Applejack and I left Apple Bloom and her two other friends at the front gate to Sweet Apple Acres. I waved good bye to the three girls as we headed down the road in the direction of town.
My curiosity about this place was beginning to grow little by little as we walked along. "What's this country called?" I asked, still gawking at the world around me, "I don't think I have ever seen it on any of the maps of the world."
"Huh," Applejack huffs, "that's funny. Equestria is usually right next to the griffin kingdom." She looked up in thought.
My mind was spinning from all this new information. The fact that I didn't know anything about this place scared me a little, so I tried to get my bearings. "So then which way is it to the United States?" I asked.
"Sorry, couldn't tell ya," I began to sigh in relief at her words, "because I don't know what the United States is." Then, panic built up inside of me again.
Everyone knows where and what the U.S. is. "You know Manhattan right?"
"Ya'll sure do pronounce things funny," she said chuckling. "It's not said man-hat-in, it's manehattan, and it's the stop before Appaloosa."
"That's it," I thought, "My life is over."
"Cheer up." Applejack gave me a smile. "I'm sure the princesses can send you back home." I slowed a little.
"How did you know I'm not from here?" I asked.
She then turned around and smiled. "You can say it's because of all the weird questions ya ask." She chuckled some more, then gestured for me to keep walking. "Now let's get going. Don't want ya to miss the princesses." She ended up getting far enough ahead that I had to jog to catch up to her.
* * * * *
After a while of walking through the town, Applejack and I came upon a building that looked like a gingerbread house. Inside was a girl with pink curly hair. She was holding a silver tray. Her mouth dropped when she saw me, then she ran off further into the building with the tray. "What is this place?" I asked.
Applejack was about to say something when someone burst out of the building and picked me up in a huge hug, a different voice replacing Applejack's, "Thisplaceissugarcubecornerthemostfantasticalplaceinallofponyville!!"
"Can't." I gasped "Breath!" I gasped out. Right after I said that, I was dropped on my hands and knees, gasping for air.
"I'msorryit'sjustyournewandit'ssoexcitingwhenyoumeetnewpeopleyaknow?" I looked up, still taking in air, to see the girl with pink hair standing over me. She took something from her tray. "Cupcake?" she asked with a beam.
"I'm afraid he's not here for the party," Applejack said. The girl didn't seem to be phased by this. "I know that, silly!" she said, fanning her hand at Applejack, "I just came out here to tell you guys that-" She stopped mid-sentence and put on a helmet that was white with red dots all over it, "-the princess is in another castle."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked
"It means she's not here," Applejack replied. She then turned to the girl. "Y'all have any idea where she went?"
The girl gave Applejack a smile, "Yep!" We stood there in silence for a bit. "Well?" I asked. "Well, I can't tell you!" the girl exclaimed. "Why not?" Applejack asked.
"She said that it was a secret and that she was looking for something, but I don't remember what," the girl tapped her chin with her finger. "Well, can't sit around here all day thinking about it. I have guests to host!" She picked me up off the ground and gave me another hug, but this one was a bit lighter. "It was nice to meet you, Joseph! I'm Pinkie. Have a fun time in Ponyville."
She stopped hugging me and started skipping off. "How did she know my name?" I asked, looking at Applejack.
"Little word of advice for ya, never question Pinkie; it just makes life simpler," Applejack smiled at me.
"Oookay?" I still wanted to know how Pinkie knew my name and why we were here. "Now what do I do!"
"Calm down," Applejack said.
"Calm down!" I repeated, now agitated. "How can I calm down when the princess is my only way home?!" I throw my arms up in the air.
"Granny always said, ya can't think on an empty stomach, and the princess might come back to the party, so we'll talk to her when she arrives." She gave me a smile and gestured toward Sugarcube Corner.
"Ok," I said with my head facing toward the ground. "But as soon as we see Luna, we talk to her," I said as I raised my head and pointed at her.
"Deal." Applejack then turned and walked into the gingerbread bakery, with me behind her.