//------------------------------// // The Cycle Begins // Story: Duality // by RaijingtheClockworkPony //------------------------------// 'Let me sleep, please I only just closed my eyes.' Sam could feel someone tapping his shoulder and a distant voice calling his name. He felt strange; he had only just lain down next to Jenny. Now he was feeling a hand on his shoulder shaking him, trying to wake him up. No, not a hand. A hoof. Sam’s eyes snapped open to a ceiling he knew wasn't from Earth. He was back in Equestria just like Mister said he would. He stared up at the tiled ceiling with a mild interest until the voice that called his name said it once more. "Mister Samuel? Are you awake and are you okay?" Sam turned his head to face the voice. He was looking at the doctor who had performed the operation, or rather the magic, on his ribs. "Yeah I'm fine doc. What time is it?" "It is 3 o'clock. You have a visitor Sam and she needs to talk to you." Sam started to realize that he wasn't alone with the doctor and now that he looked closely at him he seemed rather uncomfortable about something. He looked away from the nervous pony to look at the other five visitors he had. Four tall, unhappy looking royal guard stood around his bed completely surrounding him. 'If they are here then that means only one thing...' Sam looked at the foot of his bed to look at the pony that required such an intimidating escort and was surprised to see not Princess Celestia but her sister Princess Luna. She didn't look all too happy with him at that moment. "Mister Samuel I presume? I am Princess Luna, my sister sends her apologies for not being here in person but she is very busy with other more pressing business. I have been sent to deal with you." Sam could only stare at her. Princess Celestia was busy? With what? Why did Luna looked pissed at him? He hoped this didn't mean trouble for him because if it did he would be unable to do anything to stop her from doing whatever she wanted. He sat up in his bed and bowed his head to her hoping that it would look respectful. "Yeah that's me. If I may be so bold as to say that you look upset about something, I hope I'm not the cause." "We have been trying to wake you for the past hour. You must be a very heavy sleeper. Are you well enough to answer some questions?" "Yeah I'll answer any questions you have. And I apologize for not waking up I was... having a good dream." Sam hoped that she bought the lie. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stretched them. 'How did I sleep in a bed this small? My legs are so cramped.' He stood up and the room seemed to explode in rapid movement of fur. All four of the guards quickly surrounded the half of the bed he stepped away from; forming a wall of muscle that he was certain could deal with him. He raised his hands in peace. 'I really need to think before I leap...' He looked at Luna then back to the guards then put on his best lawyer act. "Gentlemen I am not a threat, I'm merely stretching my legs. Need a little stretch after my nap." "Guards I think I can handle him by myself." The largest one of the guards looked at Luna, concern and duty written clearly on his black furred face. "Your majesty with all due respect-" "That was an order Captain. I can handle one lone human. If he meant anypony harm he wouldn't have left the citizens unharmed. Please go. Have a nice break, the flight here must have been exhausting for you all." The Captain gave Sam a look that he could clearly read: Do anything funny he would make sure Sam didn't wake up again. 'Message received.' With a heavy sigh the guards left the room. Sam turned to look at the princess he had been left with. She was looking back with a scanning look. He felt like she was looking through him. Sam looked to the chair that was nearby the bed. He spotted his shirt and shoes sitting on it. He walked over to them pulled his arm out of the sling, threw the sling back on the bed and put his shirt back on. He left his shoes off, he liked having bare feet. "Doctor would you be so kind as to leave as well? I need this conversation to be private." Sam turned around to see that the doctor was still in the room and staring intensely at him. The look on the doctor’s face was clearly one of shock that Sam was moving about after a wound that would have crippled any other pony. "Doctor, leave please." "Wha... oh yes, of course princess. Will you need anything else?" "I will need you to clear the west garden for me please." The medical pony stared at Sam on his way to the door. Sam could hear him mutter something about how Sam shouldn't even be able to sit up like he had. After the door had shut Sam returned his gaze to Luna, only to find her in a much different mood. Her demeanor had changed from one of a diplomat to that of a very tired teenager. She gave him a weary smile. "Sorry about them. Wasn't my idea to come here with the Night Guard but Celestia felt that I needed protection." Sam noticed some annoyance in her voice at the mention of Celestia. "You seem upset. Anything I can do to help?" Luna sighed at his response. "No. Not unless you know how to get the griffins and dragons from going at each other’s throats over a land dispute. But that isn't why I'm here, you are." Sam stood there and wondered what she meant by that. 