The Problem of Other Sapients, Memoirs of a Man

Imagination creates some big monsters.

• Oliver Martinez

The horse stared at me slack-jawed. Interesting, I didn't know that horses could do that. Come to think of it, it looked only superficially like a horse, it's head was too big, and its eyes too big for its head.

"Hello? Ma'am? I have your money!" I called into the trees.

"What in tarnation?" I heard, the sound coming from the horse.

"Hello? There's a smallish horse, er, thing, here!"

I looked back at the horse, only to see it charging at me.

"Oh-" I was cut off as it impacted.

I lay sprawled on the ground, the horse looming over me.

"Go back ta the forest, monster," it said.

Mons- Wait, did the horse just talk?

"Did you just talk?" I asked.

"Of course Ah can talk. What's surprising me is that you can."

"Well then, could you let me up?"

"Give me a good reason ta, monster!"

"For one thing, I am not a monster. I have a name, you know."

"I don't care 'bout yer name, I just want to know what yer doin' outside the Everfree," she replied with steel.

"Everfree? What's that?" I asked her.

"The forest!"

"No, that's... Wait, where am I?"

"Y'all're in mah orchard!"

"Well, yes, but I meant what planet, because there are no talking horses in my world."

"Ah am not a horse, Ah am a pony," she said indignantly.

"As far as I know, ponies don't talk either. Now answer me, where am I?"

"Y'all're in Equestria."

It hit me. I really had chased a wil-o-the-wisp, and wandered into a fairy tale. All we needed now was knights, magic, princesses, and some evil creature to slay, assuming that I wasn't the monster.

I looked up at her, "Ma'am, could you please get off of me?"

She reluctantly complied, saying, "Y'all don't try anythin' now."

I stood up slowly, as to not arouse suspicion.

"Thank you," I said.

"Git off mah property!"

"Alright, alright," I said, backing up. "Which way?"

She pointed to my left with her hoof. "Now git!"

I ran quickly, not stopping until I encountered the fence. After hopping it again, I stopped to catch my breath.

~~~===***===~~~

Applejack ran faster than she had in ages.

"Applejack, where are ya goin' it's gettin' dark," called Granny Smith.

"Ah need to see mah friends!" she answered.

"Don't take too long, yer supper'll get cold!" called Granny. "Kids these days, always dashin' about."

~~~===***===~~~

The sun began to set.

First off, shelter. The forest seemed like the only option at this point, considering the pony's violent reaction to my presence.

I wandered beneath the boughs of the trees, hoping that it didn't rain. Even under the trees I would get wet, which, among other things, wouldn't be comfortable in the slightest.

I sat near the base of one of the trees and thought about what just happened. The gravity of the situation hit me. I was either mad, or I was in a different universe, possibly one without humans. If the dominant species on the planet were these ponies, and of they were all just as opposed to me as the orchard keeper, then  would likely never see civilization up close again. I would have to forage in the forest, a difficult process at the best of times, downright impossible at the worst.

I sighed. At this point, my only hope was finding another fairy.

~~~===***===~~~

Twilight Sparkle was the librarian in the humble town of Ponyville. Easily one of the smartest ponies in the principality, possibly the world. So when Applejack came to her house telling her something about a monster, she immediately took to finding out what species it was based on Applejack's description, and telling Applejack to find the other Element Bearers.

What she found was interesting, indeed.

Once everypony was there, she began;

"From what I can tell, this creature is called 'human.' Legends say that the last human died in the year 146 Before Celestia and Luna, killed in the mythical Siege of Thirnoc, one of the last holdouts against Discord's Army of Chaos. She was a powerful wizard, and the fortress only held out so long because of her protection."

"Why hasn't anypony heard of humans, then?"asked Rainbow Dash.

"Much of the period before the Diarchy is poorly recorded or inflated, as much of the records were used as propaganda by the rulers of various small kingdoms," Twilight responded.

"So..?"

"It was disregarded as myth, since they don't exist anymore, or rather, nopony thought they did."

"Are it dangerous? If it comes out of the forest, I don't want it hurting the animals," Fluttershy asked fearfully.

"Most surviving records state that humans are powerful warriors, only regularly losing to griffons and dragons in combat," Twilight replied.

"So that's a yes, then?" asked Rainbow.

"They are, however, a magically weak race, with only about one in fifty capable of learning advanced spells, and only one in five capable of learning any magic at all."

"No?" asked Rainbow again.

"Very, even without magic. They show a liking of machines, there are even records of weapons that spewed fire, ash, and metal. It's said that these weapons could take out soldiers in heavy armor as if it was butter."

"That sounds dreadful," Rarity said.

"So Twi, was I right in kicking it off mah property?" asked AJ.

"I don't know. I just don't know," Twilight said, "But I have sent a letter to the princess about it. If anypony can answer that, she can."