Meet n' Greet
David stood outside the forest entrance, waiting for one of the ponies to arrive. After about fifteen minutes past the hour he was supposed to meet them, he started to wonder what was taking them so long. He looked into the sky and saw a rainbow streak fly across it. Well, it's about damn time.
Rainbow Dash landed near David and greeted him. “Hey there, David.”
“Hello,” David replied a little coldly.
“What's wrong?”
“I'm just wondering how 'the fastest flyer in a Equestria' can be twenty minutes late.”
“Well, something came up.”
“Is that why you're the only one here?”
“Yeah. In fact, I was asked the come get you.”
“Really? And where have you been asked to take me?”
“Just to Twilight's place.”
“Is there some reason she didn't come here herself?”
“Yeah, but you'll understand when you get there,” Rainbow said fidgeting a little.
“Is everything alright?”
“Yeah... it should be.”
“Is this something I should be worried about?”
“No... maybe… I don't know, but probably not.”
“Your overwhelming amount of confidence fills me with just as much reassurance. But, I suppose nothing's going to get done if I just stay here.” David said as he started to walk down the path.
“Wait a second!”
“What?”
“Do you really need to bring your rifle?”
“Well, yeah, I'm not leaving it at my camp, and I'm not leaving it here. I'm not going to leave it with someone who has no experience with firearms. In other words, yes, I do need to bring it with me.”
“Alright, fine. Just don't go waving it around or anything like that.”
David gave her a deadpan stare with a small touch of anger and annoyance, “I would never be so grossly irresponsible as to wave a weapon around in a public place! If I ever have to use a gun, it will only be in self defense!”
“Okay, okay, I hear you, but if somepony does bother, you let me handle it, alright?” David nodded and motioned for her to lead on.
Within a few minutes, David saw a building come into view. It appeared to be a small cottage with dozens of bird houses and animals running about. Rainbow explained that it was Fluttershy's house, and that she was currently out helping Pinkie Pie. As they moved on, more buildings came into view. Once they had made a good distance into the town, Rainbow welcomed David to Ponyville.
The town appeared to be more primitive than David would have thought, but he knew from Zecora that they had modern conveniences, such as indoor plumbing and electricity, so he figured that the houses’ design were most likely just a style choice.
As they moved deeper into the town, David was getting more and more out of his comfort zone. It was as if he could feel the stares he was getting from the other ponies. Many of the citizens had gathered on the sides of the streets to gawk at him. Some of them did try to hide that fact as the two passed by. Others smiled and waved at him, to which Dave returned the gesture. A couple of them even gave him dirty looks, but he ignored them.
“Hey, Rainbow?” David whispered to Rainbow Dash.
“Yeah?”
“How much farther do we have to go?”
“Not much. Why?”
“Well, all the staring is really making me feel uncomfortable.”
“Don't worry. I'm here remember?”
“Yeah, I know.” Rainbow’s reinsurance really didn't do anything to make him feel any better.
“We're here,” Rainbow said when they reached a large tree.
“Twilight lives in a tree?”
“It's also a library.”
"So, Twilight lives in a tree library... you know, believe it or not, I've heard of weirder houses.”
“Really, like what?”
“Well, in Mexico, there's a guy who lives in a naked woman.”
“What?”
“Yeah, some of us are a little weird.”
“Well, whatever. Twilight's expecting you, so go on in.”
“You're not coming in?”
“Nah, I got some work I gotta do, but I'll see you later though.” With that, Rainbow took off.
David looked around and saw that many of the ponies were still staring at him, but were keeping their distance. He decided not to tempt fate and simply turned around and knocked on the door.
A moment later, the door opened, revealing Twilight, “Hi, David, please come in,” she said, noticeably nervous.
“Thanks,” David said as he crossed the threshold.
Once inside, Twilight showed him into the main hall of the library. In the center of the room. He saw there was another pony sitting at a table. David could tell she was no ordinary pony. She not only had a horn but wings as well. Her coat was white as snow. Her mane seemed to flow, as if it was in a non existent breeze, and her eyes were like a pair of flawless amethyst. She wore an elegant white dress with a gold necklace and crown that had an amethyst set in both. She gave a slight smile when she saw him.
“David, allowed me to introduce to you Princess Celestia, co-ruler of Equestria and-”
“Now, Twilight, I didn't ask you to call him here just for you to go on about me,” the princess interrupted. “Now, why don't you take a seat?” She said, motioning into a chair across from her. David nodded as he took his rifle and hung it on a coat hook. “Twilight, would you be a dear and get us some refreshments?”
“Of course, Princess!” Twilight said, leaving the room in a hurry.
The princess then looked back at David as he sat down, “David? Am I saying that right?”
