//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 - Coming to Terms // Story: Guns Ponies and Equality // by CroakyEngine //------------------------------// There came a knock at the door. Jason jolted awake in semi-darkness, the only source of light being the faintly lit candle beside him. He blearily looked around him as he realized that he had fallen asleep. A slow examination of himself revealed his holstered firearm and his other belongings bulging slightly in his pocket. Straightening up in his somewhat undersized chair, he rubbed his face and called out. “Come in!” The door creaked open to reveal Tenacity carrying what looks like a small, old-fashioned lamp in her mouth. On her back was a wooden tray containing some sort of bread, two apples, something that looks like hay as well as those delicious berries Jason had encountered in the forest. The mare flashed him a small smile as she walked in. “Sorry to bother you, but I thought maybe you want some food,” she said after depositing both the tray and the lamp on Jason’s small table. “That’s okay, thanks,” mumbled Jason, before taking a glance at the window. It was then that he realized it was utterly pitch-black outside. He blinked owlishly before turning back to Tenacity. “Uh, what time is it?” I didn’t doze off too long, did I? “It’s um, it’s just midnight,” said the mare sheepishly. Jason groaned as he rubbed the last sleepiness from his eyes. As he did so, the tray of food caught his attention. He grabbed for it and gulped down the bread and berries, munching on one of the apples afterward. “Taste good?” asked Tenacity grinning. A muffled ‘mhm’ was Jason’s response, causing Tenacity to giggle slightly. And it was good, especially after two days of nothing but berries. The apple tasted succulent, unlike anything he had back home, though that might have been influenced by his hunger. To Tenacity’s credit, she waited patiently until he wolfed down everything except for the hay, which Jason chalked up as a similarity between the horse-like beings here and the horses back on Earth. When he was done, he was suddenly aware of the intense and inquisitive gaze upon him. His face reddened when he realized that he probably looked like a complete idiot while eating. “So, uh…” trailed off Jason awkwardly. “Where do you come from, Jason?” asked Tenacity suddenly. “I’ve never heard of anything like you before, or even remotely similar. The closest are probably the minotaurs, but they live on the other side of the great sea.” Minotaur?! Okay, breath, Jason, breath! Just ignore it and answer her question. One thing at a time. “Well, I’m a human. And…you see, I’m not sure where my home is, but it’s… definitely not here,” said Jason. “Like, not on this continent?” “No, as in. Really, really far away. Further away than you or I can imagine. I lived on a planet called Earth, and it was divided into many nations – or kingdoms if you will. I personally come from a place called the United States, it’s great if you know where to look…” “What was that last part?” asked Tenacity. “Oh, uh… it’s nothing. Just politics, I suppose,” covered Jason quickly. Damn, that bit came out with a little too much honesty. “I’m sure you don’t want to hear about that. Now, what really sets us humans apart from the rest of our world is that we’re the only species that are intelligent enough to develop a society, languages, etc.” “Oh, you mean everypony-uh, I mean everyhuman-” “Everyone,” corrected Jason with an amused tone. “Right. So is everyone basically the same as each other? There isn’t any other species on your ‘planet’?” “Well, basically. Of course, you have small variations like skin colour, eye colour, hair colour, small details like that. But, yeah, we’re all humans,” explained Jason. Perhaps it’s best not to tell her about all the racial prejudices and wars in human history. Yeesh, I can’t even imagine her reaction to that. “So there isn’t a type of human that have wings or horns?” “Uh… not that I know of,” admitted Jason. “Who controls your weather, then?” she questioned. That’s an oddly specific and bizarre question to ask. “Uh, no one. The weather runs by itself through the ocean currents and the movement of a thick layer of air called the atmosphere. We humans invented machines to predict the patterns, and planned accordingly,” explained Jason. Tenacity looked with a contemplative look before she asked another even more bizarre question. “Do you have magic?” Jason chuckled at that. “Beyond the imagination of a few nerds with too much time on their hands? No, none whatsoever.” Tenacity’s eyes glazed over, and she mumbled underneath her breath what sounded like “no pegasi, no unicorns…” “So, you mentioned pegasi and unicorns, but what do I call you guys?” asked Jason. “Well, ponies cover just about everything you mentioned, me included. Or sometimes, we call ourselves earth ponies, since the earth is where our roots are.” “And these other ‘ponies’ you speak of. I’m guess earth ponies aren’t all too friendly with them?” Jason immediately winced at his insensitive choice of language, but Tenacity