A Hoof In Two Worlds

by Raven Smite

What A World

A Hoof in Two Worlds
‘What a World’

“So, that little gypsy thinks a single boy, nor even from our world can defeat me? The fumes of her damn cauldron must be getting to her don’t you think?”

'That voice…Discord!'

As soon as Tory had passed out, he had felt something trying to get at him. It had felt evil, down to the core. Now he knew what it was. Since he couldn’t see, Tory had to rely on hearing alone. That upset him, because he was half-deaf. His left ear didn’t function properly, so he could only hear a bit from it. He theorized that since it was pretty much broken, the right ear had adopted a way to recover sounds the left picked up. The down side, it cut down sound that the right still received.

“In the chimera flesh!” the familiar voice spoke. “Do you know how hard it is to break into your mind? You really should leave a back door or something.”

“Why is it that everyone can suddenly read my thoughts? Is NOTHING private nowadays?!”

“Yeah that sounds about right. Anyways, are you gonna try to stop me? Please, don‘t answer that. We both know that you can‘t! Why not ditch those sorry excuses for ponies and join me? I can make it worth your while…”

Tory remembered what he had seen from the show. Discord had sent everyone through hell. It wasn’t until the Elements had blasted him with their rejoined powers while his guard was down that he had been returned to stone. Obviously, that still couldn’t keep him down.

“Sorry Discord, the offer is tempting, but I have no intention of going bad. It’ll remind me of someone I hate so much. And well, quoting a famous character, ‘Anger leads to hate, and hate leads to revenge. And that leads to the dark side.’ Sorry, but I have to listen to the old wise voice in my head.”

“Such insolence! I should burn you where you stand, if I could…You win this one, boy. Just remember, I‘ll be watching you.”

The voice of evil faded away, and Tory felt something poke his side. His eyes flew open, and found something pink poking him in the stomach. There were only two things that Tory knew were pink in My Little Ponies: Fluttershy’s hair, and Pinkie Pie. Since it wasn’t soft, it wasn’t hair…

'Let’s see if I deserve to be in Drama class…'

“U-Ugh! My head!” Tory said aloud, getting up. As he got to his knees, Tory was able to confirm his surroundings. He was about half a mile out of Ponyville with no one in sight. Well, almost no one…

“Hihihihihihihihihihihi!” Pinkie said, bouncing like a deranged female Tigger. “Who’re you? I’ve never seen you before! Why are you so different? You’re not from around here are you? Where are you from?”

Tory smiled at the barrage of questions. That was what he expected of Pinkie. He was about to respond when a sharp pain pierced his skull. Tory grasped his head, and fell back onto the ground. He heard Pinkie gasp, and then he heard the clatter of her dashing off.

“P-Please…Don’t…go.” He called out weakly. He tried reaching out to her, but his arms refused to move. The pain became unbearable, and Tory passed out…

I.I.I

“Zecora! What happened?!” Celestia said astonished as the tribal zebra came back through her portal. The small woman had been breathless when she had came back.

“The boy, he chose to follow me,” She said in gasps. “But the darkness tried to set him free. The evil, it was hard to flee. The only one to escape was me.”

“And the boy?” Celestia asked worriedly. She didn’t know him, but then again she didn’t know half of her subjects. But she still cared for them. “Is he okay?”

“I saw him in a field, away from here.’ Zecora rhymed once more. “The way to him is unclear. I will go back, and learn from today. I will prepare for the trial in some way.”

With that, Zecora dragged herself out of the room. Celestia, deeply concerned, called for two guards to escort the exhausted zebra. The moment Zecora opened the portal, the Hellfire Wave had died out. Only a great evil could have done this. Celestia had a feeling of who it might be, but she couldn’t be sure. She returned to her chambers, allowing sleep to overcome her.

I.I.I

“Oh, my! He IS sick! Thank you Pinkie Pie for coming to get me.”

Tory felt too weak to respond. He couldn’t breathe right, he couldn’t move. Discord must have done something to him. But he was not focused on that right now. The voice he had heard held his attention. It was a soft voice filled with kindness and care. There was only one pony Tory knew of that had that kind of voice: Fluttershy.

Tory put all of his energy into opening his eyes, and saw blurred shapes in front of him. The closest one was yellow with pink around it. He knew that shape, even if he couldn’t see it clearly. All he had to do was force his eyes to focus…

“Please, don’t move! Go back to sleep. You’re too weak to do anything.”

'Weak! I‘m so tired of being called that! Even Fluttershy thinks I‘m weak! Even in a new world, my life still sucks!'

“It seems that you fell a good ways, and then you received a major shock to your entire body.” Fluttershy said in her sweet voice. “You won’t be able to move for days. But don’t worry, I’ll nurse you back to health.”

Tory couldn’t have asked for a better doctor. She had treated many animals for a long time. And most of those said animals could be found in his world! He knew he was in good hooves.

“Pinkie,” Fluttershy was saying. “Go get Twilight, and tell her it’s an emergency. We have to move him to somewhere that I can treat him.”

Tory would’ve smiled at that, if he could. He felt so worn out, he couldn’t even understand his thoughts. He was amazed he could hear at all! Something touched his forehead, and Tory passed out…

When he awoke, Tory could actually feel something! His head and arms felt like the blood was rushing back into them after having been cut off. It felt like needles were stuck within his entire body.

“Oh goodie, it seems you’re awake.”

Tory managed to turn his head towards the voice, and opened his eyes. He was prepared to see Fluttershy, but not like this! She was even more beautiful in person than on a screen! Her body was not butter yellow, as most would think. Instead, Fluttershy was a golden yellow. Her eyes were a sharp blue, much like his. Her wings, folded gently at her side, made her look so much like a golden angel that had come to take his soul to Heaven.

