It is an event that only comes once in a lifetime; When your heart catches in your throat and the whole world around you stands still. The moment that you first see the person that you know you want to spend the rest of your life with, is a moment you will remember forever.
I know I remember mine.
There's not a single detail that escapes me, even a year later. I remember how she looked at me when she first stood up, shakily on dainty legs.
How her hair fell in front of her eyes as she straightened the hem of her dress.
I even remember the exact number of petals that fell on her shoulder as she stood there amongst the cherry blossoms.
I remembered all of this, because she was the woman I thought I would spend the rest of my days with.
The woman that I love, with all my heart and soul, I will never see again.
********
I had been working at a Japanese restaurant, the only scrawny white boy amongst all the professional Japanese chefs.
That didn't stop me from cooking though. The head chef always told me that I must have a Japanese ancestor, otherwise I wouldn't be able to cook so well.
I swelled with pride the first time he told me that, and it didn't lose it's meaning no matter how many times he said it.
From performance teppanyaki to simple sushi, I excelled at every dish I set my utensils on. I never thought I'd find anything that made me as happy as cooking did.
One night - after a particularly long shift - I stopped in the small rooftop garden to have a moment with myself. It was a gloomy night, the moon partially covered with drifting clouds. There were two small cherry blossom trees that were beginning to droop as the days grew colder.
I turned away from the trees and stared up at some of the billboards that adorned the city.
One in particular caught my eye. It was bright, colourful and happy; the exact opposite of everything else around it.
A smile crept up my lips as my mouth formed the word "Bridlemaids..."
Six colourful ponies wearing dresses were draped along it, their faces in varying degrees of happiness.
I made a mental note of the splash text and vowed to look it up when I got home.
As soon as I got home that night, I sat at my computer and began to search for the meaning of the mysterious billboard.
I hit enter on the search engine and recoiled when I saw what it was about. I was tempted to close the browser there and then and forget about it all.
But something kept me there.
My mouse hovered over a YouTube link momentarily, before I sat up and walked away from the computer.
"My Little Pony?" I thought to myself as I fixed a small dinner. I could remember my sister playing with the toys when we were both young. "I guess some things will never die."
I walked past the computer and down to the lounge room and turned the TV on.
Out of the corner of my eye I could still see the glow of the monitor.
Two episodes of Doctor Who later I was back on the computer, my finger poised on the mouse button.
"What the hell..." I muttered.
The video opened up and began to load, and before I knew it I had watched over fifteen clips of these adorable ponies dancing around on the screen.
From Pinkie Pies pratfalls to Twilight Sparkles paranoia, I was completely hooked.
If there was anything that could make me happier than cooking, then it would be ponies.
A few weeks later, I stood atop the roof of the restaurant again, a can of Mountain Dew in my hand. I had been up late every night watching episodes of My Little Pony after work, and I was feeling burnt out.
I hadn't admitted it to anyone yet, but I knew I wasn't the only one.
It was a perfectly clear night, but freezing cold. The cherry blossoms were beginning to wilt and their petals danced around in the wind.
I tilted my head back for a second as I took a swig from the can, and when I looked back, there was a girl laying outstretched beneath the trees.
I spat out my drink in shock. She was definitely not there when I last looked. I put my can down and walked quickly over to her.
"Hey." I spoke softly, kneeling down beside her. "Hey, are you okay?"
Maybe she fell from a plane? I mentally slapped myself as I thought of it, she'd look a lot worse if she'd done that.
I tenderly reached out and moved her hair away from her face, and I gasped despite myself.
Her skin was beautifully pale, her dark hair contrasting with her skins gleam. I stooped up to look at her properly and was struck by her beauty. She wasn't dressed properly for the time of the year, wearing only a dark purple shirt and a short black dress.
With a look around, I decided it would be best to get her out of the cold, even if I just took her down to the kitchen until she woke up.
As I knelt down to try and lift her, I saw her eyelids flutter.
With my heart racing I stepped back, not wanting to seem creepy.
"Miss? Are you okay?" I asked again a little louder.
She stood up shakily, her legs wobbly. A dainty hand lifted to her head and she rubbed it groggily.
"Where am I..." She mumbled in a voice that sounded strangely familiar.
She looked up at me and the hair fell from her face, revealing a bright pink streak that shot all through her hair.
My mouth went dry as I stared at her, and I was sure she could hear my heart thumping in my chest.
Those eyes... I'd never seen purple eyes before. They were two of the most beautiful things I had ever laid eyes upon.
She straightened the hem of her dress and stepped away from me. "Where am I?" She asked, her voice wavering. "Where's the Princess?" There was something about her voice, I knew it but I couldn't quite place it.
