Canter On, My Wayward Colt
Chapter 1
To put it bluntly, Adam didn't give a damn what people thought of him. He had enough problems with his self-esteem, so he wasn't about to let a group of entitled, snobby preps tell him how to live his life. Now, Adam was an introvert. But, this only meant his time was most enjoyed when he was by himself. There were few people he held dear in his life and, outside of his family, he had precisely one friend.
That was Netflix.
He was an only child, so there were no siblings to keep him company, but his parents were loving. They were also surprisingly young, his mother being a spry 37 and his father at 38. Adam's family was a happy one and he was fairly content with his life so far. So, not giving a damn what people said leads to another topic. Adam is also a Brony.
Often enough, he showed it off with pride, even in the midst of those on their high horse, so to speak. But, that's one thing that set him apart from others. He had enough respect from most of the other people in his school that they didn't mess with him. Often enough, they at least acted like they tolerated him. That didn't stop the animadversions they whispered behind his back, though.
Currently, it was nearly half past seven and the sun was slowly dipping below the horizon, bathing the world in its dying, crimson light. He stood in front of a mirror, scrutinizing himself. At seventeen, he wasn't muscular or scrawny; just average. He stood at five feet, ten inches, which he found impressive for some unknown reason. Bright, cyan blue eyes sat behind a pair of rectangular, frame-less glasses.
Had it been its original color, his hair would have been black. But, as it were, he had long ago decided to keep it bleached stark white. He ran a hand through it to push it back, but a few strands fell over his forehead, just above his eyebrows. His outfit matched his color pallet, as well. A grey half-zipping sweater covered a cobalt blue t-shirt and a pair of loose fitting jeans constituted his clothes.
Satisfied with how he looked, he nodded to his reflection and headed downstairs. In the celerity of a well-followed routine, he slid down the stairway and snatched the keys from a nearby table. "Heading out," he called.
First, it was his father who called back, "Be careful."
Then, his mother, from the kitchen, "Stay safe, sweetie."
"Got it."
Out the front door, he went. The air was light and cool, the late September wind easing a crisp breeze through it. Adam slid into the driver's seat of a 2009 Honda Accord. It wasn't one of those fancy cars that a lot of other students drove, but he was thankful that he hadn't had to buy his own. The engine came to life with a turn of his wrist.
One fifteen minute car ride found his at the edge of a wooded area. Adam got out and walked down the trail trod out by previous hikers, long abandoned by suburbia. He breathed the scent of summer, slowly being replaced by autumn. It was a combination of soil, fallen leaves, and a smell that could only be described as "the forest." At first, he simply walked, feeling the crunch of leaves beneath him.
But, then, he began slowing to fit a tempo, kicking the leaves in a rhythm, singing softly, "Trot with me through the autumn leaves, and keep close to stay warm. Soon you'll see how much you mean to me. Feelings I've never felt before."
And the rest was left to his mind.
The trees around him thinned in number and, soon enough, broke into a clearing. It was clifftop overlooking the hilly landscape. By then, the sun had given way to the nighttime and stars set the sky alight. Adam laid in his back near the edge, tall, wispy grass surrounded him. He looked up, gazing at, into, and beyond the moon and stars.
This was his escape. An escape from everyday life. It was how he spent his Friday nights to relieve stress from school, his job, and just people in general. A normal Friday night would usually result in him napping until about midnight, then driving home.
But, fortunately enough, it wasn't a normal Friday night. You know how sometimes when you try to fall asleep and then you feel like you're falling, so you jolt awake? Well, that's happened to Adam, and he just so happened to jolt the wrong way. It sent him careening down the cliff face. He didn't have time to even panic before he blacked out.
Everypony needed some rest.
Who wouldn't after defeating some crazy hoard of changelings and their even crazier queen? Twilight Sparkle sighed in relief at the familiar sight of the Golden Oak Library, her home. Spike was sound asleep on her back, snoring lightly. She had hardly opened the door when Pinkie Pie, of all ponies, sped towards her. Her and her friends had only parted ways a few minutes ago, so it was entirely possible she forgot something.
"Twilight!" she shrieked.
Spike was startled awake and slid off of her back with a tired moan. Before anything else could happen, Spike slid into the library silently. "What's the matter, Pinkie?" she asked.