“A-Are you…Th-the one that s-save m-me?” Tory asked weakly.

“Oh yes,” Fluttershy said sweetly. “My friend Pinkie told me she found you outside town, and I rushed over there as fast as I could. I was so scared when I arrived! I thought maybe I had been too late. But then you opened your eyes, and I knew we could save you yet.”

Tory felt great inside. Fluttershy had been worried about HIM! No one ever gave a damn about him before! Realizing how quiet the room was, Tory broke the silence.

“M-my name…is Tory…What’s…yours?”

“Call me Fluttershy. Now please, get some sleep. You aren’t stable yet!”

He couldn’t argue with her. Letting her soothing voice lull him to sleep, Tory gave out one last sentence.

“F-Fluttershy…huh? Hehe…A rose…by any other…name is …just as sweet.”

The last thing Tory saw that day was Fluttershy blushing at the comment. He silently sent thanks to his old English teacher for the lessons on Shakespeare, and passed out.

I.I.I

The next two days had breezed by for Tory. He had slipped in and out of consciousness many times. It was as though someone was pressing the fast forward button on his TV remote. On the third day, Tory felt almost back to normal. He couldn’t walk for shit yet, but that could wait for as long as ever, if Fluttershy was by his side.

During his time with her, Fluttershy had managed to uncover a small black object made of leather from his body. When she opened it, she found what looked like photos of people like the strange boy., and some other paper-like objects. She had placed the strange things on a table near her patient, and let her mind wander over to just who he was. She had been by him for a few days now, and had come to enjoy his company, but all she had managed to get was his name.

“Ugn…I can’t wait to get my hands on him!” Tory said as he woke from his latest dream. It had been weird, to say the least. He had been playing pool with Discord. The guy was a good shot, Tory admitted that, but the guy just wouldn’t stop trying to recruit him. Tory had won the match when Discord had scratched on the eight ball while trying to use twisted logic. “I’m going to wring his furry neck!”

“T-Tory?”

The teen looked over at Fluttershy, who was trembling. He remembered how nervous she was normally. He knew it would take her a while to be comfortable around him, but he was willing to wait. He turned down the hate factor, and forced himself to sit up.

“I-I’m sorry Fluttershy.” He apologized. “Just thinking of a big jerk I know!”

“Oh my,” Fluttershy said quietly. “How mean was he?”

Tory had been thinking of Discord, but he couldn’t tell Fluttershy that. What would she ask if he knew about the evil dictator? He didn’t want to lose the small amount of trust he had from her already. He instinctively switched back to Aaron, and told his crush everything about the guy.

“You could call me the target,” he was saying. “If there were a hundred better people to get, I’d always be the one he picked! He came at me from every corner, and he always tried to justify his treatment. I don’t know why he had it out for me! Probably because he knows I can’t defend myself…”

Tory sighed in defeat. He was glad to be away from all of his old troubles, but he felt hollow inside. He knew he missed his family and Grace.

“I wonder how they’re doing…” He whispered to himself.

Fluttershy had heard his low whisper. She knew she wasn’t meant to, but when it was the only sound in the room, you’re bound to hear it. She didn’t know much about Tory yet, but she wanted to. He had many of the same troubles she had, and so she felt she could connect with him on a slightly deeper level.

She turned to him, about to reassure him, when she saw a single tear streak down his face. It broke her heart to see anyone cry. She flew over to him, and wrapped her arms around him protectively. Tory tensed up as she did. Fluttershy thought that it must have been his nervousness that made him do so, but she was way off.

When you’re in love, you act strange. If the one you love just hugged you for no apparent reason, wouldn’t you be surprised? He didn’t try to break away though. It felt good to have a comforting presence like Fluttershy nearby.

“Tory, what it is like, where you come from?” Fluttershy asked delicately.

“…It’s so much different from this place,” Tory said, his anger rising at the thought of his school. “Humans are such hateful, detestable creatures. We destroy ourselves with each passing day, and are taking our world with us. I’m no exception. I’m to blame for a part of everyone’s troubles.”

“Humans?’ Fluttershy said in confusion. “I don’t think I’ve heard of that species. Is that what you are?”

“Yeah,” Tory said with snort. “But just because I am doesn’t mean I have to LIKE it. The path we now walk is paved with self destruction.”

“But it can’t be all bad,” Fluttershy said, trying to convince him. “Surely there must be some good?”

“Oh there are times I’m glad I’m alive,” Tory agreed. “But more often than not, I find myself wishing I was somewhere else. And wouldn’t you know it, I ended up here.”

“You don’t want to go back?”

“Shoot! I bet everyone else is better off without me!” Tory said, his eyes falling to the floor. “Dad doesn’t have to worry about taking care of a failure, all of my friends…heh, more like my TWO friends…They are probably finding others to spend time with.”

Fluttershy noticed another tear fall. She pressed herself against him once more. This time Tory didn’t tense up. She looked into his blue eyes, and saw so much pain there. Tory DID hate many things about his old life, but he still loved it. Mostly, it was just his family, Cory, and Grace.

“I’m pathetic!” Tory said cursing himself. “Even now, I can’t bear the thought of them being gone forever!”

“Who is it that you miss? Maybe I can send a letter to them?” Fluttershy suggested.

“It wouldn’t work,” Tory said, shaking his head. “I didn’t live in a place like this. I lived on a different world. There is no way to contact them…But it’s fine. I made the choice, so I’ll have to live with it.”

“Well,” Fluttershy started. “You don’t have to be alone this time. You have friends that you can share your burdens with. Never forget that.”

Tory smiled at her. The way she said it, in her honey sweet voice, with her blue eyes showing so much compassion, it just made Tory feel so warm inside. He felt his face getting hot and feigned curiosity in the room to distract himself.