replied before he could utter an apology. “More like oppression and in some cases… slavery,” she replied with a sigh. Jason furrowed his brows as he considered what she said. Well, I had my suspicions but this pretty much confirms it. It’s basically a racial conflict ramped up all the way to eleven. Looks like I was pretty on point with my Independence speech. Tenacity looked as if she was falling back into a sombre state – one that Jason felt partly responsible for – when a sudden bout of inspiration struck him. He reached into his pocket and took out his cell phone. The cool, black device felt familiar, comfortable even in the grasp of his hand, like a child’s favourite doll. When it settled in his hand, he could almost imagine that he was back in his apartment, sitting on his bed and ready to turn in. He shook his head and focused his attention back to Tenacity. “What’s that?” asked Tenacity, a glint of interest crawling back into her eyes. Curiosity engaged – Check. Operation Make Cute Earth Pony feel better is a go. “You’ll see,” said Jason with a smirk. After fumbling a little bit, he found the tiny power button and pressed it. A second later, the screen flickered on with a simplified logo of a type writer appearing in the centre, the screen shining brightly. Tenacity’s eyes somehow became even larger than they already were, her mouth falling open. Mentally, Jason counted down the seconds until the logo was replaced by the lock screen he’d grown used to with a picture of the Statue of Liberty in the background. It took a while for Tenacity’s mouth to stop making gold-fish imitations and allowed her to speak. “I-bu-huh-how-wha-?” she blubbered. Then, in a shaky voice, she asked, “What sort of magicks is this? I thought you said humans don’t have magic? And how are you doing it without a horn?” Jason laughed out loud, startling Tenacity. “This isn’t magic, at least none that I know of. Nope, this just uses plain old technology.” “But that’s impossible! It’s just a little piece of metal- Not even- how?” exclaimed the mare, her voice rising with franticness. Once she got herself under control again, she asked “What does it do?” Jason grinned. “Many things. It was a gateway to the world,” he said mystically, though quickly added, “That is, back where I come from. We call them smart phones, and this specific one BrainDocks.” He proceeded to hold the phone in a way that Tenacity could see everything on the screen. With a flick of his index finger, he pushed the little glowing bar across the screen and unlocked the phone. The lock screen was quickly replaced with a dozen icons, each one of a variety of colours. “Ooh, that’s pretty!” said Tenacity. “You still haven’t answered my question, though. What exactly does it do?” “Well, to be honest it’s a little complicated-” “Tell me,” interrupted Tenacity, the determination of her tone surprising Jason. “Alright, then. But you have to let me finish, okay?” said Jason. “Mhm,” hummed the earth pony mare. “You see, on Earth, everything is part of a network – an information network. This system allows everything to function in an orderly manner and allows people to talk to another person if they have a problem. This device allows access to one major access point of that information network, something called a Telecommunication network,” said Jason. He stopped when he saw the sky-blue mare next to him giving him a puzzling look. “I have no idea what any of that meant,” said Tenacity bluntly. Jason face palmed internally. Of course she doesn’t get any of that technical jumbo mumbo. I doubt many people back on Earth would get it without a degree in IT. “Okay, my bad. What I’m saying is that you can essentially talk with many people using this phone, no matter where they are or what time. On our world, this matters a lot and everything relies on it. On top of that, there is something called the Internet that this BrainDock is connected to that allows you to find information on anything, anytime and anywhere.” “Wait…so you’re saying that- that I can talk to my friend Amber even if she was say… on the other side of the Unicornia?” “I don’t know where that is but I think you’ve got the gist of it. I know that may not sound like much-” “That’s amazing! I-I can coordinate different preparations with other ponies anywhere else! Like, if I need any ingredients, I can just talk with the picker and get him to deliver it to me anytime! Oh! I can even talk with my zebra master!” exclaimed Tenacity. “Yeah, that’s basically what we humans use it for most of the time,” said Jason. “Well, can you do that now?” she asked with an exuberant grin. “Sadly, no. Right now, this smart phone can’t do any of that. All of them needs these things called satellites that help carry these information from one place to another. Besides, to talk with another person, they need to have another phone as well. There are some features that still works, though. Like uh… here, I’ll show you.” Jason flicked his thumb across the screen, the icons quickly replaced by a new set, some of them markedly more colourful. He tapped against a small