The pink pony bounced on her hooves, a freaked-out look on her face. "Pinkie Sense, big! Thing, big thing, maybe lotsa things!" she gasped, "Or lotsa big things-!"
"Hey, calm down," Twilight said, now concerned for her friend, "Tell me, in calm and collected thoughts, what the hay you're talking about."
At first, Pinkie heaved in deep, exaggerated breaths, but slowly calmed down, "My Pinkie Sense went off a while ago and it was big! I think I hit something, too, but I'm not sure. I dunno what it's gonna be, but I know it's gonna be big."
Again with the Pinkie Sense. Twilight resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She accepted the fact that her Pinkie Sense was, in fact, a thing that everypony acknowledged, but Twilight believed that there was a logical explanation. But, it was one of Pinkie's many quirks and she fully accepted it. Anyway, at that very moment, a gaping hole opened in the sky, a bit outside of Ponyville; a tear in the very fabric of their reality.
"Oh," Pinkie gasped in realization, "That's what it was."
"What is it?" the violet mare asked.
Pinkie smiled widely, "The fourth wall."
"What?"
"What?"
There was a pause between them and Twilight gave the other mare a puzzled look. "Well," Twilight started hesitantly, "We should go see what it is."
Everything on Adam hurt.
The throbbing pressure in his shoulders and lower back spread to his fingers and toes. A groan scraped out of his throat like the hiss of steam. Slowly, he rolled onto his side and pushed himself up off the ground. Stumbling to his feet, he tried to gain his bearings. Everything was blindingly colorful.
From the tint of the green grass and trees to even the slate of the road, it was like everything wanted to hurt his retinas. And he wasn't too sure that they'd failed, either, because the second thing that he noticed were two very familiar figures sprinting- or better yet, galloping- towards him. He murmured to himself, "No..."
They were a little closer now. It was simply too much for his mind to take, "This is actually happening right now."
He glanced around and it made sense. This was not Earth, but Equestria. Adam's pulse began rising and he breathed a little harder. But, how am I supposed to get home? His eyes remained on Twilight and Pinkie as they got closer and closer to him.
Twilight's pulse was rising as well. She had no idea what this was. The figure was bipedal for sure, but it wasn't like anything she'd seen; nothing like an Ursa Minor or Major. She could only hope to Celestia that it wasn't anything bad. When her and Pinkie arrived, Adam looked at them, thoroughly shocked, as if he'd seen a ghost.
"Um," she began as friendly as she could, "Hi. My name is Twilight Sparkle, and this is Pinkie Pie. What's yours?"
And, with that, he collapsed. "Oh my," she looked to her side, nervously, "Um, how about we get you to ponyville..."
The purple mare concentrated, closing her eyes in the process, and her horn glowed with the same pale purple color of her fur. Adam was surrounded by this energy and levitated off the ground. Pinkie looked at the human in wonder, "Ooh, what is it?"
"I don't know, Pinkie. We'll have to see when they wake up," they began walking back, "I'll watch over them until then. You go home and get some rest."
"You sure, Twilight?"
"Absolutely. I'll bet you need the rest," she said.
Pinkie hesitated for a moment, donning a concerned expression, "Okay, but if you need me, I'm right on Sugarcube Corner."
"Alright. I'll get you if I need you."
"Pinkie Promise...?" she tested.
Twilight, in response, chortled. She lifted her right hoof, crossed it over her heart, and put it over her eye, "Pinkie Promise."
With a refreshing deep breath and a smile, Pinkie's normal bubbly attitude returned, "Okie Dokie Loki! See you when they wake up."
As the pink pony bounced in the direction of Sugarcube Corner, Twilight responded, "See you."
Twilight went back towards the Golden Oak Library, Adam in tow, hovering above the ground. She was still concerned that he (not that she had been aware that he was a he at all) may be a threat, but, to be honest, she didn't feel like he was. It was a strange feeling and she'd had misconceptions about others before. When she came to the door, it was no real chore to get him through the door. If she had to guess, she was probably a little more than half his height on all four hooves.
It would be laying him somewhere that would present a challenge. They're probably too tall for the bed. I may have to scrunch them up on the couch, as rude as it may seem. And that's actually not what happened. Barely, and just barely, she managed to fit him on her bed. His feet came over the edge just a bit, but otherwise, it was a decent fit. "Now," Twilight yawned, "we wait."
