Roadtrip In Equestria

It was now 4 p.m. and Gabriel was getting seriously tired because, after all, it was supposed to be 10 p.m. for him. His crisis having passed, he had spent the last three hours answering Pinkie Pie and Spike's questions about his world, such as “How many are you?” “Are there also humans with horns and wings, like ponies?” or ”Do you also like to party and eat cake?”

He had done his best to answer the sometimes seriously puzzling questions of the two curious beings. Meanwhile, Twilight had been studying the bipedal creatures of Equestria and portal magic in her books, all the while mumbling incomprehensible things. From what Gabriel understood, her research hadn't turned up much.

Pinkie had finally left, saying she had to prepare something. So Gabriel found himself alone with Twilight and her two assistants. “So, from what I understand, I'm not going home anytime soon, am I ?”

Twilight, looking over her book, replied, “I... I'm afraid so. I'm really sorry...”

“You don't have to apologize, it's not your fault. But I do have a question, do you know if there's a place I could spend the night, like a hotel or something?”

“Ho, but don't worry! You can sleep at my place, I've got a spare room!”

“What? Uh, are you sure? I mean, we don't know each other that well, I'd understand if you wanted me to...”

“But no no no, there's no problem! Really, there isn't! Besides, you're one of the first humans to come here! I'd be delighted to have you stay with me! It would give me the opportunity to learn more about your species!”

Gabriel, feeling a bit like a laboratory subject now, thanked the pony all the same. “Thanks, that's really nice of you, I don't know what to say.”

“It's nothing.”

“Um, I know you already do a lot for me, but could I ask you one more favor?”

“Um, sure, what is it?”

“Well indeed, I'd like to go and get my car and park it in front of your place, because I don't really like the idea of leaving it in the middle of a meadow at night. And I was wondering if you could come with me, because I'm not really sure which way we came...”

“Ho... uhmm, yes of course! Spike, could you tidy up the mess while I go with Gabriel?” As an answer, Spike merely gave a thumbs-up and closed one eye. “Thanks, you're the best! We'll be right back!”

They went outside and Gabriel took a deep breath. A little fresh air was good for him. They started walking towards where his Ford was parked and he was relieved to see that there were obviously fewer ponies than earlier, although there were still a few. He also noticed that the three fillies, as they should be called, had also disappeared.

He didn't want to admit it, but if he'd asked Twilight to accompany him, it was mainly because he didn't want to wander around this completely unknown world on his own. The walk remained silent, Gabriel contemplating this atypical little village. If it hadn't been for the ponies, we'd have thought we were in a medieval village in his world...

It didn't take long for the duo to reach their goal. Gabriel smiled at the sight of his Fiesta, the only familiar element in such a strange setting. “We're here!” he said, taking out his keys. He opened the passenger door first, and invited Twilight inside.

She was a little surprised. “You want me to get in there?”

“Well, yes, I'm not going to let you walk home, after all!”

“Well, all right, if you insist...” Twilight sat as best she could on the seat, though clearly not suited to her species. She merely curled her hind legs, which made the scene look rather comical.

“Here, you need to put this on too,” he said, fastening her seatbelt.

“What's this?”

“It's a safety belt. It's so that if we have an accident, you don't end up with your head in the windshield.”

“Oh, I see...” Once Twilight had settled in, Gabriel took his turn behind the wheel. He put the key in the ignition, and turned it to light up the dashboard. “Okay, here we go...” He pulled the choke lever all the way out, turned the key once more, and the engine started without a hitch. He then pushed the choke back until the engine revs were around 1000 rpm, engaged first gear, pulled off the handbrake, and they were off.

Twilight, who had been watching the whole ritual intently, was clearly fascinated. “This is incredible! I've never seen such a means of transport before! It's a human invention, isn't it? What kind of magic does it use?”

Gabriel, as he drove cautiously towards the village at a slow pace, answered the question, “You see, it doesn't really use magic actually, if at all.”

“What? But then, how does it work?”

“Well, it's powered by a internal combustion engine”.

