Emerging out of the small stairway into the second half of the libraries lower floor, I found myself reunited again with my family. The three of them seemed to have settled in fairly well so far. Dad, like me, had taken to browsing through the seemingly endless shelves taking out a book or dusty tome now and then and leafing his way through it, although since none of us could really read Equestrian too well there was some similarity to English. Mum meanwhile, seemed more interested in the unusual construction of the library and was pottering about the room, looking at how the natural tree seemed to effortless meld with the requirements of the library. The shelves for example, far from being placed there, or carved out, looked almost as if they had literally grown with the tree. As for Lizzie, she had her nose in a Daring Do book that she’d found and seemed to be fairly interested in the exploits of Equestria’s Indiana Jones, mainly going by the pictures. They all looked up when Twilight and I walked in, with Spike trailing a little way behind us.
“Oh, hey there, lad,” my dad said. “I gotta say you definitely made the right call in pointing us here. Although it seems that they use a different written language than us.” He gestured to the many books he was still browsing through. I smiled at his slight annoyance.
“I'm sure Twilight will be happy to teach you,” I replied knowingly, though slightly annoyed at the fact that he got to go through the library’s catalogue first, even if he couldn't read it. “What about you, Mum? Are you settling in okay?” My mum shrugged her shoulders before rubbing a hand across the back of her neck apprehensively.
“About as well as you can expect,” she answered. “Although there are one or two things I’ve seen since I got here that still baffle me.” I raised an eyebrow.
“Oh, like what?” I asked.
“Well, when the three of us got here,” she explained. “Twilight took us all inside and went to talk to the lizard of hers; Spike, right?”
“Dragon.” Spike reminded her as he restocked a few of the library’s shelves. “Lizards can’t do this.” With that, and with great effort, he blew out a small flame of greenish coloured fire. The look on my Mum’s face was priceless, though I quickly reassured her that she had little to fear from the friendly, young, baby dragon. A moment later, after recovering herself, she continued.
“Right…dragon. Sorry, Spike,” she apologised. “Anyway, she rattled off a letter to this princess of hers. He wrote it down and tied the scroll up. But then he burned the whole thing up. And the smoke…well, it sort of came alive. It flew out the window!”
The reason for all that was fairly obvious to me. Any fan of the show worth his salt (a phrase that had new meaning here in Equestria) could easily tell you that Spike possessed magical fire breath that allowed him to send and receive letters like that. However, I remembered how my excessive knowledge had unsettled Twilight before. So, turning to her, I opted to hold my tongue.
“Well, I think Twilight here can answer that question better that I can,” I half lied. “After all, she’s the one who hatched him. Wait…dammit!” I promptly connected my hoof to my face in annoyance. This time though, Twilight didn’t seem to mind.
“You see, Margaret,” the young alicorn explained. “Spike's flame breath is enchanted. Anything he burns up gets sent directly to Princess Celestia. When I first came to Ponyville, I used it as a way to send friendship reports every week. And then later on, my friends did the same thing to. But now that I’ve completed my studies and become a princess myself, we just use it as a way to communicate important messages quickly.” Mum listened in interest, though my dad had picked up on the more important fact that Twilight had subtly dropped into the conversation.
“Wait, you’re a princess?” he asked, with no small amount of surprise in his voice.
For her part, Twilight suddenly came over all sheepish, a strong blush appearing on her face. From my own knowledge, I knew that she was still getting used to the idea herself, and that she didn’t want her new title to affect the way ponies treated her.
“It’s not a big deal,” she replied, sounding slightly embarrassed. “You don’t have to bow or anything, Roger.” I jumped back in to the conversation in an effort to divert attention from the awkwardness that had suddenly sprung up.
“So have you had any response from Princess Celestia yet, Twilight?” I asked offhandedly. She shook her head.
“No, not just yet,” she replied. “Though I’m sure we’ll hear from her soon.”
It was at that moment that Spike was suddenly seized with an odd series of spasms. At any other time, I would have thought this to be the result of illness. But I recognised the symptoms of an inbound letter well. With a particularly loud burp, the world’s only living fax machine coughed up a large plume of smoke. A few moments after that, it rematerialised in the form of a scroll bearing the golden horseshoe seal of the sun princess, all neatly tied up in a crimson coloured ribbon.