It wasn't long before she simply drifted into sleep. Gee, who'd have thought that fighting a swarm of changlings and their queen, all while celebrating the wedding of her brother, could be so exhausting? Briefly, before slumber took her, she wondered just where Spike was before dismissing it in favor of sweet sleep. She had the most interesting dream about books that had wings, a glass of water, and a dark figure hovering over her. The figure chuckled a little in a distorted voice before vanishing with her dream.
Twilight awoke to Celestia lifting the sun above the horizon. She looked to the bed and found its occupant still present. With a waking deep breath and stretch, she got up and went down to the kitchen area (really, with a library as a home, it was very small) for breakfast. She filled a kettle with water and turned on the stove. There were a few tea leaves left, which she promptly used her magic to crumple up.
It made her remember that a trip to the market would soon be needed. Twilight also wondered when the fascinating creature currently in her bed might awaken.
And that's when she heard a thud.
Now, in terms of weird dreams, the one he just had took the cake. Adam had no idea how his mind managed to be so vivid. He chalked it up to Netflix and got out of bed; or, more accurately, fell out of bed. Sitting up, he looked down at his feet, Since when do I sleep with my shoes on...? Geez, how late was I getting home?
Adam groggily got up, mumbling to himself almost incoherently, and went down the stairs. In his sleep-hazed mind, it was odd that the whole house smelled like old books. But, once again, his logic remained beneath the murk and dust of early morning. Twilight, upon seeing him, thought that he might need something to drink and quickly prepared a glass of water.
From her place at the stove, Twilight levitated the glass to him. With a mumble, he accepted and chugged the whole thing in one go. The fact that he possessed fingers that weren't clawed fascinated her. "Thanks, Twilight," he said, but paused where he stood.
Ever so slowly, his eyes widened. His gaze turned to her, obviously stupefied, and somewhat frightened. "Twilight?!" he squealed.
Then, he started babbling almost unintelligibly, "Bu- I don't- how did I? And how did you? The thing- I don't even kno-" he paused to gasp dramatically, then whispered, "The pandering!"
"Excuse me," Twilight interrupted, "Are you okay... mister... missus...?"
That alone got him laughing.
He gasped words through his laughter, "I'm in Equestria. With Twilight, of all ponies. Asking me just what the hell I am!"
It may have taken a bit, but finally, he calmed down enough to speak, "I'm sorry. That was probably a bit rude of me. I'm okay, and I'm certainly male. I'm... I'm Adam."
"Very nice to meet you, Adam," she then called out, "Spike!"
The baby dragon came slowly out of nowhere. No, really, Adam had no idea where Spike came from. But, ignoring that, Spike rubbed the sleep from his eyes, "Yeah? Why'd you wake me up so..."
Adam raised a hand and waved ever so slightly, an awkward look on his face. With a sigh, he produced a paper and quill, "Letter to Celestia, I guess?"
"Yes," she paused before beginning, "'Dear Princess Celestia, I have run into an odd creature that may be cause for concern. He stands on two legs, has unclawed fingers, and he's... hairless...?' Uh, 'I thought that perhaps, you know what he is. I await your response as I keep an eye on him. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.' Got it?"
"Mm... Ngh," Spike's tongue stuck out in concentration, "... Spar-kle. There! All done."
He took a deep breath and blew green fire onto the scroll, sending it on its way to Celestia. There fell, then, a silence that was palpable, immalleable. Adam rocked lightly on his heels, looking side to side, "So... Now, what?"
A belch and a second of fire later, found a response from Celestia. Both Twilight and Adam looked at the letter, surprised. Twilight spoke, "That was-"
"-quick," Adam finished.
He knew that the Alicorn princess responded to Twilight quickly in most cases, but that was strangely quick. Twilight brought the letter in front of her and it read:
'My Dearest, Most Faithful Student, Twilight, I'm unhappy to inform you that I've never encountered a being quite like the one you've described. I've made arrangements for you and your friends to pay me a visit in Canterlot so that I may see this new being as soon as possible. Sincerely, Your Teacher, Princess Celestia.'
"Fantastic," Adam, who'd been reading over Twilight's shoulder, didn't sound very enthused, "So, we're off to Canterlot?"