“Y-yes, your highness.”
Celestia giggled, “Although I appreciate the thought, there's no need to be so formal. You may call me Celestia.”
“That's very generous of you.”
“Think nothing of. Now, on to business, Twilight has told me you've spoken with Lyra, correct?”
“Yes.”
“And you are indeed a human?”
"Yes.”
“And are you aware of our past experiences with humans?”
“Y-yes,” David said nervously.
Celestia smiled, “Don't worry, I'm not going to hold you responsible for the past, especially since not all the humans who have visited us have been hostile.”
“Really? Do you have any examples?”
“Yes. The Red Wizard. That's not his real name, of course. That’s been lost to history. If you like, I can give you the abridged version of the legend.” David nodded. “Well then-”
“Excuse me,” Twilight said as she returned from the kitchen and set down a tray with a teapot, cups, and some cookies.
“Thank you, Twilight. Now, please sit with us,” Celestia said as she poured herself some tea and took a sip, “Where was I? Oh, yes, The Red Wizard. It was a little over two hundred years ago when he first arrived in the town of Fillydelphia. He was a human who wore red coat and wielded a magic staff.
“At the time, the town was young and didn't have any real law enforcement. So, the Red Wizard took it upon himself to protect the town from bandits, monsters, things of that nature. It was said that using his staff only once was enough to scare off any attackers. However, one day, there was a massive bandit raid on the town, and although the Red Wizard and the town militia were able to drive them off, the Red Wizard grew tired of these constant attacks, so he chased the bandits back to their lair.
"No one knows what happened after that, except that the bandits never returned, nor did The Red Wizard. To this day, many of the ponies of Fillydelphia still revere him as a Great Hero and protector, much like you are.”
“I don't know if I’d go so far as to call myself a hero, but thank you for the compliment,” David said, scratching the back of his head.
“It was indeed a fascinating story, but why have I never heard of this before?” Twilight asked.
“Those who live outside of Fillydelphia don't care about such legends, with the exception of Lyra's family. Though, I am surprised she didn't mention it.”
“She was probably just so excited to meet me she forgot about it,” David commented.
“That does seem likely,” Celestia giggled, “but now, I would like to get to the reason why I'm here.”
“And what would that be exactly?” David asked.
“I wish to know more about you. It is rare for me to actually see a human, let alone talk to one.”
“Oh, goodie. Another Q&A. I have a feeling there is going to be a lot more of these before the day is out, so go ahead.”
“Excellent! Twilight has already informed me of what you have already told her, so could you tell me more about where you lived before coming here?”
David thought the question was pointless, considering he would likely never see his home again, but he also saw no harm in answering, “I lived and grew up in North Tonawanda, New York.”
"New York? I thought your country was called the United States of America?”
“It is. New York is a state, one of the many that make up the states of the United States of America.”
“Oh, I think I get it now. We have something similar where other cities are independent, but are still part of the country.”
“Yeah, it's a bit like that,” he said.
“So, what was the city like?”
“Well, it was a pretty nice place, and in a pretty good location. You had Buffalo to the south, Niagara Falls and Lockport to the north, and Grand Island to the west. Each city had their own unique flavors. It's definitely not a place where you can get bored easily, provided you have extra cash to throw around.”
“And did you, or rather, did you have a job, and if so, what exactly did you do?”
“Yeah, I did. I worked for a local grocery chain.”
"What did you do for them?”
“Oh, nothing special. Just stocking the shelves, doing inventory, and things like that. Do you really want to know all this boring stuff about me?”
“Well then, tell me something interesting about you. Like, what did you do in your free time?”
“Well, if I wasn't with my friends, I'd be at home or at a park doing some drawing.”
“Were you close with your friends?”
“Yeah, I guess we were,” David turned to look out a nearby window, “I never really thought about it, but I'll never see them again,” he said quietly.
“I'm sorry,” Celestia said as she stood up and walked over to him. She then gently pulled him into a hug, his head resting just above her bosom as she gently stroked his hair to comfort him, “I understand this must be hard for you as well as them, not to mention your family.”
“Yeah... My family,” David said as tears started to well up in his eyes. He began to cry softly into Celestia’s chest. Twilight came up from behind and wrapped her arms around him to help comfort him too. The three of them stood there like that for what felt like hours, until David pulled away from Celestia.
“Sorry,” he said as he wiped the remaining tears from his face.
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Celestia said with a warm smile. “I think I've seen and heard enough, and it is cleared to me that you are no threat to Equestria. In addition, I will be more than happy to accept you as a citizen, if you wish.”
“I would like that, Celestia.”
“Very good then. I will send Twilight the necessary paperwork once I have the time.”
“Thank you, Celestia.”
