I did end up falling asleep eventually... sort of. I probably wasn't asleep for very long, so a shot of caffeine would sure be of some assistance. Hopefully it exists on this world. But at least I fell into deep sleep at all. After hours of failed attempts to turn dreary-eyed exhaustion into full rest, I had convinced myself I would never make it. So I did get something.
As I wake up from that long-awaited slumber and emerge into the sunlight of Day 2, I feel quite a bit more collected than I did last night. There were still plenty of things my mind could race on about, nothing had really been solved, but I sit up in my red guest room feeling ready to take everything on. I'm not being overrun by worries that keep piling on top of each other. No longer.
I've got this. Just take it one step at a time, and remember to reap the benefits of being here. You wanted to be here. And all the problems will be solved eventually. This will pass.
One day at a time. June 11 is behind you, now it's time for June 12.
Yes, things are looking better today. But before I dive into the second part of my Equestrian adventure, it's time for some morning food. I'm not a person who can not eat breakfast.
Remembering what to use to determine if it's ready, I look outside my window. The first thing I notice is not whether the barn lights are on, but rather that Applejack is already out there doing chores. This is somewhat odd to me; I do know that it's her habit to wake up at the crack of dawn, but it's not like I got up really any later. I was a dawn-riser myself, so I figured she would at least still be having breakfast. Maybe I got up later than my usual?
I look over at the clock and it's 7:14. Yeah, that's about an hour late for me. Although it does make sense, given how long it took for me to fall asleep.
I was a bit bummed that I wouldn't have my closest contact with me at breakfast, but hey, I've had a good time talking to the other Apples as well. I set off from my guest house into the morning Sweet Apple Acres that is currently covered by a sunrise orange glow. Looks like Princess Celestia did prefer to raise the sun gradually. That's something I had forgotten about since coming here; it seems from the show that Equestria goes straight from pitch black to sky blue. But I guess that's not the case anymore.
I don't have to walk for long before I can smell the breakfast aromas coming out from the main barn. Well good, they've got it going already.
I enter the barn, where all three of the other Apples are still there and are excited to have me for their first morning with the new human. Applebloom begins the interactions of my second day on this world.
"Good morning, P4! Did you sleep well?"
Goodness, she's so happy to be with me that it really sucks to tell her the truth here.
"Sadly, no, I didn't sleep well.", I say. "It took me forever to completely fall asleep, and it probably didn't happen until close to the end of the night. Do you have coffee in Equestria?"
"We sure do!", Granny Smith says, walking over to a blender. "Tiredness needs a quick fix the same way it does on your world; ponies sure do love their coffee!"
"Oh, thank goodness. Thank you, Granny Smith, you can go ahead and start the blend. I'm ready for it at any time."
She graciously does so.
"In the meantime", I say, directed at Applebloom, "What do we have in the Apple family breakfast?"
"Oh, loads of things!", she says, hopping over to the table that is already completely full. "From apple strudels to apple fritters, apple cereal, we have multiple choices for you, just like at dinnertime!"
Oh wow, they have cereal too? That's another thing I won't have to give up! I've always been a huge cereal eater; it was always my go-to breakfast despite the multitude of other options that I do enjoy. I have nothing against waffles, pancakes, etc., but cereal was my thing. Naturally, it's what I rush over to as my starter this morning.
No surprise, it had apples. This cereal that the Apple family made themselves was basically granola cereal with a natural apple-flavored coating, and apple bits in between. Quite tasty, if I do say so.
"I think I'm going to get addicted to Sweet Apple Acres food.", I say as I dig my spoon into the cereal at a fast pace.
The others giggle. Wouldn't be a surprise if I'm not the only one who has said that.
I wanted to gorge on 4+ bowls of that stuff, in fact, that was the usual for me, but today, I decide to branch out to other foods, seeing as how there were so many of them. The rest of my debut breakfast in this new world consisted of mostly apple strudels and other similar foods, i.e. foods that seem more like dessert than breakfast. But I was used to that coming from Earth. It's not like I didn't eat chocolate cereal in the morning...
After breakfast ends, I, fueled by the hearty Sweet Apple Acres food and luckily-obtained coffee, set out with no fatigue into the farm's green grass field, which now has a blue sky above it, to go back to my guest barn and get ready for the big day that was today; the events of Sunday, June 12. Applejack told me yesterday that this would be the day I'd go into the rest of Ponyville to meet other ponies, including the rest of the Mane Six. So now it's time for me to get dress...
Wait a minute.
I stop in my tracks.
Um... I have only one set of clothes, don't I?
Yep, I do. As I was talking about yesterday, I couldn't take anything with me on the portal ride. The science was what it was; it just couldn't handle more than one thing. So I was left with only these clothes that I had been wearing continuously for nearly 24 hours now.
Yet somehow I fell asleep last night, still with my regular clothes on? Huh, I guess I had occupied my mind so much with that anxiety that I completely forgot about pajamas. Still really weird, though; I was someone who was highly picky about that. Forgetting my pajamas on a vacation, for example, would easily get me a bit heated.
