//------------------------------// // Reunion // Story: My New Life In Equestria // by MaxBeezy //------------------------------// Five days have passed since the return, and subsequent demise of King Sombra. Five days since he kidnapped the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Five days since the one that saved them…was a mere human. Matthew Williams nearly gave his life for them, but the worst he got was a bevy of broken bones, and a bit of a coma. Canterlot is now in the process of being repaired, after the mad King’s attack on it, shattering the murals of painted glass in the throne room, damage to the towers, and psychiatric evaluations for those who fell under his power. Inside the medical ward of Canterlot Castle, Matt rests with a few bandages on him, an IV in his arm, and a heart rate monitor checking his pulse. For someone who was used as a human ragdoll, he seems surprisingly fine, all things considered. This is also the day where he finally wakes up. His opens his eyes slowly, coming from a deep sleep, brought upon by loads of medication to keep him comfortable. He yawns a wide yawn, and looks at the unfamiliar ceiling above him. He stares for a few moments, not sure where he is, or what is going on. He won’t have to wonder much longer, though. “Ah, you’re awake.” a gentle voice says. Matt turns his head to the right to see Princess Celestia, standing by his bed. He’s both surprised, and happy to see her. “Princess?” he says, “What are you doing here?” He looks around the room. “Where am I?” “You’re back in Canterlot. In the hospital wing, to be more precise. I’m here because I was told you would be awake today, and I wanted to come and see you.” “Today? Wha…how long was I out?” “About five days.” “Five days?!” his eyes widen, “I was out for five whole days?!” “Well, four days, twelve hours, and thirty two minutes, but who is counting?” Matt prepares to open his mouth, she stops him. “Rhetorical question, Matt.” He ceases his reply. “Besides, you weren’t alone.” she glances up past Matt. He turns his head to see Applejack, sleeping like a filly; using her hat like a pillow. Matt smiles upon seeing her. “She hardly left your side, while you were out.” “Why was I out? I felt fine when I was being carried to the hospital, aside from all the broken bones.” “Well, you DID pass out from all the pain you were in, once we put you on the gurney. Plus, we had to keep you medicated to fix your bones and cuts.” “Fix my…” Matt lifts his once broken arm up. He can move it, bend it, and twiddle his fingers. It was like it was never broken at all. “Incredible. How did…?” “Equestrian medicine…and a little bit of magic.” Celestia winks, “You didn’t think you would be laying here for weeks now, did you?” “Actually, I kind of did.” Matt chuckles. “How are the rest of them?” “They’re fine; barely a scratch on them. They’re more worried about you, than they are of themselves.” Matt sighs in relief, “You can tell them that I’ll be fine…eventually.” he chortles, “Hell of a wedding day…wasn’t it? Going to be quite a story to tell the kids…if we have any kids.” “Yeah…” Celestia flashes a knowing smile, but Matt does not see. “Which reminds me. I wanted to give these to you before the wedding, but I didn’t have enough time to finish them.” she floats up a box, revealing two diamond encrusted bracelets inside. “When you were out, however, that gave me the perfect opportunity to complete them.” “Bracelets?” Matt smirks with sarcasm, “You shouldn’t have.” He looks closer at the make of them. “They do look rather nice, though.” “They are specially made bracelets. Made for one purpose and one purpose only…” Celestia pauses for dramatic effect…”To send you back to your dimension.” Matt’s eyes widen with fear. The vision King Sombra gave him burns in his mind, the things he is most afraid of coming to pass. He breathes rapidly, backing up on the bed in a panic. “No…NO!” he shouts, “Don’t send me back, please! I don’t want to leave!” Celestia watches as this brave human is rapidly reduced to a scared mess. She hurriedly puts a calming hoof on his chest. “Hey..hey…” she says gently, “That was not my intention. They are not meant to take you there permanently. I know that you feel your place is here. Relax…” A few moments of calm pass, Matt has regressed from his panicked state, and back into who he once was. He sighs in relief, but a look of sadness is adorned on his face. “I’m sorry…” he says softly, “Sombra…he showed me a vision of you sending me back; telling me that I was of no use to anypony anymore.” “It was just a vision. Nothing more.” “No matter what I told myself, it felt so real. Applejack and the others shunned me, and you loomed over me, prepared to send me back without a second thought.” “That was a taste of Sombra’s power; to use one’s fear against them. Once he had them, he could use them as his slave, or to kill them. But, he’s gone now. You are safe.” He