Celestia nodded, and she turned to go upstairs, with Twilight following. Once they were in the loft, Celestia open the doors to the balcony. Celestia let out a sigh as she stepped outside.
“Is everything alright, Celestia?”
“Oh? Yes. Yes, I'm fine. I'm just a little tired.”
“Anything I can help with?” Twilight asked.
Celestia chuckled, “Thank you, but no. It's just some territorial dispute we've been asked to mediate. Besides, you already have your hands full. Speaking of which, do look after him, will you? I'd hate for us to lose another kind human.”
“You can count on me!”
“I know I can.” Celestia said with a smile. She then walked out onto the balcony and flew off.
Twilight closed the doors and turned to the head back downstairs. As she did, she heard a yell and some scuffling. She ran downstairs to see what was going on. Once there, she saw her assistant Spike and David's arms, one arm was around his neck and the other under Spike’s arm.
“Twilight, help!” Spike yelled.
“You know this thing, Twilight?” David said, struggling a bit to keep Spike in his hold.
“Yes! Put him down this instant!” Twilight scolded David.
David let go of Spike, and he fell to the ground. “Ouch,” Spike yelped.
“Now, what was all this about?”
“He attacked me,” David said, pointing at Spike. “I only defended myself.”
“Is this true?” Twilight asked Spike.
“Well, I... I-I thought he was some sort of monster of a mutant Pony, or-”
“Alright. I get it. Now, apologize!” Spike turned to face David and said he was sorry. “Good. Now, David, apologize for attacking Spike.”
“Wait, but he attacked me.” Twilight glared at him. “Okay, okay. Fine. I'm sorry.”
“Good. Now, we can get on to the other things I have planned for today.” Twilight said, grabbing a bag and pulling out a small notebook.
“Any more Bombshells like meeting a princess?”
“Excuse me?” Twilight said, a little confused.
“What I'm saying is that it really caught me off guard, not to mention that I look like a complete mess. I mean, my hair is in shambles, I haven't bathed in like three days, and my clothes... Well, I only have one set of clothes, so nothing I can really do there, but still, some heads up would have been nice.”
“Sorry, but the Princess wanted to meet you as you were, to see the real you and not something you might have rehearsed.”
“Alright, fine. What's done is done. So, what are these other things you wanted to do?”
“Well,” Twilight opened up the notebook and wrote something in it, “the next thing is a quick tour around Ponyville, followed by meeting my friends at Sugar Cube Corner.”
“Well, if we're going to go out again, I would at least like to shave the hair off my face. You wouldn't happen to have a razor with you?”
“No, but why would you shave your hair?”
“It's personal preference. I, for one, don't like having hair on my face, but I don't have a proper razor. I'm not adventurous enough to try and use a knife.”
“Well, I can help you. Just tell me where you want the hair removed.” David outlined the areas around his chin, cheeks, and under his nose, and Twilight began to charge up her magic.
“Twilight, what are you going to do?”
“Just relax this will only take a second.” Twilight let her magic go, and David felt his face tingle a bit. As quickly as she said the magic stopped, David touched his face only the find there was no hair there.
“Whoa. It's been awhile since my face has felt this smooth. What did you do?”
“Long story short, I know a spell to grow facial hair. I simply reversed it.”
“That is definitely useful, for me anyway. Well, I probably look a lot better at least.”
“Actually, you do look kind of cute with all that stuff off your face. I mean, somepony would find you cute, I'm sure.” Twilight blushed after saying that.
David laughed, “I didn't think you guys would find me appealing to look at, but now, I know otherwise.”
“Well, what I meant was... I mean I...”
“Relax, Twilight, it's not a big deal, unless there's something you want to tell me,” David said as he leaned in.
“N-no! I mean you're nice, but I don't think you're my type and-”
David laughed again, “I'm just messing with you a little. Now, come on. We're wasting daylight.” David went to go get his rifle.
“Hold on a second. Do you need to bring that with you?”
David let out a sigh, “Yes, it makes me feel better having it.”
“Well, it would make me feel better if you didn't bring it.”
“Look, I went over this with Rainbow. I'm not going to wave it around like some idiot, or shoot someone at random or whatever other horrible stupid thing you're worried I'm going to do. I took gun safety courses. I know what to do and what not to do. This weapon couldn't be safer in my hands.”
“I'm glad to hear that, but it doesn't mean somepony else won't do something stupid that will get them hurt. And right now, we don't need that.”
“I suppose you make a good enough point. Alright, I'll leave it here. Just give me a minute.” David took his rifle and opened up the chamber and removed the bullets. Then, he engaged the safety before putting it back. “There now. Shall we get going?”
“Yes, we shall.”