I held my hands out in what I hoped was a non-threatening way. "Are you okay?" The question was beginning to sound redundant now. "My name's Desmond, I just found you here. Do you remember what happened?"
Her eyes began to water as she looked around. "I... I don't remember. I was helping the Princess with a transportation spell and then..." She flung her hands up in the air as she tried to explain, and then shrieked. "What is... What are these?! Where are my hoofs!? What's going... On..." She looked down at her body and her mouth fell open.
"No no no no no! Oh sweet Celestia..."
That's how I knew it.
"Twilight... Sparkle?" I asked, my head cocked uncertainly to the side.
Her eyes snapped up to look at me. "How do you know my name?" Her tears were flowing freely now and I could feel my chest start to tighten.
I said nothing and pointed to the billboard behind her.
She turned slowly, seemingly afraid of what she might see.
The "Bridlemaids" advertisement was still there, each of the ponies light by a spotlight.
Twilight looked back at me, then to the board again.
"What happened..." She said softly.
Her legs began to shake again, and she collapsed to the ground.
I paced rapidly back and forth around the lounge room, my head still spinning from the sheer craziness of the situation.
Not only did I have a girl here - a situation that hadn't occurred in far longer than I care to admit - but she was a beautiful girl. Stunning, really.
There was a beautiful girl unconscious on my couch, who was actually a cartoon pony that had been teleported here by magic.
I'd draped her in a spare blanket I'd pulled from my room, hoping it would keep her warm enough while she rested.
A scene ran through my head of that same pony pacing around her house so much that she wore a rut in the floor, and I stopped to chuckle.
She hadn't moved much since she passed out on the roof almost an hour ago. I'd managed to just catch her before she hit her head on the ground, but the hardest part was getting her back through the kitchen.
I cringed as I remembered hiding her behind a sack of flour at one point, just before Chef Michiba came past me with an armful of Foie Gras.
I made a mental reminder never to tell Twilight about that.
With one last glance at her, I left the room and tip toed to the kitchen.
I wasn't sure what sort of drinks they had in Equestria, but my Mother always told me that if you're stressed, then som peppermint tea will fix it.
As the teapot boiled slowly on the stove, I sat on the single chair I had and stared at the doorway to the lounge room.
I didn't even know what to think anymore.
The teapot began to whistle so I stood with a heavy sigh.
From the lounge room, I heard Twilight moan sleepily.
Her eyes were open when I walked in, and she was curled up in a fetal position.
I cleared my throat softly and she flicked her eyes up to me, then looked away.
"Are... Are you okay, Twilight?" I regretted the words as soon as they were out of my mouth.
She kept staring straight ahead, but I could see her eyes narrow. "Oh yes, I'm fine. Perfectly. Fine."
I cringed slightly and tried to move on. "I um... I made some... That is, I don't know whether you'd want a cup of... I mean if you would like I've got..." I paused to pull out the foot that had become firmly lodged in my mouth."Would you like a cup of tea?"
Twilight nodded so slightly it was almost imperceptible. "Thank you." She whispered.
We both sat in silence as she sipped at the tea, the blanket still wrapped around her shoulders.
The minutes passed with not a sound between the two of us, and I started to wonder if I should say something.
Then I heard a deep growling noise echo throughout the room.
I stood up suddenly and looked around. I didn't remember ever buying a dog, and I'm sure I closed the door on my way in, so there's no way any could have gotten in.
Slowly, I turned to look at Twilight.
She had her face hidden behind the mug and I could see the slightest of smiles on her lips.
"Sorry..." She mumbled from behind her hands. "I guess I am a little peckish."
I tried to hold back a smile. "That's okay. Can I get you anything?"
Then she was crying.
I stepped forward and sat on the couch beside her. "Twilight, I - I'm sorry. I didn't think, I just..."
She sniffed and wiped away a tear from her cheek. "No, it's not you... I was supposed to be going to Raritys for dinner tonight, it's her birthday today. Pinkie and Applejack were baking her a cake and..." She collapsed forward with her head cradled on her knees, the half empty cup of tea falling to the floor and cracking. Her shoulders heaved up and down as she sobbed in to her arms.
Without thinking, I put my arm around her and placed my head on her shoulder. "Don't worry." I whispered. "It's going to be okay."
She flung my arm off of her and stood, glaring at me with her puffy red eyes. "How can you say that?!" She shrieked at me. "You don't know that! I could be stuck here forever! What about my friends? What about my parents? I'm probably never going to..." Her voice cracked slightly. "I'm probably never going to see them again. So don't you daretry to tell me that it's going to be okay, because it isn't!"
