"Christ, she is a mess, ain't she?" Hutton said, staring at the wreck of Hutton's Holly-Marie. He wore his flight uniform and jacket, the items having been returned to him after he was discharged from the hospital. The staff took it upon them to repair any damage done to the garments. A few days had passed since Hutton and Scalpel bonded in the grotto. In those days, Hutton was more open and cooperative, especially when Twilight had come to visit him again. During their conversation, Twilight learned that Hutton did indeed come from the same world she had previously visited, but he came from a time before her visit.

"Canterlot High? Yeah, they made every newspaper headline across the country. The Wondercolts had beaten Crystal Prep in the game of the century! Some called it 'The Winter Miracle'. The game was so closely watched, it overshadowed the Reds-Tigers World Series!"

During her visit to the human world, Twilight had studied up on the local history in her attempt to learn as much as she could about humans. She had read that The Winter Miracle had happened in the year 1940, and the aged victory banner hung proudly in the main lobby of CHS. During her readings, she also learned of two terrible wars that enveloped entire countries, but there hadn't been a conflict like it since, so she brushed it aside to learn more recent history and cultures.

Now, she wished she hadn't glazed over such big details in human history.

Approaching the wrecked bomber, Hutton rested a hand against the tarnished nose art that adorned the right of the bomber's nose. A brunette-headed female model sat mostly nude with her back to the viewer, her hazelnut eyes glancing over her shoulder as a hand slipped one of the straps of her brazer off her shoulder in a suggestive manner. A teasing smile barely showed over her shoulder. Below her and over her hidden shoulder, the words Hutton's Holly-Marie were emblazoned across the battered surface in a delicate, cursive font with bright red coloring.

"Poor girl..." Hutton muttered. Scalpel stood nearby, appreciating the artwork, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"Interesting art, wouldn't you say, Princess?" he asked. Twilight, on the other hand, was doing her best to avert her gaze as best as she could. She knew all the human female form all too well, having been thrust into it during her visit, and to see it in such a manner brought a furious blush to her cheeks.

"Yes, interesting. Can we move on?" she asked impatiently. The two males glanced at her, sharing a chuckle as they made their way through the wreckage.

"So, who is she?" Twilight asked. A smile crept across Hutton's lips.

"She's my girl. Holly-Marie Langley." he said. "We got engaged right before I..." he trailed off. "Ah hell...she probably thinks I'm...well, dead." he realized, looking at the two ponies. The two of them exchanged glances. Twilight cleared her throat.

"Well, it will be no issue to get you home actually." she said. Hutton stopped and looked at her.

"What do you mean?" he asked simply.

"The mirror I used to get to your world. If I recall, it is still in working condition. There is one snag however," she started. Hutton rolled a hand for her to continue. "It will need some severe re-calibrations for you to enter your time, and time-travel is one tricky field of magic. I can't do it alone, but I do know others who can lend their help." she continued.

"Well, that sounds promising. How soon can you start?" Hutton pressed. Twilight stopped to take a moment to think it over.

"With some luck, five months." she said. All goes quiet.

"Five months?" Hutton asks, emphasizing the question, an eyebrow raised in disbelief.

"Well, yes! Myself, my pupil, Star-Swirl, Sunburst, and the Princesses will all have to collaborate on this subject, not to mention trying to line up our schedules will be tricky as well, as we are all busy ponies. It will take a while to even lock down the two timelines for the transfer to even be considered. Time travel maybe science fiction where you're from, but here? It's a real idea, one that must be tread with carefulness." Twilight warned. Huttons' shoulders sagged, a feeling of temporary defeat jolting through his being.

"We will cross that bridge when we get to it, Hutton. But for now, why not enjoy the local life? Maybe explain to us what this thing is?" Scalpel suggested as he gestured to the wrecked bomber.

The bomber sat in the field undisturbed, by request of Twilight, during Hutton's hospitalization. Guards were posted at the crash site around the clock, turning away the curious eyes of civilians. Given the chance to settle, the bomber looked even more miserable than Hutton had thought.

"Well, this was the pride of the Six-hundred Forty-Fifth Strategic Bombing Squadron. My ol' girl here is a B-17 Flying Fortress. There are hundreds of these in America's bombing force. There is a crew of eleven to operate these beasts and it can deliver roughly two-thousand pounds of explosive ordnance." Hutton explained. Scalpel gave a small whistle.

"That sounds like a lot of hurt." he said. Hutton simply nodded and continued.