rectangular icon of a pixelated picture of a cityscape. The screen turned black momentarily as the game started up. “Um, is it broken?” asked Tenacity worriedly. “Nah, just wait,” replied Jason, grinning with anticipation. Before long, colour seeped back into the screen. A small splash animation played, which caused Tenacity to giggle even though Jason was sure she didn’t know what it was she saw. The main menu soon appeared, and along with it a catchy tune started playing in the background. “This can play music?! That’s amazing! I’ve never even heard this type of music before! Is there a tiny band in there? How could it fit? It’s so small!” exclaimed Tenacity. “And what are those wiggly lines?” “It’s not just for playing music, though my BrainDock can do that as well. This is a game which we basically play whenever we are bored. The lines are English writing – my native language. It spells Citizen, which is the name of the game,” explained Jason, chuckling at Tenacity’s flagger basted expression. “Huh, that’s weird. All the games I know are played with cards or boards,” she said. “And they usually don’t have a band playing in the background.” “Oh, we humans have those as well, but digital games are slowly replacing them.” Not all of them, though, thought Jason. “This specific game lets you control a fictional human who lives in a city. The goal is trying to make mad amounts of money, avoid corrupt officials and survive the multiple disasters that will strike the city.” “Who are you playing against?” questioned Tenacity. “No one, actually. You play this game all by yourself, though technically I’m playing against the phone,” clarified Jason. He quickly entered the game, playing through the free-to-roam world as a short, stubby and pixelated man, beating against zombies, haggling against shop-keepers and helping old ladies during his travel through the city. The colours were bright and bombastic, occasionally making the mare next to him gasp even as she started to bob her head to the rhythm of the background music. Jason even gave it to Tenacity to have a few tries, though she had to use the tip of hoof very gently to do anything. Eventually, after an unlucky encounter with a Super Evil Pizza BoyTM, the character died and the last save was reloaded. “Wow, is this what you have to go through just to live in your human cities?” remarked Tenacity as she relinquished the smart phone back to Jason, her cheeks slightly flushed with excitement. “Pfft- No way. This is just for silly fun and most of the stuff in it aren’t even real,” said Jason. He was about to say more when he was cut short by a small notification that popped up on the screen. He almost choked when he saw that the power had gone down to the yellow bar already. “Ah, crap. Time to turn it off.” “Can we please see more?” begged Tenacity with puppy eyes and pouted lips, causing Jason to choke a little. With some effort, he shook his head regrettably, and turned off the phone before any temptation to oblige the adorable mare became too much to bear. “Sorry, the phone’s got limited power. I need to save as much of it as I can in case…” trailed off Jason, not exactly sure how he could finish in a way that would make sense to Tenacity – and to himself. However, Tenacity seemed to understand and gave a nod. “What about your… weapon. Did humans invent that as well?” “Yes, unfortunately,” said Jason somewhat reluctantly. “It’s called a gun, and it works by making a small piece of metal travel very fast in a very short amount of time.” “Why is a ‘gun’ a bad thing? Wouldn’t it be much easier for humans to defeat the bad guys?” “Not when the bad guys also have them. When both sides have guns, it becomes a bloodbath. Even so, guns aren’t the most dangerous thing we humans have invented by far. During what we call the Second World War, humans developed a device so powerful it can destroy our entire world.” “Why would anyone make such a thing?” said Tenacity with a horrified gasp. “When a war has worn on for so long, you start to lose touch with your conscience and you do whatever it takes to end it, even when there are no winners.” Jason paused. “Sorry, I think I’m preaching to the choir a little. You probably know far more about this than I do.” Tenacity’s gaze lowered, and her next sentence came out as a mumble. “It’s not so much a war, as it is a slaughter.” She turned her head sideways and her look turned into a thousand-mile-stare. Jason opened his mouth before quickly closing it, clenching his jaws. Damn, what can I say to that? Stupid, stupid brain! “Sorry, I got a little melancholic there, didn’t I?” she said, interrupting Jason’s mental berate. Her usual smile came back to her face, though this time it was a lot more subdued. “I’m sorry I brought it up,” said Jason quietly. “It’s okay, you didn’t know. And, you deserve to know after risking your life yesterday to save my village, and to save me.” Jason’s chest warmed at that, but it was tainted with a bittersweet feeling. It was then that Tenacity gave a small – and to be honest, petrifyingly cute – yawn as she rubbed her eyes. Jason