> Just Who Should I Be?
>  by ElementOfHope
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> New life
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Life springs back into me as I lay gasping for air on the ground. My eyes open but I don't see anything. I feel very groggy and unbalanced almost as if I had been awake for 3 days straight. A pounding is felt in my head and I can't feel my hands or feet. Instead it feels like they're asleep.

"Ugh, where...when?" Obvious questions to say the least.

My form stumbled in the darkness not even aware of what day or time it was. I practically trip over air, trying to walk. I felt so bad I couldn't even walk on my own two feet. They felt unsteady every time I tried to stand up straight and walk. I wasn't going to get anywhere like this so instead I moved forward in a crawl like manner. As long as I could find a way out I didn't really care how I walked. I should be out in no time.

"...famous last words." I manage to say as i felt through the darkness. From what i felt and heard on the ground,(grass, dirt, twigs, tree bark, etc), I was probably in a thick forest.

"Well that's just great." I said talking to myself yet again for the third time. I was stranded all alone in a forest and to make matters worse I was not feeling well and couldn't see an inch in front of me.

I never would admit that I was scared in a situation like this but the thought of me never getting out of this forest began to sink in...like a rock.

"...Oh no, what if I never get out of here? What if I never see the sun again? What if I starve to death?" Now that I think about it I can't really remember the last time I ate or had anything to drink. I lick my lips trying to remember thinking dehydration might take me when a sound startles me from deep in the woods. "I think I heard something!" 

* * * * * * * *
After composing myself from what I could say was not one of my more shining moments i continued forward.

My vision and a few other senses were starting to come back to me. I could feel the ground under me with every rock and stupid mud puddle. I could even see a lot better; at least that's what I would have said if the forest wasn't darker than the back of a cave. I looked around for anything that remotely resembled an opening or a clearing. Instead I was given something else...hope. It came in the form of a light that cut through the darkness enough to show me the way. I didn't care where it was coming from. If it meant civilization then it didn't matter because it was there. That's all I needed to keep going.

The path to the source of the light was winding. There were more trees than before so I felt I had to stand up and feel the way through with my hands. It was odd at first because my hands still felt numb and the trees made odd sounds as they were touched with my hands. It sounded stronger than what my hand would normally sound like. I didn't pay too much attention though because I was too focused on the light which was right in front of me.

The light was streaming out of a window from what seemed to be a sort-of house, if you want to call it that. The light seemed very welcoming to me, almost like it is a guide for weary travelers. The door was right next to the window. Do I go in? Would they be shocked or angry at my intrusion? All very good questions that were cast aside as soon as i was in front of the door. 

The door seemed to slide open right as I tried to knock on it. A wave of light rushed over me and I was blinded, waiting for my eyes to adjust to this sudden light that slammed into them. When they did I walked in.

I tried my best to stand up on my legs which felt stronger now than before. I didn't want whoever lived here to think me odd for walking in such a strange manner. The room I was in was decorated with many strange objects such as bottles, herbs, and masks. It reminded me of a book I read a long time ago about a witch doctor. 

"Whoa," I said to myself, "wonder who lives here."

My attention was now drawn to the middle of the room were a cauldron rest as the main attraction. Contrary to what I thought was in it though, it smelled more like a very delectable vegetable soup instead of a potion or brew. I'm guessing whoever lived here was probably still home because the soup was still very warm.

"Hello?" I asked hoping to hear someone call out to me.

At my question I heard what sounded like a racket coming from a room away before I finally heard a voice.

"Yes I hear you and will be there soon. it will only take me a second before I am back in the room." The voice sounded calm and soothing. I could tell it was a woman's voice and it made me feel a lot less fearful of the situation I was in. The fact that she rhymed made me smile a little too.

The tasty aroma from the soup wouldn't leave my mind. I was very hungry and it was calling my name.

"Hey there are some bowls here too," I thought to myself, "Maybe I could have a little before she..." It was in that moment while I pointed at the bowl out of reflex that I could feel the blood rushing out of my face.

"M-MY HAND!" I yelled stumbling back and falling against a wall, "IT'S GONE! What is this? How did...AH!" I looked at my other and it was gone too but it didn't stop there. My feet were also gone. Instead there were just what looked like hooves and to make matters worse I was a different color too! I was a dark blue instead of my normal color.

"This can't be real! I must be dreaming! I have to be!" I said while panic began taking over and leaving me with a cold feeling as if I was a ghost in the mountains.

"What is going on out here? I want to hear the reason loud and clear." Now as I said before I was panic a lot but in the time it took to hear that voice again made the panic skyrocket to 11 when I saw just who the voice belonged to.

"A...a...a talking..." 

"Calm down and pull yourself together. You look as though you are cold from the freezing cold weather." She said.

"ZEBRA! A talking zebra!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. I had no idea what to do so I just clinged to the wall I had earlier fell on. A chilling silence filled the room before the zebra spoke again.

"Please calm down and take a seat. Please help yourself to some soup, it should be a tasty treat." She said walking towards the pot and then after picking up a ladle filled up a bowl with soup, one for her and one for me. Seeing that I still wasn't moving she motioned for me to sit down.

At first I didn't know what i should do but my earlier outburst was definately uncalled for. Sure a talking zebra is very suprising but nothing to really be afraid of. For now I'll just have some soup. First I have to somehow manuver to the bowl.

"Ah..." she said in surprise.

"What is it?" I said kind-of excited now that I was talking to a zebra.

"The way you walk...it looks odd when you stand up on you back hooves like a stalk"

"What do you mean by that? You mean I'm not supposed to walk like this?" Without a word she got up and retrieved a mirror from a shelf and with it revealed to me the most shocking reflection.

The mirror was pointed at me but it wasn't the reflection I was supposed to have. In the mirror stood what looked like a pony. He was dark blue and had dark wavy curls on his head for a mane. He even had a tail that was the same color. His eyes were sky blue. I could keep talking about this pony as "him" as much as I wanted but there was no doubt that it was me in the mirror which I checked my moving around and confirming it with faces to the mirror.

"This is....me?" I said aloud staring into the eyes of the reflection that stared back. I lifted my new hooves and then put them down again. I waved my tail in the mirror and then I ran my hoof through my dark mane. Now I understand why she thought I was weird for walking on two legs...because they aren't even legs and ponies walk on all four hooves. Seriously though, why a pony? Could I not have been something more...you know...

For some reason I wasn't too panicked though. Maybe it was the Zebra who calmed me...

"Excuse me miss zebra..."

"Zecora"

"Okay...miss Zecora, there is no easy way to say this but I'm not the pony I appear to be...at least I wasn't a pony before. Can you lend me an ear? I'm sure you might have a lot of questions for me..." She only looked at me carefully and then nodded.
> Let's talk
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The room was so silent you could only hear the sound of Zecora when ever she took a sip of her soup. For now my stomach wasn't ready to eat at all. Especialy since I decided to tell her who I was and where I came from. I stared deep into the soup counting the various vegetables that were in it. 

"Twenty," I thought to myself, "in my book that's pretty good soup."

Everytime I tried to speak only strange sounds seemed to be made. I didn't know what to do. Where I came from, if we had a talking zebra roaming around, the first person to see the zebra would start panicing as much as I did when it spoke. My kind are sort of prone to being frightened of things they don't understand. They would never be as calm as Zecora is right now. Then again I look nothing like I do back home. Maybe she is a zebra I can trust...either way right now she is the only zebra I can trust and it won't do me any good to keep secrets from a zebra like her.

"Miss Zecora, before we start I would like to know a few things. Just asume that these are justquestions and nothing more. For now I would appriciate it if you would just answer them." Once again she nodded her head and looked me straight in the eyes while she listened.

