A Certain Happening.

by Sasquatch1812

A Party

I blinked. No Celestia? Again I tried to think. Celestia, I knew – or thought I knew – controlled the sun. Luna controlled the moon. There was something dimly in my memory that Celestia could control both but Luna could only control the moon. Is that why it was still dark? Had something happened to Celestia, or was it, in this world, that Celestia didn't exist? With Twilight's question in my mind, I could only wonder if the second theory was more relevant than the first. If something had happened to Celestia, they still would have known about it. But it was like Celestia had never existed. Or, at least, not in living memory. I rapidly thought of an excuse. Not a good one, I'll admit, but for just having woken up in a totally unexpected environment, it would have to do.

“Sorry.” I grinned. “I'm still waking up. Wrong people. Err... Ponies.” I blinked several times to try to clear my brain. Had I remembered correctly? I was fairly sure I had. If it hadn't been for that look she'd given me, that look that had been of such short duration that I would have missed it if I'd blinked, I would have thought her explanation natural. Wait... More half-formed memories invaded my brain. Hadn't Luna been locked up, banished from Ponyland (I hoped I'd think of the right name soon.) for some years? Could it not be that, in this real version, Celestia was the wicked one; the corrupted one? Could it not be Celestia who was the one that was banished and Luna now ruled?

But that look. That look, as brief as it had been, told me more than a little. It told me that, for some reason, Luna did not even want Celestia's name mentioned. My knowledge about the My Little Pony cartoons was sketchy at best – 'practically non-existent' would be a better description – but I did think that, even during her banishment, other ponies knew about Luna. Wasn't she visible in the moon or something? I cudgelled my brain trying to come up with an answer but I couldn't. I could see that I'd have to tread rather warily. Somehow I could feel that Luna had incredibly powerful magic. Powered by the moon? I didn't know. I had an idea that the longer she was bathed in moonlight, the more powerful her magic became, but I didn't know whether I was right or not. But I could tell, somehow, she was powerful. She could snap me like a twig if she'd wanted to. I knew that. How, I didn't know, but I did.

Then I realised something else. I was hungry; ravenous, in fact. "Could I get something to eat?" I asked, "I'm so hungry I could eat a ho-gett." I managed to change that last word at the last moment. Only just, but I think I pulled it off.

"What's a hogget?" Twilight. Yeah, she'd always been the inquisitive one, from what I remembered.

"It's an animal we eat."

"You eat animals?" Pinky gasped, her eyes even wider than normal. "Do you eat ponies?"

"No, we don't eat ponies." I said with a smile. Well, some of us might, but I wasn't going to tell her that.

"Are 'hoggets' like mice?" Asked Twilight. "Or fish?"

I longed for meat. I'm sure I could have eaten one of the ponies, I was that hungry. I realised what it was, too. My shape had grown and distorted into what it now was, but I had to have something to feed it. Feed the vastly enlarged muscles, provide nourishment that would fill this frame out. I really hoped I could do it on more than cakes and apples. "You said 'fish'?”

Twilight nodded. "We can catch you some fish."

I smiled. "That'd be good." They were trying to please me, after all, so it behoved me to at least be polite.

"We have a new friend!" Pinky exclaimed excitedly. "We have a reason to par-tay."

I saw Twilight smile. "When did you ever need an excuse, Pinky?" she asked.

“Nevaah!” she shouted, pirouetting on her hind legs.

As much as I found that squeaky voice annoying, I had to chuckle at her enthusiasm.

“I hope I don't scare too many people.” I told them. "I'm quite big."

“How big?” asked

I started to stand, looking carefully upwards so as not to hit my head on the beams of the barn. Yeah, I'm eight foot, six inches if I'd changed into my story character.

“Oh.” muttered Twilight, looking up at me. “Oh, wow.”

I had to duck my head a little to avoid the beams, but with the rest of my body straightened, the difference between our heights was very apparent. Twilight and the others didn't even come to my waist. Luna, being taller, came up to my chest.

I looked down on them. “As I said,” I told them, “I'm quite big.”

“You are, indeed.” Luna murmured with a smile.

“Wait!” that was Applejack. “A sass-squash?”

