Equestrian reformation

Chapters

Unpleasant day
A brand new reformation program
Castle tour
Royal dinner
Trip to Ponyville
Bar talk
Evening in Ponyville
Day off
A rare opportunity
New job
First day of work
Unexpected Revelations
*Alternative POV* Twilight works with Celestia
A busy Saturday
A warning message
Sudden news
Approved by Celestia
Coming home... Or is it?
The truth is out there
Wandering the woods
Betrayed expectations
Acceptance
Ponyville misadventures
Hanging out at Twilight's
Epilogue: As the years pass by...

Unpleasant day

I was walking down the street at friday summer evening. Some sad thoughts racing in my mind.

Suddenly, my phone started to ring. After what feels like eternity, l get it from my overloaded pocket and answered the call.

"Yeah?"

"Hey there bro. It was a while since l heard from you. How's the things?"

"Not very good, l must say."

"Oh... Problems at the job again?"

"Yeah... Nothing new. My boss yelled at me again. One more mistake, and I'm fired."

"Well... Not very pleasant day you have, huh?"

"I already get used to it. So, how's things on your side?"

"Better then ever! My boss give me a rise, and my co-workers are inviting me to the birthday party of one of them."

"Remind me, what is the ratio of ponies/humans you have on your job?"

"Well, I guess... 50/50."

"I don't understand how..."

Suddenly, something hit me in the legs and I nearly fell on my ass.

"What the hell?!"

I looked a bit down and spotted the reason of my distraction.

"Look where you going, chatty!" said the dark purple mare. "You nearly made me drop my groceries!"

"Hey, you still here bro? What is going on?"

"Hold up, I'll be back"

I drawed my attention back from the phone to the mare.

"Well, if you're was not racing like crazy from behind the corner, maybe we will not bumped in each other, so don't blame me for that! What's with that haste anyway?"

"It's not your business! Now get out of my way!"

"Oh, so that's how it is, huh? Well, I can be rude too!" I said, feeling my blood boiling. "So, YOU get the hell out of my way, you fucking horse! Go eat some hay or fuck with your lover! Or both, I dont care!"

The mare was shocked and was watching me with her shrinked pupils.

"Now, if you're excuse me, I must be off. Dont wanna spend anymore of my time on you. Later." I said sarcastically, starting to walk past the mare.

"Oh, wait, no..." I stopped a little behind the mare. "I dont wanna meet you another time... Should I say "Never", rather than "Later"?" I said with a little laugh, taking the sweet victory with me.

I was walking down the street again, leaving dumbfolded mare behind me.

"Woah dude, that was an awesome roast! Who was the victim?" was the first thing I heard, getting back to the phonecall with my friend.

"Some mare, who bumped at..."

"You're messing with the wrong mare, dumbass!"

I turned my head to see that one mare which I roasted a few moments ago. She was still in that spot I leave her. And, oh boy, should I say, she was looking WAY more angrier than me.

"Yeah, sure, I'm terrified" I said with yet another sarcastic intonation. "Go spook some kids on the street or something."

She was shouting more insults in my address, but I couldn't care less. The winner is the one who can walk away from the conflict first and don't spend more of his time to meaningless insulting. A few catchy insults is more than enough.

"Is she still screaming something?" asked my friend on the other side of the phone.

"Yeah, I let her do that. Maybe after some time she will be bored."

"So, you never get the chance to say why is there was conflict between you and her, in the first place."

"Ah, yes, sorry. She bumped at me while running from behind the corner. I tried to be polite, but she's doesn't wanted to solve this peacefully, so I roasted her." said I with satisfaction.

"Well... I guess she deserved that" said my friend with a little joy in his voice.

"Pretty much so."

"Okay, listen, l must be off. Me and my wife are soon going to the cinema. It was good to hear from you again."

"Fine, my best wishes to the honeymooners." said I not without a small chuckle.

"You never change, dude." said my friend with a small chuckle too. "Bye."

I hanged the call and throwed the phone back in the pocket.

(Never thought my friend are gonna get married. But... I guess all people are gonna change sometime around their lives.)

I was still on my way home. Many peoples and ponies was walking past me, and I was deep in my thoughts.

(It was 2 years since Equestria and Human world are connected. Why so much ponies are free to enter our world, but no humans was in Equestria yet? This seems strange to me... Are they planning something? Why world leaders don't give a shit about it? They just sending letters through that strange mirror-like portal for the past 2 years...)

(And there is those princesses, who's sending their letters back. Are they ever gonna show themselves? Or they gonna keep sending their minions in our world untill we get no free space? Feels like...)

"Hey, you!"

I was dragged out of my thoughts and looked back. There was some angry looking bright-red stallion, starring right into my soul.

"Are you saying this to me?"

"Yes!" said the stallion with so much anger, that I become worried for a few seconds, but quickly calmed myself.

"You know," said I, trying to be as polite as possible, "I have a name."

"I don't care about your name! I'm here to teach you a lesson!"

"What lesson? Thanks for the offer, but I graduated from the school years ago."

A smirk appeared on stallion's face.

"Oh, I see, you're the comedy king. Bravo!" said the stallion with obvious sarcasm.

"Oh, thank you, kind sir, I'm fluttered. Is there anything else you want from me?"

"Don't you know how to treat ladies, jerk?" said the stallion, erasing his sarcastic smirk.

"What do you mean by..."

The realisation hit me like a truck.

"Oh, so you're the lover of that rude mare?"

"How dare you! We are happily married couple!"

"Yeah, yeah, that bullshit about getting married again. Getting bored from hearing this over and over again. So, are we finished? I have a stuff to do."

Suddenly, I noticed that my argument with that stallion are attracting more and more attention. There already was a small crowd around us, watching what is going on.

(Shit! That is not very good...)

"You're not going anywhere until you apologize to my wife!"

After that being said, that same mare who I roasted 10 minutes ago walked to the stallion, and stopped at his side.

"I told you were messing with the wrong mare!" said the mare with an evil smirk.

"Oh, you are here too..." I said with a little dissapointment in my voice "And I was hoping not to see you again... Am I asking too much?"

"Apologize now!" said the stallion through the gritted teeth.

"And what if say "no"?" said I, feeling that my blood boiling once again.

"Then I'm gonna beat you up, teach you how to treat ladies, and then MAKE you apologize!"

"And what is the succeed rate of your plan by your thoughts, may I ask?" said I, narrowing my eyes.

"Not less than 101%!"

"Well, I think It's actually are..." I paused and portrayed a thoughtful look "Is there a number lesser than 0?"

"That's it, jerk! You're going down!" screamed the stallion.

By this time, crowd was big enough to surround us completely. Some of them was screaming "Fight, fight!", the others wanted this to end peacefully. Not a single person was silent.

(I guess ponies would be cheering for that red jerk... Hope humans would be on my side.)

"Okay then, shorty, show me what you got!" screamed I at the top of my lungs.

I heard the massive cheering after that was said.

"You asked for this!" screamed the stallion and started charging towards me.

(Oh shit!)

I dodged his attack and he got past me. He slipped a bit forward, stopped and turned back to me.

"Are you scared already? Humans is no match for a earth ponies in strength!" said the stallion with a smirk.

"Winner is not that who stronger, but smarter!"

"Well, let's see how your smartness are gonna help you in this fight! Because I'm gonna..."

He never finished his speech. I hit him in the nose. Blood started running from it.

"See? Told you it's not the stro..."

I never finished my speech either. The stallion hit me in the chest with his head and I fell on my spine.

(Shit, I was talking too much too...)

Sharp pain hit my head, I was unable to stand-up. The stallion walked over me, raising his hoof to hit me in the face. Blood from his nose was dripping on me.

(So, this is how I'm gonna die? Pathetic...)

"I give you the last chance to apologize to my wife, human. Think wisely now."

"Go eat a dick, shithead! I'm not gonna apologize!" said I with a greeted teeth.

"I guess you're not as smart as you portrayed yourself."

I already accepted my fate, but suddenly, there was a siren coming. Stallion looked up and then back to me.

"You got lucky, buddy!" said the stallion and walked away from me, waiting for the police to arrive.

I remained still on the asphalt sidewalk, breathing heavily, as I was feeling blood under my head.

(Well, I guess if it's not him who's gonna kill me, it's gonna be a blood loss or head trauma.)

I started to feel woozy, as things started to get darker.

(That's it...)

Everything l heard was like if the sound coming through a tunnel. Darkness was getting stronger every second.

"Everyone freeze! Don't move an inch!"

That was the last thing I heard before blacking out.

Author's Note

Hello everyone! It's my first story, so hope you guys like it. Also, english is not my mother language, so I'm sorry if you spotted any mistakes. :twilightblush:

A brand new reformation program

Darkness. Nothing more. Just solid darkness.

(Oh, so this is how afterlife looks like? Kinda boring, to be honest.)

I tried to look at my hands, by they was nowhere to be found.

(Bastards even took my hands?! What's that for? Goddammit!)

I was just floating in the middle of nowhere for some time, deep in my thoughts. Not very entertaining.

"Hey, can anyone hear me? I'm kinda stuck in the black void and I'm getting bored."

No response.

(Great... Looks like I'm stuck here forever. Well, the bastard got me good. Must be proud of himself after that...)

(But I hit him in the nose, so it was totally worth it! Hope his wife are gonna...)

Suddenly there was a flash of light that took me by surprise.

"AAHHH, WHAT THE HELL?! MY EYES! MY FUCKING EYES!"

I tried to cover them with my hands, but failed because they were still missing.

"SILENCE, MORTAL! YOU HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH OUR BEAUTIFUL VOICE AND SHOULD BE GRATEFUL! NOW TELL US THAT WE ARE THE BEST PRINCESS EVER!"

"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT! JUST TURN THAT SHIT OFF, YOU'RE BURNING MY EYES! LITERALLY!" I screamed as loud as I could, still trying to find my nonexistent hands.

"NOT UNTIL YOU TELL US WHAT WE WANT, MORTAL!" a mighty voice thundered.

"Luna?! What is the meaning of this?!" a second voice joined the conversation.

"Sister?! B-but we thought you were busy with documents and new letters to the mortals!"

Everything turned back to solid darkness.

"Why do I suffer even after my death?! Is it even legal?!" shouted I.

"I can't leave you here even for that short period of time?" the second voice said with disappointment.

"I'm sorry sister! The temptation was too great to resist!"

"Just wake him up already, we need him here"

"Alright sister, we gonna do that now!" said the previously mighty voice.

"AAAHHH!" screamed I, opening my eyes.

I looked around nervously, wanting to find my tormentors, but all I saw was only a hospital room.

"What the hell?... Am I not dead?"

Suddenly, the door opened, and a nurse looked into the room.

"Oh, finally!" said the nurse.

The nurse disappeared behind the door again, leaving me alone.

"It looks like they were able to help me in time after all..."

I leaned my head back on the pillow and stared at the ceiling. The feeling of delight did not leave me for a second.

"Take this, you big red jerk! Seems like you couldn't send me to eternal rest!"

The door opened again, and the same nurse who had caught me waking up came into the room, and a man in a white coat, whom I had not seen yet.

"We were starting to worry about you, sir. It's good that you were finally able to come to your senses" said the doctor.

"Thanks for helping me, Doc. I owe you my life, literally." said I with a great joy.

"It's all right. This is my job. So, how do you feel?"

"Better than when I was laying on the asphalt sidewalk, bleeding"

"Excellent. We'll be able to discharge you in a couple of days. But, there is also bad news."

"Oh, no... What's the matter, Doc?" I asked with noticeable sadness.

"Well, how should I say it... Many people know how you ended up here."

"Oh... So, my little conflict with that stallion are go viral?"

"Yes. In general, we were looking for something like this so that the government could test a new reformation program."

"Wait... Are you hinting that I'm going to some reformation center?" said I with a note of worry.

"Sorry to say this, but yeah, you are. It's a brand new reformation program, and you are going to be first person to ever experience this."

(Should I be proud? I guess not...)

"Okay, rest now. as soon as you recover, you will be escorted to the reformation center."

The doctor and the nurse left, leaving me alone again.

(Reformation program? Brand new?...)

***

During the five days of my stay in the hospital, they changed the bandage on my head, carried out various wellness activities.

On the fifth day, after the doctor said that I was completely healthy, a group of people dressed in black with black glasses came into my room while I was packing my things.

"Hello, sir. We have come to escort you to the reformation center. If you need to pick up some things from home, let us know."

(Seriously? The men in black? It feels like I've committed some kind of crime against my country, and I'm being taken to execution...)

"Yes, I need to pick up something from home."

"Fine. Follow us."

I left my room and followed the men in black. As soon as we went outside, I saw more people in black, and a black van, in which, apparently, I will be escorted to the right places.

One of the men in black pushed open the door of the black van, motioning me to get inside.

As soon as I got inside, I met the eyes of a girl who, oh, what a surprise, was also dressed in black.

"Hello, Mr. Vlad." said the girl in black.

"Oh, it looks like you already know everything about me, don't you?" said I without surprise, sitting infront of her.

The girl laughed a little, pouring wine into a glass, handing it to me.

"We know more about you than you probably do."

Without hesitation, I took the glass in my hands.

(It's better not to anger these people...)

"Let me clarify this situation for you. You can call me Miss Claire. After the incident, the government decided that we need a new program for the reformation of people, and you will be the first to test it. Don't be afraid, no one will torture you, beat you or anything like that. It's perfectly safe."

"Good to hear" I said, sipping wine from a glass.

"We have already notified all your relatives and friends that you will be away for a while, so they won't worry about you."

"Tell me, Miss Claire, what is the fate of the stallion with whom I had a conflict?" I said, hoping he got what he deserved, too.

"I was just about to tell you about him. You see, your reformation program also includes interaction with your abuser. This stallion was also sent to the reformation center. You have to solve all your differences with each other, and become friends. This is one of the main objectives of the reformation program. After you resolve all the differences, the main task will be completed, and there will be secondary tasks that will be given at the discretion of the head of that center."

When I heard that, I almost spat the wine right on the girl.

"WHAT?! B-but... How can we become friends?! We almost killed each other!" I said, in shock.

"I understand your surprise, but believe me, it's necessary. Moreover, you are making a huge contribution to the development of the reformation program. If everything goes well, we will launch this program into mass use, and many troubled people will get a chance at redemption."

"I can't believe it..." I said, emptying my glass and placing it on a small table next to me.

"Okay, Mr. Vlad, I have clarified this situation for you, and now you are ready to begin the path to redemption. If you have any questions, please ask." the miss Claire said, expecting questions from my side.

"What if I fail to be friends with him?"

"You can't fail this. Your program will not end until the main goal is completed."

"Excellent... So I'll be stuck in this reformation center for the rest of my life." I said with despair.

"I believe in you, Mr. Vlad. You can become a better person than you are now. Any more questions before we move on?"

"I have no more questions for you." I said, accepting my fate.

"Fine. Then, we can start. Do you need to pick up something from your house?"

"Yes. My address is..."

"We know your address, mister Vlad." Miss Claire said, interrupting me.

"Oh, right... You know everything about me..."

Miss Claire gave the address to the van driver, and we drove in the direction of my house.

When we arrived, the door of the van was opened by one of the men in black, and I went outside, looking at my house for the first time this week.

As I was heading to the front door, I noticed that two men in black were following me.

"Is this necessary?" I said, looking at Miss Claire, who also got out of the van and pointing to the two men in black.

"Better be safe than sorry, you know..." said the woman with a little chuckle.

(Yes, of course, as if I could run away from them...)

I opened the door and went inside. Two strong men invariably followed me.

While I was walking around the house and collecting what I needed in a backpack, people in black were standing at the front door, watching my every action.

(What a creeps, goddammit...)

After I had collected everything I needed, I approached my escort and said I was ready. Still without saying a word, the two men walked out the door, expecting me to do the same. The sudden urge to send it all to hell and just slam the door in front of them struck me, but I quickly realized that this was not the best idea. Going outside, and closing the door behind me, mentally saying goodbye to my house for an indefinite period, I headed for the black van.

"Got everything you need? There is no going back after this moment, until you finish the program." said the woman with a serious tone.

"Pretty much so..."

"Good. Then we should get going."

I got into the van and the driver drove us to our destination. We drove for a long time. I couldn't see where we were going because all the van windows were black, probably with the exception of the windshield.

When we finally arrived and I got out of the van, it was already dark outside. We were in some kind of desert, and a large gray building with a height of 10 floors appeared to my eyes.

"So, Mr. Vlad, we're here. Please follow me." said miss Claire with a calm tone.

I followed her inside the building. Of course, the rest of the men in black were right behind us.

As we went inside, we got into the elevator and went down to some basement room lit by loud fluorescent lamps. There was nothing in this room but a fashionable looking mirror. I was led straight to it.

"It doesn't really look like a reformation center, if you ask me. Just some kind of mirror in the middle of a huge empty room. What am I supposed to do here?" I said with incomprehension, looking in the mirror.

"This is where your program will take place." said miss Claire, pointing to the mirror.

I laughed.

"In the mirror? What kind of nonsense is this? Are you implying..."

And then it hit me.

"Wait a second... This is the same portal shown in the news! Are you going to send me to them?!"

Two strong hands grabbed me from both sides, not letting me move from my place. I looked anxiously at Miss Claire.

"Yes, that's exactly it. And yes, we're going to send you there." said miss Claire with the same calm tone.

"Princess Celestia and the others are waiting for you on the other side of the portal. Don't worry, it doesn't hurt."

I panicked, trying to get out of the grip, but I didn't succeed.

"Wait, I disagree! I demand a lawyer! You can't do this to me!" I shouted, still trying to break free from the grip of two strong men in black.

"It's all for your own good. We will meet you here when the reformation program is completed. Goodbye, Mr. Vlad."

They turned me to face the portal, and began to bring me closer.

"No no no, wait, please!"

But it was too late. I was pushed forward and a bright flash blinded me.

"AAAHHHH!"

That's all I had to do. I shouted one last time.

The second after that, I fell on the floor face down, tasting it.

"Goddammit, why..." I said silently, as I was still laying on the floor facing down.

Suddenly, there was a very loud voice, which almost destroyed my eardrums.

"WELCOME TO EQUESTRIA, HUMAN! WE ARE PLEASED THAT YOU'RE FINALLY ARRIVED!"

"AAAAHHH, MY EARS!" shouted I, covering them.

"Luna! Turn off your Canterlot voice, please!" said the voice, which I seem to have heard somewhere before.

"Sorry sister, we're just really excited that our guest has finally arrived!"

I was finally able to raise my head to look at those who are talking to me. And here they are, standing in front of me. A big white pony, with a flowing multicolored mane, and a long horn, which is probably enough to pierce me through.

Next to her was another dark blue pony, also with a flowing mane, but her mane was strewn with shining stars. She also had a long horn, but it seemed to me that it was a little shorter than the white pony, and the dark blue pony herself was smaller.

They looked at me, and I looked at them.

After a couple of seconds of the staring game, I lowered my face to the floor again and sighed heavily.

"I can't believe they did this to me..."

"What's the matter, human? Aren't you happy about your arrival in our beautiful country? Because we certainly are!" said the dark blue pony.

"I apologize for my sister's behavior, Mr. Vlad. I hope we didn't create a bad first impression on you." the white pony said sadly.

"Tia, what are you talking about?! We met him properly! He was even honored to hear our Canterlot voice, which we use only on special occasions!" argued the dark blue pony.

"In any case, we welcome your arrival. You will be staying in one of the rooms of the Canterlot castle during your reformation program." the white pony said happily.

I suddenly got up from the floor, which surprised the two ponies standing next to me.

"No, I'm not!" I said, jumping back to the portal to avoid their presence, but...

My escape failed. Flying face-first into the portal, I slid back to the floor with a squeaky sound.

"Oh yes, we forgot to mention that the portal will be inactive until the completion of the reformation program. These are the conditions, human." said the dark blue pony.

I just groaned, realizing that I would not gonna leave this place anytime soon.

Castle tour

I got up from the floor again, rubbing my bruised face.

"Okay, you got me. Happy now?" I asked with disappointment.

"Yes, we're glad you've finally arrived. I am Princess Celestia." the white pony pointed at herself with her hoof.

"And this is my sister, Princess Luna." Celestia said as she pointed to the dark blue pony.

Princess Luna smiled broadly as she vigorously waved her hoof at me.

"You will never regret agreeing to this program, human! It will be so much fun!" said Luna with the great enthusiasm.

"Yeah, whatever..." I said calmly.

"Is something bothering you, Mr. Vlad?" Celestia said regretfully.

"Please don't be so formal... Just call me Vlad."

"Come on, it'll be great!" said
Luna hugging me with one of her forelegs.

"If you don't mind, we'd like to give you a tour of Canterlot Castle." Celestia said happily.

"Yes, of course, why not?"

"I don't think I have anything better to do here," I said in a whisper.

"What was that?" asked Luna.

"Nothing! Just thinking out loud." I said hastily.

The two princesses led me out of the portal room and we walked along a long corridor with many branches.

I was silent as we walked, and the two sisters were actively talking about something. I thought about the mission given to me.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to say that we made a plan for today, Vlad." said Celestia.

"Is that so? And what should I do today?" I asked without enthusiasm.

"Well, first of all, you should look around your room and make yourself comfortable in it."

"You'll love it, I promise!" Luna said with obsessive joy.

(Well, okay... So far, nothing complicated.)

We finally arrived at the room reserved for me, and Luna opened the door with magic, allowing me to enter.

Once I was inside, I threw my backpack on the bed and started looking around the room.

The whole room was decorated in a moon theme, and in general everything was dark blue.

(I don't even know who prepared this room for me... Yeah...)

"Do you like it?" Luna asked impatiently.

"Well... not bad" I said.

Suddenly, I heard a sound behind me, reminding of the squeaking of a soft toy.

"Told you, sister! He likes it!"

"Okay, okay, you win." Celestia said with a light laugh.

"Did you make some kind of bet about me?" I asked without turning to them.

"Uh... Well... We..." Luna began uncertainly.

"We just had a bet on which room you like better - the one I chose or Luna." Celestia said judiciously.

"But I haven't seen the room you prepared for me, Celestia. How can I decide the winner without seeing both sides of the competition?"

"Wait, Luna, he's right!" Celestia said thoughtfully.

"But the human has already chosen a winner! Why should we waste time looking at another room?" Luna said nervously.

"Someone is afraid to lose?" Celestia said provocatively.

"No, we are not afraid of competition!" Luna said proudly. "Show him your room, sister!"

We left the room Luna had prepared for me. The door to another room was directly opposite the previous one.

This time, it was Celestia who opened the door to the room. And, oh, what a surprise, in the room she prepared, everything was in the sun theme.

The whole room was filled with bright sunlight coming from three large windows, and there was a spacious balcony next to the bed.

"Now that you've seen both sides of the competition... Who's the winner?" Luna asked impatiently

"You know what... I think..." I was in no hurry to answer.

"Just, give us an answer, please!" Luna pleaded.

"I think I..."

"I will stay here during the day, and at night I will sleep in a room provided by Luna." I said friendly.

"Humans are really very unpredictable, sister..." Luna said in shock.

"I've told you this many times, Luna!" Celestia said, chuckling.

"So... It's a draw?" Luna asked.

"Yes. You both did a good job and I appreciate it."

"Looks like your reformation program started ahead of schedule!" Luna was surprised.

"And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that!" Celestia assured.

(It is better to start early so that you can go home as soon as possible.)

"Okay, rooms are checked. What's next?" I asked.

"Next... You need to come with us to the balcony and give our people a pep talk!" Celestia said.

"Is that all? I thought there would be something more..."

And then Celestia's words finally reached my brain.

"What?! I need to perform in front of your people?!" I said with great surprise.

"Yes! My little ponies need to know that the reformation program test has officially started! And you will tell them about it! Tell them something about yourself too, they will be interested in learning more about humans." Celestia said.

"That pony and her friend will be especially interested!" Luna said with a sly smile.

"Ah yes... But I guess her friend isn't as interested in our guest as she is..." Celestia said with hesitation.

"When is my performance?! I need to get ready!" I asked hastily.

"It's about to start... NOW!" Luna screamed.

"What do you mean by NOW?!"

As soon as I finished speaking, a bright flash blinded me, and in one second we moved from the sunny room directly to the balcony, from which, apparently, two sisters were giving important speeches to their little ponies.

Below, on the ground, hundreds, if not thousands, of ponies stood and looked at us. They were all so colorful that I even got a little dazzled in my eyes. They all looked at the three of us, waiting for the speech to begin.

"My little ponies, on this beautiful day, I want to announce to you that the first human has finally arrived in Equestria to test our reformation program, developed together with humanity!" Celestia said proudly.

Loud sounds of applause shook the castle.

"And now, we would like to give the opportunity to speak to our guest, Mr. Vlad! Let's welcome him!" Luna said pointing at me.

Loud aviation again. But they quickly subsided, waiting for me to say something.

I was very worried. What should be said and what should not?

Finally collecting my thoughts, I walked closer to the edge of the balcony and cleared my throat.

"Greetings, ponies! I'm very glad that I had the honor of being the first of all humans to visit Equestria! And more importantly, to help our peoples test the program, which I think will be a great example of cooperation between different civilizations!"

"And, as far as I know, if the tests pass successfully, the program will be launched into mass use!" I said happily.

In the next moment, loud applause began, louder than any that had been before.

And, I swear, among all this crowd, some teal pony was cheering the loudest, trying to involve another pony standing next to her in this. But I think she just rolled her eyes.

"Now then, I'm giving the attention back to Princess Celestia." I said in relief, feeling a mountain of responsibility fall from my shoulders.

"Thank you for this great speech, Vlad! We really needed it!" Celestia said formally.

For the rest of the two sisters' speech, I just stood a little behind while the princesses announced other important news.

(I don't think it's a big deal if I leave to call while they're breaking the big news.)

Leaving the field of view of the ponies standing below, and two princesses, I dug into my pocket and pulled out the phone from there.

(It didn't cracked in all those falls... Good news.)

Selecting my friend's number from the list of contacts, I already put the phone to my ear, but in response I heard only negative beeps.

Looking at the link indicator positioning itself as three sticks, not only were they inactive, but there was also a large red cross on top of them.

"Great... Exactly what I need..." I said with disappointment.

"Hey, where did you go? Did something happen?" Luna suddenly asked.

I flinched, almost dropping my phone.

"No no, it's fine, I just wanted to call..." I said in a hurry.

"Call? Wait..." Luna said thoughtfully.

"You're talking about those things that...?" Luna's eyes filled with joy, and she looked at her sister.

"Yes, Luna. Phone." Celestia said proudly.

Luna directly lit up with joy, despite the fact that she represented the moon.

"Tia, this is just wonderful!"

Luna flew up to me, wrapping her front leg around me again.

"Can we use your phone for a little while? Please?! We've been dreaming of this ever since humans and ponies made first contact!" Luna said with puppy dog eyes.

"Well, I don't even know, maybe..." I started to say, but didn't finish.

"Thank you human! You have no idea how much this means to us!" Luna said happily, taking the phone out of my hand with her magical aura and leaving in the opposite direction from me.

"Hey, I haven't actually given you permission yet!" I said to the dark blue pony, but it didn't look like she heard me.

I felt Celestia's hoof rest on my shoulder.

"Don't worry, Vlad! I guarantee you that nothing will happen to the phone! Luna is really very interested in the technologies of your world." Celestia said judiciously.

"Okay, your highness, what's next on the list?" I asked sarcastically.

"Your next task is to meet my faithful student Twilight Sparkle and her friends. As well as Princess Cadance and her husband, Shinig Armor."

(Will I finally meet a male creature? Otherwise, it seems that mares are in an advantage here ...)

"Good. Where will the introduction take place?"

"At a communal lunch of the castle kitchen." Celestia said.

"Аny advice before I meet them?" I asked seriously.

"Just one. Careful with Pinkie Pie." Celestia said warningly.

"Who is it?" I asked puzzled.

"You'll see." Celestia said mysteriously.

"Okay, I'll walk you to your rooms so you can get ready for dinner, and in the meantime, I'll ask you a couple of questions. Do you agree?" Celestia asked.

"Sure. Bring it on."

I followed Celestia, answering her questions along the way.

"Continuing the topic of technology in your world..." Celestia hesitated.

"Yeah?" I asked, indifferently.

“The thing is that shortly before your arrival, our portal was only capable of moving only weak objects, like letters, and, what's strange, only eart ponies could cross the portal. No pegasi, no unicorns, no alicorns could get through. We were able to improve it so that you could pass through, and could request samples of your technologies from humanity, but…” said Celestia looks away.

"You're already here, aren't you? And you probably have some other human technology, right?" Celestia asked hopefully.

"Well, yes. Electronic wristwatch, wireless headphones, power bank." I said proudly.

"You don't mind if I take all this for examination and my scientists do some research?"

"Well, I guess it won't hurt... So... Why not?"

"Great! Put it all in here." Celestia said happily.

In a small white flash, a wooden box lined with velvet appeared. Its lid opened with a soft creak, revealing that it was also lined in purple velvet inside.

I removed the watch from my hand as well as the headphones, that were hanging around my neck, and took out the power bank from my pocket, putting it all in a box.

After waiting for me to put everything inside, Celestia carefully closed the lid of the box, and smiled at me happily.

"What about your phone? Can I have it after Luna?"

I raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"For research, of course!" Celestia said in a hurry.

"Sure, take it. If it survives Luna usage..."

Celestia laughed, and even I smiled a little.

"In any case, thanks for agreeing to give us your gadgets. Equestria will find this knowledge very useful."

The box vanished with the same white flash it had appeared with.

"Okay, next... I'd like to ask you... How do you feel about being sent to Equestria for reformation? I need an honest answer." Celestia said seriously.

"Well, you know... It's not bad. I expected... I didn't really know what to expect, to be honest..." said I truthfully.

"Before coming here, the question constantly tormented me ... Why do ponies come to our world, but humans do not come to the pony world?..."

"I even suspected you of malicious intent, I thought you were planning something... But, now that I know the truth..."

I stopped. Celestia did the same.

"I'm sorry about that. Now I really see that it's not like that at all. You only wish well for our civilizations. And it really means a lot to me."

I turned away from Celestia, unable to look in her eyes.

In the next second, I felt Celestia's front leg wrap around me and pull me towards her.

"It's all right, dear. Everyone makes mistakes." said Celestia in motherly kindness.

"And I'm especially glad that you found the strength to say it! Not everyone is capable of it!" Celestia said, hugging me even tighter.

(Yeah, I think she is no weaker than our earth horses...)

"All right, here we are. I'll send guards to you when dinner is ready."

"All right, princess. I'm waiting."

Celestia walked down the corridor, and I went into the moon room to pick up the backpack left on the bed, and moved on to the sun room.

Now, having already thrown my backpack on the sunny bed, I lay down next to it and... I realized that I didn’t want to get up. Ever.

Royal dinner

I slowly opened my eyes. When my vision finally came into focus, I saw my computer monitor in front of me.

"What?... I swear l was in..." I said hesitantly.

I looked around, recognizing my room.

(I fell asleep at the table again? I need to stop sitting at the computer until late night...)

And then I fully remembered my dream about the reformation program.

I shivered.

(Some nightmares can be too real.)

I glanced at my watch. 7 am. Then to the calendar.

(Sunday... I woke up at 7 am on Sunday...)

After a little grumbling, I went out on the porch for the morning newspaper. But it wasn't there yet.

(This one is almost always late...)

As soon as I thought about it, the postman, who was a yellow mare, ran out from around the corner. She stopped by my mailbox, breathing heavily.

She noticed me and waved her hoof at me.

"Sorry I'm late! I didn't do it on purpose, honestly!" said the mare with an awkward smile.

"Don't worry about it. I left the house a couple of seconds ago." I said walking up to her. "Is there anything besides a newspaper for me today?"

"Yes! There is a letter for you." said the mare happily, pulling out a newspaper and a letter from the mail bag.

"Thank you, miss. I appreciate your work." I said, picking up the items handed to me.

"Oh, Mr. Vlad, you are such a gentleman!" said the mare, blushing.

(Ew... Don't do this to me.)

As l entered the house, I went to the kitchen, throwing the correspondence on the table. Without hesitation, I poured myself some coffee and sat down at the table, ready to start reading my newspaper.

(Well, let's see what's interesting there...)

My eyes suddenly fell on the letter.

(Hmm... I wonder who sent it to me?)

Putting the newspaper aside, I took the letter in my hands. Oddly enough, there were no markings on the letter. Neither my address nor the sender's address.

(Strange shit, if you ask me...)

After turning the letter a little in my hands, I finally opened it. There was a piece of paper inside, and there were only 2 words on it.

("Turn around")

(What?)

Deciding to follow the request in the letter, I turned back.

And then l nearly dropped my jaw. I saw Princess Luna barely holding back her laughter.

Finally, unable to stand it, she laughed out loud.

"We got you nice, eh?" Luna barely spoke through laughter.

I quickly realized that this was just a dream, and I fell asleep on a bed in Canterlot Castle.

Putting my jaw back in place with my hands, I watched Luna's laughter fade away little by little.

Finally calming down completely, she noticed the mug in my hand.

"Wow, is that coffee? For us? You're too kind, Vlad!" Luna said without a drop of irony.

A dark blue magical aura surrounded the mug, and it levitated towards Luna.

Without saying a word, I got up from my chair and walked into the living room.

Noticing this, Luna followed me.

"Vlad? Is everything OK?" Luna asked anxiously.

But I didn't answer. I took my vape from the coffee table, sat on the couch and started vaping.

I was burning the wall with my eyes.

After a couple of seconds, I felt that someone sat down next to me. But I didn't turn around to see who it was. I just kept blowing off steam.

"We're sorry if this hurt you..." Luna said remorsefully.

Blowing out another cloud of steam, I finally began to speak.

"Its okay, Luna. I'm not mad at you." I said calmly.

"Really?! Hurrah!" Luna said with childlike delight.

I just let out a light laugh.

"You see, we've been wanting to know what human dreams look like ever since Tia started making contact with them."

"I see. This is fine. Healthy curiosity." I said judiciously.

"Is this your house? There are so many interesting things here!" Luna asked excitedly.

"Yes. Welcome to my humble abode." I said with a touch of sarcasm.

Taking another puff, I extended the vape towards Luna.

"Wanna try? Good shit, l swear."

"What is it?" Luna said with interest as she took the vape into her magical aura.

"An electronic cigarette. I think there are regular cigarettes in Equestria?" I asked.

"Yes, of course we have cigarettes. But this is the first time we heard that a cigarette can be electronic..." Luna said in surprise.

"Well... Human technology, LoL." I said with a smile.

"We tried regular cigarettes and we didn't like it..." Luna said, feigning disgust.

"Yeah, I tried them too, and I didn't like them either." I said with a small chuckle.

"Then why are you smoking an electronic cigarette?" Luna asked in bewilderment.

"Well... It's a completely different thing. I smoke it because of the wide variety of flavors."

"Flavours?" asked Luna.

"Yes. For example, the vape now tastes like coffee." I said proudly.

"Coffee?! We love coffee!" Luna said happily.

"Then try it. I think you'll like it." I said happily.

"Okay! How does this thing work?" Luna asked with interest.

"Just press that black button and smoke like a regular cigarette."

Following my advice, Luna make a puff.

"Wow! Really tastes like coffee!" Luna said excitedly.

"We need these in Equestria! Did you take this thing with you?" Luna asked hopefully.

"I'm sorry, but no... My vape was left at home." I said with some disappointment.

"Well damn... We liked it so much..." Luna said sadly.

"Maybe another time..." I said with an encouraging tone.

"Can we keep using this thing until you wake up?" Luna asked, turning on her puppy eyes.

"Ofcourse, why not?" I said understandingly.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Luna said, wrapping me in a sudden hug.

I was a little surprised, but I also hugged her.

"You are welcome." I said kindly.

Luna released me from her hug and made a another puff.

"Can you give us a tour of your home? Show us some interesting human technology?" Luna asked hopefully.

"Okay. Follow me." I said getting up from the couch.

(I hope that in this dream the house is fully consistent with my real one back on the Earth.)

First of all, I decided to show the kitchen.

"This is where my morning starts. And this is where I sip my coffee." I said proudly.

"And what is it?" Luna asked, pointing to the microwave.

"Microwave. It can heat up cold food."

"Just like a regular oven? But what's the point? What are its advantages? Because I see you have a regular oven too." Luna said thoughtfully.

"Microwaves can heat up your food in a minute or less, while regular ovens take much longer."

"Wow, cool!" Luna said in surprise.

"But the microwave does not replace the oven, but only complements. Yes, you can cook something there, but the usual oven is still needed." I said judiciously.

"And what's that?" Luna asked with interest.

"Dishwasher. Washes dishes for you." I said, putting my hand on the dishwasher.

"Without your participation?!" Luna asked in surprise.

"Yep. Put the dishes in it, then the washing capsule, and you can go about your business."

“This technology would be useful to us. The servants of Canterlot Castle could use the time allotted for washing dishes for something else…” Luna said dreamily.

"Is there anything else you're interested in?" I asked with a smile.

Releasing another cloud of coffee-scented steam, Luna smiled awkwardly at me.

"When we were sitting on the couch, I noticed a strange rectangular thing. What is it?" Luna asked, taking another puff.

"Oh, I thought you wouldn't ask. Let's go." I said, gesturing to Luna to follow me.

We went back into the living room and stood in front of Luna's object of interest.

"This is a TV. It shows different programs. Movies, series, cartoons."

"Can you turn it on?" Luna asked with interest.

"Of course. Now, I just need to find the remote..." I said, looking around.

But, unfortunately, the remote was nowhere to be seen.

(Fuck! Where is it?)

"Looks like it'll take a while to find it..." I said with disappointment.

"Oh no!" Luna said sadly.

"Hmm? What is it?" I asked with puzzled look.

"You'll wake up soon..."

"How soon?" I asked.

"Less than a minute."

"Oh... Well... Then see you at dinner?" I said with a reassuring tone.

"Of course. See you, Vlad." Luna said as she took her last puff.

In the next second, everything went white.

I opened my eyes. Still the same sunny room. I stretched, rubbing my sleepy eyes.

The next second, there was a knock on the door.

"The door is open," I called out.

The door opened and Celestia entered the room.

"Did you sleep well?" Celestia asked with a kind smile.

This turn of events surprised me.

(Didn't she tell me she would send guards to pick me up?)

"Uh... Well, yes." I said, still lying on the bed.

"Great! An afternoon nap is always good."

I climbed out of bed and walked over to Celestia.

"Ready for dinner?" Celestia asked.

"Sure! I'm so hungry I could eat a ho..."

But l never finished my line. A drop of sweat rolled down my face.

Celestia raised her eyebrow.

"Is everything okay, Vlad? You look worried"

"Y-yes... Just... Just remembered something. I'm fine. Really." I said with an awkward smile.

"Well, if you say so..." Celestia said indifferently.

"I wanted to send guards to you, but I thought I'd better go myself so we can quickly teleport to the kitchen." Celestia said happily.

"Good idea! This will save us a lot of time."

"Let's go then! Stand next to me so that my teleport radius will affect you." Celestia said, pointing with her hoof at the place next to her.

I approached Celestia, waiting for the teleportation.

"Stand closer." Celestia said with a smile.

(Isn't I standing exactly where she pointed?)

Not wanting to contradict the princess, I stood closer.

"A little more closer, please."

(Are you kidding me?)

I took another step and in the next moment Celestia pulled me into hug.

"Gotcha! Works with Luna every time." Celestia said through laughter.

"Good one, princess. Didn't see that coming." I said, unable to hide my smile.

"You are too kind, Vlad."

"Okay, now we really need to hurry up. Ready?" Celestia asked, still not letting go of me.

I just gave her a thumbs up.

"To the kitchen!"

Another flash, and we were already standing in front of large and beautiful doors that probably led to the kitchen.

Celestia finally let me go.

"Ladies first." I said as I opened the door and allowed Celestia to enter.

The princess just laughed a little and went inside.

As I entered the kitchen, I saw that a group of 8 ponies were standing next to each other, and above them, surrounded by a dark blue magical aura, my phone was levitating.

"Everyone smile!" Luna said, and her words were followed by a phone camera flash.

(They learn fast...)

"This one turned out the best!" said the pink pony, whose mane was like cotton candy.

"Wait a second, who's that?" said the pink pony, pointing at me, who happened to be in the photo.

"Oh, it's just... Wait a minute..." said the purple pony, looking at the photo more closely.

In the next moment, she turned and everyone else followed her. Me and Celestia stood and looked at them.

“Looks like we got a little carried away…” the purple pony said with an awkward smile.

"Finally! Hooray!" screamed the pink pony.

Celestia took a step away from me.

(What's the matter? Did I do something wrong?)

As soon as thinked about it, the pink pony jumped at me, dropping me to the floor, and pressed her snout to my nose.

"You're finally here! I've been waiting for this! Why is it take so long? Did something happen? Oh yeah, I also wanted to ask, do you like parties? Because I do! I'll throw you the best party for your arrival! You will like it! What do you like more? Chocolate or strawberries? I ask to make a cake and..."

"Pinkie!" the purple pony said, drawing the attention of the pink one. "What were we talking about 10 minutes ago?"

(So... This is Pinkie Pie. And this is why Celestia warned me about her...)

The pink pony got off me and was looking guilty.

"I'm sorry Twilight, I can't help it."

The purple pony sighed.

"It's okay Pinkie. Just do your best next time."

"Okie-dokie, Twilight! I'll try." Pinkie said, instantly changing her mood.

(Twilight, huh?)

I got up and dusted myself off.

"Nice jump, Pinkie. I'd give you 10/10 for it." I said with a smile.

"See, Twilight? It's okay!" said Pinkie with a laugh.

Twilight just rolled her eyes.

"Vlad, your phone is just wonderful! It has so many functions, I especially liked the ability to take photos!" Luna said enthusiastically as she ran up to me.

"Yeah, that's cool... But can I get my phone back?" I asked, pointing to the phone levitating in front of me.

"Oh, already?" Luna asked sadly. "Well, okay... But I'm glad I was able to use it even in such a short period of time." Luna said, and the phone dropped into my hand.

"Finally! I missed you, my faithful friend!" I said holding the phone.

I was about to put the phone in my pocket, but I felt the weight of a hoof on my shoulder. Turning around, I saw that it was Celestia's hoof.

I just sighed, understanding what she wants.

I handed the phone towards Celestia. In the light of a small flash, the box in which I had previously put my other gadgets appeared again. I put the phone in there and the box disappeared again.

(Bye again, phone...)

"Thank you! Your cooperation is a great contribution to the future of Equestria!" Celestia said in a confident tone.

"Okay, I think it's time for us to get to know each other." Twilight said.

Twilight stepped closer to me.

"I'm Twilight Sparkle. Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, me too. I guess by now you all already know my name and there's no point in introducing myself."

"This, as you probably already understood, Pinkie Pie." said Twilight, pointing at the pink pony.

"Hello! It's me!" Pinkie Pie said happily, waving at me.

"This is Rarity, Ponyville's best fashionista."

"How are you, dear?" asked Rarity.

"It's Rainbow Dash..."

"Equestria's Fastest Flyer!" interrupted Rainbow Dash and flew up to me. "Brohoof!"

Somehow I immediately knew that this was an alternative of brofist. And I did the brohoof.

"Cool! I thought you might not understand what it is. I'm glad I was wrong." Rainbow said with a smirk.

"In my world, we have an alternative - a brofist." I proudly said.

"Wow! Humans are 20% cooler for me now!"

"Thanks for the detailed description of yourself, Rainbow," Twilight said sarcastically.

"You are welcome, Twi!" Rainbow said and flew back to her place.

"And this is Fluttershy." Twilight said, pointing to a yellow pony with a pink mane who had remained quiet all this time.

"H-hello..." Fluttershy said almost in a whisper.

"Hey. What's up?" I asked politely.

"This is my brother, Shining Armor."

"Hey kid." Shining Armor said and extended his hoof to me.

(Finally, a male creature.)

I shook his hoof.

"And this is Princess Cadance."

"Nice to meet you, Vlad," Cadance said with a smile.

"Cool, now I know everyone!" I said happily.

"Well, not really everyone..." Luna said uncertainly. "Shall we tell him, Tia?"

"No. He will find out tomorrow." Celestia said seriously.

(Hmm... I don't like it... What are they talking about?)

"Okay, since we're all know Vlad now, let's get to the dinner." Celestia announced.

Everyone took their seats. I got my seat between Princess Cadance and Fluttershy.

There were many tasty looking things on the table, but, of course, there was nothing even close to meat.

(Looks like I'll have to become a vegetarian during my reformation program...)

Soon everyone put what interested them on their plate, and now and then friendly conversations arose around the table.

As I suspected, during lunch, I was asked a lot of questions. Mostly, not surprisingly, they were about my world.

Twilight was interested in human technology, Fluttershy was interested in earth animals and so on.

Toward the end of dinner, I noticed that one chair had been empty all this time.

(Hmm... Someone couldn't come?)

When it was time to say goodbye, Shining held out his hoof to me again.

"It was very interesting to hear about the army from your world, Vlad. Is there anything else like that?" he asked with interest.

"Maybe later I'll remember something else." I said while shaking Shining's hoof.

Soon everyone left and I stayed in the kitchen with Celestia and Luna.

"So what's next?" I asked with interest.

"I will give you your first assignment for tomorrow, and you're free for the rest of the day." Celestia said.

"Okay, that sounds great. What's my first assignment?"

"Follow me to my room and I will give you a detailed explanation sheet." Celestia said as she started to leaving the kitchen.

"I'll be in my room, Tia! Come in if you need anything." Luna said to Celestia.

"Okay, sister. Thank you." Celestia said, gesturing for me to follow her.

As we walked down the corridor, I was thinking about teleportation.

(Why doesn't she just teleport us to the right place?)

After a couple of minutes, we
came to Celestia's room.

I let Celestia in and then I went in myself.

"I figured it would be a good idea to start right away with the main purpose of your being here, so tomorrow morning a carriage will pick you up and you will go to Ponyville." Celestia said.

"Here's the address of the stallion you want to be friends with." Celestia said, and a piece of paper fell into my hands.

"The address of my faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, is also written on this piece of paper. You will need to visit her in the evening and write me a letter telling me how your day went. You will stay in her house for the night, and in the morning carriage will arrive again to take you back to Canterlot." Celestia concluded. "Do you understand everything?"

"Yes, princess, everything is clear." I said seriously.

"Great. Then, you're free for today. Can you walk to your rooms yourself, or should I sent guards with you?"

"Oh, thank you princess, I'll go myself." I said confidently.

"As you wish. Bye, Vlad." Celestia said.

I left Celestia's room and headed to the moon room.

(I feel tired. I'd better go to bed.)

Having reached the Moon Room, I undressed and lay down on the bed.

(The moon bed is no worse than the sun bed... It's good...)

After a couple of minutes, my eyelids began to feel heavy, and without noticing, I fell asleep.

Trip to Ponyville

I opened my eyes and saw my computer monitor.

"What?... I swear l was in..."

(Wait a minute...)

I looked around and understood everything.

"It ain't gonna work a second time, princess." I said with a grin.

"Oh no! We thought it would work..." Luna's voice came from the kitchen.

I left my room, and when I went into the kitchen, I saw that Luna was drinking coffee and vaping.

"Well, make yourself at home, I guess..." I said, taking another mug and pouring myself some coffee.

After l was done, l sat in front of Luna.

"I suppose you, princess, would like a second part about initiation into human technology?" I said as I sipped my coffee.

Taking a puff, Luna looked at me.

"There's no need to be so official. Just call me Luna." Luna said smiling.

"And I've been waiting for you to say that." I said with pleasure.

"So... Yes, we'd like to hear more about the technology of your world." Luna said with an awkward smile.