My questions were the most obvious yet most important I could think of. I asked her where I was because it obviously wasn't where I was from. Then, I asked her what I was and if there were more zebras like her. She answered them swiftly one after another yet I understood quickly. I was in a place called the Everfree Forest. when I asked her to go into detail she said that we were in the kindom of Equestria. She also added that most of the beings that lived here were ponies...just like me.

I looked again in the mirror. Processing all she said took some time. To find out that i was in an entirely other world than my own and that I somehow was turned into a pony was a lot to take in. Again I looked into my now light blue eyes.

"If this is a dream," I thought to myself again, "Then why do i feel like it's more imposible for it to be than me actualy being a pony in a kingdom of ponies."

In an instant I heard sounds playing in my skull so loud I thought Zecora should have been able to hear them. Glass breaking, screaming, roaring flames, and incantation chanting. It all happened in a secound so I recovered quickly.

"Now that you are done, I feel the time for my questions has begun." She said setting down the soup she had just finished.  Since she listened to what I had to ask I felt I had to at least tell her something, even if I wasn't going to tell her the details.

"Let me guess...where am I from and if I wasn't a pony before then what was I, right?" Again she nodded.  Needed only nod and somehow I would speak.

"Yes."

"Can i trust you?"

"That is for you to decide." No more backing down.

"Okay," I said in an exhale as the words I would say might mean my future. " I was obviously different than i am now." I said earning me saying the obvious award. " I used to walk on two legs instead of four hooves...I had things that were called hands, my eyes used to be brown instead of light blue, I didn't have a tail, and also I wasn't blue before. About the place i'm from," I  said pausing, "I would like it better if I didn't tell you a lot. I will say, though that it is not a good place to be right now."

Zecora, after listening to me go on about almost nothing of use as an answer, closed her eyes. To her I bet that the thought of me being serious about everything I said more than strange. It was down right insane. Beings coming from other worlds and being turned into ponies...I myself feel riddiculous for being the one in the situation.

" I see," she said after seconds of light silence. "So if what you say is true, then I'm gessing you would like to go back to your home too?" She asked with her rhythmic way of speech.

"Yes," i answered, "I doubt i should stay in such a different place for too long. Since you asked then i'm guessing you must have an idea on how to do that right?" I said searching around the room. 

"No." she said without hesitation that hit me harder than a ton of bricks wraped in cement dropped from space.

"Then why did you..."

" However I do know of a pony who might be who you should find. She is highly skilled in magic and may be the one to get you out of this bind."

"Really? Where do i find her? Can she really help me? I asked getting a little to excited and i'm sure even Zecora was gettin a little anoyed.

"All will be answered soon young one, but first follow me. We will walk not run." She said opening the door to the outside where the forest would be to greet us.

Zecora led me through the dark forest for what seemed like a long time. Aparently there was a trail that I had missed earlier. As we walked through the forest we still talked though. In these conversations I noticed that words like everyone, anyone and someone did not use the word "one" in them. Instead "one" was replaced with pony. If i was going to be here for a while i decided it would be best to at least get the lingo down.

While i was lost in thought about how i should speak now that i was a pony, the forest began to get brighter and my vision became a lot better too. It was finally when we had made our way out of the forest that My eyes were filled with wonder. Not that far off in the distace was what looked like a town and if what Zecora was saying was true then the pony i needed to find lived there.

The pony you seek is named Twilight Sparkle and she lives in the Library." Zecora said while she was out of my vision.

"Gee, I can't thank you enough Zecora. You were a really big help. Oh!" I said realising I had forgoten my manners "By the way my name's..."  With a turn of the head I stared at the spot where Zecora should have been standing. It was like she just dissolved. 

"Woah...that was pretty cool." I said walking down the path. "No where to go but forward!"
> Kindness and Honesty
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Getting used to walking on four legs, or hooves, isn't as bad as i thought it'd be. Although it does sometimes throw me for a loop when I think about the order in which my hooves should walk. Overall, being a pony isn't that strange. I still have black hair and I even have a tail the same color. The color of my eyes and body seem a little strange but it's nothing I can't get over.

Walking down the dirt road I thought to myself on what I should do next.

"Okay, Alan, let's take a deep breath and see the situation we're in." I thought back as far as I could remember, but for some reason I couldn't remember exactly how it was I got to this, Equestria. All I remember were bits and pieces but the most vivid memory was a woman's scream and the after that I was here. Memory can sometimes be an odd thing, especially when it doesn't tell you the important stuff.

Lost in thought I almost didn't notice the tree I was passing by...or maybe I should be saying house.

I couldn't believe my eyes. There were bird houses on various branches with birds actually in them and many other animals I had only ever seen pictures of before like bears, buzzards, falcons, turtles, and toucan.

"So is this a hotel for animals?" I said aloud looking around. 

I didn't get a response from any of the animals except for a few glares. Maybe animals like these can't talk then.

Just as i was about to walk away I heard something. It sounded like humming.

"Maybe it's another pony, " I said looking around for where the pony might be. The humming got a little closer but I still couldn't see who it was. "What in the wide world is going...on?"

My eyes met with a pair of blue eyes that belonged to the pony above me...WHO WAS FLYING. She was a light yellow pony with a bright pink mane that was long and flowing.

In an instant the pony that was flying dropped the basket she was holding in her mouth and without warning closed her wings.

"Eek!"  she screamed as she fell. Thankfully I was close enough to catch her as best I could...and by "catch" I mean use my back to break her fall.

"Ow!" I said standing up after she lifted herself from my back. "That wasn't too fun...hey, are you okay there?" I asked.

"Um...well...I" She said drawing a circle on the ground with her hoof obviously trying to avoid eye contact. The silence that followed was very awkward indeed. If I hadn't said anything i'm sure I would have been stuck there for hours.

"Sooo, what's your name?" She looked up at me a little with one eye while the other hid behind her flowing pink mane. "Um...my name is Alan." 

Faintly I thought I heard her say something but there was no possible way I could have made it out. If I was going to get her to say something then I would need to do a lot more of the talking for now.

"Can we please talk? I want to know if you're okay. I don't really know you but i'm still worried." I said trying to get through to her.

She again looked up at me but this time with a look more of astonishment rather than fear or embarressement.

"Are...you really worried?" she finally said.

"Yes I am." I said smiling because now it seemed like she was starting to talk to me.

A long silence again made itself known until finally she said.

"My name is Fluttershy." she said now looking at me with both eyes. "It's...um...nice to meet you Alan."

"Fluttershy? That's an interesting name." I said happy to hear her speaking. "Oh, you dropped your basket." I motioned to the basket that now lied on the ground.

"Oh no! The apple I bought Angel is all ruined now!" she picked up the apple which now had a bruise on the side.

"It doesn't look that bad. Maybe you could..."

Oh no no no, that won't do. I have to make sure that Angel's food is good enough for him to eat."

"..and because of this you're going to get Angel another apple?"

"Yes." she said now smiling again. "Now if you'll excuse me..." She opened her wings back up again for take off

"Wait!" I said without thinking. She turned to look at me. Her head tilted a bit with a curious look on her face.

"What is it Mr. Alan?"

"Um, Alan is just fine..." 

"Okay then i'll call you Alan. What is it?"

"Well I need to go into town too and I thought since we're going the same way..."

"Oh did you want to have a traveling buddy?"

"Well...yeah...If you don't mind."

"No problem at all. It's the least i can do since you saved me." 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

"...And that's my job here in Ponyville." We had already been walking for a few minutes and already she opened up to me a lot.

"So you take care of all the animals by yourself? That's amazing!"

"Well, it's not that amazing," she said looking bashfull. "I just love taking care of animals. That's why i have this Cutie mark."