'Did they consider me a threat? I wonder if they have encountered humans before and if... no that's not possible. Mister said that our worlds never met before.' As the thought died in Sam's head there was a knock at the door. Luna was the one to respond in an almost motherly voice. "Come in." The door opened to reveal a cart with a covered plate and a white pony with a nurse outfit on and a red cross on her flank. She looked at Sam who was still standing in the same spot by the bed. She smiled at him. "I brought you lunch, but I guess at this point it’s an early dinner. Oh hello Princess Luna, if I had known that you would be here I would have brought something for you." "No that's quite alright. I'm here on business but I thank you for the offer." "Mister Sam would you like milk or water with your meal?" Sam was surprised by how well she held herself in the presence of a monster and royalty. "Milk would be fine." Luna smiled gently at the nurse that Sam couldn't remember the name of. The nurse placed the plate and a glass of milk on a small tray next to his bed. She turned and left the room with one last glance at the pair. 'Not every day when you see a human with a princess I guess.' Sam looked back to Luna once again to see her changed. She was looking at the plate and as he wondered what she why she was looking at it he smelled the food. The smell was all it took to get his mouth to water. He opened the plate to see a plate with three simple foods: lasagna, mixed green vegetables, and mashed potatoes. 'I wonder what the lasagna has in it.' His thoughts were broken by the growling of a stomach but it wasn't his. He looked at Luna who smiled sheepishly at him. "Here you can have some. I'm not that hungry anyways." Luna didn't buy his lie but did levitate the fork into the air to take a bite of the lasagna. Sam moved the tray closer to Luna so that she didn't have to move the fork so far. He took a seat back on the corner closest to the door. Luna finished with her first bite before she spoke to him. "Thank you for sharing this with me. I guess it really was a long flight." "No problem your Highness. So what does Celestia have to do with some griffons and dragons?" "They have been disputing land and wish for Celestia and I to mediate. Unfortunately both sides do not trust us. They both will barely listen to us." Silence fell between them as they both ate the food. Sam had found a spoon next to the spot that Luna had acquired the fork she was using to delicately maim the lasagna. Luna finished her portion of the meal before she broke the silence that Sam was rather enjoying. "You have the voice and attitude of a politician Samuel. My I inquire as to what your job is?" Sam finished his bite before he answered. "I'm a lawyer back home and if my bosses are to be believed I'm a good one." "And how is it you know so much about us if no human has ever been here before?" There was the question he was expecting. Sam cleared his throat after taking a quick sip of his milk. "Well as I'm certain Twilight told you I'm from a different place. All of this is a T.V. show meant for kids around ten years old. Roughly filly age I guess. I watched the show for a while and that's how I know." "So all of this is entertainment for you where you come from... and where do you come from?" "We call our planet Earth. Its home to six billion humans and I'm one of them." Sam finished the statement rather lamely. "How long do humans live?" Sam wasn't expecting a question like that at all. "We um... live for roughly eighty years if given the right conditions. Not everyone lives at the same wealth level and that affects how much food and —" "Yes I know about simple things like that. We have the same problems here as well. Could you explain this entertainment for me? I don't seem to get what Twilight meant by 'movies in your home'. Her letter was very hastily written by the looks of it." Sam spent the next couple of minutes explaining television and how shows worked. He then started to explain the fan base of the show Friendship is Magic. Luna found his explanation perplexing. "And these humans are how old?" "Sixteen to twenty-five. We called ourselves bronies." His response to her question only received great amounts of laughter from Luna. She rolled on the floor for what seemed like an hour to Sam. Sam felt himself become warm as she laughed on. She managed to regain control of herself and she picked herself up off the floor. "Bronies? That is adorable. So what does a brony do? And please don't spare any details." Sam started to talk about how the fan base made art, music, and how the gathered just to talk and celebrate the show. As Sam talked Luna's face grew gentle and relaxed. Luna was listening intently to everything he was talking about. 