glanced over her with a concerned gaze nonetheless. “Are you okay, Tenacity? It’s really late, and we can continue this tomorrow.” The mare’s eyes widened and she quickly waved her hooves. “Oh no, no, I’m completely fine,” she reassured, though it was obvious that drowsiness was beginning to get to her. “Let’s talk about something other than weapons. There must be something else that humans made.” Jason smiled as he began to speak. They talked a long time into the wane hours of the morning, before eventually Tenacity gave in to her exhaustion and fell dead asleep. With a small chuckle, Jason gently lifted her and carried her to her own room (at least he thought it was her room, being the only other chamber with a bed) and placed her onto the bed, draping a blanket over her sleeping form. He went back to his own guest room and crept onto the cot, thinking about the conversation they had. Throughout it all, Jason felt something strange, almost like pride, as he saw the look of awe of Tenacity’s face when he mentioned the skyscrapers that touched the clouds, microscopes that can see the building blocks of life and cities that sprawled over hundreds of miles. But even more, he did not expect that she, unlike many others humans, had understood the implications of many things he said, such as the internet. It was then that he saw something else in the mare that was a trait embedded in the spirit of humanity. The desire to learn and discover. Finally, after what felt like a small eternity, he felt his eyelids grow heavier and he slowly drifted off to sleep. Jason’s handgun boomed as each pegasus that tried to attack him were met with solid lead. Finally, the last one toppled over, eyes opens in a last, unbelieving expression. Jason blew the smoke away from his gun and turned around to smile at Tenacity and the earth ponies, preparing to proclaim that they had nothing to fear under his protection. He stopped abruptly as he saw the bodies all around him, many of which contained the telltale sign of bullet holes. “H-How could you murder them all… y-you monster!” Jason’s eyes snapped to Tenacity as she shouted and he felt a sudden burst of nausea. His hands shook, and he realized they were drenched in blood. “I-I tried to save you all!” called out Jason desperately, but Tenacity and the earth ponies were already backing away into the shadows, blending in with the environment until somehow their forms could no longer be distinguished. “Wait!” A small chuckle behind Jason froze him. He turned around slowly and saw the pegasus leader he had killed first slowly rising up. His armour plating was stained crimson from the still dripping blood of the gaping hole in his head. A crooked, bloodied grin found its way onto the pony’s face as he stared at Jason. The sky became overcast and ominous thunder reverberated from far away. “You didn’t think that was enough to kill me, did you?” sneered the pegasus, completely ignoring another gush of blood that that came from his gruesome gun wound. Jason backed away, and shakily raised the gun to aim once again. He pulled the trigger and saw the pony jerk backwards. However, he couldn’t hear anything except for an inferno The sound grew louder and louder until it reached a deafening crescendo and he doubled down in pain, clasping his two hands over his ears and dropping the handgun in the process. He raised his head and made out the vague outlines of Discord in front of him, posturing in some perverted version of an angel, extending a claw toward him. “You didn’t think that was enough to kill him, did you?” asked Discord, his voice somehow piercing and clear even as the agonizing noise terrorized Jason. He felt something wet and viscous gurgle up in his throat. “S-Stop it, just stop i-it,” stammered out Jason, finding it harder and harder to speak. “Let me tell you a secret, little human,” said Discord, still grinning exuberantly, but this time his eyes were glowing with a demonic blood red. Jason coughed, and felt something wet and sickening leave his throat Discord leaned forward and whispered into Jason’s ear. Once again, the voice had perfect clarity, but this time accompanied by a hiss that chilled Jason to the bones. “I let you kill him.” Jason’s eyes snapped open and he retched violently, turning over frantically as he choked on his short, erratic gasps of air. He thrashed, frantically clutching his head with his hands as he tried to get away from Discord. He shouted and screamed again and again, expecting something, anything to happen to him. Slowly, he came to his senses and lowered his arms to reveal the small, sunlit bedroom that Tenacity had provided for him. No undead pegasus, no hellish ringing in his ear and no Discord. He looked to his right, and saw that he had placed his holster and Berretta on the small dressing table adjacent to the cot. He slumped back to his bed, groaning. Fuck, it was just a nightmare. Jason let out a shaky breath. That has got to be a world record on the shittiest way to wake up. He laid there, blinking up into the stone ceiling. His heart was still hammering in his