"So, she actually wants to meet...me?" Spike asked with a mild bit of disbelief. Running into one princess was a one in a million occurance for a guy off the streets, like him. Meeting two...?

"Princess Luna'll probably be there as well." Twilight corrected him. "Technically you ARE a being from another world, this is kind of a big deal." She started writing off another note. "I'll let her know we'll be there as soon as possible."

While she did that, he looked over the two remaining mare. "Um, you are...?"

"Oh, ah, I'm Moondancer." The yellow-grey mare spoke up, blushing a little. She had a hairstyle similar to Twilight's, though it was red with purple streaks and a small barrette holding a lock up, along with thick black glasses with tape on the bridge. She was also rather buxom, wearing a virgin killer sweater, though it didn't really cover her DD-cup breasts very well. Her tattoo was a crescent moon with three stars.

"I'm Starlight Glimmer." The other said, wearing a purple tobbogan and belt. While not quite as full-figured as Moondancer, she was still on the curvaceous side, with tattoos of an eight pointed star with blue trails running from it.

All in all, this was a group of hotties, if he did say so himself. Hotties from another planet, but still..

The small 'fwoosh' of Barb's flame caused him to look over in time to see her fire once more engulf the message. It also brought his attention back to the main issue; he was going to be seeing other princesses...

"So, soon as you feel ready for travel, we can head up to Canterlot." Twilight smiled.

"Well, no time like the present, I guess." He said, surprising them.

"But you're still hurt!" Fluttershy protested.

"An' it's almost a full day gettin' there on the train." Applejack added. "Sure you'll be up for it?"

"Why not. To be honest, I need to walk around some, stretch my legs a bit. Besides, I can relax on the train...and, well, I've never rode on one, so this is kind of an experience for me too." At seeing the hesitant looks on most of them, he added, "I'll be ok, honest. I'm more sore than anything."

"Well..." Twilight started before gathering all fourteen all into a huddle, apparently to discuss the pros and cons. Spike had to fight the urge to drool at almost a half dozen firm backsides currently staring back at him, begging to be grabbed

'NO! Back Spike, no grabby! You just met them dammit!' He mentally scolded himself. By the time they were done, he's repeated the same line almost a dozen times.

"Ok, I guess there's no real hard in going there now." She consented along with the others. "But, we're going with you to be sure!"

Spike blinked. "A-all fourteen of you?? That seems a bit much, don't you think?"

"Since I found you, I am sort of responsible for you until you're fully healed." Fluttershy was the first to speak up.

"And as Princess of Friendship, it's my duty to come along." Twilight said.

"Princess...of friendship?" He asked, looking a bit confused when she nodded. Usually it was 'princess of whatever country they were from.' 'Well, I am in a completely different word, so it probably has a different connotation.' That also brought up something else. "So, I take it that's what your tattoos signify?"

"What tattoos?" This time it was her turn to be confused.

"The ones on your hips." He pointed. "I noticed that, except for Barb, you all have them. I just didn't wanna seem nosy in asking."

"You mean my Cutie Mark?" She asked, turn a hip to him so he could see it better. "I got mine back when I was a filly, way before I became a princess or an alicorn."

"Cutie mark...? The heck's a 'Cutie Mark'?"

"What!? How can anyone not know what a Cutie Mark is!?" Scootaloo almost looked scandalized at this.

"Yeah! It signifies what a pony's special talent is." Sweetie Belly piped up. "They appear as soon as we discover it. And it's apparent that YOU haven't gotten yours yet!"

Apple Bloom quickly followed. "Which means as the Cutie Mark Crusaders, it's our duty help you get it!"

"So we're coming too!" They finished in unison.

"But humans don't..." He tried to say. Unfortunately, they weren't really listening now.

Tempest was next. "Someone's gotta come alone to help you get used to the fact Equestrian's don't normally wear clothes. And since I'm technically the only one here who's still getting accustomed to it, well..."

"I really need to go anyway to check on my boutique's Canterlot branch." Rarity added.

"Wherever Twi and Rarity go, I go." Barb spoke up

"I live there, so...I can show you around some." Moondancer offered, still blushing.

"If you think I'm letting you out of my sight before you've had your 'Welcome to Ponyville/Equestria/First Human We've Ever Seen' party, then you're nuttier than peanut brittle!" Pinkie had her hands firmly on her hips. "Mm...peanut brittle."

