//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 - A human?! // Story: The Traveller // by LavenderRain24 //------------------------------// Scootaloo's and Apple Bloom's mouths dropped wide open in shock. "But Sweetie Belle, she's... an adult!" Scootaloo pointed out looking towards Sapphire at the corner of her eye. "I know.... but she doesn't have a cutie mark yet! Do you know how rare that is in Equestria?" Sweetie Belle exclaimed with excitement. The 2 fillies rushed around Sapphire's rear end making her feel awkward and slightly embarrassed as they gazed at her blank flanks. "Wow an adult pony who doesn't know what her special talent is yet. That's amazing." Sapphire blushed turning her cheeks a hot pink. She's not use to all this attention - especially from people, er ponies she's just met. Just as Apple Bloom was about to say something more, the skies grew dark and a storm began to gather above their heads within the matter of minutes. "I think we should get inside the clubhouse girls. It's going to...." Sweetie Belle's voice trailed off just as a clap of thunder and lighting lit up the sky briefly before pouring down with rain soaking the 4 of them. "...rain." She sighed in defeat. The 3 fillies led Sapphire up the ramp and opened the door again for everyone to get in. Shutting the door and locking it behind her, Apple Bloom sighed and shook herself dry spraying everyone else in the process. Looking at everyones slightly annoyed faces and seeing Sapphire's amused face the filly laughed, "Oops sorry every pony." "Anyway....." Sweetie Belle broke the silence before it got awkward. "Sapphire has something she wants to share with me and since we're a group I thought it'd be best if all of us knew instead of keeping secrets within the group. Is that still ok Sapphire?" She looked up at the lavender mare who wore a white headscarf wrapped around her thick black frizzy mane. When she nodded in agreement the filly took it upon herself to go up on their miniature stage within the clubhouse that has a black board behind it like a class room set up. "Ok Cutie Mark Crusaders, in order to hear what Sapphire has to say, you must swear by the honour of being part of this club that you will not tell ANYONE unless she says we can. Ok ready? Repeat after me.... We the Cutie Mark Crusaders..." Scootaloo and Apple Bloom lift their right hooves up in the air and stand proudly as they repeat everything Sweetie Belle says, "We the Cutie Mark Crusaders..." "Do solemnly swear that we will NOT tell ANYONE..." Sweetie Belle tried to sound as serious as she could to let them know how important this was for Sapphire to trust them. "Do solemnly swear that we will NOT tell ANYONE..." the fillies chanted in unison once again and waited for the next part of the oath. "About Sapphire Stone's secret unless she says we can." The 2 fillies taking the oath glanced at each other then and Sapphire who watched with amusement and curiosity. They smiled and finished the oath. "About Sapphire Stone's secret unless she says we can!" All 3 fillies got together and gave each other a high five, or rather a high hoof. "Ok! Now we're given our words as Cutie Mark Crusaders did you want to talk about it Sapphire?" Sweetie Belle asked trying not to sound too straight forward about it. Sapphire sighed and figured it was good enough that they took an oath to keep her secret a secret unless she said so otherwise. "Alright... you've proven to me you'll keep it a secret." She took a deep breath and explained her story, "Well, I guess I should start by saying that I'm not an actual pony." When she said this the fillies stared blankly at her clearly not understanding what she meant. "What I mean is, I'm from a different universe or world. I'm actually a human being also known as a person that walks on two legs and stands up right almost always and has hands to grab things with instead of hooves like ponies." They listened to her story immensely after she said she was from a different world and a human on top of that. "When I went with my dad to go to the campsite a storm started up turning my simple digging for lost treasure experience into a traumatic fall through the sand into a cavern with a mystery unicorn statue. I never thought that morning I'd end up being magically transported from Earth to this world you all call Equestria. I suppose now that I look at what happened I'm kinda glad the lightning nearly hit me when it did otherwise I wouldn't have found that secret place and wouldn't be talking with you fillies today. Everything's happening so fast sometimes it's hard to keep up with it but I just try to 'go with the flow' as they say in my world." When she finished telling her story the fillies were stunned to silence with stars shining in their eyes showing how mesmerised they were. "WOW! You're a human from another world?" "What's it like over there? How many people are there in your world. What do you eat?" "What did the transformation feel like? Was it all tingly? Oh how tall was the statue? 6ft high?" Sweetie Belle stretched up on her back hooves and reached up with one of her front hooves to try and describe the hight she was thinking of but failed by a long shot without realising it. At first Sapphire didn't know who to answer first or even what to say. But she was saved by Sweetie Belle realising what the time was as it was nearly midday when a gap revealed where the sun was through the storm clouds. She frowned, "Aww it's been half an hour already?" Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were confused. "Yeah why?" "Well, Zecora said she'd meet us back at The Great Hall round about now so we're going to be late if we don't go now." Sapphire looked outside and saw it was still stormy but she agreed. "I know it's still bad out there but she's right. We have to keep our promises to Zecora." the 3 fillies gave in and nodded in agreement also. So Sapphire waited for one of them to unlock the clubhouse before braving the storm that seemed to be getting worse with heavier rain coming down. Sapphire led the way down the ramp but when she got to the ground a lightning struck not too far away from them and made her fur stand on end. "Sapphire? You ok?" Apple Bloom asked and the mare nodded, "Y-yeah, jus bad memories with lightning." She shook it off and concentrated on getting to the hall. "Now you guys will have to lead me there." They nodded and ran through the rain but not too fast so that Sapphire could follow them easily. As they ran Sapphire was at the back of the group when she felt as if they were being watched from behind. She didn't want to stop in fear of getting separated. But then she heard hoof steps behind her that came closer every minute she ignored it. They'd reached Ponyville and came to an intersection where there were 3 paths and when Sapphire looked back to see who was behind her she saw nothing. She stopped for a second to have a better look around as the rain pounded down on her back sending shivers up her spine and drenching her white headscarf making it look more see-through than it was. The mare turned round to rejoin the fillies but the road was empty except for a white and brown patched cat jumping up on some crates to reach an open window. Starting to feel her heart race in fear she called out, "Um Sweetie Belle? Apple Bloom? Scootaloo!" She waited for a sound of their voices through the rain but heard nothing. She spotted a dark alleyway that looked really spooky but it was the only dry place near by. "Brr... why can't ponies have coats?" Sapphire shivered as she walked down the narrow alleyway containing nothing but a few webs, a trash can, and some barrels of fruits. She made it to the end of the path only to see nothing but normal homes and buildings as well as a fountain in what looked like the town square. Every one was inside staying out the thunder storm. It was too dangerous for ponies to be outside in that weather. She couldn't see any tall building from where she was standing and it was getting past midday already she could feel it. "Great... I've been here only 2 days and I've already managed to get lost! In an empty town of all places!" She moved closer to the the left wall next to an empty crate. "I hope you're not too worried about me dad."