The next day, Silver and his herd, which officially included Fast and Night, sat at the Canterlot train terminal, awaiting their guest. The human wasn't hard to see, taller than all the ponies around himself, and Silver wasn't sure to be relieved or worried when the human stepped off the train sporting a Rainbow Dash T-shirt. Maybe the effect that hauled him over only worked on fans of the show? They appeared caucasian, slightly overweight, and maybe twenty years old? Silver wasn't certain. Guessing ages was never his strong point. They were definitely young, but looked old enough to have a drink without a parent's permission. He had a wispy beard going, and brown hair that ran to his shoulders. Overall, a very basic human, if the first Silver had seen in months.
Silver rose and approached him, his wives following shortly behind, "Hello!" he called out, "We're here to welcome you to Canterlot."
The human looked at Silver and his companions. "I don't recognize any of you. They didn't send anyone important? Nice bat pony though, real sweet look."
Night's wings flared out as anger flushed through her and Silver quickly spoke, "She is a lunar pegasus, and they prefer to be called that, though she is specifically Night Watch, though Night works. I am Silver Lining, and this is Fast Change." He gestured to each pony he introduced.
The human waved dismissively, "That's cool. Do I get to meet Celestia now, or Luna?" He seemed to consider a moment, "This is Canterlot, so Fleur lives here too."
Silver decided that worry was the correct response. "You may, in time, but I am the human ambassador, so you have to deal with me first, and the royal sisters only at their discretion. Was your trip pleasant?"
Fast leaned in, "He sure knows a lot of ponies' names."
Night whispered from the other side back, "Silver had the same knowledge, though he was less pushy with it."
The human advanced on them and suddenly began petting Silver across the skull. Fingers pressed against the base of his ears. It was a little rough, but... kind of nice. If not for the sudden wave of anxiety he felt at having another human so close without warning, Silver may have even liked it. The human spoke, "How'd you end up with that job? Are you a human expert pony? Your cutie mark doesn't have any humans on it. What is your cutie mark anyway? Looks like random lines."
Silver decided to play his cards straight, "I was human, like you, when I first arrived. I've... gone native, as it were. These are my wives that I am blessed with the fortune of having."
The human blinked, "Shit, really? I can get a harem?" That fact got through before the former human part did, "You were a human? Were you a brony? How'd you end up... Aw man, do all humans have to become ponies? Is that part of the rules?"
Night snorted softly, "Herds are not the normal family unit. If you are lucky, you will find one mare who favors your company. There is no law stating immigrants to Equestria have to become ponies, just follow the laws."
Silver nodded softly, "I k--" He was interrupted as those hands moved on. The human seemed to have absolutely no sense of personal space, and was inspecting Silver quite thoroughly. "Uh, can you... stop that?" He backpedaled and flopped over gracelessly. He decided to consider it a blessing this wasn't a pegasister with similar gropey hands or Night might begin hurting him.
The human hiked a thumb at himself, "I'm Jake." Jake flashed a big grin, "So, you're a unicorn. That mean you do magic?"
Silver quickly scrambled upright as he nodded, "It's my cutie mark, studying magic that is."
Jake gave a huh, "Did you have to earn that, or did it come with being a pony automatically?"
Silver summoned a silvery hand and tested a theory by offering it to Jake silently. Jake accepted the hand and shook it, proving he could see magic as Silver could. "Note, most ponies can't see magic unless it's very intense. Humans seem to be able to," he informed Jake. "And I had to earn my mark. I went to school and everything. I'm still in school, though it's a magic academy."
Jake let go of the magic construct as he gave a chuckle, "That's far out. So... when do I get to meet famous ponies?"
Fast Change gestured at Silver, "Here's the rescuer of Canterlot, isn't that famous enough?"
Jake gave a snort, "He wasn't in any of the shows."
Silver gave a light smile, "I know what you're talking about, but, please, remember that this is their world. They are people, with jobs and lives. They don't know they were on a show, and they're going to get creeped out by some alien rushing up to them talking about it like they should know."
Jake rolled a hand, "I'll be polite, I just want to see a pony I recognize."