David, Twilight and Spike left the library and headed through the town. David was still worried about the ponies and was still self-conscious about how different he was, but he relaxed a bit when he realized there weren't as many ponies out and about as there had been earlier. The ones they did see stared for a moment, but then went about their business.
Twilight took David to the marketplace, which seemed to be closing down, despite the fact it was not that late in the day. When David asked about it, Twilight explained that it was because of the weekend, and most shops close early on the weekends. Twilight then led him to a large building with a carousel theme in its design. She explained it was called Carousel Boutique and was Rarity's home and place of business, where she made all sorts of clothing.
“Do you think she would make me a new outfit or two?” David asked.
“I'm sure she would love to,” Twilight answered, “but that would be for another day,” she said, pointing to the closed sign in the door.
“Alright then, I guess it's on with the tour.”
Twilight then led him to another large building in the center of town. This was Town Hall. It's function was pretty self explanatory, though that didn't stop Twilight from actually explaining it to David.
“Twilight, this is all very fascinating, and I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining, but... is this going on last much longer?”
“Not too much. Why? You getting tired?”
“No, but I am getting a little hungry.”
“Well, then we'll head to the last stop on the tour, Sugar Cube Corner.”
Twilight then led David and Spike to a building that looked like a giant gingerbread house.
What is with these ponies and their bizarre architectural designs? David thought, “Twilight, just to sate my curiosity, please tell me. Is that a real gingerbread house?”
“Of course, it's not, silly. Why would you think that?”
“Let's just say I have reasons.”
“That's not really an answer.” Twilight said, crossing her arms.
“I know,” he said with a smirk.
“I'm not going to get anything more out of you am I?” Twilight said in an annoyed tone.
“Nope,” he teased.
“Alright, fine. Let's just go in.”
The three went inside, only to be greeted with a dark room. Wait. A dark room, and Twilight said her friends would be here, soooo... before David could finish his thought, the lights came on, revealing Twilight’s friends and many other ponies who all shouted surprise. David yelped in surprise and stumbled back a bit in shock.
Pinkie ran up to him and started speaking to him in her usual hyperactive way, “Were you surprised? I bet you were! I throw the best surprise parties!”
I could tell the truth and tell her I saw it coming, buuuut I'll be nice, David thought before he spoke, “Yes, Pinkie, I was surprised.”
“Yay!” Pinkie exclaimed. She then turned to the rest of the ponies and proclaimed, “Everypony, this is David, AKA the Guardian! Let's all make him feel welcome here in Ponyville!” There was some cheering from the crowd as several ponies came forward. Most of them bombarded him with questions, which David did his best to answer.
Others came to thank him for saving their lives or the lives of their children. They even offered him a reward for all he's done. David was conflicted about that. On the one hand, he only did what he thought was right, and he thought that shouldn't need compensation. On the other hand, he could certainly use some of their currency, but he decided to decline their offers.
Once the ponies’ curiosity was sated, they started to mill about and talk amongst themselves. David then took notice of the interior of the bakery, and it seemed pretty average compared to the ones back home, with the exception of all the party supplies tables with food, games, etc. David went to the food table and got a plate, then started getting some of the various baked goods that were set out when Twilight and her friends came up to him.
They had noticed the lack of hair on his face and questioned him about it, to which he answered. Pinkie then led David to a table, after he had filled up his plate with the cake he saw. David half listened to Pinkie talk as he enjoyed the cake that was provided. The cake was even more delicious than it had looked. However, he was interrupted with a tug at his sleeve. He turned and saw Apple Bloom, along with two other fillies. One was a unicorn, and the other was a pegasus.
“Hello, Apple Bloom. Are you feeling better?” David asked.
“Yeah. Ah'm fine. Ah just wanted to introduce mah friends. This is Sweetie Belle, Rarity’s youngest sister, and Scootaloo.”
“H-hi,” Sweetie Belle said shyly, much like Fluttershy.
“Is it really true you killed manticores, basilisks, and a hydra ?” Scootaloo asked.
“Hello to you, too, and yes, it is true, though not easy, especially with a hydra. Those you need to kill with fire or else they'll just keep growing new heads,” he grimaced.
“Seriously?”
“Yes, it's too weird to make up.”
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo started asking him questions. At this point, David had gotten used to all the questions, so he answered them like so many times before. Though, they were the first to ask him what living in the Everfree Forest was like. David figured they were fishing for adventure stories, but he didn't have any really. Any time David spent out of his camp was either to visit Zecora or track down a pony that had entered the forest. Either nothing would come of it, or he’d shoot a monster in the face. He never actively sought out or stalked the creatures of the forest, apart from an animal or two to help supplement his diet.
