Chapters Author's Note
A/N: Hey everyone, so some sad news. If you saw my other stories, then you know that I deleted them. That's because I wasn't happy with them, they way they were going, and overall, I didn't have fun writing them. This story is different, and I'll be working on this story constantly. I'm going to try and have a new chapter posted every Saturday. Also, I have started watching the show (weird for a fanfic writer not to watch the show), and in only a moth I'm now on Season 4. So, in the comments, please don't post spoilers for seasons 5 and up. I'll let you know when I catch up :).
Basically, this story is going to be updated weekly, because I actually really love my ideas for this one. Also, go on and PM me if you have ideas for fanfics you want me to try writing. I'll write JoJo's (up to part 4) and My Little Pony, along with Metal Gear and Kingdom Hearts. I'm also going to try a Metal Gear/MLP and a Kingdom Hearts/MLP cross over, so hopefully I'll try and get those up as well.
Well, here's the first chapter of my new story, To The Other World! Please enjoy, and don't be afraid to criticize!
Chapter 1: Other Worldly
Chapter 1: Other Worldly
It was a cool evening, smack in the middle of November. Birds were starting to rest, the rustling of the leaves filling the air as a breeze pushed them off the trees and down the road. The golden array of colors filled the eye. It was truly the best season, what with all of the sights to see and scents to sniff. He propped his head on his hand, tiredly gazing out the window.
He was shook out of his stupor as an arm nudged his elbow, nearly causing him to hit his head. Looking annoyed, he looked at the culprit, a teenager with facial hair on his chin and upper lip, a nicely blended goatee. Matching his dark brown faded hairstyle, his icy blue eyes looked impatient. He tapped his fingers on the table, also covered in hair. His brother really was a hairy dude, even taking into account that he was 17. A scar ran across his cheek, the story being his cat scratched him when he was roughly 10 or so. He had some acne, but mostly just bumps, nothing too gross. He wore a blue polo, matching his huge jeans. He wasn't fat or anything, but had such a big build that every coach constantly tried to win him over to play football.
"Hey, space cadet," his brother said, his deep voice rang through his ears. He found it strangely soothing.
"Yeah?"
"It's your turn. What are you going to do?"
He looked down at his cards, resting comfortably in between his boyish fingers. Scrolling at each one, reading names and effects, strategizing which ones he should play. He then drew an additional card from his deck, his finger tips sliding across the grooved card sleeve. It essentially became a tradition for the two brothers, playing games like this after school while they waited for their parents to come home from work. Tonight was Yu-Gi-Oh!, and the two brothers were at it as ever. His brother, a classic Blue-Eyes Dragon Deck, simple and straight forward. To him, it seemed like a perfect representation of his brother; simple and straightforward, powerful and demands respect. His brother was a man of respect, it's what he valued most of all, and did his best to be a role model for every one. His short temper, though, is what gave him a reputation.
He, on the other hand, wasn't like that. He was known for being the comedian, the class clown, basically the person you went to to make you smile. He gained all the popularity from school, and that's probably why his brother was rude to him at home most of the time. In fact, they pretty much weren't brothers physically or mentally. He had sandy brown hair, shiny green eyes, a skinny yet muscular build, and slightly noticeable cheek bones. He wore a v-neck shirt, with a watch strapped to his wrist and a pair of athletic jeans to fit. They were polar opposites, but he didn't mind, he knew he could do well at school and in life, despite what his brother might think.
"Hey, dipshit, take your fucking turn. I'm just gonna skip you."
"Chill out, dude. Lemme think."
"Dude, Emerson, take your turn."
"Shut up Scott, fine."
Emerson placed a trap card down, right next to the others. His deck mostly just consisted of his favorite cards with some necessities here and there. A Dark Crusader, Mythical Beast Cerberus, and Royal Magical Library. He had an Exodia in the deck, but they were mostly just a filler, something along the way that could just help him. He leaned back in his chair and waved his hand to his brother. He responded by sighing and drawing one from his deck. They were both on the verge of losing, each one below 1000 Life Points.
"So, Roman, what's got you upset?" He asked, asking his brother before getting up and grabbing a soda can from his fridge. His brother coughed and set his cards down.
"Nothing, just not feeling up to it. Why?"
"You seem more like an asshole tonight."
"Eh, oh well. Alright, I'll just do it. I attack your Crusader."
He slid his two Blue-Eyes forward, towards Emerson, and Emerson smiled as he sat back down. He flipped his recently placed trap card, Mirror Force. He laughed while his brother threw the cards on the table in anger, putting his hands to his face while heaving a mighty sigh. He scooped his cards as Emerson did the same, getting ready to play a new game. He heard Roman mutter something under his breath, probably dammit or whatever. This was like the 3rd time in a row that he had won, and he was starting to get bored of his victories. Then, he noticed the pendant around Roman's neck. It was a simple gold chain, but was ordained with a heart.
"Hey Roman, why do you wear that thing? You never even told me what it is."
His brother's eyes snapped to him, and Emerson flinched. His face was even more serious, and his eyes, geez it was scary. He sighed again, and removed the piece of jewelry from him. He noticed that it was actually more an old rustic color than actual gold as Roman fiddled with it in between his fingers. He opened it up, and slid it towards Emerson. Emerson's mind stopped getting sidetracked as he saw what was inside: a portrait of his mom. She was a truly beautiful woman, what with the short and curly brown hair, the sharp eyes and nose, and a gorgeous smile that had any man's heart and could comfort any child. She had died when he was younger though, and never really got to meet her. Then again, he and Roman were the same age, but he forgot that fact a lot since Roman seemed more mature and adult like than himself.
"It's a shame we never got to meet her, Emerson." he said, solemn with his words.
"Yeah, it really is."
"She's a part of our lives, even if we didn't know her, she means the world to us, got it?"
"I understand, Roman."
"I carry her picture in the pendant because she's a part of me. But, maybe it hurts me too much. I get all sad and stuff when I think about her."
"That's normal, dude. I get sad sometimes."
"But eventually," he said, closing it. "it's going to get the best of me. Why don't you keep it?" He slid the pendant towards Emerson, the heart gleaming in his eyes as he looked at his brother.
"Are you sure? She means so much to you."
"It's okay, Dad is still here. And if it helps, it'll remind you of both us. I dunno, man. Just take it before it gets even more sappy." He got up, probably to go back to his room. Suddenly, we heard a car door shut. They both turned towards the front door, even though Emerson couldn't see it, since the wall blocked his vision. He could see Roman, though. They were both waiting for their dad, who was supposed to be coming home with ice cream and Domino's pizza. Roman had his eyes on the door, which now opened.
"Hey, Da-" Roman tried to say, just as he was interrupted.
The most deafening sound in the world broke through Emerson's skull, like a firework had been exploded right next to him. Along with the sudden boom came a flash, and, as if time had frozen, blood had sprayed against the wall. An eruption of blood came from Roman's skull, flying out in a dramatic fashion. It landed on his clothes, the wall, and the floor. Emerson could hear his own heartbeat as the world was drowned in silence, his brother's head flying back and towards him. His eyes widened as his face was streaming blood, a gaping hole emerging from his forehead. Roman's eyes were soulless, already glazing over like a coating of death. His mouth gaped open, and he could swear that he saw him mouth the word "Run" before he hit the floor, the impact nearly as loud as the gunshot.
