I was in a pitch black place. No light. I couldn’t see anything. It was horribly cold, and a malevolent presence pervaded the area.
“So you’re the one who came here from another world…” A dark voice echoed in my mind.
“Who’s there?” I asked to the open air, vapor forming in front of my mouth.
“Not of your concern, human.” The voice said, it's tone hinting at it's annoyance.
“How do you-”
“SILENCE!” The voice roared. “I come to show you the future you cause.”
“The future? What about it?”
“You will see all you know, all the so-called friends you’ve made burn, freeze, and die. It will all be because of you.”
An image appeared before me, of Ponyville… Everything burned with black fire. Smoke clogged the air, buildings were half frozen in shadowy, crystalline ice. Nobody was around.
“Yes, it will all happen unless you leave.” The dark voice said. “Come to me, Ian. Many more lives will continue on.”
“Y-you’re lying! There’s no way I’d-”
“They will all die, and it will all be your fault, Ian. Just like Sarah.”
“That..! That was not my fault… I couldn’t do any-”
“We both know what you did. If you don’t leave and come to me, it will all happen as I’ve shown you.”
“N-no! Shut up!”
“You will come, Ian. Whether you like it or not, you will.”
I hit the floor.
“Ow.” I said instinctually.
I’d fallen off the couch, and hit my head on the floor. No real damage, it was more of just a reaction than anything.
A nightmare… That was strange. I haven’t had a nightmare since I was really little. And this felt different. Erie, almost. I shook off the creepy feeling it gave me.
Forget it, dreams are nothing but figments of my imagination. I thought. They never really happen.
I pushed myself back up on all four hooves, and I looked over to the window. The sun had just begun to peek over the horizon. The light of dawn spilled in.
At least if AppleJack gives me the job, I won’t have trouble waking for it. I thought.
I was unsure whether to go ask now, or later. After a moment’s consideration, I decided the sooner the better. Didn’t farmers wake up early anyway? I went to leave a note for Lyra so she wouldn’t wonder where I am. I found a quill and parchment, and some ink. I still have no idea how I’m able to write with a hoof, or even pick things up, now that I think about it. Best not question it.
So I left the note on the couch and headed out. Didn’t Lyra say she lived southwest of here?
I arrived at the Apple family farm. Surprisingly, it looked a lot like other farms I’ve seen (Not that I’ve seen very many.), red barn, fenced in fields, and so on. A huge area was covered in apple trees, predictably.
I didn’t see anyone- I mean, anypony around. Perhaps they were on the fields. I looked around a bit more, decided I should check the orchard first.
“Um, Hello?” I called out. “Is there a Pony named AppleJack here?”
“Nope.” A deep male voice replied.
I turned around to see a red stallion with some kind of yolk around his neck. He had one of those mark things- a cutie mark?- with a half of a green apple.
“Who are you?” I asked him.
“Name’s Big Mac. You?”
“I’m Ian, Ian Camron. Nice to meet you.” I told him.
When I thought for a moment, I was surprised that he hadn't found my name weird. Its not exactly in line with whatever trend that's going on around here. But then again, maybe they were just being kind.
“So what’re you looking for ma’ sister for?” he asked.
“I was, uh, looking for a job. I heard there was an opening here…?”
“There sure is. Can ya’ buck an apple tree?” He asked.
“Excuse me?” I asked, confused.
“Like this.” He kicked one of the nearby trees with his back leg, knocking all the apples into the baskets set below it.
“Oh. I’ll give it a shot.”
First, I kicked the tree with one leg, like him. It shook, but nothing happened. Slighly annoyed, I tried again, harder. One, single apple fell. Embarrassment welling up within, I bucked the tree with both hind legs, then fell flat on my stomach. No balance. About a third of the apples fell, several missed the baskets. One impaled itself on my horn, embarrassingly enough.
Big Mac held a hoof over his mouth in attempt to hide his laughter. I heard another per- another pony’s laughter too, a girl. I turned to see an orange mare with a straw colored mane. She had on a stereotypical cowboy/cowgirl/I-don’t-even-know-what-they-call-it-here hat. The cutie mark thing on her was three apples.
