Disclaimer: This is a fan-based story revolving around a heavily modified version of MLP:FiM. I do not own the rights to the Mlp cast. Some things have been modified to fit the flow of a human-based alternate reality. No birds or oranges were harmed in the writing of this Fanfic. This fanfic contains 0% trans Fat and 10% of your daily required consumption of WTF. Exposure to fan fiction is known to cause bouts of rage, laughter, depression, and may cause a mild case of Bronyism. If these symptoms occur, refer to the following directions: Stop, drop, and roll, until flames are dowsed or body becomes dizzy. And for crying out loud, IT’S ALL MAKE BELIEVE!
Thank you.
Additional Warning: The first section of this chapter has some implied gore. This is the only place where it occurs, and I leave out as much of the description as possible to keep it safe for most folks while trying to keep in the spirit of the story, but if you're a bit squeamish, you may want to skip the first section. You've been warned.
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Chapter 1: New Beginnings
Exhaustion assaulted me head on as I came to, weighing down every part of my body. The ground beneath me felt stiff, horribly uncomfortable, as if I had been taking a nap in the middle of a busy street. Immediately, my arm and head exploded in pain, and it took everything I had not to pass out. I was dazed and confused, the world spinning around me like a merry-go-round, everything blurred and distorted, the world tinted in a slightly reddish color.
I could hear some sort of a commotion going on, see blob-like shapes moving about through billows of thick smoke, peering through what looked like twisted steel. There seemed to be some sort of a panic, but I couldn’t tell what was going on. Through the pain and the ringing in my ears, it was really hard to get a firm grasp on the situation.
Initially, I moved my hand up to hold my head in pain, but when it came into view, it nearly took my breath away. It was red, blood red. Scary blood red. Dripping blood red.
The first, most logical thought, was that I was injured. A sharp burst of pain confirmed that thought, but not from where I was expecting it. It came from my knee, and the sheer pain nearly knocked me out, causing my stomach to do flips and summersaults. I gasped in agony as I tried to move to see the damage, but halted when another burst of pain came from the other arm. Turning my head, I realized it was trapped underneath something very heavy. It took me a moment to realize what it was.
Suddenly, the urge to vomit overpowered me, and I couldn’t help but relieve my stomach of whatever contents it had. The sight before me was far too gruesome to explain.
I was not the only one involved in whatever mess had just occurred. I realized at that moment that the blood on my other hand was not actually mine… it was from the pool that had formed underneath me. The poor soul that it belonged to, whoever it might have been, was on my arm, wedged in an odd angle underneath a chaotic mess of metal, pinning me in place. I tried twice to move, to somehow shift the weight, but found myself lacking the strength to do so.
Panic hit me hard, but I reined it in almost immediately. I couldn’t afford to panic right now. I needed to figure out what had happened. Forcing myself to calm down, I tried to focus my senses as best as I could, the world starting to become a little easier to decipher. Dark black columns of smoke were rising into the sky, the heat of flames on my back from maybe twenty paces away. Everywhere around me, twisted metal was strewn about, and I could see…. oh god, I’m going to be sick again.
I trembled as I tried to get my stomach under control again, forcing my will on my own bodily functions. I had to get out of here, fast. The heat from whatever fire was raging was getting closer, and if I didn’t do something soon, things would get very bad, very fast.
That’s when my mind went back to the moving blobs. People. It had to be. I could hear them calling, looking for anyone alive. I needed to get their attention, and fast.
At first, I tried calling out, but my voice was weak, far too soft to hear over the chaos. I tried again, with a little more force, but I could only manage another weak, strangled whimper.
Realizing I wouldn’t be able to get their attention this way, I switched tactics. A jagged piece of metal lay just inches out of reach. Summoning up every bit of strength, I forced myself to move, reaching towards the metal, completely aware of the heat that was growing alarmingly fast. Finally, after one last push and a sharp stab of pain from my leg and arm, I was able to reach it.
Taking the metal, I found the nearest surface, a chunk of twisted steel protruding from what looked to have once been some sort of chair, and repeatedly hit it with the last reserves of strength I had.
I had caught someone’s attention, I could tell, because one of the shapes stopped moving and looked my direction. I started hitting the chair harder, faster, hoping to whoever was out there that the person would realize I was here.
They did.
Relief washed over me as exhaustion finally overwhelmed me. I could feel someone moving close to me, could feel the weight being lifted off my arm, the rush of cool fresh air as I was pulled out and away from the chaos. I strained hard to make out who was moving me, but my vision had become too clouded to see who it was. I was being fitted with some sort of brace around my neck, and then I was lifted onto something, wheeled out towards a vehicle. The last image I remember during this time was a blurry figure that I had assumed to be some sort of doctor. He said something to me, but I could only make out one word.
