It’s been around a month sense I arrived in equestria. I'm growing more and more intrigued in this world every day that I spend here...
The interesting events of the week started two days after I wrote my second journal entry.
"I've found it!" Judith shouted while bursting through the door to the Commons room.
"Found what exactly?" I asked, annoyed that she interrupted my reading.
"The second mask, of course!" Judith started, "It's hidden in the master bedroom in the abandoned mansion, you know, the one just northwest of here," I had been exploring in and around the forest ever since I arrived at the castle, so I knew what she was talking about.
I nodded and smiled, "You're brilliant, you know that?" She blushed at my compliment. Wait, how do dragons blush through their scales? Expelling the question from my mind, I got up from the chair I was sitting on and stretched, "I guess I'll get going then!"
I ran to my room and quickly got my archery equipment and my mask pouch, which is basically a cloth pouch with a cover that I can clip on to my pants. Then I ran down to the armory and got a short sword with a scabbard, which I strapped to my back. I got to the front gate before being stopped by Lea.
"Be safe, many dangers lurk in the Everfree," he said.
"I know," I started, "but you forget I go in there almost every day."
Lea chuckled, "I haven't forgotten, but being cautious never hurt anybody."
I started walking away, “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine!”
It took about an hour to get to the mansion. When I did, I took in the sights. The mansion was overgrown and it was cracked all over the place. In all honesty, it looked like the forest temple from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Huh, I thought, two things from this world that remind me of Zelda. I started smiling at how much it fit the situation; nostalgia was starting to kick in.
As long as I can remember I've loved the Zelda series. I loved the puzzles, the action, and the adventure, but the music took the cake for me though. After reflecting on my past experiences with the franchise, I entered the building.
My trek through the mansion went uninterrupted. I searched the house until finally made my way to the master bedroom. When I entered, the odor of rotting wood and moss reached my nostrils.
The room looked like it belonged to a noble, if all the wood hadn't decayed and moss grown everywhere. A bed was next to the wall on my left, just under a window. A dresser with a broken mirror on top lay on the opposite wall from the bed. Lastly, a closet was in the wall farthest from me.
I started my search, checking everywhere. I looked under the bed, in the dresser, under the dresser, behind the dresser, behind the bed, and in the bed.
Then I came to the closet. Tugging on the handle, I found that it was locked. Oh well... Looks like its demolition time! I drew my sword and took aim at the locking mechanism. Then I swung it down with all my might. Luckily, it broke the lock on the first swing since the wood had rotted over.
I smiled as I opened the closet. Inside, I found a small chest with a lock on it as well. Damn, stupid locks. After breaking the second lock, I opened the chest.
Inside the chest was the mask. I inspected it for any damage. "No physical damage, but what the hell is this?" I said to myself.
The mask was covered with light gray fur, two big blue eyes, big ears sticking up, and had a muzzle. It looked like something from a cartoon.
Well whatever. It’s time to go home! I thought. I made my way out of the mansion and out into the forest.
About half way back to the castle, I started to feel like I was being followed.
*SNAP*
It sounded like a gunshot to me, even though it was only a twig snapping. I whipped around, my bow at the ready. I faced the bush where the sound came from.
"GRRRRRRRR"
A wolf stepped out of the bushes, glaring and growling menacingly at me. Damn! So much for this being easy. Two more appeared behind me. I was surrounded. Oh, fuck my life... I quickly drew my bow and loaded an arrow on to it.
The one to my right lunged. I rolled to the left, dodging and firing an arrow into its head. I quickly reloaded my bow. One down, two to go.
I turned to the other two as they started advancing. I took a few steps back, but my back hit a tree. What?!
I reached for my sword, only to grasp air. I looked around to find the weapon behind the wolves. Damn! I must have dropped it when I dodged that wolf's attack!
In panic, I implanted an arrow into one of their skulls, leaving myself completely open. No, I don't want to die like this!
The final wolf pounced.
Duck and roll!
Time seemed to slow down and my body moved on its own. Ducking down just in time to dodge the wolf's attack, before rolling forward and turning around to see the wolf recovering from its encounter with the tree. I reloaded and fired before it could launch another attack. The wolf dropped to the forest floor, dead.
I exhaled deeply from my dance with death as I thought about what just happened. What was that voice? It sounded... feminine. Am I finally going insane?
I became frustrated; getting more questions than answers is rather annoying. Saving said questions for later, I retrieved my arrows and sword and left the forest.
"Did you find it?" Was the first thing I heard when I opened the door to the Commons room.
"Yea, I found it, but I have no idea what it is," I said, tossing Judith the mask. "Where’s Lea? I thought he would've wanted to see this," I asked confused.
"Well he... um, h-he went to see if the rest of the family is okay," she answered, with a little hesitation in her voice. I knew she was hiding something, probably something to do with their father, but I didn't care. It was their business, not mine. If they wanted my help, they would ask for it.
"Okay then, back to the topic at hand," I started. "What is that?" Judith fiddled with the mask, looking it over from various angles, and I started pacing.
"It looks like a... pony. Yes, a pony without a doubt." The all knowing Judith said. I became frustrated for a second time.