"Cutie Mark?" I thought to myself.

"So what is your special...oh!" She said after taking a quick glance at my body. "You don't have your Cutie mark yet?"

"Cutie mark? What's that?" I asked confused.

"What? How could you not know what a Cutie mark is? It's..." Before she could finish a loud voice sounded from a ways away.

"Fresh, sweet, and delicious apples for sale! Only 5 bits each!" The voice said.

"Oh that must be Applejack. Um... I'll be right back, so can you please wait right here?"

"Sure thing Fluttershy, just don't take too long." I said.

"Okay, be right back." and with that she flew off.

"I wonder if she will really come back to the pony she just met..." I thought to myself remembering a similar promise...that ended in me waiting alone for hours until I finally realized what happened.

"No...Maybe this time will be different." I said aloud.

Now that i wasn't absorbed in my thought or a conversation with Fluttershy I took a look around. I almost passed out because we were already in town and I didn't notice until just now. Everywhere I looked there were ponies, ponies, and more ponies! It was a big pony community. To see such a sight with my own eyes was a lot to take in. A few hours ago if someone told me there was a town made by ponies for ponies I would recommend that person see "professional" help.

Looking at all of the diverse ponies I now noticed they weren't all the same kind. Some had wings like Fluttershy, some had horns, and others didn't have either one but what was really different amongst the ponies was actually what was located near their tales. It was a sort of symbol and each ony seemed to all have one. No two were alike.

"Maybe this is that Cutie mark thing Fluttershy was talking about. If I remember right, though, she said I didn't have one." sure enough on closer inspection it was true. I had no Cutie mark.

"I wonder why that is. Is it because I'm not really a pony?" I thought to myself. "I wonder..."

"So you must be Alan. Is that right." nearly jumping out of my skin I turned to face the pony that startled me. 

She was orange and had a blond mane and tail. Her eyes were emerald green and upon her head rested a light brown hat that looked all too familiar to me. With a quick glance I also noticed that her mark was three apples. I wonder what these marks mean anyway.

"Right, my name is Alan. How did you know that, miss...?"

"Applejack," she held out her hoof which i then shook. I guess shaking hooves and hands are the same thing no matter where you are. "It's a pleasure to meet'cha. I know your name cause it was Fluttershy who told me." she motioned to Fluttershy who was now to her immidiate right. "Lemme be the first to welcome you here to our lil old Ponyvile. Any friend of Fluttershy is a friend of mine especially since you helped her out."

"Friend? Well I wouldn't exactly say that but..."

"Oh now don't start gettin all flustered. Having lots ah friends is a good thing." I wondered about that.

"R-right." i said not nearly finding the right words.

"By the way Alan, would you mind answering a few questions for me and Fluttershy here?"

"Um...I guess that would be fine."

"Okay then. So where are ya from Alan, oh and while yer at it, could ya tell me what yer doin in Ponyvile too?"

My heart nearly stopped. Applejack just asked me the most difficult question right off the bat. I don't want to lie to her but I really don't know how she would react when she finds out I'm not really a pony. I was fine telling Zecora but she lives alone and was the first to really know that I was distraught. Out here in Ponyvile i bet everyone practically knows everyone. If I told Applejack then what if she thinks i'm some sort of monster...and worse, what if Fluttershy thinks the same thing.

"Well, Alan?" Applejack said tapping her hoof.

"I'm from very far out of town....uh, much farther than i'm sure you've ever been. I came here to meet someone so I should probably be going.."

"Are you telling me the whole truth?" She said now staring deep into my eyes. The more she did the more guilty I felt for lying to her even if it was just stretching the truth. I glanced at Fluttershy. She too looked a kittle disapointed at me as she looked away a little, I barely knew these ponies but something told me that they weren't asking because they were suspicious. I think they asked because they knew something was off.

"I'm sorry," I said now ashamed at myself, "I wasn't telling you the whole truth at all." I felt even worse.

"Now look Sugarcube, yer among friends here. It's fine to keep personal things to yerself but we're just here to help you and ta do that we need you to be honest with us. We'll forgive you for lyin' but you gotta help us help you, okay?"

Applejack...I wish there were more like you where i came from.

"Okay," taking in a deep breath I finally willed myself to speak. "The truth is that i really am from really far out of town but much farther than that even."

"How far?"

"I...can't really say...please don't ask okay?"

"All right then. So why are you here then?"

"I'm here because i want to get back home and i was told that if I was to have any chance of doing that then I should talk to somepony named Twilight Sparkle."

"Well ya got here on yer own hooves. Why can't cha just walk back?"

"It's not a place you can walk to, okay? I just don't know what to do...first I wake up in that forest and then I find out..."

"Forest? Do you mean the Everfree forest?"

"Yeah, that's where i met Zecora after I woke up."

"So you mean to say that you woke up far away from home in the forest?" said Fluttershy who now began to get involved in the conversation.

"That's exactly right."

Both of the mares fell silent. There was a lot i didn't tell them so this story has more holes than swiss cheese. I barrely believe myself, it won't suprise me that they don't either.

"Well then," Applejack said to break the silence. "I reckon we should get cha ta Twilight then! What do you think Fluttershy?"

"Oh yes, if i was lost then I would want to get home as soon as possible too." she said smiling at Applejack.

"So then you two are going to help me?"

"Ah course we are. You're a friend ta both of us so that means we whenever either of us are in trouble then we do our best to help each other out."

"...but my story, there's no way you could help me just from that."

"No, we really can Alan. You said you want to get back home right? So that's exactly what's gonna happen. We also  understand there are things ya can't tell us too, as long as you try not to keep too much frm us." Applejack said tilting her hat a little

"...I don't know what to say..." never before have I been shown such kindness and understanding before. 

"How about "thank you" then." Fluttershy said suprising me at how forward she was being.

"Heheh, you right. Thank you Applejack and Fluttershy. I know now that i don't have to do everything alone." i could feel tears surfacing but I forced them back.

"Not untill it's over..." I thought.

"Well we better get a move on. Twi's house isn't that far from here." Noticing that I was still in a daze Applejack said, "Ya comin' or what?"

"Oh! Right" I said snapping out of it. Fluttershy giggled a bit when she saw me jump and that made me half smile. 

Together now  Applejack and Fluttershy, we made our way to the library to find Twilight Sparkle.

Upon arrival though we found that in the door of the library that was also a tree too was a note.

To my friends who read this,
Something has come up in Canterlot and the princess wanted to see me immidiately. Rarity is also coming with me too. We should be back later in the day tomorrow.
-Twilight Sparkle
> Will they?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Achoo!
"Oh no, please don't tell me I'm catching a cold." I said waiting outside of the regal palace doors. "I do hope Twilight isn't going to be much longer, I really wanted to do some window shopping while we are in Canterlot."

Earlier today Twilight had received a letter asking her to travel to Canterlot to meet with Princess Celestia. I found out about this from Spike and met with her before her departure. I couldn't just let her leave all by herself so I asked to accompany her. Naturally she agreed and now here we are.

"I know Twilight said to wait right here but..." My lip grew a little numb from me biting it. I was considering to sneak off very quick and come back like I did during her last birthday party when, as if reading my thoughts, the doors opened. Both the Princess and Twilight stepped out still having their conversation.

"There's no need to worry Princess! I'll get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible." Twilight said in a manner I found to be quite bold.

"I knew I could count on you my most faithful student but please don't push yourself too hard, okay?" The Princess said obviously remembering the other times this happened.

"Heheh, right. I'll be careful." Twilight said looking embarrassed. With a nod the princess returned to the inside of her castle with the doors closing behind her.

"Well now shall we get going Rarity?"

