They had learned a lot about the world they had found themselves in over the last night of excited discussion. It was a world called "Equus", where many inhabitants of myth existed as fact. Ponies (that is to say the mythical unicorn, pegasus, and many "normal" ponies without extra appendages) seemed to be the most prevalent, their land covering a majority of the continent on this side of the world. Apparently their leaders were a diarchy, two sisters, each one representing the sun and moon. Their place names were absurd, and Nita and Kit both had to hold back a laugh at what they heard. Seriously, a city called Manehattan? Japan was called Neighpon? Of course there were many differences as well. The world was largely unexplored, in part due to a lack of need. Apparently the magic that many Earth Ponies (and some pegasi) wielded enabled them to produce an absurd amount of food. Enough to give freely to surrounding nations (apparently Zebras were intelligent in this world as well, along with Minotaurs, Dragons, and Griffons) in return for peace and free travel rights. By all accounts the nation of "Equestria" ruled the world. There was no hint of war, nor any other kind of suppression of a minority. This world seemed to be as close to a true Utopia as one could get.There was conflict in the form of crime, class-ism, and racism (species-ism?). According to Twilight, however, the two sisters Luna and Celestia, made sure that poverty was non-existent and that everypony (their equivalent to everybody...these puns were starting to hurt) was happy and healthy to the fullest extent of their abilities. Part of this happiness came from having proper guidance in finding what career would suit them best in their lives. The idea of "Cutie Marks" (those flank tattoos) reminded them of the idea of Dharma...that is to say that every person has a path they need to follow in order to live the most fulfilling life. It wasn't a perfect parallel, because according to Twilight there was no belief in reincarnation or the afterlife here. Religion itself was frowned upon by the the Diarchy, and any churches that existed were stamped out centuries ago. This confused them...until they learned that said sisters were nigh immortal. They ended up having more questions than answers, but they wanted share a bit about themselves as well. It was only fair!
In return they told Twilight about their Oath, reciting it from memory (in a sense their duty and vows were burned into their very soul, so completely had they dedicated themselves to their craft:
In Life’s name and for Life’s sake,
I assert that I will employ the Art which is its gift in Life’s service alone, rejecting all other usages.
I will guard growth and ease pain. I will fight to preserve what grows and lives well in its own way; and I will change no object or creature unless its growth and life, or that of the system of which it is part, are threatened.
To these ends, in the practice of my Art, I will put aside fear for courage, and death for life, when it is right to do so —
till Universe’s end.
This fascinated her immensely. The idea that magic was limited to a select few, but could very easily affect the nature of reality itself made her almost black out from excitement. She asked about their overall history and culture, as well. They told her as much as they could in one night. She seemed disgusted by the fact that their world was so filled with pain and war, but her eyes sparkled with unholy glee at some of the technology they described. They had to stop her torrent of questions due to being overwhelmed. It got so bad that Twilight looked at them like she was about to start frothing at the mouth from excitement. Their fear only barely registered to her, and in the end took a shuddering breath and calmed herself. "Hehe, sorry I almost lost myself there. Anyway, the sun is about to rise, so we should probably get you to your temporary home. I'm going to write a letter to the princess asking for help once you're settled. If anypony can help you, she can." As she spoke the sun popped into the sky, with barely a blink. Even seeing it first hand with the moon wasn't enough to stop their shocked blinking. There was so much to this place, and Nita wanted to find a way here and back as soon as she could to learn more. She shook her head. No sense in getting ahead of herself.
"So it's settled then." Kit gave a happy grin at the thought of sleep and a place to stay. "So where do we go?" He got up and motioned towards the door.