"Made for high-altitude, strategic bombing, flights of these can be up to the hundreds, delivering hell on factories, rail yards, and at some points, entire cities."

Twilight gave a sharp gasp in that moment.

"You've destroyed cities? What about those who live in them?" she protested, stamping a hoof.

"If the local forces are quick enough on the alarms, they're given plenty of time to evacuate to shelters. If not, well..." Hutton trailed off. Twilight gave a look of pure disgust with the notion that was meant to follow the statement.

"You're telling me that not even civilians are safe from these things?" she asked, gesturing to the wreck. Hutton simply shook his head.

"War is a game of back and forth, Princess. The enemy bombs us, we bomb them. Both sides bombing each other into submission. It's dirty work, and it's not enjoyable, but it has to be done." he said. While this seemed to register with Twilight, she still held a look of disgust.

"How can you just brush it off like it's nothing? I don't understand." she asks. Hutton opened his mouth, but Scalpel cuts in.

"Sometimes Princess, there are somethings that you cannot think about. All it does is hamper your ability to perform the duty given to you from those in higher ranks." he said. Twilight exchanged glances with the males before sighing and dropping the topic. She still didn't quite understand the reasoning, but she decided to just move on. To her credit, she understood that Hutton had his duties, as she's had her own in the past, but to do them without a second thought is what she couldn't grasp.

After a few minutes, Hutton and the two ponies left the wreck site and made their way back to Ponyville. Around noon, Scalpel departed Hutton and Twilight's company to attend to some paperwork in his office. A few minutes later, and Hutton's stomach gave a growl of hunger.

Twilight simply giggled. "Hungry, are we?" she asked. Hutton patted his stomach and nodded. It had been a while since he had eaten some decent food.

"Yeah, that hospital food was alright, kinda reminded me of the food back home actually. But, I think I need something a little more hearty, if you catch my meaning." he suggests, giving a small scrunch of his face as his stomach growled again.

"Well, lucky for you, I know just the pony who can deliver a filling meal. Come on, it will only take a second." Twilight said. Stopping in front of Hutton, Twilight's horn flashed without warning. Before Hutton knew it, the two of them were standing at the entrance to a winding path.

Immediately, his stomach gave its' own protest.

"Oh shoot, I forgot your kind isn't used to teleportation! I'm so sorry! It is honestly second nature for me!" Twilight pleaded, trying to get her words heard over Hutton's retching and vomiting.

"Yeah, well-" he started before being hit by another wave of nausea. "Some warning next time?" he finished. Twilight promised that she will try to remember next time as Hutton stood himself up. Wiping his mouth on the back of his flight jackets' sleeve, he took in his new surroundings. "Where are we?"

"Sweet Apple Orchards! This is the home of my friend Applejack and her family. When I first visited Ponyville, Applejack and her relatives put on a whole plethora of food for me to sample as I met them. Needless to say, I was stuffed afterwards. Oh, fair warning, I hope you like apples." she says.

"Guessing a lot of their food is apple based?" Hutton asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Roughly ninety-eight percent of it is. It is their family business, after all. Come along Mister Hutton." Twilight said as she took the lead down the road. The two walked in silence for a while, the dirt and gravel crunching under their steps as they walked. The air smelled faintly of apples, giving Hutton a sweet taste on the back of his tongue as he breathed in the scent. Within minutes, Hutton could see a red barn with an adjoined farm house in the distance. Surrounding the homestead, rows upon rows of healthy apple trees stretched on for what seemed like miles.

"Whoa..." Hutton said, taking in the view. Twilight giggled again, gesturing for him to follow. Silence followed them as they walked again, but soon Twilight perked up.

"Oh! Big Mac!" she called, stopping to wave a hoof. Hutton looked forward and spotted another pony, this one approaching them with a wagon filled to the brim with apples. The red stallion in question stopped and returned the wave, but stopped the moment he saw Hutton, who gave an awkward wave of his own. Big Mac's eyes went wide with shock. Hutton leaned down and whispered in Twilights' ear.

"I guess it's his first time seeing a human?"

"It will be the first time for a lot of ponies you're going to meet, so expect this type of reaction a lot." she said, looking back to Big Mac. "Big Mac, I would like you to meet a newcomer to Equestria. This is Lieutenant Phillip Hutton." she said, gesturing a hoof to the human beside her.

"H-Howdy..." Big Mac mumbled quietly. The stallion flinched as Hutton puts out a hand for a greeting, but Big Mac just stared. Hutton lowered the hand, giving an uneasy chuckle.