“A pony?” I said “What the hell am I going to...” Then an idea hit me. “Hey, didn't you say that ponies were civilized?" I asked.
"Yes, I did. Why?"
"Didn't you also say that there's a pony settlement nearby?"
"Yes, I did, but I don't see where..." She blinked at me as I grinned at her."You want to go to the pony town, as a pony?! You're insane! What if you get caught?! What if they experiment on you?! What if..." I put my hand on her shoulder.
"What if everything goes perfectly?" I asked.
"We don't have any bits though! How are we going to buy anything?!"
"Simple, I'll just sell something like, ahhhh— this!" I said, going over to the shelves and pulling out a book. "Didn't you say that some of these books are incredibly rare? They'll sell for a lot to the right peo— I mean ponies," I said. Judith then found that the floor was much more interesting. "Don't worry, I promise you that I'll be fine."
She looked up to me with tears in her eyes, and then hugged me. Judith and I, despite our age difference, we had become very good friends. "If you get yourself killed, I'm coming down to the underworld and kicking your ass..."
...and that's why. You see, we both can get rather dark because we understand that the world isn't all sunshine and rainbows. We understand just fine that people die. For example, she lost her mother to sickness five years ago. As for me... Well, I'd rather not talk about it.
"I didn't interrupt anything, did I?" The hug ended when Lea spoke up, scaring the shit out of us.
"GAH/WHAT THE HELL!" Judith and I exclaimed.
Lea was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and a shit eating on his face. "Judith," Lea started, "I didn't know you liked Dalton in that way."
"I do not like him like that!"Judith protested while her cheeks turned red. I just backed away and let them argue it out.
Here's some advice for whoever reads this, never get caught in a sibling argument, it can get ugly pretty fast. I remember some arguments I got into with my brother... I miss him. It’s been 7 years. I don't want to think about it.
Anyway, after the pair stopped arguing, we got down to business. I explained what he missed.
"So," Lea started, "a pony mask?"
"Yep." I said, "A pony mask."
"...and you're just going to waltz in there as a pony? No backup plan, no weapons, no nothing?"
"Pretty much." I said, while sitting on a couch with one leg over the other and my hands behind my head. "I would probably get arrested if I was caught with a weapon, and I don't want to risk that."
"Well, isn't this the greatest plan in all of Equestria." Lea said, his words dripping with sarcasm.
"I don't see anybody else coming up with a plan!" There was silence for a while after that.
"Anypony." Judith said, breaking the silence.
"What?" I questioned.
"Replace body and one with pony, like anypony, somepony, and etcetera. You have to say it to make a convincing pony."
I face-palmed, "This world is going to drive me to insanity." I got up from the couch and stretched. "Well, let's get this show on the road," I said, taking the mask and bringing the mask towards my face. I hesitated. "You guys might want to cover your ears," they took my suggestion and covered their ears with their claws.
I placed the mask on my face, and prepared myself.
To be honest, it wasn't as bad as the first time. Still felt like being run over by a truck, but not as much.
When I was done my transformation, I was sprawled out on the floor. Unluckily, I didn't pass out from the pain, so I felt every agonizing second of it
.
"Dalton?" Judith asked.
I didn't move, I couldn't move, it hurt when I moved. However, I needed to check and see if the transformation worked correctly, so I craned my head to look left, to where my hand was, or at least, where my hand should have been.
Instead of a hand though, a light grey stump was replaced with my hand. I moved my hand, and the stump moved.
"Dalton? Are you okay?" Judith asked again.
I tried to get up, but I fell on my face every time. Judith eventually came to help me to all fours.
Just a side note: going to quadrupedal after being bipedal for my entire life is an awkward situation. I mean, I needed help standing.
After I got up, and gave myself a good look over. I had a light grey coat with a brown mane and tail. Wait, something is missing... Oh no... A blush crawled on to my face. "I'm naked! Quick, Judith, look away!" I fell back on to the ground and covered my crotch.
"You didn't act this way when you first turned into a dragon!" Judith stated, turned around and covering her eyes.
"That's because I didn't realize before!"
Lea face-palmed and shook his head in disbelief, "You do realize that ponies don't where clothes, right?"
"I don't care! Now, shut up and get me some clothes!"
After that little incident, we called it a night. As usual, I stayed up to stargaze. The night sky is truly brilliant here, it’s like someone takes the time makes it perfect each night.
The next couple of days were comprised of chores, training, and learning to walk and run on all fours.
I decided that yesterday was the day I would go to the pony settlement.
I immediately hated saddle bags as soon as I put them on. They're itchy, uncomfortable, and heavy. Or at least, this one is. Judith managed to find one while helping me clean and thought it would be helpful for my trip.
"Here, you can't go without this," Judith said, placing the book inside the right pouch of the saddle bag.
"Thanks. Okay, equipment check!" I announced, "Mask pouch, check, masks, check, saddle bag, check, book, check, clothes, check! Alright, I'm good to go."
"Are you sure you should be wearing clothes? Ponies don't usually wear clothes," Lea warned.
"Don't worry, I'm positive all they'll do is give me funny looks, and I don't care how they look at me," I reassured him.
We reached the entrance of the forest when Lea said, "I'll walk you to the far edge of the forest, but from there, you're on your own."
