I decide to return to college after taking a year off, and wind up with having a pony for a roommate!
After taking a year off from formal education, I decide to return and finish off my general education. I end up getting a pony for a roommate. I wonder just how well things will turn out?
(Fic inspired by totallynotabrony's "The Roommate".)
I never thought I’d be going back to a formal college, much less the one I had dropped out from over a year ago when I became incredibly sick and was forced to drop all my classes and salvage what I could or risk failing them all. But here I was, back at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado. It was move in day, and I had been fortunate enough to land a spot in one of the nicest dorms on campus: New North Hall. It was the same dorm building I had been placed in during my freshman year, and I gotta say it’s the best dorm hall I’ve ever stayed in. My freshman year was the first class that got to stay in the dorm, it was that new. Every floor except the top floor had two lounges, complete with kitchens, two study rooms, and a main lobby by the primary staircase in the front of the building. That staircase was the most outstanding feature of the entire building. Instead of being like any other staircase, it was a spiral that led up the side of the building, with lounges on every other floor and windows along the outside to give a view of the plains out in the distance. In short, this dorm was pretty awesome.
I had checked in that morning and had just finished bringing everything into my room and was in the process of unpacking it. It wasn’t too much, mostly clothes and supplies. I had brought along a small flat screen and a few game consoles for when I got bored with my laptop and a stereo, plus my bass guitar for when I got into the mood to actually play some music.
This year was going to be different though. I guess a few years ago some portals or something had opened up to this other world called Equestria, where ponies were the dominant race. From what I knew there were some…misunderstandings at first, but now we lived in peace with these sentient equines. I had also heard that some of them had begun to attend American colleges.
My roommate this year happened to be one such pony. Yeah, imagine my reaction when I got an email over the summer informing me who my roommates were going to be, and then a special message attached to that email that told me my roommate was a pony. I like to meet new people, it’s just part of who I am, and to be granted the opportunity to be a roommate with an individual from another world, regardless of who or what that individual happens to be, is I think an incredible opportunity.
I had just put everything away in my desk, which was almost too short for my tall being, when I heard the door to the suite open. In New North most rooms were actually suites composed of two bedrooms, a commons, and a private bath and shower, and each bedroom housed two residents. I looked up and saw Zach, one of my suitemates, enter with an armful of stuff.
I didn’t know much about Zach; he hadn’t communicated very well over the summer. From what I did know Zach was a freshman who was attending UNC on a scholarship for football. I had talked to him briefly when we both checked in, and he seemed alright. He was definitely a sports fan but he didn’t seem like the stereotypical jock, so that was nice.
Zach’s roommate Payton seemed like the kind of dude who just liked to chill. He and I had talked some over the summer, and he had told me that he was a sophomore who was only coming back to finish his general education. It was nice to know that I wasn’t the only one in this suite who was doing just that. He had also told me that he was going to be flying in from Spokane, Washington the day we were supposed to move in and would probably not arrive until after dinner.
“Hey Matt, wanna come give me a hand with this?” I hear Zach call from his room.
I left my desk and went across the commons to the other bedroom. Zach was having some difficulty with a collapsible shelf he had brought.
“Thanks bro.” He said after a few minutes of struggling with the stubborn device.
“No prob.” I said and returned to putting my stuff away.
Now this pony roommate of mine…he was more or less a total mystery. The only thing the message had told me was his name, a photo that revealed him to be a unicorn, and that he apparently held some kind of important position in Equestria. I assumed he hadn’t been in contact because this position of his kept him busy. Technology had been slowly introduced to Equestria and there were ways to make contact via phone between these two worlds, so I thought it was just safe to assume that he has just been too busy.
In the end I didn’t really care, but I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t somewhat eager to meet him.
“You think you’re ready for when our mystery pony roommate shows up?” I heard Zach ask from his room.
“Heh, it’s definitely a first, that’s for sure.” I said making sure everything was plugged in before turning my attention to making my bed. “I’m excited for it, but at the same time I’m kinda nervous.”
“I hear that bro.” I heard something fall over in Zach’s room, followed by some moderate cursing. “Especially since we’re supposed to make sure that he’s comfortable here and all.”
“Yeah that email did say that we were more or less responsible for his wellbeing this year.” I said, digging through my blankets for the bed spread. “Do you know anything about Greeley or UNC?”