nods, shaking away his thoughts and fears, knowing that they will never be. He shows a small smile, looking up at Celestia. “I thought inter-dimensional travel was forbidden. That you were afraid of us being trapped in some dangerous dimension.” “You are forgetting one thing, Matt.” she leans down with a smile, “I’m an alicorn, I can do what I want.” she chuckles, so does he. “I spent a long time making these bracelets be precise in their destination. All you have to do is say where you want to go, and you’ll be there. I made them for both you and Applejack.” Matt takes the box away from her, placing it onto his lap. ”Thank you, Princess.” he says, “But…why?” “Your letter.” she responds, “You made mention of your parents. How you missed them dearly, hoping to find a way to let them know that you were alright. Since I read that, I studied to find a way to make that hope possible.” “This…” Matt tears up at her kindness, “This is more than I ever could have wanted. But…Applejack…do you think that they would understand?” “I thought about that. Discovering that you are married to a different being of your species would be quite a shock to them. That’s why her bracelet has a special spell on it; one that will give her a disguise. Once you are there, she will appear to be human.” “You thought of everything, didn’t you, Princess?” “I’m the Ruler of Equestria, I cannot afford to not think of everything.” she winks. “Then…can I ask you something, Celestia?” “Of course. You can ask me anything you want.” "The Elements of Harmony.” he sees her pause, seemingly knowing what he wants to ask. “Why did they work for me? Last time I checked, I’m not a pony.” “Who said the Elements had to work, if you were a pony?” she smirked, “You represented everything that they stood for. Generosity, Kindness, Honesty, Loyalty, Laughter…” “But not magic.” “No. Not magic. There’s a seventh element. One that cannot be made into a jewel, or a crown. It was the element that Shining Armor and Cadance used to banish Queen Chrysalis that day when she tried to take over Canterlot. The element…is of love.” Matt’s heart flutters at the word. “Your love for them, specifically your love of Applejack, was so strong, that the elements…compensated for the absence of magic. It was love that guided you to them; what gave you your strength. I’m also going to say that it was love that saved you from death; if not that, your body’s stubbornness on staying alive.” she snickers. “That’s what helped you, that’s what saved you.” “Wow…” Matt is awed, “That…is surprisingly cheesy…” he smiles, “…but in a good way.” “You take care, Matt. I’m sure that we will see each other again.” Celestia backs away to go to the door. Matt holds out a hand. “Wait.” he sees her stop. “So you and Chrysalis…” he says slyly, “I have to say…I didn’t think you were into that.” “What can I say? She’s a very charming for an evil Queen.” “Must have been quite a shock, when you found out about her.” “It was. But we…dealt with it.” “How did you do that?” “I’ll write you a letter about it…then tell you to burn it.” she says with a hint of sarcasm and a wink. Matt knew what she was referring to. That letter wasn’t going to come; he was only going to have to imagine what had happened between them. Celestia waved his goodbye, leaving him alone…but not entirely. The sleeping Applejack is still present in the room. Matt looks over, finally getting a good look at her. He notices a couple small bandages on her coat, from the cuts she sustained when escaping from Sombra’s clutches. That’s in the past now, she is safe, and Matt is happy. He looks back up at the unfamiliar ceiling, holding onto the box that she gave to him. “I’d thought she'd never leave.” Applejack’s voice suddenly calls out. Matt quickly turns, and is instantly greeted by a loving kiss. It’s been a long time for her since she had intimate contact with Matt, and she was going to make the most of it. It’s a long, drawn out, and passionate kiss that could go on forever, if they saw fit. Like all good things, it must come to an end. “You weren’t sleeping?” Matt asks her, “Why didn’t you say anything?” “I wanted you all to myself.” she looks down at the box in his hands, “So, those things can turn me into a human, huh?” “Only when you’re over there. Good thing too, I’m not sure if the government is still after me.” he half jokes, remembering the merry chase he had with the police back in New York. “Are you excited to see what ah look like as one of you?” “I admit, the thought is intriguing.” he puts a hand on her cheek, “But it’s who you really are, that I’m in love with.” “Geez. And ya say what Celestia said was cheesy.” “You like it. Don’t lie.” he grins. “I don’t like it. I love it.” She goes in for another kiss. “Let me move these things out of the way.” she grabs onto the box, placing it onto the table by the bed. “Now, where was I?” she gets on top of the very surprised Matt. “Woah! In a