Emerson couldn't breath, air going in but nothing coming out, and he felt his limbs about to give out. Without a second glance towards his brother, he snatched the pendant and turned to run towards the nearby stairs, before stopping and looking at their Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, the last game out of a million they played. For some strange reason, he couldn't leave for safety without neatly yet hurriedly cramming the cards into his jean pockets, then bolted up the stairs into his brothers room.
Even if he had just...he didn't even want to think about it, not that he could; his brain was on a weird auto-pilot, the true fight or flight response kicking into effect. There was nothing on his mind, just how to hide, how to feel safe, how to get away from the threat. He scanned the room, taking in the smell of his brother's cologne and smelly clothes. The messy bed was big enough to hide under, but a steel frame meant that he would be seen. He looked further to see his computer desk, with the broken monitor, but that wouldn't do. He looked towards the closet, deciding upon that. He opened the door and closed it behind him, thanking God that he had a huge pile of clothes strewn about the floor. He put hoodies and shirts in front of him, making sure to cover himself completely. He felt something poke him in the back (probably one of Roman's skates or whatever), but he didn't care.
It felt oddly serene, everything was silent and calm in the closet, but Emerson felt the chill and fear set in. His brother was just killed, right in front of him. That face he made, the deathly glower he had, all the blood. All the fucking blood, it haunted his mind. The last words, the gunshot, the body hitting the floor. It played throughout his mind, until another noise crashed into his mind; the door opening, and the footsteps crunching into the carpet. He started to sweat, his nose betraying him as he breathed loudly. Sweat drops ran down his face, covering his eyes and wetting his cheeks. Gripping onto the pendant tightly in his knuckles, which were turning white pretty quickly, he gulped, swallowing the nervousness with it. He moved his hands as quickly yet quietly as possible, until they found something to hold. It didn't feel very heavy, but it was solid and blunt, so it would work. Emerson held it, waiting for the right moment.
Suddenly, his vision started to swirl, even in the dark. His mind throbbed and pounded, like the worst headache in the world, and he swore he saw flashes of dark lights appear quickly, then ebb away as fast as they came. Nausea hit him like a freight train, but he forced himself not to vomit, not to do anything that would give away his location. He felt the cold down his spine, feeling it on his skin as goosebumps ran across his arms and legs. His fingers flexed as he waited for the inevitable. The footsteps started to get closer and closer to the closet. Then, they stopped near the door, and Emerson's heart skipped a beat.
The door was opened quickly, this was the moment. As Emerson's adrenaline rushed to his veins and beated through his heart like an electric storm, he lunged forward, ready to attack. His eyes shown his intentions, anger and fear and pain evident.
His eyes went wide, and his body stopped at what he saw. He gasped, and so did whatever was in front of him.
He wasn't in his dad's house in Missouri, he wasn't in a closet, and what he was facing was not some stone-cold bastard that...made his brother pass away.
Emerson was no longer on planet Earth. He was now in a stone box, hidden in the ground by a stone door and covered with foliage. The container was cracked, dirt filling in the box some. Grey and cold, hard and smooth. His clothes were covered in dirt, and had dulled some. His v-neck was partially ripped, revealing some of his muscular abdomen. His jeans had rips in the leg and knees, and had turned partially brown with the dirt. His pendant had rusted some, yet the gold still shone through.
He was in a box, on another planet, partially under ground, and was staring at colorful animals.
They had big eyes, eyes full of wonder, fear, and curiosity. Their pupils were large, and the iris of each of them held spectacular colors that seemed like a pure rainbow. There were 6 of these animals, each one a different color. One was a sunset orange, another pearly white, bubblegum pink, a blue that resembled the sky, a buttery yellow, and a purple like the twilight before the dusk.
The orange animal had a mane (probably a horse then) that was blonde and tomboyish, that went above her head and to the side of her head, tied together with a red ponytail. Her mane and tail were similar, and latter also tied together. Her eyes were as green as his, and shone just as much. She had black eyelashes (they all did), so they were probably female. White freckles decorated her cheeks, and a cluster of apples decorated her backside.
The other horse's coat was white, and her main and tail were a very nice violet. They were styled and curly, and combined with the fact that her eyelashes were more pronounced, meant that this horse's owner cared for her appearance more than anything. Her eyes were a deep blue, like the ocean's current below the surface, and her backside had a design modeled after a cluster of diamonds or diamond-like crystals. What was most peculiar about her, however, was the fact that a horn protruded through her forehead, like a unicorn or something similar.
Vibrant pink was this horse's mane and tail color, perfectly matching her body. Her man and tail were really frizzy and bouncy, looking like they were just made out of cotton candy. Her eyes were a baby blue, emanating fun and energy. She was a normal horse, and her backside had a cluster of balloons. She didn't have any abnormalities like the creature next to her, so she was probably a healthy or normal animal.
The cyan horse wasn't on the ground. No, this one was hovering next to the others, her sky-blue wings flapping and propelling her up. What had scared Emerson the most was the fact that her eyes weren't like the others. The others were either scared or wondrous, but her eyes, a magenta that contrasted nicely with her coat, was so serious, so fierce that it made his heart skip a beat. Her mane and tail were rainbow themed, red to purple, and they were in a hairstyle that reminded him of Roman. He felt himself shake as he dared to think of Roman and what just happened. She had a rainbow lightning bolt coming out of a cloud.
The pale yellow horse was a bit hard to see since she was cowering behind her allies. Her eyes, while showing great fear, were a dark blue-green, dull yet shone with a certain mercy or kindness. Her mane was a soft pink that flowed over and away from her face. he couldn't look at her backside to notice her design, not that he cared at the moment. Emerson was still in shock from the situation he was in, and his mind was having a hard time just functioning at the moment.
The last animal was a lilac colored horse, and she appealed to him the most. Not only was her mane and tail straight and styled to be business like (and the multiple shade of violet mixed in), but she had wings protruding from her sides, and her horn glowed with a mystical aura. She had wings AND a horn. her eyes were purple as well, and he could almost visibly see the knowledge she contained.
He stared at them all, trying to process what was going on. He started to breathe heavily, not knowing if the situation was safe or not. He slowly placed his hand forward, and all the ponies flinched and stepped back. He did too, but after a second, repeated the process, and slowly started to climb out of this little tomb. He stepped out fully, still keeping his eyes on the "leader", or the purple animal, stood crouched on one knee. He placed his free hand palm side up, and lowered it to the ground, like trying to gain a puppy's trust.
"Whoa, i-i-it's okay, I-I won't h-hurt you. It's okay, it's okay, it's okay..." He started to say, really telling himself that it's okay. All the animals seemed to stand up straight, even the flying one, and looked less scared.
"You can talk?" The cyan one said to him.
"W-What?!" Emerson exclaimed loudly, flying backwards. He scared all of the animals, the purple one back in a sort of defensive stance. He placed his hands in front of him to protect himself, and shakily pointed to the sky clue animal. "You...you horses can talk? What...what the heck is going on?" He fell to his knees, holding his head in his hands while he looked at them. "A-am I in some sort of sick dream?"
"It's okay, don't be scared, sir." The purple one said, trying to be less intimidating. He started to breathe even more heavily, his breathes ragged and old as he tried to regain composure. "Yes, we can talk. Ponies can talk, we all can." She sort of emphasized pony in a nonjudgmental way. He lowered his head, feeling a bit ashamed.
"O-oh. Sorry I called y'all horses. I didn't know any better."
