Asriel and Fluttershy finished their tea in relative silence, but not the awkward kind. It was a simple nonverbal agreement of silent contemplation. Asriel had fully relaxed, and was watching the various animals interact with each other, amused as he gathered their individual personalities.
Fluttershy was just glad that he had finally settled down. It seemed like most of her worries were solved. Or at least, would be soon enough.
She felt a bit guilty, expecting him to go into town, socializing with ponies when she often shied away from similar activities, but it was plain to see that he needed that kind of social interaction. For now, though, they could both rest.
Maybe he could help her with the bird choir. The Summer Sun celebration was coming up rather soon, and they really needed all the practice they could get before the big event.
You always sing better in practice than in performance, after all.
She shuddered slightly. She was glad her little bird friends were so brave, confident enough to sing in front of so many ponies…
Plus the fact that the Princess asked for her specifically to coordinate the music… she definitely had to make this as good as possible…
Asriel sipped his tea, still smiling fondly at all the different animals that shared Fluttershy’s home.
Hey, Asriel?
His mind drifted a bit more close to home. Hm?
It’s really tiring, trying to act like an adult all the time.
Hey! I’m just trying to be polite…
Yeah, that’s nice and all, but right now, it’s boring.
Asriel tilted his teacup, draining it quickly.
… yeah, I guess you’re right.
”I’m right,” you mean.
Urghhh… Frisk… he groaned internally. But he was still smiling.
He looked back at his companion. “Hey, Fluttershy? Can I go outside?”
She started. “Uh… sure?” She continued to stare at him, confused. You really didn’t have to ask me that...
He ran off, dodging a few animals with a little spin before leaping through the open door, completely forgetting just how short the doorframe was.
Which clipped the top of his small horns, flipping him and throwing him soundly to the ground.
What was that all about? he asked himself indignantly.
Hey, I’m not used to having horns!
Neither am I! Besides, it’s not like they’re more than just stubs.
...These doors are way too short.
He pushed himself into a sitting position. … Okay, I’ll give you that one. Still, we’re barely taller than Fluttershy. What possessed you to jump like that?
Pfft. You did.
Asriel facepalmed. Frisk...
He leaned forward, dusting himself off as he got to his feet. You’re just as bad as… Mom...
Sighing, he closed the door of their kind host.
Come on now, we’ll have plenty of time to think about that later. Besides, this is time travel. Once we figure this out, we can probably go back just after we left. They’ll hardly know we’re gone.
He took a deep breath, tasting the clean, fresh air. Yeah, you’re right. No reason worrying about something we can’t fix. At least for now.
His confidence restored, Asriel strode into the open air. Now where would he go first… there was certainly plenty to explore.
He first looked towards the dirt road, presumably leading to Fluttershy’s town or village. She had to get supplies from somewhere, right?
No… that might be a bit too far. And if what Fluttershy said was true, that she really hadn’t seen someone like me before, it might cause a bit too much trouble for me to just walk into a populated area like that. Especially if Fluttershy’s kindness is an exception to the rule.
Asriel looked over to the grove of apple trees. Looks like some sort of farmers live there. Right near the edge of the dangerous forest, though. Should be used to unusual things, but would they only be used to those unusual things being bad?
Still, if I don’t do anything, nothing will happen, either.
And since when did I analyze everything before I did something?
He turned left, ready to walk when his soul suddenly became visible.
“Oh no you don’t!”
Uh oh.
He dove to the side, only for a light blue pegasus to slam him into the ground.
“Ow.”
The pegasus rolled off him, readying herself into some sort of fighting stance.
“You aren’t going to hurt Fluttershy! Not on my watch!”
Asriel got to his feet, blinking the dust out of his eyes. “Um… what? Why would I do that?”
The blue mare froze in shock at the fact that he could speak, then grinned sheepishly as Asriel felt his combined soul return to its normal invisible state. “Uh, I’m sorry, mister… I just thought you were...”
“You thought I was a monster that randomly came here from the forest to attack your friend.”
She nodded awkwardly.
He was unable to keep the smirk off his face. “Well, you’re half right.”
The pegasus whipped her head back to him, tensing again.
Asriel’s smirk reformed into a reassuring grin. “Relax, I’m just messing with you. I’m from a species that calls themselves ‘monsters.’ I’m definitely not here to hurt my friend.”
She almost let out a sigh of relief, but then remembered that she was still supposed to be mad about his trick.
“By the way, what’s your name? If you’re a friend of Fluttershy’s, I at least want to know who you are.”
Her demeanor changed instantly. She posed for an invisible camera, grinning cockily. “Name’s Rainbow Dash, best flyer in Ponyville, and soon to be a household name in all of Equestria!”
Asriel returned her smile, then nodded. “Nice to meet you, Dash.”
She blinked. “What, no challenge to the whole ‘best flyer’ thing?”
