Newbreedby PernixChaptersA Day in the LifeWelcome to EquestriaOn the FarmA Less-Than-Welcoming PartyA Day in the LifeThe mid-winter breeze flows through the small town of Spring Hill, Florida. With it is the faint scent of the sea, and the chill of the current. The trees flow in perfect synchronization with the wind, as if the two were joined by a melodious dance. That one time of the year when it wasn't miserably hot or humid. "Bus 234 arriving at Pinehurst and Cobblestone intersection. Any departing passengers must wait until the bus has come to a complete stop." The intercom blared with an unnerving static. Marcus, who was sitting a couple rows behind the driver, stood up to leave the collection of his fellow low-class citizens. Marcus proceeded to the front of the bus, passing the monotonous faces of unfamiliar strangers as they gazed upon him. Upon exiting the bus, he reached into his left pocket to grab his cheap MP3 player. "Same routine as always... Once more, with feeling." Marcus continued to untangle his earbuds, ever curious as to how they ended up in such a twisted manner. Once he managed to arrange the cords into straight, sleek lines, Marcus placed the small buds into his ears, contemplating on a tune that would perk him up, and remove him from the rut that he felt was his current life. "9,000 Miles... haven't heard that one in a while." The music began to play. As his mind began to become soothed by the familiar noise of various synths, drums, and guitars, Marcus began to walk down the street alone, as always. "It's 9,000 miles back to you, now I still feel like home is in your arms..." The song bounced around in his head like a rubber ball on a hardwood floor. The tempo started to pick up, just the way he preferred. As the speed of the song started to shift, Marcus picked his walk up to a run. The lines in the sidewalk began to rush past him faster and faster with each step. The feeling of no limitations also began to rush through his mind. To be able to run freely, with no obstacles or other nuisances. What made the moment better was the selection of music that he chose for the occasion. Drum and bass was perfection for these sprints. Minutes passed, as Marcus found himself several blocks away from his starting point. Home was getting nearer, as he sprinted even faster than before. Yet, even though he approached his living place, Marcus was reluctant to arrive. The feeling of a permanent routine once again entered his mind, killing the mood of his imagined freedom. From a walk, to a run, to a sprint, then back to a walk, Marcus depressingly approached his house, less than eager to walk in the front door. Despite his feelings, Marcus entered his home once again, greeting his relatives. "Well, you certainly got home fast. Bus come early today?" Marcus' aunt asked curiously. "I guess so. I knew you'd miss me, so I didn't want to wait around." Marcus wittingly replied, trying to muster up a weak laugh. "Bringing home bacon today, Mark?" Marcus' uncle abruptly interrupted. "Nothing today, Uncle Rick. I should be getting paid tomorrow." "Ya' know, you really should bring money home more often. It's not easy around here with three mouths to feed." "What do you want me to do? Play Jedi mind tricks on my boss to increase my pay?" "You'd be surprised how often that works, boy. Ask your auntie over there, she'll tell you a story or two about my charm." "...You're drunk again, aren't you?" "That's none of your business, Mike. Shouldn't you be getting off to bed now anyways?" Marcus quickly glanced over at the livingroom clock, noting that it was only 4:45 p.m., more than enough to convince him that his uncle was more than slightly under the influence. "Might want to fix your watch. Or wait to sober up so you can read it." Marcus frustratingly responded. Marcus' uncle quickly brushed off the comment, resuming his everyday routine of drinking, eating, and watching football reruns. Marcus walked into his bedroom, which felt more like a box to him than an area of comfort. He began to think about his life, trying to find something that would boost his mood in the slightest. "Alright. Marcus Prescott. 17 years of age, born on October 11th, "6'3, high-school graduate..." Once again, nothing. Marcus knew that he was going nowhere fast, just like every other day he thought about this. He stood up to stare at his bathroom mirror, which also seemed to greet him with a bland look. He looked deeply into his own reflection, wondering if any life was still sheltered inside his hollow casket of a body. His eyes reflected back at him with a lifeless look, as if whatever had previously lied inside had packed up and left, leaving nothing but dust and cobwebs. It seemed that all life, and even optimism itself, had left him, leaving him feeling utterly alone, with no hope of finding anyone that would understand him, let alone accept him. Marcus walked back into his tan-walled prison, and opened his laptop. A couple hours passed as he browsed popular time-killing websites, mostly YouTube and Soundcloud. Along with his internet surfing, he also toyed around with his music-creation software. He never created anything mind-blowing, but his music was one of the few things that he could take pride in. Before Marcus had realized where time went, dusk was already upon him, as the sun slowly descended into the thin line of the trees and homes on the horizon. Now it really was necessary for sleep, as he'd been working long shifts for the past couple of days. "Finally some rest... maybe tomorrow will turn out differently." Marcus laid down in his twin-sized bed, trying to obtain at least a few hours of sleep before restarting the cycle. Aided by the subtle rhythm of the falling rain outside, he was fast asleep in a matter of a few minutes. *VOIP* "Gah!" With an abrupt jolt, Marcus quickly shot out of bed from the mysterious sound. It sounded like it came from outside, just below his bedroom window. After quickly getting dressed in his everyday clothing combo of dark jeans, an abstract green t-shirt, and white Adidas sneakers, Marcus grabbed a flashlight, and went through the back door to investigate. Nothing had looked out of the ordinary, or at least it had seemed. Marcus began to walk around the backyard in the fresh wet grass, trying to identify the source of the unnerving noise. Without warning, a bright blue flash of light shot out from behind him. He quickly rotated his body to see what had happened. A couple of steps behind him, a large hole had appeared floating above the ground. The levitating void glowed with a blue mist of light, and the inside showed streams of multicolored light swirling around in a circular motion through what looked like a transparent tube. "Well... that's definitely different." Marcus was shocked at the occurrence, but was intrigued by curiosity, as he started to approach the hypnotizing strobe. He was now standing directly in front of the portal, gazing inside of it with a confused, yet amazed look. He started to lean inside of the portal, trying to investigate further as to what this object could be. After leaning in too far, Marcus' sneakers slipped on the wet grass. He found himself starting to fall into the mysterious void. His efforts to regain balance had been in vain, as his body was falling through the abyss of light. Minutes passed, as Marcus kept falling and falling ever further into the unknown. As he descended, he had started to pass out from the constant fall. A couple seconds later, Marcus had no control of his body as it tumbled further through the luminescent void. "..Ugh, my head..." Marcus began to awake from his recent faint, as he found himself lying in the middle of a dirt road. His head felt like it was 10 pounds heavier than before, as he started to rub his forehead with his palm. After sitting upright, Marcus started to survey the scenery. Along the dirt road he was sitting on, there were countless trees that seemed to keep in perfect order alongside each other. In these trees were many ripe apples, that looked bigger than any that he'd seen in his entire life. He couldn't see any signs of civilization in either direction of the road. The only sign of any population was a castle that was suspended on a mountainside off in the distance. The castle rested near the peak of the mountain, high in the clouds which streamed multiple rainbows in several different directions. "I'd better make my way to that castle. Maybe there's someone there that can help me." Any attempt at finding civilization was paramount to Marcus, given the unknown