Author's Note

Hey you guys!! Thanks for waiting, here is the newest chapter of the story. Special thanks to my editor Codex92 for his help.

Also I'll be posting a blog soon about what we should see in future chapters, more specifically Ben's powers.

Chapter 1: Fresh Start

Chapter 1: Fresh Start

(Ben POV)

The first thing I noticed as my senses started to come back to me was that the upper half of my body was slightly sore; my head to be more specific. Next was that I was laying down on what I had to guess was a bed, which was really comfy. With my mind beginning to fully awaken, I was able to slowly regain control over my limbs and nerves. I slowly began to open my eyes, only to quickly shut them from the bright light over my head. “Ffffffuck that’s bright.”

After letting my eyes adjust to the brightness of the room, I saw that I was staring up at a plain white ceiling. I glanced around to confirm my suspicion. “I'm in a hospital.” Which made sense, considering I was hit by a large blue postal box, a full one at that if the pain on impact was any indication. I winced a bit just thinking about the whole thing. “Ugh, this is a good reason for everyone to switch to emails.”

Taking a moment to go over a mental checklist of my body, I was happy to report that all my limbs were still intact. Other than a mild headache, I was doing okay, but I did notice that something was attached to my right arm when I moved it a bit. Glancing down, I saw that I had an IV in my arm, which meant that I was unconscious for more than a day. To my left, I could see that I was also attached to a heart monitor.

Just as I was going to speculate how long I had been here, the sound of a door clicking open grabbed my attention. Wearing a white coat with a whitish pink doctor’s uniform was a mare with grayish blue fur and a silver mane. She had been looking at her clipboard when she walked in and took a moment to look up to see me staring back at her. "Oh, you're finally awake?" She smiled as she walked over to the side of my bed while looking at her clipboard again. "My name is Swift Recovery. How are you feeling, Mr. Parker?"

For a moment, my heart sank as she already knew my name. They probably looked through my wallet for identification. Why would this be a problem? The reason is that I don't have any possible medical records or legal documents to state that I'm a citizen of Equestria, or this universe’s version of Earth for that matter. And if this was like any other country, no passport either means being deported (To an Earth that isn’t my own.) or being sent to prison. And without any friends and family (Not that I have any.), I’m as good as screwed.

"Um...I'm doing okay, so far as I can tell." I answered, trying to maintain a calm tone.

Swift smiled as she flipped through her clipboard. "Well, after we checked your medical records and did a check for any signs of permanent damage, I am happy to report that you should be able to be discharged from here whenever you’re ready."

'Wait, what?’ They checked my medical records, which means that I have some in this universe? “But ho-?" Suddenly, Madame Web's words about not having to worry about my existence here made some sense. 'Did she make it so that I was a legal being in this universe?'

With that dilemma now on the backburner, I could focus on some other questions that were on my mind. "So, doc, seeing that I have an IV in my arm;" I pointed to my right arm "I can assume I've been out for more than a day?"

Swift slightly cringed a bit. "Well, you're lucky to be alive after a hit like that. But as for your question, you've been unconscious for about five days."

"FIVE DAYS!?" I could hear the heart monitor beeping rapidly as my fear increased my heart rate. Now the obvious question would be: why would I be scared? If you thought it was because I was unconscious for fivedays, then you're wrong. No, the real reason I'm scared is simple; the hospital bill. 'I'm not sure how much it costs for a night in a hospital, but I know it's not cheap. Add that and the fact I've been attached to an IV means the price went even further up.' I took a moment to quickly regain my heart rate so I could think more clearly. 'Okay, the average human can last three whole days without water, and they said I've been out for only five days. That means I've only had two days’ worth of IVs…I think. Never been in a situation like this before.' Then a new set of questions started to come up. ‘Shit!! What if they don't accept human currency!? Or what if this universe’s currency is something completely different, like bottle caps!? Or dirt!?

A few taps to my shoulder managed to snap me out of my hysterical mental rant. Swift was holding out a clipboard with some paperwork on it. "I just need you to sign this and you should be set to go anytime you're ready."

'Wait, what?' I blinked a few times, trying to make sure I was still conscious and heard her right. "Um, aren't you gonna ask me how I'm going to pay for the medical care I was given?" A part of me was screaming to shut the hell up and how they could have forgotten, and I wouldn’t have had to pay anything.

"Hmm? Oh! I forgot." Yep, should have kept my mouth shut. "Somepony already took care of that for you, so you don't need to worry." She gave a joyful smile, and unless my ears were playing tricks, I could have sworn I heard a squeaking noise.

"B-b-but who?" I was completely bewildered.

"I'm afraid I can't say. I was told to keep that a secret." Just when I was about to ask why, I saw that Swift's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh! I just remembered. You have a visitor who's been waiting for you to wake up. Would you like to let her in?"

'A guest? For me? That's weird. I don't know anyone here.' My sense of curiosity got the best of me. "Sure, go ahead." She gave a quick bow and walked out, closing the door behind her. 'Now who would be visiting me? I've only been in the city for a day, not including the days I've been unconscious.' A couple knocks on the door snapped me back to reality. "Come in."

The door handle twisted, the door opened, and I saw a familiar face come walking in. With fur white as freshly fallen snow, her mane and tail were two shades of light pink, stood the mare who I had met in the park. She wore a white skirt that barely passed her knees with a light blue sleeveless top. Unlike before, she wasn't wearing a sun hat, which allowed me to see that she was actually a unicorn. And she wasn't wearing a pair of sunglasses either, so I could now see her pale purple eyes with matching eye shadow. Even though she wasn't a human, I would be lying if I said she wasn't beautiful. For a pony, that is.

"I'm glad to see you're well, monsieur. I don't believe we had the chance to properly introduce ourselves." She walked over until she was near the side of the bed, then cleared her throat and slightly bowed. "My name is Fleur de Lis."

"Oh. Well, it's nice to meet you, Miss de Lis. My name is Benjamin Parker, but you can call me Ben for short." I held out my hand for a shake.

