//------------------------------//
// Meeting Up 
// Story: Cowboys and Angels 
// by RecklessRush 
//------------------------------//

	Chapter 3



Landing in Ponyville went pretty smoothly, considering the whole town turned out to welcome the Princess.  After a brief explanation by Celestia, Terrance exited the carriage to the shocked gasps and wide eyes of the locals.  It was to be expected and Terrance dealt with it just fine.  He understood their slight panic, if the roles had been reversed and all that.  Several introductions later and Terrance found himself in the house of a mare called Twilight Sparkle... well, less of a house, more of a library really.  And the kicker was, it was built from a tree.  No not like it was made of wood, but actually carved out of a tree.  Truth be told it was an incredible sight to see.

"Well I must say, Mister Terrance.  Your outfit is very drab, is it not?  And that hat!  Oh dear it looks like it's been through quite the ordeal!"

"Several actually..."

"Well then, you'll just have to come by my shop sometime this week so I can get your measurements, hmm?  I will create a whole new ensemble for you!  And get you a better hat besides!"

"Beg yer pardon, Miss Rarity, but Ahll be keepin' mah hat just the way it is.  Been through too much with this here piece o' headgear and ah don't see meself changin' that anytime soon."

"Oh phoo...  you're as bad as Applejack..."

A raised eyebrow from an orange mare.  "And what does that mean, Rarity?"

"Nothing, Darling~!"

As the white mare cantered away, a pink one took its place.

"Wow Terry you sure are tall I mean of course you're taller than us you're not a pony you're a human- Oh!  Are there more of you?  If there's more of you then that means more humans and THAT means more friends and more friends means more parties and more parties means more smiles and more smiles means more up votes and more up votes means a happy author and when he's happy that makes us all happier and when we're happy good things happen!  Like Twilight believing in my Pinkie Sense!  Or Rarity making twenty dresses in an hour!  Or Applejack finishing a hard day's work and still having enough energy for a party!  OH!  Do you like parties?  Cause I like parties and if you DO like parties then we can-"

"Ok there Pinkie, give him room to breath..."

Saving Terrance from the onslaught of the (several confusing) questions was Twilight.  Sighing in relief, Terrance nodded his head in thanks.  Looking around the room, he was in the company of about seven mares... and one very scrutinizing tiny purple and green lizard.  Bending at the knees, Terrance got within a foot of being level with the little thing's eyes.

"Can ah help ya li'l fella?"

The lizard crossed its arms in front of its chest, eyes narrowing.  Tilting its head it asked: "Are you like a dragon?  Just no tail and no scales?  Cause you walk like me, and you got arms and claws..."

Smiling, Terrance shook his head.  "Nah.  Ahm more like one of them monkeys than ah am a purple lizard."

"I'm a dragon!  Not a lizard!"

Laughter enveloped the room, making the little dragon's scowl deepen even more.  Laughing heartily, Terrance patted the young drake's shoulder.

"Ahm sorry... Spike was it?  Ahm sorry fer makin' light of ya Spike.  'Specially when there are ladies present, huh?"

Spike nodded fervently, his face lighting up a little.  "Yeah!"

Nodding to show he was a man of his word Terrance stood up straight, returning to his former height.  Celestia smiled at the proceedings.  Terrance was molding in with her closest subjects quite well it seemed.  Clearing her throat, she got everyone's attention.

"Well Terrance, have you given thought to where you would like to be staying while you are here?"

At this, Applejack stepped up.  "Well shoot, Yer Highness.  There's always room at mah farm.  How else do ya think ah host mah reunions?"  The others nodded in agreement.

Celestia smiled and turned back to Terrance.  "Does that sound agreeable?"

Terrance nodded, smiling.  "Sounds like a grand plan, Celestia.  Be nice tah be in a familiar lookin' place.  That is... um... this is an odd request ah got fer ya but..."

Celestia tilted her head, confused.  "Yes?"

"Could ya maybe... visit me?  From time to time?  We can... ah dunno... talk ah guess.  Since ya'll found me first and all."

Inside, Celestia was hopping around wildly in glee.  However on the outside, all she gave was a smile.  "Of course I will.  Maybe sometimes I can send you a carriage and you can come visit me and tell me how you are adjusting personally?"

Terrance nodded, glad that she agreed.

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After some more conversation, most of which was Terrance answering questions about where he came from, (Dash was really interested in the story he told of when the Blue Angels did a practice routine right over the farm he had worked on) Celestia left after giving one more hug to the bipedal cowboy.

Directly after Celestia, Pinkie decided to exit the group, much to surprise of the others.

"Pinkie?  Where are you going?"

"I have to go get some burritos, Twilight!"

"Burritos, why-?"