terrain and area that he was currently in. Someone that could give him answers, including how he arrived in this place, was something that had to be found. As he walked down the dirt road, Marcus began to think deeply about what had happened. Most of his memories were foggy, probably due to the experience that previously occurred. Three small creatures that looked like horses began to walk towards him from the other direction in the road, one with wings, an orange body, and purple mane, another with a horn, a white body, and purple/pink mane, and another with a light-cream body, and a cherry red mane wrapped in a bow. Welcome to Equestria"Well shoot, fellas, we've tried just about everything." Applebloom depressingly stated. "Zip-lining, hang-gliding, surfing, skating, building, baking, singing, dancing, drawing..." Scootaloo replied, trying to muster up more activities that the group had tried. "And still no Cutie Marks..." Sweetie Belle added. The three young ponies continued down the dirt road, trying to come up with more ideas to test out. Along the walk, Scootaloo noticed a strange figure walking towards them. "Look up there!" Scootaloo shouted. The group watched for a second, as this strange figure proceeded to walk down the dirt path towards them. "Hide!" Sweetie Belle abruptly shouted at her two companions. The three fillies then immediately leaped into a nearby bush, waiting to observe the mysterious being that was about to pass by. "Whaddya reckon it is?" Applebloom asked curiously. "I dunno, but we'd better be careful." Scootaloo added. The group watched as this creature passed by in front of them, totally oblivious to their presence. About half of a minute had passed before the creature had gone further up the road, far away from the group. Since, the fillies had never seen a creature like this before, they figured that it must be a never-before-seen species. This was thought about for a few seconds, when Applebloom hatched an idea. "I got it! Let's catch that thing!" Applebloom shouted excitingly. "Catch it? Are you crazy? That thing probably eats ponies like us for breakfast!" Sweetie Belle hesitantly stated. "But think about it for a second. Wouldn't it be awesome if we DID catch it? What if it would give us our Cutie Marks?" Scootaloo added, also excited over the idea. "CMC Monster Catchers! That's gotta be it! That's our special talent!" Applebloom shouted. "Let's do it!" the three fillies unanimously shouted, before disappearing back into the bush. Marcus continued down the road, trying to think about how he had arrived in such a mysterious place. As he walked along the path, the sound of twigs snapping was heard from behind him. After turning around to see where the sound came from, he shrugged the instance off, and continued on his walk. Out of nowhere, the Cutie Mark Crusaders leaped out from the trees, fully equipped for this "monster-wrangling" mission they had come up with. "Get 'im!" Applebloom shouted. Marcus quickly rotated his body, trying to spot who had spoken. Before he could react, Applebloom threw a lasso around his arms, as Scootaloo kicked him in the back of the legs. "What the--!" Marcus shouted, utterly shocked at what was happening. As he fell to the ground, Sweetie Belle placed a burlap sack over his head and shoulders, as Applebloom tied another rope around his legs. In only a matter of seconds, Marcus was immobilized and subdued. "We did it! We caught the monster!" Scootaloo shouted with glee. "See anything?" Sweetie Belle said, glancing at her flank trying to spot the mark she'd been waiting for. "Nothing..." Scootaloo replied. "Well... maybe we have to show it around! Y'kno, like any monster-catcher would!" Sweetie Belle replied in a hopeful tone. "Yeah, that might be it! Who should we show it to?" Scootaloo replied. "I know! Let's show Applejack! I bet she'd know what to do with a critter like this!" Applebloom stated. "...But, this thing is awfully big, ain't it? We can't carry it back with us..." Applebloom added to her previous statement. "Let's just string it up, then we'll bring Applejack back to see it!" Scootaloo joyfully replied. The fillies then used all of the strength they could muster to pull the rope that suspended Marcus onto a tree branch. Once completely tied, Marcus could do nothing but remain tied up, upside-down in a tree. "Alright, let's go get Applejack!" Applebloom shouted. The CMC ran back up the dirt road, eager to bring a witness to their catch. Marcus remained strung up, thinking to himself about what could have happened a few moments ago. "...Ugh... because my head didn't hurt enough... What were those things? Horses? But, that's not possible. Horses can't talk like that... It's just not possible..." Millions of different ideas and thoughts rushed through his mind as he tried to come up with an explanation for what had happened. In the end, he decided to play it off as what he saw, which was the fact that he had just been taken down by three talking ponies, each the same height as his kneecaps. How humiliating. After what seemed like a few hours, the three fillies came prancing back up the road, with a much taller pony alongside them. "Now ya'll had best have a good reason fer' this. You three know I'm real busy at this time o' day." Applejack sternly stated. "We do, sis!" Applebloom shouted gleefully. "We got something real special to show ya'!" "There it is! Up there!" Scootaloo shouted. The four ponies looked up at Marcus, who had just about lost conciousness from being upside-down for so long. "Well, let's get 'im down!" Applebloom shouted. Immediately, the three fillies cut the rope that held Marcus in the air, causing him to fall to the ground on his head. He let out a slow, muffled "ow" after impact. "Well, gosh... what in the hay is this fella?" Applejack curiously asked. Applebloom quickly removed the burlap sack from Marcus' head, revealing his face to the four curious ponies. Once the sack was taken off, Marcus took in a large breath of air before looking upon his capturers. He was able to confirm what he had stated, that these were indeed talking horses. "Whoa..." Marcus shockingly stated. "Hey there fella! Can ya' understand me alright?" Applejack asked with a concerned look. "Y-yeah, I can hear you alright." Marcus hesitantly replied, feeling silly for conversing with the pony. "Well, there's a good start! Ya' got a name or anything I can call ya' by? Name's Applejack, proud member of the Apple family, and hard worker in Sweet Apple Acres." Applejack replied, her concerned look now gone. "My name... my name is Mark. Marcus Prescott..." Marcus replied, still hesitant. "Catchy name ya' got there! Alrighty then, Mark. If ya' don't mind me askin', what exactly are you?" Applejack asked out of curiosity. "I'm... I'm a human..." Markus quickly replied. "Human? We never heard or had any o' those before 'round these parts. Where ya' from, Mark? Canterlot, maybe?" Applejack asked, questions still brewing in her mind. "Canter-what? No... I'm not from around here... or at least, I don't think I am. I'm from Earth. Florida, to be more exact." "Florida? Ain't never heard of that place either." "I could use some answers myself. Where exactly are we now?" "Here? Well we're in Equestria, finest and dandiest place you'll ever visit!" "Equestria..." "...Well, I guess we'll be going now..." Applebloom chuckled softly as she and her friends began to back away. "Now hold on a minute, missy! Ain't you forgettin' somethin' important?" Applejack sternly questioned. "...We're sorry for tyin' ya' up like that. Didn't mean to hurt ya' or anything." Applebloom shamefully stated. "Yeah..." Sweetie Belle added. "Yeah..." Scootaloo also added. "Ah, no hard feelings. No harm, no foul." Marcus cheerfully replied. The sun began to set on the horizon, as the conversation drew on. Knowing that dusk was approaching, the group had decided to start walking together. "Sure is gettin' late... you got a place to stay, Mark?" Applejack curiously asked. "Actually, I don't. Do you know where I could get a room?" Marcus replied. "I sure do! Why not come stay the night out at Sweet Apple Acres? We've got plenty of spare room out in the barn! Nice and cozy, even some of us decide to sleep out there from time to time!" "Sweet Apple Acres, eh? Looks like I don't have any choice in the matter." Marcus happily replied. "Alrighty, then! Let's get goin'!" Applejack shouted. The group of five began walking down the dirt path, talking and conversing about each other's stories and lives, and where they were from. After Applejack and the CMC knew more about Marcus, and vice versa, the group approached Sweet Apple Acres, ready to turn in for the night. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo went back to their homes, as Applejack, Applebloom, and Marcus went out to the barn beside the farm. "Here's where you'll be stayin', Mark. There's some blankets over in the corner there, and you can pick any bale o' hay ya' prefer." Applejack informatively stated. "Thanks for the hospitality, Applejack." Marcus replied. "Ah, don't mention a thing. After what's happened to ya', it's the least we could do." Applejack happily replied. "We'll be back out here tomorrow mornin', when the sun comes up to check on ya', so if ya' need anything in the meantime, let us know." "Sounds good. See you in the morning." Marcus happily replied. Applejack shut the barn door, as Marcus picked out a blanket and a hay bale to rest in. Despite the situation he was in, he couldn't help but show a wide smile. After so long, he had finally discovered something new in his life. Something he hadn't felt in a long, long while. Kindness, and friendship once again began to stir in his heart and mind, as he once again felt their warm embrace. In a matter of minutes, Marcus was fast asleep in the hay bale, ready to greet the next day with an adventurous spirit. On the FarmThe morning sun rose above Equestria once more, and greeted the land and it's inhabitants with it's daily embrace of warmth and light. At the Apple Family's Farm, the roosters awoke with the sun, replying to it's appearance with loud, healthy calls of their own. Marcus awoke with the appearance of the sun, and the calls coming from the rooster coop. He remembered that the Apple family woke up with the sun, and knew that Applejack would return to check in on him. He stood up and brushed multiple strands of straw off of his clothes, then folded the blanket he used and placed it back in the corner. Feeling well rested from a good night's sleep, Marcus was ready to greet the new day with open arms. Marcus heard multiple footsteps, or rather, hoof-steps, coming from outside of the barn. More than one pony could make in such rapid succession. Applejack must have brought Applebloom back with her. Perhaps the other two members of the CMC returned as well? Maybe more? The barn door quickly shot open, blowing Marcus a couple inches backward in the process. Applejack stood in the doorway with three other family members, Applebloom, Granny Smith, and Big Macintosh. Granny Smith and Big Mac stared at Marcus, mouths agape, as Marcus responded with a nervous stare of his own. "Well howdy there, Mark!" Applejack cheerfully shouted. "Sleep well?" "Like a rock, thanks." Marcus quickly replied, followed by a glance at the other ponies standing in the doorway. "Glad ta' hear it!" Applejack replied. "Got a few members of the Apple Family here I want ya' to meet." Applejack walked over to her smaller sister, Applebloom. "You've already met little Applebloom here." Applejack stated. "Mornin'!" Applebloom happily said. "Morning." Marcus replied with a smile, although still nervous about the ponies in the doorway that he hadn't met. Applebloom then walked over to her older brother, Macintosh, who was still shocked at seeing such a strange creature conversing with his sisters. "This here's my older brother, Big Macintosh. He might not be all that bright, but he can pull his own weight when he feels like it." Applejack playfully jeered. Macintosh brushed off the little gibe, and continued to look at Marcus. "Nice to meet you, Big Macintosh." Marcus nervously stated. Macintosh responded with his normal "Eeyup", as if the coined statement were an answer to everything in existence. Marcus accepted this as a "mutual agreement" kind of answer to his greeting. Applejack walked over to her grandmother, carefully placing her front-right hoof on her back. "And this here's Granny Smith." "Pleasure to meet you, Granny Smith." Marcus greeted. "Ehh-- what's 'at?" Granny Smith questioned, placing her hoof up to her right ear. "I said, it's a pleasure to meet you." Marcus reiterated. "I can't hear ya'!" Granny Smith replied, still listening for Marcus' original statement. "I said, IT'S A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU!" Marcus carefully shouted, noting that Granny Smith's hearing may also be sensitive to loud sounds. "Now, why'd you wanna eat glue 'fer?" Granny Smith stated, confused as always. "Applejack, this fella's a weirdy! What'cha goin' off 'n bringin' weirdies back here 'fer?" "Um, Granny Smith?" Applejack began to whisper in her ear, letting her know what was really said. "Ah, alright then. It's nice ta' meet ya' too there, Mike." Granny Smith stated, still a bit confused. Marcus just nodded, and accepted the reply. "Speakin' of eatin'," Applejack stated. "We should be gettin' breakfast ready." Marcus looked at his stomach area, remembering that he was indeed famished. "Hey, Mark?" Applejack began to ask. "How's some of Sweet Apple Acres finest apples sound? There a right tasty treat 'fer any time of the day!" "That... that actually sounds really nice right now." Marcus replied, relishing the thought of tasting one of those giant, ripe apples. "Alrighty then! There's plenty of trees outside to choose from. I reckon you can get out there 'n take yer' pick." Applejack happily replied. Marcus began to walk outside, making sure to pardon himself from the presence of his newfound acquaintances. Applejack began to talk with her family, giving them a bit more background of how her and Applebloom came across this stranger. Marcus walked around outside the farm, gaping at the size of the apple trees around him as he delved further into what seemed like a forest of ripe, plump fruit. He'd seen plenty of apples back home, but none so bountiful and large as these. He found an apple that looked perfect for picking, and jumped to pluck it from it's stem. Once it was in his hands, he stared at it for a few moments in awe, before taking a large bite into it. The flavor was almost overwhelming, as he continued to smile as he ate. After finishing a hearty breakfast, Marcus returned to the barn to talk with Applejack about what to do next. "Hey there, Mark! How was breakfast for ya'?" Applejack happily asked. "I've never tasted better apples before in my entire life, I can tell you that." Marcus cheerfully replied. "Glad to hear it! Means we're doin' somethin' right around here!" Applejack playfully stated. Marcus and Applejack continued to laugh for a few moments, before a new topic arose. "Now then, I gotta be heading into town soon to sell some of this month's harvest." Applejack stated. "Town?" Marcus responded curiously. "Yep. Ponyville ain't too far from here, and that's where we sell most of the apples that we harvest. Plus, there's some right friendly pony-folk around there." Applejack pridefully responded. "Ponyville..." Marcus replied. "Say, I got an idea..." Applejack began to ponder. "Why don't you come with me? I'll introduce ya' to some of the best ponies in Ponyville, plus you might be able to help me sell some of this harvest." Marcus began to think for a minute. He liked the idea, but wasn't sure about walking into a town full of ponies that would treat him as an outsider, maybe even a freak. Although somewhat averse to the idea, Marcus agreed to tag along with Applejack on her way to Ponyville. "Alright then! I guess we'd better get goin'." Applejack readily stated. The two began to walk down the road, before Applebloom ran up from behind them. "Wait up! I'm comin' too!" Applebloom shouted. Applejack agreed to let her little sister tag along, as long as she didn't cause any trouble on the trip. Marcus was still a bit nervous and discomforted, mainly because of his thoughts on the reactions of the residents of Ponyville. Would they shun and reject him? Or would they greet him like the Apple Family had? There was only one way to find out. All before noon, the three friends walked down the dirt road to Ponyville, almost all of them ready to greet a new day. A Less-Than-Welcoming PartyAs the trio of friends proceeded along the dirt road to Ponyville, Marcus continued to think about how the inhabitants would think of him. After the CMC's attempt at capturing him and branding him as some sort of monster, he didn't feel very confident that the ponies of Ponyville would think any differently. The thought played with his mind, as he started to lose sense of his surroundings as he walked. Doubt began to cloud his senses, before a familiar voice snapped him out of his