“Internal combustion engine? What's that?”

“Well, um... Basically we create little explosions with a mixture of air and gasoline and a spark to set parts in motion and move the car forward”

“Gasoline?”

Gabriel sighed and said, “I'll explain later, okay?”

“Okay...”

As they drove through the village, the inhabitants looked as if they were about to have another panic attack. But they drove slowly and with their windows open, and when the ponies saw Twilight in the car waving to them that all was well, they were reassured. Eventually, they reached the library without too much trouble.

Gabriel parked the car right next to the tree. He then helped Twilight out of the car, and carefully locked the doors again. When they got home, Gabriel found that all the books that had previously been scattered on the table had been put back in their places.

“Thanks again, Spike!” Twilight said as she made the same observation.

“Oh, it's nothing. Good thing Owlowiscious was here to help!”

Gabriel turned his head and saw the owl posing proudly next to one of the impeccably tidy shelves, and he couldn't hold back a smile so atypical was the scene. “Is it me or did he just wink?”

Twilight then flashed Gabriel a big smile. “Well, now that we're back home, could you tell me a little more about these famous thermic engines? I'm really curious to know how they work without magic!”

Gabriel cringed a little at this request, then replied wearily: “I... I'd really like to explain, but I'm a bit exhausted at the moment.”

“What? But it's only 4:30!”

“Yes, I know, but I think I'm jet-lagged from home, and I've got a headache that's formed...”

“Oh I see.... Okay, I understand...” Twilight's ears dropped and she put on a disappointed expression.

“Sorry, maybe another time?”

“Fine by me!” His smile reappeared almost immediately. “Right, well I'll show you your room!”

“Ho, uh wait... Would it be possible to have a bite to eat first?” Her stomach began to grow again.

“Oh, yes! You mustn't have eaten much since you arrived! Follow me!” She followed him into the kitchen. Leaving aside the small size of the furniture, it almost looked like a normal human kitchen. He found it disturbing that there were so many differences but also so many similarities with his world.

“I... don't really know what you're eating, so make yourself at home and take what you like!” said Twilight as she opened the fridge. Gabriel glanced inside. Apart from the absence of meat, it seemed to contain all the food a normal person could eat, including dairy products such as a carton of milk and cheese, some pastries and other desserts, vegetables of all kinds, and a carton of eggs.

But there were other things that caught Gabriel's attention, and they were in the fridge door. “What's that?” he said, pointing to the object of his dismay.

“These? These are gems! Would you like one?”

“You... you eat PRECIOUS GEMS?”

“Me, no, but Spike loves them!”

“Yeah, it's delicious!” said the latter, suddenly appearing behind them. He picked up a ruby and began to eat it as if it were a bun. “Go on, taste it!”

“Uh, no thanks...” “Okay, yet another thing to add to the list of incomprehensible things...” “I think I'll make myself something else...” He picked up two eggs and headed for the stove. “Do you mind if I use the kitchen utensils?”

“But of course” Twilight replied.

Gabriel smiled, took out a bowl and cracked the two eggs into it. Then he mixed them and added a little milk and salt. Once the mixture was homogeneous, he poured it into a frying pan and turned on the stove to cook it. Meanwhile, he took a piece of bread and a knife and began to cut several slices.

Twilight watched her guest do this with great interest, fascinated by the way he used his hands to handle food with ease, rather like Spike. Gabriel, for his part, was wondering how ponies who didn't use telekinesis could handle these utensils without opposable thumbs.

He relaxed a little as he cooked, being busy allowing him to forget for a moment his more than unnerving situation. Finally, after a few more minutes, he proudly held out what he'd concocted on a plate. “There you go!”

Twilight and Spike looked curiously at the contents of the plate. “Uh, what's this?” asked Spike.

“Scrambled egg toast! I used to eat them all the time when I was a kid! Go ahead, have a bite, I've made several!” The three of them sat down at the table and ate until the plate was empty.

“It was a bit special, but not bad. It was actually pretty good. Is this what you humans cook?” Twilight asked.

