new guys!" “Leroy I don't care if you were out there doing CPR on a passed out customer who just found out the new Call of Duty game has just been sold out!" She yelled, making you cringe in the process. "You were supposed to get those invoice sent in by the end of today!" "I'm sorry ma'am, but what would you have had me do? You were busy in your office and things would've been worse for the store if the new guys messed up the sales!" “I don't give a damn, Evans! You have your responsibilities! What are you even doing right now?" "Uh I was just about to start on them right now." You knew damn well that you were not about to start on them as you were actually working on something else: An application for a different store. Right from this office, you've applied for management job to three other stores; all of which sadly turned you down. She saw right through your white lie and turned your seat around, glaring right at you. "You listen here," She points a slightly wrinkled finger at you, it looked like it could stab right through your chest. "You already know what happens when we don't get those monthly invoice reports in on time. The store gets less funding from the company, I get a pay deduction, and do you know what happens when I get a pay deduction?" "Uh, I get one too?" "No," She replies calmly. "First, I YELL AT YOU!" You cringe once again from the volume. "Ask you why the hell you aren't doing your job correctly. Make you work overtime again and close the store again." She whips around and walks towards the exit of the room. "And then you get a pay deduc. So I suggest you get to work, you have to stay and re-shelve each and every game today, and make sure you finish or~ YOU'RE FIRED!" She emphasizes her last words by slamming the door and leaving the room. "Well, this just great," You chuckle as you turn around and slam your face on the desk. "This is just fucking great," You grumble into the wooden desk, wondering what in the hell made you apply here. "Why in the name of all fuck did I decide to work here? Seriously she seemed so nice during the interview." You sit there a little while, wondering where your life went wrong. Sure you finished college, got a job, but where was that excitement in starting your career that everyone talks about? This, by no means, felt like a career; this job felt more like an end to justify the mean. The mean being that you needed something to keep yourself off the streets and to pay off your student debts. 'Hmph, ain't life grand?' You muse to yourself as you start your work which hopefully would not take too long. ooo000oo000ooo You let out a heavy sigh as you place the last box into the shelf. "Urgh, damn gamers. Never putting the box back into its proper place." Sadly, filling out the invoice had taken longer than you hoped. By the time the end of the day came along, you barely finished sending off the invoices and your boss said that you had to close everything up; including reshelving all the games. All of that right before she informed you of your new pay deduction. Thankfully the building is part of a plaza and was not too big, so fixing up the games only took a couple of hours. Not only that, you also had your knowledge of the store to thank since you've been working here for a reluctant eight months. The only bright side you could see in your situation was that you loved video games as much as everyone that walked through those doors. You went ahead and made sure that all the cash registers were emptied of their contents and put in the safe in the back; you checked the doors to make sure they were locked, then off to the the security system where you input the number code. You have done this routine so many times you almost did it unconsciously. Finally, everything was done. Store is locked up, games put away, money is safe and sound. "Well, I'm out of here. See you tomorrow." You give the store one last look before you make your way to the back room. There was a back door in the office that you left work through so many times. You stepped out into the parking lot where it was now empty, all of the workers hastily made their way home after closing time. You wanted to ask them to help you put away the games, but they all made bullshit excuses about how they were late for some other thing or that they had homework to do; some of them were in fact college students. So that left you alone in the store, grumbling to yourself about how ungrateful they were for your guidance. Nevertheless, you still had a job that you wish you did not have to do. "Well, end of the day, eh? I think I know where to go." A smile creeps it's way onto your face as you walk out of the parking lot of the plaza and onto the sidewalk. The city of Katy was not a big one, so therefore your destination was not that far away. The fall season, in which school rears it's ugly head once again after the summer. It was a cool Tuesday night, which means that most people are inside, relaxing and enjoying the rest of their evening; most likely about to get ready for bed and rest up for the next day. The streets were almost empty, people who worked late were already making their way home, much like you were. Only difference being that you did not have a working vehicle to use, which meant that you would take the bus to work and since you did not have much to do at your apartment, you would walk home. Of course, you would repair your car, but with that new pay deduction you received, money would be tight for a while. And with your student debts coming in along with rent, you barely had enough for food and other essentials. "Huh, looks like I'm the only one on the streets again," You said to yourself, the sidewalk was indeed empty as you passed by different stores and alleyways. "I'm sure Johnny boy would not mind if I pay him a visit." You knew that the bartender at the local bar would definitely not turn down a customer. Especially after a hard day at work, a drink was something that you desperately needed. Most people would call you a drunk since the bar is where you go after each day, but you know that every drink you get is well deserved. Its not like you go to the bar out of needless want. After about ten minutes of walking down the sidewalk you tread upon day after day, you finally reach your desired destination: 'Johnny's Tavern'. "Aha, my home away from home!." You chuckle as you walk into the parking lot of the bar. You walk by a couple of cars in front the door and past a couple of guys smoking cigarettes, and into the bar itself. The scene before you is all too familiar: light country music being played on the jukebox, couples sitting in booths drinking beers, friends standing at the pool tables having a game, and of course people sitting at the counter having a drink of their own. And there stood you old and only friend, with his apron on and tending to another customer. He hears the doorbell ring and looks over to you and you wave at him sheepishly. "Yo! Johnny!" "Leroy! Excuse me sir," He greets and leaves the overly stressed customer he was serving. You come up to the counter and take a seat on the stool, your toes touching the floor. “So, what’ll it be today Leroy? The usual?” Johnny asks, placing his hands on the counter. “Hey there Johnny, yeah go ahead and give me a cold one please.” You lean your elbows on the bar and run a hand through your curly black hair, the head ache from today pulsing in your temples. “Right,” Johnny replied as he reached under the bar to the ice chest below for a beer. “Here ya go, first one’s on me amigo.” He slides the beer over to you. “Thanks,” You grumble, and take the forty ounce bottle. instead of using your hand, you use your mouth to bite the cap off and spit it back out onto the counter. “You know, it don't take a damn psychic to figure out what you're feeling. What's on your mind?” Johnny asked as he wiped down the bar counter. “Uh huh. Ms. Bitch made me stay late and fix up the store, so here I am, taking a load off,” You say as you take a swig from your beer. “What’d you do this time?” The bartender deadpanned at you, letting go of the rag. "How bad did you fuck up?" “Why do you assume I fucked up something?" “Because,” He places down a glass he had just started scrubbing. “You’ve been coming here long enough for me to get to know you and your tendencies. So tell me the details” “Well I screwed up by not sending off some invoices, the boss got mad at me, gave me a pay deduc, and made me stay late...again” You take a bigger swig of your drink. “Not much I can give for that Leroy. All I can say is that you fucked up. Royally.” “Gee, thanks," You take yet another sip. "I thought bartenders were supposed to give good advice?" “I’m a bartender, not a miracle worker Leroy,” He replied, going to help another customer. “Right, right, I forgot about that. But I could really use a miracle right now. God knows I do,” You sighed as you take a big swig and place your beer back down. The beer was helping with the headache, but even then you rubbed your temples trying to ebb the pain away. “So you need a miracle hmm?” A smooth feminine voice rang out next to you. You almost jumped out of your seat as you heard the voice, but decided to just keep staring at the beer bottle. “Uh huh, a miracle would be nice,” You lament still not looking to where the voice came from as you take another drink, definitely taking it's toll on you. “Hmm, well I can see that, maybe I can do something about that,” The voice cooed. As enticing as that sounds, you were not in the mood to deal with this. “Thanks, but I’m not looking for any hand outs at the moment,” You sigh as you take a deep pull off the bottle. It was true, after the horrible day you had, you just wanted to enjoy solitude with your beer. “That’s a shame, but you never know. Maybe a miracle will happen soon, but the real question is, will you be ready for it?” “I’m honestly ready for anything, so hit me with your best shot miss.” You challenge without even stealing a glance at the potentially fine-looking woman next you. “Hmm, well we shall see about that. I must be going, I will be seeing you soon. Leroy Evans," That knocked you out of your half buzzed state, this 'woman' knew your name and you did not even know who she was. Or what she looked like for that matter. As quickly as you could, your whirl around to spot whoever was talking to you and to find out how in the world they knew your name. Instead, you turn to see that no one there and that there was no sign of them sitting next to you. The stool at your side remains untouched and the bar door had not been opened or closed. You are dumbstruck and you look down at your beer making sure it wasn’t expired and causing you to hear things. You sigh as you put down your the bottle, now you really needed a drink. Johnny is standing at the other side of the bar, listening to another customer’s problems like a good bartender. “Hey! Johnny!” You call out, grabbing the attention of your friend. “Be right there, excuse me sir,” He says to the other sad, overly stressed customer. Johnny makes his way over to you. “What do you need Leroy?” “Hey John, did you happen to see anyone standing next to me and then leave?” You ask finishing off the rest of your beverage. “Nope, but I did hear you talking to yourself for some weird reason, you sure you alright man?” “I don’t know man, it’s been a rough day. Maybe I just need another drink, then another after that, and then another after that…” You say while rubbing your temples from the stress. “Hearing voices eh? I’m no expert, but that is definitely not a good thing so yes sir, I believe you do need a drink my friend,” He says pulling out a bottle of Jack Daniels, “And in light of your new pay cut, all drinks for you are half off tonight." “Hmph, aren’t you the sweetest thing? Thanks man,” you say as Johnny pours you a shot. “There you go, again, first one’s on me Leroy,” He slid the shot glass over to you and you picked it up gratefully. “Again, thanks John,” You say as you swirl the light brown liquid around in the small glass. You slowly bring it to your lips to take a drink, but Johnny stops you. “Hey, aren’t you gonna make a toast? Can’t have a drink of good whiskey without making a toast.” “Oh yeah, right, forgot about that,” You wonder what to make a toast to. After a moment of thought an idea pops into your head. “Here’s to things getting better and praying for miracles,” You say as you raise your glass slightly. “Hear, hear." You knock back the shot like a trooper, feeling the warm alcohol flowing down your throat. Immediately you feel the effects of the whiskey, and also a lot more buzzed. For some reason, you have a strong feeling for another drink of this heavenly nectar. You put on a dopey grin as you raise your shot glass, motioning for a refill. “Hey Johnny, I’m like the Sahara desert over here. Fill me up another one will ya?” “Sure thing,” He pours you the shot, “Feeling a little better?” “Ohhh yeah, I feel loads better, all thanks to you my friend,” You raise your glass again in appreciation. “Hey, I’m a bartender, its more than just pouring drinks. I give advice, I listen to people’s problems, hell I’ve even fixed broken relationships. Ha! Its like Oprah in here! You get a drink! You get a drink! Everybody gets a drink! Whoo!” You and Johnny share a much needed laugh. After you calm down and wipe the tears from your eyes, you continue to pour shot after shot and drink the night away. *Scene Break* The time flew by faster than you thought possible. However, knocking back all those shots and beers had a play in making time go faster. During your time there, you had decided to have a little chat with a group playing at the pool table. You had asked if you could join in, to which they agreed, and you put all your skills in pool into play. There was five people at the time playing, adding you that made six; teams of three of were made. It was a challenging game, but in the end you triumphed over the other team. You had celebrated with your new-found friends with high-fives and beer chugs. There was even a bet, and the bet was that the losers had to buy the winners a round of drinks. After your victory and free round, the group you were with decided to have a little party by buying a few more rounds. In fact you lost count of how many drinks you had after you hit over six more shots of whiskey and over 7 beers. It was a grand time and you felt a tad bit down after your new friends had to leave. They actually offered for you to come join them, but it was a Tuesday and your boss was already going to be displeased after you go to work with a hangover. “Leroy, are you sure you’re okay to walk home?” Johnny asked with concern. “Nnnooppe! I’m good Joey-" “Johnny,” he corrected. “Same thing, anyway I gotta get home to feed the cat,” You slurred. It was ironic because you did not own a cat, but with your current state, your mind may as well just be drawing out random words and stringing them together. “I don’t know man, you look and sound pretty wasted to me." He warned as you stumbled for the door. “Look, I’m fine! I just need to get home and lie down,” You slurred out again. In reality you were very much inebriated, but your good old friend Jack Daniels made you think otherwise. “Alright, well take care Leroy!” He called out, waving you off as he stacked up a few chairs. “Okay, later Jamie!” you slurred out as you stumbled through the front door and out onto the now less busy street. Johnny simply shakes his head and chuckles. “Hmph, that man better be careful. He might take a wrong step somewhere.” You begin the trek to your apartment complex, which was a few blocks away. It would not have been a problem, all you had to do was cross a few streets and you were there. However in your condition, a few blocks may as well have been a few miles. You took one staggering step after the other, and for some reason you were humming a tune. A drinking man’s tune to be exact. “Red Solo cup, I fill you up! Let’s have a party! Let’s have a party!” You aimlessly hummed this tune as you walked. They actually played this song when one of your drinking friends shouted out ‘party!’, and that’s when the festivities evolved into a full-blown beer fest. As you walked and hummed one thought popped into your head, ‘Am I going the right way? Is this the right street? Why is the street so foggy?’ However, it was the amount of liquor and alcohol in your system clouding your judgement. And as it turns out, you weren’t going the right way and you weren’t on the right street! Instead going right after exiting the bar where you usually go, you went left and were going in the wrong direction. But you were not aware of this fact and kept on walking. A crosswalk was coming up about 10 feet away, and it was a green light. You looked around and saw that there was absolutely no traffic and you decided to walk past the light whether or not it was red. The air was eerily quiet, all the stores had closed up for the night, and there was no one out walking on the sidewalks. You were alone and you became nervous; if anything happened to you, no one would be able to help. Despite the fact you were going the wrong you picked up your pace and proceeded to cross the street. You began staggering across to the other side of the street still humming that silly party song. But in your drunken state you failed to notice the sound of a fast approaching car. The driver was swerving erratically, and being as inebriated as you are, you fail to notice the fact that he is mere feet away from you. You only see a bright white light right when you become aware of the car that’s about to hit you. WHAM!!! The car collided with your body and you tumbled over the car, being launched about eight feet into the air and landing on your head with a sickening crack. You could not feel anything, only being able to see blood coming out of the gash in your head, you also saw that your leg was twisted in a way that did not seem natural. Even then, you did not care, darkness was filling in the corners of your eyes; you could not form a coherent thought as you looked up at the sky, your mind still trying to catch up with what was going on. It took a moment to register in your mind, but even the you could not think anything. No one was coming to help you and the driver sped off in panic. Was this it for you? Was this your end after only twenty five years of life? Alone and dying in the middle of the street with nobody around to comfort you. Not even your parents. Before you completely passed out, you could barely hear someone approaching you in your near unconscious state. But what was strange about the sound was that it sounded like the clip clop of hooves, not the light thud of feet. Strange indeed, but not that you could do anything about it in your current state. "Leroy," A familiar voice called out your name, but you could not deduce where exactly you heard it from. "I'm sorry things had to end like this. Don't worry, I will do everything I can to help you." Your body finally had enough, the darkness overtaking your vision and you finally fall unconscious.
Chapter 2: DiscoveriesChapter 2: Discoveries By: Calamity Jay “I know this might be hard for you to do, but could you please wake up? I wish to know more about you,” "He needs blood stat! We're losing him!" "Alright what do we have here?" "Victim is an alien creature brought in by the princess! They specifically ordered us to do everything we can to save him!" "Okay, have you stemmed the bleeding?!" "We're having a hard time! He seems to have cranial injury! Bleeding profusely! Do we have any blood for him?!" "Blood pressure falling! Cover up that Luna damn gash he's dying! Doctor, he's not going to make it!" "Yes he is! I'm going to use third tier healing spells!" "Patient is slipping away! Do it!" "Patient stabilized! Let's fix up the rest of him!" ooo000oo000ooo Darkness… All you could see was an endless void of darkness. It was scary, but your mind was aware of what was going on in the real world. You could feel that you were lying down on something soft and warm, but for some reason you could not move. 'What the- where am I? What's going on? Why can't I move? Why can't I see? Am I dead? Is this purgatory?' You thought frantically to yourself, but if purgatory sounded like a hospital then- a hospital? Yes the sounds you were hearing were indeed of a hospital. The sound of a heart monitor beeping, people outside talking in urgent tones; you could hear doctors giving out orders to their nurses. Yes, you were relieved that you were still alive and escaped from death's embrace. All of a sudden, you hear a door open up; most likely to the one you were staying in. What was even stranger, was that you could hear the sound of hoof beats again. Most peculiar... You could also vaguely hear what they were saying. "Right this way, Your Majesties. The patient is right in here," A male voice speaks up, who you assumed was the doctor. "We appreciate all you have done for our new guest, Dr. Soft Hoof," A female voice replied. "Aren't we Luna?" Luna? Soft Hoof? Those are names that strike you as strange, weird even. “Why yes, we are very thankful for thine help doctor,” A more regal and elegant female voice agreed. ‘What the actual fuck am I hearing? Soft Hoof? Thine? Where the fuck am I?!' “I am glad that we were able to save him. We worked for over an half an hour trying to stabilize him, then another hour to fix up the rest of his injuries. His body is certainly more frail than ours and for a moment I thought we were going to lose him." You could hear him sigh and for some reason you hear him let out a snort, much like a horse would. 'What the fuck?' "You and your staff are to be commended, I will see to that personally." "Thank you, Princess Celestia, will there be anything else that would require my service?" "No, but when you see Princess Twilight arrive could you tell her what room we are in? I wrote her a letter and she should be arriving within the hour." "Yes of course! I'll make sure to inform her. I'll be going now, let me know if you are in need of anything." "Goodbye doctor!" Well, now you are completely alone with whoever these people are; whether or not they are people. This fact registers in your mind and you begin to panic. ‘Fuck, fuck, what the hell is going on?! What’s gonna happen to me? Who are these people?! What are they?!’ You think when you hear two sets of hoof beats approaching your bedside. "Luna," The soft female voice spoke up. "If you had just told me about little venture of finding this one I could have helped you bring him here! Crossing planes with somepony who has never experienced it can have some major side effects! And bringing him here in this state?!" “Oh please Tia, spare Us the lecture. We do not wish to be scolded like a foal,” The regal voice called Luna groaned. For some reason you recognize this voice, but could not remember how or where you heard it. “Luna would you please speak a little quieter? I would hate for you to disturb our new guest. Oh, I am sure he will most likely be confused when he wakes up." The voice called Tia groaned. "The many questions he will have. And will you speak normally? This is not the Old Age anymore." “Okay fine,” Luna sighed. “I hope he won’t think I brought him here through ill will.” “You’ll find out when he wakes up, what did you say his name was?” “From my several days of observation, I gathered that his name is Leroy Evans." "Hmm, I still have no idea why you had the insane idea to bring him here in this condition. You know that since you crossed dimensions with him you may have prolonged his condition. Already they had a hard time healing him and it will be a while before he becomes mobile again." “How bad were his injuries?” “He seems to have a bipedal build. They reported that he had several fractures in different parts of his body. The thing they were worried about the most was his cranium. He had a large gash on his forehead which was bleeding quite badly. They scanned his head and they saw that he had a severe concussion, bordering on brain damage. I'm glad you gave them clearance to use higher level spells to heal him, otherwise he would not have made it." “So he will survive then?” “Yes he will survive, but the doctor is unsure if whether or not he will be the the way he was when he wakes up. He set all of his fractured bones to their right places and mended all the broken ones. He also healed what he could of his concussion. Right now he is just healing." “Then, why is he not awake?” “As I've said before, you brought him here when he was in a dire condition. Exposing him to such magical force took a massive toll on his body. Urgh, I still do not know why you had the sudden impulse to bring him here." “Look sister, I had stumbled into his dimension by accident. I heard his voice while I was watching over the dreams of everypony. Me being the curious one I wanted to know where his voice came from. You should have heard him, sister. He was praying for his life to get better, for something to make his life more exciting. So I thought if I came to him he would feel a little better." “I know you meant well Luna, but what if he had a family? Or if he had an important job in his world?” Tia asked. “I observed him for a few days in my aura form. And from what I saw, he lived on his own, no mother or father from what I could see. I never saw him with any friends, only things that he would do is just go to some sort of tavern and get drunk. In fact, that was actually what caused him to be like this. He had a bit too much to drink and he got himself hurt. I was going to approach him when he was alone and offer him to come to Equestria, but the situation called for desperate measures. It was either I leave him there to die or save him. I was not about to choose the former." Although your mind was hazy at the moment, this was a lot to take in, but when you woke up everything would be forgotten. You had the concussion to thank for that. Either way when you wake you would have many questions indeed. But one question lingers in your mind and that is whether or not you are still sane. ‘Fucking hell, so according to these women, I'm in some world called Equestria? That sounds a lot different from Earth. Christ, why do I feel like I'm being punished? Okay, from here on I promise to lay off the sauce if I can get out of here!' All of a sudden you hear the door open again and the sound of hoof beats are heard entering the room. “Princess Celestia! Princess Luna!” A new voice spoke up. This voice was again feminine, and sounded extremely excited, if not a bit too excited. “Ah Princess Twilight you've finally arrived,” Celestia giggled. “Yes, my sister and I have been expecting you, and you also brought Spike along with you as well,” Luna added. “Forgive me for being late, a certain purple drake had a little difficulty waking up this morning,” She said and you hear her let out a snort. “Sorry Twi, I kinda stayed up late last night reading the new issue of the Power Ponies,” You hear a voice known as Spike speak up. Wait a second... Drake? As in the rapper? But why is he purple? What the hell did you drink last night? “Right, well, what have we missed?” Twilight asked. “Yes of course, allow my sister and I to fill you in,” Celestia offered. “Oh please do fill us in on what’s going on, and spare no details please Princess,” “Very well, Luna? Would you please tell Princess Twilight on how you found our guest?” “Of course. Now, it all started when I heard his voice during my dream watch, so I got curious and decided to find out where it came from…” It was at this point where your brain decided you had had enough and lulled you back into unconsciousness. However it was still uncertain when you would actually wake up, but that time would come soon enough. ooo000oo000ooo You didn’t know what it was, but for some weird reason you felt your body stirring. It was slight at first, such as wiggling your toes, shifting your position a little, and moving your head. But then it proceeded into actually moving your arms and legs, to tossing and turning on your bed. You weren’t sure how, but your eyes opened and at first your vision was extremely blurry and all you could see was the whiteness of the walls of your room. Eventually, it goes away and you can see everything crystal clear. You turn your head left and right to get a good look at your surroundings. On your left you see a pole holding a bag of clear liquid and the heart monitor which was keeping an eye on your heart rate, the IV from the bag lodged in your left forearm. Obviously, this was keeping you alive and hydrated the entire time you were here. In front of you was just white wall with a door on the far right corner, you could still hear the multitude of voices and hoofbeats outside. To your right was a drawer with a potted plant sitting atop it. The room itself wasn’t very large, being about ten to twelve feet long, and about eight to ten feet wide. To the left there was a window almost as long as the room itself, which was at the moment covered with blinds. You could tell it was daytime by the light seeping through the small gaps in the blinds. Your bed was reclined at a forty-five angle so it wasn’t too difficult to look around. ‘The hell am I doing in here? I don’t even know exactly where I am. Hah, I wonder what my boss is thinking at the moment? Probably wondering where the hell I am. I’d pay to see her face when I’m not there to help when the store opens. Hell, she’s probably giving the other workers a bitch fit,’ A smirk forms on your face as you think about the poor bastard who have to work for that she-devil. Time seemed to go by very slowly, the clock on the wall in front felt like it was moving in slow motion. Hell, it even seemed like the hands had been reading half past 3 in the afternoon for hours. Maybe it was because you were awake and bored with your body feeling absolutely weak. It was unknown to you how long you had been out, but considering how nauseous you felt, it had most likely been a while. Wait, when you had you started feeling nauseous? Why was it getting worse? And why the hell were you feeling something going up your throat? Oh dear… You quickly developed the strong urge to vomit your guts out. Frantically, you pull away the sheets and look to your right and see something that gave you temporary relief. There was a wastebasket right next to your bed, so you quickly swing your legs over the edge to position yourself to purge your system. You had to be careful with the IV in your arm, thankfully the tube was long enough for you to move. However, your body disagreed with your rapid movements, being in bed for an unknown amount of time. You feel the needle tugging at your skin as you fell to the ground in a heap, groaning from the intense pain shooting through your bones. The only bright side to this was that you had no casts that were restricting you from movement, which was strange. Your mouth started to salivate, your stomach urging you to empty it's contents. After several failed attempts to reach your target, you give one last ditch effort to reach the wastebasket and not make a complete mess. Finally, you reach the basket and place your chin over the edge and you begin to retch; unfortunately, some of your bile got on your hospital robe. After you finished your long ralphing session, the fatigue had caught up with you and you slumped to the floor. You tried to roll over onto your front to push yourself up, but your arms gave up and again you fell to the floor. This time, you placed your hands on the edge of the bed to pull yourself up. Your strength failed and fell onto your back, groaning in pain. With every beat of your heart, pain pulsed through your body. You wanted to yell out for help, but your throat was on fire and you could only manage a silent yelp. Hopelessness and panic began to set in; you were immobile, sick, and in major pain. There you lie in a pitiful heap, face down covered in your own sick, honestly it was a truly sad sight to see. However your heart skips a beat as you hear the door open. “Here you go Princess Twilight, the patient should be in- By the Goddesses what happened to you?!” Doctor Soft Hoof exclaimed. You only manage to groan in reply, your head facing away from them. “Leroy! Are you alright?!” Twilight asked with concern in her voice. How does she know your name? “Leroy? Who’s Leroy?” Soft Hoof asked in confusion. “That’s his name!” “Oh, I wasn’t aware of that.” “Well now you are, let’s help him onto his bed.” “Um Princess, I hate to be rude, but that is my job,” “As a Princess of Equestria, it is my duty to protect everyone in it. Pony or otherwise!” “Hmm, can’t argue with that. Let’s help him up.” You hear them approach you and feel your body encased in a tingly sensation. When they lifted you into the air, the feeling of being afloat nearly made you vomit again. On the outside you seemed unconscious, but on the inside you were screaming your head off because of the fact you were being lifted by some unknown force. “Gently now doctor, he’s quite heavy isn’t he?” “Yes he is… quite the heavy one. Haven’t had to... lift this much in... a while.” He groaned. You feel yourself gently being place down onto the soft bed again, the nausea going away. “There, oh my he made quite the mess didn't he?” Twilight observed. “Don’t worry I can clean that right up!” Your eyes were still closed, you felt a tingling feeling on your hospital gown and you hear a slight snap and a poof. “There we are, all done!” “My my Princess Twilight, you truly are the Element of Magic,” Soft Hoof complimented. “Ehehehe, thank you doctor, you’re too kind." You weren’t too sure but she was probably blushing. “My pleasure Princess, now will there be anything else you may need? My rounds start in less than five minutes.” “No doctor, that will be all. You are dismissed.” “Very well, I will be on my way then,” The doctor then makes his way out the door and you hear it close. There is now complete silence in the room beside your slow breathing and the sound of someone else breathing beside you. “Ohhh, I really hope you’re okay, I have so many questions to ask. So much that I wish to know.” ‘Huh I really wonder who this girl is, she sounds beautiful. I think maybe its time I open my eyes and see who these people are.' For some reason, you feel the woman next to you moving closer to your face, and your heart begins to beat faster. Was she going to kiss you? You don't even know her name! However, she stops just close enough for you to feel her breath on your right cheek. “I know this might be hard for you to do, but could you please wake up? I wish to know more about you,” She cooed in your ear, giving you goosebumps. So you take a leap of faith and you slowly crack open your eyes. What you see next shocks you to the core. When your vision clears, you first see two wide lavender-rimmed eyes staring straight into yours. These eyes strike you as beautiful at first, but when you see whose eyes they belong to is what shocks you. You looked at her forehead and noticed there was a horn protruding out from a row of what looked like bangs. Followed by the horn was the two pointy ears behind her head and what seemed to be her nose turned out to be an elongated muzzle which was shorter than a dog’s. Her coat was a light lavender and her hair was a dark indigo with a pink and violet streak running through it. She had what looked like her forelegs leaning onto the bed and you saw her tail which had the same color scheme as her hair. Wait a sec! Forelegs? A muzzle? Pointy ears? A tail?! A fucking tail?! She wasn’t human! You noticed her build was like a horse, but smaller. What did they call those small horses? Ah yes ponies… She’s a pony! Either you had a really bad hangover or this was real. You prayed to God it was the hangover. Without really knowing how to react, you did something that anyone would do in this situation: Scream like a bitch. "AHHHHHHH!!!!" "AH!" She screamed in reply and hid her head below the covers; just in time to not see you pass out once again. “Leroy! Are you okay?! Leroy?” Sorry Twilight, Leroy is not here at the moment, you may leave a message if you wish. “Leroy?” Still, you could not answer her. “Oh dear…” She sighed as she sat on her rump. "Why did he scream like that? Am I that scary? Oh, I hope he's okay. I guess I'll just have to wait even longer for him to wake up..."
Chapter 3: TwilightChapter 3: Twilight By: Calamity Jay "What in the world did I drink last night?" “Princess, are you sure everything is alright?” “Yes Lieutenant Storm Rider, our new guest just had a little scare and so did I. But don’t worry everything is fine!” Twilight reassured with a smile and a wave of her hoof. “Very well Princess, just let me know if this one gives you any trouble,” Storm said gesturing to the passed out human on the bed. He had been unconscious for over two hours since the guards were called when Twilight had screamed. “Don’t worry Lieutenant, I am sure he won’t do me any harm.” She replied with a grin. “Hmm, you’re too trusting Princess." “I like to be trustful, to ponies or otherwise. Trust in my judgement, Lieutenant,” “I do trust you Princess, it’s that thing over there I don't trust." He pointed at the human with his hoof. "After all, it is my duty to distrust any potential threats. Especially ones that come from different worlds." Storm Rider then let out a resounding snort. “He is a not a thing I assure you. Besides, if he tries anything I can handle him myself. If I can take on a giant Minotaur demon god then I can sure as hay take care of myself. And considering the fact he got scared just by looking at me, I'm sure he's no threat." She assured the armor clad guard. “Okay then, I’ll take my leave. Still, I’ll be posted outside.” The unicorn lieutenant said before he opened the door with his magic and made his way out. Twilight turned to the passed out human with a sigh and proceeded to sit on her rump, her head reaching eye level with Leroy who was still unconscious. “Urgh, if only you could just wake up already. Honestly, I wasn’t trying to scare you, I was just trying to wake you up." She groaned, ears drooping. “Please wake up so we can talk!" She begged as she pressed her hooves together and closed her eyes, praying for him to wake up. A few minutes passed, and still he would not awake; not even stir slightly. Frustrated, she let her face fall down onto the bed sheets with a soft ‘fwumpf’. “This is hopeless.” She groaned into the sheets. “You’re never gonna wake up-” Then as if God had an amazing sense of humor today, he decided to answer the young Princess’s prayer. Lo and behold, she felt movement from the sheets while her face was still pressed into them. She looked up to Leroy with a gasp and saw that he started to stir. *2nd Person* For the second time in less than a few hours, you began to regain consciousness. You were also pretty sure that all this passing out was not at all good for your brain. ‘God, the hell was that thing that I saw? It was some sort of horse-looking thing from what I remember. And it talked, horses don’t talk right? Shit, must’ve been drugged that night at the bar.' You tried to convince yourself. ‘Okay, I’m in a hospitable in Katy, and the doctors are normal people, not talking horses! Now, when I open my eyes, I won’t see anything that will be out of the ordinary! Nothing weird whatsoever!’ You slowly open your eyes and start to sit up in your bed. At first your vision is a bit blurry and you rub the sleep out of them. The fog in your vision clears up and you look straight ahead at the wall in front of you and relief flows through you. However, you hear a certain someone next to you give a small gasp and a tiny little ‘squee’. Your heart skips a beat. Do you dare look at who is standing next to you? The answer is yes as you slowly, yet surely turn your head to the right and face whoever it was next to your bed. Your eyes nearly pop out of their sockets as you see who this mysterious girl was. It was the same purple horse with a horn on her head, what do they call those? But you also see that she was sporting a pair of wings as well. Damn, there goes normal, flying out the window. ‘A pair of wings as well? A horse with wings is called a... Pegasus? But she has a horn too?! I don’t think pegacorn is the correct term- Oh what am I saying?! There’s a Unicorn-Pegasus crossbreed in my room and I’m wondering what the hell she’s classified as! What the hell is wrong with me...’ You mentally face-palm from your ridiculous thoughts. Now back to the situation at hand. You react the same way you did before, but this time without the earsplitting scream. Trying to move to the other side of the bed, you pull the sheets up to your chin, similar to the way a child does when trying to hide from a monster. In this case the monster was an adorable-looking, brightly colored, cartoon pony. "What in the name of sweet Jesus are you? You look like a pony, who is surprisingly cute, but why are you here?! Where the fuck am I?! Why am I talking to a damn animal?!" "Hey! I am not an animal! I have feelings, I can think and talk! I'm considered sentient!" She replies defensively, rising to all fours and stomping her left hindleg. "And who the hay is Jesus?" Great, she can talk; you did not see that coming and your eyes widened well beyond their capability. "Hokay, yeah. That's it. I'm done. I admit it I am on some bad acid trip and now I'm seeing a colorful unicorn-pegasus crossbreed and I'm having a conversation with it. Great! This is just so fucking great! Hallelujah!" You throw your hands up into the air and slump back down onto the pillow. "I'm sorry, but can you please calm down? You're not going crazy, you're not an 'acid trip'." She air quotes with her hooves. "And this is all real. Trust me!" "Why should I trust you?! You're talking when you aren't supposed to be talking! Why should I trust a talking horse? For all I know I could still be in a coma!" "I am not a horse, I am a pony!" "Whatever! Now tell me, why should I trust you!" "Because," She sits back down on her rump. "We just saved your life. If it weren't for us you would very well be dead right now. If I were you I'd be extremely grateful! We literally stopped you from dying! And now after a week of being unconscious, you wake up asking why you should trust me? You are so rude mister!" She pouts her lip and crosses her forelegs, trying her best to look mad. 'Jesus, I know she's mad, but... Why does she make mad look adorable? And for a week? Fuck that's a long time! Alright, maybe I should just calm down.' You take a deep breath and calm yourself down. "Okay, I'm sorry its just, you don't see a talking horse-" "Pony." "Right, um... you don't see a talking pony everyday on my world. Not only that they are not as bright and colorful as you look." She laughs and develops a blush. "And they are also a bit bigger, hairier, their muzzles are longer, their eyes aren't as big or colorful, and their manes aren't as well done like yours. And, not to offend you, they smell pretty bad sometimes as well." You wince as you remember how bad horses could smell. "Sounds like you live in a very strange world." She giggles and you could not help but laugh as well. "Oh. My world?" You scoff. "I've only seen you and I already think this world is a lot more stranger than mine." "Well, where are you from? If you don't mind my asking?" "I guess I could tell you, but you mind telling me your name first? I'd like to know the name of the perso- pony that I am, surprisingly having a conversation with." "I will if you properly introduce yourself first." She grins wryly. "Really? So that's how its gonna be?" She nods her head and you let out a laugh. "Alright, well then I guess you can call me Leroy. Leroy Evans, but I guess you already know my name don't you?" You grin at her, but for some reason she gains an apprehensive expression, almost as if she was frightened of you. "Uh, is something wrong? Do I have something on my face?" "No, its just... Your teeth," She points to your mouth with her hoof. Why does she have a problem with your teeth?" "Why? What's wrong with them? Is there a piece of food in there? Speaking of food I'm actually pretty hungry right now." "That's not what I meant," She says, slowly shaking her head. "Its just, you have canines. Which means you eat meat. You're a predator, aren't you? And you're hungry too..." She then rises to her hooves and takes a step back from you, as if you were going to hurt her. "No, why would you say that?" You think for a moment and suddenly it strikes you. "Wait. You think I hunt and kill animals for food because I have canines? That I am a danger and I could very well hurt you?" It made sense to you, even though she was a sentient equine she still maintained her animal instincts. And her instincts were telling her that you are a threat. The purple mare just stares at you inquisitively, as if waiting for you to make a move. "Listen, before you say anything, I am not going to eat you. I have never killed anyone. Animal or otherwise. I don't eat just meat, I am an omnivore. I eat both meat and vegetables." "Oh," She eases herself up. "Well uh, that's good to know. I'm glad you're not a hunter, you had me going there for a second." "Forgive me for frightening you, I really don't see myself as a viable threat." "But still, bared fangs are a sign of hostility. And they look very... Sharp." She points once again to your teeth. "So for future reference, try not to show your teeth to everypony. Some might take it as a real threat." "Right right, I'll keep that in mind," You nod in agreement. "But you know that I'm not going to hurt you right? Especially since you ponies saved my life. You literally gave me a second chance and I'm grateful for that." You were about to grin again, but instead you gave her a soft smile. "Good, I'm glad we got that straightened out." "Hmm, indeed. You know I gave you my name, so where's yours?" "Oh! I almost forgot!" She clears her throat for a moment. "I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, former protege of Princess Celestia. As of now I am the bearer of the Element of Magic and Princess of Friendship." "Wow, that's quite a resume. I don't think I can top that. Nice to meet you, Princess." "Please, just call me Twilight. I don't like it when people address me by my title." She smiles sheepishly. "Why not? I'm sure you had to work extremely hard to attain your title. Why not show it with pride?" "Because, I just like to be modest." "Alright your 'Majesty' I guess I cold work with that." You laugh at your joke and see that she isn't laughing as well. "Oh, you're serious." "Quite." "Right then, sorry about that, Twilight." Saying her name feels strange as it reminds you of a certain cheesy romance book involving vampires. "Its fine," She smiles and waves it off with her hoof. "So, now that that's out of the way, why don't you go ahead and tell me where you're from?" "Right, well I'm from a planet called Earth, which is much like the way your world is you know with grass and trees and technology. But, the only difference being that most equines on our planet are not sentient like you are. Much less have a horn and wings. Anyways, my world is populated with billions of other people like me and many different species of plants and animals." "Ooh, sounds interesting! Here let me just get my note pad so I can take some notes on this." She reaches into her saddlebags which was placed on floor against the drawer and for some reason a quill and a notepad seemed to float out of the bag by themselves. A violet aura emanating from her horn. What surprised even more was that she seemed totally nonchalant about the whole situation; most likely because she is used to seeing something like this. "Whoa, what the hell?" You jump out of your skin as you see the floating writing tools. "How in the world is that happening? What are you doing?" "Magic," She replies casually. "What? Don't tell me you've never seen magic before." "Well, not this type of magic. On my world what's known as magic is mostly just illusion and sleight of hand. Not something this literal where it really is magic. What is causing this to happen?" "All over Equestria, a magical aura surrounds and penetrates us." You stifle a laugh as she unknowingly quotes one of your favorite movies. "Alicorns and Unicorns have the ability to directly manipulate the aura and use it to perform magical spells like I am doing now." She gestures to her floating notepad and quill. "However, Pegasi and Earth ponies have their own magic. Pegasi can manipulate clouds and control our weather and Earth ponies have amazing farming abilities to grow our nation's crops. For Unicorns, using magic is much more convenient, as since we can't do many things with just our hooves alone. But for the other two races, they have to use their hooves and mouths for most of their daily activities. Pretty cool, huh?" "Wow, you seem to know a lot about magic. How do you know so much? Does this knowledge come to you naturally?" "No actually, I studied magic extensively ever since I was a little filly." She looks out towards the open window. "Ever since that one day I witnessed Princess Celestia raise the sun, I was so enthralled by the beauty and wonder of magic. Then the day I when I earned my cutie mark, Princess Celestia came up to me and made me her personal student. For years I was under her tutelage, learning much more than I could ever have hoped for. And it was only recently did Princess Celestia ascend me to princess after I solved an ancient spell by Starswirl the Bearded. So I guess I haven't been a princess for that long..." She trails off and blinks once. "I'm sorry am I rambling? I'm rambling aren't I?" "Uh no I don't think so. I think you were just telling me details about your life. And I'm glad you are," You were about to grin, but instead smiled. "Now I know a little bit about you, albeit I don't have much of an idea about what everything means, but still at least now I know. Please, continue." You gesture with you hand, causing Twilight to giggle. "Maybe some other time, so enough about me." She focuses on her quill and notepad. "What about you? I want to ask you a few questions about your species and your world as well." "What kind of questions?" "Oh just your social habits, origins, technology, cultures, history, and several other things." This earns her a deadpan from you. "What?" "Thought you said a few questions." "Well I like to be thorough!" You can't help but let out a laugh. "Alright then, I think I can tell you a few things about my world. Of course you already know that there is lack of magic and talking ponies." You take a moment to clear your throat. "Okay, where do I begin? Hmm, well what my kind are called are humans or homosapiens. What we are, are evolved forms of our primate cousins, who are much like us, bearing intelligence, but having no sentience whatsoever maintaining their animal characteristics. Another difference is that their skeletal structure is very different from ours, they can walk on two feet like I usually can, but not at the moment." You gesture to your condition, causing Twilight to laugh momentarily. "Another thing about them is that they have articulation on their feet as well, which causes them to be able to climb trees and other structures. They also have longer arms and their backs are more hunched over, and they also move with their hands on the ground, despite their bipedal build." "Not only that, but their bodies are covered in fur and in technicality humans are basically hairless apes. Weird I know." You chortled. "Anyways, one thing that apes are physically stronger than us and gives them an advantage. Albeit unfair. So, that's basically where we come from. What else do you want to know? There's quite a bit of information about my world that I can tell you about. It could take me a while to explain everything to you." She stopped writing on her notepad for a moment and smiled. "Please, I have time. So if you will?" "Alright then," A smirk makes its way onto your face. "Let me see what else I can tell you..." ooo000oo000ooo A few hours pass by with you explaining to your new friend everything you could tell her about Earth and it's many wonders. Of course you did your best to refrain from telling her about the really bad things about humans, you did not wish to roast your own species and make yourself look bad. You told her everything you knew about history, technology, cultures, everything you could possibly come up with. "So let me get this straight," Twilight chews on the end of the quill. "You say that males are the dominant gender on your world right?" Her notepad was already filled with several pages of notes. "Yeah, why? Is that a bad thing?" "Well no, but here in Equestria mares are the dominant gender. In almost every aspect of our society." "Whoa, really? So I'm guessing the gender roles are reversed then aren't they?" "Yes they are, and not only that, but mares also outnumber stallions by a large margin. Because of that, mares do a lot more than stallions such as holding political positions and the sort. Whereas, stallions only do most of the muscle work that mares can't do, such as construction. However, there are stallions like Dr. Soft Hoof that end up sticking out from other stallions and become doctors." "Holy crap, that's actually the way it is back on my world only that woman are in the position that stallions are in. I mean, back in the older times of our planet, most women were even considered inferior, good only for cooking, cleaning and well... I hate to say it, but for reproduction purposes." "No way, that was the way it was back when Luna and Celestia first came to power over a millennium ago. Stallions were greatly discriminated, and most mares kept stallions as slaves to work in the fields and uh... in the bedroom. Even today stallions have less rights than mares." "Really? How so?" A world where males have less rights than females. Just because you have a penis means that you have less rights. "Stallions can't own or sell property, can't run for political positions, and most don't even get a full education. Most of them only spend maybe a few years in the school house to learn basic reading, math, and social studies, then after that they go and find a job that pertains to their cutie marks. As I've said before only a special few actually go further into university studies." "Wow, I guess now I know how women felt on my world. Tell me, what are your social habits? Like who goes for who when looking for a mate?" "Well, usually a mare tries to woo the stallion to win him over. Then if they want, and if another mare likes the stallion the first mare has, then they have the choice to start a heard with the second mare-" "Whoa whoa, so you're saying that a stallion can have two mares at a time? Seriously?" What she said struck you as absurd, perhaps the reason why was because polygamy was something that was frowned upon. "Yeah, why don't things work like that back on your world?" She asks, putting down her notepad and quill. "Well no. Much differently in fact. The way it works is that one male with one female. If either partner gets involved with another, its considered infidelity and will cause major problems." "Really? So that's how it works for all relationships on your world?" "Yeah, but there are some cultures who practice polygamy, but most people don't agree with it. Mostly for religious reasons." You never really agreed with it either even though you were not exactly religious. "I for one don't really agree with it, mostly because it just sounds weird. I mean c'mon, wouldn't feel weird having to share your lover with someone else?" "No, usually the mare would only allow another mare into the relationship if they have known each other for a while and have built up a certain trust. Like two best friends usually share a stallion." "Wow, that just sounds weird." You lay back against the pillows. "No offense to your cultures or anything, I'm just not familiar with it. Then again I haven't really met anyone else from this world, so I guess I don't have the right to judge." "Oh, don't worry about it," She says waving a hoof. "Besides, who can blame you? Coming from a world where magic of all things doesn't exist. Much less my kind." "Indeed, but another thing, how do we speak the same language? I mean isn't that a bit peculiar to you?" "Yeah it is actually." She scrunches up her nose in insanely adorable concentration, causing you to hold back a 'D'aaww'. "Its like what are the odds right?" "Yeah I know, huh? What do you call your language? The one I'm speaking right now is called English, and believe it or not there are countless languages in my world." "Hmm, I think there are close to maybe three or four languages. Right now I'm speaking Pony as most of every creature in Equestria seems to call it." She scratches her chin with her hoof. "I think that buffaloes and zebras have their own unique dialect. Donkeys I think speak the same as we do and I don't think they have a distinguishable language. Hey, could you by some chance give me an example of another language from your world?" "Umm, I don't know, let me think." Back in your high school and college days, you took a few language classes. Hopefully what you learned would come in handy at this moment. "Okay uh, here let me try this, its going to sound horrible because I don't have a great accent." "Its fine, just give me your best." Twilight assured, clearly wanting to hear you speak. "Alright then," You take a moment to clear your throat. "Hola, me llamo Leroy. Mucho gusto senora, pero es muy extraño conocerte." Twilight seemed thoroughly amazed, even though you merely said a simple sentence. You were, by no means fluent in Spanish. "Well, uh that's all I can really say in that language, I'm not exactly fluent." "Wow, that sounded pretty good." Twilight gasped and smiled brightly. "What did you say?" "I think I said 'Hello my name is Leroy. Nice to meet you miss, but it is very strange to meet you.'" "Why is it strange to meet me?" Twilight asked, seeming a bit offended. "Oh no, don't take it the wrong way. Like I said before, its not everyday I get to have a conversation with a pony. So forgive me if I think that the situation is a bit weird, heh." You smile sheepishly, rubbing the back of your neck. "I guess you're right." Twilight purses her lips and shrugs her shoulders. "So, you say that there are many more languages on your world?" "Oh yeah, you have no idea. I just showed one of the more common ones. Back in the States, Spanish is a pretty common language in some areas. Especially the city that I lived in." "I'm still kind of confused on your world's geography." She flips through her notepad. "You said that there are seven huge continents, each of them having separate provinces and countries right? And you lived on the one called North Aw-mur-icka, in a country called the United States of Aw-mur-icka..." You chuckled at her attempts of pronouncing 'America'. "...In a state called Texas, and a small city called Katy. That sound right?" "Yep, all of it. I must say you take pretty good notes." "Like I said, I like to be thorough." She closes up the notepad and puts back in her saddlebag along with the quill. Twilight glances at the clock on the wall and lets out a gasp. "Oh my gosh, is it that late?" "What?" Suddenly you yawn deeply. "What time is it?" "Its about ten o'clock already." She floated her bags onto her back and strapped them down. "And you sound pretty tired, mister." "Yeah I am, having to entertain a girl with facts about my home world for a few hours is fun, yet taxing." You stretch your arms and your back, feeling a few pops. "I hope I was able to give you some good information on my world." "Believe me, you did." She smiles and nods, turning back to the door. "Well, I guess its time for me to go, I have to go and pick up Spike from Rarity." That name 'Spike' felt familiar, but you could not remember from where you heard it. "Spike?" You tilt your head in confusion. "Who's Spike?" "He's my dragon assistant, I've had him ever since I hatched him myself. I'm practically his mother!" She giggles, but stops when she sees you staring at her slack jawed. "What?" "A dragon? As in a winged, fire breathing, man eating behemoth?" She merely laughs at your question, further confusing you. "Oh, Leroy." She stops her laughing and wipes away a tear. "Spike's no behemoth! He's a baby! Then again, he has gotten quite big in the past few months, he's almost up to my shoulders." "But still, a dragon? How did that come about? And wait, if dragons exist on this world, what else does?" "Well, I got Spike when I had to hatch him as an entrance test to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. And when he got bigger I put him to work as my assistant. As for your other question, there are creatures such as manticores, dragons, giant sea serpents, minotaurs and a number of other creatures as well. I'm guessing you've never seen those types of creatures either?" "Well no, actually I have." "Really?" She asks, arching an eyebrow. "I thought you said magic and other things don't exist in your world?" "Well yeah, but back on my world, unicorns, pegasi, and all the other creatures you just listed are actually creatures of myth. You know, mythical creatures, they only exist in books and legends and all that jazz." "Whoa, really? That's very strange. Its like your world knows of ours or something." "Yeah maybe, but that honestly sounds like something that could take a very long time to explain and I don't know about you, but I am actually extremely sleepy." You yawn again and lay back against the pillows. "Mhm, I can see that," She nods and turns around to trot back to the door. It was here that you could actually see her entire body; you had to admit, for a pony you expected her to be a bit bigger, but instead she seemed to have lithe and petite form. Her fur didn't seem to be overly shaggy, but seemed to velvety and soft. If you had to put it in literal terms, she looked like a soft purple marshmallow! Your eyes went from her head, shoulders, and drifted all the way down to her flank, where a purple star surrounded by white stars was imprinted. "Well I guess I'll be going then." "Excuse me, Twilight. What is that on your flank? A tattoo of some sort?" "Uh no." For some reason she seemed to flush and a tinge of red crept onto her cheeks. "That's not a tattoo, that's my cutie mark. I think I mentioned them?" "I think you did, but I had no idea what they were or where they actually appeared. And you also said something about cutie marks pertaining to what your talent is. I'm gonna take a strong guess that yours pertains to magic?" "Why yes it does actually! My starburst cutie mark represents my love for magic. Nice guess, Leroy!" "Eh, its nothing." You rub the back of your neck sheepishly. "Well, um, I guess you should get going, I'm sure you're busy and all that." "Yeah. Ooh, I have to get going, maybe I'll bring my friends to come and see you if they're not busy." "Hmm, that sounds pretty good. I'm guessing this Rarity you mentioned is one of your friends?" "Yeah she is! Hopefully you'll be able to meet her tomorrow!" "Looking forward to it." You smile, nodding at her. "Great." She smiles and opens the door, but pauses as she is halfway out. "Oh, Leroy?" "Yeah, Twilight?" You reply, getting comfortable in your bed. "Try not to stare at somepony's flanks." She said with a small smile. "Its considered checking them out." Oh... "Bye now!" She then leaves and closes the door behind her, leaving you there thoroughly embarrassed. Great, smooth move. Barely your first day and already making things a bit more awkward than they need to be. "Right, don't stare at any'pony's' flanks." You chuckle as you lay your head down on the pillows. It was here you take the time to actually think about everything that has happened so far. 'Okay, I got hammered at a bar, took a wrong turn going home, got annihilated by a car, a pony princess by the name of Luna brought me to a strange world where mythical creatures exist, and I've been in a coma for a week. Hmm, sounds about right. I wonder what the boss is thinking back home, probably giving the newbies hell and trying her ass off to find a new assisstant manager. Hmph, not my problem!' You turn off the lamp next to your bed and turn on your left side, hopefully everything will turn out okay. Questions still linger in your mind, would you ever go back home? Do you want to go back home? This place certainly does seem more exciting than Earth. Your thoughts go back to your parents; will you ever see them again? Much less talk to them. Ever since what happened all those years ago. Nevertheless, things seem to be looking up. A new era in your life has begun and a long road stands before you and you spend a few minutes wondering what you're next move will be. Soon, your fatigue catches up and you become drowsy, feeling your eyelids become heavier with each passing second. Before you know it, you fall into the sweet bliss of sleep and rest up for the next day....