“Tory?” Fluttershy asked. “Are you okay? Your face is turning red.”

He felt her place a hoof on his forehead, and his heart began to beat faster. He felt his face get even hotter, and tried to pull away. He found his body didn’t want to listen to him for once.

“You feel fine,” Fluttershy reassured him. “So I guess today I’ll show you around Ponyville. You can meet all of my friends…I mean um, our friends.”

Tory laughed in a kind way. He had only been here a few days, had only met two ponies, and already he had been accepted. The thought made a large smile creep up on his face, and a single tear fell down his face again.

“Wh-What’s wrong?” Fluttershy asked, seeing the tear. “Why are y-you crying?”

“I-it’s a tear of joy Fluttershy. I’m just…Oh I can’t explain it!”

Fluttershy nodded, and began to laugh in her gentle tone. She understood what Tory couldn’t say. From what he had told her about himself, Tory had never really been accepted, like her. Fluttershy had always felt out of it, even when she was with all of her friends.

“Heheheh…I’m glad,” she said. “You’ll enjoy meeting Twilight and them.”

Tory already knew about Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, and the rest of the Elements of Harmony, but Fluttershy didn’t know that. He knew how astute Rarity and Twilight could be, so he would have to be extra careful of what he said around them.

Tory and Fluttershy walked out of the door, and started down the path to Ponyville. They passed many ponies along the way, and each one of them looked at Tory with an expression that was a cross between curiosity and fear. He knew it was to be expected though, being an unknown creature within their home. Everyone, no matter what race, held a fear of the unknown.

As they came within a few feet of the town, Tory’s leg buckled, and he went down on his knees. He felt something inside him pulse, and it stole his breath away. As he clutched his heart with one hand, he felt a heavy weight come down on his shoulder. He turned his head, though it hurt way too much, and saw Fluttershy’s hoof was where the massive weight was. Her face showed so much worry, and it tore at Tory’s heart worse than his current pain.

The pulsing inside his chest began to speed up, until it blocked out all sounds. He saw Fluttershy call out to him, but without any oxygen, he couldn’t respond. He watched on in deep pain, just barely conscious as Fluttershy sent a random pony to go get someone. He couldn’t hear at all, but he could read lips. If he could guess, she had sent for Twilight.

Unable to withstand the searing pain that racked his body, Tory passed out once more.

I.I.I

As he opened his eyes, Tory knew he was in another dream. This time, he was in his school library’s computer lab. Desktop computers were lined up on the tables around the outer wall of the room. In the center were two medium sized tables, which was where he played Yu-Gi-Oh with his ‘dueling buddies’. He had anticipated Discord to be in this dream as well, and he was right. The evil monster held a deck of cards in one hand, and a rule book on how to play the game in another.

“Quite a strange game you humans have Tory,” the freaky creature said without looking at him. “But then again, I do so enjoy strange! Would you like to play a match with me? I think I have it down now.”

“At this again Discord? This is the fourth time!” Tory said in an exasperated tone. “But I do like the change to my old territory.”

“I thought you might,” Discord said with a grin. At least, Tory thought it was a grin. “I even brought you your old deck. You know, the good one.”

“Which one?” Tory asked in a joking manner, He knew which one it was, but he considered all of his decks good. “I have three.”

“The samurai one,” Discord said in a bored tone. “The only one capable of winning any matches.”

“Coming from the guy that just learned the game,” Tory countered.

“Want to see what I can do?” Discord sneered.

Tory sat down and began to shuffle his deck. After a few seconds he passed it over to Discord, who cut it, as rules indicated. They showed each other their bottom card, which would determine who would go first. Tory lost, and they started.

It took Tory ten minutes to trash the demonic entity. Ten minutes of toying with the guy. He didn’t enjoy toying with him, but he didn’t have a choice. Discord had set up a thick wall that Tory’s cards couldn’t get through. And when you can’t bust down the wall, you go around. Tory had finally won, with three cards on the field.

"You play a good game,” Discord said in a mock defeat voice. “But you can do better than this. Why don’t you just join me? I can give you anything you want!”

“Look Discord,” Tory said with a sigh. “I don’t want to rule this world. Not even a part of it! I just want a peaceful new life. Why don’t you? What is your obsession with ruling and chaos?”

“It’s a hobby of mine,” Discord said with no interest. “If I rule, then I get to do as I please, with no one to rebuke me. And it’s so much fun to see people struggle. Like you were doing a few minutes ago.”

“Oh yeah, that reminds me,” Tory said with a start. “What the HELL is all that about?! Why do you delight in torturing me?”

“Because you won’t join me…And you are such a target!”

That struck a nerve. Tory was ALWAYS the target! He lowered his head as Discord began to laugh maliciously. He stood up, and clenched his fists. His face contorted into one of pure, unadulterated rage. He glared into the demon’s eyes, and shouted him down.

“GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY MIND!!! YOU HAVE THREE SECONDS BEFORE I KICK YOUR ASS TO THE CURB!!!”

“Oh, and what will you do if I don’t? You’re too weak to do anything to me.” Discord said in a taunting voice.

“You forget one thing Discord,” Tory said, a wicked glint in his eyes. “This is MY mind! And I will do as I please!”

Tory moved his arm in a slashing manner, and his hand flashed for a second before a golden white broad sword appeared. He jumped onto his chair and kicked off, propelling him towards Discord. Having not expected an attack, Discord hadn’t moved. Tory swung his body in a 360* turn, and slashed, using the momentum from the turn to make the attack more deadly.

The golden sword tore through Discord like a hot knife on butter, splitting him into two halves. The bottom half dissolved, but the top stayed where it was, floating in mid air. Discord shook his head, and vanished in a puff of smoke.