"And I'll stay here and make sure no one gets in to the castle," Judith added.
I sighed, "Well, it's now or never. I'll see you later, Judith."
"You'd better..." And with that, Lea and I were off.
I stood in front of a sign.
Welcome to Ponyville. How original. I thought, sarcastically.
I continued down the road that leads from the Everfree to "Ponyville". My nervousness was getting to me. To calm myself, I reviewed my plan. Okay, first I'll locate someone to sell this book to. Then, get a reasonable amount of 'bits' — I think that's what it's called — for said book. Lastly, get what I need and get the hell out of there.
I took a deep breath, and entered the town.
Ponyville had many surprises for me. The buildings were the same as the ones surrounding my castle. Restaurants, vendors, and stores littered the streets, and I'm pretty sure that I saw a life sized ginger bread house. The ponies were a surprise too. Not only were there regular ponies, like me, but there were pegasi and unicorns too. Some were friendly as well, much to my surprise, they greeted me with “Good morning!”s and “How do you do!”s. Although, I did get strange looks though.
As I was observing the area, I failed to notice the mare walking towards me. Of course, we walked face first into each other, sending us to our rumps.
"Ow, oh s-sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going," I apologized. I got a good look at her as I helped her up off the ground. She had an orange coat with a blond mane and tail, both kept in a ponytail, as well as emerald eyes and freckles. She was also wearing a brown Stetson hat, which she was currently putting back on her head.
"S’alright partner," she said with a thick southern accent. "Y'all right?"
"Yea, I'm fine," I said, all the while thinking, Damn, that's a thick accent!
She gave me a curious look, "Ya ain't from 'round here, are ya?"
I chuckled, "is it that obvious?"
"Well," she started, "from the way ya dress, it's purdy obvious." I shrugged, it's not like I care that ponies know I'm not from around here.
I held out a hoof, "I'm Dalton."
She took my hoof, "The name's Applejack," we shook hoofs. "That's a weird name fer' a pony." Uh oh.
"It's really more of a nickname, actually," I lied.
Newly dubbed Applejack raised an eyebrow, but then shrugged and started to walk away. "Anyway, ah gotta get back to the farm, see ya!"
"Wait!" I called. Applejack turned around and gave me a confused look.
"Do you know of anybo— I mean, anypony who would be interested in rare books?"
Applejack tapped her hoof to her chin until she came to a conclusion. "Well, ah would try Twilight at the library; she's a friend of mine."
"Thanks! I'll be sure to see you again Applejack!" We then went our separate ways. Now then, to the library!
I wandered throughout the town, completely lost. I needed to get directions.
I came to a building that looked like it was made of baked treats. The sign out front said "Sugar Cube Corner". I didn't see any better place to ask, so I ventured forth.When I opened the door I was hit with a wave with the aroma of baked goods.Whoa. I thought. The place was filled with baked goods ranging from vanilla cupcakes to black forest cake. This place put an immediate smile on my face.
"Hi!" a voice in front of me called, "Welcome to sugar cube cor— " the voice suddenly ceased as we made eye contact. The voice came from a pink mare with a darker pink mane and tail, and she also had blue eyes. The mare was standing behind the cashier and I assumed she was an employee. I approached the counter.
"Hi, I'm— " I was interrupted when the mare's pupils grew to the size of dinner plates and she suddenly gasped and ran into the back of the bakery. I was stunned, I couldn't move or form sentences. "W-what just... what?”
"Oh, don't worry darling, that's just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie," said a refined voice behind me. I turned to the source of the voice and it appeared to be another mare, who was sitting at a table with a small reptile. A dragon? I thought.
I trotted over to the table. The mare was a unicorn, had a white coat, a curly purple mane and tail, and dark blue eyes. She was drinking tea and the dragon had a cupcake that was encrusted with various gems. Said dragon was small compared to Judith. He's probably just a baby. He had purple scales covering his body and light green scales running from his head to his tail, along with green eyes.
I bowed my head in greeting, "So, is she usually like that?" I asked.
"No, she just gets excited when somepony new comes into town. By the way, I am Rarity and this is Spike," she said, pointing to herself then to the dragon.
"Hi," Spike greeted.
I smiled. Is everyone here so friendly? I thought. "Hello to both of you, I'm Dalton."
Rarity gave me a confused look. "That's a— "
I held up my hoof to silence her, "A strange name, I know. It's really more of a nickname."
She smiled, "Oh, I see, how do you spell that?" She asked. Now it was my turn to be confused.
Why would she need to know that? ...ah, what the hell. It couldn't hurt to tell her how to spell my name! "D-a-l-t-o-n," I said. I realized that I was getting off topic, "Uh, do you know where the library is? I've been looking for a while now."
"Oh, of course! After all, my little Spikey-wikey lives there!" Rarity responded, cupping her hoofs on the dragon's cheeks. The kid just blushed and looked away from us, twiddling his thumbs.
"Well, I guess I could bring you there if you're okay with it, Rarity..." Spike murmured, still embarrassed.
"It's fine, spike. I don't need your excellent help anymore, darling."
"Alright then, come on," Spike said, heading for the door. I followed in pursuit.