"Okay. Where did we stop?" I asked thoughtfully.

"On the TV. You were looking for the remote." reminded Luna.

"Well, then let's go to the living room." I said as I finished my coffee.

I went to the living room and Luna followed me. Going back to the TV, I again began to look around, looking for the remote.

"Losing it all the time..." I said regretfully.

I looked under the sofa, but found nothing but dust there. Then under the sofa cushions. Also empty.

"Is it a remote, by any chance?" Luna asked thoughtfully.

I turned towards Luna, arranging the sofa cushions in place.

"Yes, it is! Where did you find it?" I asked in surprise.

"In this pile of clothes near the sofa," Luna said, pointing with her hoof at the pile of clothes that I was too lazy to put away.

"Oh... Yeah... Good job!" I said with a thumbs up.

(I need to clean my house when I get back...)

I took the remote from Luna and turned on the TV. While the TV was turning on, we sat on the sofa. After a couple of seconds, woman appeared on the screen, telling the weather forecast.

"Wow, is this what the females of your species look like?" Luna asked in surprise.

"Yes. Didn't your sister receive photos from humanity?"

"She did. But there were always only males on the photo." Luna said with a little annoyance.

"Well, apparently the portal was worked on mostly by males."

Luna didn't answer. I decided not to continue this topic and changed the TV channel. On the next channel, the mare told the local news.

"Have our little ponies made it to the big human jobs?" Luna asked looking at me.

"Well, yes... Two years was definitely enough for them to achieve this."

"Tia will be happy to hear that." Luna said happily.

(Does she even know about you visiting my dreams?)

I changed the channel again, and it was showing... A documentary about horses. For a couple of seconds, I did not realize what was happening now, and only after these same couple of seconds, it dawned on me. I turned to look at Luna. She watched the program enthusiastically.

The announcer told how humans tamed horses many years ago and used them for their needs. Next came footage of a man riding a horse.

I tried changing the channel, but the remote didn't work. I tried to turn off the TV, but the remote wouldn't let me do it either.

And then I heard the announcer say the following: "The stallion approaches the mare to begin the bree..."

But the announcer did not finish his speech, as the remote flew into the TV, breaking through its screen and getting stuck in it.

Luna looked at me, and I looked at her.

"I think that's enough TV for today..." I said, chuckling nervously.

Suddenly, the lights in the house flickered, and the next second, the TV sparkled, spreading flames around itself.

"Fuck! We need to get out of here, Luna! Do you hear me? Luna?"

The smoke cleared a little, and there was no one on the part of the sofa where Luna had been sitting.

(Shit... This is not good.)

I did not want to die even in my dream, so I ran to the exit of the house. By this time, the house was already filled with smoke, and it was becoming difficult to breathe.

Having reached the exit, I opened the door and ran out of the house. Gasping for fresh air, I saw that a fire truck was already approaching my house.

Firefighters jumped out of the fire truck and began to unwind the hose to extinguish the fire.

By the time the firefighters were unwinding the hose and connecting it to the hydrant, my house was already completely engulfed in flames.

I just stood by the mailbox, reassuring myself that it was just a dream.

A postman mare jumped out from around the corner, which, as usual, was late.

"Good morning, how was your morn..." the mare didn't finish because she noticed my house was on fire. She just froze in place, unable to say anything.

I decided not to stay here anymore, and got into my car, wanting to get away from it all.

Driving, I thought about what Luna saw and what her reaction was.

Having reached the small lake, which I loved so much as a child, I sat down on the shore and began to think.

(Didn't humans ever notify them that we have a species similar to them?)

(So what now? All the questions will fall on me?)

(Me and my people will be accused of exploiting their far "relatives"?!)

I just didn't know what to do now. Was my reaction justified, or am I overestimating this situation?

(When will I wake up? What a pity that Luna is not with me to tell me this...)

I continued to look at the water surface, waiting for my awakening. After a while I got bored and decided to do it my way.

I got into the car and pulled out onto the road, picking up speed.

(Adrenaline should wake me up.)

Gaining decent speed, I realized that it was time.

(Well... Let's go!)

I sharply twisted the steering wheel to the right, as expected, I flew off the road and got into a serious accident.

"AAAAHHHH!!!" I screamed, sitting up in bed.

Quickly calming down, I looked around the room Luna had given me and got out of bed.

(Always works.)

I got dressed, washed and did other morning things.

Just as I was leaving the bathroom, there was a knock on the door.

I went to the door and opened it. On the threshold stood a royal guard in golden armor.

"Good morning, sir! Your chariot is ready to depart for Ponyville."

"Also, the princess asked me to give you this." the royal guard gave me some kind of pouch, the contents of which resembled coins.

"Is this the currency of Equestria?" I asked the guard.

"That's right. Now please follow me."

Having fulfilled the request of the guard, I followed him, but before that, l throwed a backpack over my shoulders. He led me through long corridors of the castle that I had never seen before.

In the end, we came to the big doors. The guard opened them, and I set foot on the streets of Canterlot for the first time.

Walking a little to the side of the exit from the castle, I saw a chariot in which 3 out of 4 pegasi were harnessed.

"Over here, sir." said the guard and pointed to the entrance to the chariot at the back of it.

I got into the cariot and signaled that I was ready. The guard who escorted me to the chariot joined the rest of the pegasi harnessed to the chariot.

(And how long will it take? Riding a chariot is not very fast way to travel...)

"Are you ready, sir?" asked one of the guards.

"Oh sure." I said with almost no emotion.

(He asks like this thing is about to take off, lol!)

The chariot started moving. I settled into a comfortable position, getting ready for the long trip.

(If only my car was here... I could get to Ponyville a lot faster.)

I felt the speed increase.

(Well, maybe it will be a little faster than I thought...)

The sun began to blind me a little, and I took out a cap from my backpack, pulling it over my eyes.

(Nice try, Celestia, but I was prepared.)

Feeling the warm rays of the morning sun on me, I relaxed, and almost fell asleep.

(I wonder how far we've gone already?)

I lifted my cap from my eyes and what I saw shocked me. The chariot flew through the air, and the beautiful landscapes of Equestria was visible below.

(Wow, this thing can actually fly?! I was just joking...)

I looked around with interest, accepting the fact that this chariot could fly.

Some time later, I sat down again, starting to think about my dream again. The same questions that bothered me in my sleep got to me when I was awake.

(So what do I have? Luna saw our Earth horses on TV and... What did she think?)

(Now she will tell her sister everything, and everyone else will know about it from her?)

(But... I don't understand, is this bad news for them? Will they accuse me and my kind of something?)

(It seems that everything is calm so far... Didn't Luna told Celestia about what she saw yet?)

(But, on the other hand, there's nothing wrong with that... We're just using their unintelligent brethren for our own purposes...)

Thinking about it, a smile appeared on my face.

(Okay, that sounded weird.)

(But getting back to this question... Didn't Celestia, after 2 years of exchanging letters, learn from humans that we have a species similar to them? And what about the ponies that visited our world? They never encountered horses? Or did none of them return to Equestria to tell the princess about this?)

I leaned on the side of the chariot, thinking about all this.

(So many questions and no answers at all...)

"Almost there, sir!" one of the guards said, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I looked down and saw houses with thatched roofs beginning to appear in the distance.

(So this is what Ponyville looks like? To be honest, it looks more like a village than a city.)

We kept getting closer, and after a couple of minutes the chariot landed. I stepped on the ground and stretched. We landed right in front of the bridge over the river, beyond which we could see this very city.

(It seems that we flew quickly, but my body went numb as if we had been flying for an eternity.)

"Thanks for the transportation guys. Now what?" I asked all four guards at once.

"Are you aware of the tasks given by Princess Celestia?" asked the guard from the second row on the right.

"Well... Yes." I said, sadly remembering what I had to do.

"Then let's go, sir! We'll be waiting for you tomorrow at 9 am at Twilight Sparkle's house." said the guard from the first row on the left.

"Okay, see you guys tomorrow then."

All four guards saluted me and rolled the chariot forward, picking up speed for takeoff.

Following them with my eyes, and watching their takeoff, I was in no hurry to enter the city, still remained behind the bridge leading to the city.

Remembering the pouch given to me by one of the guards, I reached into my backpack to get it. Taking it out, I carefully weighed it in my hands.

(So Celestia gave me some local currency for my needs? Wonderful!)

(Where do they have shops? Or a market? I would like to see what the ponies sell.)

At that moment, a piece of paper with the address of the stallion with whom I need to make friends popped up in my memory.

(Well... Nothing bad will happen if I allow myself a little tour?)

I tossed the bag of coins back into my backpack and started to cross the bridge.

(What time is it now, btw?)

I wanted to check the time on my watch, but quickly remembered that Celestia take it, like all my other gadgets.

(When is she going to return all this to me?)

In the meantime, I entered the city unnoticed. The streets were empty, apparently due to the fact that it was still quite early.

I continued to walk forward, looking around. After some time, I went to the fountain, part of the decor of which was a statue of a mare standing on her hind legs.

(I wonder who it is? Some historical figure?)

Abandoning these thoughts, I walked past the fountain, finally finding what I wanted - the market.

(Finally! Well, let's see what's going on here.)

In the market, I finally saw signs of life. Many ponies opened their stalls, and some were still empty. When they finally spotted me, the ponies waved happily at me.

"Hey! Hi! You look great!" I said, passing by numerous stalls.

Among all the other stalls, I saw what caught my attention - a coffee stall.

(Coffee is a great way to start your day!)

I walked over to the coffee stall and started reading the menu that was taped outside. Having made my choice, I said hello to the mare who ran this stall.

"I'd like a double cappuccino with caramel syrup, please." I said, placing 2 coins on the counter.

The pony silently began to prepare my order. Sadness was clearly visible on her face.

"What's wrong? Why are you so sad?" I asked sincerely.

The pony didn't answer.

"You can tell me. I just arrived here to learn how to behave better." I said with a light laugh.

Suddenly, the pony thumped the counter with her hoof, looking at me angrily.

"Listen, I'll figure out my own problems, okay?! It's none of your business!" said the pony with fire in her eyes.

Completely not expecting such a reaction, I fell into a stupor for a couple of seconds.
Looking around, I saw that her sudden reaction had drawn unnecessary attention to us.

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry. I shouldn't have interfered. I'd better go." I said hastily.

Wanting to avoid attention, I quickly disappeared behind the houses, moving away from the market.

Leaning against the wall of one of the houses, I looked at the sky.

(What a good start of the day...)

I thought it would be best to avoid such situations in the future.

"You forgot your cappuccino."

Surprised, I almost squealed like a girl.

"Oh my God, you scared me." I said clutching my heart.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you... I care about all my clients..." The coffee pony said sadly.

"It's just... I'm really having some difficulties in my life right now... And I..." рony didn't finish. "Just... Please... Take your cappuccino."

I followed the coffee pony's request and took my cup.

"Thank you for your purchase, sir. Come again." said the pony and headed back to the market.

Holding my drink, I watched the pony leave.

"What is your name?" I asked, not knowing why.

The pony stopped to look at me.

(Shit, I wanted to avoid situations like this! Why did I ask her...)

"Coffeine Cream. Nice to meet you." she said, and continued on her way again, leaving my sight of view.

I stood here for a couple of seconds, and tried to understand why I asked her name.

(Sometimes I speak first and then I think...)

Sipping a cappuccino, I finally stepped out of the alley and looked around.

(Okay, I think it's time to go to that stallion's address.)

Holding my drink with one hand, and rummaging in my pocket with the other, I took out a piece of paper with an address.

(Let's see... This is the address of Celestia's student, Twilight Sparkle... And this is the address of that stallion...)

(Sweet Apple Acres? Sounds weird, lol...)

I folded the paper and put it in my pocket. Seeing a sign nearby, I went to it. On the sign, I just found the address I needed. Seeing where the arrow was pointing, I followed in that direction.

My path ran through apple alleys with a white fence. A dog barking was heard in the distance.

(Does he live on a farm? Or does he just work here?)

The barking of dogs grew louder as I approached. After another couple of dozen steps, I began to hear something with a dull thud hit some kind of wooden floor.

(Maybe he's picking apples? I won't stop him from working? Couldn't Celestia wait for the weekends?)

Finally, coming even closer, I noticed an open gate in the fence. The sounds were definitely coming from behind it.

(Hopefully this won't be seen as trespassing... I just have to ask a couple of questions.)

Walking deeper into the apple alley, I noticed an orange mare in a hat, hitting the tree with her hind hooves. After the impact, all the apples from the tree fell right into the buckets standing under the tree.

(So that's what those sounds were.)

The mare looked proudly at the buckets full of apples. A dog ran up to her, barking happily, and demanding affection.

(And this, apparently, is her dog.)

I stepped out from behind the trees as the pony pulled one of the buckets of apples out to the wagon.

"Hello, ma'am. Can you tell me please, is this Sweet Apple Acres?"

"That's right, sugarcube, it's ..." the pony did not finish, as she saw me.

"YOU!" said the pony almost screaming.

I was surprised. Looking around, I didn't see anyone else.

"Uh... Me?" I said uncertainly.

Suddenly, the pony screamed as she jumped at me and dropped me to the ground, pinning me down with one of her hooves. I did not expect this at all and was scared.

"Hey, what are you doing?! What did I do to you?!" I said with a tremor in my voice.

"You're the bastard that caused my brother to get hurt! It's you! And you had the nerve to come here?!" said the pony, exhaling hot steam right at me.

"Are you his sister?!" I said in surprise.

"Yes, I'm his sister! And if it weren't for Celestia, I'd crush your skull right now with this very hoof!" said the pony, and I felt a powerful thud on the ground next to my head.

Trying to control myself, I exhaled.

"Listen, can we start over? This is not a very good introduction..."

"Listen here, you...!"

"Applejack? What's going on here?"

I froze. I recognized this voice.

Author's Note

Unexpected plot twist, baby! :ajsmug: Well, almost... :scootangel:

Bar talk

Still pinned to the ground by this incredibly strong pony, I heard a stallion with a familiar voice approaching us.

"Sis, are you here? I heard you screaming, are you okay?" a voice came from somewhere in the trees.

The orange pony looked angrily at me, and her look seemed to say "Try something funny and you're dead!". I simply put my hands forward, indicating that I was not going to do anything.

"I'm here, Mac!" said the pony loudly.

"Coming!" the familiar voice said again.

(Mac? So that's his name...)

After a couple of seconds, he finally came here. I looked at him and he looked at me. An awkward silence ensued.

"Uh... Hey there..." I said with an awkward smile.

"So you're finally here..." Mac said.

"Yeah... I was looking for you, but instead I found your... Sister, who wasn't very happy to see me..." I said, pointing to the hoof still pinning me to the ground.

The stallion sighed.

"Applejack, can you please let him go?"

While still looking angry, Applejack removed her hoof from me. I felt that it became easier for me to breathe.

"Thank you, sis."

I got up and started to dust myself off. When I finished with that, I saw that Mac and Applejack were looking at me.

"I guess... You know why I'm here?" I turned my attention to the stallion.

"Of course. I expected to meet you soon."

I felt a little relieved.

"Listen... We need to talk." I said seriously.

"OK." Mac said, seeming to expect me to speak.

"I mean... Just you and me." I said looking at his sister.

Applejack looked at me suspiciously, and apparently she wanted to say something, but did not dare.

"As you say. Let's go."

"Mac, do you seriously trust him?! What if he..." but Applejack didn't finish as Mac put a hoof to her mouth.

"Applejack, everything will be fine. We just need to talk. Trust me, please." Mac said, looking for understanding in his sister's eyes.

(Family drama... I haven't seen this in a long time.)

Applejack sighed and closed her eyes, thinking for a couple of seconds.

"Okay, Mac. I trust you. Go." said the mare, still not opening her eyes.

Then, she suddenly opened them, and pointed her hoof in my direction.

"I'm watching you, sugarcube!" Applejack said and turned around, walking towards the buckets with apples. The dog I saw before I showed itself, jumping out from behind the trees again.

(It looks like the dog was scared of all this activity and hid until everything calmed down.)

"Now we can talk." said Mac.

(Right here? In the middle of an apple farm? No, that's not good enough...)

"Say, is there a bar here or something? We can talk there. I'll pay." I asked hopefully.

"Well, yes, there is one nearby."

"Great! Lead the wa..." I did not finish, because an apple flew into my shoulder. "Ouch! What the hell was that?!"

I looked at Applejack. But I wish I hadn't, because her expression frightened me again.

"Doesn't matter. Lead the way." I said, hurrying up the stallion.

We went beyond the fence that encloses the apple alley and headed to Ponyville.
We walked in silence, and the silence was killing me.

"So... Are you also going through a reformation program right now?" I asked, trying to start a conversation.

"Yep."

(Wow... You're such a talker...)

"Celestia said that I have one main goal, and several secondary ones. After I complete them, I can go home." I kept trying to get him to talk.

Mac didn't answer, just shook his head.

(Okay, I give up. I hope things go better at the bar.)

We walked the rest of the way to the bar in silence. When we arrived, Mac finally spoke up.

"You have to pay 1 bit to get in," said Mac, and pointed to the stallion who had a small line of ponies paying for the entrance.

(Bit? So that's what the currency of Equestria is called?)

We stood at the end of the line. The ponies up ahead began to whisper.

"Look, this is the human who arrived yesterday, and he already going to try Equestrian alcohol?"

"He is determined!"

"I wonder how Equestrian alcohol affects a human?"

"I'd like to taste alcohol from his world!"

By the time it was our turn, I had already grown tired of this gossip.

After paying the entrance fee, we went inside and I saw the Equestrian bar for the first time and it was... Actually, it wasn't much different from the bars on Еarth.

We walked up to the counter and started looking at the menu.

"What do you want to drink?" I asked without looking up from the menu.

"Just a beer. I'll get us that table in the meantime." Mac said, and pointed to a table in the corner of the bar.

I looked at this place and noticed that the tables that stand against the walls and in the corners have soft sofas instead of ordinary wooden chairs.

"Okay. I'll be there soon."

Mac went to take the table, and I stayed at the counter to order. I decided to take snacks with the beer, and looked at the menu in search of them.

(Are there really no spicy sausages for beer here?! Every bar should have...)

And then I remembered where I am now.

(That's right... I forgot again that I'm in the company of equines now. I'll have to improvise...)

Once again resigned to the lack of meat here, I finally made my order. It consisted of four bottles of beer, salted nuts, and deep-fried cheese balls. After picking up my order and paying for it, I headed over to the table that Mac had taken.

"Here I am! I hope you're not allergic or something to cheese and nuts..." I said, actually worried about it.

"Nope."

"That's great." I said as I unloaded the beer and snacks from the tray.

Putting everything in its place, I also sat down. Mac had already opened the bottle by this time. I followed his example and did the same.

"Well... Let's drink to the fact that we didn't kill each other when we met today, shall we?" I said jokingly.

Mac, to my surprise, appreciated the joke and even smiled. We clinked bottles and took a sip.

"Dude, great stuff! Equestrian beer makes me happy." I said, wiping my lips with my hand.

"Try our family cider and you'll be blown away." Mac said with a little chuckle.

I sighed. The time has come.

"So... The main goal of my program is to make friends with YOU. Do you know about that?" I asked seriously.

"Yes. And I have exactly the same task - to make friends with YOU." Mac said, taking a sip of beer.

"So we're in the same boat, right? That makes things easier..." I said, not even trying to hide my joy. "But... By what criteria will the princesses determine whether we are friends or not?"

“I don’t know… Maybe with that fancy magic or something…” Mac said thoughtfully. "Like my sister says, friendship is magic!" Mac replicated Applejack's voice.

"Yeah, I would like to believe..." I said, leaning back on the soft sofa, and taking a couple of sips from the bottle. "I swear, Equestrian beer tastes better than one back home!"

"I think for us to count as friends, we need to spend time together. Celestia will probably really test it with her magic, and we'd better really be friends by that moment." Mac said while chewing on the nuts.

"Reasonable. I guess our hangout at the bar already counts toward spending time together?" I asked with a sly smile.

"I guess so."

Halfway through the bottle, I touched the snacks for the first time.

(Mmm, not bad either...)

"By the way, can you tell me more about your sister? The only thing I've noticed is that she's quite strong..." I said, rubbing the area where Applejack was pressing her hoof.

"Well, she... She's actually a good sister. We rarely have disagreements. But when she heard that I was back in Equestria and found out why..." Mac paused. "Oh boy, she was very angry at you. I guess you don't want to know what she was saying in your address, right?"

"Yeah, I guess there was not so many kind words..." I said, biting in cheese balls.

"But on the other side, my younger sister..."

"Woah, wait, you have two sisters?!" I was surprised.

Maс looked at me displeasedly, and I realized that I had interrupted him.

"Sorry, go on..." I said guiltily.

"My younger sister was interested when she heard that you were coming to Equestria for reformation. I think she and her friends wanted to see you."

"Really? What for?" I asked in surprise.

"She thinks you can help them find their cutie marks." said Mac, also falling on the soft back of the sofa.

"Cutie marks? What's that?" I asked, raising my eyebrow. Mac did the same.

"During these 2 years, while the ponies lived on Earth, you never found out what it is?"

"You know, I was busy with my own stuff, and I was not particularly interested in the new inhabitants of the earth. The same gray days at work, you know?" I said, trying not to sound a little offended.

"Okay, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. In general, Cutie Marks are the drawings on our rumps. They define what kind of talent we have." Mac said, pointing to his cutie mark, which is half an apple.

"Wow... I thought it was just tattoo trend of Equestria..." I said, unable to hide my smile. But my smile quickly disappeared.
"Wait a minute... Are they... Wanting me to help them find their talents?!" I was shocked.

"I know it sounds serious. But don't worry, I'm sure they won't bore you too much." Mac said smiling.

"That didn't help much..." I said, feeling the bottle being empty.

"I'm serious. Just try hanging out with them. Maybe it counts towards the progress of our friendship?" Mac said, also placing the empty bottle on the table.

"Okay, I'll try." I said as I handed the second bottle to Mac.

(Hanging out with the kids? Or should I say foals? Okay, that would be unusual to say the least.)

"Okay, who's next?" I asked as I opened the bottle.

"There's also Granny Smith. When she heard about what had happened, she said that our paths would soon cross again. And that was before I too was involved in the reformation program." Mac said, finally opening the bottle.

"I think life experience has some advantages." I noted.

"I think so too." Mac agreed.

"Anyone else?" I asked.

"You know, I have a pretty big family, and if I start listing everyone, we'll be stuck in this bar for two or three days." Mac said as he took his first sips from the new bottle.

"Fair point." I said with a shrug.

"What about your family? I told you about mine, now it's your turn." Mac said, pointing the bottle at me.

(Alcohol will indeed make anyone talkative.)

"Well, I have the most ordinary family... Mom, dad, sister, grandma, grandpa..." I said, looking at my blurry reflection in the bottle.

"Do you have a sister too?"

"Yes... I still remember our carefree days when we were kids and played all day long." I said a little sadly. "Now we live in different cities, and everyone is busy with their own business."

"Do you see each other often?" Mac asked.

"Most often, only on holidays, when the whole family gathers at the home of our parents."

"It's adulthood... It often has it's own plans for you." Mac said, pointing at me.

"Pretty much so..." I said, crunching the salted nuts. "Speaking of adulthood... I still wanted to ask..." I hesitated.

(We need to talk about this anyway.)

"Your wife... Who is she?" I finally asked.

Mac took a sip of his beer and leaned forward at the table, leaving the soft back of the sofa behind.

"I've been waiting for you to ask."

(Something really serious begins...)

"My wife... Her name is Cheerilee.
She works as a school teacher at the Ponyville school. She even managed to get a job as a teacher on Earth, just like she wanted. More career opportunities and all that."

Mac paused for a moment and then continued.

“She even found a replacement for herself at Ponyville school. The students were a little upset, of course, but they also understood that everyone needs to move forward in their lives. In short, we saw a great future for us, when we learned that the princesses offer any EARTH PONY to go to a whole new world, and try themselves there."

"After making this decision, we went to Earth. At first, everything seemed strange to us. Tall bipedal beings are everywhere, strange iron wagons that drive by themselves and so on."

"But in the end, we were able to settle down. As I said, my wife was able to get a job at a local school. She was interested in interacting with human children. She told me every day about the differences between this school and the Ponyville school. She could speak this topic for hours."

"What about me... I was able to get a job as an apple packer. I loaded apples into boxes, which were then transported to stores by trucks. You could say that everything was going well for us... Until that one day..."

"Friday. Evening. Our wedding anniversary, two years."

"She was in a hurry to go home so we could celebrate and then go to one place we had already chosen earlier. I asked her to drop by after work to the store, because I forgot to buy something. I noticed that she was late. When she finally came, she told me what had happened. And then... You know what happened."

I felt like a complete asshole. In the meantime, we finished our beers again at the same time.

"More beer?" I asked, pushing the empty bottles aside.

"Just one." Mac said.

"Of course. I'll be right back" I said and went to the counter.

In the flow of thoughts, I did not notice how I had already returned with two bottles of beer, one of which I gave to Mac.

"So... Not only have I ruined your anniversary... But I've also ruined your future?"

"Listen... I've thought about this a lot since that day. I realized that this situation is very ambiguous." Mac opened his beer and continued.

“My wife did the wrong thing by being rude to you when it was absolutely avoidable. And I was blinded by anger…”

"Just think... If I hadn't run looking for you and gotten into a fight... None of this would have happened. We'd be on the Earth, enjoying our vacation, celebrating our anniversary. But it happened, and it's stupid to regret about what you can't change."

"It's in our best interest to become friends. After the program ends, we can return to Earth and continue our lives as if none of that ever happened."

"Looks like... This is a lesson for all of us, isn't it?" I said, noticing that the bottle was already half empty.

"That's right. And we need to solve this problem together so that everyone can return to their normal lives."

"Well, it's a start, isn't it? We've got to keep going." I said as we clinked bottles and drank their contents.

"Okay, I think that's enough beer for today. I still need to help Applejack finish picking apples in the planned area. And thanks for that. If such hangout happen again, I'm paying." Mac said, pointing to himself.

"Deal" I said without a doubt.

"What are your plans for tomorrow, by the way?" Mac suddenly asked.

"I don't know. Celestia said a chariot would pick me up in the morning and I'd be spending a night at Twilight's house."

"Okay. Come to the farm if you need me. I'm always there." Mac said, holding out a hoof to me. "It was nice to finally find out something about each other. See you soon."

I shook his hoof and the stallion left the bar.

(Turns out he's a nice guy. We were just victims of our rage.)

I tossed a couple of cheese balls into my mouth, ordered the first juice I could find, and left the bar, too, taking the juice with me.

(I hope the juice eliminate the smell of beer from my mouth. I don’t want to breathe beer on a potential companion...)

I looked at the position of the sun. Evening was drawing near.

(Looks like we've been in this bar for a couple of hours... Time flies so fast...)

Remembering that I still have to write a letter to Celestia today about my progress for the day, I sighed.

(Can't she wait until tomorrow?...)

I took out a piece of paper with the address of Twilight's house from my pocket and examined it carefully.

(I don't want to go there yet. I'm gonna wait until evening. But what to do during this time?)

Not having much choice, I decided to just walk around Ponyville. See where my feet take me. While I was walking, some ponies waved at me, and I waved at them. Someone whispered, someone watched from afar.

(They will get used to me. Just need some time.)

Suddenly, I heard a bell ring. At first I thought it was a church bell, but when I turned around, I saw that I had come across Ponyville school. Before I had time to think about my next course of action, I saw that many foals were running out of the main entrance, hurrying home. Not wanting to draw too much attention to myself, I hide behind a couple of trees, watching the foals run past.

(They're pretty cute... No wonder I'm seeing them for the first time. I think only adult ponies could go through the portal... A smart decision.)

And then I heard a voice. A voice that I will never forget.

Mac's wife came out of the school, followed by another mare. Looks like they were talking about something. I started listening.

"Oh, thank you for agreeing to my presence today. It means a lot to me." said Cheerilee.

(This appears to be the same pony that Mac's wife gave her place at Ponyville's school to work at the school on Earth.)

"Come on. I knew the students would be happy to see you again." said the unknown pony. "How's your husband doing, by the way?"

"Today he was supposed to meet that human he fought back then, on Earth." said the former school teacher. "Hope they didn't kill eachother..."

"Have you changed your mind about this person who caused all this?" Mac's wife's companion asked in surprise.

"You know, I was wrong too... If I could control my emotions back then... Everything would be fine."

Right after these words, three more foals ran out of the school. One was a white unicorn, another was a yellow earth pony, and another was an orange pegasus.

"The blackboard is clean and the chairs are in their places!" said the little earth pony.

"Thank you kids, you're helping me out so much!" said the unknown pony.

"No problem, we're always happy to help!" said the little unicorn.

"Besides, what if it helps us get our cutie marks?" said the orange pegasus happily.

The two mares laughed at these words.

"Always in the search, right?" said Cheerilee as she stroked the little earth pony's head.

"Tell Mac we're going to our treehouse to discuss our plans to find our cutie marks, please." said the little earth pony, looking at her former school teacher.

"Of course I'll tell him."

After saying goodbye, the unicorn and earth pony climbed into a cart attached to a wooden scooter. Pegasus took control of the scooter. Quickly flapping her small wings, the pegasus moved the scooter from its place, and they quickly sped off over the horizon.

The two mares talked a little more, and then also parted.

(I definitely raised my stealth level after that...)

Finally stepping out from behind the trees, I stretched to my full height as I was standing behind the trees in a slightly awkward position.

(This spying completely tired me... I have to go to Twilight.)

Once again, taking out a piece of paper with Twilight's address, I headed there, guided along the way by the signs that were placed throughout the city. When I arrived, I was a little surprised.

(Twilight, do you live in a tree? Are you sure you're a pony and not a bird?)

Tiredness reminded of itself, and I threw my surprises aside by knocking on the door.

"Coming!" a voice was heard from behind the door.

(Sounds like a child's voice... Does Twilight have another brother?)

Evening in Ponyville

About ten seconds later, the door opened, and behind it I saw a small... Dragon?

"Hello! We've been waiting for you! Come in." said the little dragon with joy in his voice. I entered Twilight's house thinking about what I saw.

"Twilight! Vlad is here!" shouted the dragon.

"Coming!" said the voice I recognized as Twilight.

(Is there also dragons living in Equestria? I thought only ponies inhabited this world...)

There was a clatter of hooves, and Twilight came down the stairs. When she saw me, she smiled and waved at me. I did the same.

"I'm glad you finally here." Twilight said as she walked over to me. "Did you introduce yourself, Spike?"

"On it!" Spike said as he turned to me. "My name is Spike. Nice to meet you." said the dragon and extended his small hand to me. I had to crouch to offer my hand to him in return.

"Hey buddy! Cool scales." I said during the handshake.

(I never complimented dragons in my life... I hope I choоse the right words...)

"Thank you! Taking care of the scales is not an easy task!" Spike said proudly. "I'll go warm up the food, Twi." Spike said, heading for what I understood to be the kitchen.

"Alright Spike, thanks for the help!" Twilight said and then looked at me. "Come on, I'll show you your bed."

Twilight led me up the stairs to the second floor and showed me the bed where I would sleep.

"Do you like it? It was quite difficult to get it here..." Twilight feigned fatigue.

I looked at the bed that had been given to me, and a feeling of desperation came over me.

"Twilight, I don't want to devalue your work, but... I don't think I can fit into this bed..." I said as I walked over to the side of the bed. "This bed is made for ponies, isn't it?"

"Oh, somehow I didn't think of that..." Twilight said sadly, her ears pressed to her head.

"Listen, I saw a couch on the first floor, and I think I can fit on it without any problems. What do you say?" I asked, trying to cheer up the sad pony.

"I don't think there's much of a choice... Let's go."

We went down to the first floor again. I took off my backpack and put it next to the couch. Sitting on it, I felt that it was very soft.

"Great couch, Twilight! I'm already looking forward to sleeping here!" I said hugging the pillow. Twilight finally smiled.

"Food is ready! Come!" Spike's voice came from the kitchen.

I got up from the couch and Twilight walked me to the kitchen. We met Spike at the entrance.

"Bon appetit! I'll go chew some gems and read a comics." Spike said and headed for the stairs to the second floor.

"Huh? Chew some gems? WTF?"

Twilight thanked Spike again and invited me to come into the kitchen. Going into the kitchen, I saw that it was quite spacious with a table in the middle. There were only two chairs near the table, one slightly higher than the other.

(Apparently, one for Spike, and one for Twilight.)

"Get on the bigger one, Vlad. I'll take Spike's chair."

"Okay, thanks." I said and sat down on a bigger chair, just like Twilight said. Sitting down on a chair, I began to examine the contents of the table.

(Let's see... Soup... It's red. Must be tomato soup. Okay. What's next?)

(Cucumber and cabbage salad. It smells delicious. Cheese sandwiches? Cool!)

There was also apple juice in the glasses, and even a cake.

"Do you like it? Princess Celestia told me about the food that humans eat, and I didn't cook anything that you couldn't eat." Twilight said with a smile.

"Yes, everything looks very tasty. And there's nothing I can't eat." I joked.

I started with the soup. It was very tasty.

"So how was your day?" Twilight asked.

"I knew you'd ask." I said, biting into a cheese sandwich. "Well, yes, I met Mac. Our meeting went pretty well. But speaking of Applejack..."

Twilight looked worried.

"I met Applejack before Mac, and she... How do I say this? She wasn't very happy to see me. That's all I can say, I don't want to complain about her, this reaction is quite understandable. Ask her what happened if you're interested."

"And about Mac... Everything was fine with us. We discussed everything peacefully over a couple of beers at a local bar. We have come to the conclusion that we need to spend time together so that we can become friends. Then Celestia will see it and I will go home... Probably..."

"I'm happy for you, Vlad! And what about the rest of Ponyville? Did you communicate with someone? Have you found new friends?" Twilight asked hopefully.

"Uh... Well... Some ponies waved to me when I arrived at Ponyville in the morning, and I did the same. I also talked to one pony when I ordered coffee from her..."

"Oh, Coffeine Cream? I also like to buy her coffee in the morning. However, lately, she has become not very talkative... As I understand it, she has some problems in her personal life."

"Well, yes, it happens." I said with a shrug.

(I don't think it's worth talking about what happened between us at the market this morning...)

"Oh yes, Twilight, I wanted to ask... You knew Applejack didn't treat me very well, didn't you? And this is what Luna was talking about?"

"Yes, about that..." Twilight said with nervous smile. "I knew about it... Everyone knew. But the princess thought you needed to find out for yourself. It's part of your program."

"Okay... What about Applejack? Did she not want to come to dinner with me at the castle, or did you not let her in?" I kept asking.

"She didn't want to. She said she didn't want to see you for as long as possible."

"Yeah... It looks like it's going to be a long time before she stops wanting to kill me every time we see each other." I said sarcastically. "Well, at least I was able to make peace with Mac..."

"I'm sure you'll become friends. Just show that you are changing for the better." Twilight said with a smile.

"So, also, about Spike... He's a dragon, right?" I asked, deciding to change the subject.

"Yes, he's a dragon. Why?"

"I thought only ponies lived in Equestria... And it turns out that there are also dragons?"

"Besides ponies and dragons, there are also minotaurs, yaks, griffins, zebras, deers in Equestria... The list can be continued for quite a long time." Twilight said, glad that she was able to use her knowledge on me.

"Wow, Equestria has gathered all the mythology from my world..." I said with genuine surprise.

"Oh yeah, about your world... Do you think you could give something for research? Some kind of human technology?" Twilight asked hopefully.

These words made me laugh. Twilight looked at me in surprise.

"Your teacher beat you to it, Twilight. Celestia took all my "Human Technology" from me for her research." I said, still chuckling a little.

"Oh... Well, yes, I expected it."

When the soup and salad were finished, Twilight offered me a cake.

"Pinkie baked this cake at the "Sugarcube Corner" bakery. She asked me to tell her later if you liked the cake or not."

"How can a cake not be delicious? And... Wait... Does Pinkie have her own bakery?"

"No, but she works and lives in that bakery. I think you should go there, she'll be glad to see you," Twilight said happily.

"Good idea! I'll go there today and tell her I liked the cake. I'll take a walk at the same time... I like to walk in the evenings."

"But first you have to write a letter to Princess Celestia, remember?"

I completely forgot about it, and the reminder did not add to my joy.

"Yes... Yes, of course I remember! I'll start writing right after this beautiful cake!" I tried to pretend responsibility, but Twilight seemed to understand everything.

As I expected, the cake turned out to be very tasty, and I ate two pieces, washed down with apple juice.

(This juice was made at Applejack Farm, wasn't it? Did she put poison in there for me? Lol...)

A little later, Twilight walked me to the second floor and sat me down at a table, giving me paper with a quill and ink. I started examining the ink with a surprised face.

"Is something wrong?" Twilight asked.

"Well, I don't usually use this... Device."I said, and remembered that I had a pair of ballpoint pens in my backpack. "Just a second, I'll be right back."

I went to the first floor and took out the object I was looking for from my backpack, then returning back to Twilight.

"What is this?" Twilight asked with interest.

"This, my dear Twilight, is a ballpoint pen. Humans use this on a daily basis. It is much more better to write with this other than this way." I said, pointing to the ink. "With this thing, you will never put a blot on paper and spoil your work."

"Wow... And you said you don't have human technology anymore?! It's just perfect! Will you give me one? Please?" Twilight pleaded.

"Well... Yes, of course, why not? As soon as I finish the letter, this thing is all yours."

The purple pony screamed with joy and even hugged me.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I've been wanting to get at least something from the human world for research for these two years!" said Twilight, squeezing me even tighter.

"No problem! But I think I'm going to turn blue now if you become even more grateful..."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I'm just so happy!" said Twilight, releasing me. "Okay, I won't distract you anymore, write a letter."

Twilight was almost gone, but then she turned back to me.

"Do you mind if I read your letter after you finish it? I'm just interested in your writing style..."

"Of course. I'll let you read it." I said, no longer surprised by Twilight's actions.

"Wonderful! I'll be in the living room. Come to me when you're done."

After saying that, Twilight went down the stairs to the first floor.

(I never thought that I would make someone so happy with an ordinary pen...)

"She's very impressionable, isn't she?"

I shuddered, then looked at the source of the voice, and saw that there was a basket near Twilight's bed, in which Spike was lying and reading a comic book.

"Dude, you scared me... I completely forgot that you're here on the second floor."

"It happens... Come on, write a letter, I'll send it when you're done." Spike said without looking up from the comic.

"How fast does the post office work in Equestria? Probably, the princess will have to wait for my letter for an eternity..."

"Faster than you expect, buddy..."

(Strange... Well, we'll see when I write this letter.)

With these thoughts in mind, I finally started writing. While writing, I remembered Spongebob with his essay for the boat school, and I thought that it was better not to allow this. When I finally finished writing the letter, I picked it up and reread it.

"Hey princess, how are you?

Today I met Mac at his farm, and we didn't even kill each other! I think this is a great progress between us, but what do you say? Of course, not everything is as smooth as it might seem at first glance... Mac's sister, Applejack, wasn't very happy to see me, and something happened. But, I won't say what exactly, it's not that important. Her reaction is quite justified, and I will not judge her for it.

Oh yeah, back to me and Mac. Well, we decided to talk it over over a couple of beers at a local bar. We talked about everything we wanted to talk about and decided we needed to spend more time together. Maybe a walk together, go to the cinema, well, something like that.

In short, after sitting in a bar for a couple of hours talking, we parted. Mac went back to the farm, and I went to Twilight. She provided me with a bed, but it turned out to be too small for me, and I will sleep on the couch.

Well, that's about it. Bye, princess.
Vlad."

After making sure that everything was fine with the letter, I went down to the first floor, where I discovered that Twilight had another guest, that rainbow pony. Two ponies noticed me as soon as I came down from the last step.

"Hey, big guy! What's up?" Dash said, holding out her hoof, expecting a "Brohoof" from me. I didn't upset her expectations and did as she wanted. "If all humans are as cool as you, then I definitely have to visit your world at least once!"

It turned out that Dash had come for a new book from her favorite book series. I didn't pay attention to the title name, but I believe it's some kind of a treasure hunt, because the mare on the cover of the book reminded me of Indiana Jones.

"Maybe you'll like it too, Vlad?" Dash asked. "Read it, if you have time, you won't regret it."

"So what's with the letter, Vlad? Have you finished it?" Twilight asked, putting some books on the shelf.

I nodded, handing the letter to Twilight. A magical aura surrounded the letter, and it flew from my hand straight to Twilight.

"I'm going for a walk for now." I said, heading for the door.

"I'm going too, Twilight. Thanks for the book." Dash said, but Twilight didn't answer, as she was enthusiastically reading my letter. "Twilight! Are you here? Heloooo!"

"Vlad, do you mind if I correct your letter a little?" Twilight finally answered.

"Well... Okay... Just don't change the basic idea, okay?" I said, remembering about the pen. "Oh, yes, the pen is on the table, on the second floor."

"Same old Twilight... Egghead will never come out of you." Dash said with a smile. "Come on, Vlad, let's take a walk."

(I actually wanted to walk alone... But oh well...)

By the time we left Twilight's house, she had already run to the second floor to correct the letter.

After walking some distance from Twilight's house, I noticed that two ponies came up to it and knocked on the door. One was cyan and the other was beige.

(I think I've seen them before... But where?)

I was distracted from my thoughts by Dash's wing waving in front of my face.

"Hey! Did Twilight also infect you with flying to other galaxies? Are you here?"

"Yes, yes, I'm here. What is it?" I asked, seeing Dash drop to the ground and start walking next to me.

"What kind of letter did you write? And to whom?"

"Celestia asked me to write her a letter about how my day went."

"And how did it went?" Dash asked.

(Ah shit, here we go again...)

"Oh, look, Trixie is performing! Do you want to look?" Dash suddenly said.

"Trixie? Who is this?" I asked.

"You'll see, let's go! I think we're just in time for the start of the show!" Dash said, taking my elbow with her hoof and leading me to the crowd of ponies gathered near the stage.

(Well, at least I was saved from another story about how my day went...)

"Hello Ponyville! The great and powerful Trixie is here again to give you her wonderful performance!"

The crowd of ponies stomped on the ground, and I even shook a little.

(What the hell? Why are they stomping? Cosplay for an earthquake?)

"Today Trixie wants to give a chance to one of her loyal fans to perform on the same stage with her! Who will it be?" said Trixie, scanning the crowd of ponies, and our eyes suddenly crossed.

"Look at this, Trixie's performances are so amazing that even a human came to watch! Let's welcome him!" Trixie said, and the mini earthquake started again.

(I forgot how much I stand out among all these ponies, and in order not to notice me in the crowd, you probably have to be blind ...)

"Well, human, I invite you to the stage! Come out and greet all these ponies in response!"

"What?... But I just came to watch, I didn't..." I didn't finish, as I felt Dash pushing me to the entrance to the stage.

"Come on, big guy, don't be shy." Dash said with a smirk.

(It looks like I have no choice...)

"What's your name, human?" asked Trixie as soon as I got on stage.

"Vlad. Well, hello to everyone who gathered here today! I didn't think I would be a part of the performance today..." I said a little confused.

"Every dream has the chance of coming true! And now, tell me, are you ready to help the great and powerful Trixie with the performance?"

"Okay, let's do it!" I said more confidently.

"That's the spirit! That's what Trixie needs!"

Before I knew it, a deck of cards appeared in my hands.

"Now Trixie will guess the card that our dear Vlad will choose without even looking at it!" said Trixie, addressing the audience. "Choose a card, Vlad!"

I chose the ace of spades.

"Done? Good. Show the card to the audience, but don't show it to Trixie!"

(I don't really like her strange way of speaking about herself in the second person...)

I showed the card to the audience. Everyone examined it carefully. Then Trixie said to put the card back in the deck and mix it. I did as she asked and gave the deck to her.

"Now Trixie will guess Vlad's chosen card! You chose..." there was a pause, during which Trixie sorted through the cards. "This card!"

I was surprised. Trixie really took my card out of the deck.

"Yes... I chose this card..."

"Maybe you think Trixie is lying? Let's check it out!" Trixie turned to me. "Vlad, Trixie is promoting you to her assistant! You have to help her!" Then she turned back to the audience. "Who wants to choose a card?"

There were a lot of ponies who wanted to.

"Vlad, choose one lucky person, please, and invite them on stage!"

I peered into the crowd. I was able to spot one interesting looking gray pony with eyes that... Well... They looked unusual. I invited her on stage, which she was very happy about.

"What's your name, beauty?" Trixie asked the gray mare.

"My name is Derpy!! Oh, it's so exciting that your assistant chose me! Wow!"

"Choose a card, Derpy!" Trixie handed the deck of cards to Derpy.

"It's a little uncomfortable for me, I could use some help..." said Derpy a little awkwardly.

"Vlad! Help this pony choose a card!" said Trixie, teleporting the deck into my hands.

We moved a little to the side, and I helped her. Derpy chose the six of hearts. This time Trixie was also able to unmistakably pull the card chosen by Derpy from the deck.

Trixie asked me to invite another pony to the stage to finally consolidate the success. This time I chose a white unicorn with stylish glasses and headphones. She was able to choose a card without my help, and I wasn't surprised at all when Trixie chose the right card again.

"Are you ready for the next part of the performance? It's going to be much more impressive than the one before!" said Trixie, and an earthquake hit Ponyville once again.

"Now Vlad will demonstrate to you the wonders of controlled levitation! Are you ready, my assistant?" Trixie looked at me.

"Uh... what? Levita...?" but I didn't have time to finish, as Trixie pointed her horn at me, and a bright flash flew in my direction. The next second I felt that I became very light and could float through the air as if on water.

(I didn't think at all this morning that I would learn to fly...)

"Now Vlad will catch some items that Trixie will cast the same spell on and bring them back to her!" the next moment, the mug, Trixie's cap and that same deck of cards, thank God, folded in a box, so that the cards could not fly in different directions, began to float in the air.

To move through the air, I did the same movements as if I were swimming underwater. First I caught the mug, then Trixie's cap. The cards were the most difficult to catch. The little deck kept slipping out of my hands at the last moment, but in the end I was still able to catch them.

(Now I have to go down to Trixie... And I know how!)

Having reached the roof of the stage, I pushed off from it with my feet and safely flew to Trixie, who held out a hoof to me so that I would not fly away again. I gave her all the items collected during levitation.

"Trixie thanks you Vlad! Now Trixie will remove the spell from you, try to land on your feet, otherwise it may hurt a little!" said Trixie, and gave me a couple of seconds to get into the right position in the air.

"Ready? Great!" said Trixie and sent the flash in my direction again.

This time I closed my eyes in time, and it didn't blind me. Having landed safely on the ground, I realized how much I love walking on the ground, and I don't need levitation at all...

"Now that Vlad has demonstrated that it's safe, does anyone want to fly like that?"

This time, there were much fewer ponies willing to participate than in the trick with cards. Nevertheless, I invited a yellow mare with an orange mane, whose cutie mark was a bunch carrots, to the stage. After casting a spell on the carrot pony, Trixie asked her if she wanted to catch objects, or just fly.

"Well, I think catching things in flight is more interesting. than just flying, so yeah, give me something!" said carrot pony in an excited voice.

"As you wish!" said Trixie and looked at me. I raised an eyebrow in surprise, thinking that I would have to fly again. But Trixie cast a spell not on me, but on my cap, which then flew over my head, and the carrot pony chased after it. After catching it, she returned it to me.

"Wow, that was fun! But I already want to go back on the ground, and I could use some help, I'm afraid it will be quite difficult to land on my hooves for me..." Pony said with an awkward smile.

"No problem! Vlad, help this pony, please."

