//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4: Green Eat 
// Story: Equestria Quest 
// by Iwano Imagination 
//------------------------------//

After the song, everypony immediately clapped and stomped their hooves to my performance and began gathering around me. Okay, I didn’t clearly have this in mind about being in crowds. They then started commenting and asking me a ton of questions which jumbled my brain. Just like what I said in my song: I can’t handle crowds of ponies. I then grinned to all of them nervously and courteously, just to make sure not to hurt their feelings. I couldn’t handle this at all! My heart was pounding; my hooves were shaking and my head vibrating. Hesitant, I used my magic to teleport myself unto the top of the Town Hall. Everypony were surprised of my disappearance.
“Woah, he is timid,” said Baritone.
“He should really mingle with his true self instead of just singing his heart out,” said Bell Perin.
“Let’s just wait for that pony to show up again soon, folks,” Mayor Mare said to everypony. They all just went back to their normal business with their suits and gowns. I guess they really like their outfit. Those outfits are designed by Elesa of Nimbasa City in the Unova region, Pokémon world. How did I somehow make them wear those? It’s just magic.
I was still on the top of the Town Hall, thinking of negative thoughts about my performance. I covered my eyes with my hooves and readied myself to cry. I was a disgrace…was I?
“That’s a migh’ defyin’ performance you got there, Iwano,” a voice said to me below. I looked down with my eyes open and saw the Mane Six and Spike. I guess Applejeck was the one who complimented me. “You aren’t bad with your singin’ and dancin’.”
“And I thought Pinkie Pie’s the only one who makes random performances and presentations,” I said.
“Seriously,” Rainbow Dash said irritably as she went muzzle to muzzle on me. “How do you know us very well?” I was about to nervously answer her question when Twilight flew up between Rainbow Dash and I.
“Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said to her. “Give him some time to answer that. He’s still new in Ponyville and our mission is to cure or contain Iwano of his Dissonance, not adding him up with more timidity and anxiety. Who knows? Maybe those things would fuel up his Dissonance.”
She was correct there.
Rainbow Dash sighed. “I’m sorry.” 
Twilight looked at me to see if I accepted it. I just nodded modestly.
Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie was practicing my shuffling steps and her legs got tangled up into a knot. Her tongue was out and in an impressive sailor knot. That was weird…no wonder she was been a favorite to many bronies.
I then flew down to the ground to my new friends.
“Okay now,” Twilight said. “How can we help you, Iwano?”
I smiled and inhaled myself to calmness. “Well, I just want to hang out with each of one of you girls until seven days are up, each taking turns if one of you decides—” I then turned to face the sky. It was about to sunset. “And I need a place to sleep in for the night. And I thought I finally made them uneasy when I said about the deadline of seven, but they were unfazed.
“I’ll let ya sleep in the barn,” Applejack said. “Today, you’re with me for your first day here, sugar cube.”
“You mean in Sweet Apple Acres? It’s a sure thing, Applejack!”
The ponies looked at each other in delight, but Twilight was still suspiciously staring at me. It seemed like she would have a hard time trusting in me for seven days. Twilight really needed to lighten up.
All of us separated and farewell to each other. I was going with Applejack.

While walking, I was staring at her from top to bottom. She was quite pretty. She was full of honesty—I could feel it—and a hardworking pony to me. She’s… she’s… WOAH! I shook my head to avoid being infatuated and mesmerized with Applejack. You could say I was quite amorous with too many girls in IW who I thought are pretty and good in their heart. I had to stop myself from falling in love all over again! I got to stay focused on my major objectives: put a control or cure to my Dissonance in this world, bond and recruit anypony I could trust, especially the Mane Six, Spike, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. 
"Um, Applejack?" I asked.
"What is it, Iwano?"
"Are you, um, weird out of my performance? I mean, usually ponies are always weird out by me." I can already imagine of what she'll say.
"Are you kidding me, Iwano? Just like what I say a while ago: That was a migh’ defyin’ performance. Pinkie Pie loves to do those kinds of things.”
“Well, okay. It’s t-time to change the subject. A-are w-we friends?” Dang, my tone sounds bashful. I even stammered. Why am I always like this with girls? I wasn’t like that with girls in Reality, though.
“Of course! I’ll help you in any way to cure your Dissonance. I’m known to be as the Element of Honesty. So Iwano, do you lie often?” Applejack asked.
“Yes.” I answered.
“Wow, that answer of yours was pretty straightforward,”
“I lied to many ponies in my life just to make myself more interesting or to bridge up a relationship,” everything I said is true in Reality.