And now, not only have I become aware of that, possibly making it so that I'll feel uncomfortable in bed tonight, but I also can't change into new clothes at all, for anything. I do feel quite a bit dirty in these; after all, I got dressed every day back on Earth, even if I wasn't going anywhere. It just felt better to me. I felt clean when I did it.
It's also at this same moment that I realize... how am I going to get clothes? There aren't other humans here... yeah, sure, Rarity could help, but... how do I explain to ponies why us humans even feel the need to wear clothes all the time? How can I possibly explain that without getting, uh... graphic?
Oh boy. As if I didn't already have enough things to worry about...
Not to mention that I was feeling great just a few minutes ago! It's really crazy how a few random realizations can completely turn your mood around...
But I can't let it keep going. I push myself out of that spiraling train of thought and try to rationalize how I should handle this situation. I tell myself to follow my own advice of taking it one step at a time.
Maybe I should go talk to Applejack. She might be able to help.
Having gained some rational thought, I decide to brave the embarrassment and go do that, veering off from the path to the guest barn over to where I had spotted my first-contact pony when I first walked out here earlier. I correctly guessed that she was still stationed there.
"Hey Applejack.", I say, walking up into the tree area. "Um, I just wanted to let you know that I don't have any way of changing into new clothes. As to why I wear clothes all the time... well, that's something to be talked about later, but I'll just put it out there now that I'm stuck in dirty clothes.", I say nervously.
"Well, ah've got Rarity as a friend, ya know!", Applejack responds. "She can help!"
Okay, so she was thankfully holding off on questioning the clothes thing, even though she did seem confused, being a creature who doesn't usually bother with them.
I respond. "Yeah, I do know about her, but... the awkward part. I even feel awkward saying this. I know I can't delay it forever, I'm going to need new clothes, but I'm going to get embarrassed.", I say while facing barrage of thoughts on what could happen at the boutique.
It's almost like Applejack already knows me well on our 2nd day of knowing each other. She continues the routine she had been very effectively using ever since my first few minutes here in Equestria, walking closer to me and trying her best, using a soothing voice tone, to avenge my embarrassment. I kneel down to her level and get in the listening zone.
"Like ah was doin' yesterday, ah'm gonna help in any way ah can for you to feel comfortable.", Applejack says.
"Rarity is the same way; ah'm sure she'll help you as best as she can. You will get clothes just fine."
"But, for now, let's take it one step at a time. We've gotta get you in Ponyville and acquainted with the locals first!", she says, attempting to get me back on schedule.
Right. One step at a time, like I was telling myself earlier. And yes, remember what comes first.
"That's right; we do. We should worry about things in order.", I say, standing back up and regaining my normal voice tone. "When will you be ready?"
"Should be 'bout half an hour or so. Ah'll meet ya in the guest barn."
"Good.", I say, hoof-bumping her.
Applejack was right. Since Rarity's boutique was in the main area of Ponyville, not far away in the outskirts like Sweet Apple Acres was, clothing was something that couldn't be figured out until I made my presence known to the crowd. You can't get to an area inside town without crossing into town first, where you'll definitely be seen, especially if you're a big stand-out like me.
Which, of course, was another thing to do. No, I don't believe for a second that I'll be given a hard time, after all, the thing about us being in the ponies' folklore and such. They know about us. But it's still scary, to be a brand new species that's thought to be a myth and walk into a place full of the locals who have been told you are a myth. It wasn't like yesterday, where I was introducing myself to a mere four ponies, one at a time.
Furthermore, how would Lyra react?
Looks like I was in for a long day with an outcome that can't be predicted, if I'm going to be honest. I'll just have to go in and see how everything turns out.
After finally finishing that walk where I was going slowly to collect those thoughts, I return to my guest barn, where the necessary morning things aren't completely lost! The Apple family had given me a toothbrush and toothpaste, and the pony versions of those things were really no different from the human versions. At least not different enough that I'd have trouble using them. Plus, the toothpaste is probably better than what I had on Earth anyway; Equestria seems like a place that prides itself on using natural ingredients.
As for bathing, the shower looked good too. I didn't need a shower right now, but it looked very much like what I was used to. The showerhead wasn't super low or anything. Makes sense, given that the stallions are nearly as tall as I am. The sink was at a pretty good height too, for the same reason. This was a good-looking bathroom as well, being coated in white.
So at least it was mostly covered. Putting on new clothes was the only one I was missing... for now. It wouldn't be an easy process, for sure, but I'd get it figured out.
It isn't worth wearing the same dirty clothes day after day just to save a little embarassment. You have to go to Rarity's boutique, and you'll get through it.
Just trying to keep myself in check.
After the end of the morning getting-ready routine, I make my way outside the front doors of the guest barn, where Applejack is standing right behind them, ready and waiting for me.
"Alright, P4. We're goin' into Ponyville, so ya can introduce yourself to our home. Ah know it's a long way, so we'll take a carriage."
Hmm, so this was interesting. A carriage, she said?
Yep, that's one difference I'll need to adjust to here in Equestria. I seriously doubt that cars exist here, as I've never seen any evidence of them from the show. Same with airplanes and buses. The most advanced Equestrian transportation I knew of was what Applejack mentioned: pony-pulled carriages.