"I have a friend named Applejack who runs a farm on the outskirts of town. She has enough space for you two to crash there." A 20 minute walk later found them at a well-kept and brightly painted farmhouse and barn, rows upon rows of apple trees dotted the fields behind the two buildings. Nita and Kit stopped and stared in awe at the sight. It was incredibly picturesque, and they couldn't help but smile at the friendly feeling this farm gave off. The sun shining down, the gentle warmth of the area, and the two building's bright colors combined to make the place feel like a place where anybody could go to find good food and conversation, as well as an overabundance of cheer. Twilight noticed their expressions and smiled herself. "This place does always seem to give off a welcoming feel, doesn't it?" The two nodded, then followed Twilight as she continued moving. They went around back and came face to face with a bright red stallion who had a mark that was a slice of macintosh apple. His eyes were sharp and experienced, and he had a taciturn look on his face. He saw the two misplaced travelers and raised a brow. He gave Twilight a questioning glance, "What in tarnation are those two creatures?" His voice was deep and had a southern twang to it, which made the two humans smile a bit internally. The similarities between the two worlds kept growing. Twilight smiled and said, "Guests from another world. They need a place to stay and a way home. I had hoped that Applejack would house them here."
"Ah see. Well you know where she is right about now." He nodded to Nita and Kit. "Pleasure to meet ya, strange creatures. Mah name is Big Mac. Now, ah'd love to stay and chat, but ah got work to do." Twilight nodded and thanked him, which earned her a nod and an, "Eeyup."
"That was Applejack's brother, Big Mac. As you might be able to tell he's not much of a talker. Dependable as they come though, like the rest of the Apples. Either way, Applejack should be getting the day's harvest by now. She'll probably be about half done with the first quadrant of her farm. It's not very early in the day." They continued walking towards a section of the massive rolling fields right behind the farm. They saw not far off in the distance, an orange furred, blonde-maned pony kicking her hooves lightly against a tree. With one kick, all the apples seemed to fall off the branches into baskets below. Somehow each one managed to plop neatly piled into the containers. Not a single apple fell on the ground. The sheer efficiency with which she moved was astounding. By the time they reached her she had completed five trees. Twilight called out, "Hey Applejack, how have you been? I've got something I need to talk to you about."
The farmpony turned, a smile on her face. "Why howdy, Twilight! Ah can't talk long, ahm on a roll. Ah might be able ta finish early for once. What did ya..." She trailed off, a weird look on her face when she saw Nita and Kit. "What exactly are ya two? Ah can't say ah've seen your kind 'round these parts."
The two travelers rolled their eyes and once again introduced themselves and explained their plight. The constant introductions were going to get annoying. "As you can see these two are in need a of a place to stay. Can you take them in?"
Applejack considered the request. "Ahm not sure. I don't have nothin' against ya folks, but ahm not sure I would trust two strange creatures in mah household, even if yer the good sort. Sorry you two, but ah can't take ya in. I'll be happy to have ya over and get to know ya more! Ahm always lookin' to make new friends, but to allow ya to stay here is to allow ya into mah family and ah don't feel comfortable with doin' that to two creatures who might be dangerous." They nodded, a little disappointed. They understood the hesitance, but something about this place made them feel just that...at home. Kit shrugged and said, "I understand. We would probably do the same thing in this situation, if I'm honest."
"Oh? Well yer already good in mah book." She smirked a bit, "Honesty is kinda mah thing." She gave a wink and finished, "Ah gotta get back to work. Nice meeting you folks! If ya wanna stop by some time ah can show ya around more." With that she turned back to her work, whistling a jaunty tune. Twilight looked surprised and a little unhappy, "I thought for sure she would be willing to take you in. I should speak to her."
Nita smiled and replied, "Don't. It's okay. We perfectly understand her reluctance. We aren't exactly a common sight around here, and she seems to be slow to trust."
"If you say so. Still that's not like her to deny those in need." Twilight trailed off, wondering why her friend was suddenly unwilling to help another in need. She looked up and continued, "I do have a few other places, but we'll need to split you up. The other two places don't have enough room for more than one of you."
"We can handle that. It's not like we live together in our normal lives or anything."
"Oh really? You two seemed so close. It seemed to make sense that you lived together."