depressing trance. "You feelin' alright, Mark?" Applejack asked in a concerned manner. "Huh--? Oh... y-yeah, I'm fine." Marcus replied, still focused on his worries. "...Somethin' on your mind?" Applejack replied. "It's... it's nothing. I'm just..." "...Yes?" Applejack questioned. Marcus paused for a minute, hesitant to admit his fear of rejection. His mind flashed back to his life back home, where no one else accepted him, or even attempted to understand him. He held his fear inside, not wanting to risk rejection from his newfound friends. "...You don't have to be afraid to say what's botherin' ya'. You been actin' funny the entire walk over here, there's gotta be somethin' goin' on. You can tell us, that's what friends are for." Applejack insisted. "Yeah!" Applebloom added. Marcus felt a bit more reassured after hearing this. No one has ever said anything like that to him for as long as he could remember. With a bit of courage and fortitude, Marcus informed Applejack about what was bothering him so much. "...What are they going to think of me, Applejack? I'm sure your friends haven't run into anyone like me either, and I doubt that they'd want anything to do with me..." Applejack thought about this for a moment. True, she hadn't ever met anyone like Marcus before, and she could probably say the same for her friends, if not all of Ponyville. If not all of Equestria itself. Regardless of this fact, she assured him that everything would work out for the better. "Ah, don't be thinkin' about that nonsense! You'll get along fine with 'em! Sure, you look a bit different than everypony, but looks ain't what matter! Personality's what counts most, right?" Applejack happily replied, still with a bit of uncertainty. "Y-yeah... thanks..." Marcus replied, trying to muster up a smile. Marcus felt comforted by Applejack's words, but still couldn't help but feel a bit of doubt. Regardless, the three continued to walk down the dirt path, awaiting a mixed collection of reactions. The town was now visible from a short distance, as the three knew that their destination was just ahead. Marcus gave a slight grimace, as he was still a bit nervous to head in and start making introductions. "Welp, here we are!" Applejack exclaimed. As they entered the town, Marcus noticed the rather large number of ponies that inhabited it. Such a pleasant society, living in small houses, huts, and shops. He also noticed that as soon as he came into view, the head of every pony in sight loomed in his direction. This was it. Judgment. At first, the ponies didn't know what to think. They truly had never seen a creature like this before in their lives, let alone in their hometown. Some unsurprisingly fled, while others just stared, mouths agape. Others merely stood in place, observing Marcus' figure and movement. Marcus knew that this would happen. How could it not? These ponies have never seen anything like him before, they probably saw him as some kind of hideous monster or other foul beast. Despite the reaction that he expected, Marcus simply walked alongside Applejack and Applebloom, focusing on helping them sell their harvest. Applejack noticed Marcus' gloomy appearance, and immediately knew the problem. What he had feared now became a reality. Everypony had either fled or began to scrutinize him because of his appearance. She quickly attempted to perk Marcus up by reminding him of her friends that he would soon meet. "Hey, Mark?" Applejack questioned. Marcus slowly lifted his head, giving a lifeless glance at his friend. "Yeah?" "I know this ain't real welcoming so far, but I can tell ya' that it'll fix itself up in no time at all. Once everypony gets to know ya', they'll feel right silly for the way they've been acting!" Applejack cheerily exclaimed. Marcus knew that she meant well, but still couldn't help but feel that he would be forever unwelcome, no matter what he could do to change their minds. "And remember, we still got plenty of great ponies for you to meet! They'll be right happy to meet ya', no doubt!" Applejack added. "...Right..." Marcus depressingly replied. The trio walked into the town square as the ponies continued to flee. Applejack unhitched the cart she'd been carrying, and started to set up shop to sell the harvest. Marcus quietly sat down on the stone road, keeping to himself, while Applebloom ran off to find her fellow CMC members. Some time passed, as Applejack noticed that not one apple had been sold. Not one single apple. Business normally bustled in the town square when she had sold the apple harvest in the past. She noticed that more ponies were glancing from the windows in their homes, afraid of the creature that was out there with her. Applejack also began to enter a state of depression, knowing that she had brought Marcus into this. By this time, she had really began to doubt that the ponies would ever warm up to him. Before gloom had overcome both her and Marcus, a bouncy, pink figure started to travel towards them from one of the town streets. "Applejack!" Pinkie Pie shouted, eager to see her friend. Applejack instantly recognized the voice, and shot up to greet it. It was indeed surprising to find Pinkie outside while the other ponies hid indoors. She looked behind her to notice that Marcus was still seated on the ground, and moved in front of him to block Pinkie's view of him. "Hey there, Pinkie!" Applejack replied. "What's going on, AJ? I noticed that nopony was outside, which is really weird, especially this time of day, so I came over here to find out what was going on, and sure enough, here you are!" Pinkie exclaimed in her normal, hyper manner. "About that," Applejack started, eager to introduce Pinkie to her newfound friend, "I got someone I want you to meet." "Oh, how nice! Where is this fine friend of yours? It's not everyday you meet someone new!" Pinkie replied, impatiently waiting to meet this mysterious friend of Applejack's. Applejack slowly moved to the side, revealing a depressed Marcus sitting on the stone road. Marcus glanced up at the pink pony, noting her poofy mane and hyper appearance. Marcus grimaced, and braced himself for her reaction. "Hi there! My name's Pinkie Pie! Welcome to Ponyville! What's your name? Where are you from? How do you know Applejack?" Pinkie relentlessly rained a storm of simplistic and friendly questions upon Marcus. Marcus' eyes started to grow wide open, as he was indeed shocked by the pony's reaction. She didn't scream, or run and hide. Instead, she greeted him without hesitation, and instantly tried to make friends with him. "Uh... I-I..." Marcus stuttered, trying to muster up a reply through so much shock. "Err-- His name's Mark, and he's... not from around these parts." Applejack cut in, happy to see Pinkie's hospitality. She started to explain Marcus' story, as Pinkie simply sat and listened, as Marcus added details to her telling. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Mark! I can tell we're going to be best of friends!" Pinkie happily exclaimed. "Pleasure to meet you too, Pinkie Pie." Marcus replied. Marcus couldn't help but smile with cheer. After so much doubt, somepony had actually come up and had gotten to know him. It was a start, but it was a great start. "Oh, look at the time! I better get going!" Pinkie shouted, as she began to leap and skip back up the way she came. "Huh... that was... interesting..." Marcus began to state, still smiling. "Hehe, yep. Pinkie's quite the... character, ain't she?" Applejack cheerily replied. "See? Everypony's gonna warm right up to ya' in no time at all!" Marcus still remained smiling, reflecting on the happiness that had just been experienced. He had finally encountered a pony in Ponyville that wasn't afraid of him for his appearance. Somepony that didn't judge by looks, and wanted to get to know him for who he truly was. Somepony that cared. Perhaps this trip to Ponyville wouldn't be so bad after all. "Tell you what," Applejack eagerly stated, "why don't we come back later in the afternoon to sell the harvest? For now, we can introduce ya' to the other great ponies 'round here!" "That sounds great, Applejack." Marcus happily replied. Applejack locked up the apple cart, as Marcus stood up. Marcus brushed the dust off of his jeans, as he confronted Applejack once more. "...Applejack?" "Yeah, Mark?" "Just... thank you... thank you for everything." Marcus happily stated, remembering everything that Applejack had done for him. "Ah, don't mention it. That's what friends are for, remember?" Applejack cheerily replied. The two simply smiled at each other, and began to walk in the direction of the Ponyville library.