Although, they have pegasi here. I was probably too heavy, but for the winged ponies themselves, they had transportation far more advanced than what we humans have! Interesting comparisons here.
Of course, Applejack and I would need to take the carriage, but hey, at least it's something. I won't have to walk everywhere, thank goodness. My legs won't be chronically upset with me.
We walk over to the nearest place to Sweet Apple Acres that carriages stop at. I knew from the show that they operated more like taxis in the main city areas, so looks like we've got a double here. You could either wave or wait.
The carriage arrives and the two of us hop on. I must say; it's already shaping up to be a nice ride. The carriage did have some covering, and hopefully there was a way to cover it more when rain arrives, but the overall open-air nature gave me more exposure to the fresh Equestrian air that I can only bet was far less polluted than what I breathed on Earth.
We're a long way out from central Ponyville, so I get a decent amount of time to think during the trip about how I'll approach and talk to the large number of ponies I'm almost certain to see. In fact, probably a larger number than usual; today is Sunday, so they probably weren't at work.
For the most obvious situation, I do remember how I had done it with Applebloom. Playing along with her excitement did seem to help. Maybe I should do that for Lyra too, if that is how she reacts?
Yeah, I think that's the route I'll go.
Now what about other scenarios? Because surely not everypony will react the same way. Is it still necessary for me to explain myself? Should I say that I'm not here to hurt them?
Well, mentioning that I love their show should definitely work; why wouldn't it? They'd have to no reason to be scared of someone who came here for that reason.
So I do think I should do that, but maybe it isn't necessary to explicity say "I'm not here to cause harm" or anything like that. The preceding sentence should be enough to confirm that.
A lot of things could happen, and I could easily be unprepared, but my overall plan is to just act like myself, talk to the ponies nicely, mention my love for the show, and overall, just do what I did with the Apples! I see no reason to change that approach at all. Furthermore, I had made the decisions quickly. We were probably still in the early portion of the ride. So that should be even more evidence for me to keep doing what I've been doing.
Applejack and I arrive at the tree and river area of Ponyville which borders the pink bridge crossing into downtown; somewhere I recognized. We direct the carriage puller to drop us off here, which he does so. After which, Applejack pays the bits.
It's time.
Whatever the other parts of the ponies' reactions, I was definitely going to get gawked at... a lot. As if I were a zoo animal. But hey, you can't really blame them, can you? I mean, not only have they never seen my species before in real life, but the ones among them who had read about us in books would probably be even more excited, given that they're having an exciting legend confirmed as true. So no, I'm not going to call them out on that or anything. I totally understand those reactions.
And that one particular pony we're all thinking of? Well, I just do the same thing I did with Applebloom. It worked that time!
Applejack notices my stalling in the open field as I collect these thoughts. She does give me a bit of time to do what I usually do in an uncertain situation, but we can't keep waiting forever. She calls out to me from the bridge leading into the Mane Six's hometown. "Come on P4; they're in for somethin'.", she says.
I oblige and follow her into the hub of the city, telling myself to just go for it. Fewer than ten steps in after the end of the pink bridge, I can already see ponies, some of whom already see me.
Remember what you did before. Remember the techniques you used that got the Apples trusting of you. You were polite and explained that you were here because you loved the ponies' show. That had to work; why would it not?
I do exactly this as I get closer to the first batch of ponies who have their eyes laid on me and my (in this world) unusual human form.
Look, they're not running away! They're giving you a chance to show you're safe to be around; don't blow it!
"Hey there.", I say to the ponies, smiling and making direct eye contact with their curious faces. "I'm here cause I already love you all. You've got that show, remember? It has tons of fans, me being one of them! Believe me, the thought of causing harm to any of you all disgusts me!"
The majority of them smile after I say this. They ended up believing that statement on the spot, and had to be happy that I had already crossed out the risk of me being a danger to them, and the prospect of a new friend!
"Well, good!", one mare says. "Welcome to Ponyville, mister human!"
"You do seem nice!", another one says. "Yeah, don't worry; you're not scary to us!"
Both these two ponies then go back to what they were doing, as do some others.
Alright! Things are going well!
It was quite packed here in Ponyville, probably because it was a weekend. As I went further along the path of FiM's main- focus city, with its signature-designed buildings, decorative gardens, and everything Ponyville-like all around me, the mixture of mares and stallions, some with fillies and colts, coated in every color you could think of, indeed had the mixture of reactions I was expecting. Some looked a bit scared, possibly from experience with changelings. Which I get, and try to remedy by using my trusty techniques. Being nice, calm, and telling them about my love for the show continued to do nothing but work wonders. After I displayed this, they saw no reason to see me as a threat.
And then there were the excited ones. I could hear one pony saying "A human? An actual, living human, for real? Weren't they just a myth?" That pony stayed where she was, but others sprinted right up to me, clearly excited to know what we were real. "Hey there!", one says, looking like a wagging-tailed dog. "I've always wanted to meet a human!"
So Lyra isn't the only one!
"You're lucky that I was able to come here!", I say, hoof-bumping this red-coated mare.