“Sorry, girls, but there really isn't much to tell.” The girls were disappointed upon hearing that, but David came up with something that he thought would suffice, “How about I tell you the time one of my friends was nearly swept away by a waterfall?” That got the girls’ attention, and they nodded, eager to hear the story. “It was about a year or two ago when it happened. You see, where I lived, there was a nearby city famous for it's waterfalls, and one day, me and my friends took a trip to that city.
“We had decided to go to Goat Island, which is an island that sits in the middle between the two falls. While we were there, we decided to go to one of the city’s attractions, the Cave of the Winds, which is really just a deck they built at the base of one of the falls. It's about as close as you can get without going over the thing in a barrel.”
“That seems kind of weird,” Sweetie Bell said.
“Well, years ago, people use to do it. Not all them survived, but they did it anyway. Some even tightroped across the falls, with much more success, but I digress. While we were going through the Cave of the Winds, a couple of my friends, Ben and Zack, thought it'd be a great idea to mess around. As you can imagine, a few hundred thousand gallons of water passing by every second can make any surface really slippery, and unfortunately, Zack went over the side of the safety railing and landed on one of the rocks. He clung to it for dear life. Fortunately, there are people trained to handle these types of emergencies.
“They managed to get him to safe ground before he was swept away by the raging waters. Fortunately for the both of them, no charges were pressed. After that, we were much more careful when we were in that area. In other words, nobody did anything stupid after that... at least, when we were in or around the Falls.
“My friends still did stupid stuff, like the one time Zack set Paul's hair on fire, but that’s a story for another time.”
“Awww,” the three said simultaneously.
“Sorry, girls, but I've been talking with ponies all day. Right now, I'd just like to enjoy some horribly unhealthy food.”
“Okay, Ah guess we'll talk to ya later, then,” Apple Bloom said.
“I'm sure you will.”
The girls left, and Pinkie started talking to him again, “Wasn't there anything you did to try and help your friend?” she asked.
“I called the emergency service. That was about it.”
“So, you didn't try to go over the fence to help him?”
“Doing that would have only put me in danger as well. I know things probably work a bit different here, and if there were no emergency response team, then I would have try to helped him. The way I see it, let the experts do their jobs. They have the training and the experience I don't have.”
“Okay, I understand.” The two sat in silence as David finished his cake. After that, he got up a few more times to get a few more of the other snacks that were provided. Occasionally, a pony would come up to him and ask him how he was, if he was enjoying the party, or something else along those lines. This included Pinkie's friends and even Lyra. Lyra also introduced David to her friend, Bon Bon, and they enjoyed a bit of small talk, until a white unicorn with a blue mane came up to them.
“Hey. S’up?” She asked David.
“Hello. I don't believe we've been introduced.”
“Name's Vinyl Scratch, and Pinkie wanted me to get you for something,” she said with her bit of a smirk.
“Okay,” David excused himself from Lyra and Bon Bon and followed Vinyl. She led him to some sound equipment, with Pinkie standing next to pair of microphones.
“Pinkie, what's all this now?” David asked.
“Well, I asked Vinyl to help set all this up. Twilight also helped, by giving her some of those mp3 things.”
“So, what's going on?”
“Karaoke!”
Oh God, this is happening. “Look, Pinkie, I'm not so sure about this. I mean, it's not that I have a lack of confidence in my singing ability, but performing in front a bunch of strangers…”
“Don't worry. I'll be here with you. Besides, I've already selected a song! And it's a duet!”
I'm not getting out of this, am I? “Alright. Let's see what you’ve got.” David checked the machine and saw that it was a band that he actually knew and kind of liked, though he didn't recognize the song.
Pinkie then started it up, “Three, two, one! Let's go!”
The two sang well, and everypony cheered when they were finished. Pinkie picked a few more, songs some of which David sang solo. The rest of Pinkie's friends also came up to sing with David, as well as each other. They were all excited to hear these new songs. The party started to wind down after the singing... and after everybody’s sugar rush started to wear off.
The ponies started to leave, but not before thanking Pinkie for a great party, and saying goodbye to David, thanking him once again for the good he's done.
David also thanked Pinkie for throwing him a party, “So, what are we going to do now?” he asked.
“I don't know. I haven't planned anything after this,” Pinkie replied.
“What about you, Twilight?” David asked Twilight.
“I've got nothing. It was meet the Princess, the tour, then party... and I figured we’d just go home after that.”
David checked his watch and saw it was half past four, “Well, in that case, I should probably get going. The nocturnal monsters will be coming out in about an hour or so, and I have to double back to Twilight's to get my rifle.”
“Okay. Let's get going, then,” Twilight said, picking up Spike, who had fallen asleep.
