"Wake up, Doofus!" Limestone's voice calls out, breaking you from your peaceful slumber.

You've gotten used to this being your wake-up call. As simple as it is, it's still quite effective.

You open your eyes and look over at the door, where Limestone is standing. Despite her usual scowl, you can tell she's a bit more chipper than usual... perhaps it's hidden in her tone?

"Good morning to you, too." you tell her, stretching your forelegs out and yawning.

She looks away from you and crosses her chest, cheeks slightly flushed. "Y-yeah... good morning."

And now, she has your full, undivided, somewhat surprised attention.

She's told you to wake up, get out of bed, stop hogging the Dream Realm... whatever that means... and a few other colorful things that you're almost certain isn't very appropriate. You've heard her berate you, tease you, and call you "Doofus", which you still don't know the meaning of (though you're starting to get a suspicious feeling that it isn't necessarily a friendly name... especially when Marble deadpans at her when she says it).

Heck, you've even felt her shake you awake just last night!

But never, in your two months of living here in Equestria, have you ever heard her wish you a "good morning"... and that earns her a well-deserved double-take, and a stuttered response from you.

"W-what was that?" you stammer, wiping the sleep from your eyes.

She just glares at you and rolls her eyes. "I said get out of bed, you lazy bum! We've got work to do!"

And there it is. You smile at her and chuckle, before playfully sticking your tongue out at her. "Whatever you say, Ma!~"

She growls at you. "IT'S LIMESTONE!"

You burst out laughing, while Marble giggles from behind her. She looks away from you again and scrunches her red face.

"Hmph!" she harrumphs, before turning around and heading back out.

You then look over at Marble and smile at her. "Good morning, Marble!"

"Mm-hmm!~" she hums, giving you a polite bow before following her sister out.

You hop out of bed and stretch the rest of your body. It's time to start the day!

Breakfast has been pretty peaceful this time. You once again take a sip of the soup, thinking back on what Limestone told you yesterday.

"This family must be really close, now that I think about it. Pa decided to put Marble on a Liquid Diet because of her condition... but it seems everyone took to the change so she doesn't feel left out, as well."

Needless to say, your respect for this soup you've been drinking has actually grown a bit, too. You sip it, you swallow it, and you enjoy the hell out of it... or... Tartarus, as Pa said!

"So, Pinkie Pie wants to spend some time with you, Limestone." Pa says, looking over at said mare from his newspaper.

She pauses from drinking her soup and looks up at him. "Wait, really? That's today?"

Pa nods his head and looks over at you. "That, it is. However... I told her to expect an extra guest, as well."

You gulp down the soup you had in your mouth and look between him and Limestone. You've heard the name "Pinkie" in Limestone's story yesterday... said it's another sister of theirs... at least, that's what you think you heard.

Limestone blinks in surprise, before looking at you as well. "Wait... seriously?! But... I thought we all agreed that our time together was private!"

Pa shakes his head. "Not really. It's a one-on-one between sisters, but friends are more than welcome to join, seeing how she let that Rarity character join her during Maud's Pie Sisters Surprise Swap Day a couple years back."

Limestone sighs, before looking at you. "Well... why not ask him, then?" she asks, motioning towards you.

You blink confusedly. "Umm..."

Pa nods his head. "That's true. So, would you like to spend a couple days out of the farm with Limestone? You've been working hard as of late, and could use the break."

It doesn't really take much time for you to decide. You've honestly been cooped up at the farm for a while, now, and could use the little adventure.

And so, you nod your head and smile at him. "Yes, Pa. I would like to go."

Pa smirks, before looking at the flushed Limestone. "Well, that settles it! He's going with you."

"But Paaaaa..." she whines.

He deadpans at her, making her sink into her seat a bit more. "Unless, of course, you'd rather tend to the Copper Fields today. The rain yesterday's likely got 'em full and ripe for the harvest. Could take you all day to collect all the-"

Suddenly, everything blurs around you. Somehow, you find yourself at the front door, with Limestone's hoof dragging you behind her. She would already be wearing a silver-colored saddlebag on her back, which you swear in your mind she wasn't wearing a literal split-second ago.

"Well, look at the time! Can't leave Pinkie Pie waiting, or she'd worry! See ya, everyone!" she quickly calls out, before dragging you outside and quickly closing the door behind you both.

"Umm... w-what just-" you begin, but she deadpans at you.

"Don't ask, now let's go!" she replies, hurrying ahead. You follow right behind her feeling a little disappointed that you couldn't even finish breakfast.

You and Limestone eventually reach the Rockville Train Station. The stallion working the ticket booth looks up at you and blinks in surprise.

"Huh... haven't seen you before. You new here, or something?" he asks.

You're about to reply, when Limestone cuts in.

"Sure is! Newest helper on the Pie Farm!"

The stallion nods his head and smiles. "Well, that's great! Honestly, I'm surprised y'all finally agreed to get some outside help, though... lemme guess. Good harvests this time around?"

She simply nods. "Eeyup! It's been a doozy!" She then straightens her posture and places a bag of golden coins... 'bits', if you recall correctly. Their currency in this land, it seems. "Anyways, two tickets to Ponyville, please."