Silver clopped his forehooves together, "You can meet my parents."
Jake looked confused, "But you were human, you said?"
Silver nodded, "Yes, but I have adoptive parents, after I became a colt." He turned and began walking, "One of them you'll definitely recognize."
The group began its journey through Canterlot, with Jake gawking at the landmarks just as much as Silver had on his first visit to the grand city. "It's a very impressive city, isn't it."
"You're not wearing pants," replied Jake.
He'd gone months without clothes without even noticing the fact, and Jake just reminded him of years of social conditioning. His tail fell in an effort of cover objectionable places as an uncontrollable blush darkened his face, "Ponies don't always wear clothes, though now that I'm an ambassador, I should look into some."
Jake gave a soft huh before suggesting, "Bet Rarity could do it."
"Who?" asked Fast Change.
"The Element of Generosity," answered Night Watch.
Silver looked over his shoulder at Jake, "She lives in Ponyville. A Canterlot seamstress or tailor would suffice. I'm not going to ask her to visit just for my sake."
Jake shrugged softly, "Why not? Dude, it's Rarity. Don't you want to meet her?"
They had arrived at Silver's old house, now his parents' home. "It's not about what I want. I am, and you are, just weird visiting aliens. If I see her on the street, I will smile and say hello, like a nice person, but I will not disrupt her life or stalk her."
Jake rolled his eyes, "Like she'd get mad at a job from a Canterlot noble."
Silver paused. Jake had a bit of a point there, still... "Let's say hello to my parents." He approached the door and knocked. It wasn't his home anymore, just walking in felt wrong.
After a moment, Rough Draft opened the door, "He-- Silver!" The brown earth pony grabbed Silver into a warm embrace. Silver decided fatherly hugs was on the acceptable list. After sharing a nuzzle, he turned, "You know Night Watch." She bowed her head, "And this is Fast Change." She nodded and raised a hoof. "And this tall person is Jake."
Jake raised a brow, "Don't recognize him either. Come on."
Rough looked Jake over, "Another human? I'm not adopting this one."
Silver smiled lightly, "You don't have to. One was already above the call of duty. Is Mom home?"
Rough turned his head back towards the inside, "Trixie! You have a visitor!"
Jake's expression lightened, "Now we're talking."
Trixie emerged moments later, smiling on sight of Silver and Night, then turning quizzical as she looked over Fast and Jake. "Trixie does not recognize everypony."
Jake burst into a laugh, "She even talks in the third person too!" He thrust a hand forward, "Nice to meet you, Trixie. I'm Jake."
Trixie nodded her head lightly, "Charmed." She made no motion to meet his hand. "Trixie had no idea humans were such fans of Trixie. Have you seen her perform?"
Jake nodded, "And get your flank handed to you by Twilight."
Silver winced at the words. Why would he bring that up?
Trixie trembled, but her expression remained pleasant as she gave a forced laugh, "Trixie and Twilight Sparkle have mended their rough history."
Silver entered the conversation, "Mom, Dad. I'm an ambassador now, for humans, including Jake." He gestured at Jake, "I'm going to bring him to the castle and get him a room in the human embassy wing until we find a more permanent place."
They exchanged friendly parting words, and he got a hug out of it from Trixie. If nothing else, getting to see his parents made the day worth waking up for, and Silver made a mental note that he should remember to stop in more often. They proceeded from there through the streets of Canterlot, heading towards the large castle that dominated the skyline. "So..." said Silver, "I heard you were having trouble in Appleloosa?"
Jake shrugged, "There wasn't anything out there other than Braeburn, and I'm not gay for him no matter how many memes there are. A bunch of dust, and apple trees."
Silver swiveled an ear back to him, "Gay relationships between males have negative social status, like back home. Between females seems to not even be noticeable. They just do it. I think it has something to do with the gender ratio. More females, less males."
Jake gave a soft pfft, "Ain't gay anyway. Why, hoping to get lucky?"
Silver stopped, peering at Jake, "Dude, really? I'm flanked by two amazing mares and you ask if I'm on the prowl for a piece of you? Seriously, you're joking."