He ‘looked’ at his HP meter. It was over an eighth gone, just from one attack. Over a thousand damage. If he wasn’t currently fused, he probably would have been dead.
“No… no I won’t. I witnessed that first-hand.”
Rainbow rubbed the back of her neck. “Oh yeah… that. Sorry about that. My friends keep telling me I tend to… act before thinking things through.” She brightened. “You seem pretty tough, though. I mean, really, you just shook that off. If you really were here to hurt Fluttershy...”
Asriel thought about it for a second. Rainbow Dash seemed to care about her friend a lot, perhaps even more than he did for Chara all those years ago…
If she was really pushed like that, I have no doubt her determination would be even greater than my own. But her soul was orange in that “battle.” Interesting…
He looked up seriously. “No. You would have been fine. If she was really in danger, I wouldn’t have a chance.”
Rainbow completely ignored his tone, only hearing the content of the flattering words. She grinned. “Yeah, I’m awesome like that.”
Asriel rolled his eyes in amusement.
He glanced back over at the apple trees, reminding him of where he was trying to go in the first place. He pointed. “Hey, do you know who lives over there? I’m kinda new here, if you haven’t noticed-”
Rainbow raised an eyebrow.
“-and I’m trying to meet new people.”
She smiled. “If you want to meet new ponies, all you have to do is meet Pinkie Pie. But I have a feeling you want to do things all slow and boring-like.”
Asriel opened his mouth, but Rainbow cut him off. “But when I think of how I reacted to you, I think the slow and boring way might be smarter this time. Anyway, that’s where Applejack lives. And her family, I guess. She’s pretty cool. I should probably go with you, though. Living on the edge of the Everfree Forest makes you a bit… jumpy.”
It was Asriel’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “You’re one to talk.”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. We should get going, if we want to get there in time.”
He started to walk down the small path that led from Fluttershy's house. Dash took to the air, hovering slightly in front of him with an air of impatience.
"In time for what?"
Rainbow shifted guiltily. "Oh, nothing."
Asriel examined her expression closely. She didn't seem like she was planning something specifically for him. After all, they had only met a few minutes ago. Was it really some sort of predetermined appointment? It didn't seem likely.
And she wouldn't look guilty if that really were the case.
He looked up absently, noting that the sun was quite close to the horizon. Huh. Almost dinnertime.
Asriel almost slapped his forehead. They're farmers, Asriel. Anyone, or in this case, anypony, would want to be their guests around dinnertime.
He chuckled softly, now noticing the hunger in Rainbow's expression as she looked forward to her friend's cooking.
I suppose we could move a bit faster...
Once the farmhouse came into view, Rainbow landed, walking closely next to Asriel and patting him on the back with a wing.
"Don't worry, squirt. Once Applejack sees you with me, she won't even give you a second glance. You'll be fine. Just you wait."
Asriel's eyes widened slightly. She knew I was nervous... I didn't even say anything... Do I really have another friend already in this strange world?
He suddenly felt quite guilty about analyzing her intentions of accompanying him. She really does want to make sure I'm safe.
Looking back ahead at the farmhouse, he noticed the front door open and an orange mare trot out, this one without wings.
"Howdy Rainbow!" She smirked. "What a strange coincidence, meeting you so close to mealtime."
Asriel smiled in amusement. So I was half right.
The farm pony then seemed to notice her friend's new companion. She started slightly at his odd appearance, but quickly recovered, a genuine smile on her face.
"And who's your new friend?" She held out a hoof, which he shook.
"Asriel."
She smiled wider. "Applejack. Nice to meet ya."
"Thanks." Asriel relaxed almost unnoticeably, relieved at how well she seemed to take the admittedly strange situation.
Rainbow nudged him, winking. "Told you so."
Applejack smiled slightly, then waved them in with a hoof. "Come on in, supper's almost ready."
Once she made sure everyone was inside, she pushed the door closed with a click. "Hey, Granny! We have a few visitors!"
"Granny's" voice came back from the kitchen. "Well, they'd better wipe their hooves! I'm not cleaning the floor twice today!"
Rainbow froze at the entrance to the dining room, quickly backtracking to the mat. Asriel stood awkwardly to the side. He had already wiped his feet, of course, but he wasn't willing to go ahead without any "support." And felt rude to go ahead without their host.
But Applejack simply smiled at him, guiding him forward, and leaving Rainbow to follow behind indignantly.
When Asriel entered the room, the ponies there all reacted in different ways. An elderly greenish-colored ponywho was working in the kitchen (likely the "Granny" Applejack referred to), simply looked at him over the half-wall that separated them, nodded, and turned back to her work. The large red stallion looked at him suspiciously, but a glare from Applejack seemed to make him relax slightly. The small yellow filly, on the other hand, just seemed to look at him with wide-eyed curiosity.