“Does that count?” I asked halfheartedly, getting back to my hooves. I probably didn’t get a job.
“Boy, that there was one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a while.” The mare said, her laughter subsiding.
“Eeyup.” Big Mac agreed.
I pulled the apple off my horn, tossing it aside into one of the baskets. “So I take it that I didn’t get the job?”
“Why don’t ya’ try again? Ya’ need to brace yer front legs, so ya won’t fall. It’ll give more power too.” The mare advised.
I tried again, doing what she said. Almost all the remaining apples fell from the tree, and I didn’t fall. Not all made it into the buckets, but still, it was an improvement for sure.
“Thanks. I’m Ian. What’s your name?” I asked the mare.
“Ma’ name’s AppleJack. Pleasure t’ meet ya’.” She replied. "Ian, eh? That's not a usual name."
"Uh, I guess not. I'm not from around here, though."
"Where ya' from then?"
The question wasn't where, it was whether I should tell her. If I did, I might be considered crazy. If I didn't, if she found out, I'd be marked a liar. God, I hate this kind of situation.
"Far away, you probably haven't heard of it." I told her.
"Oh? What's it called?"
Damn.
"Uh..." I started. "Maine."
"Mane?" She asked, confused.
"Uh, no. M-a-I-n-e. It's not very close to here, really."
"Hm..." She rubbed her hoof over her chin, as if trying to tell whether I was lying or not. Technically I'm not, but I'm not telling the whole truth either.
"Well, I ain' heard of it. But welcome anyways, Ian." She said, grinning, then giving me a hoofshake, followed her bother.
“So do you think I could get a job here?” I asked her.
“Ah don’t see why not.” She said cheerfully. “That a good idea Big Mac?”
“Eeyup.” He agreed.
“Thank you both.” I was almost sure I wouldn’t get the job. Guess I made a pretty good impression on the two of them. Or they wanted me around for comic relief.
“So that’s dawn, right?” I confirmed.
AppleJack nodded. “That too early for ya’?”
“Nope. I woke up earlier than that back home.” I boasted.
“Oh? Okay then. See ya’ in the mornin’!” She said as she headed back into the orchard with her brother.
That went better than I expected. I thought as I walked back into town. They even let me keep the apple I speared.
It was still early in the day, or at least, it was before noon. Twilight didn’t need to see me until three, and I didn’t have any other plans. My note to Lyra only said I was heading out to find AppleJack and ask for a job, so wandering around all day would make that a lie.
I headed back to Lyra’s house, but no one was home. (I took a moment to question why they'd left the door unlocked.) I looked around for a moment, then remembered- of course Lyra or Bon Bon wouldn’t be home. They had jobs, whatever they may be.
What should I do? I wondered. I could explore around, check out town, maybe. It’d be more productive than waiting around here.
I walked into town, passing by many other ponies. I still think it’s a nice place, kinda quiet and simple. I went mainly unnoticed by ponies, unsurprisingly. I suppose being a pony in a place full of them is a good way to blend in. I had a brief encounter with one, eye-burningly pink earth-pony (I don't get it. Why are they called earth ponies if they're not from earth?) who saw me, gasped, and ran off. I'm not exactly sure if this was normal, but who am I to judge?
I stepped into a familiar area. I realized this was the park where I woke up. The tree behind me was where I fell from and met Lyra. My first moments here were my first conscious ones in the whole world.
“Watch oooout!” I heard someone shout.
I dropped to the ground as a familiar grey pegasus flew in right over me and into the nearby tree. I heard something crack, not like any branch I've heard. Rising from the dirt path, I rushed over to see Derpy on the ground, her wing bent at an unnatural angle. Apparently she’d skidded quite a bit, as the tree was far behind, and a small rut had been carved into the dirt.
“Oh god, are you alright?” I asked, the answer already known to me.
“N-no…” She said between sobs. “I hurt my w-wing…”
“We gotta get you to a hospital, that thing looks seriously broken.” I said.
She hobbled up onto her hooves, then collapsed to the ground, head first. Her front left hoof wouldn’t support her.
