The life of a horse is boring...drab...almost insufferable were it not for the care and purpose of humans. One horse though is still unhappy with his life...maybe a dream just might become a reality...
Jake the Clydesdale, a full grown horse that lives in the lap of luxury. Everyday he gets all the apples he could ever want and gets to run as far as his heart needs. All the humans ask is that he pulls a wagon in front of a camera during a sports game once a year. Deep down, he know's that this life isn't enough...he wants to work, to actually feel useful and even find the mare of his dreams.
Today he finally made a statement.
He let the humans know he was unhappy. Now he sits in his stall tied to the post and awaiting judgment...just before he drifts to sleep, he looks out at the night sky, finding the brightest star and praying to whatever deity could save him from the nightmare of his stale life.
Please...I know I already have everything I could ever want...but I just want to be normal! The humans weren't happy that I bucked that weird cart off its wheels, but they still keep me here like a caged rat...Please just take me away from this place so I can understand this feeling deep in my soul!
Jake stepped over to the small pile of hay in the corner of his stall and dropped down, letting the soft cushion of hay take his weight rather than the cold stone. Time started drifting slowly...feeling foolish that he even pulled a Disney and wished upon a star.. Though he did feel worse that he had become that desperate for change. All of the other stallions thought he was strange for wanting to change, and the mares...well to be frank he never got to actually speak with a mare.... It was mundane! It was boring! Every day he would wake up, eat an apple or two, go for a run and then sit by the road and pray something would come along to take him away from this pit. Food was even losing its luster...and that fence seemed just that bit more jumpable...yet he was too afraid of the real world to go off on his own.
The clydesdale put his head on the hay and sighed heavily...staring back up at the stars outside his small window and somehow finding that same star he prayed to in seconds. The soft glow of the moon became blocked by a growing amount of storm clouds, Jake huffed and got up slowly, nudging over the post that kept his window open so he would be spared the coming downpour. It was nice though, that the soft sound of rain could lul the stallion to sleep so quickly...
"You have been heard..."
The morning rooster crowed proudly over the barn just like every other day, animals stirring awake and the sound of farmers outside starting their morning chores. Jake woke up slowly, no hunger for breakfast this morning..the same soft summer air filling his lungs and same pit in his heart. With his last prayer unanswered, he sighed out when the same hay and wooden stall he feel asleep in, still surrounded his vision. The humans had taken the rope off his neck, a good sign. Perhaps they still wanted him to at least help fix the cart or something...it would only make sense to make him pay for his crime. Jake looked up but closed his eyes to the blinding sunlight beaming though the other windows, huffing angrily at the rooster before plopping his head back down on the hay pile. The sound of a farmer faceplanting into the bar door made him let out a surprised nicker of laughter, seems they forgot that rain messes with wood again. Jake slowly got to his feet for the coming breakfast, maybe the farmers would just scold him because of how depressed he's been...frankly it would be nice to hear if his owner cared for his well being. Jake sighed heavily and just as he got to his hooves... he knocked his head into the ceiling.
"Ow! What the-"
Jake's eyes widened...
"Applebloom! Get your gosh darn flank over here and help me get the doors open, the rain swelled the boards again..."
Jake stood up slowly again and peaked over the stall...knowing full well that the female voice was not his usual caretaker. The fact that he, a horse, just speaking english was now the least of his worries...
"Ahm commin'! Keep your hat on, sis."
Kids weren't even ALLOWED on the farm! None of this made sense!! Jake crouched down again and started hyper-ventilating. Scenarios rushing in his head until he came to the true realization...Suddenly his cushy life didn't seem so bad now that he was the victim of....horsenapping! Jake totally forgot that he even spoke, he was horsenapped and his owners probably didn't even care after the stunt he pulled! The barn doors opened slowly and soon he heard the voices even clearer, forcing him to duck as low as he could inside the stall and hope they forgot he was there...
"Alright, youngn, today you and I are gonna hit the west field; before that though, you best not keep those hungry ones waitn'."
Did they mean me?! Was this some sick cult of horse eating freaks!?
The sound of a bucket made his ear twitch, it was where they kept all the knives, the saws for bones and meat grinders, he was as good as-
"Come an get it..dumb pigs..." The child voice said with a whispering grimace..
Soon the sound of trough getting filled and a horde of hungry farm animals rushing it filled the barn. It wasn't the end...there were no meat grinders, no satan worshiping horse eaters. Still, he was stuck in a tiny stall with no hope of getting out without being noticed. Maybe he could wait...? It seemed that his stall was unlocked, at best he could try and get over the low door and work out a plan once the two captors were gone. Jake nodded to himself and grinned, now that he had a plan, he was put at ease...the horsenappers forgot he was even there! He let out a long sigh in relief...
"Hey! Who was that just now freeloading in my barn?!" The older voice shouted.
Jake felt his ears flatten and heart start beating rapidly again.
No one! No helpless horse thats possibly been drugged by monstrous horsenappers!
The stall door flew open with a thunderous slam, Jake closed his eyes and jumped up; pressing his flank against the opposite wall in that small hope he could find a way to run. It felt strange to be so afraid of a human...and a woman no less, yet so much happened so quickly that he felt nothing but fear, for whatever stood before him now, human or dirty horsenapper...
Oddly the woman was silent for a few moments..Jake was even about to open his eyes when she bolted off.
"B-Big Macintosh!" The women yelled, suddenly he head her run and the child with her...
_ _
"Big Maaaaac! Where the hay are ya?!" Applejack shouted, voice reaching clear across the farm.
Applejack was just plain dumbfounded, shocked and even a little scared. A pony could never scare the thick skinned farm pony...but this?!The stallion was huge compared to her, she even thought he would have a foot or two over her brother! Applejack looked back to check if Applebloom was behind her, thankful that the filly was sprinting to keep up. Big Mac was rearing up to buck a tree when Applejack dashed into view.
"There ya are!" She shouted.
Big Mac found himself being dragged along by the harness around his neck, running to keep up with his sister and not end up face first into the ground.
"I got no clue how or why but I need you to help me give this guy the boot!"
It was rare to see Applejack so deeply disturbed, Applebloom was panting behind the two, just interested in the sudden craziness. Soon the three tore back into the barn just to find Granny Smith laughing her head off while the massive guest was hunched in his stall laughing quietly...Now it started making a little sense...Granny Smith was known for her unusual friends, perhaps this was an old and very distant family friend...
"Now I still can't believe my eyes..." The old pony said once the laughing fit was quelled.
Big Mac actually felt his jaw drop...this..pony? Was nearly six feet tall compared to his five and a half...and he was normally the big one...
Not only was he tall, it was obvious that his thick legs and built chest had strength meant for something way tougher than apple bucking. A dark and shimmering coat seemed more fitting on Canterlot folks rather than the stallion, what was just another oddity...was his legs...draped in white fur that flowed with the wind rather than hug against his body. Jake lowered his head brushed a little of the white mane out of his face while turning his attention to the tan mare. All the signs of fear plastering back on his face, keeping his eyes low and on the ground to avoid the stare of the terrifying mare...
"Granny..please tell me this is one of your friends..." Applejack said, locked on the stallion and looking for any signs of danger.
Granny Smith smiled softly. Jake was a little upset though that the one who was able to talk him back down was leaving so soon...she started slowly for the barn exit, explaining as she walked.
"Now, hun, you be kind to our guest. He's just a fella who got himself a little lost. I want you and Big Mac to add setting up a cot for him in the barn to your chores. He'll be staying until he can afford a place of his own."
The old pony left without another word, leaving Applejack floored. Granny Smith even managed to ignore the rapid fire questions of Applebloom. Big Mac shook his head and turned for the exit, wanting nothing but to clear his head with more bucking. Hopefully this...situation..would sort itself out, his sister was an element of harmony after all, and he noticed that most things tended to work out well for her; even if they do start out on the wrong hoof. Plus, his sister wasn't easily tricked; not even he could get a lie across that mare without getting an ear full. So he was sure in Applejack's capability in handling this on her own.
"Eeeyup..."
Applejack snapped out of her confused stupor and realized she was left to fix this mess...The farm pony sighed heavily and glared back at her brother.
"I'll remember that one you lazy block head!"
Big Mac trotted faster suddenly to get away before Applejack guilt trips him into helping. While on any normal day he would be ready to help his sis at the drop of a hat...this kind of weird was her department, not his. Applejack looked back up at the giant guest and wondered what was keeping him so quiet.
"I don't know what your deal is, but whatever it is you're thinkin'..forget it."
Jake reeled back when she suddenly got in his face, standing on the tips of her hooves and only managing to reach halfway up his chest. Applejack huffed and suddenly trotted straight past Jake, wanting to get this job done as quickly as possible so she could find Twilight...
_ _
Applejack hammered in the last nail with a swift buck, barn wall shuddering from the force but holding fast to her makeshift design. A vaulted ceiling that, while unsightly, would provide the stallion with enough room to stand in the stall she found him in. Applejack took a step back and felt a little pride gave her that confidant smile she lost earlier that morning, the light sweat and sore legs took all her cares away and put her mind back on track...until she felt a big hoof nudge her shoulder.
"What is it big fella..?" She asked, turning around to face him.
Jake was holding a bucket of apples in his jaw with a slight smile on his face, setting them down and looking up at Applejack as if offering them. While the gesture was a bit odd, she was indeed a bit hungry after all the work; Applejack picked up an apple and bit into it eagerly, Jake's smile brightening and digging headfirst into the bucket to get his own.
"Woah nelly...how hungry were you, sugercube?" Applejack said with concern edging into her tone.
Jake nearly took half the buckets worth before he looked back up, face covered in applejuice and seeds, cheeks bulging with apples before he gulped them down with that same confused stare on his face.
Well...guess I didn't realize how hungry I was...
Applejack couldn't help but laugh now, the edge of timid fear in his eyes but brash and bulky look was so unexpected that she dropped the rest of her apple and feel on her flank laughing. All this time she was worried about the giant being some insane villain, when he was just what granny said he was...a lost pony. Lost,confused and just as scared as she was. Worse for him though, it seemed he was even less eager to talk than Big Mac was...
When Applejack regained her composure, she wiped the tear from her face and looked back up at the still confused stallion.
"You don't talk much, do you?"
Uhm...last time I checked,horses can't talk...even if you go by different rules.
"Are you mute then...?" She asked...hoping not to offend.
Jake looked up as if thinking on it,shrugging in his mind and nodding to the tan mare. It would at least explain his situation a little, Applejack nodded in understanding and looked down at the apples again.
"You get these from my brother?" She asked.
Jake shook his head and quickly got up to trot to a tree just outside the barn. Applejack followed to watch him make a bucking motion, hooves landing in a freshly formed indent in the tree...
"Guess you got an eye for bucking, I was gonna hit this side of the field tomorrow...but I guess some of them were ripe and ready."
Jake smiled even brighter..
Was I just...did I just do something good?!
Even though he wouldn't admit it, he didn't even think about the apples. Jake only followed the little fillies instructions and kicked the tree so he could get something to say thanks for building him a new home for the time being. Applejack looked up at the tree, not a single apple hung on after the good bucking; perhaps the stallion might be a bit of use around the farm...Applejack found herself staring at Jake while she was in thought, shaking herself out and back to the real world. No matter what, this was a problem, after she helped Big Mac clear the rest of the field, she would race over to Twilight's and start explaining the situation...
Or..
Applejack let out another laugh and tipped her hat up a little, making Jake a bit confused again. If that lazy block head saw fit to leave his sister to do all that work, its only fair to make him take care of the field on his own. The farm pony began a victorious stride, revenge already paid back in full. Jake followed quickly and leaned down to try and get the pony to explain what was going on.
"Come on, sugercube, Big Macintosh can handle himself. I need you to meet one of my friends...she might be able to help you out."
_ _
"But Granny! What is he?!"
