Into the Rift

by DiscordsAdvocate

Chapter 9 - Less Feeling, More Doing

Tycho slowly walked over to his neighbor's home. He noticed a pony standing at the front door.

"Please tell me what happened." It was Nightshade's silky voice mixed with concern and sympathy.

Tycho stopped at the door. "You'd think after witnessing a phenomenon right out of science fiction, the ones who love you the most would believe you." He said trying hard to hide his depression.

Nightshade's ears drooped and trotted up to him. "Kneel down for me, bigger guy."

Tycho shook his head and waved her off. "I don't need to be smothered everytime I get kicked in the pants." He tried walking past her, but Shade repositioned herself in his way. He was starting to feel pathetic requiring all this attention. If this was his fate, may as well man up about it. His heart screamed to his mind this was a dumb means to escape his feelings, but he decided he didn’t want to listen to it right now.

"I'm not smothering. I'm offering a helping hoof. You don't need to act tough about this." She sternly persisted.

"Shade, I'm not going to argue this. Just give me some space for now." Tycho retorted as his face tightened.

"Tycho," Nightshade frowned, but before she could say anything, she tried to push the tall human away from her. "Four o'clock!"

Tycho didn't have time to react, much less move as Nightshade tried pushing him out of the way of something.

"Tychoooooooo!" He heard before feeling the impact of a pony glomping him and knocking him to the ground. Judging by the shape and speed of approach, not to mention the high-pitched voice voice, it must have been Pinkie Pie.

"Ow, my claven," Tycho groaned.”I think I might have popped a rib.”

"I'm sorry Tycho, my Pinkie sense was roaring! You should really consider antidepressants, but then again they're for ponies so they might not work for you here. Though maybe we can convince your Hardon Collager to send you some I mean-" Pinkie spoke at a million words per second still clinging tightly to Tycho, unable to break her grip.

"Pinkie!" Nightshade put a hoof on the mare's shoulder to get her attention. "He needs to breathe!"

Pinkie turned to Nightshade. "Sorry! I'm just giving Tycho a needed intervention. Not the kind where you’ve been eating too many snickerdoodles and you refuse to stop, or when you are at that awkward teen stage when you can’t even speak to that cute colt and ask him out to the prom. No, this is family life support is gone and everything is falling apart!" She said as Tycho struggled to get Pinkie off, noting her grip was like receiving a bear hug from a pro-wrestler.

"That is what I was doing before you tackled him." Nightshade deadpanned.

"Get. Off." Tycho growled, still failing to free his arms.

"Oh my gosh! Sorry Tycho!" Pinkie got off of Tycho, who finally took a breath.

"I think I saw pink when you hit me... holy shit I really did see pink!" Tycho shook his head as he slowly got up. “I think you hit me harder than I thought.”

"Really?" Nightshade looked surprise, then smirked and turned to the pink mare. "Can we get confirmation on that?"

"Roger Captain!" Pinkie Pie saluted before running to the other side in a dash.

"Wait wha-" Tycho then felt the impact again in the form of a burst of pink that flooded his non-existent vision. "Oof!" Now he was back on the ground, tightly hugged by that crazy mare. “Rib. Ow.”

"Did you see pink again?" Nightshade smiled smugly, satisfied that Tycho got enough 'intervention.'

"Yes, but now I am seeing red." Tycho growled, annoyed.

Pinkie and Nightshade giggled and helped Tycho up.

Tycho wiped off his clothes as best he could. "Your hugging privileges are removed for the rest of the night."

Both ponies made a cute noise of despondency. They were probably giving him their version of the puppy dog eyes, he figured. "That won't work on me." Tycho retorted.

"What is going on?" Alex peered from an open window. "You were having a group hug and didn't invite us?"

"Pinkie was demonstrating Equestrian rules rugby." Tycho remarked as he walked inside, with both ponies following him in.

"What's rugby?" Nightshade asked.

"Is it like hoofball?" Pinkie followed. “I play a mean bench sitter.”