"Nice land you have here." he said, trying to break the awkwardness. "Reminds me of the ranch I grew up on." he added, looking around again. Big Mac simply raises an eyebrow.

"Farm life yourself?" Big Mac asked, his voice breaking into one of acceptance.

"Eeyup, grew up on a wheat farm. Golden fields far as the eye could see." Hutton said, smiling a bit. This seemed to put Big Mac at ease a bit as he looked to Twilight again.

"If'n ya'll will excuse me, Ah have a delivery to make. Pleasure, Mister Hutton." he said, his southern drawl coming out fully. Twilight and Hutton stepped aside to allow Big Mac clearance. They watched for a minute as the stallion pulled his cart along the road, making his way towards town.

"Oh, Big Mac! Is Applejack home?" Twilight shouted to him.

"Eeyup!" he called back.

"He's Applejack's brother. He normally doesn't say much, he lets his actions do the talking for him." Twilight explained as they resumed their walk.

"I can respect that," Hutton replied. "But it's usually the quiet ones you need to watch for."

"Don't let his laid back looks deceive you Mister Hutton, Big Mac has helped me and my friends in a couple pinches in the past." Twilight countered. The two fell into silence again as the barn drew closer. Stepping up to the split door, Twilight knocked and stepped back. From within, the sounds of clamoring could be heard, followed by a couple voices.

"Gol'darnit Applebloom! I told ya' ta' be more careful with that!"

"Ah'm sorry Applejack, but the knockin' spooked me!"

"Speakin' of, I'll go see who's at the door. You just clean up all that flour!"

In moments, the upper half of the door swung open, and an orange pony draped her legs over the lower half. She did not bear a horn or a set of wings, rather a brown stetson sat on top of a blonde mane. Flour stained her coat and hat, a slightly disgruntled look being held on her face. Seeing Twilight, Applejack's green eyes popped open with surprise.

"Twilight! Well ah'll be! Ain't this a pleasure!" she said happily. At that moment, she spotted Hutton and her eyebrows raised. "Whoa, you're a biggin', ain't ya'?" she asked, her tone slight shocked.

"Applejack, this is Lieutenant Phillip Hutton. He told me he wanted to try out some of the local food, so I brought him here!" she said with a smile. Applejack looked to Twilight, lowering one eyebrow before speaking.

"Is he one of them...uh...humans you were talkin' about couple years back?" she asked, eyeing Hutton for a second.

"Yes, he is indeed a human." Twilight answered simply, holding her smile. Applejack put a hoof to her forehead and wiped away some flour before speaking.

"Well, Mister Hutton," she started. "Ah sure hope ya'll enjoy the flavor of apple!" she said, giving a warm smile to the man.

"Twilight here has already warned me of your family's tendencies, but lucky for you, apple is my favorite flavor!" he said, returning the smile. Applejack let out a small whoop before she stepped back to open the lower half of the door.

"Come on in you two, I'll whip somethin' up right quick!" she said, trotting over to the oven. Twilight and Hutton entered the kitchen, seeing a young mare cleaning up some spilled flour on the aged wood floor. She too lacked a horn and wings, telling Hutton that she was the same species as Applejack and Big Mac. Looking up, the red-headed filly gasped at the sight of Hutton.

"M-monster!" she cried, running out of the kitchen. Hutton and the mares stood in slight confusion with silence filling the air.

"Well...she certainly took off like greased lightnin', didn't she?" he says, breaking the silence. Applejack simply chuckled and shook her head.

"She'll come around again, don' you worry about her. She doesn' stay away from tha kitchen long when dinner is bein' made. That was Applebloom, by the way. She's mah little sister." Applejack explained as she stirred a simmering pot on the stove. Hutton could smell something sweet and stepped over to look in the pot.

"Applesauce?" he asked simply. Applejack nodded and smiled again.

"Eeyup, homemade. Wanna try a bit?" she asked, lifting the spoon from the pot. A golden lump of mashed apples sat within the spoons' divot. Accepting the spoon, Hutton lightly slurpped the applesauce and smacked his lips a bit. A couple seconds passed before he began nodding in approval.

"Well I'll be ma'am, that is quite delicious!" he said approvingly, returning the spoon to Applejack.

"Glad ya'll approve, it's gonna be a part of dinner tonight." she said, as she resumed stirring.

"Well I can't wait for more, then!" he said. The two shared a chuckle before a new voice joined them.