"Oh, and mister Dalton!" I turned, "Stop by boutique later, I will make you something that doesn't cover up your cutie mark!" Rarity called. Cutie mark? I thought as spike and I exited Sugar Cube Corner.
We walked for a bit in silence. God damn, this silence, it's killing me! I've got to break it. "So," I started, "you live in the library?" I recalled Rarity saying this in our conversation.
"Yea, I live there with my foster sister," Spike said, keeping his focus on the road ahead.
Interesting... "I've heard of foster parents, but a foster sister?" I asked, confused.
"It's hard to explain," he stated. "What about you?" Spike asked.
I turned to him with a confused look. "Uh, what do you mean?" I replied.
Spike just rolled his eyes. "You know, what do you do? I can't guess because your clothes cover up your cutie mark. Also, why are you wearing clothes in the first place?" he asked. I wasn't ready for the bombardment of questions, so I was caught off guard.
"Well... um..." Oh shit, think fast! Um, job. Job, job, job. I.... I stol—, I mean retrieved the pony mask from the mansion. So... archaeologist? "Well, to answer your first question, I'm an archaeologist." I stated, quite proud of my quick thinking. Wait, there it is again! What’s a cutie mark?
Spike looked at me with a questioning face. "What's an archaeologist?" He asked.
"Well... um... it's..." I've never had to explain what an archaeologist is to a child before. "...it's like... a treasure hunter!" Thank you, Indiana Jones!
"A treasure hunter? You mean like Daring Do?" He asked.
Daring what now? "Huh?" I asked, dumbly.
"She's the main character in a series of fiction books. I'm surprised that you haven't heard of her, she's very popular." Spike stated.
"Oh," Thank god! I really don't want others to look for the masks of soul! They may be my only trump card if I get into a fight!
"We're here!" Spike announced, pointing ahead. I turned my head in the direction he was pointing. In front of me was a literal tree house. I mean, it was a fully grown tree with a door built into the side of it, complete with windows and balconies. "Welcome to the Golden Oaks Library," Spike announced while turning his head to face me and putting his claw on the door knob.
As we entered the library I was astounded by the amount of books it had. The shelves on the wall were packed so tight with books it looked like you couldn't pull them out. There wasn't much else in the room except for a wooden table in the middle of the room with a wooden horse head in the middle of the table, stairs leading to the second floor, and a door that lead to (what I believe was) the basement. "Twilight, I'm home!"
I heard hoofs on the wooden floor upstairs, slowly making its way towards the stairs. “Spike, how many times have I told you not to leave without doing your chores?” came a voice from the stairs.
“I know, Twilight, but Rarity needed help with a huge order!”
A lavender coloured unicorn with a sapphire blue mane with violet and rose stripe down the middle and violet eyes came down the stairs and started towards us with her eyes closed. “Spike, I know...” she said, opening her eyes to look at the dragon, but seeing me. “Oh, hello,” the mare said.
This must be Twilight... “Hi,” I responded.
“Do you need to pick out a book or...” she started, but I held up a hoof to quiet her.
“I actually have something else in mind, so I’ll just wait over there while you two finish,” I stated, motioning to one of the bookshelves. The pair went upstairs to continue their argument as I looked at several books, choosing only one: “The History of Equestria.” It was a fairly large book, but I only wanted recent events in pony culture. Luckily, it seemed to have a brief summary of the most recent events, so I quickly skimmed over it, looking for the important parts.
Let’s see here, "The purification of Nightmare Moon", "The escape and recapture of Discord", and "The Canterlot Royal Wedding." Which one should I read first... Let’s go with Nightmare Moon. "A year has passed since the elements of harmony, wielded by the student of Princess Celestia herself and her friends, Defeated and purified Nightmare Moon, returning Princess Celestia’s sister, Princess L—“
“Sorry that took so long. Anyways, how can I help you?” I didn't even hear her come down the stairs! I must really get absorbed into books... I thought.
I closed the book and turned to the mare. “You’re Twilight, right?”
“Yes,” she confirmed, “I’m Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight stuck out her hoof and I shook it.
“The name’s Dalton and before you say ‘that’s a weird name’, I know. I've had several ponies tell me that before,” I said, rolling my eyes. I have a feeling that’s going to get really old, really fast. “As to why I’m here...” I said, reaching behind me into the saddle bag. I pulled out the book and handed (hoofed?) it to her, making her eyes go wide. “I wanted to know if you were interested in buying this book. You know, for the library,” I said, hoping that the book was actually worth something.
Twilight scanned the tome, her eyes wide the entire time. “D-do you know what this is?” she asked, still looking over the book.
“No... Why?” Please let it be priceless, please let it be priceless, please let it be priceless...
“It shouldn't exist!” I mentally fist pumped. “All of the other copies of this book have been destroyed...” Twilight said, looking depressed.
“Who and why would someo—, somepony destroy all of these books?” I asked, aimlessly wandering around the library.
“To erase a culture,” she said in a dark tone. “A long time ago, Discord, when he still ruled, wanted to erase all humans from Equestria. This book was written by a human, ergo, it was burnt.”
“Humans?” I immediately turned to Twilight.
