//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: A Tale of Two Worlds // by Shadow_8472 //------------------------------// “Where is that half-bit Pegasus? Gave us the slip like a fish in a stream!” Applesauce finishes his third lap pacing across downtown Ponyville. “Givin’ us the shivers he is. Oh, my hooves ain’t real happy with me ‘bout now.” He lifts a hoof to inspect it. It’s worn down to a nubbin. A train pulls into the station and Applesauce sees none other than Dasher Swift strutting his way into town. Applesauce moves to intercept him, “Dasher, where were ya? Windy an’ I started gettin’ worried you ‘as lost, so we ‘as after ya like a needle in a ‘aystack an’,” he looks up at his friend, “Why were ya evin’ on the train?” "I had a hankering for some Canterlot style Sweet Pops. Want one?" Dasher produces a Sweet Pop in the shape of Celestia’s royal Cutie Mark. Applesauce’s eyes go big, “Sure!” He holds out his hooves in excitement. Dasher extends a wing to the foal with a silly grin. Applesauce fumbles the wrapper off and pops it in his mouth. “Orange?” “I thought you’d like a change from apple.” Dasher swaggers off on his merry way. Applesauce sucks on his Sweet Pop and finds a fountain to hang out by until Windy returns from her aerial search. With nopony to talk to, he decides to challenge himself. One by one, he pulls half a dozen random pebbles from the road and stacks them between his hooves. Taking a seat, he focuses on his pile and closes his eyes, filtering out the background noise. One of Dad’s more annoying attention-splitting drills comes to mind, something involving two different sliding puzzles at once.  The train blows its whistle in the background as it leaves the station. Applesauce gently lifts the first stone. He takes just as much care lifting each of the others. He opens his eyes to the bobbing pebbles and separates one from the others. Somepony pops her bubble gum nearby. The other rocks take a dive, but the colt regains control before they hit the ground. A couple cute, little fillies come over to watch Applesauce practice. He closes his eyes again and begins rotating the pebbles around his head, feeling each one as he rolls them around in his magic. He separates them three and three and guides each through a juggling pattern. When he’s confident enough he’s mastered the motion, he opens his eyes. A tall Centaur has joined the tiny audience. Memories from around a year ago blitz across his imagination. The heavy hoofsteps outside. That deep voice chuckling. The yellow glow of Dad’s magic as it was sucked out of his body. Everything is permanently seared into his mind. Applesauce shrieks and drops the pebbles, scampering off to find Windy. *** James slings his rifle over his shoulder as he and Dr. Stone depart the train station and head into town. “Well, Doc, what do you want to do?” “I have previously visited Ponyville once before. And at that, it was brief. As a result, my knowledge is limited to the fascinating events surrounding the area, but the mundane, and often more interesting events leave me at a lack of understanding of the local subculture. Usually the best place to start at this time of day is a local diner. I don't suppose you could do for a late lunch?” James looks around, “Nah, I'm not hungry right now. I think I'm gonna go take a walk around town to get an idea of where everything is.” Dr. Stone casually leads James to an open air cafe and takes a seat, “Tut, tut, it's not always about the cuisine. I, myself had a proper lunch after our mid-day jaunt through the city. The culture, ponies’ stories, is what holds the most importance.” “I actually want to explore on my own a little bit, if you don't mind." James walks off. "Hopefully, I won't freak anyone out…”, he says to himself as he stops to watch an orange and yellow foal in a blue, stared magician’s robe as it entertains a couple even smaller Earth Ponies as they clap their hooves for him. The little magician opens his eyes. They freeze on James and go so narrow, even the irises shrink. He lets out a shriek and backs off, scampering away before zooming off so fast he leaves a colored contrail. “Too late...” *** Windy’s scans for her absentee brother turn up nothing. After spending the better part of a few hours searching the ground, she finds a lone cloud where she can take a break.  “WHAAAAAAAH!” It’s that colt staying with her family. Windy rolls over and sticks her head off the side of the cloud. She tracks the panicked foal galloping past town hall. With a mighty flap of her wings, Windy busts her cloud and glides to the surface. The colt quickly spots her and buries himself under her wing as she folds it, leaving just his tail poking out. “Ti-T-Tir-Tierik creature i-inn- town!” Windy tightens her grip on the youngster and lugs him to a bench for a little more privacy. She lets his panic attack ride its course. “What about Tierik? He’s locked safely away in Tartarus.” She spins him around to face forward. “N-n-no-Not him?” Applesauce hooks a hoof around her front leg. “I’ve got you,” Windy holds him tight while he finishes hyperventilating. “Now, why don’t you tell me what you saw?” “I ‘as waitin’ for ya an’ practicin’ my magic when I looked up an’ this Centaur thin’ was starin’ back at me. It was just like that afternoon T-Tierik busted inta’ my house an’ stole Dad’s magic from ‘is horn like a candy from a baby.” The tears start up again, “He told me not ta peek from my hidin’ spot under the kitchen sink, an’ I wish I ‘adn’t!” The Pegasus does her best to comfort her