hospital?!” he says, “A little strange, don’t you think?” “The doctor is in, Mr. Williams. It’s time for your medicine.” “Okay, what did we say about cheesy lines?” Applejack gives him a seductive look, he sighs; not able to argue with her when she looks like that. “Aw, to hell with it.” He brings her down for another romantic kiss. The next day, Matt was out of the hospital first thing in the morning. Together, with Applejack, they went home, to plan out their journey to his dimension. They packed the appropriate clothing, all the essentials one would need for the other side. They even packed some extra clothes, just in case Applejack’s human form would come out the other side naked. Though both of them prayed that would not be the case. Actually, in Matt’s case, he half prayed. Twilight and the other ponies were excited when they heard about their plans, getting them gifts, pictures of their time with one another, and tasty treats. Even though they were only going to be gone for a couple days, they were being treated like they were never going to come back. Most of all, though, Matt thought about what he was going to say to his parents when he saw them again. He is not the man that they saw before he abruptly left them all those months back. Where he lives now, he is regarded as a hero, and is in love (and a physical relationship) with a creature not of his kind. Should he tell them that they are planned to be married, or should he regard her only as a friend? He thinks about those two options; on one hand, they could freak out, but on the other, it wouldn’t be fair to Applejack if he hid what was really going on between the two of them. He decided with option one. They were going to find out sooner or later, might as well be sooner. Eventually, the day came where they decided to go. No fanfare, no goodbyes. The two decided to not treat their journey like some big event. Besides, they were going to come back soon after anyway. Matt slips the bracelet onto her hoof, and the other on his wrist. They look at each other, ready to go where every man is at right now. The two nod with certainty, as Matt says one word. “Home.” A flash of light. The light dissipates. They are still in the house. Applejack and Matt laugh out loud at that little detour. “I guess I have to be more specific.” “Can’t hurt.” He breathes in slowly, and exhales. “Los Angeles. California.” A flash of light. As the light dissipates, Matt can hear the sounds of traffic on the city streets of LA. People talking, the air smelling like cigarette smoke and pollution, and no one caring that two people just appeared out of thin air on the sidewalk. Yep, this was his world alright. “Matt?” he hears Applejack. “I feel funny.” He looks at her as the light clears from his eyes. Standing before him, is Applejack, but completely human. Her hair remains the same color as her Mane was, the freckles still present on her cheeks, her body fit and athletic, and her eyes still green. Though human, Matt could still see the Applejack that he knows and loves. Best of all, she’s fully clothed, wearing a red and white checkered buttoned shirt, jeans, boots, and of course her signature hat, only made to fit her smaller head. Celestia really did think of everything. “Be honest. How do I look?” It’s been a long time since Matt had seen a human woman; he’d almost forgotten what they looked like. Upon seeing Applejack however, it all came back to him. A smile adorns his face. “You look beautiful.” He sees her smile. “I mean…I still prefer how you normally look, but if you stayed like this, I wouldn’t be too annoyed, or argumentative.” “Really?” Applejack looks to see a window not too far from them. She walks over to the window. Moving on two legs is a concept new to her, so she more or less hobbled over, hoping that she wouldn't fall over on each step. When she arrives at her goal, she looks carefully at her reflection, touching her cheeks, admiring her features. She is delicate at the touch, slowly moving her fingers around, getting used to the feeling of having these new appendages. “Wow, so this is what a human woman looks like? Not bad.” Her eyes travel downwards to her chest, confused at the appearance of two mysterious mounds located there. “What in tarnation?” she grabs one; it’s soft and fleshy. “What are these things?” she touches the other one. Now, the sight of two people appearing out of nowhere doesn’t concern the people of earth, but a woman fondling her own breasts…is a different matter entirely. She feels compelled to take off her shirt to get a better look, but Matt finally jumps in to stop her. “No!” he shouted, grabbing her. “That’s not exactly appropriate to do around here.” “What are these things on mah chest?” “They’re called breasts. They’re used for…various things.” he blushes, “Most importantly, to produce milk when they are with child.” “Ah, I see.” she looks down, “Matt…you’re holding on to them.” “What?” he