“Yes, and he nearly Succeeded. When human population got dangerously low, the princesses' father and mother had to banish them to a completely different dimension for their survival. It’s sad that there is little to no evidence proving their existence any more. They've been reduced to myths...”
I fell on my rump. The sheer magnitude of this info weighed down on me. “Why? Why would he do something like that?” I asked, completely devastated. I mean, if you just found out that your race almost went extinct at the will of one being, you would be messed up.
“Apparently,” Twilight started, “Discord felt threatened. Humans were also beings of chaos, but they were very bright minded. Many of the inventions of today were created by humans. That, and that they had a very large population led Discord to eliminate them. He thought that they would replace the draconequus. ”
“That’s... really depressing...” I stated. “Are... are they all gone? The humans, I mean,” I asked, even though I knew what the answer was already.
Twilight got a sad look in her eyes. No... please no... It can’t be... “Yes. It’s a shame, really, they were a very interesting race.” Then the feeling I despise came flooding over me:
Loneliness.
“Hey, are you okay?” Twilight asked, concerned. I didn't realize it before, but I started shaking.
“Y-yea, I’m fine... I’m just a little cold...” I can’t blow my cover... well, not yet anyways, I thought. “So, how much are you willing to offer for it?” I asked, my voice noticeably quieter.
The mare put a hoof to her chin in thought. Eventually, she nodded her head in approval and put her hoof back to the floor. “I don’t have a lot of bits...” my head sunk lower, “but, I have some gems that are worth a lot. How does the equivalent of ten thousand bits sound?” My jaw dropped as I looked up at her. Twilight giggled at the ridiculous face I was making as I responded.
“That sounds wonderful!”
I left the bank with ten thousand bits and a massive grin after cashing in several gems that Twilight paid me for the book. This should do for the time being. Now, let’s go shopping!
I arrived at the market at midday and it was packed full of ponies. Several stalls that lined the street were being overrun. I groaned. This is going to be more difficult than I thought. I trotted into the crowd to find the things I was looking for. As I trotted, a familiar voice called out.
“Dalton! Over here!” I turned to the source to see Applejack waving me over to her. She was standing to a cart full of apples and on the other side of the cart was a large stallion. The stallion had a red coat, a blond mane, green eyes like Applejack’s, as well as freckles. He turned to look at me as I approached.
“Hey, Applejack,” I said as I came closer, keeping eye contact with the red stallion. Applejack, however, noticed this and put a hoof on my shoulder.
“Ah don’t believe ya met mah brother. Big Mac, this here’s Dalton, and Dalton, This is Big Macintosh,” she said, guiding us towards each other. Oh, so he's her brother. I extended my hoof and he took it with a firm grasp.
“Good morning,” I said with a smile as I shook his hoof.
“Eeyep,” he responded, smiling back. Well, that's a simple way to put it.
"So, Applejack," I started as I turned to her, "what did you need me for?" I was honestly curious as to why she would want to see me. I mean, we just met.
Applejack smiled, "Since ah was in so much of a hurry, I didn't have the time ta give ya a proper welcome,"she said while rubbing the back of her head. "So how 'bout lettn' me give ya a tour of Ponyville as an apology?"
I don't need any more distractions... I need to get supplies and get out of here! I thought. I raised my hoof to refuse her, but a thought came to me at the last moment. I don't know where I can buy any of the things I need. Maybe she can help me. "I'm going to refuse your offer, Applejack," she seemed a little sad at those words, "but I do need help finding some items I need. Would you mind helping me find them?"
Her mood picked up at those words and so did her frown. "All right," she said, "but only on one condition."
"Okay then," I declared, "let's hear it."
"Ah'll only show ya around if ya'll be mah friend," she said. I was taken aback. all the ponies around us seemed irrelevant now. She... she want's to be my friend? Just like that? Even though she knows nothing about me, she still want's me to be her friend? Wow. Nobody has ever openly wanted to be my friend before...
"I..." I took a deep breath and got my thoughts in order. "Sure, Applejack, I'll be your friend."
"All right then," she spat on her hoof and held it out to me, "let's shake on it!" I spat on my own hoof and shook hers. Why do I feel so... happy? It's not like I haven't made a friend before. So, why do I feel this way now? Applejack turned to her brother, "Hey, Mac, do ya mind takin' over the cart for the rest of the day?"
Big Mac just shook his head. "Nnope," he said in his casual tone.
The rest of the day was spent with my new friend retrieving the things I needed before going back to the castle. It was close to sunset when we where done and I was going over the list of things I got while in town in my mind. Let's see... I got some food I can't get in the Everfree, a flask, medical supplies, a rack that can go over a fire, a pan to cook with because I'm tired of just roasted meat, some seasonings, cutlery and plates, body soap gel and shampoo so I can smell nice again, some rope, and some supplies and tools to help me repair the castle. Oh, and toothpicks, I can't live without them. I've got the essentials and a few other things, I think I'm all set. And I still have a lot of bits left over.
"Hey, sugarcube?" Applejack said, stopping and turning to me. Sugarcube? "Ah forgot to get somethin' done back at the farm, and ah need another hoof to help me out. Would ya mind helpin' me out?"