Live.
And then the world went dark.
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I awoke with a start, drenched in sweat and trembling fiercely. My eyes darted wildly, and for a split second I could almost feel the heat from those flames.
It was just a dream.
At that realization, I forced myself to calm down. I had that dream again, for the fifth time this week. I hated it, those crazy first moments.
They were the very first memories that I had, and of course, the one thing I actually wanted to forget that, most ironically, I hadn’t.
Couldn’t.
It had been a plane crash. For one reason or other, I had been on that plane, when a malfunction had caused it to go down. What I was doing on it, and who I was with, I couldn’t say. I gained a severe case of amnesia from it. Apparently, slamming my head against a chair after taking a nose dive from 30,000 feet in the air did that to people. Go figure, huh?
No memories, no past, little hope of figuring out who I was, where my home could be, or whether I had known that person next to me. The only possible clue was the list of passengers, a list that I had studied every single day since it first came into my possession, with some hope that I would at least recognize my own name. It had proven mostly useless, however, and after some time, I had pretty much given up on it. Instead, I had decided to take a random name off the list… Kyle Stockman. Well, really just Kyle. I didn’t want to go by the last name, mainly because I didn’t want to essentially take the identity of someone else had it proven to be the wrong name.
There were some basic facts about myself that I knew for certain. For one, I was somewhere around nineteen years old. The place the plane had departed from had been San Francisco. Whether that was where I was from or not was another question entirely, but at least there was a lead somewhere in there.
There was one other thing I was fairly certain about, however, and it was not something that I was willing to dwell on for any length of time at this point. Whoever I was, any surviving family members who would recognize me were either on the plane when it crashed, or were never around to begin with. I had been in the hospital for several weeks after the crash, and not one person came looking for me. Being that I was the only one to survive the crash, and that the news reporters had gone to town broadcasting my story around the nation, I could only come to one conclusion.
Nobody was coming for me.
It was a frightening thought, the realization that I was entirely alone, at least for now. It didn’t help that my hospital stay was nearing its end. My body had nearly recovered enough to the point where they’d have to release me soon. I could almost walk again, albeit with a bit of a limp. They had told me earlier today that I’d need a cane for the rest of my life. I’d be more upset about that if I hadn’t already defied astronomical odds by simply surviving, but I felt that would be like being upset that they hadn’t added an extra cherry to a free sundae.
One of the doctors was telling me that I’d be receiving a visitor a little later today to talk about my future. Hopefully, it wouldn’t amount to “Glad you’re better, now gtfo.”
In fact, whoever it was should be showing up in the next hour or so.
Suddenly, the door opened up, revealing a pink-haired woman in her early thirties. She smiled at me as she approached, clipboard in hand. I smiled back at her. She was one of the few familiar faces to me at the moment.
“How are we feeling today, Mr. Stockman?” said Nurse Redheart.
“I told you not to use the last name.” I muttered, wincing slightly as she adjusted the brace on my knee. “I’m not even sure if that’s my actual identity.”
“You’ll have to get used to it for now, dear.” she said, fussing with the straps. “And I wouldn’t worry too much about it. It’s very possible that even if you don’t recognize the name on your own, your subconscious mind may have picked up on it. You could very well be Kyle Stockman.”
“I don’t know about that. It just doesn’t seem right to me.”
Nurse Redheart paused, giving me a look of sympathy. I’d grown to hate sympathy in the last few weeks, having received so fake sympathy from total strangers due to the media, but for some reason I appreciated it from Nurse Redheart. I knew for certain that it was genuine. She’d gone out of her way to make sure I was doing all right, and had done a lot of searching to try to find information about who I was. I had her to thank for the passenger list, and she’d helped me narrow that list down to a handful of unclaimed identities who were roughly the same age as me.
I was truly grateful to her for all she’d done so far.
“So, who is this person I’m supposed to be meeting today?” I asked as Redheart finished the adjustments. “Anyone I know?”
I added that last bit with a smirk on my face, but there was still a little bit of hope in my voice nonetheless.
“I really wish that were the case, but I’m fairly certain she isn’t related to you.” she said, squashing that small hope that I had, though I know it wasn’t really her intention to do so. “She’s a friend of mine who offered to help you. She’s actually waiting outside while I finish checking up on your knee. I can let her in right now if you’re ready.”
“Might as well. No point in prolonging the suspense.”
Nurse Redheart nodded, getting up and walking towards the door. Peering out, she said something in a hushed voice before opening the door all the way, revealing a fairly tall woman with flowing pastel-colored hair. She wore a white business suit and had a friendly, almost motherly smile on her face. Pulling up a chair, she sat next to me.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Stockman, it’s nice to finally meet you.” she said, offering her hand.
