//------------------------------// // A Meeting of Minds // Story: Of Hooves and History // by Ahmad J Charles //------------------------------// At the vendor trailer, I scanned a menu and took a large-sized strawberry banana smoothie. I held up a few dollar coins and shook my head, pointing to the design, indicating they weren’t of the local currency. “It’s on the house, don’t worry,” Sunny said with a smile. “Oh really? Thanks a lot!” She took a mango-banana flavor and we sat down at a patio dining table. I gently sipped on my straw, while Sunny tilted her head slightly in awe and fascination, as if she was a robotic scanner. “It’s interesting, how we both share similar physical attributes on a base level,” I mused, attempting to break the awkward silence by pointing to my face. “We both got eyes, ears, nose, and a mouth. I could see how my ears are kinda funny though. Compared to yours, they’re –” “Wait a second!” Sunny interrupted excitedly, pulling a notebook out of her satchel and quickly flipping through it. “Let’s see… Twilight Sparkle’s Adventures through the Crystal Mirror. No pony’s really been through there since her time, it’s so so interesting as to – well, everything about that other world!” I grinned at her enthusiasm, and she caught her breath. “Okay, 73 Questions to Ask a Human. Number one – where did you come from? Like, in the human world?” “Well, we call it Earth. I live in a little boathouse in a string of islands called the Florida Keys.” “Do humans live underground?” “Absolutely! Many use the ground as shelter in dangerous situations, and there’s also basements too. Not sure if your houses around here have ‘em.” “How good are humans at fighting?” “So good, we’ve figured out ways to kill each other over mundane things.” “Oh.” Sunny’s face fell for a moment, so I quickly lifted it right back up. “But over many eras and eons we’ve improved ourselves in several ways. Next.” “Do humans really eat meat? If so, why?” “The way human bodies are built, protein and other key nutrients are needed to survive and function well. And we can’t really get it from anything else besides meat. There are plant-based alternatives, but they just don’t cut it to the best extent.” “How strong are your hands?” “Very. But also quite dexterous.” “Can you fly?” “Not without machinery.” “How much knowledge can the human mind hold?” “Plenty. And even so, we only use a portion of the brain at any given time solely for thinking. Overall, for all of the body’s functions, the brain never stops. Aaaaand you still have 66 questions to go. Which will likely take the whole day and rob you of crucial smoothie sales.” Sunny frowned, and I laughed. “How about questions about me specifically – but at a later point in time. Thanks for the rapid questionnaire. You sound like a historian.” “Yeah!” Sunny replied proudly. “I am. With my father, I’ve been studying the history of Equestria too, and –” “Hold up,” I said quickly. “Equestria?” “Yes, that is where we are, currently. Maretime Bay is a small town on the southernmost shore.” I nodded, trying not to freak out internally. “I’m not on Earth, I’ve been transported to another world…” Before I could think about it too much, Sunny took a loud swig of her smoothie and continued. “You look refreshed but still a little lean.” “Yeah,” I muttered. “As per my series of unfortunate events, snacking is all I’ve been able to do. No worries, I have some food back at the campsite. I just needed to get some answers as to where I am, but was not expecting, well, all of this.” “Campsite?” “It’s in the forest, near the edge of the cliff by a little cove. While I’d be more than happy to receive a nice well-sized meal from a restaurant, I can’t let my travel supply go spoilt and rotten.” I explained, gesturing to the row of buildings across the street and down in the direction where I came from. “You could stay at my house if you wanted,” Sunny broke into an eager smile. “It’s perfectly fine, Sunny,” I confided, gushing slightly. These ponies were just too cute. “I’ve spent more time in tents than houses during many of my archeological adventures. More importantly, given I’m now aware of the actual location I have landed in, it’s necessary I take some time to process it all and work out a proper plan for what I intend to do next regarding… well, everything.” Her ears flopped, and I smiled solemnly as I stood up. “I will be back later today and gladly accept your offer, if you can do me a favor or two.” Sunny looked up at me and cocked an eyebrow. “Which is? I’m listening.” “Inform Maretime Bay’s inhabitants