"Sure thing, Miss Limestone! I'll just need his name, and we can get it booked!" he says cheerfully.

Limestone looks over at you expectantly.

You, however, gulp. "Umm... I... do not know my name." you meekly tell them.

Limestone's expectant look becomes a deadpan. "Seriously? You don't even know your own name?!"

You shake your head and scratch the back of your hair. "I am serious! I do not know my name!"

And now, she's staring at you like you've grown a second head. The stallion at the ticket booth shakes his head.

"I'm sorry, but if he doesn't have a name, I'm afraid he can't use the train."

"WHAT?!" you and Limestone both shout. Limestone then drops the friendly act and glares at him.

"Now listen here, buddy! I've got a sister waiting for me in Ponyville! If I don't show up, then she'll start panicking!" she tells him.

He waves his hooves dismissively. "Well, that can be arranged no problem! I can give you a ticket... but not him, unfortunately!"

One of her eyes start to twitch, before she leans closer to the window. "Then how about a nickname?!"

He shakes his head again, unfazed by her angry demeanor. "I'm sorry, Miss. We can only use birth-given names here."

She glares at him even more... before pulling away, groaning. "Ugh, FINE! You know what?! Buck your stupid train, we'll just walk to Ponyville!"

"Wait, what?" you ask, as she brings a hoof up to your chest and pulls you away from the ticket booth.

She glares at you. "You heard me!"

You blink in surprise. "Uh... were we going for just a couple days?"

She nods her head. "Yes, and we still are. It'll just take us a few extra hours to get to Ponyville, though. If we pace ourselves, we can reach it this evening."

You're about to voice your concerns when she reaches into her saddlebag and pulls out a neatly detailed map of Equestria.

You whistle (or try to, at least), impressed at the detail of it. "Wow... big place." you tell her.

She nods her head. "Uh-huh... anyways, if we're gonna get there the quickest way, we'll need to cut through Ghastly Gorge, Froggy Bottom Bogg, and the Western half of the Everfree Forest. Shouldn't be too hard."

You can't really understand most of what she said, but you could see the directions she's pointing at on the map. And so, with the route mentally set, you nod your head. "Okay, then. You lead the way!"

She perks up a bit by your enthusiasm. "Heh... knew you'd be up for a bit of an adventure! Well, first we need to grab some food and drinks for the trip. Come on, let's head to the Marketplace."

Before you could even reply, she grips onto your left foreleg and drags you over to the Marketplace. You can't help but smile a bit at her antics.

"Huh... she seems very hyped about this. Was she getting cooped up as well?"

She brings you across various stalls, where creatures are selling dried fruits, oats, and a few bags of potato chips. You offer to help her carry some of the stuff, but she simply stuffs it all into her saddlebags and brings you over to the next spot.

Before you know it, you're both now on the dirt road, trekking beyond the borders of Rockville.

You decide that now would be a good time to strike up a conversation.

"Hey, Limestone?"

She looks over at you and tilts her head. "Yeah?"

"You seem... very happy." you tell her.

She shrugs her shoulders and looks forward. "Eh, don't get used to it. I'm mostly just happy because I finally get to go on an adventure of my own."

"So you like adventures, then?" you ask her.

She nods her head. "Well, yeah. Or, kind of. I mostly just like getting out of the house from time to time. Don't know if you realize, but I've spent most of my life in Rockville, with only these kinds of days being my time off. My sisters, Pinkie and Maud, usually go on all kinds of adventures, while I'm just stuck in the Rock Farm."

You look down, lost in thought. "Hmm... do you like the Rock Farm?"

She looks over at you and deadpans. "Well, duh! It's home, so of course I like it there!" Then she holds a hoof up to stop you, before drawing a few ponies in the dirt with her hoof. "Take these ponies, for example. These two are a loving couple, happily married without any arguments, whatsoever. Even they will need some alone time, though. Doesn't mean they don't love each other. It just means that even they need a break from the same old routine. Helps them gather their thoughts, and refreshes their spirits."

She then brushes the pictures off, and continues on the path. You follow behind her, nodding your head.

"That's a... very smart way to put it, Limestone." you tell her.

She looks away from you, face flushing. "Y-yeah, well, someone has to... to not be a doofus, Doofus!"

You smile at her famous nickname she gave you. This clarifies that she's been calling you 'Stupid', to some degree, but you can't really hold it against her. If anything, you've sort of had a hunch up until now, and treated it as playful banter, if anything.

And so, you joke back at her with the nickname you've given her as well.

"You got that right... Ma!"

She immediately glares at you, her face glowing even redder. "S-STOP CALLING ME MA!"

About three hours pass since you've both begun your trek down the road. There wasn't really anything noteworthy of Ghastly Gorge, aside from a few holes in the mountains that, according to Limestone, once belonged to Quarray Eels, before they migrated a bit deeper into the mountains. You were a bit disappointed at first that you couldn't see them for yourself, but after she told you that each hole only housed a single one, you felt a bit more appreciative that you both didn't.

Before you know it, the surrounding area is now full of trees, and the atmosphere seems to have become a bit more... colorful, for the lack of a better word.