Chapter 4: FriendsChapter 4: Friendship Chapter 4: Friendship By: Calamity Jay "Sometimes, all you need are some friends to be there and help when you need it," Sunlight seeps in through the blinds and shines on to your face. You begin to stir as you can feel the light and slowly open your eyes. The hospital seems to have woke up as well since you once again hear the noises ponies (not people) moving around and attending to other patients in the hospital. However, you simply sit there and twiddle your thumbs because well you quite literally don’t have anything to do. You can’t watch television because they obviously don’t have that… right? About thirty minutes pass and you perk up when you hear voices outside your door. You listen closely to make out what they were saying. “So um what’s it’s name again, Twi?” A high pitched feminine voice speaks up. “His name Rainbow, and its Leroy, look please try to be as welcoming as possible. I want him to feel comfortable here in Equestria." You hear Twilight demand. “Honestly Rainbow Dash, please use whatever manners and politeness you can muster up. I’d hate for our guest to feel unwelcome." An elegant woman voice speaks up. “Don’t you worry now Rarity, Ah’m sure Twilight here and the princesses have already rolled out the welcome wagon for the what is he called? Hoo-man?” A voice with a southern drawl rang out. You were slightly amused when she tried to spell the name of your species. “Its pronounced hue, Applejack. And yes me and the other princesses made sure he was welcome.” Twilight giggled. “Ooh Twilight! Think he’d wanna be my friend?! I wonder if he likes parties? Do you think he likes parties?! I hope he likes cake ‘cuz I looooove cake! With extra icing and layers with a whole bunch of sprinkles on top of it-ummpf!” the light speed, girly, and somewhat unusually chipper voice was suddenly muffled. Perhaps one of them had shoved a hoof in her mouth to stop her from rambling on and on? You were kinda glad since you could barely keep up with her words. Huh imagine having an argument with this girl. “Jeez, cool it Pinkie! I’m sure he’ll like your party when you throw him one. He’d be pretty dumb if he didn’t enjoy them.” The voice called Rainbow Dash assured. You assumed she was the one who shut her up; to you a party sounded like a pretty good idea, it had been a while since you actually went to a decent party. “Okay well if we’re all ready, want to go in and meet him?" Twilight asked. “Yep!’ “Sure.” “Of course, darling.” “Ready when y'all are Twilight.” “Um he’s not dangerous is he Twilight?” A timid-sounding voice asked. Who was this? You could barely hear her voice over the others. “No Fluttershy, I assure you he is absolutely harmless.” She reassure her friend. “Okay girls, he may probably still be asleep. So let’s go in quietly okay everypony?” “Can we just go in already Twi?” Rainbow asked impatiently. A bit brash isn't she? It was here that you became a bit nervous and your mind started drawing up worst case scenarios. 'Oh man, I'm gonna meet her friends! Are they gonna like me? What if they don't? Oh I'm terrible at making new friends while sober! Then again I think I made a new friend with Twilight right? I don't know! This is gonna suck so much ass! Fuck!' You chew your nail nervously and you hear the door knob shaking, causing you to start panicking. 'Fuck! Okay, stay cool. Everything will be fine. They're just a bunch of talking cartoon ponies, what is the absolute worst that could happen? Alright, fuck it. I'm going to pretend I'm asleep!' You quickly turn and cover yourself with the bed sheets, trying your best to look natural. The door opens and your whole body freezes, your eyes clenching shut. To make it seem a bit more believable, you exaggerate your snoring a bit, your mouth slightly open. You hear the clopping of hooves on the floor as they approach your bed. “Oh dear it seems like he’s asleep, should we come back later?" You hear the voice of Rarity ask. "Yeah, Twilight." You hear Applejack agree. "I don't think he'd take too kindly to waking him up so early." "Oh, I'm sure he won't mind." Twilight assures. "Besides, he was looking forward to meeting you guys! So, who wants to wake him up? Any volunteers?" This does not bode well and you already made them think that you are asleep. If you woke up all of a sudden you might frighten them, giving them another reason not to like you. So with that in mind, you decide to just let things unfold. "I don't think I have the gall to disturb this poor creature." You hear Rarity speak up. "How about you, Applejack?" "Uh, Ah dunno 'bout that, what if he gets violent? And didn't you say he eats meat, Twi?" "Yes he does, but he says he also eats plants too, Applejack. And don't worry! He's harmless!" Twilight reassured. "Well if you're so sure then why don't you wake him up?" Rainbow chides, snickering a bit. "Oh no, I can't do that. How would I even go about it?" "How about I use my party cannon?" The hyper active mare suggests. "I think that oughta get him up and at em!" You fought the urge to give in and sit up, but still you laid there frozen. "No, Pinkie Ah don't think he needs a heart attack, especially the way he looks right now with those bandages on his face and everythin'." 'What?! I have bandages on my face?! Why didn't Twilight say anything?! God damn it, why didn't I feel them or something?' "Hey, you said he's a colt right?" You hear Rainbow ask, causing you to feel a bit nervous. "Yeah he is, but- wait what are you planning?" Twilight asks with a bit of apprehension in her voice. "I don't know, but if he is asleep, I'm sure he won't mind if I-" Before she could even dare to finish that sentence and put her plan into action, you bolt straight up into a sitting position. "I don't think whatever you were planning will be necessary!" Your sudden outburst causes them to gasp and you see a creme blur duck down under your bed accompanied by a small 'eep!'. "Sorry for the surprise, just didn't want you to do... Whatever it was that you were planning." You chuckle nervously at the cyan mare, who you assumed to be Rainbow Dash since she had quite the colorful mane and tail. Her mane seemed a bit unkempt and had almost the same bangs as Twilight, but was a bit scruffy looking. Her eyes were a rosy violet and were just a wide as Twilight's were. Then again most of their eyes were big as well. "Meh, whatever! I knew you weren't asleep anyways!" She giggled. "I mean c'mon you looked like a foal who was trying to skip out on school!" "Well, I was uh, a bit nervous to meet you all. I mean you should've seen what happened when I first met Twilight here." "We know, darling." The snow white mare, with the curly purple mane and cerulean eyes spoke up. She struck you as quite the looker even for a different species! She seemed to take quite good care of herself and her figure, looking very slim yet healthy as well. "Twilight told us all about the fiasco that was your meeting. Quite amusing if you ask me." You flushed and shrugged your shoulders. "How could you blame me? As I told Twilight not everyday I get to meet a talking pony. Or ponies in this case. By the way, it is very nice to meet you all. I understand you are all friends of Twilight?" "Yep! We've all been friends for a while now, going on about three years." The orange mare with the Stetson hat answered. She had a blonde mane which was tied up into a... Ponytail. There's a bit of irony in this, somewhere. The mare looked quite in shape and you could see the tone in her muscles on her back and shoulders, and you took a strong guess she worked on a farm. Seriously why else would she be wearing a cowboy hat? "Wow, that's quite a long time. What are your names by the way? I'd like to know." "Hey there, Ah'm Applejack, but y'all can call me AJ if ya like. Nice to meet ya." Applejack greeted. “Hello there darling, my name is Rarity. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." "Pleasure is all mine." You smile, making sure not to show teeth. "What about you?" “Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie!" The exuberant pink mare with the poof mane at the front of your bed chirps. "You wanna be my friend? I know you're new to this world and I have no idea what you are, but you wannabe my friend? Huh?" It was difficult to keep up with her words, but you can manage a response. "Uh, sure sounds great." She only grins in response and you look to her right, where you can see a bit of pink mane peeking out over your bed. "Umm, who is that next you Pinkie?" "Oh! Here ya go!" She grabs with her hooves and pulls her into view, a creme coated pegasus mare with a flowing pink mane. "So, what's your name?" You are only greeted with silence as she stands there avoiding your gaze. "Uh hello?" "Umm..." You can barely hear what she is saying. "My name is Fluttershy..." "Come again?" "My name is Fluttershy..." "Excuse me?" "Urgh, her name is Fluttershy." Rainbow speaks up. "Sorry, she can be a bit, uh, shy at times." "Oh, its alright. Nice to meet you, Fluttershy." You give your softest smile and thankfully she gives you one in return, however a bit a sheepish. "And what's your name?" "Name's Rainbow Dash!" She states proudly, puffing up her chest. "The fastest flyer in all of Equestria!" "Really? Sounds impressive, nice to meet you Rainbow." "Same here, dude." She says with a friendly grin. "So we told you our names, mind tellin' us yours?" Applejack asked. "Not at all. My name is Leroy, Leroy Evans. You all can call me Leroy, pleasure to meet each and every one of you." "Likewise, darling." Rarity agrees. "So, what do you all do for a living?" "Ah run a farm called Sweet Apple Acres in Ponyville, where we plant, grow, and harvest apples and make 'em into delicious treats." She stated proudly. "Really?" You ask, remembering your days on Earth, eating apples on a regular basis. "What kind of treats?" “Oh jeez, you had to ask,” Rainbow groaned, putting her hoof to her face. You were about to ask what she meant, but the jubilant look on Applejack's face answered your question. "Sweet Celestia! Where do I begin?" Applejack exclaimed. "We make apple fritters, apple pies, caramel candy apples, baked apples, apple cinnamon crisps, apple strudel, and the best darn apple cider, fermented and unfermented, you ever tasted! Oh Ah don't even know what to list anymore!" "Damn." You mire, amused at her excitement when telling you about her farm. "You must take a lot of pride in your farm." "Darn tootin'! I work hard to make muh farm the best it can be." "Sounds like you do. Remind me to come and visit if I get out of here." You smile at her and look over to Rarity. "What about you Rarity?" “I am a fashion designer, I can make any kind of clothing for anypony! From dresses to suits and much more!” Rarity said, “And speaking of clothes, I would love the opportunity to take your measurements! It would give me the chance to make some clothing for you and to broaden my horizons in design!" “Hmm, I might take you up on that offer Rarity, I’m probably gonna be here for a while and well I might need clothes." You smile sheepishly at the fashionista. “And you Fluttershy?" “I umm, I take care of the animals for Ponyville,” she whispered, blushing a little and hiding behind her mane. 'Jeez, she really does live up to her name.' "Animals? Ah that's great I like animals." “Oh, you do? Well maybe when you get better you could… come visit?” She asked sweetly. “I will make it a point to do that, once I get my legs moving,." You let out a laugh and turn to the pink earth pony. "So what about you Pinkie Pie?” “I throw the bestest parties you will ever see! Just wait and see what I have planned when you get released!” she exclaimed, jumping into the air a little. So a party planner huh? Interesting… “Can’t wait, haven’t been to a real party in a while. So I’m curious to see what you have planned." You chuckle at her antics. “Okay, what do you do Rainbow Dash?” “I’m the weather captain for the pegasi in Ponyville. And I’m also in the Reserves for the Wonderbolts!” She exclaims proudly. “Uh, what are the Wonderbolts?” You ask, curious of what exactly they are. This was obviously a trigger for her as she looks at you dumbstruck, as if you were the biggest idiot in the world. What happened next was inevitable. “Are you kidding?!” she leaps into the air and hovers in front of you, her eyes peering into your soul, but you could not help but give her an amused look. “The Wonderbolts are like the greatest team of flyers to ever come out of Cloudsdale! Only the best pegasi in all of Equestria are allowed to even be considered to be trained as a Wonderbolt!” She exclaims flailing her forelegs in the air for emphasis, her voice cracking slightly. “So I’m guessing you had already gone through all that? And you’re in the Reserves? Not bad Rainbow, congratulations.” You say giving her a sincere smile. “Heh, thanks Leroy. I hope they come to their senses and recruit me soon." She lands on the ground and sits on her rump. “Wow, you all have some very cool jobs. I’m kinda jealous actually." You admit to the six mares. “And why is that sugarcube?” Applejack asked raising an eyebrow. “Yes darling, please tell us.” Rarity begged. "Well, long story short, I never really found something that I was genuinely good at. Yeah sure I finished school and all that, got my degree and found a job that I didn't even like, but in the end everything that I went through in high school, all the tests that I took and notes I had to memorize were all for nothing. Two years after I got out of college, I just spent my days working and well, drinking at a bar on my days off. I honestly didn't feel very happy with how my life turned out. I didn't know what to do, I spent a lot of money getting through college with the hopes of getting a good career. After I graduated, I couldn't find a good job, got the one that I had, I didn't like it, but my debts were catching up so I had no choice. I guess after all that I never had time to find what I was really good at. So, there you have it. That's my story, well uh, most of it anyway." "Goodness, that doesn't sound very fun at all, darling." "Gosh, sounds like you had a rough time there, pardner." "Well, I did my best to get by, but I don't want you guys to worry about that. The past is the past." You assure them. “That sounds bad and all, but can I ask you something, Leroy?" Rainbow asks. “Sure go ahead." You concede. “What’s all that fur your head? And why you do you have patches of fur on your face too? But you don’t look like have that much fur anywhere else, its kinda weird.” She leaps up with her wings and ruffles your curly black hair with one hoof and touches your facial hair with her other. Wow, these ponies have no sense of personal space do they? But what were you going to do? She was just curious, its not like everyday a human comes into their world. “Rainbow, what are you doing? Careful with his bandages!” Twilight exclaimed. “Having fun there, Rainbow?” you ask, amused at her curiosity. “What? His fur is all curly on his head, and the fur on his face is so weird. And don't worry I'll be gentle." Rainbow replied, still messing with your hair and growing stubble. “Okay, Rainbow as long as you’re having fun." You sigh. Before things could get anymore awkward, the door opens and in walks Doctor Soft Hoof. Rainbow stops toughing your face and she turns to look back at the doctor “Ah hello there everypony, certainly nice to see all the Elements of Harmony greeting our new guest, whom I need to speak to at this moment,” Soft Hoof said. “Please doctor, don’t let us stand in the way,” Twilight encouraged. “Yes, now Mr. Leroy, you seem to have made progress. Your concussion does not seem to have affected you. Your bones have mended nicely, your wounds have healed as well, and from what I can see you've made good recovery,” Soft Hoof informed. “Well that’s good, so am I cleared to leave?" You ask hopefully. “That’s the thing though before you can you need to regain your strength and mobility. Being in bed 5 days in a row can really affect your muscles. And there is something else I need to ask you about Mr. Evans,” Soft Hoof asked. You look at Twilight with a concerned expression. She reassures you with a smile and a nod. “Ok, give it to me straight doc." “Well, since you are a new species in Equestria, we had a bit of a tough time trying to heal you,” Soft Hoof levitated his clipboard, “And during the scans, we saw that your bone structure is a little more frail than a pony’s. Since you were in critical condition we didn’t exactly have any time to study your anatomy properly, so we immediately had to find where the injuries were located quickly. As soon as we found the injuries, we had to apply class III healing spells to them,” “Class III healing spells?! Those are only used for severe injuries!” Twilight exclaimed. “Jeez Leroy, what’d you do? Get mauled by manticore?” Rainbow asked incredulously. “Uh no? I got ran over by a car,” you corrected. What in the world is a manticore? This world is getting stranger by the second. “What’s a car?” She asked, tilting her head in an adorable fashion that almost made you shed a tear. “Uh, n-nevermind. Tell ya later,” You promise her. “Well then, as I was saying, his bone structure is not as strong as ours. So from what we saw he is not as resilient, and therefore we had to apply them. In spite of this I must ask you to stay longer than needed,” He said, adjusting his glasses with a stern expression. “What? But I’ve been here a week already. Why do I need stay longer?” “Here at Canterlot General, we also do a bit of research in order to make advancements in the medical field. I’ve asked the Princesses along with Princess Twilight, and the other doctors here if they would like for us to perform tests on you. They all agreed to do so. However, we cannot allow you to leave if do not comply. We do not know if you are carrying any pathogens or diseases that may bring about a pandemic. So I'm afraid we offer your an ultimatum: either you comply with our request and be cleared to leave after we are done. Or you will have to stay here until you do. And, please do not take this personally, Leroy. We are merely doing this for your safety and our safety as well." "Well uh, given those choices," You chuckle. "I don't think staying here longer than I already have is a good idea. So I guess I'll do it, but you're not gonna like, cut me open to see my innards are you?" “Uh no we don’t need to do that. We used X-Ray spells to view your bones and organs, we only cut you open if we need to perform surgery,” Soft Hoof assured you. Still, the thought or your organs being put on display made you shudder. “Okay um, what kind of tests will you be performing on me?” “Well, you will have to regain your mobility to perform any kind of physical test, so we will be testing your range of movement on your limbs first and measure your total body length and weight. Then we will test your mental abilities, then your reaction to different medicines and injections, and some other tests,” he said looking at his clipboard. “Huh, that doesn’t sound so bad. Ok then, when do we start?” You ask confidently. “Tomorrow, but first I need to see something. Mr. Evans, I would like for you to stand up,” “Yeah I guess I should. It’d be a great first step to moving around again,” you begin to pull the sheets away when you realize something. You don’t have underwear on! Thankfully, the hospital gown is long enough to cover your privates. “Please do move slowly, I’d hate to see you fall and hurt yourself,” Twilight said worriedly. “Don’t worry Twilight, I got this,” You smile reassuringly. Twilight moves out of your way as you pull back the sheets. Your arms are still strong enough to move and you swing your legs over the edge of the bed. You take a deep breath as you lift your rear off the bed. Immediately when your feet are placed flat on the ground, you feel your legs give out and you stagger around. Twilight comes up to your side. You marvel at how small she is, as she only comes up to just below your stomach. And you find it kinda cute how she looks up at you with those beautiful violet eyes-okay back to the task at hand. “Here, you can lean up against me,” she offered. Rainbow Dash hovered around behind you and wrapped her hooves under your armpits. “I’ll be back here to keep you steady big guy,” “Thank you both,” you smiled. You then placed your hand on Twilights back just below her wing joints and leaned on her a little. Step, after staggering step, your legs were burning and were begging for you to just lay back down on the bed. The other four mares were looking on in worry, hoping that you would not hurt yourself. "Whoa, that hurt a lot more than I thought it would." “Hmm, it seems as though you are more strong than I thought. Good work Mr. Evans,” the doctor said as he scribbled down notes. Unfortunately, your legs decided you had had enough and you fall to one knee. “Leroy! Are you okay?” Twilight gasped. You groan in pain, your knees on fire. “Yeah yeah, just getting back my land legs,” You say trying to regain balance. “Careful there big guy, don’t hurt yourself,” Rainbow said. For someone who's as brash as she is, she sure is caring. Rainbow and Twilight help you back on your feet and guide you back to the bed. “Very well done Mr. Evans, but you will have to take foal steps for a while. Another thing, you are quite tall by the way. Taller than I remember actually,” Soft Hoof mused scratching his chin. It was true, Soft Hoof and the other ponies only reached up to your waist. So you had to look down at them all. “Yeah, you’re actually… pretty big Leroy,” Rainbow observed, with a small hint of… interest? Strange... “Uh thanks, Rainbow,” You said. “Right well, that will be all for now, we will continue tomorrow,” Soft Hoof said putting away his clipboard, “Oh before I forget, Mr. Evans?” “Yes?” “I don’t know if Princess Twilight has informed you of this, but she will be joining me and the other doctors during our research on you. Due to her interest in learning more about your species and anatomy, she has requested to be apart of the testing,” “Really? Cool,” You say smiling at Twilight, who responds with one of her own. “Yes it is… ‘cool’, makes the whole thing about twenty percent cooler I believe,” Soft Hood chuckled. “Hey! That’s my line!” Rainbow exclaimed, flaring her wings. “Oh dear, forgive Ms. Dash, I did not know,” The doctor apologized. “Consarnit Rainbow, would ya relax?” Applejack said giving Rainbow a scolding look. “What? C’mon AJ, that’s like my catch phrase!” She argued. “Rainbow, Ah swear Ah’ve only heard ya say that once,” “Nuh uh! I’ve said it plenty of times! Right Fluttershy?” Rainbow turned to her pegasus friend. “Umm, sorry Dash. I agree with Applejack, I think you only said it once,” She said giving a blushing smile. “Ya see? Told ya so!” Applejack smirked. “Uggghh, whatever,” Rainbow said sitting on her rump folding her forelegs. You had to admit, it was pretty amusing watching them bicker and you laughed at their antics. Back home you enjoyed watching people argue about ridiculous things. Only reason being is because you literally had nothing better to do, however you did have some shred of integrity when it came to certain situations. You did know when and where to be serious man and a comedian. “Wow, you guys should get your own stand up comedy show. I’m getting a laugh out of just watching you guys argue over this,” You say chuckling. “Ehh, Ah dunno ‘bout that sugarcube. Ah ain’t the funniest mare in town, but Pinkie over there will get ya gigglin’ like a foal in a second,” She said motioning to the pink party pony. “Hmm, a party planner and a comedian? Welll done,” You compliment her. “Thanks! Not only do I love throwing parties for everypony, but I do my best to make sure everypony is happy!” she said proudly. A very noble cause indeed. "Right then, I will be taking my leave. Mr. Evans nurses will be coming in to prep you for tomorrow." The light brown unicorn informed as he opened the door. “Okay, thank you doctor,” “Princess Twilight, we will begin tomorrow whenever you are able to arrive,” “Yes, I will arrive early in the morning,” Twilight said. “Very well Princess, I will see you all again some other time, goodbye now!” he said as he closed the door. ooo000oo000ooo Twilight and her friends stayed with you for a few hours, all of them having questions about you and where you came from. You gladly answered their numerous questions as best as you could. They also answered some of your questions as well. It turns out besides just being Twilights friends, they were all heroines of their world. There were these gems known as the Elements of Harmony, all of which represented different characteristics of friendship, were once able to be wielded by Celestia herself. What shocked you was the story they told of you Luna, how she once tried to take over Equestria and how she transformed into the evil goddess Nightmare Moon. Celestia had to use the Elements to banish her sister to the moon for a thousand years. The elements were lost to time, until Nightmare Moon’s return from her thousand-year banishment. It was then Twilight had to find the elements and use them against the evil goddess. She was going to find them alone, but it was when her friends, whom she met on her trip to Ponyville, offered to help find the elements. Reluctant at first, she accepted their help and journeyed to find the Castle of the Two Sisters to find the Elements. It was during their confrontation with the Moon Goddess, did they discover their virtues. Applejack’s truthfulness made her the Element of Honesty. Rarity’s willingness to give, made her the Element of Generosity. Fluttershy’s tenderness and caring, made her the Element of Kindness. Rainbow Dash’s refusal to leave her friends behind, made her the Element of Loyalty. Pinkie Pie’s ability to remain positive in any situation, made her the Element of Laughter. Twilight’s unmatched magical prowess, made her the Element of Magic. They also told you that the Element of Magic was the Key element to activate them. So? you’ve made friends with six mares who were considered heroines all throughout Equestria… things were definitely looking up around here. It was when they all had to leave due to their responsibilities, did you begin to feel a little lonely. Already they were growing on you, and you couldn’t wait to see them again. Well, right now you had other things to worry about, so hanging out with them would come later. Tomorrow was a big day, and you had to be focused so you could give them the best possible results. Your body was in good condition when you left Earth. Despite your constant trips to the bar, you managed to avoid the beer belly with a few workouts here and there. Also due to the fact you lived alone and only ate when you had to; that and you didn’t have much in the first place. Twilight stayed behind after her friends after you chatted with them for an hour or two. While you and Twilight were talking, a nurse walked in, like Soft Hoof said and checked you to make sure that you were okay for tomorrow. Shortly after the nurse finished her work and left, Twilight said goodbye and took her leave, which meant that you could finally go to sleep and rest up for tomorrow. You lay there on your bed, thinking about the great time you had talking with Twilight and her friends. Eventually you begin to feel your eyelids grow heavy and you decide to turn in for the night, and rest up for tomorrow.
Chapter 5: ExperimentationChapter 5: Experimentation By: Calamity Jay "So this is just for research purposes right?" The next day came much quicker than you could possibly have anticipated. A nurse by the name of Sunny Day, a light pink unicorn mare, with a yellow mane done up in a bun topped with a nurse hat, came into your room to give you breakfast which consisted of what looked like… lumpy oatmeal? She informed you that it was oats, so you took a bite and it was quite literally raw oats soaked in warm milk. Your taste buds rejected it, but you forcefully swallowed it as to not look like an ass. She saw your reaction and apologized for not knowing what to give you. You just wave it off. How could they know what to give you? You were an alien creature brought to this world only under circumstance. Wow when you say it like that it sounds negative as hell. On the side, there was a glass of orange juice, a couple slices of toast, and an apple. You drank down the orange juice, ate the toast, and munched on the apple. By the sweet heavens! When you took a bite of the apple it was the sweetest apple you’ve have tasted by far! You savored each and every bite! “Well I must say, that was a nice breakfast,” you say, putting down the apple core down onto the tray. You took a few spoonfuls of the oats, but your stomach didn’t quite agree with it. “I’m glad you enjoyed it sir. Well, now we know that you can’t eat oats. Again, sorry about that,” she said, giving you an apologizing look. “It’s fine, but at this point I would’ve eaten anything. Haven’t had something solid since I got here,” “I know, you had to eat. Today you have a busy schedule ahead of you,” “That’s true, when am I starting on that anyway?” you ask raising an eyebrow. She walks up to collect the tray with her magic. “Well, I think Princess Twilight has arrived, so they’re just preparing everything,” she says moving the tray onto the dresser beside you, moving the table away from your bed. “So not much longer then, right?” “Mhm, should be another fifteen or so minutes,” she places the empty tray on the bed table which she has moved to the foot of the bed. “Well, I guess it’s mental preparation for me then,” you say leaning back and folding your arms. “Why is that? Are you nervous Mr. Evans?” she asked sweetly. “Umm, a little bit. Not sure what they have in store for me. Oh and please call me Leroy.” “Alright then Leroy." She giggles. "And don't worry, I’m sure they won’t make you do anything over the top. They just want to learn more about your kind. So in a way, you’re helping us. And for that you have the thanks from the entire staff here at Canterlot General Hospital,” she says sincerely. This brought a smile to your face. You felt you were doing a service to the ponies of Equestria, and that made you feel great. “Thanks, I’m glad to help,” “Your welcome, well I have to go attend to other ponies, I hope to see you some time Mr. Evans, but hopefully under different circumstances,” she said opening the door. “Right, I’ll be seeing you then,” you say as she exits the room. ooo000oo000ooo Half an hour passes and for some reason an armoured pegasus guard opens the door to your room and enters along with a gray unicorn doctor. “Umm, am I in trouble?” you ask worriedly. “Oh no, we assembled a squad of guards to escort you to the laboratory to begin your tests. And we’ve also brought a wheelchair so you can get there without difficulty,” he informed you. “Uh okay, but why the guards? I’m not dangerous,” you said. “We know, but its just a safety precaution. We’d hate for anything to happen to you on the way to the lab. I mean, not to sound negative, but there are a lot of ponies who are bigots here in Canterlot and don’t agree with an alien in their presence. So that’s why the guards. Oh, by the way I’m Doctor Scalpel, and this is Sergeant Blue Sky,” he introduced himself and the light blue pegasus next to him, the latter giving you a nod. “Right, well I’d hate for anything to happen as well. So thank you sergeant,” you said. “Yes, now, we are running a little bit late, so we must get moving,” the young sergeant said gruffly. “Of course Sergeant. Mr. Evans, are you ready?” Scalpel asked. “Yes, I am,” you say, nodding your nodding your head “Very well, Private! Bring in the wheelchair,” Blue Sky ordered. In walked a young-looking unicorn guard, pushing a wheelchair with his magic. He arrived at your bed and let go of the wheelchair. “Shall I levitate you into the chair sir?” he asked. “Um, no thank you. I’ll do it,” you say, moving your body to the edge of the bed and swinging your legs over. You take a breath and your feet touch the cold floor, you then inhale and lift yourself off the bed. Immediately, you wobble a little bit and the young guard helps you steady yourself. You turn around, and with the guard’s help, you lowered yourself into the chair. “Well that wasn’t so hard was it now? Thanks,” you say to the young unicorn. “My pleasure sir,” he says giving you a nod. “Okay private, wait outside with the others,” the sergeant ordered. “Yes sir,” he salutes and makes his way outside. “Well then, let’s get this train moving shall we?” Scalpel offered. You nod and the doctor moves behind you so he can push the wheelchair with his magic. ooo000oo000ooo Four guards surround you in a box formation, with Scalpel pushing the chair behind you. You had to admit, you felt kind of cool. Being escorted by guards made you look and feel cool. All around there were ponies of all kinds going about their business. Some were hospital staff, while others were most likely visiting a loved one. On the way over there, some of the ponies gave you quizzical looks. How could you blame them? They have never seen someone like you before. Then, there were those that gave you looks of absolute disgust. Those of which were ponies who were dressed in very regal and fancy clothing. You tried to maintain your stoic persona, but on the inside you felt very out of place among these ponies. Here you were, in a world full of these equines and you were sure they saw you as some creature, a thing. All the hostile and confused stares you received made you feel a bit nervous. No wonder the guards were here, someone here might not like the idea of some creature in their world. Fifteen minutes passed, and finally you approached a room with a plaque across it that read 'Research Lab'. “Okay Mr. Evans, this is where we shall leave you,” Blue Sky informed. “Right, thank you gentlemen. Uh sergeant? Would you be so kind as to come back to escort our guest back to his room in an hour or so?” Scalpel asked. “Yes doctor, we will come back in the time you requested. C’mon boys, let’s go,” the sergeant ordered. The guards followed their commanding officer and made their way down the hallway, leaving you and Scalpel at the door. “Well then, shall we doctor?” you asked, looking back at him. “Why yes, certainly,” he answered, using his magic to open the door and pushed you through. ooo000oo000ooo The lab itself was not very large. It was a small room with an examination table in the middle of it. On the left from the entrance was a few chalkboards with some notes scribble on the side of it. To the right was a window with a door leading to the room behind it, most likely where the doctors were going to be observing. All around in the room there was different equipment. A treadmill, most likely for the physical test, a tray carrying a few medical instruments, and a few other things you couldn’t quite name. “Well, here we are Mr. Evans,” Scalpel said proudly. “This place seems uh, legit, heh," You laugh nervously. "Where are the others?" “Princess Twilight and Dr. Soft Hoof should be coming out of the observation room right about-” the door to the observation room opened and in walked Twilight and Soft Hoof, “Now,” Scalpel finished. Twilight had her mane tied up in a bun, she sported a pair of red glasses, and wore a white lab coat with holes for her wings to move freely. She reminded you of the Medic from Team Fortress II. Soft Hoof wore his usual glasses with lab coat. “Well, someone is looking professional,” you compliment. “Why thank you Leroy, are you ready to begin?” she asked giggling. “I guess so,” “Good, Dr. Scalpel, Soft Hoof? Are we ready to begin?” “Yes Princess,” they answered. “Good, now bring in the nurses. Leroy, we will be in the observation room. The nurses will be administering the test. Do you understand?” she asked adjusting her glasses. “Yeah, I got you,” you assure the Princess. “Good, ah here are the nurses now,” Twilight said In came two nurse mares, one a unicorn and the other an earth pony. One of them was a charcoal color with a cyan mane and tail. The other a light brown color and a dark brown mane and tail. “Leroy, this is nurse Soothing Song,” she pointed to the brown mare, “And this is nurse Starlight,” she pointed to the other nurse. “Nice to meet you both,” you smiled at them. “Very nice to meet you Mr. Evans,” Soothing Song said. “We look forward to working with you,” Starlight agreed smiling sweetly. You had to admit, the two nurses before you were quite lovely (for ponies) and them just being there made you feel a little less nervous. “Thank you, I look forward to working with you as well. Oh and please, call me Leroy,” you say, giving a charming smile, remembering not to show teeth. The two mares giggle and give you an ‘ok’. “Okay then, shall we begin?” Twilight asked. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement and the doctors along with Twilight made their way into the observation room. Once in, you hear an intercom crackle to life. “Okay, can you all hear me?” Twilight asked through the intercom. “Yes, Princess, give us your instructions,” Soothing said standing next to you. “Okay, beginning anatomy research on Subject 084 aka Leroy Evans. Please begin by stripping subject of robe,” Twilight ordered. You began to panic as she said this, if they did this you would be completely naked! You’d be showing them Little Leroy! This can’t go on! The two mares proceeded to undress you. “Wait, Twilight!” you begged. “What is it Leroy?” you had to figure out how to explain your situation, remembering the conversation you had about your taboos. “Uh Twilight, if you take off my robe, then I’d be naked,” you tell her. "You remember what we talked about right?" “I understand your species' taboos, but don't worry about it. We're all technically naked here anyways. You don't have to be embarrassed." “Yes, but my privates would be showing. I don’t have fur or a tail of any kind to cover them,” “It’s fine Mr. Evans. When you came in, we stripped you of your clothing to examine your injuries. So not to worry, you have nothing to hide from us,” Soft Hoof explained. You looked to the two mares beside you. “It’s okay Leroy, don’t be shy,” Starlight said. “Yes, everything’s alright Leroy,” Soothing cooed. “But are you sure I have to be naked?” you asked. “We have to be thorough in our tests Leroy, are you ready to continue?” she asked. Wow, she can be really serious when she wants to. Now you had a situation in front of you. You had to strip down to your birthday suit in front of two mares, pony doctors, and a Princess… this was a situation indeed. Your thoughts argue with themselves for a bit, debating whether or not the absurdness of this situation was worth the gain of the ponies. Come on, you’ve been through worse. 'Oh how did things end up like this?! I only had a few drinks! A few!' You bite your lip, debating whether or not you should do this. Finally, you decide that you don't really have a choice in this, seeing as how you already submitted yourself to these experiments. "Alright then, Twilight, let's just get this over with. “Okay, nurses, help him disrobe please,” she ordered. The two nurses beside you start to disrobe you. Soothing uses her teeth to untie a rope on the back of the robe while Starlight uses her magic to encase the robe in her gray aura. “Could you lift your arms please?” Starlight asked sweetly. You comply and hold your arms above your head. She uses her magic to lift the robe off of your body... And well here you are, in the nude. A chill runs across your body, causing you to get goosebumps and shiver. The two nurse mares giggled. Starlight folded your robe with her magic. “Feeling a little cold there, Leroy?” Soothing asked. “Yeah, a little, but don’t worry I’m good,” you say, moving your hands to cover your privates as best you could. Your body shaking from the cold and from anxiety as well. “Okay, just try to relax, Leroy okay? You'll do fine!” Twilight assured. "Alright, let's begin the experiments..." ooo000oo000ooo “Well, that wasn’t so bad now was it Leroy?” Scalpel asked as he pushed you through the hallway, with the guards on your sides. “Yeah I guess, but it wouldn’t have been a bad idea to get me my boxers I brought from Earth,” you say, leaning back into the chair. “Yes, I will ask Princess Twilight and Dr. Soft Hoof to allow you to wear your what did you call them? Boxers?” “Ah! That’d be great!” you say smiling. The testing session was not all that bad. Besides being naked, all they asked you was to show them your range of motion, you had to tell them the proper names for your limbs and body parts. All your body parts, including Little Leroy. You had to have the two nurses help you move around a bit, but other than that it went by smoothly. However, they also took a measurement of every part of your body. Every part of your body. You felt a lot better and for some reason you could move on your own a little more. When you got to your room, Blue Sky and his guards left you, and Scalpel helped you out of the wheelchair. Instead of limping to your bed, you walked by yourself with very little pain. At this rate, you’d be fully recovered in no time! “Thank you doctor for your help,” you say while getting into bed. “Not a problem Leroy, always glad to help. Oh before I forget, tomorrow is the physical test, Twilight has asked me to make a report on your condition for the test tomorrow. How are your legs and arms feeling?” He asks you, floating out a quill and notepad. “Well, I’m feeling much better. My legs and arms are feeling stronger than yesterday. Much stronger actually, kinda weird if you ask me,” you said. “Really? That is strange. Well I will have to definitely report this to Twilight, thank you Leroy,” he said, putting away his notepad and quill. “Will that be all doctor?” “Yes, I will be going now” the doctor made his way to the door, “Good day Leroy!” “See ya later doc,” you give a small wave as he exited the room. Now it was just you and your thoughts in the room. A few minutes later, the door opens up again and Twilight walks in with her mane down and her glasses off, but still wearing the coat. She is also carrying a few books on her back. You can only guess those books are for you. Great, now you had something to do besides just sitting there thinking about life. “Hello there, Leroy, I have a little something,” she says, floating the books off your her back and onto your bed, “I’ve gathered a few books on Equestrian History and Social Studies you might wanna read. Since you’ll be here awhile, why not read up on Equestria itself?” “Ho ho, I always did like history, thank you Twilight,” you say as you pick up one of the books, “Hmm, ‘Guide to Equestrian History’ eh? I think I’ll read this one first,” You open the book to the title page. “I’m glad you like reading, I remember how much Rainbow hated reading," she says with a roll of her eyes, "I remember when I was a filly, I would read a lot of books. That’s actually how I learned so much about magic, everything I know was from books. Reading is what got me to become Celestia’s apprentice and in turn a Princess,” she said, looking off into the distance in her reverie. “Wow, you were quite the bookworm weren’t you Twilight?” “Yes I was, and I still am, but because of that when I still lived in Canterlot, I never really had time for friends. I was always so busy studying and practicing my magic, even when others tried to reach out to me I’d always say I was too busy and didn’t have time,” Twilight said lowering her chin. “Hey from what I can see, you have six wonderful friends who from what you all have told me stick by your side and help whenever they can. You have them, and you also have me Twilight,” you say, reaching over to ruffle her mane. Strangely, she gasps when you scratch her mane, just behind her ears like you do with a pet, and she develops a goofy grin. “Mmm, that felt good. Could you do that again?” she asks sweetly. You again reach over and scratch her ears, Twilight letting a little gasp and a sigh from your touch. She closes her eyes and one of her hind legs begins to thump against the floor. You can’t help but laugh at the way she kicks her hind leg and her silly grin. Her tail also begins to flick here and there. For some reason she began to moan a little, she rose to all fours. She then placed her forelegs onto the side of your bed, begging wordlessly for you to continue. Okay, now this was getting awkward. But for some reason, you kept scratching her ears. You kept scratching and she kept moaning, sighing, and flicking her tail. Alright this is becoming absurd, could you please stop scratching her ears? This is really getting awkward! Without warning you pull your hand away and she looks up at you with a flushed expression. “You okay there Twilight?” you ask her. "All I did was scratch your ears." “Mhm, yes I am. Wow that felt amazing, those hands of yours are great!” she said giggling. “Well I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. And to give you more info on hands, they give us humans added dexterity in our everyday activities, allowing us to perform various actions. Uh, including what I just showed you,” you add, wearing a sheepish grin. “That felt amazing! I think maybe its just been a long day and I was feeling a little stressed out. Oh, by the way, Scalpel told me that you were feeling a lot better. And he also told me that you were walking on your own without trouble. Hmm, you’re making a quick recovery, even quicker than a regular stallion would, interesting,” she said putting a hoof to her chin. “I don’t what it is really, just one day after the other I feel a little bit better. Huh, I guess I should be out of here in no time at this rate,” “Maybe so, but we still have another two days of research we have to do. And it’s the physical test, so rest up for tomorrow okay?” she then got her forelegs off of your bed, “I gotta get going Leroy, I have to report all of this to Princess Celestia. But I will be seeing you tomorrow alright?” “Okay Twilight, take care,” you say giving her a little wave. “Bye Leroy!” she says cheerfully opening the door and exiting For the rest of the evening, you take the books Twilight gave you and delve into the sea of knowledge that they offer. At about half past seven, Sunny Day shows up again to serve you dinner, which comprised of a sandwich made up of lettuce (damn), hot noodle soup, and a glass of apple juice. It was a delight to chat with Sunny again, her bubbly personality made the mood just a little bit brighter. You guess that’s why her name is Sunny Day and her cutie mark is a smiling sun. Very fitting indeed. “Well, it was nice chatting with you Leroy. I’ll be back in the morning with your breakfast,” Sunny said, picking up your tray with her pink aura. “Goodnight, oh and try not to stay up too late reading’ “Will do!” you reply, she leaves the room and you pick up the history book and start where you left off. The book is really detailed, mentioning very important events and figures; especially of this wizard called Starswirl the Bearded. You guess he had a major hand in shaping Equestrian history, since he is mentioned numerous times in many events. By the time you got to the part where Celestia and Luna first face off with someone named Discord, the god of chaos, it was already close to midnight. ‘Damn, now I know how Twilight felt when she was always reading as a filly, oh well time for bed,’ you sigh and close up the book, making sure to fold down the upper corner so you don’t get lost. A huge yawn escapes your mouth and you turn of the lamp next to you and settle into the soft sheets. You look up at the ceiling, again having some pre-bedtime thoughts. A few minutes pass and you close your eyes. Soon you fall asleep and once again go to dreamland ooo000oo000ooo “Leroy! Good morning!” Sunny Day trots in with your breakfast in her magic. She seems cheerful today. “Hey there Sunny, nice to see you again,” you greet putting down a book on different species in Equestria. “It’s nice to see you too, here’s your breakfast!” she floats your meal onto the bed table and rolls it up to you. “Here you are, today you have egg whites, two slices of toast, an orange and apple juice,” she lists off the items on your tray. It all looks very appetizing so you dig in right away. “Ahh, thank you very much Sunny, I appreciate your service,” you say biting a piece of toast. “It’s my pleasure,” she giggles, she sees the way you’re vigorously eating your meal, “My my, you seem to have gained your appetite back,” “I know right? Especially from yesterday’s physical test. I can’t believe I could run on the treadmill only after two days of regaining mobility. Kinda weird if you ask me,” you finish a piece of toast and start on the eggs. “Yeah it is weird how fast you’re recovering, almost too fast since you’ve got here,” “I don’t know, maybe it’s magic,” you chuckle putting a piece of egg in your mouth. “Hmm, I wouldn’t doubt it. You were fixed up by magic so its a possibility,” she said. The fact that magic actually exists in Equestria escaped you, and you mentally facepalm again. “Oh, well that I did not expect, scratch that off the list of things I’ve never seen,” you chuckle. “Hmm, well I’m pretty sure that list is long. In Equestria, there are many things that most likely aren’t on your world. One being magic from what I’ve heard,” “But, there are also things on my world Equestria hasn’t seen,” “Really? Like what?” she asked raising an eyebrow. “Well a lot of great things like advanced technology, wildlife, monuments, and there are other beautiful things too. And from what I've read, Equestria has beautiful things as well." Sunny giggles and blushes, confusing you, but nonetheless you go on. "But there are things on my world that Equestrians should never see. Like the dark side of the moon, there is a dark side to my world." You mutter with a grimace. “What do you mean?” “Well I'd hate to slander the name of my species, but things such as technology can be a good thing and a terrible thing as well. On my planet there have been numerous wars, technological advancements that created weapons of war that are capable of terrible things. Everyday it feels as though we are always on the verge of war with some other country. I don't Equestria should be exposed to such horrors, I'm afraid that it will just end up as another Earth. I would not want it to come to that." “But there hasn’t been war in Equestria for thousands of years, ever since Celestia and Luna came to power. Was there really that much war in your world?" “Most of our world history is based off of gains from others in their victories in war. Simply stated, history is written by the victor. Many nations and civilizations all throughout time have waged war for various reasons. And well, the ones who win, are the ones who dictate the flow of history,” “Sweet Celestia, that’s terrible. I can only imagine what you’ve seen,” she said putting a hoof on your hand. “Well I haven’t seen that much, but when I left, things weren’t exactly great. All over my world there was still war going on. People always fighting because they want change, equality, and freedom. I guess fairness is a concept my world has failed to grasp,” you say softly holding her hoof in your hand. “I’m sorry your world is so hard Leroy, I hope Equestria can help you be a little happier,” she said nuzzling your hand. It caught you off guard what she did, but you brushed it off. After what Twilight had let you do, you figured ponies weren’t all that big on the no touchy thing. “Ah its alright, even though life on Earth was tough, I still managed to find some happiness,” “Really? How so?” she asks tilting her head. “Well, after college I found escape in music. I started liking the saxophone and the drums, so after I made some money I went to a pawn shop and bought an old saxophone and at a garage sale there was a drum set for a hundred dollars,” “What’s a saxophone?” “Well its an instrument made of brass, but its called a woodwind about this big,” you say estimating the size with your hands, “Reason why is because it uses a piece of wood called a reed, to make sound. It has a bunch of holes with buttons over them, and you can manipulate the sound it makes by pressing the buttons to make notes. You can combine these music notes to play songs and stuff,” “Hmm, sounds great. It’d be amazing if I could hear the music you play sometime,” she says smiling. “Well you never know, maybe I could work something out,” just then the door to your room opened and in walked Scalpel with Blue Sky. “Well Leroy, today’s the last day! Are you ready to go?” he asked happily. You failed to realize that you and Sunny had talked for over thirty minutes, but hey you weren’t complaining, she is a sweet, pretty mare who was nice to chat with. You rise out of your bed, and stretch out your limbs, a few joints popping back into place. “Alright doc, let’s get going,” ooo000oo000ooo You were escorted for the third and final time to the Research Lab by the guards. All the way over there you again received mixed looks of interest, confusion, and disgust. Again, you did your best to remain calm despite the numerous stares. You reach the research lab and the guard bid their farewells and promises of return, leaving you and the doctor outside the door. “Okay, Leroy, here we are. I must inform you that Princess Twilight will be the only one present and observing the final experiments,” Scalpel informed you. “Really? Why is that?” you ask, confused. The other doctors were there the other two days, why would they not be there now? “Hmm, sorry to tell you that I can’t say. She gave me specific instructions to only inform you that me and Softy won’t be there,” he said shaking his head. You began to feel slightly nervous, you were going to be alone with Twilight wearing neigh but your boxers; the instinctual modesty of your species coming to light. “I suggest you go in now Leroy, she is awaiting your arrival,” the doctor said, pointing his muzzle to the door. “Right, well thanks doc, and thank you sergeant,” you say with a smile. Scalpel smiled back and turned around to leave. After he leaves, you open the door. As soon as you enter the room, in place of the examination table, you see a small twin size bed with a single pillow and white sheets. ‘Is she planning to… noooo, that can’t be right. I gotta stop being ridiculous here man,” you think to yourself. ‘Its probably for a therapy session or something.’ Your heart jumps as you hear the door to the observation room open. Hmm, skittish are we? In walks Twilight followed by… Applejack?! Why is she here? Not that you see it as a problem, she is a wonderful mare, but what is the reason? “Uh hi Twilight, Applejack,” you greet them nervously. “Hey Leroy,” Twilight smiles. “Howdy there, sugarcube,” Applejack smiles and tips her hat to you. “Sooo uh, what’s going on?” you ask them. “Well, from the research we’ve conducted, I’d say we learned a lot about your anatomy, but there is one more thing that I would like to see,” she says adjusting her glasses. Oh dear… “And what is that?” you already know the answer your perverted mind has conjured up, but just to be sure… “For this stage of research, I am very curious of your reproductive system and your mating rituals,” she said without missing a beat. Well, that throws your non-sexual scenario theory out the window. “Uhhh, well when a male and a female love each other very much…” you begin as if explaining to a child. Immediately, Twilight and Applejack start to laugh at your childish explanation of doing the dirty deed. “We know how it happens Leroy,” Applejack said, coming down from her laughing fit. “But, we wanna see firsthand how your mating rituals play out. Applejack here has volunteered to be your sexual partner in this study. Of course if you’re not comfortable with doing this, you could always just say so,” her words hit you like a ton of bricks, your heart rate speeding up slightly. “Honestly Leroy, if ya don't wanna do this, Ah'd understand." She smiles up at you. "Ah know you've never been with a mare before, but Ah'd be really grateful if ya did this for me and Twilight." 'Oh fuck, this is quite the predicament isn't it? But this is wrong! I can't do this! She's a pony and I'm a human! People back home would think that I'm a freak!' "Uh i don't know about this, just uh give me a moment to think will you?" "Of course, take all the time you need, Leroy." Twilight smiled. You nod and walk over to the bed and sit down, trying to think about the pros and cons of what this will bring. Twilight looks over to Applejack and whispers in her ear. "Hey, he seems a bit nervous about this, why don't you go talk to him?" "Ah guess Ah could, what will you do?" "I'll go into the observation room, if he doesn't want to go through with this, then I'll just come out. Just trust me on this one, I know you'll find something with him." You see Twilight walk towards the door to the observation room and Applejack walking over to you. She stands in front of the bed with a soft expression on her face. "You alright there, hun?" She asks worriedly. "Uh, yeah I'm fine I guess," "Mind if Ah sit with ya?" "Sure, go ahead." She then climbs onto the bed and sits next to you. "Ah take it you're a bit nervous ain't ya?" She takes off her hat and places it onto a table nearby. "A little, just that I've never been with someone that's well- not a human. So forgive me if I'm a bit hesitant to do this." "Don't worry Ah ain't mad," She chuckles, waving her hoof. "If it makes ya feel any better, Ah'm nervous too." "Really? I guess that makes two of us then." You reply. "But even then, I still feel like I shouldn't do this." "And why is that? Are you uh- you know, a virgin?" "What? No!" She recoils at your outburst. "I mean no. I'm not. Like I said, I've never had sex with someone that isn't a human. Back on my world, having relations with another species is bad enough to get you in jail." "Really? Well that seems a bit extreme." "Thing is, and I'm not sure if Twilight has mentioned this, mares back on my world don't exactly talk or have feelings. They're just basically animals." "So you're saying we're animals?" She arches an eyebrow. "No no, that's not what I mean at all. It's just, they're not like you, all bright, colorful, with eyes that you can just get lost in." Applejack lets out a small chuckle. "And well, there's that and I would just feel bad for doing this." "Why is that? If we both agree to do this then why should ya feel bad?" "Because, I'd feel as though I'm taking advantage of you like this. That sort of thing happened to me back on Earth and I just don't want it to happen again." "You mean using somepony for sex?" "Yeah, that's exactly what I'm afraid of." "Hmm, Ah see what ya mean." She nods and purses her lips in thought; a few moments of awkward pass by, your legs swinging to and fro off the edge of the bed. "Hey, Leroy?" "Yeah?" "Mind if Ah tell ya somethin'?" "Be my guest." She takes a deep breath. "Leroy, Ah am an honest pony. Ah'm not one of them loose mares who have a new stallion in their bed every other day. In my life there have been maybe one or two stallions. Ah hate to say it, but its been so long since Ah've had anypony with me." "I know how you feel. Being alone is the worst feeling. Its been years for me, what about you?" "The last colt that Ah had was before Ah met Twilight. Then we started going on all those little adventures of ours and well, Ah kinda just forgot about colts. Its only been recently that Ah started lookin' for a mate, but sad to say there are that many good stallions these days. Most of 'em just want me 'cuz of muh status as the Element of Honesty and friendship with a princess." "I'm guessing that's why you volunteered for this? Because you thought that maybe you could find something in me?" "Ah was hopin' maybe Ah could?" "But, you realize that what you want me to do is like going from step one to step twenty, right?" "What does that mean? Ah really don't see sex as a big deal, Ah do know its something that you should do it with somepony that you really trust." "But we met not a couple days ago. And I'm not a pony." You let out a small laugh. "What makes you put so much trust into me? Not that I'm not flattered, it just seems a bit unusual to put so much trust into an alien creature you just met." Applejack merely smiled at you. "Listen, sugarcube. Twilight says that you're trustworthy and I trust her with muh life. So if she's alright with you, then so am Ah." You give her a small smile and she inches just a bit closer to you. "And uh, if this will make you feel any better, you're also kinda cute for somepony who's not a pony." She gains a half lidded expression and places her hoof on your hand. "With a handsome face like yours, it kinda makes me wonder." "Well I gotta say." You get even closer to her and hold her hoof in your hand. "You look pretty good for someone who's not a human." "Aren't you quite the flatterer." She develops a sly smile and turns around to face you. "So, what do you wanna do about it?" Applejack then leans forward and nuzzles your neck; the gesture itself is foreign to you and did not know how to react. She notices this immediately. "What's wrong? Am Ah going too fast for ya?" "No, its just, can we talk about this for a little bit?" "Okay then," She backs off a bit. "We'll talk. About what exactly?" "Just uh, look I'm afraid that things will get weird between us. I don't like doing something like this." "Like what?" "It just feels strange. I don't know if its because you're another species or because I feel like I'm taking advantage of you or something! I guess its because I'm afraid of getting close to someone again, only to lose them in the end. I just don't want history to repeat itself." "Ah get what ya mean, but hey," You feel her hoof on your cheek and she turn you to face her. "Ah don't want ya to worry 'bout that, ya aren't takin' advantage of me. Ah really want to do this and Ah was hopin' that you would too. Reason bein' is 'cuz there's just somethin' about ya that Ah find so attractive." Her words astonish you thoroughly. "Ah don't know if maybe its 'cuz you seem different than other stallions that Ah've met. Ah guess its 'cuz you're genuinely polite, kind, and almost as honest as Ah am." "How am I as honest as the Element of Honesty?" You quip with a wry smile. "Well, ya did just tell me all the reasons why you didn't wanna do this and why you're so nervous." "Huh, I guess I did." "Now, why don't ya tell me all the reasons why you want to do this?" She leans forward and nuzzles you again; it feels so strange yet so good whenever she does that. The way her soft velvety fur felt on your skin was amazing and believe it or not, you wanted to feel it some more. You move closer to her and run your hand from the back of her head, feeling her soft, silky golden mane slip through your fingers. She groans a bit as you slowly run your hand to her shoulders, but there is something about them. You apply some pressure to the area and almost immediately she groans again, closing her eyes in bliss. "What's wrong? Are you sore?" You ask, slowly rubbing her shoulder. "Yeah, a bit. Ah spent the last few days hauling some apples to and from town, so yeah Ah guess muh shoulders are pretty darn sore." She said, sighing as you continued massaging her. "Sweet Holy Celestia, that feels so good!" "Does it? Well, I'm glad you're enjoying yourself." You chuckle. "Ever gotten a massage before?" "Ah believe so, but you mind givin' me one? Its been a while and-" You hold up your hand with a wry smile. "Say no more. I got you fam." You bop her on the nose. "Why don't you go ahead and lie down? I'll do the rest." Without question, she turns around and lays on her belly, looking back at you with a light blush on her muzzle. "Just relax alright? I'll help you feel better. Just tell me where it hurts." "Well Ah guess muh shoulders, muh back, and muh lower back. Mind gettin' those spots?" "Not at all," You pat her back and fix your position so that you are sitting next to her, leaning right over her back, where you start rubbing and lightly pressing her pressure points; as you rubbed her sore muscles, she let out content sighs and groans. "Mmm, ya know, Leroy?" She asks, laying her head down. "Yeah?" "Ya never told me the reasons why you want to do this." "Oh yeah that, umm..." You trail off and think of the pros of this situation. One, you could have sex with her, break through the barriers between your species. Two, you could possibly find love with this girl, even though it will be a bit rushed. Three, she has an amazing physique for a pony as you can feel the strength emanating from her body as you feel her up. Not to mention she was incredibly small. You could possibly pick her up with one arm if you wanted to. "Well, for one thing I think you're a wonderful pony." You move down to her upper back and softly work your fingers on her. "Oh sweet goddesses, that feels good." She sighs and squirms under your touch. "Keep going." "And from what I can see you have an amazing physique, how did you get this fit?" You ask as you rub her toned back. "Years and years of working on the farm can do great things for a mare. Such as earning muhself a nice toned body. And eating apples all the time helps a bit too." "I can see that." You chuckle. "Ya mind moving down lower?" "Sure." You move down lower and start rubbing her lower back, just above her flank. "Here?" "Mmm, how about a li'l lower?" You move down even lower to where you almost have her nicely toned flank in your grip. "Lower." Your heart begins to race as you realize what she wants you to do, her tail twitching back and forth. She moved her tail to her right, and you knew that you were staring right at it; she was quite literally presenting herself to you. You stared slack jawed at her marehood, marveling at how different it looked from what you expected. What thought it was supposed to look like huge leathery lips, but it actually turned out to be quite different. What you saw was a small pink slit surrounded by orange lips, it almost looked exactly like a human girl. "Enjoyin' the view there, Leroy?" "Uh what?" You were broken out of your stupor. "You say something?" "Ah can see ya drinkin' in muh flanks, why don't you go ahead and give 'em a rub?" "Sure," You find your hands right on her flanks; out of curiosity you lightly squeeze them. They're nice and firm, but with an unmistakable softness to them. "Wow, you sure got nice flanks. Very firm." "Aww, you're too kind." She giggles and lays her head back down. "Oh that feels good." You move your hands to her cutie marks and started to slowly rub there as well. "Oh! Yes! Right there!" Applejack yells as your massage her cutie marks. 'I think I hit a nerve. Okay then, cutie marks equal sensitive.' You couldn't hold back a grin as she was putty in your hands. "You enjoying yourself there, AJ?" "Yeah," She gasped out. "Ah'll be honest, your hands there are really good. Ah gotta say you're turning me on here." It seems this has taken a turn for the sexual. "Am I? I must say I didn't think that I was that good." You chuckle, still working on her flanks. "Well Ah think ya are, gettin' me all worked up here. Ya know, you got to feel me up, how 'bout ya let me do the same thing?" "What do you mean?" "Y'know, ya got to explore muh body an' all that, let me uh, get to know yours?" She says with a sly smile. You feel yourself flush and your feel your cheeks begin to burn. "Uh, y-you want to what now?" "Here, turn around will ya?" Reluctantly, you turn around on the bed and sit, waiting for her to do what she is going to do. "Uh, Leroy? Ya mind takin' off that robe of yours?" "Uh, y-yeah sure." With your hands shaking slightly, you stand up and untie your robe, lifting it off your body, exposing your body minus your groin as you were wearing your boxers. Your throw it off to the side and sit back down in front of her. "So, what now?" "Just relax, sugarcube. Ah'll be gentle, 'kay?" Without another word, she puts a hoof on your shoulder and runs it down your arm. It felt strange at first, as if a palm with no fingers was running down your arm. "Wow, your skin feels so soft," She mires, moving her hooves to your chest and rubbing them up and down. "And your chest- whoa nelly, are those uh, nipples? You're a stallion right?" Immediately you break down into a fit of laughter, further confusing Applejack. "What?" "Yes I'm a male, its just all humans, even males, have nipples," You explain. "I don't really know why, but its just part of our anatomy. Only difference is that female breasts are larger and produce milk, unlike males. I think because of the estrogen in their bodies or something like that." "Wow, so they're not sensitive or anythin'?" "Well, no not really. Why?" "Nevermind," She giggles and continues feeling your body with her hooves, exploring your whole upper body. "Wow, Ah gotta say, Leroy, you have a nice lookin' body. You work at a farm too?" "Not really," You shake your head. "I just didn't have much to do on my days off, so I just worked out and stuff. You know push-ups and sit-ups and all that good stuff." "Really? Well, Ah think it worked out pretty well," She continues her explorations, feeling all over you. Suddenly she leans forward and plants a soft kiss on your neck. Goosebumps form on your skin and you let out a shudder. "Ooh, did I hit a sensitive spot?" "Yeah, you kinda did," You chuckle. "Hmm, let do that again," Before you could protest in any way, she kisses your neck again, but this time she starts pecking at it multiple times, going up below your ear and back down to your shoulder. "Like how that feels?" "Y-yeah, that feels good actually," You groan as she continues her assault on your neck. Her ministrations begin to take its toll on you as you can feel your manhood begin to stir in excitement. She begins to go further and further up your neck til she's now pecking at your cheek and close to your mouth. "Hey, Leroy?" She whispers and you turn to face her. "Yeah?" "Ya mind if Ah kiss ya? On the lips?" 'I know I'm about to break some human rules here if I do this, but then again I just spent like ten minutes touching her sensually. And as much as I hate to say it, but she is really turning me on. You know what? I've already come this far, let's go a little bit further. Fuck it.' "Sure, I'd like that." Without uttering another she slowly leans forward and presses her lips against yours. It lasts only for a few seconds, but its enough for you to get a feeling of her lips. They are soft and supple, almost exactly the same as human lips, but the fur makes them feel even softer. "Wow, I gotta say I liked that. Wanna do it again?" "Ah would love to," She moves forward and you embrace her again, this time the kiss lingers. Your lips glided seamlessly over hers, as if they were made for each other. Eventually you needed to take a breath, so you pulled back. "Wow, that felt... Great." She breathed out. "I agree, but you got tease me, how bout I tease you?" You say with a sly grin. "Okay, give it your best shot, lover boy," She winks at you. "I'll see what I can do," You lean forward and kiss her neck the same way that she did, slowly going up and down. She shudders and moans as you work on her. Getting a little adventurous, you go ahead and reach up to her ear and give a soft nibble. "Ah! That tickles!" She laughs, fidgeting about. "Really? I guess that means I should do it again," You continue your assault on her ear, causing her to giggle uncontrollably. This goes on for a few seconds until you finally meet in the middle again, coming in contact with her lips once more. You feel her press her weight on you and you fall back against the bed, with Applejack laying on your chest. Too pull her closer, you wrap your hands around her back and hold her tight. You then run your hands down her back, all the way to her flanks where you squeeze them lightly, causing her to pull back. "Oh my, gettin' a li'l grabby, huh?" "How could I not? Wanna see what else hands can do?" She nods and you turn her over on her back. You start pecking at her neck again, then you begin to move down slowly, kissing her all the way down to her soft lower belly. "Wait, what ya doin'?" She asks, looking down at you. "Don't worry, just relax," You assure, continuing your descent down to her nethers. Soon you reach her marehood, and you could see that she was already quite excited considering how moist it looked. You were not sure if you should do this, but you might as well considering the fact that you've come so far. Taking a leap of faith, you move your face forward and plant a light kiss on her now visible clitoris. Her reaction is instantaneous as you feel her hips jerk upwards and you hear her gasp. "Ah! D-do that again please!" She begged. You granted her wish as you pressed your mouth to her mound again and lightly sucked and kissed at it, causing her to gasp and moan even louder. Her taste was not that bad, you half-expected her to taste pretty horribly, except she actually had a sweet, tangy flavor which you wanted more of. In order to make her feel even better and to get a good finish, you slip your index and middle finger into her entrance. Right away she begins to moan even louder, which only causes you to finger her even faster and your own arousal to grow as well. All of a sudden, without any warning whatsoever, you feel her legs squeeze tight around you and you can feel her marehood gush with even more of her juices. Everything topped by her loud scream. "OHHHH MOMMA~!" You pull back and admire your handiwork, seeing her lying there all flustered with her chest heaving, it brings a strong sense of excitement to you. Speaking of which, your manhood has already hardened to the point of being painful. "Sweet Celestia, Leroy, that was amazing. Hands are fun." "Thanks, but don't you think its time to move on?" You emphasize your point by moving your hand to your boxers to pull them down. She notices your raging erection. "Leroy, is that what Ah think it is?" "Maybe, you know what I'm going to do with it?" You ask with a grin. "Ah might, but ya mind holdin' yer horses there for a sec? Ya treated me so nicely, how's about Ah do the same?" You comply with her request and you back off. "Go ahead and lie down, will ya?" You nod and lay yourself down, where she moves around you and sits in between your legs, eyeing your clothed erection. "Just relax and let me do the work." She raises her hoof and starts to stroke your hard on over your underwear, making you groan in the process. "That feel good, sugarcube?" "Oh yes it does, keep going please." You beg. "Ah guess Ah will then," She continues stroking you, causing you to get even harder than you could possibly imagine. "Hmm, Ah think Ah wanna see it already, how 'bout Ah take these off?" "You want me to do it? They're kinda hard to take off." "Its fine, Ah'll find a way." She puts her hoof on the top of your waistband and tugs at it. When that didn't work out well, she tried to hook it up and over the elastic. To help in her endeavor, you lift your hips up slightly and she ends up pulling it down just a bit, to where she can already see the top of your crotch. "Hmm, let me try something," Before you can ask what, she goes down and bites down on one of the leggings with her teeth and pulls. With a bit of effort, she pulls it over your raging erection and it pops free, for her to view in all its glory. This is where you were kind of worried whether or not she would approve of your size. By human standards you were above average, but what about her standards? Would she laugh and say you looked small? If she did you could not blame her, she was most likely used to stallion sizes. "Wow, Ah gotta say it looks a lot different from a stallion's. All rounded and everythin'. But either way Ah think it looks nice and... Enticin'." Before you could say anything, she runs her tongue across the tip, and you let out a groan. "Oh, did Ah hit a nerve? Ah'm sorry," She drawls with a sly grin. You just sat there in stupefied silence. "Ah'll take that as a 'yes'," She laughs and continues to fellate you, running her tongue up and down your rod. "Ah gotta say you taste pretty good, sugarcube. Not to mention you smell pretty good too." 'Uh thanks?' You lay back and grip at the sheets, feeling your end coming closer and closer with each second she has your cock on her tongue. Suddenly, she puts most of it in mouth, encasing it in warmth and wetness while she runs her tongue all along the underside of it. You wanted this pleasure to continue, but unfortunately your body disagreed and you could feel that inevitable finish line fast approaching. "Applejack, I'm gonna come," You groan. She lets go of your cock with a pop. "Aww, already? Ah was just gettin' started." "Sorry, its just been a while." "Its fine, but you got me off, why don't Ah do the same?" She then swallows your erection once again and pumps her head up and down at an even quicker pace. All you could do was just lay there and enjoy the feeling of your end coming even closer until all of a sudden you feel the massive tidal wave crash down on you as your cock twitches wildly and your seed bursts into her mouth, and you can hear her gasp in surprise, but even then she hastily swallow everything you shot into her mouth. "Wow, you made quite a mess in muh mouth there, Leroy." She wipes a bit of your seed off her muzzle. "Sorry about that, AJ." "S'alright there, hun, but," She moves up to sit on your chest. "Ah don't think we're done here." "I didn't think so either." She leans in and you kiss her passionately once again, your tongues brushing against each other. You can feel her tail flicking between your legs and your cock becomes hard once again. Applejack pulls back and positions her slit over your manhood. "So, you ready there, Leroy?" "Only if you are," You smile up at her. She smiles at you with a half-lidded gaze and lowers herself until you feel yourself prod at her entrance and the two of you gasp at the contact. 'Oh, sweet Jesus, I am about to break the sexual barrier between men and ponies.' Finally, you hit your target and feel yourself slip into her love canal. "Oh fuck, tight." You groan. "Mmm, you're pretty big yourself," She purrs as she slides down even further until you bottom out inside her. "Oh, that feels good." With the two of you in position, she begins to bounce up and down, covering your cock in her essence. Well, you just did it. You broke that natural barrier. Congratulations you just proved that humans and ponies can have relations. You're a hero. Both of you maintain this rhythm, slowly moving up and down, you pushing at her cervix with each time she came down. Applejack seemed to be thoroughly aroused, as she had her eyes closed as she rode atop you; a few times she reached down and pulled you in for a heated kiss. 'God this feels great! I am so turned on right now!' You think as she speeds up her pace and you hold on to her hips to keep her steady, her hooves planted on your chest. The whole time you maintained eye contact with her, feeling the intimate connection between you deepen with each passing second. Could you possibly have a relationship with her? A pony? Then again you just broke the human laws and she was more human than other women you've met in the past. So were you going to let the fact that she was a different species stop you from being with her? "Oh, Leroy~!" She screams out as she seems to go rigid on top of you and you feel her marehood convulse around your member. "Oh, oh, sweet apples," She pants as she goes limp and lays down on your chest, exhausted of her energy. "You know, I still got some energy left, AJ." "Ya wha-?" You silence her by flipping her onto her back. Thankfully she was tall enough for you to line your hips up with hers. "What are ya doin'?" You answer just by bringing your hips forward and reinsert yourself into her. You steadily increase your pace, slamming your hips against hers. She moans out your name several times, and you kiss her with all your passion as you ram into her. Soon enough, you start to feel that burning sensation again. The end was near. "AJ, I'm close," You whisper. "Please! Inside! Ah want it!" With that green light you bury your face into her neck and move your hips at an even faster rate than you even thought possible. Before your know it, she throws her forelegs over your shoulders and pulls you into a tight hug, screaming out your name again as she came. That was the last straw. You give one final push and let out a primal grunt and you feel yourself burst inside her for the second time, your cock twitching madly as you shot your load into her. "Oh Goddesses, Ah can feel it, Leroy." She gasps, still holding onto you. You lay there atop her, frozen from having came harder than you ever thought possible. Moments go by and your brain starts to work again so you push yourself up and roll off and out of her. Applejack then scooted closer, snuggling up to you and placing her head on your chest. "Mmm, Ah gotta say, sugarcube, ya sure know how to give a mare a good time. And don't worry, Ah won't be forgettin' about this anytime soon." "What do you mean by that?" You ask, slowly stroking her mane. "You 'member what Ah said right? Ah don't like just gettin' with stallions and leavin' em there like nopony's business. And we're two lonely peoples..." "I think I know what you're getting at, AJ. And well, I know we're both lonely, I don't think that having sex right off the bat is a conventional way of starting a relationship, but I do think that its a rather effective one." "So whaddaya say? Wanna be muh stallion? My very special somepony?" She asks fluttering her eyes at you. "Hmm, give me some time to think about it..." The surprised look on her face was priceless. "Relax I'm joking! Of course I'd like to, but if this is gonna work you gotta have a sense of humor!" You let out a laugh and she does as well. "Alright if Ah could put up with Rainbow and her highfalutin ways Ah think Ah could get a sense of humor." "Great, but another thing, you have to let me take you out on a date as well. Its only right, you know?" "Well we did just rut like crazy, so Ah think Ah could do with a date." "Awesome, so its a deal?" "Deal," To seal the deal, you lean forward and share a quick kiss. The two of you then lay down on the bed and bask in the ecstasy that is afterglow. Minutes go by and Twilight comes out of the observation room; either she has a really good poker face, or she really was unphased by the wild sex scene that took place in front of her just minutes ago. "Well," She clears her throats. "I must say you're quite the love machine, you lasted a whole lot longer than the average stallion does. Not only that, but you were quite big on the foreplay. Are all humans like that?" "Yes, foreplay is a good way to go and most human males last an average of three to five minutes. Um, how long does a stallion last?" "I believe the average stallion lasts about thirty to forty seconds. Give or take a minute." "Jeez, that's uh, good I guess?" "Yes it is, now you mind getting dressed?" "Right." You roll off the bed and find your boxers and robe on the floor and slip into them while Applejack simply puts on her hat. "So, what now, Twi?" "That's all for today, I'll take you back to your room whenever you're ready." "I'm ready when you are." "Okay then, c'mon Applejack." "Comin'!" The three of you leave the room and Twilight turns off the light and closes the door behind you. After a short walk through the hospital, the three of you having idle conversation on the way, you finally reach your room. "Ah! Home sweet home," You quip as you make your way to your bed and sit down on it. "Oh man I'm tired, I could use a nap." "I think you could use a shower," Twilight giggles. "You don't exactly smell that great. I mean somepony could smell you a mile away!" "Ah second that." "Really?" You life your armpit and give a sniff. "Ooh, yikes, I do need a shower." "Yes, you do. Well we'll just let you get to that and me and Applejack will be on our way. Anything else you might need?" "No I don't think so, I still got some of those books over there that I can read so I won't be that bored." You point back to the books on the nightstand. "Great, Applejack? Ready to go?" She asks her friend. "Ah'm good to go if ya'll are, Twi." "Okay then, Leroy? We will be seeing you very soon." She turns around with Applejack and they trot towards the door. "Bye now!" You watch the lavender princess leave the room, but Applejack lingers. She turns back around to face you, her expression becoming nervous, her hoof kicking at the floor. "AJ? Something wrong?" You walk up to her and kneel down to face her. Instead of answering verbally, she just gives you a lingering kiss on the lips. After a few seconds she pulls back. "I'm gonna take that as no?" "Don't worry, Leroy," She pulls you in for a hug. "Everythin' is fine." "I'm glad it is." "Ah'll be seein' you later okay?" "Looking forward to it." She pulls away from your embrace and gives you a smile as she trots out the door and meets Twilight out in the hall. At first you just stand there, wondering what to do next, but your strong odor reminds you. As you make your way to the bathroom, you can't help but smile and laugh to yourself. 'Well, after everything that's happened, I only have one thing to say..." You strip off your robe and turn on the shower, waiting for it to warm up. "How the fuck did this happen?"
