The Only Human

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 3

Chapter 1

Applejack let out a loud whoop of exultation as she bucked her last tree, watching the trunk shake from her powerful kick, and every apple dropping into the carefully placed baskets below. She watched long enough to make sure no apple had missed, then happily struck her victory pose…and then shook herself, her orange coat now drenched with sweat.

“Whoo,” she said as she wiped her brow, looking at her handiwork. “Boy howdy, after fifteen years, you’d think Ah’d be so used tah all this that it don’t make me a sweaty pig,” she crooned with a chuckle, the farm pony only half-serious. In reality, she viewed her dirty, sweaty body with a bit of pride; it was the sign of a hard-working pony, the pride and joy of a farm.

Anyway, the bucking in this part of the farm was done, so now it was just a matter of gathering the baskets up and storing them in the barn. Her big brother, Big Macintosh, was doing that, with her little sister, Applebloom, helping. The youngster had long ago realized she wasn’t going to get a farming cutie mark, or an apple harvesting cutie mark, but she was still a hard, helpful worker on the farm. ‘Give it time, little Applebloom. Give it time,’ thought Applejack with a smile.

Making her way to the barn, she spotted the tall, crimson pony who was her brother, a basket of apples on his back, his usual flat expression on his face, the proverbial stalk of hay twitching in his mouth. She gave him a wide, toothy grin, seeing he was just as sweaty as she was, and her brother’s lips twitched into a smile. Moving to a small table in the corner of the barn where some lemonade and cups lay, she poured herself a glass and gulped it down, then poured another for Big Mac and took it to him. After he had quenched his thirst as well, she gave her report.

“Ah’m done with mah section, big brother, so we’re almost good tah go,” she said, helping him ease his current load into its place on the barn floor, then she glanced out the door, her gaze looking west. “Did yah check up on our new farmhand?” she asked, turning to look at her brother.

“Nope. Feller seems tah like it best being left alone, and we both know he don’t need no hoof holding,” said her brother. You wouldn’t be able to tell from his tone that he respected this new farmhand, something very hard for any stranger to earn from Big Macintosh. Many a potential worker had been scared off by his strict standards and hard demeanor, the big stallion having no tolerance for sloppy work or laziness.

“Mark’s a good worker, even if he’s got his quirks. Ah’ll go have a looksie and make sure he ain’t in any trouble,” she said with a nod, giving her brother a pat on the back as he went to go fetch another bushel of apples,while his sister headed to the western part of their farm.

Mark Hirami was something of a new hire on Sweet Apple Acres, though it could be said he wasn’t a normal case. Rather than having come looking for a job, he had actually been found wandering close by, apparently new to Ponyville and not quite sure of things around these parts. He had finally discovered the Apple family’s house and after some...misadventure, introduced himself, explained his situation, and much to the family’s surprise, had asked for work on the farm as a way to pay for his stay, his house apparently located on the Apple Family’s property. The problem was that his house was currently in rather shabby shape, and so, while it was being repaired, he was staying in a room in the barn.

“Ole boy can’t buck like me, so it takes him a bit longer to do the work…but boy does he work,” said Applejack, speaking to herself as she clopped in the direction where her new hand was working, soon coming to him and smiling as she saw him working. He may not have her strength, but he had agility that would make even Rainbow Dash a bit jealous, especially considering he had no wings. Even now, she watched him as he climbed from branch to branch, taking each apple and dropping it into whichever basket was in reach. It was a longer, harder method, but as far as she could see, it didn’t do the apples any harm…and it certainly had its perks for him.

“Howdy pardner. Jest got done with mah section, so Ah’d thought Ah’d come give you a hoof,” she said, although she could see he was on his last few trees as well, expertly taking off the apples one at a time.

Now, there were two things that made Mark stick out a bit in Ponyville. The first, as should be obvious, was the fact he was male. Though they weren’t unheard of, grown males were few and far between in Ponyville, Applejack only able to think of three or four off the top of her head, not counting her brother. They weren’t viewed with any kind of fear or suspicion, but they did tend to get a fair amount of gossip whispered about them…and of course, on occasion, a mare fell madly in love with one of them, and, knowing her pickings were slim, felt she had to go all out to get her hooves on him.

The second thing…well…he wasn’t a stallion, or even an equine of any sort. Heck, he wasn't like anything they'd ever seen before, period.

Mark jumped down from the tree, easily landing on all fours…and then standing up on only two legs, his tan skin caked with dirt, and his clothes damp with sweat. He dusted off his…hands, he called them, giving her a polite smile. He stood a few inches taller than Applejack, his brown eyes meeting her green ones as he nodded his head.

“Good afternoon, Miss Applejack. I’m almost done with my trees, so no help needed,” he said politely, motioning at the baskets full of apples behind him.

Mark Hirami was a human.

Applejack let out a soft huff, face going hard for a moment. She liked manners as much as the next pony (even if Rarity swore she didn’t), but she also liked those she considered her friends to address her as a friend would…and Mark had been calling her “Miss Applejack” almost the whole time he’d been in Ponyville. It was starting to make her sick.

“Listen, sugarcube,” she began, ignoring the scowl that got her, “Ah know yer jest trying to be polite an’ all, but you’ve been working here going on six months now. You’ve pulled yer weight, you’ve been the best worker Ah’ve had in a while, and you’re almost part of the family…so why don’t yah drop the “missus” business? It makes me feel detached,” she said, her face and voice soft. Even though he wasn’t a pony, AJ still couldn’t deny that a very large soft spot had formed in her heart for him, especially considering his predicament.

“I’m a stranger in a strange world…Applejack,” he said with a sigh, looking down with a soft blush. “I think it only wise that I treat everyone around me with the utmost respect so that I do not offend anyone by accident,” he said, wiping his brow of sweat. “But if it’s alright with you, I guess I can be less formal.”

“Ah would appreciate that, hon. Ah’m a pony who likes to have a personable relationship with those Ah consider mah friends,” she said gently, the farm pony certainly seeing him as that even if he seemed unable to accept that himself. And with that out of the way, she moved on to the business at hand.

“Once y’all finish with them trees, ya need to clean up. Today’s the day ya meet with Twilight an’ Rarity,” she said, giggling as he groaned and slapped his forehead, dragging his hand down his face rather comically. It had become pretty clear within his first few weeks here that he wasn’t fond of those two ponies, at least when it went beyond just friendship. Rarity was always pestering him about the clothes he insisted on wearing, alternating between admiring them for their uniqueness and expressing how distasteful they were. And Twilight, being the brainy bookworm she was, was eager to learn all she could about him…which included prodding him with various instruments all over his body, including some apparently private places.

“I’m gonna start charging those two for my time,” he growled, getting a snicker from the farm pony.

“Look on the bright side, hon…as long as yer with them, Pinkie Pie can’t throw yet another party for ya,” she replied, getting a smile in return. Pinkie Pie hadn’t wasted any time in coming up with a “Welcome to Equestria Party”…then a “Welcome to Ponyville Party”…then a “One Month Anniversary” party…followed by five more, one every month. She had just recently done a “First Human in Ponyville Party”…and now she was asking him about his birthday, wanting to do a party for that. Needless to say, Mark was way past his fill of parties.

“Hmm, good point, Applejack,” he said, moving to the last tree and pulling himself up into the branches, going to work. “Still, I wish everyone would quit treating me like some act of divine intervention. I know I’m the first human here…but there’s nothing that special about me,” he said, making quick work of the apples and dropping back down, hoisting a few baskets onto the farm pony’s back and picking up two of his own, handling the heavy baskets with more ease than he’d done when he first started working.

“Well, Twi was talkin' ‘bout settin’ up a meetin’ with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna after she did her research. Maybe after y’all see them, everypony might settle down some ‘round ya. Ya gotta understand that things work differently in Equestria than in yer world,” she said, leading the way back to the barn.

When the Princesses had first been brought up with Mark, he had been rather skeptical about what he had been told, magic apparently not being quite as important on his world, at least not as far as he was concerned. Still, his views had changed over time, seeing as the proof of its existence was all around him, so he was open to seeing them. And seeing as he was essentially a guest in this world, it would do to meet the supposed leaders, just as it would be proper to meet the head of a household he was visiting.

“I certainly hope so. You say you want me to settle down and treat you like a friend…well, how can I settle down if I’m continually treated as a stranger?” he asked softly, the last part barely audible to the young mare. She turned and gave him a smile, reaching up and setting a hoof on his shoulder.

“Yer no stranger here, sugarcube. Yer family, and no matter what anypony else says or does, ya’ll always have a place here,” she said, leaning forward and nuzzling him. He blushed again, returning the nuzzle as best he could, before letting her resume the lead. Even after six months, he was still adjusting to living in Ponyville…but it was nice to have at least one person…or pony, as it were, who viewed him as just a friend.

Chapter 2

Mark swore that if his cheeks grew any hotter, you could fry eggs on them. Not that he didn’t currently have a good reason to be blushing heavily. It wasn’t everyday one was standing in front of a female with nothing but his boxers on. Granted, said female was NUDE and didn’t seem the least bit put off by it, but that wasn’t a big comfort.

“Really darling, I don’t see why you’re making such a fuss over being unclothed in front of me,” huffed Rarity as she examined his clothing bit by bit, stitch by stitch. The material, the design, the artwork; she had never seen anything like it and it was sending her curiosity to new heights. After six months of seeing it, she had gotten over her squealing and dramatic behavior, but there was still so much to learn about them.

“Six months of being around…ponies with no clothes on isn’t going to overcome twenty years of being around clothed humans overnight, Rarity” he retorted, the hesitation suggesting he had intended a more colorful description. He fidgeted and shifted his weight from foot to foot, constantly glancing at her door, as if expecting it to burst open at any minute.

“And I fail to see how requiring me to strip is going to help you learn more about my clothes. I’ve got plenty not currently on me you could use,” he all but growled, wondering when she’d be done and he could be decent again.

“My dear Mark, you’re the first…human to be in Equestria. Your clothing is very different from what I normally work with, so surely you can appreciate my great curiosity. It’s not everyday I get to see a completely new, undiscovered design…or completely new, undiscovered young man,” she said, the last part said with a giggle and playful batting of her eyes, drawing a scarlet blush to his cheeks.

“Rarity, Spike’s already sore at me for giving Twilight something to obsess over day and night. Please don’t give him another reason to hate me,” he said, well aware of the young dragon’s crush on the prim and proper pony. If things worked anything like in his world, going after another guy’s crush was a quick way to get beat up…and Spike breathed FIRE!

Rarity just giggled again as she took up a measuring tape with her magic, wrapping it around his chest, then his waist, then measured his height and the width of this shoulders. Mark watched her, knowing this could only mean one thing.

“I appreciate it, Rarity, but I already have plenty of clothes. You don’t need to make me any,” he said, always the humble gentleman. However, Rarity’s response was a playful poke of his body with her hoof, making him grunt.

“Oh darling, surely you haven’t been ignorant of your new physique. Even if your old clothes weren’t worn out, they simply will not fit your new body,” said the white unicorn, always able to tell such things at a glance…of the measuring tape, of course. She took some measurements, moving the tape to all the required spots, then set it down and moved away.

“You may dress now, Mark. I’m done for the time being,” she said, getting a groan out of the human rather than a sigh of relief. He knew that last bit always meant another round of unmanly things to please a woman later; his mother had used it enough to teach him that. “With luck, I’ll have your new garments ready in time for your meeting with the princesses. A gentle colt must always look his best when meeting royalty,” she said, going to work on designs.

“Just to be clear, Rarity, I only want one fancy suit. Keep the rest normal,” he said firmly, pulling on his pants, then his shirt, relaxing a little now that he wasn’t semi-bare to the world.

“Hehe, as you wish, darling…though I hope you don’t mind if I add a few things to them,” purred Rarity, getting a scowl from Mark. “Hehe, I jest, dear Mark. I promise to make them normal,” she said, holding a hoof over her heart. She used her magic to levitate some cloth and various tools over to her design table, then following them, going to work. As she worked her own brand of magic, she cast a discreet eye back at Mark as he began to pull his clothes back, trying to hide a blush and a smile at the unintentional show he was giving her.