Applebloom whined next to Granny Smith,who rocked in her chair peacefully. In all her years, she never thought it would happen a second time...was Celestia really that caring? Of course everypony knew she had a pure heart, but even Granny Smith thought the alicorn would be far too busy to see the problems of more than just Equestria...
Perhaps she had a deeper plan for this lost pony...after all, Celestia was known for having an inexhaustible supply of convoluted and just plain crazy plans. Yet they always showed even this old pony that you can never stop being surprised, and that you can never stop learning. The real question though...was this a test for Twilight? or was it a test for the giant pony..? Celestia never used that kind of power just on a hope that maybe somepony learns a lesson about friendship. Whatever it was, this pony was here to stay...and it seems that he has big things ahead of him...
"Heck if I know! Now go help your brother ya lazy filly!"
Twilight was humming to herself happily...watching books float in the air wrapped in purple magic and landing gracefully on the shelves. Organizing wasn't something she did often lately, most of her recent studies at the princesses request, were taking all of her attention; leaving the simple things to fall behind. Most of the library was back in place, all that was left was the books she needed for her studies. Twilight walked calmly to her desk and let out a soft sigh.
Advanced Teleportation and its Side Effects
The pages fluttered open and soon Twilight found a steady pace, page after page turning and time flowing along as she soaked up the information in the book. Though the lingering thoughts of how odd the request was hung in her mind still; Twilight was already well versed with this field of magic, yet when a book from the Canterlot library: Starswirl section, lands on her doorstep...how could she resist? Soon, Twilight found her attention was dragged to a marked chapter, a note from Celestia herself attached to the page...
"Twilight! Please tell me you're home!"
Twilight sighed heavily and shut the book, trotting to the door quickly and putting on a warm smile, despite the annoyance for this interruption. The door opened and before she could welcome Applejack in, she found herself tackled down as another set of hooves rushed inside.
"Twi! I got a mighty big problem..." The tan mare said quickly.
There is no way she has a horn on her head...
"What's wrong...? ...and could you please get off me...?"
Applejack's eyes widened and she jumped up, letting Twilight get up and dust herself off; she took a deep breath and smiled again, but found herself speechless when she looked back up to speak.
In the middle of her library was a stallion that could rival the princess in height...yet it was his bulk that sent the chill of fear into the mare...
"A-applejack....who is that?"
Spike ventured down the sitars to see what the commotion was about; only stopping halfway down when both Jake and the small dragon found each other...
"Monster pony!!"
Jake looked around rapidly, just as afraid of the dragon and even a monster pony. Spike rushed back upstairs before Twilight could tell him otherwise, Jake just trotted in place and looked around for anything he could call normal at this point. It was his fatal mistake of shaking the shelves of books until some had fallen to the ground that he realized that this purple pony was a unicorn. Jake was lifted into the air like a feather and rendered immobile, he started hyper-ventilating again and tried his best to wiggle out of the purple field.
"Let me go!" He shouted.
"Ha! I knew you could talk!" Applejack shouted.
"I can! ...I can?!"
Twilight extended the hold to both their jaws and warped Spike back down to the library to keep him from sending a panicked letter to Celestia. Just as Twilight had the situation back under control...fate would have it that a bubbly pink, hyper-active and party loving mare bounced inside, tail twitching fast enough that her whole body shook with the force.
"Twilight!-"
Twilight once again extended the silence spell to Pinkie Pie, all she needed was a few moments so that everypony could take a breather and continue this...odd...moment calmly. Yet like a cyan blue blur, Rainbow Dash flew through the window and crashed into a bookcase,kicking off the wood thankfully, but letting all the books fall once again, that fierce glare and quick assessment of the situation made it hard for Twilight to catch and silence her in mid-flight.
"I'll show you,monstmmmph!"
Twilight glared at all of them, Jake just kept shifting his eyes to each, a unicorn, a pegasus...things he only heard about when the humans talked about childhood books and stories. Suddenly the door swung open again and another unicorn entered, looking distressed.
"What is all this racket! I am trrrrryang to make-yiiip!" Rarity joined the others in silence much to Jake's pleasure...just a few moments and he was already tired of hearing that drama queen.
Twilight was feeling the stress of keeping the spell up now..a few beads of swear rolled down her head and a glare that could cut glass boring into all of the petrified ponies.
"Are we all going to act civil now?!" She shouted.
All of them nodded as much as the spell would let them, with relief, Twilight let them all go and winced when Jake crashed to the ground. Fluttershy poked her head in the doorway and hid behind most of her mane; making Twilight feel a little bad for how forcefully she calmed her friends down. Jake though, found himself surrounded in moments, all eyes on him with suspicion, wonder, confusion and...it seems the pink one was the only one eager to see him. Jake had to resist the urge to just get up and run for the hills, were it not for his fear for the purple unicorn keeping him locked in place.
"Okay...now that everypony is caught up on the situation....Applejack?"
Applejack nodded, getting the other four away from Jake to give him breathing room.
I don't think I can take six crazy mares...but really miss Rainbows? The constant death glare is getting old really fast.
"I found him in the barn this morning, I guess he was sleeping cause he was just as confused as I was when I found him..and now that I know you can talk, what's your name, big fella?" Applejack said, the pressure of the stares getting to him a bit more...
"I...holy cow I can talk..." Jake said with a laugh.
All of the mares just seemed more confused...
"I'm Jake..."
_ _
Jake spent the better part of an hour explaining...everything...Where he came from, how he woke up and why he was shocked that he could talk. More to the point though, he explained that last night on the farm back in his home, the six seemed quick to accept his story, insane as it is. It was slow, but eventually Rainbow Dash lost the glare and resorted to defensive curiosity, thankfully the drama queen seemed at a lose for words just as well, the pink one though was the first to speak up once his story was finished.
"This is great! I can throw you a welcome to Ponyville party! Or maybe it would be a welcome to Equestria...could I do both at one time?! That would mean two parties wrapped into one BIG one! Perfect! A big party for a big pony, i'll go get things started,see ya later, Jake!"
Jake had to duck when the pink pony suddenly took off over his head and out the door, Seems he was already wrapped up in a mess he didn't understand. Drama queen was next, walking with her nose up and a odd way about her walk as she strode past him.
"As odd as it is, I think we've been though stranger things. My name is Rarity, and if you ever need help, feel free to stop by my boutique; I think I could turn you into quite the dashing stallion."
Jake felt his face redden slightly and looked back, Rarity though was already gone. Jake looked back to the remaining group with more than confusion on his face...
"She was talkin' about your mane...she's got an unhealthy compulsion to make everything sparkle and glitzy." Applejack said, as much sarcasm seeping into the last few words as possible.
Jake ran a hoof on his head, sure it was a little messy...but to be fair, he did just wake up in a completely different world with a host of new problems and realizations. A rats nest of a mane was the least of his worries at this point, he had an angry pegasus staring him down and a unicorn with control issues that could go off on him at any time. Applejack was at least willing to give him a chance, yet the yellow one was so quiet about all this...he really couldn't get a read on her.
"We'll see how this party plays out...one false move though and you're gonna be dealing with Rainbow Dash, future Wonderbolt and fastest pony in Equestria!" Dash quickly leapt into the air and flew up to Jake to get nose to nose with him.
"And you don't want to tick me off..."
Jake lowered his head but Dash just butted heads with him, glare boring into his soul before she finally flew over his head and out the door. Is this what mares were like?! All crazy in some special way to the point of driving a stallion to drink? Jake found himself re-thinking that last bit of his list where he finds his dream mare...putting it a bit lower until he found someone-...somepony normal.
"...Well....It was nice to meet you, Jake..."
Jake was torn from his thoughts when the yellow mare finally spoke up, even though she was quiet. Walking over to him slowly,trying to have the courage to keep eye contact, but mostly finding herself looking around or at the ground.
"It must be really frightening to be in your shoes right now...and you must really miss home..."
A little...
"But I admire how well you're taking it..If you need somepony to talk to, all you need to do is ask...and my name is Fluttershy."
Fluttershy looked up at him for just another moment, those big wide eyes peaking out from behind a pink mane caused Jake to actually feel his heart melting...
Okay...maybe I'll move it back up a little higher on the list..
Fluttershy stepped around Jake, trotting out and leaving him with just the unicorn and Applejack. The purple mare was already using more of her magic to fix the books that had been thrown off the shelves during the chaos. Which was a little disturbing considering her attention still seemed fixed on him...
Twilight sighed as another row of books took their place on the shelf again.
"My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I am sorry for restraining you earlier." She said with genuine regret in her voice. "And this scardy dragon is Spike..."
The scaled head of the tiny dragon poked around from behind Twilight, still suspicious of the pony. It was helpful that at this point, Jake gave up on trying to find normality, a tiny dragon was just another little thing that would slightly edge him closer to the revelation that he had gone crazy. While Jake was silently trying to decide if sanity was overrated, Twilight was already thinking of a letter to send to Celestia, explaining her of the situation with the hope that the sun goddess would have an answer. With no real reason to leave, she nodded to Jake and brought a quill and plain paper from one of the many reserves in her library to start taking down the letter.
"Come on, big fella; Twilight here just needs some space is all." Applejack stated, walking for the door as well while bringing Jake around to follow her.
Once Jake ducked under the doorway, he was greeted a little differently by the crowds of colored ponies walking the streets. More of them regarded him with a friendly smile or wave, some said hello as he walked by. A big improvement from hushed whispers and timid stares...
Maybe this had something to do with the six mares? Whatever the case,it felt nice to see all the ponies smiling up at him and offering friendly words as he passed. Was this the plus to this world? A land full of friendly and kind hearted equines, all of them living...well to him, they were living the human experience. Couples kissed on the bridge as he walked over with Applejack while foals played in the grassy fields with their parents. It was subtle...a slow realization that he was given a chance that no stallion or mare back home was ever given..or had for that matter; it was the chance to be human. To live as a human would, problems and benefits all added up into every single multi-colored equine that smiled and made him see the light in all their hearts. No longer would he be limited to another horse out of five on that barn so far away for any hope of conversation...now he was given the chance to talk to everypony...to see and understand the world from a new set of eyes.
"Jake...are you feeling well, sugercube?"
Jake realized that they were already at the farm, he was stuck in thought, just staring out at this town with a smile stuck on his face and tears pouring from his eyes. Jake quickly wiped his face and nodded,turning to avoid looking foolish. Applejack leaned over to follow him, noticing that the ground was wet and Jake was trying to wipe the fresh tears off his face as quickly as he could.
"Hey...no need to feel bad now...I'm sure Twilight can find you a way back home." She said reassuringly.
Jake let out a laugh, it was a bit shaky from the tears but he still laughed for a few moments until he felt his face was dry once again. Turning back to Applejack, a soft smile on his face that he knew was genuine...
"Why would I want to go back?" He said with another laugh and stifled sob.
Jake stood up proudly and looked out again at the town, the soft wind was blowing though the long hoof fur and helping untangle his wild mane little by little. It was the first time he felt peace in all his life....true peace that he dreamed of sitting by the road and watching cars fly by like the wind. Somehow that wind took him to another world...it gave him the exact thing he wished for...a place he could call home,not prison. The afternoon sun hung high in the sky and Applejack soon realized that he wasn't joking...Jake wanted to stay...and it was tearing him apart on the inside. Even if Jake couldn't see it, Applejack could tell that even if he did hate his old home..it was the comfort of the familiar, and friends he had, that he missed so much.
"You must miss all your friends back home though..." She said quietly.
Jake nodded in silent agreement, wondering why he missed them but not thinking on it too hard...after all...if he was crazy.....this was the best fantasy he could ask for. For a moment...he thought for just a moment that this might be the afterlife...it was a paradise after all; but the fire in his chest, the wealth of emotions raging inside him. Jake knew that he felt too alive to be dead now. In fact...he thought to all the mares he meet earlier.
I think I might take Rarity up on that offer...and I cant wait for that party!