Chapter 6: RegretsChapter 6: Regrets By: Calamity Jay "The past is the past, only thing you focus on now is the future. Focus on what lies ahead, not on what's behind you..." For some reason, you wake up... And see that you are in your old room. In your old house... You are able to recognize it easily, due to the fact that you see some very familiar posters of games you played back on Earth. Wait, was everything you experienced a dream? Was the hospital you recovered in all a hallucination? What about Twilight and her friends? The Princesses! Was Equestria real? Was... Applejack real? Was what you felt with her real? Your fears are confirmed when you see your old television set sitting on the entertainment center, complete with a familiar black rectangular shaped object sitting next to it. Your old Xbox, but what is it doing here? When you moved out, you took it with you! You rise up from the bed and find you are fully clothed, a pair of jeans, shoes, and a t-shirt. 'The hell is going on here? Why am I in my parent's house?' you wonder. You look about the room and immediately feel a sense of nostalgia and also... sadness? You walk up to your Xbox and place a hand on it, immediately you are reminded of all the fun times you had with friends, screwing around online playing games. A smile curls on your lips as you remember all the laughs and cries you had. Your television was a 32 inch, just the right size. You turn and look at the random posters all across your wall, ranging from the occasional pin up girl, to posters of your favorite games. To your left is your old bookshelf, it mostly held DVDs and some books lined the bottom shelves. On top you see a few trophies you earned. 'A Honor Roll' 'Best Leading Male Actor, Theatre Arts' '1st Place, Little League Baseball' And a few other Perfect Attendance and academic awards. And there lay a picture of your baseball team, you remember a few of their names and faces. Some of them you had played with for years, grew up to be close friends. But after high school, you just grew apart. A tragedy really... You feel tears beginning to brim as you look at the picture. You look down at the picture, you see yourself standing with your old teammates, celebrating winning the city championship, all of you holding the trophy together. All of you look so overjoyed, your coach looking extremely proud of his team. You smile, remembering that day. Before the waterworks flow, you put back the picture. Walking to the other side of your room, there are some drawers standing there, with a mirror standing on it. It was exactly how you remembered it... a mess. A few coins here and there, a hair brush, various sticks of deodorant, colognes and hair gels, a sock or two, and a picture? You go over to the picture and pick it up. It was you and... your parents... happy... You stare at the picture and you see your father sitting on a haystack, your mother standing to his left, her arm around his neck. And there you were, standing behind them with a big smile on your face. This picture was taken Christmas Day your sophomore year in high school. It was at your grandfather's ranch, you remember having dinner in the barn and taking that picture. This was before your relationship with them had collapsed and you had estranged them. Now you look at this picture and wonder what could've been. 'We look so happy here. We'd just had dinner, we opened gifts, rode one of the horses, and sat down in the barn for hot chocolate. What a night,' you smile as you remember the festivities that had taken place that day. It was possibly the greatest Christmas you had ever celebrated... where did things go wrong? You and your family were so happy, then all of a sudden, you just grew apart... tragic is it not? You look around at your room, it was always so messy. Your mother always telling you to clean up all the clothes and junk on the floor. You look back at the picture again, but this time, something is off about it. All of you are still in the same position, but with serious expressions, not the jubilant ones you had worn. You blink and rub your eyes, thinking it was your imagination, but then the picture changes again. This time you are not there any more, only your mother and father, wearing faces of sorrow and regret. A gasp escapes from your mouth as you look at the picture and you feel a great pain within your chest. You knew what this meant... whether this was real or not, you knew what this was telling you. Tears begin to flow down your cheeks and you press a hand to your mouth to keep in the sobs. You hunch over from the strain, putting your hand on the dresser, tears flowing down your cheeks like a river of sadness and pain. You let the picture fall to the floor and through the blurriness of tears, seeing the morose expressions on your parent's face's. Its painful to say the least, knowing that your own parents had disowned you. Simply because you had a disagreement and looking back on it maybe you could've done something more rational. Maybe you should've just reasoned with them instead. Something completely unexpected happens next... Out of nowhere the picture of you and your parents catches flames. A scream escapes from your mouth as the entire picture is engulfed by fire. You can only look on, stunned by what had just happened. Soon the whole picture is burning, your parents faces being the only thing visible. The last thing you could see before the picture turned to ash, was the faces of your parents... with expression of extreme sadness. You put out the last of the flame with your foot and kneel to look at the burnt remains. There was nothing left that was recognizable, only ashes. Sitting back on your rear and taking in the unexplainable event that just took place, the dam finally breaks. You curl up in the fetal position and begin to sob like a boy who's lost his parents in a grocery store. Ironic, because you feel exactly like that. Time seems to slow down and you have no idea how long you are laying there. Your face covered in tears and your throat is straining from your sobs. "Leroy..." The voice you hear is extremely familiar. Could it be? "Leroy... Fear not... This is only a dream..." "What? Luna? Where are you? W-what's going on?" you ask. "Calm thyself, You have nothing to fear. Allow me to reveal myself" Suddenly, you see a familiar midnight blue alicorn appear out of thin air. Luna, the Princess of the Night. "Luna," you say relieved," I uh, did you just see everything that happened just now?" "Yes I did Leroy," she says with a solemn expression, " I am sorry that you feel such pain inside you. I cannot begin to imagine how you must feel," "Well, I'm just glad that this isn't real," you go over to sit on your bed. "Leroy," Luna walks over and climbs up to sit next to you. " Do you miss your parents?" "Well before I saw this, I never realized how much I missed them," "I see. So it took you seeing a picture of you and your parents being set on fire to realize that? I expect better of you Leroy," "I guess I was just still being bitter about how much I hated what they thought about my future goals and stuff. They wanted me to be a doctor and I wanted to pursue an acting career. Then we had a big argument one night and that was the last straw. I remember him saying that he wanted to disown me, that I wasn't apart of the family anymore," you feel the tears well up again. "I'm surprised it took that much time for you to realize that. Have you not ever thought about writing to them and saying how much you love them?" huh never thought about that did you? "I just never got around to it. I was just too busy with work and getting drunk at the local bar. Life's good ain't it?" "Hmm, quite. But you must do better Leroy, tell your parents you love them. Ask them for forgiveness and I am sure they will accept you into their hearts" "How do you know they will? They'll probably just gloat and say how they were right all along," you lean on your elbow on your knee and rest your chin on your palm. "Let me tell you something," you turn around and look into her light blue eyes. " When I was released from Nightmare Moon's influence, I was afraid my sister would not take me back. That I would forever be shunned and left alone. However that was not the case, my sister had taken me back with open hooves. In fact when Nightmare Moon was vanquished, it was almost as if I had never left. Tia told me that everyday she felt the pain of having to banish me to the moon and all she wanted was her sister back. She was overjoyed to see that I was broken free and finally pure once again. If my sister could forgive me for threatening to take over all of Equestria, then I am certain your parents will forgive you Leroy," she places a hoof on your shoulder. "But, I don't know how. What do I even say? I never knew much about the whole apologizing thing," "Leroy, stay in Equestria for a few weeks. Learn from us about friendship and love. Then, when you are ready, I will bring you back here so you can finally apologize to your mother and father," "Will I get to stay here? I mean it is pretty nice here. And what if things don't go as planned?" "However things turn out, whether or not you wish to stay in Equestria will be of your own accord. We will not force you to stay here, after all you do still have a family. No matter how you see it," "Hmph, well I guess I have a lot of learning to do, thank you Luna," then without thinking, you lean over and kiss her on the cheek, pulling in for a hug. You feel her tense up a bit when you do so, but then she eases up and hugs you back by wrapping her forelegs around you. "I never did to thank you for taking me to Equestria, Luna. So thank you, you made a big change in my life and I will never forget this. If there is ever anything you need, anything at all, you just let me know okay?" "Y-yes of course Leroy, I will let you know," you pull away from the hug and see she has a mad blush on her muzzle. You can't help but develop a blush of your own. "Right well, am I going back anytime soon now?" you ask rubbing the back of your neck. "Ah yes that, its almost morning in fact so you should be waking up soon. I should be going," she hops off the bed and walks towards the door of your room. "Oh and Leroy, this room is quite a mess, perhaps you should clean it when you go back?" "Uh yeah maybe I should," you chuckle. "Yes, well I will be going now. I'll be seeing you Leroy," "Yeah, see ya," you wave as she opens the door. A bright light fills the room and blinds you. Then all of a sudden, everything goes black, and you go unconscious. The next thing you realize is that you are awake, still lying in your hospital bed. Sunlight seeps in through the blinds and you groggily sit up. Rubbing your eyes of sleep, you rise up and stumble your way to the bathroom to take care of morning business. You grip the doorknob and pull. Walking into the small bathroom, you turn on the light and look at yourself in the mirror. You notice something strange about yourself. For some weird reason, your eyes are a different color. The last time you remember they were a dark brown color. Now for some reason they were a series of blues and greens. "What in the world," you say, focusing in on your eyes. In doing so, a light blue aura overtakes the mirror and when you step back it shatters. You stand back astonished at what happened, also trying to avoid stepping on glass. Things are getting weirder by the second. You have no idea how you did that and Twilight is most likely going to want to hear about this. "Oh dear," is all you can mutter, being at a loss for words. Well, seems like you might have some explaining to do.
Chapter 7: RecoveryChapter 7: Recovery By: Calamity Jay "A whole world filled with adorable, pastel colored ponies, dragons, and other creatures? Sure, let's do it..." "Uhh Leroy, what happened here? Why is the bathroom covered in broken glass?" Sunny Day asked with a concerned expression. She had come in to give you your breakfast and have a chat. But she received a great surprise when she saw you sitting on your bed in 'The Thinker' position whispering to yourself 'oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit'. Truly a predicament. "Umm, funny story that. I just woke up, looked in the mirror, saw my eyes took on weird color, and for some reason the mirror glowed and it broke," you say in one breath, shrugging your shoulders. "What do you mean your eyes took a weird color? Let me see them real quick," you lean down to her eye level and you look into her purple irises. She squints and concentrates her gaze into your eyes. After a few moments of awkward staring, she stops and develops a worried expression. "I know Princess Twilight will want to see this, I'll go get Doctor Soft Hoof, be right back," She leaves the room and you still sit there on your bed, wondering what is going to happen next. But that thing that happened in the bathroom, was that... magic? No, it was impossible. Twilight said that Unicorns and Alicorns were the only ones to cast magic. Right? What if... Equestria is changing you? In more ways than one? This thought frightens you, since you had little knowledge of magic in this world, this could be harmful to your body. About ten minutes go by, you sitting there on the bed, worried about what will happen. Suddenly the door opens and Sunny and Soft Hoof both walk in. "Hello there Leroy, Nurse Sunny here has just informed me that there have been some interesting developments with your body. Care to give me your side of the story?" "Well I just woke up, went to the bathroom, looked in the mirror, the mirror started to glow, and it broke. Simple as that," you explain for the second time that day. "Hmm, let me give you a scan real quick. Please stand up," like the Real Slim Shady you stand up straight, "Okay, now hold still. This will only take a few seconds,"he closes his eyes and his horn begins to glow a brown color. You feel your body begin to hum slightly, most likely it was his magic flowing through your body. After about ten seconds go by, the spell stops and he opens his eyes. "Well, I must say this is quite intriguing. Leroy, how does your body feel?" "I'd say it feels great, better than the way it was before. What's wrong doc?" "Nothing is wrong, but if you think that your body being altered by Equestria's magical aura is wrong, then yes something is terribly wrong. From what I saw in the scan, your bones and the rest of your anatomy have been affected. It appears that your entire body's resilience, strength, and endurance has been bolstered. And from what you had mentioned it appears you may have gained some magical abilities as well, although uncontrolled," "So I have magical powers now? Cool..." you say smirking a little. Now that you knew that the magic in Equestria was not affecting you in a negative way, you felt significantly better about the whole situation. "But does this mean I have to stay longer so you can run tests?" "No, we made an agreement. This recent development was unknown to us, so I believe it would not be fair to keep you longer. Besides, we already know everything we need to know. Most importantly we know that you're not carrying any pathogens from your world that may start a world wide contagion that could threaten Equestrian life, but no one is complaining," you raise an eyebrow at that. "So do not worry, when Princess Twilight arrives on the train from Ponyville with her friends, we will discharge you," "Really well I'm glad to hear that, I've been itching to see what's outside. Uh, not that it isn't nice here though," you say grinning to the intelligent doctor and the lovely nurse. Truly they have given great service to nurse you back to health. But in all honesty you wanted to get the hell out of there, though you would never say that to them. "So, what do I do 'til then?" "Well I-," he looks over at the clock on the wall, "Oh dear me, I believe I have rounds to tend to. I am sorry Mr. Evans, but I must be going. Perhaps you could read some of those books that Twilight gave you to pass the time? I do believe that is a good idea," "Hmm, I agree. Well I guess I could catch up on some reading. Alright I guess I'll get busy then," you reach over to the stack of books on the drawers to your left. "Very well then Mr. Evans, I shall leave you to your devices. Nurse Sunny? Are you coming along?" he asked opening the door. "Oh yes doctor," she answered quickly, "Bye Leroy, I'll be back to check on you in an hour or so," "Alright, see ya later," you smiled and waved at her. "Oh and Leroy?" she asked halfway out the door. You looked up at her from your book. "Please do be careful, you have no idea how to use magic. So please don't do anything silly okay?" "Will do, don't worry about it Sunny," "Okay, well I'll come back soon," "Don't worry, I'll be here," you chuckled. She exited the room and closed the door. Now it was just you, your thoughts, and a book on 'The Species of Equestria' for you to read. You open it to the title page and continue on to delve into the two inch thick sea of knowledge. *Scene Break* "Wow, this got boring real fast," you rub your eyes after only about forty five straight minutes of reading. It wasn't that you were bored, you loved reading, but the fact that time seemed to slow down. If Canterlot was that far away from Ponyville, it'd be quite a while until Twilight arrives. You had reached the chapter 'Pegasi of Equestria', and all that it explained was the anatomy and social habits of pegasi. Earth ponies and Unicorns were quite interesting, but you're anxiousness seemed to make everything boring. However it was at this moment, you're brain was straining to come up with some form of entertainment. Something that didn't involve playing with yourself. "it appears you may have gained some magical abilities" Those words that the doctor had told you echo in your head. It was at that moment you came up with probably one of the most hair-brained ideas you've ever thought of. You were about to do something you did a lot of back in your days on Earth. Breaking. The. God. Damned. Rules. "I know I'm probably gonna regret this. I might hurt myself or do something that I'll regret... eh, I've done worse.," you shrug your shoulders and look around the room for something to levitate. The lamp? No, that could break. The clock? No, that could also break. You look over to the books. Aha! The books, perhaps you could lift one of those. Yes, a soft leather book that won't break or break anything else. Right? You stare at the books, wondering how in the hell you were going to attempt this. You thought about trying to float onto the bed, but honestly you weren't prepared for what would happen if you did one of your famous 'fuck-ups'. So like a smart person you grab the book with your hands and gently place it onto the bed in front of you. Not that what you were doing was exactly smart in the first place. You sit staring at the books, trying to figure out what to do. An idea pops into your head to place your index and your middle fingers to your temple and reaching out with your other hand to lift it. You screw up your face in concentration trying to lift the book with your magic. After a few moments of looking like a complete idiot, you relax and try to think of another way to attempt this. You raise both of your hands up and point your fingers towards the book and put all of your concentration into the task. However it fails as there is not even a faint glow coming from the book. You get up from the bed, kneel down on the floor, and place your arms and elbows on the bed. "How in the hell do I do this?" you ask, dropping your head onto the white sheets. You remember back in the bathroom when you broke the mirror without even thinking about it. Maybe that was what you had to do for this? Just don't think about it. Staring at the book you relax your mind, your body, and concentrate on the book. Nothing. Maybe it had to do with emotion? No that's not possible, if that were true then Twilight would be angry, sad, or scared every hour of everyday. So that theory is thrown out the window. Another crazy idea pops into your head. "Maybe, if I imagine the book being levitated? That might work," you relax yourself and close you eyes, trying to imagine lifting the book with your hands. You still feel that the book hasn't moved and not anytime soon. "Dammit, how do I do this?" you plop your face down onto the mattress softly thumping your head against it. You keep this up until another one of your brilliant ideas pops up again. "Okay, how bout I imagine myself lifting the book, but while concentrating on the book itself? Yeah that's gotta work," you put all your focus on the book and without closing your eyes, you imagine yourself lifting the book with your hands. After half a minute passes you stop and sit on top of the bed with one leg dangling off the side. This was honestly something you really should not be doing, but for some reason you just kept using different strategies to lift the damn book. With your luck you would probably make the book explode or something. Yet another idea pops into your head. "Maybe if I just imagine something else lifting the book?" you focus on the book and try to imagine something else lifting the book. You try to imagine a giant metal claw like the one at the arcades picking up the book. That does not seem to work due to the fact that nothing was happening. Remembering some things from Star Wars, you "reach out"with your mind, block out everything else, and concentrate on the book. At this point you're concentrating so hard your head is beginning to hurt. You were also beginning to feel as if this was all in vain; that perhaps this was all hopeless. That was, until the book started to glow... Wait a second, when did that happen? Yes, the book started to glow! The book was sheathed in a navy blue aura and a low sparkling hum was being emitted from the aura you had cast. Now would be a good time to do that imagining thing. First you imagine yourself lifting the book with your two hands, then you "reach out" and lift the book with your mind and imagination. You feel a straining sensation in the frontal part of your brain while the book seems to be wiggling around a bit on the bed. Gritting your teeth, you focus even harder, the strain starting to build up even more. The book still wiggling in it's place on the bed, almost as if struggling to lift off from the mattress. You lose track of how long this is taking and the straining feeling in your head is becoming excruciating. With the pain in your head you immediately regret your decision, admitting that this was a very stupid way to relieve you boredom. After what felt like an eternity, the book actually began to lift off the bed! Granted, it rose less than a few inches, this was still incredible to see! You had just taken a huge step for your kind, possibly the first human being ever to life something with their mind! Much less use real magic! "Whoa, whoa! Holy shit, this is cool!" the straining in your head had gone as the book lifted just a little more and it no longer felt like you were lifting a huge cinder block. Now it felt natural, as if you were lifting a feather. "Jesus, this is incredible! I gotta show this to Twilight," you chuckle still focusing on the floating book. This was perhaps one of the most exciting moments of your life! However, in your bravado, you failed to notice that the door had opened and in walked Sunny Day. "Hey there Leroy!" she greeted cheerfully. "Gah!" you were startled by her sudden entry and focused your attention to the pink nurse mare. Little did you know that your attention was somewhere else at the moment; because of what you were doing prior to her entry and your little experience with magic, this brought consequences. Said consequences involved you launching the heavy leather-bound book directly towards Sunny. The nurse mare's eyes grew wide and she let out a yelp of surprise as she ducked down to avoid the flying book coming right at her head. The book had made contact with the wall behind her, leaving a visible dent in the wall. Immediately, you go over to the mare who was lying down on her belly, forelegs over her head, and eyes open wide. "Oh jeez, Sunny you alright?" you kneel down in front of her, "I'm so sorry about that, I was just uh, well I was-" "Doing something you weren't supposed to?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Uh yeah. You could say that," you say with a sheepish grin and a chuckle. "Leroy, didn't I tell you not to do anything that would be dangerous?" "Well, I just got bored and I tried lifting that book with magic. And well, you can see that I was successful in doing so," you pick the book up off the floor and walk over to put it back onto the nightstand. "Again I'm sorry I almost hurt you, thank goodness you have good reflexes," "Yeah, I'm glad I reacted quick. Hold on, let me fix this dent," her horn glowed and the dent in the wall was encased in her pink aura. Then the dent seemed to come back together and the cracks were fixed up as if by... magic, of course it was how could you forget? "Whoa, that was cool, how'd you manage that?" "It was just a spell that I learned a while back. Always knew it would come in handy," she giggled, walking over to the door and closing it. "So all craziness aside, how did it feel using magic for the first time?" she asked sitting back on her haunches next to your bed. "Well my head started to hurt a little bit. After I actually lifted the book off the bed, it just went away and the book just felt like lifting a feather. Other than that it felt pretty cool being the first human ever to use magic," you say smiling at her. "Hmm, that's true you are the first human to do something like this. But I would advise you not to do something like that again, maybe when Twilight comes to pick you up she could give you lessons?" "Yeah, that would be nice, oh by the way, when is she getting here?" "She should be here in the next hour or so, her friends are coming along as well," "Cool, oh man I can't wait to get out of here," you say stretching out your back a bit. "Yeah, I guess you will be leaving," her tone of voice surprises you a bit. Her voice is always upbeat and cheerful, but the way she lowered her voice when she said that it was... strange. Immediately you call her out on it. "Hey you okay there? You seem a little upset," "Oh its nothing," she says giving a grin and a wave of her hoof. You give her your famous 'be honest with me' look, silently asking her for the truth. "Okay fine, I'm just gonna miss you is all. I just found you so interesting when you first arrived I had to get to know you. And now that you're leaving well, I'm gonna miss you... a lot," okay this you did not see coming. "Hey, I could always come back and visit you from Ponyville. There's no need to feel so bad Sunny," you give her a reassuring smile. "I know, but you'd probably be so busy I feel like you could forget," "How could I forget a pretty face like yours hmm? Especially the way you've kept me company these past few days. I could never forget what you did for me," She looks at you with a soft smile, your words obviously touching her heart. "Thank you Leroy, that is the sweetest thing anypony could have said to me," "You're an amazing mare Sunny, I'm sure stallions fall in line just to talk to you," you chuckle. "Aww how sweet of you to say, but I wish that were the case. For some reason I haven't had the best of luck with stallions," "Really? Is that so?" "Mhm, the last stallion I was with was only after one thing and well, we both know what that is," she said looking down at the floor. "I must say that stallion must have been an idiot trying to pull a fast one like that on you," "Yeah, but I'll be honest, its been a while since a stallion has been tender with me, instead of just being a gentlecolt, they just go straight for the sex!" she says with a stomp of one of here hooves. In all honesty you weren't really that comfortable with where this conversation was going, but you just sat there and listened. "Are all stallions like that here in Equestria?" "Well, there aren't that many good stallions to choose from. Some lucky mares got their hooves on them and well, not many good stallions are left," "Hmm, I'm sorry to hear that Sunny. There are guys like that back in my world as well, so I know what you mean," for some reason she looks at you funny, she keeps shifting her eyes here and there, avoiding direct eye contact with you. "Hey you got something on your mind? You can tell me if you want," "Its just that..." she takes a deep breath, "I- I just, ugh, I heard about what happened yesterday! I heard about what happened with you and Applejack!" she exhales deeply. Oh dear, how were you going to get out of this one without something resulted with you doing something extremely lewd. "Oh uh, so you heard about all that?" scratching the back of your head with your hand. "Well when you pass by the research lab, hear Applejack moan out your name, and the other hospital staff gossiping about it I only assumed what happened. But I just want to know one thing Leroy," her tone becoming serious. "And what is that?" you ask nervously. "Why did you do it? I know that Twilight wanted to observe what you did for mating, but why? You could've said no," You take a deep breath, "It had been so long since I had been with a girl. I didn't just have pent up passion I had pent up love. And what I did with Applejack, I released all that love and passion I had inside me. The last girl I had been with, well, it didn't really work out. I know what I did seems really shallow and you might think that I am, but you understand me right? Why I did what I did?" "Yes I do, I understand you all too well," she rose up to all fours and started to approach you slowly with a half-lidded expression. You began to grow nervous, was she planning to- she reared up on her hindlegs and placed her hooves on either side of you, her muzzle inches from yours. Oh dear, your fears have been confirmed. "Uh, what are you doing Sunny?" you give her a nervous expression and lean back placing your palms on the mattress, trying to get away. "I didn't just hear about what happened, I also heard about what you did with Applejack. How you caressed her, kissed her passionately, ravished her with those hands of yours, and rutted her like no other stallion had done before. I heard about how you made her come, how you made her scream out your name while you filled her up with everything you had. All the while you were so gentle, making sure that she enjoyed every last bit of it, not like a stallion where he made sure that he was the only one satisfied. And you know what? I want to feel that as well," "Umm, I don't know Sunny. I'd feel terrible betraying Applejack like this," "She doesn't have to know. Besides, its not like you're in a relationship with her are you?" she says nuzzling your neck and pecking it gently with her lips. You shudder at her ministrations and your heart begins to beat a little faster. "Please Leroy, I really need you. I wanna feel you caress me, I wanna feel your hands all over me, and I want you to make love to me. I want you and I need you, please Leroy," Her whisper makes your face flush and your manhood begins to swell with excitement. "Umm, a-aren't you afraid t-that someone will walk in and see us?" she stops and looks at you. Her horn glows and you hear the door click, the deadbolt locking in place. "There, I don't think anypony will be coming in now will they? Now Mr. Evans, I believe its time for your medicine," she places a hoof on your chest, pushing you on your back and her sitting on your stomach. "And I'd be happy to give it to you," *Several minutes of foreplay later and for the sake of saving time* Honestly, anyone that walked in at this point would be in for a big surprise. You didn't really care right now, your instincts were in control, blocking out everything else. The only thing you were could hear was the sound of the bed springs creaking and Sunny's silent moans and whimpers; the only thing you could see were two pink eyes staring up at you while you plowed into her marehood as hard as you could. "Oh by the Goddesses yes! Rut me harder please Leroy!" she squealed under her breath, trying not to scream so that others won't hear her. Already you were going pretty fast and your body was straining from the effort. And you were also getting pretty close, so this won't last much longer. She pulls you close to her and you bury your face into her neck like you did with Applejack. You had already made her come at least twice just by using your hands and mouth and even then she still wanted you to keep going. It was astounding at how much she wanted you to keep fucking her, even after orgasming twice she still needed more. She is even more pent up than Applejack. "Sunny I'm gonna come," you whisper into her ear. "Wait, don't come yet," she pushes you off of her with her hoof and rolls out from underneath you. She trots over to the side of the bed and places her forelegs on the mattress. "C'mere Leroy, I want you to take me from behind," she winks at you, her mane hanging down her shoulders. She looked like an absolute goddess. You do as she says and take position behind her, inserting your rod into her dripping sex. Wanting to get this over with, you vigorously begin to pump in and out of her like you were doing before. "Ohhhh yeessssss," Sunny moans out. You were already close to the edge, in this position where you could go deeper and feel her walls pulling at you, the edge grew ever closer. "I gotta cum," you said under your breath. "Pleeaaaseee inside! Fill me up with your love baby!" she moaned out looking back at you with pleading eyes. You comply to her request and give one final push inside her; you feel her walls tighten up once again as you release your load inside of her. It felt absolutely heavenly, but the exhaustion took over and you double over onto the bed, still naked. You could not believe what was happening, back on Earth there was no way you could've gotten some as much as other guys. Now, granted you made love to a different species, but its not like they're animals! All the ponies in Equestria are just as human as you are, so that does not make it weird right? More than likely, but you put these thoughts aside as you have other problems afoot. "Leroy, thank you so much. I love you," she said in between pants as she laid on her belly against the bed. You get up and you put back on your boxers and robe. "No problem, glad to help," you say sitting down next to her. "Hey aren't the others gonna worry about you not tending to your rounds?" "Oh, don't worry about that, I got somepony else to cover my rounds so I could have you to myself," she says laying down next to you and placing her head on your lap. "Really? That's pretty clever of you Sunny," you say softly stroking her mane. "Oh sweet Jesus, I don't know about you, but I could use a shower. You had me working pretty hard there," you chuckle, getting up from the bed and walking over to the bathroom. "Hey, you uh, want some help with that?" "Well, honestly I could bathe myself Sunny," "Leroy, I'm your nurse and its my duty to help you in any way possible," she says trotting over and looking up at you. You would hate to deny her of doing her duties, so you agree. "Alright I guess you can help me then," you walk into the bathroom and turn on the light, you look to the left and remember when you broke the mirror, which was put back together by Soft Hoof. You undress once again with Sunny's help and turn on the hot water. As soon as the water is warm enough you step in and let the water cascade over you. When Sunny asked to help you, you didn't think she would actually join you. Which to little surprise she did, but you weren't complaining. So you and Sunny proceed to wash each other and enjoy the comfort of the warm water washing over you. ooo000oo000ooo Soon after your steamy experience with Sunny, she left and went back to her rounds. Tired from the lewd activities before, you go over to the bed and take a nap. You arose an hour later when Soft Hoof came trotting in. "Hello Mr. Evans," he greeted. "Hey there doc, what's the word?" you ask him groggily. "I just came in to let you know that Princess Twilight is has arrived here in Canterlot. You should very well start preparing to leave, we will return all your belongings you arrived in Equestria with," "Really? That's great!" You exclaimed. "So where exactly are my clothes?" "Oh right here, we took the liberty of cleaning them for you," with a flash of light and a snap your clothes appeared neatly folded out of nowhere. Well that was convenient. "Oh and all of your other belongings in this bag," another flash of light and a small sack appeared out of thin air. Magic truly was amazing. You take your clothes and the small bag with your belongings. These were the clothes, along with your shoes that you had worn to work before the little incident. The clothes were made up of brown Sperry shoes, khaki pants, a white t-shirt, and a navy blue button up shirt. The bag had contained your wallet (which had twenty bucks in it) and miraculously your smart phone! "No way my phone, I thought it was destroyed or broken or something," you turn it over in your hands and press the button at the bottom. The screen lights up and you have no signal or service available. It isn't like Equestria had phone service. "Wow and it still has battery, weird," you look at the battery symbol and see that for some weird reason its charging. Hmm, probably the magic in the air. "Yes well our technicians analyzed this 'phone' of yours and we discovered that it was of no threat so we didn't turn it into dust," Soft Hoof chuckled. "I thank you for that, well I better get dressed before Twilight gets here," "Very well then, I will return when they arrive," the doctor turns and leaves the room for you to get dressed. You start by taking off the robe, you pull on the pants and slip on the belt. You then pull on the white shirt, put on the blue shirt, button it up, roll up the sleeves for style, and slip on the shoes. You fold up the bottom of your pant legs so they wont go under your shoes and leave open the top button of your shirt. Going into the bathroom you look in the mirror to check yourself. Your hair looks a little bedraggled, your facial hair growing back, but overall you still cleaned up well. About fifteen minutes later, Soft Hoof walks in, along with six familiar mares and Sunny. "Leroy, Princess Twilight has arrived as you can see," "Hey there everyone," you greet them cheerfully. "Hello darling," "Hi Leroy!" "How's it going big guy?" "Um, hi, Leroy" "Hey there sugarcube," "Hey Leroy, all set to go?" Twilight asked. "Uh yeah I'm good, all dressed as you can see," you motion to the clothes you are wearing. "I must say darling those are some interesting clothes you are wearing, I simply must take your measurements when we get to Ponyville," Rarity said, giving you a once over. "Thank you Rarity, you're looking fine as ever as well," "Oh you are too sweet, Leroy," she giggles. "Well, since you are ready to leave, why don't we get going?" Twilight offered. "Sure let's get going," you put your phone in your pocket and your wallet in your back pocket. Twilight and the others make their way out the door, but before you leave, you take one last look at your hospital room. A sense of nostalgia hits you. You had spent a little over a week and a half in this room, now you are leaving and hopefully never having to come back again. Still, so much had happened in this room, but now it was time to leave. "Leroy?" Applejack calls out, grabbing your attention. "Ya comin'? "Yeah, I'm going," you reply, closing the door and leaving the compact room once and for all. You caught up with the others and made your way down the hall with your new friends. Applejack had trotted up beside you and you gladly walked with her. As you walked down the hall, ponies of all kinds were still giving you looks of contempt and disgust. Even then you tried your best to maintain your stoic expression and also refusing to make eye contact with them. All along the way, you could feel everyone staring at you, some smaller ponies stopped and gave you awestruck gazes, but were pulled away by their parents. You could never get over the fact that these ponies were legitimately afraid of you. At long last, you reached the cavernous lobby of Canterlot General where ponies were trotting about or sitting on benches and waiting to go in or for a loved one to come out. The lobby itself was a rotunda, the ceiling rounded and dome-shaped. All of it was exquisitely designed, the walls were mostly white with gold trim running along them. Light was shining through the skylight down onto the center of the lobby, which held a wondrous fountain as a centerpiece. Inside the fountain were two crossed golden alicorns dressed in regalia, striking dignified poses, and water spouting from their horns. Around them were three ponies, one pegasus with it's wings spread and water coming out from it's mouth, a unicorn standing on all fours, chin held up high with water spurting from it's horn; and finally an earth pony rearing up on it's hooves, water bursting out of it's mouth as well. As you were looking around marveling at the decor, you look down and see Scalpel standing at the receptionist desk. "Hey Dr. Scalpel!" you call out, he turns around and sees you approaching him. "Ah! Hello there Leroy! Feeling better I presume?" "Better than ever doc," you answer with a smile. "Wonderful! I am glad things turned out okay. I assume you are leaving with your new friends am I right?" "Yeah," you chuckle. "I'm leaving alright." "Very well then Mr. Evans, I hope that I was of good service," "Don't worry doc, you did your job very well. You have my thanks." "Oh it was a pleasure, my friend. I do hope to see you again some time." "Yeah, maybe I'll come visit you guys in Canterlot when I get a chance." "That would be most delightful," he held out his hoof for a hoofshake? "Hoofbump? Mr. Evans?" "Oh, yeah sure," you balled up your fist and bumped it against his hoof with a chuckle. "Great, well I must be going, patients to tend to and what not. Good day, everypony!" the gray unicorn doctor turned and went through the door leading into the rest of the hospital. "I believe this is where we part ways, my place is in the hospital after all," Soft Hoof chuckled. "It was an absolute pleasure working with you, Mr. Evans. I too hope that we will see each other again," he held out his hoof. "The pleasure was all mine doc, I'm glad that I could help," you bumped his hoof. Sunny walked up to you with a sad smile, seeming as though she would break down into tears right then and there. "Well, I guess this is goodbye for now Leroy." "I guess so, but thank you Sunny for all your help. I appreciate all the work you did for me. I wish I could repay somehow." "Don't you worry about it, I enjoy taking care of everypony, even if you're not a pony." She grins at you sheepishly. You could only smile back and nod at her, unsure if another form of a goodbye would go well with Applejack. You look back at Soft Hoof, "By the way, doctor, I'm pretty sure that you know, you don't do all this sort of stuff with patients for free. I'm sure that-" He raises his hoof to stop you. "Say no more my good man," he assures. "Princess Celestia has everything taken care of. You have nothing to worry about." "Oh, well that's great then!" "Yes it is," Soft chuckles. "Anyways, I bid you all farewell, duty calls and what not. Come along Sunny, goodbye everypony." you say your last goodbyes and watch them walk back into the heart of the hospital. With that you turn back to your friends who are looking at you expectantly. "All set big guy?" Rainbow asked, fluttering about as you walked towards them. "You bet, let's get going!" with that you walk to the glass front door of the lobby and pushed through it. The bright sun blinded you for a few moments since its been a week since you were outside, so you shield your eyes and let them clear up. Seconds pass and your vision clears up. As you looked around you could see towering skyscrapers that pierced the clouds, street lamps marked the corners of each street and ponies of all kinds were trotting along the sidewalk or riding in chariots that closely resembled taxis with their yellow color and checkered stripes. Inside the buildings were numerous shops, restaurants, and plazas; all of which were decorated with sophisticated decor. Not to mention the ponies of Canterlot dressed like they belonged in this placed. Stallions were wearing pony-sized suits and ties; some even dared to take it to the next step and wear top hats and monocles. The mares of this city lived up to the standards of their society as well, sporting long, flowing dresses and jewelry that looked too expensive for their own good. "Jesus, this city is huge!" you shouted over the noise of the hustle and bustle of the city. "Well yeah! Canterlot is the capital! The Sister's Palace is here!" Rainbow yelled as you all walked down to the sidewalk from the large staircase that lead up to the hospital. Now that you could see the outside of it, the front was very well designed, with Greek pillars lining the entrance. Strange, where did they get these designs? "Wow, I've never been to a capital before." "Not even on your own world?" Twilight asked, looking back at you. "Unfortunately, no. Never had the time for it." You notice that at the bottom of the staircase were two taxis that stood in wait. "So, where are we headed off to?" "We're going to take these taxis to the train station, from there we go to Ponyville." Rainbow explained. "Sounds great." You finally reach the taxis which were pulled by burly earth pony stallions. You walk up to the first one and- "Ow! Damn it!" -end up hitting your head as you tried to climb in and stepped back down. "Jesus." you groan as you rub your forehead. Rainbow and Applejack were standing right behind you and the both of them could not hold back their laughter. "I'm glad you guys enjoyed that." "Sorry, sugarcube," She walks up to you and nuzzles your side. "You're okay though right?" "I guess, but I really don't need another concussion." "Yeah neither do I," Rainbow groaned impatiently. "C'mon let's go already!" She floats into the carriage and takes a seat; Applejack follows and sits next to her. At first you were afraid you were going to be too large to fit into the carriage, but you duck down below the roof and step into it. The carriage was not very extensive and you had to tuck in your legs slightly and bow your head since the roof was too short. 'Fucking hell, everything is so small here,' You think to yourself as you settle in next to Applejack, your neck straining from bending forward. 'Oh yeah, definitely going to have a nice time adjusting to this.' "All set there, Leroy?" Applejack asked, to which you responded by nodding. "Alright then, to the train station if ya don't mind?" "Yes ma'am," The stallion nodded and took off down the street at a steady pace. On the way to the train station, you chatted with Rainbow and Applejack, who were pointing out certain shops and restaurants. Along the way, you found Applejack leaning on your shoulder, so you did the smart thing and wrapped your arm around her withers. You saw several landmarks as you rode along, there was huge library that they pointed out as the Canterlot Archival Library. There was another large building that looked similar to the hospital in design with the Greek pillars, but instead of white it was painted brightly with gold; Rainbow and Applejack told you that the building was known as the Royal Depository, where Celestia and Luna keep their gold. Finally after passing by several more points of interest and turning on more streets, you finally reached the train station; where there was indeed a train lying in wait, steam coming out of its wheels. The train, oddly enough, looked as though it came straight out of Candyland or something. It was brightly color and looked as though it was made of marshmallows. You almost wanted to take a bite out of it. Everyone had gotten down from the wagons and made their way to the train to board. All around there were ponies about to embark and there were those that had just disembarked as well. While drawing a few stares your way, you made your way to the train along with your friends and stepped into the open- "Ow! Not again!" you groan as you recoil from hitting your head for the second time in a row. "Leroy, you really have to watch your head," Twilight giggled. "Or else you'll get another concussion before you know it." "He'll probably get knocked out again or pass out. Could be either one," Rainbow snickered. "Yeah laugh it up Rainbowbutt," everyone laughed at your remark, leaving Dash a bit embarrassed as she snorted and walked past you onto the train car. You adjust yourself again and duck down below the frame of the door and follow the others into the car. Upon entering you could see that the car was pretty much vacant considering the number of ponies that were boarding the train. In the car there were several rows of benches with soft-looking cushions on them. The others took the pleasure of taking their seats and you plop down on one of them next to the window. Thankfully they were evenly spaced and not too small so your legs could stretch out. Applejack casually sat down next to you and placed her head on your shoulder again. "Well, this seems pretty nice, but aren't there any others that will be in this car?" "Nope!" You let out a yelp when Pinkie came up from behind you. "Since Twilight is a princess we get a car to ourselves!" "That's great, but Pinkie?" "Yeah?" "Don't do that again." "Do what?" She asked tilting her head. "What you just did." "What did I do?" "Scare me." "How did I scare you?" "When you- ugh, nevermind," You groan and wave your hand; she nods and goes back to doing... whatever she was doing. Soon after everyone got settled, you hear the loud whistle of the train and the voice of the conductor. "Alllllll aboard for the next train to Ponyville!" other ponies had hurriedly boarded the train as to not be left behind. A minute later the train whistle blew again, then the train began to move slowly forward. You looked out the window to the station as it slowly moved from right to left, ponies of all kinds waving goodbye to their loved ones. Within a minute, the city had grown farther and farther away as the train descended down the mountain side on which Canterlot resided. Before you know it, the hustle and bustle of Canterlot was replaced with grasslands and rolling plains. You leaned on the window while Applejack laid on her belly, head on your lap. "So, how long is the trip to Canterlot?" You ask, idly scratching her ears. "Oh it's gunna be a good four hours to Ponyville, so might as well get comfortable sugarcube," "Right, well with you here I don't think getting comfortable should be too hard." you remark, stroking her golden mane. "Oh you, makin' me blush and all," she giggles, red on her cheeks. "I know, aren't I the best at it?" you chuckle, tickling her ears. "Ya sure are, but that ain't the only thing you're good at," she winks at you and flicks her tail. Oh dear, now you were blushing. "Maybe when we get home Ah can show you the farm. And maybe have a little... fun in the barn?" "Ah stop, now you're making me blush," you say looking away from her. "Ah know, aren't Ah the best it?" she imitates your comment from before. "Hmm, very funny." you chuckle, rolling your eyes. "Ah'm just messin' with ya sugarcube, 'cept about the 'fun in the barn' part," "Right well, I'll see what I can do okay?" "Alright then," You spend the train ride talking with Applejack and the rest of her friends, asking questions and getting to know you better and what not as you made your way to Ponyville. You do not know what awaits you in the future and you also want to keep your promise to Luna about your parents. You have a lot to learn about love and friendship, so there was a long road ahead for you. Now that you are out of the hospital, it is time for a new adventure to begin.
