Coal Dust
That night was spent celebrating the newest member of the family. They sang, talked, and ate late into the night, so late that Apple Bloom fell asleep on the front room sofa. It seemed fitting that the first time he’d been into the Apple’s house was the day they’d all become family. They shared stories of their families, though Ray was always cautious to get into exact details lest he began to fade.
Sugar Belle had cooked the largest cake he’d seen in Equestria or Earth, and even more impressively, Apple Bloom had eaten half of it. He’d taken a decent share, but he found himself reaching for more unconsciously after his first slice. A strange thing, as at home with his family, he generally ate once and never seconds. Fittingly, all of the food the Apples cooked were apple based, including apple spiced haystacks. They were an awkward food to eat, seeing as he couldn’t actually ingest the compacted pile of hay, sticky with a strange, but sweet, sauce. They had all laughed when he had silently pushed the plate to the side, trying to discreetly pull the hay out from between his teeth.
The night had wound down with the only non-apple product of the meal, a small glass of sparkling grape wine. At first he had thought of refusing, but then remembered that the alcohol here was weaker than the version on Earth. Besides, Apple Bloom had also received a glass, so he figured the Apples were fine with him having it. They raised a toast to family, new and old, and spoke some more of their family relations. He learned that Grand Pear was out on a business trip to Whinneapolis, though when he got back, he would surely be in for a surprise. He was related to the Apples, though he actually had no say in the family workings of the direct family line. It was about then when Apple Bloom fell asleep, and Ray excused himself to his house for the night.
The walk home had been without event, as the waning moonlit the way through the dark of night. There was a package in front of his front door when he had arrived, and a note taped to his door handle. He held up the package and shook it slightly, but nothing jingled or shuffled. Searching its exterior, he found that there were no labels or notes to mark it specifically. Shrugging, he grabbed the note, reading the elegant writing.
Dear Ray,
I’m sorry it took me so long to get these for you. Figuring out your dimensions and the way you fit your arms in your shirt. The pants should be fine, I just used the same sort of sizing I used for ponies and stitched out a pair to test on Spike. It worked for him, so I just sized it up. Anyways, I took the liberty to give it my own designs based on your personality. If it isn’t what you like, then just tell me and I’ll get you a new wardrobe. Don’t bother with trying to pay me at the train station tomorrow. Consider it a gift and apology for the rude welcoming to town. See you tomorrow.
Yours truly,
Rarity
He smiled at the note before heading indoors. He unpackaged the new clothing, smiling at the stitched designs. There were four pairs of regular day wear, along with one that could be considered more formal, and finally, a white long sleeved button up shirt and black slacks. There weren’t any shoes or socks, though. Not that he expected a pony would understand the concept of such with hooves for feet, but he would probably miss clean socks. He chuckled as an image flashed through his mind of going barefoot the rest of his life like a hobbit. The image of hairy feet burst into his mind and caused him to laugh harder, though it subsided as he went into the kitchen, carrying the clothes with them.
He checked the time as he entered the kitchen, glancing at the clock to see the time: 10:38. He opened the window there, just in case Otolo wanted to stop by some time in the night. She had left him during the walk home, and through a small amount of talking, bickering, and cursing, they had worked out meeting back at the train station the next day at 10:15 if they didn’t “chance” upon each other earlier than that. He couldn’t help but smile a little at the thought of the little bird. Not even a full day had passed and they were arguing like an Apple with a Pear. Life was strange here. Pleasant, but strange.
That was the thought that carried him to bed, along with a side note to turn his alarm to 8:30 so he had time to sleep in and get packed for the trip. What he had to pack was unknown to him, but he’d let him in nine and a half hours deal with that. He drifted into sleep quickly, and found himself caught in quite possibly the strangest dream of his life.
In it, he was walking through a large yard of pink orchid bushes, when suddenly the Apples were telling him it was time to be married. Before he knew it, he was on top of their barn, under a canopy of flowered grape vines. He couldn’t even discern what the pony's face looked like, let alone its gender, but they wore a bouquet of flowers. Discord was holding the ceremony, while everypony was seated on the sloped roof of the barn. He couldn’t hear any words, but about halfway through the vows, the ponies changed to sheep, then cows, then monkeys, humans, and finally, back to ponies. When he finally awoke from the dream, he shook his head, not knowing what sort of crack he’d had before going to bed.
The second time he fell asleep that night was blessedly dreamless, leaving him tranquil until the alarm loudly proclaimed the need to be up. Groaning a little, he got out from under the covers, knocking them aside to allow the morning chill to aid the waking up process. Despite the rather strange dream, his sleep had been rather relaxing, and he felt better rested than any other day. He didn’t allow thoughts of the events that were to come today, and whom they concerned, ruin his bright mood. He found himself looking forward to the coming days, a member of a new family, whilst still keeping his other one.
He took a cold shower to ensure that the last of the sleep had left him before going downstairs to eat. He had cereal, a rather bland meal considering the wonderful dinner of the previous night, but still fulfilling. A few minutes later had him back up the stairs, debating what to pack for the trip. He didn’t know how long the trip would be, but it probably would take a good half of the remaining week. Two pairs of clothes, maybe?
Then, with a note of annoyance, he began laughing at himself. With what, would he pack with? He didn’t have any suitcases or bags to pack with, and he doubted it’d be very comely to arrive at a palace -of all places!- with an armful of clothing.
He shook his head, changing into a fresh pair of shorts and a new shirt. The shirt was a deep blue, almost like the sofa in the front room while the pants were made of a soft, tan fabric. The two colors blended well, as designed by Rarity. She had even put pockets in the shorts, a nice feature that allowed him to keep his hands somewhere. His only regret was that there wasn’t a pair of clean underwear to go with it, but alas, he had no way to inform Rarity about such things without the scenario becoming awkward.