She appears satisfied with that little bit for now, as she then returned to her garden.
So despite all that excitement, she left. Come to think of it, nopony has followed me or asked any questions yet. So it looks like they're going to wait on all that and let me ease in, just like the Apples did! Goodness, these ponies were so awesome...
Applejack and I continue our human-reveal walk through town, where we eventually spot the pony we've all been waiting for.
"What are ya gonna do here?", Applejack asks me.
Hmm...
"Honestly, I can't really think of anything specific.", I say as we hide behind a building to stop and think this over. "I was thinking maybe I could surprise her, but... nah. I think that would be creepy. I don't think I'm really going to do anything, to be honest. Should the stereotypes be true, I'll just let her pounce on me. The ground is soft anyway."
"Uh... okay.", Applejack says, reluctantly letting me do that. She was probably concerned about potential injury, but I didn't see it that way. Even meeting a creature you've been after for so long, I think anypony would have enough discipline to not cause too big of an impact.
I do no further thinking on this. I emerge from the shadow of the building and slowly walk up to the minty-green mare and her friend, who are sitting on a bench in front of a fountain.
Was it necessary to go slowly, though?
I'm just putting things off here. Let's go.
Nah. I increase my speed to what it was before, and I become visible to the two BFF ponies.
Almost instantly, I hear a loud combo of gasp and squeal, the starting hallmark of this pony's expected reaction, although it was very short by virtue of how fast I got tackled to the ground. Well, at least I was right that it was soft.
"Hi! Oh my goodness, you wouldn't believe it. You would not believe how long I've been waiting for this life-changing moment! I finally have proof here! I'm not crazy!", she says, moving her face ever closer to me and consistently failing to stand still. Also breathing heavily and continuing to squeal.
Remembering what I did with Applebloom...
"Hello to you too!", I say, starting to sit up and not losing any of my voice tone. "Yes, that's awesome! You're having it confirmed! This should be exciting for you, Lyra! And yes, I know who you are! As for me, I'm Player 4, and I watch the show; that's why I'm here! In fact, what you're feeling right now is how I felt yesterday!"
This. This very fact has to be helping a lot. Yesterday; of course! When Applejack walked up to me, I didn't go crazy only because I successfully contained it, after trying very hard. That definitely wasn't a task everybody could accomplish. So no, I wasn't going to be bothered by Lyra's actions.
She is very clearly grateful for this, as she continues smiling. I doubt she would be doing so if I talked to her frustratingly.
Over to my left side, Lyra's friend Bon Bon was both pleased and displeased.
"Well, Player 4," she says, "I'm glad to hear you're cool with my friend; I appreciate your patience with her, but, please, Lyra. That's not how we behave..."
Lyra's mood does seem to turn in the other direction upon taking a careful listen to her friend here. She steps away from me with a sadder face.
"Sorry.", she says, sighing.
"It's alright", I tell her, reassuringly. "Sure, I don't want to be tackled to the ground, but like I said earlier, I experienced this too. Just like humans here on this world, you ponies are thought to be a myth on my world! So when I discovered the truth and found my way here, believe me, I felt the same thing you did. But if you still feel bad, apology accepted."
I turn over to her friend. "So Bon Bon, you don't need to be upset. I understand good behavior and all, you definitely don't want ponies doing that, but I'm cutting Lyra a lot of slack. I try to do that."
Bon Bon accepts. "Well, okay.", she says.
I turn over to Lyra and gladly give her an opportunity to finally feed her curiosity.
"How about I hold a Q&A session with you?", I say to her. "I'm not sure about schedule and location and whatnot, but I definitely want to do it. I'd be happy to."
"That would be awesome!", Lyra responds. "Thank you! I'll wait for the schedule, see you there!", she says, running back to the bench.
I give them a wave goodbye as I head back behind the building.
Alright, so that part is over with. I guess I have confirmed my technique's effectiveness here! For the excited ponies, playing along with their emotions really does seem to help! It's also useful that I have first-hand experience with what they're going through. Again, yesterday. I had to really try to keep myself from going crazy there.
In any case, I was definitely getting back to Lyra; this was only the beginning of her interactions with humans. In fact... what time is it now? Is it getting close to lunchtime?
It might be. Either way, I was hungry.
Hmm. Hold on a second...
Things start to rapidly piece together perfectly in my head. Lunchtime entails a sitting-down environment, where you have lots of time to talk...
Yes. This idea just has to be good.
I jog back over to Applejack with this manifesting in my head, and bring the idea up to her.
"Yo. I just came up with a huge idea. You know how I told Lyra that I'd hold a Q&A session with her?", I say.
"Yup. Ya know when and where you wanna do it now?", Applejack asks.
"Yes! I'm getting hungry for lunch, so I thought we could bring them over to a restaurant and hold the session there!"
"I agree! That would be perfect!", Applejack says.
"Let's go!", I respond.
We walk back out into the sunlight over to Lyra and Bon Bon, where I make my suggestion that allows Lyra's lifelong-waited event to come faster.
"Hey there.", I say to them. "I'm back because I now know when and where we should hold the Q&A session. It's getting close to lunchtime, so how about Applejack and I invite you two over to a restaurant? We can hold the starting session there.