Chapter 8: ArrivalChapter 8: Arrival By: Calamity Jay Editing by: Sausage "Welcome to Ponyville!" Somewhere along the ride you had fallen asleep with Applejack on your shoulder and everyone else had settled down as well. Rarity, Twilight, and Fluttershy were all chatting away in the seats next to you and Applejack. Pinkie and Rainbow were in the seats in front of you, giggling and possibly exchanging jokes. This continued for almost the entire trip to Ponyville, that was until Twilight tried waking you up. "Leroy, hey Leroy. Wake up will you?" she whispered, appearing in front of you. With no reaction from you she reared up and shook you with her hooves. "Leroy, can you please wake up? We need to talk," she whispered, shaking you gently with her hooves. Still no reaction, you still lying there snoring away. "Urgh, c'mon Leroy, wake up!" You mumble some incoherent response concerning not wanting to go to school and to stay home. Quite the heavy sleeper you are. "What seems to be the problem, Twilight?" Applejack asked, waking up from her slumber. "Whaddaya tryna t'wake Leroy for?" she asked straightening her hat. "Rarity, Pinkie, and I need to talk to him about some things before we get to Ponyville. Can you help me wake him up?" "Oh heheh, Ah believe I can wake him up for ya," Applejack said with a sly grin, she sat up and put her muzzle to your ear, "Oh Leroy~," she cooed in a sing song voice. "Leroy~, time to wake up sugarcube," "Mmmm, momma is that you?" you mumble in your half-awake state, much to the confusion of the others. "Please, momma just five more minutes," you say shifting over to get comfortable in your seat, leaning your head against the window. "Oh for Celestia's sake," Twilight says, facehoofing and groaning. "Pardon me a sec, let me try somethin' else. This always works on Big Macintosh when he don't wanna wake up in the morn," Applejack laughs before clearing her throat. She takes a second before she begins to inhale deeply as if getting ready to take a dive into a pool. The apple farmer stop inhaling, opens her mouth, and let's out the air she was holding in. "LEEERRRO-" she began hollering, but was stopped short when you suddenly woke up and pressed your lips against Applejack's. Oh you sly devil, you. She let out a surprised yelp at your bold move, but relaxed as she fell into the kiss. However before it could get any more intimate, Twilight cleared her throat to get your attention. "Sorry to interrupt your little moment, but we do have something to discuss," Twilight said as you and Applejack separated, both of you giving Twilight a sheepish grin. "Leroy, could you come sit with Rarity, Pinkie, and I?" "Uh sure, Twilight," you reply, rising up off your seat and walk over to the benches on the opposite row. Pinkie and Rarity take up the seats across from where Twilight was sitting, so you let Twilight sit on the bench in front of them first, and then move in to sit next to her. "So, what's the word?" you ask, leaning back in the chair and crossing your legs. "Well, we need to discuss with you what's going to happen when we get to Ponyville. Things such as living space, clothes, food, and the sort," Twilight explains. "Oh yeah, and Pinkie wants to throw you a 'Welcome to Ponyville' party. Right, Pinkie?" "Yeah! You should really come to the party! It'll be really fun!" Pinkie said with a gleeful smile. "I remember when Twilight first came to Ponyville and I threw her a 'Welcome to Ponyville' party, she was really surprised even though it wasn't a surprise party, or was it a surprise party? It was planned, but Twilight didn't know about it so I guess it was a surprise party. Oh yeah and there was a whole bunch of sweets and punch and cake and party hats and-" before she could go on talking at the speed of light, Twilight magicked a barrier over the pink party mare's mouth to stop her. "Yeeaaahh, well that takes care of that. So Pinkie will be handling the planning of your party. You like parties right Leroy?" Twilight asked raising an eyebrow and releasing her friend's mouth. "Uh, yeah sure. I like a good party," you say smiling. In the back of your mind you were not so certain of this party. Sure you like to have a good time, but these were peo-ponies that you did not know. Not to mention that you are an alien creature to them, so how they will react when they first see you is a mystery. For all you know they could have the same attitude as the ponies from Canterlot. You remember their faces clearly. That look of complete and utter dislike. Even though you did not want to lose face and react to their attitudes towards you, deep down you knew it was affecting you. No matter how much you had been through, how tough your spirit was, it still affected you. "Umm, Twilight, you think the ponies at Ponyville will be more... easygoing than the ones at Canterlot? A lot of the ponies in Canterlot were giving me the stink eye big time," you say, unfolding your legs and putting your elbows on your knees. "I'm sure they will, everypony in Ponyville is really friendly. So don't worry, but even if they don't really open up to you that well, I'm sure that with time they will," Twilight assured you. You find comfort in her words as you smile cheerfully. Perhaps she is right, maybe they will be open with you. "Don't worry about a thing darling, we will help you get along with everypony, we promise," Rarity said across from you, smiling sincerely. "Yeah! So just relax Leroy! We'll handle everything," Pinkie said with a bubbly smile. "Right, so we have that out of the way. Now we need to talk about living space, where are we going to have you live?" Twilight said as she tapped a hoof on her chin. That was true, where were you going to live? You felt a little bad that you possibly have to live with Twilight or someone else, you would hate to impose. Suddenly, Applejack appeared on your side and put a hoof on your shoulder. "Ah believe Ah got y'all covered. Leroy, can stay with me at the farm if he wants to, but he'll have t'help out and work the farm with me, Big Mac, an' Apple Bloom," Applejack offered, nuzzling your neck. To be honest you liked the idea of working on the farm, you always liked farms. Also, you'd be able to spend time with Applejack, and her family. The name Big Mac, however, automatically makes you think of the burger you would eat on Wednesdays, which is ironic because it contains meat... meat that is possibly from equines... and this world is full of equines... okay pushing these thoughts aside. Just make sure you never bring that subject up. "That sounds great, but who are Big Mac and Apple Bloom" you ask. "Big Macintosh is muh big brother and Apple Bloom muh little sister," Oh dear, siblings. The thought of having to meet her older brother terrifies you. His name already intimidating, you could only imagine what he looked like, and how he would react to a stranger to this world having made love to his sister. You believe that her little sister would be easier to handle than her brother, but you would cross that bridge when you get to it. "Oh, boy. I'm gonna have to meet them, aren't I?" you ask nervously. "Ayep, but don't you worry bout a thing sugarcube. Ah'm sure they'll like you, Ah do and Ah'm sure they will too," she says licking your cheek affectionately. You flinch a little when you feel her wet tongue go up the side of your face, but it wasn't that bad, it comforted you a little. And you also kinda liked it... "Thanks AJ," you reach over her back and wrap your arm around her in a hug. "Oh and what about toiletries and all that, Twilight?" "Don't worry about that, we'll get them for you," she replied with a wave of her hoof. "Oh, well that's good, then." "Okay, so we have that covered. Now what about clothes?" Twilight looks over at Rarity. "Rarity, got anything?" "Ah yes clothing, well darling, if you want me to make you clothing I will have to take your measurements. I believe it will be a challenge making clothes for your build, but I think I have the resources to make them. Oh! I would also like to see how you'd look in a tux! I'm sure you would look dashing!" she definitely had a lot to say, but you are grateful nonetheless for her generosity. "That sounds great Rarity, but I'd have to work a little to pay for all that," "Oh no darling, I am doing this as a favor for you. To make things a little easier so you can adjust to life in Equestria," her generosity is astounding to you. There she was, offering to make clothing for you, an alien creature, free of charge! You could feel that slight tingling sensation in your chest, something you have not felt in a long time. That certain feeling was something you felt when you won the city championship in baseball with your friends, those times you had with those you would never forget. Friendship... so this is what true friendship feels like? To you, it felt like magic... maybe there is something you could learn from these ponies. "B-but Rarity I, I really think I should pay for the clothes you're giving me," you try to insist to her. "Please darling, just take the favor. It is okay, I promise," she assures smiling. She truly is the Element of Generosity. Back on Earth, you had never seen this type of behavior from other people. Maybe that's why you are not used to it and wish to pay her back. If your parents taught you anything, it was that nothing in life was free and you lived by that your whole life. "Thanks, Rarity. No one on my world has ever been that generous with me before," you say trying not to choke up. "It is my pleasure Leroy, I am the Element of Generosity after all," she says with pride. "I can see why," you chuckle. "Okay, well I guess that covers everything. Housing, clothes, and food well you'll be living with Applejack, so I'm sure they could provide food for you," Twilight looks out the window for a second before her eyes widen and she gasps. "Oh hey girls, we're close to Ponyville already! Leroy, come look at your new home!" You rise up from your seat and crouch down to look out the window. There, past the slopes of several hills, surrounded by fields of grass, was Ponyville. It was beautiful, from what you could see, the town itself was made up of mostly one story and two story cottages with wooden walls and windows, and roofs that were made of hay. This was something you would see in the America's Colonial times, then again Ponyville was probably cut off from technology; unlike Canterlot, it had a rustic charm to it. "Wow, it looks great! Real peaceful and everything, I love it," you say smiling. The rest of your new friends fall into the other benches to look at Ponyville with you. "Ah'm glad ya like it Leroy," Applejack comments from behind. You look back at her and smile graciously before turning back to look at the view. Deep in your heart you are terrified of having to meet a whole lot of ponies at once, but with your new friends, and possible girlfriend, thing would undoubtedly be easier. With that in mind you were confident that things would turn out fine. ooo000oo000ooo You remember all that confidence you had approaching Ponyville? The swagger you were developing? Yes well, you still had that while you were on the train psyching yourself out and giving yourself mental preparation. However, all of that disappeared as soon as the train stopped in the Ponyville Train Station. You sat back in the bench, looking at the dozens ponies walking around the station, getting ready to leave or seeing off a loved one. The train had come to stop with a hiss and zero hour had come at last. For some reason, you could not move and you sat frozen, glued to your seat. "Uh, I don't think I can do this," you say to Twilight, sitting down and holding yourself. "I just realized how nervous I am," "C'mon Leroy, it'll be fine I promise. Your friends will help you get through this, right girls?" you look at Twilight and the others, all of them giving you looks of confidence and comfort. It caught you off guard when she said "your" friends, instead of "her" friends. It was strange to you when she said that, you had not made a friend in so long on Earth you almost forgot what it was like actually making a friend that would be there for you when you need it. And right now you felt just a little bit better knowing you would have theses six wonderful mares behind you. "T-thanks you guys, couldn't do this without you," you say hiding your face so they wouldn't see the tear fall from your eye. "Aww~, there there Leroy, no need to cry now sugarcube," AJ came up to you and dried your tear with her hoof, then reaching over and nuzzling you. You nuzzle her back affectionately. "Hey, if it makes ya feel any better, hows about Ah lend ya muh hat? Hmm?" "Well I don't know about that AJ, I mean that hat means a lot to you doesn't it?" before you could protest more, she places it on your head and adjusts it so it fits you. "Um, but how would this help?" you ask her, adjusting the large Stetson hat. "If anypony gives ya mean look, just pull the hat down so ya won't have to look at 'em," her advice seems to make sense. "Thanks AJ, I really appreciate it," you kiss her on the cheek with a grateful smile. The hat itself feels very worn, most likely from all the years that she has been wearing it. Nevertheless it is in good condition. "Yeah, don't worry about a thing, if anypony gives you a problem, they're gonna have to deal with me," Rainbow declared, hovering and pounding one hoof into the other. "So don't you worry darling, if anypony asks us about you, we will have nothing to say but good things," Rarity assured, "I am positive that Fluttershy will give her positive feedback about you to her animals. Won't you darling?" "Um, yes I will," Fluttershy nodded meekly with a smile. "Good, okay you ready to go Leroy? We need to get off the train already," Twilight asked. You still felt a little bit nervous, even with AJ's Stetson of Eminent Courage. Nevertheless, you comply and rise from your seat and stretch your limbs, preparing yourself to face the music. But then again, you think about the details here. Here you were, a big, strong, magically enhanced human, a stranger to this world and something no one here has ever seen! You'd be considered a bad ass! There's no reason you should be scared of a bunch of cartoon, brightly-colored ponies! With a huff you make your way to the exit ramp of the big steam train. Twilight and the others make their way out first with you following behind them; as you are about to exit, they await you on the outside, each of them looking at you. Still pumped up from your mental pep talk, you confidently take a big step down from the train and onto the ground of the train station and immediately- oh dear... Eyes... big, round, cartoon pony eyes, all around you... staring into your very soul.... judging... You freeze in place, unable to move a muscle. You wish you could follow Applejack's advice and pull down the hat, but your body won't respond to you. Just. Reach up. And move. The damn. Hat! But still you stood, glued to the spot where you stepped off. You look around and see ponies of all kinds giving you quizzical looks. At least they were not like the ponies at Canterlot; every single one of them giving you the dreaded "stink eye". It felt like an eternity just standing there, all of that self-confidence you built up all gone with just one step. You had gone deaf, seeing your friends mouths moving, but hearing nothing. You wondered, was this what true fear felt like? You had no idea how long you stood there like an idiot. 'C'mon damn it! Move! Do something!' you scream in your head, urging your body to move. All of a sudden you hear a child's voice call you. "Mister?" you look around to see who called your name, but you could not see who called for you. "Hey mister, what's your name?" again you hear the little girl voice but this time look down and see a little unicorn foal staring up at you. You could not help but smile at the sight of this cute, little pony staring up at you with it's big, round, and adorable amber eyes. Her coat was a light shade of purple and gray; her mane a dark shade of blonde and was messy, her horn protruding out from her forehead. "Who are you? You're really big, you don't look like a pony." You had no idea what to say to her, but you got down on one knee to make eye contact with her. "Hi there little one, my name is Leroy," you say waving your hand a little and giving a friendly smile (without teeth). "What's your name?" "M-my name's Dinky, Dinky Doo," she replied smiling back at you. You almost shed a tear at how cute she looked and her name fitted her small stature. Before you could continue talking with her, a pegasus mare who looked almost the same as the little filly before you, came trotting up from behind her. "Dinky, how many times have I told you not to wander away from momma? You had me really worried there, muffin," she said as the filly known as Dinky, looked down at the ground in shame. "You know I worry about you sweetheart," "I'm sorry momma, I looked over here and saw this- this-, I don't know what he is momma. He said his name is... Leeyroy?" her mother looked over to you and immediately moves in front of her daughter protectively, with a quizzical yet cautious expression on her face. The first thing you notice right away, as if you were drawn to them... were her eyes. Her eyes were a beautiful gold color, but the most defining feature was how one was looking up and the other was looking down. In fact, you were not exactly sure if she was looking at you or not, but you still kept eye contact. "Whoa, what are you? I've never seen a pony like you before," she said giving you a once over. "Uh, my name's Leroy, Leroy Evans and I'm a human," you explain. "A hooman? What the heck is hooman?" she said raising an eyebrow. You almost laughed at how she looked when she raised her eyebrow, more because of how cute she looked. And her being cross-eyed, made her about twenty percent cuter. Still, you did not know how exactly to answer her question, and you just now became aware of all the pairs of eyes staring at you once again. You look over to Twilight for help, but she shakes her head with a smile and motions you with a foreleg to go on and explain. As much as you did not want to do this, you had to think of something. You try to think back at how you felt whenever you played sports and hundreds of people were watching you and your team play. You think of how well you performed when your team needed you to make a hit in baseball and you did so! You think back at how well you did under pressure and this situation was no different. You were in front of a crowd, expecting you to perform. So you think of this mare as the pitcher and you were the batter. Right now, she had thrown you a low and outside fastball, and it was your job to knock it out of the park. You take a deep breath and prepare yourself. "Well, uh," You scratch the back of your head nervously; you were still aware of all the eyes that were on you. "I come from a different work you see. And uh, I'm called a human, I was brought to this world to visit so they can learn about me. I was also hoping to make some new friends as well. By the way uh, you mind telling me your name?". As confident as you sounded, your legs were shaking slightly and you felt a little bit of sweat beginning to form. Things were quiet for a time, ponies murmuring things all around you. You were certain they would all just walk away from this awkward silence and think you were a complete idiot. That was until Dinky's mother decided to break the silence... "Sure! I'd be glad to! My name is Ditzy Doo!" she reached out with her hoof for a hoof bump, to which you gladly complied. "Hey everypony! Come meet Leroy, the Hooman!" she shouted at everyone with a bright, cheerful smile. It was so strange. Just a moment ago, these ponies were clearly apprehensive towards you. Some were reluctant to greet you, but most of them had gladly greeted you. This went on for quite a while, after you had met and greeted all of the ponies, you regrouped with Twilight and the others. "Ah must say Leroy, you have quite a way with words there," Applejack complimented. "Honestly, I was nervous as hell and I just winged most of that," you chuckle, rubbing the back of your neck. "But you know we were right darling, we told you everypony here is friendly. Unlike those bigots in Canterlot," Rarity said. You heartily agreed with her. "See Leroy? There's nothing to be afraid of!" Rainbow said, hovering in front of you. "I guess I can see that now, Rainbow," you agreed. "Yeah! Oooh, I just remembered! I gotta get going to Sugarcube Corner! I have to get ready for your party!" before another word could be said, she had disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving you confused. "How did she-" "Don't ask sugarcube, its just Pinkie being Pinkie," Applejack said. "Right," you say, still scratching your head over what happened. "So, where to now?" "Well, how about you head off with Applejack? Maybe she could show you her farm?" Twilight suggested. "Sounds good, how about the rest of you?" "I'm going to take a nap somewhere before the party tonight, need my energy to party," Rainbow said stretching her wings. "I'll be going back to my boutique to get everything I need tomorrow when I take your measurements," Rarity said. "After that I will be going off to the party," "Great, what about you Twilight?" you asked her. "Oh uh, I have to go back to my castle to check on Spike. Then I'll meet you guys at the party," she said as she began to trot away to a different part of town. You were close to the town center, so everything was in a certain direction. The center was comprised of what you assumed was the town hall, a huge rotunda-looking building and was surrounded by cottages and houses. But wait, Twilight had a castle?! A damned castle!? "Castle? You live in a castle?" you ask astounded. You knew Twilight was a Princess of Equestria, so you should have expected her to live in one. But still the fact remains, that she lives in a goddamn castle. "As of right now I do, I used to live in the Ponyville Library and worked as it's librarian. But during my battle with Tirek, it was destroyed and when we unlocked the chest from the Tree of Harmony and defeated Tirek, the chest holding the power we needed to defeat Tirek made my castle appear. Any other questions before I go?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. That was a lot to take in, but you were sure she would give you the details later on when there was time. "Nah, but you're gonna have to tell me all about this 'Battle with Tirek' thing. Sounds pretty epic," "Maybe I will, but later on. I'll see you all at the party," she said, trotting away. You and the others wave her off and soon you all separate and part ways for the time being. Fluttershy left with the reason being she had to go feed her animals, but would meet you and the others at Sugarcube Corner for the party. You and Applejack went off and walked down the road in the town, AJ pointing out different locations and places of interest. "So how do ya like Ponyville so far, Leroy?" Applejack asked as you took a turn down to a dirt road leading to the outskirts of town. "Its nice, I like it. Everyone in town seems real friendly, but again some of them still looked pretty scared of me," you say, putting your hands in your pockets. They all really did seem nice, but there was still a reluctant air about them as the greeted you. Then again, how you would react if you were in their... shoes? Well, if you were in their position and a strange, talking, hairless, six-foot-tall ape your reaction would probably be the same as the ones you saw a while ago. "Well, not everyday they see somepony else from a different world like you, sugarcube." "Yeah, I guess that makes sense," you say looking down at the ground. A thought strikes your head and you look back at her. "Hey, so what did you think when you first met me?" "Ah'll be honest, when the thought of first meetin' you came to my mind, ah was kinda nervous, but a might bit curious too. In the end, when we started getting to know you, ya kinda started to grow on me," she said with a wink. You felt good when she said this, but there was one question remaining. It was probably dangerous territory, but you had to know. "So two days later you thought it'd be cool to have sex with an alien creature you just met?" you chided, causing her to scrunch up her nose in mock annoyance. "Why do ya gotta say it like that, all negative? Ah swear, yer makin' me sound like one of those mares that just sleep around with a bunch of stallions." "I didn't mean it like that, I mean c'mon," you shrug your shoulders. "Its just not something that I'm used to. Like I mentioned before I don't exactly agree with just sleeping with a girl and moving on. I'd just feel terrible for doing that." "Well, we did talk about it. Remember?" "Yeah, not to mention that I singlehandedly broke the sexual barrier between our species. I guess it goes to show that love doesn't have any boundaries." "You really don't restrain yourself when you talk do you?" "Nope!" "Ah swear you're more honest than I am," She laughed. "Ah guess that's one thing that Ah like about ya. Ya remind me so much of me and muh brutal honesty." "I just like to speak my mind, what can I say?" "Ah can see that," She remarked as she shook her head. "Anyways, but remember what we talked about? How we said we'd give this a shot?" "I know, I'm willing to do this if you are. We're both looking for someone to spend time with, I figure it would the sensible thing to do." She looks up at you with an eyebrow raised. "Ya know that there's a lot more to having a relationship than just ruttin' and cuddlin' right?" You balk for a moment before you answer. "Uh, yeah I know that..." "Do ya know? Ya do know that right, Leroy?" "What? Of course I do, why wouldn't I?" Memories flash in your head; you remember the very first time you got physical with another woman. And how badly it turned out. Loveless. Lustful. "I mean I uh-" "There something on your mind? You look troubled." "I am, but I think I'll talk to you about it later." you groan and rub the bridge of your nose. "Hmm, Ah think we should just talk about it right now, seein' as how we got plenty of ground to cover 'fore we get to the farm." you didn't want to tell her about what happened with your sexual ventures on Earth. What would she think of you? Would what you tell her throw everything you could have with her out the window? "Well?" "Argh, well you see-" Before you could say another word, a loud noise reaches your ears. "CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS, MONSTER CATCHERS! GO!" You and Applejack looked to the left where the sound was coming from. It became apparent as to who was making the noise when you see three small blurs charge at you. Before you could react, all three of them leaped and clung onto different parts of your body. A creme colored filly with an apple red mane clung onto your left arm, one having a dark orange coat and purple mane, clung onto your right leg, and the last one with a white coat and purple and pink curly mane clung onto your midsection, her muzzle digging into your hip. "Scootaloo! I got 'em!" "Me too! Sweetie Belle?!" "I'm barely hanging on, but I got him!" "Apple Bloom! What in the hay are y'all doin'?" Applejack asked, astounded. "We're monster catchers, sis! We heard there was a monster walkin' around Ponyville so we thought we oughta catch 'em!" ah, so she was Apple Bloom, and obviously she was AJ's little sister. The little filly was still clinging onto your shoulder and tried making her way up to your neck. "So, are you all having fun?" you ask, sarcasm in your tone. These little fillies felt heavy, but for some reason you carried them with relative ease. Probably from your magically enhanced strength. "We're taking you in Mr. Monster Guy!" The orange filly named Scootaloo shouted. "Well, first of all my name is Leroy. And I am not a monster, I'm a human. Now could you please get off?" "No way! We ain't giving up!" Apple Bloom shouted. "Yeah! We're not letting go till we get our Cutie marks in Monster Catching!" the white filly squeaked in agreement. "Alright then, you asked for it," now what you planned would probably end badly, but you think to yourself that you have levitation down, so you try something very dangerous next. You focus on the three ecstatic fillies and imagine them being lifted by giant hands. Your giant hands to be exact. The next thing you notice is the three fillies being encased in your familiar navy blue aura, their grips being released from you, all three of them being lifted gently into the air, and floating idly in the air with wide-eyed expressions on their faces. "Sweet Celestia, how in the world are ya doin' that Leroy?" Applejack asked. You had forgotten she did not know of your newly gained magical prowess. "Oh yeah I forgot to mention, I have magical powers now. Funny ain't it?" "Hilarious, now could ya please put my sister and her friends down?" she deadpanned. "Oh right, sorry girls," you focus and gently place them back down on the ground. That was incredible what you just did! Not too long ago, you were barely able to lift a damn book off a bed! Now you could probably lift a full sized pony! Or make that ponies. "So, now that you have stopped trying to arrest me, how 'bout I introduce myself?" the three fillies listen intently. "My name is Leroy, Leroy Evans. And I am not a monster, I am a human," you explain to them. "A hooman?" Apple Bloom asked. "What the heck is that?" the orange filly known as Scootaloo asked with a puzzled expression. "You're tall," the while filly known as Sweetie Belle squeaked. "Well, I come from a different dimension from a planet called Earth. Earth is similar to Equestria in some ways, but minus some other things," you explain to the curious fillies. "Now how about you introduce yourselves?" this triggers them somehow because they all beam up at you and gather together in a line, as if they'd practiced this before. "Ah'm Apple Bloom!" "I'm Scootaloo!" "I'm Sweetie Belle! "And we are..." they took a second's pause to huddle closer, "THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS! Their volume made you cringe a little bit, but you still smile at the performance that played out in front of you. "Wow, you guys sound like you've actually rehearsed that before," you say rubbing one of your ears. "Uh, we have actually," Apple Bloom answered. 'Oh, well that was very good then," you smile sheepishly. "Well, now that that's over with, Apple Bloom, ya mind comin' with me to show Leroy around the farm?" "Uh Ah dunno sis, me an' the others were gonna go off to find other ways to get our Cutie marks," Apple Bloom said. "Apple Bloom, our new guest needs a warm welcome to the farm. Besides, ya played with your friends all day long an' yer gonna have to come back and help me an' yer big brother around the farm later on today," Applejack scolded. Hmm, she really is the motherly figure. But wait, she never mentioned her parents, you should ask her about them later on when you were not so busy. "Fine, Ah guess Ah'll see ya guys later," Apple Bloom conceded. "Alright, I'm gonna go see if Rainbow Dash wants to hang out," Scootaloo said. "Yeah, I guess I'll go back to Rarity, she probably needs me for something," Sweetie Belle sighed. "Why would Rarity need you Sweetie Belle?" you ask her. "Oh, that's because she's my sister," she explained. Huh, you did not see that coming. "She is? Rarity never mentioned she had a sister. I guess now I know," you chuckle. "Yeah, now you do," she giggled. After Apple Bloom said goodbye to her friends, the three of you started making your way further down the dirt road to the farm. ooo000oo000ooo Since you and Applejack walked most of the way already, it was only another fifteen minutes until you reached the barn, Apple Bloom asking you questions along the way about what you were, what you did for work, why you were so tall, and many other questions. AJ had asked the young filly to stop asking so many questions, but you told her you were happy to answer all of them. It was actually quite adorable how curious Apple Bloom was. Before she could ask any more questions a new sight was laid before your eyes. As you walked down the trail, you began to see rows upon rows of trees. It was truly a wonder indeed and your jaw almost fell off your mouth when you saw the multitude of trees. "Whoa, Applejack this is a beautiful orchard you got here," you complimented. "Thank ya sugarcube, yer looking at generations of hard work. Here we grow every sort of apple you can think of, including our legendary Zap Apples!" she stated proudly. Wait, Zap Apples? What in the name of all creation are Zap Apples? "Uh, what are Zap Apples, AJ?" you ask with a bewildered tone. "Apples that only appear under special conditions once every winter. We harvest 'em to make Zap Apple jam, the best darn jam you'll ever taste!" she stated proudly. "Well, if they're as good as you say they are, then I hope I'll get to taste them someday," "Maybe you will sugarcube, if you decide to stick around," "I might just have to take you up on the that offer," you reply. The three of you continue to walk down the trail along the fence until you come across a gap in the wooden fence which is the gate. The gate was nothing much but just a gap in the fence, the only defining feature being the mailbox with the insignia of a shiny red apple. The apple farmer opens and checks the mailbox for anything she might need, but after coming up empty, she joins you and Apple Bloom still moving down the trail that leads to the heart of the farm, the Apple Family farmhouse. Along the side of the house is what you assume to be the barn where they most likely keep the apples when they harvest. You look around the farm a bit and you see different things such as a chicken coop, a field where they have corn, and a pen where they keep different kinds of animals. For some reason you realize they don't have a stable, then again this entire world is filled with equines so there should be no reason for them to need beasts of burden. So you assume since they are ponies, they transport their own goods. It is ironic in a way since back on Earth you need horses and the like for farm work, here they were horses basically. All of this thinking is starting to become confusing and your head starts to hurt. So for now you put these thoughts aside. "What do you think of our farmhouse Leroy?" Apple Bloom asked, looking up at you. "I think it looks absolutely beautiful, Apple Bloom," you reply, smiling down at her. "How long have you all been working on this farm?" "Our family's owned Sweet Apple Acres for generations, Ah think we've had it since before Granny Smith was born," she said, truly a wonder that her family has had this farm for years and years. You can just smell all the hard work that was put into this farm. As you approach the farmhouse, you see someone sitting on a rocking chair. That someone was a light green mare, with a grayed mane tied in a bun. You could very well see that she was elderly, due to the wrinkles on her face. If you were to take a guess, you would say that she is Granny Smith. "Granny! Granny Smith!" Applejack called out, so your guess was in fact correct. The old mare seemed to be asleep in her chair and did not give a response. "Granny!" Apple Bloom shouted, she began to stir when the little filly called her name. She slowly opened her wrinkled eyes and immediately they go to you. And for some reason, they grow wide as you have seen them and she takes a deep breath. "BIG MAC! There's a monster here tryna eat your sisters! Git 'em!" she yells out. Suddenly you look to your right towards the barn and see a big, red, orange maned stallion that burst out of the barn with murderous intent in his eyes. With a loud snort, he charged right at you. Your reaction was as follows. "OH FUCK!" you yelled as you turned heel and hauled it as fast as you could, away from the charging stallion. "Big Mac! Wait! He's a friend!" you hear Applejack yelled. However she went unheard as he lowered his head and prepared to ram you. You moved your legs as fast as you could, desperately trying to get away. To try and confuse him, you change directions into one of the rows of apple trees and begin to weave your way through them, all the while the big red stallion in pursuit. You ran back and forth between the trees, yelling and hollering out at him to stop. "Easy there! Stop! Please don't kill me! Wait a Goddamn second! AHHHH!" were some of the words that you were spouting while the chase was going on. Honestly, this is one hell of a comedy act and anyone who happened to stop by would have a laugh. After about a few minutes of this hilarious chase, you decided enough was enough and you were going to stand your ground. You run back out onto the trail and turn around to face the bull rushing Big Mac. Getting low and bending your knees, you get ready to hold him back. "Alright, you wanna piece of me?! C'mon you big son of a bitch! I'm ready for you!" You challenge him. Big Mac lets out another loud snort before speeding up to ram a hole through you. You wondered why Applejack hadn't stepped in, but you figure she wants to see how this plays out. In all honesty, you didn't want her too, this big red horse wants to kill you and you are not just going to let him do so. You had expected him to just simply try and tackle you down to the ground and you would use your magical strength to hold him back. However, this stallion is smarter than he looks as moments before he hits you, he stops and turns his body and uses all of the gained momentum into one powerful double-legged buck. You hold out your hands in a vain attempt to block the blow and something unexpected happens. A light blue aura sheaths your hands; a half circle of light encases the front side of your body like a shield as his hooves are about to make contact. Instead of feeling the heavy impact of his bucking kick, you hear the sound of his hooves hitting the shield with a loud "thump!". He is then knocked back from the recoil and lands on his face. You relax and the shield dissipates, and you let out a sigh of relief; Big Mac isn't done yet as he scrambles to his hooves with a nicker, ready for another round. He paws the ground preparing to charge, but Applejack finally decides to step in. "Alright you two! That's enough! Big Mac, you say you're sorry for attacking this nice uh-," she pauses trying to figure out what to call you. "Man," you correct her. "Right, Ah want ya to say you're sorry for attacking this nice young man," she demanded. The big stallion relaxed then looked over at you with a sorrowful expression. "Ah am very sorry mister," he says with a deep voice. You almost laugh at how deep his voice is, it actually reminds of Darth Vader. If he ever said 'Leroy, come join the dark side,' or 'You are part of the Rebel Alliance, and a traitor, take him away!' you would absolutely lose it. "Ah, don't worry about it. If I saw a strange alien creature in front of me I would probably attack 'em as well," you say with a slight chuckle. "Eeyup," he says. "Sorry I called you a son of a bitch. No hard feelings right?" "Nnope," "AJ is your sister, am I right?" you ask. "Eeyup," "You don't say much more than you have to, don't you?" "Eeyup," "Cool, well my name is Leroy, Leroy Evans," you reach out with your fist for a hoofbump. "Nice to meet ya," he says, tapping his hoof against your fist. "Now that y'all have gotten to know each other, how 'bout we go an' give Leroy the grand tour of Sweet Apple Acres?" Applejack offers. You and the other two apple siblings agree and you set off to explore the metropolis of apple trees. ooo000oo000ooo "Well, I must say that was quite the tour. Truly a wonderful farm here you got AJ," you say patting her on the back as you walk along side her. You had also met Granny Smith who subsequently apologized for setting Big Mac on you. How could you blame her? She's an old mare who made an honest mistake. You put all of what happened behind you and acted as polite as possible. After that, you explored every nook and cranny of the farm, from the North to the South field, from the chicken coop, to the corn fields, to the lake back behind the farmhouse. For some reason you had not gone into the barn yet, but Applejack promised she would show you the barn later. When the tour finished, Apple Bloom and Big Mac went off back into the farmhouse, leaving you and AJ to your business. "Ah'm glad ya liked it sugarcube," she says nuzzling your hand. "Say, I still gotta show ya the barn. Care to come see where we keep all the harvested apples?" she asks. "Sure," you replied. You approached the huge, open barn doors and stepped on through. All around there were barrels and barrels of what you guessed was apple cider. Now where the actual apples were, was a mystery. "So, where are all the apples?" "Oh, they're down in the apple cellar," she says, checking on a barrel of cider. "Well, where is it?" "It's back in the far corner over there, where all that hay is," she points with a hoof to the left corner of the barn. "Alright then," you turn to go back into the corner to look for the door to the apple cellar. You get to it and look around the huge pile of hay, wondering where the door was. "Applejack! Where's the door at?" "Oh just look around in the hay, it should be there!" she yells back from the other side of the barn. You begin to sweep around the hay, looking for the outline of the door, but no luck. Suddenly you hear the door to the barn close, so you look back to see the orange cowpony standing next to it. "What was that?" you ask. "Ah dunno, Ah think it was the wind, just keep looking for that door Ah'll get it open," she replies. You shrug your shoulders and continue to sweep around the hay. Said task would be much easier if a certain somepony had not tackled you into the pile?! Wait when did this happen?! Why are you getting the feeling this will ensue an erotic encounter?! You flip back over to see two emerald eyes staring into yours and Applejack breathing heavily, as if she had just chased down and caught her prey. In this case, you were the prey and she was the predator, but for some reason you were okay with this. "Ah dunno about you Leroy, but Ah've been waitin' to get to rut you again since the last time we did it," she says circling a hoof on your chest and grinding on your lower torso. "So I'm guessing you liked it then?" "Here's a hint," she leans in to give you a deep kiss, already shooting her tongue into your mouth. She moans into the kiss and you let out a moan as well, both of you melting into the kiss. Pulling her closer by wrapping your arms around her back, you roll her over onto her back. You feel her hooves hook around your upper torso and her hind legs around your waist. Passion overtakes the two of you as you roll back and forth on the pile of hay, both of you fighting for dominance. A battle which Applejack wins by rolling you onto your back and pushing you down with her hoof. To even the playing field, you slowly run your hand down from her neck, to her shoulder, chest, belly, and then- "Oh~," she lets out a sudden moan from the contact you made with her already moist nether regions. "Like how that feels?" you whisper, peppering chest with kisses. "Yes, please do it some more," she begs, so you comply and flip her over once again, lowering yourself so that your face was level with her marehood. You give one long lick from the top to the bottom of her outer lips, eliciting a moan of pleasure from the apple farmer, all the while you keep intimate eye contact with her. You could not get enough of how good she tasted. Taking ahold of her left hind leg, you slowly kiss and nibble your way down, trying your best to give a pleasurable time. That time was interrupted however, just as you were about to get to work on her, you hear the barn door open, and a familiar voice calls out. "Applejack? Leroy? Where are you guys?" Rainbow Dash calls out. "Pinkie said the party is set up! We need to get going," "Damn, to be continued?" you whisper to Applejack. "Sure, maybe after the party Ah can show ya some other things Ah know," she says in a sultry tone, tapping your nose with her hoof. After you get off of her and shake off all the hay you reveal yourselves to the impatient pegasus. "There you guys are- wait, what were you doing?" she asks, raising an eyebrow. "Uh, we were just uh-'" you sputter "We were havin' a nice little quiet time, until you came in and interrupted us," she said matter-of-factly. Wow, she really is the Element of Honesty eh? "Oh, you were, were you?" she struts over to where you are and begins to circle you. "Yeah I heard about you and AJ. How good you are in the sack and all that. I don't know about you AJ, but I'd like to see how humans like to rut. Whaddaya say Leroy? Wanna include me in on the fun?" she asks, flicking her tail under your chin. A mad blush creeps onto your face. "Well, I mean I don't know- I mean uh- I'd hate to uh-," "Maybe some other time Rainbow, right now we gotta get to Sugarcube Corner for the party. Let's get going," "Yeah yeah, let's get going then," Rainbow agrees. Meanwhile you stand there, still trying to mix together a string of words that actually make sense after what Rainbow had just offered. "Leroy!" they call out. "Eh?" "You comin'?" "Yeah, I'm going," you jog to catch up with them and walk out of the barn and then go back out onto the trail to make the trip to town, preparing yourself for what could be, one hell of a night...
Chapter 9: CelebrationChapter 9: Celebration By: Calamity Jay Edited by: Sausage "Any party is a good party as long it has beer, music, food, and more beer. Or if there's just beer then that's okay too," "So, every single pony in Ponyville is going to be at this party?" you ask Rainbow Dash, who is trotting next to you on your left. You had set out for Sugarcube Corner after you had pulled yourself together from Rainbow's lewd suggestion. Honestly, if the situation was different you would've accepted her offer in a heartbeat, considering the fact that you had never had a threesome before. Keep in mind, you had never been with a female of another species before up until a few days ago. Sure, you were up for many things; a threesome with mares was something that you were not too sure of right off the bat. You had barely gotten through making love to just one mare and you weren't exactly ready for that challenge. But maybe after a few drinks... "Yeah, Pinkie always invites the whole town. She sees it as a way to make everypony happy. You don't mind do you?" she asked raising an eyebrow. Seeing as how most of the ponies in this town had reacted positively to your little introduction, you were confident that the entire town being there would not be so bad. Besides, you have your new friends there with you. However, there was still that one nagging thought in the back of your head. "Uh, no, why would I have a problem with that? I ain't afraid of nothing," you say, pounding your chest with your fist. "Right, coming from the same human that was shaking like a little foal on his first day of school because he was afraid to meet everypony. Okay then Mr. Tough Guy, I believe you alright," Rainbow laughed, rolling her eyes as she mocked you. "Hey! I was not scared!" you argue. "Yeah, you were totally scared! For a moment I thought you were gonna wet yourself or something!" "Rainbow, leave him alone will ya? He's got enough to handle as it is without you mockin' him," Applejack demanded. "If Ah remember correctly, you were mighty terrified during the Best Young Flyers Competition. So terrified you didn't even wanna come out!" "Yeah, but I still came out when I needed to! Remember when I saved Rarity and the Wonderbolts?" she retorted. "True, but here ya are berating Leroy for being scared when you have been scared too. Besides, I'm sure that everything will turn out fine just like the way everything turned out fine for you," she says, nuzzling your hand, to which you respond by petting her mane. "Yeah I guess, whatever," she concedes, rolling her eyes once again. "Hmm, I can hardly imagine the great Rainbow Dash being scared," you tease, furthering her embarrassment. She turns and glares at you for a moment and you just give her a small smile; instead of furthering the argument, she snorts and turns away to focus on the road ahead. "Hey, I'm just messing with you Rainbow," you say ruffling her mane a bit, she responds by giggling. "Yeah, yeah sure big guy," she laughs. "Right, oh by the way, AJ?" you ask. "Yes hun?" "Can I borrow your hat for tonight? Just in case someone gives me a nasty look?" you ask adjusting the hat. "Of course ya can sugarcube, whatever makes you feel comfortable," she replies with a grin and a wink. "As long as you take good care of it," You stop for a moment, face her, kneel down, and place the hat on your chest. "You have my most solemn word, my dear Applejack," you say, giving her a bow of your head. Okay, maybe that was a bit overdramatic. "Alright then sugarcube, no need to be overdramatic there," she laughs. "Ah do believe you'll do your best to keep it safe," See? Told you so. Overly. Dramatic. "Right, sorry," you apologize with a sheepish smile, putting the hat back on. "So how far away are we? Feels like we've been walking forever," "Shouldn't be too long, if you keep stopping to do your dramatic promises, it'll take us forever to get there," Rainbow deadpanned at you. "I said I was sorry," you say shrugging your shoulders. "I'm sure you are," she rolls her eyes again. "Hey look, we're getting close, ready to officially meet the whole town Leroy?" "I guess so, I'm gonna have to do it one or another," "Don't worry about a thing Leroy. Me, Rainbow here, and the others are gunna help you if things get a little rough, right Rainbow?" "Yeah, so don't sweat it dude!" she says, taking to the air with a wing powered leap. "Thanks you guys, I wouldn't be able to do this without you all," "Hey, what are friends for?" Applejack says, nudging your hip with hers. "Yeah," you reply, nodding your head. You then focus on the road ahead, eyeing the town. 'What are friends for?' *Scene Break* You had made it past the outskirts of town and right into heart of Ponyville. After cutting through the market, you had finally come across the gingerbread house style bakery known as Sugarcube Corner. Said bakery is currently the location of your 'Welcome to Ponyville' party. You and your two friends walked up close to the front porch of the restaurant, but wait, a weird feeling had struck you. You look around and see that there are absolutely no ponies around the bakery, considering the fact that there was a party to be held, you would think that this place would be full of life and noise. Hell, even the door was closed! Perhaps its possible that no one could come to the party? "Wait a sec," you pause, a few feet from the front door. "Why is it that this place looks and feels dead, when there’s supposed a party going on? I mean, if she invited the whole town you would think there would be ponies trying to get inside," "Yeah well, some ponies have things to do, just cause she invited the whole town doesn't mean everypony can go Leroy," Rainbow said, shrugging her shoulders. "She's got a point there sugarcube," "I know but... I just have this weird feeling. Like a great disturbance in the force," you say, putting your hand to your temple and looking off into the distance. Wow. And you are not even drunk yet. "Uh, what are you talking about," Rainbow asks with a weirded out expression. "Nevermind, I just have a weird feeling you guys," you say, rubbing your right eye. "Right. Well, you gon' open the door? Or do I have to?" Applejack asks. "Uh no, I got it," "What are you waiting for then?" Rainbow groans. "Patience grasshopper," "Ugh, there you go with the weird references," she says, facehoofing. "Just open the stupid will you? Before I have to take a nap from how long you're taking!" "Alright, alright! Don't your tail in a bunch," you retort, walking up to the wooden front door of the bakery. Taking a deep breath, you grip the door handle, twist, pull, and the swings open with a creak. You take one step in, seeing nothing but dark. There is no visible light as the windows all seem to have been covered up or closed. You can barely make out the outlines of a few tables in front and to the side of you. You look behind you and see that AJ and Rainbow seem to be hanging back, as if bracing for something. "Hey so where is every-" Suddenly, your question was answered by one word, from a multitude of ponies. "SURPRISE!" Next thing you knew you were on the ground, on your ass, heart pounding, and ears slightly ringing. When they had shouted, your eyes widened way beyond their normal ability and quite honestly the face you made was actually hilarious. Definitely one that was worth taking a picture of. Anyways back to the task at hand. "Leroy! I'm so glad you could make it! We've been waiting forever!" Pinkie shouted, springing out from the crowd of ponies. The lights had turned on and a disco ball was set aglow, illuminating the entire room. Towards the back corner of the bakery, was the DJ stand, complete with turntables, lights, sub woofers, and a snow white Unicorn mare with an electric blue mane and purple lens sunglasses over her eyes, who was nodding her head to the beat while tending to the records on the turntables. The music had started playing immediately after you had the life scared out of you. To be quite honest, the music had a very catchy beat and ponies all around the room were already dancing to the song that was playing. "Yeah, I'm glad that I could make it as well Pinkie!" you shout back, grinning ear to ear. "After a bit of encouragement from Applejack and Rainbow Dash, but how come everyone yelled 'Surprise'? I already knew about the party!" "I know that silly! But to make it even more fun, I decided for everypony to shout 'Surprise!' when you walked in! What do you think of your party?" she asked. The party was absolutely phenomenal, from the food, to the entertainment, and especially the music. You feel as happy as you've ever been, no one has ever offered to throw you a party like this. No less for free! "I love it Pinkie, no one has gone to such great effort to make sure I have a good time," you kneel down in front of her and open your arms for a hug, to which she happily responds by placing her forelegs on your shoulders and embracing you back. "So, what's the plan for tonight?" you ask, rising up from your hug. "Well, the others are over there by the counter," she points a hoof over to the left side of the bakery, where Twilight, Rarity, and even Fluttershy were indeed waiting. They obviously had noticed your presence, so when you looked their way, they waved and smiled at you. Fluttershy kind of just blushed and hid behind her mane, giving a hint of a smile. Nevertheless you wave back and give a smile of your own. Hell, all this smiling will probably make your face split. "We can go hang out and talk for a bit while enjoying the party. Oh! Make sure you try the cake that I whipped up for you! Its really goooood!" "I'll be sure to try it Pinkie," you say to the hyperactive party pony, laughing at her antics. "What else after that?" "We're gonna do a Q&A type thing where you get to introduce yourself to everypony, then after that, we're gonna paaaaarrrtaaayyyy all night long! Doesn't that sound great?!" she asks with a smile that could rip a hole in the fabric of space-time. "It sounds fun as hell Pinkie," you reply, trying to match the magnitude of her smile, but with all your effort there is no way you could pull that off. You, Rainbow, AJ, and Pinkie traverse through the sea of party going ponies, stopping along the way to bump a few hooves and greeting them as well. Soon, you reach the counter where your friends are waiting. "Hey there girls!" you greet happily. "Hello Leroy!" "Leroy! Glad you could make it!" "Um, hey, Leroy," you could barely make out what Fluttershy was saying, but you politely greet her nonetheless. "Leroy, we're so glad you could make it! I'm sure that Rainbow Dash and Applejack had to convince you?" Twilight asked. "Uh yeah, I'll be honest they kinda had to encourage me to come. Hell, they had to convince me to open the door. You could say I had a hunch that Pinkie would pull something like that," you chuckle, everyone else laughing along with you. Hmm, for some reason, laughing with them brings back a sense of deja vu. On your daily trips to the bar, you would have little chats with Johnny the bartender, every now and then having a laugh. However, those laughs were bitter, either because you were laughing at something such as your boss being a grade A bitch, one of your co-workers messing up, or some other gossip. All the while you would be shit face drunk while laughing with Johnny. You always thought that Johnny was some what of a friend, but in the end he was most likely just having pity on you or just doing his job as a bartender; which usually involved listening to his customers complain about one thing or another. But now... Now, you were sharing laughs with peo-ponies, who actually cared about you. Ponies who actually cared about how you were doing. Ponies who wanted to help you feel better and make you a happier human. Its truly ironic, even though theses girls weren't human, they would actually pass for better humans than the ones you knew back on Earth. Maybe if your world had more people like this, then perhaps there would not have been so much pain and suffering. Maybe Earth would actually be a happy place and things would have turned out differently for you and your parents. Thinking back on your parents, you wonder if maybe they actually thought about you from time to time. Did they ever wonder if you were doing okay? Then again, you remember that you went so far as to deleting their numbers from your phone, just to get them out of your life. You think about these things as you talk and laugh with these wonderful mares, but to avoid becoming depressed in a cheerful setting, you push these thoughts aside. Just in time when you feel someone poking your abdomen. "Eh? What's going on?" you say, coming out of your stupor. "Y'all alright there hun? Got somethin' on your mind?" Applejack asks as the others are talking. "Uh, yeah just thinking about things," "What kinda things?" she asks with a hint of concern in her voice. "Just some things that happened back on Earth, I'll tell you about later okay?" "Alright then Leroy, but try to enjoy the party okay?" she says, rearing up on her hind legs to nuzzle your neck. "This party is for you, sugarcube, we all want ya to enjoy yourself alright? Besides, y'all got my hat with ya, that makes ya feel a lil’ better don't it?" "Yeah I guess it does," you reply, adjusting the hat again. "Again, thank you for lending it to me AJ, I really appreciate," "Its mah pleasure Leroy," she licks your cheek affectionately and nuzzles you once again. You once again flinch when you feel her warm tongue go up the side of your cheek, making your face look flushed. She notices this and laughs. "Ah take it you don't like it when Ah do that?" "Nah, no its just a weird feeling. Not everyday I would get licked on the cheek by someone," "Well, better get used to it then," she then proceeds to lick your cheek over and over again, making you giggle like a boy. "Alright, alright stop I get the message," you say, gently pushing her away to stop the licking. "Ok Ah'll stop, but ya know, we have some unfinished business to attend to after the party," she coos into your ear. "Really? Huh," you say blankly. "Would you need some help plowing a field or something of that sort?" "Mhm, Ah think there's a certain field for you to plow. And that field is just aching for you to plant your apple seeds on it," she breathes into your ear. "Oh, well I'll make sure to get the tiller out then and the apple seeds as well," wow, your cluelessness is a marvel. "Leroy, Ah meant sex," she deadpanned at you. Seriously, you are more comprehending when you're drunk. "Oh right, well as I always say, I'll see what I can do," you say, putting your best charming smile and tipping the hat down just a bit over your eyes. That hat really does give you confidence doesn't it? "Okay then, Ah'm gonna hold ya to that," she says, getting back down on all fours. "Hey Leroy," you hear Twilight call your name. "What's up Twilight?" you ask. Certainly this must be about your new powers. Soft Hoof must have informed her about them. "I need to talk to you about something real quick, mind if we go sit at a table?" she asks, gesturing to a table by the wall next to the counter. "Sure Twilight, hey I'll be back. Okay AJ?" "Alright with me sugarcube, hurry back now," With that, you follow her over to the table and pull back a chair to sit in. However you notice that the table and the chair seem to be a bit short for you. Twilight simply climbs up into the chair and lets her legs dangle over the edge, while she places her forelegs onto the table. Your knees come up close to your midsection, but you still do the same and place your arms on the table. "What's on your mind, Twi?" "Back on your last day at the hospital, Dr. Soft Hoof had informed me of some interesting developments with your anatomy. How have you been feeling?" "I've been feeling alright I guess, nothing bad. Still got all my limbs," you chuckle, gesturing to your body. "Right, well, he told me that your bones and organs have become more resilient, making your whole body more durable. Have you taken any serious blows that may have otherwise crippled you?" "Uh no I don't believe I have," "Good, wouldn't want that to happen. Now, he also mentioned, and nurse Sunny as well, that you have gained some magical abilities. Care to give a little bit of an explanation of your side of the story?" "Well, far as I can see, I have really awesome powers and I never thought I'd be able to lift things with my mind," "That's true, you are the first of your kind to use magic. But what have you done thus far with your magic?" "Uh well, in my hospital room, I managed to lift a single book that you gave me. But when nurse Sunny came in I focused my attention on her, then the book went flying at her head. Thankfully it didn't hit her, but I had no idea it would actually go and almost take her head off," you say with a grimace, looking down at the table. "Hey, you had no idea how to use magic, your first time no less. But let me guess, they told you not to use your magic and you did it anyways?" she asks raising an eyebrow. "Well..." you begin to say, rolling your eyes. "I thought so," she giggles. "What else have you done?" "When I was attacked by three adorable fillies, I managed to levitate all of them off of me with little trouble. It was strange, not a day ago I had barely learned how to lift one object, but then I find myself lifting three tiny ponies. And when AJ's big brother tried to smash me, for some reason I conjured a shield and blocked his attack. Its really weird, how can something like that happen? I have little to no experience with Equestrian magic!" "Well, back in my archives, I read up on certain events like this that have happened before; where creatures gain magical prowess through unknown ways. But I wasn't able to find anything, all the recorded cases were just a Griffin coming across an artifact that grants magical abilities temporarily or some other incident like that. However, during the research sessions, I scanned the area around your body and in your body as well. From what me and the doctors had seen, you seem to absorbing the magical aura at an alarming rate. When we scanned you, you already had a substantial reserve of magical power within you. We discussed the possibilities and we believe that when Soft Hoof applied the Class III healing spells to your injuries, you most likely absorbed the massive amount of magic that was used in the spell. And you've been here for over a week already, so I can only imagine how much magic you've absorbed. For all we know, your reserve power is probably close to being on par with mine; considering from you've told me, it most likely is," as she finished her explanation, you were awestruck at how she had drawn up a most likely accurate hypothesis at how the magical aura was affecting your body. "Wow, so uh, how long did it take you to come up with that conclusion?" you ask. "I'm sure it must've take you a couple of hours right? Right?" she looked at you with a cute blushing smile. "It didn't take you that long did it?" "Umm, about five to ten minutes actually. Would've been four, but Spike needed my help with some other thing," she said, rolling her eyes and waving a hoof. "So, what do you think?" She is absolutely amazing isn't she? "Twilight, you truly are the Element of Magic. If I had a drink right now I would most definitely drink to you," you say holding out your hand as if you had a- "Here ya go Leroy! Some hard apple cider!" Pinkie said, appearing out of nowhere and placing a drink into your outstretched hand. Before you could say anything, she turned tail and disappeared into the crowd of partying ponies. Well, that was certainly something that... just happened. What is with that mare? "I uh, thanks?" you say, still staring in the direction the hyperactive pony ran off to. "Anyways, here's to you Twilight," you raise the glass of cider. "The most intelligent mare I have ever seen," you take a swig of your drink, tasting the strong sweetness of apples, but with the slight burn of alcohol. "Wow, this is pretty good, real sweet," you take another swig. "You should taste Apple Family hard cider, way better than the brand that Pinkie use for the party," Twilight commented. "What brand is this?" you ask, looking at the glass. "I think its called Manehattan's Finest. But believe me, when apple cider season comes to Sweet Apple Acres, you'll have the chance to taste the best apple cider in all of Equestria!" "Hmm, when is that coming?" you ask, hoping there might be a chance to taste some good alcoholic beverages. "Well, right now we're in the fall, winter is right around the corner, and Cider season is in spring," "How long are your seasons?" you had no idea how they're years, months, and days actually go, "In fact how is time measured here in Equestria?" "Well, we have our four seasons, each season is about three months, each month is six weeks, each week is seven days. And right now we're in the last month of fall, in the second week, and today is the third day of the week and the weekend is about two days away," "Huh, your measurement of time is similar to ours. We have seasons as well, but what's even stranger is that we were in fall as well. Weird..." you put a hand to your chin, what you always do when you ponder. "Yeah that is strange," she agrees, mimicking your pose by putting a hoof to her chin. "I might have to look into that later, but for now we might as well put all this aside and enjoy the party, right?" "That we should, wanna head back with the others?" you offer, rising out of your seat and gesturing to the others, all of them still chatting at the counter. "Sure! Let's go!" she gets up and trots happily with you back to your friends, where they were in the middle of a conversation. You walk over to where Applejack stood and lean against the counter, standing by her side. She once again rears up and goes up to hold on to your shoulders, and nuzzle you once again. "So, what'd y'all talk about?" she asks, still nuzzling. You nuzzle her back and respond, "Oh just about my super awesome magical powers, nothing too big," "Hmm, sounds interestin'" "Eeyup, sure does," you chuckle. For a little while you enjoy the company of your friends, chatting away about things that had happened the day before, something funny that took place in the past, or whatever else you all could think of. To make things a little less awkward between you and Fluttershy, you tried to talk with her (when you called her name, she squeaked and flew behind the counter; after which it took some calming her down) about what kind of animals she had back at her cottage. To which she replied that she had all kinds of animals, ranging from small birds, rabbits, squirrels, and she even said that she housed a bear. You were quite surprised that a small, timid, and frail mare like her could actually take care of a huge bear. But then Rainbow Dash pointed out that I had never witnessed 'The Stare'. You were puzzled as to what the stare was and asked the shy little Pegasus what exactly 'The Stare' was. With encouragement from Dash, she reluctantly demonstrated her little ability. After she finished, you swore that not even Mom gave you a look as intense as that, to the point where you couldn't even move, much to the amusement of the others. It seemed as though hours had passed having fun with your new friends, sharing laughs and stories. You had told them a few amusing stories about your past ventures with the few close friends you had made on Earth. You could not believe how much a good time you were having with these equines, it had been so long since you had this much fun while sober. Had it been that long, that you actually forgot what a good time felt like? What it feels like to have friends that sincerely wanted to be your friends and not for their personal gain? All this laughter... Happiness... and friendship... "Hey! Leroy! Its time!" Pinkie bounced over to where you were standing, looking as excited as ever. "Time!? Morphin' Time?" you ask jokingly. "No silly! Time for you to officially introduce yourself to everypony! Come here quick!" she says, beckoning you with a hoof. "Alright then be right there!" you turn to Applejack, "I'll be back AJ," "Okay sugarcube, you be careful up there ya hear?" you lean down and give her a quick kiss on the lips. "And knock 'em dead alright?" "I think I'll be able to, just had a drink. I'm much more likeable with a bit of alcohol in me," you joke, putting down the empty glass on the counter. "Oh just get up there will ya," she then nudges your back with her head, pushing you towards the crowd. You swim past the crowd and reach the dance floor where Pinkie was waiting for you by the DJ stand. "So, what's the word Pinkie?" "Let me just talk to Vinyl real quick!" she goes behind the turntables to where the DJ pony was working and jamming out. The white mare, who you now know as Vinyl, takes off headphones, raises her sunglasses over her horn (ah, so she has red eyes eh?), and turns her attention to Pinkie who whispers something into her ear. You see her laugh for a brief moment, then turn her attention back to the turntables. You hear the record scratch and the music stops, you then see her step out from behind the stand with a microphone in her magical blue colored grasp. "Alright everypony can I please have your undivided attention for a second?" you see everyone turn their attention to you and Vinyl. "First off I would like to thank everypony for coming out tonight, I just absolutely love playing music for all you beautiful ponies," after she says that, the crowd bursts into a round of hoofstomps and cheers. "I'd also like to give props to Pinkie for planning this kick ass party for all to enjoy! Thank you, Pinkie," she says, winking and pointing a hoof at the pink party pony. "Now, that that's over with, I'd like to introduce to you all our very special guest. From what I am told this party was planned for the sole purpose of welcoming him to our cute little town. So please help in giving a good ol' Ponyville welcome, to our special guest and Equestria's first ever human, Leroy Evans!" The crowd once again broke into a round of cheers and hoofstomps. In response to their cheers, you take off your hat and give a polite bow. "So Mr. Human, got any words to say?" she asks, floating the mic over to you. You lean over and speak into it. "Uh well," you clear your throat, "First I'd like to thank Pinkie who went to great lengths to plan this magnificent party for me. Thanks Pinkie!" you wave at her in the crowd. "No problem!" you see her hop in the air over everyone. "And uh, well, I'd also like to thank you guys for coming out as well. You know its been awhile since I've been to a good party like this actually," you chuckle, rubbing the back of your neck. Vinyl then takes back the mic. "Well let's make sure you have one hell of a time! What do you say everypony?" she shouts out to the crowd. They cheer in response. "So, tell us a bit about yourself," Vinyl says, floating the mic back to you. "Sure thing, but I don't think I caught your name, mind telling me what it is?" "Not at all! Name's Vinyl, Vinyl Scratch! Otherwise known as DJ Pon-3, with a three! DJ Pon-3 in the streets and Vinyl Scratch in the sheets," she says, with a sly tone and smile... aimed at you... oh dear... She floats the mic back to you. "Right, awesome. Well, a little about myself, where do I begin?" you scratch your chin a bit, wondering where to start talking about your colorful life. "Not much to tell really. I uh, went to college, got a business degree, I play a bit of music, and I'm also into acting as well," "Really? Sounds cool doesn't it?" Vinyl asks the crowd, all of them murmuring in agreement. "So, you think you can answer a few question anypony might have?" "Uh sure, I'd love to answer questions," "Right, so who has a question?!" you see a few hooves raised and for some reason you see Pinkie's hoof raised as well. "Yes you!" she says, pointing her hoof at someone in the crowd. A creme colored Earth pony mare with a blue and pink mane steps out from the crowd. "So what do you got to ask?" the creme mare looks up at you and asks her question. "So, where do you come from Mr. Leroy?" she asks with a high pitched voice. "Good question that, I actually come from another dimension, from a planet called Earth. Which is in many ways similar to Equestria," "Really how?" "Well there's animals and trees and stuff, but there's no magic at all and of course there are a significant amount of humans," "Wow, so there's a lot more from where you came from?" "Oh yeah, a lot more actually," you chuckle. "Awesome, thanks for answering my question," "What's your name by the way? If you don't mind telling me, I'd like to get to know everyone in Ponyville," "Oh, my name's Bon Bon, nice to meet you!" you walk over to her and bump her hoof. She trots off happily into the crowd. "Hokay, next question! Anypony?" Vinyl asks, resulting in more hooves being raised. "Yes you!" A blue unicorn mare with a blue and white mane steps out from the crowd. "Hi! My name's Colgate! Colgate Minuette!" Ha! Colgate! Like the toothpaste brand! "Nice to meet you Colgate!" you use all your force not to laugh at her name. "So, what would you like to ask?" "Why are you so tall?" she asks cutely, looking up at you. It was quite adorable the way she looked up at you with those big blue eyes- okay back to the question! "Uh well, I am bipedal, so I stand on two legs and these are my hands which I use for many things in my day to day activities," you say, stretching out your arms and flexing your fingers. "Whoa, they look like the way Griffins have their talons! Except they're not sharp!" she exclaims, looking at your hands. "So, anything else you wanna ask me?" "Nope! Thanks!" she trots back into the crowd. "Any other questions?" Vinyl asks, you spend about fifteen minutes answering a few questions. Some were typical, such as what did you like to do for fun, favorite food, and the sort. Some were silly, such as what kind of salad you liked or the kind of ointment you used for rashes. And some were about how humans behaved, you didn't really want to roast your own species, so you decided to tell them the positive things about Earth. At the end, Vinyl had asked a question you were not prepared to answer. "So, I know you've been in Equestria for a little more than a week right?" "Eeyup, that's right," "So, have you got your eye on anypony? Anypony caught your eye yet? Hmm?" she asked in a sly tone. Whoa, you did not see that coming. How are you going to get out of this one. buddy? "Well uh," you start, rubbing the back of your neck and blushing; you definitely were not going to tell them you had sex with Applejack simply because you could, so you decided to be vague. "I kinda do have my eye on a certain mare that has caught my eye, but I don't know if you all know her," "Really? Think you'd mind telling us who that lucky mare is?" Oh dear, Level Four Emergency, CODE RED, CODE RED! "Umm, she's a nice mare. Although I haven't known her for that long, but I've seen that she is a special mare with a big heart," you look out into the crowd and see that Applejack is looking straight at you. You continue with caution. "From what others have told me, she is kind-hearted, strong, and well just great overall. The week and a half that I've spent with her, may as well have been a year and a half, because that's what it honestly feels like," you look over to her again and see that she developed a small loving smile. "I remember my mother telling me that when I saw the girl of my dreams, it'd feel like my heart was like a bird flying away. And well I felt just that, when I met her," "Wow, so you really like this mare don't you?" "Yeah, you could most definitely say that," you take another glance over at Applejack, and see that she is beaming at you. As you looked into her eyes, you could see a small little twinkle in her emerald irises. At that, you were sure you said the right words. Hopefully. "You still haven't told us who this special mare is ya know," she says in a mocking tone, waggling the mic at you. "Well I hope she doesn't mind if I do this," once more you look over to her and see her give you the 'sure go ahead' nod. Here goes nothing. "Applejack?" everyone turns and looks to where she stands, you hear a few gasps and a mare scream in glee when you said her name. "Would you please join me up here?" Without hesitation, she begins to trot to the dance floor with a big smile on her face. The whole crowd begins to cheer and stomp their hooves as she trots up to where you stood. She reaches the dance floor and stands right next to you, still with a smile on her face. "So, it appears that Ponyville's very own Applejack has caught the eye of Equestria's very first human, ain't this just nice? Whaddaya say Ponyville? Think they'd make a great couple?" The crowd cheers in agreement. "Any words to say Applejack?" she floats the mic over to the apple farmer. "All Ah can say that Ah'm mighty flattered, but in all honesty Ah think maybe we would make a good couple. Ah think my friends do too," Wow, so maybe she does actually have feelings for you, however fast things were going they were going smooth. "So! How about a nice little slow dance, for this cute couple?" the crowd once again cheers in agreement as Vinyl goes back to the turntables. She takes out a record, flips it over a couple times, places it on the platter, puts the needle on the edge of the disc, and soon a nice, slow, jazzy waltz tune started playing. "How are we gonna do this Leroy?" she asks, looking up at you. You weren't sure how exactly to go at this, so you do the first thing that comes to mind. "Here, get up on your hindlegs real quick," "Okay," she rears up and places her forelegs on your shoulders. "Now what?" "Just hold on to my shoulders, and I place my hands on your waist," you place your hands a little below her midsection. "From here, just follow my lead," "Follow your lead?" "Do you trust me," you ask, looking into her eyes. At this position, her head came a little higher than your chest, right below your chin. "Ah do trust ya," "Then come sway with me," you say grinning. You follow the slow rhythm and move your feet accordingly, swaying side to side. All the while you maintain eye contact with her. As you sway to the music, time seems to slow down and the mare singing the song was hypnotising. "You had me, at the first moment" "I never thought, that love at first sight, was a possibility" "But I guess, not everything is always the way I see~" "And now, I can say, for the very first time in a long time, I am in love" "Oh yes, for the first time, in a long time!" "For the first time, I am... in love... with you... yeah..." The song ended and somewhere in the middle of your dance, Applejack had laid her head on your chest lovingly. The crowd had cheered when the dance finished and after Applejack got back on all fours you gave a polite bow to the crowd, finishing off your stunning performance. "Okay everypony!" Vinyl's voice rang out from the amplifiers. "Let's get this party pumped up! Get your tails on the dance floor and shake what your momma gave you!" at that everyone had filed onto the dance floor. "What are you waiting for Vinyl!?" you call out to her. "Hold on, wait for it. Give me a sec," she puts on her headphones and slides down her sunglasses. Brace yourself. "In three..." she takes out a record, "two..." she places it on the platter, "one..." she slides the needle onto the record and... "DROP IT!" Suddenly the whole bakery seems to explode as the loud house music breaks out from the speakers. You even felt yourself being blown away by the strong wave of catchy dance music. Vinyl was jamming away at the turntables and everyone else was jumping, stomping, and hopping to the beat. You even decided to break out a few moves of your own, which just involved you jumping up and down on your toes. Applejack began dancing as well and the way she moved was captivating. The way she confidently moved her body to the beat, as if her moves were an embodiment of the music itself. So to keep up with her you decide to get creative by bringing your arms into the equation, moving them this way and that along to the beat. Still, no matter how hard you tried, you could not match Applejack's energy. As the party went on, a ring formed in the center of the dance floor. Where, unsurprisingly, Pinkie Pie had taken the center. After you had a few of Manehattan's Finest apple cider, you boldly challenged Pinkie to a dance off. She happily accepted and since you were borderline drunk, you magically became a better dancer. So you broke out a few moves such as 'The Robot', 'The Running Man', 'The Shuffle', hell you even did a 'Good 'Ol Texas Cowboy Jig'. Much to your surprise, the party mare matched you move for move, and later explained the names of her dance moves. Apparently, they were just ponified versions of your dance moves, such as 'The Robo Pony', 'The Trotting Pony', and even 'The Pony Shuffle'. Quite amusing, really. She even managed to match your jig, which was just a series of stomps of her hooves. However good the apple cider was, you managed not to drink too much; so as to not make an ass of yourself. After your little dance battle with Pinkie, you stood off to the side with Applejack to cool off and enjoy her company. "So, am Ah really that special?" she asks, giving you a half lidded smile. "Oh yeah, even though I haven't known you for long, it feels like I've known you for years," you say, taking a sip from the cider bottle. "You sure that ain't the cider talkin'" she says, laughing at your half buzzed state. "Of course I am, I'm as honest as honest can be," you put down the bottle, "Why would I lie to the Element of Honesty?" "I dunno, many ponies have done that before," she looks down at the ground, but you gently grab her chin, making her eyes lock with yours. "Look, I don't know who those terrible ponies were, but whoever they are, I'm sure they are regretting lying to the most honest mare in Equestria. As for me, I would never lie to you or hurt you in any way. Not in a million years," She takes your hand in her hoof and nuzzles it affectionately. "Ya really mean that, Leroy?" "Every word, and no that's not the cider talking either," you chuckle, picking up the bottle to take another sip. "So, ya think that cider's any good?" she asks. "Its alright, but I'm told that Apple Family Cider is even better," you say, looking at the bottle. "Mhm that's right, but you know what else is good about the Apple family," she rears up and gets close to you, her forelegs on your shoulders. "Ya know what else Apple family mares are good at? "Umm, making apple pies?" "Nope, think a little harder now," she circles her hoof on your chest. "How bout, candy apples?" "How's about we say goodbye to everypony here, we head back to the barn, and Ah show you the other thing that Apple family mares are good at," she kisses your cheek affectionately. "Well if you're talking about sex, I think you've already showed me that," you say with a smirk. "That's true, but wait til ya see how Ah do it when nopony is watchin'," she whispers, giving your ear a tentative lick. Well, that pretty much seals the deal. Soon after your little talk with AJ, you say goodbye to all of your friends and newly made friends as well. Of course they asked why you had to leave so soon. Saying 'Oh me and Applejack are going to her barn to have wild, passionate sex' was not a viable option; so you improvised and said that you were feeling a little worn out from dancing and decided to call it a night. So they agreed and said their goodbyes and promises were made to see each other tomorrow. You and Applejack walked out the door and set off into the moonlit night, making the journey back to the farm. Little did your friends know, that your night was not over yet and a certain apple farmer was keen on giving you a good 'roll in the hay'.