“You know, Twilight, if you want, I could carry him for you,” David said.
“That's awfully nice of you, but I got him.”
David opened the door for Twilight, so she could leave easier. As he did so, he saw out of the corner of his eye what looked like Apple Bloom begging her sister for something, but he paid no attention. The two quickly made their way back to Twilight's home, and David grabbed his rifle from where he had left it. He then proceeded to load it, and soon slung it over his shoulder.
"Thank you for an... interesting day, Twilight. We should do this again sometime. Just warn me next time anyone important shows up.”
“I will. Also, feel free to drop by every now and again, now that you're no longer a mythical creature.”
"Sure. No problem.”
As David reached for the door handle, someone on the other side knocked. David stepped aside, so Twilight could answer the door. On the other side stood Applejack and Applebloom.
“Howdy, Twilight. Is David still here?” Applejack asked.
“Yo,” David said stepping up and behind Twilight.
"Ah, good. Ah'm glad Ah caught ya. Seeing as how it's gettin' to be around dinner time, and the rest of my family would like to meet ya... would you like to come over to our place for dinner?”
“Oh, wow. That's really nice of you to offer, but I wouldn't want to impose.”
“It's no trouble really,” Apple Bloom piped up.
“Well, there's still the problem of going home after dark.”
“Is it really that big a deal? I mean, ya'll can handle yourself, can't ya? Applejack asked.
“Yes, but it's more of a risk factor. I'll gladly go out into the middle of the night in the Everfree Forest to help someone that needs it. But, I’m not too keen on putting myself in danger for no good reason.”
“Come on! Please?” Apple Bloom said as she did her best to widen her eyes and look as adorable as possible.
Ah... damn it. How can I say no to that? “Okay, fine,” David said in a defeated tone.
“By the way, you're welcome to come, too, Twilight,” Applejack added.
“That's nice of you to offer, but I need to get Spike into bed. Maybe next time though.”
With that, the three headed off. The Apples led David through the town. Eventually, the area became more rural, like the path to the Everfree Forest, but he was sure that was on the other side of town. They soon came up to a large red building that Apple Bloom said was the school house. David smiled and nodded, though he did wonder if all the children in this town were on the same level of education. And if not, did the older kids go to this school with the younger ones as well?
Shortly after they passed the school, the surrounding trees turned from the standard the oak and maple to apple... lots and lots of apple. After about five minutes of traveling on the dirt road, the three came to a gate with an apple sign hanging from an arch. Beyond that was a large red the barn, a few smaller buildings, and some other crops, like corn and carrots.
“Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres,” Applejack said in a grand tone.
“It's impressive, I'll give you that,” David said, “It obviously took a lot of time and work to build all this.”
“Darn tootin’ it did. Now, come on. It’s time to meet mah faimly.”
Applejack led David to the farmhouse, and opened the door for him and her sister. It led into a foyer that connected to both the living room and the dining room. In front of them was a set of stairs and a hallway. Some sounds could be heard from the dining room area behind a door, which David assumed was the kitchen.
“Ah'll be back in a minute,” Applejack said as she went off to the door to the dining room.
David took this time to unload his rifle and set it in a corner. He looked at Applebloom, who was giving him the biggest smile ever. “Did you have something to do with this?” David asked her.
“Ah may have asked Applejack to invite ya over. After all, granny does wanna meet you. You're not upset, are ya?”
“No. Of course not. It's just a bit of an inconvenience, but I'm a big boy and can take care of myself.”
“Well, we should probably get a seat at the table.”
"Won't we need to help with anything?”
“Nonsense. You’re company. If my brother or sister need anything, they'll call me.” Apple Bloom took David by the hand and led him to a chair near the head of the table, with her sitting next to him.
After a few more minutes, the door in the dining room opened, and Applejack, a stallion whose name he believed was 'Big Mac', and another mare who looked rather elderly came out, carrying trays of food, silverware, and glasses.
David stood up, “Do you need any help with that?”
“We got it, sonny. You just sit down and relax,” the elderly mare said.
“You sure?”
“I said sit!”
“Yes, ma'am.”
The elderly mare sat at the head of the table, while Applejack and Big Mac set out the food. Once they were done, the elderly mare spoke up again, “I reckon it goes without saying, but we should introduce ourselves before we start eatin'. Y’all can call me Granny Smith, and that right there is Big Macintosh,” she said, pointing to the red stallion, who nodded at David.
"And my name is David. It's very nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too. Now, enough talkin'. Let's start eatin', before it gets cold.”
David was surprised that she didn't have any questions for him. Maybe it was because Applejack had told her everything she needed to know, or maybe it was because she didn't care, because David had saved her granddaughter. Either way, David was thankful to have a home-cooked meal for once.
