Songs of Unity

by Avid Fiction

Rating: everyone
Tags: Other, Original Character, Spike, Comedy, Slice of Life, Human, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 17411

Waking up is always a blast, right? Especially when you wake staring at what you thought was a TV show.

Avid is just your average human, until he mysteriously blacks out one day. When he comes to, he finds himself in the most impossible place. Equestria. Follow Avid as he finds the answers to several questions, How did he get there? Why is he there? Will he ever get home? Or have to settle down? Why is the author asking silly questions when he knows the answers? Who knows.

This is the first time I have ever posted one of my stories online. Hope you all enjoy. I do accept currency in the form of Critiques.

A great, big, huggable thank you, to my editor Vivid Syntax

If anyone else would like to help edit and proof, welcome aboard, just let me know.

I will add more tags as they become relevant.

Published 2015-02-01 06:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2015-10-28 14:43:21 UTC

Waking Up Can Throw You For A Loop

It was an exceedingly boring, average day in Ponyville. No demon-centaurs sucked the magic from the citizens of Equestria, there were no Sirens attempting to dominate the minds of high-schoolers with impossibly well-rehearsed songs to create their own personal army, and even Discord was suspiciously quiet. Instead, when not out of town doing official royal business, Twilight was hanging out at the castle with her friends on one of the days they were all free. On these rare days, they would chat about what had been going on around town, the latest gossip, and make plans for events, among other things. Several times, Rarity tried to get Twilight to don more regal attire that she had created. Most of the time though, these meetings would be just hang out time where they would each do their own thing. Twilight would read a book or ten, Rarity would have her sketchpad and work on her latest designs, and Rainbow Dash would either be pulling pranks, yammering on about her latest idea for a stunt, or making some kind of challenge to Applejack.

It was on one of these hang out days that something odd happened. A mighty CRACK-BOOM came out of nowhere, scaring the daylights out of all them and making them jump at least 6 feet into the air. All at once, they looked outside to see if it had started raining. Thing was, it was a perfectly sunny day. Applejack turned a questioning glance to Rainbow whose only response was a simple shrug with as much confusion on her face.

CRACK-BOOM!!!

Another shot of thunder made them realize that it was not coming from outside, but from inside the throne room. They looked around, trying to figure out what might be causing the sound. As they searched, tiny bolts of electricity started to dance around the room towards the center. They followed the bolts, feeling the static electricity from them, and found that they were focusing on a central point where a shape had started to form. The shape quickly grew in size until it became a vortex. It looked as if someone had taken a tornado and flattened it. It swirled in cloudy blacks and dark greys for a few seconds before changing its colours to purple, blue and viridian, looking much like an odd coloured lollipop. In the center of the vortex, a shape grew. The shape started as a blob of the three colours, then grew and grew, sucking the vortex into itself until it was just the blob. The blob then contorted, stretched and tucked itself into a new shape. The mares, plus Spike, watched in fear and amazement as they realized that the shape the blob was taking, was in fact, the shape of a pony.

After fully materializing, the pony hung in midair above them for several seconds before falling unceremoniously to the ground in a crumpled heap. The mares looked from the pony to each other to Twilight, hoping someone would know what to do or how to handle the situation.

*************************************

All I could see was black. Made sense. My eyes were shut. My head was pounding and foggy. It felt like I was slowly waking from a coma. I was trying to figure out what had happened, why I had blacked out. Everything was such a blur. I was sitting in my living room, and then… nothing. It was like the memory had been wiped.

I was starting to hear something. I think it was voices.

“……………………………………………………………………………..”

“Ho…………ppen…………?”

“Who…………………………..he is?”

“……..ther.....hand………..a mystery.”

Voices. Definitely hearing voices. In my head? No, if they were in my head, I would be able to hear them clearly. Must be some people around me. So I’m not in my living room. Interesting. As my hearing returned, so did feeling in the rest of my body. Okay, body in a lot of pain. Ow. I seem to be laying on a hard surface. A floor maybe? The voices were getting a lot clearer.

“What do you thi……do with…….?”

“Hey! He’s got no cutie mark!”

“Don’tcha think that means we should be really cautious Twi?”

Did she say CUTIE MARK?! It couldn’t be. I must have left my TV on or something. I can’t be where I think I am!!

I tried and failed to open my eyes. My body had just not recovered enough, so all I could do was lay there and slowly regain my senses and listen to the voices. They seemed to be trying to figure out where I had come from and what they should do about the situation. At that point, I tried to move, which sent a shiver of dull pain right down my spine. I heard a bunch of gasps and eeps and I realize that I must have moaned out loud. I tried again to open my eyes and have more success than the last time. As my eyes slowly fluttered open, everything was extremely blurry and fuzzy. I blinked a few times, sluggishly, and things started to become a lot clearer. I started to see a bunch of colours and shapes come into my view.

“Looks like he’s waking up.”

A few more blinks and moans later, my vision was finally fully focused. I looked up and standing in front of me were six ponies and a small dragon with faces filled with both worry and fear. That sight right there confirmed my fear and a flash of fear crossed my face. I put my hand to my head as the light is giving me a massive headache, when something felt off. I looked at my hand and I realized that I was looking at a blue-grey hoof. HOOF!!!??? I shot into a sitting position and looked at the rest of me and sure enough, I had turned into a violet pony with a medium dark blue mane and tail, both streaked with a light shade of green, and blue-grey hooves. My glasses were still on my nose er… muzzle somehow. This was where I went into full blown panic. I knew this wasn't a dream because of the amount of pain I was feeling, hence the panic.

How is this possible? How can I possibly be here?

Looking around, I realized that I was sitting in the middle of the throne room in Twilight’s castle in Ponyville. Sitting, standing, and hovering in front of me were the six bearers of the Elements of Harmony known as the Mane 6. And Spike. My emotions became a jumbled mess of panic, fear, joy, confusion, and sheer dumbfoundedness. They were all looking at me with suspicious eyes. Twilight was the first to speak up.

“Are you okay?”

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. My voice couldn't quite find itself. A few sputtering sounds escaped from my throat before I cleared it and asked for some water. At my request, Twilight turned to Spike, who gave a nod of understanding. He ran off and quickly returned with a glass full of water. As Spike handed me the water, I was too focused on how thirsty I was and how I wanted that cool water to coat my throat and take away the soreness. I didn’t even realize until all the water was gone that I was not actually holding the glass. Rather, it was floating in front of me in a dark royal blue aura.

Wait… Dark royal blue? Who’s levitating the cup? Twilight’s magic is that pink colour and Rarity’s magic is light blue. There aren’t any other magic users around. Could it be…?

I slowly reached a hoof to my forehead and sure enough, there was a horn sticking out of my head. I’m a unicorn!! Once the realization sank in, I gasped and the cup fell to the floor. Fortunately, the cup Spike had chosen had been made of polished wood instead of ceramic, so the cup just bounced a couple times and then rolled away. The girls were just looking at me in confusion at this point while Spike retrieved the cup.

“Sorry.” I finally managed to get out, looking down sheepishly.

“That’s okay.” Twilight said softly, trying to cheer me up. Though when I looked in her eyes, I could see that she was still extremely confused by what was going on, as was everypony else.

Rarity was the next to speak, “Can you tell us your name, dear?”

“Sure. My name is…” I stopped there to think of what I should actually tell them. I didn’t want to give my human name, it just didn’t feel right. I’m not saying that lying felt right, it didn’t, lying is never right, it’s just that when I thought about my human name, I would get this weird feeling and a voice in the back of my mind saying that I should not bother with that name anymore. My human name felt foreign to my mind.

Pulling myself out of my thoughts, I realized that they were all looking at me expectantly, waiting for me to finish my sentence. So, I gave the first pony type name I could think of.

“Avid Fiction. My name is Avid Fiction.”

“Good to meet you. My name is…”

“Princess Twilight Sparkle. The Princess of Friendship.” I cut Twilight off before she could finish. “And the rest of you are Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Spike.” Their faces were full of stunned confusion, I turned to Spike and said, “Thanks by the way, for the water.” He just nodded, as stunned as the rest.

I had decided that I was going to get everything out of the way rather than lie. I kept my face as stoic as I could keep it. I sat there waiting for them to regain their senses and braced myself for the barrage of questions I was sure were coming my way. I watched as they came around, though they didn’t relax and I saw both Rainbow Dash and Applejack go into very subtle defensive stances.

“How do you know our names?” Twilight asked, looking like she was ready to blast me into next month if I didn’t give a good enough answer.

Taking a deep breath, I sighed. Well, here goes.

“Okay, so this is probably going to be a lot to take in, but just bear with me. So, as you all know, especially Twilight, there are worlds out there besides Equestria. For example,” I looked at Twilight, “the world that has Canterlot High. Well, I am from another world entirely, and in my world, I am not a pony, but a human. The thing is, in my world, all of you are just characters in a TV show called ‘My Little Pony’. Now, this TV show has a huge fanbase that goes all around my world. And to be honest, my real name isn’t actually Avid Fiction, but when I saw that I had turned into a pony, my human name just doesn’t feel right. If you want to know my real name, I will tell you, but I think that it will just make things really confusing.” I stopped there and let them soak in everything I had said.

Once I had stopped talking, they all looked to each other with a moderate amount of confusion on their faces. All except Twilight, who had her ‘seriously in deep thought’ face on as her mind sorted all the information and she came up with relevant questions to ask. As Twilight sat pondering, everypony sat waiting for her to speak. Everypony, that is, except Pinkie Pie. She was bouncing around muttering to herself about what kind of welcome party to throw and, at one point, she actually bounced over to me and started to poke me in random places, like she was making sure that I was indeed sitting in front of them. Or making sure whether or not I was made out of Jell-o or something. Who knew with Pinkie. I just swiveled my head watching her and gave a small chuckle. Ah Pinkie Pie. So predictably random. After what seemed like ten minutes, Twilight finally broke out of her trance and looked straight at me, ready to ask and receive.