"Yep," Twilight closed the scroll, "Have you ever been there?"
Admittedly, it wasn't a very smart question on Twilight's part, seeing as whatever Adam was more than likely didn't exist here in Equestria, but she didn't know that. For all she knew, there was some sort of remote island in the far corners of the world that held his kind. The question, in Adam's eyes, was easy to answer without truly lying. It was best he avoided telling too much about Earth. "No. But, I have heard of it. My world... had its own version," he said.
So, not a total lie. Not the full truth, but not a lie. He sighed, "I don't know where I am, so this Celestia sounds like she's the best option to get out of here."
Twilight responded, "Well, we have to go get my friends so we can tell them to prepare."
"Okay, then."
The mare took the kettle from the stove, sighing, "No time for tea, I guess. Come on, Adam."
He nodded and they headed out the door. As they walked the streets of Ponyville, Adam noticed the stares. They were different from the ones he normally got. Instead of the judgmental bombardment he was used to from his peers, he received curious glances and bewildered, jaw dropped ponies' faces. He pushed his glasses up his nose and crossed his arms.
The morning was cold.
"Who knows, maybe you'll make some friends while your here," Twilight suddenly said, "I mean, there're a lot of friendly ponies here in Ponyville and I'm sure the others will like you."
"Uh, I don't really do the whole 'friend' thing," Adam shifted his gaze away from the purple mare, "There are people- or, in your case, ponies- I like, and that's about as far as it goes."
"You mean, you don't have any friends?" she asked.
"I don't see the point," he explained.
"Why?"
Adam was silent for a moment. Sure, it would be nice to have made acquaintance with the Mane 6, but would he go as far as to call any of them his friends? He hadn't called anyone his friend since middle school. Finally, he answered, "My time is best enjoyed by myself. I don't have much fun with others, is all."
Twilight saddened a little at this, "But, surely, you must want friends sometimes, right? There are so many nice ponies out there."
"My world is different from your world, Twilight," her name on his lips tasted foreign to conversation, "In my world, nearly everyone is stone-hearted. They judge you by what you wear, what you eat, what you look like... They judge you for being you. And then they shove their drama in your face because you're their 'friend'. I don't do that to me, so why risk enjoying the company of anyone other than myself?"
Twilight didn't have an answer for that before they came to their first destination. They both entered Sugarcube Corner silent. Mrs. Cake gave a puzzled glance to Adam before facing Twilight. "Hello, there, Twilight. What can I do for you?" she asked joyfully.
"Hi, Mrs. Cake," she replied, "Is Pinkie Pie awake yet?"
Before she could receive an answer, Pinkie herself barrelled down the stairs. She gasped exaggeratedly, "It's awake!"
Adam tried inserting himself, "Uh, 'he'..."
Of course, the party pony had either chosen to ignore him or just plain didn't hear him. Pinkie simply continued, invading Twilight's personal space in the process, "What's he like, Twilight? Does he like parties? Does he like cupcakes? Did he try anything? Have you introduced him to everypony in Ponyville yet?"
So she had heard him. Twilight chuckled and motioned to Adam, "This is Adam, and-"
Pinkie repeated everything to him, all while bouncing to keep at eye level. Adam's tense shoulders drooped, ever so slightly, as he released a slight chuckle. He knew the pink pony's antics well enough that this didn't surprise him. "I can't really say I've really liked parties-"
Another exaggerated gasp, even bigger than before, "What?! How can anypony not like a party? Parties are the most fantabulawesome, funtastic thing to have!"
Adam scratched the back of his head, looking around the room now, "I don't do too well in crowds."
Twilight, thankfully, cut in, "Sorry, Pinkie, but we came here to tell you that Princess Celestia wants all of us to bring Adam to Canterlot. She's arranged for us to take the Ponyville Express there."
"Really?" Pinkie turned to Twilight, "Wow! Back to Canterlot. Good thing I didn't unpack yet."
The human watched them converse. Of course Pinkie wouldn't consider this any sort of inconvenience. She was optimistic in every sense of the word. It was a trait he somewhat longed for. Before he knew it, he had spaced out long enough for them to have finished their conversation and Pinkie to bounce back up the stairs.
Twilight and he left Sugarcube Corner, her in the lead. "I told her to grab some of my other friends and meet us at the station in an hour. But, see? Making friends is easy, and not everyone is out to hurt you."