“Uh, not really, just me.”

“Well, thank you for the meal!”

“No, it's me who thanks you for the food!” He let out a yawn just after he'd finished. “Well, I'll clear the table...”

“No, you've done enough as it is, I'll do it after...”

“I insist, it's the least I can do...”

Twilight finally stood up. “But you're our guest! Come on, I'll show you your room.”

Not having the strength to fight, he let out a simple “All right,” and followed the pony. They climbed the stairs and reached the top. Twilight opened a door into a small, rather comfortable-looking room. There was a desk, a wardrobe and a window to the outside. There was also a bed that looked a little too small for him, but he wasn't going to start complaining. “Thanks, it's perfect.”

“Come on, I've got to show you the bathroom too” He followed her to another room which contained, well like any bathroom, a shower, a toilet and a sink with a mirror. She showed him briefly how the shower worked, which again was eerily similar to the way showers worked at home. She also gave him a washcloth and a toothbrush, then finally said, “Well, I guess that's it. I can see you're tired, so I'll leave you to it. You should get some rest, and tomorrow I'm sure Princess Celestia will be able to tell us more about your... problem.”

“She seems to really trust that Princess. Maybe she's right after all...” “Thank you very much, for all this I... I don't know what I would have done without you, I... It means a lot to me”

Twilight smiles, “I'm glad to hear it. One last thing, if you need anything, I'll be downstairs or in my room there” she said, pointing with her hoof to another door. “Don't hesitate”

“Okay, thanks...”

“Good night, Gabriel !”

“Good night, Twilight...”

With that, she closed the door, finally leaving Gabriel alone again. He turned and looked at the shower for a moment, and couldn't stop smiling. “Oh yeah, a good shower'll do me good” He made sure the door was closed, then put his things on the sink and took off his clothes, which actually consisted of an old black t-shirt, a gray work sweater, a pair of construction pants and safety shoes.

He took a moment to carefully wash his entire body and brush his teeth, all the while still wondering how ponies seemed to have the same habits as humans. He also took a moment to observe himself in the mirror, satisfied to be clean. Then he glanced at his dirty clothes lying on the floor.

“Shit, I can't put this back on now!” He opened the door slightly and looked furtively outside. From what he could see and hear, the dragon and the mare were on the ground floor. He slipped on his one pair of underpants, grabbed his clothes and belongings and ran to his room. Once inside, he breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad neither of them had seen him; he didn't want to make the situation any weirder than it already was.

He placed his clothes in a corner and his belongings on the desk, then headed for the window. He took a moment to observe the village outside, the ponies going about their business as if nothing had happened. A world whose mere existence defied all logic, yet of which he was now an integral part. Unpleasant thoughts suddenly occurred to him.

“My parents are probably wondering where I am right now. They must have tried to call me, but of course I couldn't answer. Maybe they've already called the cops... What if... what if I can't come back? What if I stay here forever? No... No, stop thinking that, it's pointless except to drive you crazy. Maybe it's all just a dream, after all... Maybe I really did have an accident and I'm in a coma imagining all this, who knows...”

He closed the curtains and slid as well as he could into this bed designed for ponies rather than humans. “Yeah 'bout that, tomorrow I'd wake up at home, in a hospital bed maybe, but at home...” And with that, he closed his eyes.

Although he was extremely tired, Gabriel couldn't fall asleep. His brain was racing as he asked himself all sorts of questions about this world and what he was going to do if it turned out NOT to be a dream. What's more, the daylight still appearing outside, the too-small bed and the prospect of meeting royalty tomorrow weren't really helping.

He'd been tossing and turning for two hours in search of sleep. So he did something he always did in such cases. A technique of his own to fall asleep faster. He thought of a song he knew, and finally chose the music he listened to in the car.

He began to play the music in his head, his brain gradually forgetting all extraneous thoughts and concentrating on the rhythm and lyrics of the song. The technique soon paid off, as Gabriel relaxed and his heart rate gradually dropped. Tiredness finally got the better of him and he fell into the arms of Morpheus.