July 5, 1916 – In the past three days, I scouted (so far) a farm, a town, and a house that looks like it's made out of a tree.
On July 3rd, I noticed that the two ponies from the farm took their crops away to sell where it seems to a town some ways off. On the 4th I followed the creek to the town where I got a good look at its residents. Not only did I found even more ponies, but I found that the town has a shared population of mystical creatures. Most of whom are unicorns and pegasuses (or is it pegasi?) in every color that one can imagine. Not only that but like the two ponies from the farm, many of them had different marks on their rumps. As I noticed, each image they have is at random. I saw one that looked like diamonds, another with a harp, another had bubbles, and I think there was one that had balloons. Hmm... very strange indeed.
Today, I followed the creek a little further to find a home that appears to be carved out of a tree. What is odd about this place is as if all the animals for some reason gathered near this place. The ring leader of it all, I believe, is a yellow pegasus with a pink mane and three butterflies on her rump. I'm not sure if this one could talk, even when I hid in the bush that was closest to her, I couldn't make out if she even says anything.
It should be noted that my cover was nearly blown thanks to a certain white rabbit. Who from time to time tried to get the more attention to look in my direction. Looking back, whatever this place is, I find it rather peculiar that the ponies can talk but the other animals can't.
July 6, 1916 – (Noon) My cover has been blown!
It's just now that I can catch my breath after fleeing from her all morning.
This morning I awoke with a blanket around me and the yellow pegasus staring right at me. When I saw those eyes, knowing that I've been caught, I took off. I ran into the forest, having no idea where I was going. As of now, I think I'm completely lost.
I think I hear some––––––––––
July 6, 1916 – (Evening) Allow me to explain the long line when I was about to write the word “Something.” At that moment when I was writing it, I was suddenly picked right off the ground. I looked up and saw that a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane picked me up by it's fore-legs. Of course, I yelled at it to put me down; it, however, just ignored me. It was when we were in the air and all of my struggling that my spear fell off and into the woods below.
The pegasus took me back to the tree home where the yellow pegasus was now joined with the orange pony from the farm. The blue pegasus dropped me between them and the house.
“Here you go,” the blue pegasus said. “One stalker in a tin caned hat.”
I tried to escape one way when the orange one got in the way. “Hey, hey, hey!” she said, “Where did Y'all think you're goin'?”
I tried running the other way, but the blue pegasus blocked me. “Yeah, and what's with the binoculars buddy? Are you a spy or something?”
Then I tried to run to my last exit but the yellow one greeted me with a look along with what I think was an apology. The look she gave me... I don't know how to accurately describe this look. But when I saw those eyes, I just froze there. For some reason, no matter how hard I tried to look away, I couldn't.
“Who are you?” She asked softly. "That is if you don't mind of me asking." I don't know how, but I started answering her against my own will. I told her the truth to every question she asked.
"Private James Tinwhool of the 24th Royal Infantry.”
“Where are you from?”
“Grey Pine, England.”
“Why do you have binoculars?”
“To see if it's safe for me to approach.”
“Safe to approach, why?”
“We're at war.”
Right then, she looked away and I was able to snap out of whatever she did. The yellow one looked to the other two who they shared a confused look. Then the three said something that left me speechless. “What war?”
How? Just how? It's incredible, unbelievable even! How can anyone not know about the great war that's going on at this very moment?
“Uh, mister? Are ya alright?” the orange mare asked.
I told her that I didn't know.
“Should we get him a doctor or–” The blue pegasus began to say, but I interrupted her.
“No. That won't be necessary. I... I just need to rest to think this out... I-I don't feel well.”
“Yeah, we've noticed.”
“Hmm, this is jus' way too weird. Maybe we need to get Twi ta help.” The orange pony suggested and the other two agreed. The three of them escorted me into the town that I saw a few days ago. Up close, the architecture reminds me of the old country cottages back in Britain. As we passed by the residents, I saw all their eyes were filled with a thousand questions. Perhaps, most likely, it's from my appearance of a muddy, somewhat shrapnel-torn, bullet-holed trench coat.
We then reached a place that is similar to the tree house in the woods, only they said that this place is a library. Once inside, we were greeted with an unusual sight (and that says a lot considering the past few days!) a small, green and purple dragon came up to us and said “hello”.
The blue one said that they needed to see someone named “Twilight.” The dragon left us and came back a few minutes later with a lavender colored unicorn.
“Oh, hey girls.” She said, “Who's this?”