“Ow!” She yelped. “Owowow!”
“It’s okay, you’re going to be okay…” I said slowly and calmly. “Here… I’ll carry you to the hospital if you know which way.”
I helped guide her on top of my back. She wasn’t too heavy, but an awkward burden. She directed me (and misdirected me) to the hospital, where I helped check her in. I was reminded of the time my parents had taken me to the hospital when I broke my wrist when I fell from a tree. The doctors said she’d be fine, but have to stay off that leg and wing. She’d be in there for a few days, at least.
I also learned the ponies heal ludicrously fast. There was one mare who healed a wing in less than three days, I’d heard. I didn't exactly comprehend how, but I wasn't going to ask for an explanation I wouldn't understand. I'm no medical student, of human anatomy or pony anatomy.
“Thanks a lot, mister.” Derpy said to me, in the hospital bed. They'd bandaged up her wing, and set her front leg in a splint.
It occurred to me that she was could be as old, if not older than I, so the whole ‘Mister’ thing was a bit weird. Then again, she could be ten years old for all I know. These ponies have hard to judge age.
“It’s no problem, really.” I told her. “I was just in the right place at the right time. I’m sure anyone else would’ve done the same.”
“Anypony.” She corrected.
“Oh, uh, right.”
“Hey… I just thought of something.” She said. “I don’t even know your name!”
“I’m Ian, Ian Camron.” I introduced.
“I’m Ditzy Doo.”
“I thought your name was Der-” I stopped myself. Was that an insult here? For all I knew, it could be a bully’s nickname for the cross-eyed mare.
“Some people call me Derpy, I don’t really mind.” She said.
“Okay then. Nice to meet you, Ditzy.” We did what I guess was the equivalent of a handshake (a hoof-shake, I think?).
We made some conversation, for a seemingly short time. I’m not really sure why I stuck around, but it was nice to have someone I could just talk to. When it was Lyra, or Twilight, or that Princess, it was tense. They knew more about what happened to me than I did. It’s all so awkward. Derpy, or Ditzy, knew nothing about that weird stuff. There wasn’t any tension. I could speak with her more easily, I guess. She had a silly sense of humor, and was kinda cute, in a naïve, innocent kind of way. I had fun talking with her. She almost reminded me of… no. What the hell am I thinking? She’s just a friend. An acquaintance. I know and knew nothing of her. She’s technically not even my species, I think. I'd promised never to even think of 'her' again, or anyone like her, not after the boat. Besides, I don't... shut up, me.
I glanced outside at the sun. It was well past two now.
“Oh, shoot.” I exclaimed, mortified. Twilight expected me at three. “I’m gonna be late! I’ll see you later Ditzy!”
“Bye Ian!” She called as I ran out of the hospital toward Twilight’s Library.
I arrived around half past three, so I was late for sure.
That's never a good way to have class start, I thought.
“I’m here,” I said panting. “Sorry I’m late, I had to help Ditzy at-” I stopped.
Twilight was busy at a worktable mixing various chemicals and potions. Was she doing alchemy?
“Uh… What are you doing?” I asked.
“Huh? Ian?” She turned to me. “Oh gosh, is it really that late? I’m sorry I was working on an assignment for Princess Celestia.” She apologized.
“No, It’s fine, I was late too. Just… what are you making?”
“Just doing some chemistry, is all. Don’t worry, I can continue this later. The potion needs to simmer over a low flame anyway.” She set up her Bunsen burner and a vial of a coppery colored liquid using her magic.
“Alright, well, I’ve got a beginner’s lesson planned out for us. Simple levitation. It shouldn’t be too hard.”
Okay then, I thought. That could be helpful. And hopefully easy.
“First, we need to take off this,” She said, gesturing to the disperser. “Then we can begin.”
I held out my foreleg so she could remove it. At her touch, the metal band expanded to the point where it could easily slide off. The diamond turned back to its clear color. I felt the rush of energies that I recognized as magic refill my body. Everything became sharper, clearer. It was slightly overwhelming. A sensory overload, I guess.