“I do not.” Zach replied, and it sounded like he was now in the commons. “I’m from Vail, dog. I’ve never been here before.”
“Then I guess it’s a good thing I’ve been around for a few years.” I replied with a slight grin.
“Have you ever met one of these ponies before?”
“I’ve seen one before but I can’t say I’ve had any real interaction with them. Have you?”
“Nope.” A few seconds later I heard some music coming out of what I guessed was a stereo. The commons area only had a couch, a chair, and a desk with a room phone, so Zach must have brought a stereo of his own. After a few moments of listening I heard the lyrics to the Rise Against hit ‘Life Less Frightening’. At least he has a decent taste in music.
“Then this’ll be a learning experience for both of us.” I laughed, and I heard Zach laugh in return.
Unfortunately the email I had received didn’t exactly outline what to expect. There was nothing stating how to behave or really even anything about their culture, which I thought was odd.
I heard the door to the suite unlock and open that moment, followed by an odd sound of something other than a shoe or foot hitting the carpet.
“Excuse me, are you Matt?” I heard the newcomer ask from the doorway, and I looked up from wrestling with the tangled bed sheets as I heard my name. It was him. He had a pure white coat and dark blue mane and tail, and he was wearing what I guessed was some kind of informal military outfit underneath some saddlebags, judging by the various pins and medals that were hanging from it. He also was taller than I had expected, his whole head rose above the doorknob. “Yes I am.” I replied, getting off the bed and walking over and extending a closed fist. I figured a handshake would be difficult for a pony to partake in. He bumped my fist with a hoof. “Nice to meet you Matt. I’m Shining Armor, and I’m glad to be here.”
Shining Armor walked over to his bed and used magic to set his bags on the bed. The magic engulfed his horn and his bags, and all I could do was stand and gawk in amazement. If I wasn’t a believer in some kind of magic before, I sure as hell was a believer now.
He turned around and saw my awestruck expression. He laughed. “Never seen unicorn magic before?”
I shook my head. “Never seen any kind of magic before.”
“Well maybe one day I’ll have to show you a few of my tricks.” Shining Armor said. “Now, I was told by the admissions office that you, Zach, and Payton are to help me adjust to living here. I want you to know that I have been doing some looking into your culture to learn what’s acceptable and what’s not, so I’m not entirely clueless. That being said, knowing how a culture behaves and actually being a part of it are two different things.”
“Especially in this country.” I said, returning to my bed. Before I could get to work though the sheets became engulfed in a magical aura and quickly made themselves. I turned and saw Shining Armor wink. I stood there for a moment before continuing. “Anyways, when you live in a country with well over three hundred million people and counting, there’s going to be an insane variety of cultures here.”
“Of course.” Shining Armor replied, turning his attention to his own stuff. “I spent most of my focus on the traits that were most common across the country and what would be most prevalent in Colorado. I learned that Colorado is known for its athletic and sports-oriented culture, especially during the winter. Is this true?”
“That would be fairly accurate.” I replied with a nod. “Is that why you came here, or did you even have a choice?”
“I…” Shining began, but started to tap a hoof against his chin, as if he was deciding on how to word his response. “I wanted to come to Earth and learn, but my duties as Captain of the Royal Guard didn’t allow for such a venture.” So that’s what the uniform signified. “That is, until Princess Celestia commanded that I come here and learn from the American military. I had been told that Colorado has a large government and military presence but is also ranked as one of the best places in the country to learn from and live.”
“That would also be correct.” I said. “There’s a city about one hundred and twenty miles south of here called Colorado Springs that houses some of the most important government facilities, including the Air Force Academy and N.O.R.A.D. What branch of the military do you wish to learn from?”
“I’m hoping to get into the Army, and I’m actually scheduled to take a tour of the Air Force Academy the day before classes start.” Shining Armor said. “What’s the best way to get there?”
“Driving.” I said, putting up a few posters on the wall. “Do you have a way to get there?”
“Heh, unfortunately I do not.” Shining said as he set some basic supplies on his desk.
“I’ll take you there then.” I replied, getting off the bed and admiring the new décor.
“Are you sure?” Shining Armor asked. “I don’t know if you’d be allowed to join me.”
“That’s fine.” I replied. “I’ve got plenty of friends who live down in the Springs that I could hang out with for the duration of your tour. That just means that we need to make sure we have everything ready by the day after tomorrow.”
“What all do we need to get done?”