I looked at her, puzzled, I didn't think they had sasquatches in ponyland. Not that I knew much about it, but I hadn't heard any mention of it which I thought I would have given some of the discussions on the forums I frequented.

“You don't look like a sass-squash.”

“And what is a sassquash supposed to look like?” I asked.

Applejack scooted out of the barn and came back moments later with a large book held in her mouth. Holding it in her hooves – which I thought rather impressive – she opened it and showed me. A sass-squash was, apparently, a large... animal? Being? Anyway, it was large and.... squash shaped. Oh... dear.

“They steal apples and leave squash instead.” Applejack explained. Granny Smith knew one. And I tried to catch it and...” her voice trailed off. “I failed, but it turned out that it was Granny Smith all along.” Applejack's accent was the hardest to take. Dunno why, but it hit nerves in my ears that just... Well, I supposed I'd just have to get used to it.

I was a little confused, but I finally latched on to what she'd said. “No, I'm not that type of sass-squash.” I said, grinning. “I might eat some of your apples, but I won't steal them. Anyway, I don't look much like that. Do I?” I asked, indicating the picture of the sass-squash with a pony.

“Well! We can't just stand here. Let's party.” Yeah, I was beginning to wonder if Pinky's life revolved around parties. But, well, I suppose when you're pure sugar 'n' spice....

Anyway, we left the barn – I had to stoop pretty low to get out through the doors, but at least I hadn't had to crawl – and emerged into the moonlight. The moon was large and full, and I had a suspicion that it was always like this. The full power of Luna came with the full moon. How did I know that? I don't know. I hadn't heard it discussed or read it or anything but I just believed it was so. Who knows, I might even have been right.

I looked over at the princess. She was standing, staring at the moon, It was almost as if she were absorbing power from it. I could only wonder what the hell was going on. Why was I here? What could I do? Somehow, deep down, I knew I was no match for Luna. She could probably reduce me to dust if she'd wanted to. Was it her power that had brought me here for some reason? Was it right that Luna ruled alone? I remembered that, in the cartoons, Luna had been banished after she'd turned to the dark side or some such and Celestia – or something – had overpowered her and placed her in the moon for quite some time. Or something like that. Like I said, my knowledge of this world was zip.

Pinky raced off, shouting she was going to get her 'party cannon' or some such, and get the party started. Applejack and Fluttershy asked if I'd like to help them fish. I agreed and went with them, noticing that Luna followed us quite closely. Well, I could understand that. I mean, if I'd wanted to hurt these ponies, she would have been there to stop me.

The stream was surprisingly well stocked with fish and we soon had several baskets full. “We don't eat fish.” Fluttershy murmured shyly. “We don't eat meat at all.”

“No, ponies on my world don't, either.” I told her.

“Do you eat them raw?”

“No, we usually cook them. Do you have somewhere I can cook?”

She raised her head and looked at me, those puppy-dog eyes of hers wide and nervous. “We do.”

You know, as much as I didn't like these little critters, and as much as I longed to be home where I knew I could find good, red meat, I found myself disliking the fact that they were scared of me. Yeah, I know, I'm strange like that. I squatted down low and extended a hand slowly to Fluttershy as Applejack looked on, the expression on her face made me feel as though she'd attack me to defend the other. “I don't want you to be frightened of me, Fluttershy.” I said quietly. “I won't hurt you or any other pony here.”

“Th-thank you.” she whickered, sniffing my hand. She looked at me and fluttered those long eyelashes. “I do try not to be so nervous, it's just that...”

“Hey,” I said with a smile, “I understand. If I were your height and something my size came along, I might be nervous, too. I'm sure you're brave when you need to be.”

Okay. I'll cut a long story short, here and say that, despite my misgivings, I actually managed to enjoy the party. The food was good and the cider was very good. I probably drank a little more than I should, but with what I'd been through I felt I was doing well not to get totally blind, falling-down drunk.

