The storm continued to rage outside. Debris would occasionally hit the window by my bed, more than often leaving a small crack. I'll have to tell Twilight about that later. I'm laying back on my bed just thinking about everything that's happened in the past couple of days. Rainbow is next to me looking out the window. We sit in silence as I stare at the ceiling enjoying each other's company. It'll be a while before I can consider Rainbow a true friend, but for now she's the closest thing I have to a friend.

"Hey you two." Twilight emerges from the doorway and breaks the silence. "Applejack and I are making dinner down here if you want some."

At that very second my stomach rumbles and I realize I haven't eaten since this morning. I hop off the bed, almost knocking Rainbow over, and I make my way past Twilight. I head downstairs where a I find a strong scent of apples coming from the kitchen. When I turn the corner into the kitchen I see Applejack cooking anything and everything you can with apples.

"Well howdy there Josh! I don't believe we've properly met. Ah'm Applejack, pleasure to meet ya." She says as she extends a hoof. I accept it only for her to nearly shake my arm off. I back away slightly rubbing my shoulder. "Heh yeah, same to you." I say as I sit down at the table.

Rainbow and Twilight enter soon after and sit down across from me. Applejack places a ton of apple products on the table and sits next to me.

"Alright everypony, dig in!" She exclaims as she takes a huge bite out of a piece of pie. I wince when I notice a pitcher of what appears to be apple cider on the middle of the table. I'm not old enough to drink alcohol and even if I was, there's no way I'd intoxicate myself and lose my ability to think straight.

"Uh, could we please not have that?" I say as I point at the pitcher. The three girls give me odd stares and stop eating at my request.

"Now why the hay would we do that!?" Rainbow yells with edge in her voice. "The cider is the best part!"

"I don't mean to offend but, I hate alcohol and I prefer not to be around anybody that drinks it." I say as I begin to stand from the table. Applejack puts a hoof on my shoulder and pulls me back into my seat.

"Now sugarcube, there ain't no alcohol in Apple Family Cider! We're a family friendly farm. Ain't any alcohol in our products." She says as she gives me a friendly smile. I suppose I'm ok with this new revelation. I take the pitcher hesitantly, but proceed to poor a glass of cider. I take a sip of the liquid and immediately my eyes shoot open in delight. This has to be the best thing I've ever tasted! And she told the truth, I can't taste even a hint of alcohol.

"This is incredible!" I exclaim as I drain the glass. I reach for the pitcher to get some more when a cyan hoof slaps my hand away.

"Hey save some for us!" Rainbow yells in a playful manner. It still feels weird that she isn't trying to insult me every time she talks. We bonded a little in Twilight's room as I told her my story about losing Amber and the initial outbreak of the virus.

I bump my hip on Applejack as I shift in my seat and music starts blaring from my pocket. I reach down and pull out my phone which started playing a song.

"Sorry, it was just my phone." I say nonchalantly. I go back to eating only to look up at everyone. All three of them are staring at me with a mixture of shock and awe in their expressions.

"What... was that." Rainbow exclaims as she slowly pokes a hoof at my phone on the table. "It sounded so awesome!"

"It was just my phone... Oh, wait, you guys don't have this kind of technology do you?" I say as I unlock my phone. It's still got a good amount of battery left, about three-fourths. "It's called a phone and it started playing music when it bumped into Applejack."

Twilight lets out an annoying squeal and attempts to yank the phone out of my hands. "Oh my Celestia! Human technology! Oh this is so exciting I have so many questions!" She starts to ramble off a bunch of questions that tune out while I finish my dinner.

"Twilight!" I yell when I finish. She finally stops rambling long enough for me to talk. "How about I show you guys how this thing works if you promise to not spew off a ton of questions.

"Oh yes! Deal!" She squees in excitement, which I'll admit is a little bit cute. We finish dinner and walk back into the main part of the library where Twilight sets up a table and four chairs for us. A thought occurs to me when I count the amount of chairs and realize someone is missing.

"Hey Twilight." I say getting her attention. "Where's Spike?" She looks a little concerned but that expression is replaced instantaneously with an expression of remembrance.

"Oh, Spike? He was helping Rarity at her shop, but I guess he's going to be stuck there for a while, what with the storm and all."

"Oh hm, I don't know a Rarity but... whatever." I say as I sit down at the table. Rainbow sits next to me while Applejack and Twilight sit across from us. Twilight pulls over a quill and scrolls and begins to take notes.