You recall how colorful the map was when Limestone showed it to you earlier. However, that was probably the first time in two months since you've seen colors that aren't brown-related... excluding a few of the customers at the Marketplace.

However, something feels a lot more different... like the sunlight just shines more brightly in this part of the world. Limestone's coat, for example, seems less pale than it was back in Rockville.

"Stay close. These woods house some of the most dangerous creatures in Equestria." Limestone warns.

You nod your head and close the gap in a bit between you both.

"What kinds of creatures?" you ask, genuinely curious.

She deadpans at you. "Keep talking, and you might find out."

You gulp.

"Guess social hour's over for now."

As you both reach a clearing, you notice a field with lots of green sludge, but a strange lack of frogs. It looks like the bogg, but where are the frogs?

Limestone grips you by the leg and drags you up into a tree. You're about to voice your protest, but she shushes you immediately, and points towards the clearing ahead. You look towards where she's pointing, and you feel your heart nearly skip a beat; your ears fold behind your head, and your eyes widen in a surge of panic.

A massive shadow crosses over the clearing, and you're able to, just barely, see the form of a huge four-headed wyvern of some sort. Its scales are orange, and it has pink spikes on the sides of its heads. Its green eyes have a serpent-like slit for its pupils, and each of its steps causes a tremor around it.

Limestone grits her teeth and glares at the creature. "Well, that's just great... there's a Hydra on the loose. Likely out hunting for food. We'll have to wait for it to return to its nest before we can go any further." she whispers to you.

You nod your head, daring not take your eyes from the Hydra thing.

The Hydra sniffs around the area around it and growls loudly, before hissing and walking out of your vision. You feel a bit sorry for whatever unfortunate creature, or creatures, it caught its eyes on.

Both you and Limestone remain hidden in the bushes for, what feels like, ten minutes before you both make your way towards the clearing. You look over at the footprints and gulp at their size.

"Yikes! Just one of that thing's toes can probably crush us both!"

Limestone taps you on the shoulder and motions for you to keep following her.

Right... no more distractions. No more wandering around, no more getting lost in thought, and no more-

"Will you eat something to stop your stupid stomach from growling so much?" Limestone asks you.

You blink in surprise, before looking down at your stomach... then back at her. "My stomach is not growling." you tell her.

The two of you stop in place, before slowly turning towards a bush between a few trees nearby. A pair of glowing green eyes would be looking back at you two, as a pair of wooden paws slowly emerge from the bush.

A few more green eyes emerge from behind the trees, and more of, what appears to be, wooden wolves step out from hiding - each of them standing about a head above you.

"Timberwolves... well that's just great!" Limestone murmurs through grit teeth.

You gulp, leaning a bit closer towards her. "What do we do?" you ask, daring not to look away from the large creatures.

She shakes her head. "Well, obviously running is the best option... though we might alert that Hydra if we do! And as luck would have it... Timberwolves don't make that good of a meal to them. That means we'd have these and a Hydra to run away from!"

As she speaks, the Timberwolves inch closer towards the two of you. They begin to slowly circle around, until they have you both blocked from all angles.

"So... what do we do, then?" you ask again.

She rolls her eyes and reaches into her saddlebag. "Plan B, of course. You might wanna cover your eyes."

You quickly do as she instructs, and cover your eyes with your right foreleg.

From her bag, Limestone pulls out a strange-looking marble. She licks it, counts to three, then tosses it in the air. The Timberwolves look up at it, while she closes her eyes as well.

Then, the orb cracks midair and emits a blinding flash of light that makes the Timberwolves whine and run away.

You open your eyes and blink in surprise. "Whoa... what was that?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "Flash Pod. Reacts to liquid in three seconds. Lick it, toss it on three, and it flashes on four. Good for emergencies, but single use, only. Blinds targets for at least thirty seconds."

"That's... very use-ful!" you tell her, but she shushes you.

"Shh, we can talk later! Now's our chance to get out of here!"

You nod. "R-right."

And so, the two of you quickly hurry out of the clearing. You hear the Timberwolves scurrying around blindly in the distance.

Thankfully, thirty seconds was enough time to escape the Timberwolves. You'd wonder if they could smell you both, but decide they probably don't want to be blinded again.

You both pick up your pace, though, to avoid pushing your luck.

Eventually, you both reach a darker corner of the forest, and take a moment to rest. You grab a bag of cinnamon nuts from the bag and have a seat against a tree, while Limestone sits beside you, bag of potato chips in hoof.

They taste quite sweet, actually, and the crunch is a huge improvement to the soup you've been having. You can hear Limestone crunching away at the chips.

The two of you sit there in silence, enjoying your snacks.

Then, you decide to break the silence. "Hey, Limestone?"

"Hmm?" she looks over at you, swallowing the chips in her mouth. "What's up?"

"What are we going to do about my name?"

She hums, rubbing her chin in thought. "Hmm... don't know. We can get that figured out whenever we get to Ponyville. Might be able to get you a certificate at the Town Hall there."

"But... I do not know when I was born."

She shrugs. "Doesn't matter. They'll just write an estimated age, I'll give them the day that I pulled you out of Holder's Boulder, and then we'll give you a name." She smiles smug at you. "Of course, that doesn't mean I won't call you 'Doofus', Doofus."