“Woah, magic rush.” I said, stepping back slightly, and blinking slowly.
Twilight giggled softly, then said “Now, we can begin the lesson.”
An hour later, I set down the numerous rubber balls that I’d been practicing on. I’d been very adept at controlling this basic magic, now that I at least knew how. The lesson had been easy enough, and now I could levitate objects. It was like playing a game with the controls inverted- Attempting left moved it right, and vice versa. Difficult at first, but it was easily adjusted to.
Twilight took a moment to continue some of her chemistry work, though I paid little attention. I was slightly concerned when a puff of black smoke blew out in my direction.
“You’re pretty good at this kind of magic.” Twilight turned me. “Then again, it is pretty basic, and you have quite the surplus.”
“Yeah, I’ve never heard that before.” I rolled my eyes.
“Really? Didn’t Princess Celestia-” Twilight started, confused.
“I was being sarcastic, Twilight.” I said.
“Oh. Don’t do that, I’m not good at noticing it.” She scolded.
Another puff of smoke, white this time, blew out behind her. She turned to tend to it again.
“As if you had to point that out." I muttered. “Sorry. Can we move on?”
Twilight walked me through an exercise of manipulating the stuff I was levitating, which I was considerably less good at. It was stuff like turning book pages (I ended up tearing them out by accident), spinning a wheel (I broke it in half), writing with a quill (Ink splattered everywhere. I think I’ll stick to writing by hoof.), and using scissors (I’m still apologizing to Spike about that. In my defense, he shouldn’t have been standing there. It least the little clipped bit missing from the spine on his head isn’t that noticeable.)
“Celestia was right. I’m better at general force, not detailed stuff like this.” I told Twilight while scrubbing the ink I’d spilled off the wall.
“I don’t think so,” She said, cleansing a book of the splatted ink with her magic. “I bet you’re just inexperienced.”
“Maybe he shouldn’t use it.” I heard Spike mutter, feeling the now flat-cut top spine on his head.
During the levitation part, the inverted movement part was adjustable, but this part was overly complicated. Frustratingly complicated.
I finished scrubbing the ink off the wall, and we returned to the lesson.
It was another three and a half hours later, and I was done. I’d gotten better at the manipulation part (Though pages will occasionally tear), so that was good. A thought occurred to me when from my conversation earlier, with Ditzy.
“Hey, Twilight,” I asked the mare. “Do you think it would be a good idea for me to learn about some of the terms you ponies use? I’ve gotten the feeling that there are a few things I say that wouldn’t exactly fit in here, as you may have noticed...”
“Actually, I’m surprised I hadn’t thought of that. I noted it earlier, but never really gave it a second thought.” She said. Twilight was silent for a moment, likely considering it, then she said “Yes, That’s probably a good idea to incorporate that into the lesson plan.”
We had almost an hour used only for me to learn pony grammar, which, I found, was increasingly silly and annoying to remember. Anypony, Hoofshake, all that stuff. It was almost torturous, and I regretted bringing up the subject. I sincerely doubted I would remember to use it, but would try to, at least. (I'd never liked English in school, it was my least favorite subject. This was almost twice as bad.)
When the lesson finally ended, Twilight gave me an assignment to read a book on basic levitation. I had to carry it in my mouth, because she’d put the disperser back on, once again blocking my magic. I waved her and Spike (who was mildly upset and wouldn't wave back) goodbye as I returned to Lyra’s house.
Lyra was waiting for me on the couch when I came back. I noted a bottle on the side table, empty.
“Where were you?” She said.
I took the book out of my mouth. “My lesson. You know that.”
“I meant earlier. I know you were gonna go to ask AppleJack for a job but that took-” She rushed, a worried tone in her voice.
“Lyra, I ran into Ditzy. She got hurt, so I took her to the hospital.” I explained.
“Who?”
I rolled my eyes. “Derpy.”
“Ooh…” She said quietly, realizing who I meant. “But still, you were gone way too long to just’ve dropped Derpy off at the hospital.”
“I stuck around and talked with her. Is that so wrong?” I protested, failing not to let my cheeks flush.