'To bad Jenny never lets me talk about legal stuff I could go on for hours about that.' She just found everything he was saying so interesting. Sam finished and saw the look on her face. She was contemplating everything he had said. "What do the bronies think of me?" Sam was once again caught off guard by Luna's question. He wasn't expecting her to really care about that kind of thing. 'Then again if I learned that my life was a really popular show I would be interested in what people thought of me too.' "They really loved you. You really had a strong fan base. People liked to write fan fics about you and the art for you was some of the best in my opinion." "I see. Well we should get down to the garden for the real questions. Come along Samuel." Sam rose from his spot on the bed and followed Luna out of the room. He had no clue where the garden was so he walked slightly behind her. As they walked through the building every pony they walked past couldn't seem to make up their mid to bow to Luna or to stare at Sam. They didn't say a word to each other until they reached a pair of glass doors. Luna turned to him with the look and air of a trained diplomat. "Now Mister Samuel I would like to remind you that you're in a very unique situation and have put Celestia and I into a difficult position. But if you are truthful with me in the following hour this whole thing will be resolved as quickly as possible." "Understood. Could you please just call me Sam? I prefer it." Luna's face slipped back to the gentler face she had during the conversation they had earlier. She smiled at him then returned her face to diplomat mode. "Very well then Sam. Follow me please." Luna lead him into a enclosed garden with a fountain in the center portraying a pony holding what looked like a stethoscope in the air. As he walked closer to the fountain he saw a small plaque that read "A gift from Her Majesty Princess Celestia. Good health and a long life to all." Sam took a seat on a nearby bench and surveyed the rest of the garden. He saw that it had four paths that lead from the four entrances to the fountain. Each path was a different color and had flowers of the same color lining the path on each side. He had walked in on the red path. The other paths were yellow, green, and a deep purple. Each path had small pools that had running water to create a trickling noise that filled the whole space. 'Very peaceful, wonder how long it took to build.' He was inspecting a nearby flower bed when he felt the gentle breeze that was rolling through the garden stop suddenly. Normally he wouldn't have cared except that when the wind died all he could hear was a dull buzzing from behind him. He knew that whatever stopped the wind wasn't a natural thing. He turned to look at Luna who was now staring up into the bright sky with her eyes and horn glowing a deep blue. He followed her gaze and saw a dark purple orb in the sky. It rose in to the air and centered itself above the fountain. It then spread out until it touched the walls forming a roof to the garden. After a moment of the force simply sitting there smaller orbs went out and covered all of the windows that over looked the garden and all of the doors that were the exits. Sam recognized the spell for the two things it was. First: it was a spell to give them privacy. Second: it was a show of power meant to both impress him and intimidate, both of which he was. When the spell finished its work the garden was now in a forced night, complete with stars on the "roof" of the dome the spell had formed. Sam only let out a low whistle to show how he felt. Luna merely smiled at his reaction and cleared her voice to grab his attention. "Now let’s begin. The spell is a silencing and privacy spell, with a personal touch. Twilight's letter said you had no clue how you got here but your knowledge of this place would tell me otherwise. Now Sam I would like to know everything." Sam looked away from the impressive show of magic and looked back at Luna. She was standing with the poise and air of everything a princess should during a diplomatic meeting. Sam could only frown at the implied accusation that he was lying to them. He told her everything from when passed out at Roger’s party to waking back up in the hospital. "This Mister you speak of, what is he?" "I have no clue. All I know is that he has done this to me just for fun. Seems to think that sending me here was the best thing for his kicks." "Does... does this mean we are not real?" Sam was stunned by the deep pain he saw in Luna's face when she asked him the question. He could only stand there and look at her. 