I opened my mouth to correct her, but was cut off by a stern look from Nurse Redheart. She may be kind, but sometimes she was downright frightening. Swallowing my words, I simply returned the greeting with a simple handshake.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Miss……?”
“Celestia. I’m the headmaster of a local education institution here. I’ve come to discuss your plans for the future.”
“Right.” I said, not sure of what to think. “Forgive me for being blunt, but can we just get to the topic at hand? I’m a bit tired of beating around the bush and being all cryptic like.”
“Of course.” said Celestia, a smile on her face. I ignored the scowl on Nurse Redheart’s face.
“I’m here today because my good friend here has told me of your situation. As I’m sure you know, your stay at the hospital is about to come to an end. Tell me, have you figured out what to do once you’re released?”
“I thought I’d go hit up the local park. Y’know, find a nice expensive box, grow a beard, scare the locals.”
“Don’t be a smart ass, Kyle. She’s here to help you.” warned Nurse Redheart.
“It’s quite alright, no harm done.” said Celestia, never letting the smile fade. “I can appreciate goals, but I must say that you could probably aim higher than what you’ve got in mind, Kyle.”
“I’d hope so.” I said, smirking.
“I’m sure of it.” said Celestia, winking. “The reason why I’m here is because I’d like to have you attend my school. It’s an academy that focuses on discovering your talents and refining them so that you may be successful in life. We have student housing and a cafeteria, so you wouldn’t have to resort to that luxury box of yours.”
She smiled at me again, and I found that I was already liking this woman. She had a sense of humor.
“More importantly,” she said, continuing on, “you might be able to remember things about yourself if you take our courses. Because of the variety of subjects we offer, you’ll have a chance to try out many different things. Something may spark a memory. Even if that doesn’t happen, though, it will give you the skills you’ll need to make your way in the world. Many of our students are hired directly out of graduation in their chosen field of study. At the very least, you’ll be setting yourself up to become self-sufficient.”
She paused again, allowing me a moment to think. It sounded like a good deal, and it was certainly better than wondering around the city aimlessly. Still, there were a few concerns that I had.
“That’s a pretty nice offer there, but how much does it cost? I’m not exactly well off for funds, you know.”
“I’d like to say that we’ll wave the tuition, but unfortunately I can’t do that.” said Celestia, shaking her head. “That said, the tuition isn’t very high. I’ve made it into my top priority to ensure that students of all backgrounds can attend. We can make arrangements for an affordable long term payment plan that will take effect once you find yourself employed. I have some of the paperwork right here if you want to read it over.”
I nodded, and she handed them to me, giving me several minutes to read them over. I was surprised… this actually was very doable. Still, something didn’t seem to add up for me.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked, eying her suspiciously. “It just seems a little too convenient. If these figures are correct, your school would be overflowing with applicants.”
“That’s true.” she said, nodding her head. “We receive a lot of applicants every year. Unfortunately, we have to turn most of them down. We have to maintain a reasonable population to get the most out of our teachers. As such, we only accept those whom I recognize as having a lot of potential.”
“And you think I have potential?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “No offense, but you know nothing about me. Hell, I know nothing about me. How can you say that I have potential?”
Celestia smiled, and suddenly I saw her demeanor change. She seemed older, wiser. She looked into my eyes, peering deep into my soul.
“I know a lot more about you than you think.” she said, voice soft, yet holding a tone of authority. “You survived a plane crash with immense odds stacked against you. You have defied fate itself with nothing more than sheer will. Even now, you don’t wallow in self-pity like most would do. Instead, you walk forward, even if that means limping on a crutch. I’d say that it speaks volumes of your character.”
I just sat there, speechless. I guess I’d never thought of it that way, but I felt she was giving me a little too much credit.
“Not to mention that you have a certain sense of humbleness.” added Celestia, winking. It stared in disbelief. It was almost as if she’d read my mind.
“Of course I can’t read your mind.” she said, giggling at my dumbfounded expression. “That would be silly. I can simply read the reactions on your face. You’re pretty much an open book right now.”
I heard Nurse Redheart snickering as my face heated up. Muttering, I shook my head.
“Alright, that’s enough of that.” I said. “Anyways, I guess this is the best choice for me right now. What do you need me to do?”
Celestia’s face broke out into a wide grin, and she went on to help me fill out the enrollment papers. As I filled each of them out, I found myself starting to grow excited. I couldn’t help but look forward to the future.
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“Remember to take your pills every day until the prescription runs out.” said Nurse Redheart as she helped me down the stairs.
“Yes, Nurse Redheart.”
“Don’t forget to take the brace off before taking a shower.”
“Yes, Nurse Redheart.”