“Do you have your student I.D., books, a laptop or computer of some kind, your student login information, class schedule, and enough knowledge of the campus to get around?”
“I have an I.D. but not any of the other stuff.” He showed me a card.
I scanned the card. Heh, even the pony could get a better mug shot than me. “This I.D. will allow you to do or go anywhere you need to, and I guess there’s no real rush to get everything else. Still, that doesn’t mean we should wait any longer than necessary. Tomorrow most students will be moving in, so most of the offices and stores we would need to visit should be vacant, and trust me, waiting in lines for that stuff sucks big time.”
“Sounds good.” Shining Armor said and the conversation fell quiet while we each finished packing.
“Have you ever been to Earth before, and who is this Princess Celestia?” I asked after a few minutes.
“Princess Celestia and her sister Princess Luna are the rulers of Equestria.” Shining Armor said. “You could say that they are like your president. Both are very powerful and immortal. Actually…” Shining stopped and pulled a small book out of one of his bags. “I thought ahead and brought this along.” He floated the book over to me and I took it.
“What is this?” I asked, studying the cover.
“It’s a book containing facts and history about Equestria, translated into English text.” Shining Armor replied. “And no, I’ve never been to Earth before. In fact, you’re the first human that I’ve actually talked to and gotten to know beyond what was required for me to get here.”
I flipped through a few pages, scanning the text. “Heh, guess I should feel honored huh? You’re the first Equestrian I’ve had the privilege of actually speaking with in general.”
“Not too many of us around here?” I couldn’t tell if Shining Armor was disappointed by that fact.
“I’ve only seen one, and that was for a brief moment in a city about twenty miles southwest of here.”
“Huh…I see.”
I glanced at the clock I had just set up. “Well it’s about time for lunch, and I dunno about you but I’m starving.”
“I could do with some food.” Shining Armor said. “Where’s the dining hall?”
“There are three on campus.” I said. “There’s one just across the plaza here on West Campus, then that building on the top of the hill across the street has one, plus some regular restaurants, and then Central Campus has a dining hall. We’ll be going to the one here on West Campus.”
Grabbing my wallet, I.D., and phone, I led the way out of the room and on my way out of the suite I asked, “Hey Zach, you coming to lunch?”
No response. I stepped over to the other room and peered inside to see Zach passed out on his bed.
“Is he coming?” Shining Armor asked from the door.
“He’s asleep.” I said, heading out with Shining Armor. The suite was at an intersection between the main hallway and a smaller hallway that led to a set of stairs and just to the left was one of the floors two lounge and kitchens. “Let’s take the elevator.” I suggested.
We made our way downstairs via one of the building’s two elevators and found the main lobby to still be packed with students checking in and milling about, trying to get their stuff around. We exited the back doors and faced the West Campus plaza. To the immediate south was New South Hall, built the year before New North. Directly in front was Holmes Dining Hall where we were going to eat, and to the right were the two dorm towers Lawrenson Hall and Turner Hall. There were several greens where people relaxed, threw some footballs or Frisbees, and were just generally enjoying the good summer weather.
“This campus is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.” Shining Armor commented.
“One of the reasons I chose to come here was because of the campus itself.” I said. “I’ve been to some really beautiful campuses before, but they mostly seemed really crowded. This part of campus is fairly new and really open and modern, and Central campus is historic and beautiful. It really gives off that classic college vibe without being terribly cramped.”
“Could you show me around?” Shining Armor asked.
“Certainly.” I replied, leading the way to Holmes Hall. “We can take care of that tomorrow after we’ve got your class schedule.”
We made our way into the dining hall and checked in to eat. “There’s a salad bar on in the middle of the hall.” I said, seeing Shining Armor look slightly green at the sight of cooked meat on display at the various stations. “Take a tray and whatever utensils you think you’ll need and grab a plate at the bar. It’s all you can eat here so don’t be afraid to get as much as you want. I’ll meet you at one of these booths.” I pointed to the booths that lined one side of the hall in the dining section.
“Alright.” Shining Armor picked up a tray with his magic and made his way to the salad bar. I opted to go to the Mexican-themed station for a big plate of nachos.
After filling my plate I grabbed two glasses of Mountain Dew and a booth in the corner of the hall. I waved Shining Armor over as I saw him wandering around looking for me, and I couldn’t help but notice that nearly everyone in the hall was staring at him. Some people pointed and made comments; others just turned their head and watched. I felt somewhat sorry for the stallion, but I imagined that he must be somewhat used to having people stare at him. Not that there were very many people in the dining hall right now.