I looked at her as I put a toothpick in my mouth, "Yea, no problem, Applejack." Applejack smiled and started down a dirt road. Why do I feel like I'm forgetting something? Maybe I... Oh, that's right! "Hey, this may or may not sound like a stupid question, but what's a cutie mark?" I asked, remembering the conversations I had earlier.
Applejack burst out into laughter, she even fell down and clutch her sides. Until she saw me not laughing with her, that is. "Y-your serious, aren't ya?" I nodded, "Well, sugarcube, ah don't know why ah have to remind you, but cutie marks are the mark on your flank that shows your special talent," she said, pointing to her own flank that showed three apples. "Ya see, ah'm an apple farmer!" she stated with pride.
My mind froze. the only coherent thought going through my mind was, How the fuck did I not see that?! I wonder what mine is... "Uh..." I snapped my self out of my trance. "Thanks. F-for re-jogging my memory, I mean," I said, scratching the back of my head. "So, shall we continue?"
We got to the the farm at sundown. The red light of the sun soared across the apple orchard and on to the farm house and barn that lay in the middle. It was a beautiful sight, the kind of sight that just makes you relax. As we got to the barn, a question came to mind, "What kind of work are we doing, Applejack?"
She just smiled, "You'll see..." However, her smile quickly became a frown. "Ahh, darn it, ah forgot somthin' in the house. Ah'll meet ya in the barn," she said, galloping off. I went to the farm door and opened it. I wonder what we're...
"SURPRISE!" I jumped surprisingly high for someone wearing an fully packed saddle bag.
I looked at the scene in front of me with amazement. The inside of the barn was covered in decorations and was filled with ponies and food. There was even a banner hung across the ceiling that said "Welcome to Ponyville, Dalton!" Directly in front of me was the pink mare from Sugar Cube Corner with a massive smile on her face.
"HiI'mPinkiePieandwhenIsawyouatSugarCubeCornerIknewyouwerenewinPonyvillebecauseIknoweverponyinPonyvilleandIthoughtyouhadnofriendsbecauseyouwerealonesoIthrewyouapartysoyoucouldmakefriends!" she said in one breath. I stared at her with confusion all over my face.
What the hell was that! I couldn't understand a word she just said! Not wanting to be rude and asking her to repeat herself even though she said it right in my face, I put on a unsure smile. "Thank you?" I half asked half said. I felt a hoof land on my shoulder.
Turning my head towards the owner of the hoof, I saw Applejack with a smile on her face. "Don't worry 'bout Pinkie, she throws a party for everypony new in Ponyville and for any other reason ya'll can think of," she said. Applejack had a large barrel on her back, which she placed on the ground. "Sorry for being late, Pinkie,but ah forgot to bring the cider," Applejack scratched the back of her head.
"It's okay, Applejack! Now, let's par~tay!" Pinkie announced.
I had a good time. I ate, drank, and met some new people. Well... ponies technically, but still. Applejack introduced me to her friends. However, she didn't know that I'd already met most of them. The two I didn't meet were Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Rainbow was gloated that she was 'The fastest flyer in all of Equestria,' and Fluttershy barely talked to me. Other than that, nothing really happened. Rainbow dash got on my nerves a bit by constantly boasting to me. I hate people who put themselves above other people.
Oh yea, that's right. I also found out that nearly all of the ponies in Ponyville have cutie marks, the exceptions being the fillies and colts that haven't earned theirs yet.
Applejack and the rest of her friend let me join in on their conversations and I learnt some of the things that happen around Ponyville and Equestria. They told me about the "Grand Galloping Gala", the return of Discord, and the Canterlot wedding which, apparently, was between Twilight's brother and someone named Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, or Cadence as Twilight refers to her as. I had to resist the urge to ask if she was into music. I also learned that there are a lot more mares than stallions in Equestria and a few other little things like that.
Anyway, it was incredibly late when I decided to go back to the castle.
"Well, it's late, I'd better get home now," I said as I headed towards the exit, "Thank you, Pinkie, for throwing this wonderful party for me." Man, that was an awesome party! And I don't even like parties!
"Aw, it was nothing! See ya soon, Dalton!" As I walked out of the barn, I could tell that someone was following me. I turned around to see Applejack following me. As she trotted up to me, I could tell that she was a little sad.
"So," she started, "ya mind if walk ya home?" I raised my eyebrows at that and a sly smirk slowly spread across my face. Applejack's expression suddenly vanished, "Ah ain't tryin' to seduce ya, so don't ya be lookin' at me like that," she warned.
I genuinely laughed. I think I know why I felt weird when Applejack and I became friends. It's because she actually want's to be my friend, and not to just use me and throw me away. Applejack, her friends, and Judith are different than my "friends" back on earth. I smiled at the thought. "Yes, you can if you don't mind walking through the Everfree forest at night." I responded casually.
"The Everfree forest!? Are ya crazy or somthin'!? Why would ya live in there!?" Applejack exclaimed.
I managed to calm her down and answer her questions, "First of all, I'm only a little bit crazy. Secondly, I live on the other side of the of the forest, not in the actual forest itself," I explained. "So, do still want to walk me home?"
"Sorry, but ah can only walk ya to the edge of the forest," she said.
