I- My Name is Nathan

A Friday in April, 2011

Today started like any other. The alarm blared at 6 in the morning, and I groaned beneath my blanket. I did not want to get up, but I had school at 8. So I grabbed my glasses from their case and decided to grin and bear it. I took a shower, and changed into the clothes I was wearing that day; a pair of blue jeans, a white T-shirt, white socks, and my favorite black tennis shoes. I looked at myself in the mirror so I could properly comb the mess that was my chocolate brown hair. Frankly, I was surprised it wasn’t looking black like my father’s, seeing as all of my older brothers had blacker hair by the age of 16. I guess I was somewhat lucky in that regard. My blue-green eyes were tired, but a slight splash of water was enough to fix that.
I went back to my room and got my backpack ready with school supplies. Of course, there were non-school things I stuffed in there, as well. I could never bring myself to leave home without a few things to occupy myself during my downtime, especially my sketchbook. I wasn’t any good, sure, but I didn’t care. I then went downstairs to eat a bit of breakfast. I looked at the clock. If I was to make the bus, I’d have to leave at 6:30. I had ten minutes. So, I hurried to finish, and quickly brushed my teeth in the upstairs bathroom. After I finished, I raced to the door and opened it. My mother called after me as I left. “Have a good day at school, Nathan!”

I just rolled my eyes and took off. Like I could ever have a good day at school. Ever since I got my glasses, it’s been pure torture. I didn’t pay much mind to the neighborhood, seeing as I knew it like the back of my hand. I made the bus stop, and I saw many faces that I didn’t really care for. I waited for the bus, tuning out whatever little insults they threw my way. I was so used to it by now that it was just white noise.

The bus arrived, and I sat in the front seat behind the driver, as I tended to do. I just wanted to get this day over with, but as I was about to pull out my DS so I could tune out the world, a voice spoke up next to me. “Um, hi there.”

I swivelled on the spot, about to rip a new one to the person who spoke, considering I had no interest in conversing right now. But when I saw who was talking to me, it died in my throat. Beautiful long blonde hair. Blue eyes as deep as the ocean, piercing behind her black glasses. Her outfit only made her look more stunning; a sky blue T-shirt with white stripes, a knee-length green skirt, purple socks, and even the white heels she had on. Two words managed to exit my mouth. “O-ophelia Jakson?”

Shock splayed across her face. “You… know me?”

I was in orbit. Ophelia Jakson is talking to me! She’s talking to me! This was the single best thing that had ever happened to me, so I had to not mess it up. I gathered myself, and tried to explain. “W-well, your younger brother mentioned you, so…”

One of her eyebrows rose in confusion. “Victor? I suppose that makes some sense…” she processed that for a while, then asked another question. “So. What’s your name, then?”

I gulped. She’d asked. Pressure. I liked her a lot, and had never talked to her before. This was more momentous than I ever thought it might be. I calmed myself as best I could to answer. “Nathan. Nathan Ethrol.” I extended a hand to her. “Nice to finally actually meet you.”

Her hand met mine, and electricity ran through me. Her touch! It felt like clouds! The sensation! I tried to calm myself. After all, we’d just met in person for the first time. It was probably better to just be friends for now, but it was something I could live with. But I was caught off guard at what she said next. “That was… strange. Did you feel that electricity?”

Eyes wide, I nodded without hesitation. “Yes, I did.” But then I bit my lip. Should I tell her what I’d heard about such things? No, that likely wasn’t a good call. Instead, I opted for something more… tame. “It usually only happens with people who will share some kind of great connection, or at least that’s what I’ve heard.”

Ophelia smiled. “I kind of like that idea. So, friends?”

We shook on it, a slightly sad smile on my face. “Friends.” The rest of the bus ride, we talked about our common experiences with how we were treated because of our glasses. I was on cloud nine. For the first time in my life, I could talk to somebody that understood what I’d gone through. It was a weight off my shoulders. Time flew, and we had to part ways when we got to school. We waved to each other, and for the first time in a long while, I thought: Today’s a good day. My classes breezed by, and I was on top of all my homework. When lunch rolled around, I tried to find Ophelia. However, she was not in either part of the cafeteria. So, I just decided to eat alone. It wasn’t that I minded; after all, I was used to it. I just thought I might get to talk to my new friend during lunch, but c’est la ville.

Just as I was resigning myself to sit alone at lunch, Ophelia came over to the table I was at. “Hi, Nathan. Mind if I sit here?”

I blinked. She hadn’t eaten already? That was interesting, to say the least. I smiled. “Go ahead. Nice to actually have some company for the first time in…” I shook my head. “Nevermind. So, how’s your day been?”

She sighed heavily. “It’s been rough, but I powered through. I’ve been looking forward to talking to you again.”

This caught me off guard. She’d been looking forward to talking to me again? I paused as I thought about my response. “It means a lot that you actually want to talk to me. Most don’t talk to me unless they have insults to sling. In fact, this has been the best day I’ve had in a long while. Compared to the crap I usually go through, this day was mild. Thanks for listening. For understanding where I’m coming from. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

Ophelia smiled at me. “It’s alright, Nate. I get it. I too, haven’t had the best of days in the past. But what’s important is that we tough it out. Together, as friends.”

There was that word again. Friends… I had to admit, it was rather foreign to consider that I had one again after what happened all those years ago. I pushed that thought away. That was the past, this was the now. For the first time in years, I felt good about myself. True, I want us to be more than friends, but that’s probably not in the cards at this time. It was good enough to know she cared and understood. I nodded. “Yeah. That’s what is important. No matter what, we stick together.” I reached out my hand again. “Promise?”

She took it, and we shook on it. “Promise.” She then released my hand and did a few motions. “Cross my heart; hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.”

I’d never seen somebody use that promise in my entire life, not even… I pushed that thought away again. Ophelia was being serious about this, so… I decided to do the same. “Cross my heart; hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.” I smiled. “There. Now we both know that we’ve got each other’s backs no matter what. It means a lot that you’re being this serious about it.”

She nodded wordlessly, and we went back to our lunches. There were words unspoken, but we both understood now that we were inexorably linked. At that moment, everything felt right. When I finished my lunch, I waved to her. She waved back. I sighed as I made my way to my last class of the day. She’s way out of my league. I’m just her friend, and that’s all I’m likely to ever be. And that… is fine.

I soon found my way to the art building, and entered the final class of the day, my favorite one. I sat down, and pulled out my sketchbook. I opened up my backpack and took out my pencils. My teacher for this class was rather chill, letting us draw whatever came to mind. So, I started to draw aimlessly. I shut out the sounds of the others in class, and just… lost myself in it. I didn’t have a direction, just an aimless want. I sketched all throughout the period, and never once looked back or took back a stroke. I was more sure of my choices on paper than I was elsewhere in life. Whenever my pencil hit paper to draw, I just… let go. When the bell rang, I showed my teacher the sketch at the door. He smiled. “This is really good, Nathan. Just as good as the rest of your work. You’ve got talent, Nathan. How is your work so good?”

I shrugged. “Whenever I draw I just… let go. It just sorta comes together. I can’t really explain it.”

My teacher slapped my back lightly, and chuckled. “No need to be modest, Nathan. You’re really good! Hey, the school is having a showcase soon, and…”

“No.”

My teacher blinked at my answer. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I said no.” I looked away. “I’m just… not comfortable with others seeing it. I have to go.”

I put away my sketchbook in my backpack, zipped it tight, and ran off to catch the bus home. I sat in the front, exhausted. I’d never thought I was any good, but today something had changed. What was it, and why? I didn’t understand. I looked out the window, lost. That changed when Ophelia sat next to me. “Hey, you alright?”

Startled, I turned to Ophelia. “Don’t do that! Almost made me jump right out of my skin!” She giggled lightly, and I immediately forgave her. Her laugh… sounded like delicate wind chimes, if I had to put it into words. I sighed. “I’m just thinking on something my last teacher for the day said.”

She looked at me, concerned. “What did they say?”

I bit my lip. Nobody knew. Everyone in Art class just ignored me, and that was fine. Not even my family knew that I was taking an Art class. Should I tell her? What would she think of me if I did? I supposed that I’d never know if I didn’t try, so I caved. “Well, he… he said that my sketches were good enough to go in the showcase coming up, and-”

Ophelia cut in. “Wait, you draw? I had no idea. Would you… show me your work?”

I was shocked. She wanted to see my sketchbook? My nerves were on edge. Many thoughts ran through my head at the time. But, I decided to give in. I pulled my sketchbook out of my backpack. Before I handed it over, I spoke. “Promise that… you won’t laugh.”

She nodded without hesitation. “I wouldn’t do that to you, Nate. I’m your friend, I’ll respect your hobbies and interests.” After hearing that, I hesitantly handed it over. She carefully studied each page, as if she were looking at something majestic. It took the majority of the bus ride for her to get through the sketchbook, and when she handed it back she had a smile on her face. “Your teacher was right, Nate. You’ve got a gift. But I won’t push you to do the showcase. If you’re uncomfortable with the whole school seeing it, that’s fine.” She handed it back, a smile still on her face. “But perhaps you should reconsider. A gift like yours need to be seen, Nate. Just… think on it.”

I put the sketchbook back in my backpack as the bus reached our stop, and zipped it shut. We once again parted ways that day. I walked home, contemplating things. Maybe Ophelia was right. But… my parents would be informed of the showcase if I was to enter. If they knew… they would get on my case for “wasting my time with a non-profitable profession.” They wouldn’t understand, and insist that I drop out. Who knows what else they might do if they found out I drew so much. I walked on, thoughts storming in my head. But then, the ground shook. I steadied myself. An earthquake? Well, it’s not unheard of here in Utah, but still… I shook my head, and was about to proceed when the ground shook again. I stumbled, and the ground slightly cracked. It started to open, and it wasn’t looking good. I tried to back off, and in the distance I could hear somebody running towards me. The ground opened up and I yelled in fright as I started to fall. Is this the end? Is the world itself trying to get rid of me now that I’ve actually got something to look forward to?

I was caught by somebody at the edge of the pit. “NATHAN!” I looked up, and saw Ophelia. She’d come to try and help me? I smiled. It seemed at the end, that there was light still. She tried to pull me up. “Don’t let go, Nate! I’ve got you!” I nodded, and grabbed onto the side of the pit with my free hand as I put the rest of my body in a position to climb the pit. Things were looking up as she tried to help me climb out. But then the pit widened, and both of us were now in freefall. We screamed out in terror, uncertain of what would happen now. Then, at the bottom, we saw light...

Earlier that day, in Ponyville.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “For the last time Pinkie, your ‘Pinkie Sense’ is just a bunch of coincidences!”

Pinkie was wearing an umbrella hat, and looking to the sky. “But Twilight, my tail’s twitching! It’s been twitching non stop for a while! Something big is going to fall to Equestria! It’ll be a doozy, I swear!”

A sigh escaped Twilight’s mouth. All day, she’d been trying to disprove Pinkie’s “Pinkie Sense”. None of it was making sense, and now Pinkie was insisting that the thing that would fall would “change everything”. Dealing with Pinkie could be a headache sometimes. It didn’t help that her other friends were all in belief of this nonsense. Nothing would stop her from- Something shook. The ponies of town were frightened, and Pinkie was hyperventilating. “It’s happening! They’re coming!”

Twilight looked skeptical, but just as she was about to refute the claim, the shaking returned, and A CRACK APPEARED IN THE SKY. Twilight pointed at it, eye twitching. “But- But- That’s impossible!”

Pinkie was running about, random parts of her twitching and contorting, yelling “They’re coming! They’re coming!”

Rainbow looked at it, unsure what to think as Twilight continued to mutter about it being impossible. She sighed. “Well, I best get ready to fly, then.” she limbered up, and got ready to shoot off into the sky.

The hole opened, and a voice could barely be heard through it. It seemed to be a yell of a masculine voice, but something stopped it. A feminine voice could barely be heard yelling out a word that none of the ponies could quite make out. The sky shook, and the hole expanded. Then, both voices yelled out in unison, terrified beyond belief. Twilight shook herself out of her musings. “Somepony’s falling through the hole! Rainbow!”

She snorted out air. “On it!” She flew fast up to the hole, and got there just as the two figures fell through the sky hole. She caught both figures, but buckled a little. “Ooph! That’s heavy…”

Rainbow was the first to hear them speak as she flew back with them slowly. The male spoke first. “We’re alive? Hey, Ophelia, we’re alive!”

The female, apparently named “Ophelia” spoke up. “B-but how? We were falling for some time… how are we not dead, Nathan?”

Before “Nathan” could reply, Rainbow spoke up. “Heh, that’s thanks to me!” She turned to them and smiled. “Your friendly neighborhood Rainbow Dash!”

But then she opened her eyes to see them. The look on their faces were ones of panic. “Nathan” spoke first, pointing at Rainbow. “A talking… pastel… pony? With wings?” He turned to “Ophelia”, and addressed her. “You see her too, right?”

“Ophelia” nodded. “Yes. I do.” she grasped “Nathan” tightly. “I’m scared. Are we going crazy?”

Rainbow had to process what they were for a second. She’d seen something like them before, but where…? She shook her head, and decided to get them to the ground safely. “Hey, I’m not going to hurt you guys. Just sit tight until we land.”

The two nodded, and decided to take in the scenery, as surreal as it was. The town was full of thatch roof houses, aside from a few different ones. There was a rather red barn, a house that looked to be made of gingerbread, a cottage that looked like a wildlife preserve, a carousel (which raised some eyebrows, to be certain), a place that looked rather like a town hall, and a giant tree with a door in it. They couldn’t see all of it before they landed. They got off of Rainbow’s back, and were greeted by Pinkie Pie. “Hiya! I’m Pinkie Pie! I knew you’d fall from above! Welcome to Ponyville! You two look like you could use a party! How about it?”

Silence fell, as the two of them looked between each other. They seemed to communicate silently, before “Nathan” spoke up. “Er, no thanks. We’ll pass. Just get us back home, and we’ll be out of your… manes.”

Twilight shook off her shock, and walked up to them. “You’re humans! Mythical creatures! Oh, this is amazing! I-”

“Ophelia” cut Twilight off. “Wait, what? Us, mythical? You’ve got it wrong. See, Pegasai and Unicorns are mythical, and-”

“Nathan” held up a… hand, was it called? And spoke. “That’s back home on Earth, Ophelia. This place is… different. It functions on different rules, clearly. For all we know, magic might be real here. Also, anything that might be considered mythical back home likely exist here. We’re way out of our depth here. That’s why we need to get out of here as soon as possible.”

At that, Pinkie pouted. “You’re leaving already? But we haven’t become the bestest of friends yet!”

“Nathan” had anger in his eyes, burning brightly. The sight of it caused the ponies to back off slightly. Ophelia set a hand on his shoulder, calming him down. “Nathan. They’re trying to be nice. We don’t know how long it’ll take for us to get home, or if we even can. We’ll likely need their help for that, so please. They’re not like people back home. Give them a chance.”

Nathan sighed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you. Ophelia is my only friend, and before her… Well, let’s just say I haven’t had the best experience with it.” He shook his head. “Don’t expect us to become friends, though. We can’t afford any sad goodbyes when we leave.”

Rarity cleared her throat. “Well, since you’re stuck here for a while, at the very least let us exchange introductions!” She put a hoof on her chest. “I am Rarity Belle, owner of Carousel Boutique!”

Rainbow flew up and smirked. “You remember me, right? Well, I kinda forgot to mention that I’m the fastest flier in Equestria! Just… not when weighed down too much.”

Applejack strolled up. “Ya’ve already met Pinkie. Mah name’s Applejack. Ah live at Sweet Apple Acres, the place that practically built this town.”

Attention turned to Fluttershy, who was quite nervous. But with a bit of support, she spoke up loud enough to be heard. “I-i’m Fluttershy. I work with the animals in my cottage…”

Lastly, Twilight went up to them, abashed. “Ehe. I’m sorry about how… excited I got. It’s just, the very prospect of-!” She cleared her throat, and started over. “Anyway, I’m Twilight Sparkle.”

The two humans turned to each other, then shrugged. Nathan spoke first. “You might’ve heard her mention it, but my name is Nathan. Nathan Ethrol.” He crossed his arms.

Ophelia smiled. “I’m Ophelia Jakson. It’s a pleasure.” She extended a hand.

The two humans were different in their approach to the ponies. Nathan was standoffish, and perhaps a bit judgemental. Ophelia was open and welcoming, if slightly hesitant. The girls looked between each other. It was clear that both of them needed some work, but Nathan would prove the bigger challenge. Twilight turned to them. “Well, I will send a letter to Princess Celestia. She might know something that can help you get home. No promises, though.”

Nathan sighed. “Alright.” He turned to Ophelia. “Now, where to stay while this gets sorted out?”

To Be Continued...

II- First Night In Equestria

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The question I had asked the ponies had hung in the air, and they discussed things between themselves. I looked to Ophelia. Things were certainly going to be difficult until we got out of this mess. As far as I knew, she wasn’t aware of how I felt about her, and I intended to keep it that way until I felt ready to broach the subject. I was cut out of my thoughts when the lavender unicorn (Twilight, was it? I think that’s right.) spoke up. “Well, we’ve discussed it between us, and a few of us have some extra room for guests. My place, Golden Oaks Library, has a Basement that can easily be converted into a bedroom. Applejack’s farm, Sweet Apple Acres, has a barn that would do. Rarity’s Carousel Boutique has a guest room that is not in use. Pinkie says that sugar Cube Corner doesn’t exactly have room, and Fluttershy’s cottage is full of animals. As for Rainbow’s house… well, it’s made of clouds, so you would fall right through even if it did have room for one of you.”

I massaged my forehead. “Of course there are houses made of clouds. Why am I not surprised?” I shook my head. “Regardless, we have options now. I think I’ll take the barn. I think I can live with a little extra housework to earn my keep.” He turned to Ophelia. “Which one are you going with? You’ve two left to choose from, choose wisely.”

Ophelia deliberated for some time before settling on her choice. “I will take up Rarity’s offer.” She smiled. “It might be fun to learn something about pony fashion.”

Once both of them had decided, Twilight sighed. “I see… neither of you chose to bunk in the library…”

I rolled my eyes. “You do know why I didn’t, right?” Twilight shook her head, and I took off my glasses to place a palm to my face. I removed it momentarily, and put my glasses back on. “Look. I don’t trust any of you, to be perfectly frank.” I pointed at Twilight. “But because of the way you greeted us, I trust you the least of all of them.” I lowered my hand, and sighed. “I can’t speak for Ophelia, though. She probably has a different reason than I do.”

The attention now on her, Ophelia fidgeted a little. She collected herself after a minute or two, and responded to the question hanging in the air. “Well, Rarity’s place seems like a novel experience. I’ve been to a library before, so it’s not really like I’m missing out on much.”

At Twilight’s dejected look, the white unicorn (Rarity, if I recall right) tried to comfort her. “Don’t be so glum, darling. It’s important that we keep their comfort in mind while they stay here in Equestria. We don’t know how long it will be before they can get home.” She smiled patiently. “Besides, you have a letter that you wanted to send to Celestia, right?”

Realizing that Rarity was right, Twilight zoomed off to her home. I looked to the orange pony (Applejack, I think?) and made a motion to go. “So. Mind showing me this barn of yours? I’ve got to get myself situated at least.”

A bit surprised at my insistence, Applejack quirked her head. “Sure ya don’t want to take a bit of a look around town first? We gotta ensure the residents get used to you a bit somehow.”

A twitch set upon one of my eyes. They were seriously suggesting on getting to know the townsfolk? There was no need for that, since we weren’t going to stay. I calmed myself so that I could reply properly. “I’m sure. They don’t need to ‘get used to us’, seeing as we’ll leave at the earliest opportunity. Because of that, I don’t see a point to hobnob with the locals.” I started to walk off towards the farmhouse I saw when we were in the sky. “Let’s get going.” Because of my insistence, Applejack followed with little argument.

Rarity turned to Ophelia as Nathan and Applejack walked off. “Is he always like this? You’re his friend, so…”

Ophelia shrugged. “I haven’t known him long, actually. We only became friends slightly before we fell here.” At the remaining ponies’ surprised looks, Ophelia giggled lightly. “I know that it’s kind of funny to think about. After all, Nathan came off towards you as standoffish and perhaps a tad rude. But… He opened up to me rather quickly, considering what he’s been through. I believe he sensed in me a… kindred spirit, you could say. Sure, our way of coping with our pasts is different, but that is to be expected.” Ophelia sighed deeply. “Today has been a rough day for both of us. We’re a long way from home, in a land we don’t understand. Nathan probably just wants to wrap his head around all of this, a sentiment that I can understand.”

Once Ophelia explained the situation, understanding settled on the ponies’ muzzles. Rainbow smirked. “I think I get your bud’s deal now. Not to worry! We’ll let you guys adjust a bit. I’ve got clouds to bust anyway. See ya!” She zipped off into the sky faster than Ophelia could register.

A whistle came out of Ophelia’s mouth. “Wow, she wasn’t kidding! That’s super fast! It takes complex machinery to reach such speeds back home, and yet it’s just… natural to her. This place is full of surprises!”

Pinkie giggled. “Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet. She can go faster than that!”

Ophelia’s jaw went slack as her eyes widened. “Faster? But she was about as fast as a cheetah! How could she-?" she gripped her head. “Ooh. My head hurts. I need to sit down.” she turned to Rarity. “Let’s go, before my head explodes.” At Rarity’s horrified look, Ophelia snickered. “Not literally! It’s a figure of speech. C’mon.” She beckoned as she went off towards the carousel that she and Nathan had seen when they were falling through the sky. Rarity followed not long after.

Thankfully Applejack hadn’t talked much to me during our walk to her place, which allowed me to truly process all this. This strange world was full of new things I didn’t quite understand. How exactly did this all happen? Why were we now in a world full of pastel ponies that talked? None of it made sense. A hole opened in the ground, and we found ourselves falling through their sky. How does that even make logical sense? The world wasn’t hollow, that’s just not how things work. Science doesn’t allow for such nonsense. I still didn’t quite get how we were dragged here. It had to be something about their strange world that did it, because ours made sense. It made my head hurt thinking about all of this.

We soon made it to Applejack’s farm, and she looked to me. “Stay here a bit. Ah’ve gotta explain a bit ta mah family. Be right back.”

She walked off, and I huffed. I didn’t like standing around doing nothing, so I opened up my backpack and pulled out my sketchbook. My electronics wouldn’t do me much good here, seeing as they might not have electricity to charge them with. I sat down, took out a pencil and started drawing. I kept the entrance of the house in the corner of my eyes while I focused on the paper. My hand flew across the paper, as it tended to. The movements sure and final, I never took anything back. My thoughts turned to what my art teacher had said. Was my art really that good? Ophelia seemed to agree, but I couldn’t quite see it. I wasn’t talented, I was a mess. I knew I wasn’t good at this, it was just a hobby. Something to keep me occupied in my downtime. My eye caught sight of their door starting to open, so I stopped drawing. I put the sketchbook and pencil away and zipped my backpack shut. I stood as Applejack brought out her family.

I took in the look of them. There was this grandma-looking one with a pale green coat, a sturdy red one with a yoke around his neck, and a small yellow one with a bow in her mane. I raised an eyebrow. Was this how small families were here? It seemed pretty sad, to be perfectly honest. I pushed the stray thought away, and walked towards them. “So. You’re the folks I’ll be staying with while I’m stuck in this world.” I shrugged. “Could have been worse, I suppose.”

The little one’s eyes widened. “Applejack says you fell from the sky! Did ya really?”

I sighed deeply. “From your… sister’s... perspective, sure. From mine? I fell through a hole in the ground back home and wound up in your sky. Very disorienting, trust me.” I shook my head. “If her friend wasn’t there to catch us, well… it wouldn't have been very pretty. Guess I owe that… what’s her name? Rainbow, I think? Never been good with names when I first meet new people…” I sighed. “Regardless, I’ll thank her later.” I rolled my shoulders a bit. “So, can I put my stuff in the barn now?”

The grandma chuckled a bit. “Go right ahead, sonny. Dinner’s on in a few hours.” She turned to Applejack. “Why don’t you help Nathan set up, eh?”

I set off towards the barn, and Applejack followed. I pulled the right door open, and looked around the rather empty place. There was some feed for animals around here, and some rafters, but that was about it. I sighed. “Well, I’ve never slept on hay before, but it’ll have to do for now.”

As I started to take some hay from the pile and organize it into a mattress-like shape, Applejack asked a question. “Nathan, you feelin’ alright? Ah can’t exactly tell…”

I paused, and turned to her with a deadpan look. “Alright? No. I’m not.” I turned away, and went back to work. “Just try and see things from my perspective. Everything here is new and strange when compared to how things are back home. I want to get home as soon as possible. After all, wouldn’t you if you were in a similar situation?”

Silence prevailed for a while. After what felt like forever, Applejack spoke up again. “Yeah. Ah would want to get back tah everypony back home. Friends an’ family would miss me terribly. Ah think ah get it now. Is that the reason yah don’t want ta be friends wit us?”

I shook my head. “I told you before. I don’t like painful goodbyes. Plus, I haven’t had the best experience with it in the past.” As Applejack was about to respond, I cut her off. “Listen. Ophelia is… different from others. She gets me. She understands what it’s like. Everyone else back home is not to be trusted, and I’ve learned that lesson the hard way. It’s not a group of memories I like talking about, especially to strangers. So never bring this up again.” My tone brokered no argument, so she remained silent as she left the barn.

As Applejack left the barn, she looked back at Nathan as he was on the tail end of adjusting the hay. His problems ran deeper than she or her friends had initially thought, it seemed. He was deeply troubled, to be sure. He saw his friendship with Ophelia as the only light in a bleak reality, that much was abundantly clear. She didn’t know how she or her friends could possibly help change his mind, but she felt that was what they would need to try and do. She sighed. It was certainly going to be a lot of work, but she and her friends would need to be up to the challenge. Then there was Ophelia. She seemed more reasonable, so maybe she could help. Applejack nodded. It was going to be a tough process to be sure, but worth it in the end. She went off for a bit to consult with Rarity.

I finally finished adjusting the hay, and sighed. It probably took me a few hours to settle on an arrangement that felt satisfactory. I looked outside, and the sun was still high. I was confused. Were the days longer here? I looked for a place to put my backpack out of reach of the ponies. Then, the thought struck me. I went over to the pile of wood in the corner, and borrowed the toolbox near it.
I set to work building a shelf. I carefully worked, adjusting occasionally to ensure that the shelf could hold the weight. Once I was finished, I hammered the shelf into the wall of the barn at a height that I could reach that the grounded ponies couldn’t. I set my backpack on it and smiled at my work. It wasn’t anything magnificent, but it’d do. Sure, the ones with wings could still reach it, but I couldn’t really do anything about that.
It was then that I heard the call for dinner. I put the toolbox away and went over to the house, and saw Applejack make it there slightly before me. She seemed to have come from the entrance of the farm, meaning she’d left at some point. Didn’t really matter to me, that was her business. I went in and sat at the table. It was a bit cumbersome, seeing as the chairs were rather small. The table was full of lots of food, most of it apple themed. They dug in immediately, but I was more hesitant. I considered carefully what I wanted, and asked in a clear voice. “Please pass the salad?”

At my question, they all paused. Applejack swallowed the food she had been eating, and quirked her head. “Yer arms are long enough to reach. Why don’t ya?”

Insulted, I huffed. “Mom didn’t raise a rude boy. It’s not proper manners to reach past somebody else’s plate on the table. If you want something that is past somebody else’s plate, you ask for it to be passed.”

A smile spread across the granny’s muzzle. She grabbed the salad near her, and passed it over to me. “Our family’s always rather impatient at dinner because of all the work we do. It’s nice to see someone with a bit of patience now and then.”

I nodded. “Thank you.” I grasped the bowl, and set it near my plate as I served myself. I looked around the table. “Hm. No ranch dressing... ah, well. Guess I’ll eat it as is.” I grasped my fork in my right hand, and took a bite of the salad. It wasn’t much different from anything back home, so it was passable. I looked at the cup in front of my plate. It was full of amber liquid, probably apple juice. It didn’t have foam on it, so it likely wasn’t spiked. All the cups were full of the same liquid, and the little one seemed to have no ill effects from it. So, I took a sip. It was just as expected, just as good as the store bought juice back home. Dinner passed without much further incident.

Once they all finished, I started grabbing all the dishes. The little one spoke up. “What’re ya doin’ mister?”

I sighed. “First off, don’t call me mister. Makes me feel old. Second, I’m going to wash them for you. It’s the least I can do, seeing as you’re letting me stay here for a while.” I went over to their kitchen sink with the stack of dishes, found the soap, and started to get to work. I scrubbed each one very carefully, making sure to get each and every spot. Once done, I dried them with a nearby clean rag. I worked in silence, soon finishing all the dishes. I dried my hands, and sighed.

The granny smiled. “Thank you for your help, sonny. Do you need anything?”

I debated that for a bit. They were being nice, but I still was wary. I knew there were things I needed that they likely couldn’t provide, so I shook my head. “No. I’ll be heading off to bed now. It’s been a long day.”
I found my way back to the barn, and shut the doors once inside. I opened my backpack, and took out my pajamas. I don’t know why I put them in my backpack that morning, but I was glad I that had. I changed out of my day clothes, and put them in my backpack. I had brought an extra pair of clothes just in case something happened to ruin my clothes today (you wouldn’t believe how often that happens), but it seemed I’d be wearing them tomorrow. But beyond that, I hadn’t brought any others. I’d have to talk to Rarity, work out some kind of deal for her to make me some.
I hoped that we wouldn’t be stuck here much longer, but that was highly unlikely. I shut my backpack, and placed it back on the shelf. I laid down on the makeshift mattress, and sighed. I could see the night sky through the window, and it was rather different from back home. There wasn’t as much light pollution here, so it was a rather crisp view.
I turned to see that somebody had placed a blanket in here, likely one of the ponies from the family. I could see what they were trying, and it wouldn’t work. Ophelia and I couldn’t afford to make friends in this world. If we did… we would have to say goodbye one day, and it would be painful, more so because we’d never see them again.
I shook my head. I pulled the blanket over me, though it was a bit small. It would have to suffice. But for some reason, I just couldn’t get to sleep. I sat up, and went to the window.

The guest room of Rarity’s place was rather spacious, and it looked rather nice. Ophelia sat up from the bed, unable to get to sleep. She found her way to a window, and sighed. “It’s so much to take in, isn’t it, Nate?”

I nodded. “Yeah. You can’t sleep either, eh?” I chuckled a bit. “We really should get some rest though; wouldn’t be quite so good for our health if we stayed up, Ophi.”

Ophelia smirked, then shook her head. “Our families must be worried. I can feel it. How long do you think we’ll be stuck here?”

I contemplated for a bit, then shrugged. “I don’t know. Could be a few days, maybe a week or two, possibly a full month. Hopefully not too much longer than that, though.” I looked to the side. “Otherwise… we risk connecting far too deep with these ponies. We can’t afford that, no matter what.”

A nod from Ophelia. “I get that you don’t want painful goodbyes, after… everything we’ve been through. But must you push them away so harshly? They’re not like the people back home, Nate.”

I knew that she was right, but… a sigh escaped my lips. “I am so used to pushing people away, Ophi. It’s out of habit more than anything else, now. You connected with me because we have a lot in common. But when it comes to everyone else… I’m too afraid to let them in; you know this. I can’t risk somebody like… Harold or Orsen or Ferriss. One just disappeared with no word; the other two turned against me.” I shook my head. “I can’t afford to get hurt again. If I do… I might just let go entirely, and end it all.”

A gasp escaped Ophelia’s mouth. She hadn’t known that he was that close to the edge when she met him that morning. Her first impression had just been that he was just lost and indifferent. But now, she knew what was going on. She had to assure him somehow, so she took a deep breath, and spoke. “Listen, Nate. You know that I’d never turn on you, right? I promised as such. Remember? Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye? I’ll always stick by you, as best I can. If you don’t feel right connecting with the ponies, that’s fine. Just always remember that I have your back, no matter what.”

Tears rolled down my face. I knew that she was serious, but there was this part of me that still had doubts. I didn’t even know why. What was wrong with me? She was the one person that understood, and part of me wanted her to but out. I dried my tears, and took a few deep breaths. She isn’t like them, I insisted to myself. She’s the one true friend I’ve ever had, she’d never turn on me. I have to cling to that, no matter what. After doing that for a few minutes, I calmed down. I then nodded. “Thanks, Ophi. You’re the first and only friend I’ve had that I can really, truly trust. You have told me a few things about your experiences with all this, and from what I’ve garnered, you didn’t quite have it as bad. Regardless of that, you understand me on a level that nobody else has. Two of my brothers, my dad, they didn’t get it. Their experience was different. They had somebody to look out for them, somebody to turn to. My other brother and my sister never had to go through it, and neither did my mom. Anyone else I’ve met with glasses never quite got it, either. But you, you get it. You understand, when nobody else does. You can’t fathom the depths of my gratitude for that. I’m truly glad that I sat next to you this morning.”

A smile spread across Ophelia’s face, and she nodded. “I’m glad you did, too. My family may understand my troubles a bit better than yours does for you, but they just didn’t suffice. I needed somebody outside of that to truly feel understood. Had you not sat next to me on the bus this morning, I would still feel lost and alone in the crowd. I’m glad that I had the instinct to run after you when that first tremor struck. Had I not, you’d be alone here, with nobody to really talk to. We’re in this together, no matter how long it takes.”

I blinked at that. She’d run after me when the tremors came? I hadn’t thought much on how or why she was there to try and catch me; I was just happy that she was. A sleight chuckle escaped my lips. “So that’s why you were there when I fell. I’m glad that I’m not in this on my own. It’s nice to have somebody here to talk to.” I paused, and looked away. Something inside was welling up, telling me to say more. I pushed it away. I was too young to date just yet; I wasn’t ready. So, I just smiled as I concluded. “I hope you sleep well, Ophi. See you in the morning.”

Ophelia smiled and nodded her head. “You too, Nate. See you then.” A sigh escaped her lips, and then she blinked. How'd she heard all of what Nathan had said? How had he heard her? The boutique and the barn weren’t exactly near each other, so the answer wasn’t simple. She had heard of instances of people that shared a strong bond being able to know what the other was thinking; almost akin to a psychic ability. Their bond must’ve been quite strong to be able to converse like that over a long distance without the use of a phone. She was glad that Rarity and her little sister were such heavy sleepers. She went back to bed, finally getting some sleep.

III- An Order Placed

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The morning came abruptly as I shot awake to the sound of a rooster’s call. Applejack came in just as I was grabbing my backpack and shoes. “Mornin’ Nathan! You ready for the day?”

I rubbed my eyes blearily. “Ugh. I hate mornings. I’ve got to change into my day clothes.” I walked out, and into the house. I passed the little one (I think I overheard her being called Apple Bloom, not sure on that.) on my way up the stairs. I found a bathroom (which I found a tad surprising, given this was a farm) and I entered and locked the door. I set my backpack down, and got ready to get in the shower. I went over to the tub/shower, and got in and closed the curtain. It was too small for me to take a proper bath in, so I turned on the shower head. I made quick work of it, and grabbed a towel as I turned off the water. I dried off, and changed into my second pair of clothes: a pair of beige pants, a plaid white and blue shirt, and some green socks. I put on my shoes, and carefully rolled my pajamas back up so they’d fit inside my backpack. I closed my backpack, and remembered to grab it.
I exited the bathroom, and went down to the table as breakfast was being finished. I stared at the plate in front of me. “Uh, what is this? It doesn’t even look edible...”

Applejack huffed. “That’s haybrowns, Nathan. Nice and-”

I interjected. “Hay? Humans can’t eat that stuff.” I got up from the table, and searched the pantry until I found a potato. “Aha! I knew I might find something edible!” I went to their silverware, and found a knife. I shrugged. “It’s no grater, but it’ll do.” I took the knife, and started to carefully peel the skin away.

Just then, Granny Smith (Yes, that’s apparently her name) came into the room, and chuckled. “An’ jus what’re ya doin’ whippersnapper?”

I responded readily. “Making hash browns. Just like mom taught me.” After the skin was discarded in the trash, I pulled out a pan from the cabinet, and peeled the rest of it into it. I spread it nice and evenly, and I placed the pan on the stove and turned the burner on. I carefully adjusted it from time to time, and after a few minutes I flipped it over. A smirk lit on my face. “Golden brown. Now, for the other side.”

Apple Bloom walked in, and sniffed. “What’s cooking?”

I sighed. “Potatoes. I can’t digest hay; so I’m making my own breakfast.” and with perfect timing, I grabbed a plate and slid the hash onto it. Smiling at my work, I sat down my plate at the place they’d set, shoving away the inedible mess. I grabbed my fork, and started cutting it into more manageable pieces.

Applejack looked down. “Ah wasn’t aware that yer system wouldn’t take well to hay. Ah’m sorry fer presumin like that.”

I shrugged. “I may be able to eat many things, but some things just don’t agree with the human stomach. Hay is one of those things.” I pierced one of the pieces with my fork, and placed the hash in my mouth. I sighed a bit as I chewed. Just like mom used to make. I shook my head. Homesickness wouldn’t serve me all too well right now.

Granny Smith chuckled a bit. “No harm no foul. Yer our guest, so we’ll try an keep in mind what you can consume. We want you to have the best experience as possible here.”

I sighed at that. I understood what they were trying to do. But, I was a stubborn guy. I just shrugged, and went back to my breakfast. I finished without further disturbance, and washed my own dishes. Once I was done with that, I put on my shoes and went to the door. I called back. “I’m going out for a bit. I’ll be back later.”

I went out the door, and into the barn to put my backpack on the shelf. After I did that, Applejack found me as I exited the barn. “Where ya off ta Nathan? Can it wait until some chores are done?”

I sighed. “I’m off to Rarity’s. If I’m gonna be stuck here, I’m gonna need more than two sets of day clothes. Perhaps she needs help with something over there. I’ll do the dishes again tonight; I’m not much for hard labor.” I then walked off, and out of the gate. I had a general idea of where the Boutique was in relation to where the farm was, so it only took me a few minutes by jogging slightly. There were some ponies that saw me on the way there, none of whom I recognized. Their response to me was expected, for the most part. They were afraid of me. I was something strange and new to them; it was expected that they would be afraid. There was one unicorn mare that seemed to have an excited look much like Twilight had when she first saw us, and that made me increase my pace. I didn’t need to deal with another crazy pony.

I knocked on Rarity’s door, and waited. I heard her voice call out, saying: “Just a moment!” I stood at the door, tapping my foot a bit. I wasn’t waiting long before Rarity opened the door. “Ah! Nathan! Come to have some clothes made?”

She stepped away from the door, and I entered in by ducking my head a bit. “I presume Ophelia has already explained why either of us would?” At her nod, I sighed. “Good. I’d rather not deal with that awkward conversation.”

I followed her to the back, and she handed me a tape measure with her magic. “Ophelia was a bit embarrassed about having me measure her, so I’ll not put you through that. Just write down the measurements when you’re done.”

She exited through the curtain, leaving a pad of paper and pencil behind. I closed the curtain fully, and held the tape measure in my hand. I took off my shirt for a bit and unrolled the tape measure. I measured my left arm, first the length from shoulder to elbow, then the length from elbow to wrist. The numbers and increments were different from back home, which was to be expected. I then measured the circumference of the arm at its thickest, and its thinnest. I wrote down all those measurements, then measured my torso’s height. I then measured the dimensions of it, then the base of my neck. I wrote those measurements down, and put on my shirt.
I took off my shoes and pants for a bit, leaving my boxers on. I measured my legs first, using the methodology I had for my arms. Once that was done, I measured my waist. I wrote those numbers down. The last part was me just taking the number from that area of the pants I had on and writing it down. I put my pants back on, and sighed in relief. It would’ve been about 20 times more awkward with Rarity doing that, but it was all over now. I put my shoes back on, and picked up the pad of paper and pencil I’d been provided. I left the back room, and handed her the pad of paper and pencil. “Nothing too fancy, okay? Just casual stuff.” After she took the pad of paper from me, I scratched the back of my head a bit. “So, is there anything I can help you with in return? I kinda owe you, since you’re doing this. Just as long as the request is reasonable.”

She shook her head. “Nonsense! This is for a welcome gift! I couldn’t possibly charge you.”

Her logic was sound, much to my chagrin. Still, I wouldn’t have it. “I’m not a charity case. If I can pay you back somehow, I will. I came to you for this, so I intend to pay you. If you happened to do something of your own accord for a gift for an event such as my birthday, now that would be a different case.”

At my response, Rarity had to gather her thoughts a bit. She shook her head, sighing. “Alright, then. I suppose you could take down some orders for me. I’m expecting a few ponies to drop by today, so if you could write down what they want, that’ll be enough.”

I nodded as I pulled out a chair from her back room. “Gotcha. Simple enough.” I set up the chair near the door, and she handed me the pad of paper back, along with the pencil. She’d already removed the piece that I’d written on already. She went into her work room, and I sat on the chair, waiting. I didn’t have to wait long, as a pony entered the store. I greeted them cordially. “Welcome to Carousel Boutique. Rarity’s asked me to write down your order while she works.” I adjusted the pad and pencil, ready to write. “So, may I have your name?”