'I bet I know who knows the answer to this question.' Sam swallowed before he spoke. "I believe that this world is as real as mine is. At least I hope it is." Now it was time for Luna to be caught off guard by her partner in this conversation. She wasn't expecting him to look so sad when he said the final part of his statement. She studied him closer now and what she saw was a strange human deep in thought and in genuine distress at the thought that this world he was in wasn't real. He clearly loved the show and, if possible, really had grown attached to it when he was younger. "You really liked the show didn't you Sam." Sam noticed that her tone had shifted to that of a friend trying to comfort someone they liked. He was touched that she was trying to make him feel better but it didn't silence the voice nagging at him. 'Mister is an all-powerful being. What if this isn't real and if it is then what about my world? What if mine isn't real? I'm going to have to talk to mister soon.' "Loved it, it was a great show before they ended it. I really missed the show but I had to move on with life. But that's a conversation for another time." "I see. Well now we need to discuss your future here in Ponyville, which is if you wish to stay here for your... um, visit. I believe that you may want to stay but you are more than welcome at the castle. I'm certain Celestia would be interested in meeting you." "I would uh... would like to stay here. I made a promise that I intend to keep. Am I the first human you have met?" Luna eyebrow rose at the question. "Yes. In my memory I cannot recall anything even close to you. You would seem to be unique." "Just my luck." "Sam before we leave I would like to tell you that I am responsible for you. I took the chance to come here to talk to you and because of that I will be keeping an eye on you. I am taking this very seriously and intend to help you how I can but you must try to fit in around here. What you know may frighten some of the locals and if they attack like Big Macintosh did then I may not be able to help you." "So you're... what my babysitter? Warden? Am I in trouble?" Luna smiled at his questions. "No you're not in trouble, merely a creature of interest and we are just being cautious for now. I would rather use the term friend if anything. I would like for you to trust me rather than fear or hate me." Sam looked back up at the magic night sky Luna had summoned. Everything she said he knew was honest. That led him to his next line of thought. He needed a place to stay and he had the perfect place in mind. "I think I can accept you as a friend if you would be so kind as to accompany me to the Sweet Apple Acres. I am hoping that they would be willing to let me stay there." "I would be honored to join you." Luna's eyes glowed once again and when they finished the shell that her magic had formed dissipated and the sun shined on the garden once more. ************************** Sam was walking into Ponyville with a smile on his face and the first official friend he had made that day. Luna had brought him out of the hospital and decided to leave the royal escort behind. 'Wonder how they will react when they find out.' They walked on the road for roughly a minuet before Luna started talking about the first time she had raised the moon. "It was strange. I had a feeling that I was a massive force. I felt like I could do anything I wanted. Nearly brought the moon down onto the planet. Celestia yelled at me for an hour after that. She would have kept going if our mother hadn't told her to stop. She told us that she was nearby just in case I couldn't handle it." "You have a mother? I thought you and Celestia were gods..." "No. We had parents but they died a long time ago. Before the Age of Chaos they did the job we now do. Our mother and father were from two long lines that stayed apart for obvious reasons. I mean if you raised the sun then why would you mingle with a moon raiser right? But our mother fell in love with our father and now we do the job that was once done by two people that were never related." "Do you plan to pass on the job to a son or daughter?" "For now, no. I have been gone for one thousand years and I would like to make up for the time I lost." They subject shifted to their respective childhoods and the things they did with much clouded nostalgia. Then the conversation shifted once more to family. Luna was very interested in Sam's family seeing as he already knew about Celestia. "My parents live in a place called Maine. It’s part of a larger nation called the United States. My sister lives in the city of Miami and my brother still lives with my parents but he's about to move out and go on to college." "Do you get to see them often?" "Most holidays and sometimes if I'm in the area near their house, but that's generally every three or four months at a time. That is until the end of the year. Christmas and Thanksgiving happen so close that it's the one exception." "Thanksgiving?" "It’s a day given to spending time with the family and celebrating all the good things that have happened to all. It typically begins with a feast of good food." They reached the town so deep in the conversation that it took them running into a group of ponies standing in line for a small fruit