"What!?" I said astonished that she would even think of leaving so soon. "Twilight! How could you even say that? We can't possibly leave yet."

"...but we finished what we came here to do." she said after taking a scroll out of her bag and adding a check to it. She then gave me a very puzzled look.

"Yes but now we have all of this free time to use, and I say we use it wisely... like letting your best friend Rarity buy some new accessories?"

"Oh I see..." She said smiling at me. "I did say we were going to be home tomorrow...so let's go then!"  She said running off without me.

"What? Oh, it is on!"

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Twilight, if you don't mind me asking, what was it the princess wanted to talk to you about?" I said while trying on a fabulous purple scarf that matched my mane to a T. 

"Just a lot of usual things, but before I left she did tell me something odd." Answered Twilight while looking at a yellow sundress.

"Odd?"

"Yes she said that last night a light fell from the sky right into the Everfree forest."

"Oh my! Do you think it could be something serious?"

"I don't know, but the princess doesn't seem too worried about it so for now we wait and see what happens."

"Okay." I took off the scarf I was wearing and went up to the owner. "This will be all thank you"

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

I looked over the note over and over again but every time I would read it all I would see are the words, "You are not going back."

"Well that's a darn shame, and here I thought we could help ya out nice and quick," Applejack said placing her hoof around me. "Don't you worry now Sugarcube, if Twilight says she's gonna be here tomorrow then all we can do is wait for her."

"...but Applejack, Alan said he woke up in the middle of the forest. I don't think he has a place to stay tonight." Said the soft voice from Fluttershy.

"Oh that's no big deal. There's more than enough room at my place for another pony. How about it Alan?"

"A-are you sure? I don't want to be a burden to you. You don't really have to offer just because you feel you need to." I said looking at the ground.

"Alan, it's fine. I want ta help you. All you gotta do is wait here while I go tell my brother to get the guest room ready, okay?"

"Sure, okay." And with that Applejack trotted off with Fluttershy soon following after.

I was left alone with my thoughts.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

"I hope she gets back soon. I'm getting tired and I think it's starting to get dark." 

Ha! You actually think that pony is going to actually come back for you? Have you even seen how late it is now?

"I know it's late but she said she was going to be back soon. I trust her."

Do you really now? Isn't that what you said last time you tried making friends?

"No! This is nothing like what happened that time and we're not even friends. She just wants to help me get home"

Or so she says. Now you're outside in the middle of a town you've never been to and you're more gullible than ever. You can't make friends Alan. You know this. Just when you think you're becoming friends with someone they always leave. It's something you will just have to live with.

"No! This won't be like last time!" I yelled out loud gaining many looks from other ponies. "I believe her, and nothing you say will change that. 

Ah so you admit you do think you're becoming friends. Well that's just too bad. Why do you say that when you know it's not true? You had your chance to make more friends than anyone could count! What makes you think this will be better than last time?

"Because all I have left is hope." I said feeling tears start to well up. I fought them back but a few still fell. I quickly wiped them away.

Fine! Do what you want. You do realize you can't hide from your thoughts. They will always be there Alan. Just because I say these things doesn't mean I'm not rooting for you. Until next time...

"Don't worry...there won't be a next time." I said to myself.

"Um...Sugarcube? Who are ya talking to?"

"Ah!" I jumped and nearly passed out when I heard the voice behind me. "Applejack?"

"Yeah, sorry I took so long. I had ta take care of a few things, but the good news is that my big brother said it'd be fine havin you over."

"Really? Do you mean that?" I said in disbelief.

"Ah course I do." She said with a chuckle. "Now let's get ah move on."

"Wait a sec Applejack." She turned around to face me. "Thanks for coming back for me. To be honest, I thought you were just going to leave me out here...I was wrong to think that at all." Applejack looked at me for a while before she spoke.

"Alan, ya got a lot tah learn about friends and considering you even thought that way must mean yer not used to it. Don't worry I'll be here tah help, every step of the way."

It wasn't long before we finally made it to Applejacks place. On the way there she told me about how the place she lives at is called Sweet Apple Achres. I thought it was an odd name until we finally arrived. Miles of apple trees stretched out as far as I could see. According to Applejack, she and her brother harvest all of them together.

As we walked into Applejack's home I immediately noticed the pictures of foals, stallions and mares who looked familiar, though I didn't know them. To once side was a quaint country kitchen complete with tea kettle on the stove and to the other was a well used living room, complete with a worn, but comfy looking sofa. As we walked, however, I kept catching something in the corner of my eye but when I turned to see what it was, it was suddenly on the other side making my head feel dizzy from trying to follow it. .

"Apple Bloom? Shouldn't you be in bed by now?" Applejack said before she stopped the one called Apple Bloom when she tried to run again.

"Aw but sis, ah was just curious. Ah wanted ta see the pony that was going ta be staying the night." Apple Bloom was a small yellow pony with a mane as red as an apple. She wore a pink bow in her mane as well.

"Well all right but only for a sec, okay?"

"Thank sis!" She turned to face me. "You're Alan, right? My name's Apple Bloom! It's nice tah meet cha."

"Likewise." I said

"Um..what?" but before I could say anything her direction was immediately drawn to the same place everyone kept looking at all day. "Wow! Mister, you don't have your cutie mark either? I didn't even know a pony could go that long without getting their cutie mark! Well never fear, because the cutie mark crusaders will..."

"Ah think that's enough Apple Bloom."

"...but I...Okay...see ya in the morning Alan." She said walking into what must have been her room.

"Well it's about time we hit the hay. You're room's at the end of the hall. Night Alan." Before I could even say anything she was already in her room too.

I entered the room Applejack told me to. It was a very cozy room with a bed and a nightstand. There was also a window too.

"Wow, Applejack is actually letting me stay here." i said turning off the light in my room. I looked at the bed a while before getting in. Even in a different body the bed still felt comfortable. I felt my eyes getting heavier and heavier until I fell asleep.

That night I had a dream about a memory. It was the memory of how I was sent to Equestria...and about the witch who accidentally sent me here.
> Alan
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A cold chill ran through my spine. I could feel my body moving, but I wasn' controlling it. That wasn't the only thing that was different. The biggest difference was that I was back in my own world, in my own body, on two legs. No matter how much I tried I couldn't stop myself from moving. It was like my body was on autopilot yet my mind and vission were still free. Knowing this I did my best to inspect my surroundings to try and make sense of this bizarre turn of events.

"I" was walking down a dark hallway with a line of windows off to the side. It was the dead of night and the moon barely lit up the hall. Around me were signs of destruction. Bits of cloth hung from the walls where tapestries must have once hung along with picture frames of various sizes. Piles of rubble decorated the torn rugs that may have been red in the past. The ceiling looked as if it could cave in at ant time and that was exactly what happened farther down the hall. Dust and webs made it clear that no one had been here for a very long time. 

"This place," Echoed my thoughts, "It looks so familiar..." Before I could finish my thought another voice, faint at first, began to make itself known.

"This place sure is creepy."

( It was a very familiar voice)

"No Alan, creepy or not you came here for a reason..."

(it was my own voice)

I paused, as if trying to remember why in the world I would ever think of setting foot inside the old abanoned mansion. 

"To..."

(bring)

"Aura"

(to justice)

"...to justice!" I drew my sword and made the most heroic pose I could.

(That's right...this must be that night. Which means that this was the last time I was in my world before I was sent to Equestria. This was my memory of that night played like a movie from my eyes. Ealier my memory of this night was hazy at best but now I can finally remember what happened that night. I knew there was no way I could be sent back to my world so easily. This was nothing more than a dream and in reality I was still back at Applejack's place, asleep in her guest room. Nothing to do now but let the memory play on)

I practiced swinging my sword to try and picture how a fight with a witch would go. While there is very little magic around these days the concept of a witch had never been heavily explored, much less the powers one could posess.