I was, naturally an object of curiosity. Ponies of all ages came to have a gawk at me. Foals skittered as I grinned and winked at them. The older ones stood around, watching me somewhat warily. Oh, I was welcomed well enough, but... Yeah. Like I said about Fluttershy, I could understand it, so it didn't really bother me. What did bother me, though, was something else. There seemed to be someone missing. Sure, I didn't know Jack Squat about this program... er... world, but I did know some of the characters. When Applejack came over with a large jug (or they'd call it a large jug, I'd call it a mug) of cider, I asked. “Applejack, where's Big Mac? I thought he'd be here for something like this.”

The entire party seemed to instantly stop. It was like one of those cartoon things where everything suddenly halts. She looked up at me, her face worked, tears sprang to her eyes and suddenly she was suppressing sobs. I could see her body jerking as she fought to keep them silent. Tears streamed down her face. “He... He's dead.” she said woodenly, before turning and walking off.

Other ponies looked at me as if I'd just committed a mortal sin. 'Oops'. I thought to myself.

It was Granny who stepped forward. “Big Mac was killed a just over a week ago.” she told me quietly, her ancient voice sounding loud in the stillness. “The two of them were out looking for a lost foal when they came across a dragon. Usually, they don't attack, but this one did. Big Mac fought it, telling Applejack to go for help.” There was a moment's silence. “By the time anyone who could help got there it was too late. It must have carried him off. We never even found the body.”

I heaved a sigh. “Ah.” I really couldn't think of what else to say. From what I'd heard of the cartoons, Big Mac would probably have been the one I would have liked most. Big, strong, dependable and a solid temperament. “Granny,” my voice was quiet and soft. “Tell Applejack I'm sorry. I didn't know.”

Granny nodded. “I didn't think you did.” she replied. “I've been watching you, I have. I don't think you'd hurt anyone like that.” she turned and walked off in the direction Applejack had taken. I ran my thumb and finger over my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. Yeah. I know. I've said often enough that I don't like the show, nor do I particularly like the ponies themselves. But this? This was different.

Well, I nearly said that the party started up again, but that wouldn't really be telling the truth. Ponies started moving, talking , eating and drinking again, but I wouldn't really have called it a 'party'. It definitely wasn't the event I'd stopped moments ago with some ill-chosen words.

I saw Granny come back and went over to her. “Granny, could you tell her I'm sorry. I didn't know. Some of what I've heard is, obviously, rather wrong.”

Granny looked at me, her old eyes narrowed almost shut. “You like to tell her yourself?” she muttered. She seemed to be looking at me in a way that seemed to see right inside me.

“I would. If that's alright with you.”

“If I didn't think so I wouldn't have asked.” she grumped.

“Granny?”

“Yes?”

“I'm sorry for your loss.”

She nodded shortly and I saw a tear glint in those old eyes. “He was a good lad, was Mac.” With that she turned and led me out of Ponyville. (Ah. Well, I'd remembered the name of the town, anyway.) There was a small clearing in which the ponies I recognised as the 'Mane Six' huddled. Five attempting to console one but all very much affected.

I stopped and Granny walked on, there was a quiet conversation which resulted in a lot of looks in my direction. Granny came back. “Very well, but you try to hurt her and...” the threat should have seemed ludicrous coming from such an ancient, but it didn't. I knew she meant every word of it.

With the others watching, I walked over and squatted down beside Applejack who was seated on her haunches, her head bowed, weeping. “I'm sorry, Applejack. I didn't know.”

She nodded and gulped back a sob. “I... I should have stayed with him. I should have stayed to help. I should have done something. I could have, I'm sure. I... I...” she gulped again. “I shouldn't have left him!”

It seemed only too natural to reach out and run my hand down her neck. I stopped myself from it though; I didn't want to do anything untoward. “I doubt you could have done anything, Applejack. You did what he would have wanted you to do. You lived. You survived. If you'd died with him, his death would have been a waste.”

Her face twitched “I...”

Me? I felt like hugging her. Here was what was basically a young woman, hurting from the loss of her brother. The fact that, while Granny Smith was there, Applejack's parents had not been mentioned, made my brain spin. I had a nasty suspicion that they were dead. I didn't know, of course, but something about this scene made me think the worst. “I know I'm only a stranger, Applejack. A stranger that hardly knows you or your friends; but if you want someone to talk to...” I let the sentence hang. I don't really know why I'd said that. What I did know, thought, was that I wanted to help.