Here is chapter three for you all to enjoy…I hope.
Night at the Apples
I opened my eyes to find them staring into the emerald eyes of perhaps my second favorite pony of the main six. She had a rather confused/ concern look on her face though it might have been annoyance. I was never really good with reading human facial features and that seems to have been brought over to my pony self. She continued staring at me as I stared back; waiting for my answer.
I tried to keep my facial features calm and collect but inside my mind; I was going through various emotions which revolve around nervousness to excitement. I had a feeling that if I knew how to move, I might have tackle-hug her the moment I saw her but considering I was still trying to get my basic motor skills back; that option was denied to me. Besides, there was really only one pony I wanted to tackle-hug anyway.
I took a small breath and replied “Yes ma’am. Just…just a little shaken up, that’s all.” She tilted her head to the side for a moment which only serves me to start asking the question in my mind of why her hat as not fallen off ever since she had started talking to me. She then gave a small chuckle and replied “Y’all don’t need to call me ma’am. Names Applejack, proud farmer of Sweet Apples Aces, home of the best apples in Equestria.” She added with a bit of pride mixed in.
I gave a small smile and replied “Nice to meet you Applejack. My names…” I hesitated at that moment when I realized that I hadn’t come up with some kind of cover name. I knew my real name wouldn’t work as it would sound very strange to her and it might cause to start asking questions; questions I did not want asked anytime soon. She was back to looking at me with a slightly confused look, no doubt still waiting for the name I was still trying to figure out.
My mind started going through various names before coming to one that I thought would work. Rather than waiting to see if it was a good choice or not; I quickly replied “Gamer.” Applejack was still a little confused so I added “My name, it’s Gamer.” She nodded her head in understanding and I couldn’t help but let out a small breath of relief. I felt like I was in the clear until Applejack said “Are you able to stand Gamer?”
Shock quickly went through my body as I realized that I was still lying on my back. I gave a small sheepish grin and replied “Yeah I…I think so. I may need a moment.” I heard the sound of hoof steps and saw that Applejack had stepped back a few paces to give me room.
I took a deep breath and pushed all of my weight into rolling over. I managed to get onto my stomach and thought “that was the easy part…now for the hard part.” I started by placing my right fore-leg on the grass and started pushing on it to start lifting my body. I then added my back legs and other fore-legs until I had all four of them under my body. I started to wobble a bit as I tried to adjust to my new center of gravity before finding that if I kept my legs somewhat spread apart, I was able to keep my balance and not end up falling flat on my face. I gave a victory grin and started to walk towards Applejack…
Only to land on my face at the first step. I gave a groan of pain though it was consider minor compared to the hurt of my pride in the fact that looked like a fool in front of one of my favorite ponies. I could hear Applejack’s laughing and she reply “You act like you’ve had a little too much of the hard cider there partner.” She shook her head to try and stop the giggles and replied “Come on now. All you have to do is get up and try again.”
I gave a tired sigh, part of me wanted to stay like this for a while longer but I knew that Applejack was right and that the only way I was going to get better was to keep trying. So I slowly got up and tried walking again. This time, I made sure not to put my fore-legs out so far until my back legs had managed to catch up. It took a while, but I was able to start walking around the clearing we were in by the time the sun started to set in the sky. Applejack was more than happy to give me pointers on my technique and with her pointers; I was able to walk in a comfortable pace that seem to feel easy on my legs.
I was tempted to see how fast I was able to go but the audible sound of my stomach growling let me know that it was time to get something to eat. Applejack gave another small laugh and said “Sounds like somepony is hungry. Why don’t you join me and the rest of my family for dinner?” I would not lie to myself in saying that I was touched by her offer of hospitality and truthfully, I really couldn’t say no to some down-home cooking. I nodded my head and replied “Thanks for the hospitality Applejack. I will try to do my best to repay you for your kindness.” She gave a small smile and said “Think nothing of it partner. Least I can do for a new pony such as you.” I gave a small smile and was getting ready to head out before Applejack said “By the way Gamer, would that happen to be your saddlebag over there?” She then ‘pointed’ towards a rather medium size lump of leather that was lying on the ground.
I was now a bit curious by it as I don’t seem to remember anything else that was sucked up into the vacuum besides me. Then again, there was a lot going on at that moment and I wasn’t exactly paying too much attention to my surroundings at the time. I made my way over to the lump to discover to my surprise that it was actually my backpack I had back at college.
The backpack was a simple design that was colored black and had green strips to make it more visible. There were two side pockets, a small pocket, and the main one that also had a section where I was able to place my laptop. Finding it here both filled me with joy for having something from my human self and curious as to why the backpack is here in the first place.