“Listen well boy,” Discord’s voice echoed around the room and in Tory’s head. “I can make your life a living hell! You should know what I’m capable of by now. I’ll give you until the end of the week to reconsider. If you still refuse…I’m sure you get the picture.”

A bright light shone around Tory, blinding him. As he let himself be consumed, he felt hard ground on his back. The teen opened his eyes, and found himself within an inch of Fluttershy’s shockingly blue eyes. He felt his face burn red, and shut his eyes tight.

“Tory, you’re okay!” Fluttershy shouted quietly. She wrapped him in a hug, which made him blush uncomfortably. “I was sooo worried! You fell to the ground, a-and your temperature! You w-were burning up! I didn’t kn-know what to do! I just-”

“Easy Fluttershy, “ said a calm voice behind Tory’s crush. “He’s only just woken up. Let’s give him some room to breathe before we tackle him to the ground again.”

The voice that spoke up was Twilight, Tory knew that much. He was able to pick out many voices after having only seen a few episodes. Twilight walked up to Tory, and sat down in front of him. She extended one hoof, in a gesture of hello.

“A pleasure to mee you,” the purple pony said. “My name is Twilight Sparkle. I’m a friend of Fluttershy’s.”

“Good to meet another friend of her’s,” Tory said politely, shaking her hoof. “My name is Tory.”

“Hmm, isn’t that a girls name?” Twilight asked curiously.

“It was the name my mother gave me when I was born,” Tory said calmly. He hated it when people called him a girl because of his name.. “I don’t really like to talk about it.”

“Okay,” Twilight said with a nod. “Anyways, are you okay now? I rushed over here as soon as I could when Derpy Hooves told me someone had collapsed in town.”

'Derpy Hooves! So THAT was what she was like!' Tory thought to himself, hoping that Twilight couldn’t read his mind like Zecora and Discord.

“Well other than a small migrain, I feel fine.” Tory said jokingly. “I’m sorry if I caused you any trouble Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle.”

“I-I don’t mind,” Fluttershy stammered out. Tory couldn’t resist a smile at her nervousness.

“Neither do I, “Twilight said. “And please, call me Twilight. Calling me by my full name sounds too formal. I mean, we’re all friends, aren’t we?”

“Friends…”Tory said with a sigh. “Do I really deserve such nice ponies as my friends?”

“Why would you think that?” Twilight asked. “Shouldn’t all friends be nice?”

Tory turned away, and Fluttershy whispered into Twilight’s ear. After hearing that, Twilight silently cursed herself for being so careless. Any friend of Fluttershy’s was a friend of her’s. And she sure as hell wouldn’t be like what Tory had for ‘friends’! By the sound of it, he only had two good ones.

“I apologize Tory” Twilight said calmly. “I didn’t realize…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Tory said with a smile as he turned back to the two ponies. “I’m not there anymore, I’m here. I can’t live in the past.”

In truth, Tory wanted to live in BOTH worlds. The pain of being away from the few people that ever had any meaning to him crushed his spirit. Thinking about it just increased the pain. It would be a while before he could get over it. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, only to find it wasn’t there.

“Ah! My wallet, where’d it go?!” Tory shouted, scaring poth of his new friends. “I had it on me earlier! Did I drop it on the trail?!”

“D-Do you mean the b-black leather thing?” Fluttershy asked in fear. She didn’t like it when anyone shouted. “I f-found it on you when I was ch-checking you for any injuries. I put I-it on the t-table beside your b-bed. P-please d-don’t be mad!”

Tory closed his eyes, glad that it was safe. He let the anger seep out of him, and calmly looked at Fluttershy. He got down on one knee, and looked deep into her blue eyes. He could never be angry with with her, it was impossible to when he knew she was so innocent!

“Don’t worry Fluttershy, I’m not mad. I was just afraid of losing what little I had left of my family. Those pictures are now the last memories I’ll ever share with them.”

Fluttershy stopped trembling, and Tory got back up. He looked around, seeing a water fountain, a few stores and stands, and many homes. There was a group of ponies looking at him from a distance. He knew they’d be scared of him. He hoped that they would come to accept him soon.

“So this is Ponyville huh?” Tory asked Fluttershy. “It looks so peaceful.”

“Yes,” Twilight said walking up beside him. “We havent had any trouble since Discord tried to take over again.”

Tory tensed up at the demon’s name. He looked at Twilight,who was paying attention to a couple of fillies play in front of a blue house. He let his tension go, and turned towards her. He had to play the ‘I’m new to this place’ card.

“Discord? Who’s that?” Tory asked Twilight.

“He’s an evil demon that l-likes chaos,” Fluttershy said walking up to his other side. “He was sealed inside a stone statue, b-but he broke out. Twilight, the other Elements of Harmony and I turned him back into stone once more, and we’ve had peace ever since”

“Wow,” Tory said looking impressed at the two ponies. “I didn’t know you two were so important!”

“I-It was n-nothing,” Fluttershy said, studying a rock at her hoof. Tory thought it was so cute how she did things like that. “It was mostly Twilight and them that did it.”

“Oh come one Fluttershy,” Twilight said to the nervous pony. “We couldn’t have done it without you. You’re a vital part of our team.”

Tory looked at his two new friends, and laughed good naturedly. This got both Twilight and Fluttershy to laugh as well. After a few minutes, all three of them were out of breath, and Fluttershy broke the silence.

“Um, Twilight?” she asked. “Do you think you could help us with something?”

“I’m assuming it’s about our big friend here,” Twilight said with a smile. “Let’s go back to the library. We can talk in privacy there.”