The pony was flying pretty close to the ground, and I was able to grab her and lower her to the ground. Then Trixie cast off her spell and the pony went into the crowd.

"And now, the grand finale of Trixie's performance! A cloning spell!"

When I heard this, I was no longer surprised, and I realized what was about to happen.

"Now I'm going to cast a cloning spell on Vlad!" said Trixie.

I closed my eyes even before she turned to me, and for good reason. It felt like the flash from this spell was stronger. When I opened my eyes, I saw that my exact copy was standing right in front of me.

(This day is getting more and more interesting...)

"The clone has all the characteristics of the original, but multiplied by two! Look! Trixie said, and her horn began to glow slightly for a few seconds.

After that, my clone, who had been standing motionless before, suddenly stretched out his arms, took me by the shoulders, and then lifted me over his head. It turned out that I was lying back down on the arms of my clone.

"As you can see, it is not difficult for him. He never gets tired, however, there is still one minus... He disappears after about 5 or 10 minutes.... But Trixie will refine his abilities, and he will be even more powerful at the next performance!" Trixie announced. "And now, Trixie invites four stallions to the stage who want to test the clone's abilities!"

In less than a minute, four stallions were already standing on the stage.

"Now, the clone will lift these four stallions on his shoulders!" declared Trixie.

Trixie gave the clone the command again, and only now he lowered me back onto the stage. Then, he approached the stallions, squatting down, picking them up like feathers, and placing them on his shoulders, two on each side.

"He could have raised more, but unfortunately his time is running out." after these words, the clone gently lowered the stallions onto the stage, and slowly began to fade away, until he disappeared completely.

(Wow, I felt like a gigachad...)

The stallions left the stage, and Trixie announced that the performance was coming to an end.

"The great and powerful Trixie, as well as her assistant, thanks you for your attention!"

(It's finally over...)

I started to leave the stage, but suddenly, the ponies watching the performance didn't let me do it, they surrounded me and started asking for autographs.

"What? My autograph? Maybe you'd better ask Trixie?" I looked at the place where Trixie was standing, but she was also surrounded by her fans.

Ponies began to give me notebooks, paper, books so that I would leave an autograph on them. I didn't count on it at all, but I had no choice.

"Sign on my rump!" shouted the mare, who ran forward to me.

"Huh??" I was surprised.

"Is it too difficult for you? Scared?" the mare started provoking me.

"So this is how it is? Well, come here!" I said confidently, taking one of my pens out of my pocket.

It seemed to me that I had been signing autographs for at least half an hour, and sat down tired on the stage steps when everyone left. It was already pretty dark, I would even say it's already night.

"Popularity found you, big guy?" Dash flew up to me and sat down next to me.

"Yeah... Against my will..." I said with such fatigue, as if I had run a marathon.

And then I remembered that I wanted to go to Pinkie Pie.

"Dash, is the bakery where Pinkie works still open?"

"Of course not! They closed probably an hour ago!" Dash said, looking at me with a laugh.

"Okay... I'll come to it another time... I need to get back to Twilight." I said, getting up from the steps.

"Yes, it's time for me to go home too. Take care of yourself, and don't let Twilight infect you!" Dash said, and we exchanged brohoofs.

Dash flew off, hiding behind the clouds.

"How are you, assistant? Trixie is immensely grateful for your help!" said Trixie, coming up to me.

"A little tired... But in general, everything is fine."

"Trixie never leaves the efforts of others without paying! Here you go!" said Trixie, giving me a bag of coins.

"Oh, thank you... I didn't think I'd get paid."

"Trixie needs to prepare for tomorrow's performance. Come again if you want." Trixie said and walked towards her trailer.

(I doubt I'll be here again tomorrow)

Tired, and a little upset that I couldn't go to Pinkie, I went back to Twilight's house. As I approached the house, I noticed that the lights were still on in the windows.

(Great, she's not sleeping yet. Otherwise, I thought I'd have to knock on the door and wake her up...)

As I got closer, I heard someone talking in the house. Approaching the window, I saw that it was Twilight, and next to her was Celestia.

(What is she doing here?)

I stood against the wall near the window and listened to their conversation.

"Don't tell him about it yet, we'll try to resolve the situation, okay?" Said Celestia.

"But Princess, are you sure? Maybe it's not worth hiding it after all? Won't it just get worse?" asked Twilight.

"I'm sure, Twilight, so far it's just..." Celestia was interrupted because I accidentally touched some kind of iron thing near the wall.

"Did you hear that? Is there someone here?" Celestia was wary.

A chill ran down my spine. I definitely shouldn't show myself now, at least because it's not polite to eavesdrop.

"I don't know, I'll check it out now..." Twilight said.

I quickly moved behind the part of the tree behind which I could not be seen. The next second, I heard the sound of the window opening, and then the door.

"There's no one." Twilight reported to the princess.

"Okay, it doesn't matter. Just don't say a word about it, okay? It's important."

"Okay, Princess, I won't tell him anything."

"Great. I have to go, good night, Twilight." said Celestia, and the next second there was a sound identical to the one I heard when Celestia teleported me with her to the castle kitchen.

(She's gone... Phew...)

(What are the secrets again? Something about Applejack again? Something that I'll only find out again when I meet her?)

In order not to arouse suspicion, I waited for about ten minutes, and then went into the house, fortunately, the door was open. Twilight was sitting on the couch.

"Oh, you're finally back! How does fame taste to you?" Twilight asked with a smile.

(What? How is she?...)

"Do you already know everything?..." I asked in surprise.

"News travels very fast in Equestria, sometimes even too fast." Twilight said, getting up from the couch.

"You tired, I guess? I put a blanket and a pillow on the nightstand next to the sofa." Twilight pointed with her hoof at the sleeping accessories. "The Princess hasn't answered your letter yet... Apparently busy with something important."

"Okay, thanks."I thanked Twilight.

"I'm going to bed now too. The bathroom is over there, if you need it. Good night." Twilight said, and went to the second floor.

I undressed, put my clothes on the nightstand and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. During this, I couldn't stop thinking about Twilight and Celestia's conversation, trying to guess what they were talking about.

(I feel like a victim of a conspiracy...)

Having finished with the night hygiene, I put a pillow and a blanket on the couch, and then lay down myself.

(Okay, I'm too tired to think about this conversation any further... I need sleep... Lots of sleep...)

Without noticing it, I fell into a blissful sleep.

Day off

Knock - knock - knock.

There was only silence in the darkness.

Knock - knock - knock.

The knock became more insistent. The rustling of the bed was heard.

Knock - knock - knock.

Knocking eventually woke me up. I pulled back the covers and sat up in bed, resting my head in my hands.

(Who the fuck could come to Twilight so early?!)

Sleepness quickly overcame anger, and I threw on a blanket and with half-closed eyes went to open the door. When I opened the door, I saw one of those ponies who came to Twilight's at the moment when Dash and I went out for a walk. She was beige and had a two-tone mane.

"I need to warn you!" said the beige pony suddenly, leaning on me with her front hooves. "Listen carefully!"

My sleepy brain was not capable of processing such a flood of information, so I just nodded, wishing she would speak out soon and I went back to sleep.

"Beware Lyr..."

I don’t know what happened at that moment, but it seems that my brain turned off, and I fell asleep standing up for a couple of minutes.

"Hey, are you listening?!" I felt this pony shaking my shoulders.

"Yes, yes... Speak..." I said with my eyes closed.

"Anyway, avoid her, got it?" asked the beige pony seriously.

"Yes of course thank you..." I said, and felt the pony take off her hooves from me.

"Great! You're safe now if you follow my advice! Now, I've got to go. Bye!" said the beige pony and ran off towards the dark side of the street.

(I don't know what it was, and I don't care...)

I closed the door and lay down on the couch again. In less than a minute, I was already asleep again.

***

I felt a light touch on my head. When I opened my eyes, I saw that it was Twilight.

"Hey, sleepyhead, wake up, it's already morning!" Twilight said with a smile. "Princess Celestia's chariot will be here in an hour."

I rubbed my eyes and sat up in bed.

"Good morning, Twilight." I said sleepily.

"Come to the kitchen, I've made breakfast." Twilight said as she walked into the kitchen.

(Third day in Equestria... I'm doing well so far.)

After getting dressed and making my bed, I went to the bathroom to wash my face. After my morning routine, I headed to the kitchen. When I entered the kitchen, I saw Spike making pancakes.

"Aha, there you are! You like to sleep, don't you?" Spike asked, not looking up from cooking.

"Well, yes, it's true..." I said, stretching.

"Vlad, here's your pancakes!" Twilight said as she invited me to the table.

I sat down at the table and started to have breakfast with Twilight. Soon Spike joined us.

"Do you like to cook, Spike? You're good at it!" I complimented Spike.

"You are too kind!" Spike said sarcastically.

After finishing breakfast, I had an idea.

"Say, Twilight, how much time do I have before I go back to Canterlot?" I asked as I put my plate in the sink.

"About forty or thirty minutes. What's on your mind?"

"I want to take a walk. I'll go to Pinkie at the same time, I didn't have time yesterday ..."

"Okay, but be here on time." Twilight said seriously.

"You can count on me!" I said as I opened the front door.

Closing the door behind me, I walked forward. And when I took a couple of steps, I realized that I did not know where the bakery where Pinkie works is located.

(I didn't even think about that...)

I decided not to return to Twilight to ask for the address, but to wander around the city.

(Ponyville isn't that big. I'm sure I'll find the place I need quickly.)

As I was walking around town looking for a bakery, I noticed something... Weird.

(This mare was my neighbor back home... She said she liked it there, why did she come back to Equestria?)

To my surprise, looking around, I noticed more and more familiar ponies.

(This stallion worked in a cafe where I bought coffee every morning... This mare once delivered pizza to me... And I also know this mare... She worked as a cashier in a store that I went to after work...)

My surprise knew no bounds.

(Why are they all suddenly back? Do they miss their homeland?)

My thoughts were interrupted by the sudden discovery of Pinkie's bakery.

(It was even faster than I thought.)

When I went inside, I saw a lot of ponies eating all kinds of sweets. Cupcakes, cakes, pastries and so on. There was a long line at the checkout, and I joined it. Pinkie was nowhere to be seen.

(I have about twenty minutes left...)

Fortunately for me, the line of customers quickly passed, and I finally went to the checkout. A plump blue mare with a two-tone mane worked at the checkout.

"Hello. I wanted to see Pinkie, is she busy?" I asked politely.

"Oh, hello! You must be Vlad. I'm Miss Cake. Welcome to our bakery! Pinkie is working in the kitchen now." said the mare and pointed to the door leading to the kitchen.

"Ah, I understand. Apparently, I'm at the wrong time." I said with a little desperation.

"No, no, it's fine. You can go into the kitchen if you need to see Pinkie. Just put on this first." Miss Cake said and gave me a white apron.

I was surprised at such kindness.

(I'm not an employee, but I can go to the kitchen? Wow...)

"Thank you, Miss Cake, you are very kind!"

The mare just smiled as I put on the apron.

"How do I look in this apron?" I asked jokingly.

"It's certainly a little small for you, but it's better than nothing, right?" said Miss Cake with a warm smile.

"Yes, of course, don't worry." I answered politely.

Miss Cake began to serve the next customers, and I went into the kitchen. When I entered, I immediately saw Pinkie. She was taking a baking sheet of muffins out of the oven.

"I'm already putting them in the basket, Miss Cake!" Pinkie said without looking back.

"Okay, give them to me." I said, deciding to play along.

It wasn't until Pinkie turned to me that she saw that I wasn't Miss Cake at all.

"Vlad, it's you!" Pinkie said as she placed the basket on the floor and ran up to me in a pink blur, hugging me tightly.

"Do you want me to throw you a party? Is that what you came for? I can throw it tonight, it'll be great! I'll invite all my friends and..."

"I'm sorry Pinkie, but I don't have much time right now, I'm flying back to Canterlot any minute now." I interrupted Pinkie. because I understood that she would continue this for hours.

"Oh, what a pity!" Pinkie looked at me with a sympathetic smile. "Next time then!"

"Yes, of course. I came to thank you for that cake, it was delicious. Twilight said she would tell this to you, but I thought it would be best if I came myself."

"Oh, that's so sweet of you!" Pinkie said as she hugged me even tighter.

(One day those ponies will choke me without even realizing it...)

"Okay, I have to go now. Let me take these muffins to Miss Cake, what do you say?" I asked, picking up the basket from the floor.

"Of course, I will not refuse help, thank you!" Pinkie said as she got back to work. "Goodbye!"

I waved to Pinkie and left the kitchen. When I left the kitchen, I saw the last ponies leaving the bakery, and Miss Cake was hanging a sign on the door.

"Closing already?" I asked in surprise.

"No, just a break." answered Miss Cake, turning to me. "Have you spoken to Pinkie?"

"Yes, and she asked me to give you this." I said and handed the mare a basket of muffins.

"Oh, thanks for the help!" said Miss Cake and took the basket from me.

At this moment, I thought it would be a good idea to bring some sweets for Twilight.

"Miss Cake... Can you serve me please? I understand you're on a break, but I want to do something nice for... a friend."

(Is Twilight even my friend?...)

"Of course, Vlad!" Miss Cake said and stood behind the cash register. "What would you like to buy?"

"I don't know... There are so many delicious things here... Can you help me choose?" I said, looking at the sweets on the counter.

Miss Cake began listing the assortment of the bakery. After some deliberation, I chose a dozen of blueberry muffins, strawberry and raspberry pies, lemon brownies, and LOTS of peach tarts.

(Supporting Ponyville businesses directly from the royal treasury!)

I thanked the bakery owner and walked outside, heading back to Twilight's house.
But passing another building, I heard a voice familiar from yesterday.

"Hello Ponyville! Today Trixie will delight you again with her amazing performance!"

As I expected, after these words, there was a small earthquake.

"Trixie would be very happy if her faithful assistant Vlad could help again today! Where is he? Have you seen him, my dear audience?"

Hearing this, I instantly hid behind the house and clung to its wall. My heartbeat quickened.

(Thanks, but I've had enough, Trixie.)

"Maybe we should look for him, what if he's somewhere around here?"

(Are you kidding me or something? It's time to get the hell out of here!)

Using all my stealth skills, I still managed to get away unnoticed.

(300 hours of hiding from the guards were not in vain, were they, Corvo?)

Shortly before reaching my destination, I heard the flapping of wings above my head. Looking up, I saw that it was the same chariot that brought me here yesterday.

(I'm just in time...)

I arrived at Twilight's house just as the chariot landed. Twilight was waiting for me along with the royal guards.

"Not a second earlier, not a second later. Is that your style, Vlad?" joked Twilight.

"Probably..." I smiled. "I bought something for you and Spike..." I said as I opened the bag of sweets in front of Twilight.

"Wow, that's very nice of you, Vlad!" Twilight smiled sincerely. "But I'm not sure if Spike and I can eat it all... Do you have someone else you'd like to share with?"

And then it dawned on me.

"Yes, I definitely know who I can share these sweets with!" I said with a confident smile. "Do you think we can deviate a bit from the plan and fly to the Apple family farm, Twilight?"

"I like the way you think!" Twilight said as she patted my arm. "I'm sure Princess Celestia won't mind at all."

"Great! But maybe you can still take at least something from the sweet?" I asked hopefully.

"Yeah, sure! Me and Spike can't say no to a couple of lemon brownies and this strawberry pie." Twilight said as she took away the chosen sweets by her magic aura.

"It was nice to be in the company of you and Spike. Hope to see you again." I said as I got into the chariot.

"Bye, Vlad! See you." said Twilight, waving her hoof at me.

I notified the royal guards of my plan, and a course was set for Apple Farm. Not even a minute had passed before we were up in the air. Twilight watched me go, and then went into the house.

(I hope I don't meet Applejack this time... Although... I should be friends with her too... Maybe one day...)

The royal guards landed the chariot right next to the residential part of the farm. I dismounted to the ground and knocked on the door. To my relief, Mac opened the door.

"Vlad? Didn't expect to see you today. How are you?" Mac asked in surprise.

"Hi. I popped in for a couple of minutes." I said, pointing to the chariot behind me. "I recently went to the bakery where Pinkie works, bought something there... And thought I'd share it with you and your family." I said and handed the bag of sweets to Mac.

Mac looked confused at first, but he took the bag from my hands and looked at the contents.

"Well... Thank you, but, I can't take it all and leave you without a sweet... But I think I could have those blueberry muffins. Apple Bloom loves them." Mac said as he took the muffins out of the bag and give it back to me.

"Okay, anyway, it was nice to see you." I said smiling.

"Maybe you should come in? We're having lunch now." Mac invited me.

"I'm in a bit of a hurry and..."

"Mac, where are you? The food is getting cold!" said a voice that sent chills down my spine. "Who's at the door?"

Mac looked at me and I made a symbol asking him not to say it was me.

"Just my buddy, sis. Coming!"

I whispered my thanks to the stallion and, just in case, tiptoed over to the chariot.

"Now we're heading back to Canterlot, sir." one of the guards informed me.

"Yes, of course. I'm ready." I said, getting comfortable.

When we had already taken off, I decided to try the purchased pastries myself. And I was not at all surprised when I realized that this pastry is much tastier than any other that I tried at home.

(I will definitely buy more Pinkie Pie pastries before I go home.)

Already on the approach to Canterlot, I remembered the situation with Luna.

(I still don’t understand if I should be afraid of the events of this dream ... Maybe it’s better to avoid encounters with Luna?)

When the chariot landed near Canterlot Castle, I carefully dismounted to the ground, looking around.

"Sir, Princess Celestia wanted to see you." I was approached by a guard who informed me earlier that we were flying to Canterlot. "Let me escort you to her majesty."

(I hope the Luna won't be with her...)

The guard escorted me to the big doors. They looked very heavy.

(This must be the throne room? Do I also have an audience?)

But when the guard opened the doors, I saw that this room was not very similar to the throne room. I fell into a small stupor.

(Is this her room? What the fuck? I don't like it...)

"Is this exactly where the princess wanted to see me?" I turned to the guard.

"Yes, sir, there can be no mistake. Come in." the royal guard assured me.

I had no choice and I went in. As soon as I was inside the room, the guard closed the door behind me.

(And where is she?)

I took a quick look around the room. As befits a princess, the room was not poorly furnished.

"Um, princess? Are you here? Did you wanted to see me?" I asked uncertainly.

"Vlad, I'm on the balcony, come here!"

I turned my attention to the balcony, and indeed, Celestia was there. She was lying on a deck chair, and I could only see her mane, peeking out from behind the back of the deck chair.

"Coming!" I responded.

Going out onto the balcony, I saw that the princess was... Sunbathing? Lol.

"Hello! How are you?" Celestia asked first.

"I'm all right. What about you?" I asked politely.

"I'm enjoying my day off... They're so rare..." Celestia said with a sigh.

"Well, yes, it must be hard to be a princess." I tried to keep the conversation going.

"Why don't you lie down too?" Celestia asked, pointing to the deck chair behind me.

Thinking it was a good idea, I lay down on a deck chair. It was quite comfortable and I was immediately attacked by drowsiness.

"So why did you wanted to see me?" I asked, pulling the visor of my cap over my eyes.

"I wanted to give you all your gadgets back." Celestia said, and in a second, the very box in which I put my gadgets appeared on my lap.

(Right! I completely forgot about them! Finally...)

"Thank you for letting me study all this. You have made an invaluable contribution to the technical development of Equestria!"

"Wow, really? Well, I'm glad I was helpful." I said, pleased with myself.

"What are you planning to do today?" Celestia suddenly asked.

"About that... I was just about to ask you for a today's plan." I said, taking the gadgets out of the box and putting them in my backpack and pockets.

(My dear phone, we are together again! I am so happy!)

"Well, since I have a day off today... So you will have a day off too. It's all fair." Celestia stated.

"Well, I don't mind it at all. Thank you." I said happily. "Did you want to tell me something else?"

"Come here tomorrow at ten in the morning, and we will discuss what should be done next." Celestia said, for the first time since we'd been talking, taking off her sunglasses.

After Celestia took off her sunglasses, I noticed that under them on Celestia's face there was a mark from the glasses, surrounded by redness. I involuntarily smiled and laughed a little. Celestia looked at me questioningly.

"Princess... I think you need a mirror..." I said with a smile.

A small mirror quickly appeared in front of Celestia.

"Well, here we go again..." Celestia said displeasedly. "l have to wait all day for it to disappear."

"Yeah, bad luck..." I said with the same smile.

I remembered about pastries and decided to share them with Celestia before l left.

"By the way, I have some pastries here, would you like to try it? It's from Pinkie Pie's bakery." I said, pulling out a bag of sweets from my backpack.

"I wouldn't say no, but... But... I have..." Celestia said uncertainly.

(What do you have? Sweet intolerance?)

"Okay, only some... What do you have?" Celestia asked impatiently.

"You can check it out yourself, I'll leave the whole bag." I said as I got up from my decj chair and handed the bag to Celestia. "Enjoy your meal."

"Don't you want to stay here longer?" Celestia asked in surprise.

"I think I'll find something else to do. See you tomorrow." I said and walked towards the room's exit.

I opened the door and went out into the corridor of the castle. Looking around, I closed the massive doors, after which happened something that I least wanted today. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Luna was standing behind one of the doors. Without thinking twice, I just went back to Celestia's room.

"Vlad? Have you changed your mind?" Celestia asked from the balcony.

"Um... I just wanted to wish you a good day off." I said the first thing that came to my mind.

"Thanks, you too."

I went back out into the hallway, and sure enough, Luna didn't go anywhere. I sighed.

"Do you really want to talk about it?" I asked in a tired tone.

"It's... Interesting, to say the least." Luna said as she closed the doors to Celestia's room, which I hadn't closed yet.

"Celestia knows about this?" I asked, realizing that even if not, it was only a matter of time.

"No, Tia doesn't know yet."

"Okay, ask me, let's get this over with. My day off just goes by..." I said sadly.

"Do you have the day off? Great!" Luna said happily.

(Yes, the day off. And I'll have to spend it on your questions...)

"Ask questions, I'm waiting." I said, wishing it would end soon.

"Right here in the hallway? That won't do... We're inviting you to our room."

(Is today the day to explore the princess rooms?)

"Okay, nevermind. Lead the way." I said lazily.

"We thought... Maybe we could on our way to the room... Well..."

"NO. We will NOT do that." I said seriously.

"Okay, whatever you want. We'll show you the way." Luna said, making a gesture for me to follow her.

(Goodbye my day off... Now it's more like day on.)

A rare opportunity

"Okay, now you know EVERYTHING about earth horses." I said, breathing a sigh of relief.

“That’s so interesting! Maybe we can make contact with them? We should tell our sister about this as soon as possible! She will be so…”

"Whoa whoa, slow down, Luna!" I said, interrupting the princess of the night.

"What is it, Vlad? It's not very polite to interrupt, you know!" Luna said with a slightly offended face.

I sighed and turned my gaze to the window, through which the sun was visible, the rays of which illuminated the room. I walked over to it and flung it open, leaning on the windowsill.

"Tia? Are you opposed to her learning about the wonderful horses from your world?" Luna said with a little surprise.

"You know... I attract a lot of attention as it is. And now imagine what would happen if all the ponies found out about this? I wouldn't even be allowed to take a step." I said without turning to Luna.

Luna didn't answer. But even without seeing her, I felt that she understood me.

"But that doesn't mean you can never tell Celestia the truth about earth horses."

"Really? But when would be the right time to tell her?" asked Luna, in whose voice I heard a mixture of surprise and joy.

"It's simple. When I leave Equestria, you can tell your sister whatever you want. But while I'm here... I ask you not to tell her anything. It will be our big secret. Do you agree?" I asked, still looking out the window.

"But... We don't know how long you'll be here! Maybe years? Or decades? And we really want to tell Tia everything right now..." Luna said upset.

"Come on... I'll get home a lot faster than you..."

And then it dawned on me.

"Listen, Luna... How about I go home a little early?" I asked with a sly smile, finally turning to Luna.

"What do you mean, Vlad?" Luna asked suspiciously.

"You can help me get home early. You know how to turn on the portal, right?" I said without further ado.

"What?... You're joking, aren't you? We almost believed it! Good joke, Vlad!" Luna laughed slightly.

"No. I'm quite serious. I'm offering you a deal. You turn on the portal and I go home and you tell Celestia everything. We'll both benefit from this!" I said, feeling like a businessman offering a profitable investment.

"But... Tia won't be happy about that... What if she sends me back... to... to..." Luna didn't finish, and I noticed the fear in her eyes.

(Is she afraid of her sister? I thought they were equal...)

Deep down, I knew that I might ruin her life with my plan. And I felt a little uneasy, realizing that I had not changed at all, I was still the same rude and arrogant guy, whom they are so diligently trying to reform.

(What am I doing? Is this really worth someone's welfare?)

But in the next second, I felt regrets go away, and a thirst for freedom seizes me. The life of a night princess was starting to become more and more unimportant for me. Every man for himself, and in order to survive, you must be cunning.

(After all, what will she do to her? Make her sit in her room? Or clean up the castle? I'm sure nothing terrible will happen.)

"Maybe... If I give you my phone... Will you agree to help me? Just imagine... It will be yours." I said, taking out my phone from my pocket and pointing my finger at it.

Luna looked unsure.

"I can give you all my gadgets... Just help me get home. I think your sister won't be so angry... Maybe Miss Claire and Celestia will find someone else to take my place." I said, holding out all my gadgets to Luna.

Luna sighed as she took the gadgets out of my hands with her magic and they disappeared in a slight flash.

"Follow me." Luna said, trying to hide her sadness under indifference.

"Thank you, thank you! I knew you could help me!" I said as we ran down the corridor to the portal room.

When we entered the portal room, I felt freedom so close that I could literally grab it.

"Turn on the portal, I'm ready!" I said as I approached the portal.

"Are you sure you want this?" Luna mumbled uncertainly.

"Of course! Please turn on the portal!" I said, feeling we didn't have much time.

Luna just sighed heavily as she looked at me, and then walked close to the portal.

(I'm almost home... Come on, hurry up!)

Luna leaned almost to the very floor, touching her horn to the gem located in the frame of the portal. When she did, it lit up with a purple glow.

(So that's how it turns on?)

Luna did this with all the gems in turn, and when she touched the last one with her horn, sparkles ran through the portal, and I realized that it turned on.

(I can't believe... I can go home...)

I was about to enter the portal, but... I suddenly felt like a complete asshole. My legs became very heavy, not allowing me to take a step.

"What the fuck am I doing? Running away from my problems like a coward? I really can't stand the trials that life gives me? Am I really that pathetic?" I said to myself, feeling my eyes get wet.

I fell to my knees, trying to hold back my tears.

"Vlad? Are you crying? What's the matter? Come into the portal, hurry!" Luna said as she touched my shoulder.

"No. I can't do that. I can't run from my problems forever. I have to solve them." I said getting up from my knees. "Forgive me, Luna. I shouldn't have brought you into this... I..."

"LUNA! Are you there? Luna!" came a voice from the hallway that belonged to none other than Celestia.

Luna and I shared a look of horror. This is the end for both of us.

"Luna, are you in the portal room? What are you doing there? I'm coming!" Celestia said, her voice getting closer and closer.

Sensing danger, my brain suggested the most obvious option: hide. Finding no better place, I stood behind the portal, hoping Luna would find an excuse. As soon as I managed to hide behind the portal, I heard the door to the room open.

"Luna, what are you doing here? And why is the portal on?" Celestia said suspiciously.

"Tia! We're so glad to see you again! It seems like years have passed since we last met..."

"What? We saw each other at lunch today..." Celestia said with even more suspicion.

I made a silent facepalm.

(We are dead.)

"Well, we... We've been practicing turning on the portal! It's never too late to learn something, right?"

Celestia was silent for a couple of seconds, and as I understood, she assessed the situation.

"Hmm... Well done, Luna! Maybe one day I can trust you to control the sun? I like that you're trying to help me." said Celestia, the suspicion gone from her voice.

"Thank you sister, we are doing our best!" Luna said, and there is still a slight tremor in her voice. "So you wanted something, Tia?"

"Ah, yes, I wanted to ask... I found your moon pie in the kitchen, and I wanted to drink tea with it, since I didn't have anything sweet left, and I really don't want to go to the store on my day off..."

(Why don't you just order someone to go shopping? You're a princess!)

"Yes, of course, Tia! You can take it! Anything for our beloved sister."

"Hmm..." Celestia's suspicion hung in the air again.

"We mean... Grab our pie before we change our mind!" Luna said firmly.

"Thanks! Don't forget to turn off the portal." Celestia said happily and I heard the sound of teleportation accompanied by a flash.

(It was very close...)

I breathed a sigh of relief. My legs went weak and I sat down on the floor, sliding my back along the back wall of the portal.

"I almost killed the two of us, didn't I?..." I said with a bit of irony.

Luna didn't answer. Instead, I heard the same sigh of relief.

"Why didn't you go through the portal?" Luna asked seriously.

I got up from the floor and went out to Luna, seeing that she was watching me carefully.

"I want to get better. I can't let you and everyone else down. If I can't change... Then what's the point of all this? First of all, I prove to myself that in life, in addition to being a rude asshole, there is also the bright side. The side where you can be the best version of yourself..." I said, feeling my greatest guilt.

Luna looked at me with a smile and tears in her eyes. She came up to me and hugged me with her wings.

"We knew you could change, we knew! We're so happy about it!" said Luna, still hugging me.

I felt warm inside of me. I felt like I wanted to change. Succumbing to feelings, I also hugged the princess of the night.

"I'll get through this, no matter how difficult it is. I promise." I said, feeling that I would cry now too.

"Humans are very sensitive, aren't they?" Luna asked.

"Not all. But if you know how to properly manage your emotions... This is the highest gift." I said, letting Luna out of my arms.

"We think it's worth celebrating with a new photo, what do you say?" Luna asked as she summoned my phone and lifted it into the air with her magic.

"Well, I don't know, I don't really like being photographed..." I began to make excuses.

"Oh, really? Too bad..." Luna said vaguely.

"Yeah..."

"Too bad that's not a question!" said Luna and started posing for a photo.

"Are you coming, or what?" Luna asked impatiently.

(Hmm... Perhaps l can make an exception to the rule once.)

"Well, okay, l can do it once. But no more." I said seriously.

I stood behind Luna, and tried to take a cool pose, but, as it seems to me, it didn't work out very well. And when Luna tried to hold back her laughter when viewing the resulting photo, I was convinced of this.

"That's why I don't like being photographed..." I said ironically.

"Come on, it turned out to be a good photo..." said Luna, still trying to hold back her laughter.

"Oh yeah? Then why are you laughing?" I asked skeptically.

"Well, you know... You stepped on our tail, and you're still standing on it." Luna said, and the laughter finally burst out of her.

"Wha..."

I looked down and really am standing on the tail of Luna. I quickly removed my foot, feeling awkward.

"I'm sorry... Somehow I didn't notice..." I tried to justify myself.

"Relax. We are not offended." Luna said, finishing laughing. "As we said, the photo turned out to be good."

"Well... Maybe."

"We think we should retake this photo." said Luna, looking at the photo taken a couple of minutes ago. "Maybe we could... Wait, look at the time! After all, today, instead of Tia, we answer the needs and questions of Equestria citizens! We'd better hurry to the throne room!"

"Oh... Well, good luck." I said, not expecting such a turn of events.

"Here, take your phone. And all the other stuff." Luna said, giving me the phone and teleporting all the other gadgets.

(Wow... I didn't expect to get my "equipment" back... Cool.)

"Thank you..." I said, and remembered something. "So what about our BIG secret? Can you hold it until I leave Equestria?" I asked hopefully. "In the end, our deal is kind of like... Failed."

"Of course we can! We know how to keep secrets, don't worry." Luna said with a smile. "And now, we really have to go. See you later!"

I barely had time to say goodbye when Luna teleported away, leaving behind a couple of dark blue sparks.

(Well... That was something...)

I was distracted by the sound of an alert about a small amount of phone power.

(It's good that I took powerbank... I don't think I've seen any power sockets anywhere.)

Having connected the phone to charging, I sat down on a sofa conveniently located in the corridor of the castle, and decided to see what the princesses were doing with my phone all this time. The first thing I did was go to the gallery of my phone.

(Tons of selfies featuring Luna. Not surprised. What else?)

I started scrolling through Luna's selfies, wanting to find something more interesting.

(And this is interesting...)

(Cool family photo... And what else is needed?)

I moved on to the next photo.

(AAAAWWWW... Cute!)

(And the knights crossed their swords... LOL!)

(What the fuck?...)

I felt a shiver run down my spine. Without another second's hesitation, I deleted this photo.

(I'll pretend that this never happened...)

The rest of the photos were similar, and I quickly scrolled through them, not finding anything else interesting. When I finished looking through the photos, I put the phone next to me and stretched pleasantly.

(I think I need to take a little walk. I don't want to sit still all day.)

Throwing all the gadgets into a backpack and taking it to the sunny room, I headed for the exit of the castle. Coming out of the castle, I saw the bustling life of Canterlot. A lot of ponies in fancy suits were hurrying about their business.

(Why does Ponyville seem so much more modern to me than Canterlot?)

Going further into the city, several ponies waved to me, and I did the same. While walking, I heard someone shouting advertising slogans.

"Read only the latest news in our newspaper! Equestria is waiting for a technological breakthrough! The study of human technology is in full swing! Read, read!"

As I got closer, I saw that a cream-colored colt with a brown mane was selling newspapers. A camera was attached to his neck. I decided to support him and buy a newspaper.

"Hi, one newspaper for me, please."

"Sure, mister, just a second," colt said without turning to me. "Here's your... wow."

(No, buddy, don't, please...)

"I didn't expect to see the one about whom we print the news... Glad to meet you, mister." colt said positively.

(Phew... Thank you, I don't need any extra attention.)

Colt still sold me a newspaper for 2 coins.

"Mister, I have a small request... Can I take a picture of you, please?" colt politely asked.

"Yes, of course, why not?" I said, and moved a little further away so that it was convenient to take pictures.

"Three, two, one..." colt counted out loud and this was followed by a camera flash.

"Thank you very much, mister! You are helping the newspaper to get better."

"Glad to help. Good luck, buddy, good sales to you!" I said and went on.

I was about to open the newspaper, but hunger reminded me of itself with a rumbling in my stomach.

(That's right, I haven't eaten anything since this morning! l need to fix this.)

Finding the nearest restaurant, I made my order and decided to take a table outside, since all the tables inside were occupied. Finally sitting down at the table and starting to wait for my order, I opened the newspaper and began to read the local news.

"Princess Celestia is studying human technology. Equestria has a bright future ahead." I read the headline out loud.

(These guys know how to write loud headlines.)

I continued reading the newspaper for a while, not noticing at all what was going on around me. That was until someone's voice distracted me.

"Excuse me, mister, we noticed that you have two empty seats here... And all the other tables are occupied... Can we please sit with you?"

"Yes, of course, I don't mind," I said, without lowering the newspaper.

"Thank you very much, you are a real gentleman! Sit here Bonnie, I'll go make an order." said the unknown mare.

At that moment, my order was finally brought to me, and I folded the newspaper to eat.

"Finally!" I was delighted, and my gaze fell on the pony sitting opposite me. She seemed familiar to me. She was looking at me with an expression of "Are you serious?".

"Listen, I think I've seen you before. But where?" I said as l started to eat.

"What are you doing here?! Run, quickly! Before she comes back!" a suspiciously familiar pony said in a panic.

"What? Run? Why?" I was surprised.

"Please run! It's for your own safety!" the mare assured me.

(Is she crazy? I don't know what she's talking about at all.)

"I'm sorry, but I'm not leaving until I finish eating. I gave you two seats, what's the problem?" I was still perplexed.

While talking to this strange mare, I accidentally pushed a newspaper off the table and reached under the table for it. While I was under the table and trying to get a newspaper, that pony who had gone to make an order came back.

"Let's get out of here, Bonnie. There's nothing I want to eat here. We'll find another restaurant."

When I got out from under the table with the newspaper, this strange pony and her friend were gone.

(What was wrong with her? I hope we won't meet again...)

For the next thirty minutes, I enjoyed my late lunch and read interesting articles from the newspaper I bought.

(Is there no bad news in Equestria at all?...)

When I finished eating, I paid for my order and tipped the waiter.

(Your money is going to a good cause, Celestia!)

After walking a little away from this restaurant, I heard the train whistle.

(Wait, what? Is there a train station here?)

It became interesting to me, and I went in the direction in which the train noise was increasing, and in the end I really went to the Canterlot train station.

(Wow, it's beautiful here...)

Just by the time I got here, a train arrived at the station, and ponies began to get out of it. There were a lot of them and I didn't see anyone I knew. Up to a certain point.

(Is this... What's her name? One of Twilight's friends... Rarity, was it?)

Rarity got off the train, and noticed me pretty quickly, which, as I understood, she was happy about.

"Vlad, I'm just looking for you! I thought you were in the castle and I would have to go there, but I was lucky and you were here! What are you doing here?"

"I just decided to take a walk. What are you doing here? And why were you looking for me?" I was surprised.

"Today you have a rare opportunity, darling!" Rarity said happily.

"A rare opportunity? What are you talking about?" I still didn't understand.

"Come on, I'll tell you everything on the way." Rarity said and hurried off, urging me to follow her.

Catching up with her, I asked for an explanation again.

"You see, I have a second boutique in Canterlot, and my assistant works there, but today she has a day off, and I decided to work there today instead of her. And then I remembered that you are now in Canterlot, and this will be a great moment to give you a rare opportunity..." she took a deep breath. " To become famous thanks to my new line of clothes for bipedal creatures!" Rarity blurted out, pausing to catch her breath.

Hearing this, my legs refused to walk and I stood up as if rooted to the spot.

"Do you like my idea? Don't worry, it won't take long, I just need to take your measurements to have an idea of what I want to do. Well, and maybe I'll take a couple of photos..." Rarity said positively.

(Sounds like another unnecessary attention... But how can I refuse? ...)

"Yes, of course, I agree. Lead the way."

Rarity let out an enthusiastic squeak and led me to her Canterlot boutique. On the way there, she told me that the clothes she wants to make will be worn with pleasure by small dragons and minotaurs.

(Do they really need clothes?)

When we arrived, Rarity opened the door, inviting me to go inside. There was already a small crowd of ponies waiting at the entrance for the boutique to open.

(It looks like it will also be a fashion show...)

"Darling, please sit here and read the magazines for now. I need to help a few ponies decide on a choice." Rarity said and pointed to a soft sofa with a coffee table next to it, on which those magazines were lying.

"Okay, I'll wait here." I said, and sat down on the sofa, starting to read one of the magazines.

All the magazines were exclusively about fashion, which is not surprising. They didn't interest me at all.

(They're so boring... Probably looking at how the paint dries would be more interesting...)

While Rarity was helping her clients, I even managed to fall asleep once and go outside to get some fresh air. When she finally finished with the clients, I almost fell asleep for the second time.

"I'm sorry, Vlad, I've been busy a little longer than I planned... Now we can finally start bringing my idea to life!" said Rarity happily.

"Cool. What do I need to do?" I asked, having no idea.

"Please step up to this podium. I'm going to take your measurements now." Rarity said and pointed to the place where I had to stand.

I did everything as Rarity said. Without wasting much time, she began to measure me from all sides. It took quite a long
time, because after each measurement, Rarity wrote everything down in a notebook.

(I thought you said it wouldn't take long?)

During the time I was in the Rarity boutique, it was already slowly getting dark on the street. All the visitors have long since left, and no new ones are coming.

"Done!" said Rarity, putting down her notebook and pencil.

"Hurrah..." I said in a tired voice.

"But... I would be very grateful if you would stay a little longer..." Rarity asked me hopefully. "I need to sew a rough sample of clothes on you... I can pay you if it's too much for you!"

(My kindness will kill me one day...)

"Yes, yes, anything for such a beautiful lady..." I tried to joke.

Rarity just waved her hoof and laughed shyly. The next few hours seemed like an eternity. Rarity asked me to raise my hands to sew under them, or to hold a certain section of the sewn material. When she finally finished, I felt exhausted and helpless.

"Now I'll take some photos, and you can go. Rarity said, taking out a camera from a chest next to her. This camera was similar to the one I saw on a colt selling newspapers. Apparently, they were the same model.

A couple of bright and fast flashes and my modeling job was over for today. Rarity helped me take off what she had sewn.

"Thank you, you helped me a lot! Here, you deserve it!" said Rarity, handing me a bag of coins.

"Thank you... I said, sitting down on the sofa. "You're closing up already, aren't you? I have to go back to the castle, but I'll sit here for a while, do you mind?"

"It's okay, stay here as long as you need. I just wanted to drink tea, will you keep me company?" Rarity asked as she left for the boutique's living quarters.

"Yes, yes... No problem..." I said, feeling everything getting darker.

"Okay, I'll be right back!" Rarity's voice came muffled to me from behind the wall.

But the next moment, my eyelids became too heavy for me, and an alluring darkness took possession of me. I was no longer able to resist. I needed a rest.

New job

"He fell asleep after... He helped me a little, for which I am very grateful to him!"

(Wh... What? This... This is Rarity talking?...)

At the moment, my brain was processing even one sentence with difficulty, and my eyes were still closed.

"Is that what happened? I see. Anyway, thanks for telling me where he was."

(And this... The voice of Celestia?)

"Always happy to help, Your Highness!"

My brain was starting to wake up.

"Say hi to Twilight and all your friends when you get back to Ponyville tomorrow!"

(Even Luna is here? What the fuck is going on?)

"Absolutely, Princess Luna." Rarity said happily.

"It's time for us to return to the castle. Goodbye, Rarity. Good night." Celestia said in a whisper.

Only now I noticed that they had been whispering all this time.

(Why are they whispering?... Okay, it doesn't matter, as long as they leave as soon as possible and I can continue to sleep. By the way, I don't remember that the sofa next to the coffee table had such a fluffy and soft coating ...)

I moved a little, taking a more comfortable position.

(Maybe when you're tired, any surface feels cozy?...)

I heard the quiet laughter of three mares.

(What are they laughing at?)

"Good night to you too, Princess Celestia and Luna." Rarity said, after which the sound of the door closing was heard.

(Well, finally... By the way, the shape of the sofa is also kind of strange... As if the sides of it were sawn off...)

But suddenly, the sofa started moving.

(Excuse me, what? Am I crazy? A walking sofa? Well, for sure, these movements can't be anything other than walking.)

"Tia, are you sure this was necessary? He could probably go back to the castle himself in the morning." asked Luna.

"Come on, Luna. We help Vlad, and we also do sports! Well, at least I definitely do sports, but I don't know about you..." Celestia said with a little laugh.

(Oh shit... I hope when I open my eyes, I won't see what I'm thinking about...)

But when I opened my eyes, I was finally convinced of what was happening. Here I am, lying on top of Celestia, with my right arm lightly around her neck. My head was turned away from Luna, so no one saw that I opened my eyes.

(Seriously? Is this really happening? I feel strange... It's better not to let them know that I'm awake to avoid awkward situations...)

"Do you think we can't bear his weight on us?" Luna said with a slight resentment in her voice.

All this time I didn't listen to what the two sisters were talking about, and only now my ears caught their voices again.

"I don't know, Luna... Do you want to check it out?" Celestia said, teasing her sister.

"Yes, we want to check it out! Give him to us!" said Luna confidently.

"As you wish!" Celestia said happily.

I felt myself starting to rise into the air, noticing a yellow magical aura around me.

(Yes, I'm just a toy, you can do whatever you want with me...)

Sarcastically speaking in my mind, I closed my eyes so that the princesses would not know that I was awake.

After a couple of seconds, I felt that I was now lying on Luna. She wasn't as fluffy and comfortable as Celestia. Also, she was smaller than Celestia, and it wasn't very comfortable for me to lie on her.

"How are you, Luna? Can you go on?" Celestia asked with the same little laugh.

I felt some kind of shaking in different directions. It looked like Luna's legs were shaking from my weight.

"Okay, okay, we got it, Tia, please take him away, we're going to fall!" begged Luna.

(Looks like you got what you wanted, Luna? Still want me to show you how humans ride horses?)

"Of course, Sister, I'll help you now!" said Celestia sarcastically.

Celestia lifted me into the air again, putting me on top of her.

"How do you do it, Tia?! We couldn't even take a step while Vlad was lying on us..." said Luna with fatigue.

"That's what big sisters are for, isn't it?" Celestia encouraged Luna.

"But it feels like you don't feel any extra weight at all and you walk as if Vlad isn't lying on your back right now!" Luna was surprised.

"Well, actually, I feel an extra load on me, and without it I would go faster." admitted Celestia.

(Come on, I'm not that heavy!)

"By the way, Tia... We wanted to ask..."

"What's the matter, Luna?"

"We noticed that all the ponies that went to the human world have returned. We have seen how over the past few days, ponies have been returning to Equestria in crowds... Did something happen?..." Luna asked anxiously.

(So I wasn't the only one who noticed it!)

Celestia didn't answer Luna's question right away. It took her about 30 seconds before she answered.

"It's okay, Luna. Everything is under control, don't worry." Celestia said seriously.

"Tia, are you sure? You can tell us everything, we're sisters! Sisters always support each other."

"I'm... I'm sure. It's all good." said Celestia, in whose voice I caught a note of uncertainty.

(Celestia is hiding something... Apparently, this is exactly what Celestia asked Twilight not to tell me? Interesting... Obviously, all these ponies had a reason for coming back, but what is it? I won't believe they all suddenly missed Equestria and decided to come back.)

"Okay sister, we believe you... If you say there's nothing to worry about..." said Luna, cheering up.

The sisters didn't say a word the rest of the way to the castle. There seems to be a little tension between them.

"I'll take Vlad to his room, Luna. You can go about your business." said Celestia, and as I understood, at this time climbing the stairs.

"All right, Tia! Good night! Just be sure that you will take him to the moon room!" Luna clarified.

"Of course, Luna, I remember that. I'll do everything properly!" Celestia said jokingly.

When Celestia came to the room, I flew into the air again for a couple of seconds, and then I felt a soft bed under me.

(Celestia is certainly quite comfortable, but this bed is a little better.)

After about a minute, I still didn't dare to move, because I didn't understand if Celestia had left the room or not.

(Is she just standing there looking at me? I didn't hear the sound of the door closing, nor the sound of hooves... Nothing at all! What is she waiting for?)

Just as I was thinking about it, I heard the sound of the door opening.

(Finally, I thought you'd be watching me all night and...)

"Princess, are you here?" there was a whisper that I recognized as Twilight.

(Twilight?! What is she doing here?)

"Just in time, Twilight. Come on, we don't have much time." whispered Celestia.

I finally heard the sound of the door closing and opened my eyes. There really was no one in the room. And I was really in the moon room.

(Okay, what the hell is going on here? What is Twilight doing here? I need to find out.)

I went quietly to the door and put my ear to it, listening. I heard the sound of hooves clattering away and conversations that I could no longer make out because of the distance.

(I don't know where they went, but I'm sure Twilight wouldn't come to Canterlot in the middle of the night for no reason.)

I quietly opened the door and went out into the corridor, closing it behind me.

(It's a good thing Celestia didn't put guards on me this time.)

I went in the direction in which I had last heard the sounds of hooves clattering. Pretty quickly I managed to catch up with Celestia and Twilight. I tried to stay in the shadows and waited for them to go around the next corner to move on.

"How did you manage to convince them to just talk? Without any accusations of invasion, aggression and so on?" Twilight asked, sounding alarmed.

"I'm not sure myself, actually. At one point they just agreed to it." Celestia said emotionlessly.

"And what about the ponies that were in the human world? Are they all back in Equestria?" Twilight asked anxiously.

"Yes, all of them. I personally checked it. We even had an agreement that all returning ponies would be given additional support."