They both laughed at her words. This wasn't the first time others had pointed that out, though Twilight's way of phrasing it was certainly the most polite out of all the assumptions they had heard "Yeah, we've known each other for a long time, and we're certainly close, but we do need time away from each other or we would end up arguing all the time," was Nita's amused response. T
Some time later they came to a small cottage. It looked picturesque, almost like out of a fairy tale. If anything the relaxing atmosphere was even greater here, and they gave a small sigh of contentment. Twilight knocked on the door and a small muffled voice murmured, "One second." The door opened and a pastel yellow pony with a straight pink mane appeared, her entire demeanor screaming making Nita and Kit want to reach out and squeeze her to death. The sheer amount of "cute" she gave off was almost enough to put them into a frenzy. The pony smiled and said, "Oh hello, Twilight. It's so nice to see you. I was just having some tea with Discord when you knocked. Please do come in." She caught sight of Nita and Kit, whose eyes had chosen that second to start twitching. Something about a creature like that having tea with such a gentle person as this strange pony seemed absurd. Their thoughts were cut off by the shy creature going from wallflower to excited extrovert in a manner of seconds. "Eeeeee! Oh my, I've never seen anything like you before. What are you? Ohhh, this is so exciting. Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat? Come in, come in! I want to hear all about you."
Twilight was smiling at this point. She should have known her friend would have a freakout over new species. In hindsight she was the perfect choice for housing at least one of them. Her kindness and love of helping all kinds of nonpony creatures would make certain their stay would be enjoyable. The now happy pony had walked on ahead, still talking about how nice it was to meet them. "Sorry about Fluttershy, she gets that way when she meets any new kind of creature, sentient or otherwise." That she was called Fluttershy made then cough to hold back their laughter. They had never met such an aptly named individual. Not even Applejack, a pony whose profession was literally "apple farmer" had such a fitting name. These ponies certainly were interesting characters. They seemed to wear their hearts on the sleeves...that is if Ponies had sleeves to wear them on. It was refreshing to both Nita and Kit, and it meant they could let themselves loose as well. It wasn't often that they met a species who expressed their emotions so openly while also being so friendly. They followed Fluttershy into her living room to find a rather familiar...and not all that welcome. "Why hello again! Fancy meeting you two here. I trust the help I've given you is to your liking?" They kept their faces neutral, nodding in sync with each other. "Aw now is that any way to treat a friend? Come now, relax, have some of dear Fluttershy's tea. She's quite good at brewing it. You strike me as the sort to enjoy Earl Grey, piping hot. Am I wrong?"
"Discord, I hope you aren't taunting my guests." Fluttershy's serene voice drifted in from her kitchen, a bit of a severe tone making her seem just a little dangerous.
"Of course not, Fluttershy my dear. Simply making idle conversation. I was telling them how utterly divine your tea is." They chose to ignore him, instead waiting to talk with their host more. She walked back in then, and offered Nita, Kit, and Twilight a steaming cup of tea. "I apologize for my outburst earlier. It's just I've never seen anything like you before and I got curious."
"It's alright Fluttershy. We would be happy to tell you about us sometime. We're going to be here for awhile anyway, due to an unfortunate mistake we made. We'll have plenty of time to get to know each other." This made her smile brightly and hug Nita tightly around her waist. She stiffened for a second but then patted her mane. The affection was shocking, but something about the yellow mare made her smile. She wasn't used to an intelligent being acting so affectionate. Twilight looked on with a smile, but then interrupted, "That's actually why we came here. They need a place to stay, and I figured you would have some space for at least one of them."
"Hmmm, I'm sorry, I wish I could, but I recently had to take in some injured animals from the Everfree and I have no space to spare." Twilight frowned but nodded. They sat there for a bit longer, enjoying the tea and making light conversation. Nita and Kit found themselves even enjoying Discord's presence. He seemed...more in control around Fluttershy, and seemed to genuinely care for her opinion. He still consistently said things that made Nit and Kit want to sock him a good one, but Fluttershy seemed quite capable of diffusing any tension. After they finished talking and drinking, the trio got up and moved to leave. "It was nice to see you again Fluttershy! You and Discord have fun," Twilight called back as they left the house.
"Thank you Twilight. I'll talk to you three later. It was nice to meet you two." As they walked back to town Twilight asked, "You looked like you had met Discord before. What was up with that?"
"He caught us hiding in the hedgemaze of a castle, then shipped us here. Said he would send us to a place where we could get help. Aside from that something about him seems familiar. His voice and mannerisms are so familiar...and yet I can't place why." Kit's eyes were narrowed as he tried to place who Discord reminded him of. He knew it was going to bother him, and he would do his damndest to try and find out. He held his curiosty back, though. He had other things to worry about at the moment.