Considering himself packed for the trip clothes wise, he went downstairs to the desk that held his bits. He packed all of them in his pockets, the cool gold feeling unbelievably heavy in their confines. On Earth, what he was holding in his pockets was probably enough to get him back into school and his family better housing. Here, it was just another coin used every other purchase. He almost wanted to take a coin out to view it in the post-dawn light, but felt the thought too foolish to follow through.
Stepping out the door, he took a deep breath, ready to start his way down to the train station, when his bladder kindly reminded him that he hadn’t gone to the bathroom yet. Sighing, he went back inside. Upon his return to the front door, he found Otolo curiously pecking at his doorway, the metal shining in the sunlight. Seeing him, she began chirping excitedly at him.
“Woah woah woah,” Ray interrupted, holding up his hands as if to push her away. “Didn’t we agree to meet at the train station? What’re you doing here?”
Otolo seemed to have a moment of realization before shaking her little head at him. She twittered almost in a dutiful manner, pointing out the door. Ray walked over to it, finding himself staring towards the Everfree Forest. Frowning, he looked back down at the little brown bird.
“I have no clue what you’re tryin’ to show me,” he admitted blandly.
Otolo flew up face level, shooting her head desperately towards the forest. Thinking for a moment, he asked, “Is it a fire?” Otolo shook her head otherwise. Ray’s frown deepened. “Is anyo- anypony in trouble?” Another shake of the head. “Well what the heck is up, then?!”
Otolo seemed to make a facepalm with her wing before pointing desperately to the forest. Ray gave Otolo one last suffering look before stepping outdoors towards the forest. And was greeted by the sight of open hills ended by gnarled trees... Behind him he heard what sounded very much like tinkling bells, though he knew there were so such things. His lips became a thin line as he turned to the chuckling bird. He blinked at the smug little bird twice before asking, “What did I ever do to deserve this from you?”
Otolo cocked her head to the side, thinking, before giving a short, staccato chirp.
“Ah, makes sense I guess,” he responded, not having a clue -nor a care- as to what he was agreeing with. He waved for the bird to follow him as he turned away from her, beginning to walk down the path. He felt a small weight land on his shoulder, and discreetly smiled at the battle he’d just won.
They made their way into town without meeting anypony, though once they were among the buildings of the town and over the bridge into it, they began seeing some. The few that didn’t look at his looming form gave him strange looks, though not as fearful or hostile as his first few days in Ponyville. By now, most of them had spoken to either the Elements or the other party goers from his first night in town. They had figured that he wasn’t any threat, nor any more different than a taller, furless one of them. A few even spared him a warming smile. There were only a few thistles in the field, and those he could avoid or ignore, if needed.
Once he reached the familiar center of town, he began asking ponies around about where exactly the train station was. At first the answers were vague, merely pointing to the west end of the town and saying “That way, a little.” As he got closer, however, the directions became clearer, until he suddenly found himself facing a well worn cobbled street that led straight to a group of three buildings. Walking up to it, he saw a sign with a train depiction and took the hint, walking up the short wooden stairs and onto the platform.
There was a little box-like building with a dozing pony behind glass. The ticket seller, he supposed. A clock hung above his little building, reading just before nine thirty. He was a bit early, to be sure, but that wasn’t anything inconvenient. There was nothing else he could do with his time, anyway. Except read some of those books Twilight gave him.
He sighed, sitting down on the closest bench, which creaked under his weight. The wood was obviously designed for pony sittings, as the wood pressed uncomfortably against his bottom. Grimacing slightly, he shifted into a slightly more suitable position before finally giving up, moving to sit on the wood plank floor, legs tucked against his chest, arms over them. It was much better on the almost seamless wood, no rises to cause him discomfort.
He gave Otolo a sideways glance, saying, “This is basically what I’ll be doing. Might want to go catch a worm or something.”
Otolo went to do something of the sort without a sound, just flying away. He smiled slightly, closing his eyes as he leaned back against the wooden wall behind him. His thoughts consumed him, thoughts of what was for sure to come. He was here on this train station to take a train to the last pony he’d ever want to see. He almost let out a bitter laugh at what he’d never thought he’d think. On Earth, he had occasionally given thought to what the other animals that inhabited the planet were like. He’d never thought he’d find himself a member of a family of ponies, nor getting his clothes from one!
He found the thought almost funny enough to laugh, but denied it. On the off chance that another pony arrived, he didn’t want them to find him laughing at nothing but his thoughts. Another thing he’d never thought he’d think. Life truly was a strange endeavor.
He had always thought he would die before he was sixteen, either on the street or in a hospital. That was how life on Earth was always like, struggling to live long enough to make it matter to those he loved. And then the most unexpected, random thing came by and saved him from what he’d never thought would kill him. Ironic how he had never thought he’d literally die on the streets, but that he’d be killed in those allies and backstreets. Ray laughed at that one, the bitter irony getting the better of him.
Now he had a chance to live. Actually, no he didn’t. Him against who knew how many bloodthirsty monsters in a land he had only begun to understand? Yeah, screwed. He could give Twilight hope and live the last year or so of his life to its full extent, at least, as full as he could in a pony world. It didn’t matter what kind of training Twilight gave him, if godly powers didn’t come with them, then they were screwed. Oh well, at least he now had a reason to be sorry he would die.
Ray began formulating a plan to protect as many ponies as possible, especially those he now held dear, when they broke through. He could have them hide in the Everfree. It’d be a rather scary experience he guessed, but better scared than dead. They could live among the trees -wait, no, they didn’t have hands. Maybe better if they were to go below the ground. Hide in caves like ants, coming up for food quickly. He doubted that the brutes would stick around once they had nothing to kill. Maybe.