The town I was staying in asked me for their help the other day. A witch named Aura had been causing trouble for the people. She would steal food, turn people into giants, and even juggle cats and dogs. Most of what she did was nothing more than childish pranks but the towns people couldn't take it any more so when I showed up in town with a sword they jumped at the chance to hire me to help them with their witch problem. Truth be told I hadn't had this sword that long though. I bought it because it looked really cool and it was the first real sword I had ever seen considering that in a modern world like today swords were a dying breed. I figured as long as I could make her leave before things got too dangerous then she wouldn't find out how much of a novice I was and if i had to, I would fight her. I wasn't planing on going too far but...if I did defeat her...

(That's right, looking back at this now I can clearly see just how foolish I was. I had no experiece fighting a witch at all and I actually thought I could do something? Why? Why was I tring to do something so stupid? I knew the answer but...)

"The people are counting on me." I said aloud now feeling proud. "If I can help them then they'll be really greatful and maybe I could even stay out here and..." I paused. "No...they would just get borred or anoyed by me sooner or later. If I stayed too long they would realize Just how borring I am." I looked down the other end of the hall. "I could just go back right now and forget these fantisies I had but..." I shook my head "I gave them my word. Not only that but there's no way I can know that's what my future holds."

(Heh...I guess I am Pretty hopeful)

The walls grew worse in damage as I continued down the hall. Instead of just torn pictures, the walls themselves crumbled. It was a miricle that this mansion could even still stand. I kicked up a rock which then fell down a hole in the floor. Unlike the rest of the mansion the hole seemed like it was unnatural. it was a perfect circle as If it was man made.

"...Or magic made." I looked down in the floor. I could see a faint, purple light. " That must be her."

(Before "I" jumped through the floor I noticed the moon for some reason. It's light shown through a wndow making the hall a little brighter. I don't think the moon was that bright that night but still, it looked very nice.)

"Hm? What was that?" I said hearing a faint noise off in the distance. It sounded like glass breaking. 

"No turning back now." I said, my heart now picking up the beat.

The hall wasn't very long and in a few minutes the light that was faint at first was now a lot brighter.

"This is it." I said reading the name plate that read, "Aura," in playfull letters. "Oh boy..." I said with a sigh before opening the door.

(Just as "I" was about to open the door something...odd happened. It felt as if the world around me began to ripple like a river hit by a stone. My vision momentarily blurred but the other "me" pressed on, uneffected by whatever just happened.

"What was that?" I thought regaining controll of my sight. "That didn't happen before.")

I turned the door knob slowly, not expecting what I was about to find.

"Argh! Why is there so much glass? It was jus a little tea cup." Ranted a girl in the middle of the room. In her hands she had a broom and a dust pan. She was angrilly trying to sweep up bits of glass. She didn't notice me for a while before I accidentaly stepped on one of the bits of glass.

"Huh? You!" She said turning around, "It's about time you showed up! I was starting to get really bord." She said

Finally I had a good look at her. She had bright crimson red hair with silver highlights and her eyes were an orange red color. She was wearing a black coat over a long silver dress. Adorning her neck was a necklace with a bright puple gem that looked like it was glowing for some reason. By the looks of it she also looked like she was around my age too, nothing like how I pictured a witch to look like.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked

"It's exactly what it means Al! You took 30 minutes from the time you showed up to right now when you finally found me."
She said sitting down in a chair.

"Al?"

"Yeah. It's short for Alan."

"You know my name?"

"Of course. You said you're own name a few times while you were looking for me."

"You knew I was here the whole time?"

"Duh! This is my mansion...or at least this part where it's all nice and not gloomy and destroyed." She was right, the room we were in was nothing like the rest of the mansion. It looked like a normal room with two chairs, a book case full of books, and a table in front of a fireplace.

"So then does that mean you're..."

"Here, sit down." she said motioning to the other chair. I did as she said and sat down while she made a hand motion to the table. "Tea time!" She said before, out of no where a teapot and two cups of tea appeared. She then poured tea into both cups and picked up one to take a sip. "You were saying?"

"You are Aura then?"

"Yeah, isn't that why you came here? To meet the famous and beautiful witch Aura?"

"Yes and no." I said staring at the tea in the cup I picked up. "The people from town sent me." I said.

"Is that so?" she said. "What for? Did they send you here to lecture me about all the stuff I did today?"

"No," I said setting the cup down and standing up. "The towns people can't take you're pranks any more and they sne tme here to tell you to leave."

At this Aura's cup stopped inches from her lips.

"If you leave right now and appologize maybe they will reconsider." I said tying to lighten the mood.

"No." She said her tone now growing serious. "I bet the sent you here to get rid of me for good. That's why you're here! "she said with her cup trembling in her hand. "They don't understand me so they want to just get rid of me! For what? Just a few little pranks? It's their fault for not letting me live in peace! Always shunning me and calling me a witch!" she threw the cup against the wall. "I think you should leave now Alan."

"No." I said. "You are the reason the live in fear. They will never live in peace untill something is done. I tried to be reasonable but now," I said drawing my sword. "I'm telling you to leave!"

"Alan you have no idea who you are messing with. Out of respect and since you actually took the time to talk to me I am LETTING you go. Please just leave or you will find out exacly why they fear me." Seeing that I wouldn't move she spoke again. "Then you ARE just like them." She walked towards me and stopped a few feet away. "Staff!" She shouted making a staff appear. 

"I am nothing like them Aura! If you just let me I can help you."

"Shut up! All people are the same! There is no reason I should trust them or you." She lifted the staff which began to glow pupple like her necklace. The light then moved to the sword I held, making it lift out of my grasp. "Why else would you bring a sword here?" She motioned her hand in front of the sword. The sword twisted and bent untill it formed into the shape of a big metal bow. "There! At least now that horrible thing looks a lot better. Now for you."

I backed up as far as I could untill my back hit the book shelf.

"How about we make you into a little bow now?" Before I could think I grabbed a book and threw it at her hitting the arm she hled the staff in. Caught off guard she dropped her staff which I reached out and picked up. "Do you really think you can use that against me?" She made another, identical, staff apear. "You don't even have any magic." She said swinging her staff making a creast of magic shoot towards me. I jumpped and barrely dodged it. 

"If I don't think of something quick I'm toast!"

"...And I'll serve you with butter and jam!" She said before lfting her staff. "levitate!" Before I knew it I was liffted off the ground, upsidedown. "This is the end of you're chapter!"

"What do I do? This staff is useless. I bet it's only good for...throwing...hm." If I was realling going to do this then I would have to time it just right.

"Foolish boy who never learns.." Have to aim just right. "leave this place and never..." Now!

In one quick move I threw the staff which struck her other staff before she could finish her sentence. Both now flew across the room hitting a wall. Even though she didn't finish the spell, her staff surged with magic before finally shooting a beam of light that scatered across the room bouncing off the walls.

"Ah!!!" Aura screamed after being hit by the first beam. She was pushed with enough force to put her against the wall. I didn't have enough time to see what happened to her because in the next second I too was hit.

(This was when "I" blacked out)

I opened my eyes and tried to stand up again finding that I was no longer in my old body. I was back to being a pony.

"So this was how it all happened." I said aloud looking around the room. The other beams of magic left the room in ruins. I looked around trying to see what happened to Aura when they fell upon a figure slumped against the wall. In that instant all the blood seemed to drain from my face.

"Is...she..." 