The pony was a gray pegasus mare with blonde mane and tail, with matching amber eyes and a mark of bubbles. Her muzzle scrunched, a bit surprised at my appearance. “Ah! Uh, sorry. Jus’t I didn’t know you could…”

I sighed. “Talk? Yes. I’m intelligent. So. Your name, ma’am?”

She shook her surprise away, and answered my query. “Bright Eyes. Though some know me as Ditzy Doo, or Derpy Hooves.”

I nodded as I wrote that down. “Alright. Miss Eyes. So, what were you ordering today?”

Her eyes went askew from each other a bit, aligning not long after. “I need a new dress. My old one’s not quite in the shape it used to be.”

I jotted down her response, and asked another question. “Miss Eyes, are there any specifications you want for the dress?”

She tapped a hoof to her chin. She thought for a while, and nodded slightly. “Well, I need this one to be a bit more resilient. Also, I’d prefer if it was a bit easier to fly in. Aside from that, not much else.”

I wrote that down, and nodded. “Alright.” I stood from the chair, and beckoned her. “We’ll need to take a few measurements. Please follow me.” She followed me into the room I measured myself in, and I grabbed the tape measure. “Please try and stand still. This will take a moment.” She obliged, and I went to work. I measured her legs first, which was rather simple. I wrote those measurements down, and then measured the base of her neck. Once that was done, I measured her wings. It was a bit cumbersome, but I managed. I took down those measurements, then went to measure her barrel (I think that’s the right term? I’m not too familiar with equine physiology.). Once I’d done that, I measured her tail. It was going to fit under the dress, so I had to be careful. Once I was sure of those measurements, I wrote them down. I sighed. “I think that’s everything. Thank you for your cooperation.”

I led her out of the room, and out into the front room. She smiled. “I’ll pay for it when it’s ready. See you around, uh… Nathan, was it? I think that’s what I heard Pinkie say...”

I nodded. “Yes, that’s right. I might see you around town, I suppose. Good day, Miss Eyes.” She left the store, and I let out a sigh. Of course Pinkie might let that out… She did seem like one to spread the news of somebody new in town. I was about to sit back in the chair when the door opened again. I greeted them cordially as I flipped the pad of paper to a new page. “Welcome to Carousel Boutique. You had an order you wanted to place? I’ll first need your name.”

The pony in question was the mare that saw me earlier. You know, the crazy one. She had the mark of a Lyre, and her mint green coat contrasted a bit with her amber eyes. She had a mane and tail of seafoam green and white. Her expression at the sight of me sent a bit of a chill down my spine. “Oh my gosh! I knew I wasn’t seeing things! A real human! BonBon will have to eat her words now!”

I cleared my throat, and tapped the paper. “Yes, I’m real. Twilight had much the same reaction. Now, if you’ll state your name for me…”

At that, a blush rose on her face. She chuckled nervously. “Ah, sorry about that. My name is Lyra Heartstrings.”

I wrote that down, and prayed this would go quickly. “Alright. Miss Heartstrings. What is the nature of your order today?”

She got distracted a bit, going on a tangent. “So, what’s your name? I hope to be good friends with a human!”

Irritated, I clenched the pencil hard. It wasn’t so hard to snap it, but it was close. I breathed readily to calm myself as I relaxed my grip. “Nathan Ethrol. But don’t expect me to become your friend. I’m not staying in this place longer than necessary. Now, your order?”

At my response, she seemed a bit dejected. She shook herself off, instead focusing on why she had come here. “Right. I just need a touch-up.” I hadn’t noticed it before, but she brought attention to the dress on a hanger that she’d levitated in the door.

I took in how it looked. A “touch-up” was less than it needed. I could see that all of the seems were ready to pop, and that there were a myriad of tears across a good portion of it. The color was muted to a point that one could hardly tell that it used to have a color at all. I wrote down “replacement dress”, for that abomination she’d shown me was way too far gone. Once that was done, I posed the next question. “Miss Heartstrings, any specifications you want on the dress?”

She shook her head. “Not really. Just make it look as good as new.” She levitated it over to me, and I took it in my hand as she let go. She turned to leave. “My measurements should be on file, just have Rarity use those.” She then left the building.

I wrote down her response to the measurements, and stood. I hung the abominable dress on a rack in the back, and tore off the piece of paper I’d used to write down the order. I found a safety pin, and pinned the piece of paper to the dress. I left it there, and closed the curtain so it was out of sight. I made it back to the chair, and sighed. Just then, Ophelia came down the stairs. She had a new outfit on; a sky blue v-neck shirt, a green floral pattern skirt, and a pair of pink socks to go with her heels. I was speechless. This one made her look just as good as the other one had! I shook myself out of my stupor, though. She was my friend, and nothing more. That was how things would likely stay, no matter what. A sad thing to be sure, but something I could live with. I gathered my thoughts, and spoke. “So, did Rarity make you those? If so, she’s better than I thought...”

Ophelia nodded. “Yeah. Even though she’s never made clothes for anybody but ponies, she did rather well.” She twirled lightly, causing me to blush a bit. Luckily it dispersed by the time she looked in my direction again. “So, the ones you have on were in your backpack? Why, exactly?”

I chuckled darkly. “Well, I’ve been around the block enough to know that one never knows what might happen. I’ve had my fair share of being on the wrong end of a bucket of water, so I never leave home without a back-up set of clothes.”

She tilted her head slightly. “Huh. I guess I’ve never been quite that unlucky. Must be annoying to pack it all in with your school stuff.“

I let out a huff. “Don’t get me started on that. It’s a lot of work, but at this point it’s a necessary evil.”

Ophelia sighed. “How about we talk about something else? I didn’t ask before, but… how old are you?”

I blinked a little. I hadn’t told her that? I supposed that now was as good a time as any. “15. 16 near the end of May, though. Even then, you’d still be about a year older than me.”

At my response, she scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. “Right, you’re a Sophomore, and I’m a Junior. I forgot about that.” she then chuckled a bit. “Silly me, forgetting that my 17th was back in December.”

Crap! Even when something slipped her mind, she was just as amazing as ever! I shook off the feeling, focusing on our conversation. “So, how long exactly have you had glasses? You know that I’ve had mine since second grade, but…”

She cast her mind back, trying to recall. “Hm. Let’s see… it was back in the first grade that I got mine, if I recall right. It’s a bit fuzzy, mostly because of how long it’s been.”

I heard a knock at the door, and sighed. “We’ll talk again later. I’ve got to get back to taking down some orders for Rarity.” I waved to her as she went up the stairs, and sat on the chair as I called out. “Door’s open!”

The ones who came in was an Earth Pony stallion. I’d seen a few around, but I didn’t recognize this one as one from town. He had a gray coat, a lavender and white mane and tail, and some kind of fan for a mark. I couldn’t see his eyes from behind his purple sunglasses. He looked around, and huffed. “Is Rarity in? I need to speak with her.”

I jabbed a thumb towards the back. “She’s busy working right now. If you have an order for her to fill, I’ll write it down for her. Your name, sir?”

The stallion’s sunglasses slipped a bit, revealing his pale blue eyes being a bit wider. “My word! Terribly sorry, I thought you were…” He coughed lightly as he adjusted his glasses. “Nevermind. I am Hoity Toity. I’ve come to have a suit coat adjusted. It fits a bit too tightly. It should arrive here at noon. I don’t want its appearance altered.”

I was writing along as I heard, and nodded. “Will that be all, Mister Toity?”

He seemed to think for a moment. He then shook his head. “No, that’s all. I’ll stop by to pay when it is finished.” He bowed slightly. “Good day, um…”

I extended my hand. “Nathan Ethrol.” He grasped it with a hoof and shook. “You have a good day, and safe travels.”

A smile spread across his muzzle. “Sir Ethrol. Good day.”

He then left, and I sighed. Rarity came out from the back. “Ah, Nathan! I see you’ve finished.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Only three customers? That’s kind of… sad.” I handed her the notepad. “Though, from what I’ve gathered, that’s kind of to be expected. Rough.”

Rarity chuckled a bit. “Oh, it’s not so bad. My work is high quality, so I get work daily. It’s a small thing in the long run.”

I shrugged. “If you say so.” I stood up. “So, when will you be done with my order?”

A sigh came from Rarity. “I’m taking a small break. I should have the first few ready for you in a few hours. Come back around noon, okay?”

A smirk on my end. “Gotcha. I’ll be here about the same time as Mister Toity’s suit that he wants adjusted.” I waved, and went out the door.

I walked about, taking in the quaint little town. It was truly like nothing I’d ever seen before, outside of something in a cartoon. The ponies were still a bit wary of me, and that was just fine. I had a bit of inspiration, so I rushed over to the farm. I got to the barn, and opened my backpack. I got out my sketchbook and pencil, and started to draw. I just… lost myself in it, for a good few hours. By the time I finished, it was about eleven in the morning. I looked at the picture, a pristine replica of the town square of Ponyville, as I’d heard the town called. Maybe I was being a bit harsh on my art skills before. It was pretty good, I had to admit. I put it away, and closed my backpack. I stood, and made my way back to Rarity’s Boutique.

By the time I arrived, Ophelia opened the door to get the package on the front steps. I waved as I went up to the door. “Hey. I’m here to pick up something from Rarity. Is that ready yet?”

She picked up the parcel, and jutted her head indoors. “Yeah. It’s that box on the chair. Come on in.”

I followed her inside, and grabbed the box. “I’m gonna get a look at these and see if they fit. Be right back.”

I went into the changing area and drew the curtain shut. I opened the box, and took a look at the clothes. There were four t-shirts, four jeans, a pair of dress pants, four shorts, and four long sleeve shirts. I tried on each of the shirts first. The t-shirts were rather simple, one blue, one green, one turquoise, and one white. The long sleeve shirts were all different. One was blue plaid, another was green with small cyan stripes, there was a plain white one with buttons, and one was orange with red stripes. All of the shirts fit pretty well, surprisingly. I then moved on to the pants. The jeans were pretty simple, one blue, one beige, one gray, one black. The dress pants were pinstripe black ones, much like the ones I had back home. The shorts were all unique. One was midnight blue with white trim, another was green, one was white with light orange stripes, and the last one was black with gray spots. I was rather impressed with how they all fit. Satisfied, I put them back in the box and changed back into the clothes I had on earlier. I tucked the box under my arm, and left the changing room.

When I did, I saw Twilight in the shop. She looked at me. “Ah, you’re here! Saves me some time. The Princess has replied to my letter, and has requested your presence in Canterlot. She’s provided transportation for us to get there. If one of you will get Rarity and follow me, that’ll be great.”

Ophelia shrugged, and went in the back to get Rarity. I raised an eyebrow. “So why does she want to see us? Does it have anything to do with getting us home?”

Twilight tapped her chin. “She didn’t say outright. She wants you two to see something or other. Said that it could answer a few questions you have about the situation.”

I sighed as Ophelia came back in with Rarity. “Elusivity, eh? Oh well. Might as well get this over with. So, is your posse outside waiting already?”

Twilight went to the door. “Yes. We want to be there for you when you see it! Once in a lifetime opportunity, here we come!”

Ophelia chuckled as we followed her. “Well, she’s certainly enthusiastic, can’t fault her for that.”

Twilight replied as she readied to open the door. “Just don’t freak out, okay? The door opened…

To Be Continued...

IV- Meeting Celestia

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The sight outside of the Boutique was really to be expected, to say the least. After all, why wouldn’t a world full of magical pastel ponies travel via chariots pulled by pegasai? After all, it was not like they could build airplanes… I sighed and pushed that stray thought aside. The chariot was a rather large size, most likely to accommodate for carrying so many individuals. “Well, it is… actually I kinda expected it. But how is this supposed to get us o’er the moun’ins? It looks far less safe than an airplane, that’s for sure...”

The ponies seemed to be a bit confused at first by the way my accent mangled the word “mountain”, but Twilight soon figured it out. She then shook her head. “We do not have to go all the way over. Canterlot’s near the top of the mountain. It should not take too long to get there. Let us get going.”

I sighed, and Ophelia and I followed the ponies as they clamoured inside the thing. The pegasai pulling the contraption had to get a good running start to pull the massive thing in the air, but to my surprise the chariot stayed level with the pegasai as they ascended into the air. I rubbed my temples. “Of course. More magic is at work here, no doubt. No way this sort of thing could even get off the ground back home. Aerodynamics and gravity certainly would not allow it, that is for sure.” I shook my head. “At least the ruf is high enough for me to not hit my head. Small benefits…”

Once more, my accent mangled a word to make it hard to understand. Though, it didn’t take as long for the ponies to understand what it was that I had said. Pinkie giggled. “Well, we have to have the roof that high just in case a minotaur rides with! Ever since the debacle with the ambassador a few years back, all the models had to be redone.” She looked away. “It was not a laughing matter that his horns were stuck in the roof for a while. That mess was not pretty.”

Ophelia made a bit of small talk as we rode through the sky. “I see. So, how many sapient races are there exactly in your world? It is a foreign concept for such a thing to us, seeing as there are only humans back home, so…”

Twilight though a bit. “Let’s see… there is us, dragons, minotaurs, griffons, diamond dogs, changelings, zebras, sea serpents, and probably some we have not even met yet.” Twilight changed the subject. “So, since humans are the only sapient race back on your world, how many are there?”

I shrugged nonchalantly. “Almost seven billion. Being the only sapient race for thousands of years tends to do that to a population.” I paused for a moment, then sighed. “Though, we do not exactly get along. There are easily 150 countries on Earth, each with a different opinion on how to rule their people. To put it bluntly, it is rather quite the mess.”

That little bombshell kept the ponies quiet for a little while. Must have been pretty disconcerning to know that not only were there that many humans back home, but the fact that not all of us got along probably shook them to their cores. As far as I understood, things here seemed to be where all of a sapient race were one country; aside from possibly a few outliers. Applejack confirmed my suspicions. “That is somethin’ heavy, not all ‘o yer people bein’ united. Most ‘o the races here have long since united into their own countries once Equestria led the way a few thousand years ago. How has yer world not fallen to anarchy?”

Ophelia shook her head thoughtfully. “Well, to put it bluntly… we are not like you. Chaos and Order are integral to our nature. We are not one, or the other. We are… both, in a sense. Humans often liked to experiment with different governments when they did not agree with a nation they broke away from. Some nations fell to time. Some still live, though they are not quite what they used to be. Then, there are the ones that are ‘young’, so to speak. Some nations fell to tyranny, and others to anarchy, but never once has all of humanity been in the same state of governance. Humans have tried all the ways of government that one can think of- Monarchy whether absolute or constitutional, Democratic, Republic, and yet all of them would eventually fall in some way or another. But about 200ish years ago, a group of people made something new. Take some aspects of a Democracy, and some of a Republic, mix them together, and bam! You have got yourself a Democratic Republic. After the first cropped up, many tried to copy the formula, but always got it wrong somehow. Yet the first one- the United States of America- has remained, because of how clear and simply its constitution is worded. The ‘left’- known as the Democrats- and the ‘right’- known as the Republicans- may argue on how to run things, but it is all about trying to compromise with each other. It is rather surprising that neither side has yet managed to remake the country in their image. There is technically a third side, but they never win the election for leading the country, so....”

Twilight tilted her head in confusion. “That does not seem like it would survive at all! How is it possibly still around?”

I smirked coyly. “Many in the United States of America have their own vastly differing opinions on the matter. Freedom of speech and expression, after all. As for myself and Ophelia and our families, we consider it divine providence. We are proud Americans, exercising our religious freedom. There is good reason that it is known as the ‘Land of the Free’- after all, those are not the only freedoms guaranteed to the populace by our constitution.”

Rarity scratched her chin a little. “Freedoms? Like, what the government allows the public to do? Sounds quite… chaotic.”

Ophelia shook her head. “There are checks and balances throughout the United States’ Constitution. The people are the ruling party, the public officials are supposed to represent their interests. Though, some do not like to listen...” Though a smile lit upon her face. “Even so, the people often show their displeasure through voting the representatives out of office in the next election. It keeps them on their toes.”

Further conversation was pushed aside as the chariot landed in a large open garden with a castle nearby. I stretched a bit. “Mh! Well, we are here, I guess. Let us get to the castle to see this Princess of yours.” I carefully got out, and helped Ophelia out of the chariot. The ponies filed out, and then some more ponies wearing armor came towards us. I looked towards Twilight. “Are those the royal guards?” at her nod, I sighed. “Right. They are probably here to escort us to the throne room or audience chamber, one of the two.”

All the guards looked relatively similar, probably some spell laced into the armor or something. They beckoned us and started to lead us to where Celestia was. We kept pace rather easily, and Twilight replied to my earlier ascertain. “You are right on the money about where they are taking us. The throne room is the audience chamber. I am not certain about what Celestia wants to talk about, aside from the study of the hole in the sky that you two fell from. For all we know, she could have found another human.”

At Twilight’s speculation, the other ponies started to guess at it too. As for myself, I could not quite pay attention. My thoughts still caught on what she had said. Another human… was it possible that one had arrived at the same time we had, and we just had not noticed? If so, who was the human that was found? Was it somebody that either of us would know? Or, was it somebody new? But there was a good chance that was not part of why Celestia wanted to see the two of us. I sighed. It was not good for me to get my hopes up about such things. I looked to Ophelia, and saw in her eyes that she was a bit more optimistic about the prospect of another human being in Equestria. I smirked. If she wanted to have faith in such a thing, it was not my place to take that away from her.

Before we realized it, we had reached the entrance to the throne room. One of the guards pushed the doors open, and I gasped at what I saw. It was much more ornate than I had expected. The red carpet was expected, but the rest seemed to be a bit… overkill, so to speak. I shook myself out of the state of awe as we entered the room. There were two thrones, one was empty. The other held a white coated pony with both a horn and wings whom I presumed was this Princess Celestia that Twilight had sent the letter to. Her sun motif certainly spoke of such, and my suspicions were confirmed when Twilight addressed her. “Princess Celestia, I have brought the two humans who fell from the sky, just like you asked me to.”

Celestia stood from her throne, and approached Ophelia and myself. She spoke to us with a sorrowful face. “I am truly sorry that you were dragged here to Equestria against your will. Would that I could say that I knew why, but alas… I do not.” She sighed, and walked slightly away. “Rest assured that we are researching the anomaly that brought you here, but progress is painfully slow. I can say this much… you are likely stuck here for at least a month, if not longer. I am sorry to bring you such sour news.”

I clenched my fists, and trembled slightly. I tried to calm myself by doing a few deep breaths, and it worked, for the most part. I relaxed my hands, and sighed. “A month, at least? Well, at least this won’t hurt my grades too much, but there goes my perfect 4.0 grade point average.” I shook my head. “Not much to do about it, I suppose. Anything else you need to talk to us about, or…?”

A nod from Celestia, and she continued. “This event wasn’t singular on that day. We received multiple reports of holes in the sky from across Equestria on that day. We have yet to find any of the humans that might have come through, or anything else that might have fallen through. But we will continue our search and give you two an update. After all, this concerns you most of all. These holes might give us some hints as to how to get you home. Please, bear with our investigation.”

My eyes were wide, as were Ophelia’s. More humans? It seemed likely, given the circumstances. Ophelia smiled, and wiped away a few budding tears. “Well, at least we know that we likely aren’t alone in this.” After drying all the tears, she had a determined look on her face. “If there’s anything we can do to help you find these humans, let us know. We could go to these sights and see if we can get them to come out. After all, in a world as strange to them as this, they’d likely be glad to see another human. We could even vouch for the ponies, tell them that you only want to help. After all, you want to help us get home, so…”

As for me, I adjusted to the idea as Celestia mulled it over. Searching for our fellow man, eh? It’s the right thing to do, regardless of who might be waiting for us. I nodded in agreement. “Ophelia’s right. We have to do this. I don’t know who we might find, but it’s the right course of action. We can set out on Monday to the closest location. We’ll need some time to get a few things in order before then.”

Celestia smiled softly. “From what Twilight told me of you, I wasn’t certain you’d do something like this, Nathan. But it seems you can put aside your misgivings to help people, even if you might have reason not to. You may find people that hate you, or people that you once were friends with, or a stranger. But you have decided to put aside all that to help them. I’m proud of your decision.”

I nodded. “It may be difficult for me, but… It is what he would do. I may have my misgivings and doubts, but… I have to do this. You may wonder why, but it is quite simple. Helping strangers is easier than making friends, for me at least. These people will likely just say their thanks and then forget me when we all get back to where we belong. I do not intend to change that likelihood. It’s best not to dwell on those you will likely never see again, after all.”

Once more, the ponies were silent for a while at my statement. It was clear that they thought I would reconsider my stance, but it was not going to be that easy. I was not going to change my mind so quickly; that just wasn’t who I was. Pinkie pouted, I could swear that her hair deflated a bit. “That is a really sad way to look at things! I get why you do not want to be friends with us ponies, seeing as it’s unlikely we will find a way to keep in contact when you get home. But that is totally different from those that fell from the sky with you! Do you think it is not worth building bridges of friendship with them at the very least? Why would you never see them again? It makes no sense!”

A deep sigh escaped my lips. They did not get it, did they? They did not understand. But Ophi did, so she explained on my behalf. “Remember, we have no clue where these people are from. Some may be from halfway across our globe in comparison to us, and that means that they likely would not know how to speak English. Do you have any idea how much a language barrier would get in the way of such an attempt at friendship? Sure, we may get lucky and find some people that do. But even then, it is not easy to give out trust so readily to total strangers, or people that may have done you wrong in the past. Out of the nearly seven billion humans, we could run into any one of them, and do you know how likely it is that we find somebody that wishes us ill? It is not as low as we would like, let me tell you that. I may be a bit more ready to give people the benefit of the doubt when compared to Nate, but I still have my doubts that I have to work through.”

The silence that followed was palpable. They tried to wrap their heads around such a concept, but it seemed foreign to them- that was, until twilight replied. “I think I get it now. I think I would find it hard to make friends with Trixie, after the stunt she pulled. Many of my friends probably feel the same. But even so, we have to try. It is better to look for the best in somepony rather than focusing on the worst. Sure, it may take some time to mend the wrongs that fell between you, but the more friends you have, the happier you can be.”

I blinked. Her speech made a bit of strange sense, but there was a flaw in it that she likely had not considered. I shook my head. “There is something you should know. Sometimes, you might run across somebody that has little to no redeeming qualities. Say that you make friends with this person. This person does some things that you do not quite agree with, but you ignore these things to try being their friend. But then, they start to rub off on you. Their bad habits, their bad qualities. Is it not the best course of action to cut yourself off from the bad influence to get your life in order? Or is your faith in friendship so blind that you would risk losing who really are just for another friend?”

A hushed whisper ran through the ponies. This was something they likely had never considered before now, a strange and new concept. For a long while, no answer came from them. I was certain that I had stumped them this time. But after much deliberation, they had Rarity reply. “I can see your point, Nathan. But, the best way to counteract that is to give them good influences. If you remain strong, and surround them with others that will help them, you can change that individual for the better. Sure, they might resent you and resist at first. But in the end, they will be glad that you went out of your way to help them.”

I had not expected them to have such a concise answer. I smirked. They certainly were not what I had expected. They blew away my expectations, but I was not angry. I shook myself, though. I had to maintain distance from them, no matter what. I did reply to them, though. “I guess you do have a strong point. Even so… as the old saying goes, old habits die hard.” I sighed, and looked back to Celestia. “Sorry for getting things off track there. If that’s everything, just give us a map of where the holes in the sky appeared, and we will check those out starting Monday.”

Celestia beckoned one of her guards, and he gave her a map of Equestria. She circled a few locations before giving it to me. “Consider carefully how you will approach each one. The nearest one to Ponyville is near Manehattan. No reports of a human have come from the city, so it is likely that they hid away out of caution. The one near Appaloosa has hidden in a nearby cave if the rumors are correct. There was a hole in the sky on the west coast, but no reports of humans in the immediate area so far. The last one was sensed in the frozen wastelands to the north. Nopony lives there, so the human is up there alone. It is up to you which you choose to go to first.”

I was going to go to the one near this “Manehattan” city first, seeing as it was the closest. But the very thought of somebody alone in the frozen wasteland changed my mind. I pointed to it on the map. “We need to go there first. Who knows how long that person will last if we wait too long before going there. The rest of them we can do in any order, just as long as we prepare properly. We may have no clue as to who may await us at each point, but something tells me that I will run into somebody I knew quite well… Call it a hunch, or whatever you like. He is out there, somewhere.”

Twilight tilted her head. “How can you be so certain that this person is out there? It makes no sense…”

I sighed as a sad smile stretched across my face. “I am not certain about this assertion, far from it, in fact. But I just can not shake the feeling that he is out there somewhere. It might just be wishful thinking on my part, sure. There is a good chance that he may not be in this world at all. But some part of me has this feeling that he is. And if he is… I will finally be getting some answers out of him after all these years…”

Celestia raised an eyebrow in intrigue. “This person you speak of, they seem to have been quite important to you. Who were they to you, Nathan?”

I looked away from the ponies, to hide the pain on my face. “You are right. He is important to me, or at least he was the last time I saw him. I would rather not get into details at this time. It still hurts to think about it… even all these years later.”

Before any of the ponies could try and pry on the lingering subject further, Ophelia shook her head. “I would lay off it, if I were you. He likely will not answer any more of your questions about it. It is not easy for him to talk about it, even with me. Just drop it for now. He might tell you some other time, but no guarantees on that front.”

While disappointment was clear on most of their faces, it seemed that they did understand, to some extent. Instead, a change in subject came from Applejack. “Regardin’ how th’ two o’ ya 're gonna get ‘round Equestria to these locales, Ah think that ya oughta let Princess Celestia help ya wit that. Afta all, it is a long trip to each o’ the places by… foot… so...”

I sighed. As much as I did not like the idea, she had a point. We had to get to the places on the map relatively quickly, so we had little choice but to use the ponies’ way of transit. But then, an idea struck. I turned to look towards Twilight. “Say, do you guys have trains in Equestria?” At her nod, I cut off what she was going to say. “Alright. We will work for some money and use that to get some tickets. It might take some time to get enough to buy those tickets, so we will take the offer to get us to the Frozen North-” I turned towards Rarity. “Which means Ophi and myself will need you to make some winter coats for us. We will compensate you later. This should work out well for everyone.”

At my proposition, Celestia gave a soft smile. “I see somebody likes being self-reliant. So, any ideas as to what you will do to work for the money? After all, you will have to at least converse with the townsponies to get them to trust you will do a good job…”

I flinched slightly. I knew somebody might bring this up, but what choice did we have? I sighed deeply. “Then that is what we will do. We will stay professional about it, though. I have not exactly worked out what we will do for work just yet, but that can wait until the ponies of the town at the very most do not fear us. As for the escort to the Frozen North, I will find some way to repay you. I do not like being in debt to others.”

Celestia chuckled in bemusement. “And what, pray tell, would you repay me with? I am a Princess, so there is not much you could give me anyway. Unless you let me meet all the humans you find, I suppose. It would be something only you could give me…”

I nodded. “Then that is what I will do. I will invite you to meet each one once I have helped them adjust a bit to Equestria. Does that sound fair to you?”

Her smile lit again. “That is reasonable, yes. If that is everything you have to say, you‘re free to go back to Ponyville now.”

I was about to leave just then when Ophelia spoke up. “Um, Celestia… is there any way you could speed up the process to find a way for us to get back home? I sense that you’ve been holding out on us…”

In surprise, I turned to look back at Celestia, who had a bit of a nervous look on her muzzle. I hadn’t considered it before, but her manner of speaking about it had seemed odd. Celestia looked between Ophi’s look of pleading and my look of judgement a few times before sighing in defeat. “There is… one way. But he‘s extremely unpredictable. I might be able to get him to listen, but the last time he got out wasn’t exactly pleasant. But I suppose if you’re that desperate… I could try to find some way to reform him. No promises on that front, though. I’ll go through my options, and get back to you on that.”

I smirked. Ophi was certainly quite amazing! I hadn’t thought that we’d get that kind of info out of Celestia, but she’d managed to do so! She never ceased to impress me. I shook myself out of my thoughts as I found that we’d been escorted back to the chariot. The ride back was quiet, which was a bit odd. Regardless, I was thankful for it, seeing as it gave an opportunity for me to organize my thoughts. More humans… among them, I’d a strong feeling that I might find Harold. He’d been out of my life for about eight years now. Thing was, if I found him, would I like the answers he had for me? These troubling thoughts kept me occupied until we landed back in Ponyville. I pushed the thought away as I followed Applejack back to the farm. I veered towards the barn to put away the box of clothes that Rarity’d given to me. I put them up on the same shelf my backpack was on, and double-checked my backpack just in case. I sighed in relief that nothing had been touched as I sealed it shut again. I went into the main house for dinner, which was a bit more substantial, given I knew that the stuff here wasn’t too different from the food back home. After dinner, I washed the dishes again as I thought about how to make money in this place. I hdd some options, some of which I dismissed immediately. I decided to not worry about it until Monday.

V: Details Hashed Out

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A familiar scene played as I looked around. A building of brownish red bricks loomed in the distance. The swings on the playground seemed to stop making sound, though they were still moving. A single word ran through my thoughts. Why? Fingers pointing, laughing all around me. A single phrase repeated, over and over. “Four-eyes! Four-eyes! You need glasses to see!” Tears fell from my face as emotions flew through my mind. How could they, I wondered? Were they not my friends? How could they turn on me like this? I had done nothing wrong to them, so why? I stepped backward, looking for a way out. It took some analysis, but I found the weak link- and ran right through. Sadness. Panic. Confusion. Anger. Disgust. The whirlwind of emotions was so immense, it almost consumed me as the world seemed to swirl around me. But, then I turned to see a familiar face. Ginger hair. Green eyes. A look of sympathy etched on his face. He reached out to me with an outstretched hand. He smiled. I reached back towards him.

But this is where the memory shifted into a dream. I grabbed him by the shoulder, shaking him. “Why, Harold? Why did you leave? Answer me!”

He looked away and brushed off my hands. Then the ground split, and he shrugged as it dragged us apart. “There are many possible reasons, Nathan. But maybe I just got tired of it all, you know? Maybe I was just sick of standing up for you all the time. Maybe… I just needed a break from protecting the weakling with no backbone. You ever think of that, Nathan? Did you ever think of how you were dragging me down?”

Something about him seemed off. This wasn’t the Harold I knew all the way back then. He may have disappeared without even a goodbye, but some part of me knew that Harold hadn’t done so out of spite. I shook my head as I stepped away with a hard look on my face. I pointed at the faux Harold apparition. “Harold would never say that to me! I know that! You are not Harold! You… You are just a bad dream!”

At my declaration, the figure morphed and chuckled. “Is that how it is, Nathan?” Its new voice sounded like acid, and chills ran down my spine. It smirked. “What if I am not just that, hmm? You and me… we both know something about people that others do not seem to. Yet, ever since you met Ophelia, you have started to stray from the path of enlightenment...”

My eyes widened as the figure started to morph to look like her. I yelled at it to cut it out. “You leave her out of this! She is not like the others! I know it! Others may have turned on me, but she never will!”

A malicious chuckle let out from the faux Ophelia. “Ah, naïeve delusions. It’s been a while since you relied on those, right? Yet in the end you have come crawling back to them… Those always did protect you from accepting that Harold likely left just to hurt you. And now, they stand in the way of you realizing that Ophelia is probably just using you as well. Just stop kidding yourself. Happiness is an illusion.”

I shook my head with defiance. The creature was wrong, Ophelia IS different from the others. She had to be! If not, then…. I pushed that dreary thought away. I steeled myself and confronted the creature. “You have no real power, foul apparition. This is my mind, and I am in command here. And I say to you… GET OUT OF MY HEAD!”

The faux Ophelia squirmed as it shifted between many faces that I had seen before. Orsen. Ferris. Albert. Lloyd. Mark. Donovan. Even some that I had long forgotten the names of. All of those faces… all of them were people that I used to call a friend at one point or another. As it screamed, it spiraled into a panic for a small while. “Gah! You…! This is not over… I will be back, Nathan. You can not escape the truth…”

The creature bubbled and twisted, shifting rapidly until it let out a loud yell as it started to shrink. I sighed deeply. “When you come back, I’ll be ready for you.” It then vanished into nothingness.

Sunday morning came with the sun filtering through the windows, and I shot up in a cold sweat as the rooster crowed. That nightmare… I hadn’t had it in a good while, but it still bothered me. Especially the new part. I shook myself out of it, trying to calm myself down. The last few days had been rather hectic. But that didn’t mean I was going to slack off now, on Sunday of all days. I took my backpack and the box of clothes that Rarity had given me off from the shelf. I sighed. I was going to have to get a proper closet for those later… I pushed away that stray thought as I dragged myself towards the house, and entered to see an unwelcome sight. A dog ran through the house, but luckily it did not seem to notice me. Had I known that they had a dog on their property I would have chosen somebody else’s place- perhaps even Twilight’s place- but it was too late for thoughts like that now. I kept myself out of sight of the mutt as I found my way to the bathroom. The family seemed to be getting ready for something or other; but it really was not any of my concern.
I locked the door to the bathroom and got ready to take a shower. It still felt a bit awkward using somebody else’s bathroom for that, but I had little choice in this situation, considering the other options. Once I finished and dried off, I took the black slacks and white button-down shirt out of the box. It was simple enough changing into them, even if it was not quite complete without a suit coat. I shrugged as I put some black socks on that I had forgotten that I had stuffed in my backpack. I did not have another pair of shoes though, so the ones I had brought with me would just have to do for now. I also managed to find a tie in the box that I had not noticed before. It was just a simple blue with diagonal gray stripes, but it did seem to look rather good on me. Once done, I put my pajamas back in my backpack and zipped it shut. I borrowed a comb and straightened my hair a bit. After a few seconds, I was satisfied. I groomed my beard, seeing as I hadn’t thought to bring my razor. After doing all that, I set down the come and exited the bathroom. I went back to the barn real quick to put my backpack away with the box. I sighed, then left the barn. I entered the house again and entered the dining room.

After a bit of consideration, I grabbed a pot from their cabinet. I filled the pot with water and placed it on the stove. I then grabbed a bot of oats from the pantry- though when I looked on the back of the box there was no directions for what I was about to make- I shrugged; opting to do so from memory. I grabbed a measuring cup from one of the drawers (though it took a little while to find the right drawer), and opened the box of oats. I started putting the oats into the pot, and that was when the Apple family came into the dining room. Applejack spoke with a small panic in her voice. “Wut’r ya doin’ with the oats!?”

I chuckled lightly. “Nothing dangerous, I promise. I am cooking it to make oatmeal. The pot is big enough to make some for all of us, if you are interested in trying some. If you are, just grab a bowl and spoon and sit at the table. I will serve it up when it is done cooking.” The family seemed curious enough, seeing as they all did end up grabbing a bowl and spoon- even if Applejack was the most hesitant. It took a few minutes, but the oatmeal was finally ready. I took it off the heat, and turned off the stove. I grabbed two pot holders from the drawers, one that I held the pot with as I brought it to the table, the other that I put beneath it before I put it on the table. I then scooped out a serving for each of them, but cautioned them a bit. “Now, it is still hot, so you probably will want to let it cool. Anyone want some milk to cool it faster?”

At their collective nods, I went to open the fridge- it seems that I had been a bit hasty judging their level of tech- and found a gallon of milk. I brought it to the table and closed the fridge door, and poured some into each of their bowls. I then grabbed a bowl and spoon for myself, and served myself some oatmeal with milk. I did a quick little blessing in my head, and dug in. Applejack then proceeded to comment on the meal. “Why shucks, Nathan. Yer just plum full o’ surprises! Ya learn this recipe from yer ma too?”

I waved a dismissive hand. “Psh! Anyone back home can make oatmeal. It is not too much more difficult than boiling water, given that you know what you are doing. I mean, there are ways to give it more taste if you feel like doing so, like adding brown sugar, but nothing too difficult.”

At that prospect, Apple Bloom perked up. But before she could ask, Granny Smith cut her off. “Now, Bloom. Ya know that the sugar’s not t’ be used wastefully! Jus’ cause our guest mentions it, it doesn't mean ya can have some! That stuff’s pretty expensive for our budget…”

Shock went across my face. “Sugar is expensive here? Mom always gets it when it is on sale, so I do not think too much about such things…” I shook my head. “No matter. I can deal with plain oatmeal if it helps your budget…” Then, I realized something. “Oh wait! I’ve been using your stuff to make this food! I gotta repay you somehow… I do not think that doing the dishes is quite good enough…”

Applejack was going to brush it off, but she changed her mind because of the clear distress in my voice. She nodded firmly. “Well, ya can help us sell apples in the market from now on, if you like. Ya will be paid, of course, but part o’ yer pay will be goin’ t’ what yer replacin’, if’n that is ‘ceptable t’ ya.”

She extended a hoof, and I met it with my hand and shook. “It is a done deal. I do not know how it might work out, but… It is like I told Celestia. I do not like being in debt to others. If you think I can help you, after all that you have done for me so far, the least I can do is give it a shot.”

Applejack smirked. “Heh. Ya got yerself a strong sense ‘o principles, don’t ya? That is quite the shinin’ quality ya got yerself.”

I smirked slightly. “I suppose it is, isn’t it?” I finished up my breakfast and took it to the sink and washed it with soap and water. Once done with that, I dried the dishes first, then my hands.

As I was about to leave the dining room, Granny Smith spoke up. “Where are ya off ta with that fancy wear? Ya goin’ somewhere special today?”

I shook my head. “Sort of, but not exactly. Today is Sunday. It is important for those of my religion to put forward our Sunday best as we worship. Sure, I am not exactly back home, but that does not mean I can let my spiritual growth stifle. So, I would appreciate if you left me to it. I have got a bit of catching up to do, considering how hectic things have been the past two days…”

Applejack tilted her head a bit. “That’s raght, ya did mention that ya were religious… Say, what is yers like, anyway?”

I blinked, and then dismissed her query. “Well, I do not see much point in talking about it here, seeing as our realities are most likely in entirely different dimensions from one another. You probably have some other religion that could be considered ‘true’ here, right?”

Granny nodded with a small smile. “Ah think ah get wut yer sayin’. Yers don’t really impact us that much, jus as ours doesn’t impact ya. If ya need a set aside place or anythin’...”

I considered it for a moment before shaking my head. “No. Thank you for the offer, though. The house will do nicely for our purposes.” at hearing that phrasing, most of them quirked an eyebrow. I chuckled as I went to the door. “Ophelia and I are of the same religion. A boon that likely would not happen if I wound up here with somebody else.” I pushed that thought aside as I opened the door. “I will go over to Rarity’s to get her. Be seeing you later!” I then went out of the house and started walking. During my small trek over there, I noticed a few new things about the town that I had not before. Most of the houses I saw were also for some sort of business, implying that most citizens of this town lived where they worked. There was only one exception that I was aware of, that being Rainbow Dash. Of course, there was likely to be others; such as the doctors and nurses, and the ponies that ran the local school. Another oddity that I noticed was that the weather was controlled- Sure, cloud seeding was a potential tech sometime in the future back home, but this was far different from that, seeing as the pegasai were naturally capable of manipulating clouds.

I pushed these thoughts away as I reached Rarity’s door. I was about to knock just as Rarity opened the door. Luckily for her, I managed to halt before I accidentally punched her. I was about to ask a question when Rarity interrupted me. “Sorry Nathan, but I can not talk for long. Sweetie Belle and I need to be getting somewhere rather important. If you are looking for Ophelia, she is still in the guest room getting ready for… something. If you like, you can wait in the lobby for her. Be seeing you!” I held the door open as she left, followed by a small unicorn filly with a two-toned mane of purple and pink, whom I guessed was the “Sweetie Belle” she was referring to.

I paid them little mind, and entered the lobby after they were out of sight. I sat down on the chair to wait, regretting not bringing my sketchbook to pass the time. Though luckily, I did not have to wait long for Ophelia to come down the stairs. The dress she had on was stunning, to say the least. It was a gentle magenta with a slight glittery sheen to it. It was simple, but that was not a problem. I shook myself out of my daze as I stood up. I smiled gently. “Ready?” at her nod, she followed me to the door. I opened it and stepped aside. “After you, my lady.”

She giggled lightly. “Why, thank you, good sir.” She exited through the door, and I followed soon after. The town seemed a bit quiet with no ponies in sight, and Ophi puzzled about it. “Where do you suppose the ponies went off to?”

I shrugged nonchalantly. “Maybe they went to church? It certainly would not surprise me. Or maybe they are getting ready for some kind of party, possibly a belated ‘Welcome to Equestria’ for the both of us. Could be anything, when you think about it. Let us leave them to it, though.” It was not much longer before we reached the farm. I stopped at the barn, and opened up the doors. Nothing had changed inside, thank goodness. I grabbed my backpack, and opened it. I rummaged through it until I found what I was looking for. I pulled out a green case with handles on it, and sealed up my backpack. I saw that Ophi had a similar case in her hand, though it was blue. I smirked widely. “It seems both of us packed these away that day, eh? Did you have Seminary that day, or…?”

She shook her head. “No, I just do not like the feeling of leaving home without them. What about you?”

I sighed a bit. “I had a feeling that I would need them. Guess that was a good feeling to listen to.” We then left the barn, and entered the house.

Ophi looked around a bit, before going to what I had long since judged was the living room. “This room should suffice.”