“Remember to eat healthy, you still need to get your strength back up. I don’t want to hear that you’ve been gorging on candy bars and potato chips.”
“Yes, Nurse Redheart.”
“Oh, and don’t forget to…”
“I think I get the point.” I said, cutting her off. Turing my face towards her, I frowned at the downcast expression she was giving me.
“Listen, I’ll take good care of myself, so don’t you worry. I’m not going to waste all the work that you and the other doctors put into saving my life.”
Nurse Redheart’s eyes watered up, and I groaned mentally, pulling her close into a hug as she let forth the water works. She’d grown attached to me, as if I were her child. Can’t say I didn’t blame her, the way she’d been taking care of me. Hell, I felt like she really was my mother.
After a few moments, she calmed down, straightening herself out to look professional. The look was only slightly ruined by the puffy red eyes.
“Remember to keep in touch. I’m always around to help out if you need anything.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for everything you’ve done, Nurse Redheart. I mean it.”
She merely smiled and waved as I hobbled out of the hospital, cane in hand, duffel bag on my shoulders, towards the taxi that would lead me to my new life. Headmaster Celestia was there, a gentle smile on her face, holding the door open for me. She helped me get into the car, and then went around to the other side, sitting next to me. The taxi fired up, and we pulled out from the hospital. I looked back one last time at the entrance to see Nurse Redheart waving, a new set of tears on her face. Smiling, I waved back until she was out of sight.
Turning to face forward, I caught sight of Celestia’s face. She was smiling kindly at me.
“She seems to have taken to you quite well, hasn’t she?”
“Well, what can I say?” I replied. “She and the other doctors brought me back from the brink of death. Can’t say I don’t feel grateful for that.”
“Well said.” she stated, nodding in approval. “Before we get to the campus, I’d like to go over a few things with you. Your housing has already been decided. I’m not sure how much you know about school dorms, but our academy is a little different from what you may be used to. We don’t separate students by gender, and the dorms are a little…. different.”
“Okay….” I said, kind of unsure of what she meant.
“You’ll see what I mean when we get there. First things first, though, we’re going to have to catch a boat.”
My only response was to stare at her in confusion.
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Okay, this was certainly NOT what I was expecting.
I stared from the pier, momentarily in awe as I looked out at the academy. You couldn’t even call it an academy, really. That implied a campus, maybe spanning a block or two at the most. What sprawled out in front of me constituted as an entire island devoted to the purpose of a campus, complete with apartments, shops, and everything you would see in a small city. Hell, it actually WAS a city, complete with name and zip code. The chosen name?
The City of Canterlot .
Weird name, but that was besides the point.
It was absolutely breathtaking. On the far end of the city was a castle, built in a way that it was hanging off the side of a cliff overlooking the bay, a marvel in architectural engineering in and of itself. From the mainland shore it looked like a theme park. From this close, it looked even more like one, almost like something right out of a fairy tale. The streets were clean and well kept, built with yellow bricks, horse-drawn carriages, trollies, and bicycles taking the place of cars and taxis. There was a pleasant smell in the air from all of the small food shops lining the streets, alleyways devoid of some of the more seedier facilities found in most large cities. The noise level was still that of a bustling city, but there was a difference even in that. No horns honking, no police sirens, no arguing and cussing, nothing that reminded me of where I had just come from. In its place, there were pleasant conversations, soft music from different shops, and the sounds of people going on about their routines.
I shook my head, muttering under my breath. If it hadn’t been for the circumstances of my arrival here, I would have enjoyed the sights, maybe even felt excitement welling up within me. Instead, I simply felt exhausted. Given what I’d endured lately, it wasn’t really surprising. Still, even that couldn’t dampen the fact that I DID feel at least a little more upbeat. Celestia smiled, gesturing towards the gate.
“Welcome to Canterlot City.” she said, a warm smile on her face. “This is the main entrance from the pier. We’ve built this entire city on an island to allow our students to function as if they were working in a regular city. Each and every store is actually a classroom devoted to teaching students how to operate in different settings. If you want to learn how to cook, we’ve got several different bakeries and restaurants throughout the city where you can learn the ins and outs of their craft. If you want to learn how to build or repair things, there are several shops where you learn to do so. Any store that you see has an open enrollment that allows students to register for classes. Every business here has the facilities to teach. Even basic transportation services can be learned, should you decide that is your calling.”
I stared in amazement. This place was nothing like I’d ever imagined.
“There is, however, a main campus. The castle, as I like to call it, is where the bulk of your classes will take place. Math, English, History, and all of your core classes will take place there. We’ll be heading there first so that we can sign you up for your classes.”
An open-roof carriage pulled up to us, two brilliant white horses in gold shiny armor, the driver dressed as if he were some sort of English guard. He smiled at us both, his blue hair contrasting with his green eyes.