My voice was cut off. Yet again a ripple swept through my dream. This time it was stronger. The room around me began to fade away. I looked behind me expecting to see Aura but she was already gone. I rushed out of the room as fast as I could but I was too slow. The mansion was gone and nothing remained except for a lone, out of place, door.

Pushing the door open I looked through it. There was nothing but mist, fog, and more fog. For some reason I could still see the moon.

"Why is the moon still here when everything else is gone?" As if hearing my question the moon grew brighter untill I had to shield my eyes. When I opened them I spotted a lone figure walking through the fog.

"Who are you?" This was all I could think to say.

"I," the figure said stepping out of the fog into view, "was about to ask the same question to you. I know I have been gone for a thousand years but most ponies usually still recognize who I am.

A tall midnight blue pony stood before me. She had a long flowing mane and tail that resembled the night sky filled with stars. On her back rested a pair of wings which must have meant she was a pegasus like Fluttershy but upon her head in front of a dark crown was a horn. There was no mistaking it. Her cutie mark was of a cresent moon surrounded by bits of the night sky. The same moon was also emblazoned on her neckware. 

"Oh...right! I know who you are. Silly me." I said which was obviously a lie. If Applejack heard that she would give me a talking to. "Wait, this is a dream. How should I know who you are?"

"I see. So you were lying. I may be in your dream but that does not mean I am a dream. As a pony you should know who I am and how I am here." 

"Well...I..." Before I could voice my excuse the world around me started to fade too. The fog and mist seemed to be drawn towards the moon. Even the pony who stood infront of me was being sucked towards it.

"Make no mistake, we will meet again. We have much to discuss." She said before dissapearing along with the rest of the world.

I opened my eyes, now awake.
> Friends
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Alan! Wake up!" I heard as a pair of hooves nudged me on the side. I was just so tired though. The bed was so comfortable and all I wanted to do was sleep. It also didn't help that it felt like I had been awake the whole night because of my dream. Whoever you are, just let me sleep on this soft bed.

"Alan!"

Go away please...

"ALAN!"

Let me sleep...

"Okay then, ya forced me tah do this." I heard followed by a sound that sounded like somepony was taking a deep breath and then...

*TWEEEEEEEEEET!!!*

"ARGH!" I screamed while falling out of bed from shock.

"There! Ah knew that'd wake ya up." looking up I found a smiling Applebloom with a training whistle around her neck.

"What was that for?" I asked, standing up and glaring at her.

"Hey, don't you go blaming me. Ah wasn't the pony who slept in till noon." She said matching my glare.

"What? Noon?" Finding a clock in the room I found that I did indeed slept in till noon. This means I must have been asleep for fourteen hours. While I stood in shock that such a soft bed could have put me in a coma like state I remembered the words from the note on the door of the library.

"We should be back later in the day tomorrow..."

"I'M LATE!!!" I yelled at the top of my lungs causing a nearby tree to be void of birds.

"OhNoOhNoOhNoOhNoOhNo." I mumbled panicking and running around the room until Applebloom showed me the door. 

I leaped down the stairs and took off as fast as my hooves could carry me.

"Ya forgot yer breakfast!"

**************************************

"This is it, I'm finally going home." I said now slowing down to a trot because I was now around a lot more ponies. "All I have to do now is find the library and then that pony Zecora told me about will help me get home!"

I stopped for a moment, taking in what was about to happen. Thoughts about Fluttershy, Applejack, and Zecora flashed through my mind.

"Maybe I should say bye before I leave." I said aloud while looking at the ground. I shook my head. " It's not like I know them that well. I know Applejack and Fluttershy said something about being friends but we did only know each other for such a short amount of time. There's no way we could be friends that quick."

"Hey there!" A nearby pony said waving to me. She had a blonde mane and had wings meaning she was a Pegasus.

"Oh..hi!" I waved back. "Do you need something?"

"No, not really. I just thought I'd say hi." The blonde Pegasus said before flying off.

"Well that was pretty nice." It's nice to hear somepony say hi even if they don't know you. It didn't even stop with her. As I kept walking down the road at least 3 other ponies said hi too. 

"Oh no." I stopped dead in my tracks. "last time I was here it was Applejack and Fluttershy who lead me to the library...but now..." Nothing around me looked familiar from last time and I had absolutely no idea where to go.

"How hard is it to find a library shaped like a tree!?" I yelled gaining many strange looks from the ponies...again.

*Whoosh!*

Up in the sky I could barely see the after image of something fly by.

*Whoosh!*

It flew closer by again this time. Whatever it was, when it flew by it left a rainbow trail.

"A moving rainbow?" I said watching the rainbow go faster and start doing loops. I could barely keep up with where it was going until it finally slowed down.

"That's...not a moving rainbow." Slowly the figure landed. She spread out her wings to stretch and then brought them in to rest on her back. She was a bright cyan and had a rainbow colored mane. Her cutie mark was probably the most striking feature, no pun intended. It was a cloud with a bolt of lightning, but not a normal bolt of lightning, a rainbow bolt of lightning. Just looking at everything put together made me speachless but I did manage one word.

"Awesome..." There really was no other way to describe this mare.

Apperently hearing my earlier comment the cyan pegasus looked at me and then jumped into a quick spin in the air and landed, sticking the landing perfectly.

I was in even more awe of her talent. The only other pegasus I've seen was Fluttershy and the pony from my dream. To think that there are pegasi that can fly like this, though, is just...awesome.

"Snap out of it Alan!" I said hitting my head with both hooves. "This is no time to be starstruck. I have to meet up with Twilight Sparkle."

"Did you say Twilight Sparkle?"

"Ah!" I yelled nearly jumping out of my skin for at least the 4th time since I arived here. These ponies really need to work on not apearing out of nowhere.

I stumbled nearly having my face meet with the ground. My hooves flailed around as if having a mind of their own untill my back was finally grounded on...well...the ground. 

Looking down from above the cyan pegasus looked as if she was ready to burst into uncontrolable laughter. Thankfuly, though, she didn't and managed to calm herself down save a few giggles.

"Hehe, here let me help you up." She said flying over me, grabbing my hooves and pulling me forward with enough momentum to get me back on all four hooves.

"Thanks..." I mustered, dusting myself off and trying to brush off the "scene" that happened.

"So you said you needed to go see Twilight?" She said still flying.

"Yeah, I'm already running late and to top it all off i"m lost too."

"I take it you're not from around here, huh?"

"W-what do you mean?" Bad liar.

"Seriously? Well for starters, you say that you're lost when Twilight's library isn't that far away. Also, most ponies don't get that amazed at me when I do my normal tricks even if they really are that awesome. Finally, I've never seen a pony you're age without a cutie mark. It's not too unusual for a pony you're age to not have one but i know for a fact that nopony here is like that except you."

"Wow, uh..." I said dumbfounded, "You catch on really fast. " I said realizing that it's getting a lot more difficult to hide who I really am.

"That's me. Fastest pegasus in all of Equestria." She said laughing a bit. "look, I'm not going to pry too much for now but you'd better not be up to any funny business. Care to tell me why you need to see Twilight?"

"Oh, I just need her to help me with something important." The cyan pegasus looked me in the eye. "It's a long story but the short version is that I really need to get home and a zebra told me that Twilight could be of assistance. I really need help."

The cyan pegasus thought fo a while. "Okay. You're a real weirdo but I guess I can help you. Follow me Alan."

"Huh? How did you know my name?"

"You do know you talk to yourself right?"

*****************************

"So you know my name but I don't know your's." I said while she flew and I walked to Twilight's library.

"My name's Rainbow Dash."

Truely a name that fits her perfectly.

"Nice to meet you Rainbow Dash. So you said you knew where the library was? Do you go there often?"

"Of couse, I go there a lot to see my friend Twilight."