Spike caught the communique in his claw as it stopped briefly hovering in the air, dissipating the remaining magic that had brought it here. He was about to undo the seal himself, but Twilight was more than eager to see what her mentor had to say. Taking the scroll from his grip in her magenta coloured magic, she hovered the note in front of her. From my position standing next to her, I was able to see what the note said, although just as Dad had found, I couldn't actually read it. It ran in this fashion:
“My dearest Twilight Sparkle. I must confess that, outside of the mirror portal, neither I nor my sister have heard of these creatures that call themselves ‘Humans’ before. It seems highly likely therefore, that they are truly foreign to our world; your theory about a dimensional portal certainly holds water in light of the events in the Everfree Forest. I hope that we will soon be able to allow them to return to their own world through the same means. Regrettably, both my sister and I are currently engaged in trade negotiations with representatives from the Griffon Kingdom, so I will not be able to receive them in Canterlot until this weekend. Please do your best to make them comfortable and enable them to settle down in Ponyville. On Saturday morning I shall send a chariot for you all, and we can see about sorting this problem out then. I look forward to seeing you all. Your friend and mentor – Princess Celestia.”
Twilight rolled up the scroll and passed it back to Spike. The three members of my family looked on with anticipation.
“It looks like you may have to stay here a little longer than you initially planned.” Twilight began.
“What do you mean?” my mum asked.
“The princesses are both busy with trade negotiations with the Griffon Kingdom this week,” she explained. “Princess Celestia won’t be able to see you until Saturday.” This didn’t sit well with my dad.
“Seriously?!” he exclaimed. “A whole new species turns up in her country, and she wants to put trade negotiations at the top of the list? Don’t we get some kind of priority?” My mum was a bit more understanding.
“Come on, dear,” she countered calmly. “If the situation was reversed and a group of talking ponies suddenly appeared on Earth, I think they’d get a decidedly colder reception. We’d probably lock them up for goodness sake! Besides, we’re hardly a threat and we can put up with staying here for a day or two. So I think you can see why this princess might want to put us on the back burner. Besides, it’s only three days. It’ll be a chance to explore this place, see the sights. Heck, it’ll almost be like a little holiday.”
It was at that moment though, that a thought struck me. Today was Wednesday, so we were going to be here for at least three days, rather than just a few hours. Where were we all going to stay? Celestia’s letter had asked Twilight to make us all comfortable, but could she look after all four of us? And what about basic essentials; my family literally had nothing but the clothes on their back, and I didn’t even have that! I promptly voiced this concern to the most well organised pony in the room.
“Hang on a minute,” I said, jumping in to the conversation. “Where are we all going to stay for the next three days? It’s not like we can grab a room in a hotel or anything.” Twilight and everyone else thought.
“Well, if two of you are okay with sharing a bed, I suppose I could put you up for a while,” Twilight offered. “But I’m not sure there’ll be enough room for six of us here.” Lizzie then spoke up.
“Fluttershy said, on the way over here, that if I needed a place to stay for a while, I could stay with her.” Dad nodded in agreement.
“As long as you’re okay with being on your own for a bit, sweetie,” he agreed. “Though I’m sure we can all meet up between now and Saturday. What about you, lad?” They all turned to me.
I wasn’t actually sure where I could stay. If I had the bits, I might try looking for some B&B or little hotel here in Ponyville. But asking Twilight to lend me some money seemed like pushing her generosity a little too far, considering she was already looking after Mum and Dad at no charge. So where else could I stay?
My first idea was to join Lizzie at Fluttershy’s cottage, but I quickly shot that idea down. Her cottage was small and crowded enough as it was with all the animals she cared for, plus Lizzie; as with Twilight’s library, it would be too full.
Rainbow’s home was out of the question, magic or no, there was no way, no how I was setting foot on clouds without a parachute. Plus, as loyal as she can be to her friends when it matters, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to tolerate the brash pegasus for three days. It would look bad if I came back from Equestria as ‘the brony that throttled Rainbow Dash’.
Pinkie Pie too was not really an option, since she lived with the Cakes. She only had her small room above the shop, and that was in addition to those Cake twins. I’ll be honest, gurgling small foals that like to walk on the ceilings and look at you with those unsettling, soulless eyes did not seem like the best roommates come bedtime.
So, I had two choices left. The logical choice was, of course, Rarity. Given her role as the Element of Generosity, I was sure she’d be able to make something work for a few days. Her home above Carousel Boutique was large enough, and she had more than enough couches for me to sleep on. But after thinking about it for a moment, I wasn’t too sure. That became even more the case when, after suggesting the idea, Spike started giving me the evil eye.