looks down, completely unaware that when he grabbed her, he grabbed her breasts. Immediately, he steps back, letting go. “Oh my god! I did not know I was doing that!” “Don’t worry about it.” Applejack giggles. The two look at their surroundings, getting a better look at where they are. Matt knows that they are in the middle of Los Angeles, standing close to the Capitol Records building. Applejack is astounded at the view, looking at all the other humans that are walking their way. One individual, tall and muscle bound, looking like he wouldn't be out of place on a reality show about stupid partygoers, walks up behind her, with a devious smile. "Hey cowgirl." he says in a deep voice. Applejack turns to see him. She is a little caught off guard by his muscles, stepping back to Matt, who gets in front of her. "Matt? What is that thing?" she whispers. "That is the elusive Roid Monster." he whispers back with a snicker. "Hey. Your girl is awful pretty. Looks like more than you can handle." "Excuse me?" Matt asks, "I can handle her just fine." "Come on, baby." the idiot gestures her to come to him, "Let me show you want a real man can do." Matt looks over at Applejack, with a look that screams 'this guy serious?' "You want me to handle this, AJ?" "Nah, I got it." She steps out from behind Matt, walking to the man with a friendly smile. "Yeah..." the guy says, "...that's what I'm talking about." WHAM! Applejack delivers a swift kick to the guy's nuts. He goes down like he's nothing, whimpering, holding his precious family jewels. He runs away like the coward he is. “So, where exactly are your parents?” Applejack asks him nonchalantly, like the events never happened. Matt takes her by the hand. “They’re not too far away. Come with me.” He picks up their suitcase, and hails a cab. “I sure hope Celestia managed to produce money.” She did. Whatever bits they brought with them, transformed into actual cash. He tells the driver where to go, and they are on their way. Within half an hour, the cab dropped them off in the middle of a suburban neighborhood. A definite contrast to the busy streets of Los Angeles. Matt pays the driver, and he and Applejack step out of the cab with their briefcase. Before them is an attractive two story house, painted red like a barn, and a beautiful flower garden on by the windows. Applejack is impressed by the look of the house, finding it having a more than passing resemblance to the house they left in Equestria. She then looks over at the visibly shaken Matt, concerned. “What’s wrong?” “It’s been awhile since I’ve seen them. I really hope they don’t have a heart attack.” “Are you scared?” “Let me put it this way…I had an easier time fighting the giant smoke monster, compared to taking one more step towards that house.” For the first time, she holds his hand with her own. The touch soothes him, as he looks into her loving green eyes and gentle smile. “I’ll be with you every step of the way.” “You promise?” “Cross mah heart…hope to fly.” The Pinkie Pie promise returns the smile to his face. Together, they walk towards the steps, going up the porch, and to the door. Matt hesitates for a few moments, before throwing caution to the wind, and knocking three times. The instant familiar sound of a dog barking enters his ears, and Applejack clutches his arm. “You didn’t tell me ya had a dog.” she says, shaken by the dog's barking. She has her little dog Winona back home, but this beast sounds big. “Don’t worry about her. She talks a big game, but when she sees you, she’s a big lug.” The door opens, and the dog comes out, immediately stopping its threatening nature, and becoming a lovable mutt; sniffing Applejack's leg, and wanting to be pat on the head. Soon after, Matt’s Mom comes out, standing before them with a smile. Before she could say a word, she looks into the eyes of her son. He gives her a smirk, yet with a look of sadness. A tear forms from his eye, dropping from his face, as she continues to look at him, all the memories returning. Matt thought he was prepared for this, but he was anything but. “Hi, Mom.” His Mom inches out the door to him, extending a hand out. She taps him on the shoulder, refusing to believe that he is actually standing there. “Matt?” she asks, “Is that…” “It’s me, Mom. I’m home.” Suddenly, tears pour from his mother’s eyes, as she gives her son a mighty hug, tightening like a death grip, as she cries in happiness. “Matt! I can’t believe it’s you!” she separates from the hug; he is able to catch his breath. “Oh my goodness, you’ve changed. What happened to that little belly you had?” “I worked out.” he chuckles, “I’m a full time vegetarian now.” “Honey!” Mom calls into the house, “Matt’s here!” A series of things falling and stomping, are heard inside, as Matt’s father comes barreling in. His eyes widen, as he stomps to his son. Neither Applejack, not Matt are sure what is going to happen next. Suddenly, his Dad grabs