A Day in the LifeThe mid-winter breeze flows through the small town of Spring Hill, Florida. With it is the faint scent of the sea, and the chill of the current. The trees flow in perfect synchronization with the wind, as if the two were joined by a melodious dance. That one time of the year when it wasn't miserably hot or humid. "Bus 234 arriving at Pinehurst and Cobblestone intersection. Any departing passengers must wait until the bus has come to a complete stop." The intercom blared with an unnerving static. Marcus, who was sitting a couple rows behind the driver, stood up to leave the collection of his fellow low-class citizens. Marcus proceeded to the front of the bus, passing the monotonous faces of unfamiliar strangers as they gazed upon him. Upon exiting the bus, he reached into his left pocket to grab his cheap MP3 player. "Same routine as always... Once more, with feeling." Marcus continued to untangle his earbuds, ever curious as to how they ended up in such a twisted manner. Once he managed to arrange the cords into straight, sleek lines, Marcus placed the small buds into his ears, contemplating on a tune that would perk him up, and remove him from the rut that he felt was his current life. "9,000 Miles... haven't heard that one in a while." The music began to play. As his mind began to become soothed by the familiar noise of various synths, drums, and guitars, Marcus began to walk down the street alone, as always. "It's 9,000 miles back to you, now I still feel like home is in your arms..." The song bounced around in his head like a rubber ball on a hardwood floor. The tempo started to pick up, just the way he preferred. As the speed of the song started to shift, Marcus picked his walk up to a run. The lines in the sidewalk began to rush past him faster and faster with each step. The feeling of no limitations also began to rush through his mind. To be able to run freely, with no obstacles or other nuisances. What made the moment better was the selection of music that he chose for the occasion. Drum and bass was perfection for these sprints. Minutes passed, as Marcus found himself several blocks away from his starting point. Home was getting nearer, as he sprinted even faster than before. Yet, even though he approached his living place, Marcus was reluctant to arrive. The feeling of a permanent routine once again entered his mind, killing the mood of his imagined freedom. From a walk, to a run, to a sprint, then back to a walk, Marcus depressingly approached his house, less than eager to walk in the front door. Despite his feelings, Marcus entered his home once again, greeting his relatives. "Well, you certainly got home fast. Bus come early today?" Marcus' aunt asked curiously. "I guess so. I knew you'd miss me, so I didn't want to wait around." Marcus wittingly replied, trying to muster up a weak laugh. "Bringing home bacon today, Mark?" Marcus' uncle abruptly interrupted. "Nothing today, Uncle Rick. I should be getting paid tomorrow." "Ya' know, you really should bring money home more often. It's not easy around here with three mouths to feed." "What do you want me to do? Play Jedi mind tricks on my boss to increase my pay?" "You'd be surprised how often that works, boy. Ask your auntie over there, she'll tell you a story or two about my charm." "...You're drunk again, aren't you?" "That's none of your business, Mike. Shouldn't you be getting off to bed now anyways?" Marcus quickly glanced over at the livingroom clock, noting that it was only 4:45 p.m., more than enough to convince him that his uncle was more than slightly under the influence. "Might want to fix your watch. Or wait to sober up so you can read it." Marcus frustratingly responded. Marcus' uncle quickly brushed off the comment, resuming his everyday routine of drinking, eating, and watching football reruns. Marcus walked into his bedroom, which felt more like a box to him than an area of comfort. He began to think about his life, trying to find something that would boost his mood in the slightest. "Alright. Marcus Prescott. 17 years of age, born on October 11th, "6'3, high-school graduate..." Once again, nothing. Marcus knew that he was going nowhere fast, just like every other day he thought about this. He stood up to stare at his bathroom mirror, which also seemed to greet him with a bland look. He looked deeply into his own reflection, wondering if any life was still sheltered inside his hollow casket of a body. His eyes reflected back at him with a lifeless look, as if whatever had previously lied inside had packed up and left, leaving nothing but dust and cobwebs. It seemed that all life, and even optimism itself, had left him, leaving him feeling utterly alone, with no hope of finding anyone that would understand him, let alone accept him. Marcus walked back into his tan-walled prison, and opened his laptop. A couple hours passed as he browsed popular time-killing websites, mostly YouTube and Soundcloud. Along with his internet surfing, he also toyed around with his music-creation software. He never created anything mind-blowing, but his music was one of the few things that he could take pride in. Before Marcus had realized where time went, dusk was already upon him, as the sun slowly descended into the thin line of the trees and homes on the horizon. Now it really was necessary for sleep, as he'd been working long shifts for the past couple of days. "Finally some rest... maybe tomorrow will turn out differently." Marcus laid down in his twin-sized bed, trying to obtain at least a few hours of sleep before restarting the cycle. Aided by the subtle rhythm of the falling rain outside, he was fast asleep in a matter of a few minutes. *VOIP* "Gah!" With an abrupt jolt, Marcus quickly shot out of bed from the mysterious sound. It sounded like it came from outside, just below his bedroom window. After quickly getting dressed in his everyday clothing combo of dark jeans, an abstract green t-shirt, and white Adidas sneakers, Marcus grabbed a flashlight, and went through the back door to investigate. Nothing had looked out of the ordinary, or at least it had seemed. Marcus began to walk around the backyard in the fresh wet grass, trying to identify the source of the unnerving noise. Without warning, a bright blue flash of light shot out from behind him. He quickly rotated his body to see what had happened. A couple of steps behind him, a large hole had appeared floating above the ground. The levitating void glowed with a blue mist of light, and the inside showed streams of multicolored light swirling around in a circular motion through what looked like a transparent tube. "Well... that's definitely different." Marcus was shocked at the occurrence, but was intrigued by curiosity, as he started to approach the hypnotizing strobe. He was now standing directly in front of the portal, gazing inside of it with a confused, yet amazed look. He started to lean inside of the portal, trying to investigate further as to what this object could be. After leaning in too far, Marcus' sneakers slipped on the wet grass. He found himself starting to fall into the mysterious void. His efforts to regain balance had been in vain, as his body was falling through the abyss of light. Minutes passed, as Marcus kept falling and falling ever further into the unknown. As he descended, he had started to pass out from the constant fall. A couple seconds later, Marcus had no control of his body as it tumbled further through the luminescent void. "..Ugh, my head..." Marcus began to awake from his recent faint, as he found himself lying in the middle of a dirt road. His head felt like it was 10 pounds heavier than before, as he started to rub his forehead with his palm. After sitting upright, Marcus started to survey the scenery. Along the dirt road he was sitting on, there were countless trees that seemed to keep in perfect order alongside each other. In these trees were many ripe apples, that looked bigger than any that he'd seen in his entire life. He couldn't see any signs of civilization in either direction of the road. The only sign of any population was a castle that was suspended on a mountainside off in the distance. The castle rested near the peak of the mountain, high in the clouds which streamed multiple rainbows in several different directions. "I'd better make my way to that castle. Maybe there's someone there that can help me." Any attempt at finding civilization was paramount to Marcus, given the unknown terrain and area that he was currently in. Someone that could give him answers, including how he arrived in this place, was something that had to be found. As he walked down the dirt road, Marcus began to think deeply about what had happened. Most of his memories were foggy, probably due to the experience that previously occurred. Three small creatures that looked like horses began to walk towards him from the other direction in the road, one with wings, an orange body, and purple mane, another with a horn, a white body, and purple/pink mane, and another with a light-cream body, and a cherry red mane wrapped in a bow.