Lyra instantly perks back up into what she looked like when she first saw me.
"Oh yes, thank you!", Lyra says, hopping off the bench and walking up close to me. Panting in excitement, her mood sure has been restored. "Oh my goodness, I'm so happy this is real!", she says with her human passion. "And you're such a cool guy!"
"I'm happy too, Lyra!", I say, reciprocating her elation. "I came here because I wanted to meet you ponies; that surely includes you! In fact, you were among the ponies I was most interested in!
She smiles a ton, and I give her a mane pet. I think we could be friends!
Applejack, who had stayed back during this ordeal but close enough to see, now makes her status with me known to Lyra and Bon Bon.
"Alright y'all, which restaurant shall we go to?", she asks.
Turns out, there's no need for thinking. Lyra knows.
"I know exactly where P4 should go!", the minty-green mare says. "The cafe with the mushroom seats; it's only the best restaurant in town!"
"Sounds good!", I say. "Lead the way!"
The now-four of us set off for lunchtime, moving into the next phase of this busy day.
We arrive at said cafe. I had known about it from the show, but I was feeling odd at the prospect of sitting on mushrooms, let alone having one as a table. That certainly wasn't something we did on Earth.
But that's all that's here, so Applejack, Lyra, Bon Bon, and me take sets at a round table with four well-placed seats; indeed all mushroom.
The seats and table were a bit squishy, but not a lot. They were definitely able to be sat on and have things placed on them. And it did create a nice aesthetic; it gave the restaurant a more "natural" or "Earth-y" look. Although that probably wasn't the name of this planet.
Having gotten time and a walk through this peaceful town, Lyra seems to have gained some composure.
"I just want to say, Player 4, thank you so much for being patient with me. I know I can be kind of a handful, especially when it's my biggest dream coming true."
"Yes.", Bon Bon adds. "Thank you for playing it cool with this hyper girl."
I didn't like the sound of that, but Lyra giggles. Guess they were used to doing this with each other.
I continue to keep playing it cool with the duo.
"Hey, don't sweat it.", I say. "It's part of my personality; I do have the problem of assuming bad intentions at times, but not always. I do try to cut others some slack. And I'm here to give you what you've been waiting for, Lyra. Starting with the Q&A."
"Awesome!", she says. "I am ready! But uh... looks like we need to have another Q&A first.", she says, pointing behind her to the pony waitress at our left, whom I hadn't noticed.
"Yes, we always need a Q&A here at restaurants!", she says, giggling.
"But in other news,", she says, "I see we've got a human here today! I learned a bit about you from some ponies at town square, before I started my shift!"
Well, good thing ponies were spreading the news around. I sure wouldn't want to keep explaining myself over and over again.
"And you seem to be receiving good treatment from the ponies!", she says. "Anyway, though, what would you like to eat?"
This was something that definitely needed to be asked of me, in a more deeper way than simply picking out something from the menu. Lyra realizes this as well.
"I know we haven't started the actual Q&A yet," she says, "but it looks like we need to know now what humans eat. If there's anything your system won't allow for."
Indeed. I couldn't afford to eat something that would make me sick.
"Well, I don't think there are that many differences, at least not from what's in this restaurant.", I say, reading through the menu. "Humans can't eat hay or grass, but we can eat lettuce, strawberries, carrots, all that stuff. So I can eat plenty of things on this menu."
I decided to hold off on telling them about meat for now. Even though I don't think they'll be bothered or scared, based on the fact that there are meat-eaters in Equestria, including some that ponies keep as pets (i.e. Opal), I feel like it's something I should talk about later.
"Okay, good! Yeah, you shouldn't have a hard time with this menu then.", Lyra says.
No, I wouldn't have trouble at all. There are plenty of things I'm familiar with on Earth, including cheese sandwiches, which is what I usually ate at lunch. I'll go for that.
The others decide on their orders, the waitress comes back, and we all place the orders.
Now with another long gap underway, the Q&A session starts.
"Alright.", Lyra says. "I'll start with this one; what does it feel like to have fingers and toes?"
"Hmm, I don't know if I can really describe it, it's just what's natural to us.", I say. "We don't really think about it. As for how useful they are, I'm not really sure. It seems like you ponies can grasp things with your hooves pretty well.
"Yeah, we can.", Bon Bon says. "Not all of us are unicorns, and we can't hold everything in our mouths. So we practiced it and have, through generations, learned how to hold things with our hooves."
"That's really cool!", I say. "So yeah, I'm not sure if our fingers are that unique. And there are creatures here with them. Lyra, you know about Spike, right? He has fingers and toes and is bipedal, like me."
"Yeah, I've interacted with Spike before. He is a lot smaller than you, but yeah, he has those similarities."
"It is nice to have that.", I say.
Lyra moves on to the next question.
"So, what do humans do all day? How do you live? What are your activities?"
"We live just like you in a lot of ways.", I say. "The adults have jobs, the kids go to school, we do things like bowling, eating at restaurants, like we're doing now, all that! Humans have a really similar civilization. I'm sure there's explainable science behind it, but it's really interesting how two worlds so far apart have such similar ways of life."