"And what is this additional support? What are the advantages?" Twilight asked.

"Additional protection from soldiers, providing food on the way to the portal, and so on."

(What the fuck?! Soldiers?! What happened on Earth?! Have humans declared war on ponies?! I don't understand!)

"Do you think we can come to an agreement now?" asked Twilight hopefully.

I was still eavesdropping on their conversations when I suddenly noticed movement towards the opposite wall.

(What the...? Is that Luna? What is she doing here?)

She noticed me too, and at the risk of being spotted, I ran to the side where Luna was.

"What are you doing here?" I began to whisper.

"We're spying on Tia and Twilight. What are you doing here?" Luna whispered back.

"I'm doing the same thing. Did you hear what they were saying?! Soldiers, support..." I shared my surprise.

"Yes, we heard that. And we can't figure out what's going on! The war? Or something even worse?!"
Luna was as surprised as I was.

"Celestia doesn't tell you much, does she?"

"That's right. And it annoys us! Why is Tia telling everything to her student, but not to her sister?! Absurd!" Luna said in a slightly evil tone.

While we were talking, we didn't notice how we followed Celestia and Twilight all the way to the portal room.

"Are they going to enter the portal now? But... I thought only humans and Earth ponies could pass through it???" I turned to Luna.

"We thought so too! Did Tia lie?" Luna was surprised.

Celestia turned on the portal in the same way as Luna did yesterday.

"Are you ready, Twilight?" asked Celestia seriously.

"I don't know... It feels like I'm not ready..." Twilight said with a tremor in her voice.

"It's okay. I feel exactly the same." Celestia encouraged Twilight.

"Thank you, Princess. Now we can go." Twilight said more confidently.

"Good. I'll go through the portal first. You come through in ten seconds." said Celestia and headed for the portal, disappearing in it.

Twilight entered the portal exactly ten seconds later. Luna and I stared at the empty portal room for a while.

"Okay... Now we know that anyone can pass through the portal. But why did Celestia lie about it?" I said with surprise.

"We have no idea. But she wouldn't do that for no reason."

(No shit, Sherlock!)

"They will have some negotiations there... But about what?" I couldn't figure it out.

"It looks like this is the maxim amount of information that we can find out now." the Princess of the night said sadly.

"Yes, it looks like it... But what did we learn in the end? Pony support on the way to the portal, military, negotiations... This is clearly not good." I said with a little fear.

"I hope that Tia and Twilight will be able to do something useful in the negotiations..." Luna said hopefully.

"I don't think we should talk to Celestia or Twilight about what we've heard and seen yet. It's worth waiting a bit. What do you say?" I asked Luna.

"We think so too." Luna said confidently.

"Great." I was delighted. "Okay, I'm going to bed, I have to go to Celestia tomorrow morning, she'll tell me what I'm going to do tomorrow."

"She told us she found you a job." Luna said in a teasing tone.

"Is she sending me to work?" I said in surprise. "What, has the royal treasury been emptied?" I said laughing, taking revenge on Luna.

"Well, after Tia gave you the money... It's quite possible." Luna said, smiling slyly.

(Ah, so that's how it is, huh? I didn't want to say this, but Luna leaves me no choice.)

"You know what else is quite possible?" I said, trying to hold back a laugh. "It's quite possible that you need to work out, judging by the fact that you couldn't handle my weight!" I said, starting to laugh.

"What...? How do you know...?" mumbled Luna in surprise. "Were you pretending to be asleep at this moment?"

"Exactly. I must say, your sister is pretty soft and fluffy." I said, still chuckling a little. "So, do you still want me to show you how humans ride horses?" I asked, heading toward Luna.

"No, thank you!" said Luna, laughing, and flew up to the ceiling so I couldn't reach her.

"That's better!" I said satisfied. "I'm off to bed. See you later."

"Don't think you can get away with it!" said Luna from above, with a wicked smile. "We'll visit you in your sleep!"

"Waiting for you!" I said with an evil scientist's laugh. "You'll be sorry you decided to invade my dream!"

When I finally reached my room, I felt my legs soften like noodles and my brain desperately begged for sleep.

(I need to set my alarm so I don't oversleep my visit to Celestia in the morning.)

When I had done everything I needed to do, I finally collapsed blissfully onto the bed, feeling that it wouldn't take long to sink into sleep.

(Well, Luna, come on! I'm ready for anything!)

***

As it should be, the alarm clock woke me up in the morning. I slept well, and even Luna couldn't bother me too much.

(Lucky Luna... She can learn so many new things from my dreams! I wonder if Celestia can visit dreams too?)

After washing my face and dressing, I felt full of energy for the day. Well, or at least I felt better than I had yesterday, when Rarity had tired me out by giving me the "Rare Opportunity".

(Well, Celestia, tell me what kind of job you have for me...)

After packing everything I needed in my backpack, I left the moon room and made my way to Celestia's room. I had already memorized the location of the princesses' rooms very well, and I had no trouble getting to the right place. I went to the door and knocked.

"Come in, it's open!" came Celestia's voice from behind the door.

Accepting the invitation, I went inside. Once inside, I found Celestia signing some papers.

"Good morning, Princess. How did you sleep?" I asked as politely as possible.

"That's so nice of you, thank you for taking an interest! I slept very well all night, I didn't even wake up once." Celestia said convincingly.

(Why do you keep lying? What is going on?)

"What's the plan for today?" I asked seriously.

"Straight to the point, huh? I like that." Celestia said cheerfully. "I thought it would be inconvenient for you to fly from Canterlot to Ponyville all the time, so I decided... To get you a job at the Sweet Apple Acres! You'll be able to make friends with Mac, and you'll make money at the same time! Isn't that a good thing? Ask Mac when you get to Ponyville, he'll explain everything to you."

I wasn't surprised at all, because from the moment Luna told me about the job, I began to guess what it would be. And I was right.

"I know, you must have thought about where you're going to live? I'll give you some more bits to rent a house with. To do this, you have to go to the town hall and find the mayor. She's in charge of that. And If you will ever don't have enough money, go over to Twilight's and send me a letter from her and I'll send you some more bits."

"Okay, got it. Good plan, maybe it'll get me home faster." I said without emotion. "When am I going to Ponyville?"

"About that... You'll have to get there by train, since all the carriages are taken." Celestia said with an awkward smile.

"It's okay. Yesterday I saw a Canterlot train, and I wanted to ride it," I pretended to be excited.

"Wonderful! Here you go, it's a train ticket, it leaves in an hour." said Celestia, giving me the train ticket with magic.

"Okay, thank you." I said, putting the ticket in my pocket. "Anything else I need to know?"

It seemed to me that Celestia wanted to say something else, but did not dare.

(What was that, Celestia? Is there something you want to tell me?)

"I think I've said all you need to know. Good luck on your trip!" said Celestia cheerfully.

I answered nothing and only nodded, then walked out of Celestia's room, closing the door behind me.

(Lying princess... I'll find out the truth sooner or later.)

Putting my gloomy thoughts aside, I hurried out into the street. I might have had a whole hour, but I didn't want to run to the train station at the last minute. But as I approached the castle exit, I saw Cadence and Shining Armor approaching the stairs.

(What are they doing here?)

"Honey, are you sure about this? I thought..." Cadence didnt finished as she saw me. "Vlad, hi! I didn't expect to see you here."

"Hello! Let me guess, did Celestia send you somewhere?" asked Shining Armor cheerfully, holding out his hoof to me.

"Yes, you're right. I'm going to Ponyville, to work there at that apple farm." I said during the hand-hoof shake. "And what are you doing here?"

"We don't know ourselves yet, really. Celestia asked us to come to Canterlot today to tell us something important." Cadence answered my question.

(So she decided to tell Cadence and Shining about it? What is she up to? This is starting to worry me more and more...)

"Okay, good luck with that. I have to hurry or I might miss my train." I said as I walked around the married couple and down the stairs.

"Bye!" they said together.

As I stepped outside, I took an even deeper breath than yesterday. It was starting to become a habit.

(Maybe being away from Canterlot will allow me to relax and not think about Celestia's plans...?)

As I stepped away from the castle, I heard the whistle of a train departing from Canterlot station.

(Looks like my train is next. Good thing I still have 40 minutes.)

As I walked slowly to the train station, I remembered my night spying on Twilight and Celestia.

(How did their negotiations go? Did they come to an agreement? Could this be what Celestia was going to tell Cadence and Shining?)

I sighed in frustration.

(I wish I could get answers, not more questions...)

In about 10 minutes I was already at the train station. There were a lot of ponies here, as usual. I even made up a game for myself - find all the ponies I knew.

(This mare was my neighbor... With this stallion I often met in the gym... And this stallion worked at the car service where I once brought my car...)

Thanks to this game, time went by faster.

(Holy crap, it looks like all the ponies have really come back to Equestria from Earth. And I mean, ALL of them...)

After gawking a bit more at the crowd of ponies waiting for the train, I could make out the mare who was delivering my mail with regular delays.

(Wow, she's here, too? I should say hi.)

It didn't take me long to approach her. When she noticed me, she smiled at me.

"Hello, Miss Deli. I didn't expect to see you here." I said in a friendly way.

"Oh, hello Vlad, it's good to see you. I'm not too late at last, am I?" the mail mare jokingly replied.

"I guess you're not too late this time. You're going to Ponyville, too, aren't you? My train will be here any minute." I decided to clarify.

"Yeah, I'm going to Ponyville right now, too. Today was my day off, so I decided to go to Canterlot, since I haven't been here in a while." said Deli cheerfully.

"Cool. Your job must be pretty exhausting?"

"Well, after all these years in the post office. I'm used to it by now... But it was hard at the beginning, of course, but how else could it be?"

(Wait... Maybe I can ask her what happened on Earth?...)

"By the way, Deli... I've noticed that many ponies have returned to Equestria, and you are no exception. Will you tell me why this is happening?" I asked seriously.

I noticed the mail mare's face change dramatically. There was nothing left of the sincere smile. She was startled by my question.

"Well, you know, it's no big deal... It's just..." she didn't finish as the train whistle blew. It came into the station. "Wow, look, there's a train! Finally! I've got to hurry or I'll be late! It's a pity we have different train car... See you later!" said Deli with an awkward smile and ran off.

(So Celestia told all the returning ponies... Not to tell me what happened on Earth? Dirty move, princess of lies, dirty move...)

After thinking about it some more, I went to the ticket-checker. He quickly checked my ticket and let me in. I got a seat by the window.

(At least that's some good news for today...)

Ten minutes later, the train started moving. Through the window, I could see Canterlot moving away from me.

"Drinks, snacks!" came a loud voice.

There was a snack vendor walking around the train. I decided to buy a cherry soda.

"Here you go, buddy! Two cherry sodas."

"Yeah, thanks." I said, handing him a couple of bits.

After a successful sale, he moved on, also alerting other passengers about his products.

(Yeah yeah, go annoy the others.)

***

"The train has arrived in Ponyville! I repeat, the train has arrived in Ponyville!"

The voice from the loudspeaker woke me up, and I straightened up, rubbing my eyes.

(Falling asleep on a trip is like skipping it in a videogame! In both cases, you move immediately to your destination).

When I got off the train, I saw Deli running toward Ponyville.

(She seemed to think I was going to ask her again about her reasons for returning to Equestria...)

Walking out of the train station, I entered Ponyville. As usual, several ponies waved at me, smiling.

(Ponyville is definitely friendlier than Canterlot.)

Remembering that I had to rent a house and therefore come to the town hall, I asked a passing mare for directions. She explained everything to me clearly and I thanked her, walking away in the direction of the town hall.

(I'm glad I don't have to live on an apple farm...)

Finding the town hall, I went inside. The mayor's office wasn't hard to find, as there was a long line of ponies. I took a place in line and took a seat on one of the couches in the town hall. It was soft and comfortable.

(In Equestria, they really know how to make the wait comfortable...)

While I waited, I watched what was going on. The most interesting thing was that the cops came into the town hall.

(Wow, there are cops in Equestria? I thought everyone here so friendly that they didn't need cops, haha...)

It turned out that they were from Manehattan, and they had some business to take care of with the Mayor. They were let through without waiting in line.

(Come on, really? Think l can add a few more hours to the waiting time...)

Two cops stayed outside the office, 1 mare and 1 stallion. I was interested in their police uniforms, so I looked at them. Eventually, the cop mare noticed it and looked back at me. I was a little confused, and looked away. But then I heard the sound of hooves clattering in my direction.

(Oh shit.)

"Hello. Officer May." said the mare, showing me her police ID. "I ask you to follow me."

(Fuck, that's the last thing I needed today!)

As I followed the cop outside, I was already mentally sitting behind bars. But... What for?

(Is it really forbidden to look at cops in Equestria? I should have read the laws of Equestria...)

"Oh, relax... You didn't break the law, I just decided to go out for some air, and I invited you along. It's true, a little formal, but you don't mind, do you?" the mare asked, pulling out a cigarette from one of the pockets of her police uniform.

I felt like a mountain had been lifted off my shoulders.

"Yeah, to be honest, I was pretty scared. You got me good..." I said in a trembling voice.

"Don't be afraid... And enjoy this clean air of Equestria, boy. They say it's not as clean on Earth." said the cop pony, giving me a cigarette. "You smoke?"

"Well... You could put it this way." I said, taking a cigarette.

A lighter flew up to my cigarette, enveloped in a magical aura, and lit it up. I haven't smoked cigarettes for a long time, as I was quite happy with a vape.

(We all eventually come back to where we started...)

"So why are you here?" I asked, exhaling cigarette smoke.

"Our boss wants to negotiate with the mayor of Ponyville to build a police station here. There have been several crimes here in the last year. But the important thing is that before, there wasn't any in this little town at all, can you imagine? Not like..." the mare paused to take a puff. "Not like Manehattan. The town I was born in and work in is full of crime."

"And what crimes are going on there?" I asked out of sheer curiosity.

"Well, you know... Robberies, murders, illegal trades and all that. That's all I can tell to a civilian. Police business, you know?"

"Yes yes, of course. I understand."

"Okay, now it's my turn. Think of it as an interrogation." said the mare, laughing. "What are you here for?"

"Celestia gave me money to rent a house in Ponyville. She said I had to go to the Mayor for that." I said, taking another puff. "And then I'll work at the apple farm to make friends with the one who almost killed me." Having said that, I laughed a little. "And no, this stallion isn't bad at all, in fact he is a nice guy... But his sister... That's who I'm really afraid of."

"Applejack? Yeah, that mare really does have some balls, even though she is a mare. You be careful with her." Officer May said with a smile.

"Yes, I know that from my own experience..." I said, putting out my cigarette and throwing it into the trash can.

"May, the boss is almost done, get your ass over here!" came a voice from the town hall.

"That's my partner. I gotta go." Officer May said, also putting out and throwing out her cigarette. "It was nice talking to you."

"Likewise. Good luck at work." I said sincerely.

"Thank you." May was about to leave, but she turned to me. "Hey, we can get you to the Mayor after boss, what do you say?"

The perspective of skipping the wait really appealed to me, so I agreed.

"Great, then follow me."

When we got to the Mayor's office, boss of officer May had just come out.

"Hey, boss. My buddy needs to get to the Mayor right away, can you arrange that?" asked May confidently.

"Yes yes, of course. Let him pass. We have to hurry." said the police boss without even looking at me.

As I walked into the office, I turned around and May winked at me. I gave her a thumbs up, thanking her.

"So, who do we have here? Is this the human who came to Equestria to reform?" asked the Mayor as soon as I entered her office.

"Hello. Yes, that description fits me, but to make it easier, my name is Vlad. Nice to meet you." I said, taking a seat in the chair across from the Mayor's desk.

"Well, Vlad, what brings you here?"

"Celestia sent me to you. She said you would help me rent a house in Ponyville." I said, placing on the table the bag of bits that Celestia had given me.

"Princess Celestia sent you? Then it can't be delayed!" said the Mayor and gave me some kind of map in a hurry.

"What is that?"

"Map of Ponyville. Here, look..." said the Mayor, pointing to the houses marked on the map. "All of these houses are available for rent. Each one has its own markings, which you can see on this document..." I got another piece of paper. "It says the rental price, the size of the house, and so on. Pick one, and then I'll send you to our realtor and he'll do the rest."

I started looking at the map carefully, figuring out which house would suit me best. The price of renting houses on the outskirts of the city was lesser than in the center or close to it.

(So, in this aspect, Equestria is not much different from Earth...)

As I studied the map some more, I noticed that there was one unoccupied house next to Mac's farm. And the rent price was reasonable.

"I want to rent this house," I said, pointing to the house I had chosen.

"Good choice!" said the Mayor cheerfully. "Now go to a realtor. His office is number 69, right down the hall and to the right. Good luck settling into your new home!"

"Thank you. It was a pleasure doing business with you." I said as I left the office.

As soon as I left the Mayor's office, another pony came in right after me.

(How lucky I was to meet Officer May... Without her help, I had to wait at least a few more hours...)

I was glad when I saw that there was no one outside the realtor's office.

(At least here I won't have to wait...)

When I entered the office, I saw a brown stallion with a gray mane and glasses. He was writing something.

"Hi. Are you a realtor? The mayor sent me to you to rent a house." I said, taking a seat.

The elderly stallion finally took his eyes off the papers and turned to me.

"Yes, I'm a realtor. You're just in time, I have a shortened day today, so let's get this over with." said the realtor and pulled out the exact replica of map the Mayor had given me. "Which house do you want to rent?"

"That one, sir." I said, pointing for the second time to the house of my choice.

"Okay. Give me the money and sign these documents."

I gave the realtor the bag of bits and started signing a whole ton of paperwork. It took me at least 20 minutes. When I was done, the stallion gave me the keys to the house and the remaining bits.

"Payment is made once a month. To pay your rent, come to my office on the first day of the month. Is that clear?" the stallion asked, putting the signed paperwork away in his desk drawer.

"Yes, thank you, I understand."

"Here's the address of the house. Good luck. And I'll start getting ready to go home, my wife and kids are waiting for me..." said the realtor, giving me a sheet of paper with the address of the rented house.

I said goodbye and left the office.

(Finally... Time to check my new home!)

With these thoughts in mind, I left the town hall, heading for the address. It didn't take long to get there. Once there, I put the key in the lock and opened the door. The house turned out to be two stories high.

(For that kind of rental price, it's just a mansion!)

I started walking around the house and assessing the situation. There was a kitchen on the first floor with all the necessary cutlery, and a living room with a comfortable-looking couch. On the second floor was a spacious bedroom and bathroom.

(Great, I like it here...)

I threw my backpack next to the bed and fell face-first onto it. It wasn't as comfortable as the one in Canterlot Castle, but it was fine, too.

(I still have to go to Mac's farm, and that's it for today...)

I got out of bed lazily and stretched myself. Remembering the couple of sodas I'd bought on the train, I decided to take them with me so I could give one to Mac when I meet him. When I left the house and closed the door behind me, I took the familiar road to the farm.

(Another encounter with Applejack... What could be better?)

With a joke in my head, I picked up my pace to get to my destination faster. Along the way, I admired the nature of Equestria.

"Well, here I am again. Gotta find Mac." I said to myself.

As I walked along the fence behind which were the apple trees, I did not hear the sound of apples falling into baskets. I heard nothing at all.

(It's too quiet... Is there anyone here?)

Just as I thought about it, I heard the clatter of hooves behind me, halting abruptly somewhere near me. When I turned around, I saw a little yellow filly with a light red mane and a light pink bow on her head. We stared at each other for a few seconds, and I decided to start talking first.

"Hi... You're Mac's sister, aren't you? It's good to see you. I'm Vlad." I said, walking over to her and leaning to her.

At first she continued to look at me with interest without answering me. But then she finally gave signs of life.

"Yes yes, I'm Apple Bloom, hi, I'm so glad to see you!" said the filly, standing up on her hind legs and hugging me.

(It's official. My heart melted...)

First day of work

I was standing in the bathroom, toweling myself, looking at my clothes covered in tomato soup.

(Looks like my favorite T-shirt and jeans are ruined...)

After I dried myself off and put on my other clothes, I walked out of the bathroom with a sad expression on my face. Luna was lying on the couch in the living room, taking a ton of selfies again using my phone.

"I'd like to ask you next time not to teleport so suddenly. I don't think I'll live to see the end of my program if you keep doing that..." I said, picking up the shards of plate from the floor.

"Sorry, we didn't mean to scare you... At least not until nightmare night." said Luna with a sly smile.

(This mare certainly wants to kill me...)

"Hey, why doesn't your phone take pictures anymore?!" Luna asked frustrated.

"Looks like you filled my phone memory. The number of pictures you can take is not infinite, you know." I said, tossing the shards of the plate into the trash.

"Will we never be able to take pictures again?" asked Luna sadly.

"We have to delete old photos. There's no other way." I said, wiping the soup off the floor with a broom.

"But all these pictures are so beautiful! We don't want to get rid of them!"

"Maybe soon you won't even be able to look at old photos. I can charge the phone two more times, then it will turn off. Unless you ponies invent a place where I can charge indefinitely."

"What?! The phone can't work indefinitely either? Can't we fix it with magic?" asked Luna, looking at me hopefully.

"You know, it's better not to experiment with magic. What if the phone will break?" I said as I finally finished cleaning the soup off the floor.

"We need to hurry Tia and her scientists up with human technology research... We so want our own phone!" Luna said dreamily.

After Luna said that, I heard a low charge alert.

"And here's what I was talking about..." I said, taking the phone from Luna's magical aura. "We need to charge it up."

"We hope Tia can resolve this issue with the impracticality of human technology." Luna said proudly.

I took the powerbank out of my backpack and put my phone on charge. Like I said, the indicator showed that two more charges were available, one of which had started now.

"Would you like some soup? Or just a soda?" I said as I entered the kitchen.

"We ate with Tia before we met you. So just a soda will suffice."

"Okay, which one do you want? There's mango, peach, pear, banana..."

"Banana one, please. Tia likes to eat bananas, and so do we now..." said Luna a little shyly.

(What the... Okay. None of my business.)

I picked out a mango and took both cans, returning to the living room.

"Here you go." I said, holding out the soda to the princess of the night.

Luna took the soda can into her magical aura. I sat down at the other end of the couch.

"So what's the news?" I asked, opening my soda.

"Ah yes, about that... Listen." Luna opened the can, too, and drank some. "It's good... We think we should get some while we're in Ponyville."

"Ahem." I reminded Luna of the main topic of our conversation.

"Yes, yes, we got a little distracted. So... We managed to spy on Tia again today. She had a meeting with Princess Cadence and Shining Armor. Tia asked Shining to increase the security of Canterlot Castle for the near future. And especially to increase the number of guards... For the day you leave Equestria." Luna said in a slightly frightened voice.

What I heard really surprised me, and I almost spilled my soda on myself.

"What the... Increase the number of guards when I go home?" I said and got up from the couch, walking over to the window. "What on earth is your sister up to? I have no idea..." I said in a thoughtful tone.

"We don't know either... But it doesn't look good already."

"Wait a minute... Do you think Celestia could have sent me to Ponyville so I wouldn't find out about her plans?" I said, turning to Luna.

I saw a surprised expression on Luna's face. Then it changed to a thoughtful one.

"Maybe you're right about that, Vlad! That way she ruled out the possibility that you'd find out anything..." Luna said a little sadly. "But she left out one fact... We can still spy on her and give you the latest news!" said Luna confidently.

"Right idea, Luna! You'll spy on her, and... Say... How about regular meetings? You will tell me what's going at Canterlot Castle." I asked Luna, sitting down on the couch again.

"We were just about to offer you the same thing! We already think as a team! Hooray!" said Luna cheerfully.

"Great. Is there any more news?" I asked, taking another sip of soda.

"Well... Tia was a little sad today. We don't know if it matters, but maybe it has something to do with the recent negotiations?" said Luna uncertainly.

"Damn. I hope everything went well for them, otherwise... I don't know what to think." I said in a worried tone.

"We hope so, too. But perhaps there is some other reason why Tia was sad? We shouldn't put it all down to the strange events that have been going on lately."

"There's almost nothing we can be sure of right now ... We need to keep monitoring the situation, it may be too early to make any conclusions." I said thoughtfully.

As I finished talking, I noticed that I had finished my soda.

"Can I get you another soda?" I asked, getting up from the couch.

"Oh, no, thank you. We should be getting back to the castle by now. Thank you for your warm welcome." Luna said sarcastically.

"Yes, of course, I'm always happy to have a guest like Princess Luna." I said sarcastically, too.

Luna just laughed a little, and waved a hoof at me, disappearing in a flash a few seconds later. This time I was ready, and I covered my eyes with my hand.

(What's happening is getting weirder and weirder... But now I'd better get ready for tomorrow.)

***

My blissful sleep was interrupted by a seemingly endless thumping against the wooden surface. Only a minute later could my sleepy brain realize that it was a knock on the door.

(What the fuck is this... Why can't I get a decent night's sleep in this town...?)

I hardly got out of bed, and I almost fell down the stairs. The whole time I was walking to the door, the knocking didn't stop.

(If the one who knocks doesn't tell me anything important... I...)

When I opened the door, I saw that strange pony again. She was trying to convince me to leave the café in Canterlot.

"Finally! I thought you'd never open up! We have to talk again!" the strange pony was talking very actively.

"You again..." I said, rubbing my eyes. "I don't mean to be rude, but you're starting to get on my nerves. And how do you even know where I live?" I asked in a frustrated tone.

"It doesn't matter! I have to let you know that-" but I didn't let her finish.

"I have to tell you to leave me alone and don't bother me at night anymore! If you really have something to say, find me during the day! And now, I don't want to talk about anything. Good night." I said, closing the door.

"But..."

I closed the door and went back to bed.

(What the fuck is wrong with her...? She's really starting to annoy me.)

I finally relaxed on the bed and prepared to go back to sleep, but the alarm interrupted my plans.

(Shit.)

In fact, it turned out that I still managed to sleep a little more after that strange pony disturbed me. But the time flew by so fast that it felt like I hadn't slept at all.

(What a beautiful start to the day...)

I got out of bed and started cursing Celestia for employing me on the farm. When that was done, I went about my morning routine.

Before I left the house, I grabbed a few sodas to give them to Apple Bloom and her friends.

(I still have 20 minutes before work... I'm going to get some coffee.)

Walking along the now familiar path to the Ponyville Market, I started looking for the coffee stand.

(Where is it... Has the owner of the stand removed it?)

"Hello. Looking for me?" came a familiar voice from behind me.

I turned around and saw that it was the same pony who had yelled at me when I tried to find out why she was sad.

"Yes... I didn't sleep well this night, and if I don't have some coffee, I'll fall asleep while I'm walking."

"I see... Follow me. I moved my stand, I think I'll have more customers there." the coffee pony said, showing me the way.

"Ah, so that's why I couldn't find it..." I noted sleepily.

(She needs more customers? So she needs more money... But for what?)

It turned out that Coffeine Cream moved her stand next to the stands that sell everyday products. Eggs, milk, bread, and so on.

"You picked a good spot, I'm sure when ponies go shopping for in the morning, they'll definitely want to buy coffee." I said when we got there.

"Yes, I know. That's what I was counting on." she said and stood behind the register. "What do you want today?"

"Cappuccino, please." I said and put the bits on the counter.

"You don't like changes, huh?" asked the coffee pony as she began to make my drink.

"I wouldn't say I don't like them... It's just that if the thing isn't broken, why fix it?" I said, stretching my legs, which still hadn't woken up from sleep.

"Fair point."

While Coffeine was busy making my coffee, I noticed a photo standing just behind the coffee machine. On photo there was Coffeine herself and some old mare. The old mare was lying, I realized, in a hospital bed, but she was still smiling, even in spite of the tubes connected to her nose and all the other hospital stuff.

"Is that your mom?" I asked, pointing to the photo.

The pony looked at me first, and then to where I was pointing. When she realized what was going on, she quickly turned the photo upside down so I couldn't see it anymore.

"Here, have your coffee. Don't hold up the other customers." Coffeine Cream said, pointing behind me.

When I turned around, I actually saw that there were several ponies already, also wanting to buy coffee. Not wanting to keep them any longer, I took my drink and stepped aside.

(This place for the coffee stand is really perfectly chosen...)

As I walked to the apple farm, I thought about the photo I saw at the coffee stand.

(Her mother doesn't seem to be in good health... Is she in the hospital? Coffeine certainly didn't want me to know that...)

And then it hit me.

(Wait a minute... Twilight said that this pony had some kind of problem in her life... Could those problems be related to her mother being in the hospital?)

I slowed my pace a bit so I'd have more time to think before I got to the farm.

(Where do they even have a hospital here? I've never seen it while I'm here. It's worth asking someone about it, maybe I can clear up that situation.)

(What if... Coffeine didnt have enough money for her mother's treatment? That's terrible! I hope I'm wrong... Now I definitely need to find out what's going on).

I came to the farm after all. As I walked along the fence behind of which was what seemed to be endless apple trees, I saw Apple Bloom walking toward me. It looked like she was on her way to school.

"Hey there! Going to school?" I asked, stopping beside the filly.

"Hi... Yes, I'm going to school..." said Apple Bloom sleepily.

"Didn't get enough sleep either?" I asked, taking a sip of coffee.

"Yes... We stayed up late in the tree house, once again wondering how we could find our talents."

"I brought something." I said, taking off my backpack and placing it in front of Apple Bloom. "Pick whatever flavor you want, and get your friends some. Don't worry, there's no apple-flavored soda here." I said with a smile.

"Wow, thanks!" said the filly and began to take sodas. "I'll take these three."

"Great choice!" I said, and helped put everything in the saddlebags. "Have a good day at school."

We waved to each other, and I went on my way.

(I have to hurry... There are only a few minutes left.)

As I approached the right place, I saw Mac. He was talking to someone. But I couldn't see who he was talking to, because a tree was blocking his conversation partner.

(That must be Applejack. I'm just in time.)

"Hey, Mac! Good morning!" I said, walking up to him.

But then I saw that Mac wasn't talking to Applejack. It was the pony I least expected to meet today. It was Cheerilee. We stood and looked at each other in silence for a few seconds.

"Vlad..." the former teacher said.

"Cheerilee..." I said.

"It's nice to meet you after... That day..." Cheerilee said uncertainly.

"Yes... Likewise." I said, and silence began again.

"Honey, aren't you going to be late for your new job...?" said Mac.

"Oh, yes, right... I'm on my way!" said Cheerilee as she walked around me and started to walk away. "See you later... Vlad."

I just waved at her and she moved on. Mac and I watched her walk away for a moment.

"So you met her..." said Mac.

"Yeah... I didn't expect that. But it went better than I thought it would."

"Come on, we talked it over with her a long time ago, she's not mad at you. We were all wrong that day." Mac said, poking me in the arm in a friendly way.

"Thank you. That's good to hear." I said, putting my elbow on Mac's head and laughing a little.

"You better not start that again..." said Mac in a friendly tone.

We laughed, and at that time Applejack came to us.

"You're already here, great." Applejack said, looking at me. "Load the baskets into the wagon and come to me. Mac will show you the way."

(Looks like the fun is over...)

"Let's go. The wagon is over there." Mac said, pointing to the barn.

I followed Mac and got into the barn for the first time. Inside were a couple of wagons, wagon wheels, and baskets. There was also hay on the floor.

(Ironic... Hay on the floor... Equestria may be inhabited by intelligent ponies, but some of their habits are no different from ordinary horses back home).

While I was looking around the barn, Mac had already started loading baskets into the wagon, and I hurried to help him.

"Do you think Celestia will count working together as an improvement in our friendship?" I asked, loading another basket into the wagon.

"I think so. I guess the important thing is that we spend time together, and circumstances don't matter." said Mac, harnessing himself to the wagon.

"If that's the case, that would be good." I said, watching Mac start to pull the wagon. "Wow, isn't that heavy for you?"

"I've dragged a lot more weight, I'm fine. Just follow me."

"Okay, lead the way."

Mac was dragging the wagon like it was empty, and it surprised me.

(Will it be as easy for him when there are apples in the baskets?)

"Say, Mac, what do you do with all those apples? There are so many, you can't eat them all. Does your family sell them?" I asked, trying to keep up the conversation as we walked to the job site.

"Yes, we sell them. And we also make juice, cider, jam, and so on. I could go on for a long time listing the products we make from apples." Mac said, stopping. "We're there."

Applejack was already waiting for us, leaning against a tree.

"Okay, let's get to work!" said Applejack when she spotted us. "Mac, you're pulling wagons with apples into the barn as usual."

Mac nodded, pulling the wagon closer to Applejack.

"I bucking apples off the trees. And you, Vlad, place the baskets under the trees and then, when they are full, take them to the wagon and load them. You got it?" Applejack asked me.

"Yes, ma'am!" I said, saluting and laughing.

"Are you laughing? Good." Applejack said as she walked over to me and patted my hand. "Let's see if you have the strength left at the end of the day to laugh..." said Applejack, smiling at me.

It surprised and even scared me a little. I made a wary face.

(You absolutely had to do it, didn't you?)

"Okay, let's get started, for real this time! Vlad, place the baskets under the trees." Applejack said, instantly replacing her smile with seriousness.

That's how my whole day went. Dragging baskets under the tree, from under the tree to the wagon, waiting for Mac to take the wagon and come back, and this cycle of actions is repeated very many times. The work is not so much difficult as it is monotonous, but of course I was pretty tired, too.

(I'm lucky Applejack didn't make me pull wagons, I think in that case I definitely wouldn't even be able to laugh right now...)

"Good job, sugarcube!" said Applejack, slapping me hard on the back, nearly breaking it. "Maybe you're not so bad, though. I didn't expect you to be so productive, to be honest."

"Well, thank you. Will you stop knocking me to the ground now?" I asked ironically.

"I'll think about it." Applejack said ironically, too.

(Well, at least she no longer wants to kill me every time we meet... That's good.)

"Anyway, do you want to have dinner with us? I won't offer twice." said Applejack.

"No thanks, I'd better go home and rest," I said, in a tired voice. "Same time tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow is Saturday, sugarcube. I'll see you on Monday at the same time."

"Oh, well... That's cool. I somehow didn't keep track of the days of the week while I'm in Equestria." I said a little confused.

"It happens. Okay, see you on Monday. Or sooner, you and Mac kind of need to spend time together so this stupid program is finished so he can go back to Earth, remember? So feel free to come here this weekend..." said Applejack with a slightly intimidating smile.

"Uh... Yeah, sure, I'll see what I can do." I said, trying not to give away my wariness.

Applejack left, leaving me alone with the silence. After standing alone for a moment, I went home.

(It would be nice to know how much our friendship with Mac has improved so far... Maybe I could ask Celestia about that?)

"Hey, Vlad! Do you want to hang out with us? I'll introduce you to the girls!"

I turned around and saw Apple Bloom peeking out of the tree house.

"I'm tired today, and I want to rest. Maybe another..." but I couldn't finish as Apple Bloom turned on her puppy eyes.

(I can't say no to her...)

"Okay, I'm coming!" I said happily.

"YAY!" came three joyful voices from the tree house.

Unexpected Revelations

"...and then I punched him right in the nose, and blood came out. It ran down his nose and dripped right onto the pavement..." I said, looking at the surprised reactions of the three fillies. "Hey, you three insisted that I tell you how I got in Equestria..."

"No, no, go on... We just..." Scootaloo didn't finish.

"We just amazed at your strength!" continued Sweetie Belle.

"All right then... Anyway, I was already glad I could fight Mac off, but I was celebrating too early! While I was talking, he..."

"...Pushed you and you fell on the pavement, starting to bleed and unable to get up. And if the police hadn't arrived at that moment..."

All four of us looked at the source of the sound. Applejack was standing at the entrance, leaning against the doorway and smiling slyly.

Silence hung in the air for a few seconds.

"Well... Actually, yeah, she's right..." I said, breaking the silence.

Applejack smiled rather pleased.

"Okay, kids, it's getting dark, time to go home! That goes for you, too, Vlad!" said Applejack with a satisfied smile.

(Did she just call me a kid?)

We all came out of the tree house. The three fillies said their goodbyes and separated. Apple Bloom went with Applejack, and the rest of us headed for the exit of the farm.

"You girls want me to walk you home? It's getting dark." I suggested.

"It's okay Vlad, Rarity will meet us. But thanks for the offer, that's very nice of you!" Sweetie Belle patted my hand. "Speaking of which, there she is!"

At the end of the fence, Rarity stood waving at us.

"Hello, darlings! How was your day?" Rarity asked the two fillies.

"Vlad told us so many interesting things! It was the funniest evening of my life!" said Sweetie Belle cheerfully.

"Yes, he said there are enough interesting stories for many more evenings!" said Scootaloo.

"How interesting... I wouldn't mind hearing something interesting from you too, Vlad," Rarity said as she looked at me.

"Maybe... I've got something for you too, Rarity. I don't know... Maybe I could tell you something about fashion from the human world..." I said uncertainly.

"That would be very nice of you, Vlad! I don't mind hearing more about human fashion at all... Maybe I could even make clothes for you...?"

"Well, don't expect much from me, I don't know much about fashion. I think you can tell by my rather simple-looking clothes." I said, making excuses.

"Well, it's not like I have any other source of knowledge about human fashion besides you, so... Gotta make the most of every opportunity." Rarity said, smiling warmly.

"Well, it's not like I have any other source of knowledge about human fashion besides you, so. Gotta make the most of every opportunity." Rarity said, smiling warmly. "Maybe you can come visit me this weekend?"

"I don't know yet... But as soon as I find out... I'll let you know right away!" I said cheerfully.

"Great. Okay, we should go. See you later, Vlad." Rarity said as she patted my hand.

"Bye, have a good rest today!" said Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo at the same time.

I waved to the three of them and headed home. My way home was through Ponyville Market, so I decided to go to the Coffeeine Cream stand and wish her a nice weekend.

(I wonder when she has more customers, morning or evening? I guess coffee is needed in both cases...)

As I approached the stand, I didn't find a coffee pony there.

(Am I late? I guess she leaves early on Fridays. Oh well...)

I was about to continue walking, but suddenly I saw Coffeine Cream coming out from behind one of the houses. She was carrying a bouquet of flowers and some fruits.

(Hmm... A familiar set of items... She goes... To the hospital? She's going to see her mother?)

I knew it wasn't good to spy on someone, but I needed answers... Besides... It wasn't the first time for me.

(Maybe since she won't tell me, it's really none of my business... But what if I can help? Maybe if she had known me longer than a few days, she would tell me everything. But right now, the only way that might give me a chance to find out what's going on is through spying.)

I followed the coffee pony as stealthily as possible, sometimes hiding in dark places. But she hadn't turned around once yet.

(Well, it's better to make sure she doesn't notice me than to have to explain later what I want from her...)

After about ten minutes, we really came to where I expected... The hospital. It looked pretty massive compared to all the other buildings in Ponyville.

(So that's where the hospital is... I guess it wouldn't hurt to know).

Coffeine Creme entered the hospital, and I stood outside for a while, watching through the glass front doors. When she had talked to the mare at the reception, she went on her way.

(Okay... I guess now I can go in without arousing suspicion or attracting much attention).

But I stopped, and a smile appeared on my face.

(A human walking around a town where ponies live certainly doesn't attract much attention... Yes...)

Keeping these thoughts in my head, I finally entered the hospital. After looking around for a moment, I approached the reception desk.

"Hello, ma'am. Can you tell me, have you seen a certain Coffeine Cream today?" I asked politely.

"Hello. Yes, she came to visit a sick member of her family. Why do you ask?" asked the reception pony with a little suspicion.

"I need to see her and her sick family member. Please tell me the room number." I continued to be polite.

"And who are you to her? We can't tell that to random ponies, or in your case, humans, it's personal information." said the pony professionally.

"I'm her friend, we agreed to meet here and visit a sick member of her family together, but I'm a little late..." I lied as convincingly as I could.

"Oh really? You know, mister, I am warned in advance about such an event, and I was not warned about your appearance by Coffeine Cream."

"Well, maybe she didn't know that's the way to do it...?" hoping for luck, I asked.

"No, she's been visiting this hospital for a long time, and she definitely knows how to do it right. Besides, she used to bring one of her friends. You know what? She warned me. So she's obviously not a friend or relative of yours. So, I'm sorry, but I can't give you the room number." the reception pony said seriously.

(I suspected this would happen. Shit... What do we do now?)

(Actually, I have an idea... I was hoping it wouldn't come to that, but... I don't have a choice.)

I took a bag of bits out of my pocket, reached behind the reception desk and "accidentally" dropped it there.

"Oh no, what a disaster... Can you help me get it?" I said, making a face that made it clear what was going on.

The pony looked at me hesitantly at first, but then sneaked a visitation log toward me, which contained the information I needed. I quickly found what I needed there, as Coffeine was the last pony to go inside the hospital.

"It's a pleasure doing business with you..." I said in a whisper as the pony looked out from behind the reception desk again.

She didn't answer anything, and she looked sad. I realized that she was sorry for what she had done, but everyone needs money, and I understand that. I didn't say anything else and headed toward the right room. I had to go up to the third floor, and I ran up the stairs as fast as I could.

(I need to speed up even more... I've already lost enough time at the reception!)

When I was finally near the right room, I had to restrain my loud breathing, or I would have given myself away. I pressed my back against the wall near the doorway and started listening.

"Tell me, dear, how have you been lately? Are you getting enough rest? You're not working more than usual, are you?" sounded an elderly voice that belonged to Coffeine Cream's mother.

There was no response.

"Again...? Darling, I've asked you many times, please don't abuse yourself like this."

"But Mom... I'm trying to earn money for your treatment! And in order for me to succeed, I have to work hard... More than before, when everything was fine... But I can do it, I promise! Everything will be fine..." said the coffee pony almost crying.

"Don't worry about me, you have to think about yourself first. I'll be fine, but if you continue to wear yourself out like this... You're a young mare, you've got your whole life ahead of you! You should enjoy it while you can."

"Mom... You know I'm not leaving you here, don't you?" asked Coffeine seriously. "I can't live happily as long as I know my mother is unhappy."

"I know... I know you're stubborn." said the elderly mare, and I could hear the echoes of laughter in her voice. "It's from your father. If he were still with us, he'd be proud of your stubbornness. Maybe you're even more stubborn than he is."

"Yes, Mom... So there's no point in convincing me..."

"Because you're going to do it your way anyway." the old mare concluded.

"Exactly. Your attempts to change my mind won't work." Coffeine said in a slightly more cheerful voice.

"All right, all right, you win again!" said Coffeine's mother cheerfully. "What about friends? Did you find them? You need to communicate more with someone other than me... Maybe you'll find yourself a handsome young stallion, you'll fall in love, get married, and then you can think about foals..." the old mare asked hopefully.

"Mom, I promise you that if we make it..." the coffee pony paused. "And we will! You'll have at least one adorable grandchild. Just keep at it, Mom. It's going to be okay."

"I'll take your word for it, dear!" the old mare said cheerfully. "But you didn't answer my question... How are you doing with your friends?"

"Well... I didn't have time for friends, I was at work all the time... But... You've heard about this human who came to us as part of the reformation program, right? He bought coffee from me several times and tried to talk to me. The first time I wasn't in the mood to talk because I was very upset about your diagnosis, and he kept trying to find out why I was so sad..."

"And? Did you "politely" ask him to mind his own business? Right?" the old mare asked slyly.

"Yes... I'm very ashamed of that time... He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Coffeine said sadly.

"And when did you meet him again?" asked Coffeine's mother.

"Today. This morning he was trying to find my coffee stand, saying he didn't get enough sleep, and if he didn't have coffee, he'd fall asleep while he was walking." the coffee pony paused for a moment. "I showed him the new location of my stand, and started serving him. While I was doing that, he saw your photo and asked about you, but I didn't answer again, telling him not to hold up the queue."

"Honey, you hold so much inside. I understand that it's hard for you to make friends right now, but understand... After all, you already have one potential friend. This human. Maybe you should talk to him. If he, unlike the others, has tried to find out why you're sad... It means he cares, I see that he has a good heart and he will listen to you." the old mare said wisely. "You might do things your way again, but I know one thing for sure... You need to talk to him. Just keep my words in mind."

"Hmm... Maybe you're right, Mom... If I see him again, I'll talk to him. I don't think it would do any harm."

"You won't regret it, I'm sure." the old mare said with motherly kindness in her voice.

Meanwhile, I tried to think about what I had heard.

(I was right... Coffeine needs money for her mother's treatment, and because of that she works hard... And that's why she moved her stand... It all makes sense now).

(And now she also wants to talk to me... Will she tell me what I already know...?)

I stood there for about a minute wondering how I could help Coffeine in this situation. My thoughts were interrupted by a voice coming from a loudspeaker.

"Reception hours will end in five minutes. All visitors must leave the hospital."

"Okay mom, I have to go. I'll see you again soon." said Coffeine as she began to prepare to leave.

(I have to go, too, if I don't want her to see me now.)

I quickly headed down the stairs and ran for the exit. The reception pony was going home, too, and she looked at me as I ran for the exit. I just gave her the thumbs up and ran on.

It was already dark outside. I ran farther from the hospital and stood behind one of the houses so as not to give myself away in case anything happened.

(Okay, I think I have an idea... To Twilight!)

I was running pretty fast again, since I thought Twilight might be going to bed by now. When I arrived, I was happy to find that the lights were still on in the windows.

(Great, I made it in time...)

I knocked on the door, and Twilight opened it for me.

"Oh, Vlad, hi... I didn't expect to see you today. Come in." said Twilight, stepping aside.

"Thank you Twilight. Good thing you're still awake..." I said out of breath after running.

"Did something happen? Did someone chase you?" asked Twilight worriedly, closing the door.

"No, no, I just... Look, I need to write a letter to Princess Celestia, right away." I said, sitting down on the couch and starting to catch my breath.

"Ah, so that' s the matter... Sure, no problem." Twilight turned toward the stairs and began to rant. "Spike, bring the paper, please!"

"Okay, Twilight, just a second!" came Spike's voice from the second floor.

"I'm glad you want to write a letter to Princess Celestia even if you're not required to. Asking her advice is always a good idea." Twilight said with a smile.

At that moment Spike came down the stairs with a stack of paper.

"I wasn't sure how much paper you'd need, Twilight, so... Oh, Vlad, hi! I didn't know you were here." Spike said as he placed the stack of paper on the table near the couch.

"Hi!" I said, and we shook hands. "Will you send a letter to the princess?"

"Sure!" said Spike cheerfully.

"But, I don't know if she'll answer today ... It's late, you may have to wait until tomorrow." Twilight said, getting up from the couch.

"Well, I have to write a letter first... And then we'll see." I said, taking a pen out of my pocket and picking up one of thE papers.

"All right, you write for now, and I'll boil the kettle. You wouldn't say no to tea, would you?" asked Twilight as she went into the kitchen.

"Yes, of course!" I said, making myself comfortable. "Unless there's a bear knocking on the door in the meantime..."

"Twilight, I'll help you!" said Spike and went into the kitchen.

(Okay, the sooner I start, the better...)

"Hello princess, I hope it's not too late.

Due to certain circumstances, I urgently need to meet with you to discuss a certain problem. I think this would be the best solution, since it would be long and inconvenient to discuss it through letters. I hope you will find time to meet with me, I really need it, I assure you. I may have some other questions for you.

Goodbye, princess.
Vlad."

I reread the letter several times to make sure everything was okay.

(Great. I hope Twilight doesn't want to edit this letter of mine, too?)

Just at that time Spike came out of the kitchen.

"Spike, it's done." I said, holding out the letter to him.

"Got it!" said Spike and took the letter from me.

Spike rolled the letter into a tube and held it out in front of his face. The next moment he breathed green fire into the letter, and it disintegrated into green particles, then into a small cloud and flew out the window.