Introductions were traded with the prompting of Applejack, and he learned that their names were Granny Smith, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom, respectively. Apple Bloom's interest never seemed to wane, though, so after a sort of nonverbal agreement from Big Mac, he pulled out a chair next to the filly and sat down.
Now with both parties sitting down, Asriel found himself at a perfect eye level with Apple Bloom. She blinked a little, surprised, then smiled slightly. She then looked at him suspiciously.
"Wait a minute, how old are you? Most adults don't really pay attention to me this much."
Asriel paused, trying to remember his previous "calculation" for Fluttershy. "Uh, well, ignoring all the weird time travel stuff, I think I'm about nine? Maybe ten?"
Apple Bloom gaped. "Wait, so I'm technically older than you? But you looked so tall."
He grinned. "Yep. But that's probably because I only stand on two feet. I hope you're not too much older, though."
She quickly held up a hoof, shaking her head rapidly. "No, no. I'm only, like, eleven. Not that different at all." Her face brightened slightly. "So... are you staying here in Ponyville for a while, or just visiting?"
"Ponyville?" She must mean the town nearby. Strange name for a town named by ponies, though. "Well, I hope so, at least. Ponies seem to be reacting well to me being, well.... different."
Apple Bloom nodded in understanding. "Yeah...."
"A good kind of different, though," she quickly added.
"So... since you're staying a bit longer.... will I see you in school, then?"
Asriel paused for a moment. "Huh, I didn't really think of that. Well, I suppose it would be fine, if everypony else is fine with it."
Also, it means we can learn a lot more about this world. We've already proven we can't assume anything here.
I know.... at least we speak the same language.
"When does school start?"
Apple Bloom looked slightly worried. "Well, it started a few weeks ago, but... I'm sure you'll be fine. Mrs. Cheerilee is usually nice about letting ponies catch up."
Asriel blinked. That would be a... really fast integration. Frisk already knew what it was like to start school late. And he didn't even know what the name of the country they were in right now. Or even if that was the correct classification. But after so long, it would just be nice to have a friend again. Someone who wouldn't question who he was or where he came from, only paying attention to what was inside.
Like what you did for me, Frisk.
But when he looked over at Applebloom, there was no calculation, no hesitation, no fear. To her, he was just another slightly more interesting-looking kid.
He smiled. "I don't know what the rules are for joining class, but I'll definitely try."
Apple Bloom grinned brightly. "It sure will be nice to have somepony... uh, I mean somebody at school that I know."
Asriel looked at her in surprise. "You don't know anyone yet? Are you new as well?"
She looked down slightly. "Well, I had a few friends last year, but there was that Timberwolf thing that scared a lot of ponies. They had to move away with their parents."
He put an arm around her comfortingly, then smiled. "Well, I lived in the Everfree for the last couple days. I don't think I'm exactly going to be scared away."
A sobering thought struck him, and he removed his arm, sighing. "I don't think I'm going to be moving home anytime soon, either."
Apple Bloom suddenly paused, looking at him intently. "What's wrong?
"I don't really want to burden you with it."
She put a hoof on his arm. "No, really. This sounds kinda important. And if it's important to you, it's important to me, too."
"All right." Asriel looked around at the rest of the Apple family. Big Mac and Applejack were helping Granny in the kitchen with dinner, but he noticed that Rainbow was leaning towards them, listening in while trying to be subtle about it. And Applejack's ear would occasionally flick in their direction.
I guess mentioning "time travel" in a public place wasn't such a good idea.
"Well, let's just say home is very far away. I'm not sure I'll be able to go back, and even if I figure out a way, it won't be for a long time."
Apple Bloom seemed to struggle a bit accepting such a vague answer, but she eventually nodded her head.
Asriel, however, leaned closer, whispering into her ear. "I'll tell you more when we can talk in private. It's supposed to be a secret."
Her smile immediately returned, brighter than before, and she gave a silent "oh!" of understanding.
"Well, I hope to see you in school."
"Yeah, me too," he said, marvelling at just how sincerely he meant that.
They both turned back to the Apples' family dining table, just as Applejack and Big Mac returned to bring out the dishes. The steaming bread with fresh jam, rich cobbler, and salad laden with fresh tomatoes and cheese certainly was enough to attract his attention, but his mind was on something entirely different as he began to eat.
As Frisk, there was always someone in the Underground that he could call "friend," or even "mother." Someone to laugh with, tell jokes to, or just talk with. And he learned that every single one of them had immense value.
But the only person he ever told the truth to... the full truth... had to ask him directly.
Yet within minutes of meeting this young pony sitting next to him, he already felt like he could reveal all his deepest secrets, all without judgement.
His left hand reached up and felt the golden chain around his neck.
Best Friend
Asriel knew what that was like. The old Asriel. The Asriel from before all this mess. How long had he forgotten? Would he forget again, once this was all over? Was it really worth it?
His hand clasped aroung the chain.
It didn't matter.
He REFUSED to forget.