She didn’t know much about Mark’s species, so she wasn’t sure what counted for attractiveness among his kind…but by stallion standards, he was good-looking. His time working on Applejack’s farm certainly hadn’t hurt him, adding a few inches in height and thickening him up around the shoulders, his body lightly toned with visible muscle. His face was sleek and angular, his eyes a unique shade of brown that she couldn’t recall seeing in any other pony, and, most important in her eyes, he came with an impeccable sense of manners…even if he could grumble during things he didn’t care for.

Realizing her own manners were absent, the seamstress pony stopped her staring and turned back to her work. She had marveled many ponies with her abilities in designing and creating clothing and Mark was no exception, watching her in silent awe as she stitched together a pair of pants (Blue jeans, she believed he had referred to them as) and a pleasant-looking shirt that could still hold up to the rigors of his hard working life.

All the necessary tools held aloft by her glowing magic, it wasn’t long before she was done, stepping back and waving her head, sending her hair around.

“Ta-daa!” she declared with a flourish and a smile, moving out of the way to let him see what she’d made.

They appeared to be a normal set of blue jeans along with a copy of the current shirt he was wearing. However, doubting Rarity would show so much pride in a mere copy, he reached out and touched the material…and was astonished at a feel similar to silk, soft and almost caressing.

“Rarity…what did you do?” he asked, looking at her suspiciously, getting a giggle and wink in return.

“Well, darling, now you can look good, feel good, and work hard, all in one. The material is soft, I know, but it’s also very strong. Why, I dare say it’s even stronger than the material your current garments are made out of,” she said, lifting the pants with her magic and holding them to his waist, checking the size. She did the same with the shirt, then, confident she had everything correct, placed them on a hanger and slipped them into her closet.

“You may run along now, Mark. I’ll have some more pairs ready for you later today,” she said, turning around to him and levitating some bits over, the human giving her a wry smirk as he slipped them into his pocket. Apparently the joke he had made to Applejack had gotten around.

“Oh, one more thing before you go,” she chirped, slowly gliding over to him, eyes half-lidded as she moved her head up and pecked his cheek, giggling as it instantly went pink. “For being such a gentle colt…er…well, you know what I mean, darling,” she said with a giggle, Mark managing to make it out of her boutique without letting her see the other way her kiss had affected him.

Pony or otherwise, it had been a long time since a girl had kissed him…and a certain part of him apparently hadn’t forgotten how nice it felt.

When Mark traveled the streets of Ponyville, he could count on three to four greetings from the various mares and stallions trotting here and there. His journey to Twilight’s library was no different.

“Good morning, sir,” follow by a polite nod was the most numerous one, which got a nod in return, though he had to hide his scowl each time he was called “sir”. He was only twenty-six, for crying out loud! And while the greeting was polite…it was also aloof, and served only to remind him he was still a stranger here, even after six months.

“Good day, Mister Hirami,” or its evening equivilant, was another, this one coming from the ponies he had done odd jobs for. Mr. and Mrs. Cake, Cheerielee, the Mayor, the Spa Ponies, and a few others. Again, he didn’t like being called such a formal title, but he bared it, appreciating the fact that some ponies liked him enough to call him by his name.

Now, the third…

“Watch it, freak!” snarled a unknown stallion, Mark quickly stopping his stride to avoid running into the glaring equine as he made his way into a shop, offering nothing but a polite smile in return. While that did hurt a bit, a part of him thought it only natural. He was something out of the ordinary around here, after all, so it was only natural that some would view him in a less than friendly way; he honestly couldn‘t say the same thing wouldn‘t happen if a talking pony wound up in his old world. With luck, it would change after a while.

The fourth, however…well, it kind of hurt a lot.

All he heard was a gasp, followed by a door quickly slamming shut, turning to the shop he had just passed in time to see a frantic mare shutting the blinds over the windows. He sighed sadly, fist clenching a little as he continued on his way, resisting the urge to grit his teeth in frustration. Despite all he’d done, despite it being clear (in his opinion at least) that he was no threat, there were still some ponies in Ponyville that were scared out of their wits by him.

Try as he might to convince them otherwise, he was slowly growing used to the fact that there would always be some holdouts, some ponies who would never accept him no matter what he did…and it did hurt. To someone who cared deeply about what other people thought about him, even one negative feeling from one person, expressed day after day, month after month, tended to linger on in his mind, the human agonizing over what he might have done to make them feel that way, wondering if he could ever change their minds.

It probably didn’t sound like much to get upset over…but then, it always does when one isn’t the person who has to deal with it.

Mark slowed his pace as he came to Twilight’s treehouse, slowly rising on the balls of his feet, ready to make a move at the first sign of trouble. Even after all this time, Twilight tended to act…strange whenever she did her “research“, so he’d learned to stay on his guard. Making his way to the door, he raised his hand to knock…only for the door to slowly open on its own, as if anticipating his entrance.

He leaned in close, seeing only darkness through the crack, hearing nothing, opening his mouth to call out…only for something to suddenly yank him in none too gently. The door slamming shut behind him was the last thing he heard.

Chapter 4

Mark was nervous...very nervous.

Oh, a lot of what he was doing could be explained away as natural. The tugging at his collar, adjusting and readjusting his three piece suit, and shifting in his seat could be dismissed as the suit just being uncomfortable. Though Rarity was very much an expert in all things clothing related, and had done ample research of Mark’s clothes as a guide, few ponies got everything right the first time.

“Really, darling, it can’t be that bad,” she said with a huff, clearly not liking how he was fidgeting around and wrinkling his suit. “I know I don’t know a lot about your…kind, but surely it’s not too uncomfortable,” she said, eye starting to twitch as he readjusted it yet again.

“Oh calm down, Rarity. Ah think it’s plain ta see he don’t fancy being so dressed up,” said Applejack, chuckling a little at both Rarity and Mark’s antics. She and the others were dressed in their usual outfits (which was to say, nothing), their close relationship with Princesses Celestia and Luna allowing them to go casual. Mark, being new, had felt it necessary to dress up…though had he known how much trouble the outfit would be, he might’ve toned it down a bit.

“No offense, Rarity, but I’m not exactly the type who goes around like this all the time, so I tend to notice it when I am,” he said, shifting in his seat once more, fighting the urge to get to his feet and pace. They were almost there, so hopefully he would be moving again soon…though at the same time, his nervousness was increasing the closer they got. Mark knew little to nothing about etiquette when it came to royalty, even though Twilight insisted Celestia preferred to be treated just like any other pony. It wouldn’t do his stay in Equestria any good if he upset the rulers.

“Come on, Mark, chill out. Celestia and Luna’ll be delighted to meet ya, I promise,” piped up Rainbow Dash, confident as always. “If their favorite egghead vouches for ya, ya’ve got it made,” she said, drawing a blush from Twilight, who tried unsuccessfully to hide it behind a hoof, getting a smirk from the cyan Pegasus.

“We’re the Elements of Harmony, Mark,” said Fluttershy in her soft, shy voice, giving him a gentle smile even as she avoided his eyes. “If you have our support, everything will be okay.”

“I told them everything, Mark, so they know how much of a stranger you are here…and they know all you’ve done to help out, so I’m pretty sure you already have a good start,” Twilight assured him, reaching over and patting his shoulder with a hoof…which drew another angry huff from Rarity, as it wrinkled his suit. The human nodded and straightened the wrinkle, scooting away a bit and trying to calm himself.

As promised, after she’d done what research she’d felt she needed to do, Twilight had sent her report off to these princesses, along with a request for a formal audience with them for the human. Celestia had responded almost immediately, accepting her request and voicing interest in meeting the new guest of Equestria. Princess Luna hadn’t responded, but Twilight had told him she rarely responded to her letters anyway, so it wasn’t a big deal.

“Of course…she hasn’t met you before…so she doesn’t know you don’t know how to act. So don’t forget to bow…and call her “Princess Celestia” or “Your highness”…and speak politely…and…” started Twilight, going into one of her OCD moments, a nervous smile on her face, sweat starting to bead on her, eyes darting this way and that. “And be extra polite with Luna…she’s very strict…and…”

“Twilight!” said Applejack, loudly and firmly, a hoof coming down on her shoulder now as the cowpony looked her in the eye. “We don’t need two of ya sweating buckets, so jest relax, sugarcube,” she said, continuing to look firmly at the ebony pony until she calmed down, then giving the same look at Mark. “Just be yourself, Mark, and Ah promise you’ll do fine. Like Flutters said, ya got the Elements of Harmony vouchin’ fer ya, so you’ve got it made.”

Mark let out a sigh and gave a weak smile, nodding as he settled back into his seat. Celestia’s return letter had expressed great interest in meeting Mark and she sounded quite pleased with what Twilight had been able to tell him, so perhaps it was best to just relax and let things go with the flow. In any case, he could see the station they were to stop at approaching, so it was now too late to change his mind.

With a loud whistle and screeching of its brakes, the train came to a halt at the station, Mark and the six ponies standing up and slowly moving to the exit…and all letting out shocked gasps as the first sight greeting them were several ponies in golden armor, standing ramrod straight with expressionless faces. As soon as they saw Mark, their right hooves shot up in a salute, then they stepped to either side of the platform, opening the way for the group to exit.

The six ponies led Mark off the platform and down the streets of Canterlot, Celestia‘s Sun Guards forming a perimeter around them as they made their way to the castle. The six ponies appeared a bit confused by the display, but didn’t pay much attention to it…while Mark was flushed crimson, clearly put off by it.

“Is this really necessary?” he asked, the heat and his suit having little to do with the sweat beading on his forehead. He was never one for ceremonies, and this one being aimed specifically at him didn’t help.

“Like we keep telling ya, sugarcube, yer the first of yer kind here. Ah’m guessin the princesses think you deserve a special welcome,” said Applejack, the seven of them walking up the stairs into the castle, leading him through the marble halls, more guards greeting them along the way.

Mark couldn’t help but let his head swivel this way and that as he walked, the sheer size of the castle almost overwhelming. Even back on his home world, he’d never been in such a large structure, and after half a year among the humble homes of Ponyville, it took a lot of effort not to get dizzy from the complete turnaround.

“How do you girls go from someplace like Ponyville to here without being overwhelmed?” he asked as they approached a large door, which he assumed led to Princess Celestia’s chambers. He felt his nerves starting to act up, stomach fluttering, but he steeled himself and put his best face on, giving one last check of his suit.

Twilight and her friends formed up alongside their guest, three on each side. Nodding for him to take the lead, Twilight and Rarity opened the door with their magic, revealing a large room, decorated in splendor and regal colors. Mark hesitated for a moment, the sight a bit overwhelming…then steeled himself and moved in.

The first thing that struck Mark about Princess Celestia, who calmly sat at her throne as they entered and moved up close, was how tall she was. He didn’t exactly tower over the ponies in Ponyville, but with the exception of Big Mac, he was either even with them or taller than them. Celestia easily beat out even Big Mac, looking down at him with a warm smile on her face.

The next thing that struck him was how maternal she seemed. He didn’t know a thing about her, but just from that smile…he felt a strange warmth fill him, like what he used to feel when he was a child around his mother. Somehow, just from that smile, he knew that he had nothing to fear and everything would be okay.

She was certainly beautiful, even to one with no standards by which to judge. Her white coat was pristine and glossy, looking as if no dirt had ever touched it. Her mane and tail fluttered and waved through the air even as she remained still, the colors of blue, green, purple and pink certainly eye-catching, though not surprising Mark too much since he’d been around Rainbow Dash up until this point. Her magenta eyes met his full on, and though he often had trouble looking people in the eye, Mark found himself returning her gaze with only a slight blush, the eyes so warm and welcoming. Yes…everything would be okay.

The other ponies with him bowed low…except for Twilight, who gave a big grin and all but bounced over to the majestic pony and rubbed against her, Celestia extending a wing around her in what he assumed was a pony version of a hug.

“Hello, my faithful student. Was your trip pleasant?” she asked in an almost musical voice, nuzzling Twilight…and further confirming the maternal feeling Mark had gotten from her.

“It was for most of us, Princess Celestia. Mark, on the other hand…,” she said, turning back to him, which suddenly snapped Mark out of his observation mode. He bowed as best he could in his suit, falling down to one knee and lowering his head.