“Find everything you needed?” I asked as Shining Armor set the tray down on the table and managed to seat himself in the booth. Not gonna lie, it looked awkward.
“I think so.” He said, looking at what I had got to eat. I had been considerate enough to not get any meat, so instead I had piled on lettuce, beans, and cheese.
“Awesome.” I picked up a fork and began to dig into the nachos. “Oh, and do be careful about how much you do eat. I know I said this is ‘all you can eat’ and the food here may be amazing, but it’s not exactly the healthiest stuff on the planet.”
“I hear ya.” Shining Armor dug into his salad. “But then why did you get so much?” He asked.
“Mostly because I’m starving and I unintentionally skipped breakfast to beat the morning rush.” I replied, draining one of my glasses of Dew. “Besides, I was gonna hit up the campus gym later this evening. I need a good workout.”
“I see. Any other plans for the day?”
I munched on a mouthful of nachos for a moment before washing it down. “Well I was going to go shopping for snack food. You’re more than welcome to come along.”
Shining Armor finished the last of his salad and emptied a glass of water. “Why not? I’d like to see more of Greeley anyways.”
“Alright. Then I gotta go back up to our room and grab my car keys.” I said, finishing my lunch. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
We made our way to the conveyer where we dropped off our trays and dirty utensils. On our way out of the hall, I stopped. “Hey Shining Armor, can you wait for just sec?” I asked.
“Sure.”
---
A few minutes later I came out of the hall office. “Looks like I got my old job here back.” I said.
“Congrats.” Shining Armor said and we left the building.
“Alright, so I’ll run upstairs and get my keys. Can you meet me in front of the hall?”
“Sure thing.” Shining Armor said and trotted off, taking the long way around the building instead of bothering to go through it.
Getting my keys didn’t take more than few minutes since I took the stairs. Zach was still asleep so I decided to just leave him be.
“Ready to go?” I asked Shining Armor after leaving the building.
“I am.” Shining Armor replied. “Where’s your car?”
I pointed to the large parking lot across the street. “Just over there.”
Once at my car I began to wonder how Shining Armor would fit inside any of the seats. I unlocked the car and saw that he opened the door with magic. I waited before climbing in myself as he inspected the seat. After a moment he managed to fit himself in the seat not unlike how he had fit into the booth at Holmes Hall, with not much head room to spare.
I climbed into the car and started the engine. I checked my blind spots before pulling out and leaving the parking lot to head towards highway thirty-four. Highway thirty-four is…odd. The main part of the highway cuts through the south part of Greeley where Greeley and the suburb of Evans meet, and then there’s a ‘loop’ that cuts through the northern part of the city and ends in downtown Greeley, but there’s nothing to really indicate that it’s a different road aside from the fact that it’s also called tenth avenue.
Which is another thing to mention. Greeley is not like most other cities I know of. There are few roads in Greeley that have actual names, but instead are labeled with a number or a letter. But there’s a system behind it: most roads with a letter for a name are in the northern part of the city, roads going north to south are avenues, roads going east to west are streets, and the numbers increase the farther southwest one goes. But then there’s weird stuff like X Road Court or something odd like that, but it typically falls in line with the pattern.
I had forgotten my iTouch so instead I opted for the radio for the short trip, which was playing mostly commercials at the time anyways. The trip itself was uneventful, and inside I tried to steer clear of the deli and meat section. People kept staring at Shining Armor, but he gave no indication that he cared. He and I chatted idly as I picked out what I needed, mostly soda and potato chips because they are the best snack foods ever, and a few packages of Ramen noodles for those late nights. I used the self-checkout since it would be faster than waiting in line at the other check stands.
“Anywhere else we need to go?” Shining Armor asked on the way back to the car, showing off his magic by levitating my groceries the whole way.
“Everything else either one of us would need we can get on campus.” I replied, unlocking the car. “Except for your laptop. Our tech store doesn’t carry laptops in their inventory.”
“Where would we get one?” Shining Armor put the groceries in the back seat of the car.
“Well there are a few places around town, but I think we should hold off and find one based on what you’re actually going to need.” I recommended. “Actually, what’s your major?”
“I’m studying business.” Shining Armor said, getting into the car.