Matt into another death hug. “Where on Earth have you been?!” he shouts. “We were worried sick!” he lets Matt go, “First, you were with a bunch of talking ponies, and then nothing! Nearly a year, without a word from you?! No phone calls, no letters?! We had the police looking for you! We thought…” he tears up, “We thought…” “I know, Dad.” he puts a hand on his shoulder, “I’m sorry for leaving you two for so long. But, I’m here now. I’m okay. Actually, I’m more than okay. I’ve never been happier in all my life.” Mom and Dad look over to see Applejack looking at them with a smile. The two compose themselves, trying to shake off the fact that they have been shouting and crying. “I-I’m sorry.” Dad says, reach out a hand for a shake. “I’m Matt’s Father. It’s nice to meet you, young lady.” “Likewise…” she shakes his hand, “I’m Applejack.” Both Mom and Dad raise their eyebrows at the oddity of the name. “That’s an interesting name.” Mom says, “Are you named after something?” “Not that I’m aware of. Just the name that was given to me, Ma’am.” She chuckles. “Mom…Dad…” he wraps an arm around Applejack’s shoulder. “This is my wife.” A pause. Neither party knowing what to say next. Open mouths, and halfhearted noises emanate from them. “Is that why you were gone for so long? Because you got married?” “Um…it’s a little more complicated than that.” Hours have passed. Everyone sits inside the house, in the living room. Matt and Applejack has just finished the story about what had happened during the near year that he'd been gone. The teleportation, what Applejack really is, the near death experiences, the laughs, the heartaches, everything. Mom and Dad simply sat there, watching their son and his bride tell the story, never interrupting, never questioning. They looked at their son; they know when he lies, but there was none of it in the story that he was weaving. Everything that came out of his mouth was the absolute truth, and neither Mom nor Dad knew what to say to that. Once they were finished, another pause echoes through the room and the halls. Dad was the first to speak. “So…” he clears his throat, “You’re saying that you accidentally fell into those ponies’ dimension, and have been living with them all this time?” “Yeah.” “And that SHE…” he points to Applejack, “...is one of the ones that came here before, and now you two are married?” “Well, we’re not married yet, Mr. Williams.” Applejack says, “But we’re plannin’ on it very soon.” “I see.” he looks at his Wife, then back at their son. “So…when you’re over there…are you a pony?” “Nope, just a plain ol’ human.” “And you’re the only human in this…Equestria?” “That’s what I’ve been saying.” “So…essentially…you’re marrying something of a different species.” “Yes.” Matt says with confidence, the nervousness plaguing him earlier being stripped away. He watches his parents pause again, whispering to each other about their next move. They separate, and look back at them. “Do you…” Mom says, “…have a picture of what Applejack looks like in her world?” “Yeah, I think we do.” Matt reaches into his pocket, pulling out his wallet. He flips through the photos, before finding a picture of himself and the ponied Applejack hugging at a rodeo, after a big win in the bull riding competition. “Here.” he hands the picture over to them. The two parents look at the picture, making glances at the human Applejack, then back at her true form. It is a constant back and forth between the two, before finally looking at one another in agreement, and giving the picture back to Matt. “Yeah…” Dad says, “We can see that.” “See what?” “Why you’re marrying her.” “You’re really pretty.” Mom says, smiling. "Your true self...but how you look now is nice, too." “Thank you, Mrs. Williams.” Applejack is happy to hear this. “So…have you two…gotten intimate?” “Dad!” Matt blushes, “We don’t need to talk about that.” “What? It’s an honest question. There’s no law in wondering about certain things, is there? How about it?” Matt looks at Applejack. She gives him the okay to divulge on the information in question. He looks down, mumbling “Yes.” “So, what’s it like?” “Okay! I’m not talking about that.” Matt shouts. Everyone laughs; Dad wasn’t really serious. The tension broken, Applejack, Matt, and his parents proceed to talk about other things; playing catch up in their lives. Matt’s parents had to deal with a swarm of press and police, during the time when Matt was gone, questioning them about their son’s whereabouts, along with queries about his relationship with the ponies. Matt would tell him about the mishaps he had gotten himself into during his time in Equestria; about how he would always get hurt, and that he tried to repair a house all by himself, and having to get help when he realized he wasn’t doing a great job. Best of all, he would tell them about Applejack, and how much she means to him, holding onto her hand as he sang her praises, and vice versa. The