"That is kind odd. Either way, I'm out of options. We might need to ask one of the other townsponies to house you at this rate."
"Is that bad?"
"Not really, just the ponies in question are the ones who would have been able to house you most comfortably. Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash are out of the question. They either lack the space or live in the clouds." They assumed that these 3 were also Twilight's friends.
"I see. Well we'll work things out. We usually do in the end." By now they had gotten back into town and were passing by the various residents going about their daily business. They were stopped by the sound of crashing. A gray furred blonde maned pegasus mare with bubbles as a cutie mark. It seemed she had dropped a package on top of a brown stallion with an hour glass on his flank. They blinked when a distinctly British accent came out of the landbound pony who it had apparently been meant for. "Confound it Ditzy, those components were fragile. Now I need to reorder them."
"I'm sorry Doctor. I don't know what went wrong. One second I was flying and then I slipped on a cloud and fell. Oh I'm so sorry." The so-called "Doctor" rolled his eyes in annoyance, but smiled. Apparently this was a normal thing. "It's quite alright Ditzy, but I'm this close to fixing a device I've spent years trying to get working again. I apologize for my annoyance, I'm just so close. Why don't you come in and I'll fix us something to eat. The stallion looked up for a second as he was about to enter his home. He started at the sight of the two weary travelers. "I say, what are humans doing in a place like this? It's been years since I've seen your kind."
"Wait, Doctor, you know what these creatures are?"
"Why, yes. I spent some time among them, you see. Such a fascinating species, capable of almost anything they put their mind to." This made Nita and Kit pause. How could a Doctor in this world know anything about humans? "Hmm, I assume you're looking for a place to stay while here?" They had no response to this, instead choosing to let Twilight handle the the problem.
Twilight opened and closed her mouth. The Doctor had always been a recluse. He was more interested in his strange machines and scientific studies involving time rather than interacting with the residents of Ponyville. This was the most Twilight had ever heard him say at one time. That and the fact that he knew what humans were made her want to pounce on him and start barraging him with questions. She refrained, however. Her new friends needed her help and it wouldn't do to let her own selfish desires get in the way of solving their problem. "Yes, we were about out of options and figured we would need to start asking random townsponies for help."
"Well I can take one of them in. If my place wasn't so cramped I would probably offer to help them both. It'll be nice to learn about the state of Earth while they're hear." Nita and Kit looked at each other and nodded. "You want to go Kit? You're the alien obsessed one." Kit rolled his eyes and agreed, "Sure I'll stay. Thanks for help, Doc. I was worried we would be searching for hours yet." He walked up to the so-called Doctor and held out a hand. The smiling stallion took it in a shake, and beckoned for Kit to follow. As the two left, Twilight turned to Nita. "So it's just you and me, then." She was about to say something else when Nita's stomach rumbled. "Uh, before we continue searching is there any chance I can get something to eat? All my spare food is inaccessible right now thanks to losing my Wizardry."
"Oh sure! I know just the place. It sells pastries, which aren't the most healthy of food items, but you can meet another one of my friends."
"Okay, lead the way then!" Twilight changed directions slightly and angled them towards another main street that ran perpendicular to the one they were currently on. One street was residential, and the other seemed to be commercial. They walked through a small market area, where farmers and craftsmen (craftsponies...this was going to get annoying real quick...) were selling their wares. They saw Applejack there, animatedly talking to a smaller pony that bore a bit of a familial resemblance to her. This place was reasonably busy, and had a certain energy and charm to it. It felt alive and friendly in a way the city and suburbs back home never did. She smiled as they walked, enjoying the friendly mood.
