//------------------------------// // Friends: Part One // Story: Swapped Sides // by JetWave Wavewind //------------------------------// It didn't take long before I came across a small town I assumed to be Ponyville and even less time before I passed a sign that said "Welcome to Ponyville!" It was a nice little place, I had entered into a neighborhood area of the town and saw a few ponies going about their business as I walked down the street. There was an poofy orange-maned mare tending to her garden, a cream coated mare with a light pink and navy mane and tail getting her mail from Derpy who had just landed next to her, I waved but I don't think she saw me. It was late morning when I got into town and the clouds had cleared up from earlier. As I entered town, I realized that I had no idea where the library was or even what it looked like, so I decided to ask a pink mare with balloons on her flank working on the strangest of contraptions I had ever seen for directions. "Excuse me," I asked. "do you know where the town library is?" As soon as I had started talking, her head perked up out of what I assumed to be an oven on the machine, revealing a mane that can only be described as cotton candy. She whipped her head around quickly, I half expected to be splattered with the sugary treat; and let out a huge gasp. "Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie!" She exclaimed excitedly, bouncing up and down as she talked. "I can't believe it! I was just sitting here, working on my Welcome Wagon Mark IV when I hear a new voice that I've never heard before! And I knew it was new because I know everypony here in Ponyville! *gasp!* You're not a pony! You're a.. a... What exactly are you anyways Mister? Are you some sorta shaved monkey? Oh! Or, you're a monkey.. That never had any fur to begin with!! But, no.. You've got that fur on top of you're head, so that can't be it, and you don't have a tail." She said as she looked at my backside. "*gasp!!* OHMYGOSH I still don't know your name! What is it?" she asked as she finally stopped bouncing around. I had to stop my head from spinning before I could answer her. "I'm Jack, an-" I was about to tell her what I was but then she got going again. "Hi there Jack, I'm Pinkie Pie! But of course you already knew that, heheahah! OH!! I just HAVE to Introduce you to my friends, *gasp!!!* and then we can throw you a PARTY!!" a spray of confetti erupted from out of her mane, at least I think that's where it came from; as she jumped. "Oh, you're going to LOVE the party I'll get together for you!! My brain is already being SWARMED with ideas for what all we can do!" She started bouncing down the street as she was talking, I had to catch up to her quick before I lost a shot at finding out where the library was. "W-wait! Pinkie!" As we walked and talked, well, more like she talked and bounced while I listened and walked; we came across an orchard. "Oo!! This is where my friend AppleJack lives! Here! Hold this!" she she said as she bounced up particularly high and plucked an apple from a tree and handed it to me "Now you've got an Apple, Jack!" I couldn't help but laugh at the really bad joke she had just made as we came up to an orange pony with her mane and tail done up in a ponytail and a very nice stetson on her head as she was about to buck one of the many apple trees around. "Hiya AppleJack!" Pinkie shouted just as AppleJack had kicked the apple tree, causing it to spill its contents into the buckets waiting below. "Howdy there Pinkie, who's yer friend?" I wasn't quite sure, but I thought I saw her mumble something under her breath. "This is Jack! He just got into town today and-" Pinkie Pie had suddenly stopped talking mid-sentence, something I honestly never expected in a million years. "Pinkie?" she inhaled sharply and then... "I'msosorryJackbutIneverthoughttofindoutifyouwereaboyoragirl!!" At this, both me and AppleJack brought our respected apendages up to say hello to our face. "Well a'course he's a feller, Pinkie! Granny Smith without her glasses coulda toldja that!" "Eheheh.." AppleJack responded to this with just a sigh. "Anyways, Ah'm AppleJack. As ah'm sure y'all already found out." she said as she extended her hoof. "It's very nice to meet you AppleJack." I said as I shook her hoof. "Ah shucks, jus' call meh AJ! It sure as heck's less of a mouthfull." "Heheh, will do." "Now Ah hate ta be all 'hey an' go' 'specially seein' as how ah jus' metcha, but ah still got work