She happily took my hand in her own. When she did, I could feel her soft, smooth fur on my palm. She gave a warm smile as she shook my hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ben, and please, just call me Fleur. There's no need to be so formal with me."

"Um, okay, Fleur. It's a pleasure to meet you, too." I couldn't help but return her smile. "Um, may I ask what brings you here today? Not that I’m not grateful for the visit and all, but I feel like there must be a reason to do so, right?”

After letting go of my hand and taking a seat that was next to the bed, Fleur fixed her dress by moving her hands along it to remove any wrinkles before giving me her attention. "Well, I'm here to give the stallion who saved me a proper thank you." After hearing her reason for being here, I started to look around the room, turning left and right, and even looking under my pillow. "Is something wrong? Did you lose something, Ben?"

"No. I'm just trying to find the stallion you mentioned." I set the pillow back down, shrugging my shoulders. "Nope. No stallions here. Just your average human man."

For a moment, the room was silent until Fleur cupped her hand over her muzzle, trying to stifle a fit of giggles. "Oh, forgive me. Pft...I seem to have made a mistake. I wish to thank the ‘man’ who saved my life." She corrected herself, putting emphasis on the word “man” while still giggling to herself.

I couldn't help but chuckle a bit myself. "Much better." I said with a satisfied nod of approval. Despite my current predicament, I still had a small sense of humor, something I must have inherited from my father.

"Yes, well, I'm glad to see you have a good sense of humor." She cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. "So, as I was saying, I wanted to show you my thanks for saving me and the filly from the other day." I guessed that “filly” meant the little girl she risked her life to help the other day. I get the feeling that these ponies have a whole set of adjectives I’m gonna be hearing often.

I quickly remembered the little gi…I mean, the little filly. "Oh, that reminds me. Is she okay?" While I wasn't aiming to be a hero, that didn't mean I was completely heartless to leave a child in danger or worry about their wellbeing.

"Yes, she is fine. As a matter of fact, she, along with her parents, came to visit you while you were unconscious." She then gestured for me to look to my left.

Sitting on a table that I had failed to notice were my clothing along with the items I had in my pocket. Beside those was a piece of paper that was folded. Leaning over, I picked up the piece of paper and proceeded to unfold it. When I looked to see what was written, I was a bit surprised to see it was a picture of me. Now, you would have expected that, being from a child, it would have been done in crayon, but that wasn't the case here. Sketched with a pencil was my face from what I had guessed was the filly’s point of view when I saved her and Fleur, like she had taken a picture from below. The picture was of me looking straight ahead with a determined expression with sunlight in the background to give my face more shading. "Are you sure she drew this?” I asked Fleur while tapping on the sketching. “She must be some art prodigy or something."

"She did draw this picture of you, and it's actually because of you that she drew it so well." Fleur added while moving her finger to tap on a corner of the page. On the bottom right, I saw a note.

Thanks for saving me and helping me earn my cutie mark. You're my hero.

Love, Feather Sketch.

"Seems like you've made a little filly’s day, Mr. Parker." She lightly jabbed at my side in a playful manner.

I couldn't help but blush a bit since I was never used to getting this kind of praise. "Honestly, I just did what came naturally to me is all." Even when I didn't want to be, I somehow ended up being the hero. As I read the note again, I found myself with a question. "What does she mean by, ‘I helped her earn her cutie mark?’"

At first, she gave me a questionable look like I had asked a ridiculous question, but that look was short lived as her eyes widened and she gently tapped her palm on her forehead. "Oh, I forgot that you've only been in Equestria for a day." She then raised her hand to her right shoulder to point to some images on her shoulders. There were three fleur de lis symbols, which is ironic since that's what her name was. Two were pink while the third was golden. "Here in Equestria, when a colt or filly finds out what their special talent in life is, their cutie mark will appear that matches that talent of theirs." She then tapped the picture in my hand with a smile. "Apparently, after she had drawn this for you, her cutie mark had finally appeared, telling her that her talent was sketching art."

'Well...that's weird. So they’re not tattoos, but markings that magically appear? This world might take some time to get used to.' I sighed and leaned back into my pillow, still grasping the fact that I was no longer in my world. 'Geez, the Parker family luck sure doesn't know when to skip a generation, now does it?'

I was contempt to wallow in my unfortunate luck until Fleur spoke up. "Oh, I guess we got off topic just now. I still have to show you my gratitude for saving both our lives that day."

"Huh? Uh, that's not really necessary, Miss de Lis. I-."

"Fleur. I told you that you can call me Fleur." She quickly cut me off by placing a finger to my lips, giving me a stern look that told me there was no budging on the matter.

When she had taken her finger off my lips, I cleared my throat to continue "Right, sorry. Um, Fleur, while I do appreciate the offer, I'm gonna have to politely decline."

She didn’t seem to care for that answer as her cheeks puffed out for a moment like a child about to throw a tantrum. “But why not? You risked your life to save me and that little filly. The least you can do is allow me to show my gratitude.”

‘Ugh, she is a persistent one. Why can’t she take the hint?’ I groaned internally. It seemed like this mare was going to be bothering me until I gave her a legit answer. ‘I could just tell her it’s a matter of pride…Nah, she doesn’t seem to be that kind of gir…er, I mean, mare to take that kind of answer.’ I was left to ponder what I could say to change her mind. That’s when my father’s voice echoed in my mind with him saying the same phrase he would always say in times like these. I let out a long sigh as I looked at her. “With great power comes great responsibility.”

Fleur seemed to be taken a bit off guard by that phrase. “What?”