stand that they realized they had made it. The reactions of the group were mixed, the brown one with a bright green mane they ran into turned to yell at them. What would have been a great insult turned into a terrified look as he realized he was looking at a strange creature about double his height and the princess of the moon. He quickly apologized for being in the way and hurried away, the fruit he was planning to buy completely forgotten. The rest of the line, and the rest of the market place, had a mixed reaction. Half could only stare at Sam due to his height and strange looks, when compared to the ponies. The others saw Luna and bowed to her. Luna and Sam looked at each other and read the looks on each other’s faces. Both thought the same thing and merely started to smile. Laughter quickly followed and quickly after that was the Mayor of Ponyville herself. "You m-majesty I didn't know we would receive a visit, if I had we w-would have set up a greeting. Who is your... guest?" Sam could see that the situation he and Luna had caused was clearly getting to the Mayor. He smiled at her to show he was friendly. This only seemed to drive up the stress levels of the Mayor further. Luckily Luna saved the moment. "This is more of a social visit than an official one. I'm in town to say hello to Twilight and her friends before I leave and this is Sam. He is a good friend who will be staying in town for a while. I was hoping that you would treat him as you would treat any other pony." Mayor looked at the pair of them with a look that said 'are you bucking kidding me' but she smiled. "Of course you highness. Do you require anything else?" "No, but I thank you for the offer." The Mayor gave them both one more look then started to walk away. At this point the rest of the market seemed to return to a resemblance of normalcy but many kept turning to look at the pair. Luna and Sam shared a look at each other barley contained mirth written on both their faces. The mood was broken by Sam's stomach rumbling. "Guess I'm still hungry. Want to go to the Sugar Cube Corner?" "That would be nice." They both set off in the direction of the bakery, Luna in the lead since she knew her way around the town. Sam reached into his pocket to grab his wallet only to find the lone pocket watch. 'Oh... right. I tried this earlier today and didn't find it. I'm a moron sometimes.' Sam slowed down his pace and tried to think of a way to pay. Luna noticed that he slowed down. She turned to look at him with a curious glance. "Is there a problem Sam?" "I have no money. It's rude not to pay for a meal when you're the one to invite someone to it." "I have some bits on me, so there's no need to worry. Is this a human custom or a male thing?" Sam thought about the question before he answered it. "Well I would say it’s a human custom but it's more of a personal philosophy than anything else. As for the male thing that would imply a date or a special event like a birthday. Are you hitting on me Princess?" Confusion was clear on Luna's face. "I am not hitting you merely asking you a question about human customs. As for the date I have no inclination to date or hit you anytime soon." Sam couldn't help but laugh at Luna's confusion. "I was joking about the date thing. The phrase 'hitting on someone' means to make a reference to the fact you wish to engage in a relationship with them." "Oooooh. I still don't get why that would mean such a thing but I guess that's a human thing." Sam was going to make a retort but they reached the bakery. Sam moved ahead of her to open the door. 'My manners win again for the second time today.' Luna nodded her head in silent thanks and walked in. Sam quickly followed and was met with a scene that he found quite familiar. The bakery had a scattered assortment of customers, many of whom Sam didn't recognize, that is until he spotted a couple talking in a hushed and rapid conversation. Bon-bon was facing the door, and when she looked up from the conversation, waved to Sam. Lyra quickly turned around to see who Bon-bon was waving to and looked as if she was going to get up to greet him but that's when they both caught sight of Luna. The rest of the bakery seemed oblivious to the fact that royalty had walked in the building. That blissful illusion was broken when Luna walked up to the counter to order some food. Luna reached the counter without incident but when she met eyes with Mrs. Cake the situation hit the fan. "Hello can I he- Princess Luna I-I-I HONEY GET OUT HERE NOW!!" With speed that would make even Rainbow Dash jealous Mr. Cake appeared from the kitchen. "What is it de— P-P-Princess Luna what an honor t-to see you here." Then they spotted Sam standing a few feet back. The reaction of both was more than enough to make Sam crack a smile at the predicament they were in. Mr. Cake fainted in the most coltish manner possible, while Mrs. Cake rushed around the corner to greet Luna. Her eyes never left Sam on the way until she talked to Luna. She wore a smile that screamed forced on the highest levels, sweat pouring from her veins. "What could we do for you and your...mons-I mean guest." "I would like a doughnut please. Sam, what do you want?" Sam had to take a deep breath before he spoke to keep himself from laughing. "I'll have two cupcakes. Thank you for paying for this. I'll pay you back, I promise." Luna turned to look at Sam. "Nonsense. This is my treat. What will the total for that be?" Luna had turned back to Mrs. Cake who couldn't seem to stop sweating. "O-On the house your majesty." Luna let out a sigh and smiled to Mrs. Cake. Sam could read the unsaid stress in Luna's body language. 