“Good afternoon, Headmaster.” he said, tipping his hat. “How was your trip to the mainland?”
“Hello, Shining Armor.” said Celestia, climbing into the carriage. “I just went to go pick up our newest student. Shining Armor, this is Kyle Stockman. Kyle is the young man I’ve been telling you about.”
Shining Armor? THAT was a weird name. It couldn’t really be his actual name, could it?
He seemed to sense my question, because he laughed in a good-natured way as he hopped down from the carriage.”
“I’m actually native to this island.” he said, shaking my hand. “It’s a long-standing tradition here to give your child a new name at their Coming of Age ceremony that describes their personality. Whenever I go to the mainland, I go by the name of Brian Sparkle, but here, I go be my given name. It’s nice to meet you, by the way. I’ve heard a lot about you from both the Headmaster and the news.”
“Nice to meet you too.” I said, returning the handshake. “This is a pretty interesting place. Are you a student here or something?”
“No.” he said, chuckling. “I graduated last year. I actually live here as an instructor with my wife. I teach the security forces here in Canterlot City.”
I raised my eyebrow, eying the carriage.
“Oh, that?” he asked, laughing. “The guy who normally drives it is off on maternity leave. His wife just recently gave birth, so I’m filling in for him. We’d normally have students driving, but not too many sign up for carriage lessons, and the ones we have right now haven’t been given the introduction courses yet.”
“Interesting.” I said, looking up at it. “Guess I oughta climb aboard so we can get moving, huh?”
“Need any help with that?” he said, eying my cane.
“I think I can manage.” I said.
Maybe not.
I struggled hard to push myself up, but I found that the damn thing was just a little too high for me to get up without using my other foot, and I couldn’t really put my full weight onto it. Sighing in defeat, I glanced back at Shining. He smiled and helped me up, forming a brace with his hands for me to stand on. I lifted myself up and managed to swing myself up onto the seat. He then handed me my cane, and went to the driver’s seat. A soft snap of the reigns, and we were off.
As we drove down the streets, both Celestia and Shining Armor pointed out various places, giving me the rundown of the city from various historical facts to where the best places to eat were at. Shining told me a little about himself as well on the way. Apparently he’d recently married Celestia’s niece, some woman by the name of Cadance. His parents lived here as researchers in some sort of science field as well. He also had a younger sister, one whom he seemed to hint at a little too strongly as “being your age and very much single.”
Too bad they didn’t give classes in subtlety. He could certainly use them.
Soon enough, we arrived at the castle, and I found myself yet again impressed by the sights. While I certainly had no memories, I was absolutely sure I’d never seen anything so magnificent in my entire life before. It was huge, much larger up close, with students coming in and out, many chatting idly as we pulled up in the carriage. As I was helped down, I caught several curious glances coming our way, most directed towards the headmaster, but a few directed at me.
One girl was walking towards us, dressed in a knee high purple skirt with a long white button-up shirt, a purple vest buttoned up neatly. Her hair was long, dark blue with a purple and pink stripe. She had deep violet eyes, contrasting well with her slightly tanned complexion, and she looked somewhat bookish, almost nerdy, but in a cute sort of way. Her eyes were on Shining Armor, a broad smile on her face.
“Hey BBBFF.” she said, giving him a tight hug. He chuckled, hugging her back.
“How’s it going, Twily?” he said, a smile on his face.
“I was just about to head out to meet my friends.” “Twily” said, her attention shifting to the Headmaster. Her demeanor changed slightly, almost as if she were addressing a childhood icon. “And how are you doing, Headmaster Celestia? Was your trip enjoyable?”
“I always enjoy picking up new students.” said Celestia, hugging Twily. Smiling, she gestured my way. “Speaking of which, I’d like to introduce you to him. Twilight Sparkle, this is Kyle Stockman.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” said Twilight, bowing a greeting towards me. “I’m Headmaster Celestia’s personal student. I’m majoring in Arcane Studies and Applied Magical Theory. I also run the local library. Please stop by if there’s any books you need to check out.”
“Magical theory? What the heck is that?” I blurted out, confused. Just what were they teaching here?
Twilight eyed Celestia, a nervous look on her face. Celestia merely nodded to her, that soft smile of hers never wavering even for a second.
“That was actually the next topic I’d planned to discuss with Mr. Stockman, but since it’s come up, would you care to explain, my dear student?”
Twilight looked delighted, slipping into what looked like lecture mode. I groaned inwards, expecting to find out that this island was some sort of bizarre cult.
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My mind was numb as I walked towards my new dorm, the address scribbled on a sheet of paper next to a crude map. The events that had occurred earlier were still playing in my mind, as unbelievable as they seemed to be. Sure, I didn’t have memories, but I knew that magic didn’t exist. I’d known that for a fact.
