Sandow sat, drinking another apple fizzy drink through something called a ‘straw.’ The sofa was the most comfortable thing he had ever sat on in his life. He was in a library. Full of books. And other ponies. And a dragon. There was glass, actual glass on the windows. And there was a lot of windows. He was drinking out of a glass bottle. Glass was everywhere, he noticed. He could look out the windows and see other windows. A whole town with glass.
He felt a quiet sense of awe and didn’t know how to talk about it. Glass had been a precious commodity of the rich when he had lived last.
He had a princess give him a glass of water…
He had woke up in odd times. Everything he knew was gone.
Well, almost everything. Apples were still around, and they stuck together. That hadn’t changed. He thought of his dam, and her stories to him about how all of the ponies had turned on her, because she loved a pegasus. But her family had stuck with her, she had said. They had welcomed the pegasus she loved, taking him in and calling him their own.
He heard the fillies talking to the librarian. The princess librarian, he noted, with no small amount of confusion. It was background noise to his thoughts.
The fizzy drinks and the fruit salad were having quite an effect. Sandow took a deep breath and let fly a resonating gurgling belch that caused the objects on the table to rattle slightly.
Scootaloo giggled.
Twilight looked at him in disgust and horror.
Sweetie Belle shook her head at him. “That’s uncouth.” She whispered.
“My sister and I talked about that word ‘uncouth’ once.” Applebloom said, remembering the long ago conversation.
Sandow paused, suddenly feeling very unsure of himself.
“I’m sorry?” He said, his words forming a faint hint of a question. “Things must be different.”
“No,” said Applebloom, “just wait till we go home. I’ll show you how to say the alphabet while you do that.”
“Applebloom!” Twilight snapped.
“What?” Applebloom said innocently.
Twilight glared at her but said nothing.
Sandow went back to staring out the window, and he couldn’t help but notice all of the different types of ponies walking around outside. He watched them for some time, noticing the quiet in the library as he sat.
“All the ponies live together?” He asked, breaking the silence because it seemed expected. “Hard to believe. My dam had no end of trouble because she loved my sire.”
Twilight Sparkle’s eye twitched slightly.
“Do ponies marry for love now?” Sandow asked, before Twilight could say anything.
“What an odd question.” Twilight replied. “I suppose in your time it was uncommon?”
“Yes.” Sandow said, failing to elaborate for a moment. He took a deep breath. “Most marriage was arranged. Or wives were traded for.”
“I wonder what I’d be worth.” Sweetie Belle squeaked.
“My dam loved my sire. The real trouble happened because he was a pegasus.” Sandow said, scowling.
“Oh, that is still a bit of problem even today,” said Twilight, her eye twitching once again, “but not much of a problem here in Ponyville. This town takes pride in being a place where ponies are just ponies.”
“That makes me glad.” Sandow said, his scowl turning more into a bit of a smile.
Sandow slipped back into silence, his features thoughtful.
“None of us got a cutie mark.” Sweetie Belle lamented with a whine.
“I gots me a new family member.” Applebloom said. “I’m alright with that.”
Twilight Sparkle’s face contorted in severe grammatical pain, causing her to grind her teeth. “Applebloom, you should try paying a little more attention in school.” Twilight said, her own grammar faltering under the strain.
“Why’s that Twilight?” Applebloom asked with wide eyed innocence.
“Oh, no reason.” Twilight said, letting the issue drop.
The door opened.
An orange mare and a big red stallion stood at the door, both looking a bit surprised and confused.
“Big sis!” Applebloom shouted, running for the door. She threw her forelegs around the orange mare’s neck and squeezed.
“This is Sandow.” Applebloom said, still clinging to her sister’s neck. “Sandow, this is Applejack, my sister, and this is Big McIntosh, my brother.
Applejack strode forward, dragging her sister along, Applebloom’s hind hooves dragging over the wooden floor. She peered at Sandow, looking at him as he rose up off the couch. Sandow stood, feeling a bit self conscious, and wished that he wasn’t so dusty.
“Sandow Apple.” Applejack said.
Sandow nodded.