As they walked through the town, Tory kept his eyes out for certain landmarks, so he could find his way through again. He noticed a very faimiliar building and stopped. The initial building was cream colored, but on the doors and windows it was purple. The roof looked to be gingerbread, with frosting around the edges. It was dotted with what looked like gumbrops, and it held a sign with a cupcake on it.

“Ah, noticed the Sugar Cube Corner did you?” Twilight asked amused, as she stopped beside him. “It’s a candy store, and where our friend Pinkie Pie lives. I think you’ve already met her.”

“I have? “Tory asked, faking confusion. He knew he had met mer, but they didn’t know that he already did. “Wait…She’s entirely pink isn’t she?”

Both Twilight and Fluttershy nodded.

“Well then, I think I should pay her a visit,” Tory said walking towards the shop. “If not for her, I’d most likely be dead.”

The two ponies nodded solemnly, and trotted up beside him. As he opened the door, Tory smelt baked goods immediately. Cake, cookies, taffy, and so many other delicious confections dotted tables around the first floor. At the counter, Tory saw a bouncing ball of pink, and he smiled. Walking up to the register, he pressed the bell that rested beside it. It rang out loud and clearly, grabbing Pinkie’s attention. The moment she saw Tory, she gasped and started to overload him with questions.

“Hey it’s you!” She said loudly. “How are you feeling? What happened to you back there? You never answered my questions before, where are you from? What’s you name? Hey, are you listening to me? Do you even speak our language?!”

Before she could get another word in edgewise, Twilight dashed over to her and covered her mouth. This had the effect of silencing her immediately. Fluttershy than told her about everything leading up to when they came here. When she finished, Pinkie stared up at Tory with a look of awe and pity. Tory didn’t like the second half of it.

“How sad,” she said quietly. Tory didn’t think she did quiet. “To be away from your family…maybe forever…”

The thought opened the wound once more, and he turned around so they wouldn’t see the tears. He felt something tighten around his waist, and upon looking down, saw that Pinkie had tried to hug him. He got down on his knees once more, and looked at all three ponies.

“Don’t worry Tory!” Pinkie said, her happy self again. “We’re gonna throw you a super, terrifically large, stupendously cool, amazing party! You’re our friend, and we don’t like to see our friends sad! So cheer up Mr.Pouty Pants!”

Tory smiled, and let a laugh escape. He couldn’t help it. Pinkie Pie had that effect on people! He fell back onto his butt, and stared at his friends. His NEW friends, that he had made in so short a time! Fluttershy, the kind pony that treated everyone so nicely, and the object of his affections. Twilight Sparkle, the genius and the only one he could probably go to if he had real trouble. And Pinkie Pie, the energetic one that could take the unhappiness out of anyone with such ease.

Looking at them, Tory couldn’t believe how hectic things had been these last few days. It made him wonder if he was actually insane, and just seeing things that he wanted to see. For all he knew, Tory could be in an insane asylum as the moment. But he couldn’t fake the pain he felt earlier, so insanity was out of the answer. He stared into his friends eyes, and asked them the one question that had followed him since the start of the day.

“Why are you all being so nice to me? Why go this far, just to help me? I never earned your respect, or showed you kindness, or anything! I don’t deserve such nice friends!”

All three ponies crowded around him, and gave him a long hug. It puzzled him that they would go to such lengths for someone they barely knew. They began to giggle, which confused him even more. It wasn’t until Fluttershy spoke up that he understood.

“Tory, friendship isn’t something earned, or given in return for kindness.” she said in her soft voice. “Friendship just is! We choose who we want to be friends with, and show them we care. We WANT to help you, we really do.”

“Yep-a-rooni!” Pinkie declared. “It’s no fun when there are sad ponies out there! Making them happy is what we do best!”

“That’s what friends do for each other,” Twilight said with a smile. “If somepony feels unhappy, it’s the job of their friends to bring them full circle. And you’re our friend, Tory.”

The teen couldn’t believe how much his life had changed! He smiled one of his biggest ever, and got off of the floor. Dusting off his pants, he looked down at his friends…Friends, it felt good to have those. Even if he WAS crazy, at least Tory could say he enjoyed the company of REAL friends. Not a bunch of assholes that treated him like a slave, or belittled him to boost their own self-esteem. These ponies actually cared about him.

“Okay okay,” Tory said in faux defeat. “You win, we’re all friends. Now are we gonna sit here on the floor all day and just waste a beautiful morning? I should think not!”

They all gave a cry of joy, and walked out of the store. There was no need to worry now. Today, Tory would spend it with his friends. But first, he wanted to meet the other ponies. It would be rude to not introduce himself to them.

“So,” Tory said looking at the ponies. “You guys have any more friends? I’d sure like to meet them!”

Tory easily knew all of their friends, but the ponies didn’t know that. As they looked at him, a smile on their faces, Tory knew he had it made. They walked eastward, until they came to a large, purple and pink building. It looked like a mini palace, decked out in drapery and fashionable embroidery. Tory knew without a doubt that this was where Rarity lived. Now he’d get to see why so many people fawned over her. It’s true, she had good taste. But Tory found her personality to be a bit…snobby. But only just a little.

Looking down, Tory noticed how crappy he looked. In the few days that he’d been here, he hadn’t gotten to take a shower. He was still wearing shorts, with his signature shirt on. It was a personal design of his. It contained many of his favorite anime characters, each in their own respective poses. Tory noticed how dirty he was. Dirt covered almost every part of him. He was amazed he wasn’t coughing with all of the dust on him. His hair was a mess, made even worse because he didn’t have his camo hat to cover it. His normally light brown hair was so caked in dirt, it appeared almost black.

'Great! I meet the ONE pony that cares about looks badly, and I‘m absolutely revolting! This is going to go SWELL!'