"It's okay. Why don't we just take a breather and introduce ourselves?" Emerson nodded, and sat down on his rear, placing his hands on his legs. The purple pony sat down on her haunches, and looked at her friends. She motioned for them to come over, but seeing how hesitant they were, Emerson scooted back away from the purple one. They all looked at each other, worried looks apparent, yet nodding their heads and carefully joining their friend. They were all sitting, both groups looking at each other and waiting for the other to start. He coughed, and tried to smile.
"Why don't I start things off? Umm..." He struggled knowing where to start. "Well, my name is Emerson. Emerson Scott, but you can call me Emerson or Emmy, take your pick. I'm 17 years old, going on 18 this November. If it is still November, that is. I like making people smile, and I can't help but smile when I do so. I live in St. Louis, Missouri. It's one of the states in the United States of America, the name of our country. I guess that doesn't make sense to you, because I live on planet Earth."
"Yeah, our planet is called Equis, and the kingdom you're in is Equestria. We mostly have ponies living here, but other species live here too. And my name is Princess Twilight Sparkle." She said, smiling at the man. His eyes widened a bit, and he bowed his head lowered.
"M-m-my apologies, Princess."
"It's fine, you don't have to bow. We can start off as friends. Speaking of, girls, wanna introduce yourselves?" She said, turning to her friends.
The pink one smiled hugely, and gave a squee of excitement. "Hi! My name is Pinkamena Diane Pie! Or just Pinkie Pie, whatever one you like! I love parties, and being in parties, and planning parties, and ending parties, although not in the bad way, the way you kind of see everypony leave and it's fresh in your mind. And I just LOVE how you like to make ponies smile, because I like to make ponies smile! Hey, I bet we would get along great, throwing parties together and-" She gasped really enthusiastically, putting her hooves to her mouth. "WE NEED TO THROW YOU A PARTY! We can do that later, because now I'm too busy thinking of all the cake we would eat there an-" Pinkie was interrupted by the white pony, who had just closed her mouth with her hoof.
"Pinkie, honestly, you MUST learn to let somepony else a chance to speak. Now, where were we? Ah, yes!" She cleared her throat, and opened her eyes, battering her eyelashes at him while smiling. "My name is Rarity, simply the most stylish and chic pony in all of Ponyville! It is a pleasure to meet you, young sir!" She offered him her hoof, and Emerson (noting the type of pony that she seemed to be) took it carefully in his hand, and lightly smooched it.
"A pleasure, ma'am." She blushed and smiled while fanning herself with her hoof.
"My my, a gentlecolt!"
"Heh, thank you. Now, what's your name?" He looked at the orange mare, who also smiled and tipped her hat to him, a tannish brown stetson, to be exact.
"Howdy, Emerson! Mah name's Applejack, how are ya doin'? Ah help run mah family farm, Sweet Apple Acres, right outside of Ponyville!"
He smiled and gladly took her hoof, surprised at her remarkable strength in her grip.
"Man, it sure is nice to meet someone with a similar accent like me! No on in St. Louis really had that accent, so I learned to talk different." He gave a hearty laugh. "But after meetin' you, ah'm sure we'll be the best uh partners!" She chuckled in a tomboyish manner.
"Wooh, wee! Me n' you are sure tah be good friends now!"
He laughed again, and turned to the next pony, the blue one that was flying. He cleared his throat, and offered his hand. "What's your name, ma'am?"
The cyan pony scoffed at him, a stern look in her magenta eyes. Emerson's smile quickly faded, and he straightened himself out. She then flew up and got in his face, the speed of which making him fall backwards. She got even closer, squinting her eyes.
"What's your angle, dude? What do you want with ponies? With us? I don't even know what you are!"
"Rainbow! Don't be so hostile!" Twilight said, furrowing her brows.
"It's okay, Twilight. I...I understand." HE replied, now sitting back up and looking at Rainbow.
"Rainbow, I am a-"
"Rainbow DASH! Get it right!" She said, obviously angry. He breathed deeply, knowing one more wrong step was sure to be bad news.
"Sorry. Rainbow Dash, I am a human. We stand on two legs, we have arms instead of forelegs, and instead of hooves, we have hands and fingers. Imagine my fingers as claws, but they're not used in any dangerous way. They're just made to do stuff like building and precision working a lot easier."
The cyan pony looked satisfied with her answer, but was still unhappy. "So, what's your angle? Why are you here?"
Emerson, the events that just happened back home, this new situation, Rainbow Dash being mad for no reason, it took a toll on him. He closed his eyes tight, trying to fight back tears as a couple made their way through. Seeing this, all the ponies, even Rainbow, were taken aback, and gave him some space. He hiccuped a couple of times, and couldn't take it anymore. He fell to his knees, and his arm fell in front of him, and his other arm was holding him self up. He started to sob, the realization that his brother was killed in front of him, and that he was on another PLANET, with animals that could talk and were multicolored and cartoonish. He would never see his brother again, or his family, and he would never go to school and make people laugh or happy, and finish his dream of being successful. He wanted to let it all out, he wanted to tell them so he could feel better, but anytime he tried to say something, the words choked him and pulled at his throat, and he went back to crying.
He felt something touch his shoulder, and he opened his eyes, giving a slight gasp. He looked up, to see the yellow pony, who also had wings, had laid her hoof on his shoulder, giving him a weak but comforting smile. Her pink mane had moved so he could see both eyes, and they seemed to be smiling at him too. Her tail was the same, and she had a cluster of butterflies on her backside. He wiped his eyes, and looked back her, smiling.
"Th-th-thank you. It's just th-that...I-I'm alone, and he's gone. He's gone, gone gone..."
She looked upset and cooed at him. "Who's gone? Why are you alone, when you have us, and me. My name is Fluttershy, by the way."
"Thanks, Fluttershy, but it's my brother..." He cried a little bit again, but breathed deeply through his nose and out his mouth, a bit warbly in his breathing. "My brother is gone, and I am alone."
All the ponies looked at each other, and looked at the human on the ground. They all stepped forward, and put their legs around him, and hugged him tightly, with Rainbow Dash thinking that maybe he wasn't a bad dude to begin with. He started to calm down a bit, then carefully put his arms around all of the ponies as well, and they stayed like that for a little while.
Fluttershy was thinking of what made him so sad and miss his brother like that.
Applejack was thinking that he was hurting, and that maybe she could help him.
Pinkie Pie was wondering about cupcakes, and the type that makes sad humans happy humans.
Rarity was thinking that to cheer him up, they could have a tea session as he vented a bit.
Rainbow was thinking of that maybe she was too hard, and that he was going through a rough time.
Twilight, who felt sorry the most, made her mind up to get closer to him so he wouldn't feel alone.
And Emerson, he was thinking that maybe these ponies were okay, and that he would be, too.
Chapter 2: Let's Get Going!
Chapter 2: Let's Get Going!
After the little group hug was over with, they all decided to get out of the forest. Along the way, in order to try and get them to be a bit more friendlier, Emerson talked a bit more about himself and where he was from. They all listened carefully to him, more so Twilight, who seemed to literally be absorbing all the new and surprising information he had to offer. He revealed a lot about Earth; the 8 billion population, names of countries on the top of his head, and the 7 wonders of the world. He told about the oceans, the mountains, and the everything between them. He laughed as Twilight had been taking notes on a parchment with an ink quill, causing her to smile and blush lightly.
He described St. Louis and Missouri, the busy city life but having a bunch of interesting things to explore and visit. He told them more about baseball, a sport he enjoyed watching and partly to please Rainbow, and that St. Louis had one of the most respected teams in the sport, though they had gone a bit downhill since he was a kid. Rainbow Dash loved listening to the excitement of the sport, having to be so precise and timed, and then to run as fast as possible. Her jaw dropped at learning that fastballs (pitches thrown as quick and straight as possible) had an average of 91, and that players could pitch 100 mph, the limit that the human body can take before the arm's tendons start to rip.