Or so I’d thought.
When Twilight first explained it, I’d laughed it off as lunacy, something that had somewhat upset Shining Armor. She’d explained that she was unicorn-born, a being with a horn that was attuned and sensitive to magic. The very thought of it was ridiculous.
Then she’d shown me. I was completely at a loss for words, for at least twenty minutes as she displayed impossible feats.
She’d levitated objects, including myself, teleported several feet in the blink of an eye, and even proceeded to change a bird into an orange. Well, she’d meant to change an apple into an orange, but the unlucky bird had made the mistake of landing in front of it just as she’d fired the spell off, catching the brunt of the transformation.
I think it was about the point where the orange opened up like a mouth, let forth a very bird-like chirp, and then took off flying into the air while everyone stared blankly at it when I finally decided that this was actually happening.
As for HOW this was possible, it was apparently a trait native to those who lived here. Twilight had pulled back her hair to reveal a short horn hidden underneath on her forehead. Apparently, through some mystical garbage, it was connected directly to her brain and allowed her to call forth some sort of magical power that was inherent in all life. The entire explanation was technical and drawn out. I tuned it all out, still stuck on thinking about what that bird/orange was going to tell its family when it got home. How would it explain what happened to its wife? What would the kids think? Would they be teased for the rest of their lives, being the kids of a flying, chirping orange?
Godspeed, bird/orange. Godspeed.
Eventually I was brought back to reality by an annoyed glare. Twilight clearly didn’t like to be ignored in the middle of lecture mode.
They then went on to show that not only Twilight, but Shining Armor had the same thing, and even Celestia as well. Moreover, Celestia apparently had wings. In fact, many residents apparently had them, though few possessed both wings and a horn. Yet another native trait to this messed up island.
Of course, there were plenty of regular folks as well, those who weren’t natives. Apparently they were all used to this, and they all went through varying degrees of total system shock when they first came to this island. Either way, one thing was made clear; telling others outside of this island was frowned upon. They didn’t want the media sticking their noses in and publicizing to the world that the island was inhabited by what some may think of as “freaks.”
As if anyone would believe me anyways. Nope, my lips were sealed on this matter. Besides, I could sympathize with their reasoning, having been the focus of the media myself for the past seven weeks.
Outside of the whole “Magic and Flying People exists” thing, I learned a few other trivial facts as well. Apparently, Twilight was Shining Armor’s little sister. She was also the fourth most powerful magic user on the island, outside of Headmaster Celestia and two others. Of those two others, one was Shining’s wife, Cadance, who was also “Alicorn-born”, as they liked to put it. The other was Headmaster Celestia’s sister, Headmaster Luna. They shared responsibilities, but Celestia ran the city during the day, and Luna ran it during the night.
All in all, it was a nice, crazy, messed up way to start a new life.
Eventually, Twilight had to excuse herself to meet up with her friends, dashing off after realizing that she’d spent a few too many hours talking to me. Shining had also taken off, saying that he had duties to attend to. Celestia brought me to the administration building and had helped me select my classes, giving me a schedule and a slip of paper that I could use to requisition supplies from various stores to get me started. I’d work on getting those tomorrow. Today, I needed some rest.
Given that I’d spent eight weeks doing nothing but that and had been itching to get out and do something, I’d say it goes to speak of just how much insanity I’d encountered in one single day.
I stopped in front of the building that was to be my new home for the next few years, staring at it in complete confusion. I’d expected it to be a simple dorm, a place where many students were living together. Instead, I found myself standing in front of a giant tree.
Okay, so it wasn’t exactly a tree by definition. It appeared to be hollowed out, turned into a house, though how the tree was standing alive and quite healthy was far beyond my comprehension. Staring back at the slip in front of me, I made certain that this was the address I was supposed to be at.
Oh. It isn’t.
Breathing a sigh of relief, I realized I was on 40th avenue, not 41st. I’d missed it by an entire block. I went to retrace my steps and found myself staring at a something far more normal. It was still a house rather than a dorm, but it was thankfully only one story, and built in a more traditional style. Still odd, being that it had a European look and had a straw-thatched roof, but far better than living in a tree. That said, I groaned as I looked at the building next to it.
The place next door looked like a giant gingerbread house.
I wasn’t willing to dwell on it at this point.
Pulling out the key that Celestia had given me, I stuck it in and turned the door, praying that there wouldn’t be any more surprises for the day.
Apparently, I was promptly ignored.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
“SURPRISE!”
I lost my balance as something bright pink jumped up in front of me, toppling backwards as my cane slipped out from under my grip. My knee protested in pain as I felt the wind get knocked out of me, and I lay there for a moment trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.