"So then you and Twilight Sparkle are friends?" I paused for a bit. "What is she like? I mean, why are you two friends?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well...what makes you two friends?"

Rainbow Dash thought for a second...just one.

"We always hang out and have fun together. We never really fight over anything either. She's always got my back and i've always got hers. And, she's a true friend."

"True friend?" I said looking down a bit. "...but what if she had to leave and move far away one day? Would you still be friends?"

"You have lot's of weird questions. Of course we'd still be friends. it doesn't mater the distance because a true friend will always be you're friend. It might get difficult to talk to each other being so far away but if you really are true friends then it can only make your friendship stronger. You'll always have the memories of being friends and one day when you see each other again you can share new memories and make more together. Does that make sense?"

True friends...does this mean I've never had one before?

"I guess it does." I said falling silent trying to think if I ever had a true friend before. The silence was quickly broken.

"Hey Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash called out.

I looked up. It was Fluttershy, today sans basket.

"Oh, hi Rainbow Dash." She said in her sweet, quiet tone. "Hello to you too Alan. I heard from Applejack that you slept in very well this morning." She said smiling.

"You did huh?"

"Yes, she didn't want to wake you so she let you sleep in while she tended to her chores on the farm. She told me that she would meet us when she was done though."

That's right. Working on a farm ment that Applejack must have a lot of resposibilities. That was pretty nice of her to let me sleep in.

"So then you already know Applejack and Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash asked me.

"Heh, yeah. That's a long story too."

"No it's not." Fluttershy cut in. "Alan's is very kind. He helped me when I fell yesterday and made sure I was okay before anything else."

"Wow. That was pretty awesome of you Alan." Rainbow Dash said patting me on the back.

"Well, you know..." I said bashfully.

"Oh! Well here we are." Fluttershy said pointing out that we had just made it to the front of the library.

"So this is it." Iifted my hoof to knock. "Thanks girls. I couldn't have done this without you."

"Um, Alan? You're starting to sound weird again."

"What? Oh, right."

It was true though. If it wasn't for them and everypony I wouldn't be here. I owe them a debt of gratitude. I only wish I could repay them.

*Knock Knock Knock*

Outside we waited for a few seconds. The tree does look big. Maybe she's upstairs...

The door finally opened revealing a young green and purple dragon.

"Oh! hey Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy." Of course he talks. "Twilight just got here a little while ago. Who's your friend?"

"Awesome..." I said. " A dragon!"

"Spike? Who's at the door?" A voice asked calling out from the inside of the library.

It's Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and,,,"

"Alan."

"...Alan!"

"Be right there!" the voice called out.

"Come on in." Spike said motioning us to follow him inside.

The library was packed to the brim with books. Everywhere I looked there seemed to be a bookcase filled with books. There were even books stacked on top of each other in various places.

"I guess Twilight got right back to studying as soon as she got home." Fluttershy said trying to avoid the towering stacks of books that looked like they could fall any minute.

I picked up the first book I could find.

"The Mare In the Moon."  I quickly skimmed through the pages.  The book told of two regal sisters who controlled the rising and setting of the moon. The older sister rose the sun and the younger sister rose the moon. The younger sister grew jealous of her older sister and tried to bring nighttime eternal until the older sister, using something called the Elements of Harmony, defeated her sister and sealed her away in the moon.

"This looks like an interesting story." I said aloud.

"Oh that's no story. " I heard from behind me. "That really happened."

I turned around to find that that the voice belonged to a purple pony with a dark purple mane and tail with violet and rose colored highlights. Her cutie mark looked a lot like Polaris, the north star, surrounded by many other smaller stars. Right above her eyes, in the middle of her forehead, was a horn meaning that she was indeed a unicorn.

"Really?" I said unconvinced. "There were actually ponies who rose the sun and the moon?"

It wasn't just the purple unicorn who looked at me weird this time. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, And spike looked at me very confused.

"What? Did I say something weird?" I asked looking at everypony.

"I'll say, Alan. This has to be the weirdest thing you've said."

"What? What did I say?" I asked panicking

"Alan, everypony knows about the princesses. Celestia raises the sun and Luna Raises the moon. It's common knowledge for everypony, and I mean EVERYPONY." Rainbow Dash stressed.

"Oh no." My thoughts screamed. "What do I do know? I just let it slip that I knew nothing about the two most important ponies in this world. There's no way they can think I'm a pony now. I have no choice! If I'm going to get out of this mess then I'm going to have to think of a really good excuse...and fast. Amnesia? Locked away since I was a foal?"

"Well, you see...the thing is..." I began to say.

"Hey Alan!" Shocked to hear a familiar voice I looked past Rainbow Dash to find Applejack walking in the library followed by a white unicorn.

"Hey everypony! What's going on?" Applejack asked.

"Applejack! Rarity! Glad you're here. I need your help with this guy. There's something awfully suspicious about him."

"Are you talking about Alan?"

"Who else? Get this, he doesn't know who the princesses are!" Rainbow Dash said pointing at me with one of her hooves. A gasp came from the white unicorn.

"What? That's impossible. How else would he explain the sun an moon risin' an settin' everyday?" Applejack asked.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Rainbow dash said.

"Um, maybe he has amnesia." Fluttershy said speaking up a bit. "Or maybe the place he was from didn't talk about the princesses that much. He did say he was from very far away." Fluttershy, no. Please don't lie for me...

"Yeah Rainbow Dash. Did ya ever think ah that?"

"Well...it's not like Alan has been telling me anything. I did know he wasn't from around here. If that's the case then where are you from Alan? And, if you do have amnesia then how can you be so sure that the sun and moon aren't raised by ponies?"

"Rainbow!"

"Just let him answer!"

"Um...well maybe he..."

"Maybe he should answer..."

"Rarity? You too?"

The room was filled with arguments and accusations. Neither side seemed willing to let up. Until... 

"Girls! Stop!" The Purple unicorn shouted. In an instant the room fell silent. "Look. Arguing will get us nowhere. I don't know who this pony is and chances are nopony else in this room really know who he is either. How about we just calm down and ask...Alan was it?"

I nodded.

"Alan, for the time being I will trust whatever you say but please, don't say anything to make me lose faith in you."

I didn't even know this pony. In fact, I didn't really know anypony in this room. But still, she said she would trust anything I said. I could just tell her the whole truth, even the parts I didn't tell Zecora, but if I do what then? Will she even believe me? Or will she think I'm some kind of freak? Why am I even stressing out over this? What if I do tell her and she just sends me away to have experiments done on me? That's what I would expect from someone from my world. I...Can't trust them. I don't even know them but...what if...

What if?

A gamble.

A chance.

A leap of faith.

Since coming here I have been shown nothing but kindness...more kindness then I have ever seen before. Some even called me their friend...

"Look girls...I..."

"Twilight! Twilight! You're finally home!" out of nowhere a pink pony appeared and hugged the purple unicorn with a huge smile on her face. "Oh, I'm so excited! We should have a welcome home party for you and Rarity. *Gasp!* And who is this? I've never seen him before. Are you new in town? My name's Pinkie Pie and..."

"Pinkie!"

Silence.

"Not now Pinkie, maybe later okay?"

"Okay Twilight." The pony named Pinkie Pie said and then sat down.

Twilight Sparkle?"

"Yes?"

"...heh, thanks." I guess this is it. "Okay everypony, I think I'm ready to tell you everything."

"Are you sure Alan?" Twilight asked.

"Yes. Even if it didn't come to this, I'm sure I would have had to tell you at some point." Okay here we go.

***************************

"Please hold all questions until I'm done."

They all nodded.

"My name is Alan and up until a few days ago I was not a pony."

Looks of confusion spread like wild fire. Some looked at each other while the rest waited for me to continue.