Fluttershy, who had been hiding behind Applejack the entire time (Emerson chuckled internally thinking that Fluttershy was such a fitting name), had perked up and hovered next to Emerson as he told of the animals of the world. Canines and felines, bats and birds, reptiles and amphibians. She gushed at the cuter ones, and said 'Oh, my.' at the scarier ones, like polar bears and bob cats. He mentioned that there was ponies that existed on Earth, but humans were the only sentient species. Animals could definitely feel emotions and stuff like that, but only humans had the intelligence to progress and speak. Twilight thought it was amazing to see a new dominant species, and that her own were just animals on his world. She made sure to write it all down. He said he wished he had a pet, and Fluttershy was quick to offer one of hers. He was a bit confused at first, until she told him she had a cottage full of animals that she takes care of.
"Hey Emerson?" Twilight asked, looking up at him. She had been walking next to him for a while, nearly close enough for his side to be touching her. He looked towards her, admiring the eyes the ponies had. They were really vibrant and pretty.
"Yeah?"
"Is every human as...nice as you?"
Emerson looked at his feet, putting his hands on his hips. He closed his eyes and shook his solemnly.
"No...they aren't. Think of humanity as divided into three categories: Nice people, me included, nice exterior, and just plain mean people. Some people are nice, and I enjoy them a lot. Some people act nice, but once you get to know them, they start to take advantage of you. And mean people are just mean and ruthless. I can't lie, some people really are good, but some people really are bad. I like to stay away from them. I learned over the years you can't really change people mentally, so don't try at all. I'm glad I met you guys, though. Is every pony as nice as you guys?"
Rarity cleared her throat, and trotted forward. "Well, some ponies can be uncouth, but here in Ponyville and Equestria, almost everypony works and gets along. And I'm sure they'll get along with you just nicely, dear." She said, smiling at the human.
He smiled, and put his hands behind his head, just leisurely strolling at this point. "I wonder what will happen when I get there. I wanna impress them first. If I impress everypony, and it is everypony, right? That's the right word?" He said, looking at Twilight. She nodded. "Then, they'll like me quicker than usual. Ponies, if they're anything like people, like a show, something to enjoy."
"Wow, that's a pretty good idea. So, what are you going to do?" Asked Twilight.
"Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! I have an idea! Pick me, pick me! Me me me me me me!" Pinkie said, bouncing around him as she held her hoof up, like a child at school, excited to answer a question. He laughed at her antics, and sighed contently.
"Yes, Pinkie Pie?"
She stopped, and clapped her hooves together. "Okay, so can you play an instrument? Ponies love instruments! I can play lots of them! Banjos, tubas, harmonicas, accordions, cymbals, tambourines, and so much more!" She then turned around, and magically, had equipped and attached all of the instruments she had listed. He decided to ignore her antics, but thought about what she just said. He could play an instrument, really well in fact. He nodded his head slightly, thinking about the idea more and more.
"I can play an instrument. That's not a bad idea at all, Pinkie!" He said, smiling.
She beamed and led the group, her polka-style music leading all of them out of the forest.
"So," Applejack started, "what kind of instrument are ya thinkin' of playin', Emerson?" Realizing that he didn't have it with him, he groaned and put his hands on his face. The others looked at him and sighed.
"Well, I do know how to play an ocarina, but I don't have one with me. Do you guys happen to have one?" As if on cue, Twilight cleared her throat, and took a stance. He raised a brow, until he saw her horn begin to light up. It was covered in a purple, mystical essence. The light emanating from it grew in size, concerning Emerson and slowly backing into a tree, running around it and peeking his head out. A bright flash then enveloped the space in front of her, and when he saw what it was Emerson jaw dropped in a smile as Twilight was levitating a perfectly made ocarina.
"Holy crap! How'd you do that Twilight?"
She giggled and placed her hoof on her chest. "I'm excellent at magic Emerson! It's my special talent, and that's why it's my cutie mark." She rotated her body to show her flank, emphasizing the purple, six-sided star that had 5 other white stars surrounding it. He looked at it, then to Twilight, then back again.
"Sorry, I don't know what that means. What's a cutie mark?"
"Well, it's somethin' a pony gets when they discover their special talent. My cutie mark tells everypony that ah'm dedicated to the farm, and to mah family!" Applejack said, showing him the three apples on her flank. He nodded, starting to understand.
"So, I'm guessing Pinkie's is because she loves to party?"
Pinkie appeared from in his hair, ruffling it. "No, silly! That's just my personality!" She bounced onto the ground. He didn't even realize she had left the lead. "My cutie mark appeared because I love putting a smile on everypony's face! That's why I'm Ponyville's popping pony party planner!"
"Oh, uh, sure thing. What about the rest of you?" Rarity then stepped forward, clearing her throat and waving her mane around in a graceful manner. Like it or not, it was a pretty stylish mane.
"My cutie mark, dear, came to me when my horn started to glow and led me to a giant rock. Finding jewels and such on the inside, I grew an amazing inspiration well up and burst from inside! Working with these jewels and incorporating them into my designs earned me my cutie mark." She turned her flank and showed me hers, those blue cluster of crystals seemingly shining in the sunrays peeking through the trees. He was interrupted by Rainbow Dash, who flew in front of him and did several flips in the air, posing when she was done.
"Well, MY cutie mark has an awesome story behind it!" She said in a gloating manner. Emerson didn't really like gloating, since he always thought that was a bit arrogant for a person. He really didn't feel like that about Rainbow Dash, though. It was just her personality, he guessed.
"Give me the short version, okay? We still need to get out of this forest."
Her face fell at his request, then crossed her arms like she was pouting. "Fine. I got it when I realized that after I performed my first Sonic Rainboom, I loved to win!"
Emerson chuckled at her dismay. He turned towards Fluttershy, who was hiding her mane and carefully and quietly walking.
"Hey Fluttershy?" She jumped a bit with a surprised look on her face. She hid her face again.
"Um, yes Mister Emerson?"
"Are you okay? I didn't scare you did I?"
She softly shook her head. "No, I'm jus..." Her voice trailed off.
He put his hand to his ear, leaning a bit closer to the buttery yellow pegasus. "I'm sorry, what was that?"
"Oh, I'm just...shy." She stressed the last word out, like her throat refused to speak at all. He nodded and left it at that. Seeing her cutie mark, he could guess that it had to do something with all the animals she takes care of on a daily schedule.
Emerson took a moment to try and collect all of his thoughts together. So, why did he end up in Equestria? How the hell did he even get here? When he was hiding inside the closet, it felt like hours, but he knew it could only have been a minute or so. He remembered the headache he got, that weird swirling sensation is his head. Maybe that could've been it? He really didn't care. Having an answer was good, but he was just the kind of person to accept things as they were. Unlike his brother.
Thinking about his brother made him breathe heavily, and more tears started to come out. He sniffled and wiped them off. Now wasn't the time. He could reflect all he wanted later. Looking at the fashionista in front of him, he got an idea.
"Hey, Rarity?" She turned her head to look at him.
"Yes, darling?"
"We're getting close to your boutique right?"
She giggled and nodded. "We are quite close. And I am hoping you will allow me to accommodate you for a new wardrobe later on?"
