Forgotten People

Chapter 6 – Meeting AJ and Lyra

The following morning the train arrived at Ponyville Station. The time, just like when they arrived at Canterlot, was 9:00am, and Twilight couldn’t wait to show Alec and Hamish her other four best friends, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. While Hamish and Twilight were discussing about his life, Dash was listening to Alec’s.

“…and that’s the story of how I got stuck under an airplane seat.” Alec said going red. Dash burst out laughing, it really was the funniest story she’d heard in a while!

“That was so funny! You’re a bright guy and you managed to do that?” Alec smirked with his blush still in place.

“Well, I was only 8 years old at the time, and it was the first thing that came to my head at the time. Don’t worry Dash, I have more stories like that.” Rainbow certainly couldn’t wait to hear them. After another 10 minutes they arrived at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack’s home. The trees were blooming with apples, but then again it was summer. The barn stood in front of them, huge and coloured brightly red, they sure had been doing a lot of work to this place! Twilight went up to the barn and knocked on the door.

“Who is it?” came a familiar voice from inside.

“Hey AJ, it’s Twilight.” The unicorn replied casually. The door opened to reveal the orange earth pony.

“Hi Twi’! What’re you up to?” AJ asked with a smile, not noticing the two humans standing behind her.

“Well Applejack, I have something to show you. But promise you won’t be freaked out?” Twilight replied anxiously.

“I promise Twi’.” Twilight moved left revealing the two humans to her. At once AJ’s eyes went wider and her mouth dropped

open. This was certainly a surprise to her, but then again she hadn’t been amused much lately.

“Wowee.” She replied, “What in the hay are these things?” Hamish, as he does, hated being called a thing and his fist started to clench and his teeth grit, but Alec quickly grabbed his fist before he could swing it.

“No.” Alec replied in a mad tone. While still keeping Hamish’s fists back, he turned to an awaiting Applejack.

“Sorry, um…Applejack is it? Yeah, we’re not ‘things’, we’re humans, a species that hasn’t been seen here for 2,000 years.” AJ’s jaw dropped open more. 2,000 years?! Surely they should be extinct!

“Then shouldn’t y’all be dead? No offence partner.” AJ replied to Alec. Alec accepted her apology.

“Yeah, it’s kind of a long story as to how we got here, but, in short…it’s all Twilight’s fault!” Hamish said, jabbing a finger into Twilight’s soft cheek. Hamish was becoming a bit intolerant.

“Well, sorry we didn’t stay for longer AJ, but we need to get moving on!” Rainbow said with a grin, nudging Twilight to move on. Applejack said goodbye and got back to working at the barn. They didn’t have time for long conversations, they needed to get a move on! Next stop, Fluttershy’s house.

***

As the four animals walked through the forest to Fluttershy’s cottage, a rather odd sight caught Alec’s eye on a dirt track in the distance.

“What’s wrong?” Twilight said stopping. Alec focused his vision a bit more crisply and saw what had caught his eye. It looked like another pony, a unicorn like Twilight, but with a more spearmint colour. Alec told the others to hold up while he checked out what was wrong with the poor creature. As he came closer to it, he saw that she had got her tail caught under a boulder and couldn’t move it.

“Hey. Are you alright?” Alec asked the spearmint unicorn. She looked up at him, not at all shocked.

“Well, I could be better. Could you do me a favour and get this boulder off my tail?” she asked politely. Alec would, but had one more question for her.

“But you’re a unicorn. Can’t you levitate it off?” The unicorn’s face went down with sadness.

“Magic isn’t exactly my expertees, as hard as that sounds.” She replied with a tear. Alec gritted his teeth.

“No, sorry! I didn’t mean to offend you! Look, I’ll see if I can get it off for you.” He went to the side of the boulder and pushed on it. Surprisingly enough, it was quite light for him, but then again his body was of a nimble athletic type. After a few seconds pushing the boulder pushed off into a puddle at the side of the track. The unicorn sighed with relief as she got herself up with a smile.

“Wow, you’re quite strong for a kid, thanks! Hi, my name’s Lyra Heartstrings!” she said cheerfully holding out a hoof, to which Alec shook.

“Thanks, my name’s Alec Bishop. As you can see I’m not from here.” Lyra giggled.

“So, where are you from? If you’re not from here?” Alec pondered for a moment. What had he said before?

“Universe Gamma, the Solar System. Yeah, it’s sci-fi stuff. Basically, some forgotten galaxy far far away…” his sentence was interrupted when the rest of the group wondered over to the two animals conversing.

“Oh, hi Twi and Dash!” Lyra greeted turning to them. “Have you seen this kid here? He’s pretty strong!” Alec blushed while Hamish looked sternly at him

“You can’t even lift 200kg with your own legs!” he mouthed at him. Alec’s middle finger twitched slightly as he resisted the urge to flip the bird.

“I do, and it’s my fault he came here. It was an accident, but this should all clear up soon enough.”

“At least give him a chance here Twilight! It’s not often that we see somepony new come here!” Twilight had to agree with her on that one. After all, they were guests. Hamish started groaning at the back of the group.

“I’m hungry. Is there anything to eat?” he groaned loudly.

“You had breakfast about 2 hours ago!” Dash replied in an annoyed tone.

“It was only small!”

“Well, sorry, but we don’t support you ‘humans’.”

“Well you should!”

“Shut up Hamish!”

“No, you shut up!”

“No, you!”

“No, you!”

“No YOU!”

“SHUT UP BEFORE I RIP OUT YOUR RAINBOW MANE AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR…” Lyra had kicked Hamish square in the face knocking him flat. He was unconscious, but still breathing as a small trickle of red fluid came out of his nostril.

“Now you know what happens when he gets pee’d off.” Alec said, making the others laugh.

“Sorry Alec, but I hate violence. I did kick him, but that was for good reason. Wasn’t it?” Lyra said nervously. Alec nodded as he and Lyra picked up Hamish’s knocked-out body.

“We’d better get him back to Twilight’s place. Then we can start the preparations for the Olympics once he wakes up again.” Alec whispered to Dash.

“But what about us introducing you to everyone else?” Dash said back a tad annoyed.

“That can wait. Besides, we’ve already seen AJ briefly, now Lyra. Also, that letter from Celestia has probably arrived. If she confirms the preparations, then we can start!” For the first time that day, Rainbow Dash had to agree with someone. Being threatened was enough for one day.

“Come on, let’s get him out of here.” Twilight said quietly as she casted a covering spell over Hamish as they carried him back to Twilight’s treehouse.

The next day, the preparations shall begin.