'I guess she didn't want the royal treatment this time.' Mrs. Cake had produced a platter with the ordered food. Luna walked over to a empty table and sat down the platter in the middle. Sam took this moment to look around the room. Just like the market the reactions were mixed between staring at him and cowering from Luna. Sam felt like he was in an old episode of the show except instead of some minor problem about telling the truth or asking permission he was dealing with an all-powerful being with a sick sense of humor. Sam walked over to Luna's table near the back of the store. He sat down across from her and grabbed his cupcake. 'Wonder if they are as good as the show claims them to b- HOLY SHIT THAT'S GOOD!' "So Sam tell me about yourself some more." "What do you want to know? We covered my family, my job, and some of my hobbies. What else would you like to know?" "You mentioned 'hitting on' outside so I guess human rituals of dating would be a good place to start." Sam almost choked on his cupcake. 'She has a one track mind, this one.' "You want to run that by me again princess?" "Human dating rituals. How do they work, and how do you rank amongst humans, I mean are you ugly or handsome?" "Uh... well they work the same as your dating does here... I guess. Two people meet somewhere; talk about things they like and get to know each other, and then one of them asks the other on a date. What do you mean ugly or handsome? Worried that you'll be seen with an ugly human?" "Well that depends, are you an ugly human? If you are then I don't think this friendship will survive." "Well to put your mind at ease I'm not ugly by human standards. According to my sister's friends I was a heart breaker back in school. They told me that most girls thought I was cute. Never did give dating a real try until college." "And why didn't you?" "Never put much stock into trying something knowing that it will fail in due time. Even when I tried dating in college I never really tried to make it last. Now though I'm trying to keep my relationship with Jenny going." "This Jenny is your mate?" "We use the term girlfriend, and yes she is." Luna picked up her doughnut and took a bite. She was busy thinking up another question for Sam when she looked at the clock. Sam was too busy eating the second cupcake to notice her expression change. She looked back at Sam with a more serious look on her face. "Do you have a place to stay the night?" Sam looked up from his cupcake. "No. I was thinking though that I could ask Applejack if I could crash there for the night." "Well then we must go see if she will. If that fails then I will just have to leave you an open invitation to the castle." "Thank you. I don't think that Applebloom will let Applejack say no. I made a promise to spend a day with her for giving me an apple and I plan to keep it." Luna smiled at him, but Sam could see that his turning down of the invite seemed to sadden her. 'She must be enjoying this free time away from those negotiations. They must be bad.' The both rose from the table and headed for the door but were stopped by the Cakes. They were holding a pair of bags and looked nervous. "We hope you both enjoyed your time here. Take these as a sign of gratitude for your visit." Luna took both of the bags telekinetically and handed them to Sam. "This is very kind of you but I was wondering where is Pinkie Pie?" The same question suddenly came to Sam's mind as well. He knew that Pinkie enjoyed meeting new people regardless of what they were, so why hadn't she come out to meet him. And if that wasn't a reason for her to come out then surely she would come out to talk to Luna, a pony she was friends with. "Oh she went to talk to Zecora. She said something about a super-duper cake for Twilight." "Thank you." Sam was at the door opening it for Luna when he looked back at the cakes. "Take good care of those foals of yours and thank you for the cupcakes." The stunned looks on their faces was priceless and was only made better by watching Mrs. Cake faint into the hooves of Mr. Cake. Sam closed the door of the bakery and jogged to catch up to Luna who was waiting for him three yards away. When he caught back up to her he looked to the sky to see that the sun was already on its way to setting. He pulled his pocket watch out to check the time and was pleasantly shocked to see that it was almost 8 O'clock. 