That seemed to be the key word in everything these days. Maybe. He didn’t know enough. That was the main problem. He swore to himself, cursing his anger for causing him to walk out on Twilight. Despite how much he despised her, she had knowledge that was desperately needed, and their goals had become aligned. Protect those they loved. And with how quickly he’d found himself calling them his friends, he could easily see the reasoning behind Twilight’s actions. If he had come to love these ponies so quickly, then he had no guess to how close the six of them had become over the last five years. He’d never held a friend for that long, let alone held a friend at all, but it was almost unbelievable to him.
Pinkie Pie, the hyper, excitable, bundle of sugar that, despite unexplainable reasons, was less annoying than his siblings despite speaking at twice their speed combined. Rainbow Dash, the cocky, sporty, slightly vulgar (probably more than slightly for ponies), that always had a joke with her every nuance. Rarity, who alway seemed calm and collected, but trusted him enough to break her walls in front of him, showing him a more delicate, yet strong side. The Apples, the family he had never had and yet there when he’d lost his own, the connection to his two worlds. And Fluttershy, sweet, kind, shy, beautiful, Fluttershy. He almost let out a sigh, but stopped himself.
She was the first pony he’d ever met, the first pony who had ever cared for him in the new world. Given, she may just be that type of pony, but that just proved even more -in his opinion- that she was the best pony to ever meet first. She had defended him against her own friends, something he learned from AJ that she had almost never done before. The fact that she was interested in him wasn’t even because he was a strange anima she had never seen before. Just two days ago, when they had had tea, she had shown him so. She cared, and he knew it was more than that of friends.
At least, he found himself hoping so.
He grimaced at the thought. It wasn’t like it would work out anyway. Even on Earth no girl had caught his eye more than just because of their body. He had never engaged in a relationship, because up until recently, he’d been too young. And then he wouldn’t because he was too scared of his past, that night in December…
He shook his head, refusing the fading again. He wouldn’t let himself fall to whatever it was again. He hadn’t had it so bad in so long. Mostly because he was too busy struggling to survive to focus on what he’d survived in the past. Another reason he’d never involved himself in a relationship past “Hello” and “Goodbye”.
Besides, Fluttershy was older than him by quite a lot, at least by his reckoning. If that proved to mean anything after his talk with Twilight. There was also the fact that she seemed to be in a very close relationship with Discord, the embodiment of Chaos itself. Pissing him off would be like shooting a lion with a Nerf gun, only with twice the retribution.
And then there was the complete ice over: the fact that she was a pony and he was a human.
He let out a disappointed sigh. There was hoping, and then there was outright wishing. His father had always said “Wish in one hand and crap in the other. See which one gets fuller faster.” This, this was dreaming. Semiconsciousness creating unrealistic visions of grandeur, convincing those participating in it to be the real deal. A blunder of his own, allowing himself to dream that it could be. Downright foolish and stupid.
“Hey, do ya think he’s awake,” a familiar tomboyish voice asked in a strained whisper. Rainbow Dash.
“I highly doubt it,” Applejack called, loud enough that if he had been asleep, he would have awakened. He opened his eyes, a smile already lighting his face. Applejack and Rainbow both carried lightly packed saddlebags, accompanied by Rarity, who was carrying a mountain of luggage. So was Spike, who had just stumbled onto the platform from the wooden steps.
“Um, Rarity, how much was I supposed to pack,” Ray asked nervously. The unicorn looked about ready to ride the train to the end of the world and back with enough extra to build a small house.
Instead, Rainbow guffawed, flying into the air as she slapped her knee area. Rarity shot her a dirty look before turning to Ray. “No, I suppose you do not need this much, as you aren’t a lady, but you should have at least something.” She paused looking around, brows furrowing slightly. “Where are your bags?”
“I… don’t have any…” he admitted sheepishly, trailing off as now both Applejack and Rainbow Dash began whooping with laughter. He gave them confused looks. “What's so funny, you two?”
AJ was the first to stop laughing, wiping her eyes with a hoof. “That was priceless,” she exclaimed, a wide smile splitting her face. “On th’ way up here, Rarity, Rainbow, an’ I were all discussin’ how much luggage you’d have on ya, an’ she was, arguin’ that, with you bein’ taller, you’d have at least a fair bit on ya. Rainbow an’ I were sayin’ that you didn’t even have any extra clothin’ on ya, seein’ as how you’d just arrived. She bragged -sorry- stated, that she’d made ya some clothin’, and that you’d surely pack more than just a pair a' clothes. And here ya are, lyin’ back with narry th’ clothes on ya!”
Even Spike snickered at that, but Rarity simply huffed and rolled her eyes, looking defeated, if not somewhat amused. Ray smiled and confessed, “I don’t even have a suitcase or anything to pack anything in. I doubt it’d be very comely to show up to a castle with a huge armful of clothing. Besides, it shouldn’t take that long, right?”
“Yes, yes I suppose it won’t take too long,” Rarity said thoughtfully, looking out to where the tracks were laid. Ray stood and decided to look in that direction too, but found nothing in the distance. Hm. He looked over to the clock. The larger hand was one mark from six, the little hand halfway between ten and eleven. Almost time for the train to arrive. Why weren’t Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy here yet? As far as he knew, which wasn’t very far now that he thought about it, they were supposed to be going with them.
As if the thought were a summoning spell, Fluttershy zapped into existence right beside Spike, causing the dragon to yelp in surprise. Ray started at the sudden appearance of the pink pegasus, hitting his head on the sturdy hardwood roof over the train station. He winced, rubbing the back of his head as the pain began subsiding. Fluttershy seemed flustered by her own sudden teleportation, and looked around with widened eyes. She carried her own green saddlebag, though it seemed to be even less full than Rainbow’s.
