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It’s Called Ponyville? Seriously?
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After the party had concluded, Alex was left wondering exactly what he should be doing at this point. Really, all he needed to do was find the portal back to his world, so he could move on with his life, and never ever tell anyone that he was in a magic cartoon pony world. They’d lock him up over that one.
Well, assuming he wasn’t already in an institution. That possibility was still out there.
Looking out the front window of the library, Alex considered the place he was in right now.
It seemed like this town was more on the rural side of things. However, he had no idea if urban places even existed here. He’d have to make a list of questions to ask about this dumb place.
“Hey, Alex?” Twilight asked carefully, still a little worried that he might be completely insane, “Do you mind if I take you somewhere?”
“The hospital?” He asked, turning from the window and grimacing, “I’d really rather not.”
“Not the hospital,” She shook her head, watching him relax somewhat, “I’d like to take you to Princess Celestia.”
“That’s a nice name,” Alex said idly, “Is she the god of space or something?”
“Well, just the sun,” Twilight corrected nonchalantly, as Alex shook his head and laughed.
“Just the sun,” Alex exhaled, looking to the setting sun in front of him, “Who does the moon?”
“Well, Princess Luna, I guess.” Twilight answered, knowing she hadn’t controlled the moon in over a thousand years, “But not right now.”
“So the other Princess does both, I guess?” Alex asked, indeed guessing.
“You’re getting it!” Twilight laughed, before frowning when he didn’t respond to her, “Maybe I should take you to a hospital.”
“Nonono,” Alex answered quickly, seeing how nervous she was at his conflicting attitudes in the last few hours, “They’re going to ask for a stool sample, and I haven’t figured that part out yet.”
Cracking a smile, he put Twilight at ease.
“Let’s go see this Princess.” Alex said, gesturing to the door, “I’d like to see around the outside world as well.”
Nodding, Twilight opened the door and allowed him to leave first. She knew Celestia would have a spell that could give everypony a basic grasp on his mental health. If he was indeed sane, like he half-insisted, then they would have some very interesting questions to answer. That was for sure.
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“This is Ponyville,” Twilight said, walking down the road as Alex carefully took his trip one step at a time, “Home to well, as I’m sure you can guess, Ponies.”
“It’s called Ponyville?” Alex asked, scoffing as pretentiously as possible, “Seriously?”
“That’s a bad thing?” Twilight scratched her chin, as the stupid questions all started to become commonplace.
“Well, it’s like having a place called ‘Human Town.’” Alex shrugged, “Just sounds like someone got lazy.”
Passing a large set of buildings, they both took a moment to get themselves used to the new surroundings.
“Hey Twilight! Hey Alex!” Pinkie beamed, jumping out of a nearby window, and without missing a beat, began bouncing beside the two of them, “Where are you two going?”
“I’m taking Alex to the town hall to see Princess Celestia,” Twilight gestured, pointing to the large building in the center of town, “She’ll be able to tell us if he’s… C.R.A.Z.Y.”
Alex wasn’t sure if he should be insulted that she assumed he couldn’t spell.
“Oh, he’s not crazy at all!” Pinkie giggled, “Just a little bit of a horse’s patoot! My ear told me so!”
Geez. It was like he wasn’t even here.
Twilight wasn’t fully acquainted with Pinkie yet, as they had only met the day before last. But she knew there were going to be some disagreements between them coming up. There was no conceivable way she could read a ponies sanity by using her ear.
Finally arriving at the town hall, Twilight walked up to the large doors, and cracked them open.
Inside, Twilight, followed by Pinkie and Alex poking their heads over hers, could see Princess Celestia speaking with the mayor of the town.
“The next matter we must discuss, is the daily delivery of confectionaries to Canterlot Castle. I wish to enter into a contract with the resident bakers in the town.” The large white mare said, using a quill to write on an opened scroll.
“I’m sure we could have that drawn up for you in about an hour,” The Mayor answered her, giddily writing on her own piece of parchment, happy to have so much business coming from the capital of Equestria, Canterlot.
“That older mare sounds like Spike,” Alex observed rather loudly.
Both Celestia and the Mayor turned toward the door, and frowned at the three eavesdropping ponies, each of which held a different expression on their face.
Twilight was blushing, and grinning apologetically, as she looked away from the gaze of the two.