I winced. “Oh, have fun with that. I originally came here to study business but I decided it just wasn’t for me. It’s not particularly tough degree, but it’s just not what I’m interested in. At least you should have plenty of time for your military duties.”
“Actually, truth be told I wasn’t allowed to sign up.” Shining Armor replied.
“I see. Issues because of the lack of citizenship?” I started the engine.
“Partially. The real issue comes with the fact that I’m not human.” Shining Armor said. “No branch of your military would allow me to sign up under any conditions until I had proven to them that I could handle living here, and they told me that the best way to do that would be through enrolling at a college so I can not only learn about the American culture and acclimate to living here on Earth, but it also gives me a chance to actually meet people and make a few friends.”
I put the car in gear and started driving back to campus. “Honestly that’s not a bad idea. After all this place is totally foreign to you, right?” I said and Shining Armor nodded. “So would it not make sense to at least become familiar with how this world works before diving into something like joining the U.S. military?”
“It does make sense.” Shining Armor said. “I was disappointed at first that your military was unwilling to work to make exceptions, but now that I’ve had some time to prepare and think things over, I can see why they’d want me to take this course of action first.”
We made our way back to campus and up to our room. Once inside I began to put the sodas in my mini fridge and stored away the chips and Ramen in a bin that I slid under my bed. Kyle wasn’t here so I guessed he took off to get lunch or something before the dining halls closed.
“So Matt, you said something about ‘originally’ coming here to study business.” Shining Armor began. “I’m guessing that’s not your major anymore.”
“That would be a good guess.” I said. “I’m just here to finish up my general education, but since there’s only one class left for me to take in that regards, I signed up for three other classes that I thought would be fun so I could reach full-time status and live on campus.”
“What about after that?”
“I’m not sure yet. If I don’t decide on a major by the end of this semester then I’ll probably just take my leave of UNC. But in the meantime I plan on enjoying this semester as much as possible. I may not be one for formal education, but UNC puts on some good stuff throughout the year to help relieve stress and worry from exams. Speaking of, I think on Sunday afternoon there’s a party at Turner Green, which means music, games, plenty of people to socialize with, and free food.”
“Sounds like a lot of fun.”
“These parties always are.” I sat down at my desk and powered on my laptop. “I rarely stay for the full event but it’s still nice to get that one big day of relaxation before classes start.”
“Well my friend, here’s to a great semester.” Shining Armor held out a hoof, which I met with a fist bump.
Most of yesterday consisted of me helping Shining Armor make sure he had everything he needed for the semester. His schedule, books, supplies, laptop, everything. But of course, that was the easy part. I had to show him how to use the laptop properly and how to navigate the Internet without stumbling onto something disgusting. He may have done some research on America’s culture but he was totally clueless about the Internet, which made for a very interesting conversation indeed.
We had both posted our respective schedules on the door to our room, and I discovered that we shared a math class together. I wasn’t terribly great at most forms of math, so I hoped that Shining Armor had some sort of better understanding of the subject. Fortunately for me, he does.
“So it seems like you and I are in Calculus together.” I commented as we put our schedules up. “Looks like it.” Shining Armor replied. “You any good at it?”
“Math was never my strong point.”
“That’s alright; I can help out if you need it.”
“You are a life saver dude.”
Fast forward a bit to the next morning. Today was the day that Shining Armor had his tour of the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.
“Ready to go?” I asked him as I double checked to make sure I had everything.
“I’m ready.” Shining Armor replied, sounding more enthusiastic than normal.
One last check to make sure I had what I needed. “Okay, let’s go.”
Ten minutes later we were out of Greeley and on the highway. I had my iTouch plugged in and some music playing, but Shining Armor only seemed interested in the scenery. There wasn’t much south of Greeley besides open fields and farms, but out in the distance the majestic Rocky Mountains dominated the western horizon. Shining Armor enjoyed staring out at the mountains, if his facial expression was anything to judge by.
“Like the view?” I asked as we passed through a small town.
“These mountains are nothing like the ones back in Equestria.” Shining Armor replied. “They seem so much taller, so much more imposing and endless.”
I laughed. “Better get used to it then.”
“Why’s that?” Shining Armor looked at me, puzzled.
“Because the Air Force Academy sits at the base of these mountains, no pun intended.”
We drove on in relative silence until we got to Denver. Being the biggest metropolitan area for literally hundreds of miles, Denver’s major highways were usually a mess of jams and other obstructions. Today was no exception.
I carefully merged onto Interstate 76 and set a course for Interstate 25, the major north-south artery across the state. I despised heavy traffic in Denver. Not because I didn’t think I could manage, but more because that meant I had to be extra aware for any and all idiots behind the wheel, and heavier traffic only meant that there were bound to be more idiots on the road.
In any case, I was able to maneuver through traffic with ease and eventually merged onto Interstate 25. As I did, the Denver skyline came into full view, and I noticed Shining Armor’s jaw drop at the sight.
He stuck a hoof towards the city and exclaimed, “What the hay is that?!”
“That,” I replied, “is the city of Denver, capital of the state of Colorado. Rather, that is the city core, the part of the city most people refer to as ‘downtown’. There’s a lot going on there.”
“I’ve never seen anything so…massive!” Shining Armor said. “Not even the city of Manehatten had anything like this. Nothing nearly as tall as these structures.”
“Maybe one day I’ll take you downtown and you can get a real good look up close.”
We made pretty good time through Denver. The highway curved sharply a few blocks around downtown, and the whole time Shining Armor stared at the skyscrapers in awe. This part of the interstate through downtown is always plagued with construction, but today it didn’t seem to impede traffic too much. Heading south past downtown the interstate took a slightly more decorative appearance, with mountains and markings carved into the walls and decorative overpasses with bridges that bore big signs denoting what road the overpass was for. The metro light rail ran along the right side of the highway from downtown and followed the highway almost to the end of the metro area.
Denver’s funny like that though. In a typical American city, usually the south end is the ghetto and the north end is all nice and rich, right? Well, in Denver that’s not the case. In the Denver area, it’s the south end that’s rich and welcoming and the north end that’s poor, run down, and generally doesn’t look as nice.
A few miles south of downtown Denver we passed through an area known as the Denver Tech Center, a big commercial park in the suburb of Greenwood Village complete with apartments, office towers, and big venues that had a skyline all its own. Nothing terribly impressive about it, visually, but it does make the south metro seem far more developed than the northern half. Or even any other part of the metro for that matter, and Denver had some suburbs that were bigger than a number of fairly prominent cities across the nation.
Leaving the metro, the interstate headed up an incline and between some hills towards the town of Castle Rock. I made note of the time, half after ten, as we neared the exits for the booming town. From here it would take roughly another forty minutes or so to reach our destination in Colorado Springs.
As we passed through the town I couldn’t help but glance out at the surrounding hills and the mountains off to the west. I have a lot of friends all over the state, and a fair number of them complain about the jog between Denver and Colorado Springs. I actually like making that drive. The scenery in Douglas County, the county between the Denver metro and Colorado Springs, is beautiful and about as ‘Colorado’ as scenery around here can get without being deep in the Rockies, and this morning the skies were clear and everything looked fresh and crisp.
“You got anything like this back in Equestria?” I asked as we left Castle Rock.
“Scenery like this?” Shining Armor asked. “Sure we have mountains and valleys and loads of forests, but I can’t say I’ve ever personally seen anything quite like this back home. Colorado sure is filled with all sorts of natural beauty.”
“Just wait until we get into Colorado Springs.” I said. “That city should blow your mind if you think this is pretty.”
“I’ll trust your word on that.”
At this point there was a set of rails that followed the highway as it travelled through the hills and valleys. We passed by Larkspur, home of the famous Colorado Renaissance Fair, and shortly after the highway began to follow a hill on the left while the landscape opened up to a wide valley on the right. The highway skirted the valley floor and stuck to the ridge that made up the eastern side, allowing for a really good view of the mountains on the western side. Every ridge and mountain along the way was covered with pine trees.
Passing through the valley and over another ridge we entered the town of Monument, meaning Colorado Springs was just ahead.
I briefly pointed to a ridge to our right. “See that ridge?”
Shining Armor looked out the window. “Yeah.”
“Over that ridge is the Air Force Academy.” I replied. “You should be able to see a few structures over that first ridge, like the Chapel.”
Shining Armor nodded and continued to study the landscape for a glimpse of the Academy, and a moment later I noticed the big stone sign that signified that we had crossed into Colorado Springs.
“I think I saw it!” Shining Armor said as we passed the stone sign.