Chapter 10: FeelingsChapter 10: Feelings By: Calamity Jay "Thing is, I don't know what I'm feeling. Its been such a long time since I've actually been this close with anyone. And well, the truth is..." It had been some time you and Applejack were walking down the road back to Sweet Apple Acres. You were not sure how long it had been considering the fact you were borderline drunk. True, you may have only had a few to make sure you would not get shit faced in front of everyone at the party and make a fool of yourself. All the way back to the farm you and Applejack had very little conversation, you were stumbling here and there due to your slightly inebriated state so you had very little thought for conversation. However she would laugh every time you mumbled some incoherent sentence involving who knows what? In fact you had almost forgotten why you were going back to the farm in the first place, but when she had begun nuzzling your thigh from time to time on the way back, a certain part of you remembered why. There was one thought in the back of your mind that kept bothering you while you were walking along with her. What did she think about what you said about her? It was true you meant what you said about her being special, but did you truly have deep feelings for her? Great, see what happens? Sex just complicates things! Now in the back of your head you were wondering if you should have even agreed to doing that little 'experiment' in the first place. Your life has certainly become more interesting, albeit stressful as well, but definitely more exciting than your life back on Earth. After what seemed like hours of walking, you finally reached the farm. "Well, we're back," AJ says as you walk past the gate and onto the trail. "So, ya ready to plow that field Ah was telling ya about?" She looks back at you with a sly smirk. "Uh maybe, as I always say," you come from behind and scope her up in your arms, cradling her head in the crook of your elbow. She is surprisingly light. "I will see what I can do," you then kiss her on the nose. "Alright then lover boy, show me what you can do then," she bops you on the nose with her hoof. "Oh and by the way, when we start ruttin' could ya keep muh hat on?" "So, you want me to make love to you while wearing your own hat? Any particular reason why?" "Ah dunno, you look mighty fine with muh hat on. Besides, Ah think it'd kinda fun," "How so?" "Cuz, you'd be riding me, and..." she points to the hat. "You'd be wearing my hat, kinda would remind me of a rodeo," you huff out a laugh as she says this. Finally you reach the farmhouse. "So, your room? Or the barn?" you ask. "Nah, let's go to the barn," you start walking over to the big red barn. "Ah'd really hate to wake up Granny and the others," "Why? Are we really that noisy?" you ask with a smirk. "You can get pretty loud Leroy," she giggles as you push past the doors with AJ still in your arms. "Let's go towards the back, where the hay pile is," you do as she says and make your way to the back corner of the barn. On the way over there, you turn her around in your grip so that you are face to muzzle with her. Immediately, she wraps her hindlegs around your midsection, her forelegs around your neck, and she pulls you in for a kiss. You instantly feel you own desires take hold as you grab her by the flanks. Reaching the bed of hay, you gently lay her down and continue passionately kissing her, slowly moving down to kiss and nibble at her chest and neck. She starts to groan and gasp as you work on her body like an instrument, passionately making sweet music with her. You proceed to slide further down reaching her soft belly, closing in on her breasts. However, before you could reach you target, she spoke up. "Hey, Leroy?" she gasps out. "Yeah? What is it?" you ask moving up until you are face to face with her again. "Am I going to fast? Want me to slow down?" "N-no, Ah just need to ask ya something right quick?" she presses a hoof to your chest, so you take that as a sign to back off a bit. Although your buddy downstairs wholly disagreed with this turn of events, you fight your urges and listen to her. "Alright," you get off her and lay down on your side facing her, propping yourself up with your elbow. "I'm all ears," She takes a deep breath. "Listen uh, Ah've been thinkin' about things for a little while now. And Ah need to know one thing hun," "Yeah? What is it?" you didn't like where this was going. Although you were most likely thinking about the same thing as she was, which is about your relationship with her, you do not want anything to spoil the moment. "When you said all those things back at the party about me, didja really mean all of that? Were ya sayin' the absolute truth?" Now it was your turn to take a deep breath. You take a moment to think carefully about what to say next; one wrong word could completely ruin your future relationship with Applejack. The last thing you wanted was for this nice night to end badly. So you proceed with caution. "I meant every single one of those words Applejack. And its true I haven't known you for long, but there's just something about you that I just can't get enough of. Its as if, the first day I met you, I could not stop myself from seeing you again. That time where we were talking in my hospital room, it had been so long since I've talked with real friends. I mean sure, I would have drinking buddies back on Earth, but friends that are actually friends. Not just people to get drunk with," "Hmm, Ah see what ya mean sugarcube. So, ya really meant all those things ya said about me?" You smile. "Every word, I promise," you kiss her on the nose. "Well, Ah'm glad you were honest with me, but Ah feel its now time for me to be honest with you," oh no, here it comes. Its over! Game over buddy! Hello rejection, goodbye love! "Ah just wanna say, Ah'm sorry," wait what? "Sorry? What could you possibly be sorry for?" "Ah'm sorry for what Ah did! What we did when we first met! Ah feel terrible for doin' that to you," she looks away from you in shame, a hint of tears in her eyes. "Ah know that Ah didn't force ya to do it, but Ah feel like Ah did!" "Look," you grab her chin and gently pull her gaze towards you. "You did not force anything on me okay? I was just as pent up as you were and both of us were looking for relief. But believe me, I felt bad afterwards as well," "Really? Why?" "Because, I felt like I had used you and argh- I'm sorry I'm really bad at this," you take a moment. "Back on Earth, I had only been with one other girl, but the thing is, it wasn't real at all. We both just used each other thinking that it was love, but rather than love it was lust. After we had realized that, we just stopped talking and I lost touch with her. And it doesn't help that my parents never really showed me any love either," "What are ya tryna say, Leroy?" she asks with an arched brow. "What I'm trying to say is," you can't find the right words to say. "I just- I don't, ugh I don't know what to say really," "C'mon sugarcube, tell me," she strokes your cheek with her hoof. "What's on your mind?" "Honestly, its what's going on in my heart, rather than my head," you chuckle, holding her hoof in your hand. "But, the honest truth is that, it had been so long that I had loved or been loved. So long in fact that, and I know this is gonna sound crazy, but-" you hesitate to say what you're about to say. "C'mon now, let it out," she coos, encouraging you to speak what you feel. "I-" you begin to choke up, remembering all the pain you felt when you had to leave your parents, when you found out your first love was only out of lust, and the pain of feeling alone. Finally, the dam broke and you let out everything you had inside. "I- I forgot what love actually feels like!" you bow your head so she would not have to see you shedding tears. Come on now man, be strong... "Whaddaya mean ya forgot what love feels like? How can that be?" she picks up your head and you see she has a worried expression on her face. "Leroy, was it really that bad on your world you actually forgot what love feels like?" "Yes," you say, choking back a sob. "I can barely remember what it was like when I was with my parents, but when I left them and never talked to them again. The years went by and I just turned into a cynical, cantakerous, grumpy old bastard. I spent most of my days working or getting drunk at a bar. And when I wasn't at a bar, I was just alone in my apartment, just watching days go by," "If it was that bad, why didn't ya look for somepony? Somepony to make you not so lonely?" she suggested. "Remember when I told you about my first intimate relationship?" she nods. "Well, after me and her broke up, I was just so afraid of an intimate connection with someone else, that in the end it would all be meaningless and for nothing. I didn't want to feel that again, that feeling that I was just using someone for sex," "So is that what you felt with me?" "Honestly, yes," you look deep into her eyes, showing her that you were honest. "I started to think about what happened between you and me, that same feeling of me using you came back up. After that I wanted to do everything I could to make sure you weren't feeling used! Please, just understand that I didn't want to hurt you," you bow your head once again, tears beginning to streak down your cheeks and sobs escaping your throat. Applejack lifts your chin again and this time you see something unexpected... She was smiling... She had tears in her eyes... But she was still smiling at you with a loving smile... "Now you listen to me here now," her emerald gaze was boring straight into your heart and soul. "Ah am absolutely touched that you went to so much effort to make sure that Ah didn't get hurt. No stallion had ever done that for me and you, Leroy Evans, have shown me that you are more than a stallion," she nuzzles you gently. "You are a human. With a heart as big Ah've ever seen. And that, is something that Ah've always wanted from anypony," she leans in and kisses you on the lips. With tears still in your eyes, you kiss her back with all the heat of your passion. Deep within your chest, you feel a certain burning sensation as you kiss her. Something you had not felt in such a long time, as if a fire was being rekindled within the kiln that is your heart. Before you had only felt the rush of lust, but now you were feeling the soft warmth of love coursing through your body. And it felt absolutely heavenly... You finally pull back and she looks up at you. "Let me get up for a sec, Ah wanna show you somethin'," "Alright," you roll off her and she get up on all fours. She walks over to a sort of ladder that leads up to the second floor of the barn. "Well," she begins to climb the steps of the angled ladder. "Ya comin'?" "On my way," you get up and shake off the excess hay on your pants and shirt. You walk over to the ladder and begin the climb up to where Applejack was now waiting. As you reach the last step and pull yourself up, she begins to trot over to a large open window sill that sat at the front and center of the barn. Applejack reached the big squared window and sat down on her rump. She looked over to you and patted the spot next to her, motioning for you to sit. You walk up to her and do so, letting your legs dangle over the edge of the window. "So what are we up here for?" "Just look in front of you for a sec," she says, smirking. "Okay then," you look out and see an amazing sight in front of you. The moon looms in the sky, illuminating all the ground below it. From here, you could see the entire orchard, seeing the lines of trees stretch for miles. Off in the distance, you see the lights of Ponyville, most likely the party had already ended. Its a breathtaking sight and you marvel at the beauty of it all. "Wow, this is quite something alright, beautiful view," you close your eyes and breath it all in, smelling the scent of the farm itself. "Its on nights like these Ah come up here by muhself and just look out over the orchard. Every time Ah look at this big ol' farm, Ah remember that its all up to me and muh brother and sister to take care of it all," "But, what about your parents? Aren't they helping too?" you immediately regret saying this, seeing that her face takes on a grim expression. "What's wrong? Oh, wait I get it. I know that look. Its a touchy subject isn't it?" she nods at looks out at the sky. "Been a long time since anypony asked me that. Only ponies that know about that are me, muh brother and sister, Granny Smith and everypony else in our family. Never told anypony else about what happened, not even Twilight or Rainbow or anypony," "Really? So, I'm guessing it was something terrible then?" you asked, pulling her close to you. "Yeah, you could say something like that," she leans her head on your shoulder. You kiss her on her forehead, stroking her mane with your hand. A few moments pass, the both of you sitting in silence, enjoying Luna's moonlit night. "Hey, Leroy?" "Yeah?" "Ah'm guessing you're kinda curious about what happened aren't ya?" she asks, looking up at you. "Um, well I don't know I mean..." you scratch the back of your neck. "Leroy, ya can't lie to the Element of Honesty," she says, smirking at you. "Alright," you exhale. "I guess you could say that I am a bit curious. Its just, what happened that was so terrible?" She looks for a moment before she pulls away from your arms and turns to face you, her gaze locked onto yours. "Leroy, if Ah tell ya this, you have to promise me something," "Okay, what is it?" "Ah have never told this to anypony that ain't family. So that's why, you gotta Pinkie Pie swear that you won't tell no pony else," "Pinkie Pie swear?" you ask, tilting your head in confusion. "Follow my motions and repeat after me," you nod and focus on her. "Ah cross muh heart..." she crosses her heart with a hoof. "I cross my heart," you imitate her motions. "Hope to fly," she raises her hoof slightly in the air. "Hope to fly," "Stick a cupcake in muh eye," she presses her hoof to her eye. "Stick a cupcake in my eye," you finish off by pressing your hand to your eye as well. "Alright, so no telling anypony else right?" "Right," you caress her cheek. "I promise," "Ah'm glad to hear that," she turns once again and looks off into the distance. "Well, If Ah'm gonna tell ya what happened, might as well start from the beginning..." *Scene Break* *Applejack's Point of View* Ah always thought that things would be good and stay the same way forever as long as Ah lived. But, fate's got a funny way of not going the way you want, no matter what ya do. Back then, when Ah was a little filly, Ah thought everything in the world was all fine and dandy. Ah was under the impression that nothin' bad would ever happen to me or muh family. But Ah guess, fate has a horrible way of proving ponies wrong. It was around the time Ah was already old enough to earn muh cutie mark, Big Mac had already gotten his, so of course he helped Pa with most of the work around the farm. While Ah did the light work with Ma and helped her cook meals and bake apple pies and other treats to sell at the market. Ma had just given birth to Apple Bloom, so while we worked the farm, Granny Smith would be taking of muh baby sister. Things were going fine, we would wake up, work, sell at the market, come back home, sleep and do it all over again the next day. Ah was happy, Pa was happy, heck muh whole family was happy with our lives. But, like the saying goes, all good things have to end some time. Ah remember Pa had said we all had to go on the road to Appleloosa to visit a family member of ours. At the time Ah was so happy because I'd be able to visit cousin Braeburn again, so we loaded up the wagon and set off for Appleloosa. Granny stayed behind to watch over the farm while we were away. Pa was pullin' the wagon along the dirt road leadin' to the ol' town and we were singing songs on the way over there. Huh, Ah loved the way Ma sang, she sang so beautiful and Ah couldn't help but sing along when she started. It was funny though, 'cuz Big Mac wasn't no singer, so only me, Pa, and Ma singin' our favorite songs. Ah remember one of them. "Ah'll be seein' you, down by the end of this old road" "Ah'll be seein' you along the way, maybe the next day" "Cuz when you trot down this old road, lookin' for a place to go" "Maybe Ah will see you, a little further down the way" "Cuz all roads lead to somewhere, a place you could call home" "And when you reach the end, of this long ol' road" "Maybe Ah'll be seein' you, at the end of this old road" "Oh yes Ah will be seein' you, all the way~ back home" That was Ma's favorite song and we sang that same song at least three times on the way to Appleloosa. We traveled for about three hours, before we reached a forest. Right away Pa got real nervous, so he started to pick up the pace so that way we could clear the forest quicker. By the time we entered the forest, it was already gettin' dark and there were rain clouds comin' up quick. We were about halfway out out the darn forest, but then I guess the Pegasi decided it was time for a good thunderstorm right then and there. So Pa trotted even faster just so we could get out of there faster. Ah remember Ah could see the exit pathway out the forest and we weren't too far from it. But then, the worst thing that could've happened, did happen. Outta nowhere, three Timberwolves had come out of the bushes and blocked our way out of the forest. Ah remember Pa telling Ma to grab Apple Bloom, telling Big Mac to go with me and Ma so we could get away. And of course, Big Mac wanted to stay and fight alongside Pa, but he just told him to do as he says and get on out of there. One of the darn wolves lunged right at me, but Pa stopped it and bucked 'em right in it's muzzle, breaking him into twigs. That's when the other two wolves started to attack. Right away, Pa told us to get the hell out of there, right as one of the wolves jumped on him. Ah ran to help him, but Mac had stopped me, draggin' me along with Ma and Apple Bloom. Very last thing Ah saw, was Pa trying his damnedest to fight off those wooden beasts. In muh heart Ah knew he could beat 'em, muh Pa was the strongest pony Ah ever did saw. But of course, fate's gotta funny way of making you suffer. Ah remember, Apple Bloom was on Ma's back, while we galloped for our lives. Ah thought we were gonna get away and Pa would beat those Timberwolves and we'd all be happy again. But as fate would have it, things didn't go exactly as Ah wanted. We were almost out of the forest, but then, two more Timberwolves appeared out of the forest. We were all terrified, we didn't know what to do. Before Ah knew it, Ma was tellin' me and Big Mac to take our little sister and get away. Ah didn't wanna leave, Ah didn't. Ah was scared, Big Mac was scared, and Ah was pretty sure the way Apple Bloom was cryin', she was scared too. 'Fore Ah knew it, we were runnin' as fast as we could out of the forest and on the way back home. Ma had drew away the wolves and lead them deeper into the forest. And we ran. And ran. And ran. And ran. We ran til our legs didn't wanna move anymore. Somewhere along the way, it had stopped rainin' and we were on the trail back to Sweet Apple Acres. Ah had no idea how much time went by, but when we got back to the farm, we were filthy and our bodies were exhausted. Ah remember Granny had to nurse us back to health. When we told her what happened, well, you can pretty much guess what happened. Big Mac was worried about Apple Bloom and how she was doin'. But me, Ah was blind and deaf to the rest of the world. Ah felt like a part had died. But, deep in muh heart Ah had hope that Ma and Pa would make it back to the farm and we would be happy again. As Ah've said, fate had different plans for us. Ah remember always tellin' Big Mac and Granny that Ma and Pa would come back in one piece. Ah remember them tellin' me that they weren't comin' back. Ah remember sayin' they were wrong, that they just didn't believe in them. Every night, Ah would come up here and sit at this very spot, just prayin' and waitin' for the day that Ma and Pa would come back. That Pa beat them and Ma got away. But, days turned to weeks, weeks into months, and months into years. It had took me years to accept the fact they were gone. That they weren't comin' back. Now, all Ah can do is just sit here, rememberin' every single vivid memory of Ma and Pa. All the songs we sang together. All the pies me and Ma baked. Every time Pa would read to me under a tree on his free time. He was gonna do the same with Apple Bloom when she was old enough. But, as you can see, that never happened. And Ah had to face the cruel reality of it all. The rest of our family had been told of the news, and everypony gathered here at the farm for a funeral. Even though they never found their bodies, we still held a funeral service. In remembrance of them, we had planted a Red Delicious tree in the south field. Every harvest, we would buck the apples off of that one first, in honor of their memory. Ah know, that even though they ain't here with me, Ah'm sure they're somewhere else, just waitin' for us to be together again. And one day, Ah'll see Ma and Pa again... *Scene Break* *2nd Person* "Even to this day, like we're doin' right now, Ah always come up here every night and think about 'em" she says, finishing off her story. "My God," you wipe a few tears streaking down your face. "That was, I-I am so sorry about your loss Applejack. I never thought you'd been through that much suffering," "With time all wounds heal sugarcube," she nuzzles you. "Oh and that hat you're wearin'? That was Pa's hat," "What? It is?" you take off the hat and look at it. "Yup, look at the inside of the hat," You flip the hat around and look at the inside of the worn Stetson. Along the edge of the inside, you see a name stitched into the interior. "Propery of Applebuck" "Whoa, so this was your father's?" "Yeah, its all Ah got left of him," "Wow, I gotta say I'm quite surprised you would let me wear this hat when its all you have to remember your dad by," "Well Ah trusted ya to take care of it and well you did. So thank you, sugarcube," she leans over to kiss your cheek. A thought comes into your head. "What about your mother? What do you remember her by?" She points to the entirety of the farm. "All of this, every single tree and the apples that grow from them is how we remember her. Her name was Sweet Apple. When she married Pa, he decided to name the farm after her, 'cuz he thought her name was the most beautiful name in the world. So that's why he named it after her," "Wow, that's beautiful," suddenly, you let out an involuntary yawn. "Oh jeez, I'm sorry AJ," "Oh its no trouble at all, to be honest Ah'm tired as well," she gets up and trots over to the ladder again. "Wanna turn in for the night?" "Yeah sure," you follow her down the ladder and she leads you out of the barn and into the farmhouse. You pass through the front door and into what looks like a living room, complete with a couch and a fireplace. To the left you see is a kitchen, spotting a table with chairs and a stove. Applejack leads you up a staircase and into a hallway. The hall splits up into a t-shaped intersection, with a dead end at both hall ways. You follow her and turn to the left and she leads you to the first door on the right, which is what you assume to be her room. At the opposite hall, you hear a low rumbling sound, what you assume to be Big Mac snoring. "Quiet now, Ah'd hate to wake up everypony," she whispers to you. "Follow me," She leads you into the room. The door is a bit too short for you, so you duck slightly below it. The room is a cozy, medium sized room, with a full sized bed in the middle of the room right in front of the door. To the right of the bed is a window sill. On the right side of the bed is a night stand, with a couple of picture frames on it. "Put muh hat on the rack will ya," she points to the rack to the left of the door. "Sure," you take off the hat and hang it on one of the wooden hooks of the rack. You look back at her and see she is pulling back the covers. Right now that bed felt like it was calling to you. Begging you to sleep on it. "Sorry, Leroy," she apologizes. You are a bit confused at her apology. "For what?" you ask, raising an eyebrow. "Ah know Ah promised we were gonna rut tonight, but Ah'm just plum tuckered out," she then climbed onto the bed and stretched out on it. "So, are ya gonna get in bed or not?" "Yeah, I guess so," you kick off your shoes. "Just let me get a little more comfy," "Ah guess Ah'll do the same," she bites on her hair band and pulls it loose, her mane falling over her shoulders. You stop to look as you unbutton your shirt. "Wow, you look good with your mane down like that," "Aww, you are too kind," she giggles. You continue to undress taking off your blue shirt, you then undo your belt and slip your pants off leaving your skivvies and your white undershirt. "All nice and comfy?" she asks. "I don't usually sleep like this, but unfortunately I forgot to pack some jammies," you chuckle. Its not like you had time to pack for a cross dimensional trip on the verge of death anyway. "Right, well why don't ya come on over here so we can get some sleep, hmm?" "Sleep sounds pretty good right about now," you walk over to the bed. Applejack scoots over to the other side so you can slide in. Your feet barely reach over the edge of the foot of the bed. Oh well, it would have to do. You pull the soft cool bed sheets over the both of you, encasing yourself in the soft silkiness of the sheets. You let out a sigh as you lay your head down on the pillow. "Comfortable?" she asks. You turn towards her and smile. "Yep, man I needed some sleep, its been quite a day hasn't it?" "You could say that again," she agress, laughing. "Its been quite a day hasn't it?" "Ah didn't mean that literally Leroy," she giggles. "I know, I'm just messing with you," you boop her on the nose. "Alright alright, that's enough tomfoolery for today, try to get some sleep okay?" "Sounds good, will do," you move in closer to snuggle closer to her. "Alright, well goodnight sugarcube," she kisses you lightly on the lips and you kiss back. "Goodnight, Applejack," you whisper back, holding her close and stroking her mane. It didn't take long before the blissfulness of sleep had taken over and you gladly joined Applejack in dreamland, sleeping the night away...
Chapter 11: DawnChapter: Dawn By Calamity Jay "Finding my place in a new world is not as easy as it sounds. I mean you try fitting in with a bunch of ponies!" You glare at the man in front of you. You recognize him as someone from your past, but you could not determine where. You feel your heart pumping at a mile a minute. Deep within your chest, you feel the burning sensation of rage. At first you could not understand why you were feeling this way and who it was directed at. But then, you hear words... words from someone you had not heard from in a long time... words that were once said to you a long time ago, by someone you thought you'd never see again... "You'll never amount to anything and you Goddamn know it!" Yes, it just occurred to you that you do in fact know who this man was. But most of all, you remember this exact moment and what was going on. This was the moment where you had the last fight with your parents... Another voice speaks up in the background. One less harsh and more comforting than the former. "Leroy please! Can you just listen to us for once?!" You shouted something back at them, but strangely your voice was muffled and you could not hear anything you said to them. Whatever you had said, you were certain that it angered them, as the man you confirmed as your father's face contorted into one of anger and the woman behind him looked ever so distressed from the situation. "I always knew he would be a loser Laura! I knew it from the start!" he looked to the woman behind. "Some kind of man you turned out to be, might as well just have aborted your dumb, sorry ass and gotten a dog or something that has a brighter future than you do!" His words hit you hard and you feel a twinge in the back of your head, your anger reaching a boiling point. The catalyst of hate within you needed one last element to create a massive combustion of rage and hatred that will surely result with terrible consequences. "Always knew you'd be a fucking disgrace, just get out of my sight before I end up having to teach your pansy ass a lesson," "Richard please!" she walks up to hold him back, but he just shoves her off of him. "You stay the hell out of this!" he turns and shoves her once again. She falls against a table and lands on the floor with a loud thud. That was it... That was the last thing you needed before you feel the explosion of rage within you as you see the sight of your father pushing your mother to the floor. You feel your fist clench and your body propelled forward by the force of your enragement. The last thing you see is your fist connecting with the left side of your father's face before everything fades to black *Scene Break* *3rd person* The sun shone through the window, shedding it's light on Applejack. She started to stir once she felt the light shining on her face. Slowly, she opened her emerald eyes and stared at the wall in front of her. The apple farmer rubbed the sleep out of her eyes with her hooves, trying her best to wake herself up. As she looked at the clock on her nightstand, she almost panicked when she saw the clock read past nine o'clock. She had to be up by six to start working! But after a moment of clarity, she realized that today is a day off from working the farm. Hence the reason she went to the party in the first place. It was true she is a hard worker, but everyone needs a break every now and then. She was actually going to get out of bed and start her day. That was until she realized something as she felt someone holding her close. She was not alone in bed. Applejack was about to gasp as she felt the arm that was holding her around her abdomen, so she looked behind her to see who this individual was that was in bed with her. She looked back to see the snoozing human behind her, happily snoring away the morning. 'Oh, its just you Leroy. Whew, almost gave me a heart attack there,' Applejack breathed out a sigh of relief as she specifically remembered that she invited the young human into bed. Although she had offered him to sleep with her, it had been quite some time she had actually slept with anyone, much less a human. Perhaps that is why she was surprised to feel someone in bed with her. As the human snored, she stifled a giggle at the way he was sleeping. The way he slept with his mouth slightly open and the way his snore was soft and stuttering. She found it quite cute the way he slept, albeit a bit goofy, but still cute. In a way... 'Hmm, Ah should probably wake him up,' she thought as she just stared at the slumbering human, running her hoof through his curly black hair. 'Awww, but he looks so peaceful. Ah'd hate to wake him up, he's sleeping like he hasn't slept in days. Then again...' she remembered how he had slept on the train. 'Ah well, might as well just let him wake up on his own. Hmm, Ah could use a bath. Been a day since Ah've washed up. Might as well go do it then, but wait... Ah wonder what else those hands of his are good for,' she thought, looking over at his hand on her hip. 'And Ah'm pretty sure he needs a bath too, ain't no harm in waking him up for a bath right?' that was it, her decision was made. But she wondered what it would take to wake up this human. She didn't want to cause a scene trying to wake him up in a loud manner and it took a little more than a gentle voice to wake up this heavy sleeping human. So, the apple farmer laid there and thought of a way to wake him up easily. A thought popped into her head. A light blush crept it's way onto her muzzle. 'Oh my, should Ah really pull something like that?' the method she thought of using to go about waking up the snoozing human made her feel flustered. 'Well, maybe Ah should make it up to him from last night. Ah'm sure he would appreciate somethin' like this,' her mind made up, she gently moved his hand from her hip and slowly rolled off the bed and onto her hooves. She wouldn't want to wake him up and ruin the surprise now would she? The apple farmer moved to the foot of the bed and chuckled slightly when she saw that his feet were poking over the edge of the bed. 'Hmph, he's so tall,' she mused, pulling back the sheets and revealing his full body. 'Urgh, those pieces of clothes are gonna be a problem,' it would be hard for her to remove his undergarments without waking him. He would have to lift his hips for her to remove them. She moved her forelegs onto the bed and positioned her mouth at the legging of his boxers. Gently, she placed the piece of cloth in her mouth, gripped it with her teeth and pulled hard. Applejack felt a lot of resistance from the piece of clothing, so she pulled harder and harder. After a few seconds of pulling, the waistband from the right side came down just a few inches. 'Maybe Ah gotta pull from both sides?' she went to his other leg and began pulling. Slowly she started pulling at each leg simultaneously, until the waistband was pulled down past his waist and part of his crotch was showing. With one final pull on the left leg, the human's boxers slipped down way past his lower thighs, revealing his privates to her. She sat there, looking at his penis, taking in the sight of it. She had seen what it looked like before, but never took in every single detail about it. After all, the last time they had sex, she was not exactly keen on inspecting every single detail of his manhood. But now that she saw it in a brighter light, she could finally see it all of it's glory. 'Wow, Ah never really looked at it this closely before. It really does look so different from a stallion's penis,' the way it was rounded at the tip instead of being flat. Granted, the stallions of Equestria were definitely well endowed, perhaps too endowed, but nevertheless well endowed. She remembered the last time she had a romp with a stallion. It was painful, feeling that huge rod being slid into her nethers and over stretching her love canal. It sent shivers up her spine whenever she remembered that feeling. Especially when she fellated a stallion from before, her mouth was stretched beyond it's limits as well and her throat had hurt from it afterwards. Although she had done what she thought would please her stallion, he ended being very selfish in bed and finished way before she did. She sometimes thought of getting with other mares, but she never really had a liking for the thought of intercourse with another mare. Even then, she wasn't enjoying sex with stallions and she was afraid to get with other mares, so her sex life was at the moment, dead... That was until Leroy came along. She remembers when they first had sex it was nothing like she ever felt before. The things he had done to her, she had never felt before. Making sure that she felt as good as she did. It was like a perfect fit for her, not too big and definitely not too small. Her favorite part being when he used his hands on her. Funny, his hands were the very reason why she was doing this in the first place. Okay, back to the task at hand. Slowly, she started to stroke up and down along his shaft, eliciting little groans of pleasure from the human. 'Ah got him right where Ah want him' she thought as she giggled and continued stroking him. *Scene Break* *2nd Person* Your body was still in a deep sleep, you snoring away the morning, completely unaware of the mare on top of you. Still asleep, you started to feel a pleasant sensation down below on your groin. Involuntarily, you let out a few groans and your pelvis bucks up and down slightly. Suddenly, through your half conscious daze, you hear a heavenly yet seductive voice. "Leroy~, time to wake up sugarcube," you hear Applejack coo at you. It sends shivers up your spine, so you peek your heavy eyes open. What you see, shocks you, but the kind of shock you want to feel more often. You see Applejack, her hoof on your manhood, slowly stoking up and down, "Mmm, Ah never thought you'd wake up," she says, nuzzling your crotch. "Well, what you're doing there is a pretty effective wake up method," you gasp as she licks at your erect spire. "One that I-I could actually come to like. Ahhh, that feels good," you feel the shocks of pleasure run up your spine as she continues to lick and stroke you. "What's the occasion?" "For one thing Ah wanted to make it up to ya for last night. And Ah also need your help," You raise an eyebrow at her request. "You must really need my help since you're using fellatio as a wake up technique. Alright, what do you need?" "Well, as a hardworking mare, Ah need to wash up after a long day. But, since Ah ain't got no magic to use to help me wash muhself up," You motion with your hand around to urge her to continue. "Okay, go on?" "And, Ah couldn't help but notice those mighty fine hands of yours. Ah bet they can get those hard to reach places," she moves up to sit on your stomach, drawing circles on your chest with her hoof. "So, how's about you help me wash up?" You take her hoof in your hand and kiss it gently. "I would love to help you wash up, my dear Applejack," "Alright then, follow me," she gets off of you and jumps off the bed. You follow suit, picking up your boxers as to not walk around nude, but you remove your shirt so you have less to take off in the bathroom. She leads you out the door and to the second door on the left side of the hallway. You get in front of her so you can open the door for her. "After you," "Aww, such a gentlecolt," she winks at you as she saunters into the bathroom, exaggerating the sway of her hips. For a moment you are hypnotized by the size and shape of her flanks. Huh, you never thought you would actually find horses attractive, but then again you have pretty much crossed that line. Okay, killing the mood now with all these technicalities. Back to the task at hand. She goes to the bath tub and pulls back the curtain. The bathroom itself is not that big, complete with a toilet, the bath, a mirror, and a few shelves that hold flowers. The bathroom also had a window overlooking the farm. Applejack twists one of the knobs with her mouth and water pours out of the showerhead. In the shower itself is a shelf with a few bottle of shampoo and other things. Below the showerhead is a rack for the sponges. After adjusting the knobs, she feels the water with her hoof, testing the temperature. "There, all nice and warm," she steps into the shower, letting the raining water from the shower cascade over her mane and coat. The sight of her in the shower reminds you of Sunny Day, the way she "helped" you in the shower. Now that you think about it, would you ever see Sunny Day again? Maybe... okay enough distractions. Either way, she looked beautiful and ever so sexy the way her wet mane hung down and in this moment you felt ten times more attracted to her. "Join me?" she asked, winking at you. You did not have to be asked twice as you removed your underwear in the blink of an eye. Before you fall over and trip, you slow down and gently step into the tub, placing one foot down and then the other. After you get in, you close the shower curtain behind you, but there is just one problem. Applejack takes up most of the shower standing on all fours and you barely had any room to stand. "Okay I don't think we both fit in here like this," "Whaddaya suggest?" "How 'bout you get up on your hindlegs? That way we have more room?" She does as you say and hooks her forelegs over your shoulders. Now you stand face to muzzle and Applejack smiles sheepishly as you both stand under the warm stream of water pouring over the both of you. "So, maybe you could put those hands to work and help me wash up?" "I'd be glad to," You reach to the shelf holding the bottle of what you assume to be the shampoo. 'Hmm, apple scented shampoo? Why did I not see that coming?' You muse to yourself as you pop open the top and squeeze out some of the green goop into your hand. "Shall I start with your mane?" "That'd be just fine, sugarcube," She kisses you on the cheek affectionately as you reach up with both hands and begin to massage the shampoo into her mane. She develops a goofy looking grin as you massage her head, slowly using the dexterity of your fingers to wash her golden mane. Applejack lets out a few moans at your ministrations, closing her eyes and tilting her head as if she was afraid your hands would go away and never come back. You reach behind her ears and lightly massage the foamy substance into them, making her giggle and moan. After a few minutes of this, she finally leans her head back and lets the water rinse off the apple scented soap. She lets the water drip off her face and she opens her eyes. "Ah must say that was really nice, Leroy. You used to be a masseur or somethin'," You chuckle at the thought of people actually paying you to touch them. "Nah, not really. I just do what I do whenever I wash my hair," "Really? Well, that was still good nonetheless," "Thanks, anywhere else you want me to wash? I charge by the hour so you may want to tell me," you joke as she rolls her eyes at you. "Okay then, how 'bout you help me wash my back?" she turns around and places her hooves onto the wall beside you. "Whenever you're ready, Leroy," She turns to look back at you, her muzzle a deep shade of red, her eyes half lidded and beckoning. The whole look drawn together by her wet mane, draping over her shoulders. She winks at you. At that very moment, you lost control of yourself and did what your instincts were telling you. You place the bottle of soap on the shelf, grab her firmly by the waist and pull her close. "I'm sorry Applejack, but you are fiercely turning me on, so washing your back will have to come a little later, right after you do" You begin to kiss and lightly nibble at her neck and shoulders. "Its fine, besides Ah owe ya from last night," "Well, let's make up for lost time shall we?" You run your hands up and down her body, feeling her damp fur on your fingers just makes you want to pull her closer. You turn her around so she faces you once again, you press her against the wall, and kiss her like you never have before. Pouring all your love into the kiss, she moans into your mouth, your tongues dancing around the other, feeling the love and passion flow between the two of you as you make sweet passionate music. After what seemed like an eternity, you pull away from the kiss, and start kissing her neck, eliciting moans from your mare. But a thought hits you, how are you supposed to make love in the bath tub? Where you both barely fit? "So, how do you wanna do this? I'm too tall for you standing up," You whisper to her. "Here, let me lie down on the floor," She moves to the other end of the tub, sits on her rump and slowly slides her back down onto the floor. Thankfully the tub was wide enough to compensate for the two of you, but not quite long enough. As you lied down on top of her, you had to bend your knees back a little because of the length of the tub. You were finally in position, the water from the shower hitting you lower back. Applejack wraps her hind legs around your waist, and you kiss and gently bite at her chest and neck. You would've gone down on her, but you would've had some difficulty moving all the way down her body, so it should be sufficient just doing this. In fact, just being here with her was good enough for you. Her hips started gyrating as you worked on her, telling you wordlessly that she wanted you inside her right at this moment. "Leroy, please stop teasin', Ah can't take it anymore," She begs, whimpering. "You know, I think I owe you from the first time we did this," You whisper into her ear, eliciting shudders from your mare. "Remember? When you made me beg? I think now I wanna hear you beg me to fuck you," You grasp your shaft and slowly tease her by poking and prodding at her entrance. "Well?" "Oh please don't make me do this," She groans, shuddering from your ministrations. "Yeah? Are you sure? All you need is to say is just a few words and I'll fuck you like I've never done before," You get up and look down at her. The way her mane was splayed out all over the shower floor, her heaving chest, the half lidded gaze from her eyes, and the mad blush on her muzzle. It was a beautiful sight for you. "Just tell me what you want me to do, and I promise I'll do it," "Okay then," She takes a deep breath. "Please, rut me," You hear her whisper, barely catching her over the sound of the rushing water. "I'm sorry what was that?" You ask, to further convince her, you begin running your hands up and down her body. "Oh, for sweet Celestia's sake, please just rut me," She half shouts, you were pretty sure the whole house could hear you two going at it. Unless by some chance they were all outside. But you still had your doubts. "Alright, I guess since you asked so nice-" Immediately, she grabs you with her forehooves and pulls you close. "Leroy Evans, if you do not rut me with all ya got this instant, Ah will make you regret it later on. You hear me human?" She whispers sharply in your ear. Wow, she does not play around when she's turned on. "Yes, ma'am. I'll get right on it," You move your hand to your rock hard length and push it into her hot, wet marehood. She lets out a silent moan and writhes in blissful agony as you fill her up, closing her eyes and arching her back. You straddle her sides with your hands as you bottom out inside her. "You ready?" "Please, just rut me. Please?" She whimpers as she opens one of her eyes and looks up at you on top of her. You feel a pang of guilt as you look down at her. You feel the rush of lust you were feeling fade away and the slightly familiar feeling of love fill your chest. You get close to her and gently brush your lips against hers. "I'd do anything for you, you know that right? And I'd never want to hurt you... Ever," You whisper in her ear. "Ah know," she whispers back, loosening her grip on you, she gently holds onto you with her forelegs. "But, please. Do start ruttin' me, Ah can't take it anymore," "Of course, my sweet Applejack," You gently caress her lips with your again as you slowly begin to rock in and out of her. You feel her hot walls pulling at you, almost as if begging you to come back. However, you had no intention of her leaving her, so you continue your gentle love making. An eternity seems to pass as you lay entwined on the floor of the bathtub, grinding your wet, warm bodies against each other; Applejack's moans were only driving you to keep you going, no matter how tired you were getting. At one point, Applejack had let out a series of frantic moans and pulled you into a tight hug and by the way her walls convulsed violently around your member, you assumed she had came. Nevertheless, you kept going. And going... And going... "Oh sweet apple fritter!" She came again, shouting into your ear. Still you kept going. And going. "Oh, oh, oh, sweet Celestia!" She came once again. You sure are quite the love machine. After the third time she came, you were getting pretty close as well, starting to speed up your thrusts. "Oh shit, I'm close," You gasp. "Oh, please," She whimpers, hugging you close. "P-please, just finish off. Ah need ya to," "Alright, as you wish," You continue rutting her at the speed of knots, getting closer and closer to your own finish line. You felt the huge wave of release building up and finally you fall into the current as you give one final, hard thrust into her and release all your love and passion you had built up from the last time. Your body seized up and your member twitched violently as you shot your load into her hungry womb. After you finished, you collapsed on top of her like you did before, burying your head into her neck. Moments passed, the two of you basking in the afterglow of your orgasms. Finally, you spoke up. "You know, I think we're wasting water by lying here. Sorry I took so long," You chuckle. "Oh its fine, here, let me get up," You rise up off her and let her stand, assuming the position to where you both fit in the bath. "Ya know, you still have to finish washing me," She says, raising an eyebrow. "I know, I'd be happy to oblige," You take the soap in your hand and continue to wash her body. "Ya know, Ah owe for the way you were teasin' me," "But, I thought I made it up with the three orgasms I gave you," "Ya may have given me three orgasms, but Ah still owe ya for the next time," "Hmm, right. I'll be prepared to suffer the consequences then," You chuckle as your wash off the soap from her body. "Here, let me wash up real quick then we'll get out?" "Alright, Ah'll wait up for you," You proceed to wash yourself, with Applejack watching you as your wash off your body. However, it was kind of awkward when you had to get the 'hard to reach' areas. Still, you finished up nonetheless, turned off the water, and got out of the bathtub. "But still Leroy, Ah thought you did amazing. Ah must say, Ah- Ah really like you," "Yeah? Well, I really like you too," You knew deep down you wanted to say something else. But, you weren't sure if AJ was ready for that huge step, so you kept those three little words to yourself. You grab a couple of towels from the rack and start to dry yourself. Applejack asked for your help to dry her, to which you gladly complied. After you both dried off, you got your underwear back on and went back to Applejack's room. "So, you think they heard us?" You ask as you pull on your shirt and pants. "Ah reckon they might have, but Big Macintosh already knows about us and Apple Bloom, well, she knows about this sort of thing," "So you told her about the birds and the bees?" You ask, tying up your shoes. "Ayep, a little while ago actually," She laughs, putting on her hat. "Well, today is a day off, so Ah was gonna head down to eat some late breakfast. Want somethin' to eat?" You had not realized how hungry you were; when she mentioned food, your stomach let out a growl. "Well, as you probably could hear, yes I would love something to eat," You say, rising off the bed, fully dressed. "Alright, well, follow me then," She opens the door and goes through with you following behind her. You prepare yourself for the possible awkwardness that would surely follow after your passionate session in the bathroom. Eh, how bad could it be?