"I assume hoofball is your version of American Football. Rugby is like hoofball but more tackling and contact. A warrior's sport, as I like to call it." Tycho explained as he took his surroundings inside Alex's home to memory.

Nightshade's ears perked up to that, making a note for Tycho to show her the rules.

---

During lunch, Tycho kept his friends abreast of the situation back home, but keeping his emotions in check this time. Everyone could probably see right through it, but he didn't care. He was tired of this emotional rollercoaster and needed some 'stillness' for a bit. He couldn’t force himself to be happy, so he became numb, while maintaining his demeanor. This state of mind buckled when Alex told Tycho how difficult it was to convince Ann his jumping was real. The relation to his situation and accompanying empathy prompted Tycho to take a bathroom break to wash his face and regain his bearings.

He stood, imagining looking at himself in a mirror. The last image he ever had of himself was as a kid. It was the only image he could conjure clearly. In his imagination, he knew he was taller, was probably good looking, at least that is what his friends told him. But he could only picture it. He imagined a lot about what stuff would look like: The Swiss Alps on that company ski-trip, his older mom and dad, and these ponies. Were they really walking, talking mini-horses?

With the water still running, his mind drifted to back home and wondering what Arjeta and Johan were doing. Next it drifted to work. Were they going to just up and replace him after things got settled? Would he be named a fugitive? Then there was his mom and dad. How were they coping? Would it even be worth the time it would take to go back, and would he have any life to go back to? Something in the back of Tycho's mind was trying to figure out if there really was no way back home. There is no such thing as an impossibility, Tycho figured. Even if Equestria cannot replicate the conditions and technology to do what they did to bring him here, there were other alternatives. This place had magic, after all. It was a power that could accomplish things through energies not seen on Earth. If so, Tycho needed to learn as much as possible about magic and its workings to come up with a few ideas. His bottling up of his emotions paid off with a direction.

A knock at the bathroom door by Alex snapped him out of his deep thought before he rejoined the company downstairs.

As he silently ate with the company no doubt silently wondering what took him, he promised himself to find a way back. How could he not? To not try would be a betrayal to his family back home. Giving up might have been acceptable to Alex and the others, but he shouldn't just because the possibility was arduous. He'd have to be patient about it, though. He knew little about magic, and would have to take his time studying.

---

After a lunch with Dash, Alex, Nightshade, Pinkie, and Scootaloo, Pinkie bid the group a farewell as the rest set to take Tycho to the hospital. It was a long walk across town before they finally arrived. After checking in Tycho's appointment, they waited for Doctor Emerald to show himself.

"So are there crappy magazines in Equestrian waiting rooms that are five years old?" Tycho asked before he heard the nurse approach.

"Mr. Hernandez?" A mare asked, which Tycho deduced to be a nurse.

"The one and only." Tycho raised a hand.

"I'm Nurse Redheart and," The Nurse looked up to Tycho and balked a little, "you should meet my husband. Big guy, like you. Well not quite, he is a griffon. Anyways, if you will follow me, please."

Tycho looked in Alex's direction with a raised eyebrow for an explanation as he left. "That's a good idea. We'll take you to Garbo's for dinner. His whole family are friends of ours." Alex explained.

Tycho just shrugged before he was brought to the examination room. It was built for a human, Tycho noted. Five minutes later, Emerald walked in.

"Good afternoon, Bones." Tycho greeted with a wave.

"Bones, hm? Is that a play on sawbones?" Emerald asked. "Well it’s better than being called that overrated British actor."

Tycho snickered. "So how does this work?”

"After reading up on human medical science, I have a blended style. Oh good, I see you are wearing your amulet." The doctor stared at Tycho. "Yes, they can't stick to you long enough to cause any damage. Good."

Tycho noticed something about this pony's mass. Now that it was just the two of them, Tycho focused on his shape. It was odd. The shape was different, but smoother. Still like a pony, but not. "Emerald, are you different than other unicorns?"