Before anyone noticed, Tory wiped off his hands on a slightly cleaner part of his shorts. Rarity was the most civilized of the team, and would prefer to shake hands/hooves if she met someone. He checked them, and saw they were almost presentable. He would’ve tried again, if the door hadn’t opened right then.

Rarity truly was gorgeous! Much more so in person than on a TV screen. Her body was not just white, it was snow white, like actual pure snow! Her cutie mark glittered, making it seem like she had real diamonds on her flank. Her purple mane sparkled, like she had just stepped out of the shower. He could detect a hint of lilac in the air, and knew she was wearing perfume. When she spoke, it was almost as soft and gentle as Fluttershy’s voice.

“Hello my dear friends!” She said happily. “What brings you to my comfy home? As if I had to ask! You’re here to get outfitted by the best artist in all of Equestria!”

Tory smiled. While she wasn’t modest, he could easily agree with her boast. Then again, he’d only seen dresses that she made, so it was easy to call her the best. But he still liked the designs that she made for everyone. They never covered the wearer, only enhanced their natural beauty. Every dress he had ever seen on Fluttershy had made her look stunning.

“Woah there Rarity,” Twilight said backing away. “We’re just here to introduce our friend Tory.”

Twilight indicated the now afraid teen behind her. As Rarity noticed him for the first time, her immediate thought was to show such disgust at his appearance. She had only held back because he was a friend of Twilight’s. As she looked closer at him, she saw underneath the dirt and grime, and saw that he looked decent. Without a second word, Rarity used her magic to drag the boy in. She immediately began to work on him, getting his measures, and placing him behind a changing curtain. She had never seen such a being! It was the perfect opportunity to get some new ideas for her designs!

Tory was grateful for the treatment she had given him. He had seen the look in her eyes when she noticed him. The disgust had been there, as he expected. What he hadn’t seen coming was her pulling him into the shop, getting measured for new clothes, and immediately stripped behind a curtain that he was QUITE grateful for. He wasn’t up for letting his new friends see him nude. Rarity used her magic to secretly get him into a shower, which he delightfully took a part of.

Rarity then began to work on a new style of clothing for the boy. She studied his current clothing, checking every detail. The design on the shirt was so-so, but that was the only thing that stood out. She immediately got her materials together and formed an idea for what she thought Tory should wear.

Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Twilight were surprised at how sudden things changed. What had started off as a simple visit to a friend had turned into a strange event. Rarity had dragged Tory into the building, and instantly had everything she needed from him. She forced him into a different room, and had moved over to the sewing maching. It had taken her no more than three minutes to have something new for him.

“Um Rarity,” Fluttershy asked her friend. “What happened to Tory?”

“Oh no worries deary!” Rarity said in her formal tone. “I just sent him to the showers. He needed one badly by the looks of it. And I couldn’t just stand by while there was someone who needed my help!”

“You’re so kind Rarity,” Fluttershy said.

“Truthfully, I had been about to chase him out of town, he looked so badly!” Rarity confessed. “But at the mention that he was your friend, I knew I couldn’t do that! By the way, just what is he?”

“I’m a human,” came a voice behind them. Everyone turned to look at Tory, who was almost glowing with a clean vibe around him. He had a blush about him, and that was when it was seen he only had a towel on. Fluttershy had to admit he looked almost handsome once he was clean and groomed. “But you can call me Tory, that’s what everyone else does.”

“Oh, and he’s a comedian I see,” Rarity said with a glint of humor in her eyes. “Well Mr.Tory, you new clothes should be ready in a few minutes. Why don’t you be a darling and wait in the shower room?”

“Yes ma‘am,” Tory said with a smile. “But only because you asked so nicely!”

“Ohhh, humor AND manners! It’s so rare to find those nowadays!” Rarity said in pleasure. “Now if only he was one of us! He’d make you the perfect companion Fluttershy!”

“Wh-who me?” Fluttershy stammered, blushing. She was still so young, she didn’t really think about those things. “I-I don’t know…”

“Fluttershy,” Rarity said, her tone serious. “You aren’t actually falling for him, are you? Darling, he isn’t one of us!”

“But he’s so nice!” Fluttershy countered. She don’t know why, but she felt she had to defend him. “I mean um…He treats me so kindly, and we have so much in common…”

“Fluttershy,” Twilight said standing up. ‘I agree with Rarity. You can’t go around liking him. Something is strange about him. Equestria goes through a terrible event that nearly destroyed us, and suddenly he appears? That isn’t a coincidence!”

“But what if you’re wrong?!” Fluttershy cried out. “What if he’s actually a good guy?! Why is that so hard to believe?!”

“Fluttershy darling,” Rarity said in a soothing voice. “No one is really what they seem. We all have something to hide from the world. I know this may seem shallow and biased, but he has to leave.”

As soon as the worlds left her mouth, Rarity knew she has said too much. Fluttershy dashed out of the building without another word. The room was eerily quiet, until Pinkie Pie broke the silence. Everyone forgot she was here, at least up until now.

“Fluttershy is right!” Pinkie shouted angrily. “You ponies are just a bunch of meanies! Rarity, you know what you said is a lie! I’m not hiding anything, and neither is he! How can you be so cruel?!”

Back in the shower room, Tory had heard most of the conversation. It started when he heard Fluttershy call out about how nice he was. That got his attention. He slowly became more upset as everyone tried to turn him into some kind of villain.

“Am I really that different?” Tory whispered to himself. “Am I so totally new to them that they can’t trust me at all?! And what was that about a terrible event Twilight said? Something happened, and then Zecora came and got me…What is going on?”