chest, but the desperate adrenaline that had flooded veins began to die down. Instead, in its wake it carried a tide of painful aches that he had acquired the day before. Jason released a shuddering sigh as he inspected the spartan room he was in. A wooden table with a small chair beside it, and a window lighting up the room, covered by a layer of plain, greyish cloth and finally a small dressing table alongside his cot. It was remarkably similar to furniture on earth, despite a few adjustments that were clearly made to suit ponies better. Another day still trapped within crazy land. He pulled a hand over his messy hair, and reminisced the events of the two days before. As he went over the already fading memories of the disturbing nightmare, a sudden, jarring thought struck his mind. Why do I even expect to be sent home? That Discord creature was probably lying. Hell, I don’t even know what else he did to me beside giving me those ‘gifts’. I wouldn’t know if he planted some sort of cancer into my body. He let the depressing thought wash over him. It was likely possibility that he will remain here for the rest of his life, and upon further considering his recent conflict with the pegasi, it might be a short one at that. The thought should’ve brought him to panic, to hyperventilate, or anything, really. And he did, kind of. But it felt isolated from the rest of his emotions and thoughts, as if something was blocking it from overwhelming him. Jason didn’t know whether or not he should be thankful. Instead, he just gave a grunt. It was a sad situation he was in. A land with murderous pegasi and talking ponies with medieval and Roman era technology, with him extremely out of place among them. And then, there was his family… Jason’s face paled. Oh shit, I forgot all about them. Ma, probably still living alone since I last saw her… For some reason, that did it. Not the close death experience, or the shock of having sapient ponies. It was thoughts of his mum. It was almost as if whatever force that was keeping him calm and collected forgot about this detail, or just skimmed over it. Tears welled up in his eyes as he remembered the last time he had talked to her. I told her I had to go, because I had a new deadline at my job. Fucking dammit! Why was I so rude and careless? I even promised her that I would call again soon, but we both know that I just wanted to say it to shut her up… As if a dam had been broken, the first tears crept down his face. The sobbing quickly turned to bawling, as he shed tears for everything. His family, his life, his sanity… everything. And of course, there was also that thing. The monster that did this to him. Through his tear-filled eyes, a sudden streak of bitterness and spite flowed through his being. The journey he had taken in the last few days were all sort of dream like quality. Everything he did was like playing a video game, he didn’t feel the true impact of all those things happening. This is real. This is fucking real. I’m stuck, in a land of PONIES. AND I’M GOING TO DIE ALONE! BECAUSE OF THAT FUCKING DEMON! At some point, he remembered someone talking to him. Then, a pair of soft hooves wrapped around him, and embraced him. He hugged back, and sobbed into the soft, blue fur. A voice cooed gently, and Jason thought he recognized the tune of a familiar yet different lullaby. Slowly, Jason stopped, only sniffling once in a little while as the tears dried on his face. During the duration, he realized that it was Tenacity who came in but he didn’t feel he had enough strength to part from her. Instead, he closed his eyes and just enjoyed the moment. I wonder what my past self would say if I told him that I would be crying into a talking multi-coloured pony on a planet far away from Earth. The thought drew a sad, silent chuckle from him. After a long silence, it was Jason who spoke first. “Thank you, Tenacity, I really needed that,” he said, before giving a sad little chuckle. “You must think I’m pretty pathetic. A strange bawling in front of another.” Tenacity leaned back, and after a little effort placed both hooves on Jason’s slumped shoulders. She gave a smile and shook her head. “No, I don’t. The ponies are happy and relieved that you saved them. But, they are afraid of you, even though many do not show it. They pretend to ignore you for who you are, if only to have a moment of peace and tranquillity. Seeing you like this, though, I know that you are genuine in your actions, and not some mysterious stranger from the woods. After all, you are only a pony- er, I mean human,” said Tenacity, with a small tint of a sheepish blush. Jason gave a weak smile. “I don’t think that I have ever met someone who is as kind as you, human or pony,” said Jason. “Glad I can help,” she replied, before standing up and heading towards the door. “Now come on, I can show you around the village a bit.” After Jason had gotten over his episode of pent up emotions, he made himself presentable and followed Tenacity into the village. Apparently, she doubled as an alchemist and manager whenever, and are usually required to make sure