I let out a long sigh. “That was something my dad used to tell me a lot. It can have more than one meaning. But in the case of me saving you and that filly, it means that if you have the power to save someone, then you should use that power to do so. Or at least that’s what I think it meant at the time.” To be honest, I never really understood the true meaning of that saying, but dad said that someday, I will. But to me, I feel like he let that simple phrase run his life. Just because one has the power to do something doesn’t mean you are obligated to do anything. If a man has a black belt in karate and his fist is registered as a lethal weapon, and if he sees a police officer being ganged up on by some criminals, is he obligated to go and help just because he has the skills? The answer is no, he doesn’t. There is no reason he should go risk his life for someone who has been trained to handle situations like these. And yet my father believed that no matter the threat, whether it be a mugger or a mad supervillain, he always had to go and try to save the day.

There was a long moment of silence between me and Fleur as she sat there taking in my words. I wasn’t even sure if I used that phrase at the right time. I just didn’t feel like having someone thinking they owed me anything. But despite my protest to her offer, Fleur still had the same determined look on her face. “Well then, by that logic, I don’t really need a reason to not do something nice for someone.” And just like that, I was somehow at a loss for words, wondering if that phrase could be used that way. “So, let us get you checked out of here and go for a walk. I’ll think of something to show you my thanks as I give you a tour of the city.” Before I could try and protest, she was already out the door.

As the door shut behind her, I was left dumbfounded as I sat in my room all alone. “What the fuck just happened?”

After I dressed myself and checked out of the hospital, I made my way out the doors to see that Fleur was waiting for me, only this time, she was wearing the same sunhat and sunglasses from yesterday. I looked up to the sky to see that it was partly cloudy and barely even bright out. “How come you're wearing those again?” I gestured to the two accessories. “It’s not that hot out, nor is it that bright.”

She puffed out her cheeks again before turning away. “Dearie, it’s considered rude to question a mare’s outfit. You should support a mare on their decision with whatever they wear, no matter if it is a bit excessive.”

I wasn’t sure if that was true or not given my first and only relationship never brought up this kind of problem, mainly because at times, Morgan would act like a total tomboy. She wasn’t afraid to get down and dirty. She wasn’t a slob, but she wasn’t so petty to worry about her appearance all the time. I gave the mare a cheeky smile as I made my way over to her. “So, you just admitted that what you are wearing is excessive.” That little bit made her cheeks fluster a bit as she looked over to me and blew a raspberry. “You know, for an adult, you sure act childish.” I couldn’t help but tease. Which was rather odd since I usually try to keep a calm and almost introverted attitude. I wasn’t sure if it was because of this world and its brighter atmosphere compared to New York, or because of this mare.

Before I knew it, Fleur was marching over to me with a blush still on her muzzle. “Listen here, little man, I’ll have you know that I’m not childish. I’m just free spirited. If a mare wants to wear more clothing than it is needed, then that is her choice. As a gentleMAN, you should always compliment her no matter what decision she makes.” I could tell she wasn’t mad by her tone as she lightly poked me in the chest. I was going to comment on her remark for calling me a little man, but I noticed that, as she stood next to me, she was a good foot taller than me. I hadn’t really noticed before since this was the first time we had ever stood up this close to one another. It was kind of intimidating in a way since I was almost six feet tall. Either the mares of this world are all this tall, or she was exceptionally rare.

Seeing that this was a battle that any sane man knows when he’s beat, I raised up my hands defensively. “Okay, I’m sorry. You look good no matter what you wear, whether too much or otherwise.” At first, she was still glaring at me like she was ready to rip my throat out, but then suddenly switched to a bright, cheery smile and raised her hand to pat me on the head before turning away to continue our trip. ‘Jesus. Lookslike no matter what universe you go to, females will always be scary and intimidating.’

I was considering ditching this mare and trying to find a way back home, and I was about to until I felt the collar of my shirt being tugged. I looked down to see it enveloped in a pale pink aura. I tried to wipe it off, only for my finger to go right through it like it was air. Before I could try again to bat away this mysterious aura away, my shirt was yanked forward, which managed to get the rest of my body to follow suit. When I looked ahead to see the direction in which I was being pulled toward, I saw that it was to Fleur. She looked over her shoulder with a coy smirk as I watched her raise her hand, and with her index finger, make a ‘come here’ motion. “Come now, Ben, dearie. If you don’t pick up the pace, we won’t be able to see most of the city before sundown.” Her finger beckoned once more, which caused the collar of my shirt to get tugged once more.

With no other options available to me, I complied with her request and picked up my pace until I was walking beside her. ‘I can’t help but feel like this could be considered as kidnapping.’ I glanced over to my forceful tour guide and saw that she had a rather pleasant smile on her face. ‘Though, as far as kidnappers go, she is rather bea-…What the hell am I thinking?!’

We spent the next hour walking around the city, taking in the different sights and shops as we passed by them. During that time, Fleur gave me a summary of Equestria’s history. She told me about the three pony tribes and what they excelled at. Earth ponies were strong and knew how to tend to the land, making them great famers. Pegasi were fast and nimble and could control the weather. And Unicorns were considered great scholars and capable of using magic to cast spells and other stuff. Because Fleur is a unicorn, she can use magic, but she stated that not every unicorn could cast the same kind of spells. Some unicorns whose special talent revolved around magic could cast a wide range of spells while the average unicorn could do the simplest of things, like grabbing and levitating something with their magic, or even summoning objects and teleporting. I got to experience unicorn magic firsthand since Fleur used her own to pull me by my shirt earlier.

Another thing that happened during our walk was Fleur’s phone going off almost every five minutes. She would check it and then quickly deny the call. She did this for the first six or seven calls before asking me to wait for her as she answered the phone when it rang for the ninth time. While I waited for her to finish her conversation with whoever it was on the other line, I noticed a stand that was selling newspapers. On one of the covers, I saw a picture of Wilson Fisk with a smile on his face as he was shaking hands with a pony. This pony had both a horn and wings while wearing a very elegant dress. Her mane was rather pretty with its bright, colorful streaks. If I remember correctly from what Fleur told me, that was one of the princesses, who was an alicorn, a race of pony who had all the attributes of the three pony races combined. I was honestly ticked off after seeing that man’s face as his image alone brought back so many painful memories, and what made his picture even more irritating was the title of the article.