two would look at one another with all smiles, and his parents could see the love in their eyes. Even though they knew what she really is, it did not bother them, as long as their son was happy. They talked all the way into the middle of the night, the time flying by in the blink of an eye. Matt’s parents were getting sleepy, and so were they. They lead Applejack and Matt to his old room, which they left intact, should he ever come by for the holidays or any other visits. Applejack walked in, and looked around the room. Posters of films that she never heard of, like Star Wars and Avatar, adorn the blue walls of his room. His bed big enough to hold the both of them, with a television at the far end. “We got your stuff back from your apartment. Didn’t want it being taken away. Your video games and movie collection are back where you had it before.” Mom says. "We also got this." She holds up a box. One labled 'Don't Touch.' It's Matt's box of money. He looks at it with a hint of shock that it hadn't been stolen after all this time. Then, his face changes to a smile. “Thanks.” Matt nods, "Keep the money. I'm doing fine where I am." Mom smiles as she brings the box back to her side. The four stand face to face in the room. Mom elbows Dad, gesturing that they should leave the two alone for some privacy. He takes the hint, and the two begin to leave. “Goodnight, Son.” Dad says, with Mom looking on. “Goodnight, Applejack.” The two wave them goodbye, and they close the door, leaving them alone in the room. Applejack sits down on the bed. It’s a nice and soft cushion, making her bounce around a little bit, having a bit of fun. Matt chortles as he sits down next to her. “As you can see…” he says with a grin, “I’m kind of a nerd, back here.” “Oh no, whatever shall I do?” Applejack sarcastically quips, “Ya think ah didn’t know that already?” “Oh, I’m sure you knew. But, now you know just HOW nerdy I am.” “What in the hay is that Avatar picture up there on the wall?” “It’s a movie.” “What’s it about?” “It’s about a guy who goes onto a distant planet, inhabited by these incredible creatures. Using some technological stuff, he’s able to fit in with them, and…fall in love with the princess of the aliens.” “Oh…so…it’s kinda like Dances with Timberwolves?” “Don’t hate. Okay, yeah; it’s a little bit like that, but it’s pretty cool nonetheless.” “Can we watch it?” “I don’t know. It like three hours.” “Like that’s going to stop me.” Matt gets up from the bed, and sets the movie up for her. His parents were right, they left everything the way that it was, before he moved to New York those many years ago. Finding what he was looking for was easier than riding a bike after being away from it for so long. The two lay on the bed, as Matt presses play, the movie coming on as soon as they begin to relax. He gives Applejack a pair of noise cancelling headphones, giving her the full sound experience. He has one of his own too. Applejack loved watching movies at a high volume, finding the full stereo sequence one of the best things about going to the theater. Matt found that out the hard way, when they went to Applewood one time to catch the midnight showing of Transformares: Dark Mare of The Moon. The theater was blazing loud, and Applejack loved every minute of it. For three hours, the two sat in silence watching the movie. Matt has seen the film more times than he could count, he practically knows it by heart. Applejack on the other hand, stares in awe at the visual effects. “Ah thought ya didn’t have any creatures on your world. Those are obviously real!” “Nope. All fake.” “Sweet Celestia!” She laughed at the funny parts, and even teared up at some of the more emotional moments of the movie. But, she also saw something else. She saw there was a similarity between Matt and the movie. He was also a human, sent to a faraway world, eventually fitting in, falling in love with a native, and saving the world at nearly the cost of his own life. She picked up on it about halfway through. Matt discovered that as the film was playing too, causing him to smile. Applejack would look up to him from time to time, noticing that constant smile he had on his face; she smiled too. When the film ended, and Matt turned off the television, Applejack immediately kissed him. It was the first time he’d ever really kissed a human woman before, even if this human isn’t human at all. “How was that?” she asks him. “It was…” he studies the kiss, “…different. Not in a bad way. I’m just so used to that muzzle being there.” He taps her nose. She giggles. “Looks like I’m gonna try a little harder.” she moves on top of him, straddling his lap, as she delivers another deep kiss. “Better?” “You’re getting there.” They get a little rougher, their kisses more passionate, but then he stops her, moments before she takes off her shirt. “Wait…I don’t think this is a good idea.” “Why not? Don't ya want to?” "It's not that I don't want