Jake laughed out loud when he remembered that this was the first party he has ever attended as a guest and not a showpiece. Though he had a feeling that around here, parties were a normal thing to do. Fluttershy could help him adjust to his new life, showing him do's and don'ts that he might be unaware of, even helping him get to know about the world he was in...Rainbow Dash on the other hoof...maybe he would keep his distance for now. Twilight though just seemed to be a bore, too focused on her books to be easy to get to know. Jake mulled over the thought of getting to know her a bit better at the party when she could relax. All of them though were kind, funny, generous and full of the life that he wanted to see back at the farm...
"I do..a little...but I think I have even better friends here than I could hope for back home."
Applejack smiled softly as well...his words were honest and bittersweet. Seems there was yet more under the surface of this giant pony..
Jake found his distant thoughts ending his stare on the tan farm pony sitting by his side...but when he realized that he was being rude, he noticed something that he didn't bother noticing before...
"Hey now...what's the big idea staring like that?" Applejack said, face turning a bright red and her tail covering over her flank.
Jake tilted his head in confusion but flushed red when he realized what he was doing...
"Oh god, i-i'm so sorry! I uh, well see I didn't mean to stare like that...I just was curious about-"
"About what?"
Jake felt the color leave his face when the deep voice of Big Macintosh interrupted him.
Oh...crap...
Applejack turned to see her brother standing with a judgmental glare cutting though Jake. After a few tense moments, she pieced together what exactly Jake was looking at...feeling unbearably awkward for taking it to that level so quickly...
"Oh! Would you..! Go on back to your chores, Big Mac, he just doesn't know what a cutie mark is. Making Jake feel all guilty and shameful like that..." She scolded furiously.
Big Mac turned his attention to his sister..who did indeed have a better judgment with it came to ponies actions. Still...now he knew to keep an eye on this pony. Big Macintosh huffed and walked on about his business, leaving them alone once again. Jake was still trying to recover from the shock when Applejack decided to explain the odd mark on her flank,just to get the conversation back out of the gutter...
"It's called a cutie mark...each pony has to learn what he or she is meant for in life to earn it.When you do...it's like all your life has lead up to that one moment...and everything suddenly makes sense."
Jake looked on his flank and saw just the same dark color of his fur. It was a little disheartening,he thought he would have this cool and mysterious mark that would help him integrate even faster into this new world. Jake sighed and looked back out at the town...his hopes not dampened even a little by the bump in the road. Perhaps even he was meant to be like this? What if he couldn't get a cutie mark? The thought comforted him a bit and it helped him get the big grin on his face that make even Applejack smile...he was home...no matter what his past was, he was finally home...and his first visit around town would be to get ready for a party and see his new favorite drama queen for a manecut.
Okay...lets recap. So I pull a Disney and end up in a new world with magical ponies that can fly...if I've gone crazy, then this is one intense fever dream. Twilight Sparkle might have a way for me to go home....I guess I'll have to decide later if I want to go back or not. Rainbow Dash...yea I'll just keep that plan and stay away from that ball of crazy. Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy though...I guess they're the only sane ones so far. Maybe I can make the best of this though, the pink one talked about a party, and judging by her looks, a party was something she specialized in. Oh! I still didn't get her name...guess I can ask Rarity once I find that shop she was talking about.
Jake couldn't thank Applejack enough for letting him go and explore the town, if he had to guess, the farm pony was already plotting out chores for him to help payback his stay. After his sudden near breakdown, she knew that he needed time to adjust at his pace...while being big and intimidating was one thing, he was actually easily panicked and just a little outside his comfort zone...
So far, Jake got to meet with a few vendors on the streets. Taking a particular liking to the Cakes when they gave him a sample of the delicious treats they had planned for the party tonight. It took him longer than expected, but he eventually found the home of the fashionista, Rarity. The building was full of elegant designs and a mix of purple and white colors, all of it a bit more girly than Jake would feel comfortable entering on his own; still, he entered after a few light knocks.
"Hello? Rarity, you home?" He said as he pushed open the door.
Suddenly a tiny, white coated foal rushed from another room and was tailed by two more fillies; one orange and the other...Applebloom?
"I told you he would be here!" The white one said proudly.
"No you didn't! You said he wouldn't be caught dead in this place!" Applebloom said, the orange one nodding and glaring at her friend.
Thankfully, Rarity followed in with an annoyed look on her face, trot brisk to get the fillies out of Jake's mane before they scared him away.
"You three, go play in Sweetie Belle's room. Jake is here on business, if he wishes, you three can talk later; now off you go." Rarity added a shooing motion with her hoof to make sure the crusaders would listen.
The fillies all groaned in disappointment and marched up the stairs,talking in hushed tones to gossip. Jake was a little curious about the three,but he let that wane for a conversation later on. Right now he just wanted to talk and get himself fixed up for the party, and if anypony could help him...maybe drama queen could. Seems though she was more suited to mares, judging off of a few mannequins standing with frilly dresses.
"Hey, Rarity...I came by hoping if uh..."
Rarity leaned forward, waiting to hear the words she ever so loved from every customer...
"If you could help fix myself up proper for the party..." Jake said, looking back at the door and starting to re-think his choice of visiting Rarity first...
Still, she practically squeed with delight and used a bit of her magic to drag Jake along into her salon. It had a single chair, a large mirror, and the biggest assortment of girly, fancy products that Jake had ever seen cluttering the whole area around it. There was even a small stage behind it so that a client could test her look after the styling. Before Jake could argue, he was flung into the chair, needing to lean down in order to see himself in the mirror...
woah..
Jake had to take a moment to understand what he was seeing...it was him...but he was a lot softer looking, a lot more rounded and smoothed; frankly...he looked a little cartoonish. Rarity wasted no time though, this was of course, a once in a lifetime chance. To create the image of Ponyville's newest guest, the guest from another world! No way she would let him walk around town with that mess on his head he called a mane...
"Wait, Rarity!"
Jake yelped when the chair suddenly leaned back, a thick layer of facial cream blinding him.
"It's quite alright, darling. Just relax and let me work my own magic." She said musically.
While Jake was blind,Rarity was already using her scissors and comb to trim up the wild mess...humming as she worked.
_ _
Now Jake wasn't completely sure how it ended up like this...but he sure wasn't arguing about it either. The warm waters of the spa soaked his fur and made every anxiety he had about this world melt away. Granted that he alone was taking up most of the space, Rarity though, was still working behind him to give the finishing touches to her masterpiece. The stallion sunk his neck deeper into the small pool, hind legs jetting up lazily in the air with steam pouring off them. Hooves polished, coat shined and damn near asleep in the comforting waters of the hot tub. With a last snip, Rarity gleamed happily and let the scissors float down and take their place on the mirror stand again.
"And with that, I can proudly say...I have transformed this raggedy visitor, into yet another trend setting and faaaabulous stallion!"
Jake lifted his head up, the things on his eyes still blinding him, seems though that the dreamy relaxation was over...
With a worried sigh he sat up, just to get sat back down with a assertive force of magic. Jake yelped and flattened his ears, Rarity sounded done...so why was she keeping him blind and clueless? A splash of water and high pitched cry made him sit up quickly to avoid the splash, eyes widening under the mask and cucumbers when something heavy and soft landed in his lap.
"Oh drat! ..Excuse my language, I can't believe I could be that clumsy." Rarity said with a frustrated groan.
Jake was getting a lot hotter than the spa was making him...face stark red and trying desperately to control the shaking in his hooves. Was this seriously happening?! How could it come to this so quickly? ...Did she do this on purpose? All these questions ran though Jake's head rapidly.
"Jake? Are you alright..? I didn't hurt you, did I?" She asked puzzled...
Jake nodded slowly, gulping and refusing to take the mask off himself....
Rarity tilted her head and lifted the cucumbers off his eyes with a small use of her magic...Leaving Jake face to face with...a soggy towel and solid looking mirror folded in his lap, the mirror just hanging on after being dropped. Jake blinked in disbelief...until a boisterous laugh escaped him, making Rarity more confused.
"No no...I'm fine, Rarity. Thanks for asking though..." Jake said when the short laugh was over.
Rarity looked like she had another question, but kept quiet, simply perking her nose up in the air and regaining her high class composure. Jake tilted his head over to look at his new style...his white mane looked pure as snow with a single black lock straightened back with the rest of the hair, all of it curved back smoothly; leaving the small part hanging by his neck to spike as it swooped out. Soon she brought over another towel and helped Jake get out of the spa, making impulsive comments when Jake tried to dry off his mane.
"No!!!" She shouted as loud as she could.
Jake froze with the towel in his hoof and halfway raised to his head, eyes wide and body petrified...
"Erm...just, do be careful..." She said with as innocent a smile as she could make.
Jake decided not to argue, drying off his neck and tossing the towel on his back. Leaving him to ponder the new look...it was less girly than he expected...still, there was just something he found missing..
The black streak popped out of place and arched in the air over his eyes...Rarity's eye twitching and smile replaced with a horrified look of shock...
"Wait wait! Rarity! ...I kinda like it like this..." Jake said sheepishly as he looked up at the bouncing lock.
Rarity looked up at the out of place strand with worry and stress...and even though it went against her better judgment, it was his choice.
Jake smiled brightly when Rarity sighed and gave up. Now, he had the look, and as Rarity walked him back out; it was something he could hopefully keep intact during the party tonight.
The party!
Jake stopped after ducking under the archway and stepping back into the main floor of the shop.
"Hey, do you know that pink mare's name by any chance?"
Rarity smiled softly and nodded next to him.
"Indeed I do, Pinkie Pie...she may seem a bit of a mess, but she always means well, and has a kind heart."
Jake repeated the name a few times in his head to let it sink in, he started noticing that the names of this world were a bit odd. They seemed more like labels of personality than just titles; what if he needed to change his name? The ponies were quick to accept him, but what if he needed to change to truly become some semblance of normal in this town...?
"Got another question, Rarity." He said frankly.
Rarity tilted her head curiously..
"I get the feeling that my name stands out just as much as I do...should I change it?"
Rarity mulled the question over silently but shrugged.
"It's up to you, darling. I don't think anypony would have a problem with your real name..."
A new start...a new life, look and a new group of friends...whats a name? But what name would fit him? It had to be something that would mean a lot to him, something that held a piece of himself. Well...he had a lot of strength, a lot of kindness and...well he felt he had courage. Rarity was looking a bit worried when Jake fell into his thoughts, wrapped up in his biggest step yet...maybe even his final. Nearly fifteen minutes went by, Rarity was frantically trying to snap him out of the trance, a gleam in his eye and excited way in his step. Jake jumped up and looked down at Rarity in front of him.
"I got it! What about Second Chance?"
Rarity sighed quietly to remove the stress on her face, letting a bright smile show. That was perfect, it was who he was, just a pony given a new life...and he was going to make sure he wouldn't waste it.
"It is a lovely name...Now I've kept you here for far too long, go on and enjoy the rest of the day; I bet tonight's festivity will be more than enough excitement for you after such a drab afternoon."
Rarity looked a little remorseful for keeping Chance for so long in her shop, even though he was oblivious to the time. In turn, it made him feel a little bad for taking so much of her time...finally Chance spoke up after an awkward silence.
"No, it's fine, I can't thank you enough!" He said excitedly.
Rarity smiled in thanks, about to offer more kind words until a loud crash and the sound of three fillies landing on the ground took her attention to the staircase. Scootaloo, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were piled on top of each other,dazed and confused from the short tumble. They all looked up soon at the stern face of a disapproving mare, all three of them trying to laugh as if nothing happened...
"Girls..." She said with anger seeping into her tone.
Sweetie Belle jumped up with her best apologetic face on, her eyes wide with the watery shine coming off them, slight pout and lip quiver nearly making Chance double over. Scootaloo stood up with Applebloom and started explaining while Sweetie worked her magic.
"But we just wanted to talk to Jake, I mean...how often can you talk to a pony from another world?!" The farm filly finished.