Chapter 12: LessonsChapter 12: Lessons By: Calamity Jay "Cool, so I get to learn how do to magic? Always wanted to do that. Oh and the learning about friendship thing too..." You and Applejack headed downstairs to the living room and then took a turn into the kitchen. On the way down you could smell the sweet smell of breakfast being made. To your surprise it smelled like apples, but you remembered, you were being taken in by the Apple family. Who farmed nothing but apples. Nevertheless, you still liked apples. Always did. "Mornin' there Applejack, Leroy," Granny Smith greeted as you walked into the kitchen. The old mare was standing at the stove cooking breakfast for everyone. Big Mac had his head in the fridge, pulling out a carton of milk with his mouth and trotting over to the table. Apple Bloom sat at the table on a chair working on a coloring book. It was strange when you saw that she was holding the crayon in her mouth to draw. Of course you remembered you lived in a world full of ponies... With hooves... No fingers there buddy. However, you wagered that Unicorns found it easier to write and draw seeing as they could use their magic to levitate things. So you figured that some things were easier for others in Equestria. "Hey sis, hey Leroy," Apple Bloom chirped from the table, putting down the crayon in her mouth. "Why were y'all takin' so long in the bathroom?" "Uh well-" You started but Applejack nudged you with her hip. "Apple Bloom, you don't need to know exactly what we were doing," Applejack told her sister, seeming a little embarrassed. "Oh wait so you guys were uh, ya know?" She made some kind of gesture with her little hooves, one that looked like it meant something lewd as she slowly tapped on hoof on the other. Your face could not have gotten anymore red. "Apple Bloom! That is none of your business, now just get back to your drawing will ya?" AJ said as she trotted to a chair and took a seat. You followed and did the same as she did, sitting down next to her. Big Mac came with the jug of milk, set it down on the table and then sat down on the chair across from you, leaving the chair at the other end of the table open for Granny Smith. "Applejack, would ya be a dear and come over to help me set the table?" Granny called from the table. "Be right there granny," She was about to rise off her seat, but you reached out a hand and you stopped her. "How about you let me help set up the table, eh? You all let me stay here, I'd feel pretty terrible for not helping out," You offered, giving a soft smile. "Alright then, go right ahead," You walked over to where Granny stood, flipping pancakes with her mouth onto several plates. You half expected there to be maybe eggs or bacon, but then you remembered. Ponies. Herbivores. No bacon here. "Wow, Granny these look and smell amazing," You say, picking up other plates. "Ah, glad ya think so, ol' family recipe right there," She replies, smiling backup at you. "No problem, I look forward to eating these very soon," You then go over to the counter to pick up plates. Pausing, you think over on how you can show these ponies just how good hands are, just to make this morning a little bit more entertaining. At first you thought about using your new magic abilities to pick up all the plates, but then again you were not terribly adept with your abilities; throwing the plates at your new friends or against the wall is a good way to ruin the morning and take the awkwardness to a whole new level. So, like the intelligent individual you are, you place two plates on your forearms and pick up another two plates with your hands. "Hey guys check me out, I'm like a circus act over here!" You then start humming the circus tune while walking over to the table. Meanwhile, Applejack and Apple Bloom start giggling at your antics. "Hey, can you stand on one leg while doing that?" Applejack asks, still laughing. "Yeah can ya?" Apple Bloom asks as well, looking up at you expectantly. Putting down the plates, you stop the circus act. "Sorry, but I'm afraid if I did that, breakfast would be a little shorter than we'd like," You chuckle, going back to pick up the last plate for Granny. After setting the table, you take your seat next to Applejack and prepare to dig into the meal. "C'mon Granny, you're makin' us wait on empty stomachs," Applejack calls over to her. "Alright, hol' on there young'un, Ah'm comin'," She shakily trots over to the table and slowly takes her seat at the head of the table. "Okay Ah'm here, go ahead and dig in everypony," The others begin to heartily dig in to their piles of apple pancakes, but something felt off to you. You were always used to eating with utensils, using a knife and fork when necessary to eat your food. First thing you noticed was that there were none of those here that your could use, so of course you felt awkward without a fork and knife to eat. Looks like adjusting here to life in Equestria would be harder than you thought; including adjustments like this. "Somethin' wrong, Leroy," Applejack asks, swallowing a bite of pancake. "Uh no, just thinking," You reply, picking up one of your pancakes to take a bite. "No need to worry," You then take a bite and immediately your taste buds and stomach shout out in glee as you chew the morsel a few times and swallow it. "Wow, Jesus, these are good," "Ah'm glad ya think so. Hear that Granny? Leroy likes your pancakes!" She calls over to the old mare who is slowly eating her breakfast, but pays no mind to her granddaughter. "Hey Granny!" "Uh whaaat? Who called me?" She asks, looking confused. "Granny, Ah said Leroy likes your pancakes," "Oh he does? Aww aren't ya just the sweetest thing? Ah am glad ya like 'em," She says, her wrinkled lips curling into a smile. "They really are good, thank you," You take another bite out of the soft, warm, pancake. "Mah pleasure" She goes back to eating her own food. As you all eat your breakfasts, you have idle conversation about the plans later for today. Since it was the weekend, everyone had a day off from working the farm. So that left you some free time to hang out with Applejack. Apple Bloom was talking about how she was going to go off and play with her friends and to figure out how to get their cutie marks. You had asked why and she happily explained to you the goal of being a Cutie Mark Crusader. Their main goal was to work together and find their cutie marks. Remembering what Twilight had said, you were about to explain to her that they could not possibly get their cutie marks at the same time; let alone having the same one. However, as you started explaining, Applejack had nudged you in the ribs. You wanted ask why and she gave you a look that obviously told you 'let her figure it out on her own'. Eventually, everyone had finished their breakfast. Applejack was about to go and was the dishes, but once again you insisted to do the work yourself. It was the good thing to do after all, they did let you into their house. "So, what's the plan for today?" You ask, finishing off the last plate, washing the syrup off the ceramic dish. Big Mac, Apple Bloom, and Granny had all left the kitchen to go about their activities. So that just left you and Applejack alone. In the kitchen. Not that you could do anything sexual in here. Right? "Well, Ah believe we could go off into town, see what there is to do. Maybe stop by Sugarcube Corner and have some sweets. Or..." She looks at you with her eyebrow arched. "We could probably," She trots up behind you and you turn to face her. "Just stay home all day," You back up against the sink and place your hands against the counter as she rears up and places her legs on your shoulders. "And get to know each other a little better," She nuzzles you, burying her face in your neck. "And Ah know how much ya like it when Ah do this," You feel her warm, wet tongue go up the side of your face, stopping just below your earlobe. She giggles when she feels you shudder and you let out a soft groan. "Yeah? Well I know how much you like it when I do this," You run your hands up all the way to her shoulders and down close to her flanks. Then you crane your neck to bite down on the tip of her ear, gently nibbling on it. Immediately, she lets out a deep, but silent moan caused by your sensual ministrations. "N-not fair," She gasps out as you continue caressing her. You start to kiss her neck softly and making your way up to her cheek. Eventually you both meet in the middle for a soft kiss which quickly escalates when you shoot your tongue into her mouth, dancing with hers. You lose yourself in the kiss, passionately caressing her lips with yours, running your hands down along her barrel, feeling the soft fibers of her coat. At this moment it was just the two of you there in the kitchen, but it might as well been the two of you alone in the whole world. Just you and Applejack. It felt like hours had passed and before it could escalate any further, a series of loud knocks came from the front door of the farmhouse. At first you ignore the person knocking at the door, still kissing your mare. That was until a certain Princess' voice called from the porch. "Applejack! Leroy! Are you guys here? Its me Twilight!" You pull your lips away from Applejack's. "Damn, well, I guess we could continue this some other time." "Yeah, maybe we could. Let's go and see what Twilight needs," The two of walk over to the screen door where Twilight is waiting. You open the door for her. "Hey there, Twilight," You greet cheerfully, smiling down at the young Princess. "Howdy, Twilight, care to come in?" Applejack offered. "Actually I can't really, I came here for Leroy," She said, pointing at you. "Really? What do you need me for?" You ask, arching an eyebrow. Most likely Twilight has come to fulfill her promise of teaching you magic. "Remember at the party how I said I was gonna train you in the arcane arts?" "Yeah?" "Well, here I am. You wanna get started? I also have this book here as well that will help you get started," She floats out a book titled "Learning the Arcane Arts: Beginner's Edition" out of her saddlebags. "If you're busy then maybe we can do this some other time?" You look down at Applejack, wordlessly asking her if you were going to be busy. She gives a little shrug of her shoulders. There you have it. "Alright, I don't think we have anything on our schedule for today, so I think we should go and get started." "Good, well I think we should practice in an open area, knowing you, you'd probably blow up my castle or something," She giggles, earning her a scowl from you. "Well, just in case. Better safe than sorry right?" She grins at you sheepishly. "Yeah yeah I got you, Twilight," You huff out a laugh. "So AJ? Wanna come along? Watch me try and do magic stuff?" "Much as Ah'd like to, 'fraid Ah can't sugarcube," She says, pursing her lips. "Ah think you need to focus on that kind of stuff and well, Ah'd hate to distract ya." "Aww come on, you don't distract me. I mean, its not as if... I..." Your words leave you as you look at Applejack, who develops a half lidded expression, a look she gets whenever she is 'in the mood'. You continue to sputter out words, but you fail to form a coherent sentence. She then lets go of her look and returns to a normal expression. "Okay, maybe I do get distracted by you. Quite easily actually," You chuckle, rubbing the back of your neck. "Alright, its settled then. Twilight, Ah will be seein' you later, teach him good for me will ya?" "Of course I will," She replies, grinning at her friend. Applejack looks up at you. "You take care now ya hear? Ah'd hate for anything to happen to ya," She reaches up and nuzzles you. "Don't worry, you know I will," You lean in and kiss her on the cheek. "What are you going to do while I'm away?" "Oh probably just help out Granny or see if Big Mac needs some help with somethin'," "Alright then, I'll be back soon okay?" You give her one last kiss on the lips and leave with Twilight to go and begin your lesson. *Scene Break* "So, you seem to know what you're doing, Leroy," Twilight complimented, as you were levitating a few rocks the size of your palm. You and Twilight had walked a little ways away from Sweet Apple Acres, practicing in an open grassy field, occupied by a lone tree where Twilight happily laid on her belly under, forelegs tucked in. A book being held by her magic grip. She had begun by once again scanning your body to see how it was reacting to the magic it was absorbing. To her surprise you had actually absorbed a substantial amount in only a day since she last scanned you. She theorized that the reason why you have advanced so quickly with your new abilities, is because of the amount of magic you have been absorbing. Even Unicorn foals who have barely coaxed a few sparks out of their horns would take a significant amount of practice and study to utilize the magical aura that surrounds Equestria. Only a few unicorns in the history of Equestria were prodigies in the Arcane Arts. Where they were immediately masterful in magic with very little practice. "Yeah its amazing really, I have no experience with magic whatsoever. And yet I'm doing this," You say as you levitate the rocks around you. "Its weird, I'd say almost extremely peculiar." "I know it really is. Or maybe you are just another prodigy, but a magical prodigy that is not a Unicorn. This truly is strange indeed," She looks at the book and flips through a few pages. "Well, the entire book is just the basics of magic and you've pretty much got them all down. Which is why I think that we are done for today." She closes the book she had in her magic grip and placed it into her saddlebag. "Now, you'll continue magic training again another day, for now we will start on the next part of your lesson. Do you remember the reason why we are letting you stay in Equestria?" She asks, rising up off the ground. "Uh because I came here only under circumstance and that I was pretty much on the verge of death?" You say flatly, it really was the honest truth, no matter how ridiculous it was. "No," She giggles, "One reason is that we discovered a new world and you are a sentient being coming from the world that Princess Luna found, albeit by accident. Second reason is that we can learn so much about your kind. Cultures, social habits, everything. And the last reason we have you here is to help you, Leroy." She says walking up to you. "Leroy, we know about how much pain you have been in on your world. You told us about how you had a falling out with your parents and I feel that nopony should have to go through that. So that's why me and my friends will teach you about friendship. And I believe me and my friends as the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony can teach about true friendship. I believe Pinkie has already showed you what Laughter can do as an Element." You furrowed your brow in confusion. "What do you mean?" "I mean you've already learned a lesson in friendship," She says with a soft smile. "Remember the big party she threw for you, remember how you had a wonderful time?" "Yeah I did, but what is that supposed to prove?" "Let me teach you something, Laughter is versatile in it's uses; can be used for anti-depressants, medicine for the brokenhearted, spread cheer, a very important building block for parties, and other things as well. You have already experienced what Laughter can do. Tell me, you had fun at the party right? Then again it was a Pinkie Pie party so if you didn't have a good time, I'd say you're what Pinkie would call a partypooper." You thought about it for a moment. Thankfully you were not completely shitfaced during the festivities so you were able to remember the fun parts of the party. After a moment of reflection you came to a conclusion: That was probably the best Goddamned party you have ever been to and you would gladly fucking do it again. But you were not about to tell a Princess you had a good time in such a manner. "Yeah, I actually had a wonderful time. Probably the best party I've ever been to," You say leaning back on your hands and looking up at the sunny sky. "In all honesty Twilight, I was very touched that Pinkie did all that work just to give me a heck of a party. It kinda made me realize that I can have a good time with friends, even though those friends are ponies who walk on four legs, but still friends." You chuckle, grinning at the young Princess. "Right, well I'm glad you did learn something from that. Oh and speaking of learning, when you get a chance I want you to write a letter to Celestia detailing what you have learned so far about friendship. That way she can know of your progress." "Why would she want to know that?" "Because, the Princesses want to help you, Leroy. Including me and my friends," "Am I really that bad?" "From you've told us, then yes your situation is pretty bad." "Oh. Huh, man that's depressing," You grimace and hang your head. It was true what she said. Your situation back home was not a good one. Separating yourself from your parents and living a life like the way you were was not a good thing. No matter what, you had to change your ways. The best thing you could do right now is listen to the young Alicorn. She trots over to where you are sitting under the tree and sits back on her haunches. She then places a comforting foreleg on your shoulder. "Leroy, I promise you, me and my friends will help you change," She nuzzles your neck, causing you to flinch. You make it a point to ask Twilight about how social habits work here. "And when you go back to your own world, you will reunite with your parents and fix things with them because no one should have to be separated from their own parents." You hook your shoulder around her back and give her a friendly squeeze. "Thanks Twilight, I appreciate all the things you are doing for me. I'm sure I'll find some way to repay you, AJ and everyone else," You release her from your grasp. Now came the time where you had some questions of your own. "Hey Twilight, could I ask you some questions? There are things that I'm kinda confused about." "Okay sure, ask away," She replies with a grin. "Alright, well first things first. I know you've seen AJ nuzzle me. Actually she nuzzles me quite a bit," You rub the back of your neck. "That's something that only couples do here right?" "Well not really, I've seen mares and stallions who aren't couples nuzzle each other sometimes. Even mares nuzzle each other, like sometimes I nuzzle my friends. Like I also do with my brother, Shining Armor, I nuzzle him on the rare occasions I see him," Whoa, she has a brother? It shocked you a bit now that you know she has a brother. "You have a brother? Wow, I was not aware of that, please fill me in. I don't mean to stray off the topic, but it'd be great if you told me about your brother." "Oh well, he is my big brother best friend forever as I like to call him. He's always been there for me whenever I needed his help. Of course there were times where we did not always see eye to eye, but then again what normal siblings don't disagree from time to time?" She lets out a giggle and you huff out a laugh as well. "Anyways, he joined the Royal Guard when I was a filly, around the time I got accepted to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns and then he went off to training. After a few months he came back as a Private and of course my parents and I were elated to see him return. The years went by and due to his excellent work in the Canterlot Police Force, he was selected to be a candidate for the Princess' Guard, which is where only the best guards can be placed. So of course he passed the trials, they were very impressed with his aptitude for magical shielding and armor spells, he was chosen as a Guard for Celestia herself. Years went by and the time came to choose a new Captain of the Guard. He was nominated as candidate along with three other lieutenants for the position. And well, Celestia entrusted the leadership of the Guard to Shiny and made him the Captain." "Wow, I didn't know I was friends with a Captain's sister," You say letting out a laugh. "Well, he's not Captain anymore. After he married Princess Cadance, he became her Prince and they went off to rule the Crystal Empire together." Whoa looks like being a royal figure runs in the family. "Huh, so you're a Princess and he's a Prince. I gotta say Twilight your family seems to be quite prestigious." "Well, not really," She says shaking her head slightly. "Ahem, anyways we can talk about that later. Going back to your question, nuzzling somepony does not necessarily mean that they're a couple or in a herd. Its really just a display of affection between friends and lovers. Like hugs, but you only really nuzzle somepony you know quite a bit. I mean it'd be kinda awkward if you nuzzled a mare or stallion you don't know," This seems to make sense to you. These ponies certainly were more open about physical contact. "Why do you ask this all of a sudden? That doesn't bother you does it?" She arches a brow at you. You never were that sensitive when someone touched you; of course if someone touched you inappropriately then maybe you would have a problem with it. "Its not that I have a problem with the concept of physical contact. Just the fact that I'm not used to it all the time. Humans on Earth considered things such as nuzzling and cuddling with good friends a social taboo. And if let's say you were with someone and they saw you hugging, nuzzling, kissing, or just plain touching anyone else... its not exactly a good thing to do." "Right, so your species is uptight about the whole touching thing. I hate to say it Leroy, but your species seems to be full of well... and excuse my rudeness, but it seems to me that humans are prudish. Almost as prudish as Canterlot nobles." "Well you can thank thousands of years of evolution for that," You purse your lips and cross your arms, leaning back against the tree you were sitting in front of. Another thought comes to your mind. "Twilight, can I ask another question?" "Of course, you can ask me anything you wish," She says, grinning at you cheerfully. The next question you had in mind would definitely help in clearing up a few things about your budding relationship with Applejack. "Okay, I'm going to be kind of blunt here, but me and AJ have had sex at least twice ever since we met in the hospital. I know you won't really understand what I'm trying to say, but the thing is I'm confused here. How do relationships work here in Equestria?" "Ah, the big question about how relationships work. I was hoping you would ask this," You were hoping that she would be able to clear your head about this whole thing. "The thing with relationships here in Equestria is that most ponies are very open with their relationships. Take this as a lesson in friendship, love is something that helps bring Equestria together. We see love as something that has no boundaries, by that I mean that a mare can get with another mare, a stallion with a stallion, a group of mares to a stallion, or a whole group of mares and stallions together. Us ponies don't judge each other on who they court or with how many. Its what brings peace and harmony to Equestria." She flips her mane over her shoulder. "Of course within limits though; for example if a stallion who was courting a mare and courts another mare behind her back then that's where problems occur. As long as one mare is okay with the other and don't mind sharing a stallion then that's how herds start." "Herds? Whole groups of mares to a single stallion? Sounds like polygamy at it's finest." You muse, letting out a soft laugh. "I'm guessing that you humans aren't keen on the whole polygamy thing?" She asks curiously. "Yep, polygamy is something that is frowned deeply upon. Of course there are a group of people in our world called Mormons who practice polygamy and have multiple wives or husbands. Let's just say they aren't well liked. On Earth, the most common rule about relationships is that if you have more than one lover at a time you are considered a cheater and unfaithful. Of course there are those who are real casual when it comes to sexual encounters," You see Twilight blush a little when you say this, ergo causing you to blush as well. "So yeah now you know how relationships work on Earth. And I guess I know how relationships in this world work as well. I appreciate your help Twilight." You reach over and ruffle her mane again. She giggles when you ruffle her mane. "I'm glad you enjoyed our lesson. I hope you take what you learned to heart. Remember, love and tolerance are key elements to friendship. Accept others for who they are and never judge someone because of your differences. Whatever those differences may be." You do your best to make a mental note of Twilight's sage wisdom and make sure to remember that if you ever see your parents again. "Thanks Twilight. Anything else we need to go over?" "Nope that is all for today!" She goes over to her saddlebags and uses her magic to stash the books in them and straps them to her back. "We'll continue this some other time. Let's see today is the fifth day of the week, which means the weekend starts tomorrow, so how does the first day of next week sound?" "Uh sure, but I'll have to make sure AJ doesn't need my help with something first," You say getting up and stretching out your back and legs. "Of course and if you can't then maybe the day after. How does that sound?" "That sounds great," Just then another question suddenly pops into your mind. Its a question that has to do with something that you would someday want to do. Something you want to share with a special someone... "Hey Twilight?" "Yes?" She replies. You take a moment to prepare yourself. "In Equestria... Ponies get married right? As in two ponies who swear to spend the rest of their lives with each other? Holy Matrimony? You know what I mean?" She laughs softly. "Yes I know what you mean, Leroy. And yes ponies do get married or did, here in Equestria, but the only thing is is that mostly noble ponies get married. Like two families of nobility who want to ally themselves with each other. Unfortunately, a tradition like that has fallen out of style since, well, times change and so do traditions. Most ponies these days either just get together in a herd if they wish or just find a special pony and stick with them for the rest of their lives. Take Mr. and Mrs. Cake for example, they've been together for quite a while and they have even have a couple of foals to show for it. In a way they are married, only they didn't go through the whole ceremony." "So its a choice whether or not ponies can be monogamous or polygamous?" "Like I said, as long as one is okay with the other or others, everything is fine and we don't judge. Why did you want to know about our marriage customs anyways?" She asks arching an eyebrow. "Well back on Earth, marriage is actually a common thing. If a man and a woman love each other, the man proposes to the woman, they plan the wedding, they go through the ceremony, and then figure out the rest of their lives together; maybe have a kid or two." "Really? Is it that simple to humans? And the male proposing to the female? I mean in noble weddings the mare always chose her suitor and the stallion really didn't have a say in anything," She develops a curious look. "Is your society male-dominated by some chance?" "Yeah it kinda is, how'd you know?" "Lucky guess, heh," She laughs and begins to walk back towards the trail to town. "Here let's walk and talk, we need to get going." You follow her down the trail. "So since you're questioning who the dominant gender is in my world, I'm gonna go ahead and take a guess that Equestria is a matriarchal society?" You ask with an eyebrow raised. "Yeah it is actually. Usually mares here are the ones that do all the thinking and such. While stallions are basically the muscle. Not only that, the filly to colt ratio weighs in favor of the mares. So yeah, mares are the dominant gender," Ah the primordial table has been turned. Gender role switch... "Wow, that's kind of shocking, almost absurd. All throughout history men have dominated women. In fact there still is a lot of controversy about equality between men and women. And that's just one of the controversies in our world, next to homosexuality." "Humans have a problem against that sort of thing?" "Well some cool people don't, but then some overly religious people are extreme in their disliking against gay relationships and marriages. To the point where they go out into public places and protest with signs and stuff." You look over at Twilight who has scrunched up her nose and pursed her lips in concentration. "Twilight?" "Hmm, let's see... Some humans practice polygamy, but others frown upon it... Some humans are homosexual, but others frown upon it... Females are considered inferior... Humans get married like its nopony's business... But you say that two humans of the same gender can't get married... Aha, I think I've come up with a conclusion!" She exclaims brightly. You raise your eyebrows at that. "Really? And what would that be?" "From all the information I've gathered, I think I have one thing to say about the human species..." "Yeah?" "Seeing how your customs and social habits contradict each other and how humans act in general..." "Can you just tell me what it is already?" You deadpan at her, wanting to hear the answer already. "You really want to know, Leroy?" She says looking up at you with a sly smile. "Yes, please professor I just want to hear your conclusion," You mutter in a flat tone. "Okay, from everything I've learned, I'd say that..." "Yes?" "Humans..." "Yes?" "Are..." "Uh huh?" "CRAZY!" She shouted, almost breaking your eardrum in the process. *Scene Break* After you made it to a fork in the trail, you and Twilight decided to part ways after talking about many things during your lesson with her. Her lesson proved to be valuable considering the fact that you knew nothing about Equestrian society; with the new information she gave you, you knew more about how things worked here in this strange world. Albeit you would need to adjust a little bit more. As of right now you were on the trail heading back to Sweet Apple Acres, thinking about everything that's going on. 'Okay, so I got drunk, got hit by a car, teleported to another dimension, discovered this dimension was full of brightly colored cartoon ponies, befriended six of those cartoon ponies, had sex with one of them (multiple times), developed feelings for that certain mare, attended a party in my honor made by one of my new friends, gained magic powers... Jesus, where does it end?' You purse your lips and place your hands in your pockets, kicking a rock out of the way. 'And to think this all started with me getting drunk. I guess the only good thing about this is that my life has been made just a little more exhilarating,' You lip curls into a smirk and you let out a chuckle. 'Hah! And they said beer doesn't do things for you-' Your thought was interrupted by a loud, shrill voice slowly growing in volume as it got closer. "LOOK OUT BELOW!~" You look around to spot where it was coming from as to get out of the way of whoever or whatever was coming. However it was too late as a cyan blur hit you from your side and sent you sliding in the dirt for at least ten feet. Pain erupts from the right side of your body, mostly concentrated on your shoulder. But due to your magical augmentation, the pain subsided in seconds. Were the situation different you would have most likely broke a few bones. Or more. After you recovered from being stunned, your focus was drawn to a certain Pegasus lying on the right side of your body, struggling to get up. "Whoa, Leroy! You okay?" She looks down at you with her rose-colored irises. You can see the worry emanating from behind those wide eyes. "Yeah I think so," You rub the back of your head and groan. "So any reason why you decided to use my body as a landing pad?" She rises off you and sits next to you on her haunches, you doing the same sitting on your rear. "I was uh, working on a new trick and well i lost control so here I am." "Hmph, here I was thinking that the awesome Rainbow Dash never crashed when trying a new trick," You chuckle, grinning at her. It was evident to you that the dare devil Pegasus did not appreciate you little quip at her flying capabilities by the way she glared at you. "Hey! Even the greatest fliers in history crashed every once in awhile!" "I'm sure they did, Dash," You roll your eyes at her. "Oh shut up," She demands, blowing her colorful bangs out of her face. You take a careful look over at Rainbow, eyeing up her small form. You could clearly see how much of a good condition she was in, her toned muscles visible every time she moved her legs. She was toned, but she was not overly-muscled; just enough to make her look good. The toned muscles she had made her small petite form look as though she was just humming with strength. Another thing that caught your eye was her prismatic mane. You've never been this close to her before and you could see the very fibers of her hair; to you it looked so soft and silky, you wanted nothing more than to just run your hand through it. But the real gems, were her eyes... A beautiful rose color rimmed around her irises. Just looking at them gives you tunnel vision as you are hypnotized by them. "Uh, Leroy? You okay there big guy?" You shake yourself out of stupor. "Uh yeah, just uh thinking about things," You sputter, flushing and looking off in another direction to hide your blush. 'Yeah, thinking about how beautiful you look.' "Hey, there's no hiding from me you know. I saw you checking me out." She said with a sly smile. "Really? How could you tell?" "Well for one thing you were making it pretty obvious, the way your eyes were moving up and down my body. You like what you see or what?" She purrs at you, waggling her eyebrows. Her confidence was obviously higher than you thought, the way she was calling you out on you gawking at her. Back on Earth you would have just come up with some bullshit excuse to get yourself out of this situation, but after spending time with AJ, you decided to be an honest man. "Honestly, yes I do. I just couldn't help but look at you. The way your body is in good shape, your colorful mane, and your beautiful rose eyes. So there it is, I guess you can make fun of me now for being a dunce," You close your eyes and bow your head in shame, waiting for her wave of teasing and aphorisms. After moments of waiting, you hear nothing. You hear no berating words or teasing coming from her mouth. Surprised, you look up and see that she is blushing and smiling sheepishly. "So... You really think I'm beautiful?" She asks with a curious smile. "Yes I do, I'd be lying if I said I didn't." "Huh, wow. No pony has ever told me that I look beautiful. I mean nopony ever really says good things about how i look at all. They mostly just say 'Good work, Rainbow Dash!' or 'Wow, nice trick, Rainbow!'. You're actually the first one to ever straight up call me beautiful." She looks down at the ground. "What?" You ask, astounded at the fact that a mare of her caliber is not complimented about her beauty on a daily basis! "There is no way that I am the first ever to call you beautiful. I'd like to think that everyone sees you as a desirable mare, I mean why wouldn't anyone want to be with you?" "Because," She lets out a sigh. "Ponies have told me in the past that I'm not beautiful at all," She develops a morose expression. "Even when I was a filly I was always picked on about how I couldn't fly worth a damn and how dumb I was all the time." You have never really seen her fly, so all you could do was just listen to her. "After that I started training in my flying harder and harder, trying to improve myself. When I earned my cutie mark during a race, I thought that it meant nopony would pick on me anymore. Even then ponies called me a freak because of how I looked with my mane and how I was unusually fast and strong for a filly. Then they would always say how I'm over-muscled and looked like a colt. And event though I like colts they always called me a filly fooler and a mare licker. I'd always get into fights with other ponies and get in trouble." "Fights? You fight?" You ask, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, I did. And I won too, but I guess that never really worked out because that only made ponies not like me even more," Her ears droop and she looks down at the ground. You were astonished at what was happening before you. Here she was opening up to you, spilling out everything she had ever experienced onto your listening mind. All of this because you called her "beautiful". "I dunno about that Rainbow, I think you're pretty likeable," You grab her chin and gently pull it upwards so she can make eye contact with her, wiping away a few tears in the process. "You are more than what other ponies think of you. You are brave, beautiful, daring, and loyal to the end. And don't ever think for a second that you are ugly, because you are not. You are the exact opposite of ugly. From what Twilight and the others have told me, you are beautiful in here," You tap her forehead with your finger. "And you are beautiful in here," You go down to her chest and lightly tap it as well. "People who are beautiful on the inside and out never let others bring them down." Her mouth starts moving, her trying to find the right words to say. Finally she asked, "You really mean all that? "Every word. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," You finish by lightly smacking your left eye. "Oh wow, thats- I, I don't know what to-" She sputters trying to find the right words to say. "That's the sweetest thing that anypony has ever told me in my entire life!" She exclaims, throwing her hooves around your shoulders and pulling you into a hug. "Thank you," She whispers in your ear. "Wasn't nothing, just speaking the honest truth," You whisper back, softly stroking her mane. After a few moments of embracing each other, she slowly pulls away and looks at you, her muzzle inches away from your face. Her rose-colored gaze burns into your soul as you look into each other's eyes; she looks as though she wants to say something, but can't quite find the words. That was before she places her hooves on your shoulders and pulls you in for a kiss. Your eyes shoot open wide from her bold move and you can feel her limps trembling. On instinct, you kiss back and immediately feel her relax and she let's out a sigh of relief. You can feel her pull you closer to her body when you feel her hooves tighten around your shoulders. In return, you place your hands on her hips and pull her closer to yourself as well and you feel her smile as you embrace. After a few moments of this, she slowly pulls back and gazes at you with a half-lidded look in her eye. "Can we... Do that again?" She asks you breathlessly. "Well, I uh, I dunno I mean- if you want-" You begin to stammer, but she silences you by pressing her lips against yours once again. This time she leans her weight against you and you fall back against the grass. She begins to really become more into the kiss as you feel her velvety tongue slide into your mouth and you feel it massage your own. At this point your heart is pounding and you begin to become more and more aroused from the dance that your tongues are performing together. You feel the rush of your arousal flow through you and you move your hands to her back and slowly run them down her back; you brush against one of her wings. "Ah!" She gasps and pulls away from you. "Rainbow, you okay? Did I do something wrong?" "No!" She exclaims."Nothing at all, its just, my wings are... Well... Really sensitive. If you catch my drift." "Oh well, I'm sorry if I hurt you," You say, reaching up and stroking her cheek. "Its fine, really," She giggles, nuzzling your hand. "Besides, its not like I asked you to stop ya know?" "Want for me to continue?" You ask arching an eyebrow. But she wordlessly answers your question by continuing her assault on your tongue by once again pressing her lips on yours. Again you run your hands up to her wings and you feel them unfurl with a light 'fwoof'. Slowly, you run your hand along the length of one of her wings, feeling her contentment pulsate from her moans into your mouth. Having had enough of her being on top, you decide to change things up by flipping her over onto her back as gently as possible so as to not hurt her fragile wings. She pulled you closer again, almost as if she was trying to her fuse herself with you so you and her could become one. Your heart was pumping a mile minute, feeling its rhythm pulse through your body with each beat; the heat of your passion and arousal fueling you to go further. Your hand moves down to unbuckle your belt and undo the button so you could truly become one. However, before you were able to get the belt undone, something that Twilight said popped into your mind. "As long as one mare is okay with the other and don't mind sharing a stallion..." Immediately, you stop and pull away from her. "What's wrong, Leroy? Is something wrong?" She asks breathlessly. "Did I... Do something wrong?" "No! Trust me, there is no way in hell you did something wrong," You rise up off of her and sit on your rear. "Its just something is wrong, but its nothing you did." "Then what is it?" "You know that I'm, kinda courting Applejack right now... Right?" "Yeah, what about it?" "I dunno if she would really be okay with this," You rub the back of your neck sheepishly. "I mean I'd hate to cause problems between you and your friends. That's the last thing I'd wanna do to you guys, you all are my friends." "Yeah I know," She looks down at the ground in shame. " I guess I should've talked it over with AJ first before we did any of this," A few moments of awkward silence pass. "Can I be honest with you, Leroy?" She asks, kicking at the dirt with her hoof. "Sure, go ahead," You agree, making a gesture with your hand. "I didn't really lose control when I crashed into you," She says, blushing and looking away. "What? You serious?" You ask, surprised at her revelation. "Yeah, I just kinda saw you down here walking, I decided to mess with you a bit, and well I kinda just did that because I-" She chokes on the last word obviously reluctant about what she wanted to say next. "C'mon, Rainbow. Out with it," "I really like you..." She mutters, and you couldn't hear what she said. "What was that?" "I said I... Like you..." Again she mumbles the last words. "Can you speak up please?" "I said I really like you!" She shouts, closing her eyes in frustration. "There I said it! I like you! I think about you a lot! Ever since that first time I met you! Ever since then I could not stop thinking about you! I dunno what it is about you that I like, but whatever it is its driving me crazy! That's why I pulled this little stunt of mine! Okay?!" She looks at you, panting from all the shouting she did. After a few seconds she calms down and lets out a snort. You sit there simply dumbstruck at what Rainbow had just revealed to you. "Rainbow... I... I didn't know that. I'm sorry," You apologize and reach over to hug her. She gladly accepts the gesture and falls into your grasp. "Wow, I honestly didn't know that you felt that way about me, Rainbow. I really didn't," "Yeah, and I'm sorry that I did what I did. I can get a little reckless when it comes to these types of things." "So you 'accidentally' crash into ponies you like as a pick up method?" You arch a brow at her curiously. "Well no," She giggles and smiles sheepishly. "No, by reckless I mean I just do things without thinking. I guess maybe that's why I've never been able to get my hooves on a stallion 'cause I scare them away." She looks down at the ground again in shame. "Good thing I'm not easily scared then," You chuckle and she looks up at you in surprise. "I mean c'mon I've had a brush with death, it'd take a whole lot more than that to get me scared. Your method was a bit painful at least, but it's nothing that I would go screaming home to mama about and turn down a beautiful girl because she decided to be spontaneous." "You really mean that?" "Yes, I do actually," You take her hoof in your hand and kiss it gently, causing her to blush. "Tell you what, when I get a chance and I think its a good time, I'll tell Applejack about you and ask her if its okay with you and I. I'd hate to go behind her back," "Yeah yeah, I get ya, but if you don't mind, could I be the one to ask her?" "Umm, sure if you want. Why though?" "'Cause, I think it'd be easier if I was the one that asked her," You think about what she said for a moment before you agree to her proposition. "Alright, if that's what you want, then go right ahead," A realization dawns on you as you look at the sun and see that it is setting. "Ah, Jesus, its getting late. I gotta get back to the farm already, I'd hate for Applejack to worry about me too much." "Yeah, you're right," She gets up and stretches her wings; you do so as well and dust yourself off as best you could. For a moment you and Rainbow just simply look at each other, looking for words to say. Finally she speaks up, "So, I guess I'll be seeing you later?" "Of course, definitely," You smile at her warmly and softly ruffle her mane. "Well, I guess I'll go now." You turn to leave, but before you could get anywhere, you hear her call at you. "Hey, Leroy?" You turn to face her. "Yeah? What's up?" She trots up to you, rears up on her hindlegs and places her hooves on your shoulders. "I think you forgot something," She whispers. "Really? Like what?" She leans forward and softly places her lips on yours. You kiss back and gently caress her lips with yours. After a few seconds she pulls away. "Alright, so I'll see you around?" She asks, smiling at you as she prepares to take off. You simply smile and nod. "Yeah, definitely," And you watch her leap into the air and fly off into the sunset, watching her prismatic flight trail fade as she flies further and further away from you and she disappears from sight.
Chapter 13: Praescitum, Part OneChapter 13: Praescitum By: Calamity Jay "So you're saying what I had was a vision?" "I'm saying maybe it was a vision, but let's just hope it was just a bad dream..." A street. For some odd reason, you find yourself on street, similar to the ones you would see back in Katy. In fact, this street looks a little too familiar, but you could not discern whether or not you've been here or not; let alone figure out why in the hell this street looks so familiar. The streetlight was right above you. Buildings lined up all along the side of the street. But one of the buildings caught your eye, a building with a familiar neon 'OPEN' sign and a even more familiar sign above the door with an even more familiar logo. "Johnny's Tavern: 'Come Have A Cold One!'" Shit. So that's where you've seen this street. In the past you strolled down this street many times to the bar where you would drink away the troubles of the day. Not that you had a problem seeing your old haven, but why in the hell you were here at this moment was indiscernible. You were beginning to wonder if maybe some weird portal opened up and you were sucked into and transported back to Earth. You were not too crazy about the idea of having to leave such a nice world like Equestria, behind back to your monotonous, boring old life back on Earth. But the biggest question was whether or not this was real. Or maybe a little bit too real. There were cars driving back and forth on the street. The parking lot filled with cars and people standing outside. This was becoming absurd, you had no idea why you were back on Earth and you had no idea in hell how you got here in the first place. You stood frozen to the spot you were standing on, trying to figure what the actual hell was going on. Suddenly, you lose your train of thought as you hear an engine rev behind you. Turning around, you see a small white car sitting there in front of you with the engine on. It was a Civic with a faded white paint job. At first it strikes you as familiar just like the street itself. You walk closer up to the car and you peer into the interior of the car. Who you see sitting the car... Are two people you thought you would never see again... Your parents. It was them, your father with his unmistakable thinning curly black hair and stubbly beard with wrinkles creeping in from the corners of his eyes and laugh lines. And your mother, with her graying shoulder length brown hair and light wrinkles on her face. You thought that your reaction to seeing them again would invoke feelings of bitter anger within you. But right now all you felt was the cold sting of regret, sadness, and for some reason the warmth of happiness. It was strange to you at first. Being happy to see them after all these years and especially with what happened. But you couldn't help it, a small smile made its way onto your face and tears welled up in your eyes, flowing down to your chin. You place your hand on the window of the car, hoping to grab their attention. When they don't respond, you try tapping the window, but to no avail as they keep on looking forward, mouths moving silently, saying words you could not hear. You called at them while tapping lightly on the window again, hoping to just make them acknowledge your presence. Still, they ignored you. This may have been a dream, but why they were not reacting to you was strange. If this was your dream, why would they not do as you wanted them to do and paid attention to you? Suddenly the car lurched forward and they took off down the road at a slow cruise. You wanted to run to catch up, but instead your body lifted off the ground and you glided along the road with them. Why exactly you were flying was peculiar to you, but you brushed it off still under the impression that this was a dream and you could do anything you wished. So you flew off after them, calling to them and again in vain hope that they would see you. They picked up speed and you did the same, keeping up with them you still kept trying to call them, going up to the window and banging it with your fist as hard as you could. You even tried focusing and using your magic to break open the window, but to no avail as your magic failed to ignite. You helplessly watched and glided along with them. Off in the distance, you hear an engine motor roar and another speeding car comes into view from the street adjacent to the one you were on. Realization dawned on you that you could hear and see the car... But what about your parents? Another horrifying realization dawned on you, they were not aware of the speeding car, and at the speed your parents were going they would be right on a collision course with the other car! You must do something! So you yell and scream and bang on the window with all your might as you float on after them as fast as you could. If they didn't see you, they would crash! Again and again you call to them and warn them about the car they don't see... But to no avail, they still kept going. On a collision course with their certain doom... The other car drew closer and closer, no further than 200 yards away from the upcoming intersection and your parents car. You prayed the stoplight ahead would turn red, but it had just turned green and wouldn't change for at least ten to fifteen seconds. Your parents were close to the crosswalk, about to pass through the intersection. The speeding car, was close now, about to blur past the intersection and blast through any and all who get in it's way And your parents were about to get in it's way... Panic rushing through your veins, you yelled at them to stop or at the very least slow down. Tears were flowing down your cheeks as you begged them to slow down. Again, they did not listen to you and they still went on past the crosswalk and out onto the intersection. Right into the path of the speeding car... You watched in horror as the car crashed into your parents' car sending it tumbling over and over, fifty feet away; the sound of metal crunching, tires squealing, and glass breaking ringing in your ears. Thankfully, the car at least landed right side up so you can see if they were alright. But then you go up to the car and see their bloodied and bruised faces; your father having blood gushing out from his nose and forehead, covering most of his face, his head laying on top of the steering wheel. Your mother was in no better condition, her face just as bloody as your father's, her eyes lay half-lidded and glazed over as she laid slumped over the dashboard of the car. Anguish fills your chest and you let it all out in one loud cry, tears still falling down your eyes as you reach out to your father, with the faint hope that he is still alive. You are stunned when you see that your hand passes right through him and your hand becomes translucent. Sitting on your knees in front of the door, you try to call out to him again, but it was all for naught as he still lay there, most likely dead or close to it. You look over to your mother through your tear-filled vision, looking for any sign of life she may give... But she still lay there with her eyes gazing out into nothingness. The sight itself was enough to break you and the pain of seeing your parents die right in front of you was too much for you to bear. You fell to the ground in a heap, weeping and sobbing; every fiber of your being wanted to believe that this was nothing more than a nightmare. If this was a nightmare, it was perhaps the worst one you have ever been through, and you wish that you could just wake up... o000ooo000o "AHHHHH! MOM! DAD!" You scream as you wake up from your nightmare, covered from head to toe in cold sweat, and your heart beating a mile a minute. Fresh tears still flow down your cheeks as you hold yourself, still sobbing from your horrible vision. However your sudden outburst does not go unheard and a certain mare sleeping next to you wakes up. "Leroy! Are you okay? What's wrong?" She sits up with you and looks at your face."Leroy. You're cryin' and sweatin' too. Didja have a nightmare?" You immediately pull her into a tight hug and bury your face into her shoulder. "Hey, there there now, tell me what happened." "Oh AJ, it was horrible," You sobbed into her shoulder. "What I saw, it was the worst thing you could possibly imagine. It hurt so much, I thought it was real." "Why? What did you see?" "I- I saw-" You choke up and sob more into her shoulder, your nose running and your eyes burning. "I saw my parents. I saw them die right in front of me." "Sweet Celestia, that's horrible sugarcube" She gently pushes you off her shoulder and you look into her eyes. "You listen here now, it was only a dream alright? Nothing is gonna happen Ah promise you, everything is alright, ya hear?" You stare at her, with utter horror etched on your face. "I saw them, Applejack. I saw them. And they ignored me. I couldn't do anything, but watch them die in front of me. I thought I felt alone before, but when I saw them die, it was the loneliest I've ever felt," You break down again into a fit of sobs as you put your head into her chest. "Hey hey, you ain't alone, sugarcube. Ah'm here, alright?" She kisses you on the forehead as she caresses your back with her foreleg. "Ah'm here and Ah'm not goin' anywhere." "AJ, I've never felt pain like that before," You whisper into her chest. "I wanted to the pain to stop so bad, I'd rather be dead than knowing that my parents died without ever getting to talk to them again. Promise me, you won't leave me alone right?" "Ah know what you're feeling, sugarcube," She nuzzles your cheek. "And don't worry, Ah'd never think of leavin' ya just like that. Ah'll be here for ya. No matter what ya hear?" "You mean that?" You ask as you look into her eyes, visible in the moonlight. "Every word, Ah promise," She says and you feel the warm sensation of love burning deep within you. "Now cmon, let me see you give me a smile and let's go back to bed," You give a small smile with tears still in your eyes. She lifts a hoof and gently wipes away the tears lingering on your cheeks. You take her hoof in your hand and give it a gentle kiss. Slowly, she moves in and for a brief moment, you brush your lips against hers. The two of you take a moment and once again move in to engage in a passionate embrace. Reluctantly, you pull away and she nuzzles your cheek again. "Alright, let's go back to bed. I'm sure you're tired and so am I, we got a long day ahead of us. Try to get some more sleep." "Okay, sounds good," After you calmed down and laid back down, you pulled Applejack close to your body and closed your eyes. There it was again, that warm feeling you get every time you cuddle in bed with Applejack. That feeling of love. Though neither of you have ever proclaimed it, you considered yourself her man and her your mare. You were sure she thought the same way. It has been a little over four weeks since you arrival in Equestria and so much has changed in your life. Even though you were in a different dimension, you found friendship, love, and more in this beautiful world. But that vision- or was it a dream? A nightmare? Whatever it was, it will haunt you for as long as you remember it. So you do the sensible thing and try to forget about its harrowing events for the moment and slow down your breathing as you settle in and your mind begins to let go. Soon enough, your body and mind relax as you fall into slumber and you pray that sleep brings no more nightmares... *Scene Break* "Twilight, I don't know what to think on this one," The young princess sat in front of you with her nose buried in a book. For some reason she even made reading look adorable. "That dream I had, it just doesn't make any sense. None of it does!" The two of you sat in the same spot you sat in during your first lesson a week ago. In that time, you had to find a way to keep yourself busy. So you asked AJ if you could help out around the farm so you could earn your keep at the farm. Working on the farm was not that bad as one would think. It was actually fun working with Applejack, even though it was serious work. Your job was to help carry back the apples to the farm for storage in a wheel barrel. You had to move pretty fast to keep up with their vigorous applebucking, lest you fall behind. At first you suggested using your magic to help lift the apples off the trees and into the barrel; which was immediately declined when she told that it would break tradition and on their farm they followed something called the 'Earth Pony Way'. It was all strange to you really, but you did not wish to argue on the subject and upset her. Even though Applejack was a sweet, loving, and honest mare... She can be stubborn when she wants to. Something you quickly found out during your time with her. Not to mention, during that time you have grown closer to her. Not only on a physical level, but a more personal level as well. Everyday you learn more and more about her and her about you as well. You also discovered that you were not in the best of shape and working the farm was a bit of a workout. On your first day you only worked for a couple of hours and you were already worn out, drenched in sweat, and covered in dirt. AJ noticed this and said that you could take it slow and easy to build up your stamina; to which you responded by saying 'Hmph, c'mon AJ! I can take it!' and you continued working. In hindsight you probably should have listened, because that same day you passed out, almost suffering a heat stroke, causing them to dump buckets of cold water on your body so you could cool down. Unfortunately, your augmented body can't seem to protect you against your own stupidity. Since then, you now take regular breaks during workdays. Something else that came to your attention during that time was that your clothes were starting to look somewhat worn and bedraggled. You guessed that since you started working on a farm, your clothes would definitely become torn up. Which prompted you to go and visit Rarity at her boutique. You remember upon entering her shop you could just sense the amount of work that she puts into her craft. Whether or not you really were sensing it due to your powers was beyond you. However the idea of being able to sense magic was quite entertaining. She then went ahead and took all of your measurements. Now, what felt a bit awkward was the fact she asked you remove all of your clothes so she could measure you. Deep within the perverted sub levels of your mind, you felt that she only requested for you to remove your clothes under the ruse that she could 'accurately measure your build', just to check you out. But that went out the window as you stood there in your skivvies and she skillfully wound the measuring tape around your limbs; all the while she maintained a professional persona. After that she went ahead and wrote down your measurements so that way she could work on them later. More than just a few times she suggested that you would look 'simply dashing' in a tuxedo or a suit. But at your request, she agreed to make a few pairs of pants, boxers, t-shirts, button up shirts, and she even measured your legs shorter so that she could make some shorts as well. Clothes like these were ideal for working on a farm. Then you remembered the issue about shoes and you were puzzled about what to do. Wearing your casual work shoes to work on a farm was not exactly good on your feet, as you had gained a few blisters. AJ then gave her own two cents and lent you a pair of rubber work boots that she owned. You were confused at first, since they were far too small, but with a few modifications from Rarity, they fit magically on your feet. Quite literally in fact. It was then decided that you would use the boots for work and your old shoes for recreation. You also made a note to yourself that when you go back to Earth, you would bring back extra clothes, shoes, and other things as well. Maybe your old Xbox as well? No that would be ridiculous! Seriously, introducing Equestria to Call of Duty and Halo? How much more absurd could you be? As much as you missed playing. Then again its not like you would be able to play online here in Equestria. Right? Anyways, after you had the nightmare about your parents, you decided to talk about it with Twilight during your next lesson. Before that, you were about to go over shielding spells, but then you brought it up and started having a discussion about the dream. Why was it so vivid? Why did it feel so real? "Okay, I think you should really talk about this with Princess Luna," She said as she flipped through the book. "As the princess of the night, she is usually the expert on dreams and the sort." "Alright, but we're going to go all the way to Canterlot right now? Its an eight hour train ride Twilight," "Its fine, I can teleport us over there," "Really? You can do that? But its so far away." "Leroy, I'm a princess," She replied with a small smile. "I can do things that most ponies can't do. Teleporting hundreds of miles without breaking a sweat is one of them," "Oh, sweet, when can we go?" "Right now if you're ready," "Well, I guess I'm ready now," "Okay, go ahead and grab onto me then," You go ahead and grab her shoulder as she stands up. Her horn glows for a moment and the world disappears in a flash of light. *Scene Break* The world slowly came back into focus as well as your senses. You tried moving around and soon discovered that you were laying sprawled on the floor. Then you heard a voice calling your name. "Leroy! Are you okay? Wake up!" You blindly try and reach out in your blurry vision. "Ugh, momma? Is that you?" You slurred out in your daze. Suddenly, you feel cold water being splashed onto your face and you immediately snap up to a sitting position. "Ahhh! I'm awake! I'm awake!" You move your hands to feel around your body to make sure everything is where it should be. Okay. Chest, arms, hands, head, nose, mouth- legs! Where are your legs?! Oh, there they are! After gathering yourself, you take a moment to scope out your surroundings. You were in a ginormous room, the ceiling reaching over at least three stories. There were also pillars and columns in between stained glass windows that depicted moments in what you assumed to be their history. On one stained glass you saw what looked like Celestia and Luna, facing the God of Chaos, Discord. Another depicted the scene where Celestia did battle with her own sister and used the Elements to banish Nightmare Moon. The next one showed six very familiar mares retrieving the lost Elements and using them to break Nightmare Moon's hold over Luna. You looked over to the opposite side and saw a scene that depicted Twilight and her friends defeating Discord as Celestia and her sister did. Next to it was a scene that showed a tiny purple dragon grabbing what looked like a crystal heart. What that meant you did not know yet. The windows and the room itself were beautiful and regal. Before you could sight see any further, a voice called to your attention again. "Leroy are you okay?" Twilight asked once again. "Uh yeah. Yeah I'm fine," You groaned as you rose to your feet and stretched your back. "What happened?" "You passed out as soon as we appeared in the Grand Hall," Huh, so that is what this place is called. "Sorry I had to conjure up some water to wake you up, usually ponies who teleport for the first time feel dizzy or nauseous, but since we teleported over hundreds of miles well... it was a little bit more intense. Sorry about that," She finished with a sheepish smile. "Oh no its fine, I kinda needed that actually. And at least we got here fast," You chuckled, rubbing the back of your neck sheepishly. "Where are the Princesses?" "Hello there, Leroy," A familiar Princess's voice chimed. You whirled around and stood face to face with the one and only Princess Celestia. You remember her voice from when you were in your comatose state in the hospital. But she did not look like what you expected. You honestly expected her to be as short as Luna. She was almost as tall as you were if you didn't count her lengthy horn and her eyes a soft pink. Her coat a pure white and her mane was as prismatic as Rainbow Dash's. But what was strange about it was that it was constantly flowing as if some sort of invisible wind was causing her mane to floof about, just like Luna's when you saw her in one of your dreams. She wore the royal regalia that a princess should wear and atop her head sat a golden tiara. "I believe we have not officially met before, I am a Princess Celestia, the Goddess of the Sun, and I rule Equestria alongside my sister, Luna." At that moment you put your best manners to use. You get down on one knee and bow your head deeply before. "It is truly an honor to finally meet you, your highness. I am Leroy Evans," "Rise, young human," She giggles at your overly polite manner. "I know who you are, I believe I was one of the first ponies to officially welcome you to Equestria. Although you were in a comatose state, but nevertheless it is an honor to finally meet you as well," To your surprise she crouches slightly and bows her head deeply, her wings spread open as well. "Now, I believe we have some business to attend to? Princess Twilight? What is the reason you decided to visit?" "Well, I believe that Leroy can better explain why we are here," "Oh? Well then, please do tell," She requested, looking expectantly over to you. "A couple of nights ago, I witnessed something horrible," You then proceeded to tell her everything that happened in the dream. "Oh my, I am truly sorry that you had to witness something like that, Leroy," She develops a sorrowful expression. "I too have experienced loss and know very well what you were feeling," "Thank you, your majesty. I appreciate your sympathy," You smile reassuringly at her, to which she responds by smiling back. "But, what frightened me was that I realized that it was all a dream, but for some reason no matter how much I wanted to stop what happened from happening, it just... I can't-" You choke on the last word as you feel tears beginning to brim in your eyes as you recall the events that took place in the dream. "I just felt so helpless and I want to know what I saw was only a nightmare and not some kind of vision. Which is why I'm here, I wish to speak to Princess Luna and ask her about what I saw." The Princess pursed her lips as she thought over what to do. "Very well. My sister should be asleep around this time, but I shall go and wake her," "Um, are you sure that is alright? I mean, I would hate to interrupt her sleep," "It is fine, she knows very well that the needs of the citizens of Equestria come before sleep," As she said this you had no further argument. In fact you were glad she would go and wake her. You needed answers as soon as possible. "Please, follow me," She said and you followed her out of the Grand Hall. The three of you went down a series of huge hallways lined with pillars and columns, all exquisitely designed. Soon you entered another hallway that lead down a long corridor, but this one was different. It seemed to have a darker color to it, almost like as if it was night time in this part of the castle. The usual stained glass windows were black and no light seeped through. As you walked down the corridor, you could see a dark blue rug running down the length of the hall. The pillars lining the walls were a dark ebony and glowed from the torches that dimly illuminated the cavernous hall. "Wow, its unusually dark here," You commented on the atmosphere of the gloomy hall. "I'm gonna take a strong guess that is Luna's part of the castle. "Yes, it is, my sister sleeps during the daytime when I watch over the kingdom. So that way she can be fully rested during her night watch." "Wow, huh," You walk further down the hall and a door came into view. The door had to two torches on either side of it and was a bit taller than you were. Upon closer inspection, the door was decorated with a stars, constellations, and crescent moons. "Wait out here, I shall go wake her," She ordered as she opened the door with her magic and trotted inside. A few minutes passed with you and Twilight standing outside, waiting for her to return. Suddenly, the door opened again and she appeared from behind it. "My sister is awake, you may go in and see her," You began to walk past her with Twilight following behind. "Oh, Princess Twilight?" "Yes?" She turned around to look at the Sun Goddess. "I believe this is something that we should leave to Mr. Evans. This is, after all, a personal matter for him to discuss with my sister," She looks back at you and you give her a shrug. "Alright, that's fine," She seemed to look a little discouraged. "Hey," You kneel down and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll be sure to tell you all about what I found out okay? I promise," "You promise?" "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," You finish by lightly tapping your eye. "Oh okay, just make sure to find out as much as possible, alright?" "You got it," You nod your head and pull her in for a hug. "I won't be long," "See you in a bit," She smiled as you pulled away and walked into the dark room and closed the door behind you. *Scene Break* The room before you was dim, but your eyes adjusted to the darkness and you could see the room and how it looked. The room itself was circular in build, the walls painted a dark indigo. All around there were paintings of stars and moons, there was a doorway that most likely lead out to a balcony but was currently closed to keep the sunlight out. There was a window with black curtains drawn over it and a telescope sat next to it. An unlit fireplace lay in a small kiln to the left of the desk. There were bookshelves lining the walls and a desk lay close next to the huge bed that sat in front of the doorway. You glance up at the ceiling, but you have to do a double take as what you see astonishes you. What you thought at first to be a large painting actually turned out to be real. It was as if the night sky was in this very room and you could see the light of hundreds of stars lighting up the ceiling. This must have been some sort of enchantment, probably done by Luna herself. As you stared at the ceiling, you saw a few shooting stars fly across the ceiling. A truly beautiful sight; you could stare at this all day. "Ahem, Sir Leroy?" A voice called out. You looked around to see who it was and your question was answered as you saw Luna coming out of what you assumed to be her bathroom. "Uh, Princess Luna," You hastily bowed to her, getting down on one knee. "Rise," She ordered and you did so, standing a few feet away from her. The Princess showed those signs of having just woken up. Her mane, albeit ever flowing, looked a bit unkempt. Her eyes carried bags underneath them and she looked as though she was fighting to stay awake. "Come, sit with me, I will make us some tea," She yawned and trotted over to the fireplace. With a spark from her horn, the fireplace ignited and came to life, illuminating the entire room in an orange glow. Hanging over the fire was a gridiron that held a small pot that was most likely where Luna would brew the tea. You couldn't quite tell where to sit as there was only one chair in front of the desk. "Um, Princess?" "Hmm?" She answered as she poured water into the pot. "Where would you like for me to sit?" "You may wish to sit upon my bed, it is quite soft and I think you would find it to your liking." "Very well then," You walked over to her bed and plopped down upon it, bouncing slightly up and down a few times. Running your hand over the bed, the dark blue covers were made of a fine silk that was cool to the touch. Just feeling it simply made you want to curl up and fall asleep in her bed. "Now, I believe you have some questions to ask me?" She walked over to the desk and climbed into the chair, turning it around to face you. "Please, do explain to me what you experienced." You proceed to tell her everything that you saw, pausing here and there to keep yourself from breaking down in front of the Princess. She seemed to look almost as distressed as you were, her expression developing into one of pity and sorrow. When you finished, tears were streaming down your face and Luna as well. "Oh my, I am sorry you had to experience that, I wish that I could have helped you, Sir Leroy," "Its fine, Luna," You sniffled and wiped away the remnants of tears from your face. "One thing that confused me was that yeah it was a dream, but why weren't my parents paying attention to me? I mean even in a nightmare I'm pretty sure they would have noticed me at the very least," "Yes, it is strange, but what is even more confusing is that if you were having a nightmare, why was I not aware of it?" She rubbed her chin with a hoof as she pursed her lips in thought. "Yeah it is pretty weird, by the time it was halfway through I thought you were going to show up in a huge dramatic manner by appearing in the sky and-" You look over at her and saw that she has developed a hurt expression. "Uh, Princess?" "Do I really appear in an overly dramatic manner? I just like to make my presence known," She rubbed one leg with a hoof and looked away from you clearly embarrassed. "That's not what I meant at all Princess, I did not mean to offend you," "Oh, forgive me, Sir Leroy," She straightens up. "I am terrible with joking," She looks down at the ground. "No forgive me, Princess, I should not have been joking at a time like this." "It is fine, please continue," She asks with a wave of her hoof. "Right, well, after I saw what happened, I dunno I just kinda woke up after that. It just felt so real and I was terrified," You look down at the ground and run your hands through your curly hair. "I'm just scared that maybe what I saw was real. Please tell me it wasn't real, Princess," "As of now, I am as confused as you are. As I said, it is peculiar that I was not aware of you having a nightmare," "How would you know?" "Leroy, I have the power to watch over everypony's dreams, if you were having a nightmare then I would have been aware of it. Which is why I am afraid that you were not having a nightmare, but a vision. Tell me, are you familiar with the term of astral projection?" "Uh, yeah I think I've heard about it once or twice. Why?" You could feel your stomach tightening, now you were becoming nervous. If Luna wasn't able to detect your dream, could what happened in your vision be real? "From what you told me, it seems that you had experienced that. Now the reason why? What could it be?" She got up from the chair and walked over to the fireplace, the teapot beginning to bubble. "Then what could it have been that caused me to do that? I mean my mind travelling across dimensions back to Earth, but why Earth? I could have landed anywhere else!" "Your unconscious mind most likely made that decision for you and traveled back to your dimension. But usually astral projection means that you traveled outside of your body, and only your body, but travelling across dimensions? What could have caused that?" She pours some tea from the pot into two cups and floats one over to you. You take a sip of the warm liquid and sigh as you taste the sweet tea. "Only someone with great magical prowess can perform a spell of that magnitude." "...your reserve power is almost on par with mine..." Your heart skips a beat as you remember what Twilight told you. "Princess?" "Mmm?" She looks up at you during a sip from her cup. "You are aware that I have magical abilities right?" "Ah yes I forgot," She lifts her cup to take another sip, but pauses with the cup on her mouth, her eyes widening in realization. "Oh dear, oh dear, oh by the fiery pits of Tartarus this is not good," She gasps putting the cup down on the desk. "Sir Leroy, how experienced are you with magic?" "Umm, not too experienced. Twilight has been giving me lessons on how to control my magic. Why? What's wrong?" "If my theory is correct, then your magic may have had a hand in projecting your mind back all the way back to your world, causing you to see what you saw in the vision. I'm afraid what you saw was not a dream, but something that may have happened in real time," At that moment your entire world stopped. Your heart started to beat at a very fast pace and you dropped the cup of tea in your hand. "So, you mean to say that... That my parents could possibly... You're saying they could be..." You stuttered out, your voice becoming shaky. "I cannot say for sure, but if you wish to find out for yourself, I suggest you go back to your world within the next couple of days." At that moment you snapped up from the bed. "Can you take me back there? If you can then how long will it take?" "With my sister and I's combined power we can send you back to Earth tomorrow-" "No," You snapped. "I have to go back now, I need to go back!" "B-but, Sir Leroy- "Princess, forgive me, but you must understand that I need to go back! Please, I have to go back as soon as possible! I need to see my parents!" "YOU WILL NOT SPEAK TO US IN THAT TONE OF VOICE! YOU UNGRATEFUL WHELP!" The sudden outburst caused you to fall on your behind and your head started to ring from the volume of the voice that came from the small Princess. "Oh dear! Forgive me, Sir Leroy! I did not mean to use the Voice on you. It just happens whenever I become frightened or agitated," She apologized as she trotted over to you and used her magic to help you onto your feet. "And yes I do understand, I will speak with my sister about sending you to your world as soon as possible, but I will need some time to convince her. Interdimensional travel is not something that me and my sister do as we please. Only if the circumstances are truly urgent," "Well I believe this is an urgent circumstance then," You said as you walked back to the door. "I will be taking my leave then, thank you Princess Luna, your wisdom has helped me very well," After you give her a polite bow, you open the door and make your way down the corridor, back to the main hall. "Goodbye, Sir Leroy! May the Sun and the Moon protect you!" You heard her shout as you sprinted down the corridor to find Twilight about everything Luna told you.