"Applejack? Why is Applebloom goin' on about a-" at that moment, an elderly green mare hobbled into the kitchen. Immediately her eyes locked on Hutton. "MONSTER!" she yelled.

"Granny, no!" Applejack protested. But it was too late, within seconds, various items were being flung through the air towards Hutton. In her fury, the elderly mare was stringing together a plethora of curses and swears that made Twilight blush furiously. Hutton dodged and ducked past and under kitchen utensils, plates, and even a couple chairs. Applejack managed to make her way to the whirlwind mare, taking her out of her fury.

"Granny, relax! This is a friend of Twilight! He's visitin' for dinner! He ain't no monster! Put on yer glasses darn it!" Applejack orered, reaching over to a counter top to grab a pair of glasses. Passing them to the elderly mare, Granny Smith put on her glasses and took a moment to blink. Squinting at Hutton, her demeanor seemed to change in an instant.

"Well, yer certainly a strange one, ain'tcha?" she said, hobbling over to get a better look at the man. "Never seen yer kind before, Ah can say that fer certain!" she added, looking up to Hutton now. "What'scher name?" she asked.

"Lieutenant Phillip Hutton, ma'am. I'm sorry if I've caused any panic." he said reassuringly.

"Oh, never you mind that now! If Ah had my spectacles, things would'a been different, is all. Er, now, what's this about him staying for dinner, Applejack?" she asked, looking to her granddaughter.

"Ah'm guessin' he wants ta' try some local food," she started, looking to Hutton. "Right?" she asked. Hutton simply nodded and started reaching for the few items Granny Smith had thrown at him.

"Oh, I got this!" Twilight said. Her horn flared again, a lavender glow enveloping everything that had been thrown. Within seconds, it was all put back into place and tidied up. After this, Granny Smith turned to holler back down the hall.

"Applebloom, get yer' keister back in here an' apologize to our guest!"

A couple minutes passed before the young red-head poked her head back in. Seeing that nothing bad had happened, she sheepishly stepped back into the kitchen, standing next to Granny Smith. She began pawing at the floor, trying to form the words.

"Ah'm sorry..." she said quietly, averting her gaze to the floor.

"A little louder, Applebloom?" Granny Smith pushed. The filly raised her head up and looked at Hutton.

"Ah'm sorry! Ah didn' mean ta freak out like that." she said crisply. Granny Smith nodded in approval and looked to Hutton.

"It's no problem, honestly. I know I'm a bit, well, abnormal around these parts." he said, smiling a bit. This seemed to put Applebloom at ease, and soon she stood next to Applejack, rearing up to try the applesauce.

"Our tables open to you, Mister Hutton." Applejack said. At this, Granny Smith took a seat, gesturing for Twilight and Hutton to do the same.

"So, tell me about yourself. Yer not from these parts, Ah don' need mah glasses tell that much!" Granny said, turning her attention to Hutton again.

"Well, what would you like to know?" he asked simply.

"How about yer family life? Twilight says you're a Lieutenant, but what was your home life like?" she asked.

"Nothing to really say. I grew up in a farming family in eastern Minnesota, played football in high school, graduated just in time to enlist. Got engaged to a sweet girl who probably thinks I'm dead by now." Hutton said, giving a meager shrug. "Like I said, there's not much to go on about my past. Grew up like everyone else, really." he finished.

"Farm family, eh? What did ya'll grow?" Granny asked, leaning forward a bit.

"Wheat. On winter mornings, the wheat tops would be frosted, turning the fields from gold to white. It was beautiful, really. When the wind would hit just right in the late spring, it was like we were watching a golden tide as the crops ruffled with the wind." he said, gazing off as the memories played out in his mind.

"Mmm, mhmm! I can share the memory with ya'! I know a family down south near Applewood who grow vast wheat fields. We trade goods every start of the harvest season. We give them apples and jams, they give us flour and bread. It's a nice exchange, but they're just the one of many we conduct business with." Granny said, looking to Applejack. "How's Wheat Chaff's daughter doing? You hear from her lately?" she asked.

Pulling out a few pie-like items, Applejack set them on a nearby counter top to let them cool.

"Last Ah heard, Barley is doin' jus' fine. Actually had a young filly this past winter!" she said happily. Granny Smith clapped her hooves together in glee.

"Oh, how lovely! Ah'll have to put together a little somethin'-somethin' before I see her." she said, eyeing the pies. "What we havin' fer dinner, youngin'?" she asked. Applejack looks to Hutton and smiles.