“Hello, everypony,” a new voice greeted loudly to his left. Ray jumped, once again, whacking his head against the hardwood roofing, barely containing a line of obscenities that ran through his head. He turned and gave Discord a sour look, but the draconequus merely gave him a disarming smile. “I thought that I might as well wish you all well on your trip! Mostly Fluttershy, but you guys are all great too!”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Rainbow waved the talk off with a hoof, looking uncomfortable with the rather unsubtle affection. Her eyes brightened as she pointed in the distance. “Hey, there’s the train!”
Everyone looked in the direction Rainbow was pointing, and indeed, in the distance, a small train was approaching. It had twelve, maybe thirteen cars on it, and that seemed to be it, no cars with any form of cargo holding. Or maybe the supply cars were the same as the civilian use cars, not the tin boxes back on Earth. A steady flow of white clouds floated from the smokestack, trailing behind the train as it moved.
“Right on time, no less,” Rarity added, looking over to the clock to check. Ray did too, finding the minute had passed away. Ten thirty exactly. It arrived within the remaining ten seconds of ten thirty one, screeching to a halt right in front of them. Before it had even finished stopping, a pony in a black and white striped hat and grease stained brown overcoat. He looked tired from constantly shoveling, but he still wore a smile that reached his eyes, something unexpected by Ray.
“All aboard,” he roared, signaling the start of the journey to Canterlot and the forsaken Castle. Ray noticed now that there were other ponies on the platform, and saw others still getting off the train. More than a few gave him sidelong glances that said they were deciding whether to run calling for help, or walk up and say hi. He only elicited one scream, and that was from a little filly probably a fourth Apple Bloom’s age. Mostly, he gave them the best attempt at a welcoming and warm smile he could.
It was then that the thought hit him. These ponies, no matter who they were or how they treated him, were now his responsibility. Their deaths would be his responsibility. His smile died so quickly that the pony he was smiling at dropped theirs too, eyes widening in fear. He winced as the mare ran off. What a protectorate he was, causing those he was protecting fear.
He turned and began following Fluttershy into the train, Otolo landing soundlessly on his shoulder.
“Aduwa,” Discord called, waving a handkerchief at them. He feigned teary eyes and gave a long sniff, crying out, “Please be safe, my dear!”
Ray watched with a pang of jealousy as Fluttershy shot Discord back a small, warm smile over her shoulder. He tried to keep his eyebrows from falling as he strode past the cream pegasus. He ducked under the door to the train compartment, before he realized he hadn’t grabbed a ticket. Huffing slightly, he went back out onto the platform and to the ticket seller. He asked for a ticket to Canterlot, and had to resist laughing as he watched the pony’s dreary, tired face change to one of surprise and amazement at the sight of a strange creature with a bird on its shoulder. Well, that was a first.
He ducked back into the train behind Spike, who looked as relieved to have given away his load as any man Ray had seen. Spike only carried three bags now, and was dutifully following Rarity, who was following AJ, Rainbow, and Fluttershy. Who suddenly stopped, nearly causing their body chain to collide into each other. Ray was still crouching, as the roof of the train was about three inches too low for him to stand straight-backed, and nearly doubled onto Spike. The dragon seemed to notice the human unintentionally towering over him and looked up at Ray, giving him a wry smile that bespoke of his own claustrophobic situation. Ray returned it before looking back over the heads of the ponies.
He needn’t have done it however, as he heard clearly who was causing the block. So did anything alive within a mile of the train station. Pinkie Pie seemed to have that sort of effect.
“HEEEEEEEY, EVERYPONY,” she called from the car on the right side of the train she had been… hiding in? The noise echoed down the train's halls, causing everypony to wince and glare at the head of the excitable pink pony sticking from the car. Otolo fluttered briefly, twittering an annoyance that Ray shared. “I’ve got the bestest, greatest, awesomest, most fabulously amazing news in the history of Equestria,” she yelled, slightly quieter than before. Still loud enough for Ray to be covering his ears and wincing in pain, but not enough to cause any bleeding.
“Pinkie, darling, I’m sure it is wonderfully exciting news,” Rarity agreed, the remains of a wince on her face, “but we won’t be able to hear it if you destroy our ears!”
“Sorryeee,” Pinkie apologized, though she looked more sorry that she hadn’t said anything earlier than she was for nearly taking away their hearing. “It’s just that I’m so super duper ooper looper excited to tell you the news!”
“Pinkie, I’m sure we’ll all be just as excited as you fer whatever it is,” Applejack chimed in, “but we can’t just discuss it in the halls blockin’ ev’ryponies path. We also can’t get into th’ car with ya standing in th’ entrance like a tree on a road!”
Pinkie opened her mouth, but then decided better of it, stepping into the car to allow Fluttershy and the others in. As Ray entered, he noticed a slight problem with the seating arrangements. The seats themselves were fine, pink cushioned benches with wide lengths to allow any four-legged creature the room to lay out comfortably. No, the main problem was that the only seat left was a window seat, right next to Fluttershy. The one pony in all of Equestria that he didn’t need close when he was trying to think, and he would be trapped between her and a sheet of glass and metal for the train ride. Oh joy.
He tried to erase any signs of his true emotions as he took his seat, instead eyeing the peculiar pink pony across from him. Pinkie was buzzing off of the seat with excitement for whatever she was about to tell them, a habit, he presumed. Her mouth was bulging too, as if all of the words she was containing were pushing at her lips, attempting to escape. The other four mares and dragon exchanged knowing glances, glances that bespoke of fear for asking Pinkie to talk but also intrigue for what news their friend had to tell them. An unsaid agreement was made between the five of them, an unseen determined nod that they all made simultaneously.