“Lying can be bad if you just kept on doing that, Iwano,”
“I know,” I whined. “But I don’t want anyone to think I’m that boring"— I drooped. “Or useless"— I let my face rub on the ground while walking. “Or unreliable"— I raised myself. “Or—”
Applejack covered my mouth with an apple. Where did she get this apple? I thought. I just ate the whole apple by a mouthful and spat out the apple core instantly. She then waved in front of me and pointed at our right. It was Sweet Apple Acres! There was a white fence and an entrance, decorated with apples and shrubs, to the family farm/orchard. Applejack and I just smiled at each other. This was a delight for me to first time stay in SAA! 
“Is it okay if I can just sleep in the barn by the haystack?” I asked Applejack.
“Well, sure thing!” she replied.
Later, I was just lying down blankly on the haystack.
“Are ya shore you don’t need anything else?” Applejack said as she was about to leave me and close the barn’s doors. “I can give ya some apple pie, apple cider, apple juice, apple cake, apple—”
“I’m fine!” I insisted. “Your hospitality is enough. This is all I need.”
“If ya need anything just ask me.” She then left and closed the doors. She was quite great…
I looked around. The windows were still opened. I used my magic to close all of them shut. For the first time, I would not be using iWatch10 to communicate with Cynthia. Instead, I used magic. Since I was still a powerful leader of IW, I could use my magic as an Alicorn in ease.
I then used my magic and made a rectangular screen like a flat-screen television. The image was blank in white for a second, and then an image of Cynthia appeared. She was in her desk compiled with papers. Her face told me that she was a bit worried but managed to have a subtle smile.
“I knew you’re going to use that kind of magic,” she said. “So that’s why I asked Mari to upgrade my laptop for it to be connected with magical communication and messages.”
“Well, that’s good,” I said. “How are things in IW?”
Her glad smile faded into a frown. I could tell she was having a stressful day as a substitute Leader. “You not being here’s a problem—again. The Elementals are wreaking havoc in some parts of IW and to the other worlds, mostly on the Pokémon world, the Land of Ooo and the Ninja world. In other words, IW is beginning to become imbalanced again.”
I frowned as well. “I recently visited those worlds before I came here in Equestria. Why would they want to wreak havoc in those worlds frequently?” I asked.
“It’s unknown,” she answered. “So how’s everything there?”
“It’s great!” I told her everything of what happened from the entrance to here I was in SAA. She didn’t seem to like Twilight scowling at me. I guessed Twilight still did not trust me for I may be another villain she needed to spray friendship on.
“You really need to make Twilight act more friendly towards you. That song you just—” she giggled. “Sang and perform is not going to do help. You need to be yourself and stay focused on the task, especially staying smart on any predicament.”
“That’s another problem.” I realized I wasn’t seating down on the hay, so I did. “I’m starting to fall in love again.”
Saying that makes her stress even more. “Do. Not. Fall in love again. You know what will happen!” she got off her seat just by saying that. Ugh, whoever I would fall in love with would become special, but also be endangered. It was like a curse but with no cure at all.
“Okay, okay,” I said calmly to settle her down. “I will control it.” She then sat down again, but I doubt a bit that I might be able to control it.
“Now, let’s change the subject, shall we? Tell me about the Mane Six and Spike.” I’m glad she changed it!
“Rainbow Dash, just like Twilight, doesn’t trust me, but for knowing too much about anything related to Ponyville’s populace and Canterlot’s royalty. She’s Rainbow Dash after all.”
“What about Rarity?”
“As usual, she loves fashion and a lover for all things beautiful and arabesque and all. She loved having two of her Gala gowns during my performance. She is Rarity.”
“What about Applejack?”
“She’s impressed of my performance and she did let me live in the barn—”
“For how long?” she interruptedly asked.
“I didn’t tell her, but I think I’ll be leaving this place tomorrow.” I used my magic and opened a window by my left. The moon was already in the horizon. It was nighttime? That was quick. I then closed the window again. “Applejack is quite a nice country-like pony. She’s hospitable, pretty, fabulous and—”
Cynthia grunted. Besides being an overly protective assistant who cares for my safety and others from my evil transformation, you can say that she’s my girlfriend too.
“As I was saying,” I continued. “Let’s now go with Pinkie Pie. She’s eccentric and very random, especially exuberant just like how I tell you when we had our conversation. Who even knew she can twist her neck? She’s energetic as usual and helped me gain my confidence in doing my Enter with Colors performance. And I still don't like her, yeah.”
Cynthia giggled again. “What’s wrong with me doing a performance like that?!” I irritably asked. “You weren’t like that when we had our concerts.”
“I’m sorry, Iwano. Now, how’s Fluttershy?”
“Fluttershy,” I said her name dreamily, though Cynthia knew I was in love with her which she accepted. “She’s timid, bashful and shy, as usual. She’s very kind and my type of pony.”
“When you took that Bronyland Personality Test in Reality, you were classified as Applejack.”
“With a dash of Fluttershy and Twilight,” I reminded.