"Oh!" The Changeling nearly dropped his clipboard. "Well I guess I should drop the disguise. I mean, what's the point?" Emerald must have cast a spell as Tycho could hear a hum of energy from the pony.

"I usually maintain it for posterity sake, much like you dress yourself up. You see, Tycho, I am what Alex referred to earlier: a Changeling. We are insect-like with abilities similar to unicorns. And can you guess what our main feature is?" Emerald answered in the same voice.

"Your ability to appear as another pony?" Tycho asked.

"Correct. When you landed on me, you must have felt my carapace. I could have maintained a texture-illusion on myself, but again, I don't bother using the more powerful disguises anymore. Everypony knows I am a Changeling here." Emerald explained. “And no, I have no relations to the monstrous changeling fae that your world dreamed up.”

"Ponies have a problem with your race?" Tycho asked as Emerald began getting out medical forms.

"My race tried to conquer Canterlot in a military campaign. Almost succeeded." The doctor shook his head in disapproval. "But there is a truce between our respective peoples, with prospects for a lasting peace. My daughter and I choose to reside here because the bonds we have here are greater than any we have with the hive." Emerald said with a hint of bittersweetness.

"You are an outcast?' Tycho asked.

"I was for leaving the hive. But now my exile is self-imposed, as I refuse to live under our queen." Emerald said with a hint of disgust, as if he didn't approve of whoever this Queen was, Tycho noted.

"Not to mention my daughter is... special. She is a Queen in the imago phase of her life. You can imagine our Queen would be greatly concerned by this." Emerald explained. "So, rather than allowing my daughter to be primed by her majesty, I want her to learn a variety of values so she can make up her own mind." Emerald smiled. "And being with Rarity helps her to learn a different idea of family, not just hive-minded." Emerald took out his stethoscope. "Now, Mr. Hernandez, please undress so we can get everything to the lab before dinner."

---

The eye exam was the last task for Tycho to finish. Everything else indicated he had good health. The tests highly resembled tests for humans. Ear exam, laboratory samples, and a lot of questions. "Tycho, can you tell me the circumstances of how your sight deteriorated?" Emerald asked.

Tycho got comfortable on his seat and took a deep breath. "I was a child at the age of 8 when my vision started to darken. Parents took me to a doctor to do an eye exam, then later some ophthalmic photography. They had hoped it was a form of early cataracts, but no dice. My optical nerve was deteriorating. Doctors didn't know why, but guessed it was from mercury poisoning from eating fish. You can imagine a kid my age who realized he was going to go blind didn't deal with it very well."

"How did you deal with it?" Emerald asked.

"Isolating myself in my room and doing silly things I thought would save my vision." Tycho frowned. "I stole lamps at home and put them in my room. I must have had ten lamps. I thought if I kept enough lights around me, I won't go blind. Mom and Dad did what they could to emotionally support me. By age 9 I was barely able to see. I needed a special seeing-aid to read. Meanwhile my parents were going to have me learn braille. I hated it. Still don't like it. It’s a clumsy, fucked up means to read. Sadly, there was no other alternative at the time." He shook his head. "Things got pretty hard for me as I couldn't enjoy movies with my friends and couldn't play games with them, either. Video games were out of the question. I spent most of my days sleeping. Had to be held back a grade to learn to read again, and that made me pissed off cause I'd miss all my friends. Only Alex and a few others kept contact with me." Tycho shook his head.

"When did you learn echolocation?" Emerald asked.

"My dad was referred to a doctor named Daniel Kish. He was the founder of World Access for the Blind, which teaches echolocation, among other techniques for blind people to become as autonomous as possible. He enrolled me in his instructional school and I began to learn there. Hardest part was leaving the rest of my friends behind, again. I was one pissed off customer." Tycho smiled and shook his head. "Doctor Kish didn't give up on me. Learning echolocation was developing a better state of mind and calm. It involved mind exercises to use what imagery I had left along with interpreting sounds. Soon I was able to click my tongue and navigate clear hallways. Then I could navigate around still obstacles, then moving obstacles. Then came the test."