“Ah, so this is the Mark Hirami you’ve told me so much about,” he heard her say, hearing the clop of hoofs against the stone floor as she approached him. He felt a gentle caress on the top of his head, recognizing it as one of her wings…and fighting the urge to rub against it like a kitten being stroked. “Please, sir Mark, you may rise. No need to be so formal,” she said with a soft giggle, the human slowly looking up at her, then rising to his feet.

“Uhh…if it’s alright with you…your majesty, I’d prefer just Mark. I’m not that special,” he said, Celestia looking confused for a moment at his choice of words, then smiling and bowing her head. Behind her, Twilight blanched and then cringed, but Celestia’s next words calmed the nervous unicorn.

“Tut tut…Mark. You most certainly are special if Twilight’s letters speak the truth. Though you are a stranger to Equestria, you’ve done your best to endear yourself to my ponies in so many helpful ways. I think it speaks highly of you that you’ve sought to earn your place here despite how…unwelcome you’ve probably been treated by most. You have my sincerest apologies for any ponies who haven’t treated you as the guest you are, and you have my word that such treatment will be rectified,” she said, leaning down and giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek, her lips feeling like the softest of silk, the human stiffening up with a sharp intake of breath.

With another giggle, the princess turned away, Mark staying put as she returned to her throne and sat down, her gaze returning to him.

“First off, young Mark, since you now have my official blessing, you are essentially a citizen of Equestria, and as such, you will be granted all the privileges and rights that come with it…though this also includes the responsibilities to respect our laws and customs,” he said, her smile still there, but a strange firmness in her voice and bearing. Yep, she had all the parts of a maternal being, including the ability to be strict.

“However, I do understand that even with your time here, you are still a stranger in a strange land, so measures will be taken to accommodate you in any and all possible ways. But that is for later; for now, I invite you to spend some time in Canterlot with Twilight and her friends, and enjoy my hospitality. From what my faithful student has told me, you are very deserving of a vacation, so consider that granted,” she said, her warm look returning.

Mark wasn’t sure how to respond to that. It wasn’t everyday one entered not just a new city, but also a completely new world, one that defied imagination. However, her acceptance of him would do for now, knowing he might be able to live a somewhat normal life since he was officially accepted.

“Thank you, your majesty. I fully appreciate the gift you are granting me, and I will do my utmost to be worthy of it,” he said, bowing at the waist and then standing up. He hesitated for a moment, not sure what to do next…when he heard the door opening up behind him once again.

“Ah, good morning, sister. I was beginning to wonder if you’d forgotten about our guest’s arrival,” said Celestia, looking at and addressing someone behind him. Mark turned, eyes widening a little as he saw what could only be another princess approaching him, her manner regal, her face impassive. She was more his height, her body stocky and muscular, her coat a luscious shade of dark blue, her cerulean eyes locked on his. He would’ve thought her beautiful if she wasn’t looking at him so intently

“Mark, please allow me to introduce my sister Luna, Princess of the Night,” was heard behind him, Mark turning to fully face this Princess, who spoke no word nor made any motion of greeting, her eyes focused on his, her face remaining unsmiling. It wasn’t hostile or stern…more like aloof, as if she deciding what to think of him. She walked in such a way as to make a soldier jealous, body straight, steps even, eyes dead front.

Mark stood where he was, not sure if he should greet her, bow, or what have you, but he kept his eyes on hers as she got closer and closer, soon stopping almost nose to nose with him. He felt her breath from her nostrils, saw her flanks expanding and contracting, Luna still not making a move or speaking a word.

“Luna, he’s our guest. Please, remember your manners,” came Celestia’s voice from behind him, still warm, but holding that faint edge again, no doubt accompanied by a stern look. Luna didn’t answer, her gaze starting to unnerve him, making him wonder if he was committing some form of insult. Finally, deciding he had nothing to lose, he bowed to one knee again, head held low.

“Forgive me, your majesty. I’m…I’m afraid I’m not familiar with your protocol, so please forgive me if I’ve made an error or insulted you. It was not intentional,” he said, looking at her hooves, noting the glass slippers on them. He heard nothing from her at first…but then one of the hooves slowly rose, hanging in the air in front of him.

He resisted the urge to look up at her, gazing at the hoof for a moment. As he should’ve expected, it was well-manicured and clean, the glass slipper on it sparkling in the light. Could she want him to do what he was thinking she wanted him to do? Only one way to find out.

Gently taking the offered hoof in his hand, he brought it to his face and pressed his lips against it. Kissing a hoof wasn’t exactly his idea the best way to give his first one to someone of royalty, but he did his best, finding Luna’s hoof surprisingly clean. He kept the kiss for several seconds, then hesitantly looked up at the lunar princess…to see a very warm smile on her face, the stone-cold look completely gone.

“You may rise, sir Mark,” she said softly, and for some reason…Mark felt no urge to correct her.

Chapter 5

“Does Princess Luna treat everyone like that, or am I just special?” asked Mark as he and the six ponies left Celestia’s throne room. Mark had just gone through what felt like hours of interrogation, the two princesses questioning him on just about everything under the sun regarding himself. Luna had warmed up a bit after her little staring session, but she was still firm and somewhat stern with him, continually warning him to speak only truths throughout her questioning. Even Celestia had gone into her “stern mother” mode. He was more than happy to go once he was dismissed.

“Oh, you’re special, darling, no doubt there,” teased Rarity with a giggle, playfully bumping her flank against him. “But he does raise a good point, Twilight. Princess Luna was a bit more…uncouth than usual. Did she mention anything to you about not trusting Mark?” she said, turning her attention to the lavender unicorn.

“Not really. But since we freed her from Nightmare Moon, she has taken to her role as a protector of Equestria rather strongly. My guess is she’s just a bit wary of Mark because he’s so strange. Do bear in mind she’s only just met him, and even after being with him for so long, I still find him somewhat strange…no offense,” she said quickly, turning to Mark with a blush.

“It’s okay, Twilight. I never expected to fit in overnight, I just…it was a bit unnerving, Luna coming up to me like that. I felt for sure I’d done something to offend her,” he said, his heart pounding a bit as he remembered that unblinking gaze she’d given him.

“Keep in mind, Mark, Luna’s been gone fer over a thousand years, so she ain’t adjusted ta how things work ‘round here. Ah reckon that’s how things were done back in her day, so don’t worry too much ‘bout it. ‘sides, you seemed to do the right thing with kissing her hoof an‘ all,” said Applejack, giving him a thump on the shoulders…and drawing a squawk from Rarity.

“Maybe if we invite her to Markie’s “Citizen Of Equestria” Party, she can learn more about him…a lot more,” squealed Pinkie Pie with a giggle, drawing a collective groan from everypony and a scarlet blush from Mark. “What? Don’t tell me none of you saw her checking him out?” she said, that big grin of hers never wavering as she turned to look Mark in the eye. “Better be a good boy, Markie-poo! Princess Luna can be a big meanie if you‘re bad.”

“Aw come on, Pinkie, they only jest met. Yer tryin’ to tell me Luna’s already got a crush on him?” said Applejack huffily, Rarity the only one catching what sounded like a note of jealousy in the farm pony’s tone and smirking. She would have to investigate that later…and she couldn’t help but feel a bit of jealousy herself. Though she knew of Spike’s feelings for her and reciprocated them, she was starting to see Mark in an interesting light…and he DID look rather dashing in his suit.

“Alright, girls, enough of all that. Mark’s passed his test with the princesses, so we have to move on to the next order of business now that he’s a citizen here,” said Twilight, her horn glowing as she produced a checklist from thin air and began going over it. “Fixing up his home, getting him a job, helping him learn the laws and customs, getting him insured, and-”

“Actually, I was hoping we might go out and…have some fun?” said Mark hesitantly, watching Pinkie Pie out of the corner of his eye to see if she was about to go party crazy. When she didn’t, he continued. “It’s not exactly like back on earth, but I wouldn’t mind enjoying the night life here. It’s been a while since I just got to enjoy a night on the town,” he said, moving over to a nearby window and looking out at the streets of Canterlot. The sun was still up, but from what Twilight had told him, it was almost time for Celestia to lower it and Luna to move the moon in its place.

“Markie has…has earned a rest, girls. And…although I’m not much of a…night pony…we have too,” said Fluttershy, looking out the window with Mark, the human giving her a warm smile and politely stroking her mane, drawing a little giggle from her. “I wouldn’t mind spending the night out with you,” she said softly, slowly extending a wing to wrap around him.

Mark heard the other girls come up behind him and look out the window, Applejack bumping up against him on one side, Rarity the other, Twilight moving a bit in front, Rainbow Dash hovering above…and Pinkie Pie getting up on her hind legs and almost forcing him to the ground as she rested on his back, looking over his shoulder with a giggle.

“Yeah. Princess Celestia did say it was time for a vacation…and I think it’s time we all got to see Mark unwind,” said Twilight, suddenly turning to Mark with a mischievous smirk, the other girls all giggling and starting to prod him back to his room, his mild protests falling on deaf ears. “If Mark wants to enjoy the night life, I say we give him the full tour,” she said, happily leading the way into his room, the other girls closing the door behind them as they disappeared inside.

Princess Luna gazed into her mirror as she floated an eyeliner brush up to her face, drawing dark auras around her baby-blue orbs. That done, she applied some purple lipstick, then began to brush her shimmering mane. She and her sister had just raised the moon together, and being the Princess of the Night, it was time for her evening patrol. A princess had to make sure her subjects were safe, after all.

“Do you always get so dressed up for patrol, Lulu? Strange, but I can’t seem to recall you doing that before,” came the warm, teasing voice of her sister, her hoof steps clopping against the floor until she appeared in the mirror beside Luna.

“The Princess of the Night has to look her best, Tia. And we have a guest in our kingdom now. Just as he was expected to make a good impression on me, I must return the gesture,” she said calmly, placing the brush down and inspecting herself, giving a coy wink and smile, much to the amusement of Celestia.

“Speaking of our young guest, was it really necessary for you to give him…the business?” she asked, giving a somewhat stern look to her sister, who only rolled her eyes and sighed.

“Tia, how many threats have we dealt with since my return? How many nearly led to the end of Canterlot, never mind Equestria?” she said, her own voice growing firm as she turned and looked Celestia dead in the eye. “I have nothing but respect for you as a ruler, dear sister, but I cannot fully share your easy-going manner towards strangers. Mark had to show he meant no harm, and challenging him as I did was the best way.”

“Mark is far from a simple stranger, little sister. He’s been here for a fair amount of time, and in that time, he has not done a single act to warrant suspicion. If anything, he has gone above and beyond in trying to earn our trust. I would think Twilight’s letters demonstrate that clearly,” replied Celestia, calmly meeting Luna’s gaze. Her sister could become rather set when it came to her natural suspicion.

“And how long, dear sister, did the Changeling queen hide right under our noses, and as a pony whom we both have been around for decades no less? How much strange behavior that should’ve set off alarms did we ignore?” retorted Luna, her sister frowning and looking down. “Twilight was the only one among who knows how many who saw her for the imposter she was, and what did you do when she presented her suspicions?” said Luna, resisting the urge to poke Celestia in the chest with her hoof.

Celestia didn’t reply for a moment, her heart growing heavy as she remembered that day, one that was far from her best moment. Twilight had indeed been right about the fake Cadence, and Celestia still had trouble dealing with the fact that she had spoken against her student and had nearly crushed her heart. Luna did have a point there, though she’d also sank said point as well.

“That is true…but this time, Twilight was the one who expressed confidence that he meant no harm, and Twilight’s other friends have accepted him as well. Regardless of how strange he is, I believe that warrants him at least some trust from us,” she said softly.

Luna’s expression softened, and she extended a wing to hug her sister, nuzzling her cheek. “I’m sorry, Tia, and you are right. Perhaps I will find this young Mark and make some amends. He did remember the proper way to greet a princess, so I suppose that’s earned him some reward,” she said, Celestia immediately brightening up and smirking.

“Oh? And your appreciation for him couldn’t have anything to do with his body, could it? You really must practice your observation skills, Lulu. You make it so obvious when you‘re checking somepony out,” she said, giggling as Luna blushed, her cheeks turning dark purple.

Luna’s mouth opened, but no words came out, feeling her cheeks grow hot as she closed it, then opened it again, trying to figure out what to say. Yes, she had been checking him out, mainly because even by stallion standards, he was good-looking. Not to mention Luna was rather curious to learn more about him.