All three of them joined forces in putting on The Look...and while Rarity was accustomed to such underhanded tactics, Chance was defenseless; heart weighing heavily and jaw hanging slack. In all his years, he never thought a filly could break down his willpower so quickly with just one look, so before Rarity could scold them on manners in front of a guest...
"It fine! Just...please make them stop..."
The three cheered and rushed the stallion with question, all of them he was happy to answer as long as it meant he would be spared that look. Rarity just shook her head and sighed...it was still his choice after all, though she knew that he would regret this one...
_ _
It took hours before the fillies finally let Chance go, every question they could possibly have about him and Earth explained as best he could.The tree seemed really curious about the fact that he didn't have a cutie mark, unfortunately he couldn't find an answer to that question. Funny thing...he wasn't as exhausted as he expected to be after such a long interrogation, the fillies hung onto every word, it made him feel strange...rarely was his life interesting by any definition of the word, yet these three made it seem like his life was one big and exciting prelude to moments like this. Chance even found that the three had their own adventurous lives, soon it was flipped around and he found himself listening intently and enjoying the many tales of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
It was his time to leave though, the sun was setting slowly and while it cast orange hues across the sky; streamers and balloons hung from ever light post in sight. The sheer amount of color the town had received was mind boggling to the giant farm horse..not even humans had this level of party...and it made him all the more excited. Chance started a brisk trot, eyes switching from the streamers to ponies already enjoying the festivities; even the multitude of tasty looking snacks had a flare to them.
"I can't believe-"
A loud explosion behind the stallion made him yell out in shock and duck his head on the dirt and under his hooves, the bubbly giggle from behind him left unheard while the confetti cover him.
"Jake! You scream like a mare.." Pinkie said, laughing more.
Chance peaked up and saw the colorful paper littering the ground before standing back up slowly, face slightly red when he turned to face the party mare with a scowl.
"Yeah yeah...how was I suppose to know that you would start blowing things up behind me."
Pinkie smiled brightly atop her party cannon, seeming proud of her little prank.
"How do you like the party? I hope you like it, I spent a lot of time thinking of what a giant pony like cause who ever throws a party for a giant pony, right? Then it hit me! Just take a normal party and blow it up!!"
Another fire from the party cannon sent the mare back a few feet and a pile of confetti and streamers in his face, blowing his mane back. Pinkie Pie giggled when she rushed back up to him, shaking the mess off his head and laughing. Chance couldn't help himself, he laughed harder than he can remember ever laughing. Pinkie gleamed with joy, her mission accomplished and Chance wiping a tear from his eye when he calmed back down...
"Wow...Just...you're something special, Pinkie." He said with honesty.
Pinkie sat straight on her cannon and pointed her nose in the air with pride.
"Indeedely I am."
Chance took a deep breath to slow his heart back down, remembering that she called him Jake still...
"Oh, and if you don't mind...I wanted to try out a new name-"
"Oh! What about Scardy Cat? Or or! ..Um...Oh! Husky Fluff, cause you're so big!"
Chance tilted his head in pure confusion...was that a fat joke?
"Just call me Second Chance." He said slowly, trying to recover.
Pinkie blinked and looked back at Chance in confusion, whimsically shrugging in agreement. Enough stalling, tonight was his first night in a new world, even better, it was his first real party. The induction into a new society with open arms, colorful ponies and incredible smelling food. Chance couldn't wait any longer, and with Pinkie getting a broad smile when Chance said..
"Now let's PARTY!"
Many hours later...
"Oh my goodness...Spike, can you get a blanket for him?"
The dragon sighed heavily, nodding and walking for the broom closet; hoping the spare sheet wasn't dirty. The party was a big hit, it lasted nearly to sunrise; yet was a bit too much for some ponies...the giant passed out stallion in Spike's tiny bed was one such pony. Chance had a lampshade on his head, and empty bottle of cider held safely in his hooves while he slept quietly. Spike begrudgingly tossed the sheet over Chance and looked up at Twilight with concern in his eyes.
"I know...but the Princess hasn't responded yet, so i'm not sure what we can do at this point. Come on, you can split my bed for the night, deal?"
It was a bit childish to share a bed with his adoptive mother...but with his own currently occupied, Spike didn't have much of a choice. Spike huffed and hung his head, climbing up into the bed clumsily and finding a comfortable spot closer to the window..
"Since he broke my bed..does this mean I can finally get a big one like yours?" Spike asked with an excited revelation seeping into his tone.
Twilight rolled her eyes and laughed, dashing all hopes of a that king sized mattress with feather down pillows he dreamed of at night...
"No, silly..but I will get you a new bed by tomorrow afternoon."
Spiked groaned in frustration and tuned his back to her,taking the blankets tight over his shoulder. Twilight shook her head and climbed into the bed as well, careful not to move Spike too much and set him off into a full tantrum. Chance rolled over, and Twilight could hear the sounds of the small bed underneath him snapping and breaking a bit more. Twilight looked over at Spike in worry...but soon found a soft smile spreading across her face...the dragon was already asleep. Twilight's baby dragon was still young enough to be most comfortable, sleeping next to his mother...
"I'm gonna hate it when you grow up..." She said to herself.
Twilight put her head on her end of the pillow and let out a soft sigh to calm her mind. Letting her drift to sleep after a few short moments.
_ _
The sounds of paper and hooves woke Twilight, the sun had yet risen and somehow...Chance was no longer in the remains of Spike's bed. Twilight looked around the room but found no trace of the giant pony, she yawned and slowly got out of bed, wandering downstairs to see what the noise was about.
Second Chance had dozens of books spread out on the ground around him, just from the bindings, she could tell what books he was reading.,
Magic History, Equestrian Lore, The Rise and Fall of Nightmare Moon, Discord the Terrible...
The rest of were books on traditions from all over the world, from zebra tribes to gryphon keeps...all of it information he was immersing himself into. To say Twilight was surprised would be an understatement, she was floored that even after such a night..he was awake, studying to learn everything he can about his new environment. The stallion's curiosity knew no limits, it made Twilight rethink how she saw Chance...just as he flipped a page and began reading, she stepped down the rest of the stairs, alerting Chance to her presence.
"Hey, Twilight...." He said, most of his attention still on the book.
Twilight smiled..she knew that tone all to well.
"You should go back to bed, Chance..."
The giant pony shook his head and looked up, eyes bearing dark rings and gleam in his smile.
"Heck no! I can't believe how many insane things happen here...how do you guys even manage all this?"
Twilight recalled a few near breakdowns and that persistent twitch she got when things got hairy..maybe saying they managed things, was a bit overplaying it.
"I want to meet this Princess Celestia sometime, from what i've gathered, she's the one who can figure out what happened to me." Chance said proudly.
The purple unicorn laughed a little and sat down..
"I've already sent word, she should be here by tomorrow afternoon."
Chance beamed, smile broadening and ears perking up.
"Perfect, can't wait to see her." He said smartly.
Diving back headfirst into the circle of books, Twilight laughed quietly and shook her head; there was no point in arguing with a bookworm. Knowing first hand what was going though his head right now, the wonder, the wealth of information and unbelievable history that flew off the page. Chance was in for a exciting morning if he stuck to those books.
Twilight walked over to Chance's circle and began organizing his mess, Chance looked up, a little put off when a book he was reading was lifted into the air in a purple swirl.
"Hey..." He said quietly.
Twilight re-arranged the books into a neat stack and put the one he was currently reading on a podium. Chance woke her up..why not help him learn?
"If you're going to keep me up with all this racket, I might as well do my best to help you absorb the knowledge, rather than letting you gorge yourself on it." She said with a eager smile.
Chance sat down and tilted his head slightly, he had never been to a human school before; was she doubting his ability to read? Oh course he could read! ...Mostly...there were some words he didn't understand, like the book about the Canterlot...castael...? That whole section he skipped due to a lack of understanding...so maybe a tutor was a good thing. Twilight seemed elated to help, and why would she steer him wrong? So Chance nodded in understanding and smiled again, Twilight clearing his throat and getting nothing but butterflies in her stomach..she was living her ultimate dream, to be a teacher.
Oh my gosh, this is going to be so much fun!
Twilight had to resist the urge to trot in place with a giddy squee, starting off the lesson to distract herself as quickly as possible. Spike just groaned in frustration as he rolled over in Twilight's bed, trying desperately to go back to sleep.
Chance suddenly shot awake, startling Spike who was hovering over him. The dragon yelled out in shock and fled back, rushing behind Twilight again. Twilight leaned forward, concern written on her face...Chance looked around, panting hard and sweating profusely on the ground, the last thing he remembered was falling asleep during Twilight's third lecture; she made it interesting...but his body refused to function without sleep with the sun rising into the cloudy sky. The stallion got to his hooves and yawned, sitting on his flank when he righted himself.
"Sorry I fell asleep, Twilight..." He said apolitically.
Twilight looked at him in pure confusion, Chance passed out about an hour ago; shifting from peaceful sleep into an agonizing nightmare...he tossed and turned..more writhed...on the floor for hours mumbling to himself. It wasn't until Twilight began using her magic to try and snap Chance out of it that he finally woke up...
"Whats wrong..? Do I have something on my face...?" He asked timidly.
This wasn't Twilight's department...it seemed more like Princess Luna's. Chance just went though a violent night terror and seemed to have no memory of it...so Twilight resolved to leave it up to the Princess of the night, after all, this might even be an isolated incident. Twilight knew better not to tread into unknown territory, so she put on a wavering smile and let out a cool sigh of relief.
"Not at all....are you feeling better?" She asked, Spike peaking out slowly.
"Without a doubt." Chance bit his lip and looked at the ground abashed. "But sorry for passing out like that...I wasn't trying to be rude."
Twilight found the energy to smile brightly, laughing quietly and sending a calming air out with her soft giggle. It made Spike relax more and laugh awkwardly with her.
"It's no problem at all, I was guessing you were running out of steam long before you did end up crashing."
Chance looked back up with a soft smile and ears perking back up.
Spike tapped her shoulder and whispered up at her in a hushed panic...
"What's going on, Twilight...? He was freaking out a second ago!"
Chance tilted his head in confusion...
Twilight laughed a bit less confidently and tried to dismiss the dragon with a quick step to block him from view. The last thing she needed was for Chance to start recalling that nightmare, if Spike's panic spread to the giant stallion, there was no way of telling what he might do...
"What Spike was saying...was...how he was freaking out that the Princess is almost here!"
Twilight would never lie...fudging the truth was a different story though....
Chance's eyes widened and he started looking around in panic, wondering just where the princess will show up.
"Wait, hold on! I haven't even gotten rid of party mess on me!"
Chance ruffled his mane to shake all the confetti out, he rushed around to find a mirror or anyway to be sure he would be presentable...this was a princess after all. Not just any princess, the princess of the sun! The first thing that would put his face to value and determine if he would stay or leave...if he could leave.
The giant pony ran to Twilight, nearly running her over when he stopped inches from her with worry glued to his face.
"Did I get it all?" He asked hurriedly.
Twilight was about to answer, yet she found herself cut off by a soft and warm laugh coming from the balcony. Chance looked up...it was like looking at a pure white pearl's beauty captured in the light of a sunrise, with a mane flowing on a ghost wind and shimmering of every color; gracefully stepping down the stairs and permeating a royal air about her. Not wavering in her step or showing any falter despite her height in the library a she descended. The thing that stood out most...was her wings, giant compared to any bird he has ever seen; with each feather silken and spread the moment she entered the main library. Chance was speechless...
Celestia was eye level with the pony, Chance just a hair taller. Twilight quickly rushed to Chances side and bowed, Spike joining suite...unfortunately, Chance didn't catch the hint.
"Woah..." He said quietly.
Celestia laughed again, Twilight standing back up and looking a bit worried at how the princess would react...
"And a hello to you as well." Celestia said..her voice like music.
Chance's eyes widened and he realized how rude he was.