You smirk at her. "Whatever you say, Ma."

Naturally, she throws a chip at you as a response.

After snack time, you and Limestone continue on the trip North. You're keeping your eyes peeled and ears wide open every step of the way.

Before long, you both reach a small river with a few rocks sticking out. You're about to leap onto one of the stones, but Limestone stops you and pulls you back.

You raise a confused eyebrow, but she rolls her eyes and picks up a small rock. Then she tosses it at one of the larger rocks in the river.

Upon bouncing on the larger rock, the larger rock shifts around a bit, before a pair of large jaws clamp over the smaller rock she just tossed.

You gulp. The creature resembles a Crocodile, but its skin is entirely made of stone. What's more unsettling is that it, too, is quite huge!

"Yikes!" you whisper.

Limestone nods her head and whispers back at you. "Yeah. Don't get ahead of yourself, or you might end up as something's lunch!"

"Note take-en... thank you."

She blushes a bit and deadpans at you. "W-well, don't thank me yet! We still have to get past these Cragodiles! Now follow my lead, and stay close!"

You nod your head and follow her closely.

She picks up another rock and tosses it to the far left of the lake. When it lands, the larger stones shift again, towards the stone's direction.

As they move away, you and Limestone sneak further to the right side of where they once were. Then she moves back a bit, before rushing ahead, and leaping across the river in one swift jump.

You blink in surprise.

"Now you!" you hear her whisper loudly.

You're immediately reminded of one slight problem as you look at the waters... this isn't your old body. This would literally be the first time you actually tried jumping, and by extension, the first time you'd ever swim if you can't make the leap. Looking up at Limestone, you smile sheepishly.

"I, uh... can not swim, or jump that far." you whisper back to her.

The cragodiles swim a bit closer. She slaps her hoof over her face and groans.

"Are. You. KIDDING ME?!" she growls through grit teeth.

You gulp, before looking around for an alternative way to cross. You hear Limestone leap back over the river, and turn towards her.

She sighs, then grips onto your foreleg. "Then here, I'll help you. Tuck your hooves, and roll."

You blink owlishly. "Uh... what do you mean by-"

Before you could finish your sentence, however, you suddenly find yourself flying in the air, flying past the river, and over to the other side.

You land with a thud and roll around on your side. The world around you is spinning, and you don't catch the sound of Limestone rushing over to you.

"I told you to tuck your hooves, Doofus!" she whispers to you.

"My every-thing hurts." you grumble, rubbing the leaves and dirt off of your face.

Limestone rolls her eyes and helps you back up onto your hooves. "Yeah, well it'll get worse if we stick around this area! We're lucky enough the cragodiles are either too full or preoccupied to get out of the water. We shouldn't push our luck on it, though!"

You nod your head. "R-right... so where do we go now?"

She motions towards a dirt path nearby. "This way." Then she heads over to the path, with you following right behind her.

Along the way, though, you can't help but think about how in the world she was able to simply toss you, who stands much taller than her, across the river like that.

"Damn, she's strong!"

Both you and Limestone continue down the pathway. She seems a bit more at ease, which is nice. She still has her grumpy look, but you can at least tell from her posture that she's relaxed.

As your eyes trail around the surroundings, they soon lock onto her flank. You avert your eyes, but curiosity gets the better of your judgement. Your eyes then focus on her again, or more specifically, the strange mark on her flank.

You've noticed that her whole family has one, and thought of it as nothing more than tattoos. However, your mind went back to the Marketplace, where almost every pony you saw had one.

And so, you decide to ask her a question about it.

"Hey, Limestone?"

She looks over at you. "Yeah, what is it?"

"What is that mark you have?" You motion towards her flank.

She looks over at it and raises a confused eyebrow. "My Cutie Mark. Why do you ask?"

And again with the new words. You're not sure what this Cutie Mark thing means.

"What is a... Chreutee Mark?" you ask, no doubt butchering the word horribly.

"Cutie Mark." she deadpans. "And to answer your question, it's what a pony gets when they find out what their special talent is."

You rub your chin in thought. "Hmm... what is your talent?"

She blushes a bit and looks away. "I'd... rather not say."

Well that's unfortunate. You may have to ask her another time... but for now, you decide to drop it.

"Anyways, Ponyville should be up ahead." she says, pointing forward. You look towards where she points, and sure enough, the sunlight shines much brighter past the tree line straight ahead.

Before you know it, you both cross the Everfree Border, and reach Ponyville!

You look back at your previous thoughts on the forest looking colorful... and immediately retract them. The moment you and Limestone exit the Everfree Forest, you're almost blinded by the bright colors of the town ahead.

Lush, green grasslands, a lone cottage with adorable critters, small and large... it all seems surreal to you.

"Wow..." you can't help but gawk.

Limestone looks over at you and smirks a bit. "Something on your mind?"

"So... many... colors!" you say, rubbing your eyes to make sure you aren't just going lightheaded.

She rolls her eyes and motions ahead. "Well, you can admire the scenery later. We're on a schedule, though, and already late."

You nod your head and smile sheepishly at her. "Right."