Pinkie reached her hoof in through the door and waved to them both.
Alex, on the other hoof, was obviously checking out the Princess.
“Ah. You must be our mystery pony.” Celestia said warmly, standing up and ignoring his eyes that were drilling into her rump, “I wasn’t aware you were awake yet… or that you were an alicorn, for that matter.”
“Yeah, alicorn… sure.” Alex mumbled, not recognizing the term, as he finally looked up to her face, “I’m a little bonkers, to be honest with you.”
Celestia studied him, having no trouble seeing his odd attitude.
“I’m Alex, by the way,” Alex said, stepping out of the doorway and extending a hoof.
“Princess Celestia,” She said, ignoring his hoof, and instead bowing her head to him, “I’d like to personally thank you for helping us defeat Nightmare Moon last night.”
“You’re the Princess?” Alex asked, realizing how obvious it really was, considering her larger build, massive horn, and elegant butt-tattoo, “I guess I shouldn’t be staring so much then.”
“Think nothing of it, I’m used to it.” Celestia smiled, silently enjoying the attention she was receiving.
“Princess, I was hoping you’d be able to use some magic to determine his mental stability,” Twilight spoke up, stepping next to Alex, “He’s been saying some very odd things.”
“Like what?” Celestia asked, her interest piqued at what this odd stallion could possibly say to call his sanity into question, “Please elaborate that for me.”
Twilight looked to Alex, and waited for him to speak up.
“Oh!” Alex nodded, catching on quickly to her expectant gaze, “I’m a human, I came to this world in a blue box that I fell out of, I seem to have transformed into a horse… and I guess I’m not going to be getting along with that Rainbow Dash. That’s my story.”
Celestia raised an eyebrow. That was a word she hadn’t heard for at least a hundred years.
Human.
“You call yourself… human?” She asked curiously, approaching him, and walking a circle around the smaller white and gray stallion, “That’s a very interesting claim, Alex.”
“Does it make me crazy?” He asked, hiding how excited he was at having his attitude validated.
“Well, I don’t know much.” Celestia explained, never having read up on the subject too much herself, “But what I do remember is… strange.”
Everypony listened expectantly.
Celestia didn’t explain herself right away, as she looked him over.
He wasn’t red and black. From his already displayed attitude, he didn’t seem too one-sided. But that was yet to be seen.
“Generally, they have described as perfect beings, when inside of Equestria,” Celestia explained, “Attractive, amazing with magic, the center of all attention… superheroes, essentially.”
Twilight grimaced. That sounded like something out of a horribly written book.
“However, I’m afraid I’ll have to do some digging to find any more than that. This is all off the top of my head” She finished, looking to Alex, “So tell me, how many of those things do you feel describe you?”
“Well, he’s not that attractive.” Pinkie spoke up.
“Can you fly? Can you use magic?” Celestia asked, wondering if he would have inherit ability in those challenges.
Flapping his wings as best he could, it quickly became clear he wouldn’t be airborne any time soon.
“What about magic?” Twilight asked, tapping his horn with her hoof.
“I use magic with this, huh?” Alex asked, looking up at his horn and pursing his lips.
It only took four and a half minutes of grunting and shaking arms to determine that he indeed, had no ability in the magic department.
Huffing he sat down on his rump and crossed his arms.
“This is stupid. I wanna go home already.”
“Well, if Alex is indeed a human, he’s the worst one we’ve ever had,” Celestia giggled, seeing his frustration only increase.
Deciding to calm down, and take things a little more seriously, Celestia looked to the offended pony, and placed a hoof on his shoulder.
“If you’ll let me, I can walk you through your past.” Celestia explained, “We’ll be able to see everything that happened the night you arrived.”
“Everything huh?” Alex asked, playing the night before through his mind once again.
“Yes.” She nodded, “However, if you’re uncomfortable, we don’t have to do it.”
“…No.” Alex shook his head, sick of hearing all the doubt, “Let’s do it. I’d like to see just what happened.”
“Wonderful.” Celestia smiled, as her horn lit up, and touched to his, “Just close your eyes, and let me in.”
“You’ll see absolutely everything?” Alex whispered in her ear, half worried about her seeing the death of his parents, and half worried she’d see… something else he did in the shower that morning.
As soon as she cast the spell, blackness overtook the two of them.
/\/\/\/\
Prologue
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