"Okay, just so we don't go overboard, I'll allow each of you to ask two questions. Anything else I show you will be on my own free will." With that I unlock the phone, sliding my thumb across the screen, ending with the all too familiar *click* I look to my right towards Rainbow. "Okay, you first." I nod my head towards her.

"Ok um, What was that music that started playing. It sounded totally awesome!" She exclaims, already getting excited. I open the music app and select the song that had played briefly in the kitchen. The song was a famous rock song back before the whole apocalypse started. I often listened to it when I was alone at the warehouse.

When the song died off after a few minutes, each of the ponies had different expressions on their faces. Twilight was just excited to be learning about human culture, Applejack had a small, yet approving smile, and Rainbow had the best expression of all. Her jaw had completely dropped and she stared with wide eyes at my now silent phone. The only thing she says is "Whoa..."

"Okay Twilight, your turn." I say as I point the phone towards Twilight.

"Oh of course! I want to know if there is any kind of records on your species that I could possibly study." She gives a nervous grin when I give her a weird look. I have no problem learning about me or my race, but she is such a nerd about it.

"I can't say I have any kind of historical records..." Twilight's grin falls into a frown at my words. "...but I do have some fiction books on here." Twilight perks up immediately with the biggest smile I've ever seen.

"It has books on it!?" She yells excitedly as she rips the phone with her magic. She tries desperately to swipe across the screen, trying to imitate what I had done. Her excitement quickly died down when she realized that the screen won't respond to her hoof.

"Calm down Twilight gees." I chuckle as I reach over to her and retrieve my phone. "The screen only responds to skin, so only I can use it unless you use your nose." I explain. Twilight gives a nervous chuckle and blushes.

"Okay Applejack, what do you want to know." I finally get around to AJ.

"Well gees, Ah don't know much 'bout your gizmo there. Why don't you just show us something cool?" She asks. I take this opportunity to use one of my favorite features on the phone. As I open the desired app, Rainbow puts in her two cents. "Yeah, books are boring, what else can that thing do!?"

A small Rainbow moves on the screen of my phone as I hit play. "Yeah, books are boring, what else can that thing do!?" The image of Rainbow states. All three of the ponies look shocked for the umpteenth time. I've seen a small projector in Twilight's room but it was nothing compared to a cell phone. It isn't much of a surprise that the three mares are shocked.

"Whoa, now that's what I'm talking about!" Rainbow points a hoof at the phone. She obviously liked seeing herself talk, what with her huge ass ego. I accidentally open the photo album which opens up to the same photo that I had been looking at in the bedroom. My heart leaps into my throat when I see the picture, tears already starting to well up in my eyes. I drop the phone on the table, my hand shaking. Twilight moves the phone over to herself and the other two mare look up the photo. All three of their smiles quickly turn into frowns. Twilight and Applejack give me empathetic looks, but Rainbow nudges her muzzle up against my side in what I assume is supposed to be a comforting manner for ponies. I mess with her hair and try to put on a fake smile.

"We should... head on to sleep now." I say, obviously tired from the emotional stress I'd been through. The others agree and we head up stairs. I hop in to bed and watch as Applejack and Twilight jump into bed together. I'd consider it weird if they weren't close friends. I roll over on my side only to feel a warm mass push into my back. I roll over to see Rainbow laying next to me, staring up at the ceiling. There's barely enough room for me alone, with her on the bed I hardly have any room.

"Rainbow... what the hell are you doing? I'm not sleeping with you." I say slightly annoyed

"Well where should I sleep? The floor?" She has a point, there's only two beds here and unless she wants to sleep on the floor, she has to sleep on my bed.

"I... fine whatever." I express, too tired to really care at the moment. "Just don't try anything..." I say looking at her. I've already picked up on the fact that she likes to make 'dirty' jokes. Hopefully she won't try to pull anything.

"Shut up and go to sleep already, idiot." She playfully punches my shoulder and rolls over, her back facing me.

I try to get over the fact I'm sleeping with not only a girl, but a pony. I'm too tired to really care though.

I'm about to drift off to sleep when a blood-curdling scream emits from just outside the library...

Author's Note

Whoa! Cliffhanger!

My longest chapter yet! Because I had the time and this chapter was really fun to write.

Oh, and I love reading your comments. So if you have anything you want to say or ask, leave a comment!

Anyway, I hope you continue to enjoy!

...Also, 10,000 Words! Woo!