“Pleased to meetcha.” Applejack said, trying to shake her sister loose. “Big Mac prolly wont say much, but I know he’s glad to meetcha as well.”
Applejack turned to Twilight. “Thank you for restoring’ my kinfolk. I don’t mean to be rude, but we need to get on home.”
She turned back to Sandow. “Come on, let’s go home.”
“You don’t know me.” Sandow said sheepishly. “I don’t know you. I…”
“Shush!” Said Applejack, cutting him off. “Ain’t a bit of that matters. Now come on, we’ve got to get home. Big Mac’s stomach is growlin’ like a timberwolf and it scares the smaller ponies somethin’ fierce. It’ll be suppertime soon. And Granny gets right cranky if’n we ain’t there.”
The grammatical assault was too much for Twilight. Spike took notice and began to eye several books with soothing grammar for Twilight to take solace in.
“Goodbye Twilight.” Sandow said.
“I hope you can settle in.” Twilight said. “My friend Applejack will take care of you.”
Sandow headed for the door with Applejack.
“Goodbye Sweetie! Goodbye Scootaloo!” Applebloom said, finally letting go of her sister.
Sandow stepped out into the sunlight, blinking his eyes and trying to take everything in. The town was full of ponies. Pegasi. Unicorns. Earth ponies. All around him. Houses. Buildings of all kinds. He felt dizzy, trying to take everything in. It was difficult. The town must be full of very wealthy ponies, he thought to himself. He struggled to keep up with Applejack, not watching where he was going, looking all around him at the thriving town of Ponyville. Ponies were waving at him he realised. He shook himself out of his shock enough to try and wave back.
“Oh flibbertigibbet.” Applejack swore.
A bright pink pony approached.
“Hi! I’m your new friend Pinkie Pie!” The pink pony proclaimed proudly.
Sandow was completely overwhelmed. A second later, he was flabberghasted as well, as the pink pony had just tackled him and was squeezing him.
“Pinkie, this ain’t a good time. He’s in a bit of a shock. I promise I’ll give ya some time to get to know him, but later.” Applejack paused. “Oh, my manners. Pinkie Pie, this is Sandow Apple. Sandow Apple, this is Pinkie Pie. Our cousin.”
“Hi!” Pinkie said, squeezing him again and then letting go.
Pinkie began to walk with them, watching Sandow intently.
“You are a pegasus!” Pinkie announced as though she had made a major discovery.
Sandow said nothing, but looked at her sheepishly.
“Yeah he is Pinkie. Airborne Apple. Now try to leave him be. He’s had a bad day. I’ll explain later.”
“Alright Applejack.” Pinkie said, still smiling. “Sandow, maybe later I could do something that might make you feel better.”
“Like wha-wha-what?” Sandow stuttered, completely overwhelmed by the bustling sea of ponies all around him and Pinkie Pie’s continued attention.
“She wants to throw you a party.” Applejack explained.
“Aw, Applejack, you spoiled the surprise.” Pinkie said, looking disappointed, her lower lip protruding in a poignant pout as the pink pony persistently pranced playfully parallel to Sandow.
Pinkie paused, pondering her Pinkie premonitions and perceptions precariously planted in her psyche, pondering the letter p, pontificating the pronouncement of the pernicious placement of p in psyche, as the p had no pronunciation.
Pinkie Pie giggle-snorted, clearing the junk out of her brain. “I need to go.” She said suddenly. “I have important things to do.” She snorted again. “Pontificating. That’s a funny word.”
“Our cousin is a little off.” Applejack said in a low voice as Pinkie parted.
“Eeyup.” Big Mac said, suddenly becoming sociable.
“But we love her.” Applebloom said.
“Eeyup.” Big Mac repeated, causing Applejack to look at him in surprise.
The group continued onward. Sandow stretched his wings a bit, shaking loose more dust. He stopped, shook himself violently, causing dust to fly, He then picked up his pace to catch up with the group.
You have big ears.” Applebloom commented.
“Applebloom!” Applejack scolded.
“We’ll he does.” Applebloom protested.
