"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon! Ugh, you're so slow...!" Rainbow Dash groans, darting around ahead of me. She shoots forward a short distance, then comes back to me, seeming to pace the sky. I'm attempting to keep a good rate, but I am certainly no marathon runner. I try to scowl at her, but it's hard to do when I'm panting.
I begin to recognize where I am; it's a large, open field, a few clusters of trees lining the distant horizon. I slow down, coming to a stop as I look around. I withdraw my paper and pencil, writing a question for the impatient Pegasus, who glides in front of me with a groan. Her curiosity seems to get the best of her, though, and she looks over my shoulder, the air being pushed by her wings feeling cool against my neck and as it ruffles my shirt.
This is where you found me. I woke up here yesterday.
"Yeah, this is the place, close to Luna Lake. I always come out here to fly, 'cause it's nice and open an' all. Was practicing some new tricks, and I saw you on the ground, and you looked weird, so I came down to investigate, and you know the rest." I nod thoughtfully. I know the rest, but I don't understand a bit of it...
The pony shakes her head, sending her colorful mane whipping about for a moment. "Okay, enough chit-chat, I've got flying to do. Just, uh...stay here, and don't go wandering off or anything, got it?" I nod again, smiling at her. She gives a confident smirk, then shoots up into the air. I stumble back a step from the sudden discharge of air, feeling an involuntary grin of awe on my face as I watch the Pegasus leave a bright rainbow trail through the air. Keeping my eyes on the light blue splotch against the similarly colored sky, I lie down in the meadow, making myself comfortable on the overgrown grasses.
I watch as Rainbow begins to do a warm-up routine of sorts. She alternates between flying idly, to doing small dives and climbs, to simple loops and rolls. Her simple stunts become more and more complex and daring, and soon she is soaring all about the sky. A streak of six orderly colors follows her every move, creating a complex rainbow that covers the whole sky. I watch as, after a short while, the rainbow slowly dissipates into the air, creating a wondrous shimmering effect like one might see after a firework detonates in the night.
The small, winged pony is amazingly nimble, and I haven't seen many more naturally-occurring animals faster than she, if any at all. I notice that she repeats some of her more complex maneuvers a few times over, as if they weren't done right the first time. Do it right or not at all is a philosophy I'm familiar with, and can relate easily. Maybe not athletically, but in work of any kind, I feel there is no excuse for not doing the job right. If only more people believed that, things might get done, and done properly.
I feel mesmerized, watching the creature in where it truly feels at home. It strikes me as odd that a pony, relative of a horse, a land-based mammal, would be more comfortable flying. I can almost relate on that note, as well, though. Flying in airplanes had always been an experience for me. I would look around the cabin every once in a while and wonder, why isn't everyone else seeing this? But then, I wouldn't really care, and would go back to looking at the window, held against it by magnetism that did not exist. Everything about flying amazed me; everything. How small everything looked, like patchwork in the Midwest, like little patterns of alternating land and water down South, like a sea of land out West. The way the sun and the stars seemed so much closer, how the clouds looked thick enough to stand on, even the massive speeds of the take-offs and landings was enjoyable to me. The only thing I didn't like about flying was that I couldn't do it more.
My minor envy of the colorful figure above, now in the midst of a series of tight corkscrews, returns for a moment. To be able to fly as she does, to literally lie on the clouds as I please...I smile at the thought. It must be nice, that kind of freedom. I focus back on Rainbow Dash, watching her precise, graceful flight. She goes into a dive, shooting down towards me and pulling up at the last second, leveling out only a few yards above. I give a short laugh upon seeing a perfect ninety-degree angle formed in the trail of rainbow. As the trail begins disintegrating into the air, falling towards me, a spicy scent enters the air, like the smell of hot sauce. It's nice, and causes my smile to grow; it also makes me want some hot sauce. I hope there's hot sauce here.
My thoughts start to wander even farther, repeating questions I've been asking myself for around a full day as I watch the light blue Pegasus practice in the skies over the field.
***
So, what are you practicing for?
Rainbow Dash looks at my piece of paper, a grin spreading across her face. "I'm practicing for the Wonderbolts! They're the coolest, most awesome, most radical flight team in all of Equestria, and are super famous! I've gotta' practice if I wanna' join them, and I really wanna' join them," she says with determination, doing a quick loop beside me. We meet up with the path leading into the town, Ponyville. I glance down, writing with a smile.
Well, you're a shoo-in to join them. I've never seen flying that good.
Then again, I've never seen a pony that can fly until recently, so maybe I'm not one to judge...I think idly to myself, waiting for the light blue pony to read my observation.
"Well, duh. I mean, I am the best flier in all of Equestria. Not to mention I'm the picture of coolness, awesomeness, and radicalness," she proclaims, puffing out her chest confidently. I chuckle, looking out into the day; it is now nearing night. The sun is beginning its descent over the horizon, changing from its usual white-yellow to a more subtle shade of yellow-orange. The blue sky is darkening, the east starting to turn a shade of violet as the sun recedes.