He popped his fingers, stretching his back. "Well I AM in need of new clothes." He thought of what to say next, something to make Rarity want to do this as soon as possible. "And I can't just go looking like filth when I try to meet everypony, that wouldn't do me any good at all." He grinned. "Maybe we can go to your boutique first? That way you can have an opportunity right away."
She gasped, clapping her hooves together. "Why of course! Something hip, yet fashionable. Stylish yet something to fit your needs."
"Well, in exchange for lack of currency, why don't I draw you some fashion from my world? Something that could be used to make pony clothes instead?"
She smiled and bounced on her hooves, like Pinkie. "Oh yes please! The new inspiration, the ideas, it's going to make me famous in the fashion world!"
Emerson chuckled and nodded. He was starting to get somewhere, and that he liked. He noticed that everything was brighter, and looking up, they had reached the end of the forest. He couldn't see much, but he could see part of the town from here. There was a plethora of buildings, that had cream colored exteriors and revealed the wood frame of them. They all looked very cottage like, sort of medieval in a sense, the way they were designed. The windows were pretty intricate as well, though some were a regular square pane. He rubbed his chin.
"So...how to get from here to the boutique."
Pinkie raised her hoof again, and seemingly from thin air (a fact that was starting to scare Emerson) pulled down a sheet, like one from a classroom, which had a giant blueprint on it. It displayed an aerial view of Ponyville, and a set of directions from here to another building. "Ooh, so in order to sneak around Ponyville without anypony knowing you're here, me and Emmy hide inside a giant dragon costume and travel to the Carousel Boutique!"
He rubbed his forehead, resisting the urge to chuckle at how stupid this is. "Pinkie, why would I do that?"
"Because, silly, everypony would be so confuzzled that they won't notice us at all! It's a perfect plan!"
Twilight shook her head at her pink friend, and tapped Emerson's leg, getting his attention. "Emerson, I'm an alicorn, remember?" He nodded. She had graciously explained to him a little while ago that there were three main pony subspecies: earth ponies, peagasi, and unicorns. He understood all of these terms already, simple enough, but she then explained that she and a few select ponies were alicorns, and are considered royalty, even though they were just a combination between a unicorn and a pegasus. "That means I can perform magic. Why don't I just teleport you there? And save us the embarrassment..." She said, rubbing her forehead. He agreed, sighing before Emerson smiled and gave her a thumbs up, then feeling stupid having to explain to her that meant good luck or confirmation when he saw her confused expression.
"Alright sugarcube, ah reckon we'll see ya soon. See ya around town!" Applejack said with a tilt of her hat.
"Yeah, catch you later. I overslept today, and finding you meant that I was late for my afternoon nap." Rainbow saying as she flew off somewhere, a streak of rainbow following her. Emerson laughed, his hands behind his head.
"Really? Late for a nap?"
Fluttershy stepped forward timidly. "Um, yeah. She's been like that since I've known her. And I have to go to, my precious little Angel bunny needs me. Bye, Emmy." He watched her fly away in the opposite direction of them. Pinkie Pie followed suit and bounced away.
He put his hands over his mouth and called out, "Yo Pinkie! Where you headed?"
She looked back and waved, not answering his question and just bouncing away. He shook his head and turned towards the two unicorns. Rarity and Twilight both stood at the ready.
"Ready to go, Emerson?" Twilight said, with Rarity next to her.
"Yes he is, darling! I can't wait to study his clothes and get to work!" She said very giddily. He shrugged his shoulders and stood next to them.
"Alright, I'm ready."
Twilight smiled, and started to focus on her magic again. Her horn grew brighter and brighter, before a white flash of magic engulfed the 3 of them.
He swore to hell that that had to be the absolute worst he ever had in his entire life. He gripped his stomach, hoping that he wouldn't vomit all over where he was. Curious, he opened his eyes, and saw the building he was in. It was a pink and white floor, with a plethora of dark pink curtains. In the middle of this room was a changing station, and next to it, a platform for somepony to stand on, complete with mirrors surrounding it. Intricate designs and hearts decorated the interior, giving a soft and friendly feel of the place. Purple walls and a majestic looking staircase led to another floor, but overall, this definitely had the feel of a little girl boutique.
Rarity trotted forward, turning around and waving her hoof to show off her amazing business. "Welcome, Emerson, to the chic and magnificent Carousel Boutique! The most amazing and stylish boutique in all of Ponyville!"
He put his hands to his hips and whistled slowly.
"Wow, Rarity! This is quite the business you have here! Some real haute couture!"
"Thank you so much, darling! Now, let me go get some supplies to prepare for your new outfit." She said, trotting away with a small measuring tape in her magical grasp. He still found it a bit hard to believe that unicorns actually exist, seeing that they're just fairy tales on Earth. He turned towards Twilight, who was busy looking over all the notes she took earlier. He bopped her on the snout with his finger, causing her face to squirm and look at him in surprise, making him chuckle.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to spook you."
"No no, it's okay. Whatcha need?"
He rubbed his chin, scratching a bit of his goatee. "No, it's just...I was wondering if sometime you'd want to hang out a bit?"
Twilight smiled, and put her things away in a saddlebag that was on her back. He didn't see it before, maybe she got it through magic or whatever. "Of course we can, I would love to become better friends with you!"
He sighed heavily, and looked at her again. He was serious this time, because now he needed someone to hear him.
"Twilight, I need help. We can always talk about me or you or Earth or anything. Hell, even the politics. But I'm scared." He hushed quietly, making sure Rarity didn't hear him. "Try and understand. I'm new to a world full of creatures, and on this planet, I'm the alien. I'm the odd one out. I've just been through a lot within a couple of hours. Hours. I need somepony to talk to, someone to talk to. And, I don't know who else to talk to. I trust you, because you seem to be the one that has a real interest for me, even if it is just scientific research."
Her smile faded as she listened to him talk, her eyes focusing on him. She saw the look in his eyes, and she saw a lot of pain. Emotional and recent pain. She nodded slowly.
"I do care Emerson. I want you to feel welcomed, and I want you to have friends, like me. If you want to talk to me about anything, don't be afraid, okay?" He nodded in response. She smiled and stepped on her hind legs, now nearly face to face with the man. He looked surprised until she wrapped her hooves around him and hugged him. He smiled softly, hugging her back. Her fur was very soft, and she smelled like a cool night before the rain. They let go of each other, and she waved goodbye, her horn shimmering before disappearing in a bright flash. He shielded his eyes, and now that she was gone, he felt a tad better. He felt a little lift off his chest, and breathed through her nose.
"Darling? Come up the stairs, I'm ready now." He heard Rarity call out. He nodded to himself, and proceeded up the stairs, ready for whatever she was going to do to him.
As he got up the stairs, he was met with a flurry or flying objects, controlled by Rarity's magic. The room was pretty small, purple walls and a giant blue rug smack dab in the middle. Several smaller-sized archways lined the walls, white and lilac diamonds decorating them. Purple curtains and white and purple pillars. It was a very nice and upbeat room. She had a large bulletin board with tons of paper pinned to it. Different colored fabrics, sewing scissors and spools of thread. He looked on as Rarity adorned a pair of red eyeglasses. She looked up just as he dodged a couple stuff here and there.
"Ah, Emerson! Perfect timing, I just got the dressing room ready for you!" She pulled out a large, circular changing room, one that just barely covered his head. "I know it may be a bit small, seeing as I haven't properly prepared for a...man of your physique."
"It's fine, so how do we begin?"