everypony was alright and report back to Elder Hearty Spirit. While she went about checking up on many of the places in town, he used the opportunity to familiarize himself with the place and its inhabitants. Jason was walking with Tenacity down one of the town’s numerous cobblestone roads when he saw a series of wrecked and collapsed homes. However, what surprised him was that he saw new and sturdy looking foundations already built, and occasionally stopping to let a few ponies pass, usually carrying heavy planks of wood carried between them. “How are these ponies rebuilding so fast?” remarked Jason. It was true. Already, he could see the foundations of new houses, and he was quite sure that they weren’t there yesterday. “Our houses are designed to be quite easily assembled and built, as raids are unfortunately not too rare. Anything we can salvage are reused, and we can often build the frame of a new house pretty quickly from just raw materials,” said Tenacity. “We all have to work together to make sure stuff doesn’t get used up too poorly, though. That’s why I’m here to check up on everypony.” Hmm, raw materials- As if a comical lightbulb just ignited above his head, an idea struck Jason. It was crazy, but in a world of pastel coloured ponies and magic, it might just be possible. Without warning, he turned to Tenacity. “Say, Tenacity, is there a blacksmith around here?” They had almost travelled across half the village – with Tenacity making pitstops here and there – before they finally reached the blacksmith. The building itself was made completely out of stone; grey and weathered yet still looking firm and ready to withstand anything. A small sign hanging outside the main entrance proclaimed it was the Blacksmith, though that was mostly unnecessary due to the metal forge on the side as well as several stands of numerous metallic merchandises. In fact, the whole scene was almost akin to something out of a traditional fantasy setting. “Alright, since we’re here, I’m going to check on a few things for Elder Seed. I’ll still be around the blacksmith somewhere, so you go do what you wanted to,” said Tenacity. Jason nodded and she wandered off, presumably to the back of the blacksmith. Jason stepped up to the front door and rapped against it three times. Then, he waited. The wind that whistled in his ears provided a calming backdrop as his mind wandered. A few throwbacks to Dungeons and Dragons sessions back in college came to his thoughts, and he realized that if it were at all similar, he didn’t really have any currency to buy with. He was tempted to ask Tenacity, but she was probably preoccupied with her job. Eh, I’ll cross the bridge when I get to it. After a few more seconds, Jason was beginning to grow slightly agitated and raised his hand knock against the door again. However, his ambitions were dashed when a voice shouted from within, whom Jason figured must be the blacksmith. “I’ll be right there! Feel free to take a look around!” Jason shrugged and looked around the stands, trying to find something that may be of use to him. He quickly skipped past the armour section as most were logically fitted to that of ponies. Unfortunately, most weapons, while bearing some familiarity with human medieval weapons, were more suited for ponies with mouth grips and more hoof-friendly handles. He walked amongst the stands, peering in and shaking his head every so often at some other interesting but ultimately useless item. Just as he was about to give up, he spotted a beautiful slightly curved edged dagger with what looked like a picture of a dragon imprinted on its golden scabbard seemingly abandoned in an obscure corner. Jason leaned in closer and placed a hand on the handle, feeling a slight chill ran down his spine. He had never before seen something so beautiful and elegant yet deadly. Engrossed as he was, Jason didn’t notice Tenacity approach him until she spoke. “Found something you like?” she asked. “Maybe,” he mumbled. Before he could inspect the dagger further, a beige coated stallion with shaggy brown hair stumbled from within the blacksmith building. “Can I-uh, can I help you two?” he asked before squinting at Jason. “Hey, you’re that uh-whatever you are- that saved the village! Welcome, welcome to my humble abode! Feel free to choose anything, it’s free, on the house!” “Actually, I have something a specific order in mind. I want something made, well… a lot of somethings, I suppose.” Jason spent the next little while explaining that he wanted bullet heads, how they were made and vaguely hinted at their usage. He ejected his current pistol magazine discretely and took out a single bullet, showing the blacksmith its dimensions and shape. During the explanation, Brass Hoof took out a chalk board and weirdly enough – and also a little disgusting – used his mouth to sketch what Jason had wanted. Afterwards, the blacksmith took a long time to think through what Jason requested. “I cannot guarantee anything, but I think I can make what you’re asking for. The problem is materials. Tin and copper is doable, but lead is painfully