Welcome to Equestria"Well shoot, fellas, we've tried just about everything." Applebloom depressingly stated. "Zip-lining, hang-gliding, surfing, skating, building, baking, singing, dancing, drawing..." Scootaloo replied, trying to muster up more activities that the group had tried. "And still no Cutie Marks..." Sweetie Belle added. The three young ponies continued down the dirt road, trying to come up with more ideas to test out. Along the walk, Scootaloo noticed a strange figure walking towards them. "Look up there!" Scootaloo shouted. The group watched for a second, as this strange figure proceeded to walk down the dirt path towards them. "Hide!" Sweetie Belle abruptly shouted at her two companions. The three fillies then immediately leaped into a nearby bush, waiting to observe the mysterious being that was about to pass by. "Whaddya reckon it is?" Applebloom asked curiously. "I dunno, but we'd better be careful." Scootaloo added. The group watched as this creature passed by in front of them, totally oblivious to their presence. About half of a minute had passed before the creature had gone further up the road, far away from the group. Since, the fillies had never seen a creature like this before, they figured that it must be a never-before-seen species. This was thought about for a few seconds, when Applebloom hatched an idea. "I got it! Let's catch that thing!" Applebloom shouted excitingly. "Catch it? Are you crazy? That thing probably eats ponies like us for breakfast!" Sweetie Belle hesitantly stated. "But think about it for a second. Wouldn't it be awesome if we DID catch it? What if it would give us our Cutie Marks?" Scootaloo added, also excited over the idea. "CMC Monster Catchers! That's gotta be it! That's our special talent!" Applebloom shouted. "Let's do it!" the three fillies unanimously shouted, before disappearing back into the bush. Marcus continued down the road, trying to think about how he had arrived in such a mysterious place. As he walked along the path, the sound of twigs snapping was heard from behind him. After turning around to see where the sound came from, he shrugged the instance off, and continued on his walk. Out of nowhere, the Cutie Mark Crusaders leaped out from the trees, fully equipped for this "monster-wrangling" mission they had come up with. "Get 'im!" Applebloom shouted. Marcus quickly rotated his body, trying to spot who had spoken. Before he could react, Applebloom threw a lasso around his arms, as Scootaloo kicked him in the back of the legs. "What the--!" Marcus shouted, utterly shocked at what was happening. As he fell to the ground, Sweetie Belle placed a burlap sack over his head and shoulders, as Applebloom tied another rope around his legs. In only a matter of seconds, Marcus was immobilized and subdued. "We did it! We caught the monster!" Scootaloo shouted with glee. "See anything?" Sweetie Belle said, glancing at her flank trying to spot the mark she'd been waiting for. "Nothing..." Scootaloo replied. "Well... maybe we have to show it around! Y'kno, like any monster-catcher would!" Sweetie Belle replied in a hopeful tone. "Yeah, that might be it! Who should we show it to?" Scootaloo replied. "I know! Let's show Applejack! I bet she'd know what to do with a critter like this!" Applebloom stated. "...But, this thing is awfully big, ain't it? We can't carry it back with us..." Applebloom added to her previous statement. "Let's just string it up, then we'll bring Applejack back to see it!" Scootaloo joyfully replied. The fillies then used all of the strength they could muster to pull the rope that suspended Marcus onto a tree branch. Once completely tied, Marcus could do nothing but remain tied up, upside-down in a tree. "Alright, let's go get Applejack!" Applebloom shouted. The CMC ran back up the dirt road, eager to bring a witness to their catch. Marcus remained strung up, thinking to himself about what could have happened a few moments ago. "...Ugh... because my head didn't hurt enough... What were those things? Horses? But, that's not possible. Horses can't talk like that... It's just not possible..." Millions of different ideas and thoughts rushed through his mind as he tried to come up with an explanation for what had happened. In the end, he decided to play it off as what he saw, which was the fact that he had just been taken down by three talking ponies, each the same height as his kneecaps. How humiliating. After what seemed like a few hours, the three fillies came prancing back up the road, with a much taller pony alongside them. "Now ya'll had best have a good reason fer' this. You three know I'm real busy at this time o' day." Applejack sternly stated. "We do, sis!" Applebloom shouted gleefully. "We got something real special to show ya'!" "There it is! Up there!" Scootaloo shouted. The four ponies looked up at Marcus, who had just about lost conciousness from being upside-down for so long. "Well, let's get 'im down!" Applebloom shouted. Immediately, the three fillies cut the rope that held Marcus in the air, causing him to fall to the ground on his head. He let out a slow, muffled "ow" after impact. "Well, gosh... what in the hay is this fella?" Applejack curiously asked. Applebloom quickly removed the burlap sack from Marcus' head, revealing his face to the four curious ponies. Once the sack was taken off, Marcus took in a large breath of air before looking upon his capturers. He was able to confirm what he had stated, that these were indeed talking horses. "Whoa..." Marcus shockingly stated. "Hey there fella! Can ya' understand me alright?" Applejack asked with a concerned look. "Y-yeah, I can hear you alright." Marcus hesitantly replied, feeling silly for conversing with the pony. "Well, there's a good start! Ya' got a name or anything I can call ya' by? Name's Applejack, proud member of the Apple family, and hard worker in Sweet Apple Acres." Applejack replied, her concerned look now gone. "My name... my name is Mark. Marcus Prescott..." Marcus replied, still hesitant. "Catchy name ya' got there! Alrighty then, Mark. If ya' don't mind me askin', what exactly are you?" Applejack asked out of curiosity. "I'm... I'm a human..." Markus quickly replied. "Human? We never heard or had any o' those before 'round these parts. Where ya' from, Mark? Canterlot, maybe?" Applejack asked, questions still brewing in her mind. "Canter-what? No... I'm not from around here... or at least, I don't think I am. I'm from Earth. Florida, to be more exact." "Florida? Ain't never heard of that place either." "I could use some answers myself. Where exactly are we now?" "Here? Well we're in Equestria, finest and dandiest place you'll ever visit!" "Equestria..." "...Well, I guess we'll be going now..." Applebloom chuckled softly as she and her friends began to back away. "Now hold on a minute, missy! Ain't you forgettin' somethin' important?" Applejack sternly questioned. "...We're sorry for tyin' ya' up like that. Didn't mean to hurt ya' or anything." Applebloom shamefully stated. "Yeah..." Sweetie Belle added. "Yeah..." Scootaloo also added. "Ah, no hard feelings. No harm, no foul." Marcus cheerfully replied. The sun began to set on the horizon, as the conversation drew on. Knowing that dusk was approaching, the group had decided to start walking together. "Sure is gettin' late... you got a place to stay, Mark?" Applejack curiously asked. "Actually, I don't. Do you know where I could get a room?" Marcus replied. "I sure do! Why not come stay the night out at Sweet Apple Acres? We've got plenty of spare room out in the barn! Nice and cozy, even some of us decide to sleep out there from time to time!" "Sweet Apple Acres, eh? Looks like I don't have any choice in the matter." Marcus happily replied. "Alrighty, then! Let's get goin'!" Applejack shouted. The group of five began walking down the dirt path, talking and conversing about each other's stories and lives, and where they were from. After Applejack and the CMC knew more about Marcus, and vice versa, the group approached Sweet Apple Acres, ready to turn in for the night. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo went back to their homes, as Applejack, Applebloom, and Marcus went out to the barn beside the farm. "Here's where you'll be stayin', Mark. There's some blankets over in the corner there, and you can pick any bale o' hay ya' prefer." Applejack informatively stated. "Thanks for the hospitality, Applejack." Marcus replied. "Ah, don't mention a thing. After what's happened to ya', it's the least we could do." Applejack happily replied. "We'll be back out here tomorrow mornin', when the sun comes up to check on ya', so if ya' need anything in the meantime, let us know." "Sounds good. See you in the morning." Marcus happily replied. Applejack shut the barn door, as Marcus picked out a blanket and a hay bale to rest in. Despite the situation he was in, he couldn't help but show a wide smile. After so long, he had finally discovered something new in his life. Something he hadn't felt in a long, long while. Kindness, and friendship once again began to stir in his heart and mind, as he once again felt their warm embrace. In a matter of minutes, Marcus was fast asleep in the hay bale, ready to greet the next day with an adventurous spirit.