Jake held up a hand, "Just messing with you. Next thing you tell me you're getting a piece of royal flank or something."
Silver turned back around and marched on, hoping to hide his new flush. No such luck, "Fuck, you are! Oh man, you got dibs on everything! Save some for me."
Silver passed the guards without challenge as he peeked over his shoulders, "Can you pretend this isn't a fantasy for a moment? You're not on a television show, you're on an alien world. I got what I got after being kicked in the balls repeatedly for some things that were my mistake, and some things that weren't. By and larg--"
Jake interrupted his speech, "Yeah yeah, I'll be polite. Oh hell naw." He stopped to admire a stained glass window of the Mane Six confronting Nightmare Moon. "They look way cooler in person."
Silver hung his head a moment, "Look, all I'm saying is that if you play your cards right, these ponies are ready to accept you. If you offend them, then this paradise can turn into a hell from which there really is no escape. Please, this way..."
He led the way as his wives pressed closer to whisper. Fast quietly said, "Are all humans like this? Uh, you excepted of course."
Silver shook his head, "We're just as different from one another as ponies can be. Let's try to be nice and maybe we can calm him down. He doesn't seem like a bad person, just... impolite?"
5756224 As if Silver doesn't catch enough trouble already! Poor unicorn...
Demanding, isn't he?
There's an unneeded space between "caucasian" and the comma.
The use of "but" twice makes the sentence flow awkwardly. I'd change that to two different sentences: "Guessing ages was never his strong point. They were definitely young, but looked..." (Also, there's no "a" in "definitely.")
5756270 Well, the consequences don't have to be negative, per se. Just something that makes it more than a one-off quirk with no force or effect.
This story as gone la long way in such a short time, I am frankly impress, I think this chapter rely shows that. I also think shows also the more immature parts of the fandom but mostly how diverts it can be.
Great job
5756317 Thanks for the kind words and for being a reader. I'm glad to hear you're having a good time of it. What will happen to/around Jake, and how will it reflect on Silver? We shall find out!
5756282 The cliches of a bad Brony in Equestria Main Character. So glad Silver was the first.
so jake is the stereo typical brony?
5756309 Fixed! Wow, were those the only typos?
ok this is going to be a bumpy road.
I feel bade for silver he is still trying to accept his own states as ambassador and his first job is to try to calm down jack.
I wish you luck silver,
and I agree with silver we need to se a bit more of Trixie and rough from time to time.
a vary good chapter I can see this is going to have a bit of comedy in it.
Harts Fire
5756322
5756325 Yes, Jake is that. He's a nosey tourist with little interest in assimilation, unlike David who approached the ponies as a cautious guest and eventually went full native.
5756326 The only ones that leapt out at me. No need for hyphens makes me a sad pony.
5756334 I look forward to your thoughts when the opportunity arises!
My initial reaction to Jake is to treat him as a contrast to Silver, in that he makes Silver look good by comparison, even if he does cast all of humanity in a negative light. On some reflection though, having Jake be nothing more than the anti-Silver is odd simply because Silver doesn't need a negative example to define himself as a positive influence on Equestria - he's more than amply demonstrated his worth already. As such, I can't help but wonder what the impact of Jake's visit will be.
I suppose his actions could create some political problems for Silver, but there's only so far that could go. As an ambassador, Silver is not expected to represent all of his people per se, but rather represent his government's interests as it relates to his people. If Jake were to screw up and get himself arrested - which seems very likely at this point, since it's probably only a matter of time before he tries to grope Celestia or something equally stupid - it would be Silver's problem only insofar as wanting justice to be done to the point where "his government" would be satisfied. That's why foreign governments only kick up a fuss when citizens traveling abroad are imprisoned under questionable or unjust circumstances (which usually doesn't apply where they've broken a law that their home country doesn't have, but is a legitimate law in that foreign land). As such, I question Jake's usefulness as a plot device at this point - he's a relatively one-note character so far, and unless he goes through his own segment of personal growth (which seems not only unlikely, but also redundant compared to Silver), he'll quickly wear out his welcome not only in Equestria, but also in this story.
