Fall-ing For Autumn

The Earth has many wonders to it, from the many exotic creatures, to the ancient buildings with possible treasure. From the ancient aztec buildings, to the many temples. You mostly saw what they were like in movies like Indiana Jones, which you thought was cool. Your parents told you that Indiana Jones wasn’t an actual person and that he was an actor named Harrison Ford, but you didn’t care, as Indiana Jones was a great archaeologist, but even then, you liked exploring more than treasure hunting. As you grew up, you took self defense classes and gymnastic classes, as skills like that are what make an adventurer truly skilled.

Years later, you’re 20 years old. Once you reached the age of 18, you had a place of your own and immediately worked on getting some more money, so in a rush, you checked out an abandoned temple in Mexico, and to your surprise, there was some actual gold in the temple. You, of course, took it for yourself and escaped unscathed. Upon selling it, you had gotten about 1.2 Million, which was enough to buy your own house, your own car, and even renovate your house. Of course, that didn’t stop you from continuing your adventures/treasure hunting, as when you heard of an ancient temple in Africa, that’s where you went next.

When you got to the temple, you didn’t see a entrance at first, but upon inspecting the temple, you saw a hidden switch, pulling it and opening the temple. You wondered inside, taking a torch off the wall as you walked through the temple.

These temples never get old, wait, they do, you said, chuckling to yourself as you kept going, finding a puzzle in the temple. You began to solve it, and if watching Indiana Jones taught you anything, it was to search carefully before touching anything. After inspecting the puzzle, you cracked it, solving the puzzle with no trouble whatsoever. You walked through a door that opened and saw a beautiful necklace. It was a golden chain necklace with what appeared to be a diamond that was shaped like an emerald in the center. You wondered how much it’d go for, but that’d be a story for another time, as you felt the temple shake and, just like Indiana Jones, a boulder dropped, rolling towards you. You started running as fast as you could, and lucky for you, you made it out in time. You then made your way out of the jungle, but unfortunately, using a old bridge to cross a river didn’t pan out, as you were crossing it, one of the boards collapsed and you fell into the river screaming. After landing in it and not dying, you wondered if you were okay, but the current was too strong as you saw an upcoming waterfall.

Oh shit… shit shit shit! you thought as you tried swimming against the current, but your muscles were just too weak from the running. Realizing your fate, you just sighed as you hoped that you’d go to Heaven, allowing yourself to fall down the waterfall as everything went black.

“Hello? Mr. Human? Are you dead?” an unknown voice said. You weren’t sure who or what it belonged to, but at least it could speak english. You weren’t sure if you were in Heaven, or just managed to survive that waterfall drop. Regardless, you slowly blinked your eyes as you saw a strange crea- wait, scratch that, a strange anthropomorphic creature staring right at you. Impulsively, you screamed, backing away from the strange creature. It widened its eyes as it attempted to say, “Wait wait, calm down! I’m not going to hurt you! I mean you no harm!”

“Really, and I’m supposed to believe that?!” you said, clearly startled by the strange creature. What was even weirder was that you were stripped of your clothes with nothing but a towel wrapped around your waist. You looked around erratically, but sighed when you saw your clothes hanging, probably being dried from your ‘little swim’. Though you still didn’t understand what this creature did to you that your clothes were off

“Well, I can understand why you’re a bit… startled, but I assure you, I do not want to hurt you” the creature, who appeared to be a female, said calmly, “You’re probably wondering why you only have a towel on. Well, lemme explain. So, I found you out cold by my cottage out here in the outskirts, and heh, you were out cold for sure. Not wanting you to freeze, I carefully undressed you, washed your clothes, and hung them out to dry. After that was done, I looked away from your privates and wrapped a towel around your waist, then warmed a blanket so you’d stay warm until you woke up”

This felt weird being saved by some creature you didn’t even recognize, but you had no choice but to believe her at this point. Taking deep breaths, you sighed, having fully calmed down, “Okay, let me start over, or rather, let us start over. Who are you?”