The meal pretty much consisted of apple themed dishes. Despite that fact, David found them not only delicious, but filling. During the meal, there was some small talk, mostly between Applejack, her brother, and grandmother, and mostly about the chores, the work that has been done, and the things that needed to be done.
There were a few more questions fired his way, but most of them were pretty simple, like if he wanted anything else or if he was comfortable. After dinner, Applejack and Big Mac started clearing the plates. David asked if he could help, but Granny Smith just told him to just sit and relax.
“So, how did you enjoy the food?” Granny asked.
“It was amazing. I never thought apples could be so filling,” David answered.
“Glad to hear you liked it.”
“Thank you for having me, but I should get going soon.”
“Oh, that's right. Ya live in the Everfree Forest,” Granny Smith said, “Ya know, if'in it will be too much of a hassle for ya to go home, ya can spend the night here, if ya want.”
“Thank you, but I don't want to take advantage of your hospitality.”
“Listen, sonny, as far as I'm concerned, you're practically one of the family.”
“I know I protected Apple Bloom, but I don't think I've earned that privilege.”
“Well, Ah think you have. Ya don't get to be as old as Ah am without learnin' how to be a good judge of character, and Ah can tell you're alright.”
“Well, if you're comfortable having a stranger over, then alright. I'll stay tonight.”
“Excellent! Applejack!” Granny Smith yelled.
Applejack came to the room, “Yes, Granny?”
"Our guest we'll be spending the night. Please show him to the guest room.”
“Okay, Granny. Come with me,” Applejack said to David.
David grabbed his rifle and followed Applejack upstairs. They went down a hall and passed several doors, one of which Applejack pointed out was the bathroom. They stopped a couple doors down from the stairs, and Applejack open the door.
The room was sparsely furnished. On the far side of the room was a bed and nightstand with a lamp on it. Along one wall was a dresser with a mirror, and along the other one was a desk and chair, as well as a door that led to a closet.
"It ain't much to look at, but I hope it'll do for ya,” Applejack said.
“This is more than enough. Thank you.”
“If ya want, ya can use the bathroom to um... clean yourself,” Applejack blushed a little when she said that.
“Thank you, but I don't have anything to change into other than these incredibly filthy clothes.”
“Stay right here. I'll be back in a minute,” Applejack said as she walked off. She enterd one of the other bedrooms and returned with a set of pajamas. “These are mah brothers. They may be a bit big on ya, but they should work. If ya want, Ah can also wash your clothes.”
“Sure, if it's not too much trouble?”
“No trouble at all.”
“Alright then.” David went to the desk and set his rifle on it. He then took his belt that has his pistol on it off, as well as several pouches and a couple of knives. He then pulled out a knife from each of his boots. Lastly, he emptied his pockets.
David took the spare clothes Applejack had provided and headed to the bathroom, “Where would you like me to put my old clothes?”
“Just leave them in the bathroom. I'll get them when you're done.”
David nodded and headed in. David tested the shower. Oh, hot running water, how I miss you.
Applejack was about to head back to her room when she saw Apple Bloom was still in the guest room. She went in to go get her sister and saw that she was snooping around David’s stuff.
“What are you doing?” Applejack said, standing behind her sister.
"Ah was just a little curious,” Apple Bloom said, holding something in her hand.
“Now, you know better than that!” Applejack took the item from her hand. And noticed it was a small piece of leather. What's this? she wondered.
She studied it and realize that it could be open. She opened it, and the first thing she saw was a piece of plastic with David’s picture on it that read 'New York State driver's license'. It also had listed other information about David that Applejack assumed was irrelevant now.
There was also a couple other pieces of rectangular plastic. They were similar to each other, as they both had David's name on them and a bunch of random numbers, but one was labeled First Niagara, while the other was labelled as Capital One. There was also a flap inside that had some green paper with pictures of humans on it. All things considered, it wasn't very interesting except for the last thing Applejack noticed, what looked like a folded piece of paper. She took it out and unfolded it. What she saw sent the wave of sadness over her.
“What is it? Let me see!” Apple Bloom said.
Applejack knelt down to show her. The paper was actually a picture with David and four other humans. David was in the middle, kneeling on one knee. On his right was what looked like a female human with long red hair and blue eyes. She also looked like she was leaning on him. On his left was a male human, whose arm was around David. He had straight black hair, brown eyes, and a piece of metal in his lip. Behind him was two other males. The one on David's left had short blonde hair, blue eyes and was wearing glasses. The other one on the right had long brown hair with a bandana tight around his forehead. He was also wearing purple tinted glasses.
“Who are all these people?” Apple Bloom asked.
“I think these are his friends,” Applejack answered.