Rainbow Dash and Applejack, who sat on either side of Pinkie, began to discreetly lean away from the pink sugarball. Even Spike, who sat against the window and across from Ray, seemed to lean as far onto it as he could. Fluttershy’s ears flattened against her head and she leaned back and away from Pinkie too, onto his arm… He looked away from the demure pegasus before his thoughts became known by the color of his face. Nopony noticed; they were all too busy gauging Pinkie and Rarity, who seemed to have been silently nominated the group's spokesmare.
“Well darling, we’re all here and settled, so you might as well tell us…” Rarity trailed off, and Ray could practically hear the wince in her voice.
“Well, okie dokie loki, then,” Pinkie exploded, taking a deep breath in preparation for what she was about to say. “I know I Pinkie Promised Cheesy that I wouldn’t tell anypony, but you girls are the bestest friends in the entire universe, and Spike’s like that cute little brother I never had, so I will tell you! So anyways, on Tuesday, me and Cheesy went up to visit his family in Canterlot, and that was when he started pointing out something weird to me. He told me that it had been almost eleven months since we’ve been married, and he said I was having “weird cravings”. I wasn’t really sure what he was talking about, but he suggested we take a trip to the hospital to check to see if the bun was in the oven. I was really kinda doubtful, because it’s only been eleven months, but he really insisted that we needed to check in just in case, so I agreed.”
“Wait a minute,” Fluttershy said, leaning in towards Pinkie. Ray noticed that the others were too. He personally had no idea what they were talking about, as it seemed to be some sort of pony speak. That, and the fact that half of the words coming out of Pinkie’s mouth were being spoken quicker than bullets out of a gun.
“Are you saying what I think you are?” Rarity had an astonished look on her face.
Pinkie gave her a happy glare, if such a thing were possible, and cried, “I’m not done with the story yet! The doctors there had me do a whole buncha things, but then I piddled on the paddle, and you know what it said? It said I WAS PREGGERS!!”
Ray’s eyebrows shot up at the loud exclamation, accented by Pinkie throwing out hooffulls of confetti, and he had to fight to keep his jaw from dropping. Rarity and Fluttershy shared a loud squee while Rainbow seemed too shell shocked to respond properly, instead just sat with her jaw unhinged. Applejack tipped her hat to Pinkie, and muttered a congratulations that was drowned out in the noise of celebration. Otolo flew over sideways and did a loop around Pinkie’s head, chirping cheerfully; some sort of bird way to celebrate new life, he guessed. Spike was grinning broadly, though noticeably shooting glances at Rarity. When he noticed Ray was watching, he gave a sheepish grin, to which Ray quirked an eyebrow.
When some of the noise died down enough for Ray to speak without shouting, he asked, “Wait, you’re married?”
“Well, duh, silly,” Pinkie said, twirling her hoof around as if it was a well known fact. Actually, it probably was. “My full name is Pinkamena Diane Sandwich-Pie. My husband’s Cheesy, or Cheese Sandwich if you wanna be boring, and we’ve been married for ten months, fourteen days, and twenty one hours, forty seven minutes, and thirty seconds. Thirty one, thirty two, thirty three. Caught up yet?”
“Yeah, I think so,” Ray said, slightly disturbed. “Just never thought that… you know what, never mind.”
“Okay, I was married first,” Pinkie answered the unsaid question defensively. “So what? I’m a grown mare and I was the first to get married because I found my special somepony and wasn’t too chicken to chicken out! Just cuz I act like I’m still a filly, doesn’t mean I am!”
“Sorry,” Ray muttered, avoiding Pinkie’s glare. He hadn’t meant to strike her nerve, but looking back, it probably would’ve been better to just stay silent and accept the strangeness. Pinkie just returned to her usual cheery self, giving him a grin.
“It’s alright,” she comforted. “Honestly, I’m kinda surprised that I was the first to bag my somepony. I mean, Fluttershy’s got Discord and she’s a year older than me, and Rainbow-”
“Don’t,” Rainbow sharply interrupted, face hard.
“Right, sorry. Even Twilight had a swing going with somepony. I don’t know who, just that Twilight was reeeeally distracted during that time, and she avoided any conversation about them. All I’m saying is, I think Cheesy and I just couldn’t wait for the be-”
“Ahem,” a masculine voice interrupted from the car’s doorway, drawing everyone’s attention to him. The same stallion who had called them aboard the train was now standing there, looking slightly flustered by the conversation he had walked in on. “Tickets, please,” he murmured through a ticket puncher held between his teeth. They all extended their tickets out to the pony, who punched them from back to front. “Thank you. Have a comfortable trip.”
The talk died down after he left, Rarity and Fluttershy whispering amongst themselves and AJ pulled her hat over her eyes, leaning back in the seat. Otolo flew up into one of the overhead compartments, nestling down for a nap. Ray glanced out of the window, but found his gaze fixated on the distant mountain, Canterlot hanging onto its side. The Castle was barely visible from this distance, and certainly not discernible enough to be recognized easily. A few low clouds hung around it, giving the impression that it might be floating on one. He smiled at the thought.
The train suddenly lurched, and for the second time that day, he nearly fell onto Spike. There was a moment of quiet apology as Ray got back onto his seat, and then the train slowly began to move forward. The tempo of the wheels on the tracks began to quicken and scenery began to blur. Ray didn’t attempt to focus his gaze, just stared out the window at the blur of green, blue, and brown. The beat quickened, and with it the blurring of the scenery and the muddling of his thoughts. Before Ray realized it, he was asleep.
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Fluttershy gave Ray a glance, trying to decide if he was asleep. His breathing had deepened, and he had been relatively unresponsive, but she couldn’t tell if that was because he was lost in thought again or not. Gently, she poked his side with a tentative hoof, earning nothing more than a slightly deeper intake of breath from him. She sighed. He was out cold.
