As amusing it would be to keep guessing about it, I decided to cut to the chase. As Starlight arrived in the kitchen and seemed to be getting a drink of water, I moved up beside her. "Starlight?"
"Yes?" She turned to me, sipping her glass.
"This will sound awkward, but it is what it is. Rate me on a scale of one to ten in physical appearance."
Starlight blinked at that with obvious confusion. "Are you attempting--"
"No! No." I waved a hoof. "You're a student of Twilight's. Us becoming involved sounds like a drama waiting to happen."
She looked relieved and mildly upset at the same time. "Yeah..." She shook herself free of whatever spell she was under. "If you want my frank opinion..."
"I do, please."
She set the glass aside with a nod then took two steps to be directly in front of me. She reached out a hoof and pressed it on my chest. "Your musculature is extremely defined. On one hoof, that isn't typical, on the other, it leaves no doubt that you are well... constructed." She raised her brows in unison. "You're a walking advertisement for a gym or workout pills. Your voice is smooth and inviting, and you walk confidently." She nodded as she stepped back. "If I were a superficial mare, I'd give you an easy eight."
Superficial? "And what do you give?"
Starlight reached for her half-filled glass of water with her magic. "Well, you asked me, that's minus one point. You are also my student, minus three points. That leaves you with only four points out of ten. Sorry, guess we're not becoming an item."
I smirked a little even as I agreed with her reasoning. It was much the same reason I had given. "That's alright. We can be friends. So where's Spike?" I glanced around, but no glimpse of the small dragon was forthcoming. "He said he'd show me around Ponyville."
"He's probably in his room." Starlight set the glass down after one last pull. "Back up the stairs we go." She broke into a lively trot and led the way through the many purple-pink hallways. "If you get lost, don't feel bad. It took me the longest time to start memorizing where things are. This should be Spike's room." She raised a hoof and clopped the door lightly. "Spike?"
"Yeah?" came a familiar voice before the door opened a crack and his face peeked. Once he saw me, he quickly opened it the rest of the way. "True! You're awake!" His eyes moved over to Starlight. "Hey, showing him around?"
Starlight gave a nod. "He's my student now. He barely knows how to use his horn, let alone any magic."
Spike hiked a brow at that. "Did you talk to Twilight about that?"
"I can learn magic?" Maybe I was a little distracted. "Besides picking things up, I mean."
Starlight quickly nodded. "All unicorns can, but most just don't bother. They're happy with their talent and leave it at that. Telekinesis and light are the farthest most go. It's not like they can't learn, and it is learning." She tapped her chin lightly. "Actually, scratch that. Some unicorns really don't have enough magic, but from what Twilight tells me, I don't think you're one of those. We'll find out!"
Spike held up a claw. "Hold your horses, Star. We should make sure Twi's alright with this before you rush ahead or she's gonna be really mad."
Starlight rolled her eyes. "If you insist, if only because I know you." She leaned in, lowering her head to his level. "If I don't, you'll rush off and tell her, like any good Number One Assistant would." She returned her look towards me. "I'll check in with Twilight, you and Spike go have fun."
Spike watched her go and stuck out his tongue at her. "Don't worry about her. She's just used to getting her way." He pulled his door shut behind himself and stepped further into the hallway. "It's time to show you around town! In fact, I think the only reason you didn't meet one of Twilight's friends is because you were a statue at the time. She has a sixth sense for new ponies."
I fell in line with him, but he was walking at the speed of a little bipedal dragon. That was not very fast. I willed him right off the ground and onto my back. "Point the way," I advised. Soon we were moving much more swiftly as I trotted down the stairs. Fair warning, trotting down stairs is as horribly unbalancing as it sounds, and I had to stop a few times to make sure my hooves were in the right place along the way. Thankfully we reached the bottom without any unexpected falls.
With the stairs of doom behind us, we were soon at the main doors. They were a little heavy, but nothing too bad, and the natural light outside spilled in, though it wasn't too much of it. It was night, just as it had been in the human world when I went to sleep. The moon was high and pretty, stars twinkling.
Downhill, I could see a cozy-looking village with lights in most windows. "Is that Ponyville?"
Spike bobbed his head and leaned around my neck. "Sure is! Some places'll be closing up, but I know where there're some places worth visiting."