Wilson Fisk, an upstanding human citizen shaking hands with the princess of Equestria

The title alone made me want to barf. These ponies and people had no idea what kind of man he was. And if that bald-headed bastard was anything like the one my father and Miles had to deal with, he was keeping his true nature a secret by putting up a front, making him seem like he was a saint. I tried to take my mind off that son of a bitch by looking at the other newspapers the vendor was selling. He seemed to have them all organized by dates. As I was looking at the different headlines, I saw one that mentioned the Rhino, but due to it being too far away and the print being so small, I couldn’t properly read it, but I saw the word “Supermodel” in there. But just as I was about to try and get a better look at the article, I felt a light tug on my shirt and turned to see Fleur was behind me. “Sorry for the wait. That was my ma-…eh, I mean friend on the phone. I didn’t tell her where I was going today, and she was worried about me.”

I couldn’t help but quirk a brow at that. “Sounds like a really clingy friend if she needs to know where you are all the time. Are you dating or something?”

That made her cheeks turn a light shade of pink as she held out her hands in front of her and waved them around. “What!? N-no, that’s not it at all!” I had to admit, seeing her get this flustered was kind of cute and funny. After she managed to get her composure back in order, Fleur explained to me what she meant. “You see, we both work together as partners, so for me to up and leave without telling her is an inconvenience for her. If anything work related should come up, she’ll need my input on decision making.” She explained. As she looked past me, for some reason, her pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks, and she was beginning to sweat a bit. “Uhm, so, are you sure there isn’t anything I can do to show my thanks for before?”

Christ on a stick, this mare is persistent. Are all mares this pushy, or is it just her? “Look, I really appreciate you wanting to thank me and all, but it’s not-”

GYUUUUUUUUM

My stomach’s loud gurgling interrupted me, which had my face burn a bright red. I hadn’t realized that I was that hungry, but then again, I have been unconscious for roughly five days. I’m just surprised I only noticed up till now.

“Ah haaa~, somepony’s a little hungry, aren’t we?” She asked with half-lidded eyes and raised eyebrows, which made her more attractive from how seductive it looked with that small grin of hers. Wait…did I just think she was attractive? “Then how about you let me treat you to some lunch, and then we can call it even? Is that alright with you, dearie?”

Honestly, I was really hungry, and if it will get her off my back, then I might as well go along with it. “Sure, I guess that would be an even trade.” I may seem like I’m being rude to someone-er, somepony who is trying to be nice and show me a good time and all, but I really just want to find a way back home so I can go back to living my normal life. The longer I stay in the world, the more likely I’ll bump into another one of those supervillains like the Rhino. This may seem irrational and a dumb reason to want to ditch Fleur, but I just don’t want to be a pawn in Madam Web’s little game of hero versus villains.

“Wonderful! I know just the place to go, and it’s close by.” Without warning, she grabbed my hand and pulled me along down the street. And just like that, we were off again with her leading me around like a dog on a leash.

After another three blocks, we had reached our destination. And, well…‘What the actual hell is this?’

I was expecting something simple like a café or a diner, maybe a ma and pa kind of restaurant. Instead, I’m standing in front of a large, pearly white two-story building with ivory columns. There looks to be a balcony on the second floor where guests can sit outside to enjoy their meal. To add this godly looking building, it had gold trimming to accentuate the clean white columns. Written on a gold plaque was the name of the restaurant: “La couronne d'or”. I only took one semester of French class, but I’m pretty sure that name translates to something that means, “This place is way out of your price range, dude.” Hell, just looking at this place is burning a hole through my wallet. I get that I saved her life and all, but this was a level of generosity that I was both not used to and felt uncomfortable with accepting. “Um, Fleur, I know you wanted to show me your appreciation and all, but don’t you think this place is a bit much? I don’t want you to go broke trying to because you think you owe me or anything.”

She giggled a bit and waved her hand a bit. “It’s alright, Ben. I promise that you have nothing to worry about. Besides, I know the owner of this restaurant.” And like before, she gently pulled me along by my hand into the restaurant.

Much like the outside, the inside of the restaurant was incredibly posh with the floors being made from polished marble and the walls painted white with gold trimmings. ‘Seriously, thisplace looks so freaking expensive that I’m willing to bet they use gold seat covers in their bathrooms with hundred-dollar bills as the toilet paper.’

We got up front to the host’s podium where they marked down reservations for those who called ahead of time. “Welcome to the Golden Crown. How may I…?” The brown-colored stallion host stopped when he looked up and squinted a bit before cracking a smile. “Why, Miss de Lis! What a pleasant surprise!” He exclaimed in a cheerful tone. I guess he has seen her enough to see past her disguise, which then begs the question: How many times has she been to this place? “Not that I’m not happy to see you today, but what brings you here? You usually make your reservations days in advance.”

Seeing that her disguise wasn’t needed anymore, Fleur removed her sunhat and sunglasses and gave the stallion a pleasant smile. “Sorry for showing up unannounced, but I’m here to treat my new friend to a meal. If it’s not too much trouble, could we get a balcony table today?”

The stallion glanced over at me, giving me a puzzled look as he raised a brow before shaking his head and smiling back to Fleur. “But of course, Miss de Lis. If you two will follow me, I’d be happy to show you two to your table.” The stallion stepped from behind his podium and gestured for us to follow him. He led us to an elevator that took us up to the second floor and guided us outside to a table that was close to the balcony’s edge. The table gave a beautiful view of the city, plus the land that extended beyond the horizon. Both Fleur and I took our seats as the host set down two menus in front us before giving a small bow. “Somepony shall be with you two shortly. Please enjoy your afternoon.” Before he left, the stallion gave me a sideways glance with a strange look, something I’m sure I’ll see more often the longer I stay in this world.

Fleur was the first to open up her menu as she looked through it to see what she wanted for lunch. While I, on the other hand, was looking at her with a curious look. “So, they seem to know you quite well here if they can see through your disguise, Fleur.”