She sat on the couch, and I pulled up a chair across from her. I cleared my throat. “Welcome to our session. As acting bishop, I will conduct this session. Now, we do not seem to have a hymn book with us, so we will just start with an opening prayer. Ophelia, if you would.”

I sat back down, and crossed my arms and closed my eyes. She began after a little while. “Heavenly Father, if you can hear us in this strange land, we thank thee for the chance to gather together as members of your church. We thank thee that we wound up in such close proximity, so that neither of us would be alone in this experience. We thank thee for the blessing that we have others to talk to, even if they are not your children as we are. We ask thee to give us strength as we wait for them to help us find a way back to our home. We ask thee to forgive our shortcomings, to continue being patient with us as we strive to better ourselves. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.”

After that, I uncrossed my arms and opened my eyes. I saw that she had already done so, and continued my address. “Alright, so how are we going to go about this? We both know how things are here, so there is no need to bring it up. Should we just read the scriptures?” At her nod, I opened up my scripture case, as she did the same. I posed a question. “So, shall we read aloud the same one, or…?”

Instead of answering, she opened to a page and just remained quiet as she read. I shrugged. To each their own, I supposed. I did not want to disturb her reading, so I opened to a different page and started to read in my head. Personally, it was an… interesting experience, to say the least. After a good while of just reading, we both closed them. I got up and went to the kitchen, grabbing a small plate and a slice of bread. I broke the bread into two pieces, then returned to the living room. We both bowed our heads, and I began to recite the sacrament prayer for the bread. Once that was done, I passed the plate to Ophi and she partook. She passed it back to me, and I partook.
I then went back to the kitchen, placed the plate down, and grabbed two small cups and filled them with water. I put the cups on the plate, and carried it back to the living room. Again we bowed our heads, and I then recited the sacrament prayer for the water. Once done with that, I passed the plate to Ophi and she took one. After drinking, she passed the plate back to me, and I took the other cup and drank. I then took the plate and the cups back to the kitchen and placed them in the sink. I went back to the living room, and we had a small discussion about what we read in our scriptures before I said the closing prayer. We stood, and I opened the door for her once more. We bade each other farewell for now, and I sighed after closing the door behind her. It was over, I could relax for now. I exited the house and went to the barn. I put my scriptures back in my backpack, and pulled out my sketchbook.
I grabbed a pencil, and flipped to a blank page and started to draw. It was odd this time though, as I actually seemed to have some bigger picture in mind from the start. Most things I drew were spontaneous or based on landscapes I had reference to. But this time, I drew something that I had no reference for on hand, instead visualizing the reference in my head. The background formed slowly as I crafted the scene from memory. Large mountains in the background with a large sky that had sparse clouds. In front of the mountains was a building with grand architecture, with a single metal spire coming from roughly the center of the circular structure. The external walls of this building had a pattern of etched into it, with beam like protrusions circling the building at regular intervals. Upon the spire of the building, a statue of a person began to take shape. I put a pin in that, and started to focus on the land surrounding it, giving detail. There was a paved walkway up to the double door entrance of the building. To either side of this path was a small flower bed with various species shown within.

I was startled by a knock on the barn door, and I hurriedly put away my sketchbook and pencil, closing my backpack as I called out. “Yes? Who is it?”

The door opened, and I saw that it was Pinkie. She had the same exuberant smile as I was aware she tended to; and her tone was just about as bubbly. “Hiya! You coming to the belated Welcome Party? It will be fun~! Besides, you and Ophelia are the guests of honor, so...”

I let out a deep sigh. She had deflated my argument before I could even make it. Just how did she…? I decided not to worry about it. I put my backpack back on the shelf and made my way to the door. “Alright, I will go to the party. But do not expect me to make any new friends while there, alright? The most I will do is ensure them that I will not hurt them.”

She had a bit of a dejected look for a split second, but soon shook it off soon after. She started to leave, and I followed at a distance. After a good while of following Pinkie, I found myself outside the Gingerbread House that I and Ophi had seen from the air. Speaking of, she was there already as well, slightly fidgeting. She smiled lightly, calming down a bit. “What do you think the party is going to be like? I am kind of nervous about it… I have never been to a party with so many individuals before...”

I shrugged lightly, and spoke up. “I do not know. But…” I then proceeded to grab the doorknob, and turned to her with a small smirk on my face. “There’s really only one surefire way to find out, don’t you think?” I then opened the door.

VI- A Welcome to Remember

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Taking a look around, both myself and Ophelia were a bit perplexed at the way the party was organized. There were balloons and streamers of various colors strewn about, and a giant banner that read “A Belated Welcome To Equestria!” That much was expected. The rest… not so much. The tables were stocked with quite a smorgasbord of food of all sorts, even some meat (which seemed a tad odd, but it was probably imported from some distant land). There was a stage in the back of the room, with a microphone and a turntable set up on it. In front of it was a checkered tile dance floor. There seemed to be a few games akin to what one would find at a child’s birthday party, but they were tucked away in the back. As for the ponies, it seemed that most all of them were here- and quite a few looked slightly apprehensive, which was expected. Pinkie entered our view as the door closed behind us, a positively giddy expression on her face. “Well? What do you think of the party? Do you like it? Do you?”

She was bouncing slightly out of excitement, and I looked to Ophelia before looking back to respond. “It is certainly… different from what I expected, to say the least. We will see how that changes during the course of this party.”

Ophelia seemed more positive, however. “Well, I think this might be quite a bit of fun. We have had a rough patch lately, so it will be nice to just put it aside for a while.”

I sighed deeply. She had such a positive air about her. I smiled lightly. I suppose if she tried to enjoy herself, then I should let her. A white unicorn wearing shades stepped up to the stage and started playing some music. It wasn’t a bad tune, to be honest. I felt my foot tap along subconsciously. Maybe this would not be so… I shook my head as I reigned myself in. I had to keep my distance from these ponies. That was paramount, come the time we left this place. I decided to just get something to eat. I perused the tables for a good while, carefully stocking my plate. I grabbed a cup and went to the drinks.

There was a bowl full of what I recognized as fruit punch, and a tank of water. Not wanting to risk it, I took the safer option. After all, who ever heard of somebody spiking water? With plate and drink in tow, I found my way to a table and sat down. I had only barely started to eat when I noticed that mint unicorn sit down. It was her again, my stalker. I was not about to get up, seeing as I had already found a place near the door. So, against better judgement, I sighed. “What is it that you want, hm? I’m busy.”

The unicorn mare blinked, and tilted her head. She then shook it and grinned. “My name is Lyra! I have read all sorts of myths about humans! Is it true that you do not have magic?”

I huffed lightly with constrained exasperation. She was an exhausting one, that much was certain. I rubbed my temples, trying to abate a coming headache. “Yes. Magic is a myth back home, so it is not like we could have it. Though it is technically a scientific term for something we can not as of yet explain through our current understanding of science. Not many of those are left, though.”

As Lyra was about to question me again, Ophelia came to the table. I sighed in relief. Ophelia tilted her head. “Nate, why are you just eating? I know that you think the party games are a bit childish, but you could at least try the dance floor.”

At that remark, I shook my head. “No way, no how. I have not danced since Elementary School. I am terribly rusty, you know. Besides, I am not really much for parties. I only came because you wanted to come.” I cleared my throat “You know. To be supportive.”

Ophelia sighed. “Come on, Nate. Just try it? It cannot hurt… You might even like it!”

I grimaced slightly as a thought went through my head That is exactly what I am afraid of... But then I noticed that she was staring at me with a pleading look on her face. I tried to resist, but I eventually caved. I could not say no to that face. I sighed in defeat. “Make sure that nobody touches my food.” At her nod, I stood and made my way to the dance floor. The ponies murmured as a new number started up. I closed my eyes and listened to the beat as my foot tapped it out a bit. Once I had it in my head, I began with fervor as my eyes snapped open. It was just me and the music, in my head. My feet practically flew across the floor, as my body supplemented the motions. Nothing else mattered, except the music and my moves. I sprinkled in moves I recalled from various dances, most that fit the techno beat. I even spiced up a few of them with a new twist, and it just felt like an old part of me was coming back to the surface. This feeling in my bones. This flow inside my soul! I felt like nothing could come between me and the music, but it eventually had to end. On the final note, I struck a triumphant pose, then bowed as my hearing started to tune back into reality. Clapping hands, and stomping of hooves mixed with cheers. I smiled briefly, and made my way back to the table and slumped down with a sigh.

With a grin upon her face, Ophi broke out in congratulatory words. “Wow, Nate! For somebody that claimed to be ‘rusty’ your dancing was pretty smooth looking to me! You could be a pro, if you wanted!”

I chuckled, still a bit high from the adrenaline. “Are you serious? Just how many hidden talents do you think I have, Ophi? I think we will have to get back home before I even consider pursuing that, or any others that I might have”

Pinkie found her way to our table, positively beaming. “I knew that you would enjoy something at this party! My Pinkie Sense is never wrong!”

As my adrenaline rush finally cooled off, I was about to ask about it, but thought better of it. It was not like it was of any consequence to us or our situation. At least, that was what I thought before Ophelia brought something up that I had not considered. “Wait, did this sense of yours tell you we were coming to Equestria?”

Pinkie scrunched up her face a bit, then shrugged. “Sort of yes, but sort of no. My Pinkie Sense is not too good with specifics events or situations, but it gets the job done with general predictions! What I felt before you arrived was just a combo of something falling and somebody new coming to town, so I got the gist of it. Though, I did not expect humans… nor the hole in the sky… though if my Pinkie Sense gave an exact prediction, it would not be half as fun!”

This kept getting stranger and stranger. What were the limitations on the rules of this world? It was rather concerning, how loose things seemed here. I shook my head, focusing on finishing my meal. It was the first time in days that I had meat, but despite my cravings I managed to refrain from devouring it like a vacuum. I slowed down enough to enjoy it, but that was the best I could do. Though, Lyra was still looking at me in… fascination? I raised an eyebrow as I swallowed. “What? Did your myths not tell you that humans are omnivorous?”

Lyra shook her head. “No, it is just… I had never seen anyone eat meat quite like that. Most just wolf it down without a second thought. The way you ate it was not quite what I expected…”

I blinked in disbelief. The things those myths left out… I guess I could say as much about our myths about unicorns and pegasai, leaving out their ability to speak. I shook my head and tossed the stray thought aside. “Well, it is not good for your body if you just inhale it. It can cause stomach pains, and you might choke if you go too fast. It is best to not risk that sort of issue. Plus, it is not good manners to rush.”

Ophi stood from the table after finishing her meal, and stretched a bit. “It has been fun, but I think that we best get going. We have quite the long day ahead for both of us, so we need a good night’s rest.” She turned to Pinkie as I finished off my meal. “It was very nice of you to throw this party for us, though it is a darn shame that we have to leave so early…”

I brushed myself off as I stood. I sighed in resignation. I had to do this. “I guess I was a bit hasty in presuming that I would not enjoy myself here. Though, do not go thinking that this means that I am your friend, Pinkamena.”

At my (admittedly slightly harsh) response, she deflated slightly, but she shook it off somewhat quickly, getting back to her usual cheery mood. “That is quite alright, Nathan! It just makes my day that you enjoyed the party! Would you like me to throw one for your birthday when it comes? You know, if you end up being stuck in Equestria for that long…”

We were close to the front door as that question was poised to me, and I stood firm with my back to her. I did not want to risk looking back and seeing something that might change my mind. “No. I do not really like big celebrations for my birthday. Besides. It is not quite the same if…” I shook my head. “Regardless of that, I do not want a party for my birthday. Please understand.” Without risking looking back at what was likely to be her devastated face, I exited the shop. As the door closed behind us, I sighed with relief.

Ophi had a sad look on her face as she looked towards me. “I understand why you said that to her, given what you told me about how your last birthday party went. But I am just glad you were not harsher. But, do you think it would be alright if I got you something for your birthday? I hope you will not mind…”

I looked to her. She was the one person I had with me from back home, she was the one person that understood. I was lucky to have her with me. I smiled. “Go ahead. If you want to get me something for my birthday, that is fine. I just do not think I could deal with a party. We might wind up still being here by then, seeing as it is about a month from now. I just hope we get home by then. That would be the best present I could ask for.”

We walked together for a small while, and Ophi spoke once more. “Would you be mad if the ponies got you something for your birthday? Even if it was just gifts?”

I sighed at the crossroads of where we would part ways until tomorrow. I spoke frankly. “It is not that I would be mad, but… I just do not want to have painful memories when we leave. I don’t want there to be any reason for us to stay. Okay? That’s all.” And with those words, I left for Sweet Apple Acres.

Ophelia stared after him for a small moment before letting out a sigh. He was a stubborn one, that much was sure. She supposed that Nate did have a point, however. They would leave this place at some point, and his distancing tactic would likely keep them from feeling too guilty for leaving the ponies behind. But Ophelia knew that somewhere in there, Nate felt as she did. That it needn’t be goodbye forever- even if he insisted otherwise. She shook away those thoughts and went back to where she was staying. She went up into the guest room and pulled out her backpack from under the guest room bed. She opened it gingerly, and produced a set of sheet music.

She hummed the tune pretty accurately, seeing as she had not heard it in a while. She had always had a knack for memorizing tunes, and had even considered enrolling into a choir program in the past. Yet she never really felt comfortable singing in front of others. She supposed this was like how Nate had doubts about showing off his art. She ran through the melody a few times before putting the piece away. She chuckled lightly to herself as she placed her backpack back under the bed.. Something told her that Nate had just finished up using his sketchpad for the day. Ever since that first night where they somehow spoke to each other and heard one another, she had this almost innate awareness of when he had been doing that. He had been using it about twice a day, according to that sense. Was this place affecting them somehow? When that thought entered her mind, she looked visibly troubled.

What if going home meant losing those small changes? What if they… she shook her head. She could not be thinking like that, it was not healthy. Nate was firm in his decision to distance himself as much as feasibly possible from the ponies, and only engaging them when absolutely necessary. She admired him for that. She wished that she could be as sure. She supposed that she still had hopes that her old friendships could be rekindled, where as Nate had likely given up on such things years ago. This was likely one of the many key differences between how they approached the ponies. Ophelia also could not help but wonder what would have happened had Nate and her become friends earlier. Certainly something would have changed for at least one of them- but as for what that would be, it was hard to tell.

She was shaken out of her thoughts when Rarity came home from the party. Rarity called up. “Ophelia, are you up for some dessert? I brought some from the party!”

Ophelia opened her door and called back. “Just save it for later. I have a long day tomorrow.” She closed her door, and sighed as she got ready for bed. “I wonder, who will be the first we meet? Somebody we know? Or will it be a stranger? Whomever they are, I hope they end up being personable… that would be best.” She got into the guest bed, and nodded off to sleep.

I stared at the ceiling of the barn as I tried to get some rest. I tossed and turned, but nothing helped. It just was not working. I tried reaching out with my connection to Ophelia, but I sensed that she had already fallen asleep. A deep sigh of disappointment escaped my lips. “Well, it was worth a shot.” I then considered something. Why was it that we were tossed into this world anyway? Was it truly just some massive cosmic accident? Or was there something more to all this mess that we had found ourselves in? I massaged my temples as I tried to resist the headache keeping me awake. It would not do me much good to continue worrying about it. I had bigger fish to fry, namely our search mission to find all of the other stranded humans.

One was near their city known as Manehattan, if not more. Their Appaloosa sounded like a small outpost town, so it might be harder to judge if there truly was just one human there. Celestia had also mentioned their west coast, but no specific city or town seems to be closest to the area she circled on the map, so there was no telling how many humans might be hidden there. Then there was the frozen wastes to the north, the location that needed to be investigated first. After all, humans may be resourceful, but a wasteland isn’t exactly the best spot for survival. I still held firm that I felt that one of the humans was my old best friend Harold- but something told me that he was not the one stuck up north. Half of me was relieved, but the other half was disheartened. He was the one friend I could never really bring myself to blame for my predicament. After all, it was likely powers beyond his control that caused us to have not seen each other for almost eight years now. Most likely, his family moved away without his consent. He was the only one that I felt I might possibly be able to reconnect with out of all my old friends.

I pushed away the troublesome thoughts as I once more tried to get some sleep. Yet, it seemed that the forces that be conspired against me. Realizing that I might not get to sleep that night, I stood, and went into the house. I found my way to the kitchen when I heard the sharp sniffling of a scared child. I turned to see who was there, and saw that it was Apple Bloom, and she looked terrified. I sighed as I stooped down to look her in the eyes. “Did you have a nightmare?” at her nod, I sighed. I could never bring myself to hate children. So innocent and unmarred by the world around them… unlike I was. I dismissed those unpleasant thoughts as I guided her to the couch of the family room. “Would you like to talk to me about it?”

She nodded timedly and began. “W-well, Ah had a nightmare about me not gettin’ a Cutie Mark that entailed apples an’ bein’ disowned bah mah family. It was rather fr-frightnin’.”

I ruffled her mane a bit. “Relax. Something like that would never happen to you in real life. Regardless of what you end up doing with your life, your family seems like the sort to love you no matter what. You have got to trust that they will be there for you, and support what you do with your life. No matter what.” I sighed and looked away.

Apple bloom tilted her head with concern on her face. “Are you ahlright?”

I nodded with a smirk. “I will be fine, don’t you go worrying about me. It is nothing you need to worry yourself about, okay? Just get yourself back to bed. And remember, dreams can not hurt you while awake. They may seem scary at times, and sometimes they can feel quite real. But they are not real. A nightmare is just your subconscious trying to help you face your troubles.” She nodded hesitantly as she pulled away from me, and then scrambled back up the stairs. I stood, and let out a sigh. It was the right choice to withhold my troubles from her. After all, she was just a kid! She had no need to worry about my troubles. I shook the troubling thoughts away, and left the house feeling a lot more sleepy. Maybe I would actually manage to get a good night’s rest now. I found my way back to the barn, and laid down upon the hay mattress. I pulled up the blanket as I yawned, and I dozed off soon afterwards.

Meanwhile, in the Frozen North…

As the blizzard howled fiercely outside of the cave, the two humans stranded inside somehow managed to remain sane and well throughout their troubles thus far. One of them looked to the fire that they kept with his blue eyes, stoking it to keep it alive and strong. The two of them had been taking turns to keep the fire going ever since they found this cave by pure chance. It was lucky that they had managed to bring kindling and some small sticks to make this fire in the first place. Wherever they were, it was a constant blizzard out there. When they had first arrived, they nearly got lost in it.

He shook those unpleasant thoughts aside as he set down the stoker for a brief second to rub his gloved hands against the sides of his heavy coat as he stared at their backpacks. They were running low on food, despite their meticulous rationing. It would not be much longer before they starved and froze over. He let out a sigh as a lock of dirty blonde hair fell in front of his face. How did a hike into the mountains manage to go this awry? Falling through an unmarked crevice into an endless blizzard? How does that even happen? At least he had a companion in all of this. He looked at her, sleeping soundly in her sleeping bag with her long red hair sprawled all about. He barely knew her, and yet he had grown to trust her through this adversitous situation. They were both a long way from home, and who knows where that crevice had spit them out? Regardless, the chance of rescue was rather slim. Yet something stopped him from giving up hope. He had this feeling that somebody was coming for them tomorrow. Maybe even somebody that one of them knew. It was like a whisper in the wind, to his very soul.

His intrepid companion Miara had thought him a bit overoptimistic at that notion when he had told her of it, but she understood that it was better to hope for something that might not come than it was to just wallow in despair. He also suspected that she felt it deep down as well, despite what she said on the surface. He sighed as he picked up the stoker to keep the fire going. He may have been quite tired, but he was not going to let them freeze. It would be slightly warmer when the morning arrived, and he could manage to take a small rest then before their pitiful breakfast. He sighed. Oh how he wished that he had thought to pack more food… Then again, it was not like he could even expect something like this to occur. He tried to take his mind off of that unpleasant thought by stoking the fire some more. As he stared into the fire, his mind wandered to a different topic, however.

He seemed to not be able to get his thoughts off of an old friend of his that he had pushed away about four years ago. He sighed with deep regret. “Nathan… I know that you might not believe me, but… I am sorry. I should’ve been able to take the jeers. I didn’t mean to hurt you, it’s just…” another sigh as he shook his head. “No. It isn’t like you’d forgive your traitor of a ‘friend’ Ferris, right? Not after all that you told me that you’d been through before reaching out to me… You hate me… don’t you, Nathan.” Ferris wiped his face to drive away the tears. Thinking about it wouldn’t change anything. What he’d done to Nathan after he had opened up to him, regardless of the reason… It wasn’t right. He just had to pray that he’d someday get the opportunity to set it all right. So to try and get his mind off of it, he went back to stoking the fire for the rest of the night.

VII- A Day's Work

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I arose quite blearily just as the rooster crowed on Monday morning. I groaned slightly in discomfort as I grabbed my backpack from the shelf as well as the box of clothes. I grabbed my shoes and exited the barn. It was not easy getting used to waking at the crack of dawn, but it was not too much different from waking up for school on time, I supposed. At the thought of that, I sighed with a hint of irritation mixed with resignation. Today would be the first blemish on my otherwise perfect school attendance record. Nothing that I could do about it, really. It was out of my hands. I made it into the house just as Applejack made her way downstairs. She chuckled at the sight of me, or rather, my hair. “Got yerself quite the bed head this mornin’ eh, Nathan?”

At that comment, I huffed lightly. “Please excuse me. Gotta go get my morning shower.” She stepped aside so I could get upstairs. I made my way to the bathroom and locked the door once inside. I sighed as I got ready for my shower. I knew why she was being light toned. She was thinking that it would help me. I scoffed as I turned on the shower head. Why were they being so persistent about it? I understood that it was part of their hospitality, but I kinda wished that they would tone it down for a while. I finished my shower and dried off. I proceeded to choose one of the outfits from the box. I picked out the green t-shirt and black jeans- preparing for going to the frozen north as best I could. I put on my socks and shoes, then rolled up my pajamas as I stuck them back in my backpack. I would have to wash them soon, given how they were starting to have a slight stench to them. Speaking of, the other laundry was starting to pile up...

I decided to worry about that later. I went downstairs to get some breakfast- deciding to just grab a Fuji Apple from the pantry. I gave it a once over, not seeing any blemishes on it. I shrugged, and took a bite. It was just as I remembered them, possibly even better than the ones found in stores back home. I finished it off as Granny came in. She smiled. “Ah ‘preciate ya agreein’ ta help us wit’ our sales today, sonny. Applejack will be ready to show ya th’ ropes in a few.”

I shook my head dismissively. “It is not any trouble, really. This is just in appreciation of your hospitality thus far. It is the least I can do for you in return.” I then left the house, and dropped my backpack and the box back on the shelf in the barn. As I exited, I saw that Applejack was ready to go, indicated by the cart full of various kinds of apples behind her. “Alright then, lead the way. Let me see the spot you usually sell from.” I kept pace as Applejack let me to market. It was pretty early, so not many ponies were up and about just yet. Once she stopped, I took a look at the area around us. It wasn’t far from her farm, and it was in a spot that was going to be in the sun quite a bit. “How many sales do you usually have from this spot?”

Applejack shifted in place. “Well, it’s not lahk we don’ get any, we jus’... don’ get as much as ah’d like. Does keep us outa th’ red though, thanks t’ our regulars.”

I nodded with understanding. “I see. So you only sell raw apples at your cart, then? No apple juice or anything?” she shook her head, and I sighed. “Well, I will just have to work with what I have been given, then. We need to relocate to a place that gets more hoof traffic. Now, if you will follow me…” I led her to a spot closer to town square that got some decent shade. She stopped the cart as I surveyed the area again. I smirked. “This new spot should do quite nicely for our purposes. Open area close to town center, check. Spot near where the shade will remain decent for most of the day, check. Now, we just gotta work a little salesman magic…”

I noticed a pony coming near, one that I recognized from when I helped Rarity. I greeted her cordially. “Ah, hello again Miss Eyes! And how are you today?”

She was a little startled, but shook it off rather quickly. She chuckled nervously. “Uhm, I am on my way to work, but I forgot to eat breakfast…”

I wagged a finger at her. “Now, that is not very good for your constitution! A nice juicy apple should be enough to keep you tided over until lunch. What do you say?”

She shifted a bit from side to side, contemplating. She looked to Applejack. “How much for one red delicious?”

Applejack was stunned for a bit, but shook herself and smiled cordially. “That’ll be two bits, Derpy.”

She came up to the counter and placed two gold coins on the counter. Applejack put the two coins into a cash box as I placed one red delicious in a paper bag, and held it out to her. “You have a nice day now!”

She took the bag with her mouth as I let go, and she flew off to work. Applejack looked to me, slightly impressed. “Well, Ah don’ know how ya did that. Derpy usually jus’ flies raght past my stall. Today we might make some good sales after all…”

She straightened herself as another pony came on by. I sighed deeply as I saw who it was. “Ah, Miss Heartstrings. I noticed that you introduced yourself to me again at the party… I am not quite that bad with names, you know…”

Lyra tilted her head. “Did I? I do not remember doing that…” She shook her head. “Nevermind. I see that you are helping out Applejack today! What luck! I will have a golden delicious, please. Actually, make that two.”

I found the one in question and placed two of them in a paper bag as Applejack told her the price. “That’s gonna be six bits, Lyra.” Lyra levitated six gold coins onto the counter, and gently grabbed the bag with her magic- though the feeling of her magic on my hand sort of sent a small chill down my spine. Applejack placed the coins in the box as I let go of the bag.

I stared at my hand as Lyra left. The tingle from the magic abated quickly, thankfully. I then saw quite a few more ponies coming into the square. I grinned. “Seems that I was right to put it here. Time for the sales pitch.” I cleared my throat, and tapped the sign of the stall to garner attention. I smirked. “So, how many of you were in a hurry this morning and forgot breakfast?”

Quite a few hooves went into the air, and I beckoned slightly. “Well, come on up and get on of our juicy apples! They will tide you over ‘til your lunch hour if you savor them. We have got all sorts for your rumbling bellies! Red Delicious is one for two bits. Golden Delicious is one for three bits. Fuji is one for three bits. A Smith is one for four bits. And there are many others, too! So? Which will it be for ya?”

A mulberry “earth” mare with two-toned pink mane and tail was the first came up to the stall. “I’ll have a red delicious.” she placed two bits on the counter, as I placed the apple in a bag for her. After she took hers in her teeth, she trotted off.

Then, a gray pegasus stallion with a blue-silver mane and tail fluttered down to buy something. “I’ll have a Fuji apple.” After he forked over the bits, I gave him his order. He took it in his teeth and flew off somewhere.

The next in line was a pinkish purple unicorn mare with two toned purple mane and tail. She deliberated a bit before deciding what to buy. “Hmmm…. I think I’ll get a granny smith.” She placed the bits on the counter, and I placed her order in a paper bag and set it on the counter. She picked it up with her magic, and walked off elsewhere. After that, I sort of lost track as the ponies kept coming in droves, until all those that had raised their hooves had left- and I saw that Rarity looked on in mild awe. “My word! I have never seen your stall that busy, Applejack!” She turned to see me readying more paper bags. “Is this all your influence, then?”

I shook my head. “Not exactly. Dad had a head for business, he taught me all I know about it.” After that left my lips, I sighed. “I suppose I should not be too hard on him when I get home, then. Despite…” I shook my head. “That is not important. So, would you like an apple today?”

Rarity paused for a moment, and smiled. “Well, I do often support Applejack’s business, so today will be no different.” she placed four bits on the counter. “Two red delicious apples, please.” I grabbed the ones that she had requested, and placed them in a paper bag. I placed the bag on the counter, and she picked it up with her magic. She tilted her head a slight bit. “Why didn’t you hold it out for me?”

I explained as she drew the bag close to her. “Well, magic feels kind of weird against my skin. It is not exactly a feeling that I think I want to get used to, thank you very much.”

Rarity was not sure what to make of that, but seemed to have a plausible explanation. “Maybe it is because there is not any magic where you are from? That is probably why you react in such a way. Though, I do hope it causes you no ill effects…”

I shrugged indifferently. “I have not felt too different since getting here, so no concerns there. I am still myself. Though...” I paused, and shook my head as I decided not to tell them. “It is nothing major. Just something I have to talk with Ophi about.”

Rarity processed that, and sighed. “Well, I suppose I should not pry. Good day to you, Nathan.” she then walked off, presumably back to her place.

Applejack, on the other hand, had only gotten more curious. “Did somethin’ strange occur between you an’ yer friend?”

I sighed in exasperation. “Listen, it is nothing you should concern yourself with. It is our business, not yours.” she was about to object when another pony stopped by. I greeted them. “Hello there! Could I interest you in an apple?”

The pony in question was acting sort of… odd. The pony was concealed under a cloak of sorts, so I could hardly see what was under there. Though, was that a strand of silver hair? Hard to tell due to the shadows under that hood. The pony under the hood gasped, muttering something that I could barely make out- csomething about her not being welcome here. Without much ceremony, she levitated two bits onto the counter, and picked up a red delicious in her magic. She looked at me strangely, and tilted her head. She shook her head, and ran off in quite a hurry.

I blinked rapidly at that, and turned to Applejack with a puzzled expression on my face. “Who was that? Do you know?”

Applejack sighed deeply. “Ah’ve got a good idea as to who, but it’s not one Twi would like. Ah recognize that voice under the hood, but Ah’m not gonna fault ‘er fer tryin’ to get by. ‘S our fault she’s hit rock bottom in the first place… Ah kinda feel bad ‘bout it.”

Now that was a surprise. They had made somebody’s life worse? Now that sounded familiar. Anger built up, but I pushed it aside. “It is not exactly any of my business, but if you feel so bad about what you did, why not apologize? Or, did she do something to you and your friends that makes part of you feel that she deserves this?”

Applejack seemed lost at my ascertain. “Ah guess… Ah jus’ don’ know. Th’ rest o’ the girls might not agree. ‘Specially Twi, given what almost happened to th’ town when those two foals brought an Ursa Minor into town so they could show the town how powerful their new idol was… didn’ quite work out fer Trixie, just made her run off with quite a few mixed emotions, Ah reckon.”

I shook my head. “I see. Got herself in too deep, I take it. Probably talked a big game, but when she could not back it up…. It blew up in her face. Well, it does not really matter what you choose to do. No concern of mine, anyway. But, if something does not feel right…. Then maybe, you should make it right. You should not be afraid of what your friends will think. If they are true friends, they will understand. Some of them might even support your decision. If your bond is as strong as you think it is… you will be fine.”
Applejack looked at me with a strange look, before chuckling a little. “Heh, you sure seem to know yer stuff, Nathan. Kinda hard to believe that ya don’ have many friends.” She tilted her head. “Why is that, anyhow? Ya have never said, so…”

I glared at her, with a look so forceful that she visibly paled. “Listen. I do not like talking about it, alright? Let us just leave it at something unpleasant happened, and I never looked back on the shards.” I took a deep breath, and calmed myself. “Sorry for the out the outburst. It is a touchy subject. Never ask that question again. Tell your friends to never ask me about it, either.”

Applejack pulled herself together, and nodded. “Cross mah heart, hope t’ fly, stick a cupcake in mah eye. Ah won’ go askin’ ya agin, Ah promise.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What sort of nonsense was that?” I shook my head and held up an open palm as it looked like she was about to explain. “Whatever, it does not matter. As long as that question never comes up again, do whatever you wish to remind yourself not to ask it.” I turned my attention to another pony that stopped by the stall. She had a grey coat and a two toned yellow and orange mane. “Hello there. Would you like an apple today, miss?”

The mare blinked. “Oh! So the rumors are true… You are the… human? The one that fell from the sky? As for you question, let me think.... Is it possible that the zap apple jam is in season just yet?”

I turned to Applejack, confused. “What’s zap apple jam? Sounds… tangy.”

She looked back to me and spoke a simple phrase. “Ah’ll tell ya later.” A sad look was on Applejack’s muzzle as she turned back to the mare. “Not jus yet, Ah’m afraid. Ah know ya lahk the stuff Cloudkicker, but we can’t jus’ make it whenever. The zap apple harvest don’ come ‘til next month. Can ya wait ‘til then?”

A sour look of disappointment spread across Cloudkicker’s face. “Oh, that’s really sour news to hear. But a single month isn’t so long when waiting to taste Zap Apple Jam.” She shook her head. “I’ll be going on my way back to work, then. I will stop by again when you have it in.” She flew over the large forest- something I hadn’t quite noticed yet.

I turned to Applejack. “Say, what’s that forest anyway? It looks pretty different from the rest of your world…”

A sleight shiver went down Applejack’s spine. “That’s th’ Everfree. Freaky place. Weather does its own thing, and the animals are far more… feral. Nopony likes goin’ in there, but mah friends an’ Ah have been there before. A few times, actually. Never gets easier, though…”

I paused for a moment as I processed that. “Wait. That sounds almost like back home… well, except with magic and no humans. After all, we just let the weather do whatever it wants. Plus, any animal not owned by a human is pretty feral.” I chuckled slightly at Applejack’s look. “What did you expect from a world without magic? We are pretty used to stuff like that, so the concept of the Everfree does not scare me.”

Applejack collected herself a bit. “Ain’t there any place on your world that freaks people out?”

I blinked at that for a bit. I nodded slightly. “Well it used to be feared, anyway. It is a place that does have quite the air of mystery about it. This place that has a mighty number of rumors around it back home… it is known as the Bermuda Triangle. It is an area of the ocean that seems to be under constant barrage by storms. It is also said that any ship or vessel that goes in either never comes out, or if it does it is always wrecked. Heck, it is not the only place in the ocean that we don’t know too much about- though it is the most peculiar occurrence on Earth. Most people just presume that one day we’ll be able to get through it one day, and don’t really worry about it that much.”

Our conversation was cut short when Ophelia came up to the stall. Her attire never ceased to amaze. Today she was wearing a white t-shirt with rose petal patterns across it, and a long dark blue skirt. She had on her heels and a pair of white socks as well. She smiled lightly. “Well, now this is a surprise. And here I thought you were against connecting with the ponies.”

I shoved away the distracting thoughts as I rolled my eyes. “It is not like that. Answering questions about our world is really of no consequence. It is not like I am telling her my life story, you know.”

Ophelia shrugged, sighing a bit. “If you say so, Nate.” It was then that we looked up to notice a chariot fly towards the town square. She looked back to me with a slight smirk. “That’s our escort, I believe. Shall we go now?”

I nodded and made my way from behind the stall. “Yeah, we better get going.” I turned back towards Applejack. “I will be off now. I do not know if I will be back in time to help with any further sales, so…”

Applejack shooed me away with a hoof. “Don’ worry ‘bout it. Ya’ve helped quite a bit today. Jus go an see if another human’s there already would ya? They are probably freezin’ jus waitin’ there.”

I gave a thumbs-up, and then turned back towards Ophi. The two of us walked off to the town square. It was sort of surreal, walking with her like this. My heart was pounding, and I was almost tempted to reach out and hold her hand- but I shied away. I knew it was too early for that, and besides… even after I turned 16, she would likely still see me as just a friend. I pushed those thoughts away as we reached the chariot. Rarity was there, holding two coats in her magic. The one for Ophelia was lavender with white trim that came with some yellow gloves. The one for me was blue with green trim that came with orange gloves. I felt a bit weird when Rarity set the coat in my arms using her magic, but the feeling passed. I smirked. “Thanks. I will repay you, somehow. Mark my words on that.”

I put on the coat and gloves, and Ophelia did the same with hers. Rarity smirked. “Well, maybe you could send the human you find my way? Making clothes for humans is very intriguing…”

I thought about it as Ophi and myself climbed into the chariot. I turned to Rarity and shrugged. “Well, sure. It will have to wait until after they meet Celestia, though. After all, a deal is a deal.”

The chariot then proceeded to lift off into the sky. It still was kind of strange, much different than flying in an airplane. Once we were out of earshot of the ponies, I sighed. Ophelia snickered. “You really do not like owing somebody, do you? Stubborn man, you are.”

I huffed lightly. “Principles, Ophi. A man is nothing if he has no principles.” I shook my head and stared out the side of the chariot. I sighed. “I wonder. Who is it that you think we will find? If you had control over who we find there, who would it be? Personally, I think you know who I would like to find.”

I turned to see Ophi ponder over it for a while. She looked so cute when she thought deeply like that. I shook the thought away, grounding myself. She eventually did give an answer. “I’m not entirely sure, to be honest. If I had to choose, I would like to find one of my sisters or my brothers. I would not be too disappointed if it was an old friend, though. It would be nice to try and reconnect with some of them.”

I shook my head. Sometimes I did not get her. She was so positive and optimistic about things. Sure, I would not change that for anything, but… It seemed so naïve. I shrugged. I supposed I was not too different, given my hopes of finding Harold. He was the one old friend that I believed I could genuinely reconcile with. After all, I refused to believe that it was his fault that he left. There was hope left in me left, it seemed. I looked back out the side of the chariot. This world certainly was picturesque, I had to give it that. My mood soured. “Man, I wish that I had thought to bring my sketchpad. So much prime material! Oh well.”

Ophi tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to see that she was holding out a small notepad and pencil. “Here. I found it in my backpack earlier. I do not really use it much, so you can have it.”

I blinked for a short while. I reached out, and grasped it. I smiled. “Thanks, Ophi. I will give you a free sketch later. Anything you like, okay?” I tilted my head as I saw a small tint of red on her face. “You alright?” Instead of speaking, she just pointed to the pad. I looked down and saw that my hand was grasping hers. My face went red as I let go of her hand. I stammered a bit. “S-sorry! I had no idea that I was-!”

She shook her head as I started to look away. “It’s alright, Nate. It just sort of happened without you thinking. These things happen. Just don’t stress yourself out over it, alright?”

I nodded, and looked out the side of the chariot as I held the notepad and pencil. I tried to draw what my eyes were looking at, but my hand wouldn’t listen. It started to draw what was on my mind instead- Ophelia. Every lock of hair was carefully replicated. The cheerful face she almost always bore. Her current outfit, in painstaking detail. Not a single detail was missed, as I replicated her upon the paper. I looked at it and sighed. It was perfect.

VIII- Cold Reunion

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I put away the notepad that Ophi had handed me in one of the pockets of the coat. It was a long flight to the northern end of the continent, but I didn’t think that I could draw the landscape at the moment. I considered carefully what I should do. There weren't many options, so I decided to bite the bullet, so to speak. “Ophi, I was wondering… What’s your dream? I don’t think you ever told me. You can already guess mine, so…”

I turned to see her ponder the question. After some deliberation, she smiled. “Well, I always dreamed of becoming a famous actress. That’s why I’m taking a drama class. To see my name in the credits of a movie someday… now that’s a dream worth working for.” She turned towards me and gave a wink. “I hope you haven’t given a heave-ho to yours, Nate. Becoming a famous artist will take a strong belief in your gift, you know. You just have to keep working at it.”

I let out a small chuckle. “We’re two big dreamers, aren’t we? Though it might seem that the cards are stacked against us, given what we’ve been through.” I shook my head. “Still, when you talk about it like that, I just can’t help believing.” I paused to look out the side of the chariot before turning back to her. “We’ll always be friends, right? Even when we’re both famous beyond our wildest dreams?” I sighed. “I know that I should trust your promise, but… I just can’t help but worry. What if we drift apart when we bask in the light of fame?”

Ophi shook her head. “That won’t happen, Nate. I made you a promise, one I intend to keep. You promised me too, remember? We’ll always be friends, no matter what. We’ll just have to ensure we don’t drift apart. It’ll be alright, Nate.”

Though her words were comforting, they also felt… disheartening. We would always be friends, sure. But… that’s all we ever would be. She’d find some random guy and date him, while I wallow in the feelings that she would never return. Though, I didn’t have to regret that. I wasn’t ready to approach her about how I really felt just yet, but… I resolved to tell her when I turned 16. Maybe if I was lucky, things would work out.

I shook the stray thoughts away as I turned my attention back to the landscape. The last of the green hills were starting to ebb away as the ground started to give way to frozen tundra. I sighed. “Well, it looks like we will be landing relatively soon. Time to brace ourselves for who we will meet.”

I saw Ophelia nod from the corner of my eye. “Whoever they are, I hope that they are reasonable.” The chariot started to slow and descend as a cave came into view. Ophi smiled. “Well, now is the moment of truth. Are you ready?”

The chariot landed a bit aways from the cave, and I gave a nod. “As ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s do this.” We got out of the chariot into the brisk air of the frozen wasteland. I was a bit surprised that it wasn’t colder, but I was handling the chill better than Ophi. I gave her a sympathetic glance. “Come on. Let’s hurry so we can get back quicker.” She gave a nod, and the two of us broke into a sprint. It was scarcely a minute or so before we made our way inside the cave. I saw a fire glowing ahead of our position, clearly marking that this was the right one. We made our way further in, and I gasped at who I saw. My face then contorted into a glare. I’d recognize that face anywhere. “Ferris. It just had to be you, didn’t it?”

He turned towards me and scratched the back of his head with a guilty chuckle. "Hey... Nathan. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

I scoffed. “Not long enough, if you ask me. Come on, let’s get you out of here. I’ve places to be and things to do.”

He stood, and made his way over to a sleeping bag that I hadn’t noticed before. He shook it gently, and the occupant groaned a bit in a feminine voice. “Mh, five more minutes…”

Ferris gave a sigh. “Miara, somebody’s come to get us. You need to get up now!”

A grunt came from the occupant of the sleeping bag, but she did get up. She was wearing light winter gear, which spoke volumes for how cold it got at night. She opened her amber eyes blearily, and looked around for a bit. She then settled upon us, and yawned. “Oh, so there are others here. Not just another dream after all…” She got out of the sleeping bag and stretched. “Mh! That feels better.” She started to put away her sleeping bag as Ferris went to grab his backpack. As she did she made idle chatter. “So, you two fall from a hole in the sky too?”

Ophi nodded. “Neither of us know why. The natives are trying to find us a way home as we speak.”

Miara tied the sleeping bag to her backpack and slung it over her shoulders. Ferris raised an eyebrow at Ophi’s statement. “Natives? What are they like?”

I let out a sigh. “I don’t know if you’d believe us if we told you. Come and follow us out front- you’ll see for yourselves.”

Miara and Ferris shrugged, and followed us out of the cave. We took them to the chariot, and they went speechless. One of the pegasai that pulled the chariot spoke. “So you did end up finding other humans? Shall we go take them to Princess Celestia now?”

I smirked at Ferris’ shocked face. “No, not yet. I think they need to digest it all first. After all, you are quite alien to them.”

Miara recovered first, and she rubbed her eyes a bit. “Pegasai? And they talk too?” She turned to look at me with a curious look upon her face. “What other mythical creatures reside here?”

Ophelia gave a small chuckle as the two of us helped them into the chariot. “Pretty much any that you can think of, really. We haven’t seen them all, mind. Just been told about it by a very well studied unicorn.”

Ferris finally recovered as he turned towards Ophi with a look of realization. “So this entire world has creatures we would consider myth walking around and talking? I suppose that the only humans here are us, then?”

I huffed indignantly as we all sat down in the chariot. “We don’t know that, actually. There are three other places that the sky holes opened over, but we checked this one first. After all, it didn’t matter who we found here- if anyone- it only mattered that we got them out before they froze to death. You’re welcome, by the way.” I then spoke to our drivers. “Get us to Canterlot, boys. We’ve stuck around here long enough.”

The chariot lifted off slowly, probably due to the higher amount of weight than when we had first lifted off. After it started coasting out of the tundra, Miara spoke to me. “So you’re taking us to see this Princess of theirs? Why, exactly?”

I sighed deeply. “I made her a promise to let her meet any humans that we found, as payment for lending us this chariot on such short notice. After all, even if I did have their currency, it’s not like Princess Celestia would need more of it.”

Ferris twiddled his thumbs for a bit before broaching conversation with me. “Nathan?” I grunted, and turned to look away. “Look, I know that you likely won’t forgive me, but… I’m asking anyway. Please, I-”

I rolled my eyes as I looked out the side of the chariot as the green hills came back into view. “I may have rescued your sorry hide from that frosty place, but that doesn’t change anything. You broke my trust in you that day, and I’m not letting you back in. End of discussion.”

Ophi laid a hand on my shoulder, and I flinched slightly. She looked at me with concern. “Nate, it’s not healthy to keep grudges. Besides… it’s not what-”

I let out an exhausted sigh. “I know. But… I just can’t, Ophi. Not after what I told you that he did. Not yet, anyway.” I glanced towards Ferris, and shook my head. “Sorry for that outburst. If you truly want my forgiveness, you’ll have to earn it. Even if you do earn it, don’t expect us to be friends again, Ferris.”

He let out a dry chuckle. “I’ve no illusions of that, trust me.” He glanced towards Ophi, and raised an eyebrow. “So, Nathan. When did you meet her?”

I crossed my arms with a sigh. “Ophelia’s a friend, Ferris. She met me on Friday, in the earlier part of the day that we all fell into this place. We’ve stuck together ever since.” I glanced towards Miara. “I suppose the story is much the same between you two?”

Miara gave a slight nod. “Yeah. It’s been rough, but we’ve managed. To think, at first we thought it some dream. No dice there, though. I wonder if there are search parties combing the mountain we were climbing?”

Ophi raised an eyebrow. “You were on a hike when you fell through? No wonder your backpacks have so much gear in them…” She gave an embarrassed chuckle. “We were just on our way home from school when it happened, so we were a bit more unlucky- though, fortune did deposit us in a town, so it’s not all bad.”

Ferris gave a pout in jealousy. “Lucky! Probably had decent meals, too! We’ve had to ration ours for a while… we were running low when you stopped by to find us…”

Surprise lit upon my face. I hadn’t thought Ferris was that resourceful. Then again, it wasn’t much time between when we became friends and when he broke it off due to the pressure of those ridiculous rumors. I got a grip of myself quickly. After all, this was still turncoat Ferris. I shook my head. “Well, you’ve got to look at the silver lining of your situation. Now you don’t have to. The hard part is over. All that’s left now is waiting out them figuring out a way to get us back home.” I paused as I looked out the side of the chariot. The mountain that had Canterlot on it was approaching into view. I turned back towards Ferris and Miara. “Well, Canterlot awaits. We should be landing in a few minutes.”

They looked out of the chariot, and saw the immaculate city approaching. Miara whistled. “Woah! Now that’s quite the castle! That’s where we’ll be landing, right?”

Ophelia gave a nod. “Close enough. We’ll be landing in the garden near it. More space there.”

Ferris clung to the side of the chariot a bit as it started its descent, and I rolled my eyes. “Relax, Ferris. The drivers know how to land this thing. We won’t crash.”

He did try to follow my advice, and he took a few deep breaths. However, he didn’t fully relax until we landed. Once the chariot came to a full stop, we filed out- leaving the backpacks in the chariot. I took off my coat, and Ophi did the same. We placed them in the chariot upon our seats, and Ferris and Miara followed suit. Under the coats, Ferris had a simple gray long-sleeve and a pair of black jeans with blue snow boots, while Miara had a blue blouse and a pair of beige slacks with red snow boots. She sighed at my raised eyebrow. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to fit a skirt under snowpants? Let me tell you; it’s not very simple.”

I shook my head with a sigh. “Let’s get a move on. We’re burning daylight.” I led the way to the throne room, recalling from memory the way that the guards had led us last time. After a long awkward silence, we finally made it to the doors of the throne room. In front of the doors were a pair of royal guards. I spoke to them before attempting to knock on the door. “Is Princess Celestia busy at the moment? I’ve come to uphold a deal of ours.”

The guard on the left spoke first. “Ah, the resident humans of Ponyville. I see you’ve brought other humans from the frozen wastes to the north. The Princess is having an important discussion with an ambassador right now, so she cannot see you as of yet.”

The one to the right gave a chuckle. “Don’t be so stiff about it. She’d much rather see the humans, and you know it. These meetings with ambassadors are often quite dry and boring. I’ve even caught her saying so myself!”

I raised an eyebrow, and was about to interject when Ophi did so for me. “Beg pardon, but when will this meeting be over? Can you give us an estimate?”

The one on the left shrugged. “The ambassador went in about two hours ago, the meeting should wrap up shortly.”

The one on the right scoffed. “Newbie. Nah, I’d give it another half hour. Though, the Princess has often remarked that it feels much longer than that. Honestly, you might have better luck getting an audience with her sister- and she’s asleep right now!”

A sigh of exasperation left me as I shook my head. “Well, better make ourselves comfortable on the benches out here. Better than standing while waiting.” The others followed my advice as I sat down. The benches were something I hadn’t noticed on our last visit, but they seemed to perfectly fit for our natural sitting position to have always been there. I shrugged. It must’ve been a new addition in case we ever had to wait out another meeting. Considerate, and quite useful.

Ophelia broke the silence as she turned to Miara. “So, Miara. What school do you go to back home? I haven’t seen you around Provo High, so…”

Miara chuckled. “Timpview High. Funny, right? I mean, it’s not like in any other situation we’d get along. Our schools are rivals, after all.”

Surprise lit upon my face. The four of us here were all from roughly the same area. What were the odds of that? Astronomical, that much was clear. Unless it wasn’t chance at all. For now though, I decided to write it off as coincidence. I shrugged. “I saw a couple where the guy was from Provo High and the girl was from Timpview High. It’s not like it’s a totally out there idea, you know. Besides, stranger things have happened… aside from finding ourselves in a strange world of course. That tops the list.”

Ferris sighed deeply. “How will we explain our absence when we get home? It’s not like anyone would believe us if we told them about this place…”

A serious look of contemplation was upon Ophelia’s face. “I don’t know. We shouldn’t lie, of course. But… if we told them the truth, they might think that we’re crazy.” She turned to look at me, a concerned look on her face. “What do you think? What would be best to tell them when we get home?”

I was uncomfortable with all of them looking to me, like some kind of leader. I didn’t know what to do about that question! I tried to calm down and think it through. After a bit of consideration, I shook my head. “We’ll figure that out later. We shouldn’t be worrying about that just yet. After all, we’ll be stuck here for about a month unless they find some way to extrapolate the process of finding a way of getting us home.”

Our musings were interrupted as a griffon exited the throne room. We stood, and the old bird gave us a strange look. He huffed. “Well. I must be off.” with nary another word, he flew off.

We made our way to the doors again, and the guard on the right side of the door went to open it slightly. He called in. “Princess, Nathan and Ophelia are here to see you. They bring guests!”

I could hear a sigh of relief come from beyond the door and a jovial tune in her voice. “Send them in promptly.” The guard turned to smile at us as he opened the door fully for us. We filed in and the door closed behind the four of us. Celestia had a smile upon her face. “I see you did find humans up there. Might they introduce themselves?”

Ferris cleared his throat. “I am Ferris Lavinsky, and may I say it is quite nice to finally be out of the cold of the north.”

Celestia gave a chuckle, and turned to Miara. She was a bit more nervous, but she took a few breaths to calm herself. “My name is Miara Ramsey, your grace. I never thought that I’d see the day that I’d meet a real Princess!” A blush rose upon her face. “Er, sorry about that. Just a bit excited.”

Celestia turned towards me, a glowing expression on her face. “Are all humans so quirky? If so, it will certainly be quite interesting if you find more…”

A small sigh escaped my lips. “Well, hopefully no bad apples followed us here… Though, Ferris is stretching that.”

She noticed my subtle glare towards him, and filed that away for later. She turned to look at Ferris and Miara. “So, where will you stay? Ophelia and Nathan are staying in Ponyville, and there might still be room there. However, you may stay here in the castle if you so wish. There is plenty of room. What is your decision?”

Miara thought about it for a while, before turning to look at Ophelia. “The residents there… who among them might have room to spare if we were to stay there?”

After going over the ones she knew of in her head, Ophelia responded. “Well, I think Twilight said she has an extra room. Rarity does have another guest room aside from the one I’m using. I’d have to ask around for others that might have some extra space, but it’s a start.” She turned to look at me. “Does Applejack’s farm have room for one more, Nathan?”

I was about to say no, but thought better of it and sighed. “Yes, but I prefer my space. I’ve been bunked in the barn, but they can easily adjust the living room into another guest room.”

Ferris turned back towards Celestia, giving a slight nod of the head. “Thanks for the offer, but… I think that it’s best that we stick together. We’ll tough this out together.”

I rolled my eyes, and Celestia gave a sigh. “Well, that is understandable. You are all dismissed.”

We made our way to the double doors, and I caught wind of Celestia writing something. I shrugged, not concerned. After all, she was a Princess. Probably some letter to some noble. We left through the doors, and made our way back to the chariot. Miara and Ophi seemed to really warm up to each other, given their whispers back and forth. I smirked. So it was true that girls tended to make fast friends with each other. It wasn’t really my business who she decided to associate with, just as long as I didn’t have to as well. I remained silent as we finally made our way back to the chariot. We got inside, and it took off to take us to Ponyville.

It was then that Ferris tried to break the ice. “So, Nathan. How have you been? Since… y’know.”

I huffed, and gave a short answer. “Gloomy. Until I made friends with Ophi, that is. I’ve been better since then.” I paused for a while, and made the mistake of glancing at his face. His eyes spoke volumes of him expecting something. I sighed and rolled my eyes. “So how have you been?”

Despite the clear sarcasm in my tone, he answered it like a serious question. “Well, I have had a lot of time to think ever since then. You might not believe me, but I do regret what I did. I should have toughed it out, despite the unpleasant rumors that they were spreading about us.” He shook his head. “I should have just let it roll off of me like you did.” He gave a dry chuckle. “Aside from that, I have been well. Miara’s a good friend, if a bit quirky.”

A pause came upon me as I studied what he said. He… regretted it? He sounded sincere, but… I shook the thought away. No. I wasn’t going to be fooled again. He was probably just trying to use me for something, like others had. I gave a deep sigh as I shook my head. “Shoulda’s and woulda’s build no bridges, Ferris. You can’t just waltz back into my life and spout those words and expect me to believe you. I had confided in you about my troubled past with friendship, and yet when the time came… you choked. Now you’re just another part of that past, come back to haunt me. Just… drop it. Stop trying to get back my trust. You might one day be forgiven, but… I can’t ever trust you again. The wound is too deep.”

Ferris hung his head with a sigh. He shook it slightly and seemed about ready to say something, but he reconsidered. Miara turned towards us, and quirked her head. “Ferris, you had mentioned it before, but… you never went into detail. How did you two drift apart? You were good friends before it happened, but...”

Ophelia decided to pipe in. “Nate told me the story, and well… I understand why he’s giving Ferris such a hard time. Long story short, soon after they became friends, rumors that painted their friendship in a more… disgusting… light started the rounds of the school. Nate just tuned it out, as he had learned to do with the many names that bullies had thrown at him for years. Ferris, on the other hand grew more uncomfortable as time went on. And, when Nate confronted him about it… Ferris blew up at Nate, and started ranting about how these rumors were not what he signed up for. He distanced himself from Nate, and they stopped speaking to each other altogether.”

Miara looked towards Ferris with a look that practically asked if this was all true, and he sighed as his head hung low. “She glossed over many things, but yeah. That’s basically what went down. After a few months to cool my head, I tried finding him to apologize- but I couldn’t find him. He was actively avoiding me, though I couldn’t prove it. After all, we weren’t in the same class. He never went out to lunch or recess after that though, at least as far as I could tell. Then Middle School rolled around, and well… we completely lost contact until now.”

It was then that the chariot set down in Ponyville. We grabbed our things, and Miara followed Ophi to Rarity’s. I turned towards Ferris, and pointed him in the direction of Twilight’s. “Go to that tree building and go inside. Tell her that Nathan sent ya. I’m not bunking with you, no sir. Good day.” I ensured to watch as he left, and sighed once he was gone. I shook my head and went off to the farm. I ate a small portion of dinner, and excused myself early. I got back to the barn and ensured everything was in order before going to sleep.

IX- Consideration

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I woke up early, and I let out a sigh. From now on, things were going to be a bit more complicated. Ferris was back in my life after about four years, and I did not exactly like that. It did not matter though. What’s done is done. I stretched a bit and grabbed for my backpack as well as the box and my shoes. I made my way to the house, and up the stairs. I got inside the bathroom, and locked it. As I was getting ready for my shower, I heard a knock on the door. I called out to whomever it was. “A bit busy right now. Gotta get ready for the day.” I had some inclination as to who it was, but I paid it no mind. I took my shower, and my thoughts drifted off. How was I supposed to deal with Ferris being here, anyway? When we parted ways, I would have been content if we never came in contact ever again. Yet he was in this town now, and there really was not a way that I could feasibly avoid him forever. Not to mention, if I was right about the kind of person Twilight was, she would try and meddle. I shook the thoughts away as I dried off. It would not do me much good dwelling on it, so I put it out of my mind. I picked out the blue t-shirt and the white with light orange striped shorts and got dressed. I packed away my pajamas, and huffed a bit at the weight of my backpack as I got it on my shoulders. I exited the bathroom, and saw Applejack. I got out of her way, expecting her to need the bathroom. She instead hoofed me a small bag, which I took in my right hand. I raised an eyebrow. “Payday already? I guess that is alright…”

I opened the bag, and looked at the gold coins, the same kind that the customers had been giving Applejack yesterday. She smirked. “We had quite a haul yesterday, thanks to all o’ yer advice. This is only the start, considering.”

I shrugged a bit, and closed the bag after counting how much was in there- about 15 “bits”, though I was not quite sure how much that was exactly. Then there were the smaller silver coins… about 25 of them. “I guess that I will have to have a rundown on how much these are worth. Though, considering the prices of your apples, it is probably not much per bit.” I turned to her with a quizzical look. “What are the small ones called? How much of them to a bit?”

Applejack took me aside as I left the door frame. “Those’re jangles. Got some from selling apple slices later in the day. It’s about 100 o’ those t’ a bit. A bit on its own can buy quite a few things- so we have to have change for it.”

I gave a nod in understanding. “Kind of like the differing levels of coins that can go into a dollar back home.” A grimace set upon my face. “Too bad that it is only the penny-equivalent, though. That is quite bothersome indeed.”

Applejack blinked rapidly as I made my way to the stairs. Though, she did seem to understand soon enough. “Ah see. Interestin’ that we have such an equivalent, don’tcha think?”

I shrugged nonchalantly. “Coincidence. Now, if you don’t mind, I have to get something proper to store these clothes in.” Before I was all the way down, a thought popped into my head. I called back up. “Say, you don’t happen to have an old wardrobe that I could spruce up, do you?”

Applejack wracked her brain about that for a moment, and shook her head. “Not really, no. There’s a thrift store in town that ya can get one for pretty cheap, though. Blow through ‘bout half o’ yer wages, but worth it.”

I gave a small smile. “I guess that I will stop by there then. Gotta jet!” I went to the barn to set my backpack and the box back on the shelf. I then went into town for the first time in a while, taking a bit of a stroll. I stopped by a cart and bought a pear for a bit from one of the stalls. I took my snack in hand and went over to the thrift store- Used & Renewed. I stepped inside, and took a look around. It almost reminded me of Deseret Industries, given it had about the same quaint feel. I had finished my snack by the time I had found the wardrobes, and started to I look them over. Most of them were just plain and boring, but one amongst them stood out. It was made of maple, if I was guessing right. It was painted ice blue with gold stripes. It was a bit faded in some places, but that was quite alright. I looked at the price, and sighed. 9 bits. It was a bit pricier than I had expected, but it was going to be worth it. Its size was pretty big, considering. I made an attempt to move it- and I found that it was quite hefty. It was a bit of a workout, but I brought it to the check-out counter.

The blue pegasus mare at the counter stared at me slack-jawed. “Woah! I did not think that our resident human was quite that strong…” She gave a nervous chuckle and her green eyes darted about. “So, you wanted this one, then?” at my nod, she smiled as she adjusted her purple mane and recorded it down. “With tax… that will be 10 bits and 12 jangles.” I rummaged through the bag for a while until I had counted out the exact change. She grabbed the coins and placed them in her register. She then looked at my state as I put the rest of the coins in my left pocket. “Exhausted, huh? All furniture can be installed at no extra cost. I will get the twins to help you with that.” She called into the back of the store. “Haul and Heft! Get up here for our customer!” I gathered my breath as I stood to see two massive earth pony stallions come from the back room. One was golden brown, the other one was dark azure.

I shrugged as I got the wardrobe up on their backs. “It is a bit heavy, are you sure that you two can handle it all on your own?”

The golden brown one let out a hearty chuckle as his orange hair swayed a bit. “Please. Haul an’ I do this sort o’ thing all o’ th’ time. This is nothin’ compared t’ what we’re used ta. Where are we off to?”

I led them out of the store, and was a bit surprised that they were keeping pace with me. “Sweet Apple Acres. I have been staying there for the past few days.” I scratched my head a bit. “Funny. I thought that everyone in town was aware of that.”

Haul shrugged, causing his brown mane to go slightly askew. “Heft an’ I don’t really get out of the shop very much. It’s nice though, makin’ friends-”

I huffed in irritation. “Nope. We are not friends. Acquaintances, maybe.” I sighed deeply. “What is it with you people? Presuming that just because you talk with somebody they automatically become your friend? How naïve can you possibly get?” I shook my head. “No matter. Just do not go asserting that nonsense around me.”

Heft stared at me for a bit with those green eyes of his as Haul’s purple eyes bored into me. I did not like the way that he and his brother were looking at me. What was so wrong with being practical? However, we did reach the farm before Heft asked the question that was likely on his mind. Instead, he settled for a different question. “So where exactly would you like this to be put?”

I led them to the barn, and let them inside. I lifted it off of their backs, and started pushing it to the wall. I called back. “I can handle the rest on my own, thanks. You can go.”

Despite that, I could almost feel them looking to each other for a moment before they shared a sigh, and left. I sighed with relief. Finally, those two were gone. I adjusted the wardrobe against the wall a bit before I took a step back. I nodded, satisfied with how it looked in that spot. I then walked over to the shelf that I had built, and took down the box. I went back to the wardrobe, and opened it. I sighed as I saw that it only had a clothes rack- I still needed some hangars. Still, it was better than nothing. I took out the rest of the clothes from the box, and carefully folded them over the clothes rack before closing the wardrobe. I then heard a knock on one of the barn doors. A bit confused, I went to open it. The person I saw there did not exactly lighten my mood. “Ferris.” I looked over, and saw that Twilight was there as well. I sighed with irritation. “You put him up to this, right? Just buzz off, Twilight. I do not intend to rekindle my friendship with him, not ever. Just… go away, and take him with you.”

Just as I was going to shoo them away, Ferris called out. “Wait! Please. Just… hear me out.” I gave a very cross expression, but shook it away. I motioned for him to go ahead, though I was pretty sure that I was going to end up regretting it. “Look. I may have told her about… our history, but I do not care if we become friends again. I just want your forgiveness, Nathan. Just… let me know how I earn that. I do not want you mad at me forever. Please.”

I stared at him for a moment, then turned to face Twilight. “Did you push him to do this?”

She shook her head vehemently. “No. He said he wanted me here for moral support. Can’t you just listen to what he has to say?”

I blinked for a bit, and then gave a reluctant nod. “Listen to him, huh? Alright, fine. But do not go expecting him and I to become buddy-buddy. If you’re expecting that, you best be ready for disappointment. Got it?” She gave a nod, and I sighed as I turned to face Ferris. “You ask how you can earn my forgiveness? It’s not easy, let me tell you. I first have to believe that you are truly sorry. And frankly… I don’t. I want to hear a promise that you will tell me the truth; then explain how you came to regret what you did. After that… the rest will take time.”

Ferris took a deep breath, then proceeded. “Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye; what I tell you now is the honest truth.” He paused as he looked me straight in the eyes. “I will admit that back then I felt that I had to cut ties to save my own skin, so to speak. But it wasn’t long after that that I started to regret it. I often looked back upon what we had, all the good times back when we were friends. I also recalled the look that you had on your face the day that I had turned on you, and it never left. Those judging eyes, all full of anger and regret… It made me think about how wrong I had been all the more. I had hurt you, but by the time I had realized the weight of my actions… it was too late.” He sighed. “I know that you won’t ever consider me your friend again, but please. Stop looking at me with those eyes full of hate. I’ve said my piece. Please. Just… forgive me, please.”

I took a deep breath. I shook my head. “I need some time to think. Please… leave me be.” I walked past them, wrapped up in my thoughts. It was one thing to have Ferris back in my life. It was quite another to have him apologize and ask forgiveness. It would have been far simpler if he had stayed gone. Why him? Why now? And why did he have to-? I sighed deeply as I reached Applejack’s stand. “Hey. Can I help you today? I need to get my mind off of things.”

Applejack tilted her head as I found my way behind the cart. “Wut’s eatin’ ya Nathan?”

I sighed deeply as I busied myself with cutting up some of the apples to sell as slices to the children. “It’s not your business. I’ll deal with my issues on my own time, thank you very much.” I turned my attention to the que that was building up. “Alright, apple slices! Ten jangles a piece!” I rapid-fire sold off a few to each of them, figuring out the change pretty swiftly.

After about ten children had stopped by, there was one filly that I didn’t like the look of. Pompous look, snobbish air… rich kid. I was about to ask what she wanted, but she cut me off. “Get me an Opal apple, stat!”

I internally growled at this brat. Little pink demon, I thought to myself, somebody ought to teach you some proper manners. I kept that to myself as I got the aforementioned apple into a bag. “That’ll be 5 bits.” I made sure to hold it out of reach as the little imp placed five bits up on the counter. I passed them to Applejack, and she placed them in the register as I handed over the bag. I forced a smile. “You have a nice day, alright?”

She snatched the bag in a huff, and stormed off. I let out a sigh. Applejack looked at me with a strange look. “Did ya just stand up to Diamond Tiara? Ah heard from mah sis that she’s quite the trouble at school…”

I quirked an eyebrow. “Trouble? Great. Rich kid bully. No wonder I didn’t like her. Can’t stand those that put others down.” I shook my head. “Not really my business, but your sister ought to talk to a teacher about this problem. After all, it is part of their job.”

Applejack bit her lip slightly. “Well, it’s not as bad as it used t’ be. She’s got some friends that she sticks by, and they mostly ignore Diamond… though it doesn’t stop her from tryin’ to get a rise out of them.”

I gave a sleight dry chuckle after selling another few apples to a customer. “Bullies can’t take a hint, trust me. I know from experience.” I sighed deeply as my eyes went distant. “Even after years of ignoring them, nothing changes…”

Applejack tilted her head. “You’ve been… but why don’ ya do anything ‘bout it? Ya seem knowedgeable ‘bout this stuff, so…”

I shook my head. “Things are different back home. I’ve tried it all, nothing works. I’ve had a few drop away because I got their folks involved, but the rest just keep chugging along. I’ve since accepted that they just won’t grow up- after all, it’s quite childish to try and prey on the ‘weak’.”

Silence prevailed as we went back to selling the apples. My thoughts drifted back to the problem at hand. What was I supposed to do about Ferris anyway? Certainly not let him become my friend again- that was out of the question entirely. I went over what he had said in my head, though. I analyzed it, to try and find insincerity. I didn’t want him back in my life, and I have to admit I might have been a bit desperate to force him out at any excuse. But I couldn’t find anything insincere about his words. I still didn’t know if I could fully forgive him, but… maybe, I could not be as hostile, at the very least. Things like what he did are not easily forgiven, at least not for a person like me. By the time I had come to this conclusion, I had found that Applejack was closing down the stall. She turned towards me. “Listen, Ah maght not know wut it is that yer dealin’ with, but lemme give ya some advice. Take a look at wut yer life is like, a long and honest look. Then ask yerself: ‘is this really what Ah want?’”

I gave a deep sigh before looking at her again. She was doing it again. Meddling, just like all the ponies did. Still, her advice was solid, at the very least. I let myself have a soft smile. “I’ll give it a go, I guess. Couldn’t hurt.” I took a look around. “It’s pretty quiet right now. I’ll pop back to the farm- I’ve some things I need to do.” I stood up and walked off, and left myself to my thoughts. I let my thoughts turn to applejack’s suggestion. What was my life like, really? If I was being honest… empty. Sure, I had Ophi, and that was good. But everything else felt toxic. My outlook wasn’t exactly sunshine and rainbows, compared to the ponies. But I had my reasons. I felt that I couldn’t afford to get myself hurt again. I looked at people, and saw mostly the worst in them. The only exception was Ophi, but I still had doubts deep down.

I shook myself off. I knew what was wrong, but there really wasn’t much that I felt I could do about it. I stepped back on the farm, to see that Ferris and Twilight had left. I sighed with a small smirk. Of course they wouldn’t still be here. I went into the house to grab a bit of lunch- fixing up a quick batch of hash browns, just for me. I sat down with my plate, and took my time. I had been skimping because of my lack of appetite lately, but I felt I could get back into the swing of things now. After I finished, I washed my dishes in the sink and dried them off. I got up, and found my way back to the barn. I took down my backpack, and opened it. I took out all the dirty clothes, and held my nose a bit. I held them in arm as I found my way to the laundry room. I found that they had one of those old-fashioned washboards, giving a sigh. I set the clothes down and went to work. It took a good few minutes to scrub each one, and by the time I had them all done an hour had passed.

I took the clothes in arm again, careful not to drop any. I found something that would suit as a make-shift drying rack outside and set them out to dry. It was then that I came to officially meet the mutt. It gave a small yip, and wagged its tail. I raised an eyebrow. “What do you want, mutt? You’re not getting anything from me.” I made to get passed it, but it moved into my way with another yip. I huffed irritably. “Out of the way, mutt. I don’t have time for this.” The little mutt didn’t listen, but I wasn’t having it. I stepped over it back into the house, and shook my head. “Dogs.” I then proceeded to get on my way, but the mutt followed after me. I clenched my teeth, and found the mutt’s food bowl. I shook my head. “Can’t believe I’m doing this…” I found the bag of dog food and poured some into the bowl. I set it down as the mutt went over to the bowl. I sighed, and crept away back to the front of the house.

Once outside again, I heard Granny chuckle, and I turned to see her on a rocking chair. “Little Winona’s taken a shine ta ya! She usually doesn’t like guests…”

I gave an irritated sigh. “Just great. A mutt likes me.” I shook my head. “Why did it have to be a dog? Why can’t you have a reasonable pet, like a cat? Much easier to keep track of.”

Granny shrugged, a small twinkle in her eyes. “Applejack don’t like cats much. Plus Bloom really wanted a dog. Given that, it’s only natural…”

I rolled my eyes. I had no time for this. I gave a small wave as I walked off, determined to get some more work done. Before I left, I stopped by the barn. I grabbed my backpack, and pulled out my sketchbook. I considered it for a moment, before putting it back and opting for the small notepad instead. I placed it in my right pocket, along with a pencil. It’d keep me busy during my down time, that’s for certain. I then left the barn again, and made my way back to Applejack’s stall- only to bump into Ophelia. Surprise was apparent on my face. Her outfit was a lavender blouse and cyan skirt, simple but elegant. I reigned in my emotions, and spoke frankly. “Ophi! What brings you out today?”

She smiled readily. “Well, I was doing a few errands for Rarity. You know, delivering some of her orders to the customers.” She looked at me with a concerned look. “So… how are things with… you know who?”

I gave a resigned sigh as we sat down on a nearby bench. “It’s not easy. He came over earlier, to apologize… I just don’t know if I can forgive him that easily, though. Even though he has explained how he came to regret what he did… I just…” I shook my head. “It would’ve been easier if he had stayed gone.”

I turned to see her staring at me, deep into my eyes. Her eyes looked sad, and a twinge of pain ran through me. I’d give almost anything to never see her eyes like that again. She sighed deeply as she laid her hand upon mine. “I know that it’s hard to see him again, especially after all this time. But Nate, you have to realize… It never was going to be easy. Call it mad, but… I have a feeling that you two were supposed to meet again. Maybe not to become friends again, but at the very least to bury the hatchet. I think that it’s high time you let this grudge of yours go, Nate. It’s only hurting you, and you know that. Just… let go.”

I looked away. I knew that she was right, but… It wasn’t so easy for me. I could try, though. I gave a nod. “I’ll try. It will be hard, but…” I stood up, and her hand fell away. “I’ll see if I can find him after I’m done helping Applejack today.”

Ophi gave a smile. “I know that you can do it, Nate. You just have to believe that you can. Nobody’s too far gone.”

I gave one last look to her, a smile upon my face. I walked away, a new determination in my stride. I didn’t know where Ferris had gone off to, but I was determined to find him- after I finished helping at Applejack’s stall. I made my way back, and Applejack gave me a knowing look. “So. Ya done with yer introspectin’?”

I gave a nod as we got back to work. “Yeah. I am.” I then decided to get into the swing of it as I help customers with what they wanted. I could focus on my problem once I was done for the day. It was a long shift ahead...

X- Forgive, Not Forget

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After a few hours of working at the stall, Applejack had let me quit for the day. I wandered off, determined to find Ferris, and at least speak with him. I walked for some time, going towards the one place I could get some information- Twilight’s library. As I drew close, I found myself subconsciously dragging my heels a bit. After all, part of me really wasn’t keen on doing this. Still, it had to be done. I made my way to that peculiar oak and went inside. The look of it was just about what I had expected, considering that this was still a library- even if it was inside a tree. I was lucky enough to see that Twilight was there- but Ferris wasn’t anywhere in sight.

I gave a sigh, and made my way over to her. She had her nose in some book- couldn’t care less for the title- but she turned my way when I cleared my throat. She perked up slightly, and spoke. “Oh, Nate! I-”

I glared as I cut her off. “You don’t get to call me that. We aren’t friends. Only my friends get to call me that.” I shook my head as I took a moment to calm down. “Look. I’m here to find Ferris. Any idea where he meandered off to?”

She was slightly disheartened, but shook it off with a sigh. “He said that he had something to take care of. Said he needed a wide open space, so I suggested Whitetail Woods. It’s off to the south west, can’t miss it.”

I gave a nod. “Thanks.” I made to leave, but turned to face her before I left, a serious look on my face. “Don’t. Follow. This matter is between the two of us.”

An understanding look was upon her face, and she gave a nod. “I promise that I won’t interfere- I’ll let the girls know that you want to be left alone-”

I coughed slightly. “DON’T SAY IT LIKE THAT!” I shook my head, and gave sleight apologetic glance towards her. “Sorry. It’s just… If you say it that way, people might get the wrong idea.” I sighed. “If you must tell them, tell them that this is just a chat between two former friends.” I turned back towards the door. “This matter doesn’t concern them.”

I left through the door before Twilight could occupy my attention any further. I kept out of the way of the ponies as my thoughts drifted. Why had I blown up like that? I hadn’t gotten that loud about anything in a long time. So why now? Were the ponies really that good at getting under my skin? Or was I just not as composed as I used to be? Or maybe it was just a bad day. That was always possible, certainly. I took my time to sort my thoughts as I made my way to the location that Twilight had told me about.

What would I say? What should I say? How would I say it? How should it be said? I shook my head. Thinking on it wasn’t helping, it only was making it worse. As I found myself outside the woods, I took a deep breath… and let the thoughts drift away. If this was to be done… It had to be in the moment, just like when I made conversation with Ophi for the first time. I released the breath as I calmed myself. With new direction, I made my way into the woods.

It took some time, but I did eventually find a clearing. Just by my luck I found Ferris. He was practicing Taiquondo, all on his own. That brought back memories. I gave a slight chuckle. “Been a while since I’ve seen how bad your form is. I mean come on! Have I taught you nothing?”

He turned to face me, and dropped the stance. “You came to find me… does this mean…?”

I gave an exhausted sigh. “Listen. This… isn’t easy, you know.” I gestured to him, and shook my head. “I never thought you would come back. Never thought I’d have to confront what you did ever again. I thought that I could bury you, and leave you never to be found again… yet here you are.” I looked away as my arm dropped. “Four years. You would think that in that amount of time, something would change. That It would be simple. That I could just… let go. I don’t think I can, not entirely. …Not yet, anyway.”

Ferris gave me a confused look. “So what, you just will keep hating me forever? I said that I was sorry, right? I even explained myself at your request! What else do you want?”

“Time.”

He looked even more confused. “I’m sorry, what was that?”

I looked him in the eye. “I need time.” I sighed. "Ferris... I... forgive you, partly. I can't say that I still won't resent you a little, but... I will try and keep that in check. We're both stuck here now, so we might as well not have bad blood between us if we are to wait out the time until we can get back home." I looked away. “It will take time for me to fully forgive you, to let it all go. That’s why I’m saying this now. I can’t say how long it might take, but…” I turned, giving a sad smile. “I’ll try to let it be, as best I can.”

Ferris met my gaze, and stared at me for a moment. “You’re not joshing me, are you? Are you really serious about this?”

I gave a nod and recited. “Cross my heart. Hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.” I felt better when I saw that he’d accepted my promise, but I put up my guard reflexively when he reached his hand out. I stepped back. “I can’t.”

Ferris looked at me, perplexed. “Can’t what?”

I shook my head, stepping back further. “ I can’t be your friend again. It’s…” I sighed, “I can’t go through that with you again. Not now, not ever. Just…” I turned away. “Just let it die.” I walked off, at first. Then I broke into a run. I couldn’t risk it. I had no clue of where I was going, but I didn’t care right then. I had to get away from him. I couldn’t cross that bridge again. I couldn’t trust Ferris again. It was too risky, too painful. I don’t know how long I was running. By the time I was winded, I was deep in a much different forest. The sun had set, and the moon was going up in the sky. I didn’t know where I was, but I didn’t care. I took a moment to collect my breath.

This place was far different from the woods. The trees looked gnarled and twisted, beyond what was considered normal back home. I was far from the town, as far as I knew. I looked around, trying to find a path of dirt road in the dark. It was easier for me than it likely would be for somebody else, given that I sometimes liked to stay up late. I was familiar with what things looked like in the dark, so I hardly stumbled as I wove my way through the trees in a random direction. It was a shame that I didn’t have a compass, but I seemed to be doing considerably well. I soon noticed a light, and decided to follow it. It took a few more minutes of walking, but I did find a dirt path that wasn’t covered in grass. I looked around, and saw that I had stumbled near a shack in this forest. I decided that it couldn’t hurt to ask the resident of the place for directions back to town. I went up to the door, and knocked.

It took hardly any time at all for the resident to respond, and come to the door. Though, what surprised me is that it was a zebra. Sure, it was a bit more gray compared to ones back home, but it was a zebra. I shook off the initial shock, and spoke to the zebra. “Sorry to disturb you at this late hour, but I’m a bit… lost. Do you know which way it is back to Ponyville?”

The zebra blinked, and took in my look before responding. Judging for the voice, it was a mare. “You ask if I know how to get back there, the way? Walk on this path you see, and don’t stray. Though I must say it is odd for one like you to be welcome there. Though I look more like them I am not welcome, quite unfair…”

I paused before making my way. She had helped me, so it was only fair… I sighed, inwardly cursing my insistence on paying debts. “I’ll see what I can do about that. See you around, I guess.”I walked off, trying not to dwell on it too much. I followed the dirt path for quite a ways, at a slight jog.

It wasn’t long before I found my way back to the small town, and the sight I found back there was a bit surprising. Ophi was there, as was Ferris and Miara- though, I wasn’t quite sure why she was. Twilight and here friends were there too, which was only slightly less surprising. Ophi came up towards me, and slapped me across the face. I grasped the place that she had, and looked to see her eyes full of tears. She yelled at me. “What were you thinking!?”

I sighed, as I looked away. “I just… panicked. You know how I am about rebuilding bridges I thought bunt, Ophi. I just… couldn’t handle it.” I looked her in the eye, and gently wiped away the tears with my hand. “I’m sorry if I worried you. I wasn’t thinking rationally. I’ll try and ensure that it won’t happen again.”

All of a sudden, I found myself wrapped in her arms. She cried into my shoulder. “Don’t do that to me. You’re my best friend. If I lost you…”

I gave a sigh. Of course it meant nothing more than that. I lightly pat her on the back. “It’s alright. I’d never leave you. You know that.” I pulled myself away before I did something I might’ve regretted. I looked towards Ferris. “Look, I…”

He held up his hand. “It’s alright. I get it. You don’t think you can trust me ever again. I get ya. I won’t push you back into it. It’s just, in the moment, I…” He sighed. “It’s good to see that you’re alright, anyway.”

Miara looked at me, a bit curious. “So, how did you get back from the Everfree? From what Twilight’s friends have told us of it, it wouldn’t be easy…”

I chuckled. “Actually, somebody has a shack in the forest. She told me how to get back.” I then gave a judgemental look towards Twilight and her friends. “She also mentioned that even though she’s more like you than I am, you accepted me and not her. What’s that about? Just ‘case she’s a zebra, you judge her? Reminds me of an issue some people have back home…”

Twilight gasped. “A zebra! I haven’t heard anything about this…” She turned towards her friends. “Is there really a zebra in the Everfree?”

Her friends looked between one another, a bit confused. Pinkie spoke up first. “But Zecora’s supposed to be some kind of evil enchantress, according to rumors…”

Applejack nodded. “That’s what Ah heard ‘bout her too. But maybe those rumors were wrong? After all, ponies ‘round here do love their gossip…”

Rarity looked at me. “You say she gave you directions out?”

I gave a nod, and held up my hand with three fingers extended next to each other, and a fist to my chest. “Scout’s honor. She seemed rather upset about not being able to get into town without judgement, based on what I can glean.”

Rainbow huffed lightly. “So what are we supposed to do, then? It’s hard to say if ponies will listen and give her a chance…”

Fluttershy shivered, meek words coming out barely audible. “O-oh, I hope that we can do this…” She turned to look at me. “What should we do?”

I gave a confident smirk. “Leave that to me.” I looked at the sky. “Though, it probably should wait until morning. Preferably before Ophi and I go off to find out if there are humans over near Manehattan.” I looked at Ferris and Miara, a hesitant expression on my face. “You two have plans then, or…?”

Ferris nodded. “I promised that I would help keep the library organized tomorrow. You two go off without me.”

Miara looked uncertain. “I think I want at least one more day in this town before I go off someplace new. I think I’ll help Rarity while you two are off tomorrow.”

Part of me was relieved and elated; I would have more time with Ophi on my own. The other part was nervous, almost wishing that somebody else would come along so I would be a bit more distracted from my feelings for Ophi. I didn’t let on to anyone how conflicted I was feeling, though. I instead played it off as if nothing was wrong. “I see. Well, maybe next time.” I gave them all a once-over and turned to leave. “Well, it’s getting late. I best be off.” I raised a hand without looking back as I wandered off towards the farm. “See you in the morning, I guess.”