Pink filled my vision again as a girl my age suddenly appeared a mere three inches from my nose, a huge smile practically splitting her face in half. Her hair was an obscene shade of pink, styled like bubblegum, pieces of loose confetti trapped here and there. Excitement and bubbliness was radiating off of her in waves.
“Hello!”
“Err…hi.” I said, fairly uncomfortable with the lack of personal space. I was about to ask her if she’d move back a bit and give me a little bit of breathing room. I couldn’t even get the first syllable out before she exploded into a cheerful mass of words.
“Were you surprised? You sure looked surprised! You fell down in an overly comedic way, so you must’ve been highly surprised! My name is Pinkie Pie, and I know EVERYONE on this island, but I don’t know you, which means you’re new! Twilight told me you were going to be my new neighbor, and I just thought that the first thing we should do is to welcome you Pinkie Pie style, so I decided to throw you a Welcome to Canterlot and Glad to Meet You New Neighbor party, so I did! I’ve invited everyone! Do you like it?”
It took my brain a second to catch up with her verbal onslaught, but once it did, I peered past Pinkie to see that, indeed, the small house was filled with tons of people. Twilight waved sheepishly, clearly unsure if she’d done the right thing by telling this pink mass of pure bottled energy about my arrival.
I sighed, bringing my gaze back to Pinkie. Her face was earnest, excitement clear as day. I couldn’t really be mad.
“Sure, why not? It looks like fun.”
I was slightly alarmed that her smile seemed to get even wider.
Struggling, I went to stand up, looking for my cane. I was only slightly startled as it floated up to me, enveloped in a purple glow. I glanced back at Twilight, who was still looking sheepish.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”
“No worries.” I said wearily, grabbing my cane and feeling its weight return to my hand as the glow disappeared. Standing up, I leaned back on it, finally getting a chance to look around.
Everywhere where there was room, someone was standing there, many folks chatting away happily. Off in the corner, a blue haired girl with pink shades was working as the DJ, records sitting on the table behind her as she pumped music through a huge speaker system. Off in another corner, several people were playing darts, and in another part of the room, there was a twister mat set up, with a bunch of people standing around laughing and chatting away. It actually looked like everyone was having fun. More impressively, however, there was not one can of beer to be found, nor was there any… unsavory activities happening.
Given the age we were, I’d wrack that up as yet another impossibility that I’d just encountered in a day filled to the brim with nothing but unbelievable situations.
“Oooh! Oooh! I should introduce you to my best friends!” shouted Pinkie, grabbing me by the wrist and dragging me across the room. I struggled to keep pace, hopping across on one foot while Twilight followed, trying to get Pinkie to release me and slow down. We exited the room to the kitchen, and there I found only four girls, all sitting around chatting with each other.
Pinkie came to an abrupt stop and I found myself colliding into her back, dropping my cane again in the process, standing there balancing on one foot. The four girls ended their conversations abruptly, staring at me with varying degrees of confusion and amusement, Pinkie entirely oblivious to the fact that I was yet again missing my support. The cane floated back into my hand yet again, and I shot Twilight an appreciative look. She smiled at me, before returning her gave back to Pinkie.
Pinkie whirled around, nearly knocking me off balance again, but I somehow managed to catch myself. She paused, watching me flail around for a second, before giggling.
“You’re silly! Is that some sort of dance or something? Should I join?”
I groaned, hearing a few snickers from some of the girls.
“Oh, okay then.” she said, only slightly disappointed.
“These are my friends! Well, they aren’t all my friends, but they are my bestest best friends! This is Applejack!” she said, gesturing to a blond girl wearing a orange flannel shirt, blue jeans, cowboy boots, and a Stetson hat.
“Well howdy there, sugarcube. Ah’m Applejack, ah work the apple orchards on the western outskirts of town. Best apples this side of Canterlot!” she said, standing and walking over. She offered her hand, and I grasped it, surprised at her strong grip as she proceeded to nearly tear my arm off with a hearty shake.
“This here’s Rainbow Dash!” continued Pinkie.
The girl in question was leaning back in a chair, a relaxed expression on her face. She was wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt and a pair of shades, a backwards hat covering her long rainbow-colored hair. That wasn’t what really caught my attention, though.
Two blue wings extended from her back, folded up gently against her back. She was…. what was it that Twilight called them? Pegasus born, I think it was.
“…..’sup?” she said, giving me a slight nod. I nodded back.
“This one here is Rarity!” said Pinkie, moving to the next girl. She had purple hair, styled elaborately. She looked like a model almost, wearing an elaborate white dress that ended at the knees. She eyed me up and down, and for a moment I got the feeling I was being scrutinized under a magnifying glass. Finally, she nodded in approval.
