Jeremy was a normal Earth kid until a portal appeared in the backstreets of his hometown dropping him right into Equestria. After a bit of thinking he decides that maybe he'd be more comfortable with technicolor humans and not ponies...
Jeremy was a normal Earth kid until a portal appeared in the backstreets of his hometown dropping him right into Equestria. After a bit of thinking he decides that maybe he'd be more comfortable with technicolor humans and not ponies. Everything goes fine until a certain girl catches his eye. An athletic girl. Indigo Zap. Did you know...it's hard to impress an athlete...when you have no sports skills and are a total nerd in all regards?
Jeremy walked quickly down the backstreets of his hometown. It was a typical day after school. Heavy backpack. Extra homework. The works. He was never particularly bothered by any of this, but the backpack could be an inconvenience at times. The homework was usually a breeze for him. He hummed a happy tune as he walked home. He'd had the song in his head all day, but could never say the words out loud or tell anyone about it without ridicule. He didn't have any brony friends. He didn't have any friends at all really. Everybody that knew he was a brony would make fun of him for it, and those who didn't were let in on it eventually...adding to the hate pool. Jeremy wasn't the kind of guy to let these things get him down. He didn't care all too much what others thought of him, but one problem did arise from it all. Everybody thinks he's gay. Life gets hard when you can't find companionship because anybody you try and talk to assumes that "you don't swing that way...", but its not like romance is easy in any circumstance. He was a nerd anyways. He was slightly dark from childhood beach trips, wore glasses, and had no muscle mass whatsoever. This added to love life problems he faced on a regular basis.
"It's true some days are dark and lonely..." He sang softly to himself. If anyone would get to know him they'd learn he actually had quite a nice voice, but usually most just ignored him. He stopped singing when a certain line came up.
"Heheh...Pinkie I wish you could be here." He continued walking in relative silence besides the occasional dog barking at him as he passed some of the houses.
He was about to take the turn to his street when something caught his eye. A faint light in an alleyway that he usually avoided due to the cats and his cat allergies. When his sense of curiosity got the best of him, he decided that it was at least worth a peek.
"Curiosity killed the cat...good for me...no allergies." He chuckled at his own joke. He approached the alleyway cautiously for two reasons. One: So not to get mauled by a rabid devil. Two. For fear of the unknown. When he shot a glance around the corner he saw what looked like a portal that seemed to be connected to the far end of the alleyway. He couldn't tell what was on the other side, but as soon as he went to get a closer look it vanished.
"I should stop with the coffee." He returned to walking home. He began another cheery tune. "Make a Wish" was always one of his favorite songs. Too bad his birthday was months away. He made it home without any other weird occurrences.
"Mom! I'm home!" He shouted cheerily into his home. He was happy to be home most days...it meant that the day was near over. He would be happy until the next morning where school would start again.
"Shuh up!!!" The reply was short and heavily slurred. Jeremy already knew what was happening. His mom was drunk...again. This was the one thing that could ruin his mood on any day of the week. What made it worse was that it was an extremely common occurrence. It was guaranteed to happen at least once a week if not more. With a huff Jeremy did the only thing he could ever do when this happened. He made himself dinner and locked himself in his room. His dinner was a simple sandwich made of what they had in the fridge, but it could have been better if the person meant to get more groceries wasn't drunk the day she was supposed to get them. Jeremy's mind wandered back to the portal he had seen.
"There's no way it could've been a portal...right?" He asked himself aloud. "If it was where did it go? Another planet? A different dimension?"
He munched on his sandwich as he thought about all the possibilities if he had seen a real portal. Too bad he hadn't gotten a chance to see it up close or what was on the other side. Life is full of missed opportunities.
After School the Next Day...
Jeremy was once again walking home singing to his favorite tunes. He stopped when he neared the alleyway that he had seen the "portal" in yesterday. It was glowing faintly like it had the day before.
