Prologue
It hadn't been easy to get into the Restricted section of that ancient library, but through patience, perseverance, and good old fashioned dumb luck, he'd succeeded. Now it was just a matter of finding the right book or books that would take him on his journey.
Under cover of night, he'd made his way into the section and began perusing the titles. Some he couldn't read, and some gave off a palpable feeling of menace, so he avoided those and selected the one his research had revealed. Taking the tome back to his apartment, he immediately began working on the incantations. After studying the book for several months, he'd realized the spell required intricate hand motions, that had to be completed precisely. After what felt like hundreds of attempts, his hand-waving motions finally bore fruit. The moon shone in the windows at a precise angle on the diagram he'd drawn, and he made the correct gestures. There was a flash as a portal opened. He stared at it for a few moments, gulped, then shut his eyes and walked through.
**********
My journey was complete. That book of transdimensional mutation turned out to be real after all, as it had not only managed to open a portal to this world once I’d worked up the courage to go through it but turned me into a unicorn as well.
I stood unsteadily and examined myself. My coat was the dark color of coffee with two creams, my mane was chocolate brown and I had a cutie mark that was a scroll with a golden quill. That probably reflected my being a college student on Earth.
My legs wobbled as I took my first tentative steps, and landed on my face. Walking on four legs wasn’t as easy as I’d hoped. Even so, I needed to master it.
After about half an hour I was fine with walking, enough to try an experimental trot. Easy does it…made it! I practiced walking, trotting, and even galloping for a short time before I was ready to find myself among the denizens of this world.
I looked around. I could see what looked like a town far off in the distance. It didn’t look like Ponyville, but that would have been expecting too much convenience. Still, there was nothing for it but to find my way into town and ask directions.
I soon saw a sign that said, “Welcome to Clydesdale.” Huh. Never heard of it, but I could see ponies off in the distance, so I at least hadn’t ended up in the Griffon Empire. I took that for the encouragement it was and walked across the bridge into town.
“Excuse me,” I said to the first pony I saw, a mare. “Can you tell me how to get to Ponyville?”
She stared at me for a few seconds before saying, “Ponyville? Aren’t you a little old to be asking about Ponyville?”
“I’m sorry, what do you mean, ‘a little old?’”
She stared at me again. “I don’t have time for this,” as she shook her head and continued on her way.
Well, that was weird. I guessed she was just in a bad mood, so I asked another pony. This one just huffed and didn’t answer. Something was definitely wrong. I continued to walk about, a little unsure of myself now. Maybe Ponyville is not as nice as I’d been led to believe? It is a kid’s show, after all, and as such I’m sure they’d edited out anything unsuitable. Maybe that was it: the reality was far different from the show. That only stood to reason, but that first mare’s answer still bothered me. I’d just have to find a map and find it on my own.
From my knowledge of the show, I knew that Ponyville was near Canterlot, the capital, so I made up my mind to find it first. I looked around for a train station, intending to board the first train I could when it hit me: I have no money. The spell that brought me here didn’t convert anything I had on me into things I could use in this world. I should have read it a bit more carefully. No matter, I was here, and that was the biggest hurdle. The rest I could work out. Then my stomach gurgled. Whatever I did, it would have to be soon. But wait! Ponies are herbivores! All I had to do was find some grass for now. I looked around. There was a nice patch over there by a tree, so I went up to it and took an experimental nibble. It was way better than I thought. I was face deep in the turf when I heard a shout behind me. A stallion in a blue coat and silver badge was approaching me.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he sternly asked.
“Umm, I was just eating a bit of the grass. That’s okay, isn’t it?”
“Not inside the city, it isn’t!” he growled.
I swallowed. “Sorry, I didn’t know.”
His expression softened a bit, as he said, “You don’t have any money, do you? And you’re new here, I don’t remember seeing you before.”
I nodded. “Yes, I just got here. I’m trying to get to…Canterlot,” I said as my recent experiences made me hold back the mention of Ponyville.
He frowned. “Vagrancy is not allowed. I can direct you to a shelter, but you’ll have to get a job soon.”
“That would be awesome, thanks.”
“Come with me.”
I followed him down a few blocks until we came to rather run-down section of town, where we stopped in front of a brown, nondescript building. There was a sign out front: “Sanctuary Services.”
“Here we are,” he said. “Try to stay out of trouble.”
“I will,” I said. “Thanks again.” He nodded, then walked off.
I stared up at the building, sighed, and then walked past the gates and through the front door. Inside there was a desk, with a rather harried looking mare seated there answering phones. She looked up when I entered.
“Yes? Can I help you?”
“I…uh…I just got into town, and I need a place to stay.” This wasn’t at all what I’d imagined coming to Equestria.
“Name?”
I thought quickly. I needed a pony name, as my own wouldn't fit in here. I considered my cutie mark. “Umm...Scholar. Just...Scholar.”
She raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. She then pointed to a bench. “Have a seat over there, somepony will do your intake.” I quietly walked over and took a seat. There were a few other ponies there waiting as well, but none of them looked like they were up for any conversation. I tried not to be too obvious as I checked them out, but what I saw made me realize poverty is very much a part of this world, something that had never been portrayed in the show. I could tell I was in for some other rude surprises. After about forty-five minutes another mare walked up to me and asked, “Mr. Scholar? I’m Miss Careworthy. We’re ready for you now. Follow me.” I got up and followed her, and soon found myself inside a dingy office, in front of a desk that was littered with papers. A few photos were on the walls, and some on the desk, with what I assumed were the mare’s family. I took the seat that was indicated for me.