“Well, no, but-”
My stomach growled. I only just realized I hadn’t eaten since this morning, when I got the impaled apple for the farm.
Lyra giggled, then said “Hungry?” She seemed to let the other subject drop.
“I guess so.” I consented. “Anything I can get to eat?”
“We went food shopping, and Bon-Bon and I made salad for dinner earlier. There’s still some left, I think.” She rose from the couch. “I’ll go get it.”
“Nah, that’s fine, I can go get it. Thanks though.” I told her.
It occurred to me that she and Bon-Bon were essentially letting me live and eat here for free. Considering they had no obligation to do so, that was incredibly kind of them. Nobody on Earth did that, as far as I'd met.
I really owe her, I thought. I need to pay her back somehow. Maybe now that I have a job I can pay rent or something.
I scrounged around a moment for the remaining salad, found it, and joined Lyra back on the couch. We made some conversation about how our days went, she was glad to know I got the job at Sweet Apple Acres. I figured now would be the best thing to talk about the whole rent thing. (I still couldn't get her to tell me where she worked, she danced around the subject with ease. Her talent should have been 'avoiding the question'.)
“So, now that I have a job,” I said. “I can finally start to pay you back for your hospitality. Really, I owe you a lot for taking me in like you have.”
“Oh,” She said, seemingly surprised. “I haven’t even thought about rent. You don’t-”
“Yes, I do.” I insisted. “You can’t just put me up without compensation. It’s… Weird.”
Looking back on the conversation, I realized I was doing it more for selfish reasons than for her wellbeing. I don’t like owing people, or in this case, ponies, favors or anything. It bugs me. They’re loose ends, which are inconveniencing at best.
“Well… Okay then.” She consented.
“Good. Hopefully I can pay weekly, if not, every month, depending on AppleJack’s payment schedule.”
“I won’t make you pay if you can’t though.” She added as an afterthought.
I noticed Lyra's eyes were... foggy looking. Weird. Was she that tired?
“Really, you’re too kind.” I told her. “Besides, that wouldn’t work out well, would it?”
“I guess not.” She giggled. Something seemed off about her.
“Lyra…” I asked. “What’s up? You seem… weird.”
“Nothin’, my friend Berry Punch came over, we had a drink or two.” She admitted, swinging her legs over the floor, her hooves bumping the side of the couch clumsily.
Well that’s just great. I’m talking to a drunken unicorn. I didn’t even know they had alcohol on this planet… universe… dimension… whatever, I thought.
I knew things could never go well when you were in a room with a drunk per- pony, unless you were drunk too (Not from experience, thankfully.).
“Oh…” I said. “Maybe you should go to bed, Lyra. It’s getting late.”
“It’s not that late.” She said.
"Well, aren't you tired from... whatever it is you do?" I said, realizing that was poor argument.
"Nope." She said.
“I got some reading to do. It would help me concentrate. Y'know, homework.” I was making excuses now.
“Oh, ‘kay then. I’ll see you tomorrow, Ian.” She said. She headed up the stairs, swaying slightly.
Strange, I thought. I never took her for a drinker. Then again, did I...? Nah… It’s probably nothing. I’m overthinking things. Just one glass too many when talking with a friend. (At least I had a hint at someone's age, assuming they didn't let children drink. And that their legal drinking age is the same, and- ah, forget it.)
I lay back on the arm of the couch and began reading. The book was written in English, which was a general surprise. But all the strange things that I’d met, experienced, and learned about considered, this barely qualified as weird.
The book went over some methods for the manipulation of levitating objects, but nothing mentioning the inverted-controls type of thing I experienced.
It was obviously directed at a much lower reading level, so I finished quickly. I’d have to ask Twilight if she did that intentionally, or if it was the only book she had on such a basic subject. Either way, I would ask for more advanced material.
I set the book aside and turned out the light. Hopefully I’d get a decent night’s rest so I’d be ready to kick the apples from the trees. Thoughts of the previous night's dream came back to me. That was off-the-scale creepy at a minimum. But just that: a dream. Nothing to worry about...