'Wow this day has flown by.' They set off down the road that led to the farm without a single word. Sam spent more time trying to mesmerize the road and route they were taking than watching Luna but when he did look at her he could tell something was troubling her. "Luna you okay?" "Wha- yes I'm fine. I was just thinking about everything you have told me. If what you say is true then at the end of this week you will be gone and we will never see you again." "I... wait what? What makes you think that I'll just be gone like that?" "Well you have told me so much about your world and by the sound of it you have a great life. If I was in your position I would choose to go back home to my family. Unless something happened that would keep me away from them but I doubt very much that would happen to you." The pieces of the puzzle hit home all of a sudden. Luna considered him a friend and didn't want to lose him. He felt the same way. He knew that losing a friend could be hard but she had a point there was almost nothing that would keep him here, except for her and Appleloom. "Luna I... I still have a week to decide. A lot can happen in a week. We will worry about that hill when we get to it." "What hill?" Sam laughed at her statement. They spent the rest of the journey talking about some human phrases that Luna couldn't wrap her mind around. They reached the farm house in twenty minutes. When they knocked on the door Applejack opened it up to find a very confused and annoyed Luna and Sam with mirth and barely contained enjoyment on his face. "I still don't see why one would take their heart out and use it as clothing. It makes no sense." "Luna I think you're missing the point of an idiom." Applejack cleared her throat to grab the pair’s attention. "Ah don't recon tha' you two would stop bickerin' like a old pair of mares for me to say hello?" Luna blushed at the implied age insult. "It is nice to see you too Applejack. Sam is looking for a place to stay for the night. Would you be willing to take him in?" Before Applejack could answer the question a small yellow and red blur flew past her and impacted with Sam. Following the blur was a very loud shouting that sounded something like "SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!!!" The blur hit Sam full on in the chest but this time instead of being launched back he had braced himself for the impact. The bracing only reduced the impact force to enough to knock him on his arse. Applebloom was hugging Sam when his brain came out of crisis mode. "Sam! Ah thought you were stuck in the hospital for the week? How did you get out so soon?" "The doctors are better than I thought, that and I'm a lucky guy. If you don't mind I would appreciate it if I got a warning when you Apples are planning to do something like that." Applebloom finished her hug and hopped off of his chest. She smiled at him with a grin that stretched from ear to ear. "Of course you can stay! Come on in. The guest room should be big enough for you." With Applebloom grabbing at his hand with her hooves, and more force than he thought she could possibly have, he was being lead into the farm house. He managed to stop long enough to ask Luna if she could get a guard to bring his shoes and socks from the hospital. She told him she would. After that he was forced into a spacious and comfy looking living room. He was only barely aware that he had reached the room when Big Mac entered the room. "Ah heard the door open. What’s goin’ on Applebloom?" "Mister Sam is goin' to stay with us for the night! Isn't that great!?" Big Mac looked from her to Sam with a cocked eyebrow. Sam returned the gaze with his best 'I'm the victim' look. Big Mac only smiled as he watched Applebloom pull at his arm. "Luna is outside if you want to talk to her." The look of sudden panic that passed over Big Macs face was enough for Sam to no longer care that he had broken his ribs. He was unable to enjoy the moment however when Applebloom started to pull him towards the stairs in the hallway. He did however get to watch Big Mac rush to the front hallway to talk to Luna. He was pulled up the stairs and marched to the room on the far end of the hall. "Your room will be right over here and that's the bathroom right there. Oh wait you don't mind getting up early do you? We are a early rising family on account of the farm work." "I'll be fine. I get up early as well. I like to get to work early." Applebloom opened the door to a small but well-furnished room. The bed was made and looked larger than the hospital bed but still too small for a human his size. 'I really hope that bed is bigger than it looks.' Applebloom was going on about something that the Cutie Mark Crusaders were planning but he was busy testing out the bed. When Applebloom looked at him to ask him a question she saw him fast asleep. She walked over to him and pulled the blanket over him to keep him warm. "Good night Sam. Ah'll see ya in the mornin'. "