“It’s okay, Lulu. He is rather attractive for not being a stallion, not to mention polite and humble. Though I am surprised your eye is on him after so many stallions have tried to court you,” she said with a giggle, nuzzling Luna’s flushed cheek as her sister frowned and looked down for a moment…then seemed to look into space with a small smile.

“He wasn’t afraid of me, Tia. Most ponies all but run away when I give them the business…but he didn’t. He didn’t quite act as I was hoping for, but he did good…and he even knew to kiss my hoof,” she said, looking down at the one he’d kissed. The last time she’d offered her hoof for that, back in Ponyville during Nightmare Night, everyone had cowered from her, still seeing her as the dreaded Nightmare Moon. She had greeted many a noble in such a manner as well and they had either cowered away or scoffed at the very idea of such an act; manners had indeed fallen a bit since her banishment.

“Our little ponies still don’t fully trust you, do they, Lulu?” said Celestia softly, extending a wing to pull her sister to her. The dark mare nodded, a few tears brimming in her eyes, quickly wiped way before her make-up was ruined.

“Even after Twilight’s help on Nightmare Night, some ponies still have fear in their eyes when I approach. And since they heard about my pranks on Nightmare Night, many of the nobles seem to think it’s okay to prank me about my…other self. I do not like it, but I do not wish to be seen as the Nightmare if I get onto them.”

“And Mark is a clean slate, somepony you can be with without being pre-judged?” asked Celestia, Luna nodding and turning to her, gently kissing her cheek.

“More than that…he and I are…similar. We are both in a world we have trouble understanding and living in, even if for different reasons. True, his is because he is not Equestrian, but perhaps having something in common will allow us to…comfort each other,” she said softly, turning back to the mirror and giving her mane one final brush.

“He can’t have too many friends, Lulu, and if you think spending time with him will make you happier, I certainly won’t forbid it. Just take it slow with him; I don’t think Twilight has quite explained how courting works on Equestria, so he will need time to adjust. I get the impression that males like him aren’t as rare on his homeworld as they are here,” said Celestia, politely straightening her sister’s crown before stepping away.

Luna gave her reflection one more smile, found it and her make-up satisfactory, and moved to the balcony, spreading her wings and taking off. With a powerful flap, she made her way into the sky, heading for the bright lights of downtown Canterlot.

Behind her, Celestia watched until her little sister disappeared from view. Only then did she speak the words on her mind: "Just remember, dear sister...he is not immortal."

Chapter 6

Most shy folks always have the one thing that allows them to open up to others, even if only a little. For some, it might be a book or TV genre they enjoy with others, or a hobby they share, or sports or music or just about anything. And of course, for some people, it was getting drunk.

Dancing wasn’t exactly it for Mark, but he’d found that when he was dancing to a good song, his shyness eased up quite a bit and he found himself less concerned with what other folks thought of him. It had taken a bit for him to work up the nerve to go out and dance and he wasn’t going to win any hardcore contests, but he was to the point that he could cut some good moves.

Twilight and her friends had let him get out of his fancy suit and put on some normal clothes, then taken him out once the moon was high in the sky. As he’d expected, Canterlot was lit up like a Christmas tree at night, and the six ponies had taken him to a night club in what they’d called the “easy part of town”…with a promise to visit the other parts before the night was over.

Mark, being no stranger to loud sounds, wasn’t too bothered by the loud music and constant pounding of hooves on wood, but he still had to shout to be heard almost. He’d started out at the bar, wanting to fill up on water and coffee a bit since he could see it would be a long, physically-demanding evening.

He should’ve known the girls would eventually try to get him drinking

They’d all started proposing drinks, none of which sounded familiar to him, and he’d finally gotten them all quiet by suggesting something mild; it was still too early in the evening to get seriously hammered. Applejack had, of course, insisted on Apple Cider, which was apparently made differently here than it was in Mark’s world. Applejack swore up and down it wouldn’t get him rip-roaring drunk, and Mark was soon convinced enough to start sampling it.

Technically, AJ had told the truth…but she’d forgotten to take into account who she was talking to. The drink probably didn’t work too hard on ponies…but it only took one drink for Mark to feel a good buzz, and he was soon making his way onto the dance floor just as a very rousing beat picked up.

The beat didn’t sound like anything he’d heard on Earth, but it was enough for him to dance to, and with the drink in him, he was soon throwing out some rather crazy moves. He’d always been rather limber and agile, but with his new level of physical fitness, plus the drink in him suppressing his inhibitions, he was soon pulling off things he wouldn’t have tried even with his new strength.

“Whooie! Look at ‘im go!” cheered Applejack, watching Mark tear up the dance floor, clearly having a great time from the look on his face. She’d hosted probably hundreds of barn dances (yes, with a friend like Pinkie Pie, you could hit the high numbers), and she’d yet to see anyone pulling off the moves he was. The closest she’d seen was from Pinkie Pie, and she wasn’t sure the laws of physics applied to that pony.

“Oh yes, he does certainly work it…though I’m not sure some of those moves are…appropriate,” said Rarity with her eyes a bit wide, watching Mark slowly gyrate backwards until he was on all fours, his legs splayed apart, arching his back and kicking off, doing a wild handstand for a moment before coming back down to his feet. True, Pinkie Pie was known for making wild moves on the fly, but even she didn’t seem quite so provocative.

“Aww, come on, Rarity, nothing could ever be wrong with dancing!” squealed Pinkie Pie, watching the human with delight, clopping her hooves against the dance floor. Unable to stop herself, she soon began chanting “Markie! Markie! Markie!”, encouraging more from him. The other ponies on the dance floor had already given Mark some room, his strange appearance and even stranger dance moves soon having a lot of ponies’ attention, and it wasn’t long before the chant was taken up, including by the Mane Six.

Mark heard the chants even above the beat of the music and his own pulse in his ears, his heart racing to keep up with his wild moves. He wasn’t really used to being the center of attention of so many people, but he had to admit that hearing his name chanted was pretty cool. He threw out wilder and wilder moves, determined to give them a show, his breath starting to come in and out in rapid gasps; in the back of his mind, he knew he would’ve never been able to keep this up before he came to Equestria.

Finally, the song ended and Mark came to his feet, wiping his brow and turning to his pony friends…only to hear a chorus of cheers and the stomping of hooves, his face flushing as he turned to see his friends and many of the other ponies in the bar showing their appreciation of the show. He gave a sheepish smile and bowed slightly, feeling a bit dizzy as his chest swelled with pride. He offered another bow as the cheers continued for a bit, then moved over to join his friends, Applejack the first one to come up and thump him on the back.

“Yer welcome at one o’ mah barn dances any time, pardner!” she cheered, the other five ponies coming up to share their appreciation.

“That was AWESOME!” cheered Rainbow Dash, having been doing her own aerial moves the whole time. True, she had some slick moves of her own, but she had wings, which helped a lot; Mark had relied on nothing but his own agility. The cyan Pegasus raised a hoof and Mark met it with a high five, then suddenly found himself wrapped up by a barrel, a hoof giving him a noogie as Rainbow said “You and me need to get together sometime and work on some stunts! Anyone who can do moves like that without wings has to know some good ones!”

“Take it easy with him, Rainbow! Poor darling looks like he’s burning up; let’s get him over to the booth and get him some water,” chided Rarity, giving Mark a warm smile and lighting her horn, her magic helping to stabilize him as he half-walked, half-staggered along. “It’s really a treat to see you so happy, Mark. Perhaps this can become a regular thing?” she asked, the ponies helping him over to a booth, a pitcher of water soon in front of him, the human eagerly gulping down cupful after cupful. Once he’d slaked his thirst, he leaned back with a sigh, wiping his forehead again.

“Heh, do bear in mind I’m a bit drunk, Rarity, so don’t expect this at every dance unless you set something up with AJ,” he said, unable to stop a snicker from getting out, laughing at absolutely nothing; in the few times he’d gotten drunk, he had always been a goofball.

“Well, we need to work on yah being relaxed without getting drunk, but Ah reckon Ah can work something out,” she said with a smirk, giving him a thump on the arm. The human stretched his arms over his head and yawned, saying “Might want to fetch me some coffee too. I just know you gals ain’t gonna let me go to bed right now.”

They all suddenly hugged him, giggling and awing as if he’d just declared an end to a party. “The night’s still young, Markie-poo! You said you wanted to enjoy the night-life and that’s what we’re absolutely positively going to do!” declared Pinkie Pie, all of the other ponies, Fluttershy included, giving an emphatic nod.

Once they pulled away, Mark noted that a rather slow song was now playing, ponies joining up in pairs on the floor to dance together. To his mild surprise, he saw more than a few standing on their hind legs, front legs wrapped around each other, much like they would be back in his world. He glanced at his friends, wondering…

“Er, Rarity…not sure how this would work out, all things considered…but would you like to dance?” he asked, straightening up and offering her a smile and his hand..

Rarity turned to him, her eyes a bit wide and a faint blush on her cheeks. The last time she’d done a dance with a male had been at the Grand Galloping Gala…and it hadn’t gone so well. Still, though he wasn’t a pony, Mark was certainly no Prince Blueblood, so it surely couldn’t hurt.

“Why, I’d be delighted, darling,” she said with a smile, though cocking her head at his hand. Mark noticed her confusion and chuckled nervously, withdrawing his hand and instead giving her a bow. Really, he expected her to walk on three legs?

“Sorry, something from back home; forgot where I was for a moment,” he said as he led the way out to the dance floor, the other ponies giving a few whistles and shouts of encouragement. Turning back to her, he said, “Begging your pardon, but perhaps you could lead? I think this’ll work better if I watch you before we…you know,” he said shyly, nodding to the dancing couples around them.

“Not a problem, dear Mark. Just follow my lead,” she cooed, slowly moving her hoofs to the flow of the song, Mark doing his best to follow her on his two legs, the seamstress’s smile growing when he was matching her somewhat smoothly. “Very good, darling. Now, are you ready for the next part?” she asked, moving a bit closer to him…and blushing as his masculine scent filled her nose. He was still rather hot and sweaty from his wild dancing, and while she dreaded sweating herself, it seemed rather appealing for him to be doing it.

“I…I think so. You’ll have to forgive me, Rarity; even back home, dancing with a girl didn’t come easy for me,” he said, trying to keep the tremble from his voice as he moved closer as well, gently holding her sides as she raised her fore hooves, resting them on his shoulders to help steady herself. Mark’s face was now right in front of her’s, her muzzle rubbing against his nose, and both were blushing somewhat heavily, though Mark seemed to be the more nervous of the two.

“Just relax, darling. Just relax. Pretend there’s nopony here but you and I and just go with the flow. You couldn’t possibly do anything to upset me right now,” she said softly, following her own advice as she swayed with the music, his hands moving down a bit to her barrel. She had seen him work on AJ’s farm, so she had a good idea of how strong he was, yet his touch was gentle now, the human treating her as if she were a fine piece of jewelry. However…he was also rather rigid, his fingers digging into her flesh a bit, as if to anchor them where they were. His movements were stiff as well, as if he were one of her dressmaker dummies.

“Markie, I know you’re nervous, but please, you cannot be a statue with this. Move naturally,” she said, her voice firming up a bit but remaining pleasant, Mark nodded and loosening up a bit, the two of them swaying and dancing about the floor. Rarity spun away at one point, anchored by his grip on her hoof, then came back to him, playfully bumping her barrel against him with a giggle. He did the same a moment later and came back to her, though his bump made her grunt a bit, his added muscle making him a bit hard.

“Heh, I think this is the closest I’ve come to being intimate with a pony since I came here,” he said with a chuckle, Rarity’s eyes widening a bit, the seamstress covering her nervousness with a giggle. “It’s…strange, considering what mares were back home…but I like it,” he said shyly, the seamstress feeling her heart pounding in her chest.

‘You‘re not the only one, Markie,’ she thought, pulling him tighter against her as the song began to pick up, her blush deepening.

“Awww, they look so cuuuute,” said Fluttershy in the closest thing she had to a schoolgirl squeal, Pinkie Pie nodding with an actual schoolgirl squeal. “Who knew such a strange…strange…stranger could dance so well, and with Rarity at that,” she said, the other five ponies watching with varied expressions. Fluttershy looked smitten, Pinkie Pie ready to burst out into another cheering session, Rainbow Dash looking bored (slow dancing had never done it for her, considering she was all about speed)…and both Twilight and Applejack looking jealous.