Thus, I had only one option left open to me; Applejack. The country mare had suggested that I stop by some time, but I wasn’t sure she’d be able to take me in. On the other hand, if she could let me sleep on the sofa for a couple nights, I could at least earn my keep by helping her out on the farm. That was the one problem with all my other options; I hate being seen as a freeloader you see, so having a way to pay back Applejack and her family put my conscience at ease.
“Well, I guess my best bet is probably Applejack’s then,” I said, causing Spike to relax a little. “I can head out and see if she can let me have a spot on their couch for a night or two.”
“So where’s Applejack live then?” my mum asked.
“She’s got a farm a little ways outside of town,” I replied. “Did you see that whole load of apple trees on the other side of the town; that’s the edge of the farm. Plus I can probably lend a hoof working there, at least enough to earn my keep for a few days.”
“Alright, sounds like a plan,” my dad said. “So, your mother and I will stay here with Twilight for a bit. Lizzie, you’re going to stay with Fluttershy, and you, son, are going to be at this farm. Right?” I nodded.
“What about us all going out and about, Twilight,” I asked. “I know Princess Celestia didn’t say anything, but it’s probably best that you keep us under wraps for the time being.” Twilight nodded.
“I have to agree with you there, Blade Star,” she replied, before turning to my dad. “I know it might be a bit boring for you three, but you ought to stay inside and out of sight until we can think of a way to explain this mess to everypony.”
“So how am I going to get to Fluttershy’s then?” Lizzie asked. Twilight smiled and trotted over to her.
“Simple,” she replied. “I’ll just use teleportation like I did before. I can do the same thing on Saturday when Celestia sends a chariot for us.”
“And I can make my own way, I think,” I added. “Applejack gave me a little tour of the town on the way over here. I’ll head to Town Hall and then follow the road up to the farm. If worse comes worst, I’ll just follow the apple trees.”
With everything agreed, three of us made preparations to leave. Twilight asked Spike to help Mum and Dad set themselves up in the spare bed across from her own upstairs. After a quick goodbye, Twilight had Lizzie stand next to her and the pair disappeared again in that same flash and pop as before. I waited for Twilight to return before I left, just to be sure that Lizzie got to her destination without trouble. It wasn’t long before the alicorn, now alone, reappeared in the library.
“Okay,” she said brightly. “Fluttershy’s more than happy to look after Lizzie until Saturday morning. Are you two both settled in?” My dad nodded.
“Yes, Twilight. This should be enough for us to get by with for a couple of days. You’re very kind.” She blushed again at that.
“What about you, Blade Star?” she asked. “Are you heading off now?” I nodded.
“Yes, I guess I ought to be off if I want to get there before it gets too late,” I replied. “I’ll see you guys on Saturday then.” With that, I turned and headed out the door.
Stepping out of the library, I realised that I’d spent more time at Twilight’s than I initially thought. In contrast to the bright sunny day from before, it was now well into the evening, and the moon hung low in the sky, with the last few lights of day in the far west. Gone was the light blue, almost cloudless sky, and in its place was a mixture of red, purple, and golden hues that bathed the whole landscape in a warm glow. Back home, it would have started to drop cooler by now, but Equestria’s climate seems to be more along the lines of the North American continent, noticeably warmer than back home. It was now still warm, but not uncomfortable. It actually made my journey to Sweet Apple Acres quite pleasant.
Working my way through the town, following pretty much the same route that had brought me to the library, only in reverse, I watched ponies closing up the last few open shops and stalls. The town was steadily growing quieter and quieter as the day drew to a close.
I reflected on the fact that, in a couple hours or so, I’d be able to see the night sky in Equestria for the first time. Back home was a bit of an amateur astronomer. Living out in the middle of nowhere meant there was little to no light pollution, and on a cold, clear night, you could see perhaps thousands, if not millions of stars. I decided that, if I had the chance, I would stay up a little while and take a look, and do a spot of comparing.
I must admit, I’ve always been more of a night person, and the moon and the night sky had fascinated me from a young age. Hopefully, in three days’ time, I might get to meet the mare that was responsible for it all, at least insofar as raising the moon was concerned. Like quite a lot of people in the fandom, I did have something of a bias toward Princess Luna, and as I said before, she was right up at the top of my list of ponies to meet.