mentally scarred charge. “There, there. I'm sure it wasn't what you thought it was. We can go back and look together if you want.” Applesauce tenses under Windy’s wing. “I’ll tell you what. How about we just go for a walk?” Windy strokes along the black streak running through the colt’s mane, “I’m sure Dasher can take care of himself for a while longer.” “Someone call?” The older colt squeezes a pink butterfly-shaped candy straight into his mouth and tucks the wrapper away. Windy glares at her brother, “Dasher Dancer Swift, where have you been?” Dasher tries to play it off cool, “You told me to tell Princess Twilight about the convoy this morning, and I did. It’s not my fault she was already in Canterlot when I caught up with her.” *** Ponyville is awfully quiet as Applesauce goes out with Windy and Dasher for a mid-afternoon snack. Ponies talk in whispered conversations. Applesauce hears bits and pieces, but he can't tell if they're gossiping about him or the ominous Centaur without hind legs or horns. One eccentric Unicorn even tosses around the word "human." The trio finds an empty table. Besides an elderly Crystal Pony slowly patronizing the establishment, the place is mostly empty. Dasher snags the only menu on the table. Applesauce spots another one inside. He stretches out a hoof, levitates the menu, and pulls it over.   Windy grabs the menu and opens it. “Nicely done.” The little wizard sitting across from her grins sheepishly. “OK. Any one thing you want, as long as it’s ten bits or less.” Applesauce takes a hold of the menu again. A double chocolate dipped daisy calls his name, and he points with his horn, “That one!” Paper gives way to bone as the clumsy colt impales the menu on his horn. “Ah... Here, let me see,” Windy retrieves the menu and flattens it out. “Afraid not, Kiddo. Eleven bits is a little overpriced for a cupcake and a daisy. I could probably make you a dozen for less if I wanted to.” She points to her usual, a nine bit strawberry shake, “This is what I’m having, and this...” she moves her hooftip to a small ice cream Sundae for six bits, is what Dasher usually has, but somepony," she tries making eye contact with Dasher from behind his menu, "has already had his dessert." Applesauce scans what remains of his menu and picks out a ten bit chocolate smoothie. “Have ya ever been ta the Crystal Empire, Windy?” Windy follows his gaze and looks over her shoulder at the grandfatherly Crystal Pony behind her, “Yes, actually. Just once.” She signals the waiter. "Is this spot taken?" The Crystal Pony from the other table is standing by the empty spot between Windy and Applesauce. Windy looks up at him, surprised. "Um, no?" The elderly stallion takes a seat. "I couldn't help but notice, but your charge expressed an interest in my homeland." "It's been somethin' I ‘as meanin' ta ask my dad more ‘bout since we went ta support my friends carryin' the Ponyville flag at the Equestria Games a couple years ago, but ..." Applesauce pauses and his sentence isn't completed. Windy continues working on making the menu a little more presentable for the next customer. Judging by Applesauce's inflection, she did not expect to see him wide eyed, staring over the cafe hedge and into the murmuring crowd. She traces everypony’s glances to find that Centaur/human thing snacking on a bag of trail mix. "Ah, yes, that would be my recently acquired traveling companion, a certain Mr. James Thatcher. He hails from a land possessing a greater quantity of dissimilarities to Ponyville than does the Crystal Empire. The civilization of 'humans' of which James is a member of has yet to learn the fundamentals of even the most elementary of magic, though I surmise there must necessarily exist some form of cult to manipulate their sun and moon." Dasher slowly traces his hoof around the chocolate Sunday picture on his menu. “I thought Celestia raises the sun for the whole world, not just Equestria.” “You Ponies wouldn’t happen to be versed in applied thaumatology fantasy writer C. S. Lee and how he draws upon theorized parallel dimensions to justify his plots?” Three faces give the stranger blank stares. Windy breaks the silence, “I’ve had a look through one of his books within the past few days...” “I believe James is the primordial example of an arriving interdimensional traveler since the likes of Clover the Clever or earlier.” The waiter arrives with a notepad in hoof. Windy places their orders, “One glass of ice water, one strawberry shake, one chocolate shake… Would you care to make an order, sir?" she asks the Crystal Pony. "The consumption of local food items is only a secondary objective, of which I have already accomplished quite adequately." The waiter writes down the order, and collects the menus. “As you wish.” He smiles to himself as he goes inside. Applesauce raises his hoof. “Pre more de-ill?” Dasher chuckles at the irony, “That just means the first.” “So ya friend is kinda’ like me then?” The Crystal Pony takes a pause. Windy explains, “I found him wandering down by the local apple farm a few days ago, seemingly shortly after he arrived. I wouldn’t hold your breath. His Equestria is basically the same as ours, only with a couple extra ponies.” “My ma’ an’ me,” Applesauce interjects with a pout. “It would be a topic of interest worthy of further study if you and Mr. Thatcher could compare notes on the manner in which you traveled to this reality. I hypothesize your transit methods are connected somehow.” The waiter returns and passes out the cups. Applesauce takes his with a hoof, “Ah don’ know. I reckon I could give ‘im another go around.” “Ponder that as you may. As of the present moment, we do not possess any plans inclusive of departure.” “What all was the Crystal Empire like when you were little?” Applesauce does not notice Dasher trying to signal for an emergency change in topic. “Ah, the joys of youth… Equestria was a much younger nation back then, still aspiring to figure out what it intended to be. This Chancellor Puddinghead character once decreed carrot juice be consumed alongside each and every time Earth Ponies dined. Personally, I developed a strong distaste for the stuff when my grandmare required us to ingest a cup while celebrating Hearthswarming with her. My mother engaged in an act of mercy and spirited half my glass into her own and provided me with a straw with which to guzzle the remainder without soiling my tongue with the flavor.” The stranger looks over at Dasher then back to Applesauce, “Now that I think about it, I believe I was not much older than your friend Dasher here when I embarked on my first archeology expedition.” Dasher finishes his water, “I’m outta here.” Dasher gets up to leave, but Windy puts a hoof on his shoulder and forces him back down. “It was to be a trip into the Northern Wastelands, past present-day Yakyakistan. A young Unicorn mare with a robe resembling your own was sponsoring the trip.” “Sounds an awful lot like she mighta been like an ancestor a mine,” Applesauce interrupts, “This here robe’s been in ma family that long. It’s a family treasure. Dad said he got it a few moons after gettin’ his Cutie Mark in magic, but he passed it on ta me an I don’t got mine yet. What was she like?” “Her name was Zenith. You recall the stories of Windigos we retell at Hearthswarming? Such legends are founded within the realm of reality. Our target dig site was an ancestral home belonging to members of the ancient Unicorn Tribe. I navigated us to a total of five candidate sites before we arrived at a village encased in a solid block of ice. Are you aware the molecular structure of ice changes under sufficiently great pressure? Unfortunately, by the time we initiated our excavation, Zenith’s dwindling internal magic reserves ensured each time she fended off a nearby Windigo it was more troublesome than the last.  “After months of straining against them, she fell into a light coma from magical exhaustion. Were it not for my decision to withdraw emptyhooved, even though we were inches from the first artifact, Zenith surely wouldn’t have survived. I have always desired to return, but a combination of other digs, military service, and important life events have served to hobble my intentions. I anticipate geriatrics shall consume my body beyond useability prior to my subsequent chance to venture back to what you now call the Frozen North. The buzz around town goes quiet again. Applesauce watches James with a little less concern than before as he strides past the outdoor tables and walks inside. Applesauce finishes his shake. He gets up and walks around to Windy, “Mind if I dart inside for the colts’ room for a shake?” *** After exploring a few of the sites Ponyville has to offer, James heads back to the cafe he passed earlier. Dr. Stone is talking with a few of the locals, so he walks inside and grabs an empty booth. He leans his rifle up against the table, takes his hat off, and sets his backpack in the seat next to him. A Unicorn in some sort of uniform collar arrives at James’ booth and levitates a menu in front of him. The waiter hesitates. “Today’s special is the… the Apple-Oat Souffle.” “I don’t want anything. I’m just resting my legs for a bit.” “Complementary ice water?” The waiter retracts the menu. “Sure.” The waiter leaves, and quickly returns with a platter bearing a pitcher and a glass cup with an unusually large ‘handle.’ He uses magic to pour some water, making sure there are exactly 4 ice cubes. “Thanks.” James sips his water and closes his eyes as the waiter moves on to the other filled table. He pretends he’s in some diner back home in Freedom Point. A fresh pot of coffee is on the brew behind the counter. The warmth from the sun is streaming in the window at just the right angle for a lazy afternoon. The bathroom door even has a little squeak as it opens. Apart from the clopping of hooves and the slightly awkward shape of the booth, everything is just about normal. A little boy’s voice interrupts his thoughts, “I hear ya’ll only use magic for raisin’ the sun ‘n’ moon where you’re from. Can that be right?” James takes another sip of his water, “Actually, we don’t use magic at all. Not even for the day and night cycle. It usually just goes on its own.” The boy chuckles, “Everypony knows the Sun and Moon are controlled by Princess Celestia. Oh, and Princess Luna gets the moon since she came back. Don’t your land at least got somepony like that?” The jargon proves too much for James’ fantasy of home. He opens his eyes and blinks a couple times. “Nope. Not in the slightest.” He looks down to see the colt in he spooked earlier. “I could try to explain how all the planets move back in my world, but I don’t think you want me to give you a science lesson right now.” “My name’s Applesauce, by the way.” James reaches out his hand, “James… Call me James.” The colt rears up, putting a hoof on the table and offering his other for a handshake. “Hey, what’s that sound?” Applesauce twists an ear. “Sounds like a li’le stampede outside.” “I wonder what that’s all about...” James puts his hat and backpack back on, then grabs his rifle.