I jumped up and pointed a finger at her. "Hey, if it wasn't for me you'd still be stuck freezing on that rooftop! I've bought you in to my house and done my best to make you comfortable!" I didn't realise I'd begun to yell. "You haven't even done so much as thank me yet, you're acting like this is all my fault!"
"I said thank you for the tea, didn't I?" She spat petulantly.
"Oh you're welcome! You're also welcome for using my couch and taking care of you!" My stomach began to tighten as I got angrier, and a small voice in my head tried to tell me to stop.
"I don't even know you!" She yelled back at me. "I didn't want to come to this world! I never asked to look like this!" She gestured to her body with her hand. "I dont want to look like this, and I don't want to stay here!"
I stomped past her and opened the door. "Fine then, leave!"
She glared at me, kicked the neglected mug in to the wall and stormed out in to the night.
I slammed the door shut behind her, grating my teeth in anger. If she wanted to fix this on her own, then fine. She didn't ask for my help in the first place, and if she didn't want it then I sure as hell wasn't going to give it to her.
Two minutes later I fell out the door, trying to pull my coat on as I stumbled after her.
"Twilight!". I called out in to the darkness. "Twilight come back, I'm sorry!"
She was no where to be seen, the street lights barely gave enough illumination to see to the other side of the road.
"Damn it." I muttered.
I jogged down the small path leading from my door to the street, trying to think of all the places she could have gone.
She could be anywhere. She's lost, alone, scared and upset.
"Oh god, what have I done?" I thought to myself.
I ran around the entire block, calling her name and receiving death threats from my neighbours for making so much noise.
By the time I got home, I was terrified, out of breath, and I'm not ashamed to say on the verge of tears.
"I'm sorry." Came a small voice from behind me.
I whirled around to see Twilight standing there, her arms crossed and shivering from the cold. I spread my arms and stared at her. "Where did you go? I ran around the whole street looking for you and... You just disappeared."
She crossed her arms and I could see the goosebumps forming on her skin. "I didn't go anywhere, I hid in the dark corner between your house and the fence."
I looked over to where she described and nodded slightly.
Twilight looked up at the night sky, trying to avoid eye contact. "I know you were just trying to help, and I am grateful, really. But I just-"
I held my hands up to silence her. For a moment she looked like she was going to cry again, no doubt worried that I was going to yell at her.
I slowly walked up to her and shrugged my coat off, wrapping it around her. "Don't worry about it, let's get you inside. We can talk about it in the morning."
My blaring alarm clock shook me out of my sleep, but when I rolled over to turn it off I crashed on to the floor.
I stood up blearily with my head pounding from the impact and collapsed back on to the couch, the blanket wrapped around my feet.
With eyes still closed I turned off my alarm clock and revelled in the silence.
Part of me didn't want to think about why I was sleeping on the couch instead of in my bed, but the other part of me couldn't think of anything else.
I wiped the sleep from my eyes and made my way to the kitchen to start making myself some breakfast.
"Good morning, sleepy head!" Called a voice that was far too happy for this time in the morning.
I focused my eyes on Twilight, and immediately clenched them shut.
"Twi! What are you... I mean, why are you naked?!" I spun around and looked back in to the lounge room to avoid further looking.
I heard her foot steps slap on the tiled floor as she walked over to me. "What are you talking about?"
I covered my face with my hands and could feel the searing heat from my cheeks. "Your clothes." I managed to stammer out. "Where are they?"
Her footsteps moved over towards the fridge. "Oh, I took them off last night. Clothing is only formal wear anyway, right?"
"Not... Exactly..." I mumbled through my hands. "It's sort of a full time thing here. We umm... Don't have fur coats to keep us warm."
"Ohh!" I heard her exclaim as she rummaged through the fridge. "That explains why I'm so cold."
I nodded my head vigorously. "Yes, exactly! Now, I think it would be breast - best! I think it would be best if you umm... If you got dressed. Please."
"Alright then." She sighed. I heard her walk past me and down the hall.
I finally allowed myself to open my eyes and breathe a sigh of relief.
"Oh, and one more thing!" Twilight jumped out from behind the corner suddenly, straight in to my field of view. "I made you breakfast to say sorry for last night. Eat up!"
Then she dashed away again.
Stunned, I merely stood and stared at where she had stood, the image of her burned in to my brain.
My feet carried me to the kitchen almost by their own free will, and I sat down at the table in front of a salad sandwich.
My mind still in the process of a biological Blue Screen Of Death, I lifted the sandwich to my mouth and began chewing, only to spit it out a few seconds later.
Along with lettuce and carrot shavings, Twilight had added some flowers from my garden to the sandwich.
I dropped the ensemble back on to the plate and leant back in the chair.
"Daymond?" Twilight called out from my bedroom.