I noticed how her smile seemed to have faded a bit before she looked up to me. “Like I mentioned earlier, I know the owner of this place very well.” I guess that explains why that stallion didn’t try to say something about me being a human. I was half expecting a hairless ape remark from him. “Have you decided what you’ll be having, Ben? I know that humans have a different diet then us ponies, but this place should have a wide variety of food that should be able to satisfy you. And remember, it’s on me, so don’t hold back.” She said with a warm smile.

“Oh. Well, thanks, Fleur.” I decided to stop overthinking things and opened my menu, only to have my eyes nearly pop out of their sockets when I saw the prices on this menu. ‘How much just for a bowl of pasta?!’ The price alone for one of their entrees could pay half a month’s rent back on earth. Don’t even get me started on their main course. I was starting to sweat bullets just looking at the menu. Does this mare even KNOW what she is doing right now? I know she offered to pay, but I can’t take advantage of her kindness. I glanced around the menu, deciding on the house salad since it was the least expensive item, which isn’t saying much. “I think I’ll have the house salad. Um, do they serve bread too?”

“Oh yes, the garlic bread here is to DIE for in Canterlot. You will not be dissatisfied, I promise you that,” she said before looking at me with a worried look. “Are you sure a salad and bread are all that you’ll be having for tonight though, Ben? I would imagine that you’d want something a bit more filling.”

Man, this mare is so nice. Makes me wish there were more people like her back home. “Yep. I’m positive that will be enough for me.” Besides, it’s not like I’m used to eating big meals anyway. Back home, I tried to spend very little on things I don’t need, mainly due to me trying to save up my money.

“Huh. Alright then,” she replied while shrugging her shoulders. “I actually like the salad here, too, so I’ll be having that as well. Would you like some wine?”

I shook my head. “No thanks. I’m only twenty, so I’m not old enough to drink till September.”

Fleur tilted her head a bit as she looked confused. “Dearie, the legal drinking age in Equestria is eighteen.”

Well…shit. ‘Hmm. Should I give it a try?’ I gave the idea some thought and shrugged my shoulders. “Sure, why not? I’ll trust your experience and let you choose.”

Soon, a waitress came by with our garlic bread and glasses of water to start us off. Like the host earlier, she also gave me a questioning look, but probably didn’t comment because Fleur was at the same table. We made our orders before she let us be, and I tried the garlic bread dipped in olive oil they provided. Fleur giggled at my reaction to the god-like taste of the appetizer as I savored every bite afterwards. She wasn’t kidding when she said this stuff was to die for. I may consider ordering another round.

While we waited for our food to arrive, Fleur decided to make some small talk with me. “So Ben, are you sure you’re feeling alright?” I looked up at her while I was biting into my bread. She giggled a bit before continuing with her question. “I mean, after taking that blow to your head when you saved me and Feather Sketch. The doctors said you would be fine physically, but they were worried how the hit could affect you mentally.”

Now I understand what she’s talking about. With any normal person, that much trauma could do some brain damage. Thankfully, I wasn’t a normal person. However, I could probably use her concern to my advantage right now. “Eh, you know, I don’t think I’m having any difficulties remembering important things like my name and family. But there seems to be gaps in my memories of certain events. Like that Rhino guy. I mean what’s the deal with him and that mech suit? And are there more guys like him in this world?”

I think she bought my act as she seemed deep in thought for a good while. I didn’t like lying to her about me having memory issues, but this is completely harmless, and she might tell me how all these villains that my father and Milles put away are somehow running amok in this world. “It started around two years after our two worlds became connected. At first, humans would have to undergo a screening process with their backgrounds being checked, and then one of the princesses would speak to the individual humans to see why they are coming to Equis. After getting the seal of approval, they are given a passport for which they can use to come and go as they please. Because of this, there are roughly around two hundred humans here on Equis.”

Huh, that was interesting. But if this planet is as big or bigger than Earth, two hundred humans is practically nothing. “If what you say about how humans getting here is true, then how in the world did all these villains get here?”

“I was about to get to that.” Fleur let out a sigh as she leaned back in her seat. “You see, the method in which humans get here is via portals. These portals have popped up in your world and connected to Equis. Of course, the princesses quickly managed to get these portals under control and set up guards to prevent any humans who didn’t make it through the screening from coming through. However, despite their efforts, there was a portal they had no idea of which these hardened criminals came from.”

Figures that the villains would find some way to get here. Hell, I’m willing to bet they made their own portal, which could explain why the princesses didn’t see them coming. I then remembered something Madam Web mentioned before she ditched me the other day. About how this world had heroes, but none that could stand up to the supervillains. “So if you guys have supervillains here, then I’m guessing you have some heroes to fight against them…right?”

Fleur’s ears folded down as her expression became somber and she let out a sad sigh. “I’m afraid that the ones we have are no match for these awful people.” She raised her glass of water to her lips and took a few sips from it. “You see, our greatest means of defense were a group of ponies known as the Element Bearers. They were the ones who embodied the power of friendship.” It took all my willpower to not burst into laughter then and there. I kept my composure since something like that doesn’t sound too ridiculous. “They had bested mainly foul and evil creatures here in Equestria in the past, but when they tried to confront the villains from another world, they found that their magic was being drained away and could not activate their powers. The villains somehow had the power to absorb the magic of any creature who tried to stand in their way. And without our magic, we are completely helpless.” Fleur looked down into her glass of water with the same sad expression as before. “Neither the Elements of Harmony nor the princesses could stand against these fiends. The villains have powers and technology that are capable of besting the best of our kind. And that’s even with the other humans trying to help us stop them.”