“Yeah, real cute,” muttered Applejack under her breath, watching with a bit of a scowl as Mark and Rarity picked up the pace, the human stumbling a bit before catching up with the new speed. It wasn’t that she had anything against Rarity enjoying a good dance…but their body language said there was more going on out there than just a dance lesson for Mark. They were holding each other too close, their faces too scarlet, Mark’s smile too big.

‘Ah’ve been the one takin care o’ him fer almost a year. It should be me out there he’s dancin and flirtin’ with,’ she thought, the farmer pony having long realized she felt more for the human than just friendship. She wasn’t ready to go and say it was romantic love, but he was special to her, almost a member of the family, and they’d already done so much together that a dance seemed only the next natural step. Turning to Twilight, she noticed that, while she looked jealous, she wasn’t watching the two so much as watching Mark’s legs.

“Er…what’r you lookin at, Twi?” she asked, certain that the bookworm couldn’t be doing what she thought she was doing.

Twilight startled with a squeak, blinking and looking at Applejack. “Huh…oh, sorry AJ…I was just wishing I could dance like that. I still haven’t learned since the Grand Galloping Gala,” she said with a frown, turning back to watch Mark and Rarity. “I’ve read all sorts of books on it, been to a dance class, everything…and I still can’t do it. Meanwhile, Mark gets a standing ovation on his first go!” she squawked, throwing her forelegs out into the air.

“Er, well, ya know, sugarcube, Mark don’t seem to be using any specific moves. Ah think he’s jest making stuff up as he goes along…so mebbe ya’ll can ask him for some pointers?” said the farm pony, gazing back out Mark and Rarity. “Though Ah should mention Ah can’t really see any of us doing some of those moves,” she said with a chuckle, trying to remember the last time she’d seen anypony aside from Pinkie Pie move their body with such agility.

Back out on the dance floor, Mark and Rarity were getting a bit faster in their movements, the song having picked up. Rarity was enjoying it so much that she actually didn’t mind that a bit of sweat was starting to bead on her forehead, feeling as if she were floating on air, any concerns she had tossed to a faraway land. Mark let her twirl away again, then come back to bump against him again, he doing the same thing…and losing his grip.

With a loud yell of surprise, he stumbled back, arms flailing as he tried to regain his footing. For whatever reason, the agility he’d had earlier left him and he couldn’t get his feet to stop backpedaling…until he slammed into someone sitting at the bar and both went to the floor. As if that wasn’t enough, the drink that had been being enjoyed ended up in the air, the contents splashing over both of them.

Mark was quickly on his feet, turning and automatically extending a hand to help up whomever he’d run into, seeing it was now a light gray stallion with amber hair and blue eyes. Said blue eyes were currently glaring at him, the pony’s mouth set in a very bad scowl.

“My apologies, sir. Completely my fault,” he said as politely as he could, the look he was getting telling him he was about to get chewed out. It wouldn’t be the first time, so he didn’t give it much mind…until the stallion suddenly jumped to his feet and shoved his face right into Mark’s, huffing.

“’Sir’? Do you have any idea who I am, bug!” he snapped, Mark quickly stepping back to avoid his horn. The stallion just moved forward, almost head butting the human as he growled, “And do you have any idea how much it costs to get this coat primed!”

Mark was shaking his head and holding his hands up in front of him, saying “I am truly sorry…er, sir. I can pay for any damages,” he said, only for the stallion to give him an almost-head butt again, scoffing at his words.

“You assault me and you think you can just buy me off…like…like some cheap peon?!” he snarled, Mark shaking his head quickly and replying “It wasn’t assault, sir, I just slipped”…and getting yet another semi-head butt.

“Now see here, Blueblood! This is completely uncalled for!” cried Rarity, recognizing the stallion and making her way over as she Mark do his best to explain what happened, Blueblood’s continued verbal assault making it hard. To his credit, Mark didn’t look like he was trying to rein in his temper as Rarity would’ve been had he been doing that to her. In fact, he seemed downright determined to apologize no matter what Blueblood said

And she most certainly wasn’t going to let such an effort be demeaned!

“Would you kindly button your lip and let him finish!” she snapped, getting right up in front of Blueblood’s face…and feeling her mouth drop open in shock as he actually raised a hoof, pulling it back to strike her. It was such an unexpected gesture, even from a snob like him, that she found herself unable to react as his hoof came at her face…only to feel her body being pushed aside, Mark’s arm coming out to block the blow. However, rather than push it away, he’d tried to use his elbow to push it upwards. Being a bit taller than Rarity, it didn’t work out quite as he was probably expecting.

Mark knew he’d made a mistake the minute he’d made the move, forgetting he was dealing with a pony and not another human being. His royal life aside, Blueblood had very strong cannons, and while Mark succeeded in preventing Rarity from being back hoofed, he got it right in the face, sparing himself a fractured jaw only by starting to pull away when he saw what was about to happen.

Glancing or not, the blow was enough to snap his head to the side, splitting his lip and spinning him away to fall on his butt. As if on command, Twilight and the rest of his friends were suddenly crowded around Blueblood, alternating between threats of retaliation and cries of indignation. Even Fluttershy seemed infuriated, Rarity stepping in front of her to stop her from using The Stare on him.

To his credit, Blueblood didn’t back down, clearly a bit inebriated and gaining some uncharacteristic bravery from it, returning their threats with his own and saying something about his being a prince giving him the right to do as he wished to a freak. Mark couldn’t really discern specifics, his head ringing from the blow, the taste of blood in his mouth. However, he still stumbled to his feet and made his way to the prince, seeing in his hazy vision that he had his hoof raised again, ready to strike somepony else.

Two cupped hands walloping his ears put a stop to any such plan, the stallion howling in pain as his brain was literally hammered with twin rushes of air. No follow up blow was needed, as he instinctively brought up both hooves to his ears, his body falling forward and his face slamming into the ground. The damage wouldn’t be that bad, mostly a good headache and some delirium for a bit, but it certainly got the point across.

“If you’ve got a beef with me, you can damn well take it out on me. You leave my friends out of it,” said Mark rather calmly, voice belying the cold look on his face. Looking at the ponies who had ha, he gave a sad smile and turned on his heel, wiping at his lip a bit as he made his way out the front door.

“Yeah, you’d better leave, you…you bug! Just wait until the Royal Guard hears about this. Just wait until the Princesses hear about this!” came from behind him, Blueblood struggling to his feet, blood running from his own jaw, though contrary to the usual outcome, he wasn’t missing any teeth. Still, his head was ringing like a bell and it felt like a hammer had pounded his brain a few times. Mark didn’t even slow his pace as he left the club.

Blueblood managed one shaky step after him before he suddenly found Rarity blocking his way, a look of murder on her face. Applejack came up beside her, a hard look in her eyes and her teeth grinding, back legs cocked as if she were about to charge.

“That. Is. ENOUGH!” growled Rarity, her horn starting to glow, the threat of what would happen if he took one more step very clear. Blueblood was about to order her out of his way…only to see the other four mares surrounding him as well, all of them, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie included, looking ready to brawl. With a huff, he turned and waved a dismissive hoof.

“Fine, go be with your freak. It won’t matter anyway, after I report this outrage,” he said, wiping blood from his mouth and spitting some onto the floor, making his way back to the stool he’d been on before being so rudely interrupted from his drink. Behind him, the little freak’s entrouge followed him, leaving Blueblood in peace once more…though he was distantly aware some eyes on him for a bit before everypony went back to what they were doing.

“Oh yes, just you wait, freak. No one messes up a hair on my coat and gets away with it,” he muttered to himself, a new drink soon in front of him. Before he could enjoy it, he felt a tap on his back, letting out a growl as he turned to face whomever it was…and feeling his mouth drop open when he saw the pony.

“Hello, dear nephew,” said Princess Luna rather pleasantly, a rather predatory smile on her face and her eyes boring into his. “Might we go someplace private for a… discussion?” she asked, horn starting to glow and a magical field surrounding both of them.

Blueblood felt a tremor run down his spine, sweat beading on his forehead; he knew that look very well. He managed to squeak out “Mommy,” just before the two of them vanished.

Mark sighed as he found the nearest bench out on the street and sat down, wiping at the blood oozing from his lip. Fortunately, the stallion prince hadn’t struck him full on with his hoof, so aside from the split lip and a bit of a ringing headache, he was okay…at least physically.

“Goddamnit!” he growled at himself, not much caring if any of the few ponies walking by heard him. His heart was pounding in his chest and a pit was forming in his stomach, the human certain he’d just ruined his new citizenship in Equestria before it was a day old. “Way to go, Mark. You just had to be Sir fucking Galahad with a prince of all people,” he muttered, looking back at the entrance to the bar, none of his friends following him.

Granted, the stallion had been rude as hell and tried to strike Rarity simply for defending him…not to mention flat-out struck him for nothing, but still, being a prince surely meant he was a privileged one, and he had heard his promise to make Mark suffer as he left. Mark had a feeling that wouldn’t be difficult.

“Well…maybe Applejack’ll let me stay with her even if I’m no longer a citizen here; she did it for six months, and I can more than earn my stay,” he said, leaning back on the bench. “Oh well, nothing to do about it now. At least I can say it was in defense of a friend.”

“You certainly can, Sir Mark.”

He almost choked at the sound of that voice, whirling so fast he nearly threw himself off the bench, finding Princess Luna standing right behind him, gazing at him without expression. As if a soldier, he jumped to his feet and stiffened to attention, then remembered the proper response and bowed low.

“I-I-I’m sorry, Princess. You surprised me,” he said, gazing at the ground as before, certain she was here to see to his punishment for what he did. “I doubt it makes any difference, but I’m sorry for violating the-mph…” His eyes widened as he suddenly found a hoof on his lips, said hoof gently moving to his chin and making him look up to see Luna smiling warmly down at him.

“Please, rise, Sir Mark. You are not in trouble,” she said with a light giggle, Mark slowly getting to his feet and looking at her in confusion.

“But…but I just…struck a Prince, and not even a day has gone by since my…citizenship was granted,” he said, Princess Luna frowning and narrowing her eyes, turning to glance back at the bar entrance.

She turned back to him and smiled again, saying “Yes, Mark, you did; a very rude and arrogant Prince named Blueblood, who happens to be my nephew.” Seeing his eyes widen and his mouth drop open, she giggled and said “No no, do not fret. I mean to say that I’m aware of his uncouth personality and am really not surprised that his attitude has gotten him into trouble yet again.”

Mark relaxed a bit, raising an eyebrow and cocking his head a bit. “O-kay…soooo, I’m not about to be banished for striking royalty?” he said, feeling his heart rate return to normal…slightly.

Luna shook her head, her eyes twinkling and her mane shimmering behind her head. “Nay, you will not. I saw what happened and have already dealt with him. What you did was most admirable, though I must say that the…motions you made were strange. What were they?” she asked, motioning for him to take a seat again and settling down on her haunches.

Mark chuckled, rubbing the back of his head for a minute. “Uhh, well, they were just some basic self-defense moves I learned back on my world. I’m sorry to say that things aren’t as peaceful there as they are here.”

“Oh? Were you a soldier back on your world?” said Luna, her eyes roaming his body as he sat, his plainer clothing allowing her a better look at his form. It was…interesting, so say the least, the way he moved so smoothly on two legs, how upright his body was. True, Diamond Dogs and dragons like Spike did the same, but it was done more for practicality’s sake; they could easily move about on all fours as well, and Mark was clearly meant to function on two legs and two legs only.

Mark frowned and shook his head, saying “No…and I’d prefer not to talk about what I was back home. I understand you’re curious, but…it’s not something I’m comfortable with right now.” He shook his head and wiped at his lip again, the cut still bleeding and his head hurting a bit.

“Are you well, Mark?” asked Luna, moving closer to take a look. The human nodded and politely waved away her concern, saying “Been hit worse by better, so don’t worry. Tell you the truth, I think my headache is more from the music than the hit.” That got a giggle out of Luna, the loud, ear-hurting music that today’s ponies seemed to enjoy still strange to her, who was used to the classical music of her time.