"A couple of days ago I was involved in a magic accident. I had been tasked with removing a witch from a town that had been suffering from her spells for some time. Upon meeting her we got into an argument that led to her firing an unfinished spell. Had she finished the spell I doubt that I would be here right now. The spell instead removed me from my own world and sent me here, to yours. Needless to say I was very scared at first, being thrown into a world where I was transformed into a pony, but I found help. A zebra named Zecora calmed me down and helped me put everything into perspective. After calming me down she told me that if I wanted help with my situation then I should go to Ponyvile and look for you, Twilight Sparkle. And so, here I am." I informed the girls that I was done talking with a nod. Imediately questions rose.

"What were you before...I mean, if you really aren't a pony." Asked Fluttershy.

"Something you probably never heard of so I won't trouble you with the word, but I will describe myself. I was tall and stood on two legs, not hooves. Instead of front hooves I had arms and at the end of were hands. Hands are a lot like claws but are not at all as sharp. I didn't have a tail either. My hair was black, though, but I don't think it was this curly. My eyes were light brown and not light blue. My body also wasn't blue, more of a tan color. Oh' and were I came from we always wore clothes."

"Where are you from?" Asked Rainbow Dash this time.

"Well it's a place that's a little different from this one. Not too different though. I lived in a small city before I started traveling. I don't remember the name of the town I was in last. There is one other thing. While there are ponies in my world, they don't talk or even fly. The only one's that could talk were my kind."

"That's...I don't really know how to respond to that."

"Just remember Rainbow Dash. It isn't this world, okay?"

"Okay."

"This witch you were talking about. You said that you were asked to get rid of her. What ended up happening?"

I looked down.

It wasn't my intention to do anything to her. When we first met she wasn't going to fight at all but when i metioned the town's people wanting her to leave she grew angry. We fought and when I  dissrupted the spell a beam of magic not only hit me but her as well. It threw her against a wall. While the magic sent me here I don't know what happened to her. She may have been hostile to me but I can't help but think my actions may have done something to her. Last night in my dream I saw her motionless against the wall. All I think now is that maybe because of me she might be...she..." My lip quivered. I knew I didn't have it in me to intentionaly cause harm to someone else like that, much less take their life. "To have something like this happen...and all I wanted to do was go home. I'm so selfish."

Noticing I was feeling the full impact of my actions I felt Fluttershy's hoof on the back of my head.

"Fluttershy?"

"It's okay. I know you would never do anything like that on purpose. You might not realize it but you ARE very kind and unselfish at all. You're just scared but you don't have to be anymore."

"Fluttershy...I..."

"So then this is the whole truth then?" Twilight asked.

"Yes." I said calming my emotions down. "Everything"

Silence filled the room. Twilight stood still for a moment before moving towards one of the many book cases and then turning around to face me.

"Well then,"Twilight began. "your story is full of a lot of holes and we don't even know you that well outside of what you just said but you seem like you could really need my help. Seeing as there is no other way and you chose to share your story with us I guess I can try and help you." She said causing everypony else in the room to cheer.

"What? Twlight, you're really going to help me?"

"Alan, you have obviously been through a lot and now you are in an even more difficult situation than before. You trusted us enough to tell us your whole story. I think I speak for all of us when I say that you don't have to go through this alone anymore. You have us to help you now."

"Twilight.."

"Alan, are you really going to get all teary eyed on us?" Rainbow Dash asked to lighten the mood.

Come on Alan! Let's see that smile!" Pinkie Pie said bouncing around the room.

"Oh, okay...how's this?" I said, smiling as big as I could.

Everypony in the room burst into laughter.

"What?" I said feeling my face turn red.

"It's just that," Rainbow Dash said between fits of laughter. "You've been so serious this whole time, that it's nice to see you smile for a change. Even if you do look goofy."

I turned to look for a mirror and found that I did look pretty funny. It looked like the corners of my mouth were trying to escape my face.

"Okay, okay...I think that's enough for today." Twilight said recovering. "Now if we're going to help Alan then we'll have to figure out how to send him home. I'm sure there's a book somewhere in this library that can help us and I even had some new books delivered this morning. Ooh! This is going to be quite a doozy of an afternoon of studying! Leave it to me Alan. Spike!"

"Yeah Twilight?"

"I'm going to really need your help on this one. Bring me all of our books that start with a number or a symbol."

"On it!" The young dragon said, scurrying around and taking books off of shelves and placing them all around Twilight. 

"Okay, for the time being I think you should relax and take a walk around town, Alan. This is going to take a while. Don't worry. As long as there is a way to send you home I promise I'll find it!"

"Thanks Twilight." I said feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. "I think I will take that walk."

"I'll go too, If you don't mind the company." The unicorn named Rarity said walking towards me. " It seems that most everypony else had a chance to talk with you. So I believe I should have a chance before you go back home."

"Me too! Me too!" Pinkie Pie said taking one leap into the air and then landing right in front of me. "I always love getting to know a new friend!"

"F-friend? But when Twilight finds a way to send me home I'm going to have to leave. There's no way we could really be friends for such a short amount of time."

"It doesn't matter how long we're friends. What matters is that we are friends." I heard Twilight say, eyes still buried in her book.

"You too Twilight?"

"Well...yeah! Alan, when I first came to Ponyvile I didn't have any intension of making friends at all. I didn't think it was important, but the more time I spent with my friends and the more I actually experienced friendship the more I realized that it was something I never wanted to lose. I don't know what your situation is but you sound a lot like I used to.  Go out and talk for a bit. Embrace the idea of having friends even if it is for such a short time." Twilight walked up to me and held out her hoof. "Do you want to be friends with me? With us?"

I didn't know what to say. Before this, whenever I made friends back in my world it was never said if you were friends or not.  You would just have to assume it if you hung out with them enough. No one has ever asked to be friends with me before. Even when I was young I was the one who asked to be friends. Twilight and the rest of the girls all want to be friends with me and get to know me...but in the end will we still be friends? If I was to leave tomorrow would they still remember me and our short friendship? And, if we were friends for a long time would we still be good enough friends to still want to be around each other? True friends who's friendship will never really end? Was that even possible?

"I...I don't want you to feel like you have to just because you happened to meet such a pitiful pony like me." In that instant Twilight put her other hoof up and instead of insisting on the hoof shake, lightly hit me on the head with her hoof.

"Alan, That has nothing to do with this. Today you and I met each other and you shared your story and feelings with all of us. Even if you weren't in the same situation I still like to think that we'd still have found a way to be friends"

"Us too sugarcube." Applejack spoke up.

"Of course I would!" 

"I'd love being friends with a kind pony like Alan."

"Having a stallion around for a change might not be so bad."

"If you aren't mad about me suspecting you of doing something then I'd like to be friends too." Rainbow Dash said.

I will never understand what these ponies see in me. I show up out of nowhere and turn out to be the biggest burden on their lives. I meet these ponies for a few minutes and they already talk about being friends. Why? Could they see something in me that I have never noticed before? Back in my world I'll admit that I was lonely. Mot of the "friends" I've had in the past are all moving on with their lives. I have no more friends...but no I was just offered the friendship of six ponies. I don't even know how to respond. This was a new experience for my heart.

"Everypony..." I said feeling tears well up in my eyes. "Ah! nononono." I said hitting my face with my hooves. "It would be better if I smiled right? If you'll have me for a friend then... I guess it would be okay if we were friends."

Everypony laughed, this time along with me.

I felt...so light. I felt like I could fly. I've never experience such happiness. Even if I did have to leave tomorrow...I don't care. I have friends now and their sincere words will always be with me. Like Rainbow Dash said...It doesn't matter how far apