Strange Hooves

Herp derp crossover time

Mike closes his eyes, concentrating. The past few days have been nothing but paradise. He remembers baking with Pinkie Pie, studying with Twilight Sparkle, sowing with Rarity, working with Applejack, racing with Rainbow Dash, and caring with Fluttershy. It was an uneventful day as Mike pushes his new eyes to see even further than previous attempts. He sees beyond the thin atmosphere of the planet, and he begins anew his broadening of his vision.

Twilight Sparkle notices Mike meditating in the air like he usually does, eyes closed, legs crossed in a sitting posture with his hands on his knees.  What seemed to be different, however, was the new intensity of concentration. Sweat now adorned his features, and effort was etched into his face. She decides to not disturb him and let him be, going to bed herself.

Mike had seen many beautiful things, but space, perhaps, was the most glorious. There is so much out there. Still, something was avoiding Mike’s vision. He suddenly felt as he if he was in a large hallway that runs for practically ever. He mentally probed the invisible walls of the universal hallway, and he was able to peer through it.

The hallway metaphor isn’t good enough. It’s more like a giant glass box.

Mike now sees other galaxy glass boxes next to his box, with walls that extend to other boxes, but Mike doesn't try to peer further into another box.Mike instead focuses on a little blue planet in particular. It was in the same place in space as where he came from, but this was a different universe altogether. He approaches the planet with his vision, and it is clear that life thrives on this green, blue, and white ball. His mental vision bursts through the cloud canopy, and Mike is surprised by what he sees. Ponyville.

This might be an alternate dimension. If what make my dimension unique is me, then perhaps the thing that makes this dimension unique is another human trapped in Equestria.

Mike quickly dismisses the “trapped” part, and continues his ponderings. Soon enough, he was fed up with not finding a human, but just about everything else, and he decides that Canterlot would be the next place to look. He struggles under the weight, but his concentration is unbroken. He soon finds this dimension’s Celestia, Luna, and the mane 6, with the human of this dimension. They’re in the courtyard of the palace, with the guard. But what’s troubling is the human. He seems to be fading, somehow. He’s obviously losing consciousness, and Mike wonders what’ll happen to him. Tagging the human with magic that Mike can track, Mike rests a little easier, pulling out of the atmosphere. The human whisks away through the wall of the dimension. Mike eagerly follows, somehow meeting the mental requirement if only because it’s the first human he’d seen in almost a year, so there’s motivation.

Twilight Sparkle re-enters the front room of the library, looking after the soft humming sound that had started a few minutes ago. She looks at Mike again sitting in the air, and his eyes were glowing under his eyelids. She backs out, leaving Mike to his meditation.

Mike now follows the human to the next dimension, and he follows him to the next Equestria. Mike shoots his vision ahead of his quarry, and searches for the uniqueness in this Equestria. Finding another human on a cloudhouse, Mike awaits the arrival of human #1. Before he can do that, however, he feels a strange sensation coming over him. He opens his eyes, and sees that his body is becoming transparent with transportation. Screaming, he quickly etches something on the wall before vanishing completely.

Twilight Sparkle was half-conscious when she heard the scream. Throwing herself off her bed, she races to the rescue of Mike. Almost to the verge of panic, she throws open the door to the front room. She looks around to find… nothing. Mike was nowhere to be seen, and there is something etched into her wall. She gallops to the window, and tries to spot him outside, but to no avail. She looks at the markings again. She figures that they must be a message for her just before he vanished. She writes it down on a scroll, then writes beneath it,

“ Dear Princess Celestia,

Mike has just vanished. I can’t find him. He seemed to have teleported somewhere. Above is what I found scribed on the wall, apparently left by Mike. Could you tell me what it is?

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle”

By this time, Spike had shuffled sleepily into the room. Twilight hoofs Spike the letter out of habit, and Spike sends it mindlessly. They sat down to wait a response. Spike was resting with his head in his hands, and he suddenly realizes something.

“Where’s Mike?”

“He’s vanished, Spike. See that on the wall?” She points a hoof, and Spike sees what’s there.

“Uh-huh.”

“Well, it must be an English note.”

A letter was burped out by Spike, whom passed out on the floor, tired as can be. Twilight unrolls it and looks at the letter.

“Dear Twilight Sparkle,

My understanding of the human language has led me to believe that the English letters BRB on the wall is a means of saying “Be right back.” I am sure he’ll be back soon. Don’t worry. Wherever he’ll be, I’m sure he’ll be fine, given his training at the hooves of both you and I.

Your Faithful *Princess of the Night,***

Luna.”

Seeing those words brought a bit of comfort to Twilight, however small a contribution it be. All she needs to do is wait, right? Right?

…

Mike opens his eyes. It’s apparent that he’s lying on his back, back inside the Everfree forest. Whichever dimension, that is, remains uncertain.

Limbs?

Check.

Coat and its contents?

Check, and check.

The All-Cool Hat?

That’s a check.

Autobots, roll out.

Mike sits up, groggily looking around. He stands up, and dusts himself off with his gloves. He closes his eyes for a second while he locates Ponyville, and he starts on his way.

Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all are walking down the road to their tree house. They stay far enough away from the Everfree forest to be safe, but they aren’t thinking about that at the moment. Their conversation was of cutie marks and possible futures, as well as the next crazy thing that they’re going to attempt to do. Scootaloo was the first to notice a strange black object on their path. She extends a hoof to hinder their progress, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom notice it as well.

It is a black fedora that has gold on the brim and the base of it. It’s just sitting there on the road, apparently having been abandoned by its owner. The three approach it, but the wind picked up. The hat drifts off, and the three chases after it. After a few minutes of this, however, they stop, seeing something even stranger then the hat. It must be the hats owner, because the thing just snatches the hat out of the air with its gloved hand. The girls stare as it puts its hat on.

The thing towers high above them, and it seemed to somewhat have the face of a pony, but the rest of its body is upright, which would explain the height of the thing. Its head is the only thing uncovered, the rest being shrouded in a mysterious black-gold trench coat. The fabric is torn in some places, but the face of the thing is also shrouded in scars of a violent past. It speaks.

“Hello. Are you lost?”

A pause.

“I must apologize. My name is Mike Alpha.”

Applebloom is the first to break the long silence that existed onward.

“Well, hi, Mike. My name is Applebloom and this is Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.”

She points her hoof to the respective ponies.

Mike is surprised at this friendly behavior. He gets an idea that he hopes will further help relationships with human #1’s Equestria.

This will be a better use for these things anyway.

Mike reaches into his coat pocket, and the sound of an opening bag can be heard within. Under Mike’s magical influence, 3 pink cupcakes with white frosting on them float out of Mike’s coat and they glide over to the girls. They seemed to calm down with this gift. The CMC takes their respective cupcakes and Applebloom says with a smile,

“Thanks, mister!”

Mike offers a return smile. He walks past them as they eagerly wolf down their sugary treats. Soon, they finish, and they look for Mike. They see him walking towards Ponyville, and they decide to accompany him. Catching up, they strike up a conversation with him, talking about what he is, why he’s standing up straight, and how he came to Equestria. Mike just says to that question,

“I’m just wandering around, and I happened to find this place.”

Applebloom asks,

“Well, where you from?”

“A faraway land. One you’ve probably never heard of.”

Sweetie Belle asks,

“What’s wrong with your coat?”

“Oh, I’ve just been attacked by monsters, no big deal.”

They seemed surprised by this and they simultaneously shout,

“NO BIG DEAL?”

Scootaloo asks the next question.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine. These scars are here to stay, though. I think they’re pretty cool.”

Scootaloo replies,

“Now that you mention it, they are pretty sweet. We should totally introduce you to our friends!”

Sweetie Belle asks,

“Who, Scoots?”

“You know, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, those ponies.”

Mike says with an all-too-knowing smile undetected by anypony,

“These friends of yours sound very nice. Who’s first?”

Applebloom seems to burst with excitement.

“Sweet Apple Acres is close by! We should totally visit Applejack first!”

Mike looks forward to these new meetings to the ponies he was already fast friends with back at his Equestria, but he knows that these meetings will be just as great.

…

Applejack was working hard back at Sweet Apple Acres like the way it was before he came. That hooman. After all that followed and his sudden disappearance, Applejack was pleased at the opportunity to get her mind off things by working again, besides, the hay didn’t put itself in the barn, and she had a lot of work to catch up on. But the nagging feeling in her mind is still ever present, like something was about to go down.

As if on cue, she hears the friendly voice of Applebloom.

“Hey, big sis!”

Without looking behind her, Applejack replies,

“Hey. Thought you and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were off to do some crusading.”

Applebloom excitedly says,

“We found another one!”

Another one what? Ah. She must mean the other human.

Applejack turns around and pales at the sight of Mike.  She slowly says,

“What in tarnation.”

Mike puts on an awkward smile. He says,

“Hay. I’m told you’re Applejack.”

Applebloom continues.

“His name is Mike Alpha, and he’s a really nice guy. He gave us some cupcakes!”

That sounds really, really bad.

Applejack finally makes eye contact with Applebloom.

“That sounds… nice of the human.”

Uh-oh. He must not have made a good impression the first time around. I should’ve investigated here before being pulled into Human #1’s Equestria.

“How’dja get here, anyway?”

Mike sees Applejack raise an eyebrow in curious questioning. Mike crosses his eyes and said in a goofy tone,

“I walked here.”

A giggle from the 3 fillies did nothing to amuse Applejack.

“I mean, how’d you get to Equestria?”

Mike forgoes his silly expression and spells out,

“W-a-l-k-e-d.”

Applejack tries to think of where he could’ve walked from, but these were humans she was thinking of. No reasoning with them. An idea forms in her head.

“We should go, Mike. Applebloom? Could you scurry off with your crusading? We’ve got human business to take care of.  Again.”

The CMC at first gives an “Awww…”, but Applebloom knew the drill when Applejack speaks in that authoritative tone. They walked off, heads hung low. Applejack then turns to Mike.

“We best get going.”

Ok then.”