I snort quietly to myself, recalling Twilight Sparkle's explanation of the beings ruling where I am, Equestria. A demi-goddess of some sort that exists in actuality and can be communicated to, yet is the most powerful being in the world, able to raise and lower the very sun. I begin to tell myself she's likely delusional, or just some sort of religious fanatic; I know plenty of those exist, at least on Earth. I stop myself, though; I've just spent the last two days talking to horses who can talk back to me, fly like the most agile of birds, conjure up magic...I am in a place where things that don't exist do exist, a place where everything looks...drawn. None of it seems real, and yet it is.
It's probably just a dream, and I'll wake up any time. Maybe I finally snapped, and am hallucinating. Maybe...My train of thought falters. My mind and my brain fight against each other, despite being one in the same. My brain takes in the magical, colorful, talking ponies I see, the voices I hear, the smells of dissipating rainbows and delicious baked goods, the tastes of apples of which I haven't tasted better, the warmth of a sun raised by a tangible goddess; and all of it feels real, more real than any dream, as real as what reality I have already lived.
The distant ball of fire sinks farther below the horizon, setting the sky alight with red. I write slowly, pondering whether or not to even ask.
Is all of this real?
I hold my paper over to the hovering pony. She appears bemused, giving me a smile and a look of question. "What kind of question is that? It's gotta' be real, otherwise...it just...wouldn't, y'know?" I glance down, rolling my pencil in my hands. After a moment, I erase my question, writing a new one in its place.
But what if it isn't? What if I'm just asleep or something?
"Well...I dunno'. I don't feel like a dream, and I don't feel like I'm dreaming, either, so I think it's real." Rainbow Dash goes quiet; I can see the gears turning in her head. After a moment, she looks over at me. "Why does it matter?"
I look out at the horizon again, some of the town now working its way into my view, only a short distance away. Why does it matter? Should it?
No, I think. It shouldn't. If it's a dream, it's not going to matter, anyways, and if it's real...I'll find a way to get by. I chuckle to myself. I've had to get by worse. I look back over at the sky-blue pony, flying around eye level with me. And these creatures seem nice enough. They haven't brutally murdered or shunned me, despite the fact I am probably more different than anything they've seen before. In fact, they've almost welcomed me...as a friend.
Maybe this isn't so bad.
***
***
I sit up, rubbing my eyes for a moment. I pull the light blanket off of me, setting it on the wooden floor I lay on. Opening my eyes, I see that bright daylight streams into the library. I crack my back, wincing in pain before sighing in relief, then push myself to my feet. My neck feels sore, and my limbs are stiff. I need to find a decent place to sleep. Looking around, I take the thought a little farther. I need a house of my own. My thought process reaches its end as I finally think, I need to find a way to make some money.
I glance around; the library seems empty, but I can hear activity in other parts of the tree house. I decide to find my violet unicorn host, and head towards the source of the sound, which seems to be coming from the floor above. I clamber up stairs not meant for my size-fifteen feet, tripping a few times along the way.
Upon reaching the second floor of the residence, I note that it seems to be the actual house-area of this business/residence combination. A normal-sized bed, one that might even fit me, lays on the floor off to one side. A smaller bed sits beside it; inside is Spike, the baby dragon fast asleep and snoring loudly. I quietly move a little further into the room, eventually spotting Twilight standing before a desk, glancing between a book and a scroll she is writing on with a quill held by a pink aura of magic. I let my footsteps fall a little more carelessly; as expected, she turns around, smiling upon seeing me.
"Good morning, Mark," she greets in a whisper. I nod and smile in reply. "Do you need anything? Are you hungry?" Despite the fact I am, I shake my head, pulling the paper and pencil out of my right pocket.
Where might I find a job?
The unicorn frowns. "Well, that depends," she begins, still whispering to let her reptile assistant rest. "What does your cutie mark represent? What is your special talent?" I raise an eyebrow, writing cautiously.
A 'cutie mark'?
"Yes, a cutie mark. Everypony has one. Mine represents my talent for magic, see?" She turns away from me, showing me a design on her flank. It looks like a six-edged star surrounded by more stars, maybe sparkles. They all have those? I make a mental note to be on the lookout for them--discreetly. It's still looking at their hindquarters, wouldn't want to offend anyone. I scribble about my paper for a few seconds.
I don't think I have one of those.
"You don't have a cutie mark?" Twilight asks, sounding bewildered. I nod in reply. She brings a hoof to her mouth, looking away in thought. "Interesting...do you have any special talent?" I think for a moment, then write out my answer.
Not that I know of. I can do a lot of things well, but not anything especially.
"Interesting..." the violet pony repeats. She paces for a moment, then faces me again. "I think what you might want to do some odd jobs for now, until you can find what your special talent is. I just find it strange that you have not gained a cutie mark yet...I don't mean any offense, but most ponies get theirs at a very young age, and you seem to be at least as old as I am, if not older..."