“Mark! Mark! Mark, where are you!?” came several loud cries, Mark turning to see Twilight and the other ponies coming out of the dance club. He stood up and waved to them, all six galloping over and stopping short of tackling him, Applejack the first to get in his face, looking him over more closely than an apple meant for Zap Apple cider.

“Are yah hurt, Mark? So help me, if’n that good fer nothing Blueblood put so much as a scratch on yah, I’ll applebuck him into next year!” Before he could reply, Applejack was quickly but gently pushed aside by Rarity, the white unicorn getting in his face as well, biting her lower lip.

“Now now, Applejack, there’s no need for such talk. You aren’t hurt, are you, Mark? You have my sincerest thanks for what you did, but it’s a travesty that you had to be hit doing it,” she said, noting his cut lip, but dismissing it as it was no longer bleeding.

“Geez girls, take it easy. It was just a damn tap to the face,” he said, quickly stepping away and holding up his hands, waving for the girls to stay back. He heard snickering behind him and turned to see Princess Luna chortling behind her hoof. The other girls suddenly noticed the princess and, after a few squeaks and meeps, bowed their heads.

“Hmm, seems you have quite a following, Sir Mark. Perhaps my sister’s trust in you is warranted after all,” she said, politely stepping in front of him and facing the six mares. “Lady Twilight and friends, your concern for Sir Mark is well noted and appreciated, but I wish to speak with him in private for some time. Please, return to your drinks and dancing and I shall return him in due time,” she said, Mark raising an eyebrow at that, wondering what the lunar mare had in mind.

The girls, particularly Rarity and Appljack, cast nervous looks at each other and concerned looks to Mark, but Twilight seemed to be speaking for all of them when she said “As you wish, Princess Luna. Though…don’t do anything extreme.” A blush came to her cheeks and a sheepish smile spread on her muzzle, Mark smirking and giving a wry chuckle. Seemed she still remembered their little…adventure.

Luna giggled again, a rather strange sound considering her stern behavior earlier…though Mark had to admit the musical sound was nice. “Duly noted, young Twilight, but you need not worry. I simply have some things I wish to discuss with our otherworldly guest, and I feel they would be best done in private,” she said, returning their bow and turning to Mark. “Shall we, Sir Mark?” she asked, the human blushing a bit as her warm smile returned.

“Uh…well…who am I to turn down a princess?” he asked, shrugging at Twilight and his friends. None of them were giving him the “Danger! Watch out,” look…though Pinkie Pie had a very large grin on her face. “Sorry to leave you just when things are getting fun, girls. I promise I’ll make it up to you later.”

“It’s okay, sugarcube. Ah’m sure y’all need a rest anyway,” said Applejack, her face belying her voice a bit, her lips in a thin line and her eyes seeming to be drilling into Luna.

“Yes, darling, you go and have your…special chat with Princess Luna. We can party without you for a bit,” added Rarity politely, also giving Luna a rather pointed look. The lunar princess either ignored or was unaware of both, turning and using a wing to gently push Mark along as she began to walk down the street, heading to what the girls knew was a calmer part of Canterlot. The girls watched them until they were out of sight.

“Well girls…our entertainment for the evening has been taken. What now?” said Twilight, turning back to her friends with a bit of a pout. They all looked at each other, then at the club.

“Anyone up for Pin the Tail on the Pony?” chirped Pinkie Pie.

Chapter 7

Mark was certainly a different form of company. It only took a few minutes of walking with him for Luna to determine that.

Outside of dreams, she didn’t normally do one on one sessions with anypony other than her sister or Twilight and her friends. Ponies were too intimidated by her, or too groveling, or too curious…but Mark was different. For starters, though he had been intimidated by her earlier, for now, he merely walked alongside her calmly, having clearly trusted her to lead the way to their destination. His eyes kept moving to her, but only to make sure he was keeping up with her or to make sure something wasn’t wrong. And he was quiet enough to almost put the apple grower’s brother to shame.

“You are most quiet, sir Mark,” she said at one point, deciding to see what his angle was. “Does your head still trouble you?” she asked, remembering that suddenly; she knew head injuries could sometimes cause altered mental statuses, which might explain his silence.

Mark turned his head to her and shook it, both in a response and to show it was indeed alright, offering a polite smile as he answered “No, your highness. I just find that, in situations like this, it is better to listen rather than talk.”

“Situations like what?” she asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow at him.

“When I’m with important people…or ponies, in this case,” he answered, looking around them. They were in a part of Canterlot that was noticeably darker, though not in an intimidating manner. “Humble” was the word that came to mind to describe it, this area clearly meant just for your average pony or stallion to enjoy a nice quiet evening. There were cafes, bookstores, and mom & pop motels, nothing like the vibrant atmosphere he’d just left.

“I am a bit curious as to where we’re going. This is my first time here and I don’t want to get lost and wind up someplace I don’t want to be,” he said, the lunar princess giggling and winking.

“Fret not, outworlder. I told the truth when I said I wanted to speak with you in private, and I know just the place to do it,” she said, motioning to a café they were approaching. It was a small, humble little place with a patio, several awnings hanging over spots here and there. On a large sign on the roof, facing out, was the name: Donut Joe‘s.

Luna led the way, her horn glowing indigo as she opened the door, stepping in and waiting for him. Several shelves holding numerous jars of coffee beans were the first thing he noticed, the next was a small room containing various equipment; soda fountain, espresso maker with steam wands, coffeemaker, along with more shelves of flavored syrups. He was aware that he was smiling, smiling in remembrance of a time long ago. yes, it would be nice to talk here.

Luna noticed his dreamy smile, a smile of her own coming at what she thought was simply him sharing her enjoyment of such places. She made her way to the front counter, a bulky but muscular unicorn with light amber fur coming out to greet her with a warm smile and a nod.

“Good evening, Princess Luna. Brought us a new customer, I see…oh, is that the new…guest everypony was gossiping about?” asked the unicorn, gazing at Mark. Luna nodded, stepping closer to him.

“Yes, he certainly is. Mark, this is Donut Joe, the owner of this fine establishment. He has been a friend of my sister and I for many years, as well as our main supplier of this coffee,” she said, said owner offering a polite bow of his head which Mark returned.

“A pleasure to meet you, young man. I hope you’re fond of coffee, as I can already tell Luna has a long talk planned,” he said with a wry smirk, Luna giggling before gazing at his coffee selection. To Mark’s surprise, many of the drinks were the same as back on his world…which gave him an idea.

“Er…Donut Joe, would it be alright if I made the orders? I worked at a coffee shop much like this back on my world and, well…it would be nice to see if I still have the skill,” he said with a shy smile and blush. Luna returned the smile and looked at Joe, who looked at Mark with scrutiny; he hadn’t gotten his cutie mark in coffee-making for nothing, and he’d be damned if he’d let his business’s good name be tarnished.

“You can make your own order first, lad, then we’ll see about the Princess’s,” he said, ignoring Luna’s scowl and stepping aside to let the young lad in, noting he moved up without hesitation and immediately moved over to the espresso machine. His face was impassive, no sign of being intimidated by the machine in front of him, giving one of the knobs of the steam wand a twist and getting a blast of the super-hot air. Satisfied, he moved over to the sink, finding the portion spoons, then to a nearby icebox, finding a container of milk half-buried in it.

Content that he had all the necessary ingredients, Mark went to work, portioning one shot of espresso from the machine, then pouring up the eight ounces of milk while it made the shot. Looking up at the flavor bottles, he picked the two needed and poured both into the mixing cup at the same time, mentally counting until he had the measurements.

His movements were smooth and calm, hands seeming to be on autopilot, the ingredients mixed up and getting steamed just as the espresso shot was finished pouring. He grabbed a coffee mug and pulled the mix from the steamer, checking the pot with his bare hand to make sure it was at the right temperature, then adding the shot of espresso and pouring it into the mug. He topped it off with a perfect hill of whipped cream, then garnished it with chocolate syrup before presenting it to Donut Joe. The entire process had barely taken two minutes.

“Well, that was mighty impressive, son. But let’s make sure ya got the proper taste,” he said, taking a polite sip of the drink, closing his eyes and letting it swish around his mouth a bit, then swallowing and nodding with a grunt of satisfaction. “Princess, is this young lad currently employed? I’d be mighty happy to employ him here right this minute,” he said, Mark blushing and looking down, Luna giggling merrily.

“Alas, he is somewhat employed at the moment in Ponyville, though that may change now that he is a citizen. And now, Mark, I would like a Caramel Macchiato with extra vanilla. Is that doable?” she asked…and was surprised to see Mark already going about making it before she’d even finished. He clearly was familiar with what he was doing and the drink was before her even quicker than he’d made his own. A quick sip was all that was needed to assure her it was perfect.

She let Pony Joe ring them up, then moved to hand over the required bits…only for Mark to politely set down some of his own. “Please, Princess Luna, this is on me. You and your sister have already done so much for me today, it’s only fair I pay for this,” he said warmly, Luna finding no reason to protest and leading the way out to the patio, the human leaving the change for a tip and following.

“Many thanks, Mark. You’re not quite on Pony Joe’s level, but this is one of the best cups I’ve had the privilege of enjoying,” she said, her cup held in an indigo glow as she sipped from it, resting her rump on one of cushioned seats on the patio, Mark taking a seat across from her. He bowed his head in response and eased back, trying to make his cup last as long as possible…for it reminded him of the world he’d left behind.

“So, now that you are a citizen of Equestria, what say you about our humble kingdom?” asked Luna, looking over at him as he sipped his coffee, eyes on her star-filled night. She could see it was more than just a casual glance, his eyes focusing on the various constellations she’d put up in the evening sky over the centuries. “Something about the stars you wish to know?” she asked with a warm smile, always delighted to see someone interested in her work.

Mark said nothing for a few moments, then turned to her, smirking as he said “It took me almost twenty years to learn the constellations back home, and now I’ll have to do it all over again. Nothing up there even comes close to what we have back on Earth.”

Luna cocked her head to the side, letting his words play over in her head. “Wait…you mean you have such things back on Earth…where you say there is no magic?” she asked, trying to process how that could be possible. From the look on Mark’s face, he was surprised himself.

“Uh, yeah, I guess. Granted, coming to a magical kingdom with talking ponies and demi-god princesses certainly opens a new book for me. If I ever get home, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to listen to another astronomer with a straight face,” he said with a rueful chuckle.

“An astronomer? You mean there are people on your world who study the celestial objects?” she asked, finding herself wanting to hear more. Astronomy wasn’t unknown on Equestria, but considering Luna essentially controlled the stars and moon, there wasn’t a much of a point to it beyond observation.

“It’s the oldest natural science back home. Humans have been studying the stars for…damn, for centuries, probably since the first man. It’s how we discovered much about Earth and our universe before space exploration became possible,” he said, and was rewarded by Luna’s mouth actually dropping open.

“Space…exploration? Humans can travel amongst the stars?” she asked, trying to wrap her mind around how that was possible without magic. Twilight’s letters had specifically mentioned Mark emphasizing that magic did not exist on his world…yet it didn’t sound like he was joking with his words.

Seeing the look on her face, Mark chuckled and asked “How about I just explain things a bit more?” Getting a nod in return, he started to speak, starting with the story of Galileo, then telling her about man’s early fascination with the cosmos, touching on some of the theories of life on other planets and explaining what he knew of the constellations.

He watched Luna’s lovely face go through different expressions, showing amusement when he spoke of little green men from Mars or the moon, gleeful curiosity when he spoke of the constellations, sadness and respect when he talked about the space race and those who’d died trying to make it succeed. He told her about the moon landing itself, a glowing smile spreading on her face when he talked about the celebrations it’d caused around the world.

“And even just before I ended up here, we were still exploring. We’ve learned so much about our world and the galaxy Earth resides in, but I don’t think we’ve even seen a fraction of what’s out there,” he said, gazing back up into the night, wondering what could be lurking out there in this world.

He was surprised to feel a wing suddenly envelope him, pulling him against the princess’s warm body, Luna nuzzling her cheek against his. When she looked into his eyes, he saw them sparkling with tears.

“Thank you, Mark Hirami. Thank you for letting me know that there are people who appreciate the moon and the stars, even if not in this world,” she said softly, Mark returning her smile and politely wiping her tears away with his thumb.

“My pleasure, Luna,” he said, returning her nuzzle some. After a moment, he asked “Would you like to hear what humans do after the sun goes down?”