"No way...it's there again." He didn't know if it was possible. He didn't it was possible in the first place, but to see it twice it had to be real. When he peeked around the corner and saw the same object on the far wall. This time he didn't hesitate to approach it. When he got closer there was no mistaking it was a portal. He saw what looked to be trees on the other side, but he couldn't place where he'd seen them. He ran out of time to examine it as the portal disappeared once more without a sound.
"Damn...I know I've seen those trees before, but where?" He asked himself as he turned around to continue walking home. When he arrived he didn't bother happily announcing it as he saw an empty bottle on the floor in the living room.
"Jeez...two in a row..." He went into the kitchen and made another sandwich. "I hate PB&J now." He huffed as he walked down the hallway to his room. He locked the door and set his stuff down on the bed. He finished his sandwich quickly and began doing his Calculus homework. He finished in half an hour or so...leaving him with nothing to do, but think.
"Wait...no...impossible...could that have been the...Everfree?" He immediately dismissed the thought. He'd have to look further into it...that was if he got the chance to do so.
He did get his chance. The next two days went by with the portal being there like clockwork and disappearing like clockwork. Everyday it would be there when he arrived and disappear at approximately 4:12, and after comparing it to a screenshot of the Everfree from an episode there was no mistaking it. He had also come to another decision...he would step through it. His mother had been drunk everyday of the week so far, and showed no signs of stopping. He knew they couldn't have enough money from her fast-food job to pay for so much alcohol. She had stopped caring about him at all. He had near run out of peanut butter, and had ran out of grape jelly Wednesday. It was Friday. He had dumped his backpack's unimportant contents onto his bed. His homework, two textbooks, and a manga. He had put some "provisions" into his bag just in case, as well as his two portable chargers both fully charged and three sets of extra clothes. He didn't know why he wanted his phone, but he was going to take it anyways. School had released early today, so he had some extra time to get back to the alley before the portal opened. He was about to walk out the door when his mother who had just gotten home no more than ten minutes before came out of her room blind drunk.
"Where do you think you're goin'?" Her speech was extremely slurred and one would need full military grade hazmat suit to be able to breathe the air around her.
"To a friend's house." Jeremy replied, doing his best not to breathe the toxic fumes that were diffusing into the entire hallway.
"Ha! Friends? You don't have any! Who gave you permission anyways?" She got painfully close to him. He could practically get drunk of the fumes radiating off of her at this distance.
"I did. I believe asking the drunken idiot for permission for anything would be the most pointless thing I have ever done." He backed away to try and escape the Biochemical weapon that stood in front of him.
"You show some respect, you little runt!" She clutched the empty bottle she had tighter than before.
"Respect towards what? The horrible train wreck that I'm looking at or the dog that pisses on our lawn daily? I think I'll go congratulate that dog on being more worthy of respect than the animal that I live with everyday." He turned and walked towards the door. He ducked as he heard his mother grunt as she threw the bottle at the back of his head. It would've missed even if he hadn't ducked. It impacted on the door and shattered. He looked back at her with a "Really? WTF was that face?". He turned once more and walked to the door. He opened it and stepped over the shattered glass and outside onto the doormat. He started walking, but stopped when he saw the dog. He looked back and saw his mother staring out the window at him. He, because why not, walked up to the dog as it was doing its business and said,
"Congratulations. You've beat my "mother" in a respectability contest." He looked at the window and smiled. He then turned and walked down the street towards the alleyway. When he arrived it was 3:55. His school would normally release at about this time. He walked up and as if he was a cue the portal silently opened and glowed faintly.
"Should I really do this?" He hesitated for a few moments. "There's not much I'd miss here really..." He took a few steps towards the portal. Another few. A little shuffle. He was within arms-length of the portal.
"What do I have to lose..." He said slowly. He stared and stepped through. As soon as he was on the other side he fell flat on his face.
"That's gonna leave a mark." He said painfully as he tried to stand.
"I coulda been worse...there could have been a tree there." He said to himself as he walked to a nearby tree. As he leaned against it he heard a few familiar voices.
"Ah don't like this Twilight." The country voice said.
"Come on Applejack! What if it's a giant CAKE!!!" A high-pitched voice replied.
"Shhh...we don't know what it is...we can't risk startling it. It should be right up here." Twilight's voice was distinct compared to the other two.
He saw them enter the clearing he was dropped into.
"Hello." Jeremy couldn't make true sentences at this point.
"What is it?" Applejack asked.
"It's a new friend!!!" Pinkie shouted before invading Jeremy's personal space and coming inches from his face every two seconds. If it wasn't for her having to bounce to be eye level with him she would probably stay inches from his face.
"He looks like my human friends, but his skin color is different than most I've seen." Twilight said as she tilted her head.
"What's your name!?!?!" Pinkie shouted still staying inches from his face. He smelled cake radiating off her...it was much more pleasing than the smell that had previously assaulted his nostrils.
"Jeremy. Hi Pinkie." Pinkie stopped in mid-air.
"Hey how did you know my name? ARE YOU PSYCHIC!?!?!?" She shouted directly in his face. The smell of cake was even more prominent.
"Oooo....I love stories!!!" Pinkie shouted ecstatically into Jeremy's facial region. The smell of cake was too powerful...it overpowered Jeremy...he...fainted, but before he was totally out he heard something quite hilarious...
"Good goin' Pinkie! Ya gone and killed 'em!"
Hours later
Jeremy opened his eyes slowly before being met with blinding light. He had no idea where he was. He did remember fainting from Pinkie's pleasant cake aroma.
"Um....girls....he's waking up..." A very VERY pleasant voice...and Jeremy knew exactly who it belonged to. Fluttershy. He sat up slowly, he knew sudden movements may startle poor little Flutters.
"I told you I didn't kill him!" Pinkie shouted. Jeremy assumed it was directed at AJ.
"Shhh we don't want to make him have another...episode..." Probably Twilight telling the rest.
Fluttershy turned back around ,and was quite adorably startled to find Jeremy sitting up. Her little episode caught the attention of all the other ponies in the room, especially since she ended up on the floor.
"I'm sorry!" Jeremy picked her up and sat her down once more.
"I'm okay...thank you..." Fluttershy turned red and looked away quickly.
"The real question is are you okay?" Twilight asked with a concerned look. "Pinkie's...energy has been known to...."startle" some ponies. It wouldn't be surprising for it to work on humans too."
"I'm fine thank you. I just want to make sure I didn't hurt little ol' Fluttershy here." Jeremy said as he turned to look at Fluttershy again. She was looking at the floor and was red as Big Mac. She looked up with a face as though she'd thought of something.
"How did you know my name?" She asked quietly. Jeremy smiled warmly.
"That's a story that only Twilight would understand." He answered turning to Twilight. She turned red, most likely because he was smiling at her, but it may have been because the attention was on her now.
"Well...tell it." Twilight said quickly. Jeremy started to go on about how they were a TV show and sort of in some movies.
A little later...
"So you're a human, but you're from a different world? One that isn't too far from the one my Canterlot High friends inhabit. Correct?" Twilight asked while writing something on a notepad she'd conjured up.
"Yes. It is near exactly like the one they live in, except the one I come from doesn't have the full rainbow spectrum of color like theirs does." Jeremy replied distractedly. He was distracted by the way Pinkie was staring at him. It was...well...creepy.
"Hey Twilight...whatsa T-V?" Applejack asked aloud while Twilight was writing her notes.
"I don't know exactly how they work, but they are boxes that have moving pictures displayed on them. Computers are similar to this, but give you more control over what is displayed." Twilight replied absentmindedly while jotting even more notes.
"SO THAAAAAT'S HOW HE KNEW OUR NAMES!!!" Pinkie shouted earning the hushes of everypony in the room.
"We don't want him to have a heart-attack. Please try to keep it down Pinkie..." Fluttershy asked politely.
"Okie dokie..." Pinkie replied. The door opened and Rarity waltzed in carrying....Jeremy's clothes?
"I'm baaaack!" Rarity announced as if she was proud of herself for something.
"BE QUIET RARITY DON'T YOU KNOW WE DON'T WANT HIM TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK RIGHT?!?!?!?" Pinkie yelled to the point that Fluttershy's cottage rocked.