"It's Desmond!" I replied, trying to contain the indignation I certainly felt.
I thought I heard her mumble an apology but I wasn't sure. "Can you uh, can you lend me a hoof here?"
I stood up and made my way to the bedroom, keeping my hand just in front of my eyes in case I needed to avert my gaze again. "What's up?" I asked her as I tried to keep the nerves out of my voice.
A pair of my shorts flew out from the doorway and landed on my outstretched arm. "I can't put them on, they're too small."
I picked up the pants and rolled them up in to a ball. "What do you mean?"
Twilight walked out with her legs through the arm holes of a jumper and a pair of pants draped over her bare torso, covering her more delicate areas. "Never mind!" She said with a happy smile. "I found a pair that do."
She pause slightly as she looked at what I was wearing, then back to herself. "Why is mine different to yours?"
Before I could stop myself, all the stress of the past twelve hours exploded out of me in a fit of laughter, bringing me to my knees as I cackled at her.
I don't know how long I laughed for, but I finally managed to clear the tears from my eyes and breath normally again.
Twilight was still standing there, her arms crossed and wearing her ridiculous outfit.
"You got half way there." I said though intermittent bouts of laughter. "Put the bottom one on top and the top one on the bottom."
Twilight looked at what I was wearing one more time, furrowed her brow, and then began pulling her clothes off.
I spun around and walked back to the kitchen. "At least wait till I'm out of the room, geeze!"
Twilight came in while I was washing some dishes in the kitchen, her clothes now the right way around. Or should I say, wearing my clothes. The baggy tee-shirt and oversized jeans made my brain start to melt again, no matter how hard I tried to stop it.
She sat down somewhat awkwardly on the chair, unsure of what to do with her hands. She settled for holding on to the underneath of the chair, no doubt to try and stop herself from 'falling off'.
"Do you mind if I make myself something to eat?" She asked meekly.
I grabbed a plate from the drying wrack, have it a quick wipe with the towel and handed it to her. "Go right ahead."
As Twilight finished placing the last piece of bread atop her sandwich, I was dressed and ready for work.
"Twilight, I've got to go to work, so would you be okay to stay here today?"
She carefully pulled a knife out from the drying rack, holding it between her fingers by the handle as if it were a venomous snake.
"What am I meant to do?" She grumbled as she slowly sliced the bread.
I hadn't thought of that. Pondering for a moment, I dashed back to my room and opened the wardrobe.
"Twilight!" I yelled out. "Come here!" This would be perfect.
She came in with one slice of her sandwich, the other half apparently already devoured. "What is it?" She asked between bites, but it sounded more like "Waf ith it?"
I stepped back from the wardrobe and gestured for her to look inside. "I know it's not a lot, but hopefully it will give you something to do."
Inside was the entire twenty-seven book collection of the Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Twilight pushed the last of the sandwich in her mouth and dropped to her knees in front of the book shelf.
"Wow!" She exclaimed. "What are they all?"
"It's a comprehensive list of almost everything in this world, it should help you to fit in a bit." I told her as she hefted one of the heavy tomes from its spot.
She flipped through a few pages and then looked up at me.
"What language is this? I don't remember ever seeing it in the Canterlot archives."
My jaw dropped. How could I be so stupid!? Of course she's never read English before! "I'm sorry, Twi. I presumed that because you spoke English that you'd be able to read it too."
Twilight smiled at me in a way that made my knees weak. I didn't know what it was with this girl, but she had a power over me.
"That's okay!" She said sweetly, still beaming at me. "I guess I'd need to check this sooner or later."
I opened my much to question her, but I never got the chance.
She closed her eyes and placed both her hands on the book. Suddenly, a bright purple glow surrounded her, and I was sure I saw white runes flashing around her head.
The glow expanded out, forming a bubble around her as I stared on in awe.
The bubble popped, sending small bolts of magic flying outwards.
She pulled her hands away from the book and nodded.
"At least my magic still works..."
I blinked away the images that were still burned in to my retinas, unable to fully process what I'd just seen. I'd seen Twilight perform magic in the show, but never had I expected it to be so extravagant.
After regaining my senses, I grabbed Twilights hand, pulling her to her feet and letting the book fall to the floor with a heavy thud.
"This is great news!" I shouted happily. "If your magic works then you can use it to go home!"
She slipped her hands out of mine and stepped backwards.
"It's not that simple Desmond. The spell that bought me here was extremely powerful, cast by Princess Celestia, Luna and myself. Without a third pony that knows what she's doing..."
I nodded at her, trying not to make her feel any worse.
"Well, at least you've still got something. Now I've got to go, I'm running late as it is."
Twilight didn't reply, she was already reading. I smiled softly at her and walked out the door.