“Oh, right. He told us a story about his friends today. Sounded like they had a lot of fun. Hey, there's writing on the back!”
Applejack flipped the picture over, and sure enough, there was writing on it. At the top was written 'Fort Niagara. May 30th, 2010'. Below that was a bunch of names written in the general area of the person they belonged to on the other side, with David being in the center. The others were Kristen on the right, Zachary on the left, Benjamin above him and Paul to the right of that.
“I wonder if he misses them?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Ah'm sure he does. Alright. We’ve done enough snoopin'. You go on to your room now, and get ready for bed.”
Apple Bloom went off to her room, and Applejack put everything back the way David had left it. She then went and waited outside the bathroom. After waiting about ten minutes, the door opened, and David came out, rubbing his head with a towel.
“Oh. Hi, Applejack. What are you doing here?”
“I came to get your clothes,” she replied, not looking him in the eye.
“Okay. I left them on the counter for you. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, everything's fine. Excuse me,” Applejack went into the bathroom and grabbed David's clothes. Before she left, she said, “If you want, you can relax in the living room. Just be quiet after nine. We'll all be asleep.”
“That's fine. I was just going to stay in my room anyway.”
David headed to the guest room while Applejack headed downstairs. Once in the room, David shut the door, and put the towel on the back of the chair before grabbing his iPod. He laid down on the bed and listened to some classical music to try and help him sleep. It didn't help, however, as he spent several hours just staring at the ceiling, unable to get to sleep.
He sighed as he got up and quietly went downstairs. He went through the dining room and past the door that led to the kitchen, then turned on the lights before he got himself a glass of water. What he didn't know was that someone had joined him.
"Couldn't sleep either, huh?” David turned to see Applejack in the doorway, wearing her own pajamas and her hair undone.
“No, I couldn't.”
“Something you want to talk about?”
“Yeah, maybe,” David said, staring at the moon.
“What's wrong?”
“It just seems like everything's moving so fast. It seems like yesterday I was living in a forest, and now, I can become a citizen of Equestria and actually be able to move into a house.”
“Well, it was only yesterday you were living in a forest,” AppleJack said, trying to joke.
“Yeah, I know. It seems like my life is finally starting to return to normal... well, as normal as it could be.”
“But?”
“But it's not home. Back home, I actually had a house. I had friends who were like family. I had a decent job and dreams. And maybe, maybe something else…”
"You mean Kristen?”
David looked at Applejack, confused, “How do you-”
“Apple Bloom was snooping through your stuff, and I'll admit, I was, too. But I mostly just looked at that piece of leather you had.”
“I should be a lot more upset than I am, but I'm just glad you didn't touch my guns. So, you saw the picture?” Applejack nodded. “That was the last time I hung out with my friends before I came here. The last time I spent with her.”
“Were the two of you close?”
“I liked her. I think she felt the same, but things just never fell into place... that and her parents didn't like me.”
“How come?”
“Maybe because I had a 'reputation' as an artist, so most people thought I was a pretentious asshole. Her parents were probably worried that I was going to go to school for art, and that kind of study is one of many that doesn't produce much fruit.”
“Were ya any good at?”
“I like to think so. I mean, I only did it as a hobby.”
"Could ya show me?”
"I guess, if you get me some paper and pencil.” Nodding, Applejack left to get the requested items
It didn’t take long for Applejack to get him the items he requested. “Excellent. Now, if you could sit in the dining room and try to look natural.”
“Wait, you want to draw me?”
“My favorite things to draw are people and landscapes, and since it's dark out, I only have one real option. Unless you're uncomfortable with me drawing you?”
“No, it's alright. I just wasn't expecting it.” Applejack sat down in one of the dining room chairs, and David sat in a chair across from her.
“Try to relax and look to the side a little bit. Yes, that's it. Perfect. Now, hold still.” David then went to work sketching Applejack.
Applejack never actually watched someone drawing before, not that it was exciting. She did, however, feel a little embarrassed that he had chosen her as his subject, but she figured it was a better test of his ability than just drawing a teapot. After about a half hour, he was done and showed his work to her.
Applejack reviewed the drawing and was impressed by how good it was. “Wow. This is really good. You’re quite talented at this,” she said, handing back the picture.
“Keep it,” David said, “and thanks. This helped to distract me.”
“David,” Applejack said softly, “I know this is hard,” she pulled him into a hug, “but you got friends that can help you out here.”
“I know, and thank you. It’s just going to take some time to get used to things.”
Applejack broke the hug and said, “You feel better enough to sleep?”
“Yeah, I think I do.”
“Then, let’s go.”
The two headed back upstairs and to their rooms. This time, David found sleep much easier, as he felt that things would be alright.