“Okay, I have sorted through what you have said, and a few things still don’t make sense. The whole ‘other world’ theory makes sense, but my biggest concern with that is the fact that we are just TV show in your world. If that’s true, then how can you possibly be in this world?”

I turned back to Twilight. “The only theory I have in regards to that is the alternate dimension theory. I don’t know about here, but in my world there is a theory that not many believe, where there is an infinite number of dimensions where literally any possible reality could exist. I don’t know how I got to this reality, but it certainly proves the theory correct.”

“That is certainly a plausible theory. That also sort of explains why you’ve turned into a pony. However, it doesn’t explain why you don’t have a cutie mark. Even the humans at Canterlot High had their cutie marks.”

“In my world, nobody has a cutie mark. Also, at Canterlot High, they didn’t actually have cutie marks. They just wore jewelry or designs that happen to be their Equestrian counterparts cutie marks. People in my world still try to figure out what they want to do with their lives, some do and some don’t, but there is no clear definition what their talent is just by looking at them. I guess if someone else came from my world and they knew what they were going to do with their lives, they might have a cutie mark. I never knew what I was going to do with my life, which considering how old I am, is a little sad, I just drifted through life. Going to work everyday to a job that didn’t really do anything but pay my bills. Going for walks around the city I lived in, just listening to my music. Only thing that kept me hopeful was going to sing with the choir every week.”

When I looked up after explaining the cutie mark situation, they all had sadness in their eyes. I felt a small twinge in my heart when I saw this. I didn’t like to cause any kind of sadness, even if it was just pity. Saying what I had did actually hurt me as well, but I put on my fake smile that I had perfected and told them, “Don’t look so sad, I accepted this a long time ago and I know that eventually I will find my path.”

Their faces brightened a little when they were sure that it was indeed okay with me. Except Applejack. She just gave me this look that said I know that’s not the truth, but it’s okay. I nodded at her in thanks for understanding.

“Ah’d like t’ know why ya didn’ tell us yer real name right off the bat?” Applejack asked with a soft accusatory look in her eyes.

I cringed a little and looked down before answering, “W-well, like I said, it j-just didn’t feel right. When I think about my human name, it feels like I am thinking about a stranger. But when I think about the name I gave you, it just feels right, like that is my actual name. I’m sorry if that doesn’t make much sense. I’ll still tell you my human name though, if you’d rather.” I kept my eyes glued to my hooves, That’s gonna take some getting used to, while waiting for them to make up their minds.

I didn’t look up till I heard a soft, quiet voice say, “That’s okay. You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to. While some may not understand your reasons, we can certainly respect them.”

I looked up to see that it was Fluttershy that had spoken, which thoroughly surprised me. Then it hit me that it shouldn’t surprise me that the timid and soft-spoken Pegasus that personified the Element of Kindness was trying to cheer me up. I gave her a small (genuine) smile and simply said, “Thanks.”

“BUCK THAT!!” I heard this seconds before my vision filled with cyan and I was pushed to the ground by Rainbow Dash. I winced a little when my head hit the floor, which caused the headache I’d had come back full force. “I want to know! I mean, I get why he doesn't want to tell, sorta, but if he’s hiding something like that from us, who knows what else he’s hiding!”

I met her stern gaze and replied, albeit a tad scared, “I-I Pinkie Pie promise that I a-am not hiding a-anything else.” I made the motions for the promise to fortify what I had said.

Dash’s face went blank when I said this. She looked around and was met with upset looks from four out of her five best friends. Pinkie’s face was still plastered with her trademark grin. She paused, and I could see the gears slowly turning in her head. She looked back down at me with eyes that were both apologetic and angry, then she just jumped off me and trying to regain her ‘Cool’ air, simply said, “Whatever” and went to sulk in her throne, which happened to be behind everypony, so no one but me could see her.

I looked to Dash, who was looking away from everypony else with her head resting on her hoof and gave her a smile.

“Tell you what Rainbow Dash.” Her eyes turned towards me, “I will tell you another time in private, but if I do, you need to promise that you won’t tell anypony else.”

This seemed to perk her up. I looked at everypony else and made them the same offer. They all nodded and said their thanks for the offer. I turned back to Twilight, knowing she still had one question, and it was a question that I wanted to know the answer to myself.

“So, my last question. Do you know how you got here?”

I just closed my eyes and shook my head, “Not a clue. All I remember is blacking out then waking up here. For some reason I can’t remember what happened just before I blacked out. I remember sitting in my living room, listening to some music and then… nothing. I’m sorry I can’t be more help.”

“That’s okay. I’m sure it will come back to you in time.”

I smiled to her in thanks then looked out the window. It looked like it was late into the afternoon. I looked back to the others and then yawned rather unexpectedly. Then the exhaustion hit me. All of a sudden, I just had no strength left and I plopped down onto the floor.

“I’m sorry, for some reason I am just absolutely exhausted all of a sudden. Would it be okay if I used a room here in the castle and sleep for a bit?”

“Of course. I need to write a letter to Princess Celestia anyway telling her about all this. You go get some sleep and when you wake up we will go see her.”

“Thank you Princess Twilight. Would it be okay if we didn’t mention me to the rest of the town yet? I don’t know how they will react to me or how accepting they will be of me. What with the blank flank and… and…” I looked down as a burning sensation creeped its way across my muzzle.

“And what dear?” Rarity asked.

“W-well, I-I’m g-gay.” I managed to stutter out while looking down and rubbing my foreleg with the other hoof.

Everypony but Rainbow Dash looked at me in very mild shock. They certainly weren’t expecting me to say that. Dash just looked at me in confusion.

“I don’t get it. What’s wrong with being happy?”

My jaw just dropped as I looked at Dash, surprised that she knew the original meaning of the word and not the current one. It took everything I had not to face-hoof myself. I knew she could be dense, but this was ridiculous.

“Dashie, there’s nothing wrong with being happy, but that’s not what he means, silly.” Pinkie explained whilst giggling so much that she was on the verge of full blown laughter.

Dash just looked at her blankly, “Then what does he mean?”

“It… it means that I p-prefer males over females b-both romantically and... s-s-sexually.” I explained with a small, sheepish grin.

Dash blushed profusely with a startled look as she realized what I was saying. The others were blushing as well, but not as much as Dash was. My grin vanished when they still hadn’t told me how they felt about it. After a few moments, their looks of confusion, shock and bashfulness were replaced with calm, gentle, understanding looks.

“Aww. No need ta worry ‘bout that, Sugarcube. Granted there may be some closed minded ponies ‘round here, you’ll find that most ponies won’t care which side ya swing on.”

I looked at Applejack and gave her a small smile, thankful for her support. I was kinda expecting her to freak. Stupid. You of all people should know better than to stereotype.

“Thanks Applejack. I really appreciate that, but if it’s all the same to you, I’d still like to stay out of sight for a while until I figure some things out. I’ll still go see Princess Celestia, but otherwise I wouldn’t mind some time alone.” I yawned again.

“How about we discuss this after you get some rest?” Twilight asked.

“Okay.”

“Spike, could you lead him to one of the guest rooms?”

Spike saluted. “Sure Twilight.”

“Go get some rest. You look like you will barely make it up the stairs.”

I felt like it too. Slowly and shakily, I stood up. As I expected, I almost had to learn how to walk all over again. As we left the throne room, I looked back at the Mane 6 to see that they all had gentle smiles on their muzzles, but the looks in their eyes said that they were still unsure what to think of me. Except Pinkie, who just bounced on the spot, ecstatic that she had made a new friend. It took about half the trip to the bedroom, tripping and stumbling more than I would have liked, but I eventually got the hang of walking on four legs rather than two. I was too exhausted to admire the castle I was in, so I just followed Spike as he navigated through the second floor until we reached a tall set of double doors. When Spike opened the doors to the room, despite my exhaustion, I was awestruck. The room I was looking at was gorgeous. It had a large four poster bed, an antique dresser with a mirror attached to the top, a large closet, a chez lounge sitting against the wall that had the door, and a small coffee table with four very plush pillows sitting around it. My jaw dropped. This is a GUEST ROOM?! I looked at Spike, who just gave me a sheepish grin.

“Sorry it's so extravagant. All the guest rooms are like this, since the majority of the guests we have are royalty and nobles.”

That makes sense. This is the castle of a princess. I looked at the bed again. I couldn't wait to feel how comfy it was. Fortunately I didn’t have to wait long. Walking over Spike, I made my way over to the bed and just plopped myself onto it. It was easily the most comfortable thing I had ever felt. I crawled under the sheets and made myself comfy and laid my head down to go to sleep. As I closed my eyes, I heard Spike close the door as softly as he could. When my eyes were closed and I was drifting into slumberland, I thought about the situation I was in.

What could have possibly caused this to happen? Am I ever going to get home? Or am I stuck here the rest of my life? If I am stuck here, what will I do with myself? I can’t mooch off Twilight and the others forever. I guess all I can do now is wait and see what happens.

Left with those thoughts, I drifted into sleep, letting the exhaustion take over.

******************************

Meanwhile, back in the throne room, after Spike had returned, the Mane 6 continued their discussion about the new pony.

“So, does anypony else think that he is still hiding something?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Ah think it’s just you Sugarcube.” Applejack semi-lied, keeping to herself the fact that she knew that Avid wasn’t honest about how sad his human life made him.

“I think that he does know how he got here, but he honestly does not remember. A trans-dimensional transference, especially one as violent as that, does have the potential to mess with a being’s mind.” Twilight had become fascinated with the prospect, as she was trying to word her letter to Princess Celestia.