"Oh! Um...I- Princess-! erm-! ...Hello..." Chance stuttered, lowering his head while he fumbled over his words.
Twilight was visibly in pain...Spike simply buried his head in his claws.
"I hope my faithful student has been a good host." She said, looking over at all the books and chalkboard with clustered information.
Chance looked back up with his eyes, fearful to lift his head again..
"Yea...yes; she was helping me all night learn about Equestria."
The princess smiled softly and looked at her student approvingly. Twilight resisted the urge to beam, all her worry fading as she realized the visit wasn't a complete disaster yet. So she decided to try and calm herself, it wouldn't help her situation if she was seen panicking over small things again...
"Very good, now what is your name if I may ask."
"Jake."
Chance couldn't stop himself, it flew out of his mouth before he realized he had said it. Celestia noticed his wince when he said his name and looked at him curiously..
"Jake...a nice name." She said, affirming Chance's fear.
With how much he wanted to correct the princess...he couldn't. Already starting out poorly, who was he to correct the princess of the sun...
_ _
Celestia sighed in relief inwardly, Jake was friendly, respectful and quite the gentle giant. Everything she had seen...all this worry she had caused herself by delaying the meeting, all of it for nothing. The princess knew now that he would be up for the challenge...and that this stallion would change a lot of things in the small town of ponies.
Jake lifted his head back up slowly and smiled when he shook off the idea that she was going to judge him. In truth...it was a lot like last time.
"Now Jake, I wanted to speak with you...I brought you here after hearing your plea, it bore a sadness that touched mine and my sister's heart. So your task is to conquer that feeling,only then can you decided where you belong, back on Earth..or here... Go to the castle ruins and open a chamber deep within the catacombs of the ruins...then I will be sure in my decision, and reward you with the one thing you truly desire."
The one thing he truly desires..? What else could he want in this amazing world...? It had everything he could ever want or need at his hooftips. Perhaps that was part of the test...What was in the chamber? Better yet, how was he expected to find it...All these questions ran though his head faster than he could begin to think of how to ask. Chance didn't expect to feel a bit off put by the Princess, high expectations were one thing...but this? Celestia seemed to be purposely skipping a bulk of the details...and he hated being lied to; especially when he never expected to be lied to by a Princess...
"Uh...well thank you...but I don't understand." He said softly, trying his hardest to not sound insulting.
Fear started gnawing at his mind...was she skipping details to send him walking to a terrible fate..? Celestia just smiled in a understanding and comforting way. Chance felt distrust pushing into his view of the solar goddess...
"That is why I'm also assigning Twilight Sparkle and her friends to help you along the way. Now I must leave, Canterlot yet still requires my attention. I hope to speak with you again, Jake."
Celestia kept that friendly but knowing smile, her horn lighting up in a blinding flash; sending rays of blinding light all about the room and vanishing. Chance rubbed his eyes and looked around, wondering how the princess vanished so quickly...but his mind was more focused on the task thrust upon him. Maybe he was just tired still...so with a silent sigh, he regained his focus and turned to Twilight.
"Okay..while that trick was really cool...Is she always as vague as possible?" He asked frankly.
Cold wind bellowed from the thick brush of the woods, the cloudy day turned into a heavy overcast as the day rolled on, making for quite the intimidating scene. Chance had the understanding that it would be a quick walk into some unusual woods, take some turns here and there and end up at this old castle... not a day trip to Jason's playground. Chance gulped audibly and really began to question what details the princess left out of the speech...
Chance stood on the edge of the forest, his legs shaking slightly and wishing dearly that the sudden winds would stop howling though the trees and creating ghastly images of creatures that might dwell in the wood. Twilight was obviously not eager to enter, but she hid her fears a lot better than the others. Chance wasn't all too eager to as well; once Twilight explained where the ruins were and what kind of things happened and still happen in that area, it didn't sound like the safest place for a pony that attracts attention like he does.. Fluttershy was hiding behind the giant pony and Rainbow Dash tried to shrug off the worry by getting into an argument with Applejack.
"I'm not making fun of him!" Dash shouted.
"Are too! You're putting all kinds of jitter into him with all the stories you keep making up!"
Applejack and Dash butted heads until they were forcibly separated by Pinkie Pie when she jumped between the two with her cheerful ignorance to their anger. The two huffed and glared in opposite directions, leaving it Chance to be the only one really grasping the situation with Twilight.
"So...why am I doing this again?" He said softly.
Dash lighting up and letting out a quick laugh.
"Ha! So the big guy is a scardy pony." She jeered.
Chance flattened his ears and started backing up, Fluttershy all too eager to back up as far away from the forest with him.
"Maybe this just isn't the safest idea...you said there was dangers and stuff, right?"
Twilight rolled her eyes and brought Chance back with a quick levitation spell, dropping him even closer to the edge and standing behind him to make sure he can't back down. The princess gave him a task, the last thing he could do is procrastinate or shirk his duty. So she needed to convince him of that...
"It's okay to be frightened, but the forest can only do so much against a pony of your size. Think about it..."
Chance looked deeper into the woods and felt a little confidence returning from Twilight's words, so he took a deep breath and looked back at the forest...the strength of courage stilling his shaking arms and making him feel ready to take the first step into the dangers...and after taking that first step...a bird shop from the trees and Chance let out a shriek a few octaves higher than he thought possible...
Dash just fell on her back and laughed, Chance felt terrible for losing all his confidence he had to enter the woods to a bird...
"Again with the girly screams!" Pinkie Pie added. "Listen, you need to just tackle this thing head on, don't think about it and just charge in there!"
Chance looked down at the mare behind him and tilted his head, jaw a little slack still from the scare.
"Huh...Just charge in? What if something stops me..?"
"Horsefeathers! Just run in yelling as loud as you can!"
"Pinkie...that might not be the best idea-" Twilight tried to say.
"Get pumped! RAHHHH!" Pinkie shouted, bouncing in the air around Chance.
It made him laugh at least, true, the dangers of the Everfree was something not to be taken lightly...but Pinkie kept cheering until Chance was cheering with her, Rarity getting a little giddy herself with Applejack and Dash both getting into it; Fluttershy was floating in the air now with a small smile, still behind Chance of course...
"Girls...I think-" Twilight said, still trying to reason.
Going unheard as Chance began stomping his hoof for just a moment, taking off full speed and disappearing into the woods faster than Dash could keep up with...the group went silent for a moment,unsure how to act...
"Yay!" Pinkie cried, charging off in his wake.
Now it was on...Dash gave Applejack a determined grin and took on a ready stance, the farm pony scoffing and doing the same; within seconds, the two took off in a race to the ruins. Rarity walked to Fluttershy, the mare still too afraid to just charge into the woods; bringing her gently to Twilight's side... leaving just three to walk...hoping that nothing happens to the other half of the group...
_ _
Chance almost forgot he was even in the most dangerous forest he ever encountered in while he was running; the wind felt indescribable, his body burned with life and he remembered how much fun it was to run back on the farm. The farm...did he really miss it that much...? Just running again made him realize...he wanted to talk to his friends; he wanted to talk to the farm hand. So much is happening around him,Celestia's words of "What he truly desires." started making more sense. Sweet scents of the wood fill his lungs and sweat began to drip down his head once he recalled....he had no idea where the ruins were. Thoughts distracting him to his footing and finding out the hard way that an exposed root was taking the spot he assumed was flat ground..
Chance was sent tumbling though a flowerbed, the giant pony causing a stir in the trees with his fall. Happy that he had a soft landing...unhappy that he still tripped and fell flat on his face. When he sat up, Chance spat out a mouthful of blue flowers.
"Gaugh...gross..."
Using a hoof to fix his mane back in place before he got up. With one look around, Chance smiled a little when he noticed all the flowers in this bed were the same luminescent blue; a little elegant and awe inspiring..
Chance plucked a flower up and looked at it more closely, wondering if any flowers back at the farm ever glowed like these...and after thought, he smiled and laughed a little, sticking it behind his ear and letting out a short laugh when he remembered the post cards of the humans with flowers in their hair looking happy...and at least they we're right about it making him feel better, just whimsical really...until the sound of the mare's echoed into range. Chance tossed the flower out of his mane and rushed to them, keen on not getting caught acting so strange when he was thinking on the past.
Pinkie was waiting for him with a worn out looking Rainbow Dash and Applejack, the two panting and doing their best to show some form of sportsmanship, be it a half smile or nudge on the shoulder.
"Hey! I told you the forest wasn't that scary!!" Pinkie shouted the second she noticed Chance walk into the small clearing.
The stallion shook his head a laughed a little, grimacing when his stomach felt a little off...
"Technically I was peer pressured into coming, meaning the forest is still very much as scary as it was before..."
The pink pony blew him off with a snort and a giggle, bouncing around in circles while...rambling on about something..
Chance felt his head swim, stomach getting worse and eyes starting to unfocus. Walking forward, only to stumble back when his sense of balance was thrown out the window.
"Woah...you okay, sugercube?" Applejack asked softly, putting a hoof on him to steady his standing stumble.
Chance was breathing heavily when he looked up at the sky, the sunlight sending him to the ground with a hard thud and bringing the world around him to a halt....
Meeting such a stranger; though the similarities between us, I felt....
So, eager was I to lend a hoof...who was I to step in the way ...
For these two ponies seemed fated to meet each other...
And making this cure was child's play.
"And what of this over-sized pony?"
Chance was still out cold, after collapsing in the forest with no explanation; Twilight rushed him to the closest thing she could call a doctor, luckily an expert in this field. All five of her friends gathered around him on the ground, concern, fear and guilt for letting him succumb to an unknown danger. Dash started pacing back and forth,the guilt pouring from her for letting her own race take precedence over taking care of their guest. Chance had been out cold for a half an hour now, the group was beginning to wonder when...or if he would wake up.
"We think he ran into something..." Applejack started.
"A patch of poison joke!" Pinkie finished dramatically.
The zebra wanted to sigh, she keeps warning ponies, but every so often, another victim would wander themselves in and beg her for the cure....she thought about charging for each batch...of course her good nature quashed those thoughts. Zecoria instead, examined the pony thoroughly to find traces of the magical flower or it effects; other than being a giant, he seemed fine. Soon she discovered a glowing pedal in his mane that confirmed the six's story.
"I will need time to cook up a brew, and find a bath large enough for this mule." She said with a small laugh, the group apparent missed the joke...
Thats when she realized...this pony was having a reaction to the flower...
Chance felt his body lose its numbness, consciousness returning painfully slow. Memory a bit blurry and arms slow to respond, he felt...the wood of some platform under him, legs hanging off the end of the table and hooves touching the ground while his arms were resting at his side.
Wait...legs...shouldn't bend that way!
Chance sat up with sudden speed and looked at what he expected was to be broken legs. Instead, he was greeted by the face of a striped pony and his legs now jointed...like a humans. They swung lazily and he felt the knee cautiously, fingers rolling around it and under the fur...
"Fingers?!" He shouted and held up his hands as if they were alien attachments.
"Calm yourself-" The striped pony tried to say.
"Striped pony?!" He hollered.
Chance scooted back quickly only to fall crashing to the ground when he ran out of table, crushing poor Applejack and Rainbow Dash under his heavy frame. Of course, he didn't notice them until he took a good look at the surroundings; dark, dingy...crusted in mold with strange things lining the walls of this apparent hut.
There was a lot that Chance could handle and keep going, new world, sure; new friends, why not...new body..well everyone has a breaking point, right? Chance didn't even notice the mares under him complaining and struggling in the shock of becoming...semi-human.
Fur like his old body, a mane, hooves on his feet and big tail currently draped over and between a set of cyan wings. Yet his back was straight up and he couldn't believe his eyes when he wiggled his fingers. Twilight just didn't know what to think...poison joke never had such a dramatic effect, becoming something completely alien just didn't happen...and yet it just did..
Chance jumped up and hit his head on the roof of the hut, groaning and hunching over to push his way outside, almost needing to crouch through the doorway; he needed air. The hyperventilating stallion couldn't even remember who he was before arriving to this strange world...this insane world of witchcraft...so once he got outside, he stood upright, hitting ten feet in height, his grew dizzy when the ground was so far away.
"What's happening to me..?" He asked himself quietly.
The mares filed out of the tree and tired to bring him back down.
"It's okay! This is normal-" Twilight tried to get out.
"Normal!? How is any of this normal?!" Chance shouted back, making the others flinch with the mixed shock and frustration in his voice.
Examining his hands,covered in his normal colored fur, turning them over to see the palms. The hooves on his feet ere half sunk in the mud and making him feel anything but better. Chance needed to be alone, he wanted to stop talking to multi colored unicorns and strange pegsi; just take time to watch the cars drive by the farm again...
Why did I have to want to change...why can't I be normal...
That's when he remembered his friends back on the farm...they probably missed him, they might be looking for him, what would the farm hands think if he returned like this..?
Could this be Celestia's plan...the part she left out?
Its official, I don't like the princess.
"I just....I need to be alone right now...I can't keep up with this mess." Chance stated dryly, arms falling limply to his side and walking awkwardly, slowly, in the first direction he picked.
The stripped pony was outside, watching him carefully as he left. Pinkie Pie tried to go after him with Dash and even Twilight; only to be stopped by Zecoria...a look of deeper understanding halting their charge with fear and anticipation. One ignored the zebra's warning, however...
"Sugercube! Wait!-"
Applejack tried to explain the situation, she tried to stop him from wandering alone into the dangerous forest, but he stopped his walk and looked back, his own fear showing plainly...fear of her..fear of this world that was left unanswered for far too long. Applejack realized that it was partly her fault...her friends...they all pushed him too far, he wasn't ready for the everfree; and now they were paying for it.
"J-...Just leave me alone." He pleaded, continuing his path into the shadows of the trees.
Applejack wanted to go after him still, but all it took for him to get away,was her hesitation.
_ _
Chance walked until he found a natural way to make each step, climbing through the forest trees once they grew too close together for walking, all of it no real effort for a stallion of his size; though he nearly lost his grip occasionally from his hands shaking. Chance followed his path until he hit a mountain face, a clearing met with a stone wall.
What am I going to do... he thought to himself.
Chance's life was turned upside down, kicked, and thrown around until it landed him here somehow, walking up to a dark cave that was tucked away at the edge of the clearing.
"Whats happening to me...?" He asked out loud.
Something in the air make him shiver, crossing his arms as he entered the cave in hopes of finding a secluded place to think. All he needed was time to think and process all this, not party or pretend he can accept his fate just like that.
What you truly desire...
It echoed around the walls of the cave as a sudden swarm of bats made the stallion duck,all of the winged beasts flying over him and out into the forest. Chance wanted to curse, to yell or scream out his frustration and self-hatred...but he was too tired to waste energy like that.
After what felt like a half an hour of walking, Chance spotted a glow...it was a dull green glow that came from a chamber in the cave system. The sound of gravel shifting from the chamber made him hesitate.
"..Hello?" He said, his voice echoing unpleasantly.
No answer came....so he continued forward, body tense and heart racing, turning the corner quickly...nothing...the chamber was lined with glowing...material. Material seemed to be the best way to describe it, green and viscous, it dripped from corners of the wall and sat in seemingly random clumps on the floor. It made for good lighting,so Chance walked in slowly; eyes scanning the area constantly until he found a spot to sit by a empty wall, carefully lowering himself and blowing out a sigh when he finally was able to rest.
"What did you mean..?" He asks quietly, trying to make sense of Celestia's words.
Oddly, he just felt more tired, the dull green around him made it easy to see...but it also was calming, it lulled the exhausted stallion to a doze,his head bobbing up and down as he tried to keep thinking.
Head pounding, limbs heavy and hungry, Jake groaned out his pain and lifted his head off the grass.
"Captain?" He said, eyes still adjusting to the sunlight.
Soon the visage of one his few friends on the farm came into focus, the stallion standing over him with a confused look on his face.
"You were out cold for a week...that lady doctor nearly gave you your last shot."
Mixed panic and relief washed over Jake, getting to his hooves slowly to avoid hurting anything that might still be stiff, he found his body returning to normal fairly quick. The grassy field, the giant apple tree, red barn and even cars flying by the fence just a few yards away. It was so much to take in at once..Jake was scanning the area twice just to be sure it was all real...A smile, ear to ear came to his face before rearing up on his hind legs and shouting out his joy, Captain taking a quick step back and getting more confused by the second.
"What happened to you?"
Questions raced in Jake's mind, all of which he didn't care to answer...he was home. Home and with his friends...
"Did they hurt you at all?"
Jake lowered himself down and laughed, rolling his eyes even and the notion of those colorful mini horses even trying...but his smile quickly faded and he looked at the familiar face of his dear friend with hesitation and fear.
"I...it was just a dream..." He answered cautiously...
The sound of cars had stopped, the gently rustle of grass and wind was silent...the very air became heavy with the tension of Captain staring at Jake with uncomfortable emptiness. The sound of the wind created by cars had ceased, the air grew heavy and the grey face of his friend only became more hallow and...sunken looking.
"C-captain.....? Yo Capt..." He said, trying to step back, only to feel his limbs sluggish, like he was dragging them through cement. "Wait...we...you can't speak like a human..."
The world around him shuttered, Jake flinched, closing his eyes for barely a second...but he opened them to a new nightmare. The apple tree was dead, its limbs towering into the sky like skeletal hands reaching for heaven, field a valley of sand and barn rotted, cracked and discolored.
"God...Captain..."
The form of his friend was gone, replaced with clean bones rotting on the dust in a pile, a lone raven sitting atop the skull and staring at Jake with haunting precision. Ringing in his ears made him wince..it got louder, Jake shouted and lowered his head to the ground, the Raven cried at him suddenly and the ringing stopped. World silent and still....
Everyone you know is gone.
Jake backed up more, the Raven jumping off the skull and walking slowly with him, as if stalking...
A bitter wind swept up the dust and Jake felt his heart wanting to beat out of his chest; backing up rapidly and only getting the black bird airborne, Jake turning around for a full blown sprint.
It was never fast enough, cracked and shoe less hooves dug into the dry sand and caused him more pain as the Raven shouted behind him, crying out its song of disrepair as it slowly caught up with him; drawing closer and closer as he ran. Jake was nearly in tears when he watched the perpetual safety of the broken down barn suddenly grow in distance by miles, nothing but a speck and the Raven hot on his tail...
Your life is over.
"Shut up!"
It is useless to resist.
"Leave me alone!"
Give in...
"I WONT!"
A bright song pierced the Raven's cries and a blur of blue shot into existence, flashing by Jake's head and slamming straight into the Raven, reducing it to black dust. Jake skidded to a halt, hooves bleeding and tears flowing down his face with his legs shaking uncontrollably. It was a dark blue nightingale...a color he had never seen on such an animal, it was flapping its wings quietly and hovering where the Raven once was...
It is your choice, and yours alone...to seek what you truly desire.
_ _
The figure had been sleeping for hours...with long legs, massive build...it looked like a monster and a pony somehow mixed to from this giant.
That's what Lovestruck thought...
Hiding on the ceiling of his own den, afraid of something that had no reason to hurt him, everything seemed to be on his side...perhaps it was just his nature to fear anything that wasn't like him. Slowly, the giant had begun to stir in his sleep, mumbling about something that he couldn't quite understand, a farm, some captain...it made him hesitate more, thinking that perhaps this could be one of Celestia's guards...but he slowly made his way down to the ground, approaching the sleeping form.
"I...w-wont..."
Lovestruck tenses and almost stutters back, unable to get back to safety when the form shoots awake and backs himself against the wall even further, rising slightly and grabbing at the stone, no time to run, no chance for a change...he had to do something....
"You! ...Thing! What are you doing in my cave!?"
Thing..? Not the best start...
The giant just looked around in terror, as he clambered; making Lovestruck less afraid for himself and more afraid that this thing was going to damage his home away from home..
"Hey hey! Calm down!"
It finally looked down at him and the giant actually looked like he would have a full blown panic attack.
"Buddy, buddy! Breath, in and out..."
Thankfully, he listened; slowing his breathing and coming to the realization that he wasn't going to harm him...a bit odd for a pony not to immediately run from him.
"W-what are you?" It asked.
That got Lovestruck's attention, about to outright answer the stallions question until an idea struck him...an idea and under all that fear...he glimpsed the feast of a lifetime. Lovestruck was the kind of changeling that wouldn't just eat the scraps off the table of the queen, or say...vulture his way to a meal already picked at by his bothers and sisters, he had fine tastes. Sticking to places like Manehatten or even Canterlot fed that guilty pleasure most of the time...but this...this pony had a flavor that even he couldn't pin down. Sweet and sugary, like young love; a dash of cinnamon to add spice...almost like adoration. Honey...the rare taste of true love sitting deep in the pool of emotions and flavors.
If this pony didn't know what he was, then truth was the best option for winning the trust of the giant pony. Lovestruck had to only stall him until his hatch mates joined him in the secret spot to overpower the pony and have the meal of a lifetime. Taking a deep and calming breath...
"I'm...a changeling." He said, trying to think of a lie to go with it."We...are like ponies...just more...different."
Smooooooth...
"Really...?" The giant asked...
And an idiot...well, today just might be my lucky day.
"Yeah, My name's Lovestruck...well now that you know what I am; what are you..?"
_ _
"I'm Jake...I think..." He said, suddenly plopping down on his flank against the wall in bitter defeat.
The nightmare was a sign..this paradise was not meant for him. Jake...Second Chance...he didn't belong on Earth anymore, now he didn't even belong in Equestria. The strange insect looked up at him with big, curious blue eyes and tilted its head a little; paper like wings fluttering slightly.
"I'm a Clydesdale...I'm not from here...Equestria that is." He said slowly, burying his face in his hands and rubbing his eyes. "I wanted a change of scenery and by god I got it, huh?"
"Uhh..."
Lovestruck sat down, holding back a long sigh at his fate. The meal would be worth it..he never doubted that for a second, but this stallion was about to spend the next hour and some change babbling on about problems that he didn't have the slightest amount of pity for.
"Yeah..I thought I could just fit in..." Jake sighed heavily..
Lovestruck panicked, the stallion looked like he was about to get up, he read the stallion wrong and was about to lose a easy buffet for it.
"Maybe I should go back and..say I'm sorry or-"
"No! Uh...why don't..you tell be about where you came from? ...Mother always told me that sometimes the answers we seek for the future, sometimes hide in the past."
If he had to divulge more about himself to keep the stallion talking, then he would. If he had to suffer more self-pity stories then why not? His brothers were not far off, he just needed to keep him talking...
"Well...I was on this farm...Big red barn and this apple tree that looked like it could touch the sky..."
So melodramatic.... Lovestruck groaned on the inside.
"There was plenty of food, we were cared for..and my two best friends in the world would be there. Moe and Captain...Moe was my friend since I was a colt, that dog could run me ragged with his energy...but the poor guy couldn't catch a break, always getting scolded or spending days training..Sundays were the best because both of us were free to play out in the field."
A..dog? This guy isn't just a giant....he's nuts.
"And then I met Captain...the old fart knew how to get away with anything, he could even scare the color off a human and only get a mean look from the caretaker..he took me under his wing and taught me everything about being a real Clydesdale." Jake felt water on his eyes and a lump in his throat forming. "But...we got into an argument...."
"Jaaake! Time for breakfast!"
Janice...the sweetest girl Jake ever met. Every morning she would come out and feed all of the clydesdale's their morning feed...but she always gave him a treat or an apple to go with the food; she spent time with him...made him feel special. Summer was winding to a close, the days became cool and short with the change of the seasons coming; Jake was a little worried about the change after moving into his new home, but Janice knew just how to make him feel better...even if he did feel a little childish when she would play games with him. Not that he minded...he always enjoyed the training a lot more than he had in his youth, it was a chance to push himself and do his best to impress, and she just made it all feel like a fun game.