Still, at present the sun was still clinging on, the last few rays streaming over the horizon, staining the sky with those amazing colours. Walking past Town Hall again, and doing my best to remember the route, which was of course all now reversed, I began to make my way out of Ponyville. Crossing over the stone bridge that crossed the small river that ran through the town, I left the cosy, lighted houses behind, and began to head toward the huge plantation that dominated the other side of Ponyville.
Before long, the pathway soon changed to simple dirt roads, which were actually quite a bit easier on my hooves if I’m honest. Despite having been a unicorn now for just under a day, walking with four legs was starting to feel surprisingly natural. I’d found the right rhythm and it was hardly different from walking on two. Maybe it was linked to how quickly horses learn to walk? After all, I remember seeing foals on one of the local farms, up and about on their overly long legs a few minutes after being born.
Anyway, before long, just as the sun was finally dipping behind the hills in the distance, I found myself walking under the archway, and past the fence lines that marked the border of Sweet Apple Acres.
The path was fairly straight, bordered on either side by wooden fences. In the last fading moments of sunlight, it reminded me of parts of mid-western America; places like Kentucky or Tennessee. I’d never been to the states myself, but from pictures and films I’d seen, it seemed to fit the bill.
As I walked on, I saw another small path, branching off from the one I was on, and that headed deeper into the orchards. I could just about make out a child’s treehouse towards the far end. And while I couldn’t be certain, I was fairly certain that that was the clubhouse of the famous, though at times infamous, Cutie Mark Crusaders. Potentially, I’d be meeting at least one of them before long.
My thoughts turned to my own cutie mark, and I glanced back at it for a moment. What did it mean? Was it really my cutie mark, or was it just the one I’d given the character I’d created? Well, at least those three fillies wouldn’t rope me into one of their mad schemes, and I wouldn’t arouse suspicion. I just wouldn’t mind knowing though.
Eventually, just as the twilight was fading and the moon was beginning to rise, an event which saw me briefly pause my journey to admire, I came to my destination; the farmhouse. Well, farmhouse and barn. It always struck me as an odd design choice personally, but who am I to judge?
I was lucky that I arrived when I did, much longer and I’d have been finding my way in the dark. Until the moon rose higher and lit up the landscape, I was without a light source. And since I couldn’t get my magic to work on command, I couldn’t just create one myself. That actually annoyed me a little. I mean, for goodness sake, even Snails can do that.
Walking around the farmhouse, I found myself at the front door. After taking a moment to make sure I looked somewhat presentable and to collect my thoughts, I knocked on the red and white wooden door. It was still fairly early yet, and all the lights were on, so I knew I wouldn’t be inadvertently waking anypony up. Listening with my somewhat more sensitive ears, I heard movement and voices from within. A few moments later, the latch lifted and the door opened, sending light from inside the farmhouse streaming out into the darkness. And right there, standing in the doorway, looking just a tad imposing, was Big Macintosh.
Now, I have never been the tallest guy in the room. On Earth, I stood at around 5’8, 5’9 on a good day. So I was a little below average, but I never considered myself short. I was roughly the same scale here in Equestria in this pony form. Okay, yes, I did now look up at my little sister, but I had an inch or so on Twilight and all the other girls.
But that did me little good compared to Big Macintosh. Were I still my old human self, he would have probably come up to my shoulders. As it was, I was about eye level with his snout. Add to that the mass of a four legged being compared to a biped, and you have one imposing sight. Of course, I knew he was perfectly friendly, but still, for a moment I was put off. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I did my best to strike up a conversation.
“Er, hi there,” I began, a little uneasily. “You’re Big Macintosh, right?” The stallion nodded.
“Eeyup,” he responded gravely.
“Is Applejack about?”
“Eeyup.”
“Can I talk to her for a minute? Twilight sent me.”
“Eeyup.” This was starting to get a bit tedious. Mac briefly stepped away from the door and I heard him go into the next room. A moment later, Applejack came out to the doorway, a slightly surprised look on her face.
“Hey there, Blade Star,” she said, smiling. “What brings y’all out this way?” I quickly explained myself.
“Twilight heard back from Princess Celestia,” I explained. “She says that we’ll need to stay in Ponyville until Saturday when we can go up to Canterlot. Mum and Dad are staying at Twilight’s, and Lizzie is staying with Fluttershy, so I was wondering if I could maybe stay on your couch for a couple of nights? I’d pitch in and do what I can to help around the farm, of course.” Applejack smiled and nodded happily.