Tory stayed where he was, and waited until Rarity told him he could come out. He found two pairs of clothes beside the changing screen. One was his old pair, the other was what Rarity made him. She had designed a silver shirt with gold embroidering around the hemlines. It fit him perfectly, as did the black pants that came with it. Tory was glad they were so loose, he knew that now he couldn’t stay here. If everyone didn’t trust him, he would just be endangering them along with him. He realized that he would have to play again, that he had no idea about their conversation earlier. He was starting to get good at faking. Grabbing his old clothes, Tory stepped out from behind the screen.

“How do I look?” He asked casually. He looked around, and noticed Fluttershy was gone. That hurt him most. She and Pinkie had been the only ones to defend him, but he didn’t feel that strongly towards the pink pony.

“Quite dashing!” Rarity said. Tory saw the look in her eyes, and knew how much she was forcing it.

'Even now, they can’t bear to just say it out loud to me! Why am I so WEAK?!'

“Hey, where did Fluttershy go?” Tory asked them. He was sure they didn’t know, but that didn’t matter. He knew that they would lie to him, which was fine. He was about to do the same thing, like he’d been doing.

“I think she went to check on her animal friends,” Twilight said slowly. “She said she’d be back.”

Tory didn’t miss the look Pinkie flashed Twilight, and was glad that at least one person was here he could talk to. He hoped he worked out the lie good enough.

“Oh,” he said, letting his emotions show. “I was hoping I could say good-bye to her.”

“Good-bye? Are you going somewhere?” Pinkie asked.

“Yeah,” Tory told them. “I feel wrong, just being here. I’ve become too much of a bother to you all. I can’t let my friends do something they don’t want to. So, I’ve decided I’m going to leave town.”

“But Tory, you can’t!” Pinkie called out. “If you go, Fluttershy will-mmph!”

“Easy Pinkie,” Twilight said, pushing a hoof into her mouth again. “Tory, are you sure? What will you do?”

“I don’t have a definite plan, but I think I should be fine.” Tory told them. “I used to live in the woods when I was younger, so I can handle myself decently. I’ll probably find a forest nearby, and go crawl under a rock.”

Both Twilight and Rarity winced at the emotion in his voice. The part about living in woods before was a lie, but he did know enough from watching survival shows to get by for a few days. That should be enough for him to get to Zecora.

“You girls wouldn’t happen to know if there is a forest nearby would you?” Tory asked them. He knew there was only one in the area…

“Well, we have the Everfree forest,” Rarity said. “But it’s hardly a good place to live!”

“I’m willing to live anywhere, I’ve done it before. But I can’t just stay at someone else’s home, I feel like I’m just mooching off of them then! I guess I’ll just go back to Fluttershy’s and grab my things while she’s gone.”

“Hold on Tory,” Twilight said. “Why don’t you stay here? I’ll go over and grab your things for you. I can teleport, so I’ll be much quicker.”

Tory had a feeling she would do that, so he just nodded. He figured they would try to make sure he stayed away from Fluttershy. It made him wonder why they had been nice to him in the first place. Why go through all of that trouble, just to kick him out of town?

After another minute, Twilight had returned with his wallet and tags. He waved good-bye, and walked out the door. Once outside, he instantly began to look for a random pony, any would do. He needed to know how to get to Zecora’s hut, and quick.

Almost right away, Tory noticed a gray pegasus with amber eyes. He remembered Derpy Hooves, and walked over.

“Uh, hi. My name is Tory,” he said. “Can you help me?”

Derpy turned to him, and her eyes just unfocused. Her tongue stuck out, and Tory had a feeling he wouldn’t get much from her.

“I’m looking for a path to the Everfree forest,” he told the pegasus. “Would you happen to know the way?”

Without a word, Derpy signaled for him to follow, and the two set off to the west side of town. It had taken them only a few minutes to reach the outskirts. Tory thanked Derpy, who didn’t seem to respond. He gave one last look at Ponyville, and walked into the first nest of trees. Before he even got ten feet, Tory felt something living brush up against him. Looking down, he noticed Derpy was still at his side.

“You don’t have to go with me,” he told her. “I probably won’t be coming back.”

Derpy looked up at him, and rubbed up against his legs. He felt really uncomfortable right now. Derpy Hooves was cool, but he wasn’t sure about her personality. Derpy people were usually unstable as shit. He didn’t want her to get hurt because of him, so he walked back to the edge of the forest and asked her to go back to town. When she didn’t respond, Tory took a risk.

“Listen Derpy, I’m not from this world. I shouldn’t even be here!” Tory started. “Zecora told me I could live a new life, but it seems like that won’t be possible now. I have to go to her and ask her to take me back! You belong here with your friends. Please don’t follow…”

Before he even got three feet, Tory felt something sharp in his leg. He looked down to see Derpy had bitten him. When she saw him staring, she let go, and walked away. Now thoroughly confused, Tory started for the forest once more. This time, he heard a voice call out to him.

“Tory!”

He instantly pictured the voice, and knew that Fluttershy was nearby. He turned around, and sure enough, she was galloping towards him with Pinkie on her heels. Tory couldn’t bear to say good-bye now that he actually could. Before she got too close, he turned and dashed into the woods. He heard Fluttershy call out to him, but he didn’t want to do something he would regret. He would rather leave with her hating him than to confess and be rejected. Besides, how was he going to explain?

Tory didn’t get far. On foot, he could never outrun a pegasus, not even in a forest. Flutteshy had caught up with him in seconds, and tackled him to the ground. As he layed there in the mud, Tory noticed Fluttershy staring at him with such kindness. He blushed and tried to get up, but found his body wouldn’t respond. She was on his chest, so he couldn’t move, not effectively anyways. Pinkie had caught up, and held Tory to the ground.

“Tory, why did you run?” Fluttershy asked him. He could hear how hurt she was, which confused him. “Where were you going?”