“Well, if you ask me,” Rarity started with a flip of her mane, “his personality seemed to be a mix between Applejack and Fluttershy, so I don’t think he is hiding anything. Such a shame that such a handsome gentlecolt plays for the other team. *sigh* OH! Perhaps he could become my GBF! EEEEE, I’ll have stallion close by to talk fashion with!!”

“What’s a GBF? Oh! Is it a Gorrilla Banana Face? Or maybe it’s Gargling Bath Fish? Or, or maybe it’s mmffgb…”

Applejack had put a hoof to Pinkie’s muzzle after a glance from Rarity, “It means Gay Best Friend, Pinkie.”

“I still say that he is hiding something besides his name.”

“Well… Maybe if we j-just give him some time to adjust, he will tell us. I’m not sure if you noticed Rainbow Dash, but he was scared. I wouldn’t blame him though, being swept into a new place with no friends or family to turn to.” Fluttershy said as she tried to calm Rainbow Dash.

“Well, once he gets his strength back, I’m going to give him the third degree and make him come clean about everything.”

“Oh no you won’t Rainbow Dash. We’re gunna give him all the time he needs ta figure himself out. You hear me, Sugarcube?” Applejack used her ‘I don’t want no backtalk’ voice on her question. The same one she had given AppleBloom many times before.

Rainbow looked like she was going to argue, but after seeing the look on Applejack’s face, she gave up.

“Fine.”

“Good. Now why don’t we all head home. It’s startin’ ta get late and I fer one got to get ready for tomorrow.”

The others agreed with her, and after saying their goodbyes, they all departed to their prospective parts of Ponyville, leaving Twilight and Spike alone in the castle.

“Spike, take a letter.”

Spike pulled and leaf of paper and a quill out of nowhere, “Ready.”

“*Ahem* Dear Princess Celestia…”

Author's Note

And there it is. My first post ever. Anywhere.

Let me know what you ponies think.

Dreams, Teasing and Magical Mistakes

Chapter Two

I could hear the soft crashing of the waves. I could smell the salt in the air coming from the vast ocean spread out in front of me. I could feel the warm, soft white sand between my toes.

‘Toes?’

I looked down and sure enough, I had toes. In fact, I was entirely human. I looked around, and it seemed that I was on some random beach in the middle of nowhere.

‘Am I dreaming?’ I always had trouble telling the difference between my dreams and reality. ‘This has to be a dream though.’

I look behind me, away from the water to see the biggest grassy meadow I had ever seen.

‘Definitely a dream. Wonder what’s going to happen.’

I look back towards the glimmering ocean that spread straight to the horizon. I had always felt the most comfortable and at ease when near or in the water. I eased myself down to sit on the beach to just watch the water and enjoy the breeze. I stayed like that for a while, just letting the sound of the waves wash away all my worries and stress. This was by far the most uneventful dream I had ever had, and I didn’t mind.

Then, as if I’d jinxed it, I heard a faint sound behind me. It was sort of a shimmering sound. I turned my head to look, but all I saw was the meadow. I stood up and turned around when I heard the sound again. This time when I looked, the air seemed to ripple and fluctuate, like seeing heat rise in the desert. The ripple started to shimmer blue and slowly came towards me. When it was about a meter and a half away from me, it stopped. I looked at the shimmer and realized that it had a shape, though what shape I couldn’t identify.

‘Hey there,’ the shimmer said suddenly, in a bright and happy, yet masculine voice.

I blinked in surprise and stared at the shimmer, not knowing if I should reply or not.

Figuring it wouldn’t cause any harm, I replied with a simple and hesitant, ‘Hi...’ completely confused by what was going on.

‘Why do you look so confused? It’s me.”

‘Me, who?’

Before I could get an answer, the shimmer vanished and everything turned dark. I looked up, but the sun was still in the sky. I looked a little lower, and saw a tidal wave as tall as a skyscraper coming towards me. I just stood there, dumbfounded by the sheer size of the wave. I didn't even try to move. The wall of water that was coming for me, there was no way to escape it. Closer and closer it got, and all I could hear was the roar of the water as it started to descend upon me.

'Oh, crap...' Was all I could squeak out as the water hit me full force.

******************************

*GASP!!!*

I bolted upright in my bed. Sweat was pouring down my forehead and neck as the drowning sensations stayed with me, even after I woke up. I hugged my arms to myself and darted my eyes around the room. As I looked around, it took me a few minutes to remember where I was and what had happened the previous day. I slowly unwrapped my forelegs from my chest and took slow, deep breaths to calm my nerves. Looking down at my hooves, my expression became that of a small frown.

So that part wasn’t a dream. The longer I stared at my hooves, the more my frown deepened. Am I going to be stuck here forever? How long will it be before someone notices that I am missing?

I stayed like this until a low rumble brought me out of my thoughts. I looked down and, sure enough, my stomach was rumbling. Looking outside, I realized that it was around noon. I hadn’t eaten in almost 24 hours. I slowly pulled myself out of bed and made my way to the door after giving myself a quick refresher on how to walk as a quadruped. When I got to the door, I realized that I had no idea how to do things the pony way. I didn’t even know how to open a simple door. I definitely didn't want to use my mouth to open it, though that might have been the easiest route. I tried to use my hoof, which should have worked, but I just couldn't get the hang of it. So I sat on my haunches and stared at the door trying to figure out how to open it, when a realization dawned on me.

"Wait a minute. I can use magic." A grin formed on my face, as I looked at my forehead the best I could. "This should be interesting."

I stared at the doorknob and focused my entire mind on it. My horn started to tingle as I felt the magic finally build up. Just like they did on the show, I tried to concentrate better by closing my eyes, and surprisingly, it worked. I figured I was about five seconds from opening the door when I heard someone knock. With magic still built up, my focus changed from opening the door to wondering who was in the hallway. Before I could switch my focus back, there was a flash of royal blue and it felt like I was floating through nothingness. With another flash I found myself in the hallway, but something was off. I looked around and discovered that, not only was I about ten feet in the air, but I was also upside down. I looked down to the floor and uttered a small “Eep” before falling to the floor and landing on my back. I winced as the shock of pain went through me.

“Ow.”

Before I could get up, I heard someone say,in a young, but very masculine voice, “Are you okay?”

I looked towards the door, but since I was still on my back, everything was still upside down. As I looked, all I saw was a pair of scaly, purple feet. My eyes drifted upward to see Spike with a rather confused expression on his face. I just blinked at him as I realized something.

How did I not see how tall he is?

This perplexed me, because he was nearly as tall as me, and I was taller than the girls. I also noticed that, compared to last time I saw him on the show, he was leaner and had toned quite a bit. I had to admit that he looked good. I looked at his face again and he looked even more confused. I was wondering why, when I realized that I was still laying in my back after my fall. I rolled over and pushed myself up onto my hooves, a little light headed after the teleportation and laying on my back that long.

Note to self: no more magic till you learn how to use it.

I looked over at Spike, gave him a small wave and a lopsided grin and said, "Morning... Afternoon... whatever. What's up?"

“Uh… Twilight asked me to come see if you were awake yet. Are you ok? That looked like it hurt.”

“Yeah, I’m ok. I was just trying to open the door. Didn’t expect to teleport." I blushed and rubbed my mane. "I don't actually know how to use magic, but I thought I would give it a try."

"Maybe you should get Twilight to teach you. She loves to teach, especially when it comes to magic. You just need to keep in mind that she has her royal duties.”

“Sounds like a good idea.” My stomach rumbled again. “Though I think some lunch might be in order.”

“Not a problem. Follow me.”

Spike started leading me down the hallway. I didn’t know whether he was taking me to the kitchen or to the dining area, but it didn’t really matter, I guess. We walked for a few minutes before I decided to ask a few questions.

“So, out of curiousity, how long has it been since you and Twilight got back from Canterlot High?”

“It’s been about two years.”

“Anything exciting happen since then?”

“Not really. Been pretty boring actually.”

“You mean besides the fact that you don’t look like a baby dragon anymore and have gotten quite studly?” I said with a smirk and an exaggerated wiggle of my eyebrows.

He blushed and rubbed his neck, “Yeah, besides that.”

Interesting. No comment about not swinging that way. Hehe.

I giggled at his blush, “Relax, I’m just teasing. As cute as you are, and as awesome as dragons are, you’re not really my type and a little young for me. I don’t really want to start anything right now anyways. Not until I am absolutely sure that there is no way for me to get back home.” I sighed, having bummed myself out again. I decided to be mischievous again to brighten my mood. “What did Rarity think of the new you?”

Spike sighed and looked down to his feet. I looked at his face and realized that I had struck a raw nerve. Before I could apologize, Spike spoke “About a year ago, after my growth spurt, I finally got the courage to tell her how I felt.”

One year ago...

I was wearing the bowtie she had made me and I had a bouquet of her favourite flowers. I was walking towards Carousel Boutique with a bit of a spring to my step. Right after I knocked on the door I felt my courage slowly slipping away. So, when the door opened, I thrusted the flowers forward and asked if she would do me the honour of going out on a date sometime. I had my eyes closed for fear that I would lose my nerve. It wasn’t until I heard a giggle that I opened my eyes and realized that I had just asked out Sweetie Belle.

She giggled again and said, “Why Spike. I didn’t know you cared.”

I just stood there completely flabbergasted until she giggled again. I figured out that she was teasing me. She then asked, “Those are for Rarity, right?” I just nodded and she let me in, calling for her sister to come downstairs.

When Rarity came down the stairs, she had her sewing glasses on and had her hair in a bun. She wasn’t really paying attention as she was mumbling to herself about how she could make her latest design better. When she noticed me, her eyes lit up with surprise, but when she caught sight of the flowers her expression dropped. I barely noticed it though because I was too nervous to look at her. She greeted me, and when she got close enough, I did the same thing I did at the door. After a few minutes of silence, I looked up to see that Rarity had tears in her eyes, but they weren’t tears of joy.