"Well, that's what that is for darling. It's a dressing room." She said. "Go. Get undressed and let me see our garments."
He blinked a couple of times hearing that, then slowly nodded. He looked down at himself, his clothes (and body, he would need to bath later) were covered in dirt, and had various holes in it. He grimaced, seeing how posh Rarity is. He stepped inside and lifted his shirt off his shoulders. He looked at it, the faded grey v-neck torn up in some places. He stepped out, and held it close to his chest. The stylish pony was still gathering fabric and other materials.
"Um, here you go."
She turned around, he swearing she would've gotten whiplash. She saw him holding his shirt, and she levitated it away from him. She had a quick view of him, and noticed that he had some visible muscle. She gave a tiny smile, and the teeniest of blush popping up on her cheeks. He went back to the dressing room, and she started to write the measurements of his shirt.
"So, uh, Emerson dear?"
"Yeah?" He replied, unbuttoning his jeans.
"How long have you been toning your muscular build?" She asked, looking out of the corner of her eyes.
"Oh, well, I've always exercised as a kid. And I gotta take care of my body for the ladies, right?"
She giggled pretty loudly. "My, you're a typical stallion!"
Emerson chuckled and rubbed his head, saying, "Yep, sure am. And here you go." He held the jeans out, and let them go as she took them as well.
"Wow, these are such new clothes! These feel like cotton."
"Yeah, they are. And do you need my, um, undergarments?"
There was a brief pause before he heard her say, "Yes, I will need those later. Why don't you keep them on for now? And please don't take this the wrong way, but you you may want to take a quick bath before you put these on."
Yep, there it is. He sighed, and grabbed the robe that was given to him. It was meant for a pony, so he just wrapped it around his waist like a towel. "Where is your restroom?"
"Downstairs, then left of the door."
"Alright, thanks again Rarity."
"My pleasure."
He stepped out, covering himself as best as possible, and hurried down the stairs. He found the bathroom, and stepped in. It was a pretty fancy bathroom, except the shower was extremely tiny.
"Figured."
He stepped out of the shower, feeling like a new man. He had all the grime and dirt off of him, and he could nearly feel the gleam coming off of him. He used the towel that was next to the tub and dried himself off. He wrapped the robe around his waist again, and was about to step out to get his clothes when he saw something on the sink. His pendant was sitting nicely on a pile of new clothes. He picked them up. On top was his underwear, which was the same pair but they had been washed and dried somehow. Slipping those on, he looked at the vibrant and newly colored blue v-neck, same size as the old one. He put it on, and he felt very nice. The jeans were there too, and she even matched the denim. He slipped those on too, and grabbed the belt he had. He slipped his socks on (also washed) and his shoes. He bent down and looked in Rarity's full body mirror. His hair was still a bit wet, but he ran his fingers through it, a vain effort in styling it. Overall, he looked nice.
Emerson wondered when she would've had the chance to put these in here. He didn't dwell on it too long, and stepped out. Waiting for him was Rarity, taking off her eyeglasses. She smiled, looking him over. He smiled and posed a bit, showing off his new clothes. She laughed and floated her glasses away, trotting up to him.
"Not bad Rarity! Copied them to the core!"
"Well, I do enjoy a challenge here and there. It was really a good experience to make clothes for somepony new! Although, I have to say, these clothes aren't tailored to you, are they?"
"Please, I couldn't afford any tailored clothing."
She gasped, and glared at him. "These will simply not do anymore! For exchange for your help, I will tailor you a new wardrobe. No questions asked!" She said, and started to lead him out the door.
"Rarity? Thank you."
"Oh, speak nothing of it. Just something to get you out of those rags."
"No. I mean, thank you." He said, looking at her. "I really appreciate what you've done for me right now. Nobody would've done that back on Earth I think. And I'll make it up to you, no worries."
She was a bit surprised, but nodded anyway. "I understand that. It is my element, after all." He raised a brow. "Ask Twilight, dear, she'll explain it."
"Okay then, see you later Rarity."
"Bye bye!"
They waved as he walked out. He headed away from her place, as he saw a pink blob bouncing towards him. He smiled as Pinkie Pie was right on time.
"Hey there, Pinkie."
"Hiya! I was just coming to get you! And this is for you."
She reached into her mane...and pulled out the ocarina from earlier. He seriously wanted to question it, but he figured what the hell. He took it, and they went downtown. "So, you're looking pretty spiffy there, Emmy!"
"Oh, uh, yeah. Rarity did a hell of a job copying my stuff."
She smiled and slowed her bouncing to a trot. "She's amazing when it comes to clothes! You should see the dresses she made for us for the Gala!"
He looked down at her, fidgeting with the ocarina. "Gala? Like a dance gala?"
"Yepperoodle snickerdoodle! The Grand Galloping Gala is a huge event for ponies! And it's in the capital city, too."
"Huh, neat." He replied rubbing his chin.
As they walked, a couple ponies looked at him mysteriously. Some gasped at him, others hid their kids behind their arms. He didn't look too much, and he thought it was cool, seeing all of the ponies and their weirdly colored fur. Neither Pinkie nor Emerson really spoke to each other, they just walked until they needed to stop. And they needed to stop as they arrived at a little statue. It had a stone, circular base with a happy pony on it. He guessed it was like a meeting place for ponies, or the middle of town. He looked down at Pinkie, who simply smiled and winked at him, and bounced into the crowd that had already formed around him. He gripped the instrument tightly seeing all of these ponies. There must have been a hundred or something, just looking at him and whispering to each other. He caught stuff like 'Look at that thing.' and 'What is that?', even 'Is it safe?'
He nodded to himself, swallowing his nervousness. It didn't really help him, but he breathed in through his nose, and slowly exhaled. Hesitantly, he put the instrument to his lips, and his fingers on the right places.
He blew into the ocarina.
Chapter 3: Listen to the Beat, And to Me!
Chapter 3: Listen to the Beat, And to Me!
He nodded to himself, swallowing his nervousness. It didn't really help him, but he breathed in through his nose, and slowly exhaled. Hesitantly, he put the instrument to his lips, and his fingers on the right places.
He blew into the ocarina.
The music came out smoothly. He started to play the song "Tripping Up The Stairs", an old but universal jig that was upbeat and very happy. He thought it was funny that despite the name, it doesn't mean actually tripping. Back then, tripping up the stairs used to mean being very happy and dancing as you walked. Maybe it was just the right song to get them to like him. The upbeat tune moved through the air, into the ears of all the ponies surrounding him. He looked around, and kinda faltered on the inside not seeing any of them start to move. He kept playing though, and tapped his foot to the beat.
Emerson's fingers moved gracefully over the instrument, creating a perfectly beautiful piece of music. He noticed that some of the ponies looked at one another, and softly smiled. They were bopping their heads to the beat, and some even joined in with him, stamping their hooves as he did with his feet. He continued to play like that for a little bit. Nopony was doing much of anything, so he started to walk and move his hips as well, walking towards and back away from the crowd.
Eventually, comforted by the friendly demeanor of the creature, all of the ponies were enjoying the beat of the music, and began to dance with each other. He turned around to see Pinkie, equipped with her myriad of musical instruments, joined him, and the two of them were making a huge song together. He couldn't help but smile, and skipped along in a circle, letting the mood take him over. He noticed a cream colored pony with a cherry-red and pink mane was smiling, but wasn't dancing with anypony else. Taking the risk, he skipped his way towards her. A closer look revealed her man was the same style Rainbow Dash's was. Her eyes were a darker, pale green, and her cutie mark was a crimson rose with two vibrant green leaves. She stared up at him as he approached, and sat down on her flank as he skipped in a circle.