rare. Normally, I would be more than happy to make your demands after you saved our humble village. But… the quantities you’re asking for is not cheap,” said Brass Hoof regrettably. Beside Jason, Tenacity frowned as she spoke up. “Really, Brass? You’re going to haggle with the one who saved our village?” she asked incredulously “Sorry, Miss Tenacity, but wares are wares,” said Brass. “What your friend here is asking – that’s my livelihood.” Tenacity looked ready to start an argument, and Jason quickly stepped in before the inevitable clash. “What if I propose to you a deal?” “Like a trade?” asked Brass Hoof sceptically. “Yes, have you heard of steel? You know, extra strong iron and lighter?” asked Jason. “Course I know of it. The unicorns boast about it whenever they can, what with their diviners being the only ones that can make it. Yeah, I’ve heard of it,” said the stallion. “I can tell you a cheap and efficient way of making steel, in exchange for… for as much lead-cast bullets as you can make,” said Jason. The blacksmith looked thoughtful for a moment before clicking his tongue. “Deal, I can make you forty-eight of your ‘bullet heads’ with the materials I currently have. Anything you want to add to the deal? I’ll consider it a thank you gift for saving the town.” Jason looked surprise momentarily before quickly scanning the stands. When he had inspected the items for sale earlier, most of them were useless to him. However, there was the one weapon that had caught his attention… “The forty-eight bullet heads and that dagger over there,” said Jason, pointing to the dagger he had briefly inspected before. “The Minotaurian blade? A very fine choice. A traveller once passed through our village and traded it for coin with much hesitation. Anyways, you have your deal! Now, tell me this method of making steel,” said the Blacksmith eagerly. Jason swallowed lightly as he stared into the maniac eyes of the earth pony. Damn, don’t fail me now memory. Vaguely, Jason recalled the Bessemer Process to Brass Hoof, whom had an awestruck expression semi-permanently imprinted across his face throughout the recount. When Jason finally finished, the beige stallion struggled to lift his jaw off the ground. “Fella, are you sure you’re not some blacksmith genius? With that method, I can make steel just like that! All the things I can make! I need to start working on this right away- right after I finish making these ‘bullets’ of yours! Come back in two days’ time and I’ll have ‘em read for you” Before Jason could reply, the pony was already gone, dust slowly resting on the ground where he had been moments ago. Jason blinked. “Well he was sure excited,” commented Tenacity mirthfully. “I’ve never seen the grouse move half as fast in my entire life, not even that time when his house was on fire.” Jason glanced at the stone and wood house in concern. I probably need to teach these guys proper workplace health and safety. At this thought, he couldn’t help but guffaw a bit, drawing a curious look from Tenacity. Me, teaching people- ponies about workplace health. Grabbing the dagger Jason had ‘bought’, he hefted it within his hands, feeling the weight against his palm as he performed a few pseudo swings at mid-air. An amused snort from next to him quickly reminded Jason that he wasn’t alone. He strapped the scabbard onto his belt and left the blacksmith with Tenacity, a faint blush on his face. “Wow, all of these suggestions are amazing! I can’t believe nopony thought of them before!” said the mare as she marvelled at the sketch of the greenhouse. Jason gave a tired but content smile. He had just spent the whole day describing several inventions that revolutionized human civilization to various ponies in the village. “Thank you, so so so much! I think you just solved our food situation this coming winter in one swoop! And the next one, and the next and the next winter after that!” continued the farm mare, still singing praises of him. In fact, it was becoming quite embarrassing, especially in front of an equally amazed and humoured mare called Tenacity. “Really, I haven’t done anything special. It’s just a friendly tip,” said Jason humbly, his cheeks glowing. “Really, it was just something I learnt… a while ago. I wasn’t the one to invent it or anything like that. “I don’t care, since you actually bothered to tell us about it. Stars above, can you imagine how much food we can grow…” rambled on the mare as she bulldozed through Jason’s attempt at modesty and humbleness. Eventually, Tenacity gave a small none-too-subtle cough, prompting the excited mare to hurry along. She proceeded to give the mare a meaningful glance, though Jason couldn’t guess what it could’ve meant. “Oh, right! We still have to… I mean, uh, I won’t bother you anymore, good sir,” said the mare. She flashed one last grateful smile before trotting away, mumbling excitedly to herself all the way. “A glass house, can you believe it…” Jason walked out of the farm house and into the open fields, enjoying the gentle breeze that ran through his hair. Tenacity trailed slightly behind him, though still