“Applejack,” she whisper-yelled to her friend. “Are you awake?”
“Sure am, sugarcube,” she whispered in return, pulling her hat back over her head. She looked around at the others, all of whom had fallen asleep too. It seemed to be a rather late night for everypony, and that included her, but she wasn’t tired even after not drifting to sleep in the early morning. Applejack was looking around at the others too, a small, wry smile on her face. “Guess they all are a tad sleepy. Not too su’prised, th’ train usually makes me sleepy too. Just didn’t think they’d all go out so quickly, like a herd o’ sheep on a hot summer’s day.”
Fluttershy smiled at her friend, before glancing to her side, where the only human in Equestria sat, asleep. It was a strange thought, actually, that somepony like Ray was so special. She was pretty sure that for a human, he looked like everyone else with his shaggy brown hair and slightly tanned skin. Yet here, he was something strange, the only one like him in all of Equestria and beyond. Even stranger was the thought that he was the decider of every pony in Equestria’s fate, though so few knew his actual purpose. That terrible thing he had to do to protect everything that everypony held dear. It made her skin crawl. Once again, she found herself pitying him, worse than any injured animal she’d ever cared for.
He had to have incredible strength, both in mind and body, to keep himself from going crazy with worry and impatience. At least, that was what she supposed he must feel, being in a situation such as his. If their places were swapped, she would be gnawing her lips off with worry, while simultaneously wishing it would all just be over with. She wanted to help him beyond any power in Equestria, whether it was helping him survive the stress or enjoy the last bit of life he had. How, she didn’t know, but she would find a way, Celestia help her.
“He’s a special one, ain’t he,” Applejack asked softly, voicing her own thoughts exactly. “He’s an Apple now, ya know?” Fluttershy nodded, very aware of one of the reasons why she’d been so late to sleep. “Thought ya might. I don’t know what about ‘im made Apple Bloom so insistent fer us to adopt him into th’ family, but I’m glad she was. I really like th’ guy. Just somethin’ about ‘im, his hardworkin’ personality, his dedication to us all, and, well, the other stuff he’s doing for us…”
Applejack trailed off, her gaze still on the human. Worry laced her the gaze, worry and faintest tints of a motherly sadness. Fluttershy knew that Applejack had always viewed Apple Bloom, and even at times her younger friends, more like her children. It was strange at times, nice at others.
Fluttershy looked back to the sleeping form of Ray, frowning. She had always held the belief that every creature looked peaceful when they slept, but even subconscious, Ray’s muscles were tensed and his body drawn in on itself. He looked almost as if he was sleeping while expecting something to grab him at any moment. It was almost scary to think of what might have transpired to make him that way, but she knew better than to delve into her mind’s darker thoughts.
“Ya like him, don'cha,” Applejack suddenly asked, softly as ever. Fluttershy didn’t turn back to her friend, instead dropping her head slightly as she sighed. She had felt this coming, coming at her like a bird would for winter. It was inevitable, and she knew she had to measure her words carefully. While Rainbow was the one who could convince her to do anything through bribing, pestering, and straight out bullying, it was Applejack she couldn't lie to.
Solemnly, she nodded. “I do,” she admitted. “I don’t know why, if it’s simply pity or something more. I know he has at least some form of feelings for me, too, but he’s too much of a gentlestallion to make a move. Besides, I already have Discord. I don’t think it’d be appropriate to engage in a relationship with him, at least more than as friends.”
AJ said nothing, and Fluttershy could feel the orange Earth pony’s stare on her now. She knew she was being measured up, assessed, by her friend. Finally, AJ spoke up.
“I never really thought you’d end up with anypony ‘sides Discord, but I can see now. Discord, he believes he has an eternity to prove himself worth your love and make the choice ta tie th’ knot. He’ll do what he’s been doin’ with you for the past two years for at least twice as long before anything real happens beyond dates and flirts. Ray’s a good one, whatever he is. He would care for ya more than anything else. Discord though, he would love you and nothing else, ‘till the end of the world, by my reckoning.
“You have a tough choice ta make, and either would suit you well. However, I need ta tell ya somethin’ that’ll be hard ta hear, and even harder fer me ta say. Ray- Ray is th’ defender of us all. Unicorns, pegasi, earth ponies, all of us. He knows this, and his choices will all be made offa that base. He-” AJ sighed, pain filling it to the brim “-He might not make it through the fightin’. As hard as that is ta think about… it’s a possibility, as much as any other.” Fluttershy turned to her friend, tears in her eyes. She knew what Applejack was about to say, and it hurt her worse than anything physical could.
“Choose th’ one that will keep you you. Choose th’ one that won’t break your heart, intentionally or not.” AJ’s face shared the same sadness Fluttershy felt, but the farmer pony didn’t have tears in her eyes. That didn’t comfort the pegasus at all. She knew that inside, she was pouring.
Fluttershy nodded, too emotional for words. Applejack gestured for her to come closer for a hug, and she complied, very much needing one. Her grip was firm, yet comforting, like being tightly wrapped up in a blanket. Fluttershy sniffed, signalling the start of silent tears as she tucked her head into Applejack’s neck. Her friend gently stroked her mane, softly shushing her while Fluttershy began to crumble. A soft nustling on her cheek made her realize that Otolo had flown down to comfort her. Another piece of Ray. She made a deep shuddering sob, but tried to cut it off, afraid of waking up anypony else. She continued to sob into Applejack’s chest for the next half an hour.
********************************************************************************************************
Ray awoke to the sound of loud screeching. Nothing in comparison to Pinkie Pie, but still enough to wake him up from his dreamless sleep. He sat up, already almost completely alert, and watched as the city of Canterlot came into focus. He was distracted from the scenery as he became aware of something soft and warm, and slightly damp, on his arm.