On the FarmThe morning sun rose above Equestria once more, and greeted the land and it's inhabitants with it's daily embrace of warmth and light. At the Apple Family's Farm, the roosters awoke with the sun, replying to it's appearance with loud, healthy calls of their own. Marcus awoke with the appearance of the sun, and the calls coming from the rooster coop. He remembered that the Apple family woke up with the sun, and knew that Applejack would return to check in on him. He stood up and brushed multiple strands of straw off of his clothes, then folded the blanket he used and placed it back in the corner. Feeling well rested from a good night's sleep, Marcus was ready to greet the new day with open arms. Marcus heard multiple footsteps, or rather, hoof-steps, coming from outside of the barn. More than one pony could make in such rapid succession. Applejack must have brought Applebloom back with her. Perhaps the other two members of the CMC returned as well? Maybe more? The barn door quickly shot open, blowing Marcus a couple inches backward in the process. Applejack stood in the doorway with three other family members, Applebloom, Granny Smith, and Big Macintosh. Granny Smith and Big Mac stared at Marcus, mouths agape, as Marcus responded with a nervous stare of his own. "Well howdy there, Mark!" Applejack cheerfully shouted. "Sleep well?" "Like a rock, thanks." Marcus quickly replied, followed by a glance at the other ponies standing in the doorway. "Glad ta' hear it!" Applejack replied. "Got a few members of the Apple Family here I want ya' to meet." Applejack walked over to her smaller sister, Applebloom. "You've already met little Applebloom here." Applejack stated. "Mornin'!" Applebloom happily said. "Morning." Marcus replied with a smile, although still nervous about the ponies in the doorway that he hadn't met. Applebloom then walked over to her older brother, Macintosh, who was still shocked at seeing such a strange creature conversing with his sisters. "This here's my older brother, Big Macintosh. He might not be all that bright, but he can pull his own weight when he feels like it." Applejack playfully jeered. Macintosh brushed off the little gibe, and continued to look at Marcus. "Nice to meet you, Big Macintosh." Marcus nervously stated. Macintosh responded with his normal "Eeyup", as if the coined statement were an answer to everything in existence. Marcus accepted this as a "mutual agreement" kind of answer to his greeting. Applejack walked over to her grandmother, carefully placing her front-right hoof on her back. "And this here's Granny Smith." "Pleasure to meet you, Granny Smith." Marcus greeted. "Ehh-- what's 'at?" Granny Smith questioned, placing her hoof up to her right ear. "I said, it's a pleasure to meet you." Marcus reiterated. "I can't hear ya'!" Granny Smith replied, still listening for Marcus' original statement. "I said, IT'S A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU!" Marcus carefully shouted, noting that Granny Smith's hearing may also be sensitive to loud sounds. "Now, why'd you wanna eat glue 'fer?" Granny Smith stated, confused as always. "Applejack, this fella's a weirdy! What'cha goin' off 'n bringin' weirdies back here 'fer?" "Um, Granny Smith?" Applejack began to whisper in her ear, letting her know what was really said. "Ah, alright then. It's nice ta' meet ya' too there, Mike." Granny Smith stated, still a bit confused. Marcus just nodded, and accepted the reply. "Speakin' of eatin'," Applejack stated. "We should be gettin' breakfast ready." Marcus looked at his stomach area, remembering that he was indeed famished. "Hey, Mark?" Applejack began to ask. "How's some of Sweet Apple Acres finest apples sound? There a right tasty treat 'fer any time of the day!" "That... that actually sounds really nice right now." Marcus replied, relishing the thought of tasting one of those giant, ripe apples. "Alrighty then! There's plenty of trees outside to choose from. I reckon you can get out there 'n take yer' pick." Applejack happily replied. Marcus began to walk outside, making sure to pardon himself from the presence of his newfound acquaintances. Applejack began to talk with her family, giving them a bit more background of how her and Applebloom came across this stranger. Marcus walked around outside the farm, gaping at the size of the apple trees around him as he delved further into what seemed like a forest of ripe, plump fruit. He'd seen plenty of apples back home, but none so bountiful and large as these. He found an apple that looked perfect for picking, and jumped to pluck it from it's stem. Once it was in his hands, he stared at it for a few moments in awe, before taking a large bite into it. The flavor was almost overwhelming, as he continued to smile as he ate. After finishing a hearty breakfast, Marcus returned to the barn to talk with Applejack about what to do next. "Hey there, Mark! How was breakfast for ya'?" Applejack happily asked. "I've never tasted better apples before in my entire life, I can tell you that." Marcus cheerfully replied. "Glad to hear it! Means we're doin' somethin' right around here!" Applejack playfully stated. Marcus and Applejack continued to laugh for a few moments, before a new topic arose. "Now then, I gotta be heading into town soon to sell some of this month's harvest." Applejack stated. "Town?" Marcus responded curiously. "Yep. Ponyville ain't too far from here, and that's where we sell most of the apples that we harvest. Plus, there's some right friendly pony-folk around there." Applejack pridefully responded. "Ponyville..." Marcus replied. "Say, I got an idea..." Applejack began to ponder. "Why don't you come with me? I'll introduce ya' to some of the best ponies in Ponyville, plus you might be able to help me sell some of this harvest." Marcus began to think for a minute. He liked the idea, but wasn't sure about walking into a town full of ponies that would treat him as an outsider, maybe even a freak. Although somewhat averse to the idea, Marcus agreed to tag along with Applejack on her way to Ponyville. "Alright then! I guess we'd better get goin'." Applejack readily stated. The two began to walk down the road, before Applebloom ran up from behind them. "Wait up! I'm comin' too!" Applebloom shouted. Applejack agreed to let her little sister tag along, as long as she didn't cause any trouble on the trip. Marcus was still a bit nervous and discomforted, mainly because of his thoughts on the reactions of the residents of Ponyville. Would they shun and reject him? Or would they greet him like the Apple Family had? There was only one way to find out. All before noon, the three friends walked down the dirt road to Ponyville, almost all of them ready to greet a new day.
