It Began With a Touch
Written (horribly) by N030
I put the jars of peanut butter on the shelf, lined them up perfectly with their labels facing outward. As I set the last jar down I stepped back and admired my work with a nod, and humph of satisfaction.
I picked up the box at my feet and started towards the back of the store,
"The Last box for today, then time to go home." I thought to myself as I rounded the corner of the shelves. But as usual, the universe decided to take a crap on me.
I tripped over a figure rounding the corner sending the box into the air, and me to the floor. I hit the ground with an audible thud as pain ran up my right arm, I winced as my muscles tightened. I rolled onto my back and looked up at the wooden ceiling, then my eyes darted to the form I tripped over.
A white mare with a lime green mane was slow to get up. I quickly sprung to my hands and knees.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. With the box in my hands, I couldn't see--" I was cut short when a loud gasp came from the pony's mouth. She quickly scurried to her hooves and backed away from me slowly, before darting down the aisle and out the front of the shop.
I sat there for a second before standing up fully. I slowly turned and picked the box off the ground again, I opened the flaps on the top revealing a mixture of glass and peanut butter. I heaved a gigantic sigh.
"Either she had a thing for you and was too embarrassed to stay, or she's new to these parts and has never heard of ya. And I'm pretty sure it's not the first one." A deep, but calm voice said from behind me.
"Sorry, Mr.Buckthorn. You can take these out of my paycheck..." I felt a soft hoof on my back.
"No need Jordan, it was an honest mistake. You're just too tall." He chuckled a bit. I turned to face him with my head down. Mr. Berry Buckthorn was an older stallion, how old? Nobody knows for sure. He's a brown stallion with a dark grey curly mane. He's been my boss for about six months now, and this isn't the first time I've scared a customer out of his store.
"Someday ponies will know you enough to not be afraid of you, once I got to know you a bit better I ignored your looks and focused on your nice personality." I rolled my eyes at him.
"hardy har har, your so funny sir," I said sarcastically. "Should I just throw this out?" I motioned my head to the box.
"Might as well, unless you like cutting up the inside of your mouth." I laughed a little and was going to start to the trash when Mr.Buckthorn stopped me again.
"But in all honesty Jordan, you just need to get ponies to know you. And this town isn't enough, I think it's time you go see the Princesses." I mentally facepalmed as those words slipped out. I just started getting accustomed to life here in Lillyflower.
Lilyflower is a small town between the Everfree Forest and the mountains, home to about fifty or so ponies. Since we are separated from all the other towns by the Everfree, we rarely ever get visitors. Once I found this place I knew it would be great for keeping my presence here in Equestria a secret. It didn't take long for the people of Lilyflower to welcome me in. I mean, they live next to the Everfree for Pete's sake, they practically see a new species every day.
Shortly after I got here Mr.Buckthorn graciously offered me a place to stay. He and his wife own a little cabin closest to the mountains. They grow many different plants to make jams and jellies that they sell in town in their little shop. Along with offering me hospitality he also offered me a job so that one day I could afford my own place and maybe travel to see the Princesses in Canterlot. I always waved that idea away for many obvious reasons. How would the ponies respond to me? Would they attack me? Lock me up and study me? But deep down I knew one day I was gonna have to see them.
I shook my head,
"Mr.Buckthorn, no train tracks run through or around the Everfree. I'd have to walk around to the other side by foot. And I don't have enough bits for a train ticket all the way to Canterlot." The grin he had on his face scared me a bit,
"You may not have the bits, but I do. That's why I and the Mrs. are coming with you!" he proclaimed proudly.
"we'll deliver you to the Princesses ourselves if we have to." I stood there dumbfounded, there's no way an old stallion and his wife would make it around the Everfree, it was impossible.
"But sir, even if we did make it to Canterlot, you don't know what they'll do to me. They could dissect me for all we know!"
"Don't you 'sir' me. I've known you since Bonnie and I found you wandering into the town during the middle of the night. I knew right from the start that you weren't here to hurt nopony and look how great you turned out! Your nice, caring, and can reach the top shelves of my jam racks. Now, Bonnie and I are coming with you whether you like it or not, and that's final!" with that he slowly walked past me towards the cash register.
"I'll inform the mayor tomorrow, somepony is gonna have to take care of our crops while we're gone." he turned around and looked at me.