She pulled away and gave an eager nod, watching as Mark put his hands together and placed his head on them. She cocked her own in confusion…then he started snoring!

“Oh, you tease!” she said with a snort of laughter, giving him a playful shove as he grinned and stuck out his tongue, soon joining in.

Once the laughter had died down, he moved close to her and said “Let me get another cup of coffee, Luna. I get the feeling it’s going to be a long night of storytelling.”

It was indeed.

Chapter 8

“So now what, girls?” asked Twilight, sipping from her glass of water. All the dancing and games and general merrymaking were now over, and the six mares were all relaxing in their booth.

“Whaddya mean ‘Now what’, egghead?” asked Rainbow Dash, taking a long chug of her Apple Cider. It might not have been on the level of Applejack’s home-made stuff, but it was still a good drink for her.

“What about Mark?” she replied, scowling at Rainbow. The human and his potential citizenship had only been the center of their attention for the past month and Rainbow was already forgetting about him?

“He’s a citizen now, sugarcube, and he’s got a place ta hang his hat and plenty o’ work ta let him pay fer what he needs. And he has all of us as friends, so what else is there?” asked Applejack, smirking at Rainbow Dash and taking an even bigger swig of her own drink, missing Twilight’s face hoof.

“Oh come on, girls, we all know it’s not that easy. Yes, he’s a citizen, but that doesn’t mean everything’s suddenly a-okay,” she grumbled, her friends all turning to face her, surprised at her behavior. After stressing over this event for months, they all figured she’d be gleeful it turned out good.

Seeing she had their full attention, she said, “He’s the only human in Equestria, girls. Try to imagine if one of us were the only pony in the Griffon kingdom, with the odds of ever leaving slim to none, and then think of what it must be like for him.”

She watched their faces turn thoughtful, then solemn, the full weight of Mark’s situation finally dawning on them.

“Yes, he has us as friends, and he has a place to live and a means to support himself…but he doesn’t have anypony he can relate to, and he’s probably going to have to give up all he knows about his world and learn about ours so he can try and fit in. And no matter how much he tries to fit in, he’s probably always going to be an outsider in one way or another. I highly doubt even Princess Celestia’s blessing will make everypony trust him,” she said, her ears drooping at her own depressing observation.

After a few moments of silence, Rarity was the first to speak up, saying “Well then, I say it’s on us to help make him feel as welcome as possible. If he has to give up what’s important to him, then let’s make it because he has things more important to replace them with.” That got an emphatic nod from all and smile from all, though Fluttershy was soon frowning again.

“How do we do that? You just said he doesn’t have anything to share here,” she said quietly, though for once, she wasn’t hiding behind her hair when talking. Her words got everypony looking at each other again, hooves going to chins as they all tried to figure out ways to help their new citizen.

“Well, for starters, we need to do something to make him…er…appear normal to everypony. More normal, anyway. While I can understand his desire to keep to himself, Ponyville needs to see him more often and get more used to his presence,” she said, eyes moving up as she thought hard. “A steady job might be best. Something that would expose him to more ponies, require him to stick to a schedule, things like that.”

She had to ponder on that, though. It was probably the best way, but at the same time, the very thing she was trying to help him overcome might also prevent him from getting such a job. Who would hire him?

“Oh oh! I know!” cheered Pinkie Pie, making Twilight jump as the pink pony suddenly bounced up into the air, foreleg waving in the air. Twilight waited for her to go on…only for Pinkie to keep waving her hoof, as if…in class. With a sigh, Twilight pointed to her.

“He comes to the Cakes’ bakery a lot, and he’s been asking a lot of questions about how they make everything. Maybe they could take him on,” she said with a big grin, clearly proud of herself for seeming to solve their problem. The other mares looked thoughtful, Applejack in particular pursing her lips.

“Now that ya mention that, Pinkie, he has helped me and Granny Smith bake the usual fritters, dumplings and whatnot, so he does have good baking skills. And boy howdy, ya’ll should see what he can do with them hands of his,” she said with a chuckle, remembering how both her and Granny’s mouths had dropped open the first time he’d helped.

“Sounds good, but how do Mr. and Mrs. Cake feel about him, Pinkie?”

“Oh, they…well, they don’t mind him, but they aren’t as fond of him as I am,” she said with a bit of a frown. This brought out a chuckle from Rainbow.

“Pinkie, you’re super fond of everypony, so don’t worry about that,” she said, turning to Twilight. “He had to earn my trust when he first came here, and if he can get mine, he can get anypony’s. And we all saw how he got Luna to warm up to him,” she said, getting emphatic nods all around.

“Well girls, sounds like we have a plan for that problem. Anypony think there’s anything else we can do to help him get more comfortable here?” asked Twilight, not able to think of anything herself.

“W-what about…what about a special somepony?” came Fluttershy’s soft voice, the butter mare peeking out from behind her mane. She blushed when everypony turned to look at her, but she also had a pleased smile on her face.

“He’s so shy and lonely, it-it would do him good…to find a soul mate. It…it’s done wonders…for me,” she said, a giggle bubbling from her and her cheeks turning even more crimson.

“Oh, indeed. How are you and Big Mac doing, by the way?” purred Rarity, reaching over and placing a hoof on Fluttershy‘s shoulder. News of her and Big Mac becoming an item had been the gossip of Ponyville for weeks now, and all could see the effects it was having on the Pegasus.

Fluttershy didn’t answer for a moment…then held up a foreleg, a glittering gold band around it. Every mouth at the table dropped open, wondering how they’d missed it until now.

“He-he proposed…and I accepted,” she all but squealed, her smile spreading until it nearly split her face. There was a moment of complete silence…then cheers all around, the poor butter crème pony squeaking as she was group-hugged.

“Oh my, congratulations, dear!” cried Rarity, taking Fluttershy’s hoof and squeezing it.

“Whooie, it’s ‘bout time that big lug finally asked ya,” said Applejack, reaching around Rainbow and patting Fluttershy on the back. “When’s the wedding?” she asked, chuckling as that question made Pinkie Pie lean in even closer, rapidly going through what would have to be there.

“Oh dear, I’ll have to get a list started and rework my schedule,” said Twilight, biting her lip for a moment before smiling along with everypony else.

Fluttershy squeaked and giggled as her friends group-hugged her, answering the relevant questions and giving sly hints to some of the more naughty ones. After several moments, the other ponies pulled away, Rainbow Dash loudly calling for more drinks to celebrate.

Upon hearing that, Rarity cleared her throat, making her way out of the booth and getting to her hooves.

“Terribly sorry, darlings, but I must go visit the little filly’s room if we’re going to be indulging in more drinks,” she said, trotting off on her merry way. Applejack watched her for a few minutes, then got up herself.

“Ah might as well take a visit mahself. All that there cider just ran right through me,” she said, though her exit was a bit more rushed, as if trying to catch up to the seamstress pony. Her friends were too focused on Fluttershy and her news to notice.

Rarity went into the ladies room and did her business. As she was washing up, Applejack came in…and propped herself on the wall next to her. The look she was giving the seamstress said it all, a coy smirk and half-lidded eyes. After she finished her task, Rarity sighed and turned to her, jerking her head at the door and leading the way out into the hall.

“I suppose there’s no use beating around the bush, Applejack. We’re both thinking the same thing,” she said calmly, making sure they were both far enough back to be out of the way and couldn’t be easily overheard.

“Eyup. We’ve both got feelings our new citizen. Feelings that go beyond friendship,” the apple farmer replied coolly, keeping a calm face even as she felt her heart beat a little faster.

“And Fluttershy’s talk about a special somepony and marriage have made us realize a few inconvenient facts.“ Rarity’s own heart was fluttering, and she could feel her face heating up despite her attempts to remain calm. This would hardly be the first time she talked about somepony she had a crush on, but it was certainly the first time she revealed it to a competitor.

“Well, there’s two of us, and only one of Mark…so how do we go about settling this in a ladylike fashion?” she asked, settling on her haunches, as she could tell this would be a lengthy discussion.

“Well, fer starters, one of us needs to explain why she’s forgetting she already has a special somepony,” said Applejack, fixing Rarity with a very cross look. “Ah’d hate to see a nice boy like Mark end up with a gal who can’t be loyal.”

Rarity huffed, returning Applejack’s look as she retorted “For your information, Applejack, I’ve not forgotten who my heart belongs to first. I’m simply showing affection to somepony I care about, and you should know by now how I do so.”

“Yeah, well yah could’ve made that clear earlier,” said Applejack, her face softening some as she moved up and gave the fashionista a gentle nuzzle. “Ah’m sorry, Rares. Ah just don’t wanna a good thing crash and burn.”

“Quite alright, dear Applejack. I appreciate your concern, and I’m sorry for giving the wrong impression,” replied Rarity, returning the nuzzle before pulling away and leaning against the wall. “Though I must ask: Are you jealous because your mare is flirting with somepony else…or because she’s flirting with somepony that you also have your eye on?”

Applejack’s head shot back, the cowpony biting her lip and looking around for a moment, her cheeks doing a good impression of her favorite fruit. She bit her lip for a bit, actually at a loss for words…then sighing.

“Oh ponyfeathers. Yer right, Rares, and Ah am a bit jealous of that…but Mark is just that special,” she said, Rarity nodding with a giggle.

“Indeed he is, darling. Which is why it’s imperative we both make sure a relationship such as this works out for him.”

“Well, Ah think a good start would be chatting about why we’re both attracted to him. Perhaps one of us has is only feeling puppy love?” AJ suggested, her smirk returning as she reminded herself that out of all ponies, she’d spent the most time around him and had the best understanding of him. What she felt for him now certainly wasn’t puppy love.

“Oh my, where to begin? He’s charming, polite, adorably silly at times, and quite handsome. And while it was surely an accident, his taking a blow for me from that ruffian, well…it was so magnificent. Like a prince out of the fairytales of my youth,” she said, her eyes shining as she seemed to look into the distance, adoring something only she could see.

“Well, Ah hope Ah ain’t bursting yer bubble, but ya should know Mark’s not some fancy smancy prince, all prim and proper. From what Ah’ve seen working with him, he’s very hard-working and doesn’t seem to mind getting dirty and sweaty. We both know how ya feel ‘bout that,” said the farm pony.

The seamstress, rather than looking uneasy, simply returned Applejack’s smirk, moving a bit closer to her.

“Oh, but sweating can be quite nice, when done under the right circumstances,” she purred with half-lidded eyes, giving the apple farmer a wink.

“Tch, slow down, girl. No need to jump the fence jest yet,” the apple farmer retorted, giving Rarity a very light punch to the shoulder. Rarity grunted a bit, but then leaned in close.

“Your turn, dear Applejack. What’s got you so enamored with our guest?” she asked, having a few good ideas. Though she and Applejack differed on a few things, they’d long ago learned and acknowledged that they shared the same values and ideals about life, which in turn extended to those they were attracted to.

“Well, ‘bout the same reasons as you, Ah reckon. Plus he’s hard-workin’, strong, and ‘taint the least bit ‘fraid of getting dirty. Ask him to do anything on the farm and he does it, no muss, no fuss.” Many a helper, even some of the good ones, had been let go for refusing to do some of the less pleasant jobs on a farm, but Mark…Applejack honestly wondered if he was a machine under all that flesh.

“Well, I think it can be said we both love him out of more than just his looks, so now the question is…er…who gets him,” said Rarity, sticking her tongue out as if a bad taste were on it. She truly didn’t like talking about other ponies as if they were prizes to be won.

“Don’t forget we gotta take inta consideration how he would feel ‘bout this. Fer all we know, he’s got his eye on somepony else…like a certain Princess,” she said, her face going hard for a moment, Rarity’s following.

“Yes. She’s not fooling anypony with her “Wanting to learn about you” routine. I’ve read enough romance novels to see the signs of an infatuation. Still…he is special, so one can‘t fault her for being drawn to him like we are,” she said, face and voice softening. Leaning in close to Applejack, she purred, “We could start a herd,” half lidding her eyes again and smiling very warmly.

“Hmm, a herd, eh? Well, not like we’d be the first ta do that,” she said, returning Rarity’s sultry gaze as they began to rub their bodies against each other. “Think there’s enough of him for three ponies?” she asked, the two starting to nuzzle each other.