‘So basically, this world is like their personal playground.’ I honestly felt bad for these guys. I knew how hard it was for my father to try and take them on his own, but these guys’ only means of defense are useless. But something didn’t sit right with me. If the villains can do as they please, then how come this city doesn’t look all that damaged? I’m not complaining, but I remember when my dad told me when the Kingpin was put away in jail for some time, the city’s lower-ranked criminals ran amok, throwing the city of New York into chaos. “If what you say is true about how no one can stop these criminals, then how come they aren’t running this city into the ground?” I quickly realized how wrong that sounded and tried to correct myself. “I mean, not that I’m complaining or anything. I just mean if they can do what they want, I’d imagine I would have seen more distractions or the villains themselves, you know?”

Smooth, Parker. Real smooth.

Thankfully, she didn’t take any offense to my question. “To be honest with you, we don’t know ourselves. Whenever the villains attack, it usually lasts less than half a day. Normally, they just go and steal what they want and just leave, or at the worst of times, they will go on a rampage and do as they please. But that happens rarely, and you usually don’t see the same villain twice in a row or two of them at a time. We have no idea why, but due to this pattern, we can sometimes guess when they may appear, and in which order.”

This had to be the work of Kingpin, I just know it. Speaking of. “By the way, while I was waiting for you to finish your phone call with your friend, I saw on a newspaper something about a guy named Wilson Fisk. What can you tell me about that guy?”

“Oh, Mr. Fisk is a great man. After the villains showed up, he came along and offered his aid to Equestria. He helped bring our country into almost the same age of modern technology as earth while also incorporating our magic. He’s also generous enough to aid in the reconstruction of any buildings and businesses that may have been destroyed during the villains’ attacks. The man is such a kind soul, he asks for nothing in return.” Fleur looked at me and looked a bit worried. “Ben, are you alright? Your shaking.”

I was indeed shaking while also forcing a smile, but not because of it being too cold or out of fear. No, I was shaking with absolute rage. ‘That bald mother fucker! I see his game now!’ I should have figured this was the reason he was considered an “upstanding citizen”. He's playing these guys for fools, and the worst part is they have no idea what he’s really like. A typical Wilson Fisk move. Gets everyone around him to seem like he’s a good guy, only to use their trust for his own personal gain. I tried to calm myself down since Fleur was looking very concerned. “Oh, I’m just shaking with admiration for him is all. He sounds like an amazing fellow.” I strained to keep a straight face as those words escaped my lips. ‘I want to violently rinse my mouth out with acid for saying that.’ Thankfully, Fleur seemed to be none the wiser of my pure hatred for the man and smiled happily.

Eventually, our waitress came back with our food and a bottle of wine with two wine glasses. It looked new as she popped the cork from the chilled bottle before she poured red wine into our glasses. She gave us a polite bow. “Please enjoy your meals.” And with that, she turned and left.

I glanced down at the salad and saw that it looked pretty damn good. There were croutons, olives, and some sliced hard-boiled eggs. I glanced at my glass of wine, gently picked it up, and lifted it to my nose to take in the scent. Due to it being my first glass ever, I wasn’t sure how to properly appraise the smell it gave off, but it definitely has a pleasant aroma. I looked back to Fleur, who seemed to be enthralled by my action and watched with anticipation. “Go on. You don’t have to wait for me. I’m curious to see what you think. I chose this particular wine since it’s both tasty and not too strong for those starting out.”

Seeing that she was excited to see my reaction, I saw no reason to wait any longer. I slowly brought the glass to my lips and took a small sip of the wine. At first, the taste was overwhelming despite Fleur saying how it was a wine for those who were new to drinking. I allowed the liquid to stay in my mouth to allow my tongue to get used to the taste before swallowing it. Fleur was giggling up a fit as she watched me quickly take a swig of my water. “Are you alright, dearie?”

It took me a moment, but after another gulp of water, I felt somewhat better. “I thought you said this stuff was for beginners.” I asked while looking back at the red liquid.

That only got Fleur to giggle even harder as she lightly clutched her stomach with one hand. “It is. You're just too inexperienced to handle it yet.” She said with a playful smirk, followed by a wink. I wasn’t just gonna take that sitting down. I raised the glass back to my lips and took another swig. Thankfully, I knew what to expect and was properly prepared when I swallowed. I looked to Fleur, who seemed impressed and gave an approving nod.

We went on to enjoy our meals in peaceful silence with the only exception being the city noises around us. The funny difference between this city’s noise and New York’s was there wasn’t nearly as much horns honking or people cursing about traffic. I may want to go home soon, but I can’t help but enjoy the atmosphere this world had. The air is fresher, and despite the villains that lurk in the shadows, the world had a peaceful feeling to it. It’s a shame I’ll have to leave it, but I knew I didn’t belong here. Of course, the only question now is how in the world am I going to get back to my earth.

“Ben?” I was brought out of my thoughts when I heard Fleur call out my name.

“Hmm?”

“I don’t know if you heard me or not, but I was asking you if you and I could be friends?” Well, that was out of left field. Where did this come from? My confused expression must have been obvious as she tried to elaborate. “It’s just I’m really grateful for you saving my life, and you seem to need somepony to help you around Equestria.”

I was taken aback by her offer. A part of me wanted to accept it, but I knew there would be no point to it. “Fleur, I’m touched by your offer, but there’s a bit of an issue.” She seemed to look slightly sad if her ears drooping were any indication. “I never meant to come to Equestria. I don’t have any money, or at least not the kind you probably use here. And I still need to find a way back home.”

She lowered her head a bit, which was kinda sad to see. “Oh, I see.” Her voice sounded disappointed, but she looked up, trying to put up a happy front. “Well, either way, I would still like it if we could be friends, even if you decide to go back to Earth.” Her smile seemed more genuine, which made me feel like a total ass for not just accepting her friendship right away. “So do you plan to call your friend who brought you here to maybe pick you up?”

“Yeeaahh, that might be a problem.” Fleur tilted her head in confusion. I reached in my pocket, pulled out.my flip phone, and set it down on the table. The thing was practically smashed with some of the plastic chipping off.

“Um Ben, what is that?”

“It’s my phone.”