The part of town they came to next was less traveled, but still had a bright sunny feel to it. They walked up to a blindingly bright building that seemed to radiate good cheer. They stopped in front of...a gingerbread hous?! At this point Nita didn't know why she was surprised by anything in this strange world. They entered only to find a brightly colored and lit bake shop with a variety of sugary pastries on display. Behind the counter sat the pinkest anything Nita had ever seen. This pony seemed to have an eternal smile, one that felt...off. The smile was genuine, but it seemed to hide a desperation, a loneliness that almost tore Nita apart. "Heya Twilight! Whatcha doing? Want your usual? Has anything unusual happened? gasssssssp did something happen? Do you need my help?" She continued babbling, which Nita tuned out, her hunger making it hard to focus on anything else. She tuned back in to hear, "And that's how I saved Equestria!" That made her blink. What did she just miss? She heard the bubbly voice speaking and blinked, tuning back into the world to see a bright pink face staring at her. "Ohhhh~ what're you? Oh, I know! You're a race of ape like beings from another world who came here testing some spooky awesome special abilities and are now trapped because somehow those abilities don't work in our world!" Nita blinked...how in the One's name did she actually know that? Twilight laughed, rolled her eyes, and sighed. "You get used to it...that's just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie. She can do some pretty weird, but also completely amazing things. I've spent years studying her and have yet to find a pattern in her madness."
"Heehee, silly Twilight! What's the fun in knowing everything? Besides, even I don't know how I do what I do!" She blinked then gasped yet again. "I just realized! You're new in Ponyville and I never got your name!"
"Ummm, Nita Callahan..." by now she was confused, and bemused by this ponie's actions. Not even Discord was this...unusual. "Juanita Callahan, got it! Stilllll, Nita is way more snappy! Good to know somepony else has such good taste in nicknames!"
Pinkie Pie beamed and zoomed out faster than Nita could blink. Nita sat there, overwhelmed by the whirlwind of cheer and energy that she had just experienced. "Is she always like that?"
"Not always, just most of the time. The other times...well let's just say it isn't pretty."
"What happened?"
"It's not my place to say." That made Nita pause. Perhaps it had to do with the feeling of sadness that she got when staring at her? Either way it didn't matter now. Her stomach was starting to clench with hunger, and she grimaced. "Don't worry about it, Nita! The owners should be back any second. Pinkie only works here part time in order to pay for her room, board, and party supplies."
"Party supplies?" Were parties really popular here or something? Did they mean celebrations of holidays? "Yeah, Pinkie has a passion in making others smile. Her method of choice is often parties...in a pinch she'll break into a song and dance, but parties offer the most fun for the most ponies. At least that's why I think she does it. Knowing her there's some other reason for it." Nita nodded and continued looking at the delectable pastries being displayed? Her stomach rumbled a bit more, but she held it in.
They didn't have to wait long anyway, because not long after a cheerful voice called out, "One moment please! I'm sorry about the wait dears. I didn't expect Pinkie to just run off like that." Out walked a happy looking pony, her hair and mane looking almost like the pastries she made (a pale pink and red mane with a blue coat). She gave off a matronly vibe, calm and smiling and cheerful. She caught sight of Nita and blinked. Her surprise wore off, though, and she simply said, "So what can I get you two?" Nita felt a burst of gratitude for the way Mrs. Cake seemed to take her appearance in stride. Her stomach rumbled again, making Mrs. Cake smile slightly.
"Nothing for me. We're here for Nita. She hasn't eaten since yesterday and we were up all night talking. She needs food and a place to stay until we can figure out a long term arrangement."
"Oh my, well I would offer you a place here, but we're jam-packed with myself and Mr. Cake, our two foals, and Pinkie upstairs. But I can offer you one of our cupcakes, on the house. Think of it as a 'welcome to Ponyville' gift." Nita took the proffered cupcake and bit into it. The sweetness of it made her almost choke. It was overpowering, and not entirely in a good way. She continued eating it, hunger and a desire to be polite making her suffer through the agony. By the end she was coughing, and tears pooled at the corner of her eyes. Her body jerked slightly as her heart pounded in her ears. Mrs. Cake looked on worried, her warm smile turned into a frown at the apparent affect that her food had on the strange new being before her. "Oh my, are you okay dear? Does your species have a bad reaction to sugar?"
After a bit her heart calmed, and throat cleared enough to speak. "N-no, at least not normally. Maybe the amount you added was just more than my body can handle. Sweet things aren't bad in the short-term like this normally. The only explanation is you added so much my body couldn't handle it. Or maybe the effects were more intense due to your 'special talent'" She smiled, hoping to stop the nice mare from feeling worried. "Um, do you have any options with less sugar? Or is there a way I could order them special once I get some money of my own to pay for them?"