“Now then, how can we help you?”
“I just arrived here, and I just need to stay a few days until I can earn enough money to get to Canterlot.”
“And what’s waiting for you in Canterlot?” she asked.
I hesitated. She seemed nice, but I was still a bit shaken up by that first mare’s reply, so I said, “I have plans past that, but I need to get there first.”
“I see. Well, we can help you out with a place to stay for a few days, as long as you’re willing to work. Does that sound alright?”
“It sounds grand. I just need enough to get a train ticket and pay for my lodgings once I get there.”
“Train tickets aren’t that expensive, but lodging in Canterlot certainly is. Do you have family waiting there?”
“No…no family. I’m on my own.”
“Then it may take you more than a few days.”
“That’s alright, I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“Splendid!” she said. She scribbled on a piece of paper, then gave it to me. “Be at this address tomorrow at eight o’clock. They’ll help you with a job.” She then gave me a key. “That’s where you’ll be staying tonight; the room number is on the key. Dinner is in an hour; make sure you’re on time.” I thanked her and went to my new room.
When I unlocked the door I stood there for a moment taking it all in. There were two beds, and I could see a bundle next to one of them. I seemed I had a roommate. I hoped he was nice. I was just settling myself on the unclaimed bunk when the door opened, and a scruffy looking stallion entered.
“Who are you?” he asked.
I got up from the bunk and extended a hoof. “Scholar, pleased to meet you.” He stared at me with a critical eye and ignored my hoof, which I gradually dropped.
Finally, he said, “Stay away from my stuff, newbie.” With that, he turned his back on me and lay down on his bunk. I sighed. That could’ve gone better. Having nothing else to do, I sat on my bed and stared out the window.
Nothing had happened like I’d expected. First I’d been rebuffed by the first pony I’d met, then I’d gotten told off by a cop ( who did help me, though ) and now I’m stuck in this shelter with another unfriendly pony. For the first time, I was starting to regret coming here. But no, there’s still a chance to meet my heroines, and then, I reasoned, everything else would fall into place. Then a thought struck me: I wondered if there was a map of Equestria somewhere in this place? Carefully, making as little noise as possible, I got up from the bed and made my way out the door.
As I trotted back the way I’d come, I noticed Miss Careworthy’s door was slightly opened, so I knocked and waited until I heard a “come in.”
“Miss Careworthy? I have a question.”
“Certainly, what is it?”
“Do you have a map of Equestria I could look at?”
“I’m sure I do, just a second.” She rummaged around inside her desk until she found an atlas. “Here you go.”
“Thanks,” I said as I buried my face in the book and started going through the maps. Right away I found a huge color map of Equestria, with Canterlot more or less in the middle and slightly east. I quickly looked south, but none of the cities marked were the one I sought. That was…disturbing. Then I remembered, and looked for the Everfree Forest. After some searching, I found a huge section of forest in the place where it should be, but it had a different name. Frustrated, I gathered my courage and asked, “Miss Careworthy…I…don’t seem to be able to find Ponyville on this map.”
She looked up at me and smiled, then said, “So you like foal’s programs?”
“Well, some, yes, but what does that have to do with Ponyville?”
“Are you serious? It’s from that Friendship is Magic show. Surely you know that if you’re asking about Ponyville?”
I didn’t know what to say, so I said nothing.
She waved a hoof. “It’s quite alright; that show has an unusually large number of adults that watch it. I don’t care for it myself, but I can see the appeal.”
Slowly, quietly, I closed the atlas and gave it back to her. I barely remembered to say ‘thank you’ as I left and started back to my room.
“Wait,” she said as I started to close her door, “is something wrong?”
“I…I just have some thinking to do. I’ll be alright.”
But I wasn’t going to be alright. I was really bothered by the fact they film the show here as well. Back on Earth, they used animation and voice actors, but apparently, here they just use actual actors. Could it be the show I watched didn't originate on Earth at all?
**********
About a week had passed, and I still hadn’t figured out what I was going to do. As I washed dishes at the cafè that had hired me, I thought about all I’d learned so far.
I learned there is indeed a Princess Celestia, but her sister Luna was still banished. I learned that “Ponyville” was made up for the show, and is a generic name for a town, just like “Humanville” would be back on Earth. I’d watched the show once on the TV in the common room at the shelter, but all it had done was depress me further: little of it was real. Those were just pony actors and actresses. The “Mane Six” didn’t exist beyond the cameras, and therefore was little use in me going to Canterlot. Finally, the “best” part was I have no way of getting home.
But then I mentally squared my shoulders and forced myself to think about all the good that has happened. Sure, I’ll never meet Twilight, or Fluttershy, or even (sigh) Pinkie, but I’d still accomplished more than I could have hoped by making it to Equestria. Little by little I was gradually getting better at unicorn magic, and I wasn’t nearly so clumsy today as I had been a week ago. In time I’d get really good at it, and perhaps find a better job more suited to my talents. My cutie mark was a scroll and quill pen, probably reflecting my time as a student. Everyone in this world has their destiny shown on them, and apparently I was no different.
Then I had an idea.