A quick shake of the head to adjust his mane a little and a snort of displeasure caught her attention, heading over to his stall with a happy look on her face as always...
"There's my big man!" She said with a slight southern accent, hiding something behind her back as she entered his big stall.
This morning was a little different than others...the whole team had left without him to do something with that cart and took Moe with them, now all alone...he wondered when Janice would find him; or perhaps the team would return and explain what was going on, it was his first year in the stalls with the best of the best of course...
A big bucket of apples took his attention out of his thoughts and back to the sandy blond human in dark blue overalls.
"Well, you gonna keep looking at me or are ya gonna eat up?"
Jake let out a happy nicker and gladly bit into a cluster of the apples.
"Sorry for being a little late, buddy...big day for all of us. Do you know what's going on today?" She asked him, crouching down and rubbing him behind the ear.
No..
"...Well it's like this, every year, the A-team here gets dressed to the nines to film the commercial for the superbowl. That puts a lot of pressure on you guys...so I told them to give you one more year, let you settle in with the crew before you toss you into this mess."
The big game...that's what the human in the suit said all the time. The day where everyone proved themselves to be more than just horses; the day to prove you would be a real Clydesdale. This superbowl had to be that day, whatever it meant to the humans, it meant a lot more to the farmers, and the other horses on the odd plot of land...
"Hold on hold on...What's a human?"
Jake looked up and blinked in confusion, thinking about his answer for a moment...
"Tall..hairless...like an ape but skinny and wearing clothes all the time...anyway..."
The sun was going down before Captain and the other finally made it back, everyone looked tired, heads low or walk dragging until they made it to their stalls, falling asleep before Jake could stop any of them...
The grey face of Captain walked by and gave a smile to Jake as he entered the stall adjacent.
"What happened?" He asked quietly.
"The shoot went great...poor Duke was hitting a snag in his harness that made it hard to walk, but Dennis fixed it as he always does..."
Jake had an entire day to form his opinions of this...his friends were gone all day! And they come back looking exhausted..Moe was still yet to be seen. Jake let out a long sigh and stomped his anxiousness into the hay at his hooves.
"It's not right...you guys were run ragged! I don't want to do something for them that hurts me...what if Duke tripped and broke his leg? Or worse!"
Captain was too tired to quell his friend...already on the ground and sleeping with the warm wash of sunset light over him relaxing his whole body. Jake poked his head over and huffed angrily...he had thoughts of leaving before, but now he was sure in his thinking..this wasn't the life for him...trapped and pampered, only to work to the point of exhaustion once a year...
This wasn't the life he wanted; to exercise without jumping through hoops or over low fences, to work without being worked to death...that was his goal, now more than ever...to be normal.
"I gotta find Moe..and get the heck out of here.."
"I wanted to leave and he told me to stay, I begged for him to come with me but...I said things I'm not proud to repeat, I even kicked the crap out of the cart they wanted me to pull, Captain was so angry...I wonder if he misses me.......I wonder what Moe is doing right now."
Lovestruck heard noises that Jake missed in his story telling...his brothers had arrived...and he felt a wave of panic wash over him.
"Listen...you should really get out of here...get back to your friends n' stuff..." He said, jumping up and looking around to see if any of them had entered the chamber already. Sure enough, bright blue glare staring down from the ceiling just over Jake, was Loveless...and soon entering was Loveblind...the Love brothers was a force...or club...to be feared..
"What? What's wrong?" Jake asked, standing up and looking around, the darkness covering any trace of movement.
Lovestruck quickly hissed a few commands and the two looked at him in confusion, backing up a little but sticking to their target...
"Look, just...this isn't the place for a guy like you, you need to run!"
Lovestruck was a born hunter..but he felt sympathy for this lost pony, he knew what it felt like to be shoved into a world he didn't belong in; he was thankful for his brothers everyday...he wouldn't want to be separated from them for anything. Moe might be a dog..and Captain might not even exist, but to him, they were as real as the sun and moon...and his love for them made his stomach growl. So he quickly shoved at Jake's leg and hissed, scaring him out of the cave and letting him get a good look at his brothers when they dropped down, hissing just like he is.
Eyes widening at how silently they figures entered, he took off, expecting to be followed by his new friend...but when he looked back, nothing came after him. Running in the caves for what felt like forever, he finally saw the entrance and light of day...a new resolve filled his mind, he knew what he wanted; the ruins were a waste of time...he just wanted to go home...
I gotta find them...I need to see Celestia..
_ _
The two changelings dropped from the ceiling and hissed in contempt of their leader. Good effect to scare off the giant...
"Why let him get away?!" Loveless asked in fury.
"He's a lost pony who doesn't belong here..." Lovestruck quickly regained his composure and huffed dramatically to show his distaste. "I wasn't about to touch something from Mother knows where!" He lied..
Soon, heavy footsteps came from the entrance to the hideaway, the three turning around in a blink to see the glare of their overwatcher...the adult in charge of a hatch group and solely responsibly for the health of the hatchlings.
"I thought I told you three to stay in the nursery..." He said with disappointment seeping from his tone.
"I mean....just go, find a new home or...something.
The spotted dog tilted his head at the giant horse, both of them sitting in the field under the great apple tree, watching the sunset. Winter was on its way, the leaves were already piling up, their crisp golden brown colors and dirty crimsons always kept Jake in a good mood, winter was the time where they couldn't train, so he could play all day in the wonderful snow...
It was the one time of year where the humans left them alone most of the time, sure they would get into trouble, it was almost natural for the two to cause havoc. Captain was always there to put them back in line, or Janice would scold them..funny...she liked acting like their mother...but she did put on one hell of an act; Jake once spent an entire week trying to get back in her good graces after running into a shiny looking car by the farmhouse. The side windows were broken and the door jammed beyond repair, Jake only suffered a sore leg and chest to his relief; but an old man came out and swung a cane at him, shouting obscenities. Janice yelled at the man for a bit before he stormed back inside, letting the caretaker then yell at him at in privacy.
Strange...she yelled for so long...but Dennis slipped Jake a few sugercubes when he was locked in the stables and told him he did a good job...
That was his life...the life he gave up, the life he so wanted to escape...
What's the right answer...? Jake asked himself.
Running through the thick brush of the Everfree, Jake focused only on getting back to Twilight; she needed to know that he made his choice. The choice to see his friends, his family...to go home.
Ducking, jumping and shoving aside stray branches and roots, Jake was shocked how agile two legs can be, he even felt himself enjoying the mobility it gave him; matched with the strength of a full grown Clydesdale, he felt unstoppable. Heart beating with life and sureness, legs pounding into the ground and solid muscles pulling him along the trees..frankly, he had the stray thought of the humans back home, that if he wasn't such a freak..maybe this would be considered attractive back home. Within no time, he finally found a break, a small path that he could follow until he was looking at the sunlight, cutting through the entrance of the forest.
"Finally.." He said quickly, starting to breath a little heavier.
The stallion took off for the town, step sure and wind in his face, he didn't realize just how dense the forest was until he broke out into the clear again; sunlight beaming down on him and the cool air feeling much lighter compared to the thick humidity of the Everfree. Ponies he passed screamed in terror of the giant stomping his way to Ponyville, a few were just stunned at the sight and one stallion bolting the moment he spotted Jake and leaving a trail of dust in his wake.
Jake would laugh were it not also hurtful to be create such a commotion, he sped up to cut his time out in the open down; the colorful town blurring and ponies dashing to get out of his way.
The treehouse finally came into view, Jake got a big smile...he was going home...more so, he was going home a better stallion. Jake tore through the last block and ducked low to get into the door he threw open with valiant force.
"Now!"
_ _
Twilight gave the signal, Pinkie a little too happy to throw the bucket of cured, and freezing, water at the first pony to storm into her library; Jake was soaked head to hoof, the water causing a bright flash of light to blind them as the cure Zecoria gave them fixed the stallion. Jake was standing on four hooves and mane looking to be quite the mess to Rarity's displeasure. All of them were gathered...waiting on Jake to come back; now soaked to the bone, shivering and returned to normal...Jake just couldn't hide the big grin on his face. Twilight approached him slowly, worried now that he had lingered in the puddle of water, just smiling, like he had something to say but couldn't find the words to express himself.
"Chance...? Are you-?" She started.
"Great! W-why was the w-w-water so c-cold?!" He said, the big, dopey grin on his face turning into a boisterous laugh.
Pinkie laughed with a loud snort,falling on her back and giggling uncontrollably, the tin bucket dropping with a clank with the fit spreading fast; Applejack, Rarity, Dash and even Fluttershy got into the fit...it seems all he needed was some time alone to clear his mind. Twilight smiled softly and Spike rushed down the stairs when he heard all the laughing, a sort of signal to let him know that the plan worked.
Twilight had to calm the room before she could even hope to find out what Chance did that caused such a drastic change in the first place..
"Girls, girls!" She had to shout to be heard over the laughing; they all stopped, or at least settled down to a slow laugh while trying to get their breath back, giving Twilight the moment she needed. "Chance...what happened out there?"
Jake let out another small burst of laughter at the name, wondering just why he picked something so silly...
"I figured out what I wanted...even though we didn't find that room the Princess talked about, I know what I want; can we send a letter to her?" He asked with an ear to ear smile, giddy like a foal on his way to the fair...
The group felt his infectious mood, it reminded them of their hyper active pink friend in a lot of ways.
"Of course we can." Twilight answered with a bright smile.
Spike, always handy, grabbed a piece of paper from a stack by the desk and Starswril book with a feather, ready to take the letter.
"Go for it!" He said with a cheer.
"Princess Celestia, I've been to the Everfree forest and faced it's dangers, I understand what my decision is now. I'm humbly request you to come back and send me back home...I was wrong in my wish to leave my own friends behind. I wish to personally thank you for showing me what I was missing out on..."
The stallion sounded genuine with his words,if not a little formal for the group who regularly writes letters to the Princess of the sun. Jake was happy to hear his decision, even if he knew it, hearing it come from his mouth made it feel solid. The mares around him had mixed reactions, Pinkie was a little sad to hear her new friend was leaving, Rarity and Applejack seemed proud of him for making such a wise decision..Dash ever the firebrand, she looked a tad insulted; though he did not blame any of them for his decision.
A few scribbles, a roll and seal with a band and with a blast of dragon fire, the letter was gone. Whisked away on the magic wind that carried the ashes of the letter so quickly to Canterlot; soon Celesita would return and send him back home...to Captain, to his best friend, Moe. The humans would welcome him back...everything would go back to normal. Though a part of him felt that he would still miss these new friends of his, still, nothing could dampen his spirits at just the thought of returning to the farm.
_ _
The god princess of the sun gazes out into the sunset, the day has grown old, and the letter she received lies open on her large desk adjacent the royal bed, it's contents put a heavy weight on the day that she genuinely did not expect to receive. Closing her eyes, she took a deep and calming breath and let it out silently while taking in the last warmth of the evening sun.
Celestia could only wonder why this stallion would go against her advise and make his decision so soon without heading her, something about it made her uneasy. The door to her room opened with a gentle nudge of magic, and the dark form of her lunar sister entered the room. Luna did not know of the letter, nor did she need to look at the parchment to know that it's words troubled her kin; the princess of the night walked to sit next to Celestia, using her magic to slowly raise the moon once the sun had slipped under the horizon.
"He is still locked in indecision...?" She asked, hoping to gain some insight on her sister.
Celestia turned her head and looked down with that soft smile and stress filled eyes.
"No. He speaks of sureness...he wants to go home."
"You mean he wishes to quit." Luna said flatly, the truth in her voice almost cutting.