"Funny ya'll mention wheat, we're havin' apple and wheat fritters, topped with homemade applesauce." she said, putting the plates together. Taking a moment to drizzle the applesauce on top, she distributed the meals among Twilight, herself, Hutton, Applebloom and Granny. Looking at his own share, Hutton looked over the fritter. Sticking a fork in, he withdrew a bit of crust and filling. Popping it into his mouth, he chewed for a minute before the flavor hits him in full.

"Whoa! That's damn good!" he said happily, taking another bite. "Lotta flavor in this!" he added before putting the fork into the fritter again. The Apple mares chuckled with happiness, watching the human enjoy the food.

"Glad ya' enjoy it! That there is a family recipe, passed down for roughly four generations now. Used ta get my grandma an' her family through tha' harsher winters." Granny Smith said, taking bites into her own fritter. The others began to eat as well, savoring the flavors. Within a few minutes, Hutton began holding longer conversations with the ponies, telling them stories of his childhood and teen years, while listening to the stories they had to offer.

And that is how the night went, filled with stories, laughter, and good food. Later in the night, when Applebloom had gone to bed, Granny Smith broke out a bottle of hard apple cider. Big Mac had gotten home from his delivery, and after getting over the second shock of seeing Hutton, soon struck up a conversation with Hutton as the adults sipped at their ciders. Soon, night had fallen on the farm, and Twilight and Hutton said their goodbyes to the Apples.

"That went well!" Hutton said, smiling as he held his hands in his pockets.

"I would say so!" Twilight replied, trotting along side him. "I still manage to feel so full after having dinner with them." she added, rubbing her stomach with a hoof.

"Oof, I know what you mean. That fritter sure was dense. That was probably the best home cooking I've had to date!" he said, patting his own stomach. The two fall into silence as they walked. The moon hung high in the sky above, casting a pale blue glow down on the farmland.

"I got a question for you." Hutton said suddenly. Twilight looked up to him, curious as to what he had to ask. "What's going to happen with my aircraft?" he asked simply. Twilight is quick on the answer.

"Well, if it's alright with you, I would like to have some researchers come down from Canterlot to take the remains to study the machinery. We can learn plenty from your aircraft to help with our own aeronautics development. All we have right now are blimps and pony powered helicopters." Twilight explained.

"You do realize that a lot of the machinery on there is technically classified to those who are not a part of the American armed forces, yeah?" Hutton asked. Twilight's ears seem to fall back a bit, certain he was saying no. "But," he started. "I would like to see her be put to good use, and not just sitting there in a field." he said. Twilight immediately perked up, smiling brightly.

"Oh! Thank you so much! I will contact them in the morning!" she said, practically hopping with eagerness in her walk how.

"One condition, I would like to oversee the transfer. She needs her man there, after all." he added. Twilight nodded in approval and the two continued to walk, falling into silence again.

A few minutes passed, and Twilight suddenly stopped in her tracks, her face scrunched up in thought.

"What's up?" Hutton asked, realizing the little pony had stopped.

"I just realized, you don't have a place to sleep, do you?" she asked. This realization hit Hutton like a ton of bricks. He didn't have the hospital to stay at now, and he sure as hell didn't have the money to stay at a local hotel.

"I...I guess I don't, do I?" he replied. "Know of any place that might take me in for a few nights?" he asks.

"Well, there's my castle." Twilight simply suggested.

"You mean that thing I almost hit on the way in?" Hutton asked, gesturing off vaguely over his shoulder. Rolling her eyes and nodding, Twilight gestured for him to step closer.

"Yes, my castle that you almost hit. I have plenty of room for you to stay. Just one condition, though," she said, her horn sparking to life.

"What's that?" Hutton asked, looking to her horn.

"Do help with some chores every now and then, please?" she asked sweetly. Before Hutton could agree, the two vanish from Sweet Apple Acres and appeared right at the front door of Twilight's castle. Holding onto his dinner, Hutton fought the urge to vomit again, although he came really close to dousing poor Twilight in half-digested fritter. Signalling that he was going to be okay, Twilight opened the door for Hutton and the two entered, ready to turn in for the night.

Author's Note

A second chapter? In one day!??! Impossibru!

Think of this second chapter as a New Year's present to those of you who are enjoying this story so far. I can't thank you enough for picking this up!

I hope to keep you all along for the ride, because from here, it's only going to get wilder.

With love, CS