“Oh Spike.” She whispered. I just looked at her confused by her reaction. “I knew that this would happen, but I hoped you would outgrow this.” She closed her eyes and collected herself before continuing. “I-I’m afraid that I must decline”

To say I was devastated would have been an understatement. It felt like my whole world had come crashing down around me. For the first few minutes, all I could do was stand there stuttering.

Eventually, my head cleared enough to speak. “Bu-But w-why? I didn’t ask before now because of how small I was, but now that I actually look older now… Why?”

“Oh Spike. I’m afraid that your size was never the issue. You are a perfect gentledrake, but the age difference is something that I just can’t look past. I’m sorry. Like I said, I was hoping that you would grow out of these feelings. I’m sure that you will be able to some lovely mare happy someday.”

I could tell just by looking into her eyes and by the tone of her voice that she was entirely serious and would not be changing her mind. I shut my eyes as tight as I could to fight back the tears and clenched my hand around the flowers tighter. After a few minutes, my sadness turned into anger. I felt all my muscles relax. I dropped the flowers to floor and looked up at the mare that had torn my heart to shreds with tears falling down my face. Even though I was fuming, it wasn’t showing on my face. My face was completely calm and my voice was steady.

“Thank you for your answer, Miss Rarity.” As I said this I reached up and pulled off the bowtie and dropped it on the floor next to the flowers.

I calmly walked out of the Boutique and made my way across Ponyville back to the castle. Once past the castle doors, I broke. I ran to my room bawling my eyes out. I spent the rest of the day laying on my bed sobbing until I finally cried myself to sleep. When I woke up the next day, I felt empty and alone, like there was a hole where my heart should have been.

“For the first week afterward, I was very unresponsive. I just did my daily chores around the castle to fill each day. My attitude changed for the better when Sweetie Belle, who had seen what happened, asked me to come hang out with her and the Crusaders. The change was slow and gradual, and after a month, I was pretty much back to my usual self. I became better friends with those three over that month. Now I hang out with them whenever I can get the chance. I was even there when all three of them got their cutie marks."

"I'm sorry that I brought that up." I felt bad for him. Telling that must have brought back the pain. Then I realized something. "You know, you didn't have to tell me all that. You could have just told me that it didn't work out and left it at that."

Spike blushed, "Oh... Sorry."

"Not a problem. I just feel bad that you reminded yourself of that pain."

"Meh. It's okay. I've gotten over it. I mean, yeah, Rarity will always have a special place in my heart, but life goes on. Right?"

‘That is a very mature attitude from someone his age.’ I mused. Then his words hit home and they brought unpleasantness with them.

"Yeah... life goes on..." I looked down at the floor as we walked.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Just remembering."

"Remembering what."

"Bad breakup."

"Sorry."

"It's okay. Like you said, life goes on."

We walked in silence for a few minutes before we stopped in front of a huge set of double doors. Spike pushed one of them open and when we stepped over the threshold, I was once again in awe. The dining room was gorgeous. It consisted of a long, carved table and matching chairs made out of the same crystal that the castle seemed to be made of. The chairs had very plush velvet cushions on the seats and the backs. The table itself looked to be at least twenty feet long with candelabras every five feet or so, and three crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The two outside chandeliers were smaller than the one in the middle but we're no less impressive. At one end of the table, Twilight sat, sipping a cup of tea and reading a book that levitated in front of her.

Spike looked to me and said, "Have a seat. I'll bring you something to eat."

Hearing him speak broke me out of my awe. "Thanks."

He walked across the room and exited through a door, which I was guessing lead to the kitchen in some way. I walked over towards Twilight and sat in the chair next to her. We sat in silence for a while, Twilight reading her book and me looking around the room in awe as I marveled at the beauty of the crystal construction. After sitting in silence for what felt like hours, Twilight closed her book and set it down on the table. She looked at me and smiled.

“Afternoon Avid. How did you sleep?”

“Besides an odd dream, really well. Thank you Twilight.”

“That’s good.” She took a sip of her tea, “So, yesterday, after the girls went home, I sent a message to Princess Celestia, informing her of the situation. I am expecting a reply soon, but until then, you are free to roam the castle. You are, of course, welcome to stay as long as you like. Considering the situation, I think it might be best.”

“I hate to impose, but you are right. It would be best if I stayed here. At least until I get a few things figured out. Speaking of for the best...”

Right then, Spike came in carrying a small bowl in his hands. He walked over and set it down in front of me.

“Here you go. One Spike Special Pick-me-up.”

I looked into the bowl and started to drool. At first glance, it looked like it was just a simple salad, but the closer I looked the more I saw that it was far from simple. It was a mixture of salad greens, tossed with several daisies, sliced strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, and lightly drizzled in an aromatic raspberry vinaigrette. My stomach rumbled louder than it ever had in my life. Never before had my senses received such a foodgasm. Not knowing what I was doing, I levitated a forkful of the salad up to my lips. Slowly, I bit down into ambrosia. My mouth exploded with taste and my eyes closed halfway in bliss. The crispness of the various greens and daisies, the tang of the vinaigrette, and the sweetness of the berries, all blended perfectly into a blissful symphony on my tongue.

“Oh good Goddess above!! This is the best thing I have ever tasted in my life!”

Spike blushed, “Hehe… Thanks.”

I did not want the foodgasm to end, so I savoured every bite till the entire salad was gone, which wasn’t until about 20 minutes later. I looked into the empty bowl, hoping that more of the ambrosia would appear, but alas, it remained empty. It was then that something dawned on me. I was levitating the fork. I did not have a clue, however, as to how I was doing it. I could feel the tingle of the magic, and on a whim, I let the feeling go. The spoon clattered into the bowl a second later. I looked up at Spike and Twilight, who had been watching me eat the salad the entire time. My cheeks got a little warm from embarrassment.

Twilight was the first to speak. “I was going to ask what you were going to say, but you looked so absolutely enthralled by that salad, I just didn’t have the heart to speak.”

“Sorry. It was really good and I hadn’t eaten since just after lunch yesterday. Thank you Spike. It was amazing.”

Spike nodded. “My pleasure, Avid.”

“So, as I was saying, before I was so blissfully interrupted, I was wondering if you would be willing to teach me about magic.”

Twilight’s entire face lit up and donned a grin the Cheshire Cat would be jealous of. She started bouncing like a schoolfilly and clapping her forehooves together.

“EEEEEEEE!!!!!! That is a wonderful idea. You already seem to have a grasp of the basics, so we can go from there.”

“Actually, I have no idea what I am doing. In the case of the cup yesterday and the fork just now, I didn’t realize I was doing it until after the fact. Then there was the mishap earlier…”

“What happened earlier?” Twilight asked with a mask of worry.

Spike chuckled a little before explaining, “He teleported when I went to get him.” Some more chuckles, “Except that he ended up upside down and ten feet in the air.” The draconic chuckles continued.

Twilight gasped, “You tried teleporting without knowing what you were doing?! That’s extremely dangerous! You could have ended up inside a wall!” She glared at Spike, who was still chuckling. The glare made him stop, clear his throat and put on an air of seriousness. Though, when Twilight turned back to me, his smirk came back.

I looked down, a small blush creeping its way onto my face, “I wasn’t trying to teleport. I was experimenting trying to open the door when Spike knocked. My focus shifted for only a second and the next thing I know, I’m suspended in the air, upside down. In my defense,” I huffed, looking back at Twilight, “I’ve been a pony for less than 24 hours. I don’t know how to do simple things like open doors and pick up utensils with hooves. I’m used to having hands. So I tried to open the door with magic.”

Twilight’s expression softened, “I’m aware that this is all new to you. And I do sympathize. You just need to be patient. Everything will come in its own time.”

*HURP*

I looked over to Spike to see that his cheeks had bulged out like a chipmunks. He was also looking directly at me. I ducked knowing what was coming next.

*BUURP*

The green flame shot right over my head then swirled upwards where it coalesced into a scroll. Once the letter had materialized, it fell softly onto my head, where my horn just happened to slide into one end, lodging it there. Spike started laughing and Twilight was holding in her giggles.

I shot a glare at Spike, “Watch where you aim that.”

“S-sorry.” He stuttered as he tried to get control of his laughing.

Twilight levitated the scroll off my horn and over to her. She opened it and read for a few moments before speaking.

“Well, Avid. We’re in luck. Princess Celestia says that we can come see her today.”

“That’s… cool.” I chuckled nervously.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Just a little nervous. Things are a little different in my world. We don’t have immortal goddesses walking around.”

“Heehee. You don’t have anything to worry about. Princess Celestia is very kind and very laid back. At least she is when I’m around.”

“I know she is. Doesn’t mean I am not going to be nervous. Immortal goddess aside, I have never met royalty before either or any kind of V.I.P. for that matter.”

“Well, don’t let her status intimidate you. She’s just like everypony else. Why don’t we get going? And when we get back, we can start your magic lessons.”

“Okay. Sounds like a plan. How are we getting there? Train or teleportation?”

“We will be taking the train. I may be strong with magic, but I’m not very good with long distance teleportation. Not yet anyway.”

“Alright. In that case, could I possibly have a cloak to cover up with. I know I don’t have anything to worry about, but I feel a little self-conscience about walking through town with no cutie mark.”

“Not a problem. I understand. Spike, could you find a cloak large enough for Avid and meet us by the doors?

“I’m on it, Twilight.”

Spike turned and hopped out of his chair and left the dining hall. Twilight levitated the book she had been reading and deposited it in a bookshelf that was inside the dining hall. How did I not see that? She stood and motioned for me to follow, leaving her tea cup on the table after draining the few remaining sips. I followed her through the door I had entered in and we proceeded down the hall towards the exit.