“Yes I do.” Sandow agreed.
“Shouldn’t say those sorts of things.” Applejack said. “It’s rude.”
“You say that it is Rarity’s big plot that makes her big plot look big, not her dress.” Applebloom said.
“But never to her face!” Applejack explained, becoming embarrassed and hoping that nopony heard her sister. She walked with her head lowered, her hat covering her eyes somewhat.
Big Mac chuckled, and said nothing.
Some things haven’t changed, Sandow reflected. He felt a pang of grief, sadness suddenly creeping up on him. He drove it away from his mind as he continued onward. He’d mourn those long dead when he had a moment alone, if he could ever get a moment alone. He needed some moments alone, he thought. He was surrounded by an uncountable number of ponies. There was no moment to be alone here.
“We’ll getcha through this,” said Applejack, reading his mind, “Don’t you worry. It’ll be rough for a while, but you ain’t alone. There’ll be shoulders to cry on and a big orchard to let things out in. Just hold it together for now.”
Sandow nodded. He smelled strange smells. Sweet smells. Warm smells. Fresh baked bread wafted into his nose, causing his mouth to water. Bread was a luxury. He realised he was still hungry as his stomach rumbled. He hadn’t had much to eat when he had found the cave. Winter had been coming. The orchard was gone, flooded, mud and water completely covering the trees. He had been worried that they were going to have to eat bark from the trees to make it through the winter. There had been plenty of trees around the cave.
None of that mattered now.
He thought of his foal, huddled with her mother and her aunt, trying to keep warm. He remembered her scent. Hawley. Now gone. Like everything else. He had left them, somewhat sheltered under a fallen tree, having dug out some dirt and leaves, clearing them enough space to crawl under and be out of the freezing rain, at least somewhat. He had kissed them all before leaving.
He felt a hoof poke him, shoving him out of his memories. He looked up at Big Mac, who was looking at him with some concern, his face both kind and sad.
“Later.” Bic Mac said, shaking his head.
“You ain’t nothin’ but ribs and hide.” Applejack said, staring at him.
Sandow said nothing, not sure what to say.
“I’m tired, I done been on my hooves all day.” Applebloom protested.
Big Mac kneeled down so that Applebloom could climb on his back. She did, and hugged him around his broad neck with her forelegs, beaming at her brother.
Big Mac continued, trotting through the town, his enormous hooves making thudding sounds in the dirt.
Applejack stopped to nod at ponies that she knew, her pony tailed mane bobbing. Sandow noticed that she seemed to know a lot of ponies. Or a lot of ponies knew her.
Sandow’s mind drifted as he walked. What had Bluebelle and Azalea thought when he had never returned? Had they married again? Did they stay together? He hoped that they had stayed together. They were very close as sisters. What had they named the foal that was coming? Did they survive the winter? He felt his thoughts closing in on him again.
He turned and saw Applebloom smiling at him, and he felt a little better as they walked, his mind clearing somewhat. He felt an empty ache in his chest as his mind settled. He was alive, and walking through a town full of the living, thinking about those long dead.
They approached the edge of town, trotting at a brisk pace, the noise of the town settling into the background. The road lie ahead of them, empty, full of hoofprints and wagon wheel tracks. Even though he was a pegasus, Sandow liked roads. He liked what they represented. He had been raised on the ground. Roads weren’t too different from the sky. Except they presented a defined direction, a specific place to go. You stepped onto the road and followed it, and eventually you would reach the place you wanted to go. Flying took a lot more attention. The road had led to so many places. New ponies. The road had lead him to his wives.
And now he was on a road walking to a home that he did not know. This road lead there, and his companions were bringing him home. The road was overhung with trees, shadowy, the sunlight dancing as it filtered through branches and leaves, creating a path that danced with light, tempting him onward with the promise of stepping on a patch of sun, catching it beneath his hoof. The road felt good. As he reflected on the road, thoughts of those lost faded into the background, somewhat less painful, lingering. The grief would come. He could see that on the road ahead, the road in his mind, and he knew where that road lead.
He would walk that road later. He suspected that he would not be alone.