How I Fell In Love With A Pony

The walls of the castle in Canterlot at first felt awkward to me. While it never felt much like a prison, it didn’t feel like home either. Home was where your family was waiting for you, desperate to surround you with love and warmth every time you arrived. Home was where your friends ached for you every time you went away. Home was where that one special girl waited with baited breath for you to return, and then threw her arms around you and tenderly kissed your face. Home was where they always said, “welcome.”

When I first began my tutelage under Princess Twilight, I did not feel as if I were home. But after our discussion about the merits and discredits of the history of humanity, I felt a twinge take place deep inside. I suddenly found the walls to hold a certain pristine beauty. But maybe that was only because the pony who occupied the palace held that same quality. I found myself eager to learn from her, because her mind was just as beautiful as her physical appearance.

As the days, weeks, and finally months flew by, she endeared herself into my soul. Soon I realized that I could not live without her, and those small seeds of romance that had been planted grew into strong trees of love. She made my heart skip more than a few beats with her magnificent smile, and the kindness and care with which she treated everypony was absolute. Oh, and I do mean everypony. From the richest of the rich to the poorest of the poor, stallion or mare, no matter the coat color, she treated all with respect, dignity, and grace. Through it all, her flowing mane continued to be a beacon of hope to me, and I came to cherish it as a symbol of all things good and pure.

Then, the castle felt like home. She became not only my teacher, but my best friend as well. We spent many a happy hour in her garden, discussing things. She poured her knowledge and love of friendship and The Elements of Harmony into my mind, and I fell in love with them. It was so utterly fantastic. A society built on the principles of harmony and embracing differences instead of falling hard on the sharp stones of collectivism and hatred? It was amazing to learn about, and I made many mental notes to enact these Elements in my own life.

She often told me that she was learning a lot from me as well. I was able to speak with her about different aspects of human culture, and she was astounded by it. I told her about the advent of modern transportation, the history of literature in my world, and many other things. I spoke of Edison, Einstein, Alexander Graham Bell, and many other inventors and scientists. We discussed our favorite authors, and I introduced her to many classic human writers such as Hemingway, Longfellow, Poe, and Shakespeare. I also introduced her to my favorite style of music, and poorly attempted to emulate Metallica, Slayer, and other metal bands. She laughed heartily, and I could only smile. That laugh had become like a warm nest for me to curl up in, and I happily took refuge.

One day, I was trotting through the palace, following a small note that the Princess had sent me. Since I was what they referred to as an Earth pony, I had to use my hoof to follow the trail. This was no easy task, considering ponies have no opposable thumbs or digits whatsoever, but my metacarpal challenge was met with some measure of success. I managed to find my way into a certain room, where I was shocked to see that balloons, streamers, and an entire mess of confetti had been tossed everywhere in a perfect example of organized chaos. I had lived in Equestria long enough to know that, where there was this type of smoke, a pink fire was blazing. Pinkie… I told myself.

“SURPRISE!”

Suddenly, a large group of ponies jumped out of the nooks and crannies. Even though some part of me had registered that this was coming, I still jumped. “Wow!” I said, “uh…thanks, everypony! But…what’s with the surprise? My birthday isn’t for months!”

“We know,” Princess Twilight said, “but this isn’t about your birthday.”

“It’s all about y’all graduatin’ from Twilight’s tutelage! Yer officially a bonafide Twilight taught friend!”

Their smiles were radiant as Twilight stepped forward and wrapped me up in an embrace. Her coat was warm and her aroma was breathtaking. I returned the embrace and felt her breath close to my ear. “I’m so proud of you,” she whispered, “and thank you for teaching me everything I needed to know about humans. Now I feel as though Equestria can be mentioned in your world and I won’t have to worry about everypony.”

I pulled out of the hug and smiled up at her. “It was my pleasure, Twilight,” I said. I had grown a lot more comfortable using her name instead of her title, and I could tell that she was a lot more comfortable as well. “Thank you for teaching me,” I said honestly. She smiled and used her magic to float a small hat over to me and placed it on my head. “I now officially pronounce you my latest graduate,” she said happily, “your life is yours. You can go wherever and do whatever you wish, but always remember what I have taught you…and I shall remember everything you have taught me.”

I was suddenly surrounded by my friends, the ponies who had first treated me with kindness and love when I arrived in The Everfree Forest. Everypony was there, and I realized with a sudden sadness that I had more pony friends than I had human friends. I looked at the ground and back up at Twilight, and she could tell that I wasn’t exactly thrilled. She looked around at the group and stepped forward.

“Is something wrong, Stony Tail?”

I knew that now was the time for my secret about where I came from to be revealed. The rest of my friends did not know about my human origins, but it had come time to tell them. I took a deep breath and looked up at Twilight. “Princess,” I said, “you’ve taught me everything there is to know about friendship. I am duly grateful, and I am beyond excited to be graduating. But the fact is…I have more friends here than I did back in my home world.”

I noticed the looks on everypony else’s face begin to grow confused. “What other world, darling?” Rarity asked.

“I am…human,” I confessed.

Pinkie laughed. “You aren’t a human, silly! Twilight told us all about humans, and you don’t look anything like them!”

“Pinkie, don’t laugh,” Twilight chided gently, “he is a human. I’ve known and he’s known, but we felt it was best to keep it under wraps until the time was right. I guess Stony thought now was the correct time.”

Her look was one of approval, and I found myself basking in its glow. She seemed proud that I had picked an appropriate time to divulge this particular piece of information. The other ponies in the room, however, gave a mixed reaction. Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy all smiled, welcoming me to their group. However, Rainbow Dash and Applejack looked stung at not being let in on things.

“Look, I don’t care that he’s a human,” Dash said, “but why weren’t we allowed to know?”

“It was best for everypony,” Twilight said firmly, “even you.”

“But why do friends need to keep secrets from each other?” Applejack asked, “it just don’t seem very honest to me; and I should know!”

“Applejack,” Twilight responded, “things were done for a reason. Ponies might have treated him differently. As much as I love our land and our friendship, even I know that not everypony lives by those tenets. I didn’t want him embarrassed or humiliated.”

“But we wouldn’t have humiliated him!” Dash protested.

“I know,” Twilight said kindly, “and I’m very thankful for that. It’s just that if you were to have told others, then they would have told their friends, and on and on until everypony knew. Things like this have a way of spreading like wildfire, and I needed to keep it close until Stony learned everything he needed to. Now I feel confident that he can address himself and other ponies and be secure in his human origin.”

I gazed with love at the pony who meant more to me than life itself. To think that she had thought so much of me made my heart leap. My eyes were clouded over with affection, and I began to unravel the mystery of my feelings. In doing so, I found a peace and a joy that I had not known before. It’s you, isn’t it? I asked her in my own head, the girl I’ve been looking for. The smart, beautiful, amazing woman that I’ve been racking my mind for years about. I don’t care that you’re a pony and I’m a human being. We will be together someday, I swear it. Soon, Princess, I’m gonna make my move, and this time, I am not going to be stopped. I…love you, Princess Twilight.