He did that for a little bit, not getting a response from her. Emerson got slightly annoyed at the lack of action, so he looked her in the eye and jerked his head, essentially asking her to join. Getting up slowly, she smiled and started to stamp her hooves again. He circled around her again, nearly losing his breath. But she did the same, laughing along. They pranced and skipped together, and bowed to each other. He spun away to the middle again, and neared the ending of the song.
When he played the last note, he put his ocarina down and catched his breath. He surveyed the crowd, who stopped dancing and looked at him again. His smile faded, unsure of what they were planning to do. It was kinda silent, but all of a sudden, all of the ponies were cheering and stamping their hooves, applauding his performance. He laughed and held his hands up, bowing and appreciating the praise. Pinkie Pie shouted at him, cheering and laughing.
One by one they started to get closer, talking to him and barraged him with questions and compliments. He laughed and waved to them. They asked who he was, and he said his name was Emerson. They asked what he was, and he said he was human. They asked how he was able to play like that, and he said with lots of practice. He looked at all of the ponies, and beamed brightly. 'Nailed it.' He thought to himself. Ponies gave him high-fives and, well, high-hooves, and the more adult ponies gave him hand-and-hoof shakes.
Over time, they loss interest and wandered back to their daily lives. He sighed a breath of relief, a massive weight freeing itself from his shoulders. Hands on his hips, he breathed in the fresh air, and put the ocarina back in his pocket. The fact that they were pretty impressed and happy with his music skills was good, now that he won't be exiled or something. These ponies didn't seem like that, but you never know; humans were pretty weird like that back in, like, the 1600s or something.
He saw one pony decided to stay behind, and he smiled. He approached her, and gave her a high-five.
"So, how'd I do, Twilight?"
The purple pony smiled and nodded. "You did good, I really enjoyed it! How long have you been playing that thing?"
"Um, maybe a year or so. It's not too hard to learn."
"Well, I'm very proud of you! It seems like everypony was liking it."
"Yeah, and I think they like me too!"
Her smile faded again, and she was a bit more serious. "Trust is a serious thing, Emerson. Once you have it, it's easy to lose, but harder to get back. I know that first hoof."
He nodded, understanding her. "I get it."
She smiled again, and started to walk off. She turned her head around when she noticed he wasn't following her. "Are you coming?"
He blinked, and quickly jogged up to her. They were just strolling through the town, some of the ponies now waving to him instead of just staring. He waved back to them. It felt pretty nice, and it reminded him of when he was in school. Being the popular kid at school, but the good popular. One that people wanted to be friends with, popular and the weird kids.
"So, Emerson?"
He snapped back to reality for a second. "Oh, sorry. Whatcha need?"
"You wanted to talk to me, right?"
"Yeah, I did..."
"Well, here we are then. Let's make you at home." They had both stopped, and Emerson got a good look of where they were. Standing tall in front of them was a gigantic tree. It's trunk had to be about 15 something feet wide! He noticed that the branches of the tree were redesigned to be balconies. The door had a moss covering over it, and the spaces between some of the branches and leaves were redesigned as windows. Two of the three balconies had a protective roof made of moss over it. A pretty scary looking beehive was attached to it as well. It was very fairy tale-like, and it had a certain aesthetic to it. He saw a sign posted out front, just a simple picture of a book. The front door had a candle on the top, and two slender black handles.
He whistled, nodding his head. "This is your home?"
She smiled proudly, and trotted inside. "Yep! This is also the Golden Oak Library, though not many ponies come by here. But what I love are all of the books! So many to read, so little time!" She held the door open for him. He raised a brow, and put his hand up to his head, and then down to the top of the door. She blushed a little bit and sheepishly hid her face. "Oh, right. You're not exactly pony sized, are you?"
He sighed, crouching down. "I can try, I guess." With a little bit of effort, he was able to squeeze himself into the house. He stood up once inside, and looked around. The wood of the tree had been cut out to make two floors, and some as bookshelves. There was another staircase leading downward as well. Some floral patterns were embedded into the wood, adding a very nice tone to the room. Other spaces had been cut out as cabinets or cubbies.
"Nice place."
"Thanks! Would you like some tea or coffee or...what do you drink exactly?" She called out from another room. 'Guess she walked off before I noticed.' He thought. He shook his head at her, and chuckled.
"Some tea is fine, Twilight. Thanks."
He sighed, and sat down on the floor. He took his pendant off, and opened it. His mom and brother were staring at him, smiling as if everything was normal. He always wondered about his mom. He never really got to know her, but he was certain that she was a good parent. His brother, on the other hand, rarely ever smiled. Emerson even asked him about that one time, and just got a heavy sigh for an answer. Roman was a weird guy to try and understand, he always tried to carry the world on his shoulders.
Always carried his family on his shoulders.
"Here you go, some Earl Grey always helps me relax after a busy day."
"Thanks," he muttered, grabbing the cup and saucer, the orange-ish drink rippling softly. "I don't mean to trouble you guys, you're all really nice."
She laid down, using her magic to drink her tea. "Don't be sorry, it's perfectly okay if I was in your situation. And that reminds me," she said, and a clipboard and quill floated to her. "we have some stuff to talk about."
He sighed, and held his hands together. "Yeah...we do."
They were quiet for a little bit, neither feeling comfortable starting the conversation. Eventually Twilight smiled awkwardly and drank her tea. "Sooooo...how's your day been?"
He shook his head. "I know, I just don't know what to start with."
The pony looked down, saddened. "Well, let's start simple. Why not tell me a little bit more about yourself?"
He nodded, thinking it was something. "Okay, I get it. Let's start over. My name is Emerson Scott. I'm 17 years old, born in November of 2001. I lived in St. Louis, Missouri, but you knew that one."
He was cut off, and he looked down at his mouth, seeing some purple magic covering his lips. "Not that kind of simple. Tell me about you, your personality and stuff." Twilight said. He wiped the stuff off his lips and coughed.
"I mean, there's stuff I liked on Earth. I don't know if that kinda stuff is here on Equestria though. I loved telling jokes and stuff, and I absolutely loved playing basketball!"
Her head turned, confused. "Basketball?"
He smiled and sat up, putting his hands on his legs. "Yeah! It's a sport where there are two 10-ft baskets with a hole in the bottom, and two teams of 5 players. There's a ball, and the teams bounce the ball and try to score it into the other team's basket to score 2 points. The further you throw it away from the basket, the more points you get. I love that game a bunch." He rubbed his chin. "I wonder if I can try and introduce it here?"
"Maybe. But I also want to know more about you. And...why you're here." He blinked in response. She sighed and drank some more. "Emerson...what happened before you got here?"
He stopped, and his smile faded. "I guess there's no beating around this. Even if I did say earlier I wanted to." He breathed in, held it, and slowly exhaled.
"It's a long story. And I don't know how to start it."
"What were you two doing before..."
His voice got a bit heavier, and he swallowed nervously. "Me and Roman just got back from high school, and like we always do. We were playing a card game, it was called Yu-Gi-Oh!. A-actually, here." He reached into his pockets, and carefully pulled out the stacks of cards, still in their protective sleeves. He handed them over to her, who levitated it. Blowing the dirt off, she spun one of the cards around, eyes widened with curiosity. He laughed again as she was studying literally every part.
"Woah, this is amazing! This is a card game?"