Chapter 14: Praescitum, Part TwoChapter 14: Praescitum, Part Two By: Calamity Jay "We have to go back..." You rushed all the way down the corridor, using all of the force you could muster to keep yourself moving as fast as possible. The Princess and Twilight had to know about what Luna had revealed to you; your parents' lives were at stake! Eventually, you reached the double doors of the Grand Hall and pushed your way past them and saw that Celestia and Twilight were not there in the Grand Hall. 'Shit, where could they be? They could be anywhere, this place is huge!' You thought frantically to yourself. If you didn't find them quickly then that could mean that your parents could be dead already while you wasted time trying to find them. Suddenly, a brown Earth pony guard wearing gold armor came trotting around the corner. He took notice of you and quickly became alerted "You there! Who are you and what is your business here?" He shouted at you, shifting into a combat stance. "I am Leroy Evans! Friend of Princess Twilight and Celestia! I need to know where they are! Do you know where they went off to?" You ask, slowly walking over to him with your hands raised defensively. "Stay back, you," He threatened, trying his best to size you up. "You have no business being here in the castle without permission, now you leave or I will force you to leave!" He snorted and stomped his hoof. "Did you not just hear me? I came here with Princess Twilight to seek out Princess Luna! I have important information to tell them and I need to know where they are!" You argued, your temper rising slightly. "Yeah, likely story," The young guard scoffed, further angering you. "Now, you have three seconds to start walking before I buck you out of the castle myself! One!" "Aw c'mon! My parents lives are at stake here!" You shouted, about to resort to other means to get him out of your way. "Two!" He growled, looking about ready to beat the hell out of you. "Please, I don't want to have to do this!" Your hands began to glow a light blue as you ignited your magic, ready to fight the overzealous guard. This was the last thing you wanted to do and you were sure you would get into trouble, but this jerk wasn't giving you much choice. "Three!" As he was about to rear up and slam his hooves onto you, a certain Princess's voice called out. "That will be quite enough! Private Dusty! Stand down!" Celestia ordered and the young guard did so and stood at attention to his Princess with Twilight standing next to her looking worried. "What do you think you're doing to this young human?" "Your Majesty, it is the duty of the Princess's Guard to beware of any potential threats to you," He thrusts a hoof at you. "And this thing seemed like a potential threat to you, he wanted to know your location and for all I knew he could have been plotting to harm you, Princess," "This thing, Private, is a he! And you will do well to remember that!" She scolded the young guard. "Now, carry on we have other affairs to attend to. Dismissed!" He gave her a salute, turned around, and marched away; as he left, he shot you a look of distrust. After he left you proceeded to tell Celestia and Twilight everything that Luna had told you. Especially the part where you wanted to go back before the day was out. When you finished, Celestia looked astounded while Twilight looked worried. "So you wish for us to send you back today?" She asked, clearly astonished. "Yes, Princess, I have to go and see if my parents are okay," You sighed and tried to calm yourself down a bit. "I'd never forgive myself if something happened before I ever got to speak with them again! Please, you must understand." "I do understand, but you must understand as well. Travelling dimensions is not something we do for fun it is a serious thing," The Princess argued. "I understand that as well, but this is serious as well and with all due respect I must ask to do this for me," You get down on your knees in front of her. "Princess, you must do this for me, I have to see my parents and make sure they're okay! I'd never forgive myself if anything bad happened to them," You bow your head in respect at her. The Princess seemed to be thinking it over as she had not responded yet. Finally she spoke up. "Rise," She ordered and you did so. "I will accept your request young human, but I will have to ask you to come back later on today so I can speak with my sister." "Really?! You'll do this for me?!" You asked with hope burning in your heart. "Yes, I will," She smiled at you softly. "Now go back to Ponyville with Twilight and try to remain calm, I will send a letter when we are ready." "Okay, we will," You look at Twilight and she gives you a nod. "Again, thank you, Princess. This means so much to me," You bow deeply again. "It is my sole duty to watch over the citizens of Equestria, this case is no different," She bowed back to you. "Now, go home, and relax. Princess Twilight, I will send for you soon." "Very well, Princess," She nodded to Celestia. "We will come back as soon as possible!" With that, you and Twilight exited the castle and out onto the courtyard of the Palace. "Ready to go, Leroy?" She asks you, her horn glowing. "Ready when you are, Twilight," You reply, preparing yourself for the jump. "Okay," Her horn glows brighter and you see a flash of white light... *Scene Break* Next thing you know you appear in what seems to be a huge castle. The structure itself seemed to be made of crystal and looked like a huge tree sprouting out of the ground. You could see the roots of the tree curling around the castle which seemed to be sitting on a sort of nest above what you assumed to be the 'trunk'. In the front there was a balcony protruding from the center of the castle. There was spire that rose high in the sky and was adorned with a crystal star that looked like Twilight's cutie mark. A truly magnificent structure. "Whoa, Twilight is this-" "My castle? Why yes, yes it is!" She replies happily and begins trotting over to the massive front door. "This- it- huge!" You exclaimed, running to catch up with her. "So this is what you got as kind of a reward for defeating Tirek?" "Not really a reward," She opens the door and you emerge into a huge hallway, much like the one at the Palace. "This castle appeared after we used the Keys to open the box that gave us our Rainbow powers," Rainbow Powers? "Uh, not to sound rude, Twilight, but Rainbow powers? That sounds kinda sissy if you ask me," You comment, earning you a scowl from Twilight. "It is not sissy!" She argued defensively, pouting her lip. "If it weren't for our sissy powers, we would have never been able to defeat Tirek! Can you defeat an evil Demon God? Oh no wait, you don't have sissy powers so you can't defeat one! Hmph!" She finishes her rant with a snort as she turns away from you with her nose up in the air. She can get really defensive when it comes to her magic. "Whoa sorry, remind me not to make fun of your sissy powers anymore," You say with your hands raised in defense. "Do you want me to turn you into an orange? Because I can!" Her horn glowed threateningly. "Okay okay, just take it easy man," "That's what I thought," She says with a sly smile. "Now, follow me into the meeting room," The two of you walk further down the huge hall and eventually come across a rotunda with about six chairs formed in a circle. You assumed that this was the meeting room. "Wait here, I'll go and get Spike." "Got it," You say and look around the room. The way the chairs were set up, you guessed that this is where they meet to discuss certain things. A smile curls it's way onto your lips as you remember a part from Star Wars and how the Jedi would have council meetings in rooms such as this. "Huh, so I guess Twilight and her friends are kinda like the Jedi Council of Equestria? Awesome," You huff out a laugh and looked at the crystal chairs. Each chair was marked according to their cutie mark. "Hmm, let's see, that one is Twilight's," You looked at the one marked with the starburst. "And I'm gonna take a strong guess that this one is Spike's, then Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and..." You pause and get a warm feeling in your heart as you look at the chair marked with three unmistakable apples. "...Applejack," You walk over to the chair and place a hand on it, feeling as though your special mare were sitting on it right now. You take a moment to look back on all those times you have shared with Applejack. Those times you shared laughs, those times you made love, all the way to the very first time you met. Oh, it definitely feels like years have passed. "Leroy?" You hear Twilight call out to you and you turn around to see the little dragon with her. "Admiring Applejack's chair, huh?" "Yeah, I guess you could say that," You chuckled and walk up to her. "What's up, Spike? How's it going, little guy?" He reaches out with one of his claws and bumps your fist. "Eh, I guess I'm alright. Been busy keeping this castle organized, the library in here is pretty big so I've been working pretty hard." You look over at Twilight. "So, what are we doing in your castle?" "We need to have a meeting real quick," She trots over to her seat and climbs into it, Spike doing the same with his. "We have to discuss what we are going to do next." "Why? What's going on?" You ask, walking up to her. "Is it because I'm leaving?" "Partially, but we need to discuss who will be going with you back to Earth. I don't want you to go alone so we will need somepony to go with you." "Alright, but have you talked it over with Celestia? How will you know if she'll permit it?" Suddenly, Spike clutched his belly, closed his eyes in pain, and looked as though he was about to hurl. "Spike, you okay!?" You were about to rush over to the young drake, but he holds out a claw telling you to stop. Finally he opens eyes and lets out a loud, fiery belch that echoes off the walls of the rotunda. Out of the green fire from his mouth came a letter marked with the letter 'C' for, what you assumed, Celestia. Twilight then picked it up with her magic. "Thank you, Spike. I actually wrote a letter to Celestia asking her if it would be okay to send somepony with you back to Earth and... Okay here is what she said... 'Dear Twilight, I have discussed your request with my sister and have decided that it would be acceptable to send somepony back to Earth with Leroy, however it will have to be somepony that has experience with magic, so I advise if you are to send anypony, it should be you. But nevertheless, discuss it with your friends. Sincerely, Princess Celestia.'" Twilight put down the letter and rolled it back up. "She wants me to go? I don't if I should I mean, I'd love to visit a new world, but that's a bit much to ask isn't it?" Her ears fell and she looks over at you. "Wait 'til our friends come here, we'll have to ask them ourselves," You say with a firm nod. Twilight nodded back and her horn began to glow. She closed her eyes and all the cutie marks on the seats began to glow as if a beacon was being set off... ooo000oo000ooo Applejack had just finished bucking one tree and moved on to the next one. As she was about to buck, she looked at her flank and saw that her cutie mark had begun glowing. She knew what this meant. She had to get going. Applejack looked over at her big brother and called out to him. "Big Mac! I gotta get goin'! There's an emergency! Cover for me will ya?" Before he could answer Applejack galloped toward the entrance of the farm and took off toward town as fast as she could. Sighing, Big Mac bucked another tree clean of it's apples. "Eeyup," He muttered as he moved on to the next one. ooo000oo000ooo Rainbow Dash was flying through the sky, doing flips and tricks, training for whatever she was training for. Deciding to go a little faster, she goes up high into the sky to gain speed to pull off her next trick. "Alright! Let's see if I could pull off the Tornado Blitz!" She takes off at a high speed, flapping her wings furiously to go faster. Rainbow eventually gained more speed and began spiraling in the air. Her spinning was so fast that the clouds she passed by got caught up in her turbulence and spun with her. More and more clouds were caught in her flight trail as she spiraled faster and faster. Soon it looked like she was starting a tornado all on her own! She blasted off once again to get ahead of the tornado. Once she gained a good distance, she pivoted in the air and zoomed right at the tornado! She knew this was a risky stunt and if she didn't pull it off right, she could very well get caught in the vortex if she wasn't fast enough. So with the wind screaming in her ears, she flapped her wings faster than she thought she could have and gained more speed as she approached the rapidly spinning vortex. She closed her eyes from the strain and felt her self going faster and faster. Soon enough she tore through the tornado and burst out of the vortex, using her cloud busting ability to break it up before it could get any stronger. Next thing she knew, she was out in the sky and saw the tornado she built had dissipated. She did it. She had successfully pulled off the Tornado Blitz! "Aww yeah! I did it! I pulled it off!" She then proceeded to do several aerial cartwheels in celebration. "What should I do next?" Before she could come up with another trick to perform, she saw that her cutie mark started to glow. She knew what this meant, but that didn't mean that she liked it. "Darn it! Ugh, looks like duty calls," She sighed as she flew off towards Twilight's castle. ooo000oo000ooo Fluttershy was in the middle of feeding some of her animals at her cottage. She had already finished feeding the small animals, now the time came to feed the big ones. She was about to start giving food to her goats when the huge bear she was taking care of came up to her. "Yes, what is it Mr. Bear?" The behemoth replied with a series of grunts and growls. "What? A tooth ache? How bad does it hurt?" Another grunt that sounded like a howl of pain and it put a claw into it's mouth to show which one hurt. "Okay, follow me, Mr. Bear, I'll give you some medicine to make you feel all better," She cooed at the bear and flew up to scratch his ears. The big brown bear then followed Fluttershy into her cottage where she kept all sorts of home made remedies, medicines, and first aid kits. She went into a large pantry that held most of her remedies. She flew around the shelves, looking for the remedy that cured tooth aches. "Ah, here it is," She pulled out a small container of a home made healing salve. She flew over to the bear and showed him the medicine. "Here you go, now open wide," The bear opened it's maw and Fluttershy looked into it. "Oh dear, Mr. Bear, how long has it been since you brushed your teeth?" He gave her another low growl. "Never? Oh my, remind me to brush them for you, but for now I'll use this," She took some of the white gel into her hoof and smeared it over his gums where the tooth ache was at. "There, it should start feeling better in a little bit, now let's go and brush your-" Suddenly her cutie mark started glowing and knew what it meant. "Oh no, something must be wrong. Sorry, Mr. Bear, but brushing your teeth will have to wait, I must get going," She turned to trot out the door, but the big Ursa let out a howl of complaint. "I know I know, but right now my friends need me, how about a back rub when I come back?" The bear let out a grunt of approval. "Okay then, I'll be back soon! Be good!" She exited her cottage and took off into the sky towards Ponyville. ooo000oo000ooo Rarity was trotting around her shop, looking around at certain fabrics and materials that she would need for the next outfit that she designed herself. "Ah yes, this would look glorious on the ensemble that I have drawn up!" She picked a piece of fabric that looked to be a sort of bright red. "Mmm, I wonder if I have any gems that would go good with this color?" Suddenly, she looked over in a mirror and saw that her cutie mark started glowing. "Oh dear me, it seems like I am needed. Sweetie Belle? Oh Sweetie Belle?" She called out to her little sister who was in her room. "Yeah sis?" She answered, appearing over the railing from the second story. "Sweetie Belle I'm going to be leaving right now! Can you please be a dear and watch over the shop for me?" "Sure, I guess," She replied, shrugging her shoulders. "When are you gonna be back?" "Oh, hopefully not too long from now! But I'll be back as soon as possible!" She opened the door and stepped through it. "Be careful and please do not move anything! Bye now!" "Yeah yeah," She sighed as she rested her chin on the railing and looked around at the mess that lay before her. Or as Rarity would call it "Organized Chaos". ooo000oo000ooo Pinkie stood there in the kitchen of sugarcube corner, waiting for another batch of muffins that have been baking for the last fifteen minutes. She was waiting in front of the oven, her mane itching from the anticipation. "Oh c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, just a little more!" She muttered as she stared intently through the window of the oven, watching the muffins slowly cook. Finally the bell on top of the counter started blaring with a deafening ring. "Ooh! They're done!" She pulls down the door to the oven, feeling the heat emanating from it, along with the sweet smell of freshly baked muffins. She grabs a cloth and puts it in her mouth to grab the hot tray. With human-like dexterity, she grabs the tray and tosses it gently onto the counter top. "Oof, almost burned myself with that one," She starts sucking on her hoof and goes over to grab the icing dispenser. "Okey dokey, time to make these muffins look even more delicious than they already do!" As she was about to start decorating the muffins when she noticed that her cutie mark started to glow rhythmically. "Uh oh! Looks like I gotta go!" She put down the icing and made her way over to the front door. "Mr and Mrs. Cake! I have to get going! I'll be back soon!" She yelled and without waiting for an answer she pushed past the door and went out into town. ooo000oo000ooo Your friends arrived one by one. Rarity being the first to arrive, followed by Pinkie Pie, then Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and you were all waiting on Applejack. "Man, AJ is taking quite some time to get here isn't she?" You commented, looking over at your friends who have already taken their seats. "Well, she does live on the outskirts of town, Leroy," Rainbow explained, lounging about in her chair with her hindlegs draped over the armrest. "It takes quite a bit of time to get from all the way out there to here." "True, but still," You leaned against Twilight's chair, eyeing the entrance to the meeting room. A few more minutes passed, idle conversation passing between the lot of you. Spike, however, was lying in his chair dead asleep. Poor little guy must be tired from all those chores. Meanwhile, you thought about what you should say during the meeting. If it were up to you, you would take Applejack with you to Earth so you can show her where you came from. But then again, Twilight really wants to know more about your world so wouldn't she be the ideal choice? How would Applejack feel if you took Twilight instead of her? Would it even be up to you? As you thought of these things, another thought popped into your head: How would everyone react to seeing a brightly colored, talking cartoon pony? You were pretty sure that the way you reacted to seeing Twilight for the first time would be reciprocated by everyone else back home. And there was also the police, possibly the military, and maybe even NASA as well would probably get involved. Somehow. If the movies were right, then human reaction to a sentient alien life form from another dimension will more than likely involve the military. Before you could dwell on these thoughts any further, a welcome voice rang out from the entrance of the meeting room. "Hey, y'all! Whoo! Sorry Ah'm late!" Applejack trotted in, short of breath and sweating slightly. You immediately perked up at her appearance and stepped forward to greet her. "Hey there, beautiful! Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" Your cheesy and somewhat cliche line was enough to make her happy as she beamed at your appearance and immediately galloped over to embrace you. She hopped up into the air to jump into your open arms, but her force proved to be too much and you fell over to the ground with the amorous mare atop you, nuzzling your neck furiously. "Whoa, you're as happy as an- uh, someone that's really happy?" You laughed at your pitiful attempt at a countryism, nuzzling her back affectionately. "Ah am happy to see ya, after a long day," She kisses you lightly on your cheek. "And try to work a little harder on your countryisms will ya?" She rises off of you and you stand up, dusting yourself off. "You betcha, now c'mon, the others are waiting," You walk back to the rotunda and Applejack takes her respective seat and you stand next to her, leaning on the crystal chair. "Great, now that we're all here, let's get down to business," Twilight announced, settling down and looking around at all of you. "I bet you are all wondering why I've gathered you here today, aren't you?" You had to bite your lip in order to stifle a laugh at how cliche Twilight's line was. "Yeah, I am!" Rainbow exclaimed, with obvious distaste in her tone. "I was in the middle of a very important training session! There had better be a good reason to call us here!" She finished her rant and folded her hooves with a scowl. "Rainbow Dash, will you please calm down! I'm sure Twilight has a very good reason for calling us here on short notice," Rarity argued reasonably. "What is that reason by the way?" "Well, Leroy? You mind explaining?" She looks over at you at you and nods for you to start explaining. "Okay," You sigh and step forward into the circle. "Just last night, I had a horrible vision. In the vision, I saw something that no one should ever have to see." "What did you see?" Fluttershy asked in her quiet, wary voice. "I won't go into the details, because I don't know if I could bare to withstand recalling every single thing that I saw, but," You pause to swallow the lump that was developing in your throat. "All I will tell you, is that..." Another pause, this time you cringe and close your eyes. Applejack stands from her seat, walks up to you and rears up on her hindlegs to whisper in your ear. "Go on now, you can do it," And she gets back down onto all fours. "I-ugh, I saw..." You take a deep breath. "I witnessed the death of my own parents. Right in front of me." Immediately you hear everyone else gasp and see that Pinkie, Rainbow, and Rarity develop worried expressions while Fluttershy looked as though she was about to cry. "I know, it was a horrible thing for me to experience, Applejack here can attest to that." "But what does that mean? Your parents are okay right?" Pinkie asked hopefully. "I don't know for sure, I talked to Princess Luna and what she revealed to me was truly shocking..." You proceeded to tell them everything Luna told you about astral projection. "So, in retrospect of everything she told me, her theory was that everything that I saw happened in real life, which is why I have asked the Princesses, including Twilight, if I could be sent back to my home dimension as soon as possible. However, they have permitted me to bring someone with me to see Earth, which is why we have called you all here: To discuss who will be going with me." You finish your speech and stepped back. "Well, what do you all think? Opinions? Questions?" Twilight asked, looking at her friends expectantly. "I believe that visiting a new world does sound exciting, but however it also sounds very risky. Something that I believe that I'm not cut out for unfortunately," Rarity commented with a down trodden expression. "It does sound kinda fun! Leroy, there are other humans back on your world am I right?!" Pinkie asked, beaming at you. "Um yeah, but-" "Do they like parties?!" "Most do, but the point is-" "What about cake?! Everypony loves cake!" "That's also true, Pinkie, but-" "Ooh ooh! Do you think they'd like muffins too-" Before she could continue any longer, a magical field appeared around the party mare's overactive mouth, ceasing her ceaseless talking. "Right, well, my personal preference would be that I could take Applejack with me to Earth to show her around," You look down at Applejack. "It'd be a hell of a date, right my sweet apple?" "Ah think it would be," She nuzzles your hand. "But, Ah mean, Twilight told us how you reacted when you met her for the first time. How would the others react to seein' me or anypony else?" "Yeah, I think that would be a problem now wouldn't it? Twilight, think you could come up with anything?" "Well, I could maybe turn Applejack into a human?" What she said shocks you to the core. "Really? Its that simple?" You ask, astonished. "Well yeah," She giggles. "Did you know that the Princesses or I could have turned you into a pony if we saw it appropriate?" "I didn't actually and please do refrain from doing that, the feeling of not having fingers is terrifying to me," You say, absolutely terrified of the image of you walking on four legs and having no fingers at all. "That sounds like a good plan, but what about what the Princess told us? That someone with magical experience should go with me?" "I do agree with what she said, if something ends up going wrong, then you could very well get stuck back in your dimension and it would take us quite a while to open the portal back up. I know you would rather prefer Applejack to go with you, but when it comes to if you are able to make it back here safely, then I guess me going with you would be the right choice. However, if Applejack does go with you and something goes wrong, then the both of you could become marooned on Leroy's world. So what do you think? Applejack?" "Ah think Ah have to agree with ya, Twilight," Applejack nodded at her friend. "As much as Ah'd love to go with ya, sugarcube, Ah'm honestly afraid to get stuck on a foreign world with no hope of return. Ah mean, the bright side would be that I would be with ya, Leroy, but if you really want me to go, then Ah'll go with ya. Same if ya don't want me to go, Ah'll understand either way." "Thanks AJ, I'm glad you'll understand," You smile at her and stroke her blonde mane. "Okay, so there you have it. Leroy?" You look over at Twilight. "Who will you be taking?" Now it came the time to choose and even with Twilight being the more sensible option, you were still conflicted over who you should take? You were sure you would have a nice time with either mare; you really wanted to see what Applejack looked like as a human. But what if something went wrong? You may have had experience with magic, but not with opening portals to other dimensions! As cool as that would be. After another moment of you thinking it over, you finally made your decision on who would be going with you. "Well everypony, I think I know who will be coming with me. It was a hard decision for me, honestly, but I think I have decided already," You look down at Applejack. "AJ, you know that if the situation were different I would definitely take you with me," You kneel down to look into her eyes. "But if something did go wrong, I would hate to keep you from your home," You reach forward and kiss her on the cheek and she nuzzled you gently. You got back up and faced Twilight. "Twilight, I hope you're ready to see more humans, because you're coming with me to Earth. I would be honored if you were to accept." "I do accept, everypony agree?" She asked her friends, to which they all responded by saying "yes". "Great, then its settled! All we have to do now is wait for the Princess to-" Suddenly, Spike let out another fiery belch and a letter popped out of his mouth. "Huh? Could it be? Already?" She opened the letter, your heart rate speeding up and you clench your fists. Twilight finishes reading the letter and looks up at you, with a frown on her face. "Leroy. Its time..." That was it, you were going home today. Come hell or high water. *Scene Break* The Princess was courteous enough to send you and your friends some carriages pulled by Pegasus guards to take you to Canterlot. You have never flown before even on an airplane, so the trip for you consisted of trying to keep calm and not wet yourself or letting something equally embarrassing happen. Even though you had Rainbow flying next to you and Applejack sitting with you, you still were afraid of falling from that height. Considering the fact that it was an open carriage with no restraints, you were even more worried. Thankfully, it took less than a couple of hours to fly from Ponyville all the way to the Palace in Canterlot. You landed in the courtyard where a guard lieutenant was was waiting so he could escort you to the Grand Hall. Despite the fact you had your friends with you, the guard still seemed uneasy around you. Eventually, you reached the cavernous Grand Hall, where at the end of it awaited Celestia and her sister Luna. "Leroy, we are glad that you could make it back safely," You bowed to the Princesses along with everyone else except Twilight who trotted up to stand next to them. "Have you made your choice as to who you will be taking with you?" "Yes I have, Princess," You stood up and nodded at Twilight. "I will be taking Princess Twilight along with me, it seems that she is the most sensible pony to take along with me. Although I would have liked to have shown Applejack my home planet, I am afraid of keeping her stuck on Earth away from Equestria." "Very well, Princess Twilight?" She glances over her shoulder at Twilight. "Yes, Celestia?" "Are you prepared to embark on this journey to a foreign dimension? Where it is possibly dangerous for our kind to go?" She asked with a serious tone. 'Hmph, Earth isn't that bad," You scoffed in your head, a frown adorning your face. "Yes, I am ready and willing to go. Whenever you are ready as well, Princess," She stated with conviction. "Good, but have you found a way to conceal your true form?" "Yes, Princess, the spell will trigger when we enter the portal," Twilight nodded. "Excellent, now all of you stand back as me and my sister open the portal." "Princess, how do you know if you can open the portal in the right place?" You ask worriedly. "If we had the time we would explain to you the basics of dimensional travel, Sir Leroy, but we do not have the luxury of time as we must open the portal now if you are to be able to be in the right place, in the right time, and someplace inconspicuous where no one will suspect a thing," Luna stated gruffly. "And don't worry, Leroy," Twilight trotted forward to stand next to you. "I'll explain to you everything once we are on the other side." "Okay, sounds good," You nodded in complement as you readied yourself to literally travel through time and space. "Hey, I won't pass out or anything like that will I?" "No, besides the magical power you and with your augmented body I believe you will be able to withstand the trip." She replied. "So, that means I will still be able to do magic back on Earth as well?" "I'm not sure, Luna was able to do so, but I don't know how it will work with you," She replied, seeming unsure of herself. "I guess we'll find out when we get there won't we?" You muttered as you saw Luna and Celestia with their eyes closed, focusing their magic. "What are they doing?" "They're gathering their power together so that they can power the portal," "So it takes more than one to open the portal? I thought that Alicorns could do things most ponies couldn't?" "Yes, but when Luna found your world it was by accident, and she had to use much of her reserve power to get you here. But with both Princesses using their power to open the portal, it will be much easier and more accurate." She explained. "Any second now..." The Princesses both opened their eyes, a bright light shining from their pupils and their horns glowing so bright you had to shield your eyes. Their horns shot out a beam of light and they both collided, forming a circular gateway that appeared to be swirling. The force of the reaction caused everyone in the room to brace themselves as they felt a mild turbulence emanating from the portal. "Twilight! Leroy!" Celestia shouted out in warning. "You must go through as soon as possible! We will not be able to hold the portal for more than a few minutes! Do what you must and go through!" You turned to Applejack and immediately knelt down to eye level with her. "Applejack, I don't have much time so I'll be quick," You take a deep breath. "I-" But that's all you have time to say as Applejack silences you with her lips and you cherish the embrace, pulling her in closer. After a few moments of your passionate embrace, she pulls away with tears in her eyes, her mane billowing in the wind. "Don't worry 'bout a thing, sugarcube, ya don't have to say anything," She throws her forelegs around your neck and you wrap your arms around her back. "There is something Ah do want ya to know, before you go back though," She whispers into your ear. "Just a little something to give you a bigger reason to come back in one piece." "What's that?" You whisper back, gently stroking her mane. It was then, she stated three words that made your entire world freeze. "Ah love you..." At that moment, your heart felt like it was taking off and you pulled her even closer to you. "I love you too, my sweet apple," You whisper in response. You pull back and kiss her as passionately as you possibly could, her hat falling to the floor as the two of you embraced. Before it could continue for too long, you reluctantly pulled yourselves apart and pressed your forehead against hers. "I'll see you when I get back, wait up will you?" "You bet your sweet apple pie that Ah will," She gives you a quick kiss on the lips again and you stand up. Suddenly, Rainbow flies up to and stands next to Applejack, with an unsure look on her face. The young daredevil looks at her friend. "AJ. Can I?" She asks hopefully, gesturing at you. "S'alright with me, Ah don't mind one bit," She smiles genially. "Awesome," She takes to the air and flies up to you with a small smile. "Leroy?" "What is it Rainbow-" For the second time in a row, you are silenced by another pair of lips. This time you were caught off guard by Rainbow's amorous assault on your mouth. "Whoa, didn't see that coming," You chuckled as she pulled away from you. "So, you asked her?" "Yep! About a few days ago actually!" She stated happily. "And she doesn't mind?" "Well duh! Of course she doesn't!" You look over to Applejack and she shrugs her shoulders with a casual smile. "Now go on, big guy! Your ride is waiting!" She turns you around and pushes you to where Twilight is standing. You feel her chin on your shoulder and you hear her whisper, "Hey, me and AJ have a little surprise when you come back, so make sure you don't take too long. Big guy," She breathed seductively into your ear, causing you to flush and tug at the collar of your shirt. "Alright, I'll see what I can do then," You say and walk up to Twilight; you turn back to all your friends. "I wanna thank you. All of you. For teaching me about friendship. Someday I will make it up to each and every one of you!" "Goodbye, darling! Oh and bring more pictures of human clothing! I'd love to see what humans wear!" Rarity called out. Pinkie pulled out a megaphone seemingly out of nowhere. "BYE LEROY! HAVE FUN! COME BACK SAFE!" Her voice rang out from the megaphone, causing everyone rub their ears. "Will do, Pinkie!" You called out, rubbing your ringing ear. You looked over at Fluttershy and she waved a hoof at you and smiled meekly. You waved and smiled back. "Leroy!" Twilight called out and you faced her. "Its time! We have to go! Now!" "Okay!" You walked up to Twilight and nodded at her, showing that you were ready to go. She nodded back and began to walk up to the bright, swirling gateway. The moment of truth was here and you were about to go home. "Twilight! Where will we be landing?!" "We should be landing close to the area where Luna first opened the portal!" Shouted back over the noise from the portal. "Are you ready?!" "Yeah!" "You wanna through first?!" "Ladies first! I insist!" You reply, bowing to her and gesturing her to go forward. "Alright! See you on the other side!" She then casually trots forward and disappears through the portal. You look back and see Rainbow and Applejack, looking on with worried expressions. You smile at them and nod, turning back to the portal. Without looking back, you stick out your right hand and give them a thumbs up as you take a deep breath and step through the blinding light of the portal. *Scene Break* You felt your body falling. Falling through an endless void, your eyes closed and body flailing. All you could hear was the loud scream of wind as you fell. Then all of a sudden it stopped. The endless falling stopped. The loud scream was replaced with the sound of cars honking and birds chirping. Your felt your feet firmly planted on solid ground. Your eyes were still closed, mostly because you were afraid to open them. A voice piped up. "Leroy? Leroy open your eyes! Whoa!" Twilight urged, sounding as though she was about to fall. "Can't too scared," You replied, your body shaken up. "Just open them will you?" You feel her hands- Hands?! What the hell? This you definitely had to see. Slowly you opened your eyes and saw two round violet ones staring back at you. This time there were no large ears, wings, or a horn accompanying them. Her long muzzle replaced by a small, cute nose. Her violet coat replaced by with normal, light skin. Her former, quadriped build was now the same as yours, standing face to face with you. You looked at the rest of her body and saw that she was wearing a purple sweater vest over a white short sleeved button up shirt, a knee length dark purple skirt, all complete stylish purple boots. Even in her human form, she still looked undoubtedly cute. Especially the way she seemed a bit off balance with her new legs. "Whoa, excuse miss I'm looking for a girl name Twilight," You chuckle as you help her balance. "Funny," She replied with a flat tone, holding onto you so she doesn't fall. "Where are we?" You look around and see that you are in a sort of alleyway. The brick walls surrounding you on both sides. Trash littered on the ground. To the left you see the exit out onto the sidewalk. Even in the alley you could see that the sun was starting to set and you guessed that it was at least seven in the evening. "C'mon, this way," You take her hand and begin to pull her, but see that she is stumbling over her steps. "Ugh, how do you work these things?" She asked trying to walk forward. Looks like you would have to teach her how to walk normally. "Okay, follow my lead," You stand next to her and hold her shoulders. "Right leg," She moves her right leg. "Then left leg," She moves her left leg. You repeatedly tell her to alternate her legs until she gets the rhythm on how to walk. "Good, good, now if you want you could hold on to me while we walk," She wrapped her arm around yours and you slowly walked her towards the street. "Looks like the transformation was a success," You commented, causing her to blush and smile. "How did you know what to put on?" "Well from what you told me about humans and their social taboos, I kinda had to come up with this spell that would turn me into a human. A clothed human. And the clothes I just kinda imagined what I would like to wear as a human." "Good, wouldn't want to see you naked," Just then you felt that awkward ping in the back of your head. "Uh, I didn't mean it like that, I just uh-" "Its fine, Leroy," She giggled, making you blush as well. "Besides, you've technically seen me naked." "Right, right," Before the two of you could talk any longer you reached the sidewalk. "Whoa," You stepped out onto the sidewalk and looked around. The street was definitely familiar to you, but there was a certain bar in front of you that was a sure sign that you were back home. There it was. Johnny's Tavern. Your old haven. "Holy crap." "What is it, Leroy?" Twilight asked as you stared at the bar. "Twilight..." "What? Where are we?" You began to walk towards the bar on the sidewalk opposite from it. "Home. My home..."
Chapter 15: HomeChapter 15: Home Written By: Calamity Jay "Welcome back, you've been away long..." "Twilight, I can't believe it! I'm home!" You shouted in glee, staring out at the old bar in front of you. At this moment you were elated to finally be back in your own world, but most of all you were happy to see other people like you. As nice as Equestria is, it still does feel awkward being around four foot tall, quadrupedal ponies all the time. "Wow, it feels like yesterday I was just here, going home from the bar." "I bet it does,"Twilight agrees as she smiles up at you. It was quite amusing that even in her human form she was still pretty short, close to about five feet. Much better than her four foot tall counterpart. "Oh my gosh, this place is so weird! And what's with all these, moving chariots? There's nopony moving or pushing them!" She exclaimed as she gawked at the cars in the street. "All I see is the passengers in the chariots! Who's making them move?! Is it some kind of magic?" "Uh no, Twilight," You chuckle at the way she was having a nerd moment. "Remember how I said us humans are technologically advanced in most aspects?" "Uh yeah?" "Well these cars are a prime example!" You point at a small sedan right in front of you. "Using aerodynamics, auto-mechanical engineering, technology, a little bit of spit, sweat, and ingenuity, with the power of chemically altered fossil fuels we have, the automobile." "Wow, you humans sure are smart. Crazy, but smart," She giggled as the two of you began to walk down the street towards the bar. "So, where to first? This town looks pretty big." "Well, I figure we should go to the bar first," You say, eyeing your old home away from home. Twilight looks at you with a scowl, most likely thinking that you were aiming to go and have a drink first when your parents could possibly be in danger. "Uh, not to drink, heh," You smile sheepishly at her. "I just wanna go and see how long I've been away, see how Johnny has been doing." "Who's Johnny?" "My friend, bartender, and amateur therapist," You reply casually, crossing the street and approaching the parking lot of the bar. "I mean, sure the medicine he gave me during our therapy sessions always seemed to be shots of liquor, but hey I wasn't complaining." "Right, well, you know we should hurry. There is a reason we came back this quickly, you know?" She said with a warning tone. "Yeah, I know," You reply with a grimace, letting out a sigh. "But, first things first, we're here already, let me just get how long time has passed. I remember when you said that time can work differently in our respective dimensions." "Yeah that's true, for all we know, weeks could have passed since you've been in Equestria," With that in mind, you quicken your pace and quickly approach the familiar sight of the entrance to the bar. The neon 'OPEN' sign flashing with the familiar sight of a couple of men outside smoking cigarettes. "Okay, Twilight, follow my lead and play it as cool as you can," You whisper to her as you walk up to the front doors. A wave of nervousness passes through you as you imagine how awkward the upcoming situation could be. Twilight has never been around other humans beside you, so how she will react to meeting other humans is highly variable. Will she be afraid? Nervous? Or maybe excited? You didn't know, but you were about to find out. "Prepare to meet Johnny boy, Twilight." "Okay," She whispered back and grabbed onto your arm even tighter. "Hey, relax will you? He's harmless I swear," You laugh and kiss her lightly on the forehead to comfort her, to which she responds by grinning and blushing slightly. You swear that even in her human form, she still manages to be cute. The two of you pass through the twin doors and into the familiar scene of the bar, with the light country music playing from the familiar jukebox in the corner. With the groups of people sitting in the booths with drinks in hand. With friends at the pool table in the center of the room, laughing and playing a few games. With men, young and old, sitting at the bar either talking or drinking. Or sulking. And finally with the ever more familiar bartender standing behind the bar, with the mustache on his lip, apron around his waist, and his face fixed in a mild expression. At first he was paying attention to another customer, most likely hearing about how they screwed up at work or how they're significant other was giving them problems. As soon as that door opened and the bell rang, he looked over at the door to see who would be his next customer. His old mild expression changed into one of confusion. As if wondering why in the hell you were here and where the hell you have been. "Excuse me real quick," He said to his other customer. He walked over to the edge of the bar where you and Twilight were approaching, with that quizzical expression adorning his face. "Okay," He held out his hand and closed his eyes, looking down at the ground. "Either I have been drugged and on a very bad trip, or..." He opened his eyes and glared at you. "Leroy Evans has come back to my bar, with a beautiful girl on his arm. Leroy, is that you? And if so, who is this charming girl you have brought with you into my bar?" "Nice to see you too, Johnny boy," You chuckle, feeling a lump in your throat from seeing your old friend again. "How have you been doing? Gloria doing okay? How 'bout your kid?" He opened the swinging door leading through to the counter, came up to you and pulled you into a bear hug. "Hey man, what's going on? Have I been away that long?" "Leroy," He pulled away from you and stared at you with a sullen expression. "Where have you been, man? You know how long its been? I thought you were dead or something!" "Well, I'm not dead yet. I'm here in the flesh and doing alright. How long has it been by the way?" "Wait, so you don't know how long its been? Where the hell did you go?" "I was uh, away," You look down at Twilight, who smiles at you sheepishly. "I just kinda lost track of time." "Jesus Christ, man," He shakes his head, looking down at the ground. "You know what? I think you need to come have a seat." Johnny goes back behind the counter and you pull Twilight along with you to take a seat on a couple of stools. To your amusement and Johnny's further confusion, Twilight had a bit of difficulty sitting down on the stool that was about half as tall as she was. After a couple of failed attempts, she finally managed to plant herself firmly on the seat without falling, but she still held onto your arm for balance. "Here, have a little something to drink," He pulls out a couple of shot glasses and a bottle of liquor. You were about to say no to his offered drink, but your old instincts kicked in and you knew, never turn down a drink from Johnny, even then he'll still pour it for you. "Thanks, John," You pick up the shot glass and look at the dark brown liquid in the glass. Twilight nudges you in your ribs and gives you a disapproving look. "Uh, sorry, Twi," You place the drink back on the counter. "Sorry, John, but I can't really drink right now. I still have some things to do right now. But I need to know, how long have I been away?" "Let me start from the beginning," Johnny lets out a breath and looks at the two of you intently. "But first, who is this lovely individual you have here with you?" He looks at Twilight with his usual reserved persona. At first she hesitates, looking over at you, you give her a little nudge, silently encouraging her to answer. "Miss?" "Uh, hello there, I'm Twilight," She introduces herself and gives her usual sheepish smile. It got a bit more awkward when he held out his hand expectantly, causing her to balk and not know how to continue. "Nice to meet you?" "Uh sorry, John. She is a bit shy," You laugh nervously, leaning over to whisper to Twilight. "Grab his hand and shake yours up and down. She looks at you quizzically, but you just nod at her and she reaches out hesitantly to grab his hand. You mentally face palm when she grabs his index finger and slightly moves her arm up and down. Johnny pulls his hand away slowly, slightly perturbed. "Rrrrrrright, anyways. That day you left the bar, you were shit your pants drunk, you remember that?" "A little bit, not really. It comes back in images." "Mhm, well when you didn't come back the next day I got a little bit worried. When you didn't come back the day after, I started to wonder if something was wrong. And after four months went by, I just gave up and assumed that you were either dead or on a permanent vacation." Four months?! That was unbelievable as his words passed through your ears. "Wait what? Can you repeat that? I couldn't quite hear how crazy that sounded." "Leroy, dude. Where have you been man?" He asked, leaning over the bar and glaring at you. "Four months. What could you have possibly been doing during that time?" "Leroy," Twilight tugs at your arm as you stare at the two shot glasses on the counter. "Twilight, how long was I uh, on vacation?" You ask without even looking at her. "I don't know, I think maybe, um I-" She sputters playing with a lock of her hair. "Twilight," You interrupt sharply, causing her to stop playing with her hair and stare at you nervously. "How long. Was I. Away?" You ask with the most serious tone you could muster up. "I think, four weeks?" She replies meekly. "So, four weeks over there?" You look at her with a nervous expression. "Equals four months on Earth?" The reality of the situation hits you hard as you snap up from the stool, grab Twilight's hand, and make your way towards the exit. "Yo, Leroy! Where are you going? What's going on?" You hear Johnny call out, but you ignore him as you push past the door and out into the parking lot. "Leroy!" Twilight pulls on your arm and stops you in your tracks. "Where are we going?!" "Twilight, its been four months here on Earth! My parents could be dead already! I need to go to their house and see if they're alright!" You hastily walk out to the sidewalk, but then you realize that you have no real way to get there quickly. You needed a ride! "Shit, Twilight, there's no way we can get there fast if we walk. From here to my parents' house its at least an hour by foot! Damn it! Fuck, for all I know they could possibly be dead and I wasn't fast enough to get there!" "Leroy! You need to calm down!" Twilight comes up from behind you and grabs your shoulder to turn you around and face her. "You have to relax! We need to find a way to get there. C'mon, you're from around here, find somepony to get you a ride over to their house." "Can't we just, you know, teleport? I mean we can probably use magic here, yes?" "No, I can't teleport to somewhere I've never been before. And no I don't think we can use magic here." "What? Are you serious? Why not?!" You ask, your desperation and temper rising. "Because," She lets out a sigh. "We can't draw attention to ourselves, Celestia told me in the letter to not do that. And you can't use magic here because your power is borrowed! I can use magic because it is naturally mine, you only absorbed the power. If you try to use magic here you could hurt yourself! I mean c'mon, don't you feel it? That feeling you can't describe? There's no magic in the air here for you to absorb! It feels as though I've gone numb from the lack of magic." "Really? What in the..." You stop and take a deep breath, taking the time to look inside and feel around your body, looking for that numb feeling Twilight was talking about. After a few moments, you finally feel something in your chest. It felt as though something inside you was gone. "Wait a moment, let me try something," You focus and attempt to ignite your magic, holding up your right hand to see if it would work. "Leroy, be careful," Twilight warns while you try and make your powers work. At first your magic ignites briefly and your hand is sheathed in a navy blue glow, but then flickers and fades away. "Ugh, damn, let me try again," You focus harder and try again to make your magic work right. "Don't push yourself too hard, you could give yourself burnout," The hell is burnout? Whatever it was, it didn't sound fun, but you ignore here and continue to fumble around with your magic. You cringe as you feel your head begin to ache, but you still keep trying to cast a spell. "C'mon, stupid powers work!" Your blue aura continues to flicker around your hands, refusing to ignite and work properly. "C'mon," You push harder and focus more. "C'mon, now," You grunt again, clenching your fist and furrowing your brow in concentration. "Fuck," You mutter as your head begins to pound and your heart rate speeds up. "Leroy! Stop! You're going to burn out!" She runs up to you and tries to shake you from your determined, but idiotic attempts at activating your powers. Finally, you feel yourself go weak from the knees and your head feels as though it got hit multiple times with a hammer. "Leroy!" Twilight yells as you fall to the ground in an unconscious heap. The last thing you hear is Twilight yelling Johnny's name in a plea for help. ooo000oo000ooo "What the hell happened to him? I mean, he didn't even have one drink and even then he can hammer down a few and still keep himself awake." Johnny looks over at the passed out Leroy, who lay sprawled on the couch in his office. Quite a scene was made when Twilight barged into the bar asking for John's help and telling him that Leroy had passed out. At first he didn't know what to do and was tempted to call the ambulance. But Twilight refused to draw attention to themselves, asking John to help drag Leroy into his backroom office. Many people thought that Leroy was dead, considering the fact that they had to drag Leroy through the bar, surprising many of the bar goers. To which John responded by telling them that he had a bit too much of the sauce. "Is he gonna be okay? You sure we don't have to call the EMT's?" "The EM what?" Twilight asked, lacking in knowledge of Earth acronyms. "The Emergency Medical Technicians? People who save lives? Doctors? Seriously where are you from? Nepal?" "Uh, no?" She replied, nervously twiddling her fingers as she sat on the couch with Leroy's head on her lap. "And uh, he um- had fallen and bumped his head as he stormed out of the bar! Yes, that's it, that's what happened!" She declared. Honestly, Leroy had to wake up soon before this situation got so awkward it became too much to bear. "Rrrrrright, well tell me when he gets better. I gotta go back out there to serve drinks and give advice to depressed customers," He then exited the small office and out into the bar. "Okay, thanks!" She yelled as he left the room. Twilight turns her attention back to the passed out human laying his head on her lap, with a wet towel on his forehead. "Oh, Leroy," She sighed, running her hand through his curly hair. "You never really learned to listen did you? I mean, that time where you asked me to throw a rock at you so you could block it with a shield spell. I swear your nose still looks a bit crooked to me," She booped his nose with her index finger, giggling as she remembered his ridiculous attempt at a stunt. "Huh, this kinda feels like deja vu doesn't it? You laying here passed out, with me waiting patiently for you to wake up. I swear, this takes me back," She brushes back her hair as she sits there talking to her unconscious friend. "But I have to confess something to you, Leroy. Something that I could never say to you while you're awake," She stares down at her friend, with a look of longing on her face. "Ever since I met you, I've always been so interested in you. I wanted to know about you, a new kind of creature in Equestria. To others you were just some freak, but to me you were much more than that," She lets out a shaky breath, as a lump in her throat begins to form. "That time we had our very first conversation, you told me so much about your species and I learned so much more that I could ever have hoped for," She clenches her fists and tears start to well in her eyes. "I never thought that, I could ever have someone as close to me as you, I mean even though I have my best friends, I never felt as close with them as I have with you." "Those days I spent with you in the hospital, having our conversations, and when I gave you lessons in magic, I have treasured those moments for as long I've known you and every moment after that," The dam inside her breaks and tears begin to flow down her cheeks and slide off her face and onto her friend's face. She wipes away the tears that landed on his face and lets out a silent sob, pressing her hand to her mouth. "Life as a Princess, its so hard you know?" More tears fall from her face. "Finding love is so hard for me, knowing that no matter what I'll never be able to be with anypony, because someday I'll have to watch them die as I live on," She sniffles and wipes away more tears. "And because of that, no stallion will ever want to be with me, and I just have a difficult time accepting the reality of my situation. That my friends will eventually pass on as well, leaving me behind. In a hundred years I'll be alone, with no pony at my side to call my close friends. And, this whole time that I've been with you, I just get this feeling in my heart whenever I talk with you or even see you. I know you can't hear a word I'm saying now, but I just thought I should finally get this off my chest." She looks down at her friend, love burning in her chest. "I love you, Leroy. Ever since that first moment I met you, I never thought that it would happen to me, but it was love at first sight," Twilight reaches down with her hand to caress his cheek. "I know that you and I could never be together, the pain of having to watch the one that I love die right before me I-" She chokes up and holds back a sob. "I just wouldn't be strong enough to handle the reality, even with all the magical power in the world. And I every time I see you in pain like this I-" She leans over and lays her head on her friends chest and sobs into him. "I love you so much it hurts, I love you as much as Applejack does," She whispers softly. "But, I have to be strong right?" Twilight asks as she sits up and looks down at him. "I guess that is the way of things isn't it? I was destined to be a Princess and it will be my duty to rule over Equestria when Celestia is no longer able to. Leroy," She runs her hand through his hair. "I will always be there for you, no matter what happens. I will be there whenever you need me, even though we could never be together," Twilight leans down and presses her forehead against his and whispers. "I promise." It was then the young human began to stir on her lap and mumble incoherently. In order to make herself look like she wasn't crying, she quickly wipes her tears and fixes her hair so her friend won't get worried. His eyes open... *2nd Person* You swore that passing out was becoming somewhat of a normal thing with you. Of course, this it wasn't by accident and was caused by your lack of ability to listen to other's advice. But, you have to learn somehow, right? After finally coming to, you open your eyes and see a pair of beautiful violet eyes staring back at you. "Whoa, am in heaven? 'Cause I'm looking at an angel right now," You quip with a smirk, causing Twilight to blush. "What happened? How long was out- and oh sweet Jesus I have a massive headache," You rub your temples and groan from the pain." "Well, that's burnout for you right there," Twilight giggles and rubs your head softly. "It happens when you push your magic too hard." "Really, so what happens now? I'm not gonna die am I?" "No, of course not! You'll just have a bad headache for a few hours," Yes as if having your head hurt was a better alternative. "Ugh, I'd rather be dead than have this splitting headache- oh what are we doing?! We have to go see my parents- Ooh, ow!" You grab your head as you feel a stab of pain shoot through it. "Aw shit, this hurts!" You groan as you writhe in pain on Twilight's lap. "Look, we'll get going in a bit, I'll go get your friend so we can figure out what to do, okay? Here, let me get up," You painfully lift up your head so she can stand up and go get John. "I'll be back in a sec okay?" "'Kay," You groan out and cover your eyes from the bright light of the office. Right now you regret not listening to Twilight about using your magic. Whatever God was watching over you, He was sure punishing you for being an idiot. That punishment being a terrible headache. "Shit, so, no magic huh?" You look at your hand as if waiting to see if maybe it would come back, but to no avail. The door opens once again and in walks John with Twilight following suit. "Hey there, John, got any headache medicine?" "Uh, yeah hold on," He goes behind his desk and pulls out a small container of pain pills. "Here, I don't got any water and you can't take those pills with alcohol so just knock it back like a trooper." You take the container from his hands and pop out two white pills. It takes you a little while to swallow the pills, but you manage to keep them down. "Feel better?" "Uh, somewhat," You massage your temples, trying to alleviate some of the pain. "John, we need a ride to my parents' house. Its an emergency." "Yeah and I want a Corvette Stingray, but you don't see me complaining," John grumbled, plopping down on his chair. You glare over at him to show just how serious you are. "Okay alright, I'll give you a ride to your parents' house, but after that you're on your own, okay? I can't be driving you around town." Getting up from the sofa, you walk over to your friend and shake his hand. "Thanks man, but we need to get going now, like I said its an emergency." "What kind of emergency are we talking about? Did something happen?" "No, well I hope not, but I just need to see them. Now c'mon we have to get going!" You pull him up from his seat, your augmented strength helping you pull him up. "Please John, do this for me." John lets out a sigh and reaches into his pocket for his car keys. "Alright, let's get going then," ooo000oo000ooo "Thanks for doing this Johnny, I owe you one," You said as you stepped out of the car and onto the sidewalk. "C'mon Twi," You hold out your hand and she takes it as she steps out with you. Leaning down through the window, you reach out your hand to give a handshake to your old friend. "I hope everything goes okay, I know you haven't talked to your folks in a long time, Roy," He says as he shakes your hand. "You'll have to walk the rest of the way to your folks' house, I don't know this neighborhood and I gotta get back to the bar, take care alright? And please do watch your step. I mean seriously you run out the bar in a rush and then you end up tripping and hitting your head. Jesus." He shifts his car into drive and takes off down the road out of the neighborhood. "Twilight, what did you tell him?" You ask with a scowl forming on your face. "Uh, heheh, well," She gives her usual sheepish smile and blushes again. "I kinda told him that you fell and hit your head." "Way to go, Twilight," You deadpan, but that would have to wait. Right now, you have other things to worry about. "Alright, I think their house is down this way. Let's go." You grab her hand and lead her down the street on the sidewalk, passing by several houses of varying sizes. "Do you know where their house is?" She asked as she held onto your arm. "You haven't seen them in years right?" "Yeah, but I lived in their house for a good portion of my life. I remember exactly where they live." You continue to walk down the street, turning at a few street corners and watching cars pass by. All the while you kept up at fast pace to get to your parents' house. As you walked you noticed that some rain clouds were coming in. Off in the distance you could hear the rumble of thunder, but you put it off for now. "Damn, their house should be near, I think it- Ah! There it is!" You point to a small one-story house that was on the street adjacent to the one you were on. "C'mon, Twilight!" You pick up your pace to a brisk jog, almost at a sprint to reach your old home. Twilight struggles to work her legs right as she stumbles after you. As you approach your old house, you see that their car is nowhere to be seen, but you assume that it was inside their garage. 'Almost there,' You thought to yourself as you were close to their driveway. Eventually, you reach the driveway and slow down to gather yourself. "We're here. Finally." "Are you ready to face them?" Twilight asked, walking up behind you. "To be honest, I'd rather fight a manticore than have to do this, but I think I am." "Good, just channel everything that me and my friends have taught you, okay?" She comes up from behind and gives you a supportive hug. "I'll be here for you I promise." "Thanks, Twilight. For everything," You smile at her and begin the approach to the front door. Time seems to slow down as you walk up to the front door, hoping that your parents are on the other side. How would they react to seeing you again? Would they be upset? Relieved? So many questions whirled around in your head. Finally, you reached the doorstep. The moment of all moments has finally come. It was time to face your fears. You take a deep breath, loosening up the muscles in your arms and reach out to press the doorbell button. Inside the house, you can hear the doorbell ring out it's tone, but you get no answer. You press the button again and wait for someone to come answer the door. Panic takes over you as you press the button multiple times in a row, anything to get their attention. "C'mon answer the door," You mutter under your breath, still ringing the doorbell. "Leroy, maybe they're-" "No," You interrupted sharply. "They're not, I'm telling you they're here!" You then resort to knocking on the door with your fist, trying your damnedest to get them to come to the door. "Fuck, c'mon! Mom! Dad! Its me! Leroy! Your son! I'm here!" You yell desperately. "Leroy! They're not here!" Twilight grabs your shoulder and tries to restrain you. "Its alright! They're probably just out somewhere!" You stop knocking on the door and face her. "Yeah, I hope your right, c'mon let's go and-" "Leroy?" The voice strikes you as familiar. A voice you have not heard in a long time. At first your heart skipped a beat when you heard it, believing it to be from your mother. But you turn to your right and see that it was not coming from your mother neither your father. It was your old neighbor, old Mrs. Hurley, standing on the porch of her small wooden, yellow house. "Leroy? Is that you?" She comes down from her porch and walks over to you and Twilight. Mrs Hurley was an elderly woman, heavy wrinkles on her face, her hair a pale gray, and her form frail and small. "Oh my! I haven't seen you in ages! Where have you been! I haven't seen you since you left the neighborhood!" She laughs and gives you a light hug. "Oh and who is this young lady? Is she your girlfriend? If so then I must say that you have done extremely well! What is your name sweetheart?" "Uh, my name is Twilight, nice to meet you," She replies shyly. "Very good to meet you too, deary. Now Leroy, what brings you to the old neighborhood?" "Mrs. Hurley, where are my parents? Have you seen them?" Your heart begins to ache as you see her face contort into an expression of sorrow. "Oh," She runs a hand through her hair. "Oh my, I- You don't know? How could you not know? I thought someone in your family would have called you or something?" "Know? Know what? Please tell me!" You beg, holding her hand in yours. "Well, I honestly don't think its my place to tell you, but I guess since no one has informed you, I guess I'll have to," She says, looking down at the ground. "Leroy, the last thing I want to do is hurt you, but I'm afraid you have to know." "Please, Mrs. Hurley," You whisper, tears starting to well up in your eyes. 'Oh God, please don't do this to me.' "Leroy, I'm so sorry to tell you this..." She begins, holding your hands. You can hear the thunder getting louder in the distance. "What is it?" A few raindrops fall from the sky, followed by a few more as the rain cloud got closer. "Your parents..." Another clap of thunder, with more rain following. You could not utter a single word, your throat holding back sobs. "Are not with us anymore," A thunderclap and a flash of lightning illuminates the sky, and the rain begins to fall in a full blown torrent. "Oh dear, the rain..." "What do you mean?" You ask, your hot tears mixing in with the cold rain water. "You mean to say that..." She looks at you with a sorrowful expression. "Leroy, I'm so sorry. But your parents died over two weeks ago. They died in car crash. Their car was hit by another that was going over ninety miles per hour. I heard that they died from the impact. The funeral was last week. Where were you, dear?" It was right there... At that moment in time... Your whole world... Fell apart... Your sorrow and fury raging as strong as the storm that raged above. You fell to your knees, your heart feeling as though it was ripped out of your chest. You couldn't breathe, you couldn't feel anything, but pain and sorrow. And you let all of it out with one loud cry, letting out all of your fury and pain. You felt Twilight try and pull you to your feet to get out of the rain, but you didn't care. You didn't care about anything. At this moment you wanted to die along with them, you didn't feel like living anymore as you felt like a crucial part of you just died. You sat there on your knees, crying out in anguish to the heavens, cursing at any gods that were doing this to you. Was this your punishment for the way you shunned them out of your life? If it was, then it might as well have been death. Because at this moment, death was welcome to you. You could feel the burning rage mixed with the sting of sorrow deep within your chest. The pain was too much for you to bear and you double over and fall in heap to the ground, sobbing as you fell. Twilight still at your side and you could hear her crying along with you. You were not sure if Mrs. Hurley was crying as well, but you were sure she felt sorry for you. You couldn't help but feel that it was your fault, that while you were having a nice time in Equestria, your parents died and you could not do anything about it. If you could have taken it all back, that day you left them, when you lashed out at your father... The memory of that brings you further pain and you make it known to Twilight who was laying on your shoulder, trying her best to help alleviate the pain in any way she thought possible. But even then that wasn't enough, not even all the love, friendship, or hell, even alcohol could help you right now. Suddenly, you felt two pairs of hands grab you and you fought back as much as you could, but in the end you gave in and let them lift you up to your feet. In all honesty it was a pitiful sight, but how could anyone blame you? You were in more pain then you have ever been in in your entire life. Twilight and Mrs. Hurley pulled you to your feet, even though you wanted to stay out in the rain. "Leroy! We have to get out of the rain!" She grabbed your left arm and Mrs. Hurley your right and hauled to her house where you could dry up. As much as you didn't want to comply, you're mind went completely blank. As if your emotions overloaded your mind and caused you to finally just go quiet and not resist any longer. Even as they dragged you into the living room and laid you down onto the sofa, you just sat there unresponsive. You couldn't do anything. You didn't want to do anything. You already let your parents die. So what's the point? "Leroy? Can you hear me?" Twilight called to you as lay sprawled on the couch, with a blank stare on your face. "Leroy? Talk to me, c'mon," She tries to shake you, but you are unresponsive as you just lay there in shock. "Leroy?" Tears start to well up in her eyes as she sits down next to you and buries her face in her hands. "I'm so sorry, we weren't fast enough! I'm so sorry!" Twilight begins to sob into her hands, feeling the pain of regret and sorrow that you were feeling. But you knew. You knew that she was not feeling the same amount of pain you were. She still had her parents. What did she know about loss!? She doesn't what its like to know that you failed even though you tried so hard. That feeling in the pit of your stomach. Failure. Sorrow. Anger. Regret. All of those emotions rush through you and it was too much for you to bear. All of it tied together with guilt. That cold sting of guilt. That sting that was piercing your heart. So much pain. How much more can you endure? *3rd Person* Twilight still sat there in her distressed state, tears running down her cheeks as she sobbed for her friend. She looked upon him with sorrow, seeing that he seemed to be in a state of shock, his tidal wave of emotions overloading his mind. "Leroy, please. Talk to me," She begged, shaking his shoulder and trying to get a response out of him. Suddenly, Twilight felt a hand on her shoulder. "Please deary, let him be. He's going through a lot at the moment," Mrs. Hurley took Twilight's hand and led her out of her small living room and into her kitchen. There she had a pot of tea brewing and moved Twilight to the table where she took a seat on one of the chairs. The old woman then went over to the stove and examined the pot. "Would you like some tea? It is almost finished." "Um, yes please," Twilight replied and sat there at the table, rubbing her cold, wet hands together. "Oh dear, you seem to be cold. Here, allow me to fetch you a towel," Twilight was about to say that she was fine, but a cold shiver ran through her body and nodded as the woman left the kitchen down the hallway. At that moment Twilight began looking around the kitchen, observing the several trinkets that lay on the shelves and pictures that hung on the walls. There was a picure in black and white she saw that seemed to be a younger-looking Mrs. Hurley, sitting on the lap of a young man. She could not help but smile at how happy they looked and she could only assume that the man was her 'special somepony' as everyone in Equestria calls it. Of course, her being an Equestrian, she wondered why there was only one male with her, but then she remembered. Polygamy, bad. Monogamy, good. "Ah, I see you've found Mr. Hurley?" Twilight let out a squeak of surprise, jumped out of her skin, and whirled around to see Mrs. Hurley who was standing at the door way with a small, wrinkly smile, and a couple towels in her hands. "Oh dear me, I'm sorry. Did I scare you dear? I didn't think I was that scary," She chuckled as she handed Twilight a towel. "Uh no, I was just surprised is all," She replied with her usual sheepish grin and took the towel and began drying herself off. Then again her clothes were soaked and pretty much ruined so it was a vain effort to get herself dry. Nevertheless she began working on getting her hair so she won't catch her death from the cold. "That's a very nice picture by the way." "Mmm, yes it is a nice picture," Mrs. Hurley sighed as she looked longingly at the photo. "I was twenty-three years old at the time, and Norman was about twenty-six. Oh, we were so young and in love! That day was when he asked me to marry him! Oh my, I was so happy! We dated for about two years when we met in college. Then after we both finished he asked for my hand. He was so handsome, charming, and the sweetest man any girl could ever have asked for." She then went to the living room with the other towel. Twilight leaned her head to the right and could see that Mrs. Hurley covered her friend up so that he would stay warm. Even then he still didn't seem to notice her. She came back to the kitchen and sat down at the table across from Twilight. "Forgive me, dear, but what was your name again? I didn't quite seem to catch it?" "Oh, well my name is Twilight." "Twilight?" She raised an eyebrow, never before hearing a pony name before. "That is quite an unusual name, not one that I've heard before that's for sure. Where are you from by the way?" "Uhhh," Twilight had no idea what to say, she didn't want to tell her that she was from another dimension. Considering the fact that humans had no experience with magic or let alone interdimensional travel. But she seemed like a sweet old lady, maybe she would believe her or understand at the very least. So, she decided to tell the truth. "Mrs. Hurley? Can I be honest? I know this will sound crazy, but I hope that you will understand. But it will explain why Leroy didn't know about his parent's death and where I am from." "Well then go ahead, dear. I have heard a lot of crazy things in my time and I will try my best to understand." She nodded at the young Princess, showing her compliance. "Okay," Twilight took a deep breath. "I am not what you think I am. This is not how I usually look, I am from another world and dimension called Equestria..." She then went ahead to explain almost everything about her world, including the fact that its inhabited by a bunch of talking ponies. "So, what do you think?" Twilight was afraid that the elderly woman would react the same way like Leroy did and kick them out of her house in fear. Or maybe even call the authorities. Instead, she just sat there, looking like she was thinking over what Twilight had said. "So, you're saying that your from a world called Equestria," Mrs. Hurley held a mild expression as she talked. "Uh-huh." "And that magic and other mythical creatures exist." "And that you are actually a talking pony who helped Leroy recover from his accident." "Yes I am." Mrs. Hurley took a moment and sat back in her chair, looking thoroughly perplexed. "Okay, either what you said is true," She went over to the teapot as it started whistling and lifted it off the stove. "Or that is the most organized amount of hooey that I have ever heard." The old woman chuckled and went to a pantry and pulled out two cups. "But, you seem pretty serious and even though it sounds crazy I don't think its my right to judge. So I don't fully believe you, but it gives me some understanding as to where in the world Leroy has been," After pouring her and Twilight some tea, she returned to her seat and handed Twilight her cup. "Thank you, Mrs. Hurley," She took a sip of the warm tea and felt relieved to taste the warm bittersweet liquid. "Please, call me Abigail," Mrs. Hurley chuckled as she also took a sip of her tea. "So, how are things between you and Leroy? You two seem pretty close. He really seems to like you." Twilight can't quite help but feel a little bit discouraged, knowing that her and Leroy could never be together. Even if they did, she couldn't bear to see him die and her live on. Not only that but her friends as well. "Well, we're really close friends. And we both understand each other very well." "Really?" Abigail puts her cup down. "I thought that you and him were together! You two look very cute as a couple." "I'm glad you think that way, but I just don't see him that way. Besides, there are too many complicated things keeping us from being together." "Oh phooey on that!" She takes Twilight's hand. "You see deary, I know you love him. I could see it when I saw you looking at him. You can't fool me you know?" "Well, how would you know?" "Because," Abigail looks back at the picture of her and her husband. "That was the way Norman looked at me. The way his eyes just seemed to soften up and get that loving look. That look that just says 'I love you with all my heart and soul'. And listen, love is not complicated and do you know why?" "Why?" Tears start to well up in Twilight's eyes. "Love is not a problem that needs to be solved. Its not a question that needs to be answered. Do you know what it is?" For a while Twilight could not figure out the answer. She used to stay up all night reading books. She studied so hard in magic and wanted to learn so much about everything! And yet, Twilight Sparkle, the former protege of Princess Celestia and now the Princess of Friendship, could not tell her what exactly love was. "No, I don't," She hung her head in shame. Abigail lifted up her chin and looked at her with a small smile. "Love, my dear, is not something you can think about. It is something that is felt within you. In here," She places a hand on her heart. "Do you get what I mean?" "Yes," Twilight replied, even though tears were staining her face she couldn't help but smile. She looked over at where Leroy was laying and- he wasn't there. "Leroy?" She could hear the thunder outside roaring in fury, her heart skipping a beat. Quickly as she could, she ran over to the living room where he was supposed to be laying down on the sofa, the towel lay discarded on the floor. "Leroy! Where are you?!" She frantically looked around the room to see if maybe he was sitting somewhere else. "Abigail! Leroy's gone! Is he here in the house?" "No he's not, I would've heard him walking down the hallway," She came out from the kitchen with a worried look on her face. "I think maybe-" Suddenly a draft of wind billowed into the room, from the open front door. "Oh my," Abigail gasped as she walked over to the front door. "Oh no, he left! I hope he hasn't gone too far!" "We need to go find him!" She was about to go through the door, but Abigail stopped her. "Not like that you are, I would drive you, but I haven't driven in a couple of years and I can't see well at night. Come with me," She led her down the hall past the kitchen to a closet in the middle of the corridor. She opened the door, pulled out a black raincoat and handed it to Twilight, along with a flashlight. "Here deary, take this, just press the button and light comes out from it," Abigail pressed the button to demonstrate to the young Princess. "It will help you see in the dark," Twilight slipped into the cumbersome raincoat and Abigail pulled the hood over her head. "Now, are you sure you want to do this? It can be pretty dangerous outside when it rains." "Yes I'm sure," She took the flashlight and fumbled around with it, pressing the button a few times to test it. "I need to go find him and bring him back safely," With that, she walked back to the front door with the heavy raincoat covering her body. The rain was now falling down in full fury, with thunder booming off in the distance. "You have to be careful, dear! You can very well get hurt! The coat will keep you dry, but not for long!" Abigail shouted over the loud torrent of the rain. "I would go with you, but I don't think I would be of any use to you! "It's okay! I'll be careful, but I have to find him so he doesn't get hurt!" Twilight took a breath and stepped off the porch and out into the rain, her coat becoming soaked within seconds. She switched on the flashlight and shined it down on the wet ground. Surprisingly, she saw that there were footprints squished into the grass and led off onto the sidewalk. Now that she had a beat on where her friend had gone off to, she stepped out onto the sidewalk and began her search for her friend. ooo000oo000ooo Was it the rain? Or was it the tears that were staining your face? You didn't care, all you wanted to do was just sulk as you trekked through the torrent of water; your shoes muddied and your clothes soaked through. Most likely you would get sick from being out in the rain, but even then it mattered little to you. Hell, you could get shot right now and you would thank the kind stranger for putting you out of your misery. You stumbled further along the sidewalk and you could not remember why exactly you were out here. Was it to escape? If so, escape from what? You could not, for the life of you remember why exactly you were out here freezing to death. Again, you didn't care. All you wanted was that pain deep inside your chest to stop. Where the pain was from you could not remember. Or maybe you didn't want to remember? What happened that you were wandering about in the rain and trying to escape from the pain? Images flash in your mind. A totaled car. Your parents' bloodied faces. Your mother's cold dead stare burning into your soul. You cry out and grasp your head in pain as these images flash through your mind and you fall to your knees. Oh, there was the reason why you were in pain. The overwhelming wave of emotion passes through you once again and you let out an anguished cry... ooo000oo000ooo "Arrrrrgggggghhhh!" Twilight heard the cry come out from further ahead of where she was. At first she could not discern whether or not it was the wind or the thunder, but her instincts told her that it was her friend crying out in pain. "Hold on, Leroy! I'm coming!" She ran off in the direction she heard the scream. ooo000oo000ooo The rain fell down hard upon you, your clothes stuck to your body from how soaked they were. Off in the distance, you were not too sure if you heard someone yell your voice. You didn't care, you just kept walking through the cold rain. But then, you heard it again, this time closer. "Leroy!" The voice shouted, but you ignored it and kept on trudging through the rain. Your body felt numb. Cold. And you were deaf to everything you heard. Again you heard it, this time it was as if it was right behind you. "Leroy! Wait!" The voice was familiar to you, maybe it was from someone you know. Or maybe you just didn't care. Suddenly, you hear someone's footsteps splashing on the sidewalk, almost as if they were running to catch up to you. This, you had to see. Who in their right mind would follow you out- it was her. Twilight. "Leroy! What are you doing out here?! You could get hurt!" She was shining a flashlight in your face and shut it off as she walked up to you. You also saw that she was wearing some sort of black rain coat, which was thoroughly soaked. You could not help but answer her back. "Why did you follow me out here Twilight? I came out here for a reason, I wanna be alone!" You shout at her through the rain. "I can't leave you alone like out here like this! You know I can't do that! I came out here to help you!" She begged as she walked closer to you. "Leroy, I know you're in pain! But you can't stay out here! Its dangerous!" "Shut up! You don't know what I feel! Tell me, have you ever felt loss?! Ever felt what its like to lose someone close to you?! No! You haven't! Now leave me alone I don't want your help! No one can help me! Not even you with your stupid magic!" You turn your back on her to walk away. "Leroy!" She grabs you by the shoulder and turns you around. "Please! Come back with me to the house! Then tomorrow we can go back to Equestria! Back with our friends! You can leave behind all of your pain and suffering! You don't have to come back here ever again!" "I don't want to go back! I don't want to go anywhere! All I want is to be left alone! So just go! What does it matter to you?! You and your friends never cared for me! All I was in Equestria was just some freak that the Princess asked you to befriend! You, Applejack, Rainbow, none of them! You never cared about me!" "NO!" She grabs your shoulders desperately. "That's not true, Leroy! We all care for you! Remember all the time we've spent together?! We've been through so much you can't just give up on everything! I won't leave you alone!" You shake her from her grip and shove her away, tears burning in your eyes. "I don't care! I've lost too much! My parents, my whole life on Earth! It was just sheer dumb fucking luck that I'm even alive! And you know what?! I wish Luna hadn't saved me that night! I wish that I hadn't gone to Equestria! I wish that I was dead right now! So for the last time, leave me alone! Can't you see that I just wanna be alone!" The dam breaks inside you as you begin to sob and tears fall from your face along with the rain. "I can't do that!" She shouts back at your face, eyes closed as she cried out. "I would do anything for you, Leroy! I can't just stand around while you tear yourself apart like this!" Your temper rises to an inferno and you push her away again, but she loses her balance and she lands on her rear. "Why the fuck do you care?! Why won't you just leave me alone?! Why?!" "Because I-"Twilight stopped herself, she couldn't answer; as you looked down at her, she stared up at you, fear etched onto her face. 'I- I've never seen him this angry before... I don't know, but- I feel so threatened by him right now. No! I can't let him do this!' She stands up and looks at you with hesitant defiance in her eyes. "The reason why is be-because I-" She stopped and choked on her words, unable to get them out. You only laughed and shook your head. "Yeah, that's what I thought," You turned around and started to walk away. "You don't have an answer." It was there you felt Twilight's arms wrap around your midsection, pulling you close and holding you tight. Instead of fighting back, you only sighed and looked down at the ground, shaking your head once more. "Twilight, why? Why are you trying so hard?" You turn around and face her, seeing the strangest look on her face. Instead of seeing a look of distress, you instead see her with the softest of smiles. Her violet eyes shining through the darkness of the night. She moves forward and once again wraps her arms around you, pulling you into a soft hug. "Twilight," You didn't hug her back, all you could do was stand there. "Because," She pulls back and looks up at you. "I love you. And I feel so lost without you..." She lays her head on your chest. "Ever since that first day at the hospital. I started to fall in love with you. I don't what it was, but I was so interested in you. And, when I started to get to know you I- I just couldn't help but fall in love. Everyday I just wanted to see more and more of you. Even now, when you are at your lowest, I still love you. I always will..." "Twilight I-" But you stop yourself, not knowing what to say. All these hurtful things you've said to her.The way you pushed down to the ground. How could you ever apologize? Now that she's confessed her true feeling for you, you have no idea what in the hell to do. Nevertheless, you wrap your arms around her back and pull her close to you. "Twilight, I'm sorry!" You cry out, holding her tighter. "I'm sorry I said all those things! I'm sorry I pushed you! I didn't mean to I swear! I just- I just don't know what do. My parents are dead. I was too late to save them, its my fault they're dead." "No," She picks up her head to look at you, placing her hand on your cheek. "Its not your fault. Its nopony's fault. What happened was just something that neither of us could control. But you have to understand, it wasn't your fault. If there was something that I could do to make this go away I would do it." You take hold of her and hold it to your cheek. "Twilight, I'm sorry. About everything I said, could you ever forgive me?" Without uttering a single word, Twilight leans forward and gently presses her lips against yours. For a moment time stops. At first you stood there stunned, not knowing what to do, but as she places her hands around your neck you do the same and pull her closer by her waist; the heavy raincoat restricting you from getting closer to her. After a few moments of your passionate embrace, Twilight pulls back with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face. "Yes, I do forgive you," You smile, despite your current disposition and pull her in for another kiss. Thunder booms loudly up in the sky and causes you two to jump apart. "Oh my gosh, I think we should go back! Before we get hurt!" "Good idea!" You take her hand and lead her down the sidewalk, making the journey back to Abigail's house. Despite the fact that you were just in a state of utter despair, you could not help but grin as you and Twilight stumbled home through the rain; a warm, tingly feeling in your chest...