"BURRRRIIIIITTTOOOOS!" She then preceded to run out of the room.

"Whatever," Twilight sighed, shaking her head.

"She do that often?"  Terrance asked.  Nodding, Twilight sighed again.

"More so than is usual for others.  I just explain it as Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie..."

"Sounds fair enough,"  Terrance responded, nodding in approval.

Silence permeated the room for a few seconds, until Applejack cleared her throat.

"Well, uh, we best get goin', huh Terrance?  Should get you all cozy before nightfall, right?"

Terrance nodded and smiled.  "Yeah, and thank you again."

"Ain't nothin' to it.  Glad to help ya out.  Any friend of the Princess is ah friend o' mine."  Applejack replied with a smile.

Terrance nodded again and turned to the others in the room.  "Well now!  Ahll be here for a fair while, probably until ah die, so don't be strangers!"  A couple laughs in the room.  "Ahll be glad for any visits, so long as ya'll don't just stare at meh while ah work, so come on by.  See ya'll later."

Assorted farewells later found Terrance and Applejack jogging/trotting their way to Sweet Apple Acres.  A silent challenge between the two had them both running full-tilt towards the apple farm in a race.  Arriving at nearly the same time, Applejack took a victory lap around Terrance's legs.

"Not bad, Applejack.  Not bad,"  was all Terrance could say while regaining his breath.

"Thank ya kindly," came the reply.

After getting a small breather, the two arrived at the front door of Applejack's home.  Knocking on the door brought with it a small yellow filly, who saw Terrance, stood stock still for a few seconds, then sprinted back inside, crying for a "Macintosh".  Terrance found out that "Macintosh" was actually a large red stallion, and he was very protective of his family, which he demonstrated by taking a defensive position over the little one, staring daggers at the tall fleshy creature his sister had brought with her.

"Now, now Mac... Bloom, just calm down there.  This here's Terrance and he's gonna be stayin' with us until the Princess says otherwise.  Ahm not gonna have any o' this 'Alpha Stallion' hooey while he's here... got it?" asked AJ with a glare aimed her older brother.

Not taking his eyes off Terrance, Mac gave a slow nod and came forward.  Terrance reached out a hand in a friendly gesture towards the stocky pony.

"Terrance, and ahm guessin' ya'll're Macintosh?"

"Eeyup," came the drawl reply.  Seeing the hand extended towards him, BigMac took a guess and held out his hoof, allowing the human to grasp it.  They shook, and a small smile appeared on Mac's face.  This creature had a good grip, surprising since the little fleshy appendages looked so weak.

Terrance then approached little Applebloom, who began to shake in fear.  Terrance gave a smile to the frightened filly in an effort to break the tension.

"What's yer name li'l un?"

"...Applebloom..."

"Ahm sorry ah didn't catch that..."

"Ahm Applebloom..."

Terrance smiled again.  "That's a pretty name.  How old are ya Applebloom?"

Applebloom uncoiled a little.  "Ah turned eleven just two months ago..."

"Eleven, huh?  Yer gettin' ta be a big girl ain't ya?"

The little filly nodded, getting excited.  "Uh huh!  Soon ah'll be big enough to help on the farm more!"

"Well, Ah'll be!  That true?  Yer family work hard 'round here?"

Applebloom stood up, her fears forgotten.  "Yeauh huh!  We buck apples everyday!  Then we sell em!"

"That's amazin'!  Now, can ah ask ya'll a question?"

Applebloom tilted her head, slightly confused.  "Sure?"

A sly grin appeared an Terrance's face.  "Why were ya so scared o' me before?"

Applebloom thought for a second, then gave a shy face.  "Cuz you're so tall...  It surprised me..."  Terrance gave a small laugh.

"Would ya like to see what it's like?  Bein' tall?"

"How?"

"Ah'll just put ya on mah shoulders, like a piggyback ride."  Applebloom thought for a second, then gave a slow nod.

"Ok... so long as ah don't fall.."

"Don't ya worry bout that, these," Terrance wiggled his fingers in her face. "Are stronger than ya think."

The next ten minutes or so, the air was filled with the cheerful shrieks of a filly having the time of her life as Terrance ran around the homestead, sometimes jumping over a log, sometimes sprinting hard, and occasionally bouncing to give her some air.  After the excursion, Applebloom was winded from laughing so much, and Terrance was winded for obvious reasons.  He let her down inside the door to the house, she thanked him, and then left for the kitchen.  Terrance caught Big Mac's eye and smiled.

"Cute girl."

"Eeyup."

"And she's yer-"

"Sister."

"Ah.  Same with AJ, there?"

"Eeyup."

"Good to know..."