“Any idea what Princess Celestia will ask me when we get there?”

“Most likely the same questions I asked you yesterday. Where you came from, how you got here, and she will probably want to know your real name as well. By the way, have you remembered anything else about how you got here?

I thought about for a moment, “No. It’s no use. Whenever I try to remember, it’s like a wall appears out of nowhere and blocks the memories from reaching me. I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright. Don’t worry too much about it. They will come back to when the time is right. The shock your system took during the transport is probably what is blocking the memories, so when your system recovers, they will come back. Who knows? They might tell you exactly why you were teleported to Equestria of all places.”

“Thanks, Twilight. I hope you are right.”

By this time we had reached the main exit where Spike was standing and holding a black cloak. He handed me the cloak, but I just stood there looking at it then back to him sheepishly.

“Um, would you mind helping me put it on? Like I said, I don’t know how to handle objects with my hooves yet, and I don’t want to try magic again.”

Spike nodded, smiling empathetically. He took a few steps closer to me then flung the cloak around my shoulders and over my body and clasped it together, bringing the hood up over my head. When he was finished, he went to the door and held it open for both me and Twilight. When I saw this, I decided to have a little fun to ease my nerves.

Putting on the most seductive grin I could muster, I walked towards the door and stopped in front of Spike and said in the best Southern Belle impression I could, “Why, thank you Spike. Ah have always relied on the kindness of strangers.”

I gave him a wink and watched as his entire face went red. This gave me a good laugh and eased my nerves quite a bit. I looked behind me as I walked out the door to see Twilight’s reaction to my little show. She was standing there next to a rather dumbfounded drake, giggling and shaking her head. She walked up to me and we went on our way to the train station and giggled some more at Spike’s reaction, leaving behind holding the door.

Once we heard the door close, Twilight turned to me and said, “Must you tease him like that? You’re going to confuse the poor guy.”

“Don’t worry. I’m just having a bit of fun. That wasn’t the first time and it certainly won’t be the last. After the first time, I told him that I’m not looking for any kind of relationship right now and that, as adorable as he is, he’s not really my type anyway. I like to see his reaction. A good laugh always calms my nerves.”

She gave a small chuckle, “Alright, but keep it clean and don’t do it at inappropriate times.”

I gave her a small, comical salute, “Yes ma’am.”

She giggled again at my antics, “Knock it off, ya goofball.”

I just grinned broadly and made a squeaky teddy bear sound. We continued walking to the train station in silence, and as we walked, I noticed a few of the ponies around us give me glances before going on their way. A few waved at Twilight and gave her a greeting, either casual or a small dip of the head in bow while saying, “Princess”. She just waved back and greeted them in return. All the attention was making me even more nervous than I already was, causing me to sweat profusely. Eventually, we reached the train station, and Twilight bought two tickets for the next train to Canterlot. When the train arrived, we boarded and waited for it to leave the station. Fortunately, the wait wasn’t long, and we were soon pulling away. I noticed that we were the only ones in the train car and looked at Twilight with a confused look.

She looked at me and understood my confusion. Blushing a little she stated, “This car is reserved for myself and the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. I don’t like being given special treatment, but the station manager insisted, so I couldn’t refuse. I did make one condition though. That the car be used by others if the train is especially busy, whether or not one of us is here.”

I just nodded in understanding and proceeded to look out the window to watch the scenery. I became mesmerized by the landscape rushing past, and seeing all the trees, valleys and mountains flying by eased my mind and let me forget my troubles for a while. As we approached a tunnel, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked at Twilight and saw that there was a question on mind.

“Since there is nopony else around, I was wondering if you could tell me your real name. I Pinkie Promise that I won’t tell anyone or call you by it.” She made the motions for the Pinkie Promise and smiled. I could tell by looking in her eyes that she really meant it and that it was a vow that she would never break.

I gave a small sigh and a similarly small smile and replied, “Sure. My real name is…”

Author's Note

Here is the second chapter. Hope everyone likes it.

Let me know if you have any comments, questions or concerns

Meeting the Princess

As I stepped off the train, my eyes grew to the size of plates. Canterlot was unlike anything I had ever seen before. I had been to a couple of big cities before, but they did not hold a candle to this. Everywhere I looked there were ponies, mostly unicorns, going about their daily business. Walking to and from shops, eating at tables set up outside of restaurants, and just living their lives. They all had their noses stuck in the air, and none of them paid me any mind as I walked with Twilight towards the castle. They did, however, give Twilight the respect her station called for: bowing, giving her praise and being general flank kissers. Some of them were polite and treated her like a normal pony, to a point, when she asked them to, while others wouldn’t hear of it. I was just ignored, which was totally fine with me.

I looked into some of the storefront windows we passed with fascination, noticing that the majority of them weren’t too different from what I was used too. I noticed that train station was roughly in the midtown section of the city. There were a lot of cafes and small diners. One I noticed was Donut Joe’s, and I suppressed my chuckle at remembering that the girls (plus Spike) had ended up there after their ‘interesting’ first Gala experience. Some of the shops we passed seemed typical: toy stores, book stores (I actually noticed Twilight eye the store but had to physically restrain herself from going to look), sweet shops, convenience stores, grocery stalls and stores, and bakeries. We had actually been stopped by a couple fillies and their mothers right in front of one of the bakeries. While the fillies were hopping up and down excitedly at seeing a princess and not paying me any mind, I walked over to the bakery and marveled at the treats that were on display. There were a few pies, apple and peach by the looks of them, the apple pie’s sign stating that it used Sweet Apple Acres apples, danishes, cookies, brownies, squares of all kinds, and of course cakes and cupcakes. I marveled at the decorating jobs on the cupcakes and cakes. A lot of them were simply frosted with sprinkles, but the others were done in various styles. There were some birthday styles, a grandiose looking, three tiered wedding cake, a tear-away birthday cake that looked like it was meant for a young colt. As I looked at the confections on the other side of the glass, I was trying very hard not to drool. I think the only people back home who knew that I had a weakness for cake were my parents.

I snapped back to reality when I heard Twilight calling me, “C’mon, Avid!”

I took one last look before heading back to Twilight’s side. I looked at her sheepishly, “Hehe, sorry.”

She just giggled at me, “It’s alright.”

We walked in silence, interrupted by the occasional snob or excited fan, as we entered the more upper class portion of the city, passing more and more of the snobbish ponies. I didn’t notice that I had started to grimace each time some of the more self-entitled ponies bid their farewells to Twilight. She, however, noticed, and after a particularly pompous stallion, who just sneered in my direction, left us alone, she brought it up.

“Avid? Are you okay?” she asked gently.

Startled, I stuttered, “Y-yeah. Wh-why do you ask?”

“It’s just that… you are looking a little upset. You’ve had this kind of angry look on your face for the last little while.”

Crud! I thought I wasn’t showing that! I took a breath and sighed, “I-it’s just that peo- ponies like that last guy really, really, irk me.”

She tilted her head and looked at me like she knew where this was going, but asked anyway, “Ponies like what?”

My face scrunched in disgust, hypocritically enough, looking like one of the nobles, “Ponies that are rich and have power that don’t care about anypony else and abuse their power just to get what they want, not caring who it hurts! Basically, self-entitled flank-holes!!” I said a little louder than was necessary.

I looked at Twilight and saw her looking at me wide-eyed. I looked away and took a deep breath before continuing.

“Sorry and pardon my language. I just always get worked up thinking about ponies like that. I dealt with a few people like that during high school and the hate kinda stuck. I’m usually able to keep my anger in check, but those kind of people always make it hard.”

She just watched me as we walked, my head hung. I was surprised when I heard her chuckle lightly. I looked up at her and saw a mirthful look in her eyes.

“No need to apologize, Avid. I know how you feel.” She looked around before whispering to me, “To be honest, it sometimes takes all my restraint not to teleport some of them into dragon territory.”

I stared at her incredulously before giving a small laugh, “That would be epic! I know it’s not at all nice, but it would be worth it just to see how they react.”

She started laughing along with me as we started to imagine some of those scenarios. The laughing helped me relax as we made our way through the last stretch before the castle came in sight. Looking out from under my hood, I had managed to keep my jaw shut, but my eyes went wide from the magnificence that towered before me and my nervousness and anxiety returned. Before me stood a citadel of what looked white and rose marble with accents of purple and gold. I’d seen it on the show, but seeing it in person was totally different. I was so entranced by the towers and buttresses, that I barely noticed when we reached the main gate. The two Royal Guards, upon seeing Twilight, saluted before opening up the gates and allowing us to pass. The curious looks they gave me did not go unnoticed. We walked along the main path that lead to the grand double doors, and as we did, I admired the landscaping. The lawn was perfectly manicured and there were topiary statues along the path of ponies and animals in various poses. When we reached the entrance, there were two more guards standing there with stern looks. I saw them both cast glances at us, and like the guards at the main gate, they saluted before opening the doors. I looked around once the doors were shut and everything around just screamed, ‘regal’. In front of us was grand staircase that split into two staircases leading both left and right from the landing. On the wall at the first landing was a large portrait of the the two sisters. The painting took my breath away. It showed Celestia and Luna standing back to back, their flowing manes running down their backs a bit before twining together to make a remarkable spiral of colors. They were each looking up to the top corners of the frame where their respective celestial body resided. The background of Celestia’s side of the painting was a spectacular mix of reds, oranges, light purples and pinks while Luna’s half was a stunning mix of dark blues and dark purples with stars and what looked like a swirling galaxy at the tip of Luna’s horn.

I soaked it in before a cream coloured mare with a butterscotch mane approached us. Her cutie mark was that of a scroll with an hourglass on it, so I figured she must have been a receptionist of some kind.