“Why hello there darling.” she said in a posh accent. “My name is Rarity, I’m majoring in clothing and fashion design. I see you have a decent eye for clothing, though there’s certainly room for improvement. I’d be more than willing to help you there, if you ever feel the need for something more refined.”
“Err… thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”
“And last but not least, this is Fluttershy!”
The girl in question was again built like a model, though a bit more…busty…than the rest. She wore a yellow sweater and a long pink skirt that went down to her ankles. She seemed pretty timid, though, almost looking like she was hiding behind her long, pink hair. She mumbled something incoherent, and I looked at her in confusion, only causing her to hide even deeper in her hair, sinking lower into the chair she was sitting on. I noticed that she too had wings, though they were butter-yellow.
“She says it’s nice to meet you!” said Pinkie Pie, enveloping her in a tight hug. Fluttershy gave out a surprised squeak, clearly uncomfortable with physical contact.
“You’ve met Twilight already!” said Pinkie, and I looked back at Twilight. She smiled and waved again, and I nodded back at her.
“Together, we’re the Elements of Harmony!” stated Pinkie.
“The what now?” I asked, looking around the room. Everyone seemed just as baffled as me.
“Oh, that’s right, that’s a different story where we’re all ponies, isn’t it? Silly me, never mind!”
Everyone stared blankly at her for a moment before they all broke out into a collective sigh. I just stared on, entirely bewildered.
“Just ignore it.” mumbled Twilight from behind. “It’s just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie. You’ll get used to it eventually.”
I took her advice to heart. Hell, if the all-powerful magic casting girl isn’t going to dwell on it, neither should I.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
As the party wound down, I found myself feeling exhausted. Even then, however, I’d have to say that it really had been fun. I’d spent the first half of it socializing with the six girls I’d just met, but after a while I’d gone out and mingled with the other folks. To my surprise, Shining Armor was there along with a few of his students. They’d called me over and gotten me to play a round of darts with them, joking about how they felt like the Royal Guard with the uniforms they had to wear. Afterwords, I’d gone to talk to the DJ, discovering her name was Vinyl Scratch, and that she was another magic user. I’d also met a somewhat strange girl by the name of Lyra Heartstrings who claimed that there were magical talking ponies. She seemed to have some sort of strange fascination with hooves too, though she didn’t seem too bad once I started to get used to her.
Which was fortunate, because apparently this was her “dorm” as well. There was one other resident, a kind girl by the name of Bon Bon. She’d introduced herself after asking Lyra to go fetch some refreshments. Apparently, she was working at a candy store a few blocks down, training to learn the art of candy making. She was certainly far more down to earth than Lyra.
Pretty soon, the party came to an end, and the only ones left were Lyra, Bon Bon, Pinkie, and her friends. I’d offered to help clean up, but they all refused, saying it wouldn’t be right for me to clean up after my own party. I’d argued it a little with them, but they eventually got me to concede, saying I could help clean up after the next party. Having nothing left to do, I went to go check out my room.
It was in the far left corner of the house at the end of the hall, across from Lyra’s room. I was almost expecting something strange when I’d opened the door, given my track record for the day, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was perfectly normal, and even a little comfortable looking. It was fully furnished, a comfortable full-sized bed with a dark-blue comforter. Off to the side was a writing desk with a brand new laptop. There was also a walk-in closet, with what looked like a school uniform hanging clean and neatly pressed. It took a quick look and found that it was indeed my size.
So that’s why they’d asked my size on the application.
Nodding in approval, I set my duffel bag down, deciding that putting the few clothes I had away could wait until tomorrow. Pulling out my pajamas, I got changed and hobbled towards the bed.
I paused momentarily, seeing two white envelopes laying on the nightstand. Curious, I picked them up and opened them.
They were greeting cards, written by my new housemates, welcoming me.
Dear Kyle,
It’s a pleasure to meet you! I hope we can all get along while we attend school. I think we’ll all have fun together. Glad to meet you!
-Bon Bon
P.S. Lyra may be strange, but she’s a good girl.
All in all, a nice letter from a fairly nice girl. Let's see what the next one looks like, shall we?
Hey Kyle!
I’m glad to meet you! I think we’ll all have fun together! I’m really excited to have someone new to talk to, I hope you like ponies! And Hooves! I’ve got so much to talk about, I can’t wait! It’s great to meet you!
-Lyra Hearstrings
P.S. Bon Bon can be kind of strict at times, but she’s a good mare.
I smiled uncertainly, kind of unsure of whether the second letter I’d read was more charming or worrying. I decided on the former, a little too unnerved to ponder the possibilities of the latter.
A large yawn came to me, and I realized that I was on the verge of collapsing. Deciding it was high time I got some rest, I climbed into bed, drifting off into sleep.