“Fluttershy should be meant for you, Iwano. She’s shy and timid like you when you’re in school in Reality. She’s kind like you and likes animals—you’re a junior zoologist yourself.”
“Amateur zoologist,” I corrected her. “Anyways, about Twilight Sparkle. She’s looks intellectual and loves to read books, which I already knew. And—”
“She still distrusts you,” she finished my sentence. “I know, Iwano. You don’t need to repeat that like as if you…” Her voice trailed off. “In Reality, you’re usually in love with girls who are kind-voiced and very smart, like Patriz Pacheco. You like her too, do you?”
“Cynthia, I do,” I simply admitted. “I’m weird, okay?”
“And I thought you falling in love with a harpy who memorizes the parts of the Sibylline prophecy is weird. Is there any more ponies you’re in love with?” she asked. Her voice sounded like she wanted to hunt down the ponies I fell in love with and warn them to never be in love with me or she would kill them—even worse: kill me.
“Nnope!” I answered like Big McIntosh’s voice and accent. “Not at all, Cynthia.”
“Remember: your first task of Dissonance curing/diminishing/controlling is to bond with is Applejack, who is the Element of Honesty,” she reminded. “Oh, you forgot something, amnesiac,” she blithely said. “You forgot your stuff in your house.”
I blushed. So that was what I was forgetting! When would my forgetfulness ever leave? “Fine, let me teleport my stuff here.”
I used my magic and imagined on my mind of my stuff back in my home. A few seconds later, my bag appeared which is like those saddlebags for horses, or ponies in Equestria — was it a saddlebag? I then levitated my stuff out and lay them in front of me on the ground. I brought three pencils, two notebooks—namely IW1 and IW2 respectively—, two erasers, and a metallic sharpener. But there was this weird feeling I was having about my saddlebag. Nah, it was just my saddlebag.
I then heard a crashing sound of a wall. “What was that, Cynthia?” I asked.
“Oh, that was just Thea Stilton. She was testing her newly modified motorcycle… which she first used for a crash test in my office,”
“Why your office, Cynthia?” I asked. Seriously, Thea should stop crashing into other people’s walls, especially mine and Geronimo Stilton’s office. 
“Well, we made a deal and—” Just before she finished answering my question, I lost communication and the magical screen disappeared into a haze. Thea must have probably turned Cynthia’s upgraded monitor into her first tech-type road kill. Great.
I winced. IW, my world, was in danger without me there. But I can’t just abandon my most important mission! I really needed to contain my Dissonance and unite Equestria with IW. But I have to be arcane and stay incognito until the time was right.
I then packed my stuff, levitated it beside me and cuddled myself in my hay bed, though it felt itchy initially. I made myself drowsy by thinking of Sabrina, the Gym Leader of Saffron City, Kanto region, Pokémon World. When I finally went to sleep, I suddenly drifted into a dream.
I always had weird dreams, like Percy Jackson and Harry Potter’s. All my dreams could predict the future often. But this dream was not one of them at all. 

I wished I hadn’t slept yet.
In my dream, I was still an Alicorn. I was in an open and clear field of grass. It was night with twinkling stars and the bright moon shining vividly. But something was bothering my aura about this dream, as if it wasn't a dream at all. I scanned my surroundings for anypony. 
“Hello? Is there anypony out here?” I called out. No answer.
I thought I was stuck in a dream void when suddenly I heard flapping behind me. I turned around. She was an Alicorn just like me. Her eyes were moderate cyan, her mane was moderate cobalt blue—I love cobalt blue, besides anything green and yellow—and her coat was dark sapphire blue.  Her expression seemed unfriendly, but I thought she was like that before I even began dreaming into this isolated field. 
It was Princess Luna, the Princess of the Night.
“Thou are the Alicorn whom my sister spoke to?” she asked. Yes, she was not friendly towards me at all because of her insistent tone in her voice.
“Um, yes I am the one your sister talked to, Princess Luna,” I answered with regality in my voice. It was a good thing Princess Bubblegum taught me how to talk all royalty before I went here. I was prepared for this kind of conversation with the Equestria princesses, especially Luna. Wait a minute. Luna was there when I was talking to Celestia. Why was she asking?
“Why were you causing a disruption to my job as the Princess of the Night?” she asked again, but she became more aggressive.
“What are you talking about, Luna?”
“Before and now when you came here to Equestria, I cannot go into other pony’s dreams. Do you realize how much irritation you gave me and the little fillies and colts I have to help of their fears?” Okay, I backed a few steps from her, but she then began walking towards me. This was bad.
“Uh, if I did that, I am sorry. I do not know what I was doing.” I became a Fluttershy the moment she began asking me that question—my tone all shy and timid with fear. I was not really used to people—or ponies—talking so accosting to me. 