As you both enter the town, you can't help but notice quite a few ponies looking your way.

You smile shyly at them, raise a hoof, and wave.

Then, they smile widely and wave back at you.

You get a brief flashback of life back on Earth. You recalled how lots of times, people wouldn't just smile and wave at you if you did to them. It was a dark time in history, after all. Distrust, group warfare, diseases... simple, kind-hearted gestures became corrupted by groups who claimed it as their personal 'flag' to show their factions.

All in all, to be in such a friendly environment... it feels like a welcome change.

"Kinda reminds me of that scene from Shrek 2... now all it needs is that 'Changes' Song."

You're so lost in thought that you almost bump into Limestone. She looks over at you and clears her throat.

"Well, this is my sister's home." She points at the building ahead of you both.

You look ahead, and blink in surprise. The building almost looks like a Gingerbread House! The sight of it makes your mouth water.

She taps you on the shoulder, getting your attention again.

"Now, before we go in there, I should warn you. My sister can be a bit... different... than the rest of us. Just behave yourself, and don't do anything to upset her. Got it?" she says, almost threateningly.

You give her a determined nod. "I did not plan to hurt her. Your family is my family, now."

She blinks a bit, taken aback by your serious look, and lightly blushes, turning away from you. "R-right... good to know. Now come on, she's probably worried enough already!"

And so, the two of you approach the building. You look up at its sign and read its words.

"Sugarcube Corner... sounds like some kind of Bakery! Fitting, considering its appearance."

Limestone takes a deep breath and sighs, before slowly opening the door. You both then enter, and are met with... nothing. The entire building appears to be empty, save for the decorations and streamers all spread out across the room.

Was there a party earlier, or maybe a party planned? You suddenly feel the urge to step out... but Limestone stops you.

"She's upstairs." she tells you. You both make your way to the staircase and climb up the flight, where you notice a room with a door cracked open. The two of you can hear a high-pitched female speaking almost completely incoherently for you.

"But what if the train broke down? What if they missed it? What if they had to walk all the way up here?!" She gasps. "Oh, no! And what if they run into a Hydra? Or a Timberwolf?! OR A HYDRA AND A TIMBERWOLF?! OR A TIMBER-HYDRA-WOLF?! Wait... are those even a thing?"

Limestone heads inside the room that, presumably, belongs to Pinkie Pie, while you simply walk over to the entrance, but stand at the center of the doorway, taking in the sights.

It's a pink room, with lots of party-themed decorations splayed around inside it. In the center of the room, you spot a pink pony with a dark pink, fluffy mane and tail.

You have a hunch that she would be 'Pinkie Pie', if your theory on what 'Pinkie' means in Equish.

She's pacing back and forth, without looking your way for a second. The tone in her voice makes it clear that she's worried about something... or in this case, someone.

"Or-or-or, w-what if they were caught in traffic, THEN the train broke down, and they had to go through the Everfree Forest afterwards?! What if they're-" the pink pony rambles on, only for Limestone to clear her throat.

"- Standing right behind you?" Limestone interrupts, making her sister gasp and turn around.

Suddenly, Limestone is tackled by a pink blur, which forms into perhaps one of the biggest hugs you've seen anyone give. To Limestone, no less!

"Oh, Limestone! You're okay! I was so worried about you! I thought that you-" and as she carries on, her dialect becomes more and more incomprehensible, due to how fast she's speaking.

You almost feel like crying, as you legitimately can not catch a single word that she's saying. Judging from the annoyed (or... extra annoyed) look that Limestone gives her, you'd wager that she can't, either.

"Alright, already! Look, we just had some issues with the train, that's all!" Limestone chimes in.

Pinkie tilts her head confusedly. "What do you mean?" Then, Pinkie's eyes drift over to you, and immediately, she goes slack-jawed.

You smile bashfully at her and wave a hoof. "Hello."

She then looks over at Limestone and her smile widens even more. "Oh... my... GOSH! Limey, you didn't tell me you have a coltfriend, now!"

"WHAT?!" Limestone practically screams, her face suddenly burning bright red.

"... What?" you ask, trying to figure out what that unknown word means... and why it caused Limestone to literally make the girliest squeak you've ever heard her make.

Then Pinkie goes into a fit of giggles, while Limestone, for the first time you've seen her, stammers for words. "I-I'm not- h-he's not my... P-PINKIE!"

Pinkie then breaks from the hug and pulls a letter out of her mane... which only leaves you a bit more puzzled.

She then taps on the paper and shows it to Limestone. "Pa told me to expect company, but he didn't go into very much detail!"

She then trots up to you while Limestone reads the letter that Pinkie passed her. "So! You must be Anon!"

"A... what?" you ask.

Limestone deadpans at her. "Pinkie, he doesn't even have a name."

This makes Pinkie giggle at her. "Well sure he does, silly! His name is Anonymous! It says so here on the letter! See?"

Limestone squints at the sheet, before deadpanning at her. "Anonymous guest. Pinkie, that's just an expression. That's not his name!"

"... Oh." Pinkie says, before brushing the back of her mane bashfully. "Well, I guess I better get started on rebranding those 'Welcome to Ponyville, Anonymous' stickers I ordered!"

