I opened my eyes and saw my computer monitor.
"What?... I swear l was in..."
(Wait a minute...)
I looked around and understood everything.
"It ain't gonna work a second time, princess." I said with a grin.
"Oh no! We thought it would work..." Luna's voice came from the kitchen.
I left my room, and when I went into the kitchen, I saw that Luna was drinking coffee and vaping.
"Well, make yourself at home, I guess..." I said, taking another mug and pouring myself some coffee.
After l was done, l sat in front of Luna.
"I suppose you, princess, would like a second part about initiation into human technology?" I said as I sipped my coffee.
Taking a puff, Luna looked at me.
"There's no need to be so official. Just call me Luna." Luna said smiling.
"And I've been waiting for you to say that." I said with pleasure.
"So... Yes, we'd like to hear more about the technology of your world." Luna said with an awkward smile.
"Okay. Where did we stop?" I asked thoughtfully.
"On the TV. You were looking for the remote." reminded Luna.
"Well, then let's go to the living room." I said as I finished my coffee.
I went to the living room and Luna followed me. Going back to the TV, I again began to look around, looking for the remote.
"Losing it all the time..." I said regretfully.
I looked under the sofa, but found nothing but dust there. Then under the sofa cushions. Also empty.
"Is it a remote, by any chance?" Luna asked thoughtfully.
I turned towards Luna, arranging the sofa cushions in place.
"Yes, it is! Where did you find it?" I asked in surprise.
"In this pile of clothes near the sofa," Luna said, pointing with her hoof at the pile of clothes that I was too lazy to put away.
"Oh... Yeah... Good job!" I said with a thumbs up.
(I need to clean my house when I get back...)
I took the remote from Luna and turned on the TV. While the TV was turning on, we sat on the sofa. After a couple of seconds, woman appeared on the screen, telling the weather forecast.
"Wow, is this what the females of your species look like?" Luna asked in surprise.
"Yes. Didn't your sister receive photos from humanity?"
"She did. But there were always only males on the photo." Luna said with a little annoyance.
"Well, apparently the portal was worked on mostly by males."
Luna didn't answer. I decided not to continue this topic and changed the TV channel. On the next channel, the mare told the local news.
"Have our little ponies made it to the big human jobs?" Luna asked looking at me.
"Well, yes... Two years was definitely enough for them to achieve this."
"Tia will be happy to hear that." Luna said happily.
(Does she even know about you visiting my dreams?)
I changed the channel again, and it was showing... A documentary about horses. For a couple of seconds, I did not realize what was happening now, and only after these same couple of seconds, it dawned on me. I turned to look at Luna. She watched the program enthusiastically.
The announcer told how humans tamed horses many years ago and used them for their needs. Next came footage of a man riding a horse.
I tried changing the channel, but the remote didn't work. I tried to turn off the TV, but the remote wouldn't let me do it either.
And then I heard the announcer say the following: "The stallion approaches the mare to begin the bree..."
But the announcer did not finish his speech, as the remote flew into the TV, breaking through its screen and getting stuck in it.
Luna looked at me, and I looked at her.
"I think that's enough TV for today..." I said, chuckling nervously.
Suddenly, the lights in the house flickered, and the next second, the TV sparkled, spreading flames around itself.
"Fuck! We need to get out of here, Luna! Do you hear me? Luna?"
The smoke cleared a little, and there was no one on the part of the sofa where Luna had been sitting.
(Shit... This is not good.)
I did not want to die even in my dream, so I ran to the exit of the house. By this time, the house was already filled with smoke, and it was becoming difficult to breathe.
Having reached the exit, I opened the door and ran out of the house. Gasping for fresh air, I saw that a fire truck was already approaching my house.
Firefighters jumped out of the fire truck and began to unwind the hose to extinguish the fire.
By the time the firefighters were unwinding the hose and connecting it to the hydrant, my house was already completely engulfed in flames.
I just stood by the mailbox, reassuring myself that it was just a dream.
A postman mare jumped out from around the corner, which, as usual, was late.
"Good morning, how was your morn..." the mare didn't finish because she noticed my house was on fire. She just froze in place, unable to say anything.
I decided not to stay here anymore, and got into my car, wanting to get away from it all.
Driving, I thought about what Luna saw and what her reaction was.
Having reached the small lake, which I loved so much as a child, I sat down on the shore and began to think.
(Didn't humans ever notify them that we have a species similar to them?)
(So what now? All the questions will fall on me?)
(Me and my people will be accused of exploiting their far "relatives"?!)
I just didn't know what to do now. Was my reaction justified, or am I overestimating this situation?
(When will I wake up? What a pity that Luna is not with me to tell me this...)
I continued to look at the water surface, waiting for my awakening. After a while I got bored and decided to do it my way.
I got into the car and pulled out onto the road, picking up speed.
(Adrenaline should wake me up.)
Gaining decent speed, I realized that it was time.
(Well... Let's go!)
I sharply twisted the steering wheel to the right, as expected, I flew off the road and got into a serious accident.