The two stood there in the doorway, looking inside the house as the night grew darker behind them.  Terrance had to admit, he was enjoying himself in this place.  The locals hadn't attacked him, this pony had offered him a place to stay, and even the Princesses had been polite and kind to him.

Which brought him back to Celestia, and the way she had been acting with him.  Even though he had appeared in her bed of all things, she hadn't screamed, alerted the guards, hit, or show in any way that she did not want him there.  She had accepted him into her world, introduced him to her closest subjects, and even agreed to stay in touch, all with a smile on her face.  It seemed like she had liked him since she first saw him.  And it was bothering him.  He had, for the better part of 20 years, raised animals that looked eerily similar to ponies like her.  Having one that was now talking to him... and smiling at him... was a bit unnerving.  Not that he wasn't comfortable with staying here, he'd get used to it in time, but it seemed like Celestia... was kind of interested in him... and that was throwing up all kinds of red flags in his mind.  She was, for all intents and purposes, a talking, winged, horned HORSE.  Unbidden, thoughts and images arose in his mind, making him shudder.  Mac left to go inside, and unknown to Terrance, another took his place.

"Thinkin' bout a mare there, sonny?"

The sudden voice made Terrance jump, and his eyes sought the origin of said voice.  He found it, and an old faded-green mare smiled back at him.

"Names Granny Smith, but you can just call me Granny.  Can ah take yer shudderin' for the fact that ya'll were thinkin' bout a pretty young thing?"

"Don't."  Was Terrance's reply.

Granny was confused.  "Don't what?  Help ya?  Well, too bad.  Ahm here, and yer talkin'.  Now spill it."

Terrance looked at her, giving her a slight glare, but she held strong and glared right back.  Sighing, he gave up, and began to tell her about where he had come from.  About the job he had had, and the animals he had raised.  Then he told her of Celestia, and the way he thought she was acting towards him.  And how that made him feel.

Granny was silent for a good while, thinking on what Terrance had told her.  She "hmm'd" and "haa'd" and gave an occasional "ooh", but she was silent otherwise.  After a good five minutes, she beckoned him to follow her.  She led him to a small doghouse out back, and whistled.  A small collie pup came bounding out, tail and tongue wagging in time, happy to see someone new.

Gesturing at the dog, Granny spoke. "What is Winona here?"

Confused at the question Terrance merely shrugged.  "A dog?"

"Yes, but what else?"

"I dunno... brown?"

"A critter, Terrance, an animal.  Smart to a point, yet completely obedient.  Now lemme ask ya this.  Am ah like Winona?  Or is Applejack?  Or Mac?  Or Bloom?"

Terrance shook his head, petting Winona.  "No, ya'll can talk."

Granny laughed.  "Yeah, ah guess yer right there.  But that's close, just not there yet.  We can think."

"Well, sure.  Gotta think before ya talk, might say something bad..."  Terrance knew that lesson well.

"Uh huh, now can you talk?  Can ya'll think?  Do ya behave in ways that are accepted by most ponies... or whatever it is ya'll are?"

"Human, and yes ah do..."

"So does that make us so different?"

"Completely different bodies fer one, different social norms fer another..."

"Oh hogswallop!  Outward appearance don't matter, how ya'll behave does.  Ah learned that when ah was just Bloom's age.  Surprisin' somepony yer age don't know that yet.  In fact, ah read in the paper that a griffin recently got married to a diamond dog.  And that's a odder pairing than you and a Princess."

Rubbing Winona's belly, Terrance looked up at her.  "Also that fact that ya'll look like animals ah used to raise don't help."

"Well, ya don't need all the answers just yet.  Ya'll don't even know if the Princess really feels that way.  Wait and see, if ya'll're still against it, then go from there.  But iffin ya change yer mind..." at this she dropped a wink. "Invite me to the weddin'."

Terrance got flustered, and Granny simply trotted off laughin'.  Applejack called out dinner was ready soon after ("SOUP'S ON EVERYPONY!") and Terrance left the cold night air and Winona (much to Winona's disappointment) to go inside and enjoy a warm meal.  It surprisingly wasn't all that cramped inside the house and Terrance could eat comfortably.  The meal consisted of several apple related dishes, and some mixed vegetables.  Terrance found that he did not need meat to feel full, and it might even be better to eat this way for his health.  Applejack led him to the barn after the meal, and pointed him to the loft.

"Plenty o' room up there, plus less of a chance fer critters tah find ya.  Ahll wake ya up nice an early fer work.  We'll find somethin' fer ya.  Sound good?"

Terrance nodded.  "Sounds real good... and Applejack?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks again fer this..."

She smiled at him.  "Well ya know, us farmin' types gotta stick together right?"

Terrance chuckled.  "Right... G'night Applejack..."

"Good night, Terrance."

And Terrance slept deeply, hay was really comfy here...