"Wow, cool! Last time I didn't see you do it, finally I saw it this time." I said with fascination.

"At your service!" said Spike with a chuckle.

I chuckled, too, and we made a BroFist. After that, Spike went back to the second floor. I leaned back on the couch with relaxation.

(Celestia, please answer as soon as possible...)

"Vlad, I heard you finished your letter? Come to the kitchen then!" came Twilight's voice from the kitchen.

"I'm coming!"

I got up from the couch lazily and went to the kitchen.

"Sit down, please." said Twilight, moving the chair with magic.

I sat down and immediately smelled the aroma of tea.

"Blackberry! Right?" I asked, sniffing my cup of tea.

"Right. Are you good with tea?"

"Well, I wouldn't want to brag." I said with a smile.

Twilight smiled back.

On the table, in addition to tea, there was a large plate of cookies. The smell of these cookies seemed familiar to me.

"Is something wrong?" asked Twilight, when she saw me looking at the cookies for too long.

"No, it's fine, it's just... For some reason the smell of these cookies is familiar to me..." I said thoughtfully.

"Ah, I see... These are Fluttershy's cookies. She recently started learning how to bake, and she loved it so much... Anyway, now we all have a supply of cookies for the next year or more..." said Twilight with a smile.

(Yeah... That makes sense. By the way, I never got to try the cookies Fluttershy gave me...)

"Well, okay, that makes sense then. I'd love to try some of Fluttershy's cookies," I said, and took one of the cookies off the plate.

The cookies tasted like... Like an ordinary tasty cookie.

"Of course, as I expected, the cookie tasted good. Could it have been any other way?" I said.

"Yeah, too bad you didn't get to try it that day..." said Twilight with a sly smile.

I almost spit out my tea when I heard that.

"What do you mean?" I asked warily.

"Well, that time Harry showed up." Twilight said with a laugh.

"Oh no... Did Fluttershy tell you about that?" I asked a little upset.

"Yes, she told me. She also told me that you left, saying that you had to write a letter to Princess Celestia, and she was very surprised when she found out that you didn't come here that day to write that very letter." Twilight continued to speak with a sly smile.

"Well, you know, I just... I thought..." I tried to start talking, but the look on Twilight's face made it clear that I couldn't lie.

"Ah, okay... It feels like it's impossible to lie to you, Twilight..." I said, accepting the fact that I was exposed.

"Yes, lying in my presence is very difficult..." Twilight took a sip of tea. "Admit it... You were just scared, weren't you?"

"Yes... You know, in my world we don't have bears visiting us and asking for massages..." I said, trying to excuse myself.

"It's okay, I'm not judging you... " said Twilight with a smile. "But of course you could have told the truth..." the sly smile returned to Twilight.

"Sometimes lies are for the greater good... I just didn't want to offend Fluttershy." I said, taking another sip of tea.

"Okay, maybe you're right..." Twilight smiled warmly. "How was your first day on the job with Applejack? Are you tired?"

"Yes, I'm tired... But I think I'd be even more tired if Applejack made me pull apple wagons... But, to my relief, that's what Mac did," I said, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Actually, this job isn't as bad as I thought it would be... In breaks between work, Mac and I had a good time. We drank apple cider from the reserve, talked about different things, had a strength contest."

"Looks like the reformation program is in full swing, huh?" asked Twilight cheerfully.

"Yes... Even Applejack said after work today that maybe I'm not as bad as she thought." I said proudly.

"See? I told you that sooner or later you would become friends. All it takes is time..."

"Yeah, I guess you were right after all, Twilight." I agreed.

At that moment, I had a sudden urge to try to find out from Twilight about Celestia's plans.

(Shouldn't I ask? Not directly, of course...)

"Listen, Twilight, do you happen to know...?" but I didn't have time to finish, because Spike's voice came from the second floor.

"Vlad, Princess Celestia sent a letter with an answer!"

"Wow, I didn't think she'd answer today!" Twilight was surprised.

I got up and left the kitchen. I met Spike in the library room.

"Here you go." Spike said, handing me the letter.

I unwrapped the letter and began to read it. To my happiness, Celestia agreed to meet with me tomorrow.

"Everything okay, Vlad? Did you get the answer you wanted?" asked Twilight.

"Yes! I have to get ready for tomorrow. Thanks for the tea, I have to go!" I said, hugging Twilight.

"Oh, please... It's nothing." said Twilight, hugging me back.

"And thank you, Spike, for sending my letter to Celestia." I said, and we shook hands.

After that, I went outside and walked home at an accelerated pace. When I turned around, I saw Twilight and Spike waving at me. I waved back and continued on my way home.

(I need to get some sleep, so I can properly present my idea to Celestia...)

Alternative POV Twilight works with Celestia

*Some explaining: Twilight Sparkle is the main character in this chapter and all events is seen from her point of view*

***

I waved to Vlad and closed the door, sighing with relief.

"You can come out, princess!" I said, trying to speak louder than usual.

Celestia began to walk down the stairs from the second floor.

"Thank you, Twilight. Are you sure Vlad didn't find out I was here?" Celestia asked with a little worry in her voice.

"Yes, princess, I'm absolutely sure! But I had a worry that he would ask why he would have to write the letter not at the comfortable table on the second floor, but at this low table near the couch, but he didn't seem to be the least bit confused..." I said thoughtfully.

Celestia laughed lightly.

"Apparently, he doesn't care as much about the process as the result itself." Celestia said as she made her way all the way down the stairs.

Spike sighed heavily and crossed his arms.

"Do we really have to keep lying to him? I think he deserves to know the truth..." said Spike, staring at the floor.

"Oh, Spike..." said Celestia, walking over to Spike and patting his head. "It's for his own good. You know what would happen if we let him go home right now, don't you?"

"If we tell him the truth now, I don't think he'll be happy to hear it, Spike... We'll have to wait a little while. Just know it's a lie for good, it'll make you feel better, believe me. That's what I do too." I said with a slight smile.

"Ah, okay... If it's a lie for the greater good..." said Spike, frowning slightly.

"That's the spirit, Spike!" said Celestia cheerfully. "I promise that when circumstances are more favorable, we'll be sure to send him home. We'll just have to come to an agreement with Miss Claire."

Spike looked at Celestia thoughtfully, and she smiled at him.

"Whatever... I'm going to finish reading the comic book." Said Spike and walked off in the direction of the stairs.

"He's very smart and understanding for his age, Twilight. It's a rare combination." said Celestia, putting her hoof on my shoulder.

"You're right, princess... I'm glad I can rely on him."

A slight creaking sound was heard from the second floor. It meant that Spike lay down in his basket and began to read his comic books.

"So, shall we continue from where the sudden visitor interrupted us?" asked Celestia, going into the kitchen.

Celestia pulled me out of my thoughts and it took me a couple of seconds to answer her.

"Y-yes, of course!" I answered in a hurry and followed her.

I sat across from Celestia and served her a hot cup of tea.

"Thank you, Twilight." said Celestia, taking a sip of tea. "So, where were we...?"

"Negotiation failure." I said sadly.

"Yes, thanks for the reminder. I wish we could have organized this conversation sooner. Well, better late than never." Celestia set her mug of tea down on the table. "So, at this point, we still haven't managed to explain to Miss Claire that we have no intention of taking over Earth and have no evil intentions toward humanity at all..."

Celestia paused, probably waiting for my response.

"Yes, that's right, princess." with a little delay, I said.

"Now, again, we have to think about how we can change her mind..." Celestia paused again, but, this time to think, not waiting for my answer.

"Well, at least we were able to make a agreement for all the ponies to be returned to Equestria safely..." I said, trying to cheer Celestia up.

"Oh, Twilight..." the expression on Celestia's face became threatening. "If my ponies were harmed in any way..."

I heard a cracking sound. It was the cup that Celestia was holding in her magical aura. After a few seconds, the cup gave up, shattering into many small pieces.

"Sorry, Twilight, but this is the only way I could express my thoughts without using bad words." Celestia said, tossing the shards into the garbage can.

"It's okay princess, I respect your mindset on this case." I said, trying not to show my anxiety.

(Don't make Celestia angry... EVER.)

"Thank you, Twilight, your support is very important to me." Celestia said, taking a new cup and pouring tea into it. "But it would be very nice if we could come up with some kind of solution to our problem during our meeting..."

"Have you no ideas at all, princess?" I asked, surprised that, for the first time in a long time, Celestia couldn't think of a solution to the problem.

"No, Twilight, I really don't know what to do... All my ideas that were theoretically good, in practice failed... So... I have high hopes for you." Celestia looked at me hopefully.

"I don't have any ideas at the moment either, princess..." I said sadly.

Celestia sighed sadly.

"We need to figure something out, Twilight... I can't let Vlad down. He has to get home." Celestia said hopelessly.

(Oh, princess, I'd like to find a solution just as much...)

Unexpectedly for myself, an interesting idea popped into my head.

"Say, princess... What if we accept Miss Claire's offer?" I asked excitedly.

Celestia looked at me in surprise.

"Twilight... Are you ready to risk Vlad's life...?" said Celestia in a shocked voice.

"Of course not! They're asking us to send him to them right now, aren't they?"

"Yes..." Celestia answered with confusion in her voice.

"But we don't trust them with Vlad's safety given all that Miss Claire said earlier, do we?"

"Yeah..." Celestia said in an even more confused tone. "Twilight, I'm not quite sure where you're going with this..."

"We can at least check on Miss Clare. If we fulfill our end of the deal, will she fulfill hers?"

"But I still don't see how we can do it without risking Vlad's life..." Celestia was completely confused.

"It's simple, princess. We don't need to send him to test Miss Claire's honesty, his clone can do that. And I know just the pony who we can go to with this request." I said with a victorious tone.

Celestia's eyes widened in surprise.

"Twilight... This is a great plan! I knew I could rely on you, and once again I am convinced of it!" Celestia came up to me and hugged me.

"Oh, thank you, princess. I'm glad to help you." I said, hugging her back.

"So who is this pony we can come to with this request?" asked Celestia, releasing me from hugging.

"Trixie. Remember I told you about her performance in which she made a clone?"

"Yes, I remember. But I didn't expect this spell to help us at all..." Celestia said thoughtfully.

"It's okay, princess, it's impossible to know everything." I said in an encouraging tone.

"Well, let's not waste any time then! Let's go visit Trixie." Celestia said as she left the kitchen.

"Coming!" I said, putting the cups in the sink.

Before we left, I checked on Spike. He was already asleep with a comic book on his face. I put the comics away and covered him with a blanket.

"Thank you for keeping our secrets..." I whispered, not wanting to wake Spike.

When I went back down to the first floor, Celestia was looking at some backpack.

"Twilight, isn't that Vlad's backpack?" Celestia was unsure.

I came closer and looked at the backpack.

"Yes, it's definitely his backpack. Where did you find it?"

"On the couch." Celestia said, pointing to that very couch.

"Looks like Vlad forgot his backpack when he wrote the letter to you... We'd have to get it back." I said, taking the backpack from Celestia. "Wow, it's pretty heavy... What does Vlad carry in there...?"

Celestia looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"But, of course, I'm not going to look inside... That's private information." I said confidently.

"Right. Okay, let's go to Trixie. I hope she'll agree to help us." Celestia said as we left the library.

"Oh, believe me, princess, I know how to convince her." I said with a confident tone.

"Really? And what's that?" Celestia asked with interest.

"You'll see, princess. But it's much easier than you might think. Now let's speed up, maybe Trixie's getting ready for bed already." I said, quickening my pace.

With an accelerated walking pace, we made it to Trixie's wagon in just a couple of minutes. Wasting no time, I knocked on the door. Immediately some sounds were heard inside the wagon.

"Great, she's awake." I said, turning to Celestia.

As soon as I finished saying that, the wagon door opened, and Trixie herself stepped out.

"Twilight Sparkle? What are you doing here?" Trixie asked with surprise.

Then Trixie spotted Princess Celestia.

"And even you are here, your highness?! Have Trixie done something wrong? She didn't mean to!" said Trixie frightened.

"No no, Trixie, it's okay... We need your help!" Celestia calmed Trixie.

Trixie gasped in surprise.

"The mightiest wizard in Equestria needs help from Trixie?! Trixie can't believe it's really true!"

"It's true. Are you willing to help us?" I asked, trying to get Trixie out of her surprise.

"How can the great and powerful Trixie help?" asked Trixie, putting on her cape and hat.

"We need one of your spells... A cloning spell." I said seriously.

"The princess needs a cloning spell?" Trixie was surprised. "Trixie isn't sure she can clone a princess... It would be very difficult to clone an alicorn..." Trixie was a little upset.

"No, Trixie, we don't need you to clone me..." said Celestia, stepping closer to Trixie. "We need you to clone someone else... I think that would be pretty easy for you."

"Trixie doesn't know who we're talking about. Who is this mysterious creature?" asked Trixie with interest.

"You know him... He helped you with your performance." I said, for some reason with a proud look.

Trixie didn't understand anything for a few seconds, but then the surprise on her face let us know that she get it.

"You want Trixie to clone Vlad again? But why? You want to see Trixie's mastery of magic again?"

"We need you to clone him and send him to the human world." Celestia said softly.

This time Trixie was even more surprised.

"Trixie should send Vlad's clone to the human world...?" asked Trixie confusedly. "Trixie doesn't know... Maybe that's not a good idea..."

"But Trixie, we need-" Celestia began to speak, but I interrupted her putting my hoof forward.

"Trixie, you can't give it up... Just imagine, you could show how good you are at magic to all mankind! All of them will know that Trixie is almost the most powerful wizard in Equestria." I said, shifting my gaze from the night sky to Trixie. "Well, what do you think? Will you take that chance?"

"Trixie has to admit... Twilight Sparkle can really be useful sometimes!"

I just rolled my eyes.

"Is that a 'Yes' or a 'No'?" I asked emotionlessly.

"Of course Trixie agrees!" said Trixie, slamming the wagon door with her back leg. "Trixie is all ready!"

"Great! Then let's not waste any time. I'll teleport us to Canterlot." Celestia said cheerfully.

"Wait a minute, princess! We have to give Vlad his backpack back, remember?" I said, pointing to the backpack I'd put on the ground while we talked to Trixie.

"Ah yes... Right, I completely forgot." said Celestia with a guilty tone.

"By the way, Trixie forgot to say something!" said Trixie, getting our attention. "In order for Trixie to be able to perform the cloning spell, she had to see the original from which the clone would be made."

"But you've already seen Vlad, and made a clone of him." I said with surprise.

"Yes, it's true... But enough time has passed, and Trixie needs to refresh Vlad's image in her memory, or else... The clone might not look very much like the original..." Trixie said with a little worry in her voice.

"Oh... I see. Then you'd better really look at him again. But, anyway, that's just another reason to go see Vlad." I said, pointing to his backpack again. "Let's go."

Vlad's house was not far from Trixie's wagon.

(Poor Vlad... He lives so close to Trixie...)

"Twilight, what if he's asleep already?" Celestia asked with a little concern in her voice.

"That's what we need, princess." I said confidently.

"What?" Celestia was surprised. "You want to break into his house while he's sleeping?"

"I wouldn't call it breaking in..." I tried to explain. "I'll tell you everything when we get there."

A couple of minutes later we were already near the right house. There were no lights in the windows, which meant that the owner of the house was already asleep.

"First, we need to find out where Vlad's bedroom is. Then it's up to you, Trixie," I said, pointing to Trixie. "You teleport inside, leave that backpack there, look at Vlad to refresh his image in your mind, and teleport back to us."

"Trixie has to admit that Twilight Sparkle has come up with a very good plan..." said Trixie rather confusedly.

"Thank you. Now, we have to look through the windows and find out where the bedroom is. Princess, you check the windows on the second floor, Trixie and I will check the windows on the first floor." I said, feeling a little weird as I ordered Princess Celestia what to do.

"Got it!" said Celestia, spreading her wings and taking off.

"Okay, Trixie, now we-"

"Found it! The bedroom on the second floor. I can see Vlad sleeping." said Celestia, hovering near the window on the second floor.

"The second floor... That might be a little uncomfortable for us..." I said thoughtfully.

"Don't worry, my little ponies, I'll help!" said Celestia, lowering herself to the ground. "Hop on my back, I'll take you to the right place!"

Trixie gave a squeak of joy. I rolled my eyes again.

"Let's go. Our time is not infinite." I said, taking Trixie out of her state of surprise.

We climbed onto Celestia's back and she lifted us up to the level of second floor.

"Trixie never thought she could ride Princess Celestia!" said Trixie with genuine joy.

Princess Celestia laughed lightly.

"Trixie, focus! Hold the backpack, and teleport inside. Just do it as far away from the bed as possible, so Vlad doesn't wake up from the flash of your teleport." I said, passing Trixie the backpack.

"Trixie will do everything in the best way! Watch and be amazed!"

Trixie's horn glowed slightly, and the next moment, she was gone, and then she appeared... In midair, right above Vlad's bed. My heart immediately went chill when I saw Trixie about to fall on Vlad and ruin our operation.

But Trixie didn't fall on Vlad, as she and the backpack were taken into the magical aura by Princess Celestia. I wiped cold drops of sweat from my forehead.

"Thank you, princess... We were almost exposed." I said in a still trembling voice.

"I think Trixie should practice with the teleport spell..." said Celestia, safely and silently placing Trixie on the floor.

Next, Trixie acted as intended. She put the backpack near the wall and walked quietly over to the bed, looking at Vlad. It didn't take her more than a minute, and then she successfully teleported back onto Celestia's back.

"Trixie has successfully completed her mission!" said Trixie proudly. "Now she can easily make a clone!"

"Trixie, when we're done, please practice your teleportation spell." said Celestia as she lowered herself to the ground.

"Ah yes, about that... Trixie's sorry about that, and she'll be perfecting her cloning spell all day tomorrow!"

"Okay, Trixie. I'll check on your progress later." Celestia said with a chuckle.

I had never seen Trixie look so surprised.

"All right, my ponies, now we're off to Canterlot! Hold on tight, it might get a little shaky!" said Celestia cheerfully.

Before I knew it, the three of us were in the portal room. The bright flash from the teleportation spell illuminated the area around us for a few seconds.

"Thank you for choosing our transportation service, rate our work from one star to five stars." Celestia said jokingly.

"Trixie is without a doubt very pleased with your service and rates it five stars!" Trixie smiled widely.

"Thank you, your opinion is very important to us." Celestia said as Trixie and I dismounted from her back.

"Trixie, summon the clone, while I turn on the portal." said Celestia as she approached the portal.

"Trixie got it!"

Celestia already had experience in turning on the portal, and it didn't take her more than thirty seconds.

"The portal is ready!" Celestia said as she turned to face us. "How's it going with the clone, Trixie?"

But instead of an answer to the question, we finally saw a clone.

"Done! Trixie summoned a clone!" said Trixie, taking off her hat.

There was an exact replica of Vlad standing in front of us, looking at me with a blank stare. I felt a little uncomfortable.

"Why is he staring at me?" I said with a little concern in my voice.

"Because you're the first one he's seen, Twilight Sparkle!" said Trixie, moving closer to the clone.

"Can he talk, Trixie?" asked Celestia, also stepping closer to the clone.

Suddenly, the clone turned his attention to Celestia, turning his head sharply. Celestia gasped in surprise.

"Oh my! He scared me a little." Celestia said with a slight chuckle.

"Yes, princess, he's shifting his attention a little... Unexpectedly." Trixie said, patting the clone on the back. "And about your second question... Unfortunately, no, Trixie hasn't yet learned to give clone a voice..."

"Okay, it's not that important. Can you give him orders?" asked Celestia, this time moving a little away from the clone.

"Of course! Look."

Trixie's face tensed a little. We turned our attention to the clone. He turned his head to me again, and then started moving in my direction.

"Trixie, are you sure it's safe?" I asked worriedly, stepping back little by little.

"Trixie assures you it's perfectly safe! Now, Twilight Sparkle, stop moving and let me demonstrate clone control!"

"O-okay..." my concern didn't go anywhere, but I still stopped walking backwards.

The clone came close to me, and a drop of sweat rolled off my head. He extended his finger forward, and began to bring it close to my face.

(He wants to poke my eye out?!)

But it turned out to be much more gentle than I thought. He just booped my nose.

"Trixie has full control of the clone!" said Trixie, taking off her hat again.

"Great, Trixie! Then I think we're ready to send the clone through the portal. Give him your orders." Celestia said, pointing to the portal.

"Got it!" said Trixie and began giving new commands to the clone.

The clone began to move toward the portal, and stopped right next to it. Trixie looked at Celestia. Celestia simply nodded.
Wasting no more time, Trixie sent the clone onward, and it disappeared into the portal.

"Great! Can you still control him?" Celestia asked.

"Yes, of course! Trixie controls his every move." Trixie said proudly.

The three of us stood close to the portal, waiting for updates from Trixie on the status of the clone.

"Huh? That's weird..." Trixie said with surprise.

"What's the matter, Trixie?" I asked, having a bad feeling.

"Trixie lost control of the clone much sooner than it should have disappeared... This could mean that some kind of force was applied to the clone, which led to him disappearing earlier than usual..."

The expression on my face became worried. The expression on the princess's face became exactly the same. We looked at each other.

"That's not good at all..." the princess and I said that at the same time.

A busy Saturday

My sleep was interrupted by loud music coming from my phone. It was the alarm clock going off.

(Already?... I swear I closed my eyes a few seconds ago...)

I reached for the phone on the bedside table and turned off the annoying alarm clock.

(Celestia really has no other time to meet with me? Why so early?)

After a little more grumbling, I got out of bed. My attention immediately fell on the backpack that stood near the wall.

(Huh? I don't remember bringing my backpack to the second floor...)

I spent about a minute trying to remember where I left my backpack yesterday.

(Oh, okay, never mind... Maybe I just brought it here and forgot. It's not like someone broke into my house while I was sleeping and brought it here, right? Who needs it?)

Chuckling slightly, I thought my mind was occupied with the wrong thoughts and went off to do my morning routine.

A little later, while sipping freshly made coffee, I heard something hitting the front door with a soft thud.

(What's this? Somebody decided to visit me early in the morning?)

When I opened the door, I saw that there was a newspaper on the doorstep.

(Oh, morning newspaper delivery? Okay, newspaper and coffee is a good combination.)

I picked up the newspaper and headed back to the kitchen, where an unfinished coffee was waiting for me.

(Well, let's see what's going on in Ponyville...)

With a bit of surprise, I found on the front page of the newspaper an article about Rarity and her new collection of clothes for dragons, minotaurs and even griffins.

(So in the end, I helped her with taking her business to the next level? Now she can sell clothes to someone other than ponies. Although... Do ponies wear clothes often...?)

I started reading the article while drinking my coffee.

"Rarity is releasing a new collection of clothes that pushes the boundaries of fashion harder than ever before! Now her works of art in the clothing world can be enjoyed not only by ponies, but also by minotaurs, dragons and even griffins. But don't feel bad if your species isn't on the list! Rarity promises that her clothes will be available for even more species in a little while!

Next, Rarity will reveal what motivated her to push the boundaries of her work.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak out, it's very important to me! So... I was motivated to make this change by a friend of mine. As soon as I saw him, I realized... This is his rare opportunity. This is his rare opportunity to give other creatures of Equestria the pleasure of fashion... If only he had visited us sooner... I am very grateful for the opportunity he has given us. Vlad, if you're reading this right now... Thank you..."

I was pleasantly surprised.

(Well, at least I did something useful while I am in Equestria...)

The article had a continuation, but I didn't read it because a carriage was about to come for me, and I started getting ready to go outside.

(Okay, maybe while I'm flying to Canterlot I could come up with some kind of speech? Or would pure improvisation be okay, too?)

With these thoughts in mind, I went outside, breathing in the pleasant morning air. I leaned my back against the wall of the house and was warming up in the light of the rising sun.

(Yeah... Celestia knows her job...)

I was still enjoying the morning sun when I heard the sound of wings flapping. It was the royal guards flying, carrying the carriage behind them.

(Not a minute later, not a minute earlier... Impressive.)

The royal guards landed near me, and, as on previous occasions, asked my name.

"Hello, fellows. Yes, yes, I'm Vlad, and I need a ride to Canterlot. I think with the frequency with which I go there, we'll soon be best friends." I said with a light laugh.

They didn't respond, but I didn't expect a response. I just climbed into the carriage and made myself comfortable.

(Maybe I should get some sleep instead of preparing my speech? Hmmm.)

I had already closed my eyes, but I heard the clatter of hooves behind me. I looked back and saw that strange pony approaching me, who kept trying to talk to me at night.

(Oh no... It's not a good time for her at all!)

She must have noticed that I was about to fly away and sped up her pace.

"Guys, let's take off already! What are we waiting for?" I said, hurrying the guards.

"We have a command to wait one minute after a passenger has taken a seat, so that he can get comfortable and safely settled." said the guard on the left.

"Hasn't that minute passed yet?" I asked worriedly, seeing that pony getting closer and closer.

"Yes, the minute has just passed. We can go." said the guard on the right, and they both spread their wings.

The carriage began to move, and it seemed to me that it had been gaining the necessary speed for takeoff for an eternity.

(Come on, come on! I don't want to talk to her now! Maybe later...)

Just as we were about to take off, the pony began to gallop, and began to catch up with the carriage.

(Are you kidding me? Is it really that important to talk to me?)

To my surprise, she still managed to reach a distance where I could hear her.

"I'll meet you near your house when you come back! We must talk!" said the pony in a rush, and then slowing down, staying behind the carriage and looking me in the eyes.

At that moment the carriage rose into the air, and our eye contact ended.

(She REALLY wants to talk to me...)

I thought about it for a few more seconds, and then sat down comfortably again.

(Now I wonder what she wants to tell me... If that's what she was chasing the carriage for, it must be something really important.)

I spent the entire flight to Canterlot thinking about what had happened. I only came out of my thought trance at the slight jolt that meant we had landed in Canterlot.

"Thanks guys." I said as I stepped off the carriage.

"We'll be waiting for you here." said the right guard.

"Okay. Thanks for letting me know." I said and headed for the castle entrance.

As I walked up the stairs, I regretted that I hadn't prepared some sort of speech.

(Okay, maybe I should have thought of something beforehand after all...)

Just as I wanted to touch the castle door, a sudden flash briefly blinded me, but I kept walking forward. I covered my face with my hands.

(Ouch! What the fuck just happe...)

No sooner had I finished that thought in my head than the next second I hit something... soft and a little fluffy? After that, I fell on my ass.

(Have they decided to blind me or something?)

"Ah, there you are. Hello. Are you okay?" asked a voice I couldn't mistake for any other. It was Celestia's voice.

I was finally able to open my eyes and see that Celestia was standing in front of me. And I was sitting on the floor after bumping into her.

"Hello, princess. I don't really understand what just happened... I wanted to open the door to enter the castle, and..."

"Ah, sorry about that. I teleported you here so you don't have to waste your time getting to the throne room." said Celestia a little guiltily. "Let me help you get up."

Celestia lifted me to my feet with no problem using her magic.

"Thank you, princess." I said, dusting myself off. "Are you in a hurry? Judging by this sudden teleport from the castle doors to the throne room...".

"Well, actually yes... But, I think I'll have time to listen to you." Celestia said as she started walking. "Do you mind if we go out on the balcony? I hate to spend such a nice day indoors."

"Yeah, sure, why not?" I said, starting to follow her.

A minute later we were on the balcony, enjoying the pleasant morning breeze.

"So what's on your mind, Vlad?" asked Celestia.

At this point, I'd almost forgotten that I'd come to Canterlot for a reason, not just to chat with Celestia and hang out on the balcony.

"Oh yeah, about that..." I said and cleared my throat. "You've been pretty busy lately, haven't you, princess?"

"Yes... I've been busy with something." Celestia said proudly.

(SOMETHING, huh?)

"I recently met a pony who is now working very hard to earn money for something very important. I repeat, VERY IMPORTANT." I said, leaning against the balcony railing. "She works at the Ponyville market, selling coffee. She's even moved her stand recently so she can get more customers, and more income as a result."

"Oh... Is she saving up for her dream? Something she's wanted for a long time?" asked Celestia dreamily.

"A dream? Hmm..." I said thoughtfully. "Maybe what she's saving up for doesn't quite fit that description. I'd say it's... It's something she needs vitally."

"Vital? Oh, you mean...?" Celestia couldn't finish and became visibly sad.

"Yes, it's a matter of life or death. And it's not even about her, it's about... Her mother's health." I said, turning away, looking out at Canterlot, which was so beautiful from the balcony.

"Oh... Is her mother not feeling well...?" Celestia asked in a sad tone.

"I don't know exactly how bad she feeling right now, but one thing I can tell you for sure... She needs help as soon as possible." I said, still not turning to Celestia. "I don't know if I'm making too much of this, but... Maybe if help doesn't come now, then... Then it'll be too late to make a change."

"Oh my, it's terrible... Who is this pony that needs help?" Celestia asked worriedly.

"I don't know the mother of that pony personally, and you could say that I found out about this situation against her will, but... I just couldn't stay away, you know?" I said, turning to Celestia and looking at her intently.

"Yes, yes, of course, I understand, in such cases it's sometimes worth being persistent." Celestia said seriously.

"Thank you for your understanding, princess." I said as I stopped leaning on the balcony railing and stood up, stepping slightly forward, standing with my back to Celestia. "This pony who needs help with her mother's treatment is Caffeine Cream. I've known her for a very short time, and she may not even remember me, but please help her. You can find her by her name, right? I'm afraid that's all the information I know about her."

"Yes, of course, the name is enough. She will certainly be helped." Celestia said with confidence.

"Thank you. It means a lot." I said, trying not to give away the sadness in my voice. "But, you know what?"

"What is it, Vlad?" Celestia asked with a little confusion.

"What if this case is not an isolated one? What if there are more ponies in Equestria with a similar problem?" I said, finally turning to Celestia.

"You may be right. We need to help everyone." Celestia said thoughtfully. "I will definitely think about it, thank you for letting me in on the problem."

"I may not be here long, but the fate of the residents of Equestria does matter to me." I said seriously. "Thank you for listening to me, despite your busy schedule."

"Perhaps I'm the one who owes you a..."

But Celestia didn't have time to finish her sentence because Shining Armor suddenly came running in.

"Princess, hurry! We have...!" Shining didn't finish as he saw me. "Oh, Vlad... I didn't know you were here, huh..." Shining said worriedly.

"Uh... Hey." That's all I could say.

"What's the matter, Shining Armor?" Celestia asked warily.

"We have... A PROBLEM." Shining said, still looking at me.

"PROBLEM?" Celestia asked again, but this time even more worriedly.

"Yes, PROBLEM. Please hurry!" said Shining and ran, waiting for the princess to follow him.

"Oh no..." Celestia said with annoyance, and then looked at me. "Vlad, you do know your way around the castle, don't you? I'll have to leave you, emergency duties have come up."

"Yeah, sure, I won't get lost." I said hastily.

"Great. I have to go, see you later!" Celestia said and disappeared in a flash of teleportation, leaving me alone.

For a couple of seconds I just stared into the void, thinking about what had happened.

(Problem... They have a problem... I hope this problem has nothing to do with the portal...)

I stood on the balcony alone for a few more minutes, and then headed for the exit from the throne room.

(One day, I will know the truth... And that day may be closer than I think.)

I was walking through the corridors of the castle, thinking about different things that had happened recently, when suddenly I felt something pulling me by the sleeve of my T-shirt.

(What the...?)

I saw that it was a dark blue magical aura. But no sooner had I thought about it than I was dragged through the first door that opened in front of me, and I could barely stand on my feet. When I was in the room, the door slammed shut violently. The room was pitch black, and I could barely see my own hands.

"Hey, what's going on? If this is a joke, it's not very funny." I said, and I felt my heartbeat increase slightly.

There was no response.

(Okay, that's weird.)

I took out my phone and turned on the flashlight in it, starting to light up the room.

(Hm... The room is made in a lunar theme... But it's not the room Luna gave me to live in, that's for sure... That room is at the other end of the castle).

I kept shining the flashlight in different directions until the flashlight showed me something that made my heart freeze and a cold sweat break out on my forehead. Luna was sitting on the bed, smiling broadly as she looked at me.

After about a minute of stupor and staring at each other, I turned off the flashlight. And then I turned it off. And then turned it back on. And then did that a few more times. When I was sure I wasn't imagining things, I sighed heavily and turned off the flashlight again.

"You know, I was very close to squealing like a little girl. Your ears definitely wouldn't like that." I said, letting out an exhale.

All I heard in response was a satisfied laugh, and the next second the curtain was pulled away from the window, flooding the room with daylight.

"Oh, you should have seen your face when you found us!" Luna kept laughing.

"Revenge will be sweet, Luna. Remember that..." I said, smiling slyly.

"Oh ho, we'll see!" Luna said cheerfully.

"So what's this all about?" I asked, walking to the window.

"Straight to the point, huh? Are all humans so boring?" said Luna a little disappointed.

"Well, you didn't just decide to scare me, did you? You had something to say, didn't you? Well, I'm not in a hurry, so we can chat if you want..."

"Well, actually, yes... We wanted to say something." Luna came over to me. "We heard some unfamiliar female voice from the portal room."

"An unfamiliar female voice? Hmm..." I was thinking for a few seconds. "Okay... What does that mean?"

"It's possible that nothing good... Only you and the ponies we know are allowed into the portal room. But, somehow, a pony I don't know got in, and Tia was talking to her."

(Wait... Does that really mean that...?)

"You didn't see exactly who it was?" I asked a little worriedly.

"We didn't see anything at all... Only heard." Luna said thoughtfully. "Something on your mind?"

"I'll tell you what..." I said uncertainly. "Maybe that voice didn't belong to a pony... Or any other species living in Equestria."

"But how is that possible...? Are you sure?" Luna asked with doubt.

"No, I'm not sure... But I have no other thoughts about it..."

"Okay, anyway, whoever she is... She wanted to see you. Well, that's what she told Tia." Luna said seriously.

At that moment all doubts vanished, and I knew exactly who it was.

(She came through the portal and wanted to meet me? But, the program is not over yet... What does she want from me?)

"How long have they been talking?" I asked, trying to understand the intentions of the sudden visitor.

"No more than a couple of minutes. We are sure that at the end of the conversation the sound of passing through the portal was heard."

"What about the tone of the conversation? Was it threatening or hostile?"

"Well... She didn't make any threatening, but... Her tone was a little annoyed, we can say that with certainty."

"So she REALLY wanted to see me... Hmm... " different versions of why she wanted to see me flashed through my head. "By the way, when I was talking to your sister, Shining Armor came running to us and said that there was some problem that needed Celestia's presence to solve... Now I understand what the problem it was."

"Oh, Shining Armor? Yes, he and the guards are now guarding the portal room, so it's no surprise that he's the one who alerted Tia." Luna said without any surprise.

"So this place is guarded now...? Damn, I don't like this at all... That doesn't mean anything good, does it...?" I asked sadly.

"Exactly. There's something going on that we still have to find out... Together." Luna said with a confident smile.

"Right. One day we will know the truth. But, I don't really understand why you're doing this for me..." I said thoughtfully.

"Well... It's interesting for us..." said Luna with a little hesitation.

"...Quite a reason." I said, smiling.

Luna smiled back at me.

"Okay, I guess I should go. Thanks for letting me know what's going on." I said, walking away from the window.

"See you next time." Luna said with a kind smile.

"Yes, of course." I said, opening the door and walking out of the room.

I walked through the corridors of the castle again and thought about the latest events.

(What a week I had...)

When I went outside, the guards and their carriage were waiting for me in the same place where I had left them.

"Thanks for the waiting, guys. I'm ready to head back to Ponyville." I said as I got into the carriage.

They didn't answer again, but just silently started moving, and soon we were in the air. At that moment I remembered that strange pony who wanted to talk to me.

(Well, I'm finally going to find out what she wanted to tell me so badly...)

The royal guards fly so fast that before I knew it, we had already landed in Ponyville.

"Have a good day, you guys. Here, you deserve it." I said and gave each of them 20 bits.

"Thank you. You have a good day, too." said one of the guards and they began to move, a minute later disappearing into the clouds.

(Tough job they have... A couple of beats would obviously make their day brighter.)

I was about to open the door of the house, but I heard someone behind me clear their throat.

"That's right. I remember. Did you really wait for me?" I said, turning and seeing her.

"Come on, we need a private place to talk." the pony said and started walking away from my house.

"My house is right here, where are you going?" I asked with a look of surprise.

"Your house is not suitable, we're going to the Ponyville cafe."

"What? But..." I couldn't finish as she looked at me with a tired look, as if explaining something to a small child. "Okay, okay, I'm coming... Lead the way." I said, not wanting to disagree with her.

(In what way is the Ponyville cafe more private than my home...?)

A warning message

"Okay, I'm listening." I said as we sat down at one of the tables outside the cafe.

"I finally managed to pick a good time to talk with you. You're so busy..." said the strange pony with sarcasm in her voice.

"Well, you really picked the wrong moments to talk to me. Seriously, in the middle of the night when I'm sleeping?" I said in my defense.

"It was necessary so that SHE wouldn't follow me..." the strange pony said with a little alarm in her voice.

"Who are you talking about?" I asked, feeling a sense of alarm also visit me.

At that moment the waiter came up to us.

"Have you decided what you're going to order?" the waiter addressed the two of us at once.

"Yes, a chocolate milkshake, please." my companion ordered.

"And you, sir?" the waiter turned to me.

"I guess... I'll take a chocolate milkshake, too." I said uncertainly.

"Orders taken. Wait a few minutes." after saying this, the waiter went back to the cafe.

I followed the waiter with my eyes until he walked into the building. When I was done with that, my gaze met the gaze of this strange pony.

"Look, how about we start with something simple? What's your name? I never knew it in all the times I've seen you." I said, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

"My name is Bon Bon."

"Well, nice to meet you... I guess I don't have to introduce myself, right?" I asked with a little chuckle.

"Yes, of course. I don't think there's anyone in Equestria who doesn't know your name by this time." Bon Bon said, with a slight smile.

"Well, I can't argue with that..." I said and noticed the waiter approaching us with our order. "Here come our yummy treats."

The waiter put the milkshakes on the table and quickly left.

"Well, after we got our orders ... I guess we can start our conversation..." I said, taking a sip of my milkshake through a straw. "You said you chose such odd moments to talk so that SHE wouldn't follow you. Who's that?"

"Lyra. Lyra Heartstrings." Bon Bon said seriously.

I looked at Bon Bon Bon with confusion, and there was silence for a few seconds, which I broke with the sound of sipping through a straw.

"Okay, but ... That doesn't tell me anything." I said with a shrug.

Bon Bon looked at me with judgment.

"What?" I asked with confusion, raising an eyebrow.

"So you weren't listening to me that night after all." Bon Bon continued to stare with judgment.

"Okay, let's forget about it, shall we? Just tell me what's going on already. This time I can take it in properly, unlike last time."

"Alright. Here, take a look at this." Bon Bon said and placed a folder on the table.

"Hmm? What's this?" I opened the folder, and it turned out to be the dossier of the Lyra that Bon Bon talked about. "What the...? Where did you get this?"

"It doesn't matter. Start reading." Bon Bon said seriously.

"All right. What are you, like a secret agent or something?" I said, jokingly.

Bon Bon looked at me with surprise.

"Just kidding." I said and started reading. "So... Lyra Heartstrings."

After reading this pony's dossier for a few minutes, I didn't notice anything strange.

"So? Nothing unusual, I guess. What do you want to say by that?"

"Well, I figured I'd have to explain everything to you," Bon Bon said in a tired voice. "Do you remember when the portal between our worlds was opened two years ago?"

"Sure. The whole planet has been talking about it for months. You couldn't turn on the TV and not come across people ranting about it." I said with confidence.

"Me and Lyra are close friends. And somehow, she knew about the existence of humanity long before the portal was opened." Bon Bon said, not trying to hide her surprise. "I listened to her stories almost every day that there was a civilization of intelligent beings walking on two legs. All this time I just wrote it off as funny fiction, and didn't give it much thought. But..." Bon Bon looked away from me. "Two years ago everything changed."

I was very surprised and didn't know what to say.

"You don't know what to say? Actually, neither do I. Two years ago, when the portal was opened, I just couldn't believe what was happening... All those years, Lyra was telling the plain truth, and I didn't take it seriously. Of course, she was very pleased with herself. She was satisfied that she had finally proved to me the existence of humanity. Every day since the portal opened, she reminded me that she was right..." Bon Bon turned to me again. "Do you think she was satisfied with that?"

I was still speechless.

"I've lost count of the letters she sent to Princess Celestia asking to be allowed into the portal room and to be the first pony to go to Earth. She claimed to be the perfect candidate for it." Bon Bon paused, taking a sip of her milkshake. "And no matter how many times Celestia has explained in her reply letters that only Earth ponies can go through the portal... Lyra still wouldn't give up, and kept trying to convince the princess."

"But how... How is it possible...? How did she know all this?" I finally managed to say.

"To this day I still don't know ... And I doubt if I ever will..." Bon Bon Bon was as surprised as I was. "But you know... Even so, she didn't stop there. Once, she even wanted to illegally enter the portal room. Somewhere she got black suits so she could hide in the dark, and even tried to talk me into going with her."

"And what happened next?" I asked with great interest.

"With great effort, I was able to talk her out of it, reasoning that if she got caught... Well, nothing good will happen." Bon Bon let out a sigh of relief, apparently still satisfied that she was able to prevent this risky operation. "Oh yes, Lyra said she didn't trust Celestia about the fact that only Earth ponies could pass through the portal. She assured me that any creature could do it, and Celestia not telling us something."

(And even in this, Lyra was right... Celestia lied, and at least any pony can pass through the portal. Not sure about other creatures, by the way...)

"Something on your mind? You've been staring at the same spot for about a minute now." Bon Bon asked, getting my attention back.

"Well, you know... I think about everything I heard..." I lied.

"But you haven't heard the main part of the story yet... It began when it became known that one human would be going to Equestria, for the first live contact between our civilizations."

"Wait..." I interrupted Bon Bon. "How long before my arrival did this become known?"

"Well... At least for half a year before you got in Equestria." Bon Bon said with a little uncertainty in her voice.

"Interesting... Perhaps Celestia hadn't originally planned a reformation program for the first human to come here? Perhaps she planned it as a simple visit, with the possibility of returning home at any time?" I said thoughtfully.

"You may be right... If that were really the case, things would be a lot easier..." there was a slight disappointment in Bon Bon's voice.

"Yeah... So what were you talking about before I interrupted you?" I asked, finishing my milkshake.

"Well, Lyra was very excited to hear that a human was coming to Equestria. Of course, she immediately stopped all attempts to get into the portal room. Why would she go to Earth if the human would come to her himself?" Bon Bon made a serious expression on her face and put her hooves on the table, pushing the milkshake aside. "This is where my worry about you really begins."

"I don't like it..." I said with a little concern.

"That's right. I wouldn't like it either, if I were you. Anyway... Remember the day you arrived in Equestria, you gave a speech on the balcony of Canterlot Castle?"

"Yes, of course, how could I forget such a thing? I was a little nervous at the time, speaking in front of such a big audience..." I said with a little bit of shyness.

"Didn't you notice a certain pony who was a little more excited than the others?" Bon Bon asked ironically.

"Hmm... Well, yes, I noticed. And what are you trying to say with tha... Wait." realization hit me like a truck.

"Exactly. You've seen how she acts, and I'd like to ask you a question... Do you think meeting her is a good idea?" Bon Bon asked seriously.

"Uh... I don't know. What if she gets even more excited than she was during my speech? Could it end badly for me?" I asked uncertainly.

Bon Bon sighed uneasily.

"Look... When we met at the Canterlot café, I was pretty sure that you and Lyra shouldn't see each other. But now... I've rethought some factors, and... Anyway, maybe I'm overestimating the situation a little bit."

"Oh, is that so?" I asked with some surprise.

"Yes, probably... Anyway, I just wanted to warn you, that's all. I'm not going to impose my point of view on you, and I'm giving you free will. If you don't think Lyra poses any danger to you, you're free to meet with her, it's your decision." Bon Bon said and put some sort of piece of paper on the table. "But if you want to avoid meeting her... Here's the address of the house where Lyra and I live. Try to avoid that area of Ponyville. If you try to go there, you're guaranteed to run into Lyra."

I took a piece of paper with the address on it and read it.

"I'll think about it." I said uncertainly.

"Make your decision without haste, you have plenty of time... Right?" Bon Bon asked with a sly chuckle.

"I think so." I said sarcastically. "Thank you for all this information... It will definitely be useful to me."

"Oh, don't even doubt it." Bon Bon said, stepping out from behind the table. "It was nice to finally talk to you without rushing and all. You're a pleasant companion."

"I could say the same thing about you. You turned out to be a very nice pony." I said with a smile.

Bon Bon raised an eyebrow.

"Well, you know, these sudden late-night conversations have certainly not been good for my perception of your persona. No offense, okay?" I explained myself.

Bon Bon smiled.

"There are no hard feelings. I completely understand your reaction, but there was no other way out."

"Glad to hear that." I said with relief.

"Okay, I should go. I have to meet Lyra at the train station, she's on her way back from Canterlot."

"Ah, is that why we were able to talk in the daytime?" I asked sarcastically.

"Exactly. Perfect timing."

At that moment the waiter came over, bringing the bill for the order.

"I'll pay for us. Go meet Lyra." I said, grabbing the bits out of the pouch.

"What a gentleman, thank you. Goodbye." Bon Bon said as she walked away and waved to me.

I waved back and then paid the bill, leaving the cafe a few minutes later.

(Maybe one day I'll visit Lyra... According to Bon Bon's story, she doesn't look that dangerous. I think she'll just be very, very happy to see me, and nothing more, right...?)

I was on my way home, but a familiar voice called out to me. It was Rarity.

"Vlad! You're just the person I expected to see today." said Rarity cheerfully.

"Hi Rarity. What's up?" I said, stepping closer.

"I'm doing great. I just remembered that you owe me a conversation about human fashion. You're not busy? This is the perfect time for that!" Rarity asked hopefully.

(Shit! I completely forgot about that. Well, since I promised...)

"No, I'm not busy." I said, realizing that I wouldn't get home for at least a few more hours.

"Wonderful! Darling, this is very important to me, thank you! Come on, I'll show you the way." Rarity said and gestured for me to follow her.

As we walked, Rarity thanked me again for that time I helped her with the measurements for her new clothing collection.

"...yes, I did read this morning's newspaper. Nice of you to mention me."

"Darling, that's the least I could do to thank you." Rarity was a bit excited. "Ah, here we are! Boutique Carousel! Please come in."

I walked into the boutique and looked around.

"Nice place you have here, Rarity. It's clear you love what you do." I said with fascination"

"Flatterer!" Rarity said playfully. "Please make yourself at home. I'll make us some tea, and you can tell me all about human fashion! How does that sound?"

I gave it a thumbs up.

"Okay, wait a little, please. You can look around the boutique for now." Rarity said and went to the kitchen.

Following Rarity's suggestion, I began to look around.

(I don't even know what I can tell her about our fashion... I'm not an expert in it).

While exploring the boutique, I came across a cabinet on which stood several cans of hair spray. I took one of the cans in my hands and examined it.

(Perhaps this hairspray might have been a good souvenir for my mom? She loves those things.)

"Rarity, can you sell me some hairspray?" I asked loudly so Rarity could hear me while she was in the kitchen.

"You mean, mane spray?" Rarity asked with a slight confusion.

"Uh... Yeah, these." I replied after a few seconds.

"Darling, you can have them for free, I've got plenty more of those in reserve." Rarity replied with kindness in her voice.

"Thank you!" I said and put two cans of hair spray in my backpack.