He looked down and found Fluttershy laying against his arm, her peaceful muzzle laying sideways across it. He smiled a little as the pegasus sleepily awoke, but quickly hid it as the others began to blink awake. When Fluttershy looked sleepily up at him, he noticed that her eyes were red, and there seemed to be tear streaks down her face. He began wiping them off as he softly asked, “What happened?”
Her eyes widened quickly, causing Ray’s brow to furrow in concern. “N-n-nothing,” she stammered, tucking her face behind her pink mane, ears tucking against her head as she glanced away. “Just got some… coal dust in my eyes when I went up to ask the conductor something.”
“Yeah,” he agreed unsteadily, almost questioningly. Coal dust.
The train slowed to a complete stop, screeching and shaking filling the entire compartment. Otolo flew down from the compartment to sit on his shoulder, giving a chirp that sounded more like a grumble at being awakened. He smiled a little, looking back outside the train window, watching the majestic city. Tiny streams ran under elaborately designed bridges, all sources by thin waterfalls that fall elegantly from green slopes. Spires and towers loomed over the city, smaller buildings nestled underneath the shadows of the larger buildings. They were just as exquisite, white, sky blue, pale brown, pink, cream, all lined the street, the houses they colored standing proudly.
Ponies, mostly unicorns, walked the street in suits and dresses, a noble, almost posh air about them as they strolled their dignified city. He received many looks as he departed from the train, some gawking, others raising their eyebrows at the sight of him. He received welcoming smiles from some, hostile glares from others, but overall, he received calculating looks at him and his companions. The worst he got was a disgusted look from a sour looking old stallion, his mane a faded blue and his coat a rough brown. He simply smiled at everypony, hoping to seem less like a leering predator and more like a friendly giant.
There was a group of ponies in formal looking attire standing near the train station, staring stone faced at them. At first, Ray felt slightly perturbed with the way they just stood and stared, but then he realized that the others were walking towards them and followed suit. A stallion dragged a large metal trolley full of Rarity’s bags out of another car of the train, struggling against the weight of the bags. He realized that the ponies must have been some sort of contourage to take them to the castle, sent by Twilight.
There were words exchanged between the leader of the little group and Rarity, but soon enough they were off, the unicorns carrying the bags Rarity and Spike didn’t. Ray couldn’t help but take in the sights of the majestic city, the paved white stones that made up the main streets. The towers that soared above the city were large enough to be considered skyscrapers in human terms. The whole city seemed to be built on the thought of beauty, even in the design of the roads, he saw, as they came to a crossroads. The road they were on curved into another one, and from there two more roads curved outwards. He was sure that if he were to see a bird’s-eye view of the city, he would see an intricate pattern of roads and buildings. He looked over at Otolo, who was staring around at the city in the same wonder he felt.
He had almost assumed that the ponies were more primitive, a fool thought he now realized. Their technology might still have been more steampunky, but with magic to replace it, they may just have been more advanced than humans. Elegant carriages lined filled the street, the well carved and polished wood a shining example of beauty with purpose. Even the alleyways seemed to be… seemed to…
His mind blanked. Snow drifted around him, he looked around. Why was it snowing in Canterlot? His shoe felt wet. Wet and cold. He looked down. Nothing. He lifted his shoe. It felt wet to his foot. To his hand it wasn’t. Why?
A sharp pain in his cheek woke him from his visioning. He twisted his head over to where Otolo stood on his shoulder. Even in the bird's black eyes, he could see concern. He frowned, quickly glancing back at the alleyway. It was paved with the same white stone as the main roads, and was well lit, doors and back entrances to shops lining it. He shook his head.
“Thanks, Ohs,” he said to the bird. She gave a quick chirp, an almost kind one.
“C’mon now, Ray,” a voice suddenly urged from below. He looked down and found Applejack gently pushing against the back of his leg, trying to get him to move. Ahead by nearly twenty paces, the rest of the group was moving on, not noticing thor largest companion had lagged behind. “We need ta catch up with th’ others.”
Ray nodded, not trusting his mouth to more than a few words. He was still shaky, though his strides showed it not. Only one pony other seemed to notice his slowing, and it was that same older stallion before, scowling at him like he was nothing more than filth on his fancy suit. He gave the stallion no second thoughts as he sharply turned away, following after the group with AJ.
Another turn, and suddenly the pathway to the castle was stretching before them. Green-leafed trees lined the road, unkept flower bushes dotting the grasses around it. The road led to a drawbridge, less spectacular than any Ponyville bridge, which lay above a small stream. A larger waterfall flowed down to fuel the stream, which was topped with lily pads and laced with reeds and cattails.
At the entrance to the drawbridge waited Twilight. Her face was welcoming, her smile genuine at seeing her friends again, though they gained a sense of worry when they reached Ray’s face. He kept it blank, not allowing any form of any emotion to exist in his mind or on his face. She nodded to him, her smile unwavering, her eyes on his, and his on hers. She looked back to her friends.
“It’s good to see you all again. Please, come in.”
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10280611
That sounds EXACTLY what Zeus and the other Greek Gods did. I HOPE for Twilight's sake, that Ray DOESN'T become like Kratos (God of War Video Game Series.) Or Asura ( Asura's Wrath)
Those Games both show that EVEN "Gods" can Bleed and DIE!!!!!!!!! 😈😈😈😈
10385649
Um, what does?
10385909
I just WARNING everyone here. That EVEN "Gods" make Mistakes and will receive Karma, or the consequences for messing with the WRONG person.
I'm just commenting on sykko's comment about Twilight being a "manipulating God". (If that make sense.)