“Well, of course you can stay here, sugarcube,” she replied, beckoning me inside. “Ya can take the spare room for a couple days.”
That was a relief, I wasn’t certain if Applejack had the room to house me, and I didn’t fancy too much walking back to Ponyville in the dark. Closing the front door behind me, Applejack led me into the front room of her family home. Whereas Twilight’s library had a warm, cosy feel of…well, a library, the farmhouse had a more rustic charm that I actually found quite comforting if I’m honest. Taking me through another door, I found myself in the kitchen, which doubled as a dining room. It was here that the rest of the Apple family were sitting down, about to have dinner. I blushed slightly.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Applejack,” I apologised. “I didn’t realise you were all in the middle of your dinner.” Applejack though, was quick to reassure me.
“Nonsense, sugarcube. Ya came at just the right time, Ah reckon.” She then turned to Granny Smith, the ancient apple matriarch. “Granny, how’s about settin' another place tonight; we got ourselves a guest.”
The venerable Granny Smith, who had been standing at the stove, tending to the meal, now turned around to face me. Applejack quickly explained to her grandmother why I was here. For a moment, she squinted at me with her weakening eyes, but a moment later, her face brightened.
“Oh, of course, there’s room in this here house, Applejack,” she agreed. “Long as this feller’s willin’ to lend a hoof now and then.” I smiled and nodded.
“I’d be happy to help out in any way I can, Mrs. Smith.” I replied. This got her laughing.
“Ah, just call me Granny like everypony else there, ya young whipper snapper,” she ordered. “Now come on and sit yourself down.”
Ponies of course, didn’t really have chairs as we’d recognise them. Sometimes you’d see places with large cushions, but that would be in too sharp a contrast to the Apple family’s more simple way of life. I found myself sitting between Applejack on my left, and the young Apple Bloom on my right. Big Mac sat across from me, and was now giving me something of a warning look, though I couldn’t be sure with his impassive features. As Granny Smith laid out the dinner, I introduced myself.
Being so close to the Element of Honesty made me feel a little uneasy about the white lie I was telling. I didn’t need to look, I could feel Applejack’s burrowing gaze on me the whole time. I mean, I probably could have told them precisely who I was; Applejack would no doubt have backed up the facts. But then they’d know about my parents and Lizzie, and potentially have to sit on that secret for a good long while. So, with that in mind, I omitted a few details. I didn’t weave a fiction; I merely said that I was far from home, and in town for a couple of days until I could get up to Canterlot, and that if push came to shove, Twilight would explain everything. While not entirely satisfactory, it seemed to be enough for the Apples’, at least for the time being.
With the introductions over, the five of us settled down to dinner and chatted convivially. Again though, a few times, I felt that Big Mac’s gaze was not exactly friendly. Might it have something to do with the fact that I was a comparative stranger who seemed to be getting on well with his little sister? Were our roles reversed, I’d probably be doing the same thing. Still, aside from that, we all got on well.
After dinner was done with, and all the plates had been washed up and left to dry, Applejack led me upstairs and showed me the room I would be staying in for the next couple of nights.
Much like the rest of the farmhouse, it gave off a sort of rustic, cosy, and somehow familiar feeling. It was of course, rather plain. A simple wooden door led into a moderately sized room with bare floorboards and wooden wall panelling painted a dark green. A single window looked out over the orchards, and at present was letting moonlight stream in. Against the left hand wall was a bed, with a headboard that had an apple motif carved into it. Aside from that, the only furniture was a bedside table, and against the right hand side wall was a small writing desk and a couple of shelves. All in all, it was more than enough to satisfy my needs. Heck, it was a decided step up from most student accommodation I’d lived in.
By now it was getting late, and I was about to turn in. However before she left, Applejack had a quiet talk with me.
“Listen, Blade Star,” she said as she stood in the doorway. “Ah’m mighty sorry ‘bout how Big Macintosh was actin’ tonight.” Oh, so that hadn’t been my imagination. Applejack continued.
“He just gets a mite protective of me around colts he doesn’t know. Give him a day or two and he won’t have any problem with ya.” I smiled and shrugged my shoulders.
“Eh, it’s alright, Applejack,” I replied. “I’m an older brother too, so I can see where he’s coming from. Anyway, I’d best bed down for the night.”
“That you should, sugarcube,” Applejack agreed. “Y’all have got an early start tomorrow. Be seein’ ya at sunup.” With that she closed the door and I settled down in my new bed to go to sleep.
Wait, did she say sunup?