that needs doin, maybe we can get aquainted proper after Ah'm done." she said as she trotted over to another tree. "Would you like some help AJ?" I asked. "Shoot, ah ain't got much left ta do, but don' really wanna repeat of what happened the last time Big Mac was outta commision.. Alright partner, Ya got yerself a deal! Jus' go and get them trees over there harvested an' we'll call it a day!" she said, pointing to the trees in question. "Will do." I said as I scurried up into one of the trees and tossed the apples into the buckets below. "I'd love to stick around and help out you guys out, but I have A LOT of preparations to take care of before tonight!" "No worries Pinkie, ah'm Definitely lookin' forward to it." "Great! cause it's gonna be super-duper funtastic! With dancing, and streamers, and cake, and balloons, and..." Pinkies voice got smaller and smaller as she hopped away from the acres while me and AJ worked. "So, y'all excited bout tonight?" AJ asked as she knocked the apples out of another tree. "What happens tonight?" I asked back as I sent more apples into the buckets below before moving on to the next tree. "Oh yea, yer new so y'all don't know how fun Pinkies partys are yet." she said as she sent more apples into the awaiting buckets. "You'll find out tonight." "Are they really that good?" I asked as I tossed more apples out of my tree. "Oh yea! You'll have a, *grunt* Blast!" As she released her last kick though, A little more than just apples fell out of her tree. "Rainbow! How long have y'all been nappin' up in that there tree?" "Ugh.." was the only response she got as a cyan pegasus mare with a rainbow mane and tail stood up from the apple bucket she had landed in. "I wasn't napping! I was training myself!" "Ta do what? fall asleep faster than the average mare?" "No! To see how long I could lie in a tree with my eyes shut before I fell asleep!" At this point I had jumped out of the tree I was in. "Anyway, Did I hear something about a Pinkie Pie Party?" "As a matter'a fact, ya did. She's throwin' a welcome party fer Jack here." AJ said as she pointed her hoof at me. "Hi there." I said calmly. Rainbow flew up to me and was looking me square in the eye, as if trying to get me to make some sort of move that would challenge her. "What exactly are you?" she finally asked. "Rainbow Dash!" AJ pipped up with no lack of scorn. I only chuckled. "It's alright AJ, I'm a human." I said, answering Rainbow. "I have no idea what that is." "Well it's obviously what he is! Now Jack, since y'all were kind enough to help with today's harvest," "unlike some ponies Ah know" she said under her breath, giving Rainbow Dash a look. "I will not take no fer an answer when I say that yer gonna be havin' lunch here" "Oh, I wouldn't want to impo-" I was cut short as my stomach protested to what I was about to say and earning me a chuckle from AJ. "Y'all were sayin'?" she said with a smirk. "Heheh.. I suppose a small lunch wouldn't hurt." "Small? Heh, yer bout to learn that the only thing small you'll find in that kitchen is mah 'lil sister Applebloom helpin' Granny Smith." AJ joked as we all started heading for the little farm house beside the barn. Floating above the lake and JetWaves cloud house was somthing so peculiar that you would think you were seeing things if you didn't do a double take, and even then you might still not believe what your eyes were telling you. Because what you would see would be a blue police-call box with the letters T.A.R.D.I.S. printed above the door. Inside, a very busy Doctor and Derpy Whooves worked hard to find something that shouldn't be in existence. "Anything on the scanners yet Ditzy?" He called as he was working on a the wiring of the central doohickey in the middle of the room that should not have been as big as it was with a small device that looked a lot like a screwdriver. "I'm still getting normal readings Doctor." She answered, thankful that she didn't have a lot of mail to deliver today. "Well keep your eyes on the screens, you never know what might happen as the clock ticks on." the room fell into relative silence as they each worked on their tasks until it was broken by a sharp BEEP. "I think I've got something Doctor!" The Doctor immediately crawled out from under the thingy he was working on and dashed over to look at Derpys screen "There. It's small, but it just might be what we're looking for." He said as he pointed to a yellow blip on the screen filled with blue and pink blips.