"It's fine, Applejack," I said. we continued walking and talking until we got to the forest's entrance.
"So, when are ya comin' back?" Applejack questioned.
"I dunno," I answered honestly. Applejack started to look sad, so I put a hoof on her shoulder, "I promise you'll see me again though. I'm a stallion of my word," I gave her a hug and then turned to the forest ahead of me. "Good night, Applejack."
"Good night, Dalton, and be safe," she responded. Then, I began my journey through the forest.
The Everfree was a hell of a lot creepier at night. the trees seemed to go on forever and it felt like there was something following me the entire time. I could swear I could see silhouettes in the shadows, following my every move, waiting to strike.
Why, oh why didn't I bring a weapon? I lamented. I quickly picked up the pace and got faster and faster until I was in a full gallop.
I was half way there. I just need to keep this pace up and—
*ka-ting*
My thoughts and movement halted as my hoof hit something hard, light, and made of metal. I looked down to the object that had stopped me and saw something that resembled a tiara. I picked it up and looked it over. It was black and was dented and scratched all over. There must be someone nearby...
"Hello?" I called out timidly. I don't want some manticore knowing where I am. Perhaps I should just look around? I put the tiara in my saddle bag and turned my head all around, looking for some kind of life. Nothing seemed to be there until I found some bushes by a tree that had been crushed. I carefully made my way over to the bushes, taking extra effort to be quiet if the reason the bushes were crushed was carnivorous. What I found in the bushes stunned me.
There was an unconscious mare in the bushes. She was slender, with her coat being a dark sapphire blue and her mane and tail — which moved on their own — being a cobalt blue and seemed to look like the night sky. She also appeared to be wearing light cobalt slippers and wearing a black chest plate with a crescent moon on it. Her cutie mark looked like an ink stain with a crescent moon on it. The odd thing was she was larger than most ponies and had a horn and wings, and not just one of the two. She was beautiful, for a pony. However, she was bleeding and had some weird device locked on to her horn.
"Spread out!" I jumped and hid in the bushes behind the mare. "She couldn't have gotten far! We can't let her escape!" I looked out from the bush I was hiding in to see figures in the distance holding torches. I looked back to the mare. She's probably the one they're looking for. I looked back to the figures, and then back to the mare. Oh, what do I do? They could be looking for her to bring her back home, but they could also be looking for her to kill her, I thought. What the hell do I do!?
She's in Danger. Save Her, the voice said.
I thought about the voice's command and made up my mind. It has saved me before, so maybe I can trust it. I took off my saddle bags carefully and turned into a dragon. I held the mare with one arm and grabbed my saddle bag with the other. I took off though the forest, racing back to the castle to see if Judith or Lea could do anything to help this mare.
As the castle gates came into view, I shouted, "Hey, Judith, Lea, I need your help!" I used my wings to give myself an extra high jump on to the castle wall. I kicked the front door open and I ran to my room, knowing that Judith and Lea wouldn't be far behind. I entered my room and put the mare down on my bed, not caring that she would stain my bed with her blood. I changed back into my human form and quickly got the medical supplies from my saddle bag.
"Who's the mare?" Lea said as he entered, immediately going to said mare's side.
"I dunno," I stated, "I just found her lying in the forest. It seemed that there was someone after her and my instincts told me to take her before they found her." I tossed Lea some bandages and some disinfectant. "Here, see if you can do anything for her," I said, walking over to the other side of the bed. Lea tossed me the mare's jewelry and I put it on the night stand. Then, I looked around the room for my other companion only to find that she was not there. "Where's Judith?"
Lea didn't take his eyes off of his work as he spoke, "Asleep. She was pissed that you took so long and decided to go to bed." I sighed. Shit, I forgot that Judith was worried about me. She might have thought that I got eaten by a manticore or something. I took a toothpick from my bag and began to nibble on the end of it.
"This is an alicorn!" Lea stated in shock.
"So?" I asked, looking him in the eye.
Lea looked like he was about to snap at me for a second, but then he calmed down all of a sudden. He sighed, "It's nothing. It's just that they're rare," he explained.
"Okay..." Is there something I'm missing here? Ah, whatever, I thought. "If you need me, I'll be on the balcony," I said. I turned from him and walked into the night.
I leaned on to the railing and looked upwards towards the night sky, admiring it's beauty. However, the stars looked as if they weren't properly placed. It looks like the maker of the night did a half-assed job tonight... I let out a sigh and continued to bask myself in the tranquility of the night. The crickets and sound of the wind blowing through the trees in the nearby forest helped calm my soul, but not my mind.
What the hell is happening to me? I'm hearing strange voices in my head, making friends with ponies, and putting myself in danger, but for what? Sure, it's exciting and a good change from the normal routine, but all I really want is to go home. I don't want to live in this ludicrous world that's filled with beings that could probably tear me limb from limb, do I? Besides, from what I saw of the pony civilization, it was mostly untouched from modern human technology. If someone were to bring guns to this world...
Lea came and leaned against the rail beside me, "I've done all that I can for her. Now, we wait until she wakes up to find out how she got in that condition."
"Alright then, you may as well get some sleep," I said.