Small town, sleeping at night. Seemed reasonable enough for ponies or humans. I was eager to meet the ponies of that town. I doubted they would be the same as those in the city I had begun in. "Spike, what are the people of Ponyville like?"
Spike hiked a brow. "Oh, uh, well they're pretty nice, overall. They can be a little shy if they don't know you at all, but that won't be a problem for the first pony I'm taking you to. She loves meeting new people, pony or otherwise. She can come off a bit... strong, but she's all heart, promise."
We arrived in the town. The lighting was low enough that it muted the colors, but I could easily see the place would be much more colorful at noon, not that I knew a way to visit during noon, which upset me a little. By the design of how my 'condition' worked, I was doomed to be an eternal night owl, or stallion.
We were approaching a building that looked like a giant gingerbread house when a voice called out from the side of the road, "Hey Spike, who've you got there?" I turned to see the source and saw a green unicorn perched on a bench in an odd way for a pony. The pony right beside her was laying down in a much more equine fashion. The normal one was shaking her head a little.
Spike waved a few fingers. "Hey Lyra! Meet True Shot." He waved down at me.
Lyra flashed a big smile. "You went and got yourself a new ride? I bet Twilight's super jealous." She hopped down easily to the ground and approached. "Hey there, True Shot. I'm Lyra. Lyra Heartstrings. That lovely mare behind me is Sweetie Drops."
Sweetie colored faintly. "You don't have to introduce me quite like that."
"Alright, that nagging nag is BonBon," corrected Lyra just before she was struck in the head by a hurled bit of candy that Sweetie was apparently hiding. Lyra was laughing it off. "Good aim as always!" She turned back to me. "Forget me. She's a great pony and I'm just messing with her. Nice to meet you." She offered a hoof towards me.
I reached out one of my own and we met with a soft clop. "Nice to meet you, Lyra. You live here, I assume?"
Sweetie pointed off. "We live just over there, above my store. Do you like candy?"
Well, as a human I would avoid them, but as a pony... "I'd love to try some."
Sweetie pulled out a candy and waved it. Lyra seemed to get the clue quickly and snatched it from her just to pass to me. I took it in my magic grip, unwrapped it, and popped it right into my snout without delay. Mmmm... "A hint of cherry, and something else. It tingles a little."
Sweetie bobbed her head. "A little fizzy powder mixed into a berry blend. Don't chew it, it's more fun to suck it down."
I pointed back at Spike. "Can he have one too?"
Sweetie produced another, which Spike caught out of the air. "Thanks, man." He popped his in and we were both enjoying the tasty treat.
I nodded to her. "We'll have to visit your shop, when it's less dark out."
Lyra rolled her eyes. "It'd be silly for you to go there now, with her right over here. Hey, where ya headed?"
Spike pointed past my head towards the gingerbread building. "Sugarcube Corner! Pinkie has to meet the new pony."
"Oh, no doubt," agreed Lyra. "I'll be keeping an eye open for the party invite then." She walked back to the bench and hopped up beside Sweetie. "Have fun!"
Pinkie? "Is she pink?" I asked as we resumed our journey. The candy was still slowly dissolving into a delicious tingly mess in my mouth.
"Pinkest pony this side of the Crystal Empire," assured Spike. "You'll see for yourself. Just be ready, she can be a bit, uh, loud."
Loud? I put it aside as we reached the door. The place still looked open. I could see light coming out, and a little 'open' sign dispelled any doubts. I willed the door open and a bell jangled.
The oldest horse I'd seen so far looked up at me. I'd put him somewhere in pony 30's or 40's? "Hello there and wel-- Oh, hello Spike. Who's your friend? I don't think I've seen him before."
Spike waved energetically from my back. "Hey! This is True Shot, and I wanted to intro--"
A dramatic gasp cut off the statement and my vision was suddenly filled with pink with bright eyes in the center. "Oh my gosh! Hello there! Are you a friend of Spike, because that makes you a friend of mine and that's great! What's your favorite color? What's your favorite flavor of cake? Why didn't Twilight tell me you were coming! I'm totally unprepared!"
Spike hopped right on top of my head and slid down between the pink pony and myself. "Easy there, Pinkie. This is True Shot. True Shot, Pinkie."
I gave a thoroughly-amused smile. She was... I'm almost embarrassed to keep describing every pony I met as adorable, but she was! Equestria, land of cute things. "Hello, Pinkie. It's nice to meet you."