that there is nothing to worry about or fear from me. And find a good merchant willing to trade some of my stuff for bits. Don’t get me wrong, I have money, but our respective worlds are a million hoof steps apart with currency.” “You might as well be broke,” Sunny chuckled. “Will do, Aiden. It’s nice meeting you.” “You too, Sunny. Hope to talk soon.” I fired the empty smoothie cup into a nearby recycling bin, and walked back down the boardwalk. It wasn’t too hard to find my way around, and I soon ended up back at the base of the hill that I’d entered from. Thankfully, my bike was still there. Back in the woods, I found a large old log and carefully dragged it back to the campsite to use as a backrest. Sitting back, I put my mind through the paces whilst my belly digested and absorbed all the nutritious goodness of the smoothie, and my achy muscles relaxed. “Right. I’m not on Earth, I’m in another world inhabited by talking ponies. At least I know one thing: that vortex was a wormhole that led to somewhere else outside of Earth. But where in the universe, exactly? And can I find the same exact wormhole again to return home? Surely these ponies knew something about them. Next was the challenge of what to do with my time in this new world. “I never asked to be here in this colorful fantasy world, separated from family and friends by a whole damn dimension!” I spat angrily, before biting my tongue at the sudden image of Sunny’s adorable eyes in my head. “At least its inhabitants seem nice and understanding.” I sighed sadly, fighting the painful sting of truth in my gut. The chances of me getting back home, let alone Earth, looked pretty slim. If I wanted to get home, I had to find answers. To find any information on wormholes, I needed access to books and authentic information on them – and interdimensional travel in general. Sorting through my inventory in the submarine, I reflected on my initial encounter with the townsponies, and how Sunny stood out from the crowd. Her curiosity and interest when I spoke indicated she was a character of open-mindedness and a yearn to understand anything she found interesting. Little did I realize we would later discover how much we both had in common. After a long nap, I lit a fire and hauled the rest of my food storage up the cliffside, before making an early dinner of canned mushroom soup, chopped carrots, and some chunks of French bread. With an energized mind, I began to arrange a plan in my head. To kick things off, I planned to give Sunny the rest of my fruit and vegetable supply, since it’d mostly be spoilt within the next few days. Looking through the sub’s pantry bin, I found a remaining can of mushroom soup and a bag of raisins and oats, and two family-size chocolate bars. “These could work for trade,” I thought. “A way to gain trust from the townsfolk.” Food was great, but I needed something more valuable to trade. Abseiling down the cliff, I climbed back into the sub and pulled up on my iPad an inventory of everything I had: the suitcase, a chest of spare parts for the sub, bike, and skateboard, two tool sets, a secure case containing a handgun and ammunition, a paramotor with two wings, a microscope and material testing kit, a GoPro kit, a pocket knife, lots of topography maps, a small sling bag, a few history books, a Rubik’s cube, and a display case of old artifacts. I carefully lifted the case out of the bottom of a storage case. There were three cracks in the glass from the vortex incident, but the items inside were still intact in their cotton-padded housings. I unlocked the lid and gently lifted out a few artifacts, pondering over which ones the townsfolk would find appealing. After a good hum and ho session, I narrowed it to three: a bronze comb, a silver ring with a topaz gem, and a sword – well, the handle and a quarter of the blade. “May the wisdom and principles of its owner be passed on to its collector too,” I whispered solemnly, gently stroking the polished gold handle guards. I’d collected dozens of historical items over the years, but something felt unique and special about this 13th century sword from a fellow historian in Turkey, given the legacy of the tribe that bore it in battle. I pulled out the cotton padding and used some old marine charts and masking tape to wrap the artifacts, then tied them securely in a green cloth bag. Climbing the cliff again with the last vestiges of sunset light, I set down the cloth bag next to my sleeping bag in the tent, and gradually drifted off to sleep, with my mind still thinking over the plan’s next stages.