I knew that Applejack had followed; this was her home, after all. I made my way to the barn, and she called out to me. “Dinner’s on the table, Nathan. You coming?”

I gave a sigh, and shook off my tiredness. I followed her inside the house, and found my plate still at the table even though the others had all eaten. It was stacked with a few things that they seemed to remember me eating before, and I gave a light chuckle before digging in. I took my time, as I was rather tired. After finishing, I remembered to grab my clothes from the drying rack in the back. They were a bit cold, but that was fine. I grabbed them all in arm, and lugged them back through the house and into the barn. I opened my wardrobe with my foot, and set the clothes down temporarily. I then set about folding them over the clothes rod, aside from my pajamas. I made sure that the barn door was shut, and changed into my pajamas.

I first pulled out my notepad and pencil. I hadn’t used them today… I rolled up the clothes that I had worn that day and placed them in the top drawer for the wardrobe. I decided to rectify the grievous error before trying to get to sleep. I sat down near the blanket and propped open my notepad onto its second page. I grasped my pencil, and started to draw what I could remember from the forest. I let my hand guide me, as it always did. After a few good minutes, it was complete. A full landscape of where Zecora’s shack was in the forest, with a decent amount of surrounding area. I nodded, and shut my notepad and put it away in the bottom drawer of the wardrobe.

I took the blanket in hand, and tried to lay down to sleep. Yet, I couldn’t seem to shut my eyes. I was tired enough for it, but… something was keeping me up. I tried to speak to Ophi in my mind. Hey, are you still up?

I heard an audible sigh on her end, with confirmation. Yeah. I can’t get to sleep either. I guess it’s partly the excitement of the day, and partly what we might find tomorrow. I could almost feel her shifting about. Do you think you might find somebody else that used to be your friend in Manehattan? Could it be that we will find all of your old pals?

I shook my head. I don’t think so. Only so many openings to our world opened up, Ophi. Sure, we might find one or two others, but the chances of finding them all is nigh impossible. After all, back in before I got my glasses, I was friends with practically half of my peers. I paused and gave a deep sigh. ...I was a very different person back then.

For a while, I thought she had dropped the conversation and went to bed. But then, I heard her a gain. Maybe it’s not just yours, then. Maybe… some of mine are here, too. It would be nice, getting a chance to reconnect with some of my old friends…

I chuckled in my head. Always the optimist, eh Ophi? I then considered something. You know, you never have told me many specifics about any of your old friends. What were they like? What drove you apart?

She gave a yawn. I’m too tired to answer right now. Maybe on the train ride there, okay? See you in the morning…

I could feel her drift off, and I gave a sigh. I gave a yawn of my own, and felt that there really was not much keeping me up now. I laid down, and drifted off.

Meanwhile, near Manehattan…

A figure runs off into the night, and comes up near a cave. The figure goes inside, and pulls the makeshift door shut with the help of another figure. The first figure exhales sharply as it sets down a sack. The second figure presses a button, and a flashlight lights the area. The first figure is a girl of about 17, with long black hair and hazel eyes. She is garbed in a purple tunic, dark gray leggings and midnight blue slippers. The second figure is a young man of about 18, with short orange hair and brown eyes. He is clothed in a brown tank top, black pants and dark red sneakers. The girl spoke. “I don’t like this, Eric. What we’re doing, it’s-”

Eric crossed his arms and huffed. “Would you rather us starve, Rena? Our supply ran out days back! We don’t exactly have many options, given that our position isn’t ideal for hunting or gathering in the wild.” He gave a large sigh. “Besides. I told you before, right? We’ll pay them back. We’re not stealing, just borrowing until we can pay them properly.”

Rena looked downcast. “Still feels like stealing.” She did pep up a little, though. “Though I did hear some of the ponies talking. Apparently, we aren’t the only humans in this land. If I heard right, they fell into a town known as… Ponyville.”

Eric raised an eyebrow. “Fellow people…” He cracked a smile. “Well now, that is rather good news. Maybe with their help, we can get out of this forsaken place.”

Rena sighed. “I know that you don’t like it here, but… I don’t think that’s very nice. Maybe you should give the locals a chance? It might help your attitude…”

A shake of the head came from Eric. “Pointless, Rena. Why bother, when we’re just gonna say goodbye later? Better to not get attached to anyone that isn’t from home.”

Rena sighed, and shook her head. “You really are a piece of work, you know?” She reached into the sack and pulled out her spoils: a fruit basket. “Dinner’s on. Pick what you want.”

Eric gave a shrug, and plucked out a banana. He peeled it as Rena went for an apple. He chuckled. “I honestly don’t know how you do it, Rena. Can’t be easy, raiding those houses.” Rena took a bite out of the apple, refusing to comment. He shook his head. “Ah, fine. Don’t take the compliment.” He took a bite and swallowed a bit before continuing. “Though, It won’t be like this for much longer. Once those other people find us, we can finally have a way out of this situation.”

Rena shook her head as she finished up her apple. “I bet that they’ll reprimand us for what we’ve resorted to. I wouldn’t blame them, either.” She gave a dark chuckle. “I wonder if they’ll put us in jail for that…”

Eric scoffed. “They’ll understand, Rena. We’re in dire straights.” He sighed and looked away. “Though, I could understand if they leave us here for a bit to clean up this mess that we’ve wound up in…”

A silence fell between the two of them as they focused on finishing their meal. They weren’t very comfortable around each other, not since they resorted to “borrowing” to stay alive. It was only a recent development, since their supply ran out about two nights ago. Still, Rena could tell that even though Eric was putting up a front, it didn’t exactly sit well with him either. Rena knew also that Eric could tell that despite the arguing, Rena understood that this was what had to be done for now.

After dinner, Rena grabbed her pajamas from her backpack. She went into the back room of the cave and pulled the shower curtain that they had installed closed so she could change in privacy. As she did, her thoughts wandered. Other people… who could be out there? Strangers? Enemies? ...Old friends that I miss? At that though, she gave a sigh. Ophelia… I’m sorry that I never got to say goodbye. I wish that… that we could meet again, so that we can catch up. Maybe talk about old times, too. She shook her head. It wasn’t good for her to get her hopes up. After she changed into her pajamas, she got out of the alcove.

Eric was there outside the room, and he saw the look on her face. “Thinking about Ophelia again, huh? So many words unsaid, stuff like that, right?”

She never understood how Eric could read her so well. They had only met when the two of them met by chance at the mall, and yet now they were in this mess together. Maybe it was a bit of wishful thinking, but she thought that he might like her. Then again, it was hard to tell, given the way he acted. Still she gave a small nod and answered. “Yeah. It’s been five years since I had to move away. There are so many things that I wish I could have done. I wish that I could have told her. I’ve always regretted that.”

Eric placed a hand on Rena’s shoulder. “You can’t change the past, Rena. You can only influence the future. Who knows? Maybe she is one of the other people here? If that is the case, you may very well get your wish.”

Rena’s eyes went wide. “Do you think so? Oh, that would be a dream come true!”

Eric shrugged as he removed his hand from her shoulder. “It’s possible, sure. It’s also possible that she isn’t here at all.” At her downtrodden look, he chuckled. “Hey now, don’t give me that look. You know that I mean well. You know that I don’t have many friends. So I just like to play with expectations a little, that’s all. Forgive me?”

She chuckled and shook her head. “You are forgiven. Just don’t go doing that again, kay?” He gave her a thumbs-up as he went past her into the alcove. Rena went over to her sleeping bag, giving a silent yawn. Things had been hard for them lately, but that was likely to change soon. She just had to believe that Ophelia was out there, and that she would find her. With these thoughts to comfort her, Rena allowed herself to finally drift off to sleep after her long day.

XI- Meddling In Local Matters

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I looked around, and saw that I was once again in this nightmare. I heard the cackle of the creature that had deigned to torment me, and I huffed. “Reveal yourself, demon. I know that you’re there.”

The cackling intensified as it came down from the dark clouds above. Once more, it had the gall to take upon itself the form of Harold, as it started mocking me. “Well, well, well. What’s this? You met Ferris again? And, not only that… you’re trying to let go of what he did to you? To US?” He let out a guffaw. “Oh, that is just too rich! You and I both know that people can’t change. You’ll see. He’ll turn on you again, just you wait.”

I clenched my fist, and I tried to calm myself. I couldn’t let this psycho get to me. He might claim that he was some part of me, but I didn’t buy it. I took a deep breath as I confronted him. “You might be right, but you might be wrong. I’m not like I used to be. I have more strength than I used to. I will not listen to you any longer. Get out.”

The creature recoiled in shock. “What’s this? You’ve been back on it, haven’t you? Those scriptures of yours…” He scowled. “No matter. You’ll be mine, eventually. You’ll slip back. You always do. I’ll be waiting for you… Partner.” The figure then dissolved into the shadows.

I woke with a start. I took a breath as I reached for my backpack and took out my scriptures. I knew that I’d need them. I opened to the last place I left off, and began to read. I was somewhat absorbed in it for a while, but after I felt that I’d read a sufficient amount for the day, I bookmarked my place and put it back in my backpack. I gave a quick prayer of thanks for such an opportunity, and then went over to my wardrobe. I gave a quick once-over of what was in there before taking out the white t-shirt and midnight blue with white trim shorts, as well as my socks and shoes before going outside.

I found my way over to the house as the sun started to come up. I quirked an eyebrow. I hardly ever woke before dawn. I gave a sigh, shaking my head. Guess that nightmare really rattled me. I went inside the house and grasped the stair’s balcony to ensure I wouldn’t fall as I went up. I found my way to the bathroom in the dark, and gave a knock on the door just in case. When nobody responded, I decided to go on in. I found that there really was nobody in there- a relief, considering past experience. Shaking the thought away, I locked the door as I got ready for my shower. I climbed in and got to it. I let my mind wander. Just how long would these nightmares follow me? Or worse, would they ever go away at all? I tried to assure myself that someday it would all be behind me. I would certainly have to work at it to really make it happen, but it would be worth it if the nightmares stopped.

After I reached that conclusion, I turned off the shower and got out to dry off with a towel. I certainly felt better than I had in days past. There were a myriad of factors, of course. I considered each one as I put on the clothes that I had chosen to wear that day. The biggest one was meeting and getting to know Ophi. If I hadn’t sat next to her without thinking that day and still wound up here… I’d probably be in a much different state of mind. Another reason was my recent decision to at least try to forgive Ferris. Sure, I was still working on that, but it certainly made me feel better. Maybe once we got back home, I might try and find all the old friends I had, and try and at least forgive them. Certainly would be a weight off of my shoulders, that’s for sure. The last one was me finally accepting the positive feedback about my art, even starting to see it for myself. I’d never really had too much positive influence about that before, so hearing it was rather alien at first. That reminded me, I had promised to draw something for Ophi. I exited the bathroom once fully dressed, and made sure to unlock the door. I went downstairs and made a bit of breakfast for myself. I gave a quick blessing prayer in my head, and made sure not to wolf it down.

As I was finishing up, Applejack approached me with a calm smile. “Ya ready to work again today, pardner?”

I finished eating, and gave a nod as I stood. “Ready. Let’s be off, then.”

The two of us left the house, and Applejack went to grab the cart. I went with, and saw that there was nobody to help with the harness. I gave a deep sigh. I stooped down, and grabbed it. “Let me do that.” I fastened it carefully, so as to not cause any undue discomfort. I stepped back once finished. “How’s that?”

She tested the fit of it a bit, and gave a big smile. “Woah! Now that’s what I call a good fit!? She tilted her head, a question forming on her face. “How d’ya know how to do that so well?”

I gave a shrug. “Clasps like that are pretty common back home. Knowing how to make ‘em not snag is something pretty much everybody learns pretty quickly.” I jabbed a thumb in the direction of the market. “You ready to tackle the day?” She gave a firm nod, and the two of us walked off. I made sure to keep pace with her, so that we could reach there about the same time. I took the opportunity to think. Who would we meet at Manehattan later today? For, I was convinced that we would find somebody there- the chances of one of the portals spitting out nobody were astronomically low. After all, so far both of them had only resulted in two people each- and there were billions of people around the world. It was highly likely that at least there was somebody at each one. Despite that, I doubted that the one we would go to had the person I most wanted to find again.

I shook myself out of my thoughts as we reached the spot that we had put aside. We set up, and I saw that there were a few things there that weren’t there before. Apple juices of varying kinds, a variety of apple pies, and some other apple snacks. I smirked. “Taking my advice are you? I’m flattered, really.”

Applejack pawed a hoof at the ground. “Well, our sales have been keepin’ us in th’ black lately, so Granny agreed to let us try out yer suggestion. It took a bit o’ convincin’ though.”

Before I could respond, I spotted a customer. It was one of the many ponies from the party- a pinkish purple Earth mare with a mark of a strawberry near a bunch of grapes. I smiled cordially. “Hello, miss. Would you like one of our delectable apples today? We’re running a special promotion for some new products. If you buy an apple, we’ll give you a sample of some of our new apple juice, free of charge! What do you say?”

Applejack looked towards me in shock, and was about to lambast me. But to her surprise, the mare smiled. “Oh wow! I’ve been wondering when you guys would expand beyond apples and apple slices! I’ll be having a Fuji with a sample of red delicious apple juice!”

She placed the necessary bits on the counter, and I grinned. “Good choice, miss! I’ll be getting those for you.” I grabbed the Fuji apple she wanted, and placed it in a paper bag. I bent my knees slightly to more easily reach the apple juice. I poured her a relatively small cup- but not as small as the sample cups at Costco or Sam’s Club. I stood up and handed her the drink first.

She took a sip, and beamed. “This is the best apple juice I’ve tasted! I just have to tell everypony!” I made sure that she didn’t forget her Fuji apple as she left.

I turned towards Applejack, who was still processing what had just happened. I grinned. “So? Am I good or what?”

Applejack huffed, and shook her head. “Ah don’t know wut ya wer thinkin’! This won’t-”

Just then, a massive crowd swarmed us. I oozed with confidence. “Results. You just have to remember to hook one with the promotion, and in a small town like this… news travels fast.”

Applejack looked upon the crowd, and sighed. “Well, wutever works, Ah s’pose.”She let a small smile show. “This might be our best sales season yet…”

The rest of my shift flew by as we promoted the juice, pie slices, and other snacks. It wasn’t long until we were cleaned out- and I addressed the crowd. “Well, we weren’t quite expecting a crowd like this, so we’ve run out for the day. But don’t worry! We’ll be back tomorrow with a lot more! We’ll still be running the promotion for those that didn’t get a chance to have any of our new product, but for everyone else we will be stocking separate glasses and slices for sale. Have a good day, everyone!” They left camly, even if slightly disappointed. I sat down with a sigh. “Oof. That was… interesting. Almost like the Christmas rush after Thanksgiving.”

Applejack looked to me with an apologetic look. “Nathan, Ah’m sorry that Ah doubted yer methods. Ah guess that Ah was bein’ a bit stubborn, an’-”

I cut her off with a wave of my hand. “Water under the bridge. Consider yourself forgiven.” I stood up, and helped fasten the harness again. I then recalled what it was I had intended to do today. I spoke. “Could you let the townsponies know that I wish to address them about something?”

Following what it was I was talking about, she gave a nod. After I finished with the harness I then started to walk back to the farm. “I’ve got to be getting ready to ride the train to Manehattan. See you later.” I made my way back to the barn, and went inside. I pulled out the small notepad from the bottom drawer of my wardrobe, and placed it into one of my pockets. I was glad that I left it with the pencil that I’d used, because I’d be needing it later.

I then left the barn, just to be taken aside by Applejack. She held out a bag of bits. “Yer pay for yesterday and today. Ya’ve been a real help t’ us so…”

I opened the bag, and counted the coins carefully. I looked at her with genuine surprise. “40 bits and 60 jangles? Somewhat more than I was expecting, but I think I get it. I’ll be helping you for some time yet, at least until I go back home. I hope that you’ll keep all my advice in mind when I leave.”

Applejack nodded. “Ah’ll do mah best.” She smiled. “Now let’s be off, you have a speech t’ give.”

I took a deep breath and made my way to Town Hall. I hadn’t been there before, so it was somewhat intimidating. I made my way to the stage, and all the ponies had their attention on me. I took a breath, and calmed myself. I took another look at the crowd, and spotted Ophi. It was good that she was here, it helped to keep me from panicking. I started to speak. “Many of you know me. In fact, you’ve probably seen me at the party that welcomed Ophi and myself here. But I’m here today to address a grievous error. When the two of us fell from the sky, it didn’t take all that long for you to welcome us in, despite not knowing much about us. Yet, there is somebody out in the Everfree that is more like you that you have refused to allow in. I am of course speaking of Zecora.” At their hushed whispers, I held up a hand and they all quieted. “You may ask why I bring her up. I do so because I likely would’ve wound up lost in the Everfree without her help. She isn’t like the rumors paint her, I’m sure- all you need do is give her a chance.” I then gained a small grin. “After all, it’s not like she’s as dangerous as a dragon.”

The ponies looked between themselves, unsure of what to say. It was then that I stepped down from the stage, and let Twilight and her friends sort this out. I was stopped by Ophi. “You aren’t going to see how it works out?”

I took in her outfit for a moment. Soft green blouse, a knee-length pink skirt, and those purple socks and white heels. I hadn’t seen it very well from onstage, but… she looked good, as always. I calmed myself as I gave a shrug to her question. “I did what I could. It’s up to them now. Let’s be off to the train station, shall we?”

Ophi paused as she looked back at the ponies. She saw that they had the situation well under control, so she turned back towards me with a nod. “Alright then. Let’s go.”

We made our exit, and walked for a while in silence. I was trying to keep my thoughts away from my feelings for her, trying to focus on the task at hand. I hadn’t considered beforehand how tough it would be when I started talking to her that day… But I didn’t regret it one bit. I turned to her, and smiled as I broke the silence. “So how are things with you today?”

She gave a soft chuckle. “A bit hectic. Rarity’s actually getting more business, now that I’ve been helping her. Apparently, the opinion of one human on the quality of her clothes is weighted quite highly…”

I snickered. “Well, we are basically celebrities here. It kind of makes sense that they would have our opinions high in mind, seeing as we are the first humans to be met by the pony populace.”

She nodded, a grin on her face. “Maybe that’s partly why you’ve gotten the Apples to change their business practices. Don’t think that I don’t know how well they’ve been doing since you started working for them. It’s part of why I started helping Rarity in her shop, after all.”

She had been inspired by me? I looked away as a blush formed on my face. To have the girl I liked take a page out of my book… there really wasn’t any feeling that was quite like it. I reigned in my feelings once more, and turned back to face her. “I’m flattered, really. To have somebody follow my example… it’s really something else.”

Ophi made a dismissive gesture. “Well, it’s really what we should be doing here anyway. Beats sitting around twiddling our thumbs!”

I gave a chuckle, and we soon reached the train station. I saw that Ferris was there, lying against the ticket booth. “Hey you two. I thought that I’d stop by to wish you the best of luck.”

I gave an exhausted sigh. Of course. Murphy’s Law. I pushed away that thought, and reigned in my automatic anger. “Thank you, Ferris. It’s… appreciated.”

Ophi was more genuine however. “It’s nice that you did that!” She looked around, and was about to ask something, but then gently slapped her forehead. “That’s right, Miara’s busy back at Rarity’s. Of course she couldn’t come to see us off.”

I smiled, but caught myself quickly. I pushed the thought of how cute that was deep down. I approached the ticket counter, and addressed Ferris. “Do you mind? I’m here to buy the tickets.”

He took the hint, and walked off. Ophi caught up to me as I rang the bell on the counter. The stallion at the counter woke up suddenly, and gasped. “Oh! Sorry for dozing off there.” He gave a smile. “So, where are our resident humans hoping to go today?”

I lowered myself to make eye-contact. I gave my kindest tone. “Manehattan. How much for two round-trip tickets?”

Surprise lit upon his sandy brown face. “Uh…” He shook himself out of it as he turned to council with his chart. He subconsciously twirled his light yellow mane with his left forehoof before turning back to face us. He cleared his throat as he lowered his hoof. “20 bits.”

I pulled out my coin bag from my pocket, and counted out 20 bits. “There you go. 20 bits.”

He gave a nod, and took the bits and placed them in the register. He printed off the tickets and gave them to us. “Thank you for your purchase! Have a good trip!”

We backed away, and went over to the train. The conductor took our tickets, and gave them both a stamp. He nodded, and addressed us. “Welcome aboard the Friendship Express.”

I rolled my eyes as we went aboard the train and found some seats. We sat down, and I gave a sigh. “Now, we wait.” The train started to move after the doors closed, and I pulled out my notepad and pencil and sat up. “So! What would you like me to draw for you? I did promise that I would, after all.”

Ophi took a moment to think about it, and then gave a nod as she reached a decision. She then told me what it was. “How about… you draw your favorite place from back home. Can you remember what it looks like?”

I grinned as I made ready to draw. “You’re on!” I twirled my pencil and let my hand guide me as I remembered the place that I had in mind. My strokes were quick and sure as I went on, focusing in on the paper. For the first time in a long time confidence oozed from my art as I let myself go. I could see now more clearly why my art teacher and Ophi thought I was good. It all made sense now. I finished, and gave a nod. A perfect replica of the church that was near my house. I flipped it around, and showed it to her. “Well? What do you think?”

Ophi held it close, and looked over it. She smiled. “Like always, you never miss a detail. From the bushes out front, to the exact layout of the parking lot… you certainly do remember what the Stake Center looks like.” She paused as she considered. She looked up. “Wait. This… is the church that my family and I went to. How...?”

I cleared my throat as I took the notepad back. “Well, we did go to the same ward… you just never noticed me.”

Ophi thought about that for a moment. It dawned on her. “You mean to say that… we’ve been that close to each other, but we never crossed paths before last Friday?”

I shook my head, and looked away. “From your perspective, maybe. I’d… seen you before then, though. Always attent to detail, me. I never forget a face. That’s part of how I knew who you were when I sat down near you that day. Though, I wasn’t lying about meeting your younger brother.”

Ophi smiled gently. “I see. But… why not talk to me before? What was holding you back?”

I shook my head. “I…” I took a breath. This wasn’t good. I didn’t know how to broach that. I decided to give a non-answer. “I’ll tell you some other time. It’s… complicated.” She looked away, and sighed. I knew why, but… I wasn’t ready to tell her just yet. I instead brought up something else. “So tell me. How did you and your friends drift apart? I’d very much like to know.”

A bit startled, Ophi took a bit of time to gather her thoughts. She then proceeded to tell me. “I didn’t have as many friends as you, mind. But I had a close-knit circle that I thought would be with me forever. But some like Rena and Patricia left without saying goodbye, some like Lyla and Veronica said that it just wasn’t working anymore… and then there’s my previous best friend, Amanda. I don’t know why, but one day… she just started treating me like trash. I tried talking to her, trying to understand. But she never explained.”

I took that all in. She’d suffered less than I had, or at least that was what it seemed like before. But now, I understood her a bit better. She had much closer friends that I did, so it probably stung just about as much as my myriad of friends turning on me in a single day. I sighed. “Quantity and quality. That’s the difference between the friends we had. I had more, but my friendship wasn’t as deep with them. You had less, but yours were more meaningful. Maybe that’s why we sync so well. We may have a lot in common, but we have our differences too.”

I gave a smile. “I do hope that you manage to find some of your old friends here as you hope to do. Even if it’s just one… hope that it’s a good one. One that you can reconnect with easily.”

Ophi turned towards the window and looked out on the countryside, a small smile on her face. “Thanks, Nate. It means a lot.”

I spotted something different about her for a split second. Could it be? Was that… a blush I saw upon her face? But just as I blinked, it was gone. Had I imagined that out of some desperation that she felt the same way about me as I did about her? Or had that really just happened? I decided that it was of no use to think about it too much, and filed that observation away for later reflection. The rest of the train ride, we made some idle chatter after she turned back to face me. I strayed away from asking about what I thought that I had seen, and I could tell that she was straying away from asking me to tell her the answer to the one question that I had not answered. There was… a strange tension in the air between the two of us as the train ride went on. We both were keeping something from the other, something that I knew was bound to happen eventually. I just hoped that it wouldn’t tear our friendship apart, like I had seen happen so many times before.

It wasn’t much longer before the train was pulling into the station for Manehattan. The conductor called out over the PA system. “Next stop, Manehattan. Please ensure that you have all your belongings with you before you exit the train.”

The train slowed down, and the two of us stood, making sure to follow the conductor’s instructions. The doors opened, and Ophi and myself exited onto the platform. We were swarmed by ponies, all buzzing with energy.

“It’s the humans that fell into Ponyville!
“Oh my word, it’s actually them!”
“Sign my forehead please!”

Through the chaos, a pony parted the way to make it to us. The crowd quieted down, and I asked the question in my mind. “So you’re the mayor? We’ve come to investigate the sky hole that was spotted near here.”

The mayor turned. “Come with me.”

We obliged, and followed her.

XII- An Awkward Reunion

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It wasn’t long before we reached the Mayor’s office in the Town Hall. He went behind his desk, and gestured to us with a slate gray hoof. “Please, take a seat you two.”

We did see some chairs, but when we sat in them, we found them a bit… uncomfortable. Regardless of that, I asked the question that was on our minds. “So, what do you know about the sky hole that was spotted near here?”

The mayor adjusted his cream suitcoat. “Not much, really. But before I let you in on where it is, I would like to request that you help us with something.”

Ophi spoke. “Alright, what problem did you want us to help you with?”

He sighed and his off-white green mane bobbed a bit. “We’ve been having an issue for the past two days. During the dark of night, ponies have lost quite a bit of food overnight. We’ve questioned the families, but they insist that none of them have issues with sleep-eating. I know that it shouldn’t concern you, but… We don’t want to involve the Princesses, so…”

I gave a sigh, and turned to Ophi. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

She nodded. “It’s possible that your problem and why we’re here are intertwined. The humans we’re here to find might be doing this, probably because their supplies ran dry. If you can show us to the area that the sky hole was spotted, we’ll take care of the rest.”

The mayor pondered for a while, before giving a nod. “You might have a point, I suppose. Alright then. The portal was spotted closest to the northern slums of Manehattan. It’s also the area that has reported these thefts, so it lines up when you think on it.” He turned, and grabbed a scroll. He turned back, and let me have it. “This map should help you find your way to the northern slums. If you do find these other humans… I would like to talk to them before you leave Manehattan.”

I gave a nod. “Sure. I’ll do that.” The two of us left Manehattan’s Town Hall, and I opened the map that the mayor had given me. I made sure it lined up with where we were, and I spoke aloud. “Alright, so from here… we take a right turn, then gun it forward. Simple enough.” I closed the map, and turned to face Ophi. “Ready?”

She took a breath and then nodded. “Yeah.” We took the next right, and then ran. I hadn’t run in a while, but I wasn’t at my top speed. I had to hold onto Ophi’s hand to ensure she kept up with me. It was a pretty good feeling, but I put that thought out of my mind as we made our way into the slums and slowed to a halt.

I turned to see Ophi, and I swore that I saw a dimming blush on her face this time. Regardless, like a mirage, it was gone before I knew it. Was I really that desperate to have her like me as more than a friend that I would imagine such things? I pushed the thoughts that came with that aside as I turned my attention back to the slums. “So. Where would a good place to hide be around these parts be?” I turned back to ask her. “Any ideas, Ophi?”

A bit startled, it took her a bit to get her wits about her. “Uh, let’s see…” She scanned the area for a little while, until she spotted something in the distance. She pointed it out. “A cave that looks to have a door in front of it! They have to be in there, Nate!”

I gave a shrug. It was the most likely place out here, I supposed. “Alright then. We go and check there, then. After all, hiding in the city probably wouldn’t be the best idea…” She followed as I went through the rest of the slums to get us closer. Once we reached it, we teamed up to push aside the makeshift door that had been placed in front of it. It was probably once a bear cave, if I had to guess. We took a bit of caution as we readied to enter the cave. After taking our time for a bit, I held up a hand to stop as I had heard something. I listened… and then we both caught wind of it.

First, a female voice spoke up. “Eric, this has to stop. We’ve taken so much from these ponies already. I say that we should just come clean, and apologize.”

There then came a response from a male voice. “We’ve been over this, Rena. This is essential for our survival! We can’t risk the dangers that might be out there!”

Then, I turned to see Ophi in tears. “Rena… She’s here!” She ran past me. “RENA! I’m coming for you!”

I ran after her, as Rena responded from afar. “Ophelia?”

I called out after Ophi. “Ophi, wait! Calm down, and think about this rationally!”

However, she wasn’t listening. I kept chasing her, which was a bit precarious to do in this cave. I finally caught up with her, just to see her hugging a girl with long black hair. “Rena… It’s been a long time.”

Rena was crying. “I’m so sorry that I left! I had no control over it, you see! I-!”

Ophi shook her head. “It’s alright, Rena. It’s alright.” She hugged her for a moment more, before pulling away, a bit of a cross look on her face. “Though, what’s this I hear about you stealing from the ponies?”

A man cleared his throat, clearly this “Eric”. He spoke. “That’s my fault. Had I just rationed better, we wouldn’t have had to do that.” He looked away. “If you want to punish somebody, punish me. It was my idea.”

Rena went over to him, and lightly slapped his face. “Don’t go saying that. It’s my fault too, you know.” She turned back to face us, and lowered her head. “After all, I was the one acctually going out there at night…”

As Ophi processed that, I nodded. “I can see why you would, though. Running out of supplies in this neck of the world… At least you had an option.” I sighed, and turned. I made a beckoning gesture. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here.”

Eric blinked. “So… you’re not turning us in?”

I shook my head and turned to face him. “I never said that I wouldn’t have you pay for what you did, just that I understood.” I jerked my head towards the exit. “Get your stuff, though. Once you’re done meeting the mayor… I need to have you meet somebody else, too.”

We waited for them to pack up, and the four of us left the cave together. On our way back to the mayor, Rena asked Ophi a question. “Say, why does he get to call you Ophi? You datin’ him or something?”

Ophi was shocked at that for a moment, but quickly shook it off. “I-it’s not like that, Rena. Nathan’s my best friend. Sure, I only met him recently, but… I feel that I can trust him. That’s why.”

I had some hope at first, but it died once Ophi reflected the question. I supposed that blush I saw just then was more about the nature of the question, rather than something else. Of course it would be, for why would it be anything else? I pushed those thoughts away, and gave my own response. “It’s about the same reason that I let her call me Nate when nobody else does. ‘Sides, I’m not sixteen yet. Too young for me to have a girlfriend.”

Eric scoffed. “No it’s not. I had a girlfriend for a little while, back when I was fourteen. Didn’t last, though…”

I chuckled. “Exactly my point.” I finished the conversation as we reached Town Hall again. I turned to face Eric and Rena. “Alright, the moment of truth. You ready?”

They looked between themselves for a bit before turning back towards me, nodding in unison. I opened the door, and we went inside. The Secretary gave us one look, and smiled. She gestured to the Mayor’s office. “The Mayor is available right now. He’s been waiting for your return.”

I gave a nod, and the four of us went inside the room. The mayor looked across us, and smiled. “Ah, so you are the two resident humans that fell near our city. Welcome.”

Eric approached first, head lowered. “I’m sorry for the trouble that we have caused your citizens, sir. We-”

The mayor shook his head. “That’s quite alright. Once I explain your circumstances, I’m sure those in the slums will understand.” He smiled. “Once you are back with us from where Nathan wants to take you, you two can help us with renovating the slums. After all, can’t throw you in prison for not having enough food. That would be cruel and unusual punishment.”

Rena beamed, and nodded. “Oh, thank you, sir! We’ll do the best we can with it.”

I looked at the Mayor, a bit perplexed. “Is that all? Did you need anything else?”

The Mayor shook his head. “No, we’re quite alright. Take them where you planned to, Nathan. Just remember to bring them back to help us.”

I gave a nod, and the four of us left. We went on our way to the Manehattan Train Station, and approached the ticket booth. The ticket seller yawned, not bothering to look up. “How many, and to where?”

Ophi spoke up. “Four to Canterlot, two of those round-trip.” She smiled. “How much?”

The ticket seller turned and looked at the prices for a few seconds before turning back around. “That will be 30 bits, miss.” Ophi set the bits on the counter, and the ticket seller turned to print those out. Once done, he turned back, and placed them in reach. “Enjoy your trip to Canterlot…”

Ophi looked a bit concerned for a bit before I grabbed the tickets. “Don’t worry, we will.” I got us over to the train. The conductor took the tickets, and punched a hole through the single-use tickets and stamped the round-tip ones. As he gave back the round-trip ones, he noticed two others in his pockets. He looked to myself and Ophi, and gave us those. He scratched his head. “Sorry about not getting those back to you on your previous trip. My head’s been in the clouds lately…”

I rolled my eyes, but Ophi responded sweetly. “That’s alright. No harm done.” We got aboard, and found seats. The train started to move, and Rena spoke up. “So, why Canterlot? What’s there?”

I sighed. “Princess Celestia. I said that I’d let her meet any humans that I happened to find. That’s why.”

A raised eyebrow came upon Eric’s face. “Princess? So there’s a Queen, then?”

Ophi shook her head. “Equestria’s a Principality. Twilight explained that to me. Their country is rather old, though. Over 1000, if what she told me was accurate.”

I shook my head. “On to other things.” I turned towards Rena. “How long have you known Ophi? I’m curious.”

Rena was startled at first, but soon recovered. “Oh, we’ve known one another for forever. Sure, I’ve been out of her life for a few years. Despite that, we congealed back together pretty well.” She looked towards Ophi. “So. How did you meet Nathan, Ophelia?”

She gave a chuckle. “Well, we haven’t known each other very long, like I said before. We first met in person the day that all of us fell to Equestria. We connected pretty well that day, and we’ve been by each other’s sides ever since.” She glanced over to Eric. “I gather that it is much the same with you and Eric, right?”

Rena was puzzled. “How did you guess?”

I gave a snide smirk. “Well, it is how it has worked out not only for us, but for the other pair of humans that we have met, so…” I noticed something attached to Eric’s backpack. “A fishing rod? Why didn’t you just use that to get more food?”

Eric shook his head. “The blasted thing’s completely busted. I’d fix the reel if I could, but… Well, we don’t exactly have the parts for it.” He raised his eyebrow. “How do you guys get by without meat, anyhow? It’s not exactly something that I think that they’d take kindly to…”

Ophi considered that for a moment before answering. “Well, we’ve managed so far. It is a bit frustrating, though. I do get it, though…”

I sighed. “Haven’t had the time to worry about it myself, honestly. I’ve half-considered just going into the forest and hunting, but I don’t have the right skills for that.” I gave a dry chuckle. “Maybe I should’ve taken Ethan up on his offer after all…”

Our conversation was cut short when the conductor made an announcement. “Next stop, Canterlot Station. Please ensure that you have all your belongings with you before you exit the train.” We made ourselves ready as the train slowed to a halt.

We got off the train, and it wasn’t long before one of the Royal Guard noticed our arrival. He approached, and addressed the Ophi and myself. “Back with more visitors, I see. I’ll guide you to the Castle, so if you would follow me…” He turned, and the four of us followed as he took us through the city.

I looked around at this place, for this was my first good look at it. The buildings were not quite as tall as the ones in Manehattan, but they had a certain air of nobility about them. There were countless shops and business vocations that we passed on our way to the Castle, but I knew that this was likely only the part they wished for us to see. It was a tactic I was familiar with, but I couldn’t do much about it. If it was a guided tour that they insisted to give us, that was fine. It wasn’t much longer that we found ourselves brought inside the Castle and guided to the throne room. Much to our luck, there was nobody else in there aside from Celestia and her guards.

After the doors shut, Celestia nodded. “Nathan. Ophelia. I see that you’ve found more humans in Manehattan.” She turned towards the pair, a look of regret forming on her face. “I am sorry that you have found yourselves ripped from your world. Rest assured, we are working on finding you a way back post-haste.”

Eric shook his head. “Hey, it’s not like it’s your fault that we wound up here, right? As long as you get us back, all’s well in my book.”

Rena shook off her initial surprise. “Eric! Don’t be so rude!” She cleared her throat. “Sorry about him. I believe that you wanted introductions?” She put a hand to the center of her chest. “I am Rena Kimble.” She jabbed a thumb in Eric’s direction. “That’s Eric Phillips. Again, I-”

Celestia shook her head, a smile spreading. “Rena, it’s quite alright. It’s quite refreshing to be talked to like a normal pony every once and a while.”

I cleared my throat. “Now, about getting us back home. What progress have you made? April’s almost over, you know. Do you have any good news for us?”

Celestia sighed as she shook her head. “Discord hasn’t been cooperative. He feels he shouldn’t interfere in sending you off. He also said that ‘it’ll be interesting to see how the full time here changes them.’” She gave a small smile, though. “Good news is though, that you should be able to get home by the 24th of May, unless we run into hurdles with analyzing the portal energy.”

The others seemed excited, but I huffed. “So at the worst, I won’t be back home in time for…” I shook my head, sarcasm coating my next words. “Great. Thanks for that.”

Celestia looked a bit glum. “We’re doing the best we can, Nathan. I have no control over when we can get you back. Please, try and be a bit more patient with us. We are doing everything within our power to help you.”

Ophi placed a hand upon my shoulder. “She’s right, Nate. We can’t go attacking her for things that are out of her hooves. At least we have a concrete date, now.”

I knew that she was right, so I sighed. “Sorry about that. I’m just really anxious about this, is all.” I turned towards Rena and Eric. “If that’s everything, we’ve got to get these two back to Manehattan. They agreed to help them with a project, for community service.”

Celestia thought for a moment before responding. “Ophelia can take them back. I have other things I wish to discuss with you in private, Nathan.”

Concern rose upon Ophelia’s face, and she challenged that response. “Anything you have to discuss with him, you can discuss with me.” She turned to look at me. “Isn’t that right, Nathan?”

I considered that for a split second before nodding. But before I responded, Celestia cut me off. “I’m afraid that it’s not his call. Please, go.”

I looked to Ophi with a guilty look. “Sorry. You heard her. I’ll let you know how it goes, alright?”

Ophi sighed and nodded, then took Eric and Rena out of the room. Once they were gone, Celestia cast a spell that encompassed the room as her guards left. “You might be wondering why I have asked to speak with you alone. I promise, you aren’t in trouble.”

I quirked an eyebrow. “Alright? So, what’s going on here?”

Celestia sighed. “I’ve been troubled lately. All of this is hard on my people, me especially. This… event… has changed everything for us.” She looked at me. “New doors are opening up before our very eyes. You humans could offer us so much knowledge.”

Both of my eyebrows shot up. “Wait, how do you know that? Have you… seen Earth, then?”

Celestia gave a nod. “Only briefly. The reason we are having such difficulty breaching the spell like that permanently is because of its shifting nature. But we did manage to stabilize it just long enough to see your home world. The amount of technology you have when compared to us…! It truly is breath-taking. Sure, we have some things in common, but…” She shook her head. “My point is, you could teach us! Push us forward! All it would take is for you to stay a little longer-”

I shook my head. “No. We can’t stay longer than we have to. Besides, it’s not like any of us that wound up here are tech savvy- at least, as far as I am aware. Sure, we might know the jist of how all of it works. But we can’t build any of it.” At her look of resignation, I made to leave. “So, if that’s everything… I’ll be on my way.”

Celestia nodded. “There’s nothing else for us to discuss today, Nathan. You may go.”

I turned heel and got out of there before she changed her mind. I took a breath. Ophi was nowhere in sight, most likely on the train back to Ponyville at this point. I made my way to the Castle entrance, and went outside. Once I was in an open area, I limbered up a bit, and began to run. I hadn’t run at top speed in a long while, and it felt pretty good to push myself again. It was a shame that I didn’t have somebody to measure my speed for me, though. Within a few minutes, I slowed down once the train station was in sight. I took the rest of the trip to cool down as I walked down to the station.

A bit to my surprise, Ophi hadn’t left back to Ponyville just yet. Eric and Rena, however, were nowhere to be seen. I caught my breath, and spoke. “Send them off already, eh? I half-expected you to be back in Ponyville by now.”

Ophi shook her head. “I wouldn’t do that to you, Nate.” She jerked her head towards the train with a smile. “Come on. Let’s get going.”

I nodded, and the two of us got on after the conductor took our two tickets. We found ourselves a pair of seats, and sat as the train began to move. Once it was on its way, I spoke up. “Well, that went well. At least Celestia now knows we can’t really stay longer.”

Ophi had a puzzled expression. “Wait, that’s why she asked you to talk with her alone? Why did she want us to stay beyond the 24th of May?”

I sighed with a shake of my head. “To help them get better tech. I kindly explained that none of us were tech savvy. Well, among those that we’ve met, anyway.”

A pause prevailed for a while, before Ophi spoke up again. “Nate… do you think that we were sent here for a reason? I mean, both of us meeting one of our old friends within a short period of time… it can’t just be coincidence, right?”

I shrugged. “I don’t think that we’re here for any specific reason. This is just a hiccup before we get back home, nothing more. I don’t think that He had any hand in this.”

Another pause, and Ophi shook her head. “I can’t think like that anymore, Nate. It’s just too… organized. Much like our universe, this string of events is a very specific set of astronomical chances. It’s too unlikely that it happened on its own.”

I thought about that for a bit, then gave a sigh. “Perhaps you are right. But I don’t think we should count the score on it just yet. After all, there are two more locations that need checking.” I looked out the window. “I just hope that we get home before the 23rd of May. I’d rather not spend that day here.”

A tilt of the head came from Ophi. “Is there anything special about that day? Why would you prefer to be home by then?”

I turned to look at her with an incredulous look. But then, I realized something. I hadn’t explained what was so important about it to her before. I chuckled. “Well, for one… I won’t be 15 anymore.”

She gasped. “Your birthday’s on that day?” at my nod, the look on her face changed to sympathy. “Oh, wow. No wonder you want to get back by then. It just wouldn’t be the same for you to spend it here.”

I gave a glum nod. “Yeah. I might not have had the best ones in the past, but… I think my folks have worried enough. If they miss my birthday because I’m gone… it might just break them.”

The rest of the train ride was spent in silence, and before very long the conductor made the announcement. “Next stop, Ponyville Station. Please ensure that you have all your belongings with you before you exit the train. Travel safe during the night, folks.”

That last part was expected, as the sun was going down. The two of us gathered our stuff as the train stopped, and we exited it for the final time that day. We looked at each other, and I waved. “See you tomorrow, Ophi.”

She waved back. “See you.” We parted ways, going back to the places we had chosen to stay.

Ophelia walked to clear her head. Today had been so… odd. Her heart was beating faster than normal around Nate lately. Was she… starting to like him as more than a friend? She shook the thought away as she reached the Boutique. She could figure that out later. She went inside, and the door shut.

XIII- Feelings Swell

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Thursday morning came, and I woke up as the rooster crowed. “25 days…” I grumbled lightly as I got the clothes I was going to wear out of my wardrobe. I gave a sigh. How could it be that the day that Celestia had said was the latest one to get us home was the day after my birthday? Sure, if they figured it out sooner than then, I was all for it. But all of this waiting was obnoxious. I shook my head. Griping about it wouldn’t do any good. Before leaving, I decided to cool my head by reading the scriptures. I took them out of my backpack and read a few chapters before I felt my temper abate. I marked my new place in them, closed them, and put them away. I gave a quick prayer again before I got out of the barn. I went over to the farm house and decided to get a bit of breakfast first.

I made some hashbrowns for myself, and sat down at the table to eat. I gave a quick blessing on my food, and proceeded. Just then, Applejack came into the room. She blinked when she saw me in my pajamas at the table. “Ah thought that you usually got somethin’ t’ eat after you got your shower? Wut’s wit’ the change?”

I shrugged. “It’s not like it’s a crime to change my daily routine a bit.”

At my response, Applejack chuckled. “Ah s’pose it ain’t. Ah’ll see ya at the stall today, alright?”

I gave a nod as she walked off. I took my time to finish my breakfast, and I washed the plate and fork once I was done. I then left the dining room and made my way up the stairs to the bathroom. I made sure to lock the door, and I got ready to take my shower. I pushed my troubling thoughts away as the water fell. Once I had done washing, I dried myself off and got myself into my chosen day-wear: the turquoise t-shirt and the black with gray spots shorts. After changing and putting on my shoes, I rolled up my pajamas once more and exited the bathroom. I went back to the barn real quick to put them away.

Once that was accomplished, I grabbed my sack of coins and put them in my pocket with a shrug. Perhaps I’d buy something after work. Maybe some hangers… I made my way over to Applejack’s stall, and saw the massive amount of ponies waiting. I went behind the counter, and chuckled lightly. “Looks like we’ve got our work cut out for us today.” I cleared my throat. “Alright, everyone. One at a time, please. We’ll try and get to as many of you as we can, alright?”

Once that was said, some from yesterday that didn’t get the complimentary samples came up first, which was pretty convenient. Once all of those had managed to get their sample, another pony approached us. She had a certain air about her that rubbed me the wrong way. She had a peachish-pink coat and a dark maroon mane. She spoke to Applejack in a condescending tone. “So, how much for the recipe to the Apple Juice you now sell?”

Applejack shook her head. “Mrs. Rich, Ah can’t sell you that. Granny would have mah hide!” She tried to change the subject. “Since yer interested, why not buy a glass? Only 4 bits.”

This cause Mrs. Rich to huff out of her nostrils. “I don’t want a single drink, girl. I want the recipe. Now, let’s talk.” She leaned in with a glare, causing Applejack to start sweating.

I then cleared my throat, causing Mrs. Rich to look my way. “If I might interject?” She rolled her eyes, but let me continue anyway. “Mrs. Rich, If you’re so interested in a little profit from something of ours, why not make a partnership of it? You could invest a small portion in this stall, and we could send you a cut of our profits each month. I think that it would be worth your while.”

Mrs. Rich shook her head. “As if I would consort with poor people like that.” She turned up her muzzle. “Keep your stupid recipe. I’ve better things to do.”

She walked off, and I gave a shrug. “Her loss. After all…” I pull out the pies. “We’re selling pie! Special first day deal! 2 bits a slice! Get ‘em while they’re warm!” This caused the rest of the crowd to swarm, and I gave a chuckle. “Oh, she’s gonna regret turning down that offer.”

Applejack looked at all the eager ponies, and gave a chuckle of her own. “Ah do believe that yer raght ‘bout that.”

We worked for a while, keeping the line of ponies moving. It wasn’t long before Rainbow showed up to the stall. She looked at Applejack like she had grown a second head. “You’re selling more than just apples now? When did this happen?”

I gave a smug grin. “Today’s the first sale day, but we had complimentary samples given out with each purchase yesterday. She brought it that day, but I came with the sales pitch.”

Painbow looked from Applejack, then to me, then back. “How did he convince you? You are rather stubborn…”

Applejack huffed in a moment of irritation, but it soon passed. “Ah had t’ convince Granny t’ go along with it. Ah only thought t’ try it ‘cause Nathan’s advice has been a wonder fer our sales. Ah’d still be doin’ th’ usual wit’ th’ stall ifn he didn’t insist on helpin’ wit’ it.”

Rainbow looked back to me, an incredulous look on her face. “You sure that you don’t have some kind of magic? Almost feels like mind control…”

I rolled my eyes. “Please. I told you already. Magic doesn’t exist back home. Besides, mind control is a plot device in bad movies, plays, games, and books. It’s not real.”

Rainbow backed up. “Woah, okay then. If you’re sure.” She then gave a bit of a shrug. “I mean, it’s kinda hard to trust you, seeing as you’re being so standoffish…”

I raised an eyebrow. “Hey. That’s my business. Sorry if I’m being too practical for you, but we can’t afford connections with ponies. It’ll only end in tears when we leave, anyway.”

Before the conversation could escalate much further, Applejack interjected. “Rainbow, don’t go eggin’ Nathan on. He’s ‘bout twice as stubborn as Ah can be. If you’re her to buy somethin’, why not just do that?”

Rainbow’s rebuttal died on her lips as she turned her attention to the snacks that she saw behind the counter. “So, how much for an apple strudel?”

I gave a sigh of relief, and focused on the task at hand. “For a full one, it’s 6 bits. Half of one for three. So which’ll it be?”

Rainbow fished out 6 bits and placed them on the counter. I proceeded to carefully wrap the struedel as Applejack placed the bits into the register. I handed the strudel to Rainbow, and she waved as she walked away. “See ya, AJ!”

Applejack waved back, but I did not. I stood, and massaged my back a bit. “Oof. I’m getting a bit stiff. D’ya mind if I take a small break?”

A shake of the head came from Applejack. “Ah don’ mind. It’s rather quiet raght now, so do as ya lahk. Be back though, alright? Can’t handle the rush wit’out ya.”

I gave a dismissive wave as I walked off to clear my head. Did none of these ponies get it? Wouldn’t they be as eager as I to get home if they wound up in a strange place? Or was it that they were too dense to realize that I was being practical? I’d tried to explain it, but they just didn’t seem to get it. I sighed, and made my way to Rarity’s. This was the only place that I knew of that might have hangers, so I decided to try it first.

I entered, and I saw Ophi. She was wearing a hot pink blouse and a pair of sky blue shorts. It was the first time that I’d seen her wear any form of pants, and I must admit it was a bit surprising. I kept a straight face as she addressed me. “Nate!” She came up to me, and seemed about to hug me- but she stopped short. This time, I saw a very clear blush as her arms lowered. It abated before long, but it had been there. She continued after a bit of deliberation. “So, what are you doing here? Getting a new wardrobe?”

I shook my head. “No, I’m here to buy some hangers. That is, if Rarity sells those.”

Ophi had a knowing smile. “Ah, gotcha. Right this way.” She started walking, and I followed. I thought about what had recently transpired. Ophi had almost hugged me. She actually blushed, and I saw it. Did that mean that she actually was starting to like me as more than just a friend? It was a bit much to hope for, but… now with the thought there… it wouldn’t leave. I did manage to suppress it by the time she turned around when we reached the selection of hangers. “So, any in particular, or...?”

I grabbed enough to hang all the clothes I had, and spoke. “These ones will do. How much?”

Ophi and I went back to the check-out counter and she did a few calculations in her head. Man she looked cute when she was using hand motions to help her figure it out. I pushed the thought away as she reached the total. “With tax, it’ll be 20 bits and 21 jangles.”

I took out my coin pouch, and carefully counted out the coinage. I placed it on the counter, and pushed it towards her. “There you go.”

Her hand brushed mine as she went to grab the bits, and the electricity we felt when we first met surged through me again. It had always subtly been there whenever we touched, but now it was stronger than ever before. Outr hands didn’t move as we looked into one another’s eyes. Was this really happening right now? Was it too much to hope for to think that it meant what I thought it did? I saw her blush, and felt my face do the same. I gulped, and the moment felt like it could go on forever… What was I supposed to do? I felt so strange. One one hand, I wanted to just take a risk and go with this. On the other hand, I wanted to shrink away and hide. I didn’t have to decided, though. Ophi looked away from me, and our hands pulled apart. She chuckled nervously as she put the money into the register, her blush abating. “Y-you have a good day, Nate.”

I gave a nod as I started to back away, hangers in tow. I tried to gain as much composure as I could to abate my blush and paused to wave at the door. “Y-you too, Ophi. See you later!” And once that was said, I left the store. Just outside the door, my heart was beating at what felt like a million miles per hour. Had that really just happened? Had I felt her heartbeat going as fast as mine just then? Or was this just a mad delusion out of desperation? I wasn’t certain of it anymore. I took a breath, and shook my head to calm myself down. Even if that was really what happened, it wasn’t quite the right time for me to even consider dating her. I was still too young for that. I looked back to the store for a bit. “What am I supposed to do now? It was easier before…” I sighed deeply and shook my head, and walked off.

Ophi caught her breath as she calmed herself down. Why was this happening, and now of all times? She lifted her hand for a moment and stared. That electricity again… Why had it come back so strongly? Moreover… she had blushed in front of Nate, and he had done so in front of her. What was this to mean? That their bond was meant to evolve like that? She tried to push the thought away. It was a heady thing to consider, though. In that singular moment, she noticed him in away that she had been trying to suppress for days. And judging by his blush at that moment, his experience was similar.

A shake came from her head. No, it wasn’t good to think on it like that. Nathan was her friend. Her best friend that she had gotten to know over the course of a few days. She pushed away the thoughts that tried to pollute that. These were just minor fluctuations. They would pass when she found interest in another guy, certainly. After all, there was one that she had her eye on back home… What was his name again? At that self-asked question, Ophi wracked her brain. She eventually did remember, but when she recalled what he looked like… it wasn’t as captivating as she had once recalled. There was something missing from the picture in her head… She shook her head once more. No, these… feelings for Nate beyond friendship… they wouldn’t last. It’d be over in a week or so, and she’d be crushing on some other guy. She gave a small nod as she readied to help the next customer that strolled through the door.

It was scarcely a few minutes after Nate left that another individual came into the shop. It was a pony, which caused Ophi’s countenance to fall for a split second. She shook it off as soon as she realized who exactly it was that she had been hoping for. She greeted the mare with courtesy. “Hello there, miss. Welcome to Carousel Boutique! What can I help you with today?”

It was one of the ponies that they had seen at the party; that being a cream Earth Pony mare. Her two-toned pink and dark blue mane bobbed lightly as she looked around. She then looked at Ophi, and blinked. She then shook her head. “Right. I was here to pick up an order I placed a while back. The order should be under the name ‘Bon Bon’.”

Ophi gave a nod, and pulled out the order dossier. She found the aforementioned name, and jerked a thumb towards the back room. “I’ll go and get that for you, then. Please wait here for a moment.” Bon Bon gave a shrug as Ophi went into the back room. She filtered through the dresses for a few seconds until she found the dress in question. It was a light maroon dress with little circular “diamonds” studded sparsely across the whole thing. She lifted it off the rack carefully, and proceeded to bring it out into the main room.

When Bon Bon saw it, she gave a light gasp. “Oh this’ll be perfect for going to my cousin’s wedding reception!” She looked to Ophi and tilted her head. “You don’t mind if I try it on, do you?”

Blinking at that, Ophi shook her head. She led Bon Bon to the changing room, and handed her the dress. She pulled the curtain so that Bon Bon could change in peace- That was, until Bon Bon poked her head out. “Could you help me with the zipper on the back? I can’t reach it.”

Ophi gave a small chuckle as she stepped behind the curtain. She found the zipper easy enough, and carefully ensured it didn’t snag on any hair. “You know, my little sisters asked me to help them with this sort of thing all the time. It’s a bit… nostalgic.”

Bon Bon looked back as Ophi was about half-way up. “You miss them. Who wouldn’t in your situation? How much crying do you think will happen when you reunite with them?”

Ophi gave a shrug as she continued. “Probably until we can’t anymore, knowing Diara. My big sis will probably be a bit more reserved about it. As for my many brothers… well, boys will be boys. They might cry, but they will deny. My parents, though… it’s hard to say.”

Bon Bpn then broached a sensitive subject. “What about Nathan? Do you think his family will react the same when he comes back to them?”

A small blush was on Ophi’s face for a split second at the mere mention of Nate, but it abated as soon as the topic was directed to his family. She scratched her head after closing the zipper. “I’m not too sure about that. Nate’s told me in no uncertain terms that he and his family aren’t exactly in the best relations right now. His mother seems to be the only one that he gets along with. His three older brothers might not even notice that he’s been gone- at least, that’s what Nate believes. His older sister is a bit harder to pin down, though. As for his dad… apparently, Mr. Ethrol works a bit too much to be involved in Nate’s daily life.”

Bon Bon winced visibly at that last part. “That’s rough. No wonder he always seems to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder.” She changed the subject after looking herself over in the mirror. “Well? Do you think that this might land me a handsome guy?”

Ophi quenched the arising blush before it could manifest. She gave her best smile. “Sure! It suits you really well! Who knows? You might even meet ‘the One’.”

After that final remark (and having Ophi help her take off the dress), Bon Bon raised an eyebrow. “‘The One’? What is that, some sort of human myth?”

Ophi chuckled and shook her head. “Sort of, but not quite. It’s a common enough belief back home that if you are meant to spend the rest of your life with somebody of the opposite gender, something in your heart will just…” she snaps her fingers, startling Bon Bon a bit. “...Click with the other person.” She looked at Bon Bon in confusion as she looked around the room. “Um, why are you doing that?”

Bon Bon looks back to Ophi after seeing that nothing had changed. “Oh, sorry. It’s just that sound that your hand made… it’s pretty well associated with Discord, the Lord of Chaos. It’s a bit chilling how you have such a similar motion to him snapping his paw or talon.”

Ophi walked with her back to the check-out counter. “Oh, I see… well, you can see that mine is just sound. I don’t know exactly what you expected…” She shook her head, and looked to the dossier. “It says here that you still owe 20 bits on this dress. Do you have it with you now?”

Bon Bon gave a nod and pulled out her purse from her mane. She rummaged through it for a while before laying a twenty-bit coin on the counter. “There you are.”

Ophi picked it up, and inspected it like Rarity had taught her. She looked for the stip of platinum on the ridge, and found it. She held it close to her ear and ran a fingernail on the face of the coin. She heard the sound that she was looking to hear, and gave a nod as she set it into the register. “Alright then. You’re good to go then. Have a nice day, Bon Bon.” She waved absently as she turned her attention to updating the dossier. She heard Bon Bon exit, and put down the dosier once she had written that Bon Bon’s order was paid in full. She gave a sigh, but she wasn’t bored long.

Another pony came in, and Ophi’s feelings were mixed. It was a stallion, which wasn’t the problem. It was which stallion it was that concerned her. He was the self-same one that had bothered her so much at the party. She didn’t think that Nate had noticed when this guy had first approached her. Now here he was again, same red coat and purple mane, same aggravating cocky grin. This was one pony that Ophi had no qualms trying to distance herself from. “What do you want, Brick? I doubt that you’re here to get clothes…”

The aforementioned stallion gasped, his golden eyes widening. “Why, Ophi! I-”

She glared at him. “DON’T.” He backpedaled. “Only Nate gets to call me that. Now what do you want?”

He cleared his throat, squirming a bit. “Ah, well. Ophelia. I was wondering…”

She cut him off again. “How many times do I have to say it before it gets through that thick skull of yours?” She huffed irritably. “I’m not interested. I only have an interest in human males.” She calmed herself and addressed him with as much restrain on her anger as she could muster. “Now. if you’re not here to buy anything… then please leave. Before I hurt you.”

Brick noticed that she said the last part through clenched teeth. He sighed and shook his head. “I know when I’m not wanted. I guess I’ll depart…” He looked at Ophi with a care-free smile. “Be seeing you~!” He waved, and left the shop.

Once he was gone, Ophi let out an exhausted sigh. This is when Rarity popped in from the back. “Brick Stacker again?”

Ophi massaged her head. “I swear. That pony is the only one in this town that I can’t stand. Why can’t he just go for a normal pony? It’s not even like I’m going to stay. I have much bigger problems to concern myself with than some dense stallion with delusions of grandeur.”

A nod came from Rarity. “I can certainly understand where you’re coming from, dear. Attention’s nice and all, but only when it’s wanted.” She took a deep look at Ophi, and saw the deep concern on her face. She decided to approach cautiously. “If you don’t mind… would you like to talk about what’s troubling you?”

Ophi lightly bit her lower lip. Could she talk about something like this with ponies? Should she? She wasn’t sure what to do anymore. She stood, and shook her head. “I… can’t. Not now.” She went towards the stairs, and called back. “I’ll send down Miara. I need some time to clear my head.”

She went upstairs, and knocked on the other guest room door. She heard Miara from the other side of the door as she got up. “What’s up, Ophelia?”

Ophi sighed. “Could you help Rarity for the rest of the day? I can’t keep myself focused right now. I need to get some fresh air.”

She could almost hear her friend nod. “I’ll be out in a bit. Enjoy your walk.”

Ophi nodded, went downstairs, and out the door. She looked around, a bit relieved that Nate wasn’t still outside, and a bit disappointed too. She shook away the complex thoughts as she walked on. Maybe she could grab a snack. She had a bit of pocket money from helping out Rarity, after all. What to get, though? Apples? She shook her head. Nate might be there, and she didn’t know what she would do if she saw him right now. She saw a stall of oranges, and popped on over. She paid for an orange with two bits, and sat down. She peeled it open with her fingers and was about to take a bite. She was startled when she was approached by Ferris. “Hey. Do you mind if we talk?”

Relieved that it wasn’t Nate, she shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”

Ferris paused before continuing. “You see… it’s about Miara. I think… that I like her as more than a friend.”

Ophi was stunned into silence.

XIV- Awkward Avoidance

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Ophi gathered herself and finally managed a response. “That’s great! I think you should tell her.”

Ferris scratched the back of his head. “I don’t know... It is all a bit too weird. It feels too soon. I think that I will wait on it for a little while, at least until I know her a bit better. After all, I do not think that this is something that I should rush headlong into.”

A nod of understanding came from Ophi. After all… as much as she wanted to deny it, her feelings for Nate had evolved into something new. But she did not want to ruin what they had, so… She sighed. “I will not push you to do something you do not feel is right, Ferris. It is up to you to decide when you think you are ready for such a relationship.”

Ferris chuckled. “Heh. You are right. I do not know what Nate might think, or if he would even care. That’s why I am glad that I decided to talk to you about this matter.”

Ophi’s anger rose. “Do not you talk about Nate like that! He may be a little rough around the edges, but I think that he would care. He might not exactly like you, but Nate is not heartless. You might not be friends anymore, but I think that deep down, he still cares.”

Surprise lit upon Ferris’ face. He processed that for a moment, then his demeanor shifted. “Ah, well if you insist, I suppose. I guess I will go talk to him.” He stood and was about to leave, but then he turned back to face her. “You know, I think that I am not the only one going through this. Now, it is not any of my business, but… maybe you should stop trying to deny what it is that you feel.”

He left Ophi to stew upon that. It was not that easy for her to consider what he had just suggested. Sure, she did seem to like Nate a lot, but… it would pass eventually. It had to, if their friendship was to survive. But then she remembered what she saw. Nate had blushed when she did. Did that mean that in that moment, he had felt it too? This strong, unfamiliar pull? Yet, that did not seem quite right. She had not noticed it before, but when she recalled that moment, she remembered that his visage seemed to be certain and unafraid. He seemed to take it in stride, but she looked away. What did that mean? Ophi considered the options. It could mean that he had felt that way before, she supposed. But he had not said anything about something like that, so that was a bit of a leap. The logical conclusion was that he just took it openly because of how difficult his life in general had been for him.

Ophi shook her head. It was not doing her very well to think about this too much. She had come out here with the intent to get a bit of fresh air, not to send her mind into an even wilder frenzy. She turned her attention back to her snack. She finished off the orange rather quickly, but still her mind was slightly addled. There was so much going on now, so much to consider… She pushed the thoughts away and stood. She needed some sort of distraction from these troubling thoughts, and virtually any would do.

She decided to take a stroll. She was not sure where to, but it might help clear her head to have no clear destination. She wandered around town, greeting the ponies she saw with a smile. That turned her thoughts to how Nate would probably ignore them- and this caused her to try and focus on something else. She made her way over to a music shop and decided to go inside. She immediately noticed that she hadn’t heard the sound from outside- perhaps they had soundproofed this building. Deciding not to dwell on that, she found a pony that she recognized from the party. This one was a white unicorn mare with blue hair wearing purple shades. If she recalled right, this was the one supplying the music for that night. She recalled that Nate had danced to a song that this unicorn played, and at Ophi’s own request. That caused a bit of a smile before she shook it away. She was trying to not think about Nate so much, and yet coming here had only reminded her.

She decided to try and ignore that fact and she went over to the mare. The mare grinned, and spoke. “Well now, fancy seein’ you here! You come to buy some tunes, or are you lookin’ to learn an instrument?”

A bit of surprise lit upon Ophi’s face, then it turned to glee. “Well, I could use a refresher on the piano. It has been a while since I last played…”

The mare grinned. “Ah, nice choice. Tavi’s the teacher for classical instruments.” She pulled out a listing with her magic, and continued. “Piano lessons are 30 bits a pop, and you can schedule as many as you like in advance. So, are you interested in scheduling your first?”

Ophi took out her coin pouch and rummaged through it for a bit. After a long search, she put the bits on the counter. “When can I start?”

The mare’s shades slipped down slightly in surprise before she quickly adjusted them again. She grinned. “Tavi’s gonna be ecstatic! You can go on back the door to your right, she’ll be right there.”

Ophi smiled. “Thanks! See you later, um…”

The mare grinned as Ophi made her way to the aforementioned door. “Vinyl Scratch. Or you can call me by my stage name, DJ PON-3 if you like.”

Ophi gave a small wave. “See you around, Vinyl!” She then went through the door. She saw that this room was full of all sorts of classical instruments, from cellos to harpsichords and everything in between. It was not long before she saw a gray Earth Pony mare come in. She raised the question on her mind. “So you would be Tavi then?”

The mare sighed, causing her black mane to bob. “Vinyl insists on calling me that. I’d much prefer you to call me Octavia.”

Ophi chuckled. “Ah. Sorry, Octavia.”

A small smile rose on Octavia’s face. “It’s quite alright. Now. Vinyl helped you sign up for a piano lesson.” She guided Ophi towards the grand piano. “It’s come to my attention that this isn’t your first crack at it. So, why don’t you go on and let me hear what you know.”

A nod later, and Ophi sat herself at the piano. It was a bit more awkward than the ones back home, but it would do nicely. Her fingers naturally gravitated towards the base positions known by every pianist. She proceeded to play what she could remember, starting with the chords. From A chord to G chord, she played them all with little trouble. She did hit the odd wrong key here or there, but she always went through the chord to the end. After doing the chords, she turned to face Octavia, who had held her piece throughout the display. “So? How was that?”

Octavia gave a small nod. “I can tell that you’re only slightly out of practice. A bit of polish here and there, and you should be good enough to perform if you so choose.”

Scratching her head, Ophi blushed. “Really? I don’t know if I’d go that far… I just play to help soothe my mind. I do think that I will continue the lessons, if that’s alright.”

A smile grew upon Octavia’s face. “It’s more than alright. Now, I want to see if your music reading is up to snuff.” She placed a music sheet in the prompter, and nodded. “Try your best with this one. It’s not too difficult, not too easy. I think that it is a good gauge of skill.”

Ophi took a moment to work it out in her head first as she read the music. Her hands hovered slightly above the piano as she had them go through the motions, to help get a feel for the piece. After several minutes, she had read and re-read the piece a few times. She then gave a nod, and began to play. The piece was unlike anything she had played back home. She usually stayed away from the ones that needed use of the pedals to change notes, but here was one before her. She played as best she could, following the spirit of the piece. She did manage to play the piece without mistake, something she hardly ever managed before. Once she finished the piece, she turned to see Octavia smiling. “I did well, I take it?”

A small chuckle escaped before Octavia caught herself. “Yes, you did well. I am pretty surprised, to be honest. Your handling of that piece was nothing like I would’ve expected based on what you missed with the chords…”

Ophi gave a nervous chuckle. “Ehe. Well, I do better when I can get a feel for the piece first. The chords aren’t actual songs, so I tend to mess them up a bit without trying. I know that it must seem a bit weird…”

Octavia shook her head. “Nonsense! Each artist has their own approach to their craft. So what if you struggle a bit with the chords? You play proper pieces pretty well. Every artist has some area that they struggle with, unless they have a talent for it.”
A smile graced Ophi’s face. “Thanks for the lesson. I’ll stop by again sometime!” Ophi rose from the bench, and proceeded to leave. Though, the last thing that Octavia had said was still bothering her. “Unless they have talent, huh? That’s why Nate nevers struggles with his drawings…” She shook the thought away as she left the music shop. She couldn’t afford to think about him, not now. She wasn’t even sure how or why, but over the last few days her feelings towards him had grown complicated. It all started when he got himself lost in the Everfree. She remembered how worried she was about him then. She also recalled her relief and anger when he came back. Even though she had insisted that it was because he was her best friend at the time, it was then that everything started to change.

She dismissed the stray thoughts again. Not even playing the piano had helped keep her mind off of him for very long. There had to be something that could keep her mind occupied… She nodded. Maybe a trip to the library would do her some good. It’d be interesting to at least check out some of the books that they had in print here. With a new goal in mind, she went off towards the library. She walked in silence for a while until she came upon the front door of the Golden Oaks library. She took a reassuring breath, and made her way inside. The first thing that she noticed was that Twilight wasn’t around. The second was that a small purple dragon was at the counter. He brightened. “Oh! You’re one of the humans that fell into Ponyville! What can I do for you, Miss Jakson?”

She blinked a bit before shaking it off. “Where’s the fiction section?”

The dragon stepped down from the counter, and beckoned with a claw. “Right this way.” Ophi followed him for a few minutes until they found the section in question. “Here you are. Peruse as you like.” He then left, and Ophi went over to one of the bookshelves. She scanned the titles until she found one that sounded good. She picked it up and brought it to the reading area to begin letting her mind wander.

After finishing with my shift at the stall that day, I ran off to the barn. I couldn’t get her out of my head all the rest of my shift, and there was only one remedy. I needed to draw something, anything but her. I gave a nod and went into the barn. I unzipped my backpack and grabbed my large sketchbook and a pencil. I sat down cross-legged and began to draw. My hand flowed across the page on its own as the picture began to form.

Minutes flew by as I drew. Page after page filled my sketchbook as I tried to force my hand to draw anything but Ophi. It wasn’t working very well. Every time that I went to a new page and tried to draw something else, it would always form into her without trying. I sighed as I finally gave in. Once my hand started to draw, it drew what was on my mind, and what was on my mind right now was Ophi. Each page I drew on replicated her in an outfit I had seen her wear within the past few months. After finishing the one for today’s outfit, I closed the sketchbook. I had a problem. Sure, each of the drawings was perfect down to the last detail, but… I wanted to draw something else to help get my mind off of her. I shook my head. It seemed that I would have to find something else to get my thoughts off of Ophi.

Just as I was putting away my sketchbook, a knock came from the barn doors. I zipped up my backpack, and went to answer. Out front was Ferris, and he was looking a bit awkward. I raised an eyebrow. “Ferris? What’s goin on?”

I was honestly a bit surprised that he had come to find me, given my disdain for him. Yet here he was, and he confided in me much like he would as if we were still friends. “Well… I think that I’m starting to like Miara as more than a friend. I talked to Ophelia about it, seeing as she’s Miara’s friend too. She suggested that I tell Miara, but… I don’t think I’m ready for that. What do you think I should do?”

I blinked as my troubles seemed to be blown away. I started to chuckle. At his look, I stopped myself, and gave an apologetic look. “Sorry about that, Ferris. It’s just… you think that I have advice for that? I’m not exactly an expert, you know.” I calmed down a bit and shook my head. “Regardless, It doesn’t matter. If you think you should wait, you should wait. Don’t want to go doing something you might regret. Though, don’t wait too long. I know that I’m not one to talk, but…” I sighed. “Listen, what I’m trying to say is… trust your gut.”

A smile slowly grew on Ferris’ face. “There’s my old buddy!”

I harrumphed. “Don’t call me that. This doesn’t make us friends again, alright?”

Ferris rolled his eyes. “If you insist. I’ll be on my way. See ya!”

He left, and I pinched my brows together. “Good gracious. He is so… infuriating.” I shook my head. Even though he’d stopped by, I hadn’t forgotten about my issue entirely. As to be expected, really. I decided that maybe what I needed was a good book. With a nod to myself, I rummaged through my backpack to see if I had brought any along. The only books in there were my scriptures and my school books. I hadn’t touched those since we got here…. I shrugged. Some other time. I closed my backpack once more, and stood. I took a deep breath, and exited the barn. I wasn’t very keen on going to Twilight’s library, but what choice did I have? I walked for a bit before I noticed a music shop. It was a quaint little thing. Maybe a quick peek inside before I went on my way.

I took a look inside and whistled. This place had everything! I then notice the DJ from the party at the counter. If I recalled right… “Hey, it’s Vinyl Scratch, right? I didn’t know that you ran a music shop.”

She turned to face me, and was surprised for a small bit before gaining her composure. “Well, if it isn’t Nathan! Loved your dancing to my music. Your friend Ophelia was in here earlier. Did she send you over here?”

At the mention of Ophi, my eyes widened for a split second. She’d been in here today? What were the odds that I’d come to the same place that she did? I calmed myself as I shook my head. “Nah, I just noticed it on my way to Twilight’s. Nice place. Got a saxophone?”

She gave a grin. “Ah. So you wanna learn that? Lessons are 20 bits a pop. You interested?”

I gave a grin of my own. “Sure. I always did like Jazz.” I pulled out the bits and placed them on the counter. “So. When can I start?”

Her grin grew. “You two are so alike. Ophelia asked the same question about her piano lesson.” She jerked her head towards the door on the left. “I’ll be with you in a moment. Gotta tell Tavi to cover while I do lessons.”

I made my way to the door she had said, my mind racing. Ophi was taking piano? This was the first I'd heard of it. Then again, we hadn’t told each other everything. After all… she didn’t know that I’d first seen her back in fourth grade.

I shook the stray thought away as I went into the room and made my way over to the saxophone. I waited until Vinyl came in before grabbing it, though. She gave a bit of a chuckle at my enthusiasm. “Have you even played before?”

I gave a shrug. “No. But I would really like to learn how to. It seems like the kind of challenge that I’d be up for.”

Vinyl gave a grin as she adjusted her shades. “Alrighty! Let’s go over the basics. How about you do an octave for me? Let me hear how you sound.”

I took a deep breath and took up the proper position I’d seen a few hundred times. I started to play finding the octave quite naturally. It I then proceeded to do a few more that went in reverse and started at different points to mix it up a little. After a few minutes of that, I pulled the saxophone away and caught my breath. I’d have to work on my air retention, but I think I did pretty good for my first try. I spoke once I had caught my breath. “So? How was my first attempt?”

Vinyl closed her wide jaw. Her shades lowered slightly as she looked at me. “You must have a pretty good ear for music. Are you sure that was your first time playing, though?”

I nodded firmly. “Yes. I’ve only seen one played in shows back home. Never had a feel for it myself until now.” I felt a smile grow on my face. “Feels good.”

After adjusting her shades again, Vinyl chuckled. “You really are something, Nathan. A talented dancer and saxophonist? What can’t you do?”

I blinked, looked her in the face, and spoke. “Magic. Aside from that, breathe underwater.” I cracked a grin. “I’m messing with ya. There’s plenty that I can’t do. If I gave you a list, it might circle this room.”

Vinyl shook her head. “We’re getting side-tracked. Alright, Mr. Talent.” She floated over a music prompter stand with her magic and set it in front of me. She opened the page on the music book that was on it. I could feel her eyes staring at me in challenge behind her shades. “Play.”

I took a look at the piece, and it was a bit complicated. I gulped. I’d seen sheet music before, of course. But nothing like this. I read it a few times so that I knew somewhat what I was getting myself into here. I took a breath and took my best stab at it. I wasn’t perfect at it, no. I missed a few notes, but I didn’t absolutely mangle the piece either. I didn’t double back when a mistake was made, instead just charging forward through the piece. Once finished with the challenge set before me, I grinned. “That satisfy you?”

She gave a nod. “Pretty good, for an ametuer. Though, this is only a mediumly difficult piece in comparison to some of the others in the book…” She chuckled. “I knew you were something else.”

I stood and brushed that aside. “Please. I’m just a gifted ametuer. A real saxophonist wouldn’t slip up on such a middling piece.” I made my way to the exit. “I’ll be back next week. See ya.”

I left the music store quite promptly. My thoughts stormed as I walked off. What was getting into me? Was I actually… enjoying spending time with the ponies? I hadn’t thought it possible, but… I shook myself. I had to get out of here as soon as possible. This place… the longer we stayed, the more potential threats to us leaving I noticed. I had to get these troubling thoughts under control, no matter what. So instead of going to the library as planned, I decided to go the complete opposite direction. The Everfree. The ponies might be a bit afraid of it, but I found it quite quaint, despite the monsters. I turned around and broke off in a run. I kept going, ignoring all the ponies that were trying to get my attention. It wasn’t long after I started running that I came upon the edge of the forest. I paused as I took a moment to catch my breath.

It was then that Somebody unexpected came up from behind me. I felt a tap on the shoulder and swiveled to see that it was Miara. I raised an eyebrow. “What do you want? If you’re looking for Ophi, I wouldn’t know where she is.”

She shook her head. “No, I need to talk to you for a bit. There’s something that’s been on my mind…”

I sighed. I knew that I might regret it, but… I motioned for her to continue. She nodded, and did so. “Well, I know that it’s odd, but… I think that I’m starting to see Ferris as more than a friend… what should I do?”

I blinked. This was quite unexpected. Ferris had come to me about her not long ago, and that was only after talking to Ophi. but Miara had come to me first. I questioned her logic. “Why come to me? Why not consult Ophi? She’s your friend, not me.”

She twirled her index fingers together. “Well, I thought that you might have a bit of advice?”

I shrugged. “Trust your gut. If it says go for it, go for it. If it says wait, wait. It’s what I’d do. At least, in most cases.” After all… it wasn’t being very logical right now.

Miara sighed. “Thanks for that, I guess. I suppose I should wait. It doesn’t quite feel right, yet.” She gave a smile. “Well, I’ll be off!”

I gave a noncommittal wave as she walked off. I looked up to see that night had fallen. Was it really that late already? I sighed as I turned around again. I walked back to Applejack’s farm and had a bit of dinner before going into the barn. I braced the doors as I changed into my pajamas. I put my day clothes into the dirty clothes drawer, and laid down. I pulled the blanket around me and sighed as I stared at the ceiling. It was too awkward to try and contact Ophi tonight, so I tried my best to fall asleep on my own.

XV- An Awkward Agreement

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I looked around, unfamiliar surroundings all around me. This was nothing like the nightmares that I’d been having constantly. Not that I minded the change of pace, though. It wasn’t long before I felt a foreign presence approach my mind. I raised my guard. “Who’s there!? Show yourself, coward!”

The presence was gentle though, calming even. “Nathan. I want to help you deal with these nightmares. It’s only through help from my sister Celestia that I’ve even managed contact like this. Please. Let me help.”

I raised an eyebrow. So this was Celestia’s sister? She sure seemed to be very different in many ways. For some reason that I couldn’t quite understand… I felt that I could trust her. Maybe it was my love of the night, or mayhaps something else altogether, but something got me to cave quicker than normal. I gave a sigh as I lowered my guard. “Very well. Just don’t go touching anything.”

After I had said that, The presence seeped in and I saw her for the first time. Dark blue coat with a black splotch. Flowing mane and tail of nebulous stars. Everything about her reflected quite well the feel of the night. She set down, and I found that she was slightly shorter than her sister, so I towered over her a bit. She cleared her throat. “Nathan. I am glad that you’ve let me in.”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t get used to it. Come on. Now that I’m lucid, I think I can guide you to where the root of it is.”

As I walked and she followed, walls of a maze sprung up from nothing. I had little concern for these, seeing as it was my mind. Luna kept up as best she could, deigning to ask me something. “Nathan, you said ‘now that you’re lucid’. Have you had experience with this before?”

I gave a shrug as I led her through the twisting walls. “Sort of. I stumbled upon lucid dreaming by chance in a forum somewhere. The key to pulling it off is to find a way to realize that you’re dreaming. Though, it can leave you drained in the morning, so I don’t do it too often.”

It was a little longer through the maze before we felt a rumble. Luna looked a bit concerned. “I thought that we might have a bit more time… It seems that you are waking. I’ll have to go.”

I sighed. “Not the worst thing in the world. Though…” I conjured a card, and handed it to her. “For when you come back. We can pick up right where you left off.”

She turned the card in her magic. “Amazing… so you can do things like this in dreams, too.”

I gave a shrug. “In dreams, anything is possible. Just hold tight to that. You wouldn’t want to lose it.” I paused as the rumble came back. “You’d better be off.”

Luna left just as I woke.

I woke with a start. That was certainly an experience. Just as I was coming to grips with what that had been, I heard Applejack outside the barn. “Nathan! You comin’?”

I stretched and shook myself off. “I overslept… I’ll catch up with you later.” I listened to hear her walk off, and gave a sigh. It had been a while since I’d slept in… it felt nice. I went over to my backpack first, and took out my scriptures. I read a few chapters to help organize my thoughts a bit. After I felt a bit more composed, I marked my new place in them and closed them and put them away. I then went over to my wardrobe to choose my outfit for the day. It wasn’t cold enough for the long-sleeved shirts, so I decided upon the shirt that I wore on my second day here. As for the pants, I chose the green shorts. I picked up my socks (i’d have to get more pairs soon, these were starting to get a bit worn) and my shoes and exited the barn.

I went over to the house and went up the stairs and knocked on the bathroom door before entering. Nobody was in ther, so I went in and locked the door. I readied for my shower and stepped in. I washed as thoroughly as I could, trying to keep my thoughts off of what was troubling me. Once done washing, I got out and dried myself off. Once dry, I changed into my day clothes and picked up my pajamas and rolled them carefully. I exited the bathroom and went downstairs to grab a bite to eat. I noticed something in the pantry that I hadn’t before, a box of sugar cereal. I took a look at the side to ensure nothing inedible was in it, and I then proceeded to grab everything necessary for a bowl of it. I sat at the table with a bowl of cereal and poured in the milk. I gave a sigh. When was the last time that I’d had sugar cereal? It seemed like forever. I took my time with it, and placed the box back in their pantry when done. After putting away the milk and washing my dishes and leaving them to dry, I left the house.

I walked onwards, and I stopped for nothing. Well, not entirely. I did pause for a bit when I saw Rarity’s place. I almost went over and knocked, in hopes of talking to Ophi, but… I still felt a bit awkward about what had happened yesterday. Maybe when things cooled down. Then again… there was the plan of going off to find the humans that might be near Appaloosa, so… I gave a sigh. Maybe we could put that off for a bit? It wasn’t the worst thing in the world, right? Or maybe… I shook my head. No. Going with anyone else and leaving Ophi behind felt wrong.

I pushed the thought aside as I finally made my way to Applejack’s stall. I could worry about my troubles later. I went behind the counter and my shift began. I let it all drift into white noise as I went through the motions. Even so, when the crowd died down it gave opportunity for Applejack to try and confront my attitude. “Nathan, yer not actin’ lahk yerself today. Ya sure that there’s nothin’ wrong?”

I brushed aside the question entirely. “I’m fine. It’s just a bit of a rough patch, is all. Nothing that you would need to concern yourself with.”

Applejack stared at me for a moment, as if trying to coax something out of me. Didn’t work, though seeing as she gave up after a while. She shook her head. “If ya insist, Ah won’t bother ya ‘bout it none. Jus’ lemme know ifn ya need t’ talk.”

I rolled my eyes. “Please. As if I’d ever need that. Let’s just focus on the task at hand.” It wasn’t long after that the customers came in droves again, providing me a bit of respite. But despite my outward thoughts, I couldn’t truly put my all into it. I was still a bit confused about what had happened with Ophi. I was having slight difficulty believing that I had seen what I thought I had that day. Yet how was I to deny it? It was all so real… I pushed the thoughts aside once more to try and focus. I couldn’t concern myself with whether or not it was a delusion at the moment. After a few more customers came by, things cooled down again.

I stood as I saw most ponies just walk on by. Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Off for a break again, Nathan?”

I sighed with a small nod. “Yeah. I’ll be off for a while. There’s… something I need to do.”

Applejack was a bit confused at my statement, but she let me leave nonetheless. I wandered off, trying to make sense of it all. For the longest time, I had dealt with my feelings for Ophi by shaking them away, brushing aside the thought that she would ever like me back like that. But now, they crept into most of my thoughts. After years of pushing the thoughts back, now was the time they fought back the hardest. It had been somewhat difficult when we first became friends, true. But now… Ever since I saw her blush I just couldn’t get it out of my head. I shook myself off. I needed a distraction. I was running a bit low on funds, after the saxophone lesson I paid for. I grimaced when I recalled that my next pay wasn’t for a while. I took a deep breath as I headed off to the forest. I grabbed a sharp stick and decided to do a bit of fishing in the river. I took off my shoes and socks, and waded in so that the river was up to my knees. I cautiously waited until I stabbed a particularly juicy one. It wasn’t as hard as I’d thought it would be without a fishing rod.

I stepped out of the river and gathered a few stones and sticks to make a fire. I recalled my Boy Scout camping trip that taught us how to prepare a fish, and followed the list meticulously in my head. I soon had it cooking as my feet dried. After the fish had cooked for a bit, I cooled it off for a little while before taking a bite. Salmon. I sighed as I tasted meat for the first time in days. This is why I could never go vegan. I finished off the fish with ease, and made sure to clean off my materials. I put on my socks and shoes again, and put out the fire. I grabbed my new fish-hunting stick and took it back with me. I walked through the forest until I reached the edge and saw the farm again. I put away my newly acquired fishing spear in the barn real quick and left promptly.

Though, after I exited the barn I ran into an unexpected visitor. “Twilight? If you’re looking for Applejack, she’s back at the stall. Speaking of, I best be getting back.”

She shook her head. She looked up at me with a curious look. “Nathan, you seem tense. Is something wrong?”

I shook my head. “Nothing you need to concern yourself with. I don’t see why you keep trying to be my friend. Isn’t it clear by now that I’m not going to change my mind? As the brainy one of the bunch, I thought at least you might understand my logic.”

Twilight gave a small sigh. “So you really won’t change your mind. I can understand where you’re coming from, I suppose. You feel it unnecessary because once you get back… we won’t matter.” I was about to respond, when Twilight brought up the unthinkable. “But what if you can’t get back? What if something about that spell locks you here?”

I scoffed and brushed the idea aside. “Preposterous. Celestia has made progress with understanding the phenomenon that brought us here, so your little ‘what if’ goes straight out the window. Indubitably, you should think out what you say a bit better.”

I made to leave, but Twilight blocked my way. She posed another question. “What if you found some reason to stay? Would you still leave?”

I pushed her away. “Silly pony. There’s no force or reason in the universe that could keep all of us from going home. I know that Ophi feels the same, as do the others. You won’t convince any of us. Now, if that’s all… I’ll be going back to work.” I left the farm, leaving Twilight to stew upon what I had said. I made my way back to Applejack’s stall and gave a sigh as I got back behind the counter. “Alright. Who’s next?”

Ophi gave a sigh. “Alright. Let me see if I have this right. You want an extravagant as possible dress, with base of red. Gems, laces, and sequins to help it stand out. Not too short, but not long enough as to go past the end of your back hooves. Do I have that right, miss?”

The pony that had ordered gave a nod, but Ophi was a bit too preoccupied with her mounting headache to care what the mare looked like at the moment. “Yes, that is right. Do you think that you can handle remembering all of that?”

Ophi clenched a fist as her blood pressure rose. She so very badly wanted to deck this mare in the face for her condescending tone. She took a calming breath as she gave a chuckle. “I will let Rarity know your specifications. Now, will you be paying for it all up front, or will you put a small down payment and pay the rest later?”

The mare seemed a bit wounded at the proposition of paying later. “I can afford it, whatever the price.” She got out her purse. “How much is it?”

Celebrating a small victory in her head, Ophi spoke as sweetly as she could. “40 bits. Plus tax… that comes to 44 bits and 16 jangles.”
The mare fumbled through her purse for a while until she pulled out three 20-bit coins. She placed them on the counter and had a bit of a smug look. Ophi checked each one, just to be sure before opening up the register. She counted out the change (5 bits and 84 jangles) and dropped it in the mare’s purse. The mare huffed. “I will be back to check to see if it is done in a few days. Good day.”

The mare walked out, and Ophi let out a breath that she did not know that she had been holding and dusted off her soft yellow blouse. So there were more ponies that she could not stand… who would have thought. She got up so she could go into the back. She placed the mare’s order on top of the pile of Rarity’s orders. Ophi felt sort of bad that she could not help her out with that. She had not learned how to sew like Miara had. Once Rarity had found that out, Miara was on duty helping Rarity manage the orders while Ophi was stuck out here taking them. It was not the worst thing in the world, but…

She gave a sigh as she ensured that her purple skirt was on straight. Even now, she could not get him out of her head. She had tried, but nothing had worked. Even the books she had read yesterday had only made things worse. It was just her luck that the majority of the fiction she picked up had been romance. At a time such as this, things like that should be the furthest thing from her mind. She shook the thought aside as she heard the door open. She greeted the visitor as Rarity had instructed her. “Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is chic, unique, and magnifique! How can I help you today?”

The pony that entered was one that she hadn’t seen before. It was an ice-blue Earth Pony mare with white mane and tail. She was wearing a pair of black-rimmed purple shades, though they were more circular than the ones that she had seen Vinyl wear. She also had on a black dress with white pinstripes that went about half-way when they touched a maroon stripe that matched her kerchief. The skirt portion had pink rhombi spread evenly, under which was another maroon stripe then a white stripe. The mare seemed to be of some importance, judging by the way she addressed Ophi. “Hm. So you are quite a specimen…”

Ophi raised an eyebrow. “Uh, miss? Are you here to order a dress, or…?”

The mare shook her head. “No. I, Photo Finish, haf heard much about Equestria’s newest celebrities. Would you mind terribly doing a cover piece for a magazine?”

Ophi took that in for a moment. A magazine cover piece? It was a bit exciting, but… she had to know. “Um, what kind of magazines are we talking about here?”

After a shrug, Photo shook her head. “Eh. Mostly just ze tabloids. Nothing too dangerous, if zat is what you are afraid of.”

Ophi rubbed her left hand along her right arm. “Ah. Well, I would, but… I do not want to leave Rarity short-handed. She needs me to run the register while she tries to keep up with all of her orders.”

It was then that Photo took a look around. Her eyes lit up. “Mine word! Zeese are really good!” She gave a nod, and smiled. “Yes, I sink zat I could do a piece on zeese. Tell zis Rarity zat I, Photo Finish, vould like to promote her work.”

Ophi shot up in surprise. “Whoa! Really? Rarity is gonna be pretty happy about that when I tell her for sure! I do hope you have good travels, Miss Finish!”

She went towards the door, and gave one last look back. “It is a darn shame zat you von’t model for me. Such an offer is quite a rare opportunity indeed…” She shook her head, and gave a sigh. “Meby some other time, zen. I go!”

After Poto made her was out of the door, Ophi took a deep breath. That was… certainly something. She almost regretted not taking that offer from Photo Finish. After all, if she was to achieve her dream of being a famous actress, she would inevitably wind up on the covers of magazines back home. So would Nate if he became a famous artist, that was for sure. She sighed deeply as she chastised herself. It always managed to somehow came back to him, didn’t it? She knew that it was a fleeting thing, though. It had to be. If she put any faith in it not being so and it snapped back to them being just friends… She shook the idea away. She needed for this to not get like that. There had to be somebody back home that would dispel this silly little crush.

She was knocked out of her thoughts when Rarity and Miara came back. Rarity looked at Ophi sympathetically. “You have been behind there all day… I am terribly sorry about that. I will be closing up so I can catch up with all of these orders. With Miara to help me, maybe I can make a decent dent in the workload.”

Ophi got up from behind the counter and stretched. Now she could do something with the rest of her day. But before that, she called out to Rarity. “Oh, before you go into the back.” Rarity turned to regard Ophi. “A mare named Photo Finish came by. She said that she would like to promote your work.”

Rarity stuttered for a moment, then calmed herself. “The one and only Photo Finish… to promote my work!” She turned towards Miara. “Come! We have got a lot of work to do if we are to get them all ready for her!”

Ophi gave a sigh as she saw the two of them go to the back room. The problem now was, what would she do? It was then that she recalled that she and Nate had silently agreed to space out checking up on where the humans were by a day, unless something came up. Today was the original planned day, but… she was not sure if she could handle being alone with Nate on the train. She might wind up doing something that she would end up regretting. Still, she did not have enough bits to spend on another piano lesson just yet, so there really was no excuse. She went to the door and turned to see that Rarity and Miara were already hard at work in the back room. Not wanting to disturb them, Ophi went out the door.

She took a look around, trying to find something to do so she could sit out. She had quite the strange mixed feeling about it, though. She really did want to go, and yet at the same time she was afraid of what might happen if she did end up going. She tried to push the thoughts away, and she did succeed for a while. She walked on for a while as she let the thoughts dim. But they came back with a vengeance when she saw Nate waiting at the train station in the distance. There was no getting around it now. He had likely seen her already. She took a breath to steady herself as she went over to the station. When she reached the station, she noticed that Applejack was there, too. She sighed in relief as she tried to play cool. “Hey Nate! Hey Applejack. Sorry that I am late…” She forced her blush not to rise, and she continued. “So, is she coming along, then?”

Nate gave a nod, much to the relief of Ophi. “She insisted on it. Since we are going over to Appaloosa, she wanted to tag along to see her cousin. I do not really mind if you do not mind.”

A light smile graced Ophi’s face. “Oh it is no problem! The more the merrier, as they say!”

Nate seemed to loosen up a bit, and smiled. “Right then. I will be right back with the tickets.” He then went over to the ticket booth to pay.

This gave Applejack opportunity to ask a question of Ophi. “Wut’s up between you two? Have you had a bit of a disagreement lately?”

Caught off guard, Ophi scrambled to get her thoughts together. She did manage it before Nate was finished buying the tickets. “Oh, it is not anything that will not pass with time. I assure you that this little… inconvenience… will not hurt our friendship. I promise.”

It was not long after Ophi had finished her thoughts that Nate beckoned. “Come on, you two. We have got a train to catch.”

Ophi followed, and Applejack came not long after. The conductor punched a hole in their round-trip tickets, and they soon found a place to sit down. The train started as Ophi and Applejack made a bit of idle chatter. “So, Applejack. Do you visit your cousin in Appaloosa often?”

She shook her head. “Not really. The town’s pretty new, so Ah haven’t had the opportunity to visit as often as Ah’d lahk. That’s why I’m goin’ now, with you two.”

Giving a bit of a sigh, Nate chipped in. “As long as we can check where the human was supposedly sighted without interference, all should go well.” He turned to look oat Ophi. “Any hopes for who we might find?”

Caught a bit off guard, it took Ophi a moment to compose herself. She thought about it for a while before shaking her head. “Not really. I want this one to be a surprise.”

Nate gave a bit of a chuckle. “I suppose that’s one thing to hope for. We have both come across old friends so far, plus the strangers that found their way here with them. It would be quite intriguing if neither of us recognized one of the humans that we find, I suppose.”

Then an awkward silence fell between the three of them. Ophi was unsure what else to say, constantly looking as if she would before thinking twice of it. Nate seemed content to just look out the window. Applejack looked between the two of them, a bit concerned. Something had definitely happened, but neither seemed to want to talk about it. She shook her head with a sigh. She could only hope that they could sort all of it out before their friendship wound up going south permanently…

To Be Continued...

XVI- The New Pair

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The silence gave me time to think of what I overheard while buying our tickets. An "inconvenience", huh? So that's what Ophi thinks… I sighed to myself. I suppose that it’d be too much to hope for her to really feel about me the way that I feel about her, let alone for her to accept it. Probably doesn’t want to risk our friendship… That’s understandable, but… I pushed the thoughts away. It was better this way, at least that’s what I tried to convince myself with as the train slowly stopped. I stood first and Ophi and Applejack soon followed. We exited the train, and I posed a question to Applejack before she ran off. “So can you tell me where the town hall is? We need to speak with the mayor of this town.”

She pointed a hoof at a Sheriff's Office that looked oddly like one of the ones from those old western movies. “Th’ town’s governed by Sheriff Silverstar, actually. Ah’m not entirely certain why, but it gives ht’ town a quaint charm.”

I gave a nod and started off, Ophi soon following. We kept a silence between us as we went, both hesitant as to what we could say. I wanted to say something, anything to break the silence, but… icy fear gripped me. Part of me told me not to kid myself. If she said that it was an inconvenience, it clearly meant that she wanted us to remain friends, nothing more. But… The part of me that had tried to approach her on countless occasions in the past was screaming at me, asking what in the world I was thinking. It demanded that I give chase, not to take no as an answer. I pushed it away, distancing myself. I wouldn’t get my hopes up like that. If this was what she wanted… that’s what I’d accept, as her best friend. It wasn’t about what I wanted, anyway.

The two of us got to the Sheriff's with little trouble, making our way inside. It was once we were inside that we saw him. He was a light tan Earth Pony with brown mane and tail, plus a black mustache. He was wearing a black stetson, a red bandana around his neck, and a blue vest with a pinned silver five-pointed star that matched his mark. He regarded us with a smile. “Ah. So th’ humans that feel t’ Ponyville are payin’ a visit! T’ wut do I owe the honor?”

Ophi cleared her throat, deciding to explain. “Celestia informed us that there have been sightings of humans around the caves here. We’ve come to investigate, see what they’re like. Do you have any information?”

He shook his head. “Ah’m ‘fraid not. Most of th’ sightins happen ‘round th’ buffalo territory. Yu’ll have t’ talk with Chief Thunderhooves ‘bout what he knows.”

I gave a sigh. “How far from town is their territory?”

It was then that a knock came at the door. The Sheriff went over to the door, and opened it. At the door was a buffalo, though nothing like the ones back home. This one wore what I could only akin to some wear of the native american tribes. This caused both of us to raise an eyebrow as the Sheriff introduced us. “This’s Little Strongheart. She can take you to th’ tribal lands to speak with the Chief. It ain’t too far out of town, but Ah think that a guide will do quite nicely.”

Ophi gave a nod. “Thank you, Sheriff. We’ll be back with news on what we find.”

I gave a shrug as I followed the two girls out the door. We had much the same approach with Manehattan, and that had worked out. I kept pace as Little Strongheat led the way. After a while, she tried to make some small talk. “So, you two. Aside from finding the ones we think we’ve spotted, was there any other motive for you to come here?”

I shook my head. “Nope. We’ll be out of your hair once we find the other humans here. We won’t stick around.”

Little Strongheart gave a pause before she replied. “I believe you, but the same might not be so for our Chief. It’s him you need to convince to let you go into the area that they have been spotted. If he doesn’t feel you are worthy, he will turn you away.”

I crossed my arms. “He’ll find that I won’t take no for an answer. I’m not leaving without knowing who is there.”

It wasn’t much longer that we reached the tribe’s current location. There was an absolutely massive buffalo that spoke as Little Strongheart paid respect. “So, you have brought them. Humans, can you tell me by what magic your kind have been thrust into this world?”

I shook my head. “Not a clue. If I had a way back, I would take us all out of this place without reconsidering. We do not belong here in your world. But alas, we are stuck here temporarily. It is my wish to inform the ones you have seen that a way home is being worked on by Equestria. Please, will you grant my plea?”

The Chief gave a smile and a chuckle. “It seems you’ve come far to find them. Very well. Your eyes confirm your tale. Come.” He started to walk, and Ophi and I followed. We walked in silence until we found a hut in the distance. He stopped. “This is as far as I go. They made that hut, the two of them. I’ve kept my people far from them, but you’ll be allowed to approach. Safe journey.”

He turned and left, and Ophi and myself walked the rest of the way to the hut in silence. When we reached it, it looked more like a standard one-story house than a hut. Ophi whistled. “My word. They really built all of this by themselves? That is quite impressive…”

I gave a quick nod. “I guess that these two were not going to just sit around in a dank little cave all this time.“ I knocked on the door, and waited for a few minutes.

I heard the knob turn, and the one that opened the door was a black-haired girl with hazel eyes. She had on a simple blue dress and green heels. She raised an eyebrow. “Well now. So there are other humans here…” She stepped back and called into the house. “Simon! We have got guests! Human ones!” A gasp could be heard from somewhere in the house as a clamour started. She turned back to face us. “He will be out in a bit. Would you like to come in?”

I was about to object when Ophi piped up. “That would be great! Thanks for the offer.”

I decided to play along and we followed the girl into the house. She led us to the living room, and we each took a seat- myself on the smaller couch, Ophi on the larger one, and the girl on one of the chairs. It was not much longer before a guy with blonde hair and amber eyes came into the room, clearly this was “Simon”. He had on a black leather jacket over a white t-shirt and blue sweatpants. He opted to not wear shoes in the house, a sentiment that I understood. He looked at the girl, then to Ophi and then to me. “So these are our guests, then? What have you come here for?”

Clearing my throat, I responded. “The two of us have come to inform you that a way home is being worked on by the Equestrian Government. We also extend an invitation to meet with the Princess of the land, as I have extended to others that we have found.”

The girl gasped. “You have found others too? That is pretty cool! How many are there so far?”

Ophi gave a gentle smile. “There are eight that we know of so far. That is including Nate and myself, of course.”

Simon raised a brow. “Such a low number? That is pretty odd, is it not?” He shook his head. “Nevermind. I do believe that some proper introductions are in order. I am Simon Keithson, and the one that greeted you is my lovely girlfriend, Penelope Nelson.”

At the mention, the girl had a small blush on her face as she snuggled up to him. “Simon… you are such a charmer.”

This display caused my face to heat as I looked away. I couldn’t help but imagine Ophi and myself in that position someday. I pushed the thought away as I turned back to see that they had a bit of a concerned look on both of their faces, and Ophi was trying not to be uncomfortable. I took a breath and introduced us. “I am Nathan Ethrol, and the girl is my best friend, Ophelia Jakson.”

I noticed that Ophi’s face twisted strangely. Her emotions were confused, if I was reading them right. Though I was pulled out of my musing when Simon next spoke. “So was that all that you came to our house for?”

Ophi shook her head. “If you could oblige, we would like to take you to visit Princess Celestia now. Nate here made a promise of sorts that he would let the Princess meet any humans that we found.”

The two of them looked between each other for a while before Simon got up and left. Penelope turned back to their guests. “Simon is getting his socks and shoes right now. We would be glad to help your friend keep his promise.”

I gave a nod of gratitude. “That is quite thoughtful of you.” I paused while trying to calculate something to say. It was always difficult with new people… Luckily, I did not have to actually converse as I saw that Simon now wore some black sneakers.

I stood up, and approached the door. I turned to see the rest of them coming my way. I opened the door, holding it for the girls as they left. I let go just as Simon was close enough to push it so it didn’t close on him. After he was out, he looked at me incredulously. “What is the big idea?”

I shrugged. “I do not hold doors for fellow guys. Feels sorta weird to do so.”

We were cut off from our musings when a flying chariot came down. I raised an eyebrow as it landed in front of us. Celestia exited the chariot, much to my surprise. She looked at the two other humans, who were a bit in shock. “Nathan. So you found more humans… sorry that I did not wait for you to come to Canterlot to meet with me, but… I am going to be swamped with other meetings until nightfall, so I thought I should come to you to save you some time. “

Simon regained his faculties first. “So you are Princess Celestia? And here I thought you might be a bit taller… Still taller than the ponies that we’ve caught glimpses of in town, though.”

Penelope elbowed her boyfriend. “Simon! Don’t be rude. We are guests here.” She curtsied. “Sorry about him. I hope you don’t mind us building a shelter on your land…”

A soft smile on her face, Celestia shook her head. “Not at all. As long as the Buffalo approve, that is all that matters.” She turned to look at Ophi and myself. “Nathan and Ophelia. I have some good news. We have made considerable progress on the sky portal study. We should be able to return you and the other humans home on the 23rd of May, at the latest. Much closer than the last time that we spoke, and much more concrete.”

I was speechless for a bit, and blinked. I gathered my composure and tried to play it cool. “Well, thanks for the update on that. At least now we have got a somewhat more reasonable window. I would hate to have any of us stay longer than absolutely necessary.”

Celestia gave a nod, and turned to face the new humans. “So, you two. I would like to know your names.”

Penelope stood with a smile. “My name is Penelope Nelson, and the guy is my boyfriend, Simon Keithson.”

Celestia had a sly smile on her face. “Oh? Were you two dating before you came here?”

Both of them blushed a bit, and Simon chuckled as he scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, we had just started dating shortly before winding up here. Let me tell you… being in an unfamiliar place like this after only barely becoming a couple… it has been quite strenuous on us. Though, I think that after we go and introduce ourselves to the town, things might change.”

A clearing of a throat could be heard from the chariot, and Celestia let out a sigh. “It seems that I do not have time for much else right now. I will be seeing all of you later.”

She turned and went back to the chariot and climbed inside. It lifted off, and flew off into the distance. Ophi turned to our erstwhile companions. “Well, that was a bit unexpected… At least let us take you to visit with the sheriff of Appaloosa.”

The two of them nodded, and followed us to the Buffalo tribe camp. Once there, Chief Thunderhooves approached us. “So, will you be taking your fellow humans into town?”

I gave a small nod. “Yes. I don’t know if they would want to leave the house they built behind, though. They can discuss the details with you later if they so wish. We had best be off.”

I turned in the direction from which we approached the camp for the first time and started walking. Ophi called out. “Don’t you think that we should let somebody guide us back to town?”

I shook my head. “I am pretty good with directions, I will have you know. I know which way to go.” I waited until the others caught up, and then the four of us traversed the path back to town.

The silence was a bit much, so Penelope asked us something. “So, where are you two from? We’re from Idaho.”

Ophi smiled. “That is pretty close to where we’re from! We’re from Utah!”

Simon raised an eyebrow. “That is one crazy coincidence. What are the chances of that?”

After a small chuckle, I enlightened him. “Astronomically small, especially since all the other ones we’ve found have been from Utah. It makes one consider that it might not be just a coincidence.”

The conversation died down after a while, and we arrived back in town. The ponies’ reaction to the two new humans was somewhat amusing, but we had other business to attend to. We made out way to the Sheriff’s Office and went inside.

Sheriff Silverstar raised an eyebrow. “So ya found th’ resident humans of th’ Buffalo lands? Will they be stayin’ in these parts, or are they goin’ with you back to Ponyville?

Simon spoke up to answer. “We would like to stay here for now. We will have to ask the Buffalo to help us move our house to be between the town and the tribe’s camp, but it should be worth it. If you have any jobs that require some building, just let me know. I am pretty good with that.”

Penelope looked to the sheriff. “What he means is that we would like to repay your kindness for the offer to stay. We will work hard.”

After collecting himself, Sheriff Silverstar let himself grin. “You two are gonna be mighty welcome here now. Don’t you go hidin’ again, now!”

Simon chuckled, shaking his head. “No problem with that, we do not plan on it.”

Then the four of us exited the office. I looked to the two of them. “Well, this is where we part ways, at least for now. Be seeing you around, I guess.” Ophi waved at them as they walked off, and we went back to the train station.

We saw that Applejack was waiting for us, and she called out as we approached. “So, you two ain’t takin’ ‘em t’ Canterlot t’ see Celestia?”

We approached, and Ophi explained. “Well, Celestia actually dropped by, so we did not have to go out of our way to go to her today. That was certainly a bit different…”

I made my way to the train, and the two of them hurried to follow. The conductor punched another hole in each of our tickets, and we found places to sit down. The train started up, and for a while the three of us were silent. Applejack tried to break the silence. “So, Nathan. Are ya sure that yer content wit helpin’ me wit th’ apple sales? Ain’t there anythin’ that yu’d rather have earn ya money?”

I blinked at that, and tried to compose myself. I had something I’d rather do, sure, but… I shook my head. “I do not think that I want my dream career to start here in Equestria, thanks. I will wait until I get back home to push for that.”

Ophi nodded in agreement. “I am much the same on that front. It just… wouldn’t feel right to start my career here. Do you get what I mean?”

Applejack considered that for a moment until it clicked in her head. “Ah guess that makes some sense. Yu’d rather gain fame back in yer home world rather than a planet that ya will be leavin’ behind.”

After a sigh of relief escaped me, I turned to look out the window. There was so much to think about, now. How exactly had we all been drawn to Equestria? Was it truly just a cosmic accident? Or was there some design behind it all? To be honest, I was having a hard time arguing for it being the former any longer. I was so lost in my thoughts that I hardly noticed when the train came to a stop. It took Ophi calling my name to snap me out of it. “Nate!”

I turned a bit blearily, but shook myself out of it. “Hm? Oh, sorry. I was just… thinking.” I stood up, and the three of us made our way off of the train.

Applejack looked to see the sky dimming. She turned towards me. “Alright, Nathan. Let’s be off. Dinner’s going to be soon.”

I gave a nod and followed. I stopped after a bit and turned to wave a t Ophi. “See you tomorrow.” It took all of my effort to not blush, but I managed.

She smiled. “See you.” She walked off, and I turned and went off towards the farm. I went inside to have some dinner, and I left the house and went to the barn. I braced the door and changed into my pajamas. I rolled up my day clothes and put them in the drawer. I hadn’t drawn all day, so I decided to rectify that. I grabbed my sketchpad and a pencil from my backpack. I then proceeded to draw. My hand glided across the page, and a familiar face started to form. Harold. I hadn’t found him yet, but it was only a matter of time now. I smiled at the finished picture. “I’ll see you soon… old friend.”

Elsewhere, on the west coast of Equestria…

A man stretches a bit, wearing a smock sewn of palm leaves. He looks around the beachside cave, and sighs causing his ginger hair to bob. His green eyes fall upon the girl in their makeshift kitchen. She had dyed her hair blue, and she was wearing a simple dress sewn from palm leaves. He spoke to her. “Amanda, how’s dinner coming along?”

She sighed and looked back with her brown eyes. “I’m working on it, Harold. This is not as easy as I make it look, you know.”

A nod of understanding came from him as he turned back to what he’d been doing. He lightly dusted the table-like stone as his mind wandered. Earlier this morning, he had felt it again. The presence of his old best friend, Nathan. At the thought of him, Harold grimaced. How long had it been since he was forced to move away? Almost eight years, if he recalled right. He had departed without explanation, and that was what caused him to wonder about what Nathan’s reaction would be when they eventually met again. He knew that Nathan was likely to at least be mildly upset, that much was certain. He sighed as he finished dusting off the “table”.

He went over to a makeshift cabinet and opened it. He pulled out two plates that they had salvaged, and set them on the table. He shut the “cabinet”, and went to the indent in the stone wall that they had been using to store the silverware that they had salvaged. He opened it and took out all of the silverware and set the table. He shut the “drawer” and sat down just as Amanda had finished cooking their meal. She brought over the massive fish that had beached itself and the herbs that Harold had picked. Harold cut up the fish with his knife, and they split it amongst themselves. They ate in silence, as they really did not talk to each other all that much.

Harold thought back to how the two of them had first met. Harold was on his way back to Utah to see if he could find Nathan again. He happened to see her in quite a precarious situation and he took her away from that. After that, they immediately fell into this strange world. When they found the cave, they did get to know each other a bit. Apparently Amanda was also looking for an old friend. She was hoping to apologize for treating her so badly, and perhaps explain herself. Though, ever since then, the two of them hardly ever spoke to each other. That was most likely because they were too focused on keeping themselves alive out here.

They finished up eating, and harold picked up the dishes carefully. He made his way out of the cave, not forgetting to pick up the cleaning supplies that had been in his backpack. He went out and found a spring of fresh water that was nearby. He proceeded to wash the dishes as he cast his mind back to that day. How had their luck been so rotten as to drop them in the ocean? They had lost quite a bit of their supplies that way, not to mention it ruined Harold’s backpack beyond repair. They had salvaged a few things from when they washed up on shore, but it had not been much. Luckily they could scavenge this place pretty well, so that was a plus. He just wished that they had found more supplies.

He dried off the dishes, and brought them back into the cave with the cleaning supplies. He put the dishes away, not seeing Amanda anywhere. He sighed as he placed the cleaning supplies back where they kept them. He made his way to the portion the was his “room”. He closed the makeshift door, and found the mat that he had made from leaves. He lied down on it and sighed. Their journey had tested them much, but in the end it would be worth it… or at least, he hoped that it would be. He spoke to himself. “Nathan. I will find you. I never meant to leave, you know. If I had managed to find a way to stay…” He shook his head. “That does not change our situation. I will find a way, somehow. Just keep waiting for me… alright?” He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

XVII- The Faltering Strain

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I looked around, and I saw Luna descend again. I saw her hold up the card, and I gave a nod. I snapped my fingers, and we were back at the portion where we last left off. I turned to where I felt the source of the power coming from, and cautioned Luna. “It’s feeling more violent than usual today… Maybe that’s because It can’t torment me as long as you’re here. Come on.”

I led her through the twisting walls of the maze, and she kept up decently enough. She then asked me another question. “Nathan… How long has this apparition haunted your dreams?”

I paused as I kept moving. I let out a sigh as I decided to answer. “This started on the third day of Ophi and myself being here in Equestria. I’ve always had a bit of trouble with nightmares, but nothing compared to having this thing bothering me.”

Luna fell silent in shock as I turned to see that she had stopped following. I raised an eyebrow. She gathered herself, and replied. “Sorry. It’s just… To know that you’ve been suffering like this without me being able to help you… I feel terrible.”

I shook my head. “Don’t. I’m not a resident of your world, so getting into my dreams was always going to take a bit of effort. I can handle the normal nightmares easily enough. It’s the ones with the apparition that bother me.” I jerked my head. “Come on. We can get a bit further before I wake.”

She nodded, and followed me until the rumbling began. She sighed. “I’ll have to be off…”

I took her card that I gave her, and passed my hand over it. It shimmered, and it took on a turquoise hue. I handed it back. “There you go. Nice and updated.I’ll be seeing you again.”

She nodded, and disappeared as I felt my conscious wake up.

I sat up, and looked out of the window. I was up at dawn, just like normal. I stretched as I heard the rooster crow. It was going to be a long day, I could feel it. I went over to my backpack and pulled out my scriptures. I read a few chapters as I felt myself wake up the rest of the way. After I felt it sufficient, I marked my new place and put them away. I then went over to my wardrobe and considered what I should wear today. I chose the shirt that I had worn when we had first arrived and the blue jeans. I left the barn and went towards the house. I entered and went up the stairs to the bathroom. I knocked first, just in case somebody was inside. I heard no reply, so I opened the door and went in. Nobody was in the bathroom, thank goodness. I locked the door and got ready for my morning shower. I made quick work of it, and stepped out to dry off. I put on my chosen outfit for the day and rolled up my pajamas. I left the bathroom and went downstairs. I grabbed a quick breakfast and then made my way out the door.

I made my way over to Applejack’s stall easily enough, and made my way behind the counter. I noticed that quite a line was starting to queue up, and I turned to Applejack. “So, why are so many ponies here today? I mean, we have had good business for the past while, but…”

Applejack sighed. “They’re all a bit anxious, Ah reckon. We’ll be startin’ ta sell Zap Apple Jam next Monday, so the excitement from that is drawing quite a crowd. Almost as much as cider season usually draws…”

I looked at the crowd incredulously. “So we’re going to have to inform them all to wait a little longer for what they’re here for, huh? You sure that they’re all here for that, though? I mean, we are selling quite a variety of apple snacks, so…”

Applejack gave a small chuckle. “Ah suppose you could be raght. Still, best be ready ta let quite a few down easy. Gonna be a long shift, that’s for sure.”

We then opened up for business, and just like Applejack said, quite a lot of ponies were anxious for the Zap Apple Jam. I did manage to sway most of them to buy some of our snacks, but some of them just left in a huff. The customers kept coming, and it was rather fortunate that they did, too. It gave a nice distraction from the problems that plagued my mind. A few familiar customers came by too, but that was to be expected. After a few hours of sales, the numbers of customers finally started to dwindle. Near the end of the first part of my shift, Twilight came by. She looked at the product, and then to me with a curious look. “Your methods certainly are something, Nathan. AJ’s business has boomed ever since you started working for her. I’m curious to know if it’s your special talent…”

I blinked for a minute and then proceeded to laugh. “Oh heavens, no! I might have a head for business, but I learned that. My true talent lies elsewhere.” I then diverted the topic. “So, can I interest you in one of our many snacks?”

Twilight considered for a moment before making her choice. “Hm. I’ll have a caramel apple, thanks.”

I raised an eyebrow, but thought not much of it. I picked up one of the pre-prepared ones, and spoke. “That’ll be 12 bits.” Twilight levitated the bits out of her purse and took the camel apple out of my grip. I shook my hand to get out the odd feeling from the magic out. “You have a good day.”

After Twilight wandered off, Applejack stretched. “Hey, Nathan? D’ya mind holdin’ down the fort fer a bit? Ah gotta take care of a little somethin’.”

I nodded firmly. “No problem, Applejack. I’ll keep an eye on the stall for you. Don’t be too long now.” She nodded as she walked off for a break. It was the first time that I’d seen her take one. I wasn’t too worried, though. Business was cooling off a bit now. I kept myself busy while waiting for customers by keeping the apples nice and clean. It was quite the convenience that we had a bucket and towel to do that with aack behind the stall.

After a few minutes of cleaning, I noticed that “Pinkie” was approaching. I refused to believe that it was her real name, but I hardly had any good lead on that front. She came up to the stall with a smile. “Hiya Natey!”

My eyes twitched as I glared at her. “Don’t call me that! You call me Nathan- Just like everyone else aside from Ophi. I despise the nickname ‘Natey’! It feels so…. Childish. Now, what did you come here for?”

I could’ve sworn I saw her mane deflate slightly. But it was soon back to its usual bouncy self, and she soon had a smile on her face again. “Geez, no need to be so abrasive! I just came to check on AJ! But she’s not here, so… I thought I’d try to light up your sour mood!”

I pinched my brows together. Was this pony always like this? Her cheerful demeanor was starting to make me nauseous. I took a deep breath and shook my head. “Listen. I’m not interested in whatever it is you’re trying. It’s not going to work. Now if you’re not here to buy anything, just leave.”

Pinkie seemed slighted for a moment there, but she quickly regained her composure. “Well, in that case… I’ll have a slice of apple pie!”

I gave a silent sigh as I carefully cut a slice. I placed it on a paper plate, and spoke. “That’ll be 4 bits.”

Pinkie placed the bits on the counter, and took the plate on one of her forehooves. She smiled and walked off, but I just shook my head. It was no wonder why I didn’t like being around her. She felt so exhausting to be around. I pushed the thought aside as I went about making sure that the stall was in tip-top shape. After a few more minutes, I saw another customer approach me. It was Vinyl, and I raised an eyebrow. She chuckled slightly. “Hey Nathan. Didn’t quite expect me to show up here today, did you?”

I blinked and then gave a nod. “Yeah. It certainly is a surprise…” I shook away the surprise as I gathered my wits. “So, what do you want, hm?”

Vinyl thought about it for a while before giving a small grin. “I’ll have a fuji apple, thanks.”

I placed the bits she had levitated to the counter into the register and then placed a fuji into a paper bag for her and pushed it towards her. “There you go. Enjoy.” She picked it up with her magic, and turned to leave.

However, after a few steps, she faced me again. She had a strange unreadable look on her face. Her tone when she spoke was a bit hard to place, too. “I noticed that you’ve been avoiding talking with Ophelia lately. IF you two had a fight, you should sort it out as soon as possible. I know that Tavi and I always reconcile after talking things out…”

I huffed irritably. “No, it’s nothing like that. It’s…” I shook my head. “It’s not your business, that’s what it is. Ophi and I will move past this at our own pace, thank you very much.” I sighed as I saw her walk off. “Why do all of the ponies feel like they have to put their muzzles in our business? They should just leave well enough alone.”

It was then that I saw another pony approach the stall. It was a red stallion with purple mane and tail. He seemed… out of sorts, one might say. He sighed as he sat at the stall. “I’ll have some mixed apple juice, tall glass. Spike it.”

I was slightly alarmed. It really wasn’t my place to judge if somebody wanted some strong drink, but… I was a bit curious. I started to prepare the drink and decided to pry. “What’s got you so down?”

His amber eyes were full of defeat as he sighed. “It’s this girl that works for Rarity…”

That phrase alone raised a red flag in my head. He was most definitely talking about Ophi. My anger started to boil, but I decided to reign it in as I confirmed. “Girl? So she’s human, then?” After he nodded, I sighed. “That’s your problem, then. We humans tend to only fall in love with other humans. After all, what would you expect from a race that is the only sapience on their home world? She’ll never return your affections. You’d best move on.”

He looked at me for the first time, and blinked. “Wait. You’re her friend, right? Couldn’t you-?”

I cut him off there as I placed the finished drink on the counter. “Not on your life. I won’t interfere with her choice like that. If she has been pushing you away this hard, it’s clear that no interference would change that.”

He sighed, and took a sip of the drink. He nodded, and spoke. “How much do I owe you?”

I did a few calculations in my head, and gave him the total. “20 bits.” He put a 20-bit coin on the counter, and I checked it thoroughly before putting it in the register. I nodded. “Enjoy your… drink. And remember-!”

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. No hard labour while plastered. I’m not stupid, you know. See you ‘round.” He then walked off.

I let out a breath that I wasn’t aware that I’d been holding. That was quite the unexpected turn...

Ophi couldn’t believe her eyes or ears. She’d popped out during the lull of business for some fresh air. When she saw Brick approach Nate at the apple stand, she couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious, subconsciously wringing the bottom of her light lavender blouse. She had shot him down pretty hard that morning, but she hadn’t expected him to drink on it. The more surprising thing was how Nate responded to it all. It was comforting to know that he was in her corner about this. She had to duck out of sight before he noticed her, though. It was still a bit awkward between them, and her eavesdropping certainly wasn’t helping matters.

She brushed off some dust that had found its way onto her blue jeans and made her way back to the boutique just in case they were getting more work that day. It turned out that she had made a pretty good call, because for the next while she was a bit swamped filling out orders for certain occasions coming up. Apparently there were many that were eager for this “Grand Galloping Gala” that she’d heard some of them mention.

The designs of Rarity’s dresses for her friends at the last one apparently garnered quite the buzz, so many wanted her personal touch for their attire this year. Ophi had some difficulty keeping up with all the differing orders, but at least her mind was occupied. It was after quite a few orders that a familiar face came into the shop. “Octavia! What brings you here today? Are you making an order for the Gala as well?”

After a small nod, Octavia explained. “My attire from the last one is unfortunately too worse for wear, now. Besides, it might be nice to wear some of her work.” She looked around before seeing a dress that struck her fancy. It was the one being worked on for that rude mare that came in yesterday. She pointed at it, and nodded. “Something like that, just a bit more… simple. Do you think that you could have Rarity do that for me?”

Ophi scratched her head. “I don’t know. She really doesn’t like making too many similar pieces. Maybe if you wanted a different style or color…”

After a bit of consideration, Octavia relented. “I can understand that. Besides, I’m sure red wouldn’t look all that good on me anyway. Maybe if it was black…”

A smile graced Ophi’s face as she wrote that down. “Gotcha. I’ll let Rarity know. Now, did you want to pay for it all now, or put a down payment on it?”

Octavia placed ten bits on the counter. “This is all I can afford with my budget at the given moment. I’ll be back to finish paying for it some other time.” As Ophi was putting the bits into the register, Octavia asked a question. “Ophelia… You seem awfully distracted lately. Is there something going on between you and Nathan that’s bothering you?”

Ophi stopped suddenly for a moment, a strange look on her face. She shook it away, and finished putting away the bits. “It’ll pass soon enough. By this time next week, we’ll be chatting up like we used to. You’ll see.”

A skeptical look graced Octavia’s face, but she decided to not push her luck. “If that’s what you believe, then I hope it works out for the best. I’ll see you later.” She then wandered off, and Ophi let out a sigh.

It had to work out like that. She couldn’t take these thoughts plaguing her much longer. She wanted to go back to when she could talk with Nate without these troubling thoughts in her head. She noticed that Rarity had come in from the back room, and she seemed stressed. She picked up the most recent order, and changed the sign on her shop to “Closed”. She looked at Ophi with a strained smirk. “I’ve got a lot of catching up to do with the orders.” She levitated over a small bag full of bits to Ophi. “Here’s the rest of your pay for the week. Now, I must get back to work. Go enjoy the rest of the day.”

Ophi was about to call out when Rarity went behind the curtain leading to the back room, but thought better of it. Now what was she to do? She thought for a while before getting up and going to the door. Maybe she could walk through the Everfree for a bit. She’d never been inside, so she was rather curious. Nodding to herself, she adjusted her gray sneakers and went outside, starting on her way towards the forest. It wasn’t long before she once more came within sight of the Apple stall. Applejack was working it alone, much to her relief. She approached, and Applejack smiled. “Heya Ophelia! Rarity let you off work already?”

Ophi picked up a red delicious and set two bits on the counter. “Yeah. She’s pretty swamped with orders right now. Quite a few ponies are getting ready for this… Grand Galloping Gala, or whatever.”

At the mention of that, Applejack chuckled. “Heh. The seven of us went last year. Wasn’t quite what we expected, that’s fer sure. Ah don’t know if Ah’ll go this year, given the choice. Once maght be enough fer me…”

After swallowing a bite from the apple, Ophi asked the question on her mind. “So what exactly is this Gala, anyway?”

Applejack searched for the best way to describe it before speaking. “Well, it’s a rather fancy party. Full of nobles and stuffy music… We kinda made a mess of it last year, though. It’s coming up in two weeks, so not too far from now. Maybe Celestia will send you and Nate some tickets.”

At the mention of Nate, that strange feeling came back. Ophi shook it away and chuckled. “No, I don’t think Nate would attend. He’s against connecting with you ponies, after all. As for myself… I’m not much for stuffy atmospheres. I think that both of us would rather sit out.”

Applejack nodded with understanding. “Well, if you do get those tickets, you could always send them back to Celestia if you don’t want to go. She’d understand, Ah’m sure.”

Ophelia gave a wry smile. “Good to know. I’ll be off now.” She waved, and walked off. As she made her way to the forest, her thoughts started to drift. This whole situation was looking less and less like coincidence the more people they found. Most of the people that they had come across were from Utah, which was quite unsettling. The more she thought about it, the more Ophi was convinced that it couldn’t be pure chance.

She put the thought out of her head as she reached the edge of the Everfree. This forest looked different from the other nearby woods. This one looked far more frenzied than Whitetail. Ophi went inside the forest, taking care on her walk across the path. She knew that the ponies were scared of this place, but if Nate had been in here and was no worse for wear, surely she could handle it.

She shook her head. She had to stop thinking about him. That only made it worse. She took a deep breath, and made her way through the forest, thinking that maybe she could see how Zecora was doing. However, she must’ve made a wrong turn somewhere, for she stumbled upon a den of wooden wolves. She held her breath as best she could as she slowly backed away.

However, her luck didn’t last long as she accidentally stepped on a twig, snapping it. The wolves perked, soon divining her location. They turned to find her, and Ophi backed away as they encroached. She tried to keep calm as they growled. “Nice doggies…. I’ll just be on my way, now…” She unfortunately found herself surrounded as she backed up against a tree. This certainly wasn’t going the way that she had anticipated. She had no way to fight past them, so her chances weren’t looking good.

Just as she was about to concede, she heard the busting of wood into splinters, and her attention was drawn to the source as were the wolves’. Standing with anger in his eyes was Nate. One of the wolves lay motionless in front of him. He spoke with violence in his voice. “Step off. If you don’t want a broken leg like your friend here, you’ll know what’s good for you and run!”

The wolves didn’t listen, however. Some of them broke away from the pack that were surrounding Ophi to attack Nate. Ophi watched on as with fluid movements Nate brought each one down. He never went for anything vital, instead deigning to impair his foes. This was a side of his that Ophi had never seen before… and her heart was beating like mad. None of the boys she had interest in before had shown this kind of prowess. Maybe… it wouldn’t be so bad to… before her thought could really settle in, she saw that the wolves were running away.

Nate made his way to where Ophi was, his demeanor calming down immensely. “Are you alright?”

The concern in his eyes made it hard to concentrate. She looked away with a nod, so she didn’t have to think about it much. “I’m fine. Thanks for getting me out of that mess. But how…”

He gave a chuckle and smiled. “Our psychic connection, remember? You sent out a distress call subconsciously, and I came running. I’m just glad you’re okay. If something happened to you…” He shook his head. “I don’t like to think about it.”

Silence prevailed as Ophi gathered the courage to look him in the eye. He seemed his usual self, so… maybe things could go back to the way they were before. She still felt weird around him, but… maybe she didn’t have to avoid him so completely to deal with it. She tried her best to contain it, and gave a small smile as she separated herself from the tree. “Come on. Let’s get back to town.”

However, as she was about to leave, she noticed that Nate wasn’t following. She turned, confusion clear on her face. His next words took her by surprise. “Ophi, before we go… I’d like to ask you something.” She seemed nervous, but she allowed him to continue. “It’s clear that all of us found our way to Equestria because somebody wanted us to find it. Why else would all of us so far be from the same portion of the world? The question now is… why were we sent here? Do you have any ideas?”

Ophi shook her head. “I don’t have a darned clue. But maybe… we weren’t sent. Maybe… we were invited. Somebody over here could have brought us here for something. It’s entirely possible.”

A thoughtful nod came from Nate. “True. But who aside from the pony’s Princesses would have that kind of power? It doesn’t quite add up.” He rubbed his forehead a bit. “I think that’s quite enough speculation for now. Let’s get out of here.”

The two walked through the brush of the forest, a still silence between them. It still was a little odd between the two of them, that much was sure. But now, it seemed to be not so suffocating. Neither of them felt ready to admit to the other what they felt, but at least now they could talk normally around each other now. After a few minutes, they made their way out of the forest. The sun was still up, so they had not been in there long.

Just as they were about to part ways again, they saw Spike come up to them. Nate seemed confused. “What’s the matter, little guy?”

Spike jerked a thumb claw towards the library. “Twilight needs to see you two about something. It sounded rather important.”

XVIII- Dark Dealings

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It didn’t take much time for us to get to the library and find our way inside. The sight that greeted us was no stranger than anything that we had seen since we had arrived, but it still was rather shocking nonetheless. Twilight was levitating some books around her in that same aura she used to pick up the apple earlier. I could make out at least one of the titles; that being Myths Of Antiquity. I was certain that she was doing some sort of research on humans based on that one alone. I cleared my throat to get her attention. She was slightly startled, but managed to not let go of the books in her surprise. She turned to us and smiled. “Nathan! Ophelia! Good that you could come. I’d like to discuss something with the both of you.”

Perplexity was clear upon our faces, but I decided to broker the question that was on our minds. “So how important is this actually? Spike made it sound urgent, but I’m not so sure about that.”

After setting the books down gently, Twilight gave a small sigh. “Trust me. This knowledge will change your tune.” I raised an eyebrow at that while turning to Ophi to see how she was taking this. It seemed that she was about as intrigued by this prospect as I was, so I turned back to see Twilight facing us. I motioned for her to continue, and she obliged. “You see, ever since you and the others found yourselves flung into this world, I’ve been monitoring the magic flow of our world. Normally, it flows through all life in our world just fine, balancing out naturally. But the magic doesn’t quite react the way you might expect with humans by what you asserted about not having any magic.
“You see, tests have been run on such a thing before. This happened when the royal scientist tried to synthesize a magic-less creature. It did work, much to their surprise. However, the magic flow of the world rushed in to equalize. There was no way of stopping it, so it soon became like all the other creatures in the wild.” She shook her head. “This isn’t what I’ve observed since you came, however.
“The magic of our world has recoiled away from your presence, almost like a magnet being repelled by the same charge. Anything you interact with only temporarily is void of magic, except for the items that you brought with you or any item that has had long-term exposure to your presence.”

Ophi gasped with shock. “Wait, so what you’re saying is that… we’re hurting your world’s natural balance? But how? If we really didn’t have any magic, that shouldn’t be happening, right?”

Twilight scratched her head for a bit before answering. “Well, there is a… theoretical explanation. Some unicorn scientists have postulated about a force equal and opposite of our own magic that could very well explain all of this. They called this hypothetical force The Null. It is thought that if our world came into contact with The Null for too long it could lose all of its magic. So if you really come from a place with no magic… it is possible that your world is fueled by this Null Force without you even realizing it.”

I shook my head. “While your theory makes some sense, there is an issue. Magic is a form of energy, right? If that is the case, then it can’t really be destroyed, only put somewhere else in some other form. The magic would have to… go somewhere. Oh no.”

Twilight looked at me in confusion. “What’s wrong, Nathan? What thought came to mind?”

Ophi saw the look and my eyes, and understood. “Our world. If the magic of your world is evicted, it could find its way to ours. You could be wrong about this force you talked about, and if you are… our world could be overrun by magic as a result. And humans, well… some of them have some really messed up ideas for what they would do with such power.”

I gave a nod. “Now it’s more imperative than ever that we find our way back home as soon as possible.” I turned to face Twilight, a strained sigh escaping. “Tell Celestia about this. After all, her sister has been trying to help me with some nightmares lately, and… well, I don’t know what adverse effects she might accumulate if she tries to continue.”

Twilight nodded, and went off to write a letter. Ophi though seemed a bit concerned. “Nightmares? What about, Nate? I haven’t heard you talk about them to me…”

I took a deep breath. It was probably best that I tell her, right? It wasn’t good to have her worried. I steeled myself as I led her to a secluded portion of the library. I was a bit beside myself, though. Recently things had been a bit… awkward between us. Could I really tell her about this? I hesitated only for a moment before pushing the uncertainty aside. If I was to get anywhere with her… I’d have to confront this problem sooner or later. I explained. “Ever since we arrived here, I’ve had the same dream. It replays many memories from my past, jumbled out of order. It almost always ends with me seeing Harold again before he disappears.
“But a few nights ago… you were added to the dream. It depicted you betraying me, like everyone else I know. This was when I started to have conversations with a dark shadow in my head. He looked like me, or whomever he deigned to be. He likes to throw into my face all of my failures and all the cynicism that kept me going before we became friends. It wasn’t until recently that I started to conquer it with the help of Princess Luna paying a visit to my dreams.” I shook my head. “But now, I don’t know how I’ll get through it, what with this new revelation…”

Ophi paused as she took it all in. It was a bit hard to read her reaction to what I had told her, which really set me on edge. I relaxed as I felt her right hand rest on my left shoulder. “Nate, I’m glad that you feel that you can be open with me about this. To be honest… It’s a relief that you’re as concerned about our friendship as I am. As for this nightmare of yours… Well, maybe our psychic connection could help you with that. I’m not sure how exactly, but we can figure this out! No matter what, we will remain friends. I promise.”

I let out a sigh. That again, huh? So she was trying to push aside what had happened. She didn’t want to meddle with a relationship with me beyond that, which I could understand. Maybe it was for the best that we stayed just friends after all. But… I just couldn’t give up on the idea. That isn’t the kind of person I am. But I knew that I had to be careful about it too. I couldn’t risk too much on it, after all. I gave a nod. “Right. No matter what happens. Thanks for offering to try and help me through this. It’s really sweet of you.”

I saw a small blush on her face as she looked away. “Really, it’s nothing. You’d do the same for me. It’s just what good friends would do.”

Part of me somehow felt that what she was saying was more trying to convince herself more than me. I inwardly smirked. Seems like somebody’s starting to come around. Just gotta play my cards right. I nodded, careful to not be too brash. “People can do many things for the people they care for. It all depends on how deep that care goes. Be it simple friendship, or perhaps something more… romantic.”

Her blush deepened slightly before she faced away. “W-well, sure. But that’s kinda obvious, right?” She cleared her throat, and suppressed her embarrassment. “I’ll see you around, Nate. I just need to… go and clear my head.”

She left, and I found myself scolding myself inwardly. Idiot! Can’t you just think a bit more before you speak? She probably thinks… I shook my head. No matter. Small setback, is all. Just need to smooth things over a bit. She’s not… ready for that, I suppose. Not used to the idea. Just need to be a bit more patient.

I was taken out of my thoughts when Twilight spoke up. “Nathan? Are you all right?”

I shook my thoughts away and gave a small nod. “Yeah. I’m fine. I was just thinking, is all.”

Twilight looked like she might object for a moment, but then seemed to think better of it. “I just wanted to let you know that I wrote Celestia about this problem. She should respond soon, hopefully…”

It wasn’t much longer until a belch was heard from the other room. Spike came into the room holding a scroll with what looked to be an official royal seal on it. “Twilight! She wrote back already!”

A smile was upon Twilight’s face, and I was about to leave as she took the scroll in her magic. She turned towards me with a confused look. “Where do you think you’re going?”

I jabbed a thumb at the door. “I just need to get going. I should be helping Applejack with the apple stand.”

Twilight shook her head. “This concerns you, I’m pretty certain. You should be here to hear it.” At those words, I could hardly argue. I relented with a sigh as she opened the scroll and began to read it aloud:

“Dear Twilight,

“This finding of yours does seem quite troubling, but there is little to be done. We are already working as fast as we can to understand the portals that brought the humans here. I’ll see if I can get Discord to help again, maybe with this new finding he might actually care to help us. Just keep an eye on the situation for me.”

“Your Mentor, Princess Celestia.”

“P.S.: Nathan, If you are listening to Twilight read this, I appreciate your concern for my sister. However, I don’t think your dreams are dangerous to her. While your presence might affect anyone else that might know how to get into your mind, Luna knows how to handle herself.”

I raised an eyebrow at that last part, but I felt Celestia was being a bit too dismissive of my concerns. I shook my head. “Well, if that’s everything, I best be off.”

Before I could leave though, Twilight asked me a question. “Nathan… What do you think might happen if our worlds were to say, merge?”

I paused for a moment. I turned back from the doorway and looked her in the eye. “It could be bad, that’s one option. If you are right about these forces… If they clashed on such a scale… they might destroy everything on both worlds. It would be best that we are sent home, and the connections between our worlds severed permanently. Just as I’ve advocated from the start.” I sighed as I returned to facing out the open door. “Some things are better left separate.”

Twilight called out to me before I left. “And yet you’re trying to evolve your relationship with Ophelia. Don’t you think that you’re being a bit hypocritical?”

I flinched at those words. She’d noticed. And if she had… who knows how many others had. My grip on the doorframe was tight, and I felt almost short of breath. How was I supposed to reply to that? After a bit of thought, I took a deep breath and relaxed my grip. “Maybe I am. But so what? I could be wrong about what might happen in the future. Maybe it’d be good for our worlds to coalesce.”

Meanwhile, in an undisclosed location…

A figure looks on from a shadowed plane with a scowl. He couldn’t believe what the Crystal Ball was showing him. This was not right! He had not paid much mind to it so far, seeing as it was only some minor deviations. But this… He would not abide. He stood from his throne made of rusted steel and clenched a fist. He could not allow any more straying from what his plan had intended. He grasped a steel sword of elaborate make in his right hand, and felt the magic respond to him. It had taken practice, but he had control of his anti-magic so that it did not consume the magic around him. He looked once more through the Crystal Ball as Nathan left the Library. It was now or never. He had to stop Nathan from leaving at any cost.

He took a deep breath as he channelled the magic of the sword. He leveled it at a random cave wall and took a mighty swing. The blade cleaved the air and left a portal to the Everfree in its place. His attempts to convince Nathan via dreams had gone sour, so he had to take the direct approach. He leapt through the portal, his black armor clanking slightly. He sealed the portal with his sword, then turned towards the town of Ponyville. His scowl grew. It sickened him to be in this place, to see it as it was right now and not as it should be. He shook his head. The loop would be completed. No price was too high for his goal. He gave a nod and started to make his way towards the Whitetail Woods.

If he remembered right, somebody very important was about to enter those woods...

Edge of Ponyville, Near Whitetail Woods

Ophi stopped for a moment. A sudden chill ran down her spine as she was about to enter the woods. There was something or somebody there, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what, exactly. She looked around, and called out. “Hello? Is somebody there? This isn’t funny, you know…”

It was then that she heard an armored person approach. She turned to see, and she gasped. He was taller than anyone she had ever seen. His armor was steel painted black, and he had a steel sword strapped to his back. She could hardly make out anything of his face from behind the helmet, aside from some piercing blue-green eyes. Then he spoke in an impossible voice. “It’s me, Ophi.”

She froze as thoughts ran through her head. Didn’t she leave Nathan back at the library? How could he get her so fast? It didn’t… make sense. But for some reason… she started to feel calm. Like this was… normal.

The figure removed his helmet, revealing that it was Nathan… No matter how impossible that was, it somehow was made right in Ophi’s head. He smirked. “Good. Now. Follow me. I have a surprise for you…”

Ophi started to follow, but a weak part of her still fought to call out with her psychic link. Nathan… help… me...

I dropped the apple I was about to hand to a customer as I stood up from the stall. I tuned out the complaint as I yelled. “Sorry! I just really got to go!” I didn’t even hear Applejack yell as I ran off. I had to find her! This was the second time today! I couldn’t let this happen! I ran for a while into the direction I felt her calling from. It didn’t take long, although I did have to excuse myself through the crowds of ponies. I kept running until the trail ran cold at the edge of the Whitetail Woods. I looked around in panic, muttering “no” repeatedly to myself.

I didn’t snap out of it until I felt a pony’s magic catch me. I saw that it was Twilight’s before it fizzled out. I turned to see Twilight and her friends as well as the other humans, all with concern on their faces. Before they could ask, I collapsed in a heap, causing all of them to come rushing. I started muttering. “She’s gone. She’s gone. No, she can’t be gone…”

My tears fell freely as I felt them all try to comfort me with hugs. It was then that I heard an amused dark chuckle from somewhere. I wiped away my tears as I looked around. Pinkie snapped at the laughter. “Hey! It’s not nice to laugh at somebody’s tears! Show yourself, you meanie!”

Dark clouds rolled over from the Everfree, covering the sky. The laughter came back as a figure in black armor appeared floating transparent in the sky. He grinned from behind his helmet. “Hello Nathan. We finally meet.”

I gasped as I stood to see the figure. “You! You’re the one that’s been giving me those nightmares! Where have you taken Ophi? And just who are you!”

He chuckled, and took off his helmet. He sneered with his purple eyes. “I’m whoever I want to be!” His face shifted, and it looked like me. It shifted again, and he was Ferris. He could have shown off more if he wanted, but decided against it as his face shifted back. He gave a hearty guffaw. “As for where Ophelia is… That’s for me to know and for you to figure out!”

Rainbow tilted her head in confusion. “Wait, how are you using magic? Humans can’t use magic!”

He shook his head, and waggled his left index finger. “That may be true, but I’m not exactly… human any more. I figured many things out since being sent here. I can control my anti-magic and use it like spells. I can also reign it in to wield the artifacts of this world, such as this sword.” He unsheathed it so that we all could see it.

Twilight gasped. “That’s the Space Render! How’d you get your hands on such a sophisticated enchanted weapon? It’s been lost for centuries!”

He sheathed it again and grinned smugly. “I won’t tell you that.” He then shook his head. “Regardless, we’re getting off track here. I have a proposition for you, Nathan. If you want to see Ophelia again… you’ll listen to my deal.”

Irritated, I clenched my fist for a moment before releasing it. I didn’t like it, but… I had little choice in the matter. “What are your terms, cretin?”

He showed mock hurt for a moment. “Ooh! Such harsh words!” He rolled his eyes and dismissed it. “Though, I can understand. Pretty tough spot that I’ve put you in.” He chuckled lightly before getting back on topic. “My deal is rather simple, Nathan. If you want her back immediately, you have to agree to side with me-”

I interrupted him with a sharp huff. “You think that I would ever join you, after all those nightmares? There is no force that could make me do that.”

The armored figure blinked for a bit before giving a shrug. “Very well. The hard way it is, then.” He paused for a moment to clear his throat before continuing. “If you want her back, then a contest you must win. We’ll wait until Monday to begin. A series of challenges I will provide for you, and you’ll have to complete all of them. As for how many…” He made a point of taking a while to think it over before breaking out in a smile. “12 should be enough. One a day, skipping Sunday. So, Nathan. Will you agree?”

I thought for a moment. This was mostly just burning time. But what was the point? I just had to ask the most burning question on my mind, though. “Before I agree… What happens if I fail?”

A manic grin formed upon the man’s face as he spoke. “Oh, you won’t like it. You see… I intend to have you on my team one way or another. But… for the spell to change your alignment to work, well… A price must be paid, and a hefty one at that.”

My eyes widened as I caught on to what he was insinuating. This was a gamble, a shot in the dark. But what choice did I have? He likely would do something pretty bad to Ophi if I refused. I sighed before speaking up. “If that’s what you want… Very well. I don’t intend to lose, especially to somebody that hasn’t even given me their name.”

The figure paused a moment before letting out a chuckle. “You never change, do you? Fine. Since you're so insistent…” He made a mock bow before continuing. “I’m Cedric. I’ll be seeing you soon… Nathan.”

After the hologram disappeared, I stood up. Applejack was the first to speak up after the strange occurrence. “Nathan, are ya outta yer mind? There’s no tellin’ if he’ll keep his word! Ya should’ve tried for another option!”

I shook my head. “What other choice did I have? He’s holding all the cards. I couldn’t exactly refuse, you know.”

It was then that Ferris approached me and set a hand on my shoulder. “He doesn’t have all the cards. You’ve got us, Nathan. We’ll help you. I know that you might not like the idea, but… It’s the best shot that you have.”

I looked towards Ferris and Miara, mixed feelings swirling. Ferris had betrayed me before, and I didn’t really know Miara at all. But here they were, with Ferris saying that they’d help me. I had one question on my mind, and it erupted from my mouth without thinking. “Why, though? All I’ve ever done since we met again is push you away… So why?”

A smile lit upon Ferris’ face as he explained simply. “Because we were once friends, Nathan. I feel that I owe you this after all that’s happened.”

I was at a loss for words. I didn’t deserve this. It made no sense. Was this an extension of his apology? I looked at Miara, trying to figure out why she would help me. There had to be some angle, some ulterior motive. I asked her. “Why you, then? I don’t even know you, really.”

She made a simple statement. “Ophelia’s my friend too. I’ve enjoyed getting to know her since we met. So I’m helping you get her back because I’ll miss her too if she’s gone. It’s that simple.”

My mind was whirling fast trying to process it all. There was no nefarious purpose, they just wanted to help. This went against everything that I had seen from the world in how it treated me. I had been shown through actions by others that the world just didn’t care. But here in front of me, these two were challenging that notion. Emotions battled in my head, just as they did so long ago on that fateful day. I tried to sort out my confusion. I took a deep breath, trying to rationalize in my head.

I couldn’t be friends with them, that was out of the question. But maybe I could at least let them help. After all, I wasn’t detecting any insincerity. I sighed as I gave a small nod. “Alright. But just to be clear- this doesn’t make us friends. We’re just aligning for a common goal.”

They both gave me an affirmative, though I think they were just humoring me. I was doubting my own words, to be honest. Twilight spoke up. “If you need our help…”

I scoffed. “No chance. We’ll do this by ourselves. I don’t like how it will take so long, but if that’s what it takes… So be it.” After that, everyone went to their respective dwellings and I found myself skipping dinner. After changing into my pajamas I stared at the barn’s ceiling. I could feel Ophi’s mind, afraid and alone. I’d get her back, and nothing would stop me. With that thought, I let myself fall asleep.

XIX- A Bond Stronger Than Distance, Part 1

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I sighed as I saw Luna enter my dream. She seemed hesitant. “We do not have to do this, you know. I know that you’re worried about Ophelia. Maybe I should come back later…”

I shook my head. “No. I may know who is causing this, but… I really don’t like the fact that he is holding all the cards. Maybe… If we find the source of where he’s been putting it through we can trace it back to where he’s hiding. Beat him at his own sick, twisted game.” I led her through the maze, following the trail. It was a bit old, which made sense. After all, Cedric wasn’t exactly sending new signals in right now. I hurried along as I felt it starting to wane. I wasn’t about to let it slip away now. Luna could keep up, which didn’t really surprise me that much.

But, there was something bothering me. This… Cedric… he certainly seemed awfully familiar. I wasn’t quite sure why, but I felt that I’d met him before, somehow. The way he said he could use his anti-magic for spells was a tad concerning, but also… it brought a strange feeling to my mind. The way he used it to hide his true face was disturbing, to say the least. But… why was it that I felt I’d come across the concept before? I pushed the stray thought aside for now as I found the leak that was wafting his presence. I turned to face Luna. “Do you think you could try and match this to find him?”

Uncertainty washed upon her features as she lit her horn. She studied the leak for a while, then started to follow its pull. I had to run at top speed to keep up with her gallop, but our pace made it simple to get pretty far along. All of a sudden, Luna stopped. Her face turned pale. “Nathan, I know where Ophelia is being held, but there’s a catch.”

My elation at her initial words faded with the tail end of what she had said. My stomach felt as if it was twisting in knots. A feeling of dread came over me as I considered why Cedric seemed so familiar. I wasn’t entirely sure that it was the case, but what other options were there? I steeled myself as I asked the only sensible question. “So? What’s the catch? Why can’t we bypass Cedric’s tests?”

Luna looked me straight in the eye and sighed. “It will be easier to show you.” She stepped aside, and a projection appeared behind her. The scene that was displayed behind her made all my doubts about Cedric’s familiarity disappear.

It was an abandoned building that I recognized from back home. It was a Charlie Cheese Restaurant. This particular one used to sit on 5th and Main, but it had disappeared roughly 8 years ago. The ruined building lay in shambles deep within the Everfree forest, locked off by a wall of pulsating cyan energy with 12 locks on it. I stepped back. A hushed whisper escaped me. “So it really is him…” The dream world was shaking, and Luna quickly made her escape before I jolted awake.

Cold sweat drenched my form as I lunged to sit up in my bed. I was breathing heavily. Of all the things that could be happening, of all the people it could have been, it just had to be Cedric “Merlin” O’Manson. Flashes of our past reignited in my head. How I last saw him at that particular Charlie Cheese, how he had an obsession with magic and changing his appearance through it. I recalled how we had not exactly parted on the best of terms. So this was about revenge, then? But that didn’t quite fit, either. Something was missing, a vital piece of information. I grasped my head in pain. Thinking about this revelation was just giving me a headache. I got out of bed and said a short morning prayer. I was stronger than Cedic thought. I would not be rattled by this. I just hoped that Ophi could feel that I wouldn’t give up. I read a chapter or two in my scriptures before putting them away for the day.

I took a look at my wardrobe for a moment before taking out the outfit that I had worn last Sunday, and grabbed my black socks and shoes. It felt a bit strange knowing that I would not have Ophi around, but I’d keep myself busy somehow.. I got myself out of the barn and walked over to the main house. Their dog came yapping as I let myself in. I sighed as I went upstairs. Luckily for me, Winona decided not to follow. The mutt may be harmless, but she sure was annoying. I shook the thought aside as I knocked on the bathroom door. Applejack called out from inside. “Ah’m almost done!”

I sat on the nearby couch, resigning myself to wait for a little bit. I was usually the first to use it in the morning, but that streak of luck was bound to end someday. At least it was a pleasant day, so that was good. Not for the first time, my thoughts drifted to my family. For the longest time, I had always felt so cut off from them, and that was long before arriving in Equestria. But now, I found myself worrying about them. I guess the person that coined the phrase “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone” certainly knew what they were talking about. I couldn’t help wondering once more if they had held a funeral already. But knowing them, most likely not. They probably knew I was still alive, even if they didn’t know how to find me.

I was knocked out of my reverie as Applejack came out of the bathroom. She saw me and raised an eyebrow. “So I got to it before ya? Well Ah’ll be…” She let out a small chuckle. “Well, Ah’ll leave you to it. Ah’ve got ta get ready for today. See you ‘round.” After she cantered off, I went into the bathroom, locking it behind me. I had to get my thoughts together. I turned on the shower as I got ready for it. After I was satisfied with the temperature, I stepped into the shower. I let the warm water run over my body as I gathered my thoughts. I wasn’t sure what to do. I didn’t like the fact that Cedric was holding all the cards still. My only consolation was the fact that I had a hunch that Ophi was still holding strong. I was sure of it, like somebody had whispered this truth to me. That feeling… It had been a while, but I was familiar with it. I let myself relax as I finished my shower. After I turned off the water, I stepped out and dried myself off. I put on my Sunday best and rolled up my pajamas.

After I left the bathroom, I made my way down the stairs. I was about to leave the house when Granny Smith called out to me. “Aren’t ya gunna join us for breakfast, Nathan? Ah made sumthin’ special.”

I paused at the door. I hadn’t eaten since lunch yesterday, but that was far from my mind. I shook my head. “I’ll pass, thanks. I’ll eat later. There’s something that I need to do today.”

Granny was about to call out again, but by the time she started, I had already gotten out the door. I stopped by the barn and grabbed my sketchbook and my art pencils. I then proceeded towards the Whitetail woods. I wasn’t quite sure why, but I felt impressed to go there. I wasn’t about to ignore the impression, so I headed over. After a bit of walking, I soon found a familiar clearing. It was the same one that I had last felt Ophi’s presence. I took a seat and flipped my sketchbook to a new page. I grimaced as I realized that I would be needing a new sketchbook soon. However, that could be done tomorrow. I took a deep breath, drinking in the serenity around me. I then lifted my pencil, and started to let my hand fly across the page. I couldn’t quite tell what I was drawing at first, but that mattered little right now. All that I cared about right now was the moment, the feeling I had as I drew. Was this the feeling known as “being in the zone”? If so, I suppose I had felt it before.

After a while, I found myself staring at a finished piece. I had drawn a scene depicting my reunion with Ophi, and I smiled. Tears welled up in my eyes. My heart had guided my hand, drawing my dearest wish upon the page, as it tended to do. I let out a sigh. I knew that I wasn’t alone in wanting her safe return, but I still wasn’t sure how I could work with them. I knew Ferris pretty well, but I knew virtually nothing about Miara. Could I really put aside my misgivings and work with them? I sighed with reluctance. I didn’t have much choice. Cedric was holding all the cards- any advantage I could get in this twisted game of his was a welcome one.

With renewed resolve, I decided to go into town and see if I could find them. If I was to work with them, a little groundwork was needed beforehand. I then started to walk out of the woods.

In the abandoned building in the Everfree…

Cedric watched the scene with an overly confident grin. “Oh, Nate. Such a fool. Those two will only drag you down. You should just fold and join me.”

“He’ll never give up! That’s just not like him!” Cedric turned to see Ophelia In her cell. He scowled, ready to refute, but she interjected. “You know so little about who he is! There’s much more to him than you think!”

Cedric ground his teeth together, and almost shouted at her. But then he realized what she was doing, and he let out a dark chuckle. His silver hair bobbed slightly in an ambient wind as he replied. “We’ll see who’s right and who’s wrong, dear Ophelia. Your boyfriend isn’t as strong as he thinks.”

A blush rose upon Ophelia’s face. “W-we’re just friends! Close friends, sure, but just friends!”

A devilish grin rose upon Cedric’s face. “I see… So that means…”

A chill ran down Ophelia’s spine as she fought the urge to wretch. “Don’t even think about it, not in a billion years!”

Huffing indignantly, Cedric turned away from her. He would accomplish what he set out to do, no matter the cost. No matter the sacrifice, It would be worth it if it came to fruition… He then observed what Nathan would end up doing next.

I felt a sudden chill in the air as I found my way to town square. He was watching me, I was sure of it. However, that thought would have to be put on pause. I saw Ferris sitting near the fountain. I braced myself, and went over to him. He smiled at my approach.”So, what brings you here, Nate? Worried about tomorrow?”

I blinked for a moment before I recalled how he knew that. I let out a small chuckle. “The same as always huh? I still think you should use that keen intuition for something more lucrative.” I sat next to him and looked at him. “Yeah. I wanted to talk. If we’re going to work together on this, we can’t have any more bad blood between us. It’ll only drag us down.” As I saw his eyes light up, I held up a hand. “Now, this still doesn’t mean that we’re friends again. It just means… I’m ready to leave the past behind us. No strings attached.”

For a moment, Ferris stared at me like I’d grown a second head. I shifted slightly due to discomfort before I saw his face break out with a grin. “I’ll take what I can get, I suppose. I don’t want to push for too much.” He extended his hand, and looked me in the eye. “Shall we shake on it?”

I stared at his outstretched hand for a moment. I couldn’t back out now. For our best chance of success, I had to do this. I took a deep breath before I Let my hand grasp his. I shook his hand, and replied seriously. “To new beginnings.”

After we let go, Ferris looked off to the distance. “So, you gonna try and get to know Miara? To be honest, you might just be out of luck. She’s gone off somewhere. She said she needed to be alone.”

I had a feeling as to why, but I felt that I needed to talk to her regardless. I brought the question that was on my mind to bear. “Do you have any idea as to where she could’ve gone? Any at all?”

Ferris was in deep thought for a moment of two before his eyes widened. He scratched the back of his head nervously. “Well, she probably went off to the Everfree Forest. She’s been slipping off there occasionally to think. If she’s anywhere, she’s probably there.”

I stood up with a sigh. I had been in the Whitetail woods earlier today, so it kind of irked me that I had been near where Miara was without knowing. Nevertheless, I shook off my aggravation and started off towards the Everfree. Before I left the town square, I turned back to see Ferris. He certainly seemed to have changed for the better since we had last met. I wondered if maybe I had been too harsh on him in the past. If We had talked it out earlier, would our friendship have lasted? Or was there something fundamental in it falling apart? I turned away and let those thoughts drift away. It wasn’t really that important, it was in the past. As I walked off towards the Everfree, I let my thoughts turn to brighter things.

Namely, my inevitable reunion with Harold. I could feel it, he was in this world, somewhere. We had so much to catch up on, seeing as it had been 8 years since we drifted apart. Then an unpleasant thought crept in. It had also been eight years since I’d seen Cedric last before he cropped up, but his reappearance was less pleasant. He was the one friend that I felt that I had betrayed more than the other way around. However, judging on what he was like, his forgiveness was conditional upon my defeat. I wasn’t willing to let him win just to get an apology across.

I shook my head. It was clear to me that Cedic had some screws loose in his head. If there was a way to repair him, I couldn’t see it. The thought was unpleasant, so I deigned to think about other things. When I spoke to Celestia she had said that they had been making progress on finding the humans a way back to Earth. If all was on schedule, we had 21 more days. I halted at the edge of the Everfee as I thought about that. Today was the 2nd of May. I had lost track for a while, but I now recalled. It still was awkward timing, to say the least, but it was a better time frame than before. I couldn’t dwell on that, though. I braced myself before entering the Everfree.

I walked through the brush for a while, and it was still all around. I kept going and soon pushed into a clearing. Miara was there, a tall glass of cider in her hand. I approached, and she turned to see me. She smiled lightly. “I’ve been expecting you, Nathan. So. What brings you here?”

I wasn’t sure about this, but I had little choice. It was wiser to work with those that you knew somewhat well, rather than total strangers. I took a seat on a nearby stump and looked her in the eye. “Well, you’ve grown close to Ophi. I just thought that I should get to know you a bit, that’s all.”

With an eyebrow raised, she straightened up. “Oh? So what would you like to know about me? Anything in particular?”

I took a breath to brace myself. I’d never really talked with a girl aside from my sister and Ophi. This was nothing like that, though. Miara was a stranger, and I didn’t quite have my old magnetic personality anymore. It used to be so easy to strike up conversations, back before I developed a need to wear glasses. I pushed that aside the best that I could, and dove in head first. “So, what’s your dream job?”

At my peculiar question, Miara blinked with surprise. “That’s what you want to know? Why that specifically? Why not something more… standard?”

I immediately shook my head. “This will tell me a lot more about you than knowing your favorite color ever will. When you know what somebody’s aspirations are, you can get a good idea of their likes and dislikes. You can even better understand the little quirks they have. It’s a much more effective way of getting to know a person. For example, I aspire to be an artist. Now, doesn’t that information tell you so much more than a simple color answer?”

Miara surprised herself when she nodded. “You really weren’t kidding. It does tell me quite a lot about you. It tells me that you are creative, and that you try to not let others dissuade you. It tells me that you’re adaptive, and that you find it easy to find the beauty in things. It also explains the sketchbook that I have seen you carry around sometimes.” She smiled. “Alright, I’ll tell you. I aspire to be a doctor.”

“So you really want to help others, huh? I knew there was more to your offer than just a feeling of obligation.” I let out a dry chuckle. “I see that you’re sincere, now. It’s not any pretense that drives you, but a genuine desire to help. That’s a big relief. I think that we’ll get along just fine.” I had my misgivings before, but I could tell that she wasn’t lying. If we had this conversation earlier, I probably would’ve second guessed my gut feeling, and tried to find some “angle”. But now, I was starting to accept that not everyone was a two-faced charlatan. It still was a bit difficult pushing down the doubts, but I was getting better at it. Even so, I wasn’t about to accept her as a friend. Call me stubborn, but I called it pragmatism. Ophi was a special case, so I let her in rather quickly.

But these other people… I wasn’t sure what to think. My past had colored my opinion of most people in a real dark image. But as I conversed with those sent here, I was starting to question my outlook. Was I being too harsh, making people jump through hoops to earn my trust? I shook away that thought. No. I was just exercising care with who I surrounded myself with. It was better to test the people you met rather than trust them implicitly. That was a lesson that I would never forget. However, I knew that I could at least trust Miara somewhat. I shook her hand for a small moment before standing up. I still had some nagging doubts here and there, but I would deal with them in due time. If I really could open myself up to others beside Ophi, I had to know. It might not work out, but that was a risk that I was willing to take.

I then walked back along the path to leave the forest. I then had a thought. If Rena knew, she would jump at the chance to help. She was an old friend of Ophi’s after all. As for Eric… I wasn’t sure. He might help, or he might stay behind to continue helping rebuild the Manehattan slums. As for Simon and Penelope… They seemed content enough to lie low in their makeshift home. Still, I had a feeling that I might need their help later. It was Sunday though, so that would have to wait until tomorrow. After I stepped into Ponyville again, I felt as if somebody was watching aside from Cedric. I looked straight at a particular bush that seemed out of place. I glared at it with an intense look. “I know that you’re hiding in there. Might as well pop out, Pinkie.”

As Pinkie left the bush she let out an embarrassed chuckle, then she pouted. “Aw, phooey! And here I thought that I was being super sneaky! I just thought that I’d check on your friendship progress! I grade your progress as a C Minus! I still think that-”

“That’s quite enough.” I interrupted her ramble, for I was hardly in the mood for word soup. I let out a sigh. “Can’t you ponies just mind your own business? Whether or not I connect with these other people like that is hardly your concern.” As I saw she was about to argue, I just shook my head. “Don’t. I’m not interested in hearing you ramble on today. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” I took the opportunity to run while I had the chance. I wasn’t sure where I was headed, but I just needed to get some space from her. Whatever it was that she had in mind, I wasn’t going to listen. I was content to approach people in my own way and at my own pace. And if she had a problem with that? Tough luck. Before I realized it, I had run clear to the other end of Ponyville. I hadn’t remembered being that fast before. Then again, Ponyville was much closer to Sea Level than what I was used to in Utah. I pushed that thought aside as I checked around for Pinkie. Thankfully, it seemed that she had gotten the hint.

I then saw that I had wound up near the Golden Oaks Library. I wasn’t quite in the mood to deal with Twilight, though. Still, it looked like most of the town was quiet now. I decided to take a break and sat behind the library. So much had changed in so little time, though. My old self would probably still resist even thinking about talking to the other humans that were in this mess with me. I guess Ophi was to thank for that change. She brightened up my world that had been consumed by darkness, and that was all the more reason I had to get her back.

What irked me was Cedric’s wasting of time. He clearly thought that two weeks would be enough to do… something. He wanted to break me, but I wasn’t like I used to be. While I wasn’t ready to call them my friends, I had people that I felt I could trust that were willing to help me. Cedric had always been a bit of a loner, even back when we were friends. He did not like relying on others unless he had some way of controlling the situation. It made his dream of being a politician make all the more sense. No matter what, I had to pull through for Ophi’s sake. She was relying on me- relying on us- to beat Cedric’s twisted game. I stood, resolving to not give Cedric the satisfaction of victory. I would show him that he was wrong about me. With my resolve renewed, I started to head back into town.

To Be Continued in Part Two

To Find Purpose

by The REAL Mister Pkmn

I- My Name is Nathan

II- First Night In Equestria

III- An Order Placed

IV- Meeting Celestia

V: Details Hashed Out

VI- A Welcome to Remember

VII- A Day's Work

VIII- Cold Reunion

IX- Consideration

X- Forgive, Not Forget

XI- Meddling In Local Matters

XII- An Awkward Reunion

XIII- Feelings Swell

XIV- Awkward Avoidance

XV- An Awkward Agreement

XVI- The New Pair

XVII- The Faltering Strain

XVIII- Dark Dealings

XIX- A Bond Stronger Than Distance, Part 1