In fact, I suspect Jake's biggest contribution to the plot will be regarding the circumstances of how he got to Equestria to begin with, and what to do with him after he inevitably is told to get lost. Where the latter is concerned, he might actually be a useful venue for shifting the location of the action - after all, Silver's memories should extend through Rainbow Rocks, which means that he's aware of the portal that Twilight jury-rigged to the (or at least that particular) human world. Just kick Jake through it, and he's not anypony's problem anymore, since he'll be "home." That also makes for a great excuse for Silver to interact with the Mane Six ("Hm, might as well ask Rarity for some clothes while I'm here."), which could open up an entirely new direction to take things.
5756356 That is a surprisingly cynical look at it, but I can't really argue it. I was thinking to have Silver try to keep Jake close and try to work him until he wouldn't make a jerk of himself. If ponifying folks wasn't illegal, he'd probably suggest Jake go to remedial school on all fours to learn the hard way what behavior is acceptable. Then again, in theory, Silver could return to being human with another human around to use as a template, though it seems extremely unlikely Silver has any desire to leave behind his family, both adoptive and married, as he has found satisfaction with his new species, even with the issues that crop up.
5756417 The problem with trying to teach someone is that it's largely dependent on if they want to learn. Jake's making it very clear that he doesn't know the difference between fantasy and fantasy-turned-reality, and doesn't want to know. That's going to cost him, but it's hard to help someone who doesn't want your help to begin with. Jake's going to end up at the school of hard knocks, one way or the other.
My bigger concern is how it advances Silver's story trying to help him. If things are focused around Jake's culture shock, then I worry that Silver will be moved to the edge of the spotlight, instead of remaining center-stage.
I will admit that I hadn't even considered that Jake's presence could allow for Silver to turn back into David, though. Simply put, that just seemed like something he wouldn't want anyway (and even if he did, his focus on transmutation magic makes it seem like he'd get there on his own eventually).
I remember what David was like when he first came to Equestria... Always touching the ponies around him.
I guess he waited a bit and restrained himself, but this is a pot and kettle situation.
Considering that the "effect" is Discord asking them, "where do you want to go?" that seems pretty likely.
in an effort to cover
exchanged
Haven't a few things happened that Silver might want to tell Trixie and Rough Draft about? Like that his wife died and he married three others?
I'm not sure what the exact threshold is for the mature tag, but watch how many of those you drop.
5771518 Fixed! Good to have you on board.
Why is it in any HiE fic, when a second human is introduced things get unpleasant in one form or another?
5783608 So much hate on Jake.
honestly if i ever got stuck in equestria with jake he would be disappeared by nightfall. cast iron frying pan to the head and drag him to the badlands.he represents many things that i dislike and also he would probably corrupt the ponies. hell anyone other than me would "disappear" if i was in equestria. it is part of my code so to speak anything that corrupts or will corrupt a near eden has to go. the good old days shall remain.
The human hiked a thumb at himself, "I'm Jake." Jake flashed a big grin, "So, you're a unicorn. That mean you do magic?"
Correction:The human hiked a thumb at himself, "I'm Jake." Jake flashed a big grin, "So, you're a unicorn. That means you can do magic right?"
5783625 is he from state farm?
ponies'
6816533 Fixed!
6522329 I don't get it
Should this be He & He was
Oh Tartarus please, Discord send him back, NOW! The shirt is enough of a warning.
6925511 Singular they is a thing that I shall continue defending.
Please kill of this fucktard Jake!!
ponies'
6522329
6925618
All of them!!!!!!
Hey! I'm nothing like that!
But...
They might have to pry me off Celestia. (You only get one chance to tackle-glomp best pony.)
And another!
Squish!
He's acting like a spoiled, entitled child. Someone needs to slap some sense into him.
please god no
So Jake basically has a major case of Main Character Syndrome and thinks of the locals as just NPCs. Reading on to see how he’ll react upon figuring out (if he ever does) that this isn’t actually his story...
11688349
It could be his story... (He does get a little story, poor guy)