//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 
// Story: The Power of Portals 
// by Flames173 
//------------------------------//

	I woke up the next day. I looked down and saw the cloud. I panicked for a second before I remembered what had happened the other day. I looked over at Jodi who did the same thing. She looked at me and smiled sheepishly, and I giggled childishly.
"I guess we should go check on Luke and Fred huh?" she asked.
"Yeah, that would probably be the best idea. I wonder where Fred slept." I said.
We flew down into town, Luke and Fred were both wide awake.
"Morning guys, how did you sleep?" I asked them when Jodi and I landed.
"I slept like a baby. Best sleep I've got in years!" Luke said.
"What about you?" I asked Fred.
"I don't want to talk about it." he said.
"Aw come on man, it couldn't have been that bad."
"Fine, I got a room in a very good apartment."
"So, why is that so bad?" Jodi asked.
"Wait, how did you pay for it?" I asked.
Fred walked up to me and whispered how he got the room for free, and for the sake of decency, I don't think I'll put what he said.
"Wow, that must've been a REALLY nice apartment."
"It was, I got a bed so fluffy I nearly sunk into it, and I got free breakfast."
"Sounds more like a hotel."
"Yeah, it was pretty close to being a hotel. Oh, and I managed to get some food for you guys." Fred handed us all some donuts.
"Thanks man." I said between mouthfuls of doughy goodness.
"So, what are we going to do now?"
"I don't know, I guess maybe we get jobs and live our lives as if this were normal." Luke suggested.
"That's probably our best choice." Jodi said.
"There may be a problem with that." I said.
"Why?" Jodi asked.
"Well, this town doesn't appear to have any newspapers so there won't be any ads for job openings and it doesn't look like there are any help wanted signs anywhere."
"Well, that sucks."
"Oh no oh no oh no!" a white unicorn ran through our conversation.
"What's wrong?" I asked her when she stopped.
"My babysitter just canceled on me and I really need someone to watch my little sister." she said.
"We could help with that." What a happy coincidence!
"Really you could?"
"Yes, I have a little brother and I think I'm pretty good at taking care of him, how much are you willing to pay?"
"I don't know, 50 bits for the whole day sound good to you?" she asked, taking out a small coin purse.
I didn't know much about money in Equestria, so I had no clue if that was a bad deal or a good steal. "Sure."
"Ok, thank you Celestia." She gave me a pile of little gold pieces. "I live in the boutique down that road a few blocks, just walk in and say you're the babysitter. There's a list on the fridge of what to do." She said pointing down one street.
"Ok, thank you for the job."
"Thank you for being there when I needed you. I'll see you later tonight." She hugged me quickly then ran off somewhere.
I walked down the street she pointed at and stopped at the boutique, but I hadn't realized I'd done it until I had.
"Well, I know what I'm going to do today." I stepped in the door and looked around. It was a pretty nice store. Better even then most in the human world. I looked at the price of a shirt that was nearby. It was a small, most likely for a child. It was selling for 15 bits. I guessed it would cost about $15. So each bit is about one dollar. I got a good deal for babysitting.
"ATTACK!" some pony shouted.
"What?" I asked, scared. Next thing I knew, I was pinned to the ground by three fillies.
"Wow, he's weak." An orange pegasus said
"Yeah he is, he looks old enough to be a father, and us three took him down." A white unicorn strangely resembling the one I met earlier said.
For some reason, when she said 'father' I instantly thought of Jodi.
"Howdy mister. What's your name?" A light yellow land pony asked politely.
I pushed the ground and effortlessly pushed the fillies off my back and stood up. "I'm Joe. I'm here to babysit."
"Aww, I'll see you girls tomorrow then." The filly waved to the other fillies as they left miserably.
"Hey, who said you can't stay?" I asked.
"Well, my sister Rarity doesn't like when I'm with my friends when the babysitter is here."
"Well, I think they can stay. Just don't get to wild." I smiled at the little unicorn.
"You mean it?" she asked happily.
"Of course. I don't mind."
"SCOOTALOO, APPLEBLOOM!" she shouted, running for the door to get her friends. She returned a minute later.
"Thank you Joe, thank you so much!" the orange pegasus said.
"Ok, so which of you is which?" For some reason, I couldn't remember the three very well. Maybe it was a brain fart?
"I'm Sweetie Belle, this is Scootaloo, and that is Apple Bloom." The little unicorn introduced herself and her two friends.
"All right. You girls stay here while I go look at the rule list. Where's the kitchen?" I asked Sweetie Belle.
"Through that door." She said.
"Thanks." I walked to the room and looked at the rule list. I read it over a few times and memorized each rule, when I returned, the three fillies were talking quietly. "So, who wants to play a game?"
"ME ME ME!" They all said in unison.
"Ok, where do you keep the board games?"
"What's a 'board game'?" Scootaloo asked.
"Dear God this is going be harder than I thought."
"What's a 'God'?" Apple Bloom asked.


***


"So, what are we going to do?" Jodi asked Luke.
"I'm not sure, maybe we go asking around for jobs?" Luke said.
"Yes, because three teenage kids who have never been seen before walking around a town asking random people if they need anything done won't scare anyone away." Fred said.
"Well, it worked back at home when I moved in to get my community service hours." Jodi said.
"Why would we get any other results here?" Luke asked.
"Probably because these aren't people, these are PONIES!" Fred shouted.
"So, we're ponies too."
"I don't think anybody is realizing the reality of the situation that we're in. We may never see our world again!"
"Yes, so that means we should get used to living in this world as soon as possible."
"Ugg, fine. Go off and do whatever you want. I'll try to figure out how to go back!"
"What's this about another world?" a purple alicorn appeared behind the trio.
"Nothing, just normal teen talk. All fake, none of it true." Fred said.
"Dude, don't lie to her, if anything, she's the only one who can help us get back!" Luke said.
"No way, are you a brony too?"
"Yes."
"Brony? Oh, are you from the human world?" she asked quietly.
"Yes, how did you know?" Fred asked in a whisper.
"I see many people come by from your world, of course usually it is my fault they appeared here, but I have helped them back. I've only lost one of them."
"Please tell me you've had more than one come by you."
"Oh yes, at least 100."
"Oh thank you God."
"My name is Twilight Sparkle." she said with a smile.
"So, umm, Twilight, can I come with you and maybe help you make a portal to send us back or somthing?" Fred asked.
"No, I need a unicorn, like him." Twilight pointed at Luke, who was unsuccessfully trying to pick his nose with his tongue.
"Well, guess we'll be stuck here forever." Fred facehoofed.