to, but it would be weird if we…did it…while they slept in the next room.” “You have a point there.” “Hey, on any other night. I would totally go for it.” She sighs, laying back down next to him. Matt looks over at the clock, noticing that it is three in the morning. “We should get some sleep.” he says. “Okay.” she says with disappointment in her voice. “What’s the matter?” “Ah wanted to know what it was like. In this body…” “We have all the time in world to find out, Applejack.” She holds on to him, resting her head on his chest. “When would you like to get married again?” she asks, “The last time didn’t exactly go all that well.” “Anytime, anywhere.” he responds. “When we come back. The exact moment. We get everypony together, and get married right there and then.” “That sounds fantastic.” he turns to her, “Okay. When we go back, we’ll be married. But, if another smoke monster comes out again, I swear.” They chortle, cuddling together for the night. The next morning, Matt comes down stairs. He walks into the kitchen to find his dad, reading the morning paper and eating a bowl of cereal. It’s a familiar sight. “You still get up early?” “Of course I do. Once that paper hits the driveway, I’m up and about like that.” He snaps his fingers. Matt grabs an apple, sitting down across from his pops. “Where’s Applejack?” “Still sleeping. We watched Avatar last night, so we slept in late.” “I see.” he puts down the paper, “I was hoping that we would have some alone time, so now that you’re here, I’d like to talk to you about your…wife.” “Dad…” Matt says with a grimace. “What?” “I know what you’re going to say.” “What am I going to say?” “”That what we’re doing is wrong, and that I should end the relationship.” “What? No! I wasn’t going to say that at all. I think it’s great that you found someone, even if she does walk on four legs, and is from a different dimension…” “Dad…” “I’m happy for you; is all I’m trying to say. Besides, even I can admit that she’s pretty cute.” “It’s the eyes?” “Yeah, definitely the eyes.” The two smile. “The reason why I wanted to talk about her, is that I was wondering…” he looks around, getting closer for a whisper, “Can she have children?” “I was told no.” “Ah, so you haven’t been using…protection?” “No!” he covers his ears, “Jesus, Dad. You know how I get when you talk about this stuff!” “I don’t see how it’s weird for you, when you’ve already done it.” “I just don’t like to talk about it.” He thinks to himself, “Unless I’m writing to the Princess apparently.” “What about when she’s like…that?” he glances up to the ceiling, referring to her human form. “Can she get pregnant that way?” “I don’t know. We haven’t tried it yet.” “Right. You didn’t want to do it, with us in the next room.” “You heard?!” “The walls are like paper thin, of course I heard.” He responds. Matt puts his head down in embarrassment. “Don’t be too hard on yourself, Son. We all make mistakes.” “No kidding.” Dad goes back to reading his paper. “Happy Birthday, by the way.” “It’s my birthday?” “Yeah. Twenty five, and getting married. That’s quite an accomplishment.” “Thanks Dad.” Dad looks closer at the paper. “Huh. Two for one sale at Best Buy.” “I’m going to go wake up AJ.” “Okay. Hey, Matt?” “Yeah, Dad?” “I am glad that you’re back.” “I know you are.” Matt smirks. Matt walks up the stairs, past Mom, greeting her a good morning, which she replies with another death hug, happy that she is able to see her son again. He smiles it off, and goes to his room. He knocks on the door. “AJ? You up?” “Yeah.” she says from the other side, “Come in.” Matt opens the door to see something he did not expect. Applejack…standing in front of a mirror…naked. His jaw almost drops. She turns to him, revealing her total nudeness to him. As if on a reflex, he covers his eyes. “I didn’t see anything!” Matt lies, “I swear!” “Matt, it’s not like we’re strangers. You don’t need to cover your eyes.” “Yeah, but…” “Matt.” Applejack says sternly, “It’s okay.” Before he looks at her, he quickly shuts the door. Gathering his courage, he turns to face the incredibly bare Applejack. She looks up and down, nervous about how he feels about her human body. It’s the first time he’s ever gotten this much of a look at it. Needless to say, he likes what he sees. The thing is…he’s never seen a fully naked woman before…in person anyway. What interested him the most, was not just how she looked, but that her cutie mark remained present on her rear, like some kind of tattoo. “Well?” she wonders, “What do ya think?” “Do you really want me to answer that question?” he says with an eyebrow raised. “You hate it. I knew you would.” she picks up her shirt, ready to get clothed. “No, no! I didn’t mean it like that.” he goes to her, taking her hands, holding them gently. “I like it…I mean…I REALLY like it. I’m just surprised that you’re standing here…in my room…totally naked.” “Ah take it you never had a woman here before.” she