“He was going to see Zecora! I heard him tell Derpy!” Pinkie said loudly. “He said he was going to go back home!”

“Tory, is this true?” Fluttershy asked.

“…Yes. I heard some of your argument with Rarity, and knew I wasn’t welcome anymore. I figured it would be best if I left without causing some commotion. Pinkie, if you heard it all then you know the truth.” He said.

“Yup!” Pinkie said. “You told Derpy that Zecora brought you to Ponyville, and that you wanted to go back to your world!”

“But, I thought you came here by some accident? How could Zecora?…” Fluttershy started. “How do you even know Zecora?”

Tory had made the biggest slip up yet! Now, he didn’t have a choice. He had to tell them everything! He told them about how a friend of his suggested this show, and Tory had decided to give it a try. He told them everything he knew about Equestria and it’s population. He told them about how he followed their adventures, and seen then do so much. He left out a few things, but those were strickly personal. It was all about Fluttershy. That, and anything involving him and Discord.

“The night I came to Equestria, Zecora appeared in my house.” Tory told them. “She said she could give me a new life, and I accepted. I was so sure things would be different…But it still ended with me leaving it all behind.”

“Tory…”

“But if you knew all about us, why did you act like you didn’t?” Pinkie asked.

“I thought that if I acted like I knew all about you, then you’d never trust me.” Tory told them. “I’ve handled rejection so many times…No one ever wants to be around me!”

Fluttershy rested her head on Tory’s chest, making him blush. Pinkie released his arms, and sat down a few feet away.

“Tory, I’d never reject a friend.” Fluttershy said in her sweet voice. “It just makes things easier for us.”

“Us,” Tory asked, startled. “What do you mean by ‘us‘?”

“Ugh! Men!” Pinkie said aloud. “Nevermind that now, what are you going to do Tory? Do you still want to leave?”

“I…I don’t know,” Tory said. “…I want to stay, but I still might be able to get back to my world.”

“Well whatever you decide, I’m coming with you,” Fluttershy said confidently. “Remember what I said? You can’t carry all of your burdens alone.”

“And don’t forget Pinkie!” called out the energetic pony. “I’m coming too!”

“You guys shouldn’t! What if it’s a one way ticket? My kind would freak out of they saw a pegasus and a pink pony! They’d capture you, take you away, and do HORRIBLE things to you!”

“If anyone tries, Pinkie’ll bite them!” the pink one called out. “I’m not afraid of anything hahaha!”

“I’m willing to accept anything,” Fluttershy said quietly. In the fading light, Tory almost thought he saw her blush. “That’s what friends do for each other.”

“Fluttershy…Pinkie Pie…’ Tory said slowly, tears building in his eyes. “…Thank you.”

Both ponies nodded, and they all set off. Tory stayed at the back, with Fluttershy flying beside him. Pinkie led the way towards Zecora’s hut. Currently, Tory was asking Fluttershy just what happened in Rarity’s Boutique.

“She said…th-then…” Fluttershy stammered.

“Is something the matter?” Tory asked her. “You haven’t stuttered like that for a while.”

“It’s just…I…Tory, I think I-”

“HEY!” Pinkie called back to them. “I found the hut! I found the hut! What do I win?”

“How does a chance to see a world unlike what you’ve ever imagined sound?” Tory told her as he walked up to the door.

Tory knocked three times, and waited. The door opened slowly, and Zecora noticed him right away. She ushered him inside, and sat him down by the cauldron. Fluttershy and Pinkie followed more slowly, taking up a seat on both sides of him.

“I glad that you are here,” Zecora said. “Until now, the cauldron has been unclear. I’ve seen what you have come for, but we must stop the evil of lore. Soon he wakes and hurts us all. Only you can make him fall. You, and ‘she’. Only then can you be free.”

“Wait, what are you talking about,” Tory asked the tribal zebra. “Was that some sort of prophecy?”

“The cauldron see’s all there is to know. It has shown me the way to go…Wait, what can it be? Another thing I now forsee!”

Tory and his two friends looked into the cauldron. They only saw smoke, but they didn’t question Zecora’ abilities. Tribal beings had a special connection to nature, and it was wise to listen more often than not.

“I have seen what the future needs,” Zecora said after another minute. “You will accomplish many great deeds. The cauldron has cleared my head, so you may return to your bed.”

“Do you mean…” Tory started.

“Yes, return home, that you may,” Zecora began. “And come back to us on the third day. A spell I have can get you home, but only just to roam. One you can take, the other stays, they’ll help me here to act as a trace.”

“What you’re saying is,” Tory began. “That I can go back to Earth for three days, and I can take someone with me?”

When Zecora nodded, Tory jumped up and gave a victory cry. He startled everypony, and quietly sat down when the silence came. It was perfect! He could go back to school, tell Cory what happened, explain to his parents why he left, and grab a few things to bring the second time.

“Time is now to go back friend,” Zecora rhymed. “Return to home, you life you must tend. Choose the partner that you will take, the other one you must forsake.”

“I pick Fluttershy,” Tory said without hesitating. Pinkie whined for a second, but then she brightened up again. “When should we leave?’

Zecora’s cauldron began to glow a brighter green. Tory felt something tug at him, and he was pulled into the pot. He heard Fluttershy scream, but he couldn’t control himself. Tory lost all sight, and went completely deaf.

“Hmmm, now.” Was all Zecora said.

I.I.I

Getting somewhere, wouldn’t you agree? The funny part is I just improv each chapter I make. I haven’t planned a chapter since the start of my first story. Keep an eye out for the third chapter.

Comments

[jamie9897]

If she said 'Oh and who is this friend I must meet her.' I would laugh my ass off if he rubbed his hands back onto his pants and give her a good messy pat on the back