"Yeah, that is some coincidence! You'll have to go to my friend Twilight for why that is.", Lyra says. "But for now, you were talking about school and work, do you have a job yet? If so, what is it?"
"I do have a job.", I say. "I am called a data specialist, which is something that might end up with me getting employed over at Sweet Apple Acres. While that title sounds very broad, what I usually do is take a piece of info that has its overall answer unknown, and use the pieces that I do have to figure out the answer. I did this yesterday, by looking at interviews taken by Applejack about what color apple ponies preferred and used that data to figure out what percentage of each color should be grown."
"Wow! That's a job that could get you to a lot of places!"
"It could! But I'm not sure how far I want to go, given that I do have other career aspirations, including one that I think matches with you! Lyra, you are a musician, right?"
"Yes! You can see my signature instrument right here with my cutie mark!", she says, pointing to the lyre there. No wonder she has her name!
"Well, I am a musician too!", I say with elation over this shared hobby. "I haven't told Applejack about this yet, but yeah, I am a guitar player, who doesn't have a band yet, but sure will be working to get one."
"Well, awesome! We've got another one!", Lyra says, reaching closer to me.
I give her a happy hoof-bump.
Right after that, the food arrives.
Oh yes. I can't wait to know what an Equestrian sandwich tastes like. To me, this seems like a place that would pride itself on being natural, or at least that's how I think of Ponyville, so I don't expect any added sugar or preservatives here. It would probably be different from the bread I was used to.
Picking the sandwich up from the white plate, I go in for it and take the first bite.
It really did taste natural; and it was great! The bread wasn't bitter or anything, it tasted like how bread should taste! Then the cheese definitely had its power.
With my pony pals enjoying their Equestrian meals too, we continue, just talking about ourselves, our lives, and the like. I was told that Bon Bon runs a candy store, followed by them saying I should go to it, we talked about other work and life topics, and the like. And wow, was it great. It really helped me ease into this place, getting to socialize some bit. Get myself integrated with the locals. And I was sure grateful that everything happened the way it did. Yes, Lyra did pounce on me, but like I said, can you blame her? I could have easily done the same thing had I not contained it. Of course she'd be thrilled to see me, just like I was with Applejack!
Food, talking, and the beautiful environment also served as distractions to the problems I was facing. Being surrounded by the fresh-aired Ponyville during a sunny afternoon in addition to food and socializing, I just feel content at the moment. I know everything isn't great, but right now, it feels like it is.
The lunch eventually comes to an end. Wow, that cheese sandwich was delicious. Definitely better than the ones I ate on Earth! Probably because it was all natural. The absence of added sugar in the bread made for a great taste.
As the waitress comes to gather the dishes and collect the money from us, we leave the mushroom-tabled cafe and cross the door into the next part of the day.
"So, are you ready to go eat dessert?", Lyra asks as we take our after-meal walking across the Ponyville grass. "Go to Sugarcube Corner for the first time?"
"Oh yes!", I say. "I've always wanted to know what their treats taste like."
"You are in for the taste of your life!", Lyra responds.
Didn't Applejack say that yesterday?
Either way, this was huge. Not only was I finally going to find out if Sugarcube Corner treats are really the best, I would also get to meet Pinkie Pie! That's two more "firsts" to add to today's record!
The four of us, still with the group intact, have walked into a housing area along our trip to Sugarcube Corner, when have our stroll to the bakery paused by a summon.
"Yo!", one mare calls out from her backyard.
We decide to approach.
"Hey there, mister human!", this pony says more quietly as we get closer. She has a yellow coat, puffy and curly orange mane, and was standing in front of a carrot farm. Yep, I knew who this was.
"Hi, Golden Harvest!", I say excitedly. "Did you already know about me prior? I'm Player 4, for reference."
"Yes! I haven't physically seen you until now, but I was told by plenty of ponies when I was walking around town earlier that there was a human here. A real one! And here you are, right in front of me!"
"Indeed, I am here! What's up?", I say, giving her a hoof-shake along the portrait of a bed of growing carrots and a lovely brown house in the background.
This was a mare I always wanted to meet. She's one of the most recognizable background ponies, and I had been totally in on that. So it was out of the blue, but here's another thing to add to today's resume!
"I'd just like to ask you", Golden Harvest says, "How can we here in Ponyville help you ease in better? I know you're probably going through a lot."
"I am.", I say. "While I am here on purpose because I love your show and am being given food, water, and shelter by Applejack here, there are some problems. I have no way of going back to my old home or making contact with it, or seeing it. I have no idea how my parents are feeling, because, in my world, you ponies are thought to be what humans were here; a fictional fairy-tale. They probably don't believe for a second that I'm here, so who knows what they are doing.", I say, coming back to this sadness.
But Golden Harvest is extremely helpful. "Well, me and others are going to help in any way we can. In this town, we treat the newcomers the way a hotel should treat their guests. The whole place is your hotel! And you may have noticed that we're not bombarding you with questions about your species or the like. We must keep you comfortable."
Her words here almost instantly succeed at making me feel better already. It appeared that I might go into another downward spiral after she correctly guessed that I was going through a lot, but Golden Harvest drained it right away with her warm-welcome attitude.
