//------------------------------// // The meeting // Story: The other side // by Nyan_Cat //------------------------------// "Ah, thank you all for coming," Celestia said, waving a hoof at the approaching ponies. Rainbow and Fluttershy kept exchanging worried glances, and occasionally whispering something to one another. All six of the ponies stood in front of a window, peeking into the room of a unicorn... Twilight Sparkle. She had a nightgown on and was laying in the hospital bed. Several machines flashed behind her, monitoring her breathing and heart beat. Celestia gazed at the unicorn sadly. Rarity nervously straightened her mane, as if Twilight was looking at them. Rainbow Dash poked the glass, receiving a donk! and a glare from the Princess. Pinkie hopped in place, looking across the hospital hallways and into Twilight's room with interest. Fluttershy and Applejack stood near the back of the small crowd, quietly shuffling their hooves and looking at the floor. "So who exactly IS this mare, Princess?" Rarity asked, breaking the silence. "Her name, as you can see, is Twilight Sparkle," Celestia said, gesturing to a name card on the door, "And somehow, she KNOWS you all. I have a few guesses about how." "Um... what is it, then? If you don't mind telling us, um... that is," Fluttershy said, barely making eye contact with anypony. "Why, of course. You see, Twilight here has extremely strong magic. Definitely strong enough to, say, pass my school's entrance exam. But for some reason... it backfired. It hit her brain, causing severe damage. She's lost all of her memories. However, she still can use magic," Celestia said, glancing at the group, "it seems to me that she's been able to use telepathy to ' see ' what's going on around her. Ponies with her power can listen to the thoughts of others at the maximum of 100 miles away. Since this hospital is very close to where you all live... it just makes sense she could ' hear and see ' what you all are doing." Fluttershy let out a gasp. "But why us, Princess?" Applejack asked. "I'm afraid that I don't know, my friend. It's a very interesting case." Everypony continued to look at the Princess, awaiting further input. Silence spread across them, and they tried to process all of this information. Rainbow Dash finally spoke up. "So what you're saying is, like, she can basically hear and feel what we think? And like, she knows who we all are?" She left out the question they were all thinking. She thinks she's our... friend? "Yes. I couldn't have said it better myself." "Do any of ya'll high-tech ponies know what exactly she's thinkin'? Just so we can get 'n idea?" Applejack asked. "Actually, we do. We've got all of her thoughts about you 5, Princess Luna, and I recorded," Celestia turned to look at a nurse, quietly standing nearby, "Would you please get those for me?" "Y-yes, Princess Celestia," the nurse replied, then hurried off to another room. Silence over them again, all standing awkwardly in the hallway. Every once in a while they would receive a little wave from a passing doctor or nurse. "While we're waiting... " Rarity said, startling them all, "How many of us actually know each other? I, of course know Pinkie... and Applejack. But what about you all?" "I know Fluttershy. We were in flight camp together," Rainbow Dash proclaims, then looks at Pinkie, "I also know Pinkie Pie. I mean, who doesn't know Pinkie though?" "That's right! I know everypony! And knowing everypony is cool, because that means you have a lot of friends! And having a lot of friends means that everypony likes you! And that means -" Applejack waves her hoof in Pinkie's face, knowing she won't stop unless someone forces her to. "Ah know Rarity, " Applejack says, "We were at a party. Ah was sellin' apple foods, and she was showin' off in a dress she made. Ah also know Pinkie from the sweet shop. Ah was buyin' frosting." "Hey! I was not showing off, I was simply letting others admire my fashion skills," Rarity retorted, glaring at Applejack. She fluffed her mane and turned her back to Applejack. "Showin' off," Applejack muttered, rolling her eyes. "Oooh! I know Rarity from a party, Rainbow Dash from around town, Fluttershy from the store. Also Applejack from the store," Pinkie interrupts, just as Rarity opens her mouth to reply to Applejack. "I know Rainbow Dash... from flight camp," Fluttershy says quietly. "And Pinkie... from the store. But we only talked one time." Celestia nodded to herself. So they're already acquaintances. This makes matters easier, she thought. Pinkie interrupts once again, talking about cake flavors and icing while Rarity looks at her with disgust, probably imagining all the ways her dresses could be ruined by them. "Hey! We've never introduced ourselves," Rainbow Dash says loudly, cutting off Pinkie, "I mean, we know who knows each other and stuff, but we don't know anything about each other!" Applejack nods, than starts to speak. "Makes sense. Then ah'll go first. Ah work at Sweet Apple Acres, with my little sis Apple Bloom, my brother Big Macintosh, and Granny Smith." I own Carousel Boutique, " says Rarity. " I make dresses and such." "I work at Sugar Cube Corner! I get to make cakes, and candy, and taffy, and cupcakes, and all sorts of sweet stuff! "Pinkie says next, happily bouncing. "I take care of animals at my home... " Fluttershy says next," I get to heal little sick creatures. " "And I'm, " Everypony turns to look at Rainbow Dash, "On the weather crew! I'm also the ONLY pony to ever pull off a Sonic Rainboom." Everypony gasps. "Wow, that must've been super amazingly AWESOME!" Pinkie says, cheerfully looking at Rainbow Dash, who was grinning, "I wish I could've seen it!" Princess Celestia chuckle to herself. They seemed to already know each other very well, even though they had just met. Celestia saw somepony walking over to them out of the corner of her eye. A nurse was walking over, bringing the records. "Ah, here comes the papers," Celestia says, levitating the papers from the nurse and over to the group of onlooking ponies. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Okay, so that's the end of chapter one. Um... let me know if you like it. Comments are welcome. Chapter 2 is coming soon. Also, this is the first thing I've ' published ' on here! WOO!