“Well, that's why we're here,” the orange mare said. The three explained to the unicorn named Twilight how they found me. They told her about my name, where I'm from, and me mentioning something about a war. When this was done, the orange one added: “And Twi, Flutter's gave him the stare the whole time, and I can tell ya he wasn't lyin'. But none of us understand what any of this means.”
“Huh...?” was Twilight's reply. Her horn then glowed, and across the library, a few books flew by themselves in the same light as her horn. “So, where did you say you were from?”
“Grey Pine, England Miss.” The books, still in the same light, opened up by themselves and the unicorn took a minute to search for my country.
“Are you sure he's telling the truth?” she questioned after looking through her books.
“He's telling the truth alright, otherwise Ah would've spotted it,” the orange mare said.
“Well, do you have a map or a globe that I could point out?” I asked. Twilight agreed and she levitated a book in front of me. At first, the map was unfamiliar. That was until I noticed something that resembles West Australia. Only that the other half was underwater and it collided with a few islands along the way. Further up, I saw what looked like Japan that had connected with the mainland. I also saw what looked like South America and Africa has become connected as well, with a river that's only dividing the two. A little while later, I identified a range of mountains that looked like Ireland, Scotland, Wells and...
“There it is,” I said pointing towards the spot on the map. “England... Only not quite the way I remembered it.”
The four gathered around the book to look where I pointed at. The orange one asked: “In the mountains, that's right in-between Appaloosa? Sir, Ah've been there a couple of times before, but... those mountains? Ah don't recall anypony living there. Do any of Y'alls?”
“Your right,” the rainbow mane pegasus agreed, “none of this makes any sense. Besides, your accent doesn’t match.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, if you are really from there, you would sound more like Applejack here. You sound like you'd come from Trottingham.”
“Trottingham?” It took me a moment to figure it out. “Oh, you mean Cunningham? No, no, I'm from Grey Pine, it's nowhere near that place. And I'm telling you all that I live right there.” I told them, pointing back to that spot on the map.
The only response I got was that the rainbow mare was unconvinced, so they all looked to the one called Applejack, “He's still tellin' the truth,” she told them.
“What did you say about a war?” Fluttershy quietly asked.
“What war?” Twilight asked as she tilted her head to the side. “Equestria hasn't had a war, well, a real war in nearly 800 years.”
“Well, the war in–” I stopped in mid-thought, “How long!?!”
“Look, buddy,” the rainbow mare spoke up. “I don't know about you, where you come from, why you were in the forest or what the whole 'war' thing is about. Or even why you were spying on Fluttershy here. But I just want to know one thing. What do you want anyway?”
I paused for a second to think. Sitting down, I reached into my pockets when I felt the thin picture of Lucy. That picture has always been a reminder as to what I'm hoping to go back to. Come to think of it, when was the last letter I've gotten from her? Is she still there waiting for me to come back? “Home,” I told them, “all I want is to go home, but I don't know how.”
Fluttershy told me that they will help me get back to England. “Where ever England is,” she added.
After all of that, Applejack offered me a room at her family's farm. I gladly accepted it, meaning that I was finally going to sleep in a real bed for a change.
About sometime later, I was taken to the home of Applejack, a place that she both calls Sweet Apple Acres and home.
The family itself consists of a grandmother named Granny Smith, her larger brother named Big Macintosh, (but up close, I nearly called him Goliath) and her little sister named Applebloom.
After I walked through the front door, the family greeted me and said that they'll have my hat and coat to be taken to my room. Well, after I took my trench coat off, the family in unison gasped. I didn't know why until the youngest one approached me while staring at my posterior. I asked what she was staring at, and she said, “You got no cutie mark!”
“Pardon?”
“Now Applebloom,” Granny Smith scolded. “Don't be rude. If the gentalcolt is embarrassed of–”
I interrupted, “But mum, I don't understand. Embarrassed over what?”
“Ya know what?” Applejack asked, “we'll talk about this over supper.”
What followed for the next hour-and-a-half was a heavenly meal and a long discussion about the cutie mark. As much as I could gather, a cutie mark is usually received around the end of their childhoods when they discover their true “gift” or “talent”. And interestingly, when it is discovered, there is neither branding nor paint that is involved. They said that it's noticeable but painless when they received it by "magic" (or so they say).
Applebloom all the while is very excited to be receiving one. In fact, she told me how she's in a club that's made up of three members (including herself) that they called themselves “The Cutie Mark Crusaders.” She even told me that if I wished, I could join them. I chuckled at the idea but told her that I doubt that I would stay here for very long.
After supper, I was shown to my room, where on the bed, was my helmet, coat and my rundown pocket watch.