"Besides, we could all use a well-deserved vacation don't you think?" I nodded and he smiled before disappearing into the back of the store.
I slammed the box to my face and screamed. All I wanted was to live on the down low and now I have to wonder halfway across Equestria to my unknown fate. And I would probably guess we'd gather a bit of attention on the way there.
I had managed to sigh at least five times in the past fifteen minutes, so why not add one more.
Mr.Buckthorn called from the back,
"Get your ugly human butt back here, we're gonna be late for dinner! And you know how Bonnie gets when we're late, even if we have an excuse."
I tossed the box of smashed peanut butter I'd been holding for the past ten minutes into the trash. I locked up the store and turned off the lights before heading out the back door, little to my knowledge at the time, that would be the last time I saw the store.
I picked the cart up off the ground, and we started down the path to the house where Bonnie was waiting, we were two minutes late.
I woke up the next morning a bit earlier that Bonnie and Berry. So I decided to take a little walk outside before we left for Canterlot.
The mountains covered the sun in the mornings but there was still enough light so you can see everything. I walked to the top of a grassy hill that overlooked Lilyflower. I found a large rock and promptly sat down. Even though I'd only been at Lilyflower for six months I still called it home. I was a bit sad, I had made a few good friends here who completely ignored I was a different species. They all made me feel at home.
One pony, in particular, found a liking to me right away. His name was Thunder Clap. A pegasus with a full black coat and bright white mane and tail. He's practically my best friend, it's going to suck when I gotta tell him I'm leaving. We've had some good times in these past few months. I remember the first time we saw each other, I was working in Berry's shop and he came in trying to get his hooves on some of the great jelly we had. When he saw me, he started asking way too many questions, in a small amount of time, that I couldn't keep track of. I told him that I got off work at 6:00 and if he still wanted to ask some questions to meet me at the small cafe we had in town. Of course, I saw him sitting outside the cafe when I walked by after work and we spent the next few hours giving each other our life stories.
Thunder came from a family of Pegisi that had no interest in weather control. His family actually made a living off of the rare flowers you get from the top of the mountains. It's a pretty dangerous and delicate task. The flowers only form when lightning strikes them so when they go and get them it's always during a storm which at times can be pretty unpredictable. Since they're the only pegisi in town they're the best for the job. But Thunder has dreams and aspirations that don't have to do with picking these lightning flowers. He's always wanted to become a Wonderbolt, and I think he could actually do it. Since he flies in storms all the time he's ridiculously coordinated and strong and knows what to do in hard situations. Making him the perfect candidate for the Wonderbolts. And maybe he'll be able to make it someday.
As these memories flew in and out of my mind I spotted a dark figure in the sky, I shook the thoughts out of my head and focused in on the object. After a second I recognized the object was Thunder himself. I was going to say bye to him before I left anyway so might as well do it now.
"Thunder!" I shouted, waving my hands in the air. His head snapped in my direction and he started a straight V-line towards me. I quickly stood up and prepared for impact. Before he got to me he slowed a bit and turned his body sideways, I jumped up and gave him a nice side bump before hitting the ground again.
"Hey dude! I was just heading over to your place." He said. I had just noticed he was carrying a saddle bag over his back.
"Why?" I asked, stepping closer to him. He was still hovering a few feet off the ground.
"I got word that you, Berry and Bonnie were heading to Canterlot. So I decided that I'm going to join you on your quest," He stated triumphantly like he was a addressing some sort of hero.
"I figured you need someone to give you a good word and keep you out of trouble." He finally landed on the ground with a thud.
"When did this become some big road trip? Who told you we were going?" I said as I crossed my arms,
"Oh! Berry told me last night. I was in the shop talking to Berry yesterday while you were in the back. He told me about his plan to take you to Canterlot and I told him I wanted in. He said I could come, so I flew home as fast as I could and started packing."
I stood there a second before saying something, "Well that would've been good to know yesterday."
"Yeah sorry, I got kinda excited. I've never been on the other side of the Everfree."
"Well, I've never been in your world so I top you." I said smugly.
"You got me there." He laughed.
We started back to my place, talking about some of the things we thought the other side was going to be like.
Author's Note
The first part of this chapter was written a few months ago and last half was written in the last week so.... that on top of my horrible writing makes for a horrible jumble of words that should be on this site. But I wanted to post something so here it is!