Celestia lowered her head a little and let out a long sigh, a little angry at herself for not being able to help him, even though it would do more harm than good to intervene. So the only thing she could do is uselessly wait..sit back and watch this stallion and hope e makes the wise decisions...hoping even more that he does not come to any harm while in her domain.
For now...a decision was to be made, Jake wished to leave; to quit and give up on learning the true lesson she wished to impart. Would she go..? Send him back..leave history to possibly repeat itself because nothing was gained..?
"Yes..he wished to quit..." There was a silence as the pearl moon rose into the sky. "...But I will not answer his plea."
Birds sang in the mornings, and bats cried to the night. All he could do is wait, so while he waited. Applejack gave him different chores to do to keep him busy. Jake was in the middle of bucking a set of trees when the thought occurred to him again...
What if she didn't get the message...?
Few apples fell into the baskets and he moved on to the next tree.
Doubt began nagging at the back of his mind the more idle his thoughts became, bucking and putting a dent in the tree, he moved on to the next one.
Am I stuck here in this crazy world..?
"Jake?"
Staring at the tree to find the spot to hit, his mind was deeply engrossed in his worry and fear, he found the spot and reared up, hitting the tree hard enough to crack it.
"Jake!" Applejack shouted.
The Clydesdale shook his head and found that he had gone through most of the field and went into an area where the apples were not as ready...
"Applejack...jeez, I'm really sorry. "
She smiled warmly and had a slight worry showing in her eyes. Just that look told him everything he needed to know, she knew he was starting to really lose faith in the princess. If it offended her or maybe just annoyed her was the question he didn't have an answer for, because of course, who questions the almighty raiser of the sun? The hard work had indeed taken his mind off Celestia most of the day, but he would toss and turn at night thinking about his fate, thinking about how impossible it seemed to change anything; maybe at least Applejack would be truthful still...
"Do you think she forgot...?" He asked, catching Applejack off guard.
It took a moment for her to answer...
"I'm sure she'll come soon, sugercube." She said with a reassuring smile.
Jake looked down to avoid her sure gaze, the confidence in her voice was so wrong to him...
The sun was still high in the sky, only a few clouds scattered themselves along the bright blue. Jake looked up and squinted from the glare of the sun, its overpowering presence; it saw and knew everything that happens under its gaze, and its warmth sheltered all.
So why abandon me...?
Jake looked back down, Applejack's face was showing a bit of the worry she kept in the back of her mind. Soon he felt like the silence had grown from slightly odd to completely awkward. Jake rubbed the back of his head and it loomed like Applejack was about to speak...until a blur of orange, white and yellow blazed between the two, leaving them wide eyed and stunned.
"Faster!" Shouted Applebloom as it grew harder to see in the thick of the apple trees.
"I know! I'm try-" Scootaloo tried to say, Sweetie Belle cutting her off with grim news...
"Look out! Treeeeeeee!"
The three screamed for a half a second before a noticeable 'thunk' echoed from a tree just a few yards away.
Applejack bolted,kicking up grass as she ran; Jake rushed off as well, both of them trying to grasp just why the trio decided to zig zag through the farm like it was a stunt course. They didn't wonder for long, Jake rounded a tree to find Sweetie Belle in the middle of scolding her orange friend.
"I TOLD you that was a dumb idea!" Her voice cracking to a new high in octaves.
Applejack shook her head and sighed,trotting over to pick Applebloom out of the heap of what once was a wagon.
"You kids need to figure out how to get your cutie marks without tearing across the farm and hurting yourselves. Look what the scooter did..." She added remorsefully
Scootaloo shook the branches out of her mane and picked her scooter up, looking out to see the trail of dirt and ripped grass that lead them to the sudden halt in their adventure. Gritting her teeth and head lowering in shame, she looked up at the two adults and worked up her best "I'm sorry" eyes yet..
"I'm so sorry, Applejack! I didn't mean to tear up the dirt like that. We were trying to get our cutie marks in stunt racing!" The apology started well....but it ended as boasting like it normally does. Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes and Jake could only wish to do the same...
"Clear outta here you three! I gotta fix this mess you made!" Applejack shouted, causing the three to dash away.
A bit more direct that he expected from Applejack; he looked down at her with a confused look.
"A bit excessive...?" She asked. Pausing in thought...she let out a sigh. "I'm just as worried as you are, sugercube, but I don't let get me down! Come on, the field is almost done, Big Mac can finish it up, you and I both need a breather." She ended with a smile.
Jake felt a little relief now that someone shared his sentiments. The mare started walking at a slow pace towards the road to Ponyville, talking as she walks.
"I think...and this is just my opinion, so don't take it as anything..."
Jake nodded...
"The princess has always been there to help us....but most of the time she lets us solve our own problems."
Jake looked at her even more confused.
"Just...try and not think about it for now." She ended, their walk becoming silent and painful. "And if she doesn't show after Winter Wrap-up, I will personally go to Canterlot with you and figure out what the hay was going on; sound like a plan, partner?"
Jake nodded, smile returning to his face and pace changing to a happy trot, contrast to the sluggish walk. Winter was only a few months away; he had a lot of work ahead storing food, which that itself was a strange concept...but not unexplainable. The ponies couldn't grow food in the cold, so it fell on Applejack and her family to prepare enough food to last the season, normally a task for humans; even then,Jake had no clue where the food even comes from, all he has ever seen is truck after truck bringing hay by the bale and the humans carrying plastic bags. Soon he began thinking of the little things he would pay attention to when he get back, trying to understand why humans do what they do...
"Jake?"
Jake blinked and shook his head.
"I'm here, I was listening." He said calmly to play his day dreaming off.
"I wasn't talking, sugercube..." Applejack retorted, a smirk rising when she feigned a sigh.
"Uhm....wel- Crap...I'm sorry, I'm getting distracted again." He said, head lowering and letting out a frustrated sigh.
"Then let's fix that! Today is all about you forgetting those troubles!" Applejack stated proudly, whipping around to jump in front of him. Jake could have sworn he could feel a song coming on...but this wasn't some kids show or anything...
"So...what are we gonna do...?" Jake asked when the silence grew thicker.
"Ciderfest!" Applejack yelled proudly, Jake jumping at the exclamation, and Applejack not missing a beat. "Every year we have a big celebration right before winter; lots of food, friends and our world famous Apple Farm Cider!"
Jake's deadpan look was almost funny when it stuck for more than a few seconds.
"What's cider...?" Jake finally asked.
_ _
Jake was sweating in late afternoon by the time he found out what cider was, lugging around supplies and moving equipment with Big Mac. Distillers, juicers, mixers and all manner of pipes and hoses to make the stream line process of making Apple family cider; the red stallion was a bit upset that he needed the help of his sister to move one of the huge mixers when Jake took the entire metal distillery by himself in a cart with Applebloom talking his ear off on his back.
It wasn't much longer until they had everything set up and Granny Smith was waiting for the last of the adjustments to be made to the contraption for it to work, Applebloom still watching it all happen and now talking to Jake about one of her many adventures as a Cutie Mark Crusader.
"Then we got Zecora a bunch of timber wolf tail for this thing she was making; it ended up blowing up in our face, though...she never told us that it was the first time she was making that potion." She ended on a sour note, Applejack catching wind of the story and looking a mix of upset anger and sisterly worry.
"What in the hay- Why do you kids keep going to Zecoria every time Scootaloo runs out of ideas?"
Applebloom quickly realized who was around when she told that story and couldn't stop the wave of guilt that washed over her face.
"It...wasn't my idea to go to Zecoria....it just seemed fun....at the time."
Jake smiled a little and turned around to face Applejack, Applebloom looking a little confused for the moment.
"Oh come on, she just had a little fun with her friends, no harm in that." He retorted, Applebloom looking ecstatic that an adult is standing up for her rather than scolding or chiding like her.
Granny Smith seems just as happy at the development, jumping into the conversation when she walks between the Apple siblings.
"Exactly! Kids should be kids. Now come on! We still gotta move all those apples we been harvesting." She says, cutting down any high ground Applejack and Big Mac had over their little sister.
Jake was just happy that everyone was having fun.
Applejack sighed to herself and conceded; after all, was shs really doing any harm? Zecoria seemed to at least know how to control the chaos her potions create. Even more was that Jake had become comfortable with himself again; he was confident, strong willed, charming...
Woah nelly! He's just a temporary guest. No need to get all fussed up about nothin... Applejack thought to herself.
Applebloom kicked a bucket over and apples feel from the sode of the ramp and into the giant mashing pit, the nosie jarring her out of the day dream and back to pulling the cart up close enough to start offloading apples. Jake and Big Mac building up a sweat and occasionally bumping into each other as they mashed, the red stallion flashing a slight frown at him before returning to work. The process continued for what felt like hours, until both of the stallions were worn and the sun reached high into the sky, beating down rays of heat. Jake panting just slightly and feeling a sense of dread wash over him when yet another barrel of apples was added to the mix.
"Another...?" he said with a huff.
Big Mac just kept his circle going and replied. "Eeyup." staticly.
Jake furrowed his brow and looked at Granny Smith sleeping under a tree with Applebloom next to her, both of them snoring; Applebloom faking it a little more than Granny...but it did just a hint of an idea.
Stepping in his circle a little more forcefully, as doon as they passed he mutterd.
"Do they just pass out like this every time?"
"Nope." Big Mac answered.
Jake waited for the next pass to ask another question.
"So why'd they knock off this time?" Jake quietly asked.
Big Mac waited for the next pass to act a little dramitic, leaning over and pausing to whisper.
"I don't know."
Leaveing Jake with a sour look on his face.
"Oh don't lead him on like that! He's tryin to be your friend, Big Mac." Applejack said just as she got up the ramp and dumped the last barrel in the pile. "Those two are asleep because you're picking up their work."
Big Mac, ita not that important a family tradition for all of us to be the ONLY ones to mash apples. You'll live ya mule."
"He isn't getting his hooves deep enough." Big Mac agrued, oddly the most he's really heard from the stallion.
"What?!" Jake yelled, voice pitching a few octaves higher and a few sylbals extended. "I'm at the bottom of the barrel, are you?"
Big Mac glared and looked down to see Jake standing on wood and left over mess from the apples, though the height of the horse put him at eye level with Big Mac...and what a grin he had to look at when he looked back up.
"Hmph..." Was all he said in response, going back to his side of the giant barrel and continuing his task.
Applejack sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Don't you worry about it, Jake; poor Big Mac is just getting a little green for the new guy is all." she teased, prompting a monotonous response.
"I ain't jealous."
Jake laughed a little and hopped out of the barrel, Big Mac extending his path to cover the missing partner without a word...but he did seem happier.
"There, the spot light is all yours." Jake added with a chuckle.
Big Mac just nodded slightly and cracked a smile.
"See, he'll be fine. Besides, he'll forget all this once he gets to have some cider." Applejack said, putting some emphasis on cider to motivate the red stallion.
Jake laughed but was a bit lost on the purpose, asking once Applejack was done laughing..
"Really...? Is it that good?"
Big Mac nodded quickly and went a litle faster.
"Well see, its so rare that we get a big enough harvest to make it that we normally just stock up for a year and make it around fall. Hot or cold, cider will relax ya until ya melt in your seat, plus it tastes fantastic! .....and we add a little Apple family secret to it..."
Jake quickly gave up his cool exterior for the curiosity that flooded him when a secret was brought to the field. Working all day in the heat and there was something he wasnt being told? He just had to know...so he widened his eyes and sunk into his neck a little, ears flat on his head and tail wagging.
"Tell me please....I've been busting my flank for this.."
Applejack just laughed and quickly thought about it...no sense in keeping it from him, he would be gone any day now anyways...
"Well.....we add a little "pick me up". Just a small bit of alcohol..." she said quietly.
Jake felt something in the back of his head ping...like...a forgon memory. Alcohol was...important somehow. Something in the back of his head, from when he was with the humans. Alcohol was...popular...really popular! And he know everything about it!
"Wait! Applejack...I think I can help with that..."