Emerald cocked his head. "The test?"

"Spending an hour in a populated downtown area. I was followed by an instructor as I utilized every skill I learned. Scared the hell out of me, but I was able to do it with minimal problems. I bumped into a few people and occasionally stumbled, but I didn't walk into a pole or busy traffic. I was age 12 when I finally finished, then it was back to school. I did so well I skipped two grades." Tycho grinned. "Felt good, especially because I wasn't scared as I used to be. Still pisses me off whenever I get patronized or when I screw up, or when people treat me as if I don't need help when I actually do." He sighed.

"In other words, others have a hard time understanding how to treat you, given you have so many skills that help you live your life with minimal reliance on others." Emerald empathized.

"Right on the mark, doc." Tycho tapped his nose with one finger.

"I’m afraid you will find that many ponies will try to help you when you will not need it. They have a strong community minded way of life.” The doctor hummed and scratched his chin. “If only you weren't deathly allergic to magic, we could use magical means to assist in your seeing. Though we cannot regenerate nerve tissue, not even with my healing gels. I can't regenerate your optic nerve. Although..." Emerald said as he finished his paperwork.

"Please, no miracle cures, doc. My mom and dad have been offered those in the past. They were all bullshit." Tycho waved a dismissive hand.

"No, Tycho. I mean I have been working on finally guarding your kind's DNA against the harmful effects of magic. There are two ways this can be done." Emerald said proudly. "Either we guard your DNA using a compound or element that magic particles stay away from or we modify your DNA to not be destroyed by it. So while the first will make you magically immune, the other will allow you to be magically effected without danger."

Tycho nodded, impressed by this idea. He would like to exist in this world without worrying about losing his amulet, much less dying of slow radiation exposure. "Do you understand how these magic particles stick to our DNA on the atomic level?"

Emerald shook his head. "That is the part that has Twilight and I stumped. For both our incredible minds, we aren't specialists in particle," Emerald looked at Tycho in a moment of realization, "Physics."

Tycho made a toothy grin. "Give me a couple of months to study up on your magic sciences and we'll talk."

---

Tycho returned after an hour with Emerald following. "Now, while I understand you are a vegetarian by choice, I encourage you to have at least one egg or a few tablespoons of cottage cheese per day for your source of animal proteins. I know its important for proper health and muscle growth/upkeep" The doctor instructed.

"Thanks doc, and tell your family I said hello." Tycho rejoined the group. "So apparently the doc is working making us immune to the magic. I am guessing we're living on an irradiated planet with very different elementary particles."

Alex nodded. "That is pretty much what Twilight told me. Scared me when I learned I had maybe 10 years to live."

Tycho raised an eyebrow. "So... what happened?"

Alex smiled and patted his knife holster. "My trusty knife is magical. Specifically, it drains magic to maintain its form. I can change it into a variety of different weapons and tools. And my amulet, here," Alex held it in one hand, "is special. It forms an armor around me when I need."

Tycho raised an eyebrow. "Please show me sometime. I might want one of those as well. I bet you can do some real creative stuff with that artifact." Tycho suggested.

"It has a limited memory for forms and such, but, if given the time, we could give it some impressive modifications." Alex and the others walked with Tycho outside. "I'll show you their uses at Garbo's. Don't want to scare people at the hospital with deadly weapons. Even got an Iron Man form to go all out. It’s pretty cool."

"What was Emerald working on?" Asked Rainbow. "Said he could do something with your D-N-A?"

Tycho nodded. "Basically, Dash, he either wants to cover our DNA to prevent magic or change our DNA to make us magical, but unharmed."

Alex frowned. "That sounds like it would require some experimentation on us."

"That a problem? Doesn’t Equestria have ethical review boards?" Tycho asked.

"Yes, but when Twilight gets involved... she's a bit too eager." Alex grimaced.