She approached Twilight with a joyful smile on her muzzle, "Princess Sparkle! How wonderful to see you again!"

Twilight shook her head with a smile, "Miss Tock, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Twilight?"

The older mare just smiled at her, “Never going to happen, your Highness.”

Twilight groaned in defeat before turning to me, “Avid, this is Miss Tempus Tock. Princess Celestia’s Assistant. Miss Tock, this is Avid Fiction.”

I removed my hood and nodded to the mare in front of us, “A pleasure to meet you, Miss Tock.”

Tempus nodded back to me courteously, “A pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Fiction." Her eyes then swept over me in an appraising manner, “So you’re the pony who fell out of nowhere?”

I cringed a little from her appraising gaze and looked down towards the floor, “Y-Yes. In a way.”

I think she noticed how uncomfortable I was, because she then said in a soft voice, “I apologize if I’ve made you uneasy.”

I looked up at her, feeling a little shame at my social shortcomings. "It's alright. New peo... er, ponies sometimes make me nervous.” She motioned for us to follow her. We walked up the staircase and took the left path at the top. We proceeded down a small hallway before coming up to another set of grand doors with a single guard on either side. “I'm kinda dreading meeting Princess Celestia. Ponies like me don't get to meet royalty on a daily basis or at all."

She nodded, "That is understandable, but you have nothing to worry about. She is currently in a meeting with a pair of nobles, but you are free to come in when they’ve left and you've prepared yourself." With that, she turned around and left us standing there in the hall and returned to the throne room.

Once the door had closed behind Tempus, I stood there for a moment before I entered panic mode. I started shaking from horn to tail before starting to pace back and forth in front of Twilight as she just sat there watching me with a calm look on her face.

It didn’t take too long before I started rambling, “Oh my Goddess! Okay, Avid, just calm down. But what if she doesn’t like me? What if she thinks that I am some kinda freak and sends to some laboratory to be studied?! What if she thinks I’m dangerous or I offend her somehow and she sends me to the dungeon?! Or worse, Tartarus?! What if I faint right in front of her? What if…”

My speech slowly increased in volume and speed as I rambled on, followed shortly by the speed of my pacing. I saw out of the corner of my eye that Twilight was looking exasperated and the guards looked at me like I had lost my mind, but I barely registered them as my own vision was starting to blur from tears forming..

“What if she banishes me to another land and then imprisons me deep underground in the land she banished me t- OW!!” My tirade was stopped by a sharp pain to my left cheek. I looked at Twilight dumbfounded. Her horn glowed its normal magenta and there was what looked like a paw shaped construct floating next to her. She sighed and banished the construct before looking at me apologetically.

“Sorry, but you needed that. You were getting kinda loud, not to mention ridiculous.” She motioned for me to sit in front of her, so I did, still kinda shocked. “Avid, you have nothing to worry about. Celestia is kind, caring and one of the most understanding ponies I’ve met. She cares about all of us, no matter where we come from. She’ll want to help you try to figure this out and she is most certainly not going to banish you. Here, I’ll show you a trick that’ll help you calm down. Just do what I do, okay?”

I nodded and watched her close her eyes and put a hoof to her chest as she took a deep breath. She then swept her hoof forward as she released the breath slowly. I mimicked the action, shaky at first, but relaxing as I went through the motions. I did it a few times before I felt relaxed enough to open my eyes again. I looked at Twilight with a gentle smile on her face, my eyes still a little damp.

“Feeling better?”

I nodded and used my forehoof to wipe my eyes, “Yeah. T-thanks Twilight.” I looked away, a little warmth coming to my cheeks, “S-sorry for freaking out.”

She shook her head, “It’s alright. I’ve had a few spaz attacks myself over the years.”

I chuckled just as the doors to the throne room opened. A pair of ponies walked out of the throne room, a finely dressed stallion and and equally stunning mare. I assumed that they were the nobles that Celestia was meeting. As they left down the hall, one of the guards by the door turned to us.

“You may now enter, Princess.”

She nodded to the guard before looking back at me softly, “You ready?”

I nodded shakily, “As I’ll ever be.”

She nodded and led me towards the massive doors that led into the throne room. The tall doors opened with a nod from Twilight to the guards on either side. Once open, I walked through and followed the deep red carpet that went from end to the other, the other ending at the throne. With Twilight at my side, I made my way towards the throne, taking in the stained glass murals that depicted victories in their history. I saw both defeats of Nightmare Moon and Discord, Spike's victory in the Crystal Empire, Twilight's ascension, some others that I didn't recognize and finally, Tirek's defeat. It showed Tirek being blasted by a rainbow and showed the various stages his body went through, circled by the Mane 6 in their Harmony forms. As I was examining the last mural, I heard a soft cough come from beside me. I looked to Twilight, who was subtly nodding her head in the direction of the throne. I then remembered where we were and looked straight ahead to see Princess Celestia gazing at me with soft eyes and a chuckle on her lips, trying to escape. My cheeks warmed with a soft blush and once we were in front of her, I gave her a bow in greeting.

"Y-Your Highness."

The chuckle she was holding in was finally let loose, "Rise my little pony. There is no need to be so formal."

I rose and I could feel my face become more flush, "My apologies, Princess. As I explained to Miss Tock out in the hall, I have never met royalty before and I was raised to be courteous and respect a pers... er, ponies standing in life."

Celestia's smile grew warmer and, the only word that would come to mind was, motherly. "You have been raised well, Avid, if I may call you that."

"Thank you Princess, and you may call me what you wish, though I don't mind just 'Avid'."

She nodded, "It's a name that seems to fit you well. Though, it is my understanding that it is not the name you came here with."

My face grew warm as I looked down sheepishly, "Yes Princess. When Twilight and the others asked me for my name when I first arrived, I was prepared to give it to them, but just as I was about to say it, it didn't feel right." I looked back up to Celestia and saw what looked like understanding. Does she know why I felt that? "I'm not quite sure how to explain it, it just felt like it didn't belong. So, I said the first name that came to my mind."

Her warm smile returned, "Well, let me formally welcome you to Equestria, Avid Fiction."

I bowed my head, "Thank you Princess."

She stood from her throne and moved towards Twilight and I, "Now, I have cleared the rest of my day, so that we may discuss the matter at length, in private, without feeling rushed. I have also arranged for the two of you to stay here at the castle tonight." She started moving off to one of the doors beside the throne, while Twilight and I moved to follow her.

"Thank you Princess." Twilight said beside me.

Ahead of us, Celestia chuckled, "You know Twilight, you can call me Celestia."

Twilight blushed, "I know. It just feels weird. So, with all due respect, I don't think it's going to happen anytime soon."

Celestia giggled, "I thought as much. I just thought I'd put it out there."

As we walked along the corridor, I only half listened to their conversation. Something to do with Twilight's adjustment to having more duties as a princess. Meanwhile, I was just gazing around at the castle. There were pieces of art scattered throughout the corridors we walked, paintings of important looking ponies, vases with intricate designs, some reminding me of the vases of Ancient Greece, and marble busts. I looked out the windows we passed and saw the gardens, where everything was perfectly trimmed and pristine. I caught glimpses of statues and topiaries in various shapes. Some were shaped like warriors holding spears and swords, while some looked like lovers or ponies just having fun and in different poses. I was so transfixed on taking everything in, that I barely noticed when my name was called. I looked back at the two mares ahead of me and noticed them both looking at me and giggling. My face grew warm and I attempted to brush it off, most likely failing. I noticed then that they were standing in front of a large door with Celetia's cutie mark emblazoned across it.

"This door leads to my section of the castle. Both of your quarters are in this area as well as the door to the library, which sits in between Luna's wing and mine. Once we've finished talking, depending on the time, you're welcome to look around the library. You are also welcome to explore the castle." With that, her horn began to glow and her magic aura surrounded the door as she opened it.

As we stepped through, the colour scheme changed slightly. On top of the rose and white, there were now golds and yellows. The corridors weren't as decorated but the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. We proceeded down the corridor for about five minutes, passing several doors just big enough that Celestia could enter, before coming up to another door that a pair of guards stood by, this one not quite as big as the set leading into the wing. Celestia opened the door and I soon saw that it led to her private quarters. We entered with me trailing behind, looking at what the Princess' quarters looked like. It wasn't as lavish as I thought it would have been. The sitting room had a comfortable atmosphere with a small circular table sitting in the middle surrounded by plush cushions. The wall to the left was nothing but windows, looking out over the countryside with Ponyville just visible in the distance. The wall opposite the door was one massive bookshelf, holding several varieties of books, tomes and scrolls, all a broad range of ages from the looks of it.the last wall had a desk covered with various papers and packets. Next to the desk was a door that led to a small hallway.

Celestia nodded towards the table, "Please make yourselves comfortable. I'll fetch us some tea."

Twilight moved to the table and sat on one of the cushions and watched as I walked towards the book wall. I stared in awe at the reading materials, many of which were in languages I didn't even want to guess at.

I heard Twilight chuckle behind me, "Quite the collection, isn't it?"

I nodded, "I have always loved reading. Reading was my escape when reality became too tough." I sighed contentedly, lost in the sight before me. "I can't wait to see the full library." I said with a bit of excitement.

I turned and walked to the table, sitting next to Twilight as we waited. Shortly after I sat, Celestia walked in levitating a tea tray in front of her. Setting down on the table, she served the three of us and made herself comfortable. Not trusting my magic yet, I gingerly picked up the teacup between my hooves and took a sip of the warm liquid. As the taste and smell hit my senses, my eyes widened in surprise. I looked from the light brown liquid to Celestia.

"Your Highness," I started, my eyes still filled with surprise and astonishment, "is this chocolate hazelnut tea?"

She smiled warmly, "Indeed it is." Her smile dropped slightly, "Do you not like it?"