Adam merely hummed in response and looked to the ground, crossing his arms again. People he trusted were few and far between, but this was different. He enjoyed Friendship is Magic and these were characters he loved come to life suddenly. They were real now, right? So, should he follow his instinct to exclude them?
It felt like he really knew these ponies and they weren't like people. They wouldn't hurt him like people would, would they?
Perhaps not.
They came to another building that was less pink and looked a bit more upper class. Posh might be the right word. Adam recognized the Carousel Boutique almost immediately. For the sake of his persona, he asked, "This another one of your friends' places?"
"Yep," she answered, "This is where my good friend, Rarity, lives. She's a designer here in Ponyville, and she's one of the most generous ponies I know."
That hint drop, though, he joked inwardly. Ah, yes; Rarity. Adam hadn't really paid much attention to the mare on her own in the show. He liked her as much as the others, but she was far from being best pony. But, to be honest, there was no "best pony" for him.
It was both too bothersome a decision for him to make and somewhat pointless in his mind. There was a group of ponies he liked above the others, but not a single "best pony". Among his musings, he missed Twilight knocking on the door and Rarity answering the door. The white mare opened her door and smiled. "Oh, good morning, Twilight. How are we today, da-" she stopped at seeing Adam, "Oh, hello to you, too. Twilight, darling, do come in."
They entered, Adam having to dip his head ever so slightly. It was bigger than he imagined it, despite his compared height. "I'm Adam," he waved awkwardly.
While Twilight sat in a chair, Adam stood. It was a thing he did. Just a product of his awkwardness. A white hoof was offered to him, "Rarity. A pleasure to meet you, Adam."
A little chuckled bubbled out as he shook it. "I must say, you have a good eye for color. I do love the grey on blue," she said, "But, it's rather- how do I put it- plain."
Twilight smiled nervously. From her earlier conversation, Adam may not appreciate such comments on his clothes. "Plain?" the human asked.
He didn't sound displeased, but she was becoming nervous. "Why, yes," Rarity responded matter-of-factly, "You simply must allow me to put together something more fittingly extravagant for you, darling."
Adam, for one, liked his clothes. However, for the sake of being polite, he tried one thing, "Sorry, but I don't have any of your currency."
But, to be expected from the Element of Generosity, she didn't let up, "I know that very well. A welcoming gift never hurt anypony, wouldn't you say?"
Okay, it was time for a cop out, "Well, I think I'm already pretty extravagant the way I am. My clothes are fine."
The purple mare smiling nervously in the chair behind Adam could hear the irritation growing in his voice. Rarity sighed, "Very well. I suppose sometime in the future, you may yet have need of my expertise. Just remember that I'm only a heart's beat away."
Adam couldn't help but replace his blank expression with a smile. It wasn't every day that he came across someone who knew when to stop. But, it was sad, really. Once he reached Celestia, he'd be going home. No second visit for him.
So, before he had to lie his way out of a second visit, Twilight spoke, "Now, about why we're here..."
A brief explanation and farewell later, Twilight and Adam were on their way again. "Alright," Twilight said, "That was probably enough time for Pinkie to gather up Applejack and Fluttershy. Let's meet her at Rainbow Dash's."
"Alright, then," Adam replied.
For the most part, the trip was silent. The human still couldn't wrap his head around his current situation, as calm as he was acting. To him, it sounded like a bad fan fiction plot. Most of the 'human-in-Equestria' fictions he read weren't quite up to par with his taste in story. Although, he did have pretty high standards.
But, now that he was actually there, it was more than he could handle. Honestly, he wanted to prove that, if push came to shove, the ponies were no different from the humans. No. He didn't want that. It was his stubbornness and pride that wanted it.
Why are these ponies so damn nice?! Only this morning did he wake up and Twilight Sparkle herself was taking him to Canterlot to see Celestia. She could've just been satisfied that he wasn't dead and sent him on his way. He wasn't any sort of kin to her, so why the hell was she so invested in finding out about him. He couldn't do anything for her; hell, sometime in the future, she'd be an Alicorn.
"Here we are, Adam," Twilight stopped him.
They were at the base of a hill with a mailbox standing by itself. Adam put his hands in his pockets, looked up, and breathed, "Rainbow Dash..."