"AAAAHHHH!!!" I screamed, sitting up in bed.
Quickly calming down, I looked around the room Luna had given me and got out of bed.
(Always works.)
I got dressed, washed and did other morning things.
Just as I was leaving the bathroom, there was a knock on the door.
I went to the door and opened it. On the threshold stood a royal guard in golden armor.
"Good morning, sir! Your chariot is ready to depart for Ponyville."
"Also, the princess asked me to give you this." the royal guard gave me some kind of pouch, the contents of which resembled coins.
"Is this the currency of Equestria?" I asked the guard.
"That's right. Now please follow me."
Having fulfilled the request of the guard, I followed him, but before that, l throwed a backpack over my shoulders. He led me through long corridors of the castle that I had never seen before.
In the end, we came to the big doors. The guard opened them, and I set foot on the streets of Canterlot for the first time.
Walking a little to the side of the exit from the castle, I saw a chariot in which 3 out of 4 pegasi were harnessed.
"Over here, sir." said the guard and pointed to the entrance to the chariot at the back of it.
I got into the cariot and signaled that I was ready. The guard who escorted me to the chariot joined the rest of the pegasi harnessed to the chariot.
(And how long will it take? Riding a chariot is not very fast way to travel...)
"Are you ready, sir?" asked one of the guards.
"Oh sure." I said with almost no emotion.
(He asks like this thing is about to take off, lol!)
The chariot started moving. I settled into a comfortable position, getting ready for the long trip.
(If only my car was here... I could get to Ponyville a lot faster.)
I felt the speed increase.
(Well, maybe it will be a little faster than I thought...)
The sun began to blind me a little, and I took out a cap from my backpack, pulling it over my eyes.
(Nice try, Celestia, but I was prepared.)
Feeling the warm rays of the morning sun on me, I relaxed, and almost fell asleep.
(I wonder how far we've gone already?)
I lifted my cap from my eyes and what I saw shocked me. The chariot flew through the air, and the beautiful landscapes of Equestria was visible below.
(Wow, this thing can actually fly?! I was just joking...)
I looked around with interest, accepting the fact that this chariot could fly.
Some time later, I sat down again, starting to think about my dream again. The same questions that bothered me in my sleep got to me when I was awake.
(So what do I have? Luna saw our Earth horses on TV and... What did she think?)
(Now she will tell her sister everything, and everyone else will know about it from her?)
(But... I don't understand, is this bad news for them? Will they accuse me and my kind of something?)
(It seems that everything is calm so far... Didn't Luna told Celestia about what she saw yet?)
(But, on the other hand, there's nothing wrong with that... We're just using their unintelligent brethren for our own purposes...)
Thinking about it, a smile appeared on my face.
(Okay, that sounded weird.)
(But getting back to this question... Didn't Celestia, after 2 years of exchanging letters, learn from humans that we have a species similar to them? And what about the ponies that visited our world? They never encountered horses? Or did none of them return to Equestria to tell the princess about this?)
I leaned on the side of the chariot, thinking about all this.
(So many questions and no answers at all...)
"Almost there, sir!" one of the guards said, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I looked down and saw houses with thatched roofs beginning to appear in the distance.
(So this is what Ponyville looks like? To be honest, it looks more like a village than a city.)
We kept getting closer, and after a couple of minutes the chariot landed. I stepped on the ground and stretched. We landed right in front of the bridge over the river, beyond which we could see this very city.
(It seems that we flew quickly, but my body went numb as if we had been flying for an eternity.)
"Thanks for the transportation guys. Now what?" I asked all four guards at once.
"Are you aware of the tasks given by Princess Celestia?" asked the guard from the second row on the right.
"Well... Yes." I said, sadly remembering what I had to do.
"Then let's go, sir! We'll be waiting for you tomorrow at 9 am at Twilight Sparkle's house." said the guard from the first row on the left.
"Okay, see you guys tomorrow then."
All four guards saluted me and rolled the chariot forward, picking up speed for takeoff.
Following them with my eyes, and watching their takeoff, I was in no hurry to enter the city, still remained behind the bridge leading to the city.
Remembering the pouch given to me by one of the guards, I reached into my backpack to get it. Taking it out, I carefully weighed it in my hands.
(So Celestia gave me some local currency for my needs? Wonderful!)
(Where do they have shops? Or a market? I would like to see what the ponies sell.)
At that moment, a piece of paper with the address of the stallion with whom I need to make friends popped up in my memory.
(Well... Nothing bad will happen if I allow myself a little tour?)
I tossed the bag of coins back into my backpack and started to cross the bridge.
(What time is it now, btw?)
I wanted to check the time on my watch, but quickly remembered that Celestia take it, like all my other gadgets.
(When is she going to return all this to me?)
In the meantime, I entered the city unnoticed. The streets were empty, apparently due to the fact that it was still quite early.
I continued to walk forward, looking around. After some time, I went to the fountain, part of the decor of which was a statue of a mare standing on her hind legs.
(I wonder who it is? Some historical figure?)