A Less-Than-Welcoming PartyAs the trio of friends proceeded along the dirt road to Ponyville, Marcus continued to think about how the inhabitants would think of him. After the CMC's attempt at capturing him and branding him as some sort of monster, he didn't feel very confident that the ponies of Ponyville would think any differently. The thought played with his mind, as he started to lose sense of his surroundings as he walked. Doubt began to cloud his senses, before a familiar voice snapped him out of his depressing trance. "You feelin' alright, Mark?" Applejack asked in a concerned manner. "Huh--? Oh... y-yeah, I'm fine." Marcus replied, still focused on his worries. "...Somethin' on your mind?" Applejack replied. "It's... it's nothing. I'm just..." "...Yes?" Applejack questioned. Marcus paused for a minute, hesitant to admit his fear of rejection. His mind flashed back to his life back home, where no one else accepted him, or even attempted to understand him. He held his fear inside, not wanting to risk rejection from his newfound friends. "...You don't have to be afraid to say what's botherin' ya'. You been actin' funny the entire walk over here, there's gotta be somethin' goin' on. You can tell us, that's what friends are for." Applejack insisted. "Yeah!" Applebloom added. Marcus felt a bit more reassured after hearing this. No one has ever said anything like that to him for as long as he could remember. With a bit of courage and fortitude, Marcus informed Applejack about what was bothering him so much. "...What are they going to think of me, Applejack? I'm sure your friends haven't run into anyone like me either, and I doubt that they'd want anything to do with me..." Applejack thought about this for a moment. True, she hadn't ever met anyone like Marcus before, and she could probably say the same for her friends, if not all of Ponyville. If not all of Equestria itself. Regardless of this fact, she assured him that everything would work out for the better. "Ah, don't be thinkin' about that nonsense! You'll get along fine with 'em! Sure, you look a bit different than everypony, but looks ain't what matter! Personality's what counts most, right?" Applejack happily replied, still with a bit of uncertainty. "Y-yeah... thanks..." Marcus replied, trying to muster up a smile. Marcus felt comforted by Applejack's words, but still couldn't help but feel a bit of doubt. Regardless, the three continued to walk down the dirt path, awaiting a mixed collection of reactions. The town was now visible from a short distance, as the three knew that their destination was just ahead. Marcus gave a slight grimace, as he was still a bit nervous to head in and start making introductions. "Welp, here we are!" Applejack exclaimed. As they entered the town, Marcus noticed the rather large number of ponies that inhabited it. Such a pleasant society, living in small houses, huts, and shops. He also noticed that as soon as he came into view, the head of every pony in sight loomed in his direction. This was it. Judgment. At first, the ponies didn't know what to think. They truly had never seen a creature like this before in their lives, let alone in their hometown. Some unsurprisingly fled, while others just stared, mouths agape. Others merely stood in place, observing Marcus' figure and movement. Marcus knew that this would happen. How could it not? These ponies have never seen anything like him before, they probably saw him as some kind of hideous monster or other foul beast. Despite the reaction that he expected, Marcus simply walked alongside Applejack and Applebloom, focusing on helping them sell their harvest. Applejack noticed Marcus' gloomy appearance, and immediately knew the problem. What he had feared now became a reality. Everypony had either fled or began to scrutinize him because of his appearance. She quickly attempted to perk Marcus up by reminding him of her friends that he would soon meet. "Hey, Mark?" Applejack questioned. Marcus slowly lifted his head, giving a lifeless glance at his friend. "Yeah?" "I know this ain't real welcoming so far, but I can tell ya' that it'll fix itself up in no time at all. Once everypony gets to know ya', they'll feel right silly for the way they've been acting!" Applejack cheerily exclaimed. Marcus knew that she meant well, but still couldn't help but feel that he would be forever unwelcome, no matter what he could do to change their minds. "And remember, we still got plenty of great ponies for you to meet! They'll be right happy to meet ya', no doubt!" Applejack added. "...Right..." Marcus depressingly replied. The trio walked into the town square as the ponies continued to flee. Applejack unhitched the cart she'd been carrying, and started to set up shop to sell the harvest. Marcus quietly sat down on the stone road, keeping to himself, while Applebloom ran off to find her fellow CMC members. Some time passed, as Applejack noticed that not one apple had been sold. Not one single apple. Business normally bustled in the town square when she had sold the apple harvest in the past. She noticed that more ponies were glancing from the windows in their homes, afraid of the creature that was out there with her. Applejack also began to enter a state of depression, knowing that she had brought Marcus into this. By this time, she had really began to doubt that the ponies would ever warm up to him. Before gloom had overcome both her and Marcus, a bouncy, pink figure started to travel towards them from one of the town streets. "Applejack!" Pinkie Pie shouted, eager to see her friend. Applejack instantly recognized the voice, and shot up to greet it. It was indeed surprising to find Pinkie outside while the other ponies hid indoors. She looked behind her to notice that Marcus was still seated on the ground, and moved in front of him to block Pinkie's view of him. "Hey there, Pinkie!" Applejack replied. "What's going on, AJ? I noticed that nopony was outside, which is really weird, especially this time of day, so I came over here to find out what was going on, and sure enough, here you are!" Pinkie exclaimed in her normal, hyper manner. "About that," Applejack started, eager to introduce Pinkie to her newfound friend, "I got someone I want you to meet." "Oh, how nice! Where is this fine friend of yours? It's not everyday you meet someone new!" Pinkie replied, impatiently waiting to meet this mysterious friend of Applejack's. Applejack slowly moved to the side, revealing a depressed Marcus sitting on the stone road. Marcus glanced up at the pink pony, noting her poofy mane and hyper appearance. Marcus grimaced, and braced himself for her reaction. "Hi there! My name's Pinkie Pie! Welcome to Ponyville! What's your name? Where are you from? How do you know Applejack?" Pinkie relentlessly rained a storm of simplistic and friendly questions upon Marcus. Marcus' eyes started to grow wide open, as he was indeed shocked by the pony's reaction. She didn't scream, or run and hide. Instead, she greeted him without hesitation, and instantly tried to make friends with him. "Uh... I-I..." Marcus stuttered, trying to muster up a reply through so much shock. "Err-- His name's Mark, and he's... not from around these parts." Applejack cut in, happy to see Pinkie's hospitality. She started to explain Marcus' story, as Pinkie simply sat and listened, as Marcus added details to her telling. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Mark! I can tell we're going to be best of friends!" Pinkie happily exclaimed. "Pleasure to meet you too, Pinkie Pie." Marcus replied. Marcus couldn't help but smile with cheer. After so much doubt, somepony had actually come up and had gotten to know him. It was a start, but it was a great start. "Oh, look at the time! I better get going!" Pinkie shouted, as she began to leap and skip back up the way she came. "Huh... that was... interesting..." Marcus began to state, still smiling. "Hehe, yep. Pinkie's quite the... character, ain't she?" Applejack cheerily replied. "See? Everypony's gonna warm right up to ya' in no time at all!" Marcus still remained smiling, reflecting on the happiness that had just been experienced. He had finally encountered a pony in Ponyville that wasn't afraid of him for his appearance. Somepony that didn't judge by looks, and wanted to get to know him for who he truly was. Somepony that cared. Perhaps this trip to Ponyville wouldn't be so bad after all. "Tell you what," Applejack eagerly stated, "why don't we come back later in the afternoon to sell the harvest? For now, we can introduce ya' to the other great ponies 'round here!" "That sounds great, Applejack." Marcus happily replied. Applejack locked up the apple cart, as Marcus stood up. Marcus brushed the dust off of his jeans, as he confronted Applejack once more. "...Applejack?" "Yeah, Mark?" "Just... thank you... thank you for everything." Marcus happily stated, remembering everything that Applejack had done for him. "Ah, don't mention it. That's what friends are for, remember?" Applejack cheerily replied. The two simply smiled at each other, and began to walk in the direction of the Ponyville library.