“Wellll…I doubt we’d both be interested in him if he didn’t have values we already hold in high esteem. Same goes for Princess Luna,” she said, bringing a hoof up and gently pulling the farm pony into a kiss, both mares closing their eyes and murring softly. They spent a few moments exploring each other’s mouths with their tongues, tasting each others lips, and stroking each other’s neck and mane. They were panting when they finally pulled away.

“Hmm, how could Ah possibly say no to being able to enjoy that with another lover or two,” purred Applejack. Rarity’s eyes twinkled and she hugged her mare friend for a moment before they pulled away.

“It’ll be nice to have more playmates.”

The girls were still congratulating Fluttershy when they came back, the butter crème mare having lost some of her shyness and happily answering their questions and sharing ideas for the wedding. The drinks arrived and were passed around, more than a few of the mares tippsey by the time they were done.

“Alright girls, *hic*, I do believe it’s time we head back to the castle *hic*. Got lots more things to do today,” said Twilight, her words slurring, the young unicorn a bit unsteady on her hooves. She never could hold her alcohol very well.

Granted, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were the only two who didn’t stumble too bad once everypony got up. Poor Fluttershy needed both of them to move, the normally shy Pegasus giggling and purring, her cheeks flushed and her eyes a bit glazed. A Hangover Spell would definitely be in order when she woke up later.

The streets were mostly empty as they made their way back to the castle, the last call of just about every bar having come and gone. Canterlot was a bit more dangerous at night than Ponyville, but few street thugs had the nerve to tangle with the Mane Six, so there were no problems between the bar and the entrance to the castle.

“Alright girls, let’s go make sure Mark got back to his room okay, then get some shuteye ourselves. Our vacation’s still young,” said Twilight, starting a yawn that soon carried on to the other five mares, all of them making their way down the hall to the human’s room. AJ and Rarity glanced at each other and half-grinned, both idly wondering if there was a chance of making a good excuse to sleep with their crush.

Reaching his room, Twilight did her best to quietly open the door, though she was willing to bet Mark would be out cold after such a hard night. Fortunately, the hinges were well-oiled, so there was no creaking as she opened it enough to peek her head in, ears raised for the sound of Mark’s usual steady breathing…and not hearing anything.

“Mark? Mark, are you in here?” she said in a raised whisper, trying to see the bed in the darkness. Hesitantly lighting her horn, she looked at the bed again.

It was not only completely void of Mark…but it was still made!

Pulling back out, she turned to the other mares, trying to keep her face straight as she said;

“Girls, we have a problem.”

Chapter 3

“Now, tell us again, Twilight dear; how exactly did this “event“ go down?” said Rarity, taking a sip of her tea, then fixing Twilight with a steady gaze, drawing a blush to the purple unicorn’s cheeks.

“Oh for Celestia’s sake, Rarity! Weren‘t you listening the first time?” she said as she looked down, pawing at her stool as she tried to avoid looking back at the seamstress.

“Well, Egghead, ya can’t blame us for being curious,” retorted Rainbow Dash, taking a big bite out of her hay sandwich, the winged pony never letting anything get in the way of her appetite. Hey, being the top athlete in Ponyville required a lot of calories!

“She’s got a point, Twi‘. Can’t blame us for wondering what the first human in Equestria is packing under all them duds he always has on. We‘re all mares after all,” added Applejack with a chuckle, ignoring the scoff this drew from Rarity. “Ah don’t think there’s anything wrong with us being curious…and although ya found out in a rather comical way…you’re currently the only gal among us who’s seen it,” she explained, the mention of her method making Twilight’s blush deepen.

“About that, dear…did you have to do…what you did?” asked Rarity, giving the unicorn a slight glare. “I mean, I know you’re doing research for Celestia, but I don’t think that’s an excuse to forget respect for one’s personal space,” she said, ever the queen of the manner police. True, she had had Mark strip for his fittings, but it had been politely requested, not forced, and she allowed him to keep his privacy through it all.

“Yeah, no fair that you got a private party with Markie-pie…though do you think he might go to my parties if I did what you did, Twilight?” chirped Pinkie Pie, drawing an even deeper blush from Twilight, as well as making Rarity cough into her tea and Applejack and Rainbow snicker.

After a few nervous chuckles from both Rarity and Twilight, the purple unicorn recovered, saying “Well…” as she began to explain YET AGAIN…

Mark wasn’t sure how long he’d been out, but it was apparently long enough. The first thing he’d noticed when he woke up, aside from a bump on the head, was the fact that he was bound, spread-eagled on what felt like a cold metal table. The second…was that he was completely nude, his body on full display for all to see.

Fortunately for him, “all to see” currently only applied to a certain purple mare, who gazed down at him with a small, polite smile, looking just as nervous as he was.

“Twilight, I don’t know how everything works here in Equestria…but on my world, if you want to have a relationship with a guy, it’s usually customary to ASK first,” he said, his voice a growl of annoyance, though slightly tempered by embarrassment. He struggled with his bonds, trying to use his new muscle to get free, only to see them glowing with a purple light.

‘Magic,’ he thought bitterly, though the bottom of his stomach started to drop as well. What did the unicorn have planned for him that required her to use such apparently strong bindings?

Well, first things first: Identify situation and figure out best way to deal with it. Believe it or not, this wasn’t the first time he’d been bound by Twilight, the mare having been somewhat skittish of him when she’d done her first examination. Heck, even the fact he was nude wasn’t new; when Twilight wanted to examine everything about him, she meant EVERYTHING.

So, let’s see:

Body nude, check

Limbs bound, check

Various wires and the like hooked up here and there on his body via suction cups, check.

Manhood wrapped up in some strange device, ch-waaaaait a minute!

“Twilight, what the hell are you planning?” he said, trying to growl, but unable to stop a slight quiver from entering his voice, the device on his manhood looking none too friendly. It was clamped rather tightly around his privates, covered in strange buttons and wires, and was connected to what looked like some kind of bag device.

“Well…eh heh, I’ve taken samples from just about everything I can…but there’s one last thing I need,” said the purple unicorn, looking as nervous as Mark was, though she clearly had the advantage. “I really am sorry about this, but I have to give Princess Celestia as much information as I can…and this is the only way to get the last bit,” she said, surprising Mark by looking extremely embarrassed by what she was talking about, even as she explained it to him so calmly.

She moved over to what appeared to be some kind of steam punk machine, one piece of it spitting out yard after yard of parchment with data on it. After hitting a few buttons here and there with her magic, she turned and made her way back over to him, Mark cringing a little as he tried to brace himself for whatever the machine was about to do.

“Oh for Celestia’s sake, Mark, quit that. You know I’d never do anything that would hurt you,” she grumbled, shaking her head as she moved down to his groin, perching up onto the table and looking intently at his manhood. “Besides…I was of the opinion males enjoyed this,” she said, her horn lighting up, her purple magic coating the device and its contents.

The cries could be heard almost all over Ponyville.

Twilight had faced many dangers in her time in Ponyville. She’d faced evil magical mares, Chaos itself, wild animals, the complete turning upside down of her reality, and numerous threats to her friends…and she’d rather face all of them once more than have to look at the faces her friends were now giving her.

Rarity was frowning with obvious displeasure, her normally warm blue eyes narrowed slightly. Fluttershy looked scandalized, shaking her head as if to try and empty it of the images Twilight’s story had not doubt put in it. Rainbow Dash seemed to be trying and failing to suppress laughter. Pinkie Pie actually looked jealous, though Twilight was certain it was because she still thought of what she had done to Mark was a “private party”. And Applejack…

She seemed to be staring off into space, eyes a bit glazed, a small smile on her muzzle…and a light blush on her cheeks.

“Really Twilight, I must say I’m rather disappointed in you. I would think you of all ponies would understand the importance of respecting one’s personal space and privacy,” said Rarity, sipping her tea rather calmly…but keeping that glare fixed on Twilight.

“Wow, who knew the egghead was secretly a dom in bed,” quipped Rainbow Dash, finally failing to suppress her laughter, actually falling back out of her chair and rolling on the ground as she guffawed. “Did you have a dominatrix outfit on while you did this?” she teased, regaining her composure somewhat and getting back into her seat. The fact that Rarity hadn’t rebuked the cyan pony told Twilight how cross she was with her.

“Oh come on, girls. It was RESEARCH, nothing more. Hay, I bet Fluttershy does the same thing now and then when she’s taking care of her animals,” she gripped, the yellow Pegasus squeaking and looking down with crimson cheeks on being put on the spot.

“Um…yes…I do…but I try and…get permission first,” she said softly, her pink hair drifting over her face. “Animals can be hurt if you…frighten them badly,” she added.

Rarity nodded as well, saying “And Mark is certainly no animal anyway, so that’s no excuse at all. He’s our friend and a guest of Equestria, and we must treat him with respect.” She turned to Applejack, figuring that the farmer pony would agree with her, seeing as she spent the most time with the human. “Am I right, Applejack?” she said, not really noticing that she was still seemingly in a trance.

“How big was he?” she said suddenly.

“My thoughts exactly. I…what!?” squawked Rarity, turning back to Applejack with her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. Surely she hadn’t heard correctly!

“Er, Ah said, how bad was he? Yah know, after yah had yer…uh…fun, Twi,” stammered the farm pony, her cheeks flushing lightly, a forced grin on her face as she looked from Twilight to Rarity. The former was blushing more than she was, but seemed rather thankful that the subject could be avoided. Rarity…Rarity was giving the farm pony a coy smirk that made her wish she was somewhere else.

“Well, he didn’t seem too bad after we finished…but he didn’t talk to me before he left, so I just don’t know. Anypony know where he is now?” she asked, it suddenly dawning on all of them that they hadn’t seen Mark since the incident.

“Wait a sec. I think I saw him going back to AJ’s barn while I was resting,” said Rainbow Dash, having finally regained her full composure. “He didn’t seem too bad,” she said, glancing in the direction of Applejack’s farm. “Maybe we ought to go check on him?” she suggested, getting nods from everypony but Twilight, who looked like she was being told to go to the principal’s office.

“Yes, we really must check and make sure he’s alright…shouldn’t we,” said Rarity, giving Twilight a firm glare that brooked no discussion on the matter. All six got up from the table and, after cleaning it off, went on their way.

The six ponies slowly approached the barn, all ears perked and all eyes peeled. There was no sound coming from inside, nothing suggesting a traumatized human was inside.

“Maybe…maybe he’s asleep? Perhaps we can come back later?” squeaked Twilight, backing away…only to find herself aglow with Rarity’s magic and gently but firmly pushed forward to the door. Deciding there was no way out of this, the purple pony rapped on the door with her hoof. “Uh…Mark…it’s me, Twilight. You okay in there?”

The door slowly opened, Mark visible through the crack. After a few moments hesitation, he slowly pushed the door open more, sliding out quietly. He didn’t seem too worse for wear, though he kept one eye on Twilight as the two of them slowly went to join the others.

“Er…howdy, Mark. Twilight here was just telling us ‘bout yer little…examination, and we’ll just want to make sure yer okay,” said Applejack, all five of them looking over the human, checking for any signs of…well…anything. Again, Mark seemed just fine, if a bit more quieter than usual.

“Yes darling, we wish to apologize for what Twilight did…and so does she,” said the seamstress pony, fixing Twilight with that glare again, the bookworm turning to Mark and looking down a bit, rubbing one front leg with the other.

“I’m sorry, Mark. It wasn’t right, what I did, even if I didn’t mean any harm by it. Do you forgive me?” she asked, looking up at his eyes, trying to read his expression. She started to cringe, the beginnings of tears forming in her eyes…when Mark suddenly put a hand on her cheek, leaned in and kissed her on the lips.

Twilight’s eyes widened in surprise, yet she made no move to pull away, even as she heard the girls behind her gasping…and giggling in Pinkie Pie’s case. Her lips tingled into the kiss, and she found her eyes closing half-way and her lips returning the kiss. After what felt like an eternity, Mark pulled away, giving her that warm smile he could always pull out.

“It’s all good, Twilight. Just next time…ask first,” he said, ruffling her mane before turning and disappearing back into the barn. With a small sigh, Twilight turned…and found her friends suddenly in her face, their mouths all hanging open in shock.

“What the hay was that all about!” squawked Applejack, looking…jealous?

“I…miiiiight have left some details out,” said Twilight demurely, giving a shy giggle.