“Cool, now look ahead of us.” I said. “Everything you see is Colorado Springs. That ridge immediately ahead of us, that valley a few miles off in front of us to the right, and even parts of those tall mountains immediately on the right at the edge of that valley…it’s all part of Colorado Springs.”
“Is Colorado Springs really that big?” Shining Armor asked, almost in disbelief.
“Second largest city in Colorado by population, largest by land area.” I replied and moved into the right lane to exit the freeway. “And unlike Denver, which is surrounded by dozens of suburbs, Colorado Springs is about the only city here.”
Shining Armor simply shook his head. “I had always thought that Equestrian cities were big, but the cities you guys have out here just dwarf anything we have back home.”
I laughed and got on the off ramp for Academy Boulevard. “You should see some of our bigger cities then. Denver’s big but Colorado’s got nothing on places like Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles, or New York City.”
I drove a bit up the road towards the Academy and pulled over. “Unfortunately I gotta drop you off here.” I said. “Civilians aren’t usually allowed on base unless they have an appointment or a soldier with them.”
“Understood.” Shining Armor unbuckled himself and opened the car door.
“You have my cell number, right?” I asked.
“Yup.” He nodded. “I’ll have someone give you a call when I’m ready.”
“Alright, take care and I’ll see you later.” I said and my equine friend exited the vehicle and trotted towards the gate.
As I pulled a U-turn I pulled out my cell phone and started making calls. If I was going to be stuck in Colorado Springs for the day I was at least going to make the most of it. ---
Twenty minutes later I was sitting in the food court of the Chapel Hills Mall with a few friends of mine from Colorado Springs, happily enjoying a sub sandwich from Subway. Not nearly as good as a sandwich from Cheba Hut, but Subway is still a pretty good sandwich shop.
“So, what’s it like having a pony for a roommate?” Alan asked as he dug into his lunch. Alan was a tall, skinny, half Asian dude whose energy seemed to know no limits. And by tall I mean basketball player tall.
“It’s different.” I said after swallowing a mouthful of sandwich. “Shining Armor is pretty cool, even for a military commander.”
“He’s military?” Garret asked. Garret could be called a typical scene kid. Chains and metal hanging from his baggy black jeans, long-ish hair combed over to hide half his face, the usual.
“Captain of the Royal Guard, whatever that is.” I replied. “He made it sound like he was pretty important back in Equestria.”
“If he’s hot stuff back there then why is he here?” Garret asked as he took a drink from his soda.
“He’s here to learn about America’s military, or so he says.” I replied, taking another bite. “That’s why we’re down here. He’s taking a tour of the Air Force Academy today and I’m just here chillin’ until he’s done.”
“How long will the tour take?” Alan asked.
“I’m guessing a few hours.” I replied.
“Have any plans to kill that time?” Garret asked.
“Not really.” I replied with a grin. “That’s why I called you guys.”
“Well it’s a really nice day out.” Alan observed. “The views from Palmer Park should be pretty amazing right now.” I finished my sandwich. “You know a hike through Palmer Park sounds pretty good right about now. Let’s do it.”
We left the mall and headed to Alan’s car and piled inside. He started the engine and took off towards Palmer Park. Getting to the park is rather simple, but because of the way Colorado Springs is laid out, it can be pretty easy to get lost. Colorado Springs is, in my opinion, one of the most obnoxious places to drive around. Outside of the very center of the city, all the major roads have curves and loop around these two big ridges in the middle of the city and are constantly packed with traffic during the day. It’s one of the downsides to driving around Colorado I think; the roads often have the funniest layout and the signage is often lacking so it can be really easy to get lost in the bigger cities, and Colorado Springs is no exception by any means.
We traveled south along Academy Boulevard and eventually made a right turn towards a small park. Alan turned off onto a road that led up one of the two big ridges. This ridge was Palmer Park. He followed the winding road up the ridge and made a left at another road that followed the top of the ridge until it dead-ended. Alan found a parking spot and we all got out.
From this spot in Palmer Park I could see everything. Pikes Peak was just in front of us on the other side of the city, with Cheyenne Mountain just to the south. Down in the valley downtown Colorado Springs barely stood out. The few towers the city had were half covered by trees and being so high above them they didn’t even look like towers, but instead small stone blocks. A few trail heads lead down into the valleys between the ridges.
“I could never get tired of coming up here.” I said as I stared over downtown at the imposing mountains only a few miles away.
“It’s a pretty great place to get away from the city without actually going anywhere…kinda.” Alan said, locking his car.