I smiled joyfully at her, "Quite the opposite. It's my all time favourite flavour. I'm actually kind of addicted to hazelnut flavoured things; sweets, drinks and the like." I took another sip and relaxed as the tea warmed my belly and calmed my nerves.

Her smile brightened again, "I'm pleased to hear that. It’s the flavour I like to use to calm myself after dealing with the nobility." She took a long sip and sighed afterward to prove her point.

I chuckled softly and took another sip before setting my cup down. After a brief silence, where I just stared into the tea in my cup, I looked at Celestia, "I'm assuming you'd like to hear my tale now?"

She set her own cup down and looked to me, "I would if you are ready."

Might as well get it over with. "I am." I took a calming breath and and began my story. "As I explained to Twilight and the others, my world is an alternate one to the world she visited. In my world, all of this," I moved my hoof in an arc to demonstrate, "is nothing but a television show. Admittedly, one with a massive fan base which I am part of. Just about every fan of the show wishes that this place actually exists. I don't have any clue as to how I got here. The last thing I remember before waking up in Friendship Palace was sitting in my living room reading. I know there is more but I just can't reach it. I told you in the throne room the situation with my name. I made a deal with the Elements that if they wanted to know my human name, all they had to do was ask and I would tell them. I actually told Twilight on the way here. That deal extends to you and Princess Luna as well."

Celestia patiently waited for me to finish and contemplated her questions before speaking. "That is an interesting tale. So, in your world, our lives are a form of entertainment?"

I grimaced at her question, realizing that I could have explained that with a bit more tact. I looked down at my tea, "Yes."

I looked up pensively and saw that she was tapping her chin with her hoof thoughtfully. "Interesting. When we were in the throne room, I noticed that you recognized the murals. How do you think your world could know such details of ours?"

My mood lifted a little when I saw that she wasn't upset, merely curious. I looked to Twilight and saw the same look of curiosity on her face. "I’ve actually had the same thought since I got here, and the only theory I have is that the creator of the TV show in my world must have some kind of link to this world. Maybe her imagination acts as a medium, allowing her to glimpse into this dimension."

Both mares had looks of contemplation on their faces as they thought about this. Twilight was the first to speak up after several minutes.

“I guess that makes some sense. I don’t think that we will ever know for sure, but considering that anything could be possible when it comes to the multiverse, there could actually be a number of reasons.” I could see gears turning in her head, “We will look into it more once you are settled.” She looked like she was showing a lot of restraint to not excuse herself and immediately start researching the topic.

Celestia merely nodded along, not having anything to add to her former students reasoning. She took another sip of her tea before looking at the cloak I was still wearing.

“Twilight mentioned in her letter that you do not have a cutie mark. Is this true?”

I nodded slowly and lifted the cloak so she could see my blank purple rump.

“Like I explained to Twilight and the girls, humans in my universe don’t always know what they are going to do with their lives. Some will spend their whole lives trying to figure it out, some know pretty early on and there are even some who don’t even try and live their lives from day to day, never truly satisfied with their lives. I fall under the ‘still looking’ category. It could also be because since no human has come here before that this is actually normal. Either way, until we know more, I’d like to keep the cloak for when I’m in public.”

Celestia took a sip of her tea before nodding, “That is understandable, though I am sure that you will discover your talent soon. It will also be okay if you don’t.” I looked at her skeptically. She expanded on her thought after a chuckle, “If you don’t find your talent, it’ll mean that you can do anything your heart desires. You could take as many trades you want or travel and see what the world has to offer.”

I looked down at the remainder of my tea and thought about her words. I swirled it around my cup for a minute or two before drinking it. I looked back up at Celestia, seeing her calm, but warm expression and my mood lightened a little, but not by much.

“I guess you’re right, but I would certainly feel better if I did get a cutie mark. It would finally convince me that I’m not actually useless.”

“Avid!” I winced at Twilight’s yell. “Nopony is useless, and that includes you. Don’t ever think that about yourself. I am sure that we will find your talent. I also know that we will find you a way to get home, no matter how long it takes.”

“Twilight’s right, Avid.” I looked up at the demigoddess, “Everypony is special in their own way.”

I just nodded at the two of them while staring out the window. I’d had this same mindset for years and I’d heard the same thing for just as long. I didn’t notice Twilight’s smirk until she spoke.

“You know… Pinkie’s going to throw you a welcome party the day after we get back. She will probably tell everyone that you don’t have a cutie mark as well, so the cloak probably won't be necessary after that.”

My eyes shot open and I twisted my head back to look at her so fast, I was sure I could have gotten whiplash. GAH!! That’s right! How could I have forgotten like that? Maybe if I catch her before the party I can convince her not to tell anyone. Who am I kidding? Knowing that mare, she probably put it on the invitation… I’m doomed.

The two royalty in front of me just giggled as I ranted in my head. Celestia then stood, catching my attention.

“Sorry, but I’m afraid that we must stop here. It is time for me to lower the sun to end the day.”

Twilight looked out the window, “Goodness, is it really that late? I was hoping to get into the archives before going to bed, but I guess we will have to wait until tomorrow I guess.”

I looked out the window and saw that the sun was nearly touching the horizon at this point. Huh. Time flies when you’re talking to royalty. I looked to Twilight and agreed with her. I wasn’t really in the mood to look through musty tomes anyway. Celestia then motioned us towards the door, escorting us out.

“Twilight will show you to your room Avid.” She opened the door and we exited. Before we got too far, Celestia called me back. I walked back up to her, curious as to what she wanted. I soon found out, “I was wondering if you could tell me your other name.”

I nodded and then looked at the two guards. I motioned her to lower her head to my height so I could whisper. I whispered the name as softly as I could into her ear, hoping the guards didn’t hear. When she pulled her head back, she had a look of intrigue on her face.

“Fascinating name. Thank you for telling me Avid. Sleep well.”

I gave her a small bow, “Thank you Princess.” I then rejoined Twilight as we made our way to our rooms. There were plenty of rooms, but she ended up showing me to the room next to hers, saying that it was easier. I nodded in agreement and bade her a goodnight. We then went into our rooms. When I saw my room, I was a bit more prepared this time. It was very similar to my room at Twilight’s castle, the only differences being the colour scheme and that it was slightly bigger. The tea having calmed me down, I took off my cloak and hung it in the closet before going to the bed and laying down on it. It was just as soft as my bed a Twilight’s and it caused me to give out a long dreamy sigh. My panic doing its usual thing, I didn’t notice till then that I was still a little sore from my arrival. I decided to try and get some sleep. I put my glasses on the nightstand and rested my head on the pillow fell asleep pretty quickly after closing my eyes.

…

And then promptly woke up four hours later. In the dead of night.

Well, crud! There goes any chance of having a normal sleep cycle.

I had always hated naps. They always left me feeling groggy and sluggish, and it would always keep me awake so much longer than I wanted to be. I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes before going to the washroom and getting a drink of water. Since I didn’t really have anything to keep me occupied, I decided to go for a walk. I just hoped I didn’t get in trouble. I remembered from the walk through the castle that there was a door nearby that led to a small garden. I grabbed my glasses before quietly opened my door and looked to see if any guards were nearby. Not seeing any, I slipped out of my room and closed the door just as quietly as I had opened it. Trying to make my hoofsteps as silent as possible, I made my way to the door and out into the cool night air.The garden in front of me seemed like a small sanctuary. Much smaller than the Royal Gardens that the public saw. I was guessing that this was a private garden for just Celestia and Luna and obviously guests that were allowed to stay in their wings as it looked like there was only two doors that led there. I took in my surroundings and sighed. It was beautiful. Doubly so, bathed in the light of the full moon. It was diamond shaped with a pond in the center with a wooden bridge going across it, trees lining the small wall that looked out over the countryside, flowers lined the walls of the castle itself as well as the cobblestone pathway that wound around the whole garden, the main path leading from the door behind me to the one on the opposite wall that I assumed went to Luna’s section of the castle. I slowly walked the path towards the bridge, enjoying the cool night air with every breath, smelling the flowers as I passed them. When I reached the bridge, I rested my forehooves against the railing facing the open sky and looked out above the trees surrounding the garden.

The night sky in Equestria was breathtaking. The billions of stars above each shone with their own magnificence. Of course I didn’t recognize any constellations, but that didn’t bother me. I had always enjoyed the night. It was always so much more peaceful than the day in my opinion. I looked a little higher and saw the bright full moon. It was looked so much closer than I used to, I half expected an evil face to be on it. I chuckled to myself and continued to marvel at its beauty.

“Hello old friend.” I said to the moon. “Or is it new friend? I’m gonna stick to ‘old friend’ if that’s alright with you?”

Just looking at the serenity of the moon brought me to do something that I hadn’t done in a long time. Something I only did in the privacy of my own home because I was too self conscious to do it in a public setting.

Sing.

The only song that popped to mind was sort of a lullaby, but it was the only song I knew that was related to the night.

I started the way I always started. I closed my eyes and listened to the melody in my mind. As I listened to the intro to the song, it sounded a lot clearer than it usually did. I passed it off as my imagination and continued listening until it was time for the vocals.

Come little children

I’ll take thee away

Into a land of enchantment.

I surprised myself when I heard my voice. I wasn’t sure if it was because I was a pony now or if I just hadn’t really noticed while I was human, but my voice sounded better than I had ever heard it. I felt a little confidence flow through me, urging me to just sing my heart out. I was alone anyway, so why not?

Come little children

The time’s come to play,

Here in my garden of shadows.

I wasn’t fond of singing ‘oo’s’ and ‘ah’s’ so I just let them play in my head.

Follow sweet children

I’ll show thee the way

Through all the pain

And the sorrow.

Weep not poor children

For life is this way,

Murdering beauty and passion.

I was really getting into the song. It wasn’t a long one, but I always found that it lightened my self. And it actually was. As I sang, it felt like a weight was gradually being lifted. I thought I heard something but ignored it. I was having too much fun.

Hush now dear children

It must be this way

Too weary of life

And deception.

Rest now my children

For soon we’ll away

Into the calm and the quiet.

I listened again to the ‘oo’s’ and ‘ah’s’ again in my mind as I swayed along to the music that seemed to vibrate with my very being. I also barely registered that my face had broken out into a massive grin.

Come little children

I’ll take thee away

Into a land of enchantment.

Come little children

The time’s come to play

Here in my garden of shadows.

I let the music finish in my mind before letting out a sigh. I miss doing that. Opening my eyes, I looked back up to the moon before hearing a soft clapping behind me and to my left. Sure enough, there was somepony sitting behind me at the base of the bridge applauding me. And not just any pony. It was the Princess of the Night herself. I stood there stunned and let out a very unstallion-like ‘meep’ as I felt my entire face get warm.

She stopped clapping and set her armoured hooves back on the ground, “That was very beautiful.”

I didn’t think it possible, but my blush actually intensified upon receiving the compliment. My hind legs were starting to shake as I remained frozen to the spot.

“Pray, what is your name?” she asked softly.

“A-A-Av-Avid F-Fiction, Your Highness.”

She looked at me for a moment before what looked like recognition appeared on her face. “Ah. You are the one my sister spoke of last night. She mentioned that suddenly appeared in the middle of the Friendship Castle throne room. She also said you would be visiting with Twilight today.”

"T-That’s true, Y-Your Highness.”

“I must say that you have a beautiful singing voice, Avid Fiction.”

“T-Thank y-you, Your H-Highness. Y-You c-can just call m-me Avid, i-if you’d like.”

“Thank you, Avid. I will.” She smiled at me before looking to my flank. Out of an instinct I didn’t know was there, I moved my tail to cover my blank flank. She looked back up at me with surprise on her face. “It’s true! You don’t have a cutie mark! Why not?”

I finally turned away and looked down at my reflection in the pond. I released a small sigh, “Not everyone finds out what their special talent is in my world. I’m one of those. I don’t know what my special talent is and I’m probably not going to figure it out.” I gave my reflection a sad smile, “That’s okay though. I’ve resigned myself to that fact and try not to let it affect my everyday life too much.”

Suddenly, there was a metal-shod slap to my shoulder. A fairly hard slap. Uh… Ow! I looked back to see Luna right behind me. I hadn’t even heard her come up the bridge.

“Nonsense! You will find it in no time, I’m sure. What about singing? You are very talented in that regard.”

I shook my head, “I don’t think so. That’s just something I do when I’m truly bored. Or just working around my apartment. I’m sure it’s not that.”

She gave me a peculiar look that I couldn’t place before it switched into a warm smile. “Well, I am still sure you’ll figure it out.” Silence followed as we looked at the night sky. She then turned back to me, “Pray, why are you up at this late hour?”

I smiled, an embarrassed blush formed on my cheeks again as I rubbed the back of my neck, “Heh. Well, I kinda slept a long time last night after I appeared here, so when I tried to sleep tonight, I only got a nap instead.” I looked back at the night sky. “I don’t mind though. I’m more of a night owl anyway. I prefer the night to the daytime. The night is calm and peaceful, depending on where you are, and has a beauty that can’t be found anywhere else. I always feel content and comfortable looking at the night sky.”

When I finished my over-explanation to the simple question, I heard an odd sound. It sounded a lot like a squee that was trying to build but suppressed at the same time. I quickly figured out it was coming from the Lunar Princess next to me, just in time to be embraced in a bone crushing hug. Not only was I being suffocated and crushed by the demigoddess, I was also being deafened on one side by the high pitched squeal being projected into my ear.

“Finally!! Finally somepony truly understands! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!”

Having no air, all I could manage was a squeak. She looked at me curiously before realizing why I had reacted the way I did. She quickly released me and I took and large, exaggerated intake of breath. Once I could breath normally and had popped some joints back into place, I looked back at the embarrassed princess. I realized that she was quite adorable when embarrassed.

“My apologies, Avid Fiction. In my exuberance, I forgot my own strength.”

I shook my head, “No apologies necessary, Your Highness. I’m glad I could make you happy.”

She shook her head a little, “Please just call me Luna. You have earned it.”

The warmth returned to my cheeks once more for an encore, “I couldn’t possibly. I mean, it’s an honor, but I don’t think…”

She waved a hoof dismissively, “Nonsense. I insist.”

“O-Okay You… Luna.”

“Good. Now that that’s settled… You said you are from a different world? What’s that like?”

I nodded, “ More like another dimension actually. And honestly? It’s a little odd. I have to get used to a lot of new things. Magic being one of them. To be honest, with my love of the night, I’m surprised I didn’t turn into a Thestral when I was dropped here.”

That was when I noticed. One of Luna’s Thestral guards was standing at attention by the door to her suites. I’ll admit that I openly stared at the stallion. The way the moonlight was hitting him made him seem otherworldly. His dark purple and blue armour shone as brilliant as the stars as did his amber eyes. One could get lost in those eyes. I saw his tufted ears flicker in the light breeze the night had. What was exposed of his midnight blue coat shimmered and rippled in the breeze lightly.

Apparently, my blush was in high demand that night, as the familiar warmth crept back to my cheeks slowly the more I looked at the Thestral stallion. And as I looked, only one thing came to mind.

“Wow. He’s beautiful.” I said quietly, praying to any deity that he didn’t hear me.

He must have heard me, because his wings shuffled lightly. So did his hooves. And I could have sworn he was blushing. He couldn’t have possibly have heard that. Could he?

Luna had followed my gaze when I first zoned out and she grew a playful smirk when she heard my whisper. Then as if reading my thoughts, she whispered to me, “Just so you know, young Avid…” She paused for a few seconds to look back at the now very uncomfortable guard, “He heard that.”

My blush actually went all the way to my ears after hearing that and my eyes went wide. I quickly turned my head away and looked back at my reflection in the pond. That was when Luna decided to start laughing rather loudly at my expense. She continued for several minutes and had fallen over clutching her sides from all the laughing. Meanwhile my face was trying to decide if it should just stay permanently red, just to save me the trouble. Eventually her laughter died down enough that she could regain her breath and stand. As her chuckles weaned off, she wiped her eyes dry with a handkerchief she must have summoned from somewhere else. I REALLY need to learn magic!

“Heehee. I am sorry Avid, but the… setup was too perfect.” She chuckled a couple more times, while wiping away a few more tears.

I just continued to stare at the pond the whole time and I wasn’t stopping anytime soon. “I-It’s alright Luna. A-As you s-said, I r-really set myself up for that.” How was I supposed to know Thestrals had such good hearing?!

After she had completely calmed down, that smirk came back. “You know, Avid, I don’t know what his preference is, but if you’d like, I could introduce you.” She wiggled her eyebrows at me as she said that.

I started to shake my head and wave my hooves profusely, “Nononononononononono!! That is quite alright! I think I have embarrassed myself enough for one night.” Did he just sigh in relief? Nah. I must be seeing things. Wouldn’t blame him though.

She put up her hooves, “Alright, alright. I was just jesting with you. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable.” She proceeded to give me a light hug.

I hugged her back. “It’s alright Luna. I just get flustered easily.”

She let go of me and looked down at me. As she looked, she got such a look of realization that I could almost quite literally see the light bulb go off.

“I just realized. You must have been the source of that odd dream I saw last night. It had the oddest creature in it sitting on a beach.”

The previous night's dream came back to me, “Yeah, that was me. At least, that is what I used to look like.”

“Hmm. I thought so. Until you arrived, I had only seen them before the odd time in some mare’s dreams.”

If the fanfiction I had read back home were any indication, I had a good idea who that mare was. Out of nowhere, I gave a huge yawn.

“Oh. Excuse me. I think all the embarrassment has worn me out. If it’s okay with you, I think that I am going to go back to bed.”

She smiled, “Of course. Go get some rest. Until we meet again, Avid.”

I nodded to her, “Goodnight then, Luna.” I turned to the guard and shouted, “And I’m really sorry for what I said.” It looked like he mumbled something as he looked away.

I looked to Luna for clarification, “He said it’s no problem and thanks you for the compliment. I think he also muttered something about not being bad yourself.”

And just when I thought it was finally departing for the night, the blush crept back to my cheeks. I looked to the guard and he looked as shocked as I did. He then turned to Luna, “Excuse me, Your Highness, but I did not say that. Could you please stop tormenting the lad?”

She let out an airy whinny, “Fine.” She said back to him before turning back to me, “Stick in the mud.” She said under her breath.

I giggled politely as she pouted about her fun being taken away. “Goodnight Luna.” I said with a smile as I headed back to my room.

“Goodnight Avid.”

Slipping quietly back into my room, I took off my glasses and laid down on the bed once more. As I laid there drifting into slumber for the second time that night, I thought about Luna. Despite being thoroughly and utterly embarrassed, she was a lot of fun to be around. I could also believe that she now thought of me as a friend. That thought made my chest warm. I knew that after all the talking we did, Twilight and I were now friends, but that was it. Maybe Spike, but maybe not because of all the teasing I did. And now Luna. I certainly didn’t expect to become friends with the Princess of the Night. That Thestral guard was really cute, but I didn’t want to expand on that since I would probably be going home soon. Thinking about leaving Equestria made me feel weird. Did I not want to leave? Could I just stay here? What about my parents? The only thing I was certain of at the moment was that I was tired. Pushing all thoughts from my mind, I relaxed, closed my eyes and fell into slumberland. Better to wait to see what tomorrow brings.