Decided that I would wait on figure that out and the fact that I was still hungry; grabbed my backpack in my mouth and using some strange maneuvering that even I was not entirely sure how I did it, managed to strap it on my back with the straps wrapped around my fore-legs. I kept the straps loose so I could still have free movement without them falling off.
Making my way back to Applejack, I replied “It’s not a saddlebag but rather a backpack.” Once again she looked confused and was quick to ask “And just what in the hay is a ‘backpack’”. I gave a small sigh and replied “Well…as the name implies, it is a pack that I wear on my back.” While I expected her to show understanding, I was surprise to see a look of anger on her face and she said “Are you somehow implying that I’m not smart?” I sense a conflict at the moment and I was quick to back down from it by saying “I’m sorry if I offended you Applejack. I never meant it to sound like that.” I saw her face relax and she replied “It’s alright there Gamer. I shouldn’t have let my anger get the better of me.” She turned around before saying “Let’s head back to the farm.” I nodded my head and started off behind her.
The walk to Applejack’s home was not that long as I thought it was going to be but in truth, I didn’t mind too much as I was having a delightful time spending with Applejack. However, I had to keep sure that I didn’t discuss anything that would make Applejack suspect that I know more then she believe I would know. It may sound confusing but all it really means was that I couldn’t let on the fact that I was able to watch them every Saturday back when I was a human or the concept of the ‘brony’.
We eventually reached Sweet Apple Acres just as the last bit of sun was setting. Being among here, I was able to smell the fresh apples which only naturally caused my stomach to start making noises again. I was unable to resist letting out a small chuckle and said to Applejack “I think my stomach is telling me ‘less talking and more eating’”. Applejack returned the smile with one of her own and replied “Then we best get to feeding that stomach of yours then.” We shared a small laugh before making our way towards the house.
We reached the front door and I watched as Applejack knocked on the door to let everypony know that she was back. The door opened to reveal a rather large red stallion with a lay back look to his face. Knowing who he was the moment I saw him, I decided to keep quiet for the time. Applejack then said “Brother…this here is Gamer and he’s going to be joining us for dinner tonight. Is that alright with you?” I felt Big Mac’s gaze on me and I tried to do my best to look calm and to not think about how much pain I was going to be in if he decided to use me as practice for bucking apple trees. So I couldn’t help but give a small sigh of thanks when he replied “Eyuup.”
I made my way inside and I felt the sense of comfort that the house seem to emanate from its walls. I felt very invited and welcome which allowed me to relax for the first time since I was transported here. I place my backpack down in the hallway off to the side before Applejack said “Dinner won’t be ready for a few minutes, why don’t you rest up in the family room. I nodded my head in understanding and made my way towards the family room.
The family room was a simple place with a very contrary like feel to it. One thing that caught my attention was the wall mirror and I figured it was high time to see how I actually look like. I approach the mirror and I gave a small gasp of surprise at what I saw.
The big thing I notice was the fact that I was in fact a unicorn. The horn was a tan color and looked to be about the same size as Twilight’s horn. The rest of my face was pretty simple and bland although I still retain my glasses despite the fact that they should have fallen off of my head. My blue eyes were larger due to the cartoon logic Equestria runs on and my hair had changed into a full blown mane which still maintains my flattop look and dirty brown color. All in all, I was satisfied with the way I looked and gave my reflection a smile to which he replied.
It was then that Applejack called me in for dinner. I made my way over to the kitchen to see her and Big Mac already at the table waiting for me to arrive. After struggling for a moment, I manage to take my seat and we all started to eat. Applejack was quick to tell me to keep the volume down as her little sister and grandmother were asleep right now. I nodded my head in understand and we went back to the dinner.
For my first dinner in Equestria, it was very enjoyable. Of course the main ingredient in all of them was apples but they had such a wide range of taste and styles that I felt a little overwhelm. Eager to try new foods, I tried a little bit of everything and apple fritters were quickly becoming my favorite apple dish.
Once dinner was over, Applejack led me to the guest room. The guest room was once again a simple room containing only the necessary furniture like the bed, a nightstand, and a desk. I once again offered my thanks to Applejack and her hospitality before she closed the door to the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Normally, my head would be spinning with questions and energy but after that big dinner, the only thing I really did was dragging my flank into the bed and went to sleep, dreaming about the moment when I would meet my favorite pony of the Main Six.
Man…three chapters in about twelve hours. I really to get some sleep or I am going to be really cranky in the morning. Let me know what you think of the story so far and keep an eye out for the next chapter.