“Right. I’m Autumn Blaze, a Kirin” she said, giving a small smile, “Who might you be?” she said as you introduced yourself, shaking her hand softly, “It’s nice to meet you! You know, out of all the humans I’ve heard about, you’re the first to actually show up here in our land”

“Wait, there’s other humans here?” you asked, confused. If there were actual humans in this new world, it’d be a mind blower, for sure.

“Sure! Well, I’ve only seen the ones who are married to my friends Applejack and Fluttershy, but there’s probably more out there” she said

“And who are they?” you asked her

“Well, other than being some of my best friends in all of Equestria, they’re ponies from a town called Ponyville, and they actually helped my kind with a problem,” she explained. You couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was. Getting a single glance of her breasts, you guessed they were, at best, a E or F cup.

“A problem? Was there a war on your people?” you asked, showing some concern

“Oh not at all, rather it was a problem with ourselves. You see, us kirins are known for one thing besides our kindness and truth-speaking, and that’s that when we get angry or upset, we turn into… you know what, how about I demonstrate it to you?” she asked you

“Okay, how will you demonstrate it?” you asked her as she smiled a little

“Make me angry” she said

“Wait, make you angry intentionally? But you seem nice, and I’d rather not upset you” you said, clearly not wanting to hurt Autumn’s feelings or worse, cause her to hurt you

“I promise I won’t take it personally, better?” she said to you

You sighed, “Alright, here we go. You’re ugly as fuck” you were lying, but she did want to demonstrate it to you

“W-Wait, s-seriously…?” she seemed upset by that, but you figured this was part of the demonstration

“Did I stutter? I meant what I said” you said, and that sent her over the rails as she transformed before your eyes. She had fangs, whited out eyes, and her mane, tail, and parts of her body engulfed in a bluish flame.

“If you’ll excuse me…” she said in a cold tone as she went inside her cottage and screamed, light coming from it. Afterwards, sobbing was heard, so you stared towards the cottage

“Autumn… you okay?” you asked, not getting a response, so you walked in and found Autumn on her knees, crying. You instantly felt bad, thinking you said the wrong thing. You carefully walked over and crouched down next to her, “Autumn, what’s wrong? Was it something I said?”

She sniffled and looked at you, her eyes red with tears, “Y-You called me u-ugly…” her voice was breaking, so clearly you had done more than make her angry, you had hurt her feelings

“Autumn, I didn’t mean it, I was just doing what you said, I didn’t think you’d take what I said to heart.. I’m sorry” you said as you saw her look at you with a small smile

“S-So does that mean… y-you think I’m b-beautiful…?” she asked you. You weren’t sure whether or not to say yes or maybe, but not wanting to upset her, you chose the right decision.

“Yes, you are beautiful, Autumn” you said as she wiped her tears and gently hugged you. Not wanting to make it awkward, you hugged her back softly.

“T-Thank you… that makes me feel better…” she said as she broke away from the hug, sitting on her couch softly.

“So, what was that transformation I just saw?” you said, taking a seat next to her

“Oh that, that’s our Nirik form. You see, whenever my kind gets very angry or upset by certain actions or emotions, we turn into them. Because of that, our village was destroyed, so the Kirin queen had every Kirin commit to a vow of silence by going through the Stream Of Silence, including myself. One day, I couldn’t take the endless silence, so I left the village. One day, I found a bed of special flowers known as foal’s-breath flowers, and with them, I was able to brew a tea, that when consumed, allowed me to speak again! Of course, when I returned to the village, my people didn’t exactly welcome me with open arms, saying if I wanted to stay in the village that I’d have to become silent once again. Not wanting to lose my voice, I decided to live my life in exile on the outskirts of our village in this cottage” she explained

“So then what happened?” you asked as she took a breath

“Okay, so here’s where my friends Applejack and Fluttershy come in. They basically came because of a problem, and, long story short, me and them basically convinced my people that there were better ways of handling our anger, and it worked! Now our race can actually speak, and some of our younger citizens actually go to the School Of Friendship in Ponyville” she concluded, sighing as she slumps on the couch

“Quite the past you’ve got, eh?” you said, chuckling a little, “To be fair, I’d say you’ve got a lot under your belt, you brave girl” you said as you playfully punched her arm.

She giggled at that compliment, smiling softly, “Oh, you tease. So, I assume you don’t actually have a place to stay, right?”

“Concerning how I ended up somewhere that isn’t my own world, I’d say yes, I don’t actually have a place to stay” you said, scratching your head nervously

“Well in that case, you can stay in my cottage. I got my own house back in my village, so you can stay in my cottage. It’s got a nice bedroom, living room, and view of the river, how’s that sound?” she asked as you simply hugged her, which not only caught her by surprise, but caused her to blush as well. She hugged you back, and you felt how soft and fluffy her mane was, due to how long it stretched. It felt nice, and you even nuzzled it a little, which did catch her attention, “Um, something up with you?”

“Oh, sorry, your mane is just super fluffy, sorry if that bothered you” you said, looking down a little

“Oh, not at all dude, you’re fine, it just caught me off guard, you’re good” she said, giving you a soft smile for reassurance, “Anyways, I was actually planning on going into Ponyville to Sweet Apple Acres to buy some apple cider. It’s cider season, and I heard that her family’s cider is like, really good. Wanna buy some with me?” she asked you

“Do you even have any money to buy with?” you asked her as she nodded

“I have some that was given to me by Applejack during my last visit to Ponyville, bout 100 of them. So, wanna go?” she asked you again

“Eh, why not” you said as you gave her a smile as you stood up. Autumn smiled and gave you a tight hug.

“You’re awesome, let’s go!” she said as she grabbed your hand and rushed out of the cottage with you

Later you and Autumn were in Ponyville. It looked like one of those small villages you’d see in Africa, except not as poverty stricken or starved, and much more modern. As you passed through Ponyville, you saw many ponies and stallions, and surprisingly, some other humans in the town. This did surprise you, but before you knew it, you and Autumn walked up to a farm. You saw three ponies bucking trees with their hooves, and a human bashing a tree with his body. They all had knocked apples out of the trees and into some buckets. As you were both checking them out, a small boy, who looked to be a mix of pony and human, ran over to the both of you and hugged Autumn.

“Auntie Autumn!” the boy said as Autumn patted his head.

“Nice to see you too, Apple Slice. I see you’ve gotten a bit bigger since I last saw you” Autumn said, scratching softly behind one of the boy’s ears, then ruffling his hair.

“Apple Slice, what’d ah tell ya- oh, Autumn, good to see ya,” a orange mare approached as she hugged Autumn softly

“Great to see you as well, Applejack. How’s the family?” Autumn asked, giving her a soft smile.

“It’s been good, who’s yer friend here?” Applejack asked, looking at you. You nodded and introduced yourself, shaking her hand softly, “Quite the firm handshake there, pardner, pleasure tah meet ya, ahm Applejack”

“Likewise. So, this is your farm, I’m assuming?” you asked her

“Well, it doesn’t just belong to me, it belongs to me and mah family. Ah see you’ve already met mah boy, Apple Slice, but there’s also mah husband Bucky, mah sister Apple Bloom, and mah brother Big Mac. Wish you coulda met Granny Smith, but she’s passed on, bless her soul…” she said, taking off her stetson sadly.

“I’m sure she was amazing, Applejack, i’m sorry for your loss” you said, getting a soft hug from Applejack

“Ah appreciate it, Sugarcube, you’re very sweet. So, what brings y’all to the farm?” Applejack asked you both

“Well, I was actually wondering if I could get one of those cases of your apple cider. You got one around somewhere?” Autumn asked, scratching her mane softly

“As a mattah a fact, we do. Bucky! Get Autumn and her human friend a case ah cider, and make it snappy!” Applejack said as her husband, Bucky, came out of the barn with a case of apple cider. There were 6, so you and Autumn would save them for a special occasion.

“Right here, honey” he said as he sat down the case, noticing you, “Another human? Do the kirins finally have a human resident?”

“He doesn’t actually live in our village, though I’m letting him stay in my old cottage” Autumn explained, smiling at you for a second

“Well that’s neat. So, you like Equestria so far?” Bucky asked you

“I like it. It looks big and full of vast adventures,” you said, looking at Autumn with a smile, “And I think I know who I’d want to go on adventures with~”

Autumn blinked twice before speaking, stuttering a little, “M-Me? But I don’t really know much about adventuring…”

“Then I’ll teach you, and we’ll adventure together. Sound good?” you said, getting a firm hug from her as her tail flicked and wagged.

“Sounds good to me, best friend” she said, pulling away and getting out her bits, “So, how much for it?”

“20 bits, Autumn” Applejack replied as Autumn gave her 20 gold coins, apparently bits, and Applejack smiled, “Pleasure doing business with ya, Autumn. Hope y’all have a nice day!” she said as you and Autumn left the farm, and Apple Slice waved bye.

“Bye Auntie Autumn! You’re the best!” he called out, getting a giggle out of the both of you

“Bye! See you around!” Autumn said as you carried the apple cider. Out of earshot, she said to you, “Cute kid, isn’t he? Almost makes me jealous” she said, chuckling a little and rubbing her arm softly

You quirked an eyebrow and looked over at her, “Why’s that, Autumn?”

“Well, I look at my friends and see the happy families they have, and I can’t help but feel a little jealous. Being a mother, giving birth to a child, raising that child with a husband of your own… I want it all, though most of the kirins in my village don’t really interact with me due to how weird I can be, y’know?” she said. You felt bad for the tan-skinned Kirin walking beside you, so you gently held her hand, carrying the cider with another hand.

Autumn looked at you a little confused, “Um, everything alright?”

“Well, I just figured you’d feel more comfy this way, y’know?” you said, getting a squint from Autumn, but then a sigh

“Whatever you say, man” she said as you continued to her cottage.

The two of you arrived as you gently put the cider into the fridge, then sat down on the couch, sighing a little. Autumn joined you on the couch with a sigh.

“So, I was a little curious, but why did you really hold my hand there?” she asked you, looking into your eyes a little

“Well, you see… during our walk back, when you mentioned how no one interacts with you in your village due to your weirdness, I… wanted to prove you wrong” you said, causing her to gasp a little.

“You really don’t think I’m weird? Even though I still have imaginary friends, who I don’t really pay attention to anymore, and stand out the most amongst my people?” she said, tearing up a little

You carefully looked her in the eyes, caressing her scales a little, “Autumn, you’re anything but weird. When we first met, sure, I was a little freaked out, but then I realized you were just like me: Somebody who just wants to be themselves. I’m proud to be your friend, Autumn Blaze, and nothing will change that”

By the time you were done, tears were streaming down her face as she buried it in your shoulder, crying softly. Not wanting to leave her hanging, you hugged her and stroked her mane in an attempt to calm her down. Eventually, her crying turned into soft whimpers as she looked up at you with a soft smile, “You’re the best, you know that? No one’s ever said that before, except for Applejack and Fluttershy, but to hear it from you, it makes me happy” she said as she smiled and her tail wagged softly

“We’re best friends, Autumn, and you’re the best as well” you said as you gently patted her scales, “So I was thinking tomorrow we could maybe explore Equestria? See what’s out there?”

“Sounds good with me,” she yawned as she got up, “Anyways, I should head back to my village. My people are probably wondering where I am. I’ll see you tomorrow!” she said as she left the cottage. Something told you that Autumn was a sweet girl, and you couldn’t help but realize you developed a crush on her, but that would be a thought for another day.