"Thanks a lot, Golden Harvest.", I say. "You're already helping."
"That's what I do!", she responds. "I will ask this: what kinds of things help you live your life happily? What do you need to feel at home?"
"Well first, I need somewhere to sleep and such. I need a place to call home, which I'm already being given by Applejack. Then, I like to be in a place where I can go out and still feel at home. By which I mean, I instantly recognize the area I'm travelling in, I know where the path to my house is, I have a favorite grocery store, etc. It extends beyond the walls of my house."
"That is perfectly understandable.", Golden Harvest says. "And I can tell you right now that you will get that. It will take a while for you get used to the area, especially when you're in a completely different country. But it's a natural process. Over time, you will get used to things."
"Yep. I just have to wait for that, but I can say that Ponyville seems to be speeding up the process."
"Yes! The town is built for that. We keep the place simple; easy to navigate, usually only one establishment for any service; for example, Ponyville has only one spa and only one dance club. It's not the same for everyone, but from most I've met, a simpler town is easier to get used to."
"I think that does apply to me. I've always liked living in suburban areas; I've lived there pretty much my whole life. Right now, I live in Sweet Apple Acres, so I will be adjusting to the country life, and I'm sure Applejack will help me with that, but I do enjoy places where it's not too big, but there's stuff to do."
"Ponyville is the definition of a suburb!", Golden Harvest says. "And that makes me think more and more that this is the right place for you. But I do want a bit more, so can you tell me about your hobbies? What you usually do during the day, and if we can accommodate that?"
"Well, not everything can be accommodated, given that my home world has technology that doesn't appear to be present here, and I used that technology on a day-to-day basis, so I'm going to have to find a lot of substitutes."
"I see.", Golden Harvest responds. "But do you know of any things you like that you've already found here?"
"Yes, I've found some. The four of us here just got back from a restaurant, I love eating at restaurants, and back home, I'm getting an opportunity to continue with the job I held back on Earth."
"Well, good! And about that technology thing, well, I'm sure we can accommodate somehow. Maybe you'll find some things here that are more similar than you think. And even if not, given the way that this town is, I'm sure you'll find your way through, learning how to fill the day with happiness. Because that's how we are here. And you've already got the love of suburban life, plus being a fan of our show, you might even consider moving here eventually. I can see it; you will love Ponyville."
Wow! This is amazing, and unexpected! I thought this pony was a carrot farmer, not a living hospitality commercial! If she has time, she should definitely get a job in the latter field! Because the sheer way she spoke all those sentences, how she essentially got into my mind and dug out connections I hadn't even been aware of, she stops nowhere short of succeeding at making me feel better about being stuck here. And she did make sure to remind me about my FiM fandom. I told myself this morning that I wanted to be here and should reap the benefits! That's right!
Needless to say, I am eternally grateful.
"Thanks so much, Golden Harvest.", I say. "You helped a ton; now I feel better about not being able to go back home right now. And you're a really cool pony; could I schedule a longer meet-up with you, preferably at a restaurant?"
"Oh yes! I don't know when, I'll have to look at my schedule, but we'll keep in contact and figure it out! I'd love to get to know you better!"
I give her a smile and hoof-bump, which she reciprocates, although she was already smiling before.
But she's not done yet.
"I've got one more thing for you.", she says.
The carrot-loving pony walks over to her red wheelbarrow full of her signature vegetable, and pulls out a basket containing a good number of them.
"This is my welcome gift to you. That's part of our hospitality as well. I do my best to make the carrots as great as they can be, and I hope they help you in your new adventure by being tasty. Every time you eat one of these, you'll remember how much you love Equestria."
Could she get any nicer?
"Wow, thanks! You're so awesome!", I say.
She smiles big, as do I.
My impression of Ponyville as a town full of sweethearts seems to be true! That was one reason I chose this town over anywhere else!
And then Applejack offers to carry the basket around. How much further could it go?
Well, there's really no reason to really believe it can't go further. It's just the feeling of it that makes more seem impossible.
If the hearty treatment I was receiving here in Ponyville wasn't helping me ease into its society, I don't know what would. I feel so great here on Day 2.
And I can only bet it was going to become better, as we were now headed into Sugarcube Corner.
After reaching the end of the walk that featured plenty more welcoming ponies, we enter the bell-ringing door of the sweet bakery, where the ponies enter first.
"Hey there, Pinkie Pie.", Applejack says. "We've got somethin' big for ya today; a long-lasting legend has been confirmed as true, and the evidence is right behind us."
"Humans are real!", Lyra says. "They're really real!"
"Oh! Well, bring them in!", Pinkie Pie says.
I enter into Sugarcube Corner, giving the party pony her first sight of a human.
"Hi, Pinkie.", I say while walking up to the transparent treat counter, where Pinkie is standing. "My name is Player 4, and I'm a fan of your show who came here to meet you all. Nice to meet you.
"Nice to meet you too, Player 4!", she says, reciprocating my hoof-shake. "Awesome to know that humans exist! Ooh, it's a good thing you're here at Sugarcube Corner too, because you're getting a welcome gift! We always do that here!"