Mrs. Cake smiled her own smile and nodded. "Of course! How about I'll try and find a recipe that works for you and in return you tell me a bit about desserts your species makes? I'm always looking for new ideas to try. Then, when you're in the mood for something sweet we can whip up a batch just for you." Nita smiled, the effects having calmed to normal sugar high levels. She almost feared the crash she was going to experience.
They were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. In walked two mares, looking at each other with a look of contented devotion that made Nita's heart melt a bit. It seemed ever since she came here she was feeling emotions far more strongly than ever before. Perhaps something in the world created a natural empathic link? She shook her head to clear it. There were more important things to worry about at the moment.
The one on the left was a pale cream color, with a mane and tail that reminded Nita of generic flavored hard candy. On her flanks were just that...three blue wrappers. The other was a mint green mare with even lighter green mane (and white highlights) and a cutie mark that was a lyre. The two were chatting happily, until the mint green mare looked up to see Nita. She froze at Nita's appearance, a small almost maniacal grin appearing on her face. This made the other pony throw a hoof to her muzzle in frustration. Almost in a trance, the now zombie-like pony walked towards the now confused and creeped out human. Grasping Nita's hands, her grin somehow widened as she fondled and stroked the appendages in a faintly lecherous manner. She giggled, a hysterical desperate giggle, as if hoping against hope that what she was seeing was real. Nita desperately looked at the other pony, who had hung her head in embarrassment over her friends actions. It took her seeing Nita's confused and worried face for her to reach out and pull the terrifying mare away. With a sigh, the candy pony reached out a hoof to bump. Having learned from her previous experience, Nita made a fist and responded in kind. "Sorry about her, she's been having odd dreams for awhile, and swears them to be based off fact. Something about creatures that look vaguely like you, actually." Candy (Nita decided it would be easier to call her that until she learned her actual name) had a tough Brooklyn style accent, her words coming out as carefree and happy.
"They aren't dreams, I swear. They're real. SHE'S real. There's proof right in front of us, why don't you believe me!?"
"Listen, Lyra, I understand how you feel but you have to admit that going up to weird creatures and stroking their limbs in an almost possessive way is kinda rude...and creepy." Nita had to agree, but something in Candy's words struck a chord in her. Dreams were powerful things after all, and having a recurring dream about something just as often meant something was happening to a Wizard as it was to be a trick of the mind. If somebody tried to explain what they felt and was ignored or treated as crazy it would only make sense that they became a self-fulfilling prophecy. As a dream oracle of sorts, she knew better than most the power of dreams, and decided it was her duty to help the mare out. "It's alright. I admit I was more than a little scared, but where I'm from dreams can have very deep meaning. Can you tell me more about this dream? How much of it can you remember?" "Lyra" had calmed down, her face returning to normal and her breathing slowed. She turned to her friend triumphantly, "Hear that Bon Bon? I'm not crazy!" Seeing Lyra so excited actually made Nita feel a bit better, almost unnaturally so. She shoved her desire to know why to the back of her mind again, focusing instead on the current situation. She may not be as hungry now, but she still had things she needed to do. She turned to the Alicorn and blinked. Apparently learning that dreams were important was big news because Twilight had gotten a quill, ink, and scroll from nowhere and was now jotting down notes. This made Nita sigh and turn back to the now bickering couple. There was no heat to the bickering, the smiles on their faces making this seem like a normal occurrence rather than a massive argument. Nita coughed, and the two turned to her inquisitively. "Listen, if you want I can talk to you about your dreams later, but for now I need to find a place to stay while I'm in Ponyville." Surprisingly it was Bon Bon who spoke up, "How about you come live with us?"
"Are you sure? I don't want to impose..."
"Forget about it! We have space, and Lyra would be happy to learn more about you." Something in her words and stance made Nita think that perhaps Bon Bon wasn't asking for Lyra's sake, but shrugged it off. At this point any place to stay was good enough. She nodded and left the still mumbling Alicorn to her musings. With a wave to Mrs. Cake and a nod to the Twilight, she walked out following her new hosts. As they wandered through town back to the residential street, she got lost in her thoughts. It was truly odd, this world, and for all her desire to get home, something about it just screamed "adventure" and "discovery". For better or worse she felt she and Kit were going to have one hell of a time.