"Decided to try the mane spray, Vlad?" Rarity asked with a small chuckle.

"No, I want to gift these to my mother. I think she'll like them."

"Awww, that's so sweet of you." Rarity said with a sympathy.

At that moment I heard the sound of a door opening and a voice followed it.

"Rarity, I'm home!"

"Oh, already? Did you have fun with your friends?" asked Rarity as she came out of the kitchen.

It was Sweetie Belle, and she looked pretty happy with the activities of the day.

"Yes, we were visiting Zecora, and she showed us how to brew potions! It's so much fun!" Sweetie Belle was hopping around Rarity and smiling.

"Zecora accompany you in the everfree forest, did she? You didn't go there alone?" Rarity asked worriedly.

"Of course! There's no way we'd go in there alone." Sweetie Belle said and then noticed me.

"Hey." I greeted.

"Wow, Vlad's here! Yay!" said Sweetie Belle and jumped into my arms.

"Whoa, that's some moves! I have to ruffle your mane for that!" I said, and I did it.

The little filly laughed playfully.

"How sweet! I wish I had my camera on me right now..." said Rarity with a chuckle.

"By the way, Rarity! There seems to be a crowd of visitors coming this way right now! They seem to be hungry for your outfits!" said Sweetie Belle, still sitting in my arms.

"Really? Oh no, but I wasn't expecting visitors today! I have to get everything ready right away!" said Rarity and rushed off to make preparations.

I sighed with relief.

"Don't think you're going to get away from this fashion talk, darling! I'll talk to you later!" said Rarity with a smirk of determination.

(Yeah, that would be too easy...)

"While Rarity is busy, we can do something together!" Sweetie Belle said cheerfully.

"Good idea. What shall we do?" I asked, putting the filly on the floor.

"Do you want to see my room?" the filly asked hopefully.

"Sure, why not? Lead the way!"

"Yay! Come on, my room is on the second floor." Sweetie Belle said, and I followed her.

In a couple of moments we were already there, and I was looking around.

"So you live with Rarity?" I asked the first question that came to mind.

"No, I live with my parents, and I go to Rarity's on the weekends. I love staying here."

"And I can see why! How many toys are there? It would take hours, no less, to count!" I wondered.

"Yes, and I love every one of them! Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and I often play something in my room."

"Hmm... I guess you and I could play something while Rarity is busy with clients." I said, looking around at the toys and wondering what game we could play.

"Really?! Yippee!" the filly started hopping around me the way she'd done with Rarity earlier today, but suddenly she stopped. "But what game can we play? Do you have any ideas?"

My gaze stopped on the pirate captain's hat, and at that moment I knew what I wanted.

"Fifteen men on the dead man's chest—
...Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!
Drink and the devil had done for the rest—
...Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!" I sang as I put on the pirate hat.

"Wow, you want to play pirates? I love it!" the filly then wondered. "If you're the captain, then who am I? An ordinary sailor?"

"I think I have a more interesting role for you!" I said mysteriously.

"And who would I be?" Sweetie Belle asked excitedly.

Before the filly could say anything else, I picked her and placed her on my shoulder.

"Every pirate captain has a parrot, right? And you're just right for that role! What do you say? Will you be my parrot?" I asked, trying not to laugh.

Surprise appeared on Sweetie Belle's face, but then it changed to a big smile.

"Wow, this is so cool! Of course I'll be your parrot!" Sweetie Belle nestled comfortably on my shoulder. " I will repeat what you say!"

"Great! Now we need a ship! We can build it out of pillows." I said, closing one eye, pretending it wasn't there.

"Great! Now we need a ship! We can build it out of pillows." my "parrot" repeated after me.

I just laughed and started building a ship out of pillows.

Sudden news

"Oh, come on, guys, can't you stay a little longer?" Spike was a little upset about us leaving the party early.

"Sorry buddy, but Mac and I have to get up early for work tomorrow. We need to get some sleep." I said, Mac confirmed my words with a nod.

Spike sighed sadly.

"Come on, it won't be our last party together, I'm sure. It's not like I'm leaving Equestria tomorrow. Or at all anytime soon..." I said ironically.

"Haha, you're right. But are you two sure you can make it home? Looks like you... Had some fun with the cider." Spike asked in a teasing tone.

"Well... We'll find out now." I shrugged.

"Okay, be careful, you two." Spike smirked and went back inside.

As we started to leave, I saw, out of the corner of my eye, a flash in the window on the second floor of Twilight's house. By this time, I had long since realized that it was a teleportation spell, always accompanied by a small flash.

(Is Twilight practicing? It looks like it...)

The two of us walked in silence for a while. The walk back home seemed longer than usual.

"You know..." Mac spoke up. "Maybe I won't make it home after all ... Do you mind if I stay at your place? It seems easier that way..."

"Why not? Let's go." I said without hesitation. "Maybe Celestia will count that toward the progression of our friendship, too?"

"That would be nice..." Mac said, yawning.

Indeed, the way to my house was much shorter than the way to the farm. A few minutes later we arrived at my house. I opened the door and let Mac go in first.

"I haven't had this much fun in a long time..." I collapsed on the couch.

Mac sat down next to me, tiredness clearly visible on his face.

"This day would be perfect if I didn't have to work on the farm tomorrow..." I leaned back on the couch. "Where do you want to sleep? On the couch or the bed?"

"The couch will do." Mac yawned even harder than last time.

"Okay, settle in. I'm going to get a drink." I got up from the couch and went into the kitchen.

"I guess I am, too. If you don't mind, of course." Mac halted for a moment.

"Ah, take what you want." I said, reaching for another can of soda.

A minute later we were both sitting at the table, sipping our drinks.

"Hey, I was wondering..." I broke the silence. "What was going on the day of our fight when I blacked out?"

"Not much..." Mac paused for a moment. "Ambulances, cops, news vans..."

"News vans, huh? They're always so quick when there's a little conflict to stir up around the world..." I said it with sad irony. "Yeah, you got me good, I still get headaches sometimes."

"Hey, you did good too... My nose was bleeding for a while after you hit it." Mac smiled a little.

"Fighting is magic, huh?" I grinned.

"I guess you can put it that way." Mac glanced behind me. "Are you smoking?"

I followed his gaze and saw that it went on a pack of cigarettes lying on the kitchen countertop.

"Yes, sometimes, when I really feel like it. What about you?"

"Same thing." Mac looked away. "Especially when Applejack really bugs me."

"Hey, it's okay. Resorting to bad habits to avoid stress is a common practice. I know that very well." I stood up and picked up a pack of cigarettes. "Shall we go for a smoke?"

Mac agreed without hesitation.

(How much does your sister bother you? I can only guess...)

We went outside and sat on the stairs. A pleasant night breeze began to blow over us. I handed Mac a cigarette and lighter.

"You know..." I took a puff. "Lately I've been wondering... Do you really think we could be friends? Or do you want to end our program and forget these events like a bad dream?"

Mac was silent for a few seconds.

"You want an honest answer?" Mac was serious.

"I guess..."

"I think you weren't too happy when you found out about this program either, right? Neither was I. Of course, I was very frustrated, and I wanted to get it over with quickly. My feelings were a mixture of anger and despair... To be ripped away from my comfort zone when I had finally found a better place in my life... It's not hard to guess that at that moment I hated you, I thought you were the root of all my problems. I couldn't even imagine that we could have even a peaceful conversation with each other... But when we met again here in Equestria, I realized many things. I realized that I wasn't perfect either, and as I said before, this situation could have been completely avoided if we had been guided by common sense instead of wild emotions. Sometimes it's just not worth it, but often we realize it too late." Mac paused, looking at his cigarette. "Damn, my cigarette burned out while I was talking..."

I silently handed him the other one, trying to take in all the information I heard.

"Thank you. So what was I saying there... Ah yes. Anyway, I think we have every chance of a long-term friendship beyond the reformation program. The only question is whether YOU want it."

"I'll tell you what... We'll go to the bar again when we get out of Equestria. I know a good one, you'll love it. They probably have the best beer mankind ever invented." I looked up at the night sky. "Probably even better than those stars."

"Princess Luna wouldn't like those words." Mac smiled.

"Sometimes you have to be able to accept the harsh reality, buddy."

We both chuckled.

"It's getting chilly, huh?" I rubbed my hands together.

"Yeah, I guess we'd better get back inside."

I threw what was left of my cigarette in the bin. A few seconds after we went inside, there was a knock on the door.

"What the...? Who could come this late...?" I turned to Mac. "I'll take care of it, you can go back to the kitchen."

Mac nodded and left, while there was another knock on the door.

(I hope it's not who I think it is...)

When I opened the door, I realized I was right.

"Greetings! We remembered your request from last time, now no sudden teleportation! Just a knock on the door."

I sighed and went outside, closing the door behind me.

"I really appreciate it, Luna, but honestly? Your timing of the visit isn't quite good." My voice was as polite as possible. "I have a guest right now, and our conversations are kind of secret, I guess...?"

"But, we have very good news for you! You're going to love it for sure!" Luna was almost jumping on the spot with excitement.

"I mean, yes, very well, but let's discuss it tomorrow, okay? I think my guest is already beginning to suspect something."

"Vlad, is everything okay?" Mac's voice could be heard even through the closed door.

(Oh shit!)

I gestured to Luna to fly up so that Mac wouldn't see her, and she instantly complied with my request. Then Mac opened the door.

"Is everything okay? I thought I heard a second voice."

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine..." I tried to lie without arousing suspicion. "It was... One of my new friends..."

Mac looked at me suspiciously.

(Am I really that bad of a liar?!)

"Well... If you say it's fine... I'll be in the kitchen." Mac went back into the house.

I breathed a sigh of relief, and then looked around. Luna was nowhere to be seen.

(All right, I'm sure she'll visit me tomorrow and tell me the news that "I will love for sure"...)

After standing outside for a little longer, I went back inside to join Mac.

***

The morning was "great" as usual. After turning off the ringing alarm clock, I lay in bed for a few minutes, staring at the ceiling.

(Why are we still here? Just to suffer?)

When the morning routine was over, I went down to the first floor and was surprised to find that Mac was already awake.

"Buddy, are you ever sleeping?" I asked, starting to make coffee.

"You get used to getting up early when you've lived on a farm all your life." Mac sat down next to me. "Will you make me one, too?"

"Of course." The coffee poured first into one mug and then into the second. "I wish I could get up early so easily..."

"How did you get up for work while you were living on Earth?" Mac raised an eyebrow.

"Well... I've always tried to find a job where I don't have to get up TOO early. In fact, I changed jobs a lot, and I could choose one where I didn't like... But I could get up later! Isn't that cool?" I took a sip of coffee. "I also tried working from home, but I wasn't very good at it... So many distractions, it's hard to stay focused. In fact, if our worlds had found a connection earlier, maybe you would have caught that crazy year! That year we stayed home all the time, and we were advised not to go out. Honestly, it was probably the best time of my life..."

"Yes, I heard something about it while I was on Earth. But honestly, I don't think I'd enjoy sitting at home for a year, it's absurd." Mac reached for his coffee.

"Well, we're all different and we all have our own concepts of the perfect."

"So you like sitting at home so much that you're willing to make sacrifices?" Mac smirked.

"Yeah. Are you going to blame me?" Now it was my turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Haha, of course not. Who do you think I am, a moral cop?" Mac continued our eyebrow-raising contest.

"It's nice to know you're not." I said, finishing my coffee. "Well, shall we go? I don't think your sister will be happy if we're late."

"You want to check it out?" Mac grinned even more than last time.

"Not really..." my heart skipped a beat.

We arrived just in time - Applejack was already waiting for us at the entrance to the apple farm.

"There he is!" Applejack approached Mac. "You could have at least warned me! I was a little worried, you know."

"Take it easy sister, I'm not a foal anymore."

"Hey Applej-"

"Okay, big guys, let's go. We've got a lot of work to do." Applejack headed to the pile of empty baskets.

"-ack..." I did a poker face.

(Do you really need to do that to me?)

"First time?" Mac patted me on the back.

I just sighed and followed him.

***

"And that's it for today. Good work, boys!" Applejack looked at the full baskets of apples.

But I was not at all happy with these apples. By this time I wanted only one thing... To lie down.

"Are you okay, sugarcube?" Applejack stood over me as I lay on the grass.

"Do I look okay?" I asked ironically.

"Oh, don't worry, you'll get used to it." Applejack grinned.

I got up from the ground and rubbed my aching arms.

(I need a shower, and a rest... That's all I want right now.)

"Hey, is that Spike running?" Applejack pointed in his direction.

And indeed, it was Spike. He was running toward us, holding some scroll with a seal on it.

"There you are! Whew!" Spike held out the scroll to me. "Twilight asked me to give you this letter from Princess Celestia as soon as possible. There's something important in there."

"Wow, Spike, you're fast as lightning! " I was fascinated.

"Thank you!" Spike was breathing heavily. "Okay, I should get back to Twilight, see you soon!"

"What's the rush?" Mac called out after Spike.

"Must be something REALLY important!" I unfolded the letter and began to read it.

As I read the letter, my eyes widened and my mouth opened without my permission.

"NO. FUCKING. WAY." That's all I could say.

"Hey, watch your language!" Applejack glared at me menacingly.

"Sorry girl, but these news is too good to keep out the profanity!" I walked up to Mac and handed him the letter. "Would you look at that!"

Approved by Celestia

Mac was as surprised as I was, and couldn't seem to get a word out of himself.

"What's the big deal?" Applejack took the letter from Mac and began to read it aloud.

"Dear Vlad,

I have wonderful news for you and Mac! I have been following the progress of your friendship since your arrival in Equestria. Your visit to the bar, the serious conversation in which you were able to discuss problems and forgive each other, deciding to become friends... Your party together, where you were able to have fun... And of course, working together on the farm. Nothing brings you closer than working side by side, is it?

By going through this together, you've proven that you no longer have bad intentions for each other. You're ready to let go of past wrongs and start fresh. I'm approving that you and Mac have successfully completed your programs, and now both of you can go back on Earth, congratulations! But, you will go there on different days.

Vlad, you must come to Canterlot tomorrow morning to be sent back to Earth. A carriage will pick you up tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. Mac, you will be sent the day after Vlad. Unfortunately, this is necessary because the portal has limitations.

Mac, I'll send you a individual letter a little later.

Best regards, Princess Celestia." Applejack finished reading the letter, looking at me and Mac in surprise.

"Well, that was a lot faster than I thought..." an unintentional smile appeared on my face. "But it looks like it was good enough for Celestia."

"Mac, that's really great news!" Applejack rushed to Mac and hugged him. "But I don't quite understand why you wouldn't be the first to go to Earth..." Applejack raised an eyebrow and looked at me.

"Come on, you'll just have to wait one day... Does it really matter? We can go back to our old lives! I'm so happy!" I was almost jumping on the spot with excitement. "And I think I have a couple of things to do before I leave tomorrow..."

I was about to leave, but stopped and turned to Mac.

"Hey, I'll come back a little later, okay?"

Mac nodded, but did so with a little difficulty, as his sister was still hugging him.

"Great, see you!"

I walked home at a quick pace, since I didn't have much time left to spare.

(I can't believe I'll be home tomorrow already! Maybe Celestia was hiding something, but who cares now? I'm almost home! I guess that's the news Luna wanted to tell me last night...)

When I arrived home, I took a quick shower and ate dinner, at the same time making a small list of things I wanted to do on my last day in Equestria.

(First and foremost... I need to see Coffeine and tell her I'm leaving tomorrow. Then go to city hall and talk to the mayor about the rent. I hope she hasn't went home yet...)

There wasn't much time left, and it motivated me to be quicker.

(Stop by Twilight's. Maybe she knows some details about tomorrow that Celestia hasn't told me. And of course, gotta see Mac, maybe we can arrange a meeting when we're both on Earth.)

After finishing my to-do list, I folded it a few times and tucked it into my pocket.

(Although... It would probably be wiser to go to the town hall first. Yeah, that'll be my first stop.)

Five minutes later I was already standing next to the town hall. The sun was beginning to set on the horizon.

(Celestia, just give me a little more time!)

The Town Hall lobby was empty, and that made me a little nervous. I got to the Mayor's office and knocked a few times. To my relief, I heard "Come in."

"Hello, Ms. Mayor. I hope I'm not too late."

"Ah, it's you, Vlad. Come in, sit down. Don't worry, I always go home late, so I can find some time for you." Mayor Mare was talking to me while signing some papers at the same time.

"Wow, that's a lot of paperwork..." I looked at the thick stack of papers waiting to be assigned.

"You call that a lot of paperwork? Then you need to visit me on Monday morning." The mayor finally put the papers aside and looked at me. "So how do you like your house? Are you happy with it, or do you have any kind of criticisms?"

"Ah, I like the house very much..... And I was just about to talk about it."

"Okay, what about it?" The mayor was intrigued.

"Well, the thing is, I'm leaving Equestria tomorrow morning..."

"Already?" The mayor leaned back in her office chair. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I thought you were going to... Stay here a little longer?"

"Yeah, I thought so too... But today I got a letter from Princess Celestia saying I can come home. I have no idea why my program ended so quickly, but I don't mind, honestly."

"I see... Well, the princess knows best." The mayor placed some sort of document on the table. "If you're leaving us tomorrow, you need to sign this document. Don't worry, you still have the right to stay in the rented house until tomorrow."

"Thank you, that's exactly why I came here."

When the signatures were done, I put the house keys on the table.

"What about it?"

"Ah, the keys?" Mayor tucked the document I'd signed into one of the desk drawers. "Usually renters give me advance notice about their plans, and then bring me the keys... But I realize that in this case it was unexpected change of things to you."

"Yes, as late as this afternoon I had no idea the end was so near."

"You know what? Just leave your keys under the mat by the door." The mayor shrugged.

"That doesn't sound very reliable..."

"Any other ideas?" The mayor crossed her hooves.

"Hmm... What time do you come here in the morning?"

"8:50 a.m. Town Hall officially opens at 9 a.m."

"Great! Expect me in your office by 8:55 a.m. I could use a little jogging anyway." I put the keys back in my pocket.

"Good. You're right, it'll be much more reliable that way." The mayor was pleased with my idea.

"I'll see you tomorrow then! I've got a couple more places to stop by today, so I'm in a bit of a hurry."

The mayor bid me farewell and I left her office. As I walked outside, the sun was already half hidden by the horizon.

(One thing done, three more to go.)

Keeping that in mind I headed over to the coffee stand. To my surprise, I met some ponies on my way who had already somehow found out that I was leaving tomorrow.

"We're going to miss you!"

"It was nice to have you here."

"Glad you finished your program!"

"Hey, thank you all..." I tried to hide my surprise as I spoke.

(What the fuck? How did they know? What the hell is going on here?)

I was genuinely surprised and even a little scared for some reason.

(Okay, calm down... It's no big deal, I'm exaggerating.)

As I approached the Coffeine Cream stand, she was apparently already waiting for me.

"Look who we have here, a graduate of the reformation program! Congratulations!" Coffeine Cream smirked evilly.

"You know too? You ponies never cease to amaze me... I got a letter from celestia like two hours ago... HOW?"

"She made a public announcement in Canterlot about it. And as you know, such news travels fast in Equestria." Coffeine chuckled. "Coffee? On the house. You look like you need it badly."

"Yes, the usual. Thank you." I rested my hands on the stand. "So... How's your mother?"

"Oh, she's doing well! She's being discharged in two days. Such a pity you will miss it... She wanted to talk to you." Coffeine's voice became a little sad.

"Yeah, I'm sorry..." I picked up my coffee. "Although... You can visit me, right? How about it? Wouldn't you and your mother like to see what life looks like on the other side of the portal?"

"Oh... We... Are you serious?" the coffee pony stammered.

"Of course! When I leave, Celestia will reopen access to the portal and you two can visit me. You can stay at my house, don't worry about that. I'll show you interesting places and stuff like that."

"Wow... This... Yes, I accept your invitation! I'm sure mom will love it. Thank you!" Coffeine came out from behind the stand and gave me a hug.

"Haha, I was sure you will agree." I hugged her back. "Got any paper? I'll write the address of my house."

"Oh, yes, of course!" Coffeine let go of me and went under the stand. "Here!"

I wrote down the address and handed over the piece of paper.

"See you later! I hope so." The uncertainty in my voice was audible.

"Don't even doubt it!" the coffee pony grinned.

(Okay, now I'm going to visit Twilight.)

On my way to Twilight's house, I met the ponies saying goodbye to me again.

"Thought you were going to stay longer."

"Will you visit us again in the future?"

"That was an unusual experience for you, wasn't it?"

(Okay, this is starting to get a little annoying...)

After getting a few more goodbyes, I made it to Twilight. Wasting no time, I knocked on the door.

"Just a second!" it was Twilight's voice.

While I was waiting for the door to open, I heard the sound of teleportation again.

(Looks like Twilight REALLY likes to practice her teleportation spell...)

The door opened and Twilight greeted me with a smile, but I noticed that her mane was a little messy.

"Hello, Twilight. Uh... Is this a bad time?"

"Oh, it's okay, come on inside." Twilight stepped aside and allowed me to enter. "Actually, I guessed you were coming, but not so soon..."

"Really? I visited a friend before I went to see you, and she knew I was coming too. Yeah, Princess Celestia public announcement did the trick."

"At this point, all of Ponyville knows you're leaving Equestria tomorrow." Twilight chuckled.

"I've already realized that. A bunch of ponies already said goodbye to me as I walked around town. I have a feeling I'll be getting more goodbyes very soon."

"And you're absolutely right!" Twilight walked over to the couch and sat down. "Why don't you sit down too?"

"Yes, thank you." Following Twilight's example, I sat down on the couch as well.

"So what brings you here?"

"Actually, I was wondering if you could tell me something I need to know about tomorrow? How it's going to be? I mean, yeah, I read the letter from the princess, but what if there are still some things she didn't mention?" I phrased the question carefully. "For example... Will Ms. Claire be waiting for me on the other side of the portal?"

"Uh... Yes, of course! Princess Celestia have made an agreement with Ms. Claire. She... Will meet you."

I could hear the uncertainty in Twilight's voice.

"I see... Will someone other than Celestia be there when I will be leaving?"

"Oh, about that! Yes, Princess Luna will be there. Princess Cadance and Shining Armor are busy in Crystal Empire right now, so they won't be able to attend. And, of course, me with the girls. Well, except for Applejack..."

(And why am I not surprised?)

"It's too bad you and Applejack never got to be friends.... Maybe if you had a little more time...?" Twilight was a little upset.

"Ah, who cares... She didn't want to go for it, and I'm not going to force her. She got what she wanted, and now we can go our separate ways peacefully. Some people just aren't meant to be friends, that's all." I sighed. "Sorry... Couldn't keep it inside anymore."

"It's okay. And you're actually right... Not everyone can be friends, Pinkie Pie knows that from personal experience." Twilight nodded understandingly.

"Yes, sometimes harsh reality hits unexpectedly."

"Oh, by the way..." Twilight perked up. "As you know from the letter from the princess, a carriage will pick you up in the morning. But, the thing is, there's a bit of a carriage shortage right now, so you'll be with Fluttershy, she's living close to you. Do you have any disagreements with that?"

"No... Why would I be against it? I'd have someone to talk to, these royal guards aren't very talkative..." but then I had a thought. "Fluttershy is a pegasus after all, can't she fly to Canterlot on her own?"

"She's not very good at long distance flying..."

"I see. Well, like I said, I don't mind." a smile appeared on my face.

"Good to hear that-" Twilight didn't have time to finish as there was a knock on the door. "That's odd. Who could it be at this hour?"

Twilight opened the door and I saw it was Applejack.

(What the hell does she want?)

"Hello, Applejack. Didn't expect to see you at this hour. Is something the matter?" Twilight was a little worried.

"Just wanted to talk..." Applejack saw me as she walked through the entrance. "In private."

"Sure..." I got up from the couch and headed for the exit. "I was just about to leave."

Applejack recognized the sarcasm in my voice but didn't react.

"See you tomorrow!" Twilight said, closing the door.

(I could probably eavesdrop on what they're talking about... But okay, I don't give a shit. I'm done spying. Better go and visit Mac.)

As was expected, I got a few more goodbyes from passing ponies on the way to the apple farm. When I arrived at the farm, Mac was sitting in the backyard of their house, apparently thinking about something.

"Hey Mac. All good?" I sat down next to him.

"Eeeyup."

"Do you want to smoke with me?" I held out a cigarette to him.

Mac took a cigarette and I lit it with my lighter.

"That's it... My last night in Equestria." I inhaled the cigarette smoke. "So what about tomorrow? I heard Applejack won't be around in Canterlot while I'm being sent back to Earth. What about you?"

"About that... I can't be there either." Mac let out a puff of cigarette smoke as well.

"Oh... Why? If you don't mind me asking..." I was a little upset.

"I want to help my sister on the farm before I go back to Earth too. Every minute counts, you know."

"I see. Then no questions about it, helping relatives is a good thing. Anyway, we'll meet on Earth a little later." a slight doubt crept into my mind. "Right...?"

"Of course. I don't see any reason why we shouldn't do it."

"Haha, thank you. That answer warms my soul." while I was saying that, my cigarette was half finished. "What about Cheerilee? Is she happy about today's news?"

"I can't even describe how much. She almost suffocated me in a hug when I told her. She actually really likes being out there, among the humans and ponies, watching their relationship develop over time. Sometimes, even I find it interesting."

"I'm glad to hear that. You two deserve a better life out there on Earth. Hopefully, in time, I'll be able to communicate with her without those awkward memories..." I looked at the ground.

"Of course you will. Like I said, we both have forgiven you a long time ago and realized our mistakes. No one's perfect, and if you're willing to give us a second chance, we are too."

"Hey, those words mean a lot to me. Thank you." I finished my cigarette. "I suggest we meet at that bar that was near the place of our... Conflict. What do you think? Sounds a little ironic, I know..."

"Sounds good enough for me. Actually, I've been there a couple times with my friends."

"Oh...?" I was surprised. "You had friends there...? I mean no offense, it's just that you didn't say anything about it before..."

"Eeeyup, I made a couple friends on Earth. There's even one human among them."

"I mean, that's great! Why don't you introduce me to them when we go to the bar? We'll have a boy band, haha!" I was excited.

"I was just about to suggest it, but I didn't know if you'd agree.... I'm glad you don't mind. They're good guys, we met in this bar when I recently arrived on Earth."

"Then we have a deal!" I got up from the bench. "I look forward to seeing you at the bar with your friends! Maybe a good friend of mine will agree to go too. We'll have a good time, you'll see!"

"Deal!" Mac held out a hoof to me and I gave it a shake.

"Okay, I gotta go." I turn around and started to walk away.

"Hey."

I stopped and looked over my shoulder.

"See you."

"You bet!" I smiled and moved on.

When I left the farm, Ponyville was still lively, even though it was night. As I walked along the houses, excitement and joy were overwhelming me.

(This is why life is worth living...).

I was deep in my thoughts when suddenly something dark and soft pulled me into a dark alleyway between the houses. I almost screamed, but my mouth was covered with something that felt like a...? A wing...?

"Finally we were able to capture the moment when you're alone! It was difficult for us!"

"OH MY GOD, LUNA! You definitely going to give me a heart attack one day! Was that really necessary?" my heart was beating rapidly.

"Sorry about that, but we couldn't wait to talk to you!" Luna made an innocent face. "And please be quiet, we don't want the other ponies to see us!"

"Okay, what's the news?" my heart rate started to settle down.

"Nothing special, but we thought you might still want to know some details about tomorrow...?"

"I'm listening carefully." I said sarcastically.

"Well, where to start...?" Luna scratched her chin.

I just chuckled.

Coming home... Or is it?

This morning may have been the only time I was glad to hear the alarm clock. As soon as it went off, I opened my eyes and jumped out of bed.

"Today is the day!" I shouted with all my might.

"Sweet Celestia, can you keep it down?! You are not the only one living here!" I heard my neighbor's voice from nearby house.

(Oops... So apparently now there is at least one pony who is happy to see me go... Oh well.)

All the few things I had managed to take with me while Ms. Claire's agents were watching me, was packed in my backpack last night, so I had a little more time before I had to run to the Town Hall to give the keys to the mayor.

(My last morning coffee in this house... Even though I've only lived here for a short time, I've gotten used to this place...)

The coffee was running out just like my time here.

(It's time.)

After putting on my shoes and taking one last look around my temporary residence, I stepped outside. A few turns of the key in the lock and it was done.

(Time for a bit of a run. Hope I make it to Town Hall alive.... All right, here goes nothing.)

A few seconds, and I ran. I didn't run too fast, but I didn't run too slow either. I seemed to have found the perfect balance where I could get where I needed to go quickly without using up too much energy, because I still had to get back.

(Oh yeah, I totally forgot that I'm not flying to Canterlot alone..... I guess when I get back, Fluttershy will already be around my former residence.)

Along the way I met several ponies in sports outfits running at an easy jog.

(If only I also ran in the morning out of WILL and not out of necessity...)

After a few more minutes, I finally reached the Town Hall.

"Phew, maybe this jog will extend my life a bit, haha..." I was talking to myself.

"Oh, don't even doubt it."

"Oh, Mayor, you're already here.... Good morning." I started rummaging through my pocket for the key.

"Good morning to you, too. Glad you were able to put your plan into action." The mayor proceeded to open the main entrance of the Town Hall.

"Thank you. Here's the key, as promised." I handed her the key.

"Great." Mayor took the key. "As I said, it's been an honor to provide you with a place to stay in our small town. If you ever visit us again, you know where to find me."

"Not sure about that..." I gave an awkward chuckle. "But thanks anyway."

A short goodbye, and I'm running again. The carriage should be arriving any minute.

"Uh, hi..."

I came to an abrupt stop. The voice came from above me.

"Ah, Fluttershy. I expected to see you soon. How are you?" I spoke as the yellow pegasus lowered to my eye level.

"I'm fine, thank you.... Where are you running from? I thought you lived in another part of Ponyville..." Fluttershy was a little confused.

"I had one thing I needed to do in the morning. But it doesn't matter, we have a carriage to catch, it's about to arrive! Let's go!"

"Oh my, you're right!" Fluttershy flew next to me.

When we arrived, I saw that the carriage was already waiting for us.

"Looks like we're just in time!" I walked over to one of the royal guards who was about to knock on the door. "We're here! Whew..."

A shadow flew over me. I looked up and saw that it was another carriage, but couldn't see who was in it.

(It might be Twilight's carriage, but I'm not sure.)

"Sir, are you coming?"

While I was pondering who could have been in that carriage, Fluttershy had already gotten into the carriage and the royal guards expected me to do the same.

"Oh, I'm sorry... Today is a little exciting for me..." I tried to excuse myself. "Okay, everyone's on board, we're good to go."

(How many times have I flown to Canterlot and back already? Starting to get a little tedious.... Good thing this is the last time.)

"You look thoughtful today, Vlad..." Fluttershy distracted me from my thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm just glad I'm finally coming home. I'm not saying it's horrible here, no.... It's just... You know, it's always better at home."

"Ah, of course, I see your point. I'm just glad you were able to visit us. I heard that if your program ends successfully, there will be other humans sent for the same purpose?" Fluttershy looked really interested.

"You know, I'm already getting so lost in all of this.... Ask Celestia, she'll answer your question for sure."

(All I know is that it's time for me to go home...)

"Oh, am I annoying you...?" Fluttershy sounded rather guilty.

"No, no, it's okay. It's just that I really don't know the exact answer to your question." I shrugged. "Celestia never told me any specific details, other than what applied to me personally while I'm here in Equestria."

"I see..." Fluttershy nodded. "Well, if more humans are going to be sent to Equestria to be reformed, you should be proud of yourself! You were a pathfinder and will technically help all those who come here after you."

"Hmm, I guess you can really look at it that way..." I chuckled a little. "But I don't like to be the center of attention, so Celestia can take all the fame for herself, I'll allow it."

Fluttershy just smiled in response to my attempt at a joke.

(And I REALLY don't want THAT kind of fame...)

The closer we got to Canterlot, the more excited I became, but I carefully hid my emotions. Soon we finally arrived, and the joy inside me burned like a fire.

"I'm so close..." I stared at Canterlot Castle like I was hypnotized.

"You are." Fluttershy flew up and patted my shoulder. "The others must be inside by now."

"I'm ready. Let's go." I walked confidently toward the main entrance of the castle.

Inside, as always, it was bustling and noisy. But it felt like today was different. Or not. Maybe I was just blinded by the euphoria. My state of mind was strange. And suddenly, a sense of unease settled inside me. I felt that everything was too good...

"Okay, let's make this quick." I took a quick pace and headed up the stairs.

"You look worried..." Fluttershy did notice it after all.

"It's fine, really." I lied.

"If you say so..."

Another minute and I stare at the door of the portal room. I can hear some chatter from inside. Wasting no more time, I swung the doors open and stepped inside the room. Everyone was there except Mac and Applejack.

"There he is!" Pinkie Pie nearly knocked me over, giving me a hug.

"Woah, thank you!" I hugged her back.

"So you're finally here. Congratulations!" Celestia walked over to me while Pinkie Pie still wouldn't let go of me.

"We are so happy to be here at such a grand moment!" Luna seemed more excited than I was myself.

"The big guy here?" Rainbow Dash peeked out from behind Celestia. "I'll be honest, you really disappointed me back then, but I'm still glad you're here now."

"Definitely! Darling, you've earned your way home!" Rarity was wearing some super fancy dress.

Twilight was hastily writing something in her notebook, standing near the portal, but still took the time to wave at me.

"Twilight, you being an egghead even at a time like this?" Rainbow Dash teased Twilight.

"Well now Rainbow, I'm sure Twilight is busy with something... Very important..." Celestia sounded a little unsure, or even nervous.

I tried not to focus on it, but I could feel inside me that something was wrong.

(Maybe I'm just paranoid. I'm starting to see conspiracies where there aren't any...)

"Hey, thanks for being here today, it means a lot to me, really." I petted Pinkie Pie, who was still hanging on me. "But I think we need to wrap this up quickly.... I don't like long goodbyes."

"Awww, I never got to throw you any parties!" Pinkie Pie sounded a little upset.

"Maybe another time..." I comforted her.

(Lying again... Why am I doing this? Ugh...)

"Oh come on, don't you want to spend a little more time with us?" Rainbow Dash put her hoof on my shoulder.

"Oh yes, Tia and we were wondering if you'd like to say goodbye to the ponies? Just like when you gave the speech after you arrived." Luna looked proud.

"Ahhh... You know what? Okay, I'm in."

"Huzzah! It will be the most wonderful way to say goodbye!" Luna used magic to grab me by the sleeve of my shirt and led me to the balcony of the castle.

"You really can't wait for me to do that, huh?" I chuckled.

The others followed us.

"We didn't notify the ponies of any public speeches in Canterlot this time, so the audience won't be as large as when you arrived." Celestia informed me before I was about to step out onto the balcony.

"Oh, it's really not a problem..."

(It's probably even better that way...)

Stepping out onto the balcony, I looked down. The ponies were going about their business, and they hadn't noticed me yet. I turned back, looking at my.... Friends? Could I call them that? They were smiling at me, encouraging me to give a speech.

(Okay, nothing too complicated... Just sharing my thoughts.)

After clearing my throat, I began to speak.

"And so... I'm back here in Canterlot, where it all started..." when I said that, the ponies started to notice me. "It was here that I began my journey in these strange lands. And you know what? I don't regret it, it has been a valuable life experience for me. I am glad that this event in my life was able to change me for the better. I don't know your opinion of me, maybe some of you like me and some of you hate me... But I'm still grateful to all of you. Perhaps my time here has been rather short, and perhaps there are still many things I haven't had time to realize... But I will say this: keep your friends close. It may sound cliché, but that was the goal of my program that I completed. Now I've truly realized that friends are very important in your life. And if you know how to forgive and turn your enemies into friends... Dude, you're gonna live a happy and full life, that's for sure. Now, maybe in an hour, I will leave you, possibly forever. I don't know if you'll remember me, or if you'll forget me right away... Just know that it wasn't all for nothing. So long, ponies."

When I finished speaking, the streets of Canterlot shook with cheers and applause. I was really happy to see that kind of reaction. With a smile and a wave, I left the balcony.

"Wow, that was very inspiring! Well done big guy!" Rainbow gave me a friendly poke on the shoulder.

"Darling, you have such a way with words! This is just beautiful!" Rarity supported me too.

"We never doubted you Vlad, you really know how to put hope in our hearts!" Luna was stamping her hooves on the floor with excitement.

"Thank you, all of you. I will never forget this moment in my life." I looked toward the portal room. "But I really have to go."

"Of course. You're ready." Celestia gave me approval a second time.

A moment, and we're back near the portal.

"Sister, can we activate it? Please!" Luna made puppy eyes.

"Of course, Luna. Go ahead." Celestia smiled and pointed to the portal.

Luna made a happy noise and ran towards the portal. I decided to accompany her and stood next to her.

(Is this really happening? I can't believe it...)

While Luna was busy with the portal, I noticed Celestia and Twilight whispering about something. I was able to catch a few words.

"Are you sure...? She'll keep her promise...?"

(What the... What promise?)

"The portal is ready! We did it!" Luna notified me.

All suspicion evaporated when I saw the activated portal. I was so close to home.

"I'm ready." I stated dryly.

I stood directly in front of the portal, staring into it with a blank stare.

(That's what I've been fighting for. That's my goal.)

I turned back around for one last look at them. Everyone was happy and supportive.

(That's it... I've accomplished my goal. It's time to go.)

A heavy sigh, and I moved forward, closing my eyes. A few seconds, and it was over. When I opened my eyes, I found myself right where Ms. Claire's agents had brought me to be sent to Equestria. I couldn't believe it was over.

"I did it..."

But suddenly, I felt movement at my side. Turning around, to my horror, I saw one of Ms. Claire's agents pointing a gun at me.

"D-Don't move! Or you'll regret it!" the agent looked and spoke hesitantly. "Oh my god, first day and I've already managed to catch you! I can't believe it!"

I put my hands in the air and had absolutely no idea what was going on.

"Well well well, who do we have here?" I turned to the source of the voice and saw that it was Ms. Claire. "They actually bought my lie! Oh my god, stupid horses!" She laughed soundly.

My brain was able to glue a few words together.

"Can you explain yourself... Ms. Claire?"

The truth is out there

"Ah, stop pretending to be innocent, my dear.... You absolutely know what's going on, you traitor." Ms. Claire looked at me with a smug look.

"Traitor?! What the hell are you even talking about?"

"We are going to have a very long talk my friend, and you are going to tell me everything, do you understand me? EVERYTHING. And we're going to start with how you got this nasty idea of betrayal in your head." Ms. Claire stepped closer to me. "You'd better cooperate with me, or else.... You're not gonna like what I've got in store for you."

I let out a heavy sigh.

"I repeat for the second time, I have no idea what you're talking about at all. You sent me to Equestria for reformation, and now you're calling me a traitor?! What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Somehow I knew you wouldn't make it easy for me..." Ms. Claire shook her head in disappointment.

"All right, have it your way! Let's say that traveling between worlds has rewarded me with short-term amnesia..... Can you please remind me why you consider me a traitor?"

"Now you're just messing with me! You're pretty stubborn, I'll give you that. But trust me, it won't do you any good." Ms. Claire nodded to one of the guards. "Take him away, boys."

The guard began to move in my direction.

(Not today, you bastard!)

Turning sharply toward the guard holding me at gunpoint, I snatched the gun from his hands. Before the guy could react, I had him in my grip, leaning the gun against his head.

"Nobody move or his brains will decorate the nearest wall!"

Everyone froze and Ms. Claire did a facepalm.

"Seriously, Zach? Are you serious now?" she sighed irritably. "You managed to screw up on your first day! I knew I shouldn't have let Owen retire and hire you to take his place!"

"Zach, huh? I'm assuming you and Claire aren't just coworkers?" I was surprised.

"He's my nephew, you asshole!"

Claire took a step in my direction, but I reminded her that I was holding her nephew hostage by removing the safety lock from the gun.

"Don't even doubt it bitch, I know how to use this thing, so stay where you are!"

Ms. Claire stood in place, hatred blazing in her eyes.

"That's better!" I corrected the position of the gun at Zach's head. "So Zach, if your aunt doesn't want to tell me what's going on here, why don't you do it?"

"You sick bastard!" Claire shouted at me.

"I'm a sick bastard?! You know, I don't accuse people who just got home of betrayal without explaining the situation!"

"You know what? Do it. You can take someone's life without a problem, huh? I dare you."

Claire looked at me confidently with a nervous grin.

"Wow. And you call me sick?" Claire was really starting to win this psychological warfare.

"Well? Give him a bullet! How long are we going to stare at each other?"

The situation had reached a critical point, and I had to find a solution. Obviously, I didn't want to kill Zach.

"I knew you wouldn't dare do that. Now end this bullshit and let him go." Claire took a step toward me again.

I realized that the portal behind me was still working, and I got an idea. Meanwhile, Claire was another step closer.

"I'm giving you one last chance before taking extreme measures." Claire nodded toward her guards, who pointed their assault rifles at me.

(Come on bitch, one step closer...)

"I'm counting to three. If you don't let Zach go by then, you're dead." Claire raised her hand, folding her fingers. "One, two..."

(Now!)

I suddenly shoved Zach toward Claire, and he flew straight at her. Taking advantage of the delay, I dived back into the portal. A second later, I could already feel the floor of Canterlot Castle with my face.

(Why do I always land so badly?!)

I could still feel the weapon in my hand, and when I was able to pull my face off the floor, I was completely certain of it.

(Okay, that's probably something I'd better hide...)

Hastily stuffing the weapon into my pocket, I heard the sound of the portal room doors opening. Looking over there, I found the same company that had accompanied me not more than ten minutes before. Celestia and Twilight were definitely not happy to see me again.

"You're back already?! I can't believe it! Does time go faster in your world than it does in Equestria or something?" Pinkie was just being herself, as always.

"Oh no..." Celestia was more upset than anyone.

"Yeah..." I stepped closer to her. "Your Highness, could you please tell me.... WHAT THE HELL MS. CLAIRE IS DOING?! She almost shot me! That's definitely not a friendly greeting after a long time away!"

Celestia let out a heavy sigh.

"Looks like we can't hide it anymore... Twilight?"

After hearing this, Twilight seemed to get even more nervous.

"Princess, are you sure about this?"

"He deserves to know the truth. It happened, and there's nothing more we can do." Celestia was very serious.

"Sister? What's going on here, we thought that..." Luna noticed me. "Oh? Vlad, we thought you went home."

"I have as many questions as you do right now, Luna..." I looked at Celestia and then at Twilight. "Well? I thought you wanted to tell me something?"

"Okay. I'll do it." Twilight walked over to me. "You better sit down."

"Sit down? I don't like it already..."

"Listen... Me and Celestia really tried until the last minute to solve this problem, but unfortunately we couldn't, and I'm sorry... What you're about to hear, I'm sure you're not going to like..."

"Go on..." I was wary.

"We have not fully understood exactly how this unpleasant situation occurred, and perhaps my explanation will not be fully clear to you... You see, as soon as you arrived in Equestria, terrifying and incomprehensible things began to happen..."

Twilight paused for a moment. The other ponies listened carefully to her story.

"In particular... Ms. Claire started acting very strange, even aggressive. She suddenly demanded that all ponies leave Earth or they'd be arrested for trespassing... That's why you may have noticed so many ponies forced to go back to Equestria. She called us arrogant aliens, and that while she's in charge of portal travelling, she wouldn't let us stay on Earth. We couldn't figure out the reason for a long time, and we tried to negotiate with Ms. Claire, and one day, when we mentioned that you were here in Equestria..."

(Has that bitch Claire lost her mind or something...?)

"For some reason she thought you betrayed humanity by running away to Equestria and were up to no good. She demanded that we bring you to her so she could give you a fair trial... Of course, we didn't want to do that, and we still didn't understand her motive, but then I had a theory.... It was the most logical theory, and we've stuck to it ever since." Twilight paused again. "I'm sorry, this is hard for me to talk about..."

"My theory is... Somehow, the fact that you went through the portal... Was the starting point for this incident. When you used the portal, it's like the universe just "forgot"... That you existed."

I tried to comprehend what I was hearing, but I wasn't doing a good job.

"And it's not just about you... It's affecting all of Equestria. All of humanity has suddenly forgotten that we existed and that we had previously made contact. According to Ms. Claire's story, one day Earth met another day, and all was well until the humans began to panic upon noticing the ponies. This was mistaken for an invasion of Earth... Luckily, that day Miss Claire agreed to make contact and we were able to make a deal to return all the ponies to Equestria. And it looks like that was the first and last time we were able to agree on anything..."

"Starting from here, the situation became impossible. We tried many times to convince her that you weren't a traitor and didn't deserve to be punished, but she just wouldn't listen to us. Until one day... During our last negotiation, she admitted she was wrong. She listened to us and said that she had fully realized the current situation and no longer had any claims against you. You were free to go home. She said it so "sincerely" and we believed her. It was no longer a question of humanity and ponies having friendly ties again, we just wanted you to be able to return home safely... We hoped to the last minute that she was honest and wouldn't break her promise... But we were wrong to trust her." Twilight was looking straight into my soul. "Next... You know what was next..."

I don't know how long me and Twilight looked at each other in silence. Maybe one minute, maybe five, maybe an hour. Suddenly it hit me and I laughed.

"You actually find that... Funny...?" Twilight was stunned.

"Okay, you fellas got me, haha! I really thought it was serious at first, but now I realize it was all just a big prank and Miss Claire agreed to participate! That's exactly how I'm going to remember my last minutes here in Equestria!" I hugged Twilight. "And you know how to rattle my nerves!"

"But Vlad, that's all..." Celestia came over and I hugged her too.

"Yes princess, thank you too! That was beautiful. But I really have to go now, I'll miss you all!"

I was about ready to re-enter the portal, but ran into a solid wall. The portal was turned off.

"Ah, looks like while we were talking, the portal shut down. Princess Celestia, could you please turn it back on?"

"Oh no... It's even worse than I thought..." Celestia walked over to the portal and examined it closely. "They turned it off."

"And what's the problem? Just turn it back on."

"I can't... If the portal was turned off from the other side, I can't turn it back on from ours. I'm sorry Vlad, for what happened..." Celestia was completely powerless to do anything about it.

"Oh come on, that's enough... The joke's starting to get old." I was a little nervous.

Celestia's heavy gaze fell on me. And then the terrible realization came. THIS.IS.NOT.A.JOKE.

"Ah..." was all I could say.

"I'm really sorry..." Celestia was still looking at me. "I wish this was all a joke... But it isn't."

I slowly turned my back to her, looking at the portal.

"Vlad?" Celestia was worried.

"Turn on the portal." I said in cold blood.

"But I just said that..."

"I don't care what you said ... Turn on the portal."

"That's not possible, I'm sorry..." Celestia was getting visibly nervous.

"I said... TURN ON THE FUCKING PORTAL!" I sharply grabbed the gun from my pocket and pointed it at Celestia.

Celestia obviously knew what it was, as she began to back away.

"What are you... What are you doing? We're not your enemies!" Celestia was desperate.

I aimed for Celestia, then Twilight, and then Celestia again.

"I DON'T CARE, DO YOU FUCKING HEAR ME?! I NEED TO GET HOME AND I'LL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES!" I laughed nervously.

"Calm down okay? Put the gun down, please!" Celestia stood in front of Twilight, shielding her with herself. "We don't need any casualties at all!"

"There won't be any if you turn on the damn portal, you know!" I grinned nervously.

Suddenly, Luna stood in front of Celestia.

"Hmm, what's this? Sister, why are you scared of this little thing?" Luna was examining the gun in my hands.

"Luna! You don't know how dangerous that 'little thing' is!" Celestia pulled Luna closer to her with magic.

Tension was at its highest, everyone was looking at me and I was looking at Celestia, ready to pull the trigger at any moment.

"I'm waiting, hahahahaaa!!! Just do it!!! Yeaaah!!!" my body started to shake and my smile got wider and wider.

"Oh my God, he's having a mental breakdown!" Twilight was horrified.

"No, no! I'm fine! Really! HAHAHAHA!"

"That's enough, Vlad. Please put the weapon away!" Celestia glared menacingly at me. "If anything, you'll only hurt yourself. Put the weapon away, please. Don't make me take it away from you."

"You will NOT tell me what to do!"

"Please stop. This is your last warning." Celestia's horn glowed slightly.

My hands were shaking and I was having trouble aiming. Meanwhile, Celestia's horn began to glow stronger.

"Don't force me to do this."

My senses were starting to come back a little bit.

(She... She's right... I will only hurt myself...)

I slowly lowered the weapon.

"Yes. Yes, that's it! Now, give it to me, okay?" Celestia took a step forward. "Give the weapon to me."

I was almost passing out at that moment, my head was a big lump of different incomprehensible thoughts and worries. I threw the gun on the floor, it took a few spins and went right to Celestia's hooves.

"That's it... Good job." Celestia gently picked up the gun and it disappeared in a small flash.

I felt so exhausted and destroyed that my legs couldn't hold me up. I fell to my knees. My gaze was blank and lifeless, my head was spinning with the same thoughts that were literally tearing me apart from the inside out.

(This is... This is the end...)

I felt hot tears of despair flowing from my eyes, but my expression didn't change. It was just as blank. My vision was blurred and I couldn't distinguish anything. Everything became one gray mess with some spots moving around me.

Wandering the woods

I don't know how long I spent in this trance, but eventually I felt someone shaking me by the shoulder and calling my name over and over. At first it was a white blur, but after a few minutes my vision started to return and I realized it was Celestia.

"Can you hear me?! Vlad, are you okay? Talk to me, please!" Celestia was trying to get an answer out of me.

I just laughed sarcastically.

"No... I'm not okay..." I spoke slowly, looking down at the floor and noticing my tears remaining there in tiny puddles.

"Come on, I'll help you up..." Celestia held out her hoof to me.

"All this damn time, you couldn't tell me the truth... All this damn time!" I looked up at her. "Why? What's the point?"

I ignored her helping hoof and stood up on my own.

"And I know why... You didn't want to admit you fucked up, you tried to fix things in a hurry, and what happened in the end?" I stepped closer to her, looking into her eyes. "Well? What happened?"

Celestia had trouble answering.

"That's right! Now I'm stuck here forever, far from home, all because you didn't want to admit your mistake!" I applauded. "And you got Twilight involved too, just perfect!"

"How did you..." Celestia was very surprised.

"Yes, I know all that! All of it! How you asked Twilight not to tell me what was happening on the other side of the portal, how you and Twilight went to negotiate with Ms. Claire! All that just so you wouldn't be blamed! It was worth it, wasn't it?"

Celestia tried to say something, but I interrupted her.

"No no, wait, I'm not done yet! I also know that you have made sure that all the ponies that came back to Equestria from Earth don't talk about what's really going on there! You even dragged those ponies into this bullshit! This is absurd."

"Darling, you shouldn't talk to the princess like that!" Rarity stepped forward.

I turned sharply toward her with a threatening expression on my face. Rarity immediately took a few steps back, covering her mouth with a hoof.

"And in the end... You decided to send me to possible death, imprisonment, torture or who the fuck knows what else! You trusted that bitch Ms. Claire?! Are you serious now?!" I rubbed my eyes in frustration. "Yeah, you can say you meant well and shit, but that doesn't change what's already happened!"

A few seconds of awkward silence followed.

"Say what you want, but this kind of bullshit is not at all how a princess should act..."

"I'm sorry, Vlad..." Celestia didn't dare look me in the eye while saying this.

And then something inside of me snapped... Again.

"Ha ha ha... Are you sorry? Yes?" Another chuckle came out of me. "AND THAT'S ALL YOU CAN SAY?! YOU'RE SORRY?!" The anger consumed me completely. "BEING SORRY WON'T BRING ME HOME! YOU STOLE MY LIFE AND NO AMOUNT OF APOLOGIZING CAN UNDO THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR FUCKING DECISIONS!"

"Please, let's talk calmly and-" Celestia started to speak but I interrupted her again.

"NO, WE'RE NOT GOING TO TALK BY YOUR RULES! WE HAVE NOTHING TO TALK ABOUT! I'M DONE!" I poked Celestia in the snout with my finger. "I HATE YOU, I HATE THIS PLACE, I HATE THE FUCKING DAY I GOT HERE! ARGH!"

My breathing was heavy and rapid.

"Now, do whatever you want... Kill me right here, or throw me in jail, I don't give a shit! You've taken away everything I could care about..."

Once again, silence hung in the air.

"WELL!? DON'T WAST OUR TIME!" my eye started to twitch.

Celestia still couldn't get a word out of herself.

I was just seething, beginning to feel that if I didn't start taking my anger out, I wouldn't bitch and punch Celestia right in her face.

"ARRGHAAA!!!" I yelled as loud as I could and sprinted away from the portal room, opening the door with a powerful blow from my shoulder.

I ran, not because I was scared, but to let my anger out without hurting anyone. The corridors of the castle flashed through my eyes in seconds, I met many surprised and confused looks from the royal guards patrolling the castle, but no one dared to stand in my way.

Running down another corridor, I heard the sound of teleportation behind me. It wasn't hard to guess that Celestia had followed me.

"NO! YOU HAD YOUR CHANCE TO GRAB ME, YOU MISSED IT, NOW FUCK OFF!" My voice could be heard throughout the castle, echoing off its luxurious walls.

It didn't take me long to reach the main hall, I was aiming for the exit of the castle, approaching it very rapidly. Celestia tried to stop me again, this time teleporting right to the exit doors, blocking my path.

"NOOOO, NOT TODAY, BITCH!" I sped up.

Near the entrance a maid was mopping the floor, and that was the key to my escape. Using the wet and soapy floor, I dropped onto my ass right before colliding with Celestia, thus sliding under her, literally flying out through the open doors, skipping the stairs entirely.

After getting a less than ideal landing, I stood up again and proceed to run through the streets of Canterlot, finally escaping the castle. A quick glance over my shoulder let me see that Celestia was still standing there, looking at me helplessly. Fortunately, she didn't follow me anymore.

Dashing through the streets of Canterlot I again gathered many confused looks on me, but I didn't care, I just ran and ran, not knowing my final destination.

I don't know exactly how long I've been running... A few minutes? Hours? Days? All I know is that when I was exhausted and fell to the ground, it was already evening, and I started running when the sun was still high in the sky.

My lungs were screaming for mercy, I was covered in mud and completely without any energy, finding it difficult to even get up off the ground. After a while, when I found the strength to stand up, I was surprised to find myself on a high rocky ledge, from where I could see Ponyville.

"Holy shit, did I really run from Canterlot back to Ponyville?"

Ponyville was bustling with life in the evening, and I looked down on it all. I could see Applejack's farm from up here, and maybe even those two moving dots in the distance were Mac and Applejack picking apples.

"And so... What's next? Am I wanted now, or what?" I was talking to myself. "I think it's best not to go back to Ponyville now..."

I felt like an outcast starting a new life.

(But where am I supposed to go? And what am I supposed to do anyway? Hide for the rest of my life? Why? AGH! Too many questions!)

I remembered the forest Rarity had talked about.

(What's it called? Evergreen forest or something? Hm... Maybe I can set up a base there or something...)

I checked out the surroundings from my vantage point and pretty quickly spotted that very forest.

(Ah yes, Fluttershy's cottage is nearby with a forest, that will be my landmark.)

As I made my way down from my vantage point, dark storm clouds began to form in the sky, signaling that bad weather would not be long in coming.

(Oh yeah, just the kind of shit I needed, better hurry up and find some shelter if I don't want to get wet.)

The closer I got to the forest, the larger and blacker the clouds became, a faint breeze felt in the air. I wasn't absolutely sure that the forest would be the best place to take shelter, but I didn't have much time to think about it. When I finally came to the forest, it was already starting to get dark.

(I miss my car so much...)

Without wasting time, I started gathering sticks for the fire. Warmth is needed now more than ever. While gathering sticks, I noticed a small cliff covering the meadow, which made a perfect shelter from the rain.

(At least I'm lucky in something... Okay, I'll leave the sticks here, but I definitely need to gather more, it won't be enough for the whole night.)

I tried not to stray too far from the spot I found, gathering sticks nearby. Some were dry and good for the fire, but most were broken into small pieces, and even had teeth marks. The bark on the trees was scratched or completely peeled off.

(Okay, I don't like that... I'd better go back and start a fire.)

A rustling sound came from the bushes, and my heartbeat immediately quickened. Then a second bush rustled, a third, a fourth...

"Hey, who's here? This isn't funny!" I looked around in different directions. "Show yourself!"

And he showed himself... Not only him, but three more wolves came out of the bushes, but they were no ordinary wolves, they seemed to be made of... Wood?

(Holy shit...)

Four pairs of green eyes stared at me from a distance, studying me.

"Okay, guys, how about we part ways peacefully, huh?" I took a step back.

But the wolves took a step forward. I take another step back, but the wolves take another step forward.

"I see..."

In the meantime, the wolves had gotten a little closer, and the one who went first seemed to be the leader, as all the others followed him.

(Is this really the end? It can't be...)

And then I remembered about a YouTube lifehack that helps in building a fire. All you need is hair spray, a lighter, and some wood.

(And here I have a bit of the wood coming my way!)

"Okay guys, since you don't want to part ways peacefully..." I pulled out the hair spray Rarity had given me and a lighter from my Backpack. "I'm gonna have to turn up the heat! Behold, the ultimate flamethrower!"

The leader of the wolves rushed towards me, but he was stopped by a powerful stream of fire coming from the makeshift flamethrower. The fire consumed him completely, causing him to rush away, leaving the other three wolves confused.

"Burn bitch, burn!" I turned my attention to the remaining wolves. "You want to fry, too?! Get outta here!"

As if understood me, they immediately ran away in fear, howling.

(And that's how YouTube can save your life! Whew...)

As I was picking up the sticks I dropped on the ground to get my flamethrower, a raindrop fell on me.

(Gotta hurry up.)

When I got back to my shelter, more and more drops were falling from the sky, so after a couple minutes it started to rain heavily. Placing the sticks for the fire in a pile, I used the flamethrower again, but this time for the purpose of starting a fire rather than burning the wolves. Ten minutes later I was sitting by the fire that provided much-needed warmth, while outside the stone shelter a heavy rain was washing over this wild forest.

(If you think about it that way... If the wolves had decided to attack me ten minutes earlier, when it had already started raining... Yeah, that wouldn't have been good.)

The fire crackled pleasantly, calming me down after my tense confrontation with the timber wolves.

(If I want to be in these woods without fear, I should probably stock up on hair sprays in case something like this happens again. But where can I get more? Now I can't just go to the store or ask Rarity. Okay, I need to get some sleep, I probably shouldn't be making important decisions now.)

After tossing more sticks into the fire I put a backpack under my head, which imitated a pillow, and closed my eyes, still enjoying the warmth of the fire.

***

The morning wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. I woke up cold, the fire was out, and everything outside was muddy.

(Well, at least the wolves didn't kill me while I was sleeping, thanks for that.)

My morning started with a trip to the river to wash my face, and my breakfast was a can of cherry soda with a candy bar.

(Yeah, I should also think about where I can get food. But first I need to stock up on weapons. I'm not sure if hair spray can be called a weapon, but in my situation, this spray is nothing but a self-defense weapon! And now that I think about it... There's got to be a store in ponyville that sells the stuff I need, right? Otherwise, where does Rarity get the hair sprays for her boutique? I'll have to do a little scouting I guess.)

Preparations made, I left my already cold shelter and felt the heavy mud sticking in big clumps on my shoes. Despite the difficulties, I was able to reach the edge of the forest, from where I could already see Ponyville.

(I'd better stay away from the ponies, no need to show myself off unnecessarily. I'll walk around the edge of Ponyville and look for a store with hair spray.)

That's exactly what I did. A couple of times I had to hide in the bushes because of ponies appearing on the horizon, but in general the route was passed without much trouble. As was to be expected, I was able to spot a beauty product store.

(Great! Just as I thought, there's a 99% chance Rarity shops here. But there's one problem though... How am I gonna buy the spray...? I can't just walk into a store, I'll get busted!)

While I was thinking, a door opened in the back of this store and a pony, apparently an employee, came out of it.

"Are you sure about this, boss? They still look normal to me..." the pony employee was carrying a box of hair sprays.

"Yes, we need to get rid of them, the expiration date came! The garbage pony will be here in a few minutes, so don't delay!"

"Okay boss!" the pony employee threw the box in the trash and returned to the store.

I couldn't believe my luck! Without wasting any time I ran for the box and snuck it away with me.

(Just in time! Here comes the garbage pony.)

I looked at the box of sprays as if it were a trophy won in a difficult fight.

(I'm sure this will last me for a long time, so I don't have to worry about weapons anymore. But now I'm thinking... I need tools! At least an axe. Where can I get an axe without being seen?)

And then it hit me.

(Hey, I think Applejack's shed is full of all sorts of tools, I don't think she'd be upset if I borrow a couple.)

I decided to take the box of sprays back to the woods first, and then sneak into the barn on the farm unnoticed. And here I am back on the outskirts of Ponyville.

(I hope Applejack's dog doesn't smell me or the whole operation will collapse.)

With no trouble climbing over the fence, it was a short walk to the tool shed.

(Damn, looks like there's someone inside!)

I climbed into a nearby bush, watching the shed. Twilight and Applejack came out.

"...and he just ran away?"

"Yes, and we have no idea where he is! One of the guards suggested that Celestia send other guards after him, but she said it wasn't necessary..." Twilight looked very worried.

"Wasn't necessary?! Who knows what he might be up to after what he pulled off in the portal room?" Applejack said with annoyance.

(Ah, screw you, Applejack!)

"I'm hoping for the best, Applejack... Still, he's not some maniac or anything. It just all came down on him too fast." Twilight calmed herself.

"Okay, but what's next? If he doesn't return on his own?"

"I need to talk to the princess more about this, we haven't had this chance yet since yesterday. Canterlot Castle is a bit of a mess right now, but I think things will settle down in a couple of days. I still think that if he doesn't come back on his own in a couple of days, we should organize a search..."

Twilight and Applejack left, so I was finally able to sneak into the shed. While grabbing the right tools, I thought about what I'd heard.

(So they'll start looking for me in a few days..... No idea what they'll do when they find me, and I don't want to test it. Extra motivation to hide I guess.)

In the end, I got a shovel, an axe, and a saw.

(That's not a bad set to start with!)

Leaving the barn, it dawned on me that I could use some more food.

(I still have some soda and candy bars left, but that won't last long... Sorry, Applejack, but I'm borrowing a bucket of apples from you, too.)

The necessary supplies are done, it's time to head back to the woods. For what felt like the hundredth time that day, I returned to my shelter, no longer intending to leave it today.

(What a day, it feels like more steps were taken today than in my entire life.)

Munching on an apple and leaning against the stone wall of my shelter, my eye fell upon an old tree, thickly overgrown with foliage, and... Something was wrong with it.

(I swear, leaves on trees don't grow like... Square? This isn't Minecraft.)

I picked up a large stick lying nearby to pull the leaves apart, and to my great surprise I found an old rundown tree house.

(No Way!...)

(THIS IS THE PERFECT HIDEOUT, AFTER ALL! The wolves won't get me here! Although, of course, this house could use some restoration... And I've got the tools!)

Unfortunately, there were no ladder, so I couldn't climb up and check the inside of a tree house.

(Looks like the ladder is the first thing that needs to be built! Well, let's get to it!)

Betrayed expectations

It's been a little over a month since my "Grand Canterlot Escape". That's what the ponies called my attempt to unleash my anger without hurting anyone. Honestly, I like the way they called it, sounds epic. The few Ponyville newspapers I was able to steal while no one was looking were all about my "escape." Or yet another interview with Celestia, and the endlessly repeated question: "Your majesty, why didn't you stop him?". I don't know how long this hype will go on, but I wish it would die down sooner.

(Well, definitely not "a couple days" as Twilight said when I went to get the tools in Applejack's shed.)

The decrease in hype is certainly not helped by the posters with my face on them, which are probably already plastered all over Equestria and possibly even beyond. I guess I really am a wanted man now.

As for the wolves, I haven't seen them again since that time. Maybe they told their leader how dangerous I was and he decided I'm not worth the hassle... But it doesn't matter, I feel safe as long as I have hairspray and a lighter. I attached both of these vital devices to an old tool belt I found during my late night hunting for supplies. Someone kindly left it in the backyard of a furniture store. Well, thanks, buddy.

On the other hand, I'm almost finished renovating the treehouse, and borrowing tools from Applejack has helped me a lot. Next to my new residence, I planted potato and carrot seeds, enclosing them with a small fence.

(It's not much, but it will help me not starve to death.)

But it wasn't all smooth sailing... For the past few days, I've been feeling like someone is watching me. This unsettling feeling is always with me wherever I go. It feels like every day the spy is getting closer.

(Maybe I'm starting to go crazy from being alone?)

No, I'm definitely not alone here, and I found proof of that today. A spy came close to the tree house last night, forgetting to clean up the evidence - the hoofprints. Yes, the spy was a pony, which didn't surprise me much.

(So they found me after all... But why haven't I been caught yet? Whose side is the spy on? And if I'm found, should I look for another place to hide? But I've already settled in here nicely! Argh!)

Anxious thoughts kept me on my toes and were literally burning out my brain. I could not do any useful work in improving my home because of it.

(Okay, that's enough, I need to calm down. These are the first steps to insanity, aren't they? I'm not going to change my location, and if they do find me... So be it. I have nothing to lose.)

With these thoughts, I continued my life as a hermit. Surprisingly, the spy didn't show himself for several days in a row. But that was just the calm before the storm, and the storm came suddenly. It was a calm warm day, I was chopping wood for the evening fire. The bushes rustled. During this month in the forest, I had learned to distinguish the rustle of small forest animals from the rustle of something... Larger.

"Congratulations. You found me. It's a wonder I was able to hide for a month." Saying that, I continued chopping wood. "Well, was it worth it? Time well spent?"

I was ready for this confrontation. It was foolish to think I could hide forever.

"Well, Twilight, is that you? Or maybe the princess of lies herself? Either way, you can come out of the bushes."

But against my expectations, a zebra emerged from the bushes.

(Okay, I wasn't prepared for that...)

"So the rumors was right, there is a human in my sight."

(What the fuck? She talks in poetry?)

Just in case, I kept the axe in my hands and kept my distance from this mysterious zebra.

"Please do not fret, its not a villain you just met." Zebra continued to speak in poetry.

(Holy crap, you're not really helping to defuse the situation by talking in those creepy poems!)

"Okay." I threw the axe to the ground. "Why don't you introduce yourself?"

"I am Zecora of Everfree, the one who knows potion recipe. I am skilled in herbalist art, and know how to make it work fast."

"Wow, that's quite a description." It took me a few seconds to process it all. "Well, I suppose there's no chance you don't know who I am."

(Also, wait a minute... Zecora? Man, I swear I heard that name somewhere... But where? Hmm...)

"Of course I know, my dear, who you are, that's perfectly clear."

"Well, that's not surprising, though." A heavy sigh left my lungs. "So who sent you?"

"Sent me? Well, my friend, no one I believe."

"Oh really? Are you sure about that?" my suspicion was at an all-time high. "Celestia is out there somewhere isn't she?"

"Now now, my friend, do not fret. Celestia is not here, you bet."

"Celestia isn't here? Okay, then Twilight must be here." I sat down on a large log I was about to chop.

"Twilight is not here either, my dear. Perhaps you feel that these answers are not quite clear. And you feel that I speak with intention to deceive, but Zecora will only tell the truth so believe."

For some reason, I was starting to believe her.

"Okay, let's say no one sent you here. Then why were you spying on me at night? I know you did."

"Oh, my friend you are quite right, I was watching you last night. And although my methods may be rude, I only want to do what is good."

"So you... Just wanted to introduce yourself to me, am I reading you right?"

"Oh yes of course, my friend, that is my main intent." The zebra smiled at me.

"Okay... Do you know why I live here in the woods?"

"I can see, escaping big city to live worry free."

(Looks like she knows... But I'll clarify, just in case.)

"And what is this big city you are talking about?"

"It's Ponyville, no doubt, and as I can see, you will be sticking around?"

(Hmm... That's interesting! She thinks I escaped from Ponyville, not Canterlot.)

"Yeah, I'll probably stick around for a while, unless... Uh..." I wasn't sure if I should continue.

I saw the look of confusion in Zecora's eyes.

"It doesn't matter. So uh, do you... Know Canterlot?"

"Why yes, it's a home of Princesses!"

"And... Did you hear what happened there the other day?" I was a little nervous asking that question.

"The answer is no, I believe, news travel extremely slow here."

"Yeah, I can imagine..."

An awkward pause ensued.

"Well... Since you wanted to get to know me... Do you want to stay for dinner? I was planning to make vegetable stew." I picked up the axe from the ground and continued chopping wood. "You have to work hard to stay fed living in the forest..."

"Oh, thank you for your kind invite, I think I'll have a bite."

“Hey, that's great. To be honest, I could really use some company..." I smiled awkwardly.

"I love to spend time making new friends, to hear their stories, listen and make amends."

"I had friends too..." I remarked sadly.

"Oh, this is very sad indeed. I am sorry to see you are in such grief. Would you happen to have lost your friends, a group of three? Or was it four, I do not know what I should believe. But whatever happened, you must tell, so Zecora makes sure your problems will not swell."

"It's... It's hard to describe, really. I'm not sure I have the strength or the will to do it, sorry..."

"My friend, no need to say sorry, if you do not want to speak of this sorrow. I would not wish to burden you with any more weight, for it is clear that your heart's filled with a lot of pain. But if you want to tell one day, I will listen to what you have to say." Zecora put her hoof on my hand.

"It's funny, I just met you not more than 15 minutes ago, and I already feel like you're a good old friend. How's that possible?" I was at a loss.

"It is quite simple, my friend! Because we are not that different, in the end... We both have friends that have left us alone, and we both love the forest to roam. We both know about sadness and grief, and we both know about joy and belief."

"You having trouble with your friends too?" I thought about it for a couple seconds. "I guess living in the woods isn't helping with new friendships much, huh?"

"This is very much true, my friend, the woods do not help. I lived alone for quite some time, and did not have anyone by my side."

"Hey, I think we can help each other with this." I smiled for the first time in a long while. "We need to stick together."

"Oh, my friend, I greatly agree, we both are in need of company. Being together will surely bring us some cheer, and help us keep away the darkness and fear."

(I still don't fully trust her, but time will tell... I guess if I don't get caught by Celestia tomorrow morning, Zecora really can be trusted.)

Meanwhile, I finished chopping the wood and proceeded to start a campfire.

"So... What do you do for a living here?" I was trying to keep the conversation going.

"I am an herbalist by trade and training, but in my free time, I brew potions of healing."

"Wow, potions? That's cool. I'm used to unicorn magic here, but potions? I haven't seen one yet."

"Unicorn magic is quite a sight, the power to control elements and use it with might. While my potions may not be a powerful as that, you must agree that these concoctions have some magical facts."

"Yeah, no doubt here."

I put the heavy pot on the fire, and then poured water into it.

"Well, it's going to take some time. In the meanwhile, I need to wash and chop the vegetables." I stuffed carrots and potatoes into my already heavily stained backpack. "And that means it's time for a stroll to the river. Care to join me?"

"Oh, my friend, I would absolutely love to tag along, a little stroll by the river side will do no wrong."

"Great, then let's go."

On the way to the river, I noticed that some of the leaves on the trees were starting to turn yellow.

"Looks like autumn is coming, huh?"

"With the leaves starting to turn yellow, I can already see that the season is mellow. The trees give off a beautiful shade of gold, and the air feels so much more bold. It is quite a lovely sight, don't you agree? I must admit, autumn is quite nice to see."

"Yes, autumn is a beautiful time of year." But then I had a thought. "Hmm, maybe I should be stocking up on supplies of food now..."

"Indeed, my friend, that is quite wise. The weather is sure to get colder in winter's guise. Stocking up on supplies now must be done, otherwise the winter, it shall not be fun. As the skies turn gray with snow, the temperatures drop and the winds really blow."

"Here comes the river." I pointed forward with my hand.

Near the river, I took the vegetables out of my backpack and decided to show off my makeshift knife.

"Look, I made this knife myself! It wasn't easy sharpening that stone, but it was worth it for sure."

"I am sure it took a lot of sweat and tears, as I can see the result is quite clear."

"Ha ha, yeah, that's for sure. Well, maybe also a couple drops of blood... I got a little cut, but it's nothing serious." I showed Zecora the small scar on my arm.

"Ah. I see you have injured yourself in the process of making the knife. Are you sure it is not too deep of a cut, I hope it is healing fine?"

“I'm fine, really. It's just one of the trials I have to go through living in the woods. Isn't it?”

"I suppose you are quite right, we are putting up a fight."

I started peeling vegetables, meanwhile Zecora was looking for something in the forest greenery.

"What are you up to?"

"Oh, just collecting some herbs and flowers, so I can make potions and oils of powers. These plants have different effects
that can provide multiple affects. Some can be used for medicinal purposes, or be used as a way to help you relax and ease stress."

"I'm really very interested in learning more about potions and their making... Any chance you can show me?" I asked with hope in my voice.

"Of course, my friend, I could teach you a thing or two. If you are interested, I will tell you what you must do. You should сome to my hut the next day, I will show you the craft without delay!"

"Wow, thank you! That would be just wonderful. We can also get to know each other better."

"I think we also should go on a mushroom hunt, this time of year is a must!" Zecora pulled back a patch of grass and I caught a glimpse of a mushroom.

"That's not a bad idea either!"

Soon I was finally done with the veggies and we headed back to my place. Zecora also turned out to be an excellent cook, helping me prepare the stew. Actually, it was no surprise that someone who knew how to brew potions have no trouble making ordinary food.

"Thanks for the tips, Zecora. They've definitely improved my cooking skill."

"Oh, you're most certainly welcome, my friend. For teaching you how to better cook, a true blessing I have lent."

"So what about tomorrow? You'll visit me in the morning and we'll go mushroom hunting, and afterward you can show me potion making?"

"Oh, my, it would be my absolute delight, to go on a mushroom hunt. We shall set off when the light is right, and search for every sort of mushroom in sight. We shall come back after some time, with lots of mushrooms in our find."

"Cool, I'll see you tomorrow, then. Have a good evening and night."

"My, my, I cannot wait for tomorrow to arrive, we shall have so much fun with this expedition we devise."

Zecora left, and I was alone again.

(What a day... Was I really able to find a friend again even after all the shit that happened a month ago? Unbelievable.)

The sun was already setting over the horizon. I climbed into my tree house and sipped berry tea, admiring the sunset.

(Celestia, if only you were as good at telling the truth as you are at raising and lowering the sun...)

Soon the sun had completely gone below the horizon, giving up its place to the moon.

(I wonder if Luna told her sister the details of our cooperation? I hope she doesn't get in trouble for it.)

(What a beautiful night it is... It feels like the moon is shining brighter than the sun. I would have taken some pictures, but my phone died 2 weeks ago.)

I was yawning like crazy. It's bedtime. I collapsed on a pile of dry grass that was replacing the bed for me and covered myself with sewn together potato sacks.

(Well, this isn't how I imagined my life to be, of course...)

A few minutes of finding a comfortable sleeping position, and my eyes began to close.

(Lottery begins... Will I find Celestia on my doorstep in the morning? Guess I'll see...)

***
My sleep was interrupted by a knock on the wood. It's that woodpecker again, my personal alarm clock. I rubbed my face and stretched out in the improvised bed.

"Thanks, buddy. What would I do without you? Right... I'd be sleeping till noon."

The morning forest is amazing with its fresh smell, it's like a drug for me. I could stand on the small terrace of a tree house for ages and just breathe, but I have things to do.

(Zecora will be here in about an hour, gotta be ready.)

Not counting the morning routine, preparations went quickly. Of course, I hadn't forgotten my tool belt, which provided quick access to the "flamethrower".

(I wonder how Zecora defends herself against wolves? Need to ask her about it, maybe she can give me some advice on that? Better safe than sorry.)

I was finishing yesterday's cold stew when I heard a familiar voice.

"Greetings, my friend, I have come today to go mushroom hunting with you, as I did say. Just come on out, no need to delay,
for this expedition will be in our hands to play."

"Hello, Zecora. Yeah, I'm all set. Let's go."

"So let us seek out some mushrooms, we shall trek deep into the woods."

Zecora led me deep into the forest, where she told me the largest clusters of mushrooms were located.

"Not going to lie, your tool belt caught my eye."

"Hm? Ah, the tool belt? I knew you'd notice it. Yeah, I've got some pretty unusual items on it, but trust me, they saved my life a month ago." I pulled hairspray and a lighter from my belt. "Any idea how this combo could be used?"

"A lighter and hairspray? A most intriguing combination it is indeed, but do tell, how you used it in your time of need."
Zecora tilted her head and looked curious.

"Actions speak louder than words, so take a look."

I put the "flamethrower" on full power and fired it toward the open space so I wouldn't accidentally set the forest on fire.

"And that's how I saved myself from the wolves a month ago."

Zecora looked impressed by the display of fiery ability.

"By the moon, that was quite a display of heat! I should say, it is pretty neat!"

"Thank you. By the way, I was wondering how you keep yourself safe from wolves? I bet you don't have a flamethrower like that."

"When I journey in the wild, it is in my nature to be alert of what's around. I also carry with me a couple of herbs, one of which is very useful for repelling the worst of all beasts."

"Well, guess I'll stick to my flamethrower." I shrugged.

We walked some more, and finally came to a large meadow.

"This is the place?"

"Indeed, my friend, this is the place. The meadow is abundant with shroom, of all kinds, no disgrace."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get started."

Zecora wasn't lying, there were indeed a lot of mushrooms here, more than the two of us could carry. I was at max capacity in 10 minutes.

"There's probably enough mushrooms for the entire Ponyville."

"Indeed there is, my friend, we have a lot, it's quite the amazing amount."

At this moment, I noticed that the sky was getting covered with gray clouds.

"Oops, looks like it's going to rain soon. I was hoping for a sunny day, oh well..." I got a little bit sad.

Zecora, in contrast to me, took a moment to gaze at the sky.

"The sky is starting to get a bit gray, we should prepare for the rainfall today. Please come with me to my place, this way we should avoid the rain pace."

"Ah yes, that's a great idea. And you'll show me your potions at the same time, right?" I was excited like a child.

Zecora smiled and chuckled a bit.

"You are most certainly right, this is a good idea in which I delight. Let us leave the woods without delay, with haste we shall be on our way."

Zecora led me through the forest to her hut. The hut was a huge old tree. There were some colored vials hanging from the branches near the entrance.

(Another tree house? Equines have bird dna here?)

"This is my dwelling, a tree that I call home, the only place in the forest, a place where I am not alone."

Zecora invited me inside. Inside the hut, there were many vials on shelves, some hanging from the ceiling. Also there were strange masks hanging on the walls, which I thought told a whole story about Zecora and her tribe. In the center there was a large cauldron.

"Wow, is this where you make your potions?"

"Indeed, this is where I make my potions, where the ingredients are added in the cauldron with caution."

"Yeah, I imagine it's best not to fool around when making potions..."

Suddenly I heard thunder.

"Ah, looks like there's a thunderstorm coming..." I looked through the window. "Hopefully it won't last long."

Zecora's ears perked up, as she also heard the thunder echoing faraway, and the pitter-patter of raindrops falling onto the roof of her hut.

"Yes, the thunderstorm is coming with the rain, it's going to soak the terrain."

The wind was picking up outside and I felt so comfortable in the hut, like I was back home.

"Before I show you my craft, perhaps, we should grab a snack?" Zeсora went to the kitchen.

"Yeah, sure, why not?"

Zecora served berry tea, which reminded me of the flavor of the one I'd made myself, and homemade pastries.

(Well, that's not surprising, apparently we pick berries in the same place.)

"Now, I need to tell you this... Please do not resist." Zecora looked at me seriously.

I choked on my tea.

"Huh? What do you mean?" suddenly I felt alarmed.

"You know what i'm talking about, there is just no doubt."

My heart jumped and an icy shiver ran through my body.

"No... It can't be, not again..."

I rushed to the door, opening it, but... It was too late. Celestia was standing on the doorstep, and our eyes met.

"No... NO, FUCKING NO! Seriously?! Aggh!"

Celestia's gaze was fixed on me.

"Don't you give me that fucking look! Did you really instruct her to gain my trust to catch me?! Oh my God, I'm the biggest idiot in the world! Fuck!" I made a powerful facepalm. "I had my concerns, but I decided to trust and that's what happened!"

Celestia stepped inside.

"We need to talk, Vlad."

"No! I already said we don't have shit to talk about! You fucked up, thats the entire conversation!"

"Please, we really..." Celestia didn't get a chance to finish.

"NO! You've destroyed my life, so please be so kind and don't destroy it further." I turned to look at Zecora. "And you... I'm very disappointed in you. You've destroyed the last bit of the trust I had. Now I can't trust anyone but myself. And maybe I won't trust myself soon too."

I walked past Celestia, ignoring her words, and stepped out of the hut. But after taking a couple steps, I felt like I couldn't move anymore.

(What the...?)

Looking down, I noticed a yellow magical aura wrapping around my legs. I turned back to Celestia.

"Don't you dare to pull that stunt on me..."

"I'm sorry, but you leave me no choice. You have to come with me." Celestia completely immobilized me.

I felt my entire body now wrapped in Celestia's magic, and the next moment I was off the ground.

"Whoa whoa whoa, what the hell are you doing?!"

I tried to struggle, but my attempts were useless. She put me on her back, still not letting me move.

"Have you finally lost your damn mind!? It's a kidnapping! I protest!" Another attempt to break free, and failure again.

"I didn't want to resort to that... But there's no other way." Celestia sighed heavily.

Zecora approached Celestia.

"Princess, will he be alright? You're not going to harm him, right?"

"Don't worry Zecora, everything will be fine, I promise."

I didn't gave up yet and was trying to break free.

"I think you could use a little nap and calm down." Celestia said with a taunt.

"Well, maybe you need to-"

Suddenly I felt a great weakness in my body, as if I hadn't slept for a week.

"No, don't even think about... Using this... On.. On meee...ee..."

I tried to stay awake, but the magic broke me and I passed out, unable to do anything to resist.

Acceptance

Suddenly I awoke, looking around nervously, my heart beating as fast as if I had run a marathon. It took me almost a minute to come to my senses and realize what was happening.

"Fucking hell..."

I got out of bed, holding my head. The headache made it hard for me to think clearly. On the nightstand next to the bed I noticed a tray with food, apparently it was my breakfast.

(Am I back to...?)

A balcony was spotted by me and I did not hesitate to head towards it. What I saw did not delight me at all.

"NO NO NO NO NO NO!!! FUCK! CRAP! AAGGHHHHHHHH!" I screamed in frustration.

There it is, Canterlot. I was here again.

"Noooo! Why???!!!" I almost burst into tears of despair.

It seems a few ponies from down below heard my screams and I decided to leave the balcony so as not to attract attention. My first thought was to try to leave. Pulling the handle of the door, it was, unsurprisingly, closed.

(Of course... That would be too easy. Celestia doesn't take any chances with me anymore.)

The headache was still making an impact, and I just sat on the floor next to the bed, thinking about what to do next.

(Did she hit my head on a rock, or what? Why does it hurt so much?)

At this moment I noticed that I was wearing some unfamiliar clothes.

(What the hell is that? Those aren't my clothes... Where are my jeans, my T-shirt, my favorite sneakers?)

Inspecting myself more closely, I found myself wearing a red jacket with a red shirt underneath, some old-fashioned pants, and leather shoes.

(Bruh... Is it 1800 now? Where are my normal clothes? And who made these? And... Okay, wait a minute... If someone changed my clothes, then...)

I felt a blush spread across my cheeks.

(Okay... Better... Better not think about it... Just... Forget it.)

Putting the unpleasant thoughts out of my head, I felt hunger taking its toll.

(No need to deny the food, it will give me the strength to plan my escape... Again. Okay, what do we have here?)

My breakfast consisted of an apple, orange juice, raspberry jam sandwiches and a stack of pancakes with honey.

(Hmm... Quite good, I must say. Especially after what I was eating in the woods.)

As I ate, there was a familiar voice behind the door.

"Is he awake?"

("Great", there she is.)

"Yes, he is awake, your highness. Would you like me to come in with you?"

(She put a guard on me? Yep, that's going to make my escape more difficult... For which I have yet to come up with a plan.)

"No, there's no need for that. Unlock the door, please."

"Yes, your highness."

The key rustled in the lock, opening the door. Celestia carefully stepped in, and our eyes met again.

"Well hello, what brings you here?" I asked sarcastically, munching on a jam sandwich.

"Is everything all right, your highness?" the guard poked his head through the doorway.

Celestia sighed.

"Yes, it's fine."

The guard threw a quick glance at me and closed the door.

"Well..." Celestia began to speak but stopped.

"Well what?"

"I understand that my actions did not please you very much..."

"Do you?"

"Yes... You really left me no choice. I certainly respect your stubbornness, but... We need to talk this out, you can't spend the rest of your life hiding." Celestia came closer. "I have something you need to know. Just let me know when you're ready."

"And what if I'm never ready?"

"Until this conversation takes place, you are forbidden to leave the castle. I'm sorry, but it's for your own good."

"Well "great", really. I "love" it here." I said, munching on a pancake. "By the way, where are my clothes? And what are these?"

"Your clothes are in the laundry, they'll be brought to you as soon as they're ready. And these are the clothes Rarity was kind enough to give us. It's from the collection of clothes she took measurements from you for."

"Well, it looks a little old-fashioned, but it'll do for now..."

"Fine, I have to go now. You're allowed to walk freely around the castle, but you can't go out. When you're ready, tell the guard by the door. And please don't do anything stupid."

"Define "Stupid", please." I grinned.

"You know what I mean." Celestia grinned as well.

"No idea."

"I warned you." with those words, Celestia left the room.

(You did, yes. Will that stop me? No.)

Suddenly, the door opened again.

"Forgot to say... I may have overdone the calming spell.... Do you have a headache?"

"So that's what this is all about... " I rubbed my head.

"There are some headache pills on the food tray, take them. I'm sorry." Celestia smiled awkwardly.

"Okay, thanks, I guess."

The princess seemed to want to say something else, but changed her mind and closed the door. I didn't gave it much thought and took the pills.

"Ah, alright, that's already better."

I was finishing my breakfast and thinking about what I should do next.

(She said I can move freely around the castle, right? Maybe I could find Luna and talk to her, find out what's been going on here after my escape.)

"So you're back here again?"

I flinched at the sudden speech, but then relaxed. Luna landed on the balcony and folded her wings.

"Oh, hey. I was just thinking about looking for you, how fortunate."

"We wanted to talk to you, too." Luna sounded a little grumpy.

"Hm, is something wrong?"

"We're not very pleased with you taking us in your aim with that... Dangerous thing. We can't remember what it's called."

"Oh, yeah, that was awkward... I'm sorry, I had very little control at the time. My emotions got the best of me."

Luna was still in a sour mood, and it showed.

"Indeed."

As she heard my apology, though, her expression softened slightly.

"We... Shall accept your apology."

"Thank you. I really didn't mean to hurt anyone, perhaps at that moment I was thinking with my emotions, not my head."

Luna nodded in understanding.

"We understand. Emotions can indeed cloud our judgment... We, too, have been guilty of allowing our emotions to steer our actions on quite a few occasions."

"Hey, nobody is perfect, right?"

Luna chuckled softly, her mood beginning to lighten slightly.

"Indeed, you are correct. No one is 'perfect.' Even ponies of royalty are not immune to moments of imperfection and error."

"Yeah, so... I wanted to talk about what's been going on here after I escaped?"

Luna sighed softly, recalling the events that had taken place. Her expression grew serious once more.

"Much has occurred in your absence... It's difficult to know where to start."

"Like, after I left the castle, leaving Celestia helplessly watching me run away? What happened next?"

Luna paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts before continuing.

"After your departure, the castle grounds were thrown into a state of panic and chaos. Our sister, Princess Celestia, was left quite... Distraught by your actions. She was... Troubled, distraught, and deeply saddened by your abrupt escape."

"Why did she let me escape?"

"It was not by choice, rather, you had caught her by surprise. She was taken aback by the force of your emotions. She was simply too unprepared to react. She was in quite a shock."

"I heard that when asked about my pursuing, Celestia replied 'There's no need for that,' or something like this. Is that true?"

Luna nodded, a slight frown upon her face.

"Indeed, that is true. Though, we must note that her reasoning for calling off the pursuit had little to do with a lack of care for your well-being... Rather, she believed that forcing your return would not be beneficial for you."

"But, in the end, she got me back."

"Indeed... Her methods were... Drastic... Nevertheless, we suppose that the outcome could have been worse. Your return was of great importance, after all." She paused for a moment, before continuing in a quieter voice. "Though, that does not mean we approved of her methods... We do not believe that they were... Particularly... Appropriate."

"Yep, the method was nasty, I was practically betrayed."

"We understand that you are upset, and we must admit that we, too, questioned the wisdom of her actions at the time. But we would like for you to consider her perspective as well. She, too, was acting out on her emotions. She was concerned, frustrated, and perhaps a bit... Fearful of what thou might do."

"Hmm... Yeah, fair enough."

"Perhaps she should have handled the situation more tactfully, but we must concede that she had best interests at heart."

"Okay, what about you? Are you in trouble for helping me spy on Celestia's plans?"

"We suppose you could say that. We were scolded by her for my 'inappropriate interference', to put it mildly. "She let out a soft scoff, her usual regal tone taking a slight sarcastic edge.

"But she's already forgiven you, right?"

Luna nodded, her expression growing a bit more relaxed.

"Indeed, Princess Celestia has already forgiven me. Although, she made it quite clear that she does not wish for me to meddle in her affairs again."

"Well, it looks like there won't be any again..."

Luna chuckled softly, her eyes gleaming with a hint of mischief.

"We hope so... Though, we must confess... We shall miss our late-night escapades into the halls. Despite the trouble that followed, they certainly provided some... Excitement."

"Yeah, following your sister around the castle corridors at night definitely gave me an adrenaline rush™."

"Indeed, it was rather... Thrilling to sneak around the corridors, unnoticed, and observing our sister's business. And yet... We must admit that the ensuing lecture and scolding was not so thrilling."

"Well, I guess it's a small price to pay for something that has brought you so much enjoyment?"

"You're right... We really don't regret it." Luna nodded, her expression growing a bit more lighthearted. "But please, think about what we said about our sister earlier... We know she wants to talk to you about... Something important. Maybe you really should learn about events from her perspective. No pressure, of course. Do what you gotta do."

Luna's words kind of hit me, really making me question things.

(Maybe... Maybe she's right. I've been in denial about talking to Celestia for so long... What would I lose by listening to her? Or...? How difficult...)

"I... I'll think about what you said. It may take some time."

Luna smiled gently at my response, her expression soft and patient.

"We understand that it is not an easy decision to make. Do not feel pressured to act on our advice, or rush into anything hastily. Take the time that you need to reflect upon it."

She paused for a moment, contemplating whether or not to say more, before continuing in an encouraging tone.

"But remember... It's important to keep an open mind and listen to different perspectives. We firmly believe that understanding our sister's point of view could shed new light on the situation."

With those words, the princess of the night stepped out onto the balcony once again.

"We have to go. See you later."

Luna unfolded her wings and flew away, leaving me alone again, alone with my thoughts.

(I have a lot to think about... Maybe even too much.)

***

As time went on, I couldn't make up my mind. I've been stuck in the castle for a month now, and day after day, I can't decide what I should do. How much more time do I need?

(I swear, I've only been in Equestria for about three months, but already experienced more stress than I ever had in my entire life!)

Sometimes I seem to gain enough determination and confidently approach my guard, starting a dialog...

"Hey Noble Spear, guess what?"

"Yes, sir! What is it?"

"I'm ready for... Uh... Well... Lunch, yeah. When is it?"

"One hour from now, sir."

"Ah, wonderful, thank you!"

It happened many times. Too many times...

(At this rate, I'm stuck in the castle forever.)

One day, in the evening, I was once again watching Canterlot from my balcony.

(I'm so tired of all this, I can't take it anymore...)

"Mind if I join you?"

Celestia landed next to me.

"Yeah, whatever you want..." I responded without enthusiasm.

"Thank you."

Celestia began to lower the sun, allowing the moon to take its place.

"You know, I'm impressed." The princess started talking when she was done with the sun.

"By what?"

"You're not trying to run again. I expected to have to watch you all the time, put extra guards on you..." Celestia stood next to me. "But you still hate me". She looked at me with a concerned smile on her face. "I suppose you think of me as a villain, a tyrant...?"

"Can you blame me?"

Celestia let out a deep sigh, her usual smile disappearing for a moment, her face was completely serious.

"No... I suppose I can't." She continued gazing at the stars, then spoke again. "Though you are one of the most stubborn creatures I’ve ever encountered..."

"You're probably right. And maybe if it weren't for my stubbornness, I'd be fucking dead right now, you know."

"And you have a foul mouth... but I've come to expect that from you..." Celestia chuckled.

"In the situation I'm in now, it's impossible to be a good boy."

At those words Celestia turned from the night sky to look directly at me, her face expressing a mixture of sorrow and understanding.

"I know." She looked at me, studying my face, then she spoke again, this time in a more soft and gentle tone. "Do you miss your family?"

"You know I am." I hit the balcony railing "And now they dont even know I exist."

Celestia gently stroked my hair and hugged me with her wing.

"I’m sorry... I truly am."

"Your 'sorry' won't turn the clock back."

"I know it won't..."

And we just stood like that, silent for I don't know how long, until Celestia spoke again.

"I think now is the perfect time for that one conversation to happen, hm?"

"You know what? You're right, I'm ready. If not now, then never."

"Then close your eyes and let it happen." Celestia closed her eyes.

"Let what happen?"

But Celestia didn't respond.

(Well, here goes nothing...)

I closed my eyes too, and the next thing I know, I'm in a dark blue void dotted with bright stars. That freaked me out.

"Hey what's that?! Where am I? Celestia?! Where are you?"

A blurry white shape appeared in the distance, taking the shape of Celestia as it approached.

"It's okay, you did it right. Now, why don't we go for a walk?" Celestia gestured to follow her.

I didn't want to be alone in this strange place again, so I followed her.

"So, why are we here?" I was genuinely confused.

Suddenly, strange 'screens' started flying around us, showing...?

"What the hell...? Is that me? As a baby? Sucking on a pacifier?"

These screens seemed to show my whole life, from birth, and my parents, how they took care of me.

"I don't... I don't understand what that means?"

Celestia smiled faintly, as she watched the different scenes pass by.

"It means exactly what you see. Memories."

"But... Why are you showing me this? What's the point?"

"Just keep watching..."

And I continued to watch as my entire life was shown like a movie, from the beginning to the very day I went to Equestria. On that day, it stopped, and the strange screens went dark. But then, they turned on again, showing my life again, but this time... My life was lived by a random girl??

"What the? Who the hell is that?" I was almost furious at that fact.

"It's you."

"What? It's not me!"

"It's you. It's you now."

"What are you- I don't understand!" My brain was starting to melt.