Limestone groans, planting her hoof over her eyes. "Pinkie... we're literally just visiting! It's not like we're moving here!"

"I know! But I figured it would be nice to give Anon the Ponyville Treatment, so that he doesn't feel left out while we enjoy our PSSSD!"

"His name isn't Anon, Pinkie! Like I said, he doesn't even have a name, yet!" Limestone complains.

Pinkie scoffs, however, booping her on the nose. "Well duh, silly! And since he doesn't have a name, that means we should give him one! And since Anon is a shortened version of Anonymous, that makes it the perfect name to give him!"

Limestone deadpans at her. "Pinkie, that's just stupid. No! If we give him a name, we give him a proper, Normal Equestrian name! Not a name that literally means 'No Name'! That's about as dumb as naming a cat 'Feline'!"

Pinkie folds her front hooves over her chest and sticks her tongue out at Limestone. "Hmph! Well I thought Anon sounded awesome! It gives him a cool, mysterious vibe!"

Limestone rolls her eyes and leans her head a bit closer to her. "And I think it sounds like his mother didn't even realize she was pregnant until her water broke, and still failed to find a name for him afterwards! It gives him an accidental vibe!"

"Uh... girls?" you ask, only for your voice to fall on deaf ears.

"Well, Anonymous is a perfectly reasonable name, just like Fluffy Clouds!" Pinkie argues.

Limestone points at her and glares a bit more. "Anonymous and Fluffy Clouds are nothing alike! And besides that, who the hay would even want to be named the equivalent of 'No-Name'?!"

"Girls?" you ask again... which once more, fails to be acknowledged. It seems they're starting to get into an argument, which is making you really uncomfortable. You start to head back to the Main Lobby, while their voices slowly fade behind you.

"I know plenty of ponies who wouldn't mind being named 'Anon'!" Pinkie calls out.

"Well I bet they're pretty anti-social, aren't they?!" Limestone chimes back.

Eventually, though, you tone their bickering out and sigh, taking a seat on one of the chairs in the relatively dark room. Though muffled, you can hear that Limestone and Pinkie are still at it upstairs.

"Oh, those silly little fillies. One day, they'll come to appreciate each other's differences!" a motherly female's voice says behind you. You nearly jump from your skin and fur, and turn to face a new figure.

She's a... slightly larger female mare with a blue coat and a pink/lavender mane and tail. From the looks of it, she's just getting back from the store, if the grocery bags are anything to go by.

Regardless, you hop from your seat and give her a polite bow. "Sorry... I am with Limestone."

She giggles, waving a dismissive hoof your way. "Oh don't you fret, dearie! Pinkie already told us to expect some extra company!" She gives your chest a quick glance and her smile gets even bigger. "But my, I didn't expect her company to be such a shapely stallion! Say, you wouldn't mind helpin' me out with a couple things, would you?"

You quickly shake your head and reply, "Oh, uh... no, not at all! What do you need, Miss?"

She nods towards the front entrance and replies, "Well, my husband needs some help with a few of the larger groceries. You wouldn't mind helping him carry them in, would you?"

You shake your head and smile. "I would like to help."

Then you exit the building, and are met with a fairly interesting sight. A much, much thinner-built stallion with a yellow coat and orange mane can be seen, near a wagon, with two bags of flour over his back. To his sides are a very short pegasus colt with a brown mane and tail and a tan coat, and to the opposite; a unicorn filly with a yellow coat and an orange mane and tail.

They're both carrying small bags of groceries in their mouths, while the father is carrying, and struggling with, a fairly large bag of sugar in his mouth, alongside the flour packs on his back.

You approach them and smile warmly. This marks the first time you've seen the Equestrian Equivalent of children... and they are absolutely adorable.

The young ones are first to notice you. They look up, and stare at you like a kitten staring at a fully-grown man for the first time.

Their staring is suddenly broken off when their father (presumably, at least) chimes in. "Go on inside, kiddos!"

Though they go inside, you can sense their eyes still locked onto you, but you decide to pay it no mind, and head over to the stallion. "Sorry about that," he starts, "kids these days will wonder about everything out of the ordinary! But eh, Feisty Fours, right?" He giggles lightly, before looking up at you.

From close up, he stands about as high as your legs, though with half the mass vertically. It's fairly clear that you stand out among the populace as a taller figure, but he seems about like the sort who would stand out a little on the shorter side of things.

But you digress.

You smile and bow your head politely at him. "I am with Limestone. I am here to help."

"Oh, well that's most appreciated! Here, I've got a few more flour bags in the wagon, if you'd be so kind as to help me bring them into the kitchen?" he asks, motioning towards the wagon.

You nod your head and approach the wagon. "Of course." You take one bag and measure its weight.

You fail to see how he's struggling so much with the bags, though. To you, it's almost comparable to holding a bag full of chips! But you decide that, maybe, it's not the matter of weight, but the amount he had to carry up here finally taking its toll on him. After all, it's a wagon you're getting these things from... and from your experience in the farm, wagons aren't automated. They're dragged.

So you decide to lighten his burden a bit more by picking up the four bags of flour from the wagon, then trot over to him, as he reaches the halfway mark. He's about to fall down, when you catch him and lift the two bags of flour from his back, and add them to your own.