“Remember this: I dislike you. You are the source of all of my problems now the moment you came here. Just like Twilight, I do not trust you for you are filled with Dissonance. You will someday become a threat to the citizens of Ponyville and soon, the whole of Equestria. If you are to become of who you truly are, I will be prepared for you. And If I do... you are dead.”
My legs began to shake. “But Luna I—”
“Princess Luna, you ingrate!” she chided. Eek!
“I mean, Princess Luna, I am not the cause of your dream problem anymore! It stopped—really! See—” I waved my hoof in the air. “You’re entering my dream. Or rather you made my dream,”
“True, but you are still a threat. Heed my warning, Iwano Imagination. I shall now go back to my job and watch. Thou are now my enemy.”
She then flew into the air and left with a scowl and disgust, probably because she doesn’t really want to talk to me. I felt down and sad of Luna distrusting me. First Twilight and now Luna—who else, Applejack? My dream began to blur and turned dark. While talking to Luna, my heart was pumping fast. I thought I knew what that meant, but I wouldn’t let it take over me.

I wish I’d still be talking to Luna rather than waking up, even if it meant bearing her aggression towards me.
I woke up and yawned in my hay. I stood up, stretched my whole body from hooves to wings. I licked my lips to wet them—why do my lips taste like apples? And why am I not hungry? I am supposed to be hungry every time I awoke. I walked to the barn’s door and opened it for me to get some fresh air. But the only fresh air I smell was leaves. Why leaves? I looked down and saw scatters of it. I wondered then realized that there were leaves everywhere on the ground. My face was full of curiosity. What happened? I asked to myself. What happened to this place? Queries filled my head immediately—what happened?
“How could you, Iwano?” a voice asked me from my left. I looked for where the voice came from… and it’s no surprise of who owns that Sothern American accent. I have to quench my confusion with answers. I ran to the orchard which is just behind the barn and—what in the name of Great Hoole!—I’d got my first Equestria surprise…   
The orchard’s apples were all gone! All the trees were naked of their apples and its leaves were barely healthy and half gone. Some of the orchard’s trees were timbered down and ruined. What in the name of Carter Kane’s griffin was going on!?
“Well?” Applejack said behind me. “Can you explain everything?” she was upset and, of course, angry.
I stammered and went gibberish at first for a few seconds but gotten my focus after that. I then began explaining. “I was just in the barn yesterday—or last night?—thinking about stuff and went to sleep after that. That’s all I can remember!”
“Did you even remember eating all the apples at night while I was trying to catch you with my lasso but you were too darn fast?”
“Um, I don’t even remember that! But, what’s your side of the story?”
She sighed and began her side of the story. If only Pinkie Pie were here to listen to Applejack’s story with me, I would feel lighter from my confusion with her. “I was sleeping in my room, cozy like a little bunny in her burrow. While I was dreaming of becoming the number one rodeo pony in Equestria, I heard a loud noise, like a tree snapping and falling outside in the orchard. I went out to check what the fuss was going on. When I arrived at the orchard, I saw you—you!—eating up all the apples in the trees! You were hungrier than a hippo that hadn’t eaten anything for a month! I’ve never seen any pony—besides me—eating all the apples that wildly. 
Without hesitation, I grabbed my lasso as quickly as possible from the barn. I tried to lasso you up, but you used your magic to release yourself whenever I caught you. You were even too fast for me to catch up, since you do have wings and you were flying, too. In your face, I saw that you were annoyed of me chasing you, so you knock me out by shooting an apple core out of your mouth—nasty. I woke up this morning from being unconscious after that.”
I was in shock about that story. “Was I even sleep walking, Applejack?”
“You were awake and your eyes were glowing red like an evil pony, which you are!” Applejack pointed a hoof at me.
“D-d-did I say anything that time?” I asked with my teeth chattering.
“Well, just some grunts and neighs. But you did say this: I shall bear the fall of Equestria and everypony will be devoured by me.” A chilling sensation crawled up in my spines, like a thousand of fire ants making their way into my head. Dissonance must’ve been controlling me that time. I was probably unconscious in my sleep or maybe it happened while I was talking to Luna. Applejack shuddered of those lines.
“Applejack, I am deeply sorry of all of this—wait! I can just use my magic! Watch this!” I ran to the middle of the orchard, avoiding the fallen trees and apples. I stopped then I raise my head and waited for my magic to take effect… nothing. Nothing happened! This time, I used my imagination and concentrated on my magic—not a single spark. I stammered.
Applejack then walked towards me. I thought she wants more explanation—do I have to be honest? I saw in her expression that she now disliked me. Is it? I’m not so sure at all! And this wasn’t my fault!
I reluctantly ran away from her. Was it my fault? Or was it my Dissonance?
I thought this was Deceitfulness’s fault—Dissonance.