"When the universe takes something ... It always gives something back." Celestia continued to look at my life lived by another person. "To those who care about you, you never ceased to exist. No one ever forgot you, you still continued to be loved, your soul continues to live there on Earth. But now you have a different body, a different name... Except that doesn't change the fact that you continue to live your life as usual, as if this whole story never happened. Your parents are happy, and they love this different version of you just as much as they loved you. Your original form no longer exists in the new reality, it was never there in the first place. But tell me, aren't you glad, that your loved ones have never experienced the emotions you went through? You thought of them first, and only then of yourself."

I didn't say anything back.

"I know your soul is still in the greatest pain, but I'm sure what you just saw will help it subside at least a little. You are happy for them, perhaps without even realizing it yourself."

"And I know you still hate me, and will probably never change your mind. That's perfectly fine. I'm not looking for your forgiveness, no. I just thought you deserved to know the truth, that's all. I wanted your future life to consist of more than gloom and darkness. I wanted you to know that there is a ray of light, a ray of hope. Keep moving forward."

Celestia kept talking, but I wasn't listening anymore. I just stared into the dark blue void, and it felt like time had frozen, and even the air around me wasn't moving. I felt her put a hoof on my shoulder and we stood together, silent, staring into the void for who knows how long.

Ponyville misadventures

"...and then we thought we could get our cutie marks for helping the teacher clean up the classroom after the end of the school day!" said Apple Bloom, sipping the cherry soda I gave her.

We were sitting under one of the apple trees on a small hill. Apple Bloom told me that her whole family go into the town to do some shopping, and they wouldn't be back for a couple of hours, so she suggested we pass the time talking under the tree that seemed the coziest for her. She also showed me the tree house nearby, but we decided to sit outside.

"And did it work out for you?" I asked, taking a sip of soda, too.

"As you can see... No, it didn't work." Apple Bloom said sadly, pointing to her empty flank.

"Don't worry, sooner or later you'll find your talent. Just don't give up." I said, feeling like a father giving his child a encouraging talk.

"Did you get your cutie mark yet?" the filly asked, apparently trying to distract herself from sad thoughts.

"Humans don't get cutie marks."

"Really? Then how do they determine what they're good at? And how do other humans know what you're good at?" Apple Bloom asked with surprise.

"Well, you know... How should I put it... Actually, it might sound pretty obvious, but... If a person is good at something, and he's been practicing it for a while, he then realizes that it's his talent and he's going to do that all his life. We don't need cutie marks to know what we're good at, that comes with time."

Apple Bloom listened to me intently, and I could see the interest in her eyes.

"Some people may even have more than one talent. And even more than two. It's all up to the person himself whether he wants to develop further, after the talent seems to have been found." I said, finishing my soda and putting the empty can aside. "But, of course, there are some people who don't want to search for their talent. Such people have a vague future waiting for them, and they never know what fate has in store for them around the next corner."

Apple Bloom still didn't say a word, apparently waiting for me to continue.

"Well, and about your second question... That's pretty easy, too. People report their talents in newspapers, magazines, advertisements. And when these materials get into other people's hands, they can choose exactly the talent they need at that moment. A leaky pipe? Need a plumber. Broken refrigerator? Need an electrician, and so on."

"Wow, this is so cool! I wish you were a teacher at my school..."

"Don't you like your teacher?" I asked, surprised that the filly thought I was a better teacher than her current one.

"No, she's not bad, it's just. It's just that we still can't get used to the fact that Miss Cheerilee isn't our teacher anymore."

"But aren't you happy for her? She had a dream, and she fulfilled it. She wanted to move on with her life. I've seen her recently, and even given the recent circumstances, she looks happy."

"Yes, you're right. We're all happy for her. She even comes to check on us sometimes." Apple Bloom said cheerfully.

"Way to go!" I said, rubbing the little filly's mane, to which she responded with a small chuckle. "Would you like another soda? We could go to the market, I saw a soda stand there." I said, getting to my feet.

"Yes, I wouldn't mind." Apple Bloom said, then gestured for me to bend over to her. "Not the apple one, please! I'm getting tired of the taste of apples... And don't tell Applejack what I said to you, okay?" the filly whispered in my ear.

"Don't worry, I can keep a secret," I said, picking up the empty soda cans. "Well, shall we go then?"

Before I could even take a step, I felt some kind of vibration on the ground.

"What the...? An earthquake? Apple Bloom, can you feel it?" I asked, but got no answer.

As I turned around, I saw her hiding behind a tree, peering out a little.

(What the hell is going on?)

"There he is!" came a familiar voice.

As I turned back around, I finally realized what was going on. It wasn't an earthquake at all. It was Applejack coming right at me.

(Aww man...)

The next moment Applejack crashed into me, and I fell to the ground. A second later, I felt the pressure of a hoof on my chest. When I realized what was happening, I saw Applejack's angry face again, exhaling hot air at me.

"And I was wondering when you'd show up." I said sarcastically.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY SISTER?! WHERE IS SHE?! TELL ME, OR YOU'LL FIND OUT HOW STRONG THE EARTH PONIES ARE!"

"Applejack! Calm down, I'm fine! What's gotten into you?" peeked out from behind the tree Apple Bloom.

"Apple Bloom? Thank Celestia, you're okay!" said Applejack, looking at me again with an already less wary face.

"Do you mind?" I asked, pretending to be polite.

Applejack took her hoof off my chest and let me get up.

"I see you like to pin interlocutors to the ground, don't you?" I asked, shaking the dirt off my clothes.

"Haven't you had enough? We can do it again!" said the orange pony in an angry voice.

"Oh my God, calm down already." I said, while Applejack was examining her little sister.

"He didn't hurt you? Is everything okay? Just tell me, and I'll...!"

"Applejack! I'm all right! Stop being so mean!" said the filly emphatically. "Vlad told me a lot of interesting things and gave me a soda!"

Applejack and Apple Bloom looked at each other in silence for a while, and then the older sister turned away, sighing. She looked sad.

(It looks like I'd better leave them alone.)

I walked over to Applejack with my hands in my pockets. She was looking in the opposite direction from me.

"I think you know why I'm here? I need to talk to Mac, where is he?"

Applejack simply pointed her hoof at the building near the entrance to the farm.

"Okay, thank you... See you later." I said, addressing Applejack and Apple Bloom at once.

Apple Bloom waved to me before approaching her older sister. They started talking about something, but I couldn't make it out anymore because I was so far away.

(Applejack and I need to talk privately at some point.)

In a couple of minutes I was already in the right place. I saw Mac unloading purchases from the wagon at the front of the house.

"Hey, Mac!" I said, walking up to the red stallion and holding out my hand. "It's good to see you again."

"Hey." Mac held out his hoof in response.

"Need a helping hand?" I said, pointing to a wagon full of shopping and other things.

"Yes, help would be very welcome." Mac said, taking another bag in his teeth.

"Okay, show me where to carry it." I said, taking a bag in each hand.

We walked inside the house and I started looking around as we walked. There were a lot of pictures on the walls that appeared to have members of Mac's family on them.

(He does have a big family!)

Eventually we came to the kitchen. There were already a lot of packages unloaded by an elderly mare. When Mac and I put the bags on the floor, she turned and noticed us.

"Who do we have here? Is it Vlad himself?" said the old mare with a sly smile.

"Good afternoon. You must be Miss Smith?" I asked politely.

"Ah, forget it. Call me Granny Smith, there's no use in addressing me formally in our house."

"Okay... Granny." I said and felt a little awkward.

"That's good! See, Mac, I told you fate would bring you two together!"

"Yes, Granny, you were right again." Mac replied with a smile.

Even with my help, we had to go outside and back to the kitchen five times. When the last bag was in the kitchen, I exhaled with relief.

"Nice job, my good ones. Vlad, would you like to stay with us for dinner?" asked Granny Smith, standing near the stove.

"Actually, I have plans for today. But thanks for the invitation." I politely declined.

(I don't really have any plans, but I think we should leave them alone. Maybe Applejack would like to talk to her family in private.)

"As you wish, my boy. Thanks again for your help." Granny Smith said, not turning away from the stove.

Mac had already gone outside while I was talking to Granny, so I hurried after him. When I got outside, I saw him pulling the wagon into the barn.

"Hey, Mac, can I have a word with you?" I said, catching up with him.

"Sure, let me get the wagon to the barn and we'll talk."

"Okay, I'll wait here."

While I was waiting, I could see three fillies enter the tree house that Apple Bloom showed me. I could see Apple Bloom herself, and two other fillies I'd seen while spying on Mac's wife.

(I think Apple Bloom will introduce me to them later.)

"I'm done." Mac said, interrupting my thoughts.

"Great. Celestia said she got me a job at your farm. Did you know that?"

"Yeah, I know. Welcome to the job. Celestia talked to me about it too, and said Applejack would be in charge."

(Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!)

"Okay... I get it. When is my first day of work?" I asked, trying not to give away my frustration.

"Tomorrow morning by 10 a.m."

"Well, see you tomorrow, then." I said, holding out my hand again, but this time to say goodbye.

"See ya." Mac said and held out his hoof to me.

After saying goodbye to Mac, I went to the farm exit and headed back into town. As I was walking, I thought it would be a good idea to stop by the Ponyville Market and buy some food there.

(I'll make myself something to eat. But what exactly do I want to cook...?)

When I arrived at the market, I realized that on the morning of the day I first arrived in Ponyville, I had only walked through a small part of the market. Now, taking my time, I was discovering more and more parts of the market that I hadn't been to before.

(Fruits, vegetables, flowers... Yeah, I should be used to it by now.)

As I walked a little farther, I saw the same soda counter I told Apple Bloom about.

(I'll buy some soda and give it to Apple Bloom and her friends later.)

The soda stand was owned by a unicorn, whom I would have expected to see more in Rarity's place than in the soda counter. There were plenty of sodas to choose from, much more than on the train, which didn't surprise me at all.

(Wait... Isn't that the same soda I bought on the train?)

And indeed, it was the same soda, I was sure.

"Hello, Miss. I don't know if this means anything to you, but I once bought the same soda on a train. I noticed the sign saying that you make it yourself, so I thought I'd let you know."

"Yes, thank you, I know. My brother helps me with selling my products. He works as a train salesman, and we thought it would be a good opportunity to sell our soda even outside of Ponyville." the pony proudly declared.

"Not a bad idea! Thanks, maybe I can use it someday." I said cheerfully. "Now, I'd like to buy..."

I started listing all the soda flavors I liked. I loved the apple flavor, too, of course, but decided not to take it at Apple Bloom's request.

"Thanks for the purchase! Come again!"

While I was buying soda, I realized I wanted to cook. I want... Tomato soup!

(I haven't made it in a while! And now that I have to eat only plant-based foods, tomato soup seems like the perfect option).

After taking a few more steps, I came across a stand with vegetables. There, in addition to tomatoes, I bought some other vegetables. And, of course, I picked up some fruits.

Closer to the exit of the market, I came across a stand with cheese, milk, eggs, and other everyday products. It didn't bother me until I remembered where I was.

(Wait a second... But... Really? Okay... I won't bother myself with this, after all, it's none of my business.)

Pretending not to care at all, I bought milk, eggs, butter, cheese, and bread.

(Everything you need for breakfast!)

Feeling the weight of the bags in my hands, I wanted to get home as soon as possible so my hands could rest.

(This happens whenever I decide to leave my backpack at home! Damn you!)

When I reached home, I happily set the bags down in the kitchen, and I could have sworn my hands were thanking me for mercy.

(Yeah, that soda is so heavy! Whew... Okay, time to put everything in its place.)

After spending about ten minutes distributing my purchases, I was surprised at how well I was navigating this kitchen, which I was seeing for the first time today. It was as if I had been living in this house for years.

(I guess it's just that my brain still thinks things are completely different in Equestria and nothing matches Earth, even though that's obviously not true.)

(By the way, it's such nice weather outside now, it's a good time to go for a walk, not to be stuck next to a hot stove...)

I decided to abandon the idea of making tomato soup for a while and go for a walk.

(You can make soup later, but you can't have too much good weather!)

Without wasting any more time, I went outside. I didn't know exactly where I should go during my walk, so I just let my feet take me somewhere.

While walking around the city I came across a small, cozy park. There were many birds sitting on the trees and singing their songs. I decided to sit down on one of the benches to listen to them sing.

(I could probably listen to them forever... So relaxing...)

I just closed my eyes, listening to the birds and thinking my own thoughts. I don't know how much longer I would have sat like that if the sound of wheels rolling down a dirt road hadn't distracted me. Without opening my eyes, I thought it was just another work pony.

(I'll probably have to drag apple carts behind me at the farm tomorrow, too...)

"Oh hello... I didn't expect to see you here..."

I opened my eyes and saw that Fluttershy was standing in front of me, and behind her was a wagon full of birdhouses.

"Hi. Didn't expect to meet you today either..." I said, sitting up straight on the bench.

"What are you doing here? Don't you live in Canterlot castle?" asked Fluttershy politely.

"I live in Ponyville now, I start working at Applejack's farm tomorrow. Right now I'm just relaxing, listening to the songs of the birds."

"I like to sit in the park and listen to them too..." said Fluttershy with a smile.

"What about all those birdhouses?" I asked, pointing to the wagon.

"I wanted to put them up in the park so the birds would be comfortable here."

"Hm... Well, I'm free right now anyway, so I can help you out." I said, getting up from the bench.

"H-help me?" Fluttershy said uncertainly. "Are you sure...? I... I wouldn't want to bother you, I'm sure I could... Do it myself..."

"It's okay, it's not hard for me. Where do we start?" I said as I approached the wagon that held the birdhouses.

"W-well, okay. Thank you, we'll get through this much faster together."

"Did you get the hammer and nails?" said I, trying to spot the two tools among the birdhouses.

"No... Why do we need them?" the pony asked with surprise.

"Well, you know... To hang birdhouses to trees?" I asked with confusion.

"What?! But we'll hurt the trees if we do that!"

"Ah, yes... Sorry, I've never done anything like that, and I've only seen other people hang birdhouses a couple of times, and they nailed them down." I said, feeling guilty.

"It's okay, I'll show you how to do it." Fluttershy took one of the birdhouses and flew with it to the top of the tree, hanging it on a branch. "That's it. And we don't hurt the tree."

As soon as the birdhouse was in its place, a bird flew in.

"There you go, little birdie... Do you like it?" asked Fluttershy, gently petting the bird on the head.

"Well, then let's get to work. Do you always hang them so high?" I asked, picking up the second birdhouse.

"Yes. The higher it hangs, the safer the bird feels."

"Okay, then, I'll pass them to you and you hang them up so you don't have to fly from tree to wagon every time. Which tree is next?"

In such coordinated work, an hour passed quickly. By this time there were only a couple of birdhouses left in the wagon.

"Do you have any pets?" asked Fluttershy, hanging up another birdhouse.

"No, but shortly before I was sent to Equestria, I wanted to get a cat."

"Aah, that's nice. So you've never had pets?"

"I've had pets. Well, or should I say, my parents had them. When I was a child and lived with them, we had a dog and a cat. They were friendly with each other, they played together. The cat slept on the dog and so on." I said a little sadly.

"They 'were' friendly to each other?"

"Yes, 'were' ... Unfortunately, time is merciless to everyone, and they were no exception..."

"Oh, I'm sorry... I didn't know it was like that..." said Fluttershy guiltily.

"It's okay. They're in a better place, aren't they?" I said with a smile.

"Yes, they are." Fluttershy came down to my eye level and hugged me.

"Thank you. I needed that." I said, letting go of Fluttershy.

"Anytime, Vlad."

"Well, let's wrap it up. There are two birdhouses left to hang." I said, handing her another one. "Did you make them yourself?"

"I had some help from Applejack. I'm so grateful to her!" said Fluttershy happily. "There seems to be nothing her hooves can't do!"

"Yeah, she's especially good at knocking me to the ground!"

"Did you say something?" Fluttershy turned to me.

"No, I didn't say anything."

A few minutes later the job was done.

"Thank you again! Without you, I'd probably be stuck here for hours..."

"It was a pleasure to help. Do you want me to help you drag the wagon home?" I said, walking over to the wagon. "I need to practice, I think Applejack going to make me carry one of those tomorrow."

"Well, if that's the way you want to go... I'll accept your help again."

"Great. Lead the way."

As we walked to Fluttershy's house, I told her about working at the animal shelter as a teenager.

"Really? You worked in an animal shelter?" wowed Fluttershy.

"Yeah, I needed some money, so that's where I decided to work. I'm making money, and I'm helping the animals as well." I said, pulling the wagon behind me.

"And what was on your list of responsibilities for this job?" Fluttershy asked with interest.

"I took the animals out for walks, cleaned their cages, sometimes I was even assigned to wash animals. I also kept records of animals that were taken home by visitors of the shelter."

"Did you enjoy working at the shelter?"

"Yes, of course. I worked there all summer. Then I had to quit because it was time to go to college."

"That's a very good thing to do, Vlad!" said Fluttershy, patting my hand.

"After I stopped working there, I would sometimes go in there to check on the animals, see who was taken home and who wasn't." I said, wiping drops of sweat from my forehead. "I wish all animals had a home where they are loved."

After a couple of minutes we stopped near a small bridge.

"Welcome! You can leave the wagon by that tree." Fluttershy said and pointed her hoof at a tree covered with birdhouses.

"It's a cozy place." I said, leaving the wagon in the designated spot.

"Thank you! I like it here, too."

There were many birds near Fluttershy's house, as well as in the park, whose singing relaxed me after pulling the wagon all the way behind me.

"Will you come in for some tea with me? It's the least I can do for you, after you helped me."

It was starting to get dark outside, so I decided I could use some hot tea.

"Yeah, sure, why not?" I said, stretching out my tired arms.

Fluttershy smiled and invited me into the house. The house looked as cozy inside as it did outside. There were little bunnies and even a few squirrels running around on the floor, and there were bowls of food in the corners.

"Have a seat while I go to the kitchen and get everything ready," said Fluttershy, pointing to the couch by the window.

When I sat down on the couch, I felt every muscle in my body relax.

(I swear Equestria has the most comfortable couches! Maybe I can buy a couch here and carry it through the portal?)

While I was relaxing on the couch, several bunnies came up to me, looking at me with interest.

"Hello, little ones, how are you?" I said, reaching out my arm to pet one of them.

At first bunny dodged my hand, but the second time I managed to pet him, and he trusted me. Then the second bunny got brave, too, and came closer.

"How sweet you are, my heart is about to melt for the second time this day..."

While I was petting them, there was a knock on the door.

"Vlad, can you open the door? I'm busy here..." said Fluttershy from the kitchen.

"Sure, I'll get it." I said, getting up from the couch.

(One of her friends must have come. I wonder who exactly?)

"Hello, welco-" I didn't finish, as the blood in my veins froze.

There was a big bear standing on the doorstep, looking at me.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" I yelled, slamming the door and running to the couch, hopping behind it.

"Vlad, are you okay?! I heard you screaming, what happened?" said Fluttershy, running out of the kitchen.

"T-there's... B-bear at the door!" I jumped out from behind the couch and grabbed Fluttershy by her shoulders. "We have to barricade the door before he breaks in here!"

"What...? What are you talking..." Fluttershy didn't finish as she began to laugh.

"Why are you laughing?! We're in danger!" said I, not understanding what is going on.

"There's no danger..." said Fluttershy, patting my head. "Look."

To my horror, Fluttershy opened the door. The bear was still standing on the doorstep.

(You're fucking kidding me, right?)

I took the big lamp standing by the couch, getting into a fighting stance.

"Hello, Harry! You haven't come to see me for a long time, I missed you so much, where have you been?" said Fluttershy, hugging the bear by the neck. "Are your joints stiff again?"

Bear started nodding.

"I help you now, dear." Fluttershy went outside, and the bear followed her.

(What... What the fuck?)

Fluttershy reappeared in the doorway, smiling.

"Vlad, take the kettle off the stove, please, it's already boiling," said Fluttershy, pointing to the kitchen, where the kettle could be heard whistling. "I'll be right back."

(All right... I... I...)

I put the lamp back and went into the kitchen.

"Thank you!" came Fluttershy's voice, and then the door closed.

I turned off the stove and put the kettle on the tray, which already had two mugs and a plate of cookies.

(And I thought nothing else in Equestria would surprise me...)

Suddenly a bear's roar was heard from the outside.

(I knew it! I fucking knew it!)

I ran out of the kitchen and grabbed the lamp again, kicking the door wide open.

"I'm coming, Fluttershy, hold on!" I shouted, but I didn't see what I expected.

"Here, better? You should come see me more often," said Fluttershy, sitting on the bear's back.

I could tell from the bear's face that he was feeling very well. His tongue rolled out to the ground and his eyes rolled back in pleasure.

"I'm coming Vlad, just a few more minutes!" Fluttershy said when she saw me.

Unable to say anything I just walked back into the house and put the lamp back on for the second time, sitting down on the couch.

(I fucking give up...)

I stared at one spot for a few minutes, and my mind was blank.

(Fuck it, I'm out of here.)

When I got up from the couch, Fluttershy came into the house.

"Waiting for you tomorrow, Harry! Take care!" said Fluttershy, closing the door behind her. "Well, that's it. Thanks for waiting, I'll get everything from the kitchen."

"Thank you, Fluttershy, but I'd better be going. It was good to see you."

"Are you sure? We haven't had tea yet..." said Fluttershy a little sadly.

"Yes, I have to... Go over to Twilight and write a letter to Princess Celestia." I said, walking to the door.

"Ah, well, if that's the case... Thank you for everything today. Maybe you at least take some cookies with you...? I made them myself." said Fluttershy a little shyly.

(Well, it won't do me any harm...)

"Yes, of course. I'd love to try your cookies."

"Okay, wait here!" said Fluttershy and flew to the kitchen.

A minute later, Fluttershy returned and handed me a paper bag filled with cookies.

"I hope you like them! Come visit anytime, you're always welcome!" said Fluttershy with a big smile.

"Yeah, okay. I'll come... Someday." I said and went outside.

Walking across the small bridge, I turned around. Fluttershy waved to me, and I waved to her, too.

(I need to think at home. But this time panic has taken over me...)

It was already dark outside, and there were many glowing windows in Ponyville, signifying that all the ponies were home. On my way home, I didn't meet anyone who was still outside.

When I opened the door and entered my new home, I took the cookies into the kitchen and then collapsed face down on the couch.

(What a day... I'll remember it.)

My lying on the couch was interrupted by a rumbling from my stomach. I sighed heavily.

(Right. I need to make soup.)

I got up from the couch lazily and went back into the kitchen.

(After the soup, I'll fall on my bed and fall asleep.)

The soup went on without any slowdowns, because I had made it so many times before that it was permanently ingrained in my memory. When it was ready, I proudly poured it into a plate and went to the table. The soup gave off a pleasant smell.

(Great ending to the day!)

Suddenly, on my way to the table, I was blinded by a flash. I yelled out in surprise and a bowl of soup spilled over me.

"Vlad! Vlad! Are you here?! We have news!"

It was Luna. She turned to me, beginning to speak again.

"There you are! We wanted to say that..." Luna looked at me in surprise. "What's the matter with you? Why are you all red? And why are you gritting your teeth?"

Hot soup was dripping off me, and I struggled not to scream again.

"What is that? We should check it out." Luna came up to me and licked my cheek. "It's... Tomato soup, right? Did we get it right?"

"Mhmm..." I said through still clenched teeth.

"Yay! We guessed right!" but Luna stopped her celebrations. "Oh, the soup is hot, isn't it? You need to be more careful! Let us help you with a cooling spell."

"Wait, no, no!" I said, but it was too late.

In a next second I was covered in two layers: hot soup and a small layer of snow.

"So how do you feel?" asked Luna proudly.

After removing the snow from my face, I looked at Luna with a neutral expression.

"I think it's safe to say that I'm... Cool!" I said, smiling.

Luna covered her mouth with hoof, but it didn't help, and a second later she was laughing heartily.

Hanging out at Twilight's

I returned home under the cover of night, terribly tired from this conversation with Rarity, which unfortunately still took place. When I opened the door, I sighed heavily.

(I'm finally home... It's time to take a break from talking and listen to the blissful silence...)

When I went inside and closed the door, I saw a piece of paper on the floor.

(What is that? Time to start cleaning up?)

I picked up a piece of paper from the floor, and to my surprise I found that it was a message from Spike.

(I wonder... What does he want to tell me?)

I went up to the second floor and collapsed on my bed, starting to read Spike's message.

"Hey, how are you? I came by this afternoon, but you weren't home, so I thought I'd leave a note.

Anyway, I'm having a party tomorrow, and I thought you might want to hang out with us. This party's for guys only, no girls! Mac will be there, Shining too, and a few other folks you probably don't know... But that's not a problem, is it? It's never too late to make new friends.

Anyway, if you want to have a good time, come to Twilight's library by 7pm. Hope to see you soon.

Spike."

After reading the note, I tossed it aside and rested my head on the pillow, staring at the ceiling.

(The offer is very good, but I was hoping to stay home all day tomorrow and do nothing...)

I got out of bed and walked to the window, looking out over the sleeping Ponyville. The streets were empty, and only the rustle of the leaves kept the silence from descending on the city.

(On the other hand... Will I be able to have as much fun when I get home? No, I will not. My "favorite" job will take up all my time again.)

(Oh, and besides, it's a great way to spend some time together with Mac.)

(Ah, okay, fuck it. I'm in.)

I was still looking out the window when suddenly I heard a knock on the door.

(What the hell? Who can come at a time like this?)

Surprised, I went down to the first floor, opened the door and... I saw the Coffeine Cream. She was standing here, tears streaming from her eyes and a big smile on her face.

I was very surprised, and for a few seconds we just stared at each other in silence.

"Uh... Are you okay?" was the only thing I could say.

Without answering anything, the mare just stood up on her hind hooves and hugged me.

"Thank you. Thank you very much." Coffeine said, wiping her tears on my T-shirt.

And then I understood everything. Surprise immediately disappeared without a trace, and happiness replaced it. I was glad that Celestia had fulfilled my request.

"Hey, I couldn't let this situation go unnoticed. You and your mother deserve to be happy." I said, hugging Coffeine in return.

"I... I just don't know what to say... I'm so grateful to you... You gave us hope!" said Coffeine and nuzzled into my T-shirt again.

"It's okay... How are you feeling? Come in, we can talk in the kitchen over a cup of tea, coffee... Or a soda. You choose." I said, petting the emotional mare.

"Okay... Thanks for the invitation, I accept it."

"Good. Come in, please. If you want to clean up, the bathroom is that door over there." I said, letting Coffeine in and closing the door behind her. "I'll be waiting in the kitchen."

Coffeine just nodded, and went into the bathroom, while I went into the kitchen.

(Celestia works fast... Yesterday morning I talked to her, and tonight I find out that my request has been fulfilled...)

I was going through the kitchen cabinets looking for coffee and tea, in the meantime, Coffeine came back.

"All good now?" I asked, finally finding what I was looking for.

"Yeah, I'm fine." said the mare as she sat down on a chair and moved closer to the table.

"Good to know. So what's it going to be? Tea, coffee, or..."

"Coffee. I need it now more than ever... I haven't slept since yesterday." Coffeine interrupted me.

"It'll be ready in a minute!" I said cheerfully.

"Thank you. I may own a coffee stand, but I didn't have time to drink my own coffee today! So much has happened..." Coffeine was both happy and worried at the same time.

"I'm glad there's a change for the better in your life."

"And it's all thanks to you... I probably would never had the courage to just ask the princess about something like this..." there was an unsure tone in the coffee pony's voice.

"There's nothing wrong with that. Everyone deserves to be helped, you just need to be willing to accept it. Why try to solve problems alone when you can ask for help? In some cases, being stubborn is not the best thing. You get what I mean?" I said, remembering the conversation between Coffeine and her mother at the hospital.

"I guess..." the coffee pony said hesitantly.

"Here's your coffee. Oh, I also have cookies... Here it is." I put the plate of cookies Fluttershy gave me on the table.

"I never thought that the stranger I yelled at when I first met him would be so kind to me... I don't think I deserve your kindness..." the coffee pony's eyes began to fill with tears again, but the smile remained in place.

"Awwww, it's okay, really. I don't hold a grudge against you. Come here." I hugged Coffeine again as tightly as I could. "I can't watch you ponies cry. It breaks my heart..."

I wiped Coffeine's tears with the sleeve of my T-shirt.

"You know... I don't have many friends... Sometimes, I feel a little lonely. Maybe... We could be friends?" Coffeine asked in a hopeful way.

"Why do you even ask? Of course I agree. I don't have many friends either. In fact, you know why I'm even here, don't you?" I asked with a chuckle.

"Yes, that's quite a story... "

"Don't even doubt it." I sat comfortably on the chair sipping my coffee. "So... How's your mother?"

"She... Already feeling much better. Soon she'll be able to leave the hospital and go home."

"Now that is really good news! You can spend more time with her without working 24/7." I leaned back on my chair and smiled warmly.

"By the way, I have a question... Do you mind?" Coffeine asked hesitantly.

"Go for it." I said without a doubt.

"I'm just wondering ... How do you know about this whole situation?"

At that moment, my calmness and confidence left me.

"Uhhh... I don't think you're going to like it..." I said hesitantly, looking away from the coffee pony.

"Vlad. I need to know." Coffeine said seriously.

"Do you really need to know that?" I asked with a nervous smile.

The look on Coffeine's face let me know that she REALLY wanted to know.

"Okay... But I tried to talk you out of it..." I took a deep breath and started talking. "Well... There's not much to tell, really. I just... I followed you to the hospital and eavesdropped on a conversation between you and your mother."

An awkward smile froze on my face, and I waited for a response. All I got in return was a sly smile.

"I suspected that." said the coffee pony with a chuckle.

"You did?!" I was surprised.

"Yes. But I didn't know who exactly was following me. Somehow, I always know when I'm being followed. But at that moment I was too busy thinking about other things... If I had focused on that at the time, you wouldn't have been able to go unnoticed, believe me."

"And I thought I was good at stealth..." I was a little upset, but quickly remembered the main topic of conversation. "So you... Not mad at me for this...?"

"What makes you think that?" Coffeine asked seriously.

"Oh..." I felt stupid.

The next moment Coffeine smiled and then laughed.

"Just kidding. Of course I'm not mad at you, because you did it in a good manner! Who would you have to be to be mad at someone who saved your mother's life?" the coffee pony paused for a moment."Of course, if you would just do it for your own interests, that would be... Strange, to say the least."

"Good to know. But really, it was the only solution, since you didn't want to tell me anything." I shrugged.

"Would you tell a stranger something like that?" Coffeine raised an eyebrow.

I wanted to object, but then I realized she was right.

"Well, yeah... Fair enough."

"Oh yes, I forgot to tell you. My mother wanted to meet you." Coffeine said, finally drawing attention to the cookies. "Mmm, very tasty."

I was a little surprised.

"Meet me? Why?"

"I want to see my savior!" quoted Coffeine. "Here's what she said. Are you against it?"

"No, of course I don't mind. When does she want to see me?"

"I'll let you know. But I bet it won't happen until she gets home from the hospital."

(I didn't expect it to happen...)

"Oh, is it really 2 a.m. already?" Coffeine gasped in surprise.

"You can stay at my place for the night if you want." I suggested.

"Oh, no, thank you. I'll spend the night at the hospital with my mom, she needs support right now."

"As you wish. I can go with you."

"Decided to be my bodyguard?" Coffeine asked ironically. "Don't worry about me, I can stand up for myself."

I laughed a little.

"I wouldn't want to be your enemy..."

"The right decision, my friend." the coffee pony set her empty mug on the table and climbed down from her chair. "I should get going, and you're probably sleepy, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I could use some sleep..." I yawned.

I accompanied Coffeine to the door and we said goodbye to each other.

***

Knock knock knock.

"..."

Knock knock knock.

"Hmph?..."

Knock knock knock.

I opened my eyes lazily and tried to figure out what was going on. The knocking would not stop.

(Now who's come to visit me?)

I got out of bed and started to get dressed to check who was knocking on the door, but my attention turned to the window.

"You little prankster..."

I went to the window and began to look at the bird, which had been banging its beak at my window the whole time.

"Are you my personal alarm clock now?" I asked ironically. "Okay, I'm not mad at you. It's time to get up anyway."

One morning routine later, I was ready for a new day. But there was something I was missing... I thought for a moment, and then realized.

(I want to smoke! If only I had my vape with me...)

(Perhaps cigarettes can satisfy me? I'll go to the convenience store to get some...)

I went outside and breathed in the fresh air of Equestria. A few ponies noticed me and waved.

"Hey, have a good day." I waved back.

In no time, I got to the nearest store and went inside.

"Hi!" I greeted the cashier. "Can I get some Marlboro?"

"Hello, sir. What's a Marlboro?" the cashier asked with confusion.

The whole world literally collapsed for me, and I couldn't say a word.

"Are you okay?" the cashier was now even more confused.

"'No way.'" was all I could say.

"What you're looking for is sounds similar to the Mareboro. Are you interested in that?"

I instantly returned to my normal state.

(Right, that must be their Marlboro analog. What a relief.)

"Yeah, I'll take one pack, thanks." I said, taking the bits out of my pocket.

A few minutes later I was outside, smoking, comfortably resting on a bench.

"And I thought you were at least keeping a healthy lifestyle." I heard a voice that I couldn't mistake for anyone else.

Applejack came into my field of vision, looking at me with a teasing smile.

"Hey, it's not like I'm judging your habits, so you shouldn't either." I said a little offended.

"Ah, relax sugarcube, I'm just teasing you." Applejack chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, you're good at that." I said ironically.

Applejack rolled her eyes and then sat down next to me. Only then did I notice that she was carrying two saddlebags filled with something.

(It looks like she went into town to do some shopping.)

"I heard you guys decided to have a bachelor party?" Applejack asked.

"Yeah, something like that. Hang out for a while." I let out a puff of cigarette smoke.

"Don't get too carried away there, it's Monday tomorrow. Ready to work hard?" Applejack teased me again.

"Can't wait, boss." I said, finishing my cigarette.

"That's the spirit! I wish there were more workers like you."

"And when is the payday?" I asked with a smirk.

"At the end of the month, sugarcube. Nothing new here."

"And how much will I get?" I kept asking questions.

"It depends on how well you work. We don't have a fixed wage."

"Hmm... Actually... That's pretty good motivation." I said, getting up from the bench. "Okay, see you tomorrow. I need to get ready for the party."

"See ya!" Applejack replied as I started to leave.

(Another friendly encounter with Applejack... Are things starting to get better?)

***

I spent the rest of the time before the party at home doing almost nothing. At 6:30 p.m. I put on fresh clothes and went outside, watching Ponyville live its evening life.

(It's been a long time since I've hung out in purely male company. Let's see how it turns out.)

It didn't take me long to get to Twilight's house. At the entrance, I saw a muscular white pegasus. His wings were so small that I couldn't help but wonder if he could fly at all.

(Looks like he's here to determine who gets in and who doesn't. Interesting.)

(Wait a minute... Is that Rainbow Dash?)

I was right. It looks like she was trying to get into this party. I walked closer to hear what she was talking about.

"What do you mean I can't go inside?! That's not fair! I want to have some fun too!" Rainbow was outraged.

"Hey, Rainbow. What's the problem?" I asked, stepping closer.

"This dude says this party is just for guys, can you believe it?! I demand to be let in!" Rainbow kept on going.

"Ah, what a shame..." I mimicked sadness. "Anyway..."

Leaving the rainbow pony behind, I approached the muscular pegasus.

"Hey buddy, do you think I can come in?" I asked with confident smile.

Pegasus looked at the guest list, then at me, then at the guest list and then back at me.

"YEAH!" the pegasus shouted.

"YEAH!" I shouted back.

Before I went in, I turned back and gave Rainbow a wink. The rainbow pony jaw dropped.

"You're dead to me!!!" Rainbow Dash was furious.

Inside, I saw a lot of stallions having fun. I immediately wanted to join in.

"Hey, I think everyone's there!" Spike stood on a large stack of books, drawing the attention of all the guests. "The last guy's here! Vlad, hey, how are you?"

I walked inside further from the entrance to greet Spike. On the way, a few of the stallions saluted me, and I did the same.

"Hey, Spike! I'm okay, are we starting?" I was all excited.

"Of course! This party has officially begun!" this announcement caused a cheering exclamation from everyone here. I was no exception.

When the first wave of cheers subsided, I saw Twilight walk down the stairs. A few moments later, everyone else spotted her.

"Oh, don't mind me, guys, I'm here to get the book. Have fun." Twilight said with a smile.

A second wave of cheers went up and Twilight was a little bashful, hurriedly retreating to the second floor.

(You shouldn't have broken our party rules, Twilight.)

"Hey, Vlad, we're here!" I heard a familiar voice.

When I turned around, I saw Shining and Mac sitting on the couch I had slept on when I spent the night at Twilight's. Wasting no time, I moved toward them.

"Hey, guys. Nice to see you again." I said as I sat down next to them.

"Same." Shining passed me a bottle of some kind of drink. "Do you want one?"

"What is it?" I asked, taking the bottle.

"Apple Cider. Mac's sister got some for our party." Shining said, taking a sip.

"That's cool. Hey Mac, did you ask her to do it?" I opened the bottle.

"No, she suggested it herself. To be honest, I was surprised." Mac said, also opening a bottle of apple cider.

"Hah, I'd be surprised, too, if I were you." I said ironically. "No offense, okay?"

"Don't worry. Applejack can really be a pain in the ass sometimes, I know that." Mac replied with a chuckle.

"I'm glad we agree on that." I took a sip of cider. "Hey, good stuff!"

"Hey, what's going on over there?" Shining pointed to the gathering of stallions near the table.

"I don't know, but it looks like fun. I think it's worth checking out." I said, and got up from the couch. "You two coming?"

"Sure." Mac and Shining also got up from the couch.

When the three of us approached the crowd, it turned out that an armwrestling contest had begun. Or should I say, hoofwrestling? The stallions I didn't know had already begun to test each other's strength. A few seconds later, one of the stallions lost, and the other let out a victory cry.

"Yeah, baby! Who's next?" the stallion glanced around the crowd. "Hey, you! Vlad, right? What do you say? I've been wanting to test how strong humans are for a long time."

(Fucking hell, yet again I forgot that I really stand out from the crowd like a sore thumb!)

"Well, I don't know if I should-" but I couldn't finish as the crowd started cheering for me.

"Come on, buddy, show him some strength!" Mac started pushing me forward.

"Okay, okay, I guess it can't hurt..." I sat down facing that stallion.

"Come on, I'll go easy on you." The stallion grinned.

(He's so tough huh? I'll show him.)

"There's no need for that, pal. I'll beat you anyway." I said with a steady smile.

"Oh-ho! Let's check it out!" the stallion put his hoof on the table.

"Can't wait!" now I put my hand on the table and we grasped each other with a deadly grip.

Suddenly, Spike showed up.

"Here we go! Three, two, one! Go!" Spike shouted.

And our battle has begun. He was strong, but I wasn't far behind. We both tried very hard to win, and there were even drops of sweat on our foreheads.

"And you... not bad... Not at all... Not bad..." the stallion said through gritted teeth.

"Y-yes... You too..." I tried my best.

Our standoff continued for some time, and finally the advantage began to shift to my side.

"N-no! I can't... Lose!" the stallion began to panic.

And that was his fatal mistake. I took advantage of his panic and finally pressed his hoof against my side of the table.

"NOOOO!" the stallion shouted.

"YEAH!" I shouted.

"What a battle! What emotion! Vlad won!" said Spike. "Give me the medal, mate."

Only now I noticed that this stallion had a medal hanging on his neck.

"GRH. Take it." He was clearly unhappy with his loss.

Spike took the medal and put it around my neck.

"You'll have that medal until someone beats you. If you can hold on to it until the end of the competition, it's yours!" Spike was delighted with my victory.

"Sounds like a challenge! I'm in!" I said confidently. "Let's have the next opponent!"

And so it began. I don't know how, but I managed to beat a few more stallions and made it to the finals.

"Oh yes! I'm unbeatable!" I exclaimed after another victory.

"Don't be so positive... The next opponent will be a real challenge for you." the stallion I defeated at the beginning told me.

"Hey Bulk! Come here, it's your turn!" shouted Spike.

"Huh?..." I had a bad feeling about that.

And my bad feeling was confirmed when I saw the muscular pegasus who had let me into the party approaching me.

"Good luck..." Mac patted me on the shoulder.

(No. Just fucking no.)

The muscular pegasus sat across from me and prepared for the final battle. There was confidence in his eyes.

"You know... I was thinking..." I took the medal off and handed it to him. "I think it's yours. You deserve it." I said with a nervous smile.

Pegasus wasted no time taking the medal and hanging it around his neck.

"'YEAH!" he yelled so hard that my ears began to ring.

All attention instantly went to him. Everyone congratulated him on his victory, and I was no exception. I was also glad he didn't break my arm...

"It's all good, knowing your limits is decent too." Mac encouraged me.

"Yeah, you're right..." I smiled slightly.

Epilogue: As the years pass by...

Looking at myself in the mirror, at my graying hair, I couldn't help but chuckle.

"You old bastard... Where did all those years go?"

It was my 50th birthday today. And it was too hard to admit that I was getting old.

"For 30 years now, I've been stuck here. I can't believe it..."

The monologue continued while I put a tie on my favorite shirt. Today my friends are throwing me a party as usual, which is what I'm preparing for now.

“Well, guess Im all set?”

Twilight is supposed to pick me up at the park in about 20 minutes, so there's a little more time.

(Well, at least I don't have to rush... That wouldn't be very good for my aged bones.)

It was early fall outside, with yellow leaves just starting to fall from the trees to the ground, creating an orange-yellow blanket. It's not cold yet, but it's not hot either. The fall is beautiful.

(Ah, if only every season could be fall...)

Walking to the park along such a familiar path is always a pleasure, especially with dry leaves crunching underfoot. Luckily, my favorite bench was free.

(There's still a little more time until Twilight arrives... Wonderful. I swear, I could sit here for hours.)

"Mind if I join you?"

"Coffeine, hi. Good to see you, sure, have a seat." I moved a bit, giving her more room.

"Thank you." the mare sat down next to him. "So, getting old, hmm?" she asked tauntingly.

"And that's right. I'm not the same as I used to be... Hey, don't get too excited, you're not getting any younger either."

"Ah, how rude to say such a thing to a mare!" Coffeine acted offended.

I pulled her closer to me and hugged her from the side.

"You and I are two roughnecks, what a match..."

"You don't say..." Coffeine rested her head on my shoulder.

After a short silence, I spoke.

"How are you doing now? Miss your mother?"

"Yes, I still miss her a lot... I can't believe it's been so long..." Caffeine became visibly sad. "Thanks for asking."

"If you need to talk, you know where my house is."

"I know, you have always been there for me and I appreciate it." The coffee pony nodded and smiled at me.

"Remember, your mother wanted you to be happy. Try to finally move on."

"I know, I know. It's just... it's hard to move on when you've lost someone you love... even though it's been so long already." she nodded again, then sighed.

"Time heals. Just remember that moving on doesn't mean betrayal."

Coffeine looked down at the ground, pondering my words.

"I suppose you're right... Sometimes I forget that moving on doesn't mean I'm betraying her memory. I just... I don't know if I'm ready to let go."

"You'll be ready, sooner or later. I'll be there for you." the sigh escaped me. "I moved on long ago."

Tears welled up in Coffeine's eyes and she smiled weakly at me.

"Thank you, I don't know what I'd do without you. I appreciated your support more than words could express."

"It's okay..." I patted her head. "Are you sure you can't go to my birthday party?"

"Sorry, I still have to stop by the coffee shop, make a list of my expenses for the month... And a bunch of other things."

"Ah I see, well, another year then."

"Yes, unfortunately. Sorry I'm missing another celebration, but I just have a lot to do today." The coffee pony got up off the bench. "It was nice to see you. Bye."

"I'll see you around. Just don't forget my words."

Coffeine left, taking the sadness that had pained her for so long.

(One day, she'll feel better. One day...)

Soon, Twilight finally arrived, landing nearby.

"Ah, there she is! The princess has decided to spend some time with her old friend, I'm honored." I said sarcastically.

Twilight shook her head a little and couldn't help but grin.

"Oh don't even start." She said, walking a little closer. "Don't you start complaining about your age again. You're aging like a fine wine, not like a cheese, as you always claim."

"More like a milk, but whatever."

"Oh shush, old man. You're still in good shape, you're just getting a few grey hairs, is all."

"Ah well don't make me blush." I used sarcasm again.

"Oh be careful, you might give yourself a heart attack with all of those complaints. You know, if you keep acting so old, you might just will yourself into being even older?" Twilight said, teasing me. "All right, hop on, they're waiting for us."

"Hey, where's the saddle?"

Twilight laughed, rolling her eyes at me. She reached out and grabbed me with her wing, pinning me to her side.

"Oh no, there's no saddle, today you have to ride bareback, if that's not too uncomfortable for your ancient bones."

"And you still got that grip! Ugh..."

"Of course I still do. I have to be ready for you and your sarcastic comments at all times, don’t I?"

"Well, I guess you are..." I inhaled easier when Twilight let go of me.

Twilight just laughed and nodded at me, waiting for me to climb onto her back.

"Good, then we're both ready! Now hop on, or else we'll be late for your own party. The girls had this whole thing planned out and I'd rather not have to face Pinkie if we're late."

It's like a cold wind blew me over.

"Right, we better hurry..."

Twilight laughed softly, lowering herself a little as I climbed onto her back.

"Of course we do. Now hold on tight, we’ll get there before you know it." She fluttered her wings a couple times, getting used to the weight on her back before taking off into the air.

Twilight soared through the air, high above Ponyville. She glanced over her shoulder, making sure I was doing all right. Once she was sure I was okay, she continued flying at a steady speed.

"Hey, how are Luna and Celestia doing? Enjoying the retirement?"

"They're doing really good. Although they do talk to me sometimes about how quiet it can be at times, without any paperwork to fill out or meetings to attend."

"Some habits seem to be permanent." I smirked.

"Exactly. Old habits do often die hard, even after all these years."

Twilight then chuckled a little, a slightly mischievous tone in her voice.

"But tell me, are you getting soft in your age, hm? Are you planning on retiring soon, just like they did?"

"No Twilight, don't even start, I'm not moving to Canterlot Castle. My home is here."

"I figured you'd say that, you stubborn old man." Twilight laughed and nodded, not too surprised at my answer. She knew she wouldn't be able to convince me.

"Everybody has their own principles."

"True, very true. You always were a stubborn man. But, it's part of your charm, dont you ever change."

"I won't, don't worry."

"We'll see, maybe once you reach a hundred, that stubbornness will start to fade a little bit."

"Ah, how generous of you to think I'll live to be one hundred."

Twilight just rolled her eyes and laughed slightly. She was used to my sarcastic responses at this point, they were all part of our little exchanges like this.

It didn't take us long to cover the rest of the way, and here we are. I was glad to get off Twilight's back.

"I swear, Pinkie throws parties further and further away every year."

"Oh, you know Pinkie. At this point, I think she's secretly trying to get you to exercise in your age." Twilight teased me.

"Hey, there's the birthday boy! Hooray!" Pinkie Pie jumped up to me and clung tightly.

"Hey." Mac walked over to me while Pinkie was still hanging on to me.

"Mac, it's so good to see you." I looked at everyone else. "So glad to see you all here today!"

"You better be ready big fella, it's going to be fun today!" Applejack gave me a pat on the shoulder.

I felt warm inside. The warmth that you only feel when you are truly happy. Looking at the friends I've made over the years here, I'm at ease. Where would I be if it weren't for them? The friendship is indeed a magic.