He just stares up at you slack-jawed. "Now don't overburden yourself, friend!"

You smile, shaking your head. "It is easy. So, uh... where is the kitchen?"

"Um... r-right this way..." he says, motioning towards the doorway. You follow him, and notice that he's much, much more quicker on his hooves without the two bags on his back. Perhaps they're heavier than you think...

As you enter the building, you notice his wife and kids just staring at you in disbelief, as you carry the six bags of flour into the kitchen with ease.

The stallion eventually finds a spot to put them, and slowly hefts them from your back onto their designated areas. All the while, you sense the little ones right behind you, still staring at you in awe.

"Pound, Pumpkin, it's not nice to stare." you hear the father tell them. This catches their attention, and makes them skedaddle back into the Main Room... for a little while, at least.

Soon your back is freed, and you're once more able to roam around. The stallion sighs in relief, before turning back around to face you. He lifts a hoof up and approaches you. "Thanks for your help, friend! This would've taken us a lot longer, had you not shown up!"

You stare at his hoof confusedly, before raising your own hoof and bringing it up to his. The tips of your hooves bump, and he starts bringing them down and up, in a hoof-shake.

You'll admit, you're familiar with handshakes, but hoof-shakes do not feel the same. It'll take some getting used to.

"I am happy to help." you tell him.

Then, you feel something tugging on your tail. You turn your head and spot the little pegasus colt staring up at you again.

You smile at him and nod your head in greeting. "Hello, little one." you tell him.

He tilts his head confusedly. "You talk funny, mister!"

"Pound Cake!" his mother calls out from the entrance, frowning at him with the 'angry mom look' that many children shudder to see.

He just raises a hoof up at you and looks at her, confused and oblivious to her oncoming wrath. "Well he does!" would be his counter-argument.

She harrumphs, before gripping him by the ear, much to his displeasure, and dragging him out of the kitchen. When she returns, she giggles nervously at you. "Sorry about that, dearie! You know colts! Mouth over Manners!"

You get a little laugh out of that, waving a dismissive hoof her way. "It is okay. I am used to the stares by now."

She frowns at you and shakes her head. "But you shouldn't be! My goodness, though, it's just so... so rare to see a full-blooded horse these days! You know, some cultures thought 'em to be an old myth!"

You nod your head, tapping on your chest. "Well worry not, friend. I am very much real."

"Umm... excuse me, mister?" a little girl's voice chimes up from between you both. You look down and spot the unicorn filly looking up at you in wonder.

"Yes, little one?" you ask, lowering your head so you don't risk scaring her.

She then asks, "Uh... why are you so tall?"

Well, you know which of the children get the most cookies, now.

You chuckle a bit, before replying, "Well... it is because I am not a pony. I am a horse. A horse is much taller than a pony."

"A horse? What is a horse?" she asks.

Her mom intervenes. "I think that's enough questions for our dear friend here! Besides, after carrying all that flour, you ought to be pretty tired, huh?"

You're about to tell her that you aren't even slightly tired, but the look she's giving you tells you that not taking this way out might put you on a road that would take forever and a half to get out of.

And so, you stretch your shoulders and feign a yawn. "Yeah... I am pretty tired after all of that. Maybe another time, though?"

"Aww... okay! I'll be waiting!" she tells you with a bright smile.

You swear you hear some sort of squeaky toy go off nearby at just the moment her lips curl up. The combination of said squeak and her bright smile almost gives you a sugar-filled heart attack from the adorableness.

You internally shake the thoughts from your head. You're a man, dammit! Well... horse, dammit! But close enough, all things considered!

As her mom helps her out of the kitchen, the father claps his hoof to his face in embarrassment. "Oh, where are our manners?! All this, and we haven't even introduced ourselves, yet!"

You turn to face him, and he offers another hoof to shake. "I'm Carrot Cake. My wife's name is Cup Cake. The little mischief makers you saw were Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake."

You shake his hoof and smile again. "It is good to meet you all. My name... well... I do not know my name."

He brings a concerned hoof up to his mouth. "Don't know your name? Friend, are you suffering from Amnesia?!"

Unsure of the condition he said, but likely having a good guess, you sigh, shrugging your shoulders. "I do not know... it is complicated to explain, but... I was found by Limestone, and her family. They took care of me for a few months. They taught me Equish. I am still learning, though. Still learning a lot."

He frowns a bit, before nodding his head and placing a hoof on your shoulder. "Hmm... believe it or not, I can relate to that. You know, I was actually born and raised in Neighran. Had to learn Equish from Neighsi at the age of thirteen, which was not a Cake Walk. Instead of reading left to right, we read from right to left over there. Then there was the dialect, the word differences... and a few other details you might not be interested in hearing."

You didn't quite catch a few of those words, but you get the basic gist of it. So it seems he was a bit like you for a time... out of place, with a speech barrier blocking the way.

He looks over at the doorway to the Main Lobby, and nods towards it. "To be honest, I was surprised that my wife understood some of it. Turns out, she was studying Neighsi at the time, so that she could help her parents cater there... and so, she helped me translate what I couldn't understand. Before long, we both became great friends, and taught each other our own Native Languages. In the end, though, we stuck to Equish once we got married. Figured it would be best, since it's the most common language here."