"It's fine. Be as loud as you want. Just don't let Pinkie invade my personal space again. I passed out last time from the smell of cake." He said smiling as everypony looked at Pinkie.
"What I can't help I'm around cake like ALL DAY." Pinkie said her eyes widening.
"Well then...would it be okay if I inspect you Mr. Jeremy?" Twilight asked politely.
"Sure...but don't call me Mister." He replied.
"Well Jeremy can you stand up for me?" Twilight asked smiling at him. He did so, and soon after Twilight was circling around him prodding and poking with her hooves and occasionally a small plastic rod. Jeremy could smell something pleasant. Not like the aroma of cake, but some kind of perfume. Nothing happened until she poked Jeremy's very ticklish ribs.
"Woah! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" He immediately burst into laughter. "Stop please!" But Twilight just kept poking. She eventually stopped when Fluttershy told her he might pass out again.
"Tha-...Tha-...Thank...you..." He replied as Twilight pulled out a quill and began writing down more notes on her notepad. She went back to poking soon afterwards. She then got a little too close to poking something that shouldn't be played with in this way. Jeremy poked her to get her attention.
"Please don't poke there." He asked politely hoping she'd understand why. She winked at him which he assumed meant she knew why. She then pushed on with her evaluation by hovering in front of his face.
"Say "Aah" for me." Twilight asked smiling at him as if she were enjoying messing with his body. He did what he was told and she "poofed" up a tongue depressor and pushed his tongue down. "Mmhmm...Okay my physical evaluation is done. Now I want to test your knowledge of "us". Name my five friends and I, note one isn't here at the moment."
"You're Princess Twilight Sparkle, then there's Pinkamena Diane Pie or Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash who isn't here at the moment." He listed off quickly with utmost certainty.
"Correct, now I'll show you some other friends of mine. Name them." Twilight ordered. She teleported a mint green unicorn with a lyre cutie mark into the room. She was thoroughly confused.
"Lyra Heartstrings."
"Correct." She blinked Lyra out and blinked in a grey earth pony with black hair and a light purple treble clef cutie mark.
"Octavia Melody. You're great at Cello by the way."
"Thank you...wait who are yo-" Octavia was cut off when she was blinked out.
"Correct again." Twilight blinked in a perfectly white unicorn with electric blue hair and a black reversed eighth note cutie mark. The unicorn was totally oblivious to being teleported, she was too busy jamming out to some sick dubstep.
"Vinyl Scratch!!!"
"Correct" She blinked Scratch out and teleported a pony that nearly looked like an exact recolor of herself.
"MOONDANCER!!!"
"Ahhh!" Moondancer obviously wasn't accustomed to being teleported somewhere then having her name shouted at her. "Twilight what are you doing?!?!?"
"I'm quizzing this visitor. You can stay and watch if you like, and also correct Jeremy." Twilight answered.
"Okay. Can I look at those notes?" Moondancer asked gesturing to the notepad. Twilight simply hovered it over. She blinked in a blue mare that was quite hilariously nicknamed.
"That's Minuette, but in my world we called her Colgate because she'd remind us of our toothpaste or something."
"Correct." Twilight then giggled at the nickname. She went through the process a few more times teleporting in: Derpy Hooves, Doctor Hooves, Thunderlane, Blossomforth, all of the CMC, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, and Starlight Glimmer. The whole process had taken what was left of the day away. It was sunset and everypony was tired.
"Okay...I think we're done here. Flutt-*yawn*-ershy do you think you could look after him for tonight." Twilight asked as she near collapsed on the floor.
"Of course Twilight." Fluttershy answered fully awake. She was somehow not tired after everything that had happened today. Twilight waved goodbye and teleported both herself and Moondancer out. The other ponies began to leave. Rarity leaving Jeremy's backpack behind. Eventually Jeremy was alone with Fluttershy, well alone besides Angel Bunny, but he was asleep already.
"You can sleep on my bed...uh..." Fluttershy stopped abruptly.
"Jeremy, and I'm fine on the couch. I'm not sure if I'd fit in your bed" He smiled comfortingly.
"Are you sure you won't be uncomfortable? I mean you are in an entirely different world from your home, and you must miss it right?" Fluttershy looked concerned.
"I don't." It was short and emotionless.
"What?" Flutters was confused now. "How can you not miss your home?"
"You're probably wondering how can I not miss where I came from well that's its own story, and I don't want to bore you." He said as if he knew exactly what she was thinking.
"Will you tell me? Please?" Fluttershy asked with a quite deadly, adorable pout. There's no way that anypony or anybody could resist the power of that pout. Jeremy told the story and would stop when he saw Fluttershy cringe or hide behind her hooves as if she was in real danger, but each time she'd wave him on. When he eventually finished Fluttershy sat silent, but instead of avoiding eye contact she was doing the exact opposite. She stared Jeremy straight in the face, but it wasn't menacing or creepy. There was some kind of sympathy and understanding behind those blue eyes.
"I think it's about time you go to sleep. There's no doubt that Twilight will want to study you more tomorrow..." Fluttershy said quietly, but it was stern. "I'll get you a blanket and a pillow." With that she flew off to grab the items.
"They match their show counterparts completely, but at the same time they feel so new to me." His thoughts wandered to Twilight's talk of her human friends.
"Here." Fluttershy put the blanket and the pillow in his lap. "I'm not sure how you use pillows so I'll let you do it." She smiled and waited. It took Jeremy a little bit to find a comfortable spot, but he did eventually and covered himself up with the blanket. He didn't bother changing. He didn't see a point. He was about to doze off when he felt something soft and wet touch his forehead lightly. He opened eyes and found Fluttershy standing over him with a smile, which immediately faded when she realized he hadn't been asleep.
"I'm sorry! It's a habit. I always kiss my animals good night, and I guess I forgot you aren't really an animal like them." She flew out of the room before he could say anything. He decided they'd work it out in the morning, and he dozed off.
Fluttershy poked her head through the doorway to see if Jeremy had indeed fallen asleep. When she was sure he had she crept silently in and placed a candle on the coffee table. She sat on her haunches and opened a book to read.
In the morning...
Jeremy awoke to a thump and the smell of toast. He sat up and looked around, at first he didn't really register anything, but with another look around the room he found a sleeping Fluttershy. Her face was in a book that looked to be near finished, and beside her sat a tray with toast and a glass that looked to have orange juice in it. It was a bit chill, and he visibly saw Flutters shiver. When he looked outside he noticed the Autumn leaves. The window was also open, letting in a chilling breeze. He got up slowly and stretched, being extra careful not to wake the sleeping Fluttershy. She must've been awake all night. He grabbed the blanket and pillow. He slowly slipped the pillow under her head, replacing the book. Jeremy made sure not to lose her page. He knew all too well what it felt like to lose a page in any book with more than three hundred pages, and it seemed Flutters was on page 342. He draped the blanket over her back, and slowly began walking over to the window to close it, but stopped when he remembered something. He crept back over to the sleeping pony and planted a light kiss on her forehead. It made him feel a bit weird and awkward, but that must've been how Fluttershy felt last night. He walked over to the window and shut it, but it made a horrible screeching noise as it shut. Luckily, Fluttershy only stirred a bit and hugged the pillow closer to her head. With the Fluttershy's chilliness taken care of Jeremy turned his attention to the breakfast that he assumed was for him. Which was proven by the note that was hastily written on a piece of paper by the tray.
JerimeeJeremeeJiremy Nice Guy,
Here's breakfast...
Fluttershy.
"She worked so hard for a person she doesn't even know...but she is the Element of Kindness. Am I even considered a friend? Probably not, but they still care so much...do I really want to burden them with my needs? Wait...Twilight's human friends...Will she let me go there? Will they accept me there? Of course they will. FrIendship is Magic isn't it? I guess I could try, and on the plus side they won't be as burdened because of our similarities. Here I'm just too different for their world. I know what I need to do."