more than within speaking range. “It’s funny, you know,” started Jason, eyes going skyward. “Hmm?” hummed Tenacity. “We humans always thought that out there, above the skies, there are some other intelligent life, so much more advanced than our measly own little world. We thought that they would give us unimaginable technology, so fantastical that it would be indistinguishable from magic,” mused Jason. “Today, the exact opposite is happening.” “Huh, were you a scholar back on your human world? I know there are some unicorn scholars who live in academies in the far north.” “Nothing like that. I’m just a guy who went through school just like everyone else, and picked up a thing or two along the way.” “Everyone else? You mean every human on your world went to school?” asked Tenacity. “Well, not everyone…. There were some who are too poor and others who don’t care and dropped out early. Those who can, though, usually went through at least high school. The people who controls our country also tries to make it affordable for most people. When you graduate from high school, you are usually considered an adult and ready to take care of yourself.” “Fascinating,” Tenacity mumbled to herself. “It’s like the academy system, but one for everypony instead of only for scholars, though then again this might turn everypony into scholars. Hmm…” The two settled into a comfortable silence as they walked amongst the slowly emptying streets. Jason found it incredibly soothing as it lacked all the sounds of the cities on Earth. It felt fresh and rejuvenating now that he was not in any immediate danger, lost, angry or depressed. “Alright,” said Tenacity suddenly, breaking the silence. “I’ve got a few more rounds to make, if you still want to follow me around.” “Lead the way,” said Jason, making a little flourish with his arms. “Well, it’s getting rather late… Huh, where are all the ponies?” asked Jason. He looked around with a worried frown before glancing back at the mare by his side. “Tenacity?” “Yes?” hummed Tenacity. “Are you okay, Tenacity? Where are all the other ponies?” asked Jason, a note of anxiousness entering his tone. This time, Tenacity finally tilted her head sideways to him, though a telling little smirk was upon her lips. “Oh, you will see in a moment,” she said mystically. Well, she looks happy, so it’s probably nothing, right? Jason jumped as a whoop suddenly went out. “What was that-” started Jason but he was immediately cut off by a huge, thunderous shout. “EVERYPONY, LET’S PART-TAY!” Without warning, ponies wear festive colours jumped out onto the street all around Jason. Really, they were usually nothing more than strips of coloured ribbons crossed over their body, but combined together it was amazing to watch nonetheless. A few ponies carrying what seemed to be lutes, harps and lyres jumped out onto the road, setting up an impromptu band. Lanterns were placed on doorsteps, pushing away the approaching darkness. More ponies than Jason would’ve thought there’d be streamed out of their dwellings. Most of them must’ve still been hiding when the town elder made her announcement, understandably. Banners were pulled up, hanging off the huts and houses along the streets. Somewhere further down the cobblestone road, a group of stallions started chanting, flowing along with the music. With an awed and a little bewildered expression, he looked for Tenacity, whom had somehow obtained a pink ribbon tied in her mane without him noticing. “What is this?” asked Jason. “Celebration for the victory against Pegasopolis!” said Tenacity, but then suddenly stopped in front of Jason awkwardly. “Wait, uh, I never asked you this. Do humans have parties?” With a smile, Jason nodded but raised his own question. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” he asked. “I wanted it to be a surprise,” said Tenacity shyly, blushing a little. “I wanted another first impression for you. To see who we Earth Ponies really are.” Jason’s smile widened at that. She truly has a heart of gold. Despite the festive chaos – one that was increasing in volume – it felt strangely harmonic, as if everything was coming together into a beautiful puzzle. He looked up in time to see a trio of fireworks roar upwards into the sky. A small, curious part of his mind noted that the ponies must’ve had some sort of explosive powder in order to do so. The thought was quickly stowed away when they erupted into multihued explosions. “This is amazing!” shouted Jason, straining to be heard over the rising din. Despite the fact that he stood twice the height of a pony, it certainly felt very crowded, what with street banners and festive streamers hanging everywhere. A few ponies even tried to copy his pose, standing up on two hooves with a few who surprisingly managed the feat. “Glad you’re liking it!” Tenacity shouted back, laughing as the ponies around them moved with the insanely addicting music. However, she surprised him by closing in and grasping his hands in her hooves. “Come on, let’s dance!” Jason smiled as he was half dragged out into the open. Maybe this wasn’t so bad after all.