You rub your chin in thought. "So there are multiple languages in this world... good to know. Might have to read up on it later, if I ever plan to explore a bit..."

Both of your attention is drawn to the front door, where Mrs. Cake is standing.

"Excuse me, dearies? I'd hate to interrupt, but Pinkie and Limestone are looking for their friend, now." she says.

You playfully roll your eyes and nod your head. "Thank you, Miss Cake."

She nods her head back at you and the two of them wave. "Don't worry, she ain't much angrier than usual!"

"Well, that's reassuring..." you deadpan in your mind, but you wear a smile for a mask and wave back at them, before making your way towards the stairway.

However, the two Pie Sisters are already walking down, with Limestone glaring daggers at you.

"Where the heck didja go?!" she demands.

You shrug your shoulders, smiling sheepishly at her. "Help-ing."

This makes her pause for a moment, before looking away, deadpanning. "... Oh." Then she glares back at you, and you notice her cheeks flushing redder. "W-well let us know, next time, Doofus! N-not that I was w-worried, or nothin'!"

Pinkie, however, giggles and puts her hooves on her cheeks. "Oh, she was totally worried! You should've seen the look on her face!"

"Pinkie, I will slug you." Limestone deadpans at her.

She doesn't feel threatened by her sister's threat, however, and casually bounces down the stairs, landing just a few feet away from you.

You step back a bit, caught off-guard by her speed and close proximity.

"Anyways, so Limey and I are on our way to the Marketplace! Then we're gonna go on a detour around the town, maybe do some sightseeing, play some Carnival Games, head to the Arcade, and watch a Movie! Wanna come with us?"

"And again, I do not know a single word she says... is she speaking that language Mr. Cake spoke?!" you think to yourself.

"I-" you begin, but Limestone already grabs you by the arm and drags you along.

"Wait... wasn't she just at the stairway?! How did-"

"Don't be silly, Pinkie Pie! Of course he's comin' with us! Why else would I have brought 'em here?!" she asks, as the three of you make your way towards the Front Door.

Pinkie giggles, looking at Limestone with half-lidded eyes. "Oh, I can think of some reasons why you brought 'em here!~"

"Oh yeah?! Well... s-shut up!" Limestone squeaks, as she begins glowing beet red.

"Umm... what does she-" you begin.

"Oh, well would you look at that?! Literally ANYTHING that's NOT this conversation right now! Let's go check it out!" Limestone says, picking up the pace, and dragging you along with her.

You can't help but shake the feeling that things are about to get... interesting, to say the least.

Author's Note

Well, folks... it looks like we're at it again! I know, it's not as many words as the last chapter. Not by a LONG shot... but hear me out for a bit!

I had a lot more words in the chapter prior, with even more planned out... but then, an idea hit me!

What if we ended December 2020, and started January 2021, with an entire Arc dedicated to the famous town that started the show off, instead of just one long chapter, which would then be followed with the everyday life at the Rock Farm?

And so, I did some cutting and altering here, some brainstorming there, and next thing we know, BAM! We've got our first actual Major Arc for the story, which will contain at LEAST five chapters dedicated to Ponyville!

Please note that there could be more, though! It really depends on several factors, such as how things go with the presentation, if I can find more shenanigans to throw in our characters' paths, and a few other details here and there! (It is Ponyville, after all, so finding some crazy, bizarre, over-the-top disaster isn't really that hard to think of.)

So here's the basic draft idea I have for these segments (don't worry, they're spoiler-free, and mostly just rough drafts as far as details are concerned!):

Segment 1. We are here at the moment... or rather, we just passed this one. It's the Opening Segment for the Ponyville Arc, where we set things into motion, and get the characters and events into their positions!

Segment 2. The Buildup Segment. When things seem to be going smoothly, with a few minor moments here and there that throw things off the usual routine, and/or building up for the next Segment.

Segment 3. The Shenanigans Segment. When things start spiraling out of control. Usually what shouldn't happen... kinda-sorta happens here. Issues, some action, adventure, craziness, and hijinks... yeah, those usually go in this segment. Because we're still early in the story, this one won't be too over-the-top. I think we'll go with an almost fairly balanced amount of 'Escalated Insanity' and 'Close Calls'.

Segment 4. The Resolve Segment. The end of the Shenanigans. The moment where the challenges are overcome, for better or for worse!

Segment 5. The Return Segment. Probably as short as 1, if not shorter. It's basically recapping what happened, and our heroes' return to their home over in the Rock Farm.

Note that these "Segments" aren't completely written in stone, and feats from other segments will intertwine within others, but the general plan for them is, for the most part, the Segments' Themes.

Following the Major Arc will be quite a few smaller-sized filler chapters before the next Major Arc. This way, if I need a break from the "MAJOR" events, I can use the fillers to break some of the ice... maybe even build up the relationship between our Protagonist and his grumpy gal-pal?

Oh, and before anyone asks... no. This isn't the only time we'll visit Ponyville. Expect it to be revisited again at a few more points in the story, along with other places we visit as well!