"Oh yeah, especially that time she ra-" Rainbow couldn't finish her sentence before Alex cut her off.

"Right, anyways, Tyke, is there anything we can show you before dinner?" Alex asked.

"First, we find a clear grassy field, second, I want to you to demonstrate that knife and amulet." Tycho replied with the fires of curiosity now roaring.

---

They arrived at a clear space between the hospital and downtown. The sun was now doing its slow descent toward the horizon. Alex did some stretches as Tycho, Scoots, and Rainbow Dash waited for him to use his artifacts.

"Okay, Tyke. We'll do the armor first." Alex moved his hand to his amulet.

Tycho could hear metallic sounds of movement, bolting, connecting, and soft scraping. Alex's shape increased in size all around, according to his hearing.

"Sir Alex Roberts of Ponyville, Tycho. At your service!" The muffled voice of Alex spoke from under the helmet.

Tycho slowly went over and put his hand on the pauldron. "Holy crap, that is no trick. This is steel-titanium alloy, right?"

"Yep!" Alex lifted the visor. "No need to lube the joints, either. This beast can absorb the full-force kick of a pony."

"Um...Alex that is great and all but these guys aren't exactly horsEEEEEEEEES!" Tycho felt himself being picked up by his coat, off the ground... with Dash above him and her hooves attached to his coat!

"We're a lot stronger than you humans." Rainbow Dash grinned smugly.

"You ain't kidding!" Tycho said dangling from the ground. "How strong are they?!"

"A running kick from a Earth pony can break you in half, literally." Alex warned. "Pegasi aren't as strong, though Dash is an exception as she trains really hard. Magic plays a large role in how strong they are."

RD grinned and let Tycho down. "Whew. You wanna be my new training weight, Tyke?"

Tycho smirked and shook his head. "Okay, so the knife."

"Here, try it." Alex put it in Tycho's hand and made sure his hand was inserted into the knuckle guard.

"So, now what?" Tycho asked as he touched the blade and ascertained its balance.

"Think of what you want it to become, and it will be. Well, mostly melee weapons and tools. Nothing complex." Alex said. "Oh, and point the blade away from you or anyone else."

Tycho shrugged and did as Alex asked. Tycho thought of a wakizashi, and the knife transformed to turn into one, while sticking to his hand! Tycho inspected the weapon. "The blade is so sharp you can cut yourself just touching it."

"Its absorbing the magic around you to make that blade as keen as possible. That blade can cut lightning." Alex exaggerated.

Tycho tried a few other objects. A hatchet, a carpenter's hammer, a mace, and even a whisk. It formed each tool easily. "Its reading my mind, Al." Tycho said in awe as he removed the whisk and the tool returned to its original form as he handed it back to Alex. "That is amazing, Alex. Real magic." He could imagine how useful an object like that would be.

Alex grinned. "Yep. Twi, Trixie, and Lyra can help make something like this for you, if you want."

Tycho stroked his chin. "What, like a blind man's cane? Already have one. Only thing I can think of is something that can help me see and that isn't going to happen... right?" Tycho wondered if such a thing was possible. While the magic of this world was deadly, Alex's dagger and amulet fed off the magic of the world to achieve its own effects...but it was harmless to him! Otherwise Alex wouldn’t be carrying it around with him! If it could read his mind then logically, feeding into their minds wouldn't be harmful as well! Maybe?

Scootaloo hovered up to both men. "Didn't Twi say the magic on that dagger is different?"

Alex observed his friend’s look of realization. When Tycho got that look, his grey matter was rapidly coming up with an epic idea. “Let's head back to Twi's. I think Tycho has an idea."

---

Back at Twi's home, Twilight sat on her office chair, pondering. "I have studied your dagger in detail, Alex. Duplicating the telepathic component of its enchantment won't be the problem, but to achieve a specific effect is another matter."

Dash and Scoots sat bored and confused listening to Alex, Tycho, and Twi's intellectual debate. Nightshade read a book next to Tycho.

"Does the armor amulet still have the same amorphous effect as the dagger, just integrating a different form?" Tycho asked.

Twilight nodded. "It took a lot of effort and thaumatic control to shape the resonance to successfully harness the harmless energies those enchantments are made of. All I did was duplicate the template of the resonance, then apply a chosen shape. But you are asking me to invent a new thaumatic effect from the resonance."

"In Equestrian!" Rainbow Dash and Scoots both shouted and threw their hooves to the ceiling in frustration.

"Shh! We're in a library!" Nightshade jeeringly whispered to the other two mares, who glared at her in annoyance.

Alex smiled softly. "She means she can duplicate the spell on the dagger, but not easily create a new one."

"What is worse, the larger the effect, the harder it would be." Twilight tapped her chin with her hoof in pondering. "I would guess you want me to make you something that can see."

Tycho felt stupid asking this. From herbal remedies, to witchdoctors, to faith healing, and bullshit medical treatments, he had been offered them all. His parents knew better, and for many years he begged his parents to let him try to save his vision. What kid wouldn't want to believe in a miracle to save him. He didn't know better at the time and those memories of the upsets he endured came flooding back. "...yeah." He replied solemnly. He should have known even real magic couldn't help him with his problem.

"That would take a decade at least, Tycho. I mean, I'd have to do something more specific to help you... although..." Ms. Sparkle paused in thought before she continued. "Tycho, that device that helps you read, can you share with me everything that went into making it?"

Tycho raised an eyebrow. "You want to duplicate it? What is the point in that?"

"Not exactly. I said the simpler the effect, the easier I can make something. Maybe I cannot help you see completely from a magical lens, but I can help you see words again!" Twilight said excited. "This will take some experimentation on my part, but I think I can develop something that uses the same principles as your reading device!" She clapped her hooves together then hopped out of her chair. She cantered to a nearby bookshelf and started pulling books. "Oh, I am so excited about this!"

Tycho never thought of that. He could read menus, books, store signs, numbers, whole essays much faster than his device could read to him. That device could only read at half the speed of a normal person... but to read normally?!? "What do you need from me?" He asked as his spirits slightly rose, knowing maybe this world will offer some conveniences he had been denied for so long.

Nightshade closed her book. "You feeling okay, Tyke?" She rested her chin on Tycho's shoulder, looking at him with friendly concern.

Tycho shook his head and booped Nightshade on the nose, who playfully wiggled her mug and lifted her head off him. “Yes, I'm fine."

Shade looked at Tycho as he turned away. He was was definitely bottling his feelings, she observed. Maybe if she changed her approach, he'd open up more, Shade thought. The mare didn't notice Dash looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

Dash pointed at them while shooting Alex a look, indicating something she suspected of Nightshade. Alex merely shrugged in response, but winked after, as if confirming he did suspect something, but wasn't sure.

Scoots's looked at the clock. "Hey mom, Dad. I need to meet the other Crusaders, okay?" She hopped off the couch. "Goodbye everyone!" She left through the front door and took flight.

"She's a good kid." Tycho mused. "Very energetic."

Rainbow Dash smiled proudly. "Her wings were underdeveloped when she was very young. We worked hard and trained hard to get her so she can fly. Then she finally got her cutiemark."

"Cutie... what?" Tycho asked.

"Think of it a mark that clues a pony to what makes them special. Some ponies make their occupations out of that mark, while others apply it in other ways." Alex explained.

"That is essentially correct," Twilight said finishing gathering a stack of books. "My own is in magic, though I am librarian, but I research magic a lot." She smiled.

"Mine is being talented in flying and speed,but I"m a weather pony." Rainbow Dash explained.

Tycho nodded and turned his head to face Shade's direction. "And yours?"

Shade grinned deviously. "Asking a girl what is on her flank? Oh Tycho, I had no idea you'd develop an interest mares. Naughty." Her voice became silkier than usual.

Tycho maintained his composure despite the nightguard captain's attempt to tease him. "I was asking since I can't see." He tried not to blush, but failed.

