Mail work wasn’t that hard, though it required a good amount of speed, coordination, and attention to detail – especially when sorting. Over the years I’d become very good at it, upholding a position of being one of the most valuable employees of my hometown’s postal service.
However, I felt that it was time to return to the world of education and find a better job. Engineering was another field that I found interesting as a tween, but I chose to pursue my childhood dream of flying and defending the honor of my country – in addition to purchasing my dream car. Now it’d look like such a choice was going to cost me. I’d have plenty enough money after returning from deployment for my first air force recruitment, but for the time being I had to increase my net income.
After returning to the post office in the late afternoon, I checked my iPhone. 7:30 p.m. Closing time was near, and there still lay a box of mail and a couple packages on the floor. I felt exhausted from so much walking, but I had to sort them out. Carefully cutting open the box, I took out the mail handful by handful and sorted them as quickly and efficiently as possible, before moving onto the packages and placing them properly. In the span of around thirty minutes, I’d sorted almost two hundred envelopes and twenty packages. With the last of my energy, I waved goodbye to Jason and the janitor, pushed the back door open, and clambered into Whiz. Waiting at a red light, I cranked up the volume on an R&B radio station to keep myself awake. A painful-sounding scratch from the transmission bolted me out of my slumber-filled trance, and I quickly corrected my second gear shift. Still, that bad miss would definitely cost me a single gear set or a main synchro gear.
I turned onto the main neighbourhood street, moaning about how I’d need to pull the whole tranny out at an auto dealer and investigate the tranny for any possible damages. My muttering was soon put to a firm stop as a dark square appeared amongst the houses’ driveways on the block. Had I forgotten to close the garage door? I eagerly drove on towards my house and entered the driveway… and my blood ran cold.
Caught in the beams of the Subaru were three tiny creatures that looked very much like Fleetfoot, only smaller, along with what looked like a large bird of some sort. As I inched forwards into the garage, however, they backed up against the rear of the garage, clearly in fright. (No kidding, considering how loud my catback exhaust was) I shut off the engine.
“Relax,” I whispered, carefully stepping out of the car. Recalling the light switch’s position, I flicked it on, instantly getting a better look at who had entered my garage. I didn’t know exactly who they were, but I knew the name of one from evening chats with Fleetfloot: Scootaloo. Still, it was a shock to discover them just huddling here.
“Well, it looks like my mistake of leaving the garage door open wasn’t a bad idea after all,” I remarked, breaking the silence.
“What... are you?” Scootaloo asks, her eyes squinting in doubt.
I had to sit down: her cuteness was making my knees weaker than a matchstick, but I soon got my mouth moving fast. “I’m a human, and where you all are is a place called Earth. This is my home. You seem lost. How did you end up here? I know it’s one thing for a pegasus to end up on an Air Force base, but”
“A pegasus?! Who?” Scootaloo asked excitedly, running up to me. Before she could ask, I thrusted my arms out and hugged her. At this moment, the “large bird” stepped out from in front of my car, and I got a good look at her.
“Fleetfoot,” I replied, only boosting Scootaloo’s excitement even more. The other two fillies soon walked over.
“I’m Apple Bloom,” said a yellow one with a big red bow.
“And I’m Sweetie Belle,” said the other, who was a white unicorn with a striped pale pink mane.
I gave them a little stroke behind the ears, which they loved and responded with squees of delight. I then took hold of Sweetie Belle and sat her in my lap, while Apple Bloom rested her front hooves on my right knee. Almost on instinct I caressed their smooth soft manes and backs. I felt so happy, being surrounded with insanely adorable little children.
I then pointed to the large bird-like creature at the back of the garage. “And you are?”
“That’s Gabby,” Apple Bloom replied. “She’s one of our best friends.”
“And she’s a gryphon!” Sweetie Belle added in a voice that was so cute my heart felt like it was going to just melt away like butter on volcanic rocks.
I let go of Scootaloo and stood up – I couldn’t take the intensity of the cuteness that I was literally drowning in. “Come on you all, let’s go inside and talk things over.”
Shutting the car door and locking it, I led Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Gabby outside onto the driveway. Thankfully many people were fast asleep, so the chance of all of us being seen was minimal. I pulled the garage door shut and ran around to the front door.
Taking a cautious glance to ensure no prying eyes were snooping, I pulled my keys from my pocket, shoved them into the lock, and turned the knob, shoving the door open.
“Good evening Fleetfoot!” I called out, flipping a few light switches and quickly shutting the front door behind my new friends as soon as they’d entered. “Come down! I’ve got guests!”
“Guests?” her voice came from the bedroom upstairs. Shortly after, Fleetfoot came walking down the steps, her short but smooth white mane glowing in the ceiling lamp light.
Scootaloo just stood speechless while Gabby ran up and hugged her without thought.
“Hey!” I snapped, holding Gabby’s arm. “Not so forceful! We haven’t even done proper introductions yet!”
It took some time, but Gabby soon calmed down, and I could hold a stable conversation.
“Where are we, exactly?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“We’re in my home in a neighborhood in the country of America, on the planet called Earth. I guess Equestria is in a whole other realm, right?”
“Most definitely,” Fleetfoot replied. “Whatever caused me to end up in a hangar with a big plane definitely had the capability of knocking out past memories. I can remember Equestria, but the memories of the events leading up to my worldly transfer have just vanished."
“What’s a plane?” Apple Bloom asked, tilting her head in confusion.
A tiny smile played across my lips, but I wiped it off and cleared my throat. “I’ll explain later, Apple Bloom. While I’m sure Celestia and Twilight are running around in mayhem trying to find a way to gain access to this world to bring you all home, I need to be the one to care for you all until such a time comes.”
The trio of fillies and the cute gray gryphon looked back at me with a gaze of worry and anticipation.
“And I’m positively sure that it will occur soon,” I added with a stern tone of confidence. “I promise not to ever give up on you all, and I also promise never to let you all down. It will be quite a topsy-turvy juggle, this life of mine, but I will strive to see it through. I consider you my responsibility and I love you all.”
“Thank you!” Apple Bloom and her friends chorused, and they all wrapped me in a big warm hug that brought me to tears. For the first time in forever, I felt like a father.