"You mean the party?", I ask. "Like what you did with Twilight?"
"That is correct, and the party is already scheduled for 17:20.", Pinkie says. "Make sure to remember! And if you want, I can hop over to where you're at when it's time! I'll be your reminder machine!"
Um... okay, I know Pinkie is Pinkie and is not to be questioned, but how did she schedule the party literally seconds after first realizing I existed?
Eh, guess I won't question it. Rather, I'll just focus on the fact that she had that good of a reminding tool.
"That would be great, Pinkie. I do have a tendency to forget things."
"You are very welcome!", Pinkie says. "And here's something else; all first-time customers here at Sugarcube Corner get one free treat in addition to the rest of the order!"
So that's a thing here too.
"Wow, thanks Pinkie.", I say. "We did arrive here because we just finished lunch, and are looking for dessert, and looks like I'm getting a bonus!"
"Oh yes! You get the party, with a special cake, and the one free treat on an ordinary visit! Go ahead and find a table; I'll take the rest of your orders, and you can dig in!"
Still with Lyra and Bon Bon, the four of us do just that. We head to the slightly-darker east wall area of the bakery and sit at a booth, which I didn't know the place had. Maybe they were new.
Pinkie had reacted in the exact way that I expected her to. And it wasn't a bad thing in the slightest; she had done all of this! I get a bonus dessert, and that welcome party that was already scheduled? It turns out, I did want a welcome party! I just hadn't really been thinking about it in these past days. Pinkie Pie sure knows her stuff. And based on that plus other things, I do intend to pursue a friendship with her. I'd have to schedule a meeting.
Pinkie Pie arrives at our elevated-from-the-ground booth to take our dessert orders. My original plan was to get a basic cupcake, which I still will, but based on this being my first visit to Sugarcube Corner, I was getting a bonus item. So what should that be?
I don't know. This menu is huge, like, it's almost as tall as the stack of napkins. There are far too many options for me to choose something when I don't already know. So I ask the expert.
"Pinkie, what do you think I should get for the second part of my order? I know I'm going to start with a vanilla cupcake, I want to start with the basics, but what else should I get?", I ask.
"If you're starting with the basics, go with the other side of the duo! Get a chocolate cupcake too!"
That makes sense. I'll go with that.
The other ponies place their sugary orders too, and in not too long, it arrives. Pinkie really was a speedy pony.
Looking at my plate, it turns out, the cupcakes here were quite a bit larger than I expected. They probably had different sizes that you could choose from, but I hadn't really paid attention to that, and I didn't specify what size I wanted. So maybe Pinkie just picked at random, or she went with the large ones because I was a newcomer.
Either way, though, these two cupcakes were big. Probably about twice the size of the ones I usually had on Earth. I'm really not sure if I'll finish both of them.
Well, even if I don't, I have plenty of room to give both the vanilla and chocolate cupcakes the taste I need to give them a rating. I start with the vanilla one, taking my next "bite of truth" since coming to Equestria, and...
Yes, the reviews were absolutely accurate.
Sugarcube Corner's vanilla cupcakes tasted like no other cupcake, of any flavor, I had eaten on Earth. It was the cake equivalent of the apples back at Sweet Apple Acres; just all-around perfect. The cake itself was perfectly chunky, moist, and flavorful, the icing was sweet but not too sweet, and it tasted more home-made and natural than processed. I am very, very, happy with the results.
"I am definitely coming back here for much more, Pinkie Pie. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get enough of these cupcakes, and there's still so much more here I need to try!"
"That's what I was hoping to hear! You can never get enough of this stuff!", Pinkie says.
No kidding. More business was great for them, and I couldn't be the only one to have said that. I wonder if Pinkie Pie is rich.
I still hadn't tried the chocolate cupcake yet, so I do that. Yep, just like the vanilla one, it was all-around perfectly balanced. Easy five-star rating without a doubt; nothing negative to say as far as you can think. If Pinkie and the Cakes aren't rich, they definitely should be.
I dig further and further in. Maybe I will finish both cupcakes after all.
What was I talking about earlier, before we starting eating? Oh right, I was asking how much further the kindness could go.
The answer: definitely further than I thought at the time.
I vocalize this to the ponies around me as we continue to eat dessert.
"Y'all here, you've done the best you could at helping me ease in. After I was coming into a completely different world full of creatures who didn't think my species existed, having to be an immediate stand-out and likely subject for research, and not being able to go home for possibly a long time, you've just been nothing but calm and caring. Doing everything you can to help. And you trusted me. No runaways, no captures, nothing. Despite all that could have gone wrong, I'm already feeling like part of the family. Thank you."
The ponies seem touched by this; they're all smiling, and most with closed eyes, bringing it further.
"Good to know we succeeded, because that is exactly what we were trying to do.", Bon Bon says in her red booth seat across from me as she and the others look into my face. "Welcome to our world, P4."
Wow. That mere four-word-long sentence is just perfect. It basically sums up the entirety of these wonderful ponies' behaviors with my delicate situation. This is exactly what they were thinking.
"Welcome to our world."