says with a foxy tone, putting a hand on his shoulder. “I’m glad to be your first…” “And only one.” he completes. The two lean in for a kiss… The door opens, his Mom on the other side. “Matt…” she calls out, “Your fath…” she pauses. Matt quickly turns, covering Applejack’s nude body with his; outstretching his arms so that his mother cannot see what’s on the other side. “Mom!” Matt yells. “Sorry, I should have knocked. Your Father and I are going out, would you two like to come with us?” “Ummm…”he glances at Applejack, “Not right now. We’re still getting a little…accustomed to our surroundings. You two go on ahead. We’ll hang out with you guys when you come home.” “Are you sure?” “Yeah. Definitely sure. You two have fun, okay?” “Okay. Love you.” “Love you too, Mom.” His Mother closes the door. Matt rushes to the knob, locking it to prevent others from barging in. Within moments, he hears the sounds of keys jingling, and doors opening. Looking out the window, he sees his parents walking to the car, getting inside. Mom looks up at him, waving. He waves back, before watching her disappear into the car. They drive off. Matt sighs, looking back at Applejack, with a look that he has always given her when he is…ready. No interruptions, no one to hear from behind the walls; only they are in the house, able to do WHATEVER they wanted. She smirks with slyness. “Bed?” she asks. “Oh yeah…totally bed.” Matt and Applejack were true to their word. For the next couple of days, they hung out with them. Going to places like the mall, a nice restaurant, even the movies. After the night she watched her first human movie, she was curious to see what the others were like. To her surprise, there was a human version of Transformares. To Matt’s surprise, they weren’t that different from the pony versions back in Equestria. It’s like the director did both films at the same time. The two made a point to bring along Matt’s film collection back to their home in Ponyville. Mom and Dad came to adore Applejack. She was a bright, funny, and strong young woman in their eyes. While they had one or two reservations about her, they accepted her into the family, pony or not. They were even interested in meeting her friends, even though Matt and Applejack were adamant that it would take a long time, before they would see the others on their world. Mom and Dad brought them along on a trip to a horse ranch, where Applejack came into first contact with the horses of Matt’s world. She walked up to them, reaching out a hand to shake the horses hoof. “Howdy there, partner! Mah name is Applejack.” The Horse keeps on eating his hay. “Not much of a talker, eh? Well, I don’t blame ya. I’m from Equestria. It’s very nice. How do you like it here?” No response. “Hey now, are you just ignorin’ me? That’s a little rude.” She moves away from the horse, walking back to Matt. “You’re right. They are a little thick in the head. And nowhere near as pretty.” “Awww! Look at the cute pony!” A little girl shouts, catching Applejack’s attention. She sees the girl pointing at a small pony in the stables, standing there, eating a pile of hay. The girl is ecstatic to see such a creature. Applejack is annoyed. “That’s not cute! That’s just a big dumb animal!” she says, “That girl wouldn’t know cute, if it came and bit her in the rump!” Matt takes her aside, trying not to crack up hysterically. “Calm down, AJ.” “Please don’t tell me you thought of us like that thing, when you first met us.” “I didn’t. I believe my first thought was ‘holy shit! A talking pony!’” “Yeah yeah, okay, smart ass.” Applejack snickers, “This is by far, my least favorite place in your world.” “Wanna go to the movies again?’ “Oh yeah, now we’re talkin’!” Soon, the day had arrived, when Matt and AJ had to leave. Mom and Dad were sad to see him go once again out of their lives. He assured them that he would come back for holidays, like thanksgiving and Christmas, to which they demanded that he kept to his word. He had no intention of breaking his promises to them. Like the two planned, they took Matt’s collection of films, borrowing one of Dad’s massive suitcases to fit it all in. After yet another tearful goodbye, with most of the tears coming from Matt’s mom, Matt and Applejack were ready to return to their true home. He gives Applejack the honors. “Home.” she says quietly. A big flash of light once again envelops them. Within seconds, the light disappears, and they are standing back in their house, finally back home. Matt looks down at Applejack, seeing her back in her pony form. He looks at her like an old friend has returned to his life. Though he liked the way she looked as a human, nothing can compare to the original model. He kneels down, and gives her a big hug, welcoming the sight of her. She is more than appreciative of the gesture, returning with one of her own. “Okay, we’re back.” Matt says, “You want to get married for real, this time?” “Definitely.”