Chapter 16: ComfortChapter 16: Comfort By: Calamity Jay "You know suddenly, I'm not so happy about coming home anymore..." Right now, what you needed was some way to get warm again. Your whole body was shivering, your bones feeling as though they were frozen solid. It was surprising to you that you were actually able to function! You were shivering like crazy, your clothes soaked through, and even with the towels draped over your shoulders you still felt cold. Twilight was in no better condition. Even with the heavy raincoat she still managed to get drenched. She sat next to you on the couch, towels over her shoulders as well; her hair was stringy and damp, and since she was wearing a skirt she had to drape a towel over her lap to keep her legs warm. Abigail walked over to the both of you with hot tea to help warm yourselves up. "T-thanks Mrs. Hurley, I-I appreciate it," You take the tea and Twilight does as well, but you were shaking so violently that while you were trying to take a sip, some of the tea spilled out out of the cup and onto your lap. "S-son of a-a b-b-bitch," You sputtered, struggling to drink the piping hot tea. "Easy there L-leroy," Twilight tries to take a sip as well, but spills some tea on herself from shaking as well. "S-s-shit," You could not help but laugh considering the fact that she never cussed before. "What? Its hot," She then blows lightly on her drink. "I k-know, but I j-just never h-heard you c-c-cuss before," "Yeah yeah, whatever," She grumbles, holding the cup in both hands and focusing on the light brown liquid maybe a little too much. Perhaps she's not a fan of cussing out loud. "How are you two feeling so far? A little better I hope?" Abigail asks sweetly, sitting on an armchair across from the sofa you two were sitting on. "You know, I got a tad bit worried when you guys took a long time out there. Leroy, why did you do such a thing as walking out like a madman into the rain?" You take another shaky sip from your tea, sighing as you feel the warm liquid flow down your throat and settle in your stomach. "I'm sorry I did something stupid like that. I hope you both can forgive me, I wasn't quite myself." "Hmm, I could see that," Abigail nods and purses her lips. "Listen deary, I'm sorry about all this. I wish I didn't have to tell you what happened to your parents. Ms. Twilight told me everything about-" "Whoa wait, everything?" You ask, glancing over at Twilight who blushed and took another sip of her tea, trying her damnedest to not make eye contact with you. "So I guess you know that Twilight-" "Isn't really human," She finishes your sentence for you. "And that I got hurt and-" "Got taken to a world which she says is full of talking ponies and other mythical creatures." "And that I've-" "Been there this whole time, cavorting about with your new friends. Yes I know Leroy," "Oh, well then," You slump your shoulders, completely dumbstruck that Twilight actually told Mrs. Hurley about everything. "That is all true, but the 'cavorting about' part is a bit over exaggerated." "Yes maybe, but don't get me wrong, Leroy. I still find the whole thing hard to believe. But I'm old and don't really have much time left so I kinda just thought 'What the hell? Why not believe in something crazy for once?'" She laughs and for some reason you laugh along with her as well, despite the fact that you were in a state of sheer distress. "Yeah, well join the club we got jackets," You scoff, remembering just how crazy you thought you were when you arrived in Equestria. "I know it sounds insane, but its true. I remember when I first saw Twilight I screamed my head off. Remember that, Twi?" You nudge her and she just laughs in reply. "Believe me, I thought that I was going crazy. But after I realized that everything that was happening was actually real, things got a little bit easier. Twilight actually helped me adjust to life in Equestria." "Hmm, well this Equestria place does sound kinda nice," She takes a sip of her own tea. "But it also sounds like a bit too much excitement for this old woman. I'm afraid my old ticker can only take so much." "Aw c'mon Mrs. Hurley, you're not that old," "Oh don't try and flatter me now, Leroy," She lets out a wheezing chuckle. "A woman knows when she's not a young spring chicken anymore." "Right right, I see what you mean," You take another sip of your tea, and look down at the ground. "Leroy," The elderly woman calls your name and you look up at her. "Know that I am deeply sorry about your parents. Believe me I know what you're going through. What you're feeling I felt when Norman passed away last year. I know exactly what loss feels like. And it is so very painful. Oh, even though Norman knew that he was gonna kick the bucket soon and I knew it too, it still hurts even when you come to terms with death." "Yeah, tell me about it. I felt like I was gonna die from how bad it hurt. It honestly felt like a knife was being driven into my heart," You press your hand against your forehead and lean back into the chair. "Again, I'm sorry I did what I did. I wasn't thinking straight. And thank you Twlight," You gently grab hold of her hand, which was surprisingly warm. "If it weren't for you, I'd still be out there freezing myself to death. Thank you for talking some sense into me." "I think you would've done the same for me if I was the one out there," She quips with a smirk on her face. "But, please don't do something like that again. You know I hate when you do reckless things." "Yeah, I know," You wrap your arm around her shoulder and pull her closer to you. "I won't do stupid things like that again. I promise you that." She leans her head on your shoulder. "Thanks, I'm glad you promise." "Hey, Mrs. Hurley?" "Yes?" "You said the funeral was not too long ago, what happened while I was away?" "Well, I recognized a few of your family members there," She takes a sip of her tea. "Everyone wondered where you were and why you didn't come. Some thought that you were too bitter to come and show up to your parent's own funeral. I heard some people say that they tried calling your phone so that you could come. I think one of your cousins said they went to your apartment to see if you were there. When no one could get a hold of you they just gave up. If its any consolation they had a good funeral, almost all of your dad's and your mom's family attended." "Shit," Another wave of heartache and pain passes through you, Twilight trying her best to comfort you. "I'm glad they had a good funeral, they deserved one. But, who paid for it might I ask?" "Not too sure, maybe one of your uncles or aunts? Or maybe your uncles and your aunts. Either way, someone paid to have them buried." "Do you know where?" If they were buried where you thought they would be, then you knew what you were going to do tomorrow. "Yes, its at the old cemetery on the outskirts of town. I'm guessing you want to go and see them?" "I do actually, it feels like the right thing to do." "It is," She puts down her tea on the coffee table. "I'll lend you Norman's old pickup truck. Its still in good condition and has gas. Tomorrow you can use it to go down to the cemetery and see your parents." "Really? You'd do that?" You ask, hope filling your heart. "Anything for a good friend. Besides, it is your right to go and see them one last time." "Thank your, Mrs. Hurley, I appreciate what you're doing for me." "Oh think nothing of it," She chuckles while nonchalantly waving her hand. Abigail looks up at the clock that was hanging on the wall. "Oh dear, its getting pretty late isn't it?" You look up and see that the clock reads half past nine. It honestly wasn't that late, but you then let out a deep yawn and so does Twilight as well. "And the both of you sound tired to me. Do you have a place to stay?" "Well, we do have my apartment, but considering how long its been, they probably already took away my room." "I don't know about that, they can't take away your apartment without giving you a chance first. I think you should go and talk to your landlord after you go to the cemetery." "Right, add that to the 'To-Do List'. But other than that we don't have a place to stay, and I don't have the key to get us into my parent's house. Then again, it feels wrong to be staying in there." "Why is that, Leroy?" Twilight asked, looking up at you. "I don't know, it just does," You could not discern whether it was because you simply did not want to or if was just wrong in a morbid kind of way. "Okay then, I guess you two will have to stay here. I have a guest room with a bed for you to sleep on. Unless you wish to use the sofas in here instead?" Mrs. Hurley asked, rising up from her seat and walking over to the hallway. "What do you think, Twi?" You ask, nudging her with your elbow. She lets out a yawn and stretches her back. "Yeah, a bed sounds good right about now. But wait both of us are soaking wet and we didn't bring any extra clothes." "Well, how 'bout you go ahead and use my bathroom to wash up and I'll put your clothes to dry? I think you guys could definitely use a warm shower." You look at Twilight and she happily nods. "Hmm, sounds good" *Scene Break* "So, do you wanna get in first? Or do I go?" You and Twilight both gave your clothes to Abigail so that she could wash them and dry them. In exchange she gave the two of you bathrobes so you don't have to walk around unclothed. "Uh you go ahead and go first, I'll just go and wait in the bedroom." "About that, Twi, I can just sleep on the sofa while you just-" "Its fine, Leroy I don't mind. Really I don't," The immature side of your mind was thrilled to sleep with Twilight, but was also at war with the mature side of your mind. If Applejack and Rainbow found out that you were sleeping with Twilight, would they be mad? Would they mind? But Twilight is their friend so they should not be upset. Then again they could also feel betrayed that you were doing this to them. But, its not as if you would be doing something wrong. All you are doing is sharing a bed with Twilight and nothing else. However, there is always the chance that you and Twilight could give in to your primal needs. Twilight had already confessed her love to you. What if she sought to show you? The two sides of your mind were in conflict and you had no idea if you should do this. "Besides, I want you to be comfortable tonight. I know you're going through a lot and I don't want you to be alone. Okay?" You can't help but smile at your friend. "Okay then, well I guess I'll go and get in the shower then," You give her one last smile and open the door to the bathroom and close it behind you. Turning on the lights you see that her bathroom is actually very nice. The floor was tiled and red. To your right was a closet with a brown wooden door that most likely held towels and other toiletries. Past the closet was a ceramic vanity top with a basin sink and a cast iron two handle top-mount faucet. Truly fancy. You could see that the whole counter was kept very well clean and organized, a towel rack and a soap dispenser next to the faucet. You looked to the shower and saw that it was tiled and the same color as the floor. Instead of a curtain it had a glass slide door. The interior contained the usual knobs which controlled the water temperature, with a shelf that contained an assortment of soaps and shampoos, a sponge hanging off one of the knobs. "Jesus, where does she get all the money to buy stuff like this?" Having a bathroom as clean and fancy as this, one would think she has a lot of money. "Eh, I guess I could ask her about it later or something." With that, you reach in and turn the knob with the blue marking to the left about a quarter of the way. You wait a few moments and reach out with your hand. Ouch, pretty damn cold; reaching over to the other knob, you turn it about half way to the left as well. After a few moments pass, you reach out again to feel the water. Ah, perfect. After deeming the water warm enough, you untie you robe and let it fall to the floor. You step in and let the water cascade over your head and shoulders, all the coldness you felt in your bones being washed away by the hot water. Suddenly, you start thinking about everything that has happened so far. This all started with you taking a wrong turn walking, or rather stumbling, home from the bar. Imagine if you hadn't done that, you would still have been back on Earth, and Equestria would have been no more than a simple dream. You place your hand on the wall of the shower and bow your head forward, letting the water fall over your back. Again, you start thinking about your parents, as much as you didn't want to. You were too late to save them from their doom, you sat there in Equestria, messing around with your new friends while they died and you had no idea. The shower was definitely a bad place to not think about things. In fact you felt as though had to think whenever you stepped in the shower. Great, now you were regretting coming in here. Tears were starting to well up in your eyes, a lump forming in your throat as well. That familiar feeling of regret was burning again in your chest. You could not take it anymore and you started to sob softly, hoping that no one could hear you... ooo000oo000ooo Twilight stood at the door of the bathroom, leaning her ear against the door. At first she was unsure if whether or not she heard Leroy sobbing in the shower. But she listened a little more closely and she could clearly hear him crying. Sorrow burned in her heart, wishing that she could do something to help alleviate some of his pain. Something that she could do to help him feel just a little bit better. "Um, Twilight? What are you doing?" Abigail walked out from her room at the end of the hall. "Is Leroy okay?" "No, he's not," She turned and leaned her back against the door. "He's in so much pain right now. I just wish that I could do something to help him." Abigail stopped and thought for a moment. "You know, dear? I hate to sound like a foolish old woman, but when I was young, and Norman was still around, whenever he was in a bad mood well, I decided to help cheer him up in the best way that I thought possible." "Oh, uh, how did you do that?" The young naive Princess asked, oblivious to the obvious answer. "Tell me deary, what do you think is the fastest and most effective way to get a man out of a bad mood? Something that makes him happy?" "Umm, I really don't know," Abigail raised one of her eyebrows, obviously perplexed by Twilight's naivety. "C'mon now, you're a smart girl. Do the math. What is the one thing that gets every man from a bad mood, to a good mood?" "Uh, let me think," After a few moments of thought, a most perverted answer to Abigail's question popped into her head. "What?!" She whispered loudly. "You really think I should do that?!" "Well, you said you wanted to help him in his time of distress. I believe that's a good way to get him out of his current disposition. But, I'm not gonna tell you to do it, I am only suggesting the suggestive. In the end, deary, it is your choice. Leave him alone and let him suffer or go in there and cheer him up. Its up to you. I'm sure he'd like your company." "You really think so?" She looked at the door and place her hand on it. "You don't think that he would mind?" "Honey, I was married for sixty years. I know what men like. I am very sure he won't mind." "Oh my gosh, I don't know about this," Twilight tugs at her robe nervously. "I mean, I want to help him feel better," She sighs and looks at Abigail. "First of all are you okay with this? I mean if I actually go through with this I'm sure you'll hear us right?" "Please, nowadays I fall asleep within seconds and after that I am deaf to the world. So you can be a little bit vocal, but not to the point where you actually wake me up. Agreed?" Twilight nodded and Abigail made her way back to her room, but stopped and looked at Twilight. "Again, its your choice, sweetie. I'm only suggesting that you do this. In the end, it comes from your own heart and soul. You really love and care for him? Then go on in there and show him that you care." After finishing her motivational speech, Abigail opened the door to her room, entered, and closed the door behind her. "Sweet, merciful, Goddesses," Twilight muttered under her breath, leaning her back against the door. "That woman really has no shame or sense of decency does she?" She stood there thinking about what to do next. "Oh, but she does have a point. I do love Leroy, but I haven't done much to show him that I really do love and care for him. I guess, maybe I really should go in there and make him feel better?" Her mind made up, she gathered her courage and opened the door. ooo000oo000ooo You hear the door open. "Uh, hello? Who is it?" You knew Goddamn well who came into the bathroom, your heart already knew the answer, but your mind wanted to disagree. "Leroy?" Twilight called out, confirming your fears. "I heard you crying. Is everything okay?" "Um, yeah," You sniffle, further adding to the evidence that you were indeed crying. "I'm fine, don't worry about me," Twilight comes into view in front of the glass door of the shower. If it was a curtain that was not see-through, you would be fine. In this case it was clear glass and Twilight would be able to see everything. So to prevent that, you turn around and try to cover up your privates as best you can. Then again, that gives her a clear view of your rear. Honestly, it feels as though you never win. "Leroy? Why are you trying to cover yourself up?" Twilight asks, standing in front of the shower. "You know, I have seen you naked. And you've seen me naked too. So there really is no reason for you to be so embarrassed." "I know that, Twilight. But you're human now and this time we're not doing a biological experiment. Remember what I told you about our taboos?" "Yes I'm aware of that, but Leroy," She tugs at her robe nervously. "I know you're in pain. I could hear you crying and I can't bear to know that you're hurting like this. Because when you're hurting, then I am as well. You know that I love you, even though I just barely confessed to you. I can't stand seeing you in pain and I don't want you to go through this alone. So that's why I..." She undoes her robe and lets it fall to the ground at her feet, exposing her naked human body. You could not help but ogle at her small form; she had small yet sexy curves that ran along her hips, fitting her petite stature. Her breasts were not very big, but were perky and perfectly round. Your eyes ran up and down her body, from her eyes, her breasts, her hips, all the way to her legs."...Thought I should come in here and keep you company." She says, a tinge of red on her cheeks. She starts to approach the glass door of the shower, placing her hand on the iron handle and sliding it to the right, stepping into the shower with you. Deep in the pit of your chest, you wanted to say no. You wanted to tell her that this was wrong. You were already with Applejack and technically Rainbow Dash as well. You did not want to do this to them! This sort of thing already happened with Sunny Day and now it was happening with Twilight! Honestly, ever since you were taken to Equestria, your love life has been a huge roller coaster ride. Even then, it was too late for you to protest and Twilight stood in front of you, stepping under the shower head to let the water wash over her body. It was then you couldn't do anything else, but just let this happen. Twilight wasn't going to take no for an answer; in all honesty you really were feeling lonely. You wanted- no, needed someone to come and comfort you. And that was exactly what Twilight was here for. She comes up to you and places her hand on your cheek. "Its okay now, Leroy," She whispers as she leans in and kisses you softly on the lips. "I'm here, and I always will be." Finally you give in; grabbing her by her waist, you pull her in closer to you, the water cascading over the both of you as you embraced. You pull back and wrap both of your arms around her back, pulling her into a hug. She does the same and throws her arms under your arm pits. You feel a sense of deja vu standing here with Twilight in your arms. Then again, you did do something like this with Applejack. "Thank you, Twilight," You whisper as you stroke violet hair. "For everything. You've done so much for me." "I'd do anything for you," Twilight whispers back, laying her head on your chest. "I love you so much," You hear her start to sob into your chest and feel her squeeze you even tighter. The both of you share a tender moment, just relishing in your embrace and feeling the warmth emanating from your bodies. You feel a few tears stream down your face along with the water from the shower. "Twilight," She looks up at you. "I love you too." You lean forward and plant a gentle kiss on her forehead and squeeze her tighter. She releases her grip on you and gazes into your eyes. "You know, I've seen what your hands can do," She says with a sly grin. "I wonder what else they're good for? Mind showing me?" Major deja vu indeed. "Of course, my princess," You reply as she turns around while you go ahead and grab the bar of soap off the shelf. After lathering up your hands, you start to massage her shoulders and work your down all the way to her lower back. From here you got a very good view of her small, but firm rear; your heart skipping a beat when you saw how close your manhood was to it. Immediately, you bite your lip to keep yourself from becoming erect. "Um, Twi? Is it okay if I-" "Yes, you can do whatever you want," She replies, a content smile on her face borne from your ministrations. With that green light, you begin to move your hands all over her body, from her small shoulders, her slender hips, to her flat stomach, her lower back, and you even dared to grab her supple breasts. She lets out a slight gasp when you start massaging them. "Ahh, I was not aware that human breasts were an erogenous area," She whimpered out as you continued your work on her. "Leroy? Can I be honest with you?" "Of course you can," "I've never been with a stallion before," Whoa whoa, wait. Time out. Hold your horses there buddy. You abruptly stop what you were doing and slowly turn Twilight to face you, who has gained an uneasy expression. "Twilight, you mean to tell me you've never done something like this before? With anyone?" "No. Never. Not even with a mare. I know this sounds pretty embarrassing, but I've never experienced anything outside of my own hand- er hoof," You could only imagine how nervous she was feeling since this was basically her first sexual experience. "I mean, remember when you were in the hospital, and you had sex with Applejack for um, research purposes?" "Yeah, how could I possibly forget?" Having sex with another species for the first time is not something you easily get over. "I'm not sure if she mentioned this to you, but I was actually supposed to be the one to do it. Being a princess is so stressful and I was just so tired of being alone with nopony to be with. I was going to do it, but I was so scared, terrified even! Not because of, you know, you're a different species. I was so curious of your mating rituals and ever since I met you I started... fantasizing." "So after the first day you met me, you start to imagine what it would be like to have sex with me?" You ask with a small smile, somewhat amused at her awkwardness. "Um yes I did. Oh, I'm so embarrassed! Please don't hate me!" She covers her face up with her hands, trying her best to avoid your gaze. Instead of letting her sulk in her embarrassment, you gently move her hands away from her face. "Twilight, its okay. You don't have to be embarrassed and I don't hate you. I could never hate you. Not in a million years," You lean forward and kiss her gently on the lips. "In fact I'm flattered that you actually fantasized about me. I must say that that's a first for me," Twilight starts to giggle and you can't help but laugh along as well. After a moment of laughter, you stop and catch your breath. "But can I ask you something Twi?" "Sure, what is it?" 'Oh I know I'm gonna regret asking this, but I gotta know.' You take a deep breath. "Why didn't you? That day. I just wanna know." Twilight seemed taken aback by your question and she looked as though she was thinking about what to say. "I guess I should just tell you the truth..." ooo000oo000ooo Twilight wandered about the town, troubled by her thoughts. The new human she just befriended, she can't stop thinking about him! When she was talking to him and learning about his species, culture, and history; she just couldn't get enough! Twilight learned so much about him in so little time and she could not wait to learn more. Yesterday she had just finished discussing the procedures of the research sessions she was going to conduct with the doctors back at Canterlot General. Everything was set up and ready to go, tomorrow she was going to go back to Canterlot to start on their research. Twilight wanted to be absolutely thorough in learning about his anatomy; even his intimate areas. She was not sure what it was about him that kept her up at night. But after careful thought, she knew that she was attracted to him. The reason why was perplexing. Was it because he was different? How charming he was? Or perhaps it was just based on physical attraction? The way he scratched at her ears, it was something she never felt before. And she wanted it to happen again. Somehow, she had to do something! She wanted to feel him touch her again! Twilight was so curious, at night when she lied alone in her bed, she would have fantasies about what it would feel like to have him next to her; to feel his hands run through her mane, down her shoulders, over her body, all the way down to her flanks where he would put his hand right on her- "Hey there, Twilight!" Twilight's lewd thoughts were interrupted by the voice of her close friend Applejack. Applejack had been trotting about town running errands for her farm when she Twilight wandering down the street. "Twi? Y'all okay?" "Um, yeah I'm fine, Applejack," Twilight sighed with a defeated look on her face. "No need to worry about me." "C'mon now, sugarcube. Even a blind barn mouse can see that somethin's troublin' ya. Why don't you go ahead and tell me?" Twilight took a moment, unsure if whether or not she should tell her friend what has been on her mind. She lets out a sigh and her ears droop down. "Alright, I guess I should tell you..." Twilight then proceeds to tell everything to Applejack, and she even included the parts about her fantasies about him. After she finished, Applejack seemed thoroughly surprised. "Wow, Twilight. Ah didn't know you saw 'em that way, hoo whee!" Applejack laughed as she fanned herself with her hat. "Ah gotta say, you sound like you really wanna mate with him." "I know! I mean, wouldn't you? He's so different and somewhat mysterious, its so exciting!" Twilight giggled as she and Applejack found themselves trotting into the park, where they found a bench to sit on. "I'll be honest, sugarcube. He does seem like a very nice stallion- er hoo-man, and I am pretty curious about him too. Not only that, he does look pretty cute for somepony whose not a pony. And what'd you say about him? He don't like to be naked in front of others?" "Yeah! He says that in his world its a social taboo to be nude in front of others you're not in a relationship with. But that's weird because, here we hardly wear clothes and its normal for him to wear clothes. Ugh, humans are so weird! But I like it! Do I sound crazy, Applejack?" Applejack just chuckled. "Ah dunno 'bout that now, but you do seem pretty crazy for him the way Ah see it." "I'm just so curious about how he likes to, you know... rut." "Well, why don't you go ahead and ask him? Ah know that y'all and the docs back at the hospital wanna do some sort of experiments on 'em. Ah think that's a good opportunity as any." "It is! But I'm too scared to do it! But I wanna see it too! Oh, I don't know what to do! Applejack, you know that I've never done something like that before right?" "Yes Ah know, Twi," Applejack nodded, tugging at her hat. "Look sugarcube, if you don't wanna do it, then that's fine. Nopony is forcing you to." "Will you do it?" Twilight asked suddenly, surprising her friend. Applejack immediately blushes and smiles sheepishly. "Aw shucks, Ah dunno 'bout that sugarcube. Ah'm mighty flattered, but Ah dunno." "C'mon, Applejack! How long has it been since you've been with a stallion? I know you've been looking for a mate." "Ah have, but I dunno if Ah should." "Are you sure? You did say you thought he was cute!" "Ah did, but ya know me. Ah'd hate to do somethin' like that with somepony Ah barely know. And not only that, ya also know that Ah don't like to just rut and go. Ah'm an honest mare! Ah like to keep the stallion that Ah mate with!" "Well here's an opportunity for you! Leroy is a good human! I'm sure he'll treat you right. Besides, have you seen those hands of his? They're great! I've never had my ears scratched, but he found this spot right at the base of my ears that just made me melt! They feel so soft and, well as Rainbow would put it, awesome!" "Really?" Applejack asked with an arched brow. "Huh. That does sound pretty good." "And, he told me that he's been feeling lonely like you. Think about it, you and Leroy, both of you feeling lonely, and I think that you and him would make a really great couple! Even if you're two different species, love has no boundaries, Applejack." "Hmm, you're right about that. But Ah hardly know him, Ah just met him yesterday!" "Well, think of this as way to get to know each other better!" Twilight was very optimistic about this, even if the odds were against her. Applejack took a moment to think about her friends offer. On one hoof, she could accept and have herself a new stallion. On the other, she could turn down her friend in her moment of need and stay alone. The odds were weighing in favor of the former. She made up her mind. "Alright then, Ah'll do it." Twilight let out a *squee* of joy and pulled her friend into a hug. "Oh thank you, thank you! You have no idea what this means to me!" She lets go of her friend and rises up from the bench they were sitting on. "Ah think Ah have an idea. Now, when do I get to get with my new stallion?" "I'll let you know. Oh! I have to go back to Canterlot to speak with the doctors! I'm sorry to leave, but I have to go okaythanksbye!" She spoke as fast as Pinkie and flapped her wings and leaped into the air. Applejack, waved as she flew off and started to trot back home. "Ho boy, Ah sure hope this is gonna be worth it." ooo000oo000ooo "And that's it, I was honestly too scared to do it. And Applejack was looking for a mate and well she was interested in you." You were indefinitely surprised. Twilight basically asked Applejack to have sex with you! You didn't know if you should feel offended or grateful. Mixed feelings coursed through your body and you didn't know what to do or say. "Leroy, I just want you to know, I did what I did because I care about you. I knew that you were feeling alone and I could not stand to see you like that!" "Twilight, I'm not sure if I should say 'thank you' or be angry. Or maybe its because I'm not used to something like polygamy. But, in a way I guess you did me a favor by helping me find a nice girl." You chuckle, trying to make light of this situation. "I'm glad you feel that way. And you know something?" "What?" She leans in closer to the point where your noses are almost touching. "I'm not so scared anymore, now that we're this close," You gasp as you feel her hand travel to your crotch and touch your member. "I think this is a good time to get some... additional notes?" That tears it, you were definitely ready to just make love to her right here and now. But, there was something that just irked you. You were wasting Abigail's water! "I'm glad you wanna do this, but I think we're wasting Mrs. Hurley's water just standing here. Wanna finish up and head to the bedroom?" "Sure," She replies as you restart on washing her and yourself. ooo000oo000ooo You and Twilight finish washing each other and stepped out of the shower. The both of you grabbed some towels off the rack and proceeded to dry off rather quickly due to the fact that it was still cold. The last time you were on Earth, it was mid-August. Right now it should be about late December and cold fronts do tend to sweep in after it rains. You finish drying and wrap the towel around your waist with another over your shoulders. Twilight tried imitating the way you tied yours, but ended up looking ridiculous. You then showed her how to wrap the towel around her chest. "All set?" You asked after you finished rubbing the towel on your head. "Uh yeah I think so," She replies as you open the door and let her walk out into the hallway first. There was a light on in a room in front of the bathroom and slightly to the left. "Do we go in this one?" "Looks like we should," You push past the ajar door and into the dimly lit bedroom. Upon further inspection, you see that the bedroom is a bit larger than you anticipated. It was about twelve feet in length and ten feet in width, a slide door closet to your right, a vanity across from the door, and a queen-sized bed in the center. On either side of the bed were nightstands with lamps, which were both lit. "Wow, this is a pretty nice room," You say as you walk up to the bed. "Whoa, looks like she left us some pajamas for us to wear." And indeed she did, you assumed that the navy blue t-shirt and plaid pajama pants were for you and what looked like a pink night gown was for Twilight. "Aww, how sweet of her," She smiled, picking up the gown, unfolding it and pressing it against her chest. "Is it too big?" The gown was not too long as it reached just above her knees. "Hmm, it looks pretty good," You guessed that she did not want you sleeping in the nude on her guest bed, so you inferred that these clothes once belonged to her and her husband at one point. "Well I guess I'll get dressed then." As you were about to pull off your towel, you saw out of the corner of your eye, Twilight slightly undid her towel and sat down on the bed. "You know, I think we still have some unfinished business to tend to," She purrs at you, with a half-lidded sultry grin on her face. "Really? Like what? Is there something you wanna know?" You ask stupidly, unsure if the burnout was messing with your head, you were joking, or you were that clueless. Even though Twilight stated just a few minutes ago that she wanted to have sex with you. "C'mon, I think you're smart enough to figure out what I mean," She completely removes her towel and lets it fall to the floor. Suddenly, it all comes back and you hastily remove your towel as well. Twilight moves up toward the head of the bed and you follow, crawling on top of her small form like a wolf on its prey. "Leroy," She gasps as she pulls you in for deep kiss. Almost instantly, your arousal increases as you kiss her; your tongues dancing around the other. You pull back reluctantly to take a breath, but a thought scratches at your head. "Twilight, are you sure you want to do this?" "Leroy, I have never been so sure of something in my entire life. Please, just do this with me." "But what about AJ? And Rainbow? Would they be okay with this?" "Don't worry, just do this for me right now and I promise I'll fix everything with my friends." "Really? You will?" "Yes, I will. So, if you will?" She nodded her head for you to keep going. You were more than willing to do this, but you were still not too sure. There was so many things that could happen. "Twi, you're human. If we do this now, there is a strong chance I could get you pregnant. If you were in your usual form I don't know, but-" She silences you by placing her finger on your lips with a "shh". "Look, I promise it will be fine. Do you trust me?" 'Eh, I don't know about this'. "Yes of course I do." 'What are you doing man?!' "Then, just uh, you know, go on." 'Aw to hell with it all!' You think as you lean in and start pecking at her neck, causing her to let out moans of pleasure and content. "But, please, Leroy, be gentle. Okay?" She begs with a whimper creeping into her voice. "Don't worry, I will. You can trust me," You continue your ministrations on her, kissing up and down her neck, to her shoulders, and back up to her lips. You decide to get a move on with this by sitting on your knees and getting ready to position yourself. Twilight looks up at you with fear, excitement, and anticipation mixed in her gaze. She looks down at your member, which was currently position over her womanhood. "Oh sweet stars above, you're gonna p-put it in m-me?" "Only if you want me to," You whisper, gently massaging her thighs. "Yes. I want it. Please." "Whatever you say," Once more you lean forward and plant another gentle kiss on her lips. With that, you grab your shaft and bring your hips forward, brushing the tip against the petals of her labia, gently finding your way into her entrance. Twilight gasps at the contact, her hands grasping at the sheets and her legs wrapping around yours. Finally, after slowly teasing her, you find your way into her most intimate of areas. You let out a groan from how tight her love canal was, the feeling almost made you come. Right now, you were thoroughly turned on, and you wanted to pump in and out of her as fast as you could, but no matter what you wanted to be gentle with her. Your first priority was to make her feel as good as possible. "Please, go deeper," You comply to her request by bring your hips closer to hers, your manhood now three quarters of the way into her. At first, you were surprised to feel very little resistance pushing your way in. Perhaps she had been up to no good with herself? It didn't matter to you, it felt heavenly nonetheless. Eventually, you bottom out, your hips touching hers. It felt so good being inside her! Almost natural. Perhaps because she was human and it had been so long since you had relations with another woman. You didn't plan on staying here on Earth any longer; there was nothing worth staying for here anymore. So with that in mind, you are sure to enjoy this even more since it will be an indefinite long time before you do this with a woman again. As slowly and gently as you could, you move your hips back and forth, in and out of Twilight. You keep up this tempo for a couple of minutes, kissing and nibbling at Twilight's neck and shoulders. All the while, she had a content look on her face mixed in with the agonizing bliss of pleasure. Soon, the inevitable comes and you feel pressure start to build up in your lower belly, desperate for release. You wanted to give Twilight the best possible finish, so you sit back on your knees and start to pump your hips faster while you vigorously rub her clit with your hand. It seems to work as her silent moans become increasingly frantic, her legs tightening their grip on your waist, and her hands clenching the covers. The wave of ultimate bliss was approaching and the two of you were just about ready to give into its strong current. Twilight had her eyes clenched shut and she was biting her lip to keep herself from screaming. Your body was hot to the touch and sweat was forming on your brow, your hips starting to burn from your effort. Nevertheless, you ignored the fatigue and continued slamming into her with all your might, feeling your balls tingle with the impending release of your seed. Twilight was writhing below you, almost as if she was in pain. But it was a pleasurable pain that she was loving and wanted more of. "Oh, Leroy! I feel like something's going to hap-happ-" That was all she had time to when her entire body froze and her back arched. "Leroy~! Ahhhhh~!" She squeals and lets out a long drawn out moan, her walls contracting around your shaft. That was it for you. You give one more push and let out everything that you had inside; all your love, passion, sorrow, and pain. Twilight gasps from how much you are filling her up with, feeling some of it dribble out of her. "Oh, oh dear. We made a mess didn't we?" You double over from the fatigue and lay down next to her. "Oh no, we did make a mess." "Yeah, I think we did. Here, let me clean you up." You sit up and grab the towel at the foot of the bed. It was still damp, but even then you gently clean up the mess you two made. After you finish, the both of you grab the clothes that Abigail gave you and threw them on. You then pulled back the sheets of the bed and got in, sighing from the cool, softness of the covers. Twilight takes her place next to you and snuggles close to your body. "So, are you feeling better?" She asks, laying her head on your chest. "Yeah, I'm feeling tons better. Thank you," You kiss her on the forehead. "But oh Jesus am I tired," "Who's Jesus?" "Eh, I'll tell you later 'kay?" "Okay," Suddenly she lets out a yawn and closes her eyes, a content smile on her face. "Goodnight, Leroy. I love you..." "Goodnight, my beautiful princess," You pull her closer to you and hold her with both of your arms. "I love you too..." You close your eyes and relax your body, feeling drowsiness overtake you as you slowly fall asleep and join Twilight in dreamland.
Chapter 1: EmergenceWaking UpBy: Calamity Jay Chapter 1: Emergence " I could really use a miracle right now. God knows I do," “Hey! Leroy!” A harsh, feminine voice calls out your name. It was the voice of your boss, a particular voice you have to come to despise and have deemed it to be the voice of the devil himself. Now that you think about it, the tone of her voice borders on that of a man's. “Yes ma’am?” You answer back, trying not to sound irritated in doing so. “Did you send off the invoices like I told you to do yet?” She asks while approaching you, with a glare that just makes you feel like did something wrong. In this case, you most likely did. 'Fuck' You think to yourself, sitting on the chair of your desk, you whirl around to face her. In the early hours of your eight hour shift, you were out on the front lines with the newly hired cashiers, making sure that none of them fuck up any sales. Unfortunately, most of them were not exactly savvy with the computers that ran the transactions; most of the customers had memberships and needed identification when making purchases. More than once they mucked up a sale, which meant that you had to come in for the rescue. What angered you even more, was the fact that your boss made no effort to help, staying in her office and on the phone most of the time. And now she has the gall to stand before you and ask why you are not doing your job. “Well?! Did you do them or not?!” She demanded, her nostrils flaring. Her face was well wrinkled, showing just how old she was; hair tied up in bun that just made her face seem like it was being pulled back, her eyes were looked like she was about to shoot lasers out of them. She was the devil dressed in a skirt and blouse. “Uh, no not yet. B-but in my defense I was out there keeping an eye on the new guys!" “Leroy I don't care if you were out there doing CPR on a passed out customer who just found out the new Call of Duty game has just been sold out!" She yelled, making you cringe in the process. "You were supposed to get those invoice sent in by the end of today!" "I'm sorry ma'am, but what would you have had me do? You were busy in your office and things would've been worse for the store if the new guys messed up the sales!" “I don't give a damn, Evans! You have your responsibilities! What are you even doing right now?" "Uh I was just about to start on them right now." You knew damn well that you were not about to start on them as you were actually working on something else: An application for a different store. Right from this office, you've applied for management job to three other stores; all of which sadly turned you down. She saw right through your white lie and turned your seat around, glaring right at you. "You listen here," She points a slightly wrinkled finger at you, it looked like it could stab right through your chest. "You already know what happens when we don't get those monthly invoice reports in on time. The store gets less funding from the company, I get a pay deduction, and do you know what happens when I get a pay deduction?" "Uh, I get one too?" "No," She replies calmly. "First, I YELL AT YOU!" You cringe once again from the volume. "Ask you why the hell you aren't doing your job correctly. Make you work overtime again and close the store again." She whips around and walks towards the exit of the room. "And then you get a pay deduc. So I suggest you get to work, you have to stay and re-shelve each and every game today, and make sure you finish or~ YOU'RE FIRED!" She emphasizes her last words by slamming the door and leaving the room. "Well, this just great," You chuckle as you turn around and slam your face on the desk. "This is just fucking great," You grumble into the wooden desk, wondering what in the hell made you apply here. "Why in the name of all fuck did I decide to work here? Seriously she seemed so nice during the interview." You sit there a little while, wondering where your life went wrong. Sure you finished college, got a job, but where was that excitement in starting your career that everyone talks about? This, by no means, felt like a career; this job felt more like an end to justify the mean. The mean being that you needed something to keep yourself off the streets and to pay off your student debts. 'Hmph, ain't life grand?' You muse to yourself as you start your work which hopefully would not take too long. ooo000oo000ooo You let out a heavy sigh as you place the last box into the shelf. "Urgh, damn gamers. Never putting the box back into its proper place." Sadly, filling out the invoice had taken longer than you hoped. By the time the end of the day came along, you barely finished sending off the invoices and your boss said that you had to close everything up; including reshelving all the games. All of that right before she informed you of your new pay deduction. Thankfully the building is part of a plaza and was not too big, so fixing up the games only took a couple of hours. Not only that, you also had your knowledge of the store to thank since you've been working here for a reluctant eight months. The only bright side you could see in your situation was that you loved video games as much as everyone that walked through those doors. You went ahead and made sure that all the cash registers were emptied of their contents and put in the safe in the back; you checked the doors to make sure they were locked, then off to the the security system where you input the number code. You have done this routine so many times you almost did it unconsciously. Finally, everything was done. Store is locked up, games put away, money is safe and sound. "Well, I'm out of here. See you tomorrow." You give the store one last look before you make your way to the back room. There was a back door in the office that you left work through so many times. You stepped out into the parking lot where it was now empty, all of the workers hastily made their way home after closing time. You wanted to ask them to help you put away the games, but they all made bullshit excuses about how they were late for some other thing or that they had homework to do; some of them were in fact college students. So that left you alone in the store, grumbling to yourself about how ungrateful they were for your guidance. Nevertheless, you still had a job that you wish you did not have to do. "Well, end of the day, eh? I think I know where to go." A smile creeps it's way onto your face as you walk out of the parking lot of the plaza and onto the sidewalk. The city of Katy was not a big one, so therefore your destination was not that far away. The fall season, in which school rears it's ugly head once again after the summer. It was a cool Tuesday night, which means that most people are inside, relaxing and enjoying the rest of their evening; most likely about to get ready for bed and rest up for the next day. The streets were almost empty, people who worked late were already making their way home, much like you were. Only difference being that you did not have a working vehicle to use, which meant that you would take the bus to work and since you did not have much to do at your apartment, you would walk home. Of course, you would repair your car, but with that new pay deduction you received, money would be tight for a while. And with your student debts coming in along with rent, you barely had enough for food and other essentials. "Huh, looks like I'm the only one on the streets again," You said to yourself, the sidewalk was indeed empty as you passed by different stores and alleyways. "I'm sure Johnny boy would not mind if I pay him a visit." You knew that the bartender at the local bar would definitely not turn down a customer. Especially after a hard day at work, a drink was something that you desperately needed. Most people would call you a drunk since the bar is where you go after each day, but you know that every drink you get is well deserved. Its not like you go to the bar out of needless want. After about ten minutes of walking down the sidewalk you tread upon day after day, you finally reach your desired destination: 'Johnny's Tavern'. "Aha, my home away from home!." You chuckle as you walk into the parking lot of the bar. You walk by a couple of cars in front the door and past a couple of guys smoking cigarettes, and into the bar itself. The scene before you is all too familiar: light country music being played on the jukebox, couples sitting in booths drinking beers, friends standing at the pool tables having a game, and of course people sitting at the counter having a drink of their own. And there stood you old and only friend, with his apron on and tending to another customer. He hears the doorbell ring and looks over to you and you wave at him sheepishly. "Yo! Johnny!" "Leroy! Excuse me sir," He greets and leaves the overly stressed customer he was serving. You come up to the counter and take a seat on the stool, your toes touching the floor. “So, what’ll it be today Leroy? The usual?” Johnny asks, placing his hands on the counter. “Hey there Johnny, yeah go ahead and give me a cold one please.” You lean your elbows on the bar and run a hand through your curly black hair, the head ache from today pulsing in your temples. “Right,” Johnny replied as he reached under the bar to the ice chest below for a beer. “Here ya go, first one’s on me amigo.” He slides the beer over to you. “Thanks,” You grumble, and take the forty ounce bottle. instead of using your hand, you use your mouth to bite the cap off and spit it back out onto the counter. “You know, it don't take a damn psychic to figure out what you're feeling. What's on your mind?” Johnny asked as he wiped down the bar counter. “Uh huh. Ms. Bitch made me stay late and fix up the store, so here I am, taking a load off,” You say as you take a swig from your beer. “What’d you do this time?” The bartender deadpanned at you, letting go of the rag. "How bad did you fuck up?" “Why do you assume I fucked up something?" “Because,” He places down a glass he had just started scrubbing. “You’ve been coming here long enough for me to get to know you and your tendencies. So tell me the details” “Well I screwed up by not sending off some invoices, the boss got mad at me, gave me a pay deduc, and made me stay late...again” You take a bigger swig of your drink. “Not much I can give for that Leroy. All I can say is that you fucked up. Royally.” “Gee, thanks," You take yet another sip. "I thought bartenders were supposed to give good advice?" “I’m a bartender, not a miracle worker Leroy,” He replied, going to help another customer. “Right, right, I forgot about that. But I could really use a miracle right now. God knows I do,” You sighed as you take a big swig and place your beer back down. The beer was helping with the headache, but even then you rubbed your temples trying to ebb the pain away. “So you need a miracle hmm?” A smooth feminine voice rang out next to you. You almost jumped out of your seat as you heard the voice, but decided to just keep staring at the beer bottle. “Uh huh, a miracle would be nice,” You lament still not looking to where the voice came from as you take another drink, definitely taking it's toll on you. “Hmm, well I can see that, maybe I can do something about that,” The voice cooed. As enticing as that sounds, you were not in the mood to deal with this. “Thanks, but I’m not looking for any hand outs at the moment,” You sigh as you take a deep pull off the bottle. It was true, after the horrible day you had, you just wanted to enjoy solitude with your beer. “That’s a shame, but you never know. Maybe a miracle will happen soon, but the real question is, will you be ready for it?” “I’m honestly ready for anything, so hit me with your best shot miss.” You challenge without even stealing a glance at the potentially fine-looking woman next you. “Hmm, well we shall see about that. I must be going, I will be seeing you soon. Leroy Evans," That knocked you out of your half buzzed state, this 'woman' knew your name and you did not even know who she was. Or what she looked like for that matter. As quickly as you could, your whirl around to spot whoever was talking to you and to find out how in the world they knew your name. Instead, you turn to see that no one there and that there was no sign of them sitting next to you. The stool at your side remains untouched and the bar door had not been opened or closed. You are dumbstruck and you look down at your beer making sure it wasn’t expired and causing you to hear things. You sigh as you put down your the bottle, now you really needed a drink. Johnny is standing at the other side of the bar, listening to another customer’s problems like a good bartender. “Hey! Johnny!” You call out, grabbing the attention of your friend. “Be right there, excuse me sir,” He says to the other sad, overly stressed customer. Johnny makes his way over to you. “What do you need Leroy?” “Hey John, did you happen to see anyone standing next to me and then leave?” You ask finishing off the rest of your beverage. “Nope, but I did hear you talking to yourself for some weird reason, you sure you alright man?” “I don’t know man, it’s been a rough day. Maybe I just need another drink, then another after that, and then another after that…” You say while rubbing your temples from the stress. “Hearing voices eh? I’m no expert, but that is definitely not a good thing so yes sir, I believe you do need a drink my friend,” He says pulling out a bottle of Jack Daniels, “And in light of your new pay cut, all drinks for you are half off tonight." “Hmph, aren’t you the sweetest thing? Thanks man,” you say as Johnny pours you a shot. “There you go, again, first one’s on me Leroy,” He slid the shot glass over to you and you picked it up gratefully. “Again, thanks John,” You say as you swirl the light brown liquid around in the small glass. You slowly bring it to your lips to take a drink, but Johnny stops you. “Hey, aren’t you gonna make a toast? Can’t have a drink of good whiskey without making a toast.” “Oh yeah, right, forgot about that,” You wonder what to make a toast to. After a moment of thought an idea pops into your head. “Here’s to things getting better and praying for miracles,” You say as you raise your glass slightly. “Hear, hear." You knock back the shot like a trooper, feeling the warm alcohol flowing down your throat. Immediately you feel the effects of the whiskey, and also a lot more buzzed. For some reason, you have a strong feeling for another drink of this heavenly nectar. You put on a dopey grin as you raise your shot glass, motioning for a refill. “Hey Johnny, I’m like the Sahara desert over here. Fill me up another one will ya?” “Sure thing,” He pours you the shot, “Feeling a little better?” “Ohhh yeah, I feel loads better, all thanks to you my friend,” You raise your glass again in appreciation. “Hey, I’m a bartender, its more than just pouring drinks. I give advice, I listen to people’s problems, hell I’ve even fixed broken relationships. Ha! Its like Oprah in here! You get a drink! You get a drink! Everybody gets a drink! Whoo!” You and Johnny share a much needed laugh. After you calm down and wipe the tears from your eyes, you continue to pour shot after shot and drink the night away. *Scene Break* The time flew by faster than you thought possible. However, knocking back all those shots and beers had a play in making time go faster. During your time there, you had decided to have a little chat with a group playing at the pool table. You had asked if you could join in, to which they agreed, and you put all your skills in pool into play. There was five people at the time playing, adding you that made six; teams of three of were made. It was a challenging game, but in the end you triumphed over the other team. You had celebrated with your new-found friends with high-fives and beer chugs. There was even a bet, and the bet was that the losers had to buy the winners a round of drinks. After your victory and free round, the group you were with decided to have a little party by buying a few more rounds. In fact you lost count of how many drinks you had after you hit over six more shots of whiskey and over 7 beers. It was a grand time and you felt a tad bit down after your new friends had to leave. They actually offered for you to come join them, but it was a Tuesday and your boss was already going to be displeased after you go to work with a hangover. “Leroy, are you sure you’re okay to walk home?” Johnny asked with concern. “Nnnooppe! I’m good Joey-" “Johnny,” he corrected. “Same thing, anyway I gotta get home to feed the cat,” You slurred. It was ironic because you did not own a cat, but with your current state, your mind may as well just be drawing out random words and stringing them together. “I don’t know man, you look and sound pretty wasted to me." He warned as you stumbled for the door. “Look, I’m fine! I just need to get home and lie down,” You slurred out again. In reality you were very much inebriated, but your good old friend Jack Daniels made you think otherwise. “Alright, well take care Leroy!” He called out, waving you off as he stacked up a few chairs. “Okay, later Jamie!” you slurred out as you stumbled through the front door and out onto the now less busy street. Johnny simply shakes his head and chuckles. “Hmph, that man better be careful. He might take a wrong step somewhere.” You begin the trek to your apartment complex, which was a few blocks away. It would not have been a problem, all you had to do was cross a few streets and you were there. However in your condition, a few blocks may as well have been a few miles. You took one staggering step after the other, and for some reason you were humming a tune. A drinking man’s tune to be exact. “Red Solo cup, I fill you up! Let’s have a party! Let’s have a party!” You aimlessly hummed this tune as you walked. They actually played this song when one of your drinking friends shouted out ‘party!’, and that’s when the festivities evolved into a full-blown beer fest. As you walked and hummed one thought popped into your head, ‘Am I going the right way? Is this the right street? Why is the street so foggy?’ However, it was the amount of liquor and alcohol in your system clouding your judgement. And as it turns out, you weren’t going the right way and you weren’t on the right street! Instead going right after exiting the bar where you usually go, you went left and were going in the wrong direction. But you were not aware of this fact and kept on walking. A crosswalk was coming up about 10 feet away, and it was a green light. You looked around and saw that there was absolutely no traffic and you decided to walk past the light whether or not it was red. The air was eerily quiet, all the stores had closed up for the night, and there was no one out walking on the sidewalks. You were alone and you became nervous; if anything happened to you, no one would be able to help. Despite the fact you were going the wrong you picked up your pace and proceeded to cross the street. You began staggering across to the other side of the street still humming that silly party song. But in your drunken state you failed to notice the sound of a fast approaching car. The driver was swerving erratically, and being as inebriated as you are, you fail to notice the fact that he is mere feet away from you. You only see a bright white light right when you become aware of the car that’s about to hit you. WHAM!!! The car collided with your body and you tumbled over the car, being launched about eight feet into the air and landing on your head with a sickening crack. You could not feel anything, only being able to see blood coming out of the gash in your head, you also saw that your leg was twisted in a way that did not seem natural. Even then, you did not care, darkness was filling in the corners of your eyes; you could not form a coherent thought as you looked up at the sky, your mind still trying to catch up with what was going on. It took a moment to register in your mind, but even the you could not think anything. No one was coming to help you and the driver sped off in panic. Was this it for you? Was this your end after only twenty five years of life? Alone and dying in the middle of the street with nobody around to comfort you. Not even your parents. Before you completely passed out, you could barely hear someone approaching you in your near unconscious state. But what was strange about the sound was that it sounded like the clip clop of hooves, not the light thud of feet. Strange indeed, but not that you could do anything about it in your current state. "Leroy," A familiar voice called out your name, but you could not deduce where exactly you heard it from. "I'm sorry things had to end like this. Don't worry, I will do everything I can to help you." Your body finally had enough, the darkness overtaking your vision and you finally fall unconscious.