Nightshade raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Are you sure? You don't remember how you landed on me?" She whispered just low enough to only be heard by him.

Tycho blushed redder, unable to think of a retort. "Th-that, wait, no, I-"

"Got it!" That caused Tycho to jump in his seat and startled him out of his stuttering. "These are my notes on Alex's knife." Twilight continued. "Tycho, just link to my laptop the notes on that device and I'll work on your new reading glasses!" The purple mare giddily clopped her hooves.

"I'll do better than that." Tycho said. "Give me the rest of the evening to organize and write up some technical notes." He lightly smiled.

"Great! I can't wait to test the prototype!" Twilight brightly smiled. "We can add this project to your CV too!"

"Breathe, Twilight, breathe!" Dash teased her friend. "Shouldn't we introduce Tycho to the Cakes' business? He hasn't tried their coffee." She hopped off the couch. "Come on, let's show him where to get the best desserts and bean juice!"

"They have decaf?" Tycho asked as he stood.

"Decaf?" Shade balked at the taller human. "How do you live?!"

---

"Good morning, everypony!" A slightly taller, yellow furred, orange maned pony approached. "Oh! And welcome, Mr. Hernandez. We hope you enjoyed our catering at the welcoming party." He said pleasantly.

"I appreciate everyone's efforts, even though I wasn't in the right state of mind to express it. But really, thank you." Tycho extended a hand to Mr. Cake.

"Oh, um. My hoof is over here, Mr. Tycho... oh I mean thank you it's a pleasure to meet you. I, geeze, was I supposed to say that? I wasn't supposed to say that, was I? Correcting him?" Cake worryingly thought out loud as he scrambled preparing the cash register.

"Relax, buddy. Don't sweat it." Alex assured the pony as the mares looked at each other awkwardly in reference to Mr. Cake's anxiety towards the blind human.

"Dear, who do we," A female voice from what sounded like the typical TV mom to Tycho entered the room, along with her person. "Oh! Alex and company! And Mr. Tycho! We are happy to have you here for the first time!"

"Charmed." Tycho replied. "How about we order and eat outside?"

The rest agreed as the cakes began taking orders from the group. Tycho's ears attuned to overhear the couple poorly trying to speak quietly to one-another.

"What should we do? I already botched the greeting. I don't want him to think we're rude!" Mr. Cake grimaced.

"We should give him a discount! For ponies with disabilities?" Mrs. Cake suggested.

"Would that be patronizing? I didn't do that for Alex and he was displaced." Mr. Cake replied.

"But he is displaced AND blind." Mrs. Cake said with an anxious tone.

"Gods have mercy. I'm blind, not deaf!" Tycho exasperated.

The two Cakes reared up in surprise realizing they were overheard and then bowed their heads in shame. "We're sorry, Mr. Hernandez."

Dash flew between Alex and Tycho and approached the cakes. "Look, just relax. Tycho gets by on his own as well as he can. Just let him tell you what he needs and you'll be fine."

"R-right, we're sorry, Mr. Tycho." Mr. Cake replied.

Tycho waved a hand in dismissal. "Its not a problem. You simply showed that you cared."

"Tell you what, free coffee with your order." Mrs. Cake quickly began preparing the machine.

Alex tried getting their attention. "No that is fine, he really isn't-."

Mr. Cake interrupted as if not paying attention, "In fact, free pastry and the coffee for this order!"

"No, we're paying, guys. No need to go overbo-" Tycho couldn't finish.

"And a free coupon to get a discount on your next order. Good till next month!" Mrs. Cake interrupted.

Twilight tapped Tycho's leg. "This happened a lot to you, didn't it?"

Tycho sighed and nodded.

Author's Note:

Thanks again to my friends/editors (listed in aforementioned chapters). A couple of more slice-of-life chapters and we'll get to the adventure parts.

Comments

[warpd]

I look forward to see what his brand of science experience will teach Tycho about magic.