“That’s a phone?” She asked while leaning in to lightly poke at it with her finger. “But it’s so… blocky.” She pulled out her smartphone, which now that I look at, has the same color case as her mane with her cutie mark on it. “It looks nothing like the one I have.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle a bit as I picked up my broken fossil of a phone. “That’s because it’s not a smartphone like yours. It doesn’t connect to the internet like yours does. It’s only meant for making phone calls.” I carefully opened my phone up, only to have a few of the number keys fall out. The thing was only held together by the wires that connected the dial pad and the screen.

Fleur found my broken phone rather interesting, carefully taking it as she inspected it closely. “Forgive me for asking, but couldn’t you afford a better phone than this one? If it doesn’t connect to the internet like you say, then how do you check your Emails or send businesses your resumes?”

“Simple. I either use the computer lab at my college, or I head down to the local library to use theirs. And as for why I don’t save up for a new phone, well, I wanted to save as much money as I could. See, I wanted to save enough to eventually move out of New York and go someplace more quieter and rural.” I smiled as I remembered the second reason I kept that old thing. “And because it was the first phone my dad ever got me.” Fleur looked up at me as I stared at the old device. “It’s funny. I remember begging my dad for a cell phone because everyone in class had a smartphone. When he gave me that phone, I was a little bit disappointed. But my dad told me that I was a bit young for a smartphone, and that a phone was really meant to make phone calls, not play games about birds being shot at pigs.” Both Fleur and I couldn’t help but chuckle at my dad’s logic. “He made me a promise that if I took care of this phone for a whole year without losing or breaking it, he and mom would get me my very own smartphone.”

Fleur had a warm smile on her face as she examined my phone some more. “He sounds like a great man.”

In that moment, all the happiness I was feeling washed away. “Yeah. He was a great man.”

The look of shock on Fleur’s face came as no surprise as she knew what I implied. She looked down at the busted phone in her hand and moved a finger to gently rub against the broken screen. “Ben...I’m sor- Gah!”

Her apology was cut short when my phone let out a few sparks before an electric voice played. “Y-you h-h-have two m-m-missed me-as-asges. Firs-tt-t message.”

There was a beeping sound before the voice of the last person I wanted to hear from today came through. “PARKER!!” The loud voice made Fleur jump up a bit as she dropped my phone on the table. It was my boss, Fredrickson, and as usual, he didn’t sound happy. “You were supposed to be back at work three days ago!!!” Ah shit, he’s right! I forgot I was unconscious for five whole days! “I will not tolerate a single missed day, let alone THREE!! That’s one strike for every day you’ve been gone, and much like in baseball, you’re OUT!!”

The message left me completely dead silent. I had just lost my job. A job that wasn’t easy to get. ‘Could this day get any worse?’

The phone beeped again. “N-ee-xt-t-t-t-t meaaa—sssage.”

The phone beeped again as the next message played. “Hello, Mr. Parker, this is the New York fire department.” Oh please tell me they are calling to tell me that I won tickets to the fireman’s ball. “We are calling to inform you that the apartment complex you were staying at has unfortunately been destroyed by a fire.” Of fucking course it has. “A resident on the lower floors had unfortunately caused the fire and the entire building was set ablaze. Thankfully, no one was severely hurt in the fire, but any and all items within the building have been burnt to ash. I’m sorry to have to bring you this news and hope that you are with friends and family who you can hopefully stay with till you find a new place to stay. I wish you the best of luck, sir.”

The phone finally gave out on me as the screen went black and died, leaving me alone to my thoughts. ‘So, not only am I jobless, but now I’m homeless. All in a single afternoon…The Parker family luck REALLY doesn’t know how to skip a generation.’ I wanted to just scream my lungs out and break down right then and there, but I knew it wouldn’t do me any good. I had tempted the universe by jinxing myself. So instead, I gently slammed my head down on the table, barely missing my salad and silverware. ‘Everything is gone. My job, my home, and everything inside. My picture of mom, dad, and Miles. It’s all gone, and I’m all alone on a different planet.’

I wanted nothing more than to wallow in my sadness and just die so I could end my misery, but I felt a warm, gentle feeling on my shoulder, which got me to look up. Fleur was looking at me with tears welling up in her eyes, which surprised me since she had no reason to be crying. “I’m so sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing? This wasn’t your fault.”

She shook her head and wiped her eyes with a napkin with her free hand. “It is. If you hadn’t come to my rescue when you did, then you would have been able to go back home in time to not lose your job, or save your belongings before your home burnt down.” She sniveled a bit with her shoulders shaking.

‘Great. Way to go, Ben. You made her feelguilty and cry.’ I wasn’t sure what I should do, but I knew feeling sorry for myself wasn’t gonna be one of them. I gently took her hand in my own and gently caressed her hand with my thumb to try and make her feel better. “Hey now, don’t cry. I don’t blame you at all.” She looked up at me and sniffled a bit before wiping her eyes again. “It wasn’t your fault I was dragged here by my friend and then suddenly ditched afterwards. You did nothing wrong. You tried to make me feel welcome here and offered to be my friend. If anything, you were probably the only good thing that came out of this whole thing. And I’m grateful for that, Fleur de Lis.” I gave her my best reassuring smile to try and help comfort her.

She finished wiping her eyes before regaining her breath. “So what are you going to do now, Ben?”

That was actually a good question. What am I gonna do now? “Well, given the fact that I’m both jobless and homeless, I guess the best course of action would be for me to try and find a job. Which won’t be easy, since I’m not sure if this world employs humans, and if you guys do, then it will still be difficult without having a resume on hand. I guess I’ll have to try and find a computer and print it up.” That is, if I can access the same internet from my earth. And even if I do, by some miracle, get my resume printed up, there is still the fact that all I have are the clothes on my back, and they aren’t appropriate for interviews or work.