"Yeah. There are tons of them, but these aren't ordinary playing cards. You have lots of rules, and different cards. You trade them and stuff, and then you make a deck of 40 or 60 cards. But anyway, we played one of these every day when we got home."
She set them down and returned her focus. "So what happened next?"
A single tear slipped out, his breathing choking out. "We were just playing the game, having fun. He...he gave me this." He took off his pendant and held it in his fingers, opening it and revealing the picture of his mom and brother, though they both yellowed a bit. "He said to me that she was a part of our lives, even if we didn't know her. He said to take it because it was hurting him. So I did, and that was the last thing he ever said to me." He started to cry, trying his best to fight back the tears. Sniffling, he wiped his eyes.
Twilight leaned forward, and put a hoof on his shoulder. "Emmy, you don't have to go on-"
"No, Twilight! I need to, 'cause I need answers!" He shouted. Sighing, he removed her hoof, feeling how soft it was. Choking up, tears coming down again. "W-w-we heard a knock at the door. He got up to answer it. And it opened, and...and..."
Emerson couldn't hold it back any longer. He cried hard, the tears hot and heavy as they fell down his cheek. He could feel each of them hit his jean legs. He covered his face with his hands. Grimacing, his sobs muffled by his hands. He didn't want Twilight to see him like this, crying and vulnerable. Since he could remember, Emerson hated it when people saw him crying: it was a sign of weakness, it left him open.
Twilight didn't know how to feel seeing him. It tore her apart, and she didn't know why. She didn't really know him at all. Sure, he told her some things about himself, but they weren't really friends. Still...it was hard for her to see him like this.
"Emerson...I'm so sorry. I can't even begin to imagine how you feel." She leaned forward, and wrapped her hooves around him. He just sat there, and let the tears flow down, and mourn his brother. They stayed like that for a few minutes, her holding him, and he just weeping his pains away. His arms returned the hug, and he sobbed the hardest he ever had, his moans and cries echoing through the tree. The hurt in his voice seeped through the air, and it made Twilight cry a bit too. Crying and hugging each other, Emerson felt another weight on his shoulders lift. Was this the kind of pain, the kind of hurt that Roman talked about? It made him feel hard, like he wasn't a person anymore, just a sort of...existence. No wonder his brother always seemed unhappy; this hurt him a lot. How could anyone deal with this? He had a new respect for his brother, admiration even.
Twilight let go of him, and levitated a box of tissues from the room above them. Placing them in front of him, he sighed with a bit of a warble, and took one. He wiped his eyes and said, "Roman was killed. Roman was killed right in front of me, and I didn't do anything."
"No, don't say that!" Twilight said, a tad scornfully. "If it was that quick, then there wasn't anything you could've done. Don't blame yourself."
Ignoring her, he blew his nose, carefully wadding the used tissues and setting them next to him. "I stood up, and was ready to run up the stairs." He shook his head, confused. "I don't know why, but I just took the cards. Maybe it was because it was the last thing he did, or whatever, but I just had too. I ran upstairs into his room, and I hid in the closet. I heard the footsteps follow me, and they got closer. Next thing I knew, I grabbed something to hit them with, and I felt really dizzy. Not like regular dizzy, this was weird. I felt like a train hit my head, and everything was swirling." He sniffled again, reaching for another tissue. "Next thing I knew, I'm here."
Twilight listened closely, going back to writing stuff down. "I've never heard of that before. Princess Celestia might know a thing or two to help you."
"Princess Celestia?"
She nodded, and got up and grabbed a book off a shelf. The cover was brown with a picture of a horse. She opened the book and showed Emerson a page displaying two ponies, one white and the other blue, circling each other. The moon and sun were on the bottom and top, respectively. "She and her sister, Princess Luna, rule the land. Princess Celestia raises and lowers the sun, while Princess Luna raises and lowers the moon."
He raised his eyebrow. "What do you mean 'raise the sun and moon'? The moon rotates around Earth because of its gravitational pull, and the Earth rotates around the sun, which is a big star because of its gravitational pull. That's how night and day work."
The alicorn's eyes widened, and she feverishly wrote every word he said. "THAT'S AMAZING! New celestial information on another world!"
He chuckled again. "Anyway, how might she help?"
"Well, she's an alicorn, so she's lived a very long time. Over a thousand years."
Blinking at her and coughing again, Emerson threw away his tissues in a nearby trash can. "I'm sure she can help me, but I don't know how."
"What do you mean?"
"Could she send me back home? Will I be able to live here? Is she going to banish me or exile me or kill m-"
"PRINCESS CELESTIA WILL NOT KILL YOU!" She suddenly yelled out of pure shock, and he jumped back a bit. She cleared her throat and blushed slightly. "What I mean to say is that Celestia and Luna are benevolent leaders, and are the kindest ponies I ever met. She would never do that to you."
O-okay, I trust you." He said, and sat back down. "But I'm still all alone. What am I going to do? Where am I going to stay? How do I live? Make money? Star-" Twilight interrupted him by putting her hoof over his lips. This whole cutting him off thing was starting to piss him off.
"I can help you with anything you need. And besides, Rarity said you can be her assistant, so she'll pay you. I have an extra room downstairs, you can stay there for now. I added one recently, and had one for guests to come over, but plans change."
His jaw went slack. How could she be this kind? How could any of them be this kind to him, someone new? Something new? "Wow Twilight, I don't know what to say. That's really generous."
"It's my pleasure! And we can both gain something here!" She said with a smile, clapping her hooves together in a little celebratory motion. "You have somewhere to live, and I'll be able to talk to you whenever about Earth!"
He sighed and laughed, and ruffled his hair. "Sure thing, Twilight."
He wondered how this was going to play out.
The two of them stayed a while longer, enjoying each other's company and their tea. Emerson stopped crying as much, and when he did, Twilight decided to chat him up.
"So let me get this straight. You're saying that on Earth, the moon rotates around the Earth because of gravity? And the Sun doesn't move either; it rotates the Earth using its gravitational pull, making day and night?"
"Right."
"And that the stars weren't made by somepony, they were just there?"
"Yup."
"But how?"
He laughed at her confusion, and drank the rest of his tea. "Beats me. I never really cared for astronomy anyway."
She grumbled and flopped down on a pillow, which she brought to them to sit on. "But this is all so fascinating! I can't copy information if I don't have information!"
"Sorry Twilight." He popped his fingers. "Quick question. I was holding on to something when you found me in that forest. Did you see what it was?" At hearing this, she gasped and put a hoof to her mouth. He raised his brows as she didn't make another move. He set his drink down and his demeanor got a bit more serious. "Twilight, what was I holding?"
"N-nothing! Nothing at all, nope." She said, a guilty smile and avoiding his gaze.
"Come on, tell me. What was it?"
"I-I-I didn't see anything, honest."
He stood up, and brushed himself off. "Alright then, if you don't want to tell me, I'll find it myself." He turned to walk out the door, but as he reached it, Twilight suddenly landed in front of him.
"Wait, wait!" The human put his hands on his hips with a smug smile. She groaned, and hesitantly levitated something out of her bag. It was a small, circular object, mostly flat but was a tad thick. On one side, was an intricate pattern with two, rectangular holes in it. He plucked it from her grasp, and noticed what it was. "I'm sorry, this is all I found. I kept it to study, but I should've asked first."
He took a closer look at it, and flipped it over. The teenager's eyes widened when he read the words Jojo's Bizarre Adventure on the back.
"Something is supposed to be on this thing, but it's gone."
Chapter 4: This Is Something Else
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.