Lea went back to the balcony's entrance to leave, but something stopped him. He turned his head to look at me, and after a few moments, he sighed and came back to his original position. "I can already tell that there's something on your mind that's troubling you, so there's no reason to hide it from me," Lea said, looking out into the horizon.
I said nothing at first, but then decided that is wasn't very useful to keep my thoughts inside. "What do you think of me?" I asked, wanting his opinion.
Lea raised his eyebrow, "Well, I think that you are a very strange creature," he explained, "but you are very secretive too."
"Everyone has their reasons," I said truthfully.
"And what are your's?"
I looked up at the moon, "My secrets are too dangerous to shared with anybody," I explained. I shook my head, "But I'm not asking the question that I really want the answer to." I took a deep breath, "Do you think I belong in this world?"
Lea stared out into the night and said nothing. A moment later, he answered my question with a question, "Are you sure that's the question you should be asking?" I opened my mouth to respond, but his question stopped me. Is that the question I should be asking? Lea stood up straight and went to exit the balcony. "Remember, there's a difference between belonging and wanting to stay." Then, Lea left me without another word.
My mind went over what Lea said. I tried to make sense of it,but my mind was overcome with fatigue. I entered my room and closed the balcony door to keep the cold out. I turned to my bed to turn in for the night, however, the mare — who was now bandaged all over — was occupying the bed. Damn. It looks like I'm sleeping on the couch tonight.
I was floating in darkness that night. Well, in my dreams at least, which is weird because I rarely have dreams: I usually just slip into unconsciousness. Anyway, there I was, just floating through the emptiness. That is until I heard a familiar voice.
Thank you, the voice said.
"I didn't know my subconscious could thank me," I stated.
I heard a giggle through the darkness, Silly human, I thought you would have figured it out by now. Suddenly, the darkness broke apart and revealed a new environment.
I was in the sky, or so it seemed, with the sun shining and a few clouds scattered about. The ground I found myself on wasn't really ground at all: it was water! It spread out as far as the eye could see.
I said the first thing that came to my mind, "Am I Jesus?"
Another giggle emanated from behind me, "No, you're not. If you try to walk on water anywhere else, you will look like a fool." A little water splashed up as I whipped around to face the source of the voice.
A mare with wings and a horn stood in front of me. She had a black coat, a dark purple mane that blew in a nonexistent breeze, and was dressed in a platinum tiara, a chest plate with a full moon displayed on it, and slippers. Her mane and tail seemed to look like galaxies, with little specks of white that looked like stars and different shades of purple that blended so that whenever it moved — which was all the time — it seemed to be a different shade. Her royal blue eyes looked calm and wise as she stared me down. I looked at her cutie mark to see a spiral galaxy, the odd thing was, it was rotating counter-clockwise. She's a lot like the mare I found in the forest. Could she be... "As I said before, thank you."
"For what?" I asked confused.
"For saving my daughter's life," she replied. I knew it! She's the mare's mother, no wonder she told me to save her, I thought.
"Who are you and how come I can hear you in my head?" I asked. It's time to finally get some answers.
"My name is Nightfall, but you call me Nox if you wish, and as you can tell, I am an alicorn. As to why you can hear me in your thoughts, I've connected our consciousnesses for a little while so that you can retain all of my battle instinct. I'm quite surprised that you did not ask where we are! I mean, it is not you average scenery," she said, motioning to the area with her hoof.
I shook my head, "That doesn't matter, as far as I know, we're in a dream. And what do you mean you've connected our consciousnesses? And what's 'Battle instinct?'" I questioned.
"Well, it—" suddenly, a clap of thunder came from behind me. I turned to see a very bad storm heading towards us. "Damn!" she cursed, her formal tone had gone away. "I thought I had more time! Okay, I'm going to give you the short version. For your first question, it's too complicated, and for the second, I'm giving you the skills and knowledge you need to become a warrior without training," she explained.
"Isn't that cheating?"
"In all truthfulness, yes it is, but you don't have the time to train!" she shouted. The storm was on top of us now and the winds were picking up. "Look, you're going to fight someone you really don't want to fight, but you're the only one who can stop him! Anything made by human hand can only be destroyed by human hand!"
I tried to keep my balance on the waves that were now underneath us. "Remember, your past and Equestria's past can help you in the future! Oh, and if you let anything happen to my daughter, I'll—" I lost my balance and fell into the water.
After that, I woke up. So, here I am, the night after. Nothing really happened today ether: Judith beat the hell out of me when she woke up, Lea laughed at me while it happened, and Nox's daughter is still unconscious. I'm still a bit worried about Nox's warnings, though. "Your past and Equestria's past can help you in the future," is what she said. I guess I'm going to need to research more about Equestria and the human history here...
Oh, I forgot something! Today, I figured out that clothes that I put on one body, will stay on that body. What I mean is that if I wear a green tunic (or something like that) in my pony form and a blue tunic in my dragon form, if I switch forms, then I'll still be wearing a green tunic in my pony form and a blue tunic in my dragon form! I can't believe that I didn't notice this sooner! I'm going to test to see if other objects attached to me can stay within a certain form.
Hopefully, I'll be able to just go home after this. But, do I even want to go home anymore?
Well, I'm tired, I know that for sure. I think I'll go to sleep now.