Abandoning these thoughts, I walked past the fountain, finally finding what I wanted - the market.
(Finally! Well, let's see what's going on here.)
In the market, I finally saw signs of life. Many ponies opened their stalls, and some were still empty. When they finally spotted me, the ponies waved happily at me.
"Hey! Hi! You look great!" I said, passing by numerous stalls.
Among all the other stalls, I saw what caught my attention - a coffee stall.
(Coffee is a great way to start your day!)
I walked over to the coffee stall and started reading the menu that was taped outside. Having made my choice, I said hello to the mare who ran this stall.
"I'd like a double cappuccino with caramel syrup, please." I said, placing 2 coins on the counter.
The pony silently began to prepare my order. Sadness was clearly visible on her face.
"What's wrong? Why are you so sad?" I asked sincerely.
The pony didn't answer.
"You can tell me. I just arrived here to learn how to behave better." I said with a light laugh.
Suddenly, the pony thumped the counter with her hoof, looking at me angrily.
"Listen, I'll figure out my own problems, okay?! It's none of your business!" said the pony with fire in her eyes.
Completely not expecting such a reaction, I fell into a stupor for a couple of seconds.
Looking around, I saw that her sudden reaction had drawn unnecessary attention to us.
"Okay, okay! I'm sorry. I shouldn't have interfered. I'd better go." I said hastily.
Wanting to avoid attention, I quickly disappeared behind the houses, moving away from the market.
Leaning against the wall of one of the houses, I looked at the sky.
(What a good start of the day...)
I thought it would be best to avoid such situations in the future.
"You forgot your cappuccino."
Surprised, I almost squealed like a girl.
"Oh my God, you scared me." I said clutching my heart.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you... I care about all my clients..." The coffee pony said sadly.
"It's just... I'm really having some difficulties in my life right now... And I..." рony didn't finish. "Just... Please... Take your cappuccino."
I followed the coffee pony's request and took my cup.
"Thank you for your purchase, sir. Come again." said the pony and headed back to the market.
Holding my drink, I watched the pony leave.
"What is your name?" I asked, not knowing why.
The pony stopped to look at me.
(Shit, I wanted to avoid situations like this! Why did I ask her...)
"Coffeine Cream. Nice to meet you." she said, and continued on her way again, leaving my sight of view.
I stood here for a couple of seconds, and tried to understand why I asked her name.
(Sometimes I speak first and then I think...)
Sipping a cappuccino, I finally stepped out of the alley and looked around.
(Okay, I think it's time to go to that stallion's address.)
Holding my drink with one hand, and rummaging in my pocket with the other, I took out a piece of paper with an address.
(Let's see... This is the address of Celestia's student, Twilight Sparkle... And this is the address of that stallion...)
(Sweet Apple Acres? Sounds weird, lol...)
I folded the paper and put it in my pocket. Seeing a sign nearby, I went to it. On the sign, I just found the address I needed. Seeing where the arrow was pointing, I followed in that direction.
My path ran through apple alleys with a white fence. A dog barking was heard in the distance.
(Does he live on a farm? Or does he just work here?)
The barking of dogs grew louder as I approached. After another couple of dozen steps, I began to hear something with a dull thud hit some kind of wooden floor.
(Maybe he's picking apples? I won't stop him from working? Couldn't Celestia wait for the weekends?)
Finally, coming even closer, I noticed an open gate in the fence. The sounds were definitely coming from behind it.
(Hopefully this won't be seen as trespassing... I just have to ask a couple of questions.)
Walking deeper into the apple alley, I noticed an orange mare in a hat, hitting the tree with her hind hooves. After the impact, all the apples from the tree fell right into the buckets standing under the tree.
(So that's what those sounds were.)
The mare looked proudly at the buckets full of apples. A dog ran up to her, barking happily, and demanding affection.
(And this, apparently, is her dog.)
I stepped out from behind the trees as the pony pulled one of the buckets of apples out to the wagon.
"Hello, ma'am. Can you tell me please, is this Sweet Apple Acres?"
"That's right, sugarcube, it's ..." the pony did not finish, as she saw me.
"YOU!" said the pony almost screaming.
I was surprised. Looking around, I didn't see anyone else.
"Uh... Me?" I said uncertainly.
Suddenly, the pony screamed as she jumped at me and dropped me to the ground, pinning me down with one of her hooves. I did not expect this at all and was scared.
"Hey, what are you doing?! What did I do to you?!" I said with a tremor in my voice.
"You're the bastard that caused my brother to get hurt! It's you! And you had the nerve to come here?!" said the pony, exhaling hot steam right at me.
"Are you his sister?!" I said in surprise.
"Yes, I'm his sister! And if it weren't for Celestia, I'd crush your skull right now with this very hoof!" said the pony, and I felt a powerful thud on the ground next to my head.
Trying to control myself, I exhaled.
"Listen, can we start over? This is not a very good introduction..."
"Listen here, you...!"
"Applejack? What's going on here?"
I froze. I recognized this voice.