“If you’re looking for work, I might be able to help.” I looked up to Fleur with a glimmer of hope. “If you can access your resume on my phone, I could take a look at it. With any luck, I could help get you a job today.” I was at a loss for words as she slid her phone over to me with her internet browser up. I couldn’t really say anything as I nervously tried to gain access to my Email. And with yet another miracle, I was actually able to connect to it. I opened up the file with my updated resume. I always made sure to keep it updated every six months in case I ever decided to quit working for Fredrickson, or if he decided to fire me, which he just so happened to do. I slid Fleur back her phone with my resume. She took a moment to look through it, humming curiously as she scrolled through the page. “You seem to have some background in photography. Can you tell me about that?”

“Oh, well...uh...back in high school, I was part of the photography club. They said I had a natural talent for it and put me in charge of taking photos for any major events, like pep rallies, sports games, and dances.” Funnily enough, after I joined, my dad told me how he used to be a photographer too. Of course, that was back when he worked for that dick, Jameson.

She looked through my resume some more and smiled a bit. “And it seems you have a rather grand grade point average when you graduated.”

“Yeah, but I’m not sure if it’s the same as it was when I graduated.” Truth be told, I wasn’t sure if I was that smart because of my powers or if it was because growing up as a kid, mom and dad made learning the basics fun.

I remember how dad asked me to help make some of his web fluid before he would go out to fight crime. There was one time I wanted to do a little experiment where I added red food coloring to the web recipe to see if the webs that would shoot out would be the same color. What I didn’t expect was for him to take it out with him before I had tested it. When we saw dad on the news, he must have loaded the cartridge I made because, instead of shooting out red webbing, he fired out pink webbing. When mom saw that on the news, she was on the floor laughing. Thankfully, that happened on the same day for breast cancer awareness. When dad got home, he was laughing too, saying how the people thanked him for supporting breast cancer awareness. I miss those days.

“Ben?” I was quickly snapped back to reality when Fleur called my name. “You okay? I’ve been saying your name three times now.”

I nodded my head, trying to regain my composure. “Sorry, I was just lost in some memories is all. What were you asking?”

“I was asking to see how well you are at writing down schedules and notes.”

Hmmm. That was something I rarely ever did back on earth. But then again, all you had to do was write down the time of appointments and writing down important notes. “I think I would do pretty well at that since it doesn’t seem like a hard task to perform.”

“Would you say you’ll work as hard in your new job here as you would back on Earth?” Fleur asked. I turned my attention back to her, and she was looking at me with a serious looking expression in her eyes while resting her arms on the table.

“Of course I would. Maybe much more,” I answered. “Jobs were hard to come by back on Earth. I was barely lucky enough to land the job I had thanks to a friend. I doubt I’ll find another job that easily back on Earth. Having a job is a privilege, and I would do whatever I can to keep it in order to get around.” Especially for me, since it’s either I find a job quick or find a cardboard box to sleep in.

Fleur nodded her head in satisfaction while picking up her glass to take a sip of her wine. “I like your attitude, Mr. Parker. What if I told you I knew of a job that would not only provide you with a great pay, but also offer you housing?”

I was completely baffled by what she had just said. A job that pays well and gives you a home to sleep in? “I’d say I’m dreaming and to not pinch me awake.” She started to giggle a bit as she gently set her wine glass down. “Are they willing to take in human workers?” She nodded her head, which made me sigh in relief. “So, who is the pony I have to go talk to about getting this job?” I asked while raising my glass of wine for another sip. I was actually starting to get used to the taste.

“You’re looking at her,” she replied with half-lidded eyes and a smile. “Since you’re new to this world, it would make sense that you don’t know my own background, so allow me to introduce myself once more. My name is Fleur de Lis, and I make a living as a well-known model.”

The wine I was drinking went down the wrong pipe as I gasped in shock, quickly looking away from Fleur while trying to cough out the alcohol I inhaled rather than drank. After I caught my breath, I turned back to her with that same expression she had on her face before. “A m-model?” I asked. “As in…doing photo shoots to advertise products? THAT kind of modeling?”

“That and others, dearie,” she replied. “You see, I had to let go of my secretary recently because she wasn’t doing her job, and it was affecting my career in a negative way. My manager has helped me through some tough times, but she can only do so much by herself. So now I’m without a good secretary who could organize agendas, record appointments I need to attend, take letters, and whatever other projects and chores outside of my career that would cause me a bit of stress before going through my photo shoots. What’s more is that my normal photographer, Photo Finish, says I should look into hiring a personal photographer to help me when she isn't around, and who can take pictures of me at any place, any time.”

Fleur looked over my resume once more, then looked back to me with a smile. “After looking through your resume, AND taking into consideration how fast you came to save me and Feather Sketch from that horrible villain, you may just have the qualities I need in a secretary and photographer to help make things a lot easier for me. I’d like to offer you a chance to take that position and help me get through my career as one of Equestria’s top models. Since I’ll need you by my side most of the time, I’ll be offering you the guest room my previous secretary used in my home to keep you close by. We can work out your starting pay, a proper interview, and how you’ll be doing your job with my manager once the three of us get together. What do you say, Mr. Parker? Would you be interested?.....Ben, are you alright?”

Brian.EXE has shut down. Would you like to restart? Yes or No?

After letting my brain reboot, it took me a minute to process the offer Fleur made. Not only would I have a job, but I would have a new home, AND I would be working with a model. A MODEL! I wasn’t sure if this was just a dream after hitting my head on the table earlier, but I wish I would never wake up from it. Being a secretary for somepony like Fleur de Lis? Who knows what my future has in store for me? “Fleur, I would be honored to work for you.”

Fleur clapped happily in response. “Marvelous! Then let’s celebrate with a toast.” We held up our glasses in the air with content smiles in our faces. “To a bright and happy future that lies ahead of us, and our time working together. Until we get everything with you settled, you’re officially hired as my new secretary.” We then clinked glasses and took a drink. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m used to the taste or because I have a stroke of good luck, but the wine tasted even sweeter as it went down my throat.

‘Maybe my luck is finally changing for the better.’