They find out what they're meant to do in life as kids? Wouldn't that be nice. I shake my head, focusing on what I need to do.
Where can I find odd jobs to do?
"You'll want to go to the town hall. Did Rainbow Dash show you it yesterday? It's a big, white building in the center of town, you can't miss it. Directly inside the main entrance is the notice board, and ponies will put job offers up there. Just make sure to bring their flyer with you," Twilight adds. I nod in thanks, turning and waving a goodbye before heading back down the stairs.
I walk over to the entrance of the library, taking in a deep breath before opening the door, stepping out into the morning. The sun hangs at an angle towards the east, and I figure it to be around ten in the morning. A calm breeze blows over me, feeling warm. I see specks of color moving about the light blue sky; they seem to be somehow manipulating the clouds that fill the morning air, flying into and hitting the fluffy, white groups of condensed water. As they do, the clouds break apart, eventually disintegrating into the air, clearing the sky. My wonder of the Pegasi here deepens as I watch them change the weather before my eyes.
After a while, I remember my priorities, and return my focus to the ground. I squint, looking as far as I can in the distance. I spot a few buildings taller and more prominent than the others, seeing the unicorn Rarity's dress-making shop, a decorative tower of some sort, and...there it is. A clean, white building peeks out above the other buildings, not looking too far away from the library. I look to the road ahead, and begin walking in the direction of the town hall.
There will definitely be no 'blending in' for me. I stick out like a...well, like a tall human in the midst of many, many small ponies. Only the Pegasi that hover surpass me in height, but the fact that I am still eye-level with them while still on the ground draws looks from them, as well. Most of the ponies clear out of my path, parting to either side of the road. I frown, and attempt to keep my gaze on the road ahead, rather than on them. It is both disturbing and mildly aggravating to have everyone's eyes on me. I stop for a moment, again finding the top of the town hall, then continue again, turning down a new road to align myself with the building.
I see a mother pull her children closer to her, away from me. I feel like a monster; I probably appear as one to them, though. Tall, bipedal, fairly dull with my dusty blue jeans, white tennis shoes, matte black T-shirt, and short, dirty blond hair, and generally appearing different from everything else given that I lack any sort of definite outline and possess a more detailed body. Maybe they are detailed, but it's hard to tell when none will even get near me.
As if on cue, a Pegasus pony flies directly in front of me, blocking my path. The flying pony is close, but I can see even it is making sure to put a little distance between itself and I. The pony is a bright yellow in color, with a blue mane; it holds a pad of paper and a pencil in one hoof. My gaze drifts to the hoof, silently questioning how that would even be possible without any sort of balancing act.
"Juicy Story, of the Ponyville Express," the pony, a male, begins. "Ponyville wants to know: who and what are you? Are you some sort of undiscovered creature who happened to venture out of the Everfree? A guardian sent by the princess? An alien?" he fires off rapidly. Great, the media. More attention, just what I need...if I walk away, he's going to be back, though, and in force...A crowd is already starting to form around us.
I slowly raise my hands, showing him my palms, then reach towards the pad and pencil on his hoof. He pulls back for a moment, giving me an odd look, to which I return with a look of pleading. The Pegasus cautiously allows me to take his pad of paper and the pencil; I flip past a few pages of notes before finding a blank page. I write for a moment, then give his items back, waiting for him to read them.
My name is Mark, I am a human, and I don't know how I got here. I'm not here to hurt anyone.
As he finishes reading, opening his mouth to begin his next string of questions, I step around him, glancing again at the visible part of the town hall, not too far away at this point. I already know what his next questions will be, so I ignore them and continue walking. He follows me for a while, but eventually gets bored, and flies off. I smile to myself, rounding a corner. The center of town makes its way into sight.
I keep moving towards the large, white building; as I get into the center of the town, I begin looking around with curiosity. This place is very busy, with ponies milling about all around me. Various shops and vendors fill the area, from restaurants to stands selling apples. I see a familiar orange pony manning said apple stand, and give a wave to her. Applejack tips her hat back to me, apparently surprising some of the townsfolk. I step up onto a porch surrounding the town hall, then push through a door leading inside.
The interior of the building reminds me of most government buildings, very open and expansive. I look around, admiring the vaulted ceilings and decorative pillars before returning my gaze to the floor of the room. As Twilight had said, there sits the notice board, covered with various papers. I step towards the large board, observing some of the papers. A lost dog, a plow for sale, a party today...I continue to scan some more papers, slowly starting to wonder if any jobs will even be available. One flyer catches my eye, and I unpin the thumbtack holding it in place, replacing the tack on the board and holding the paper closer.
Unicorn needed for chopping wood. Unable to use tools efficiently without magic assistance. Tools provided.
I glance at the more specific details, then fold the flyer up, sticking it in my empty pocket. Magic is something I don't have, but hands are something I do. I push open the door, heading outside again.