"Someone's gotta make sure you eat." Applejack prodded him lightly in the stomach. "No offense, but yer looking a bit too much on the skinny side, and Ah just don't feel comfortable with it."

"This is a chance to study a race that's totally non-native to Equestria or any neighboring countries." Starlight was almost bouncing on her heels. "You bet I'm coming!"

"I want to, so there." Rainbow just hovered there, arms crossed, seemingly daring him to say otherwise.

"Trixie is not letting a specimen like you out of her sight until she's had her turn!"

"Riight..." Well, they seemed to have good reasons for wanting to come along...mostly. "So, I guess we better get going?"

"Ooh, we can show you some stuff around Ponyville on the way to the station!" Pinkie chirped, grabbing his hand and dragging him off, the others not too far behind.

"There's where Golden Oaks Library used to be before that giant bully, Tirek, blew it up." She pointed to what looked like a memorial with a small sapling growing in the middle. "Twilight and Barb used to live there, but they had to move to the crystal palace after that." The large crystalline structure towered over everything in town, from the size it was. Spike could only wonder how long it took to build it. "Starlight and Fizzie live with them there as well!"

"Fizzie?" Spike raised an eye to Tempest, who tried to hide a visible blush.

"She...likes giving friends nicknames." She replied, looking away some.

"There's Carousel Boutique, Rarity's dress shop." The energetic mare pointed to a building that resembled a large, enclosed gazebo.

"Primarily formal wear and accessories." Rarity patted her boot. "With the occasional work apron, of course."

"She and Sweetie live above it and Barb goes to help out from time to time." Pinkie continued. "Ooh, and here's where I work, Sugar Cube Corner, Ponyvilles very own bakery/restaurant!" There was a hint of pride in her voice as she pulled him past the building. "I have a room above the kitchen the Cakes let me have. They own the place"

'Why does looking at that building suddenly make me hungry??' He asked himself, shaking off the bizarre urge to gnaw on one of the windowsills.

"You already saw Fluttershy's place, and Dashie lives just outside town, too!" She pointed towards an oddly-shaped cloud, floating just a couple hundred feet up.

"She lives on a cloud?"

"Cloud mansion." Rainbow spoke up. "And why not? We pegasi can walk on them, and my hometown of Cloudsdale, where nearly every pegasus lives, is one giant cloud."

"Ah." He replied, not sure if he really wanted to try and understand the actual physics of such of a thing. Then again, he did see them moving the things around the other day.

As they passed through what was apparently the town square, Spike couldn't help but notice the trio of mares selling flowers...and looking at him with a mixture of confusion, worry, and slight panic.

"What is that?? A minotaur?"

"Don't be silly, Roseluck, it doesn't have horns!"

"What if it's a mutant minotaur, like in the movies!? That one didn't have horns, either!"

"All right, Roseluck, Lily Valley, Daisy, that's enough out of all of you." Twilight spoke up, looking like a teacher dealing with misbehaving students. "He is not an 'it'. Neither is he a minotaur; and he most certainly is NOT a so-called 'mutant minotaur'! So, I strongly suggest the three of you actually think about the situation before you start running around yet again like headless chickens; all right!?"

"Right. Heh...sorry." They said, quickly slinking back behind their stall, though they still Spike wary looks.

"Sorry about that." She said, seeing the questioning look he gave her. "Those three have an unfortunate tendency to jump into panic mode when something unexpected turns up. I learned the hard way to head them off as soon as possible when it starts up."

"And last, but not least, Sweet Apple Acres, 'cept you can't see it from here." Pinkie said, not missing a beat once Twilight was done. "It's the biggest apple farm in this part of Equestria!"

"It's the only apple farm 'round here, Pinkie." Apple Bloom said. "Me an' AJ live there with our brother, Big Macintosh an' Granny Smith."

"Oh, right. Hm...what am I missing...? Oh! There's also Zecora's place, but it's in the Everfree Forest, so you can't see it from here either. She's a zebra and always talks in rhyme, too. Never thought to ask why though. Anyway, she knows a lot about potions, and medicine, and stuff like that." Pinkie abruptly stopped and looked around. "Hey, we're here."

Sure enough, a cursory look showed Spike that they'd made it to the station. "Wow, that...that was fast."

"Dibs on a window seat!" Rainbow, Scootaloo, and Pinkie all yelled in unison.

Author's Note

I'd intended for them to already be in Canter lot in this chapter, but for some reason, the impromptu tour just flowed out