Just look what Kratos DID to Zeus, Ares, and the other Greek gods ( God of War). Or Asura using his unstoppable WRATH on the Seven Deities and even Chakravartin ( Asura's Wrath).
For Twilight's sake, she SHOULD REALLY APOLOGIZE, or stop being so manipulative. Otherwise, the Human Protagonist might "Snap" and just say "That's It! F*** you Purple B****!!! I rather watch your "Perfect" World BURN in HELL, then to help you!!!"
And concerning that he ALREADY has mental issues. "All it takes is to have one BAD DAY!" ( Joker from Batman: The Killing Joke.)
10385965
I see. Also, I got the "One Bad Day " Joke.
10385971
Yep. Twilight should ACT nice. Otherwise, Ray might become like Superman Regime: "What IF their Greatest 'Hero' become their Greatest THREAT!" ( DC Comics Injustice Video Game Series)
One thing I'm wondering is that why has Twilight not started setting up evacuation points in the mountains, caves, deep forests and protected valleys. Unless the minotaurs are going to be rolling around with demolition charges and 88mm flak guns, earth ponies and unicorns could create landslides making passes nigh impassable with rubble and cities like Cloudsdale could become the most defensible points, especially if unicorns know the cloud walking spell. It wouldn't take Celestia lifting her spell blocking ponies from committing violence for ponies to do a scorched earth campaign burning their fields and collapsing empty buildings. If the minotaur horde behaves and is similarly equipped like a medieval army, then most of their food will come from scavenging the land and basically the Equestrians can defeat the minotaurs by starving the to the point they must abandon their campaign.
10387418
I don't remember writing a chapter from Twilight's point of view, nor explaining the full extent of her plans and procedures to protect her ponies. Same thing with violence, and many Earth ponies would be too stubborn to give up on their crops. The walking spell is temporary and draining for the average unicorn, and Celestia gave up the power to when she gave Twilight the power of the sun. Also, there are animals that can be killed in Equestria for food, including ponies.
10387447
In this situation Twilight is going to have to do some not nice things because she's very soon going to become a wartime leader and her actions or lack of actions could literally mean the very existence of not only Equestria, but also all of her fellow ponies. She's already made one serious mistake by abducting Ray, a young man who not only lacks the physical and emotional maturity to be a soldier, but also has deep-seated psychological issues, but now she's going to have to double down on that mistake and turn him into a child soldier, mind you not a sever as what the Cubans and Soviets did in Angola. Then she's going to have to commit herself to a series of decisions that will deny her a good night's rest for a long time, because right now Twilight has a ticking clock hanging over her head and if she drags her hooves and squanders her time, that literally means she has doomed every pony to either slaughter or being slapped in chains and drug off as slaves. As far as the minotaurs, if they come to find every populated community abandoned, the fields burned and left fallow, yes they could hunt, but most large game would have fled the sounds of a marching host leaving only rabbits, squirrels and small birds and that won't do for their caloric needs, triggering rabbit starvation in their ranks, unless they also benefit from having bovine anatomy and can subsist off of grass and wild flowers.
10387599
Yes, yes. I know all of this. So does Twilight (well, not about Soviets and Angolans). If there was nothing in Equestria, they would move on across the Equus plain. They would also call to more of their kind to come. To settle and secure the land. And if they find the statue if the villains, they would free them, and then those same villains would lead the minotaurs to finding them. Cozy Glow probably wouldn't, because she's still a pony, but then the minotaurs would kill her. I know what I need to do for my story. I dare say this story has had more thought put into it, and more planning, than most, because the premise is something new. As far as I know, there isn't a story out there like EROH. The closest I could find was New Life, New Adventure, by Wurky Wilk, but that is very different. I haven't found a single other fanfic out there where ponies didn't kill or attempt to kill. I am sure that you know all about planning stories, as your story A strange creature in Equestria is a well thought out and intricate story. Please do realize that this story still has at least 500k words left to it, and there will be many things you find shocking, enlightening, and disturbing. I know all of my stories from start to finish, and could answer all of the questions inquiries I received in the comments, but for the sake of giving no spoilers, I will stop now.
10387867
Your story is fairly unique as most HiE stories involve either a major clop elements, something a bit closer to mine or the character Anon. This story has me riveted as I'm trying to think about how Ray's training will go, what lengths will Twilight go to preserve her country and subjects, will Equestria mobilize a grand army, will Equestria modernize(relatively) or will they keep their military tech pre-firearms. There's just a ton of possible ways I can see this story going, from the sappy happy ending to the sadly ever after and everything in between.
10387885
That is exactly what I'm going for! Some stories, you know the ending to, others, you have to hope the ending isn't marked by the hero's failure and death. That's exactly what this story is. "There'll be times when you don't want to know the ending, because how could it be good with so much bad in the world. Those are the stories that count." -Samwise Gamgee, LOTR
10387971
Nice, you're quoting the red book of Gondor.
10388047
Yep.
This is a pretty good story so far and I can’t wait to see more! Keep up the awesome work.
10389023
Thank you! Thanks for Favoriting this!
Well, it took about a week (and probably will until June of next year), but I got it done! First, Pinkie Pie is pregnant... Lord help us when the mood swings kick in. Next, though I still am not completely for it, you are getting me to start shipping the FlutterRay! Small steps, small steps. Finally, Otolo... She's awesome, what more can I say? Probably more, but I don't feel like it.
10395453
It's all good, and thank you! Don't feel bad at all, I'm thankful that you took a look at my story with your buy schedule.
... Sunset Shimmer maybe? 😉😉😂
10511766
Maybe... It'll become known... eventually...
oh my gosh i hope this thing with shy is squashed. i would shit my pants if discord got cucked by a 14 year old lmfao dude rip
11757827