“Doesn’t seem like there’s a whole lot of people here right now.” I observed.
“Sure doesn’t.” Garret agreed. “So, hiking time?”
“Yeah, let’s go.” I said.
We spent the next hour or so just wandering the various trails that lead up and down the ridges and small valleys that made up Palmer Park, chatting the whole time.
“How long, exactly, is Shining Armor supposed to be here?” Alan asked as we neared the bottom of a trail.
“He said he’d have someone give me a call when the tour’s over.” I replied.
“No, I mean on Earth.” Alan said.
“Oh.” I ducked beneath a low-hanging branch. “I’m not sure actually. I’m pretty sure he’s here for at least the whole school year. Why?”
“It would be kinda nice to get all the guys together and have a party with him.” Garret said.
“I’ll see what I can do.” I replied. “We can probably do something in Denver where most people can get to pretty easy.”
“Denver sounds reasonable.” Alan said, bouncing up and down the trail. “Maybe something over winter break?”
“I’ll have to get his schedule for the holidays and relay it back to you guys.” I said. I sat down on a boulder and felt my pants vibrating. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and read the number. It was unknown but from the area, so I answered it. “Hello?”
“Matt? You there?” It was Shining Armor.
“Yeah.” I replied. “You done already?”
“Yeah, the tour didn’t actually take as long as they said it would.” Shining Armor said.
“Alright, where am I to meet you?”
“I’m supposed to be dropped off at the Chapel Hills Mall in about half an hour.”
“How convenient. Let’s meet at the food court then.”
“Sounds good, see you then.” The line went dead.
“Who was that?” Garret asked.
“Shining Armor.” I replied, putting my phone back into my pocket. “I’m supposed to meet him at the food court of Chapel Hills Mall in about half an hour or so, so maybe we should start heading back.”
“Okay, let’s go.” Alan said and we started making our way back up the ridge and to Alan’s car. The drive back to the mall was uneventful, something that I was grateful for. I would swear that Colorado Springs had it out for me, because almost every time I would drive down here something would happen to either me or my car.
We made it back to the mall, and Garret informed us that he needed to run some errands before heading to work so we bid him a good day and he took off. Alan and I entered the food court and found an empty table near the middle and camped there. Fortunately we didn’t have to wait very long before Shining Armor showed up.
We walked over to greet him. “Hey, ready to head home?” I asked.
“Sounds good. Who’s your friend?” Shining Armor asked.
“Alan, Shining Armor. Shining Armor, Alan.” I introduced the two.
“Nice to meet you.” Alan said. “Gosh I would stick around, but I gotta get going too.”
“Alright man, take it easy.” I said and Alan waved before bouncing off. “Did you get something to eat?” I asked Shining Armor.
“Yeah, they fed me.” My equine friend replied. “We should head back; I still have a few things I need to take care of before classes start.”
“Same here, so let’s go.” I led the way back to my car and we headed back up north.
“So how was the tour?” I asked as I turned onto the on ramp for the interstate.
“The tour was pretty cool.” Shining Armor replied. “I wasn’t allowed to see very much because of some security clearance issues, but what I did see was pretty cool. You guys are so far advanced compared to Equestria it’s mind-boggling sometimes.”
“Hehe, so what did you find out about the military?” I asked, merging with the highway traffic.
Shining Armor frowned slightly. “Not much unfortunately.” He said. “What I did find out was that there’s no existing provision for a pony to enlist in any current branch of your military, and as a result, I wasn’t able to find out if I would be able to join.”
“And that’s the whole reason you’re here, right?”
Shining Armor nodded. “That’s my primary reason for being here. I personally wanted to come to learn about your culture but joining your military is what Princess Celestia expects of me, so that is what I am going to do. After today I’m not so sure if that can happen.”
“Well this is just the air force, and that leaves the marines, the navy, the National Guard, and the army. Maybe you’ll have better luck with one of those branches?”
“Perhaps, but I’m not very sure about that.” He fell silent after that.
I felt sympathy for the pony. His one real task here was just determined to be almost out of his reach with the distinct possibility that it may not happen anyways. I don’t know much about this princess he keeps talking about, but I can’t imagine that she would be pleased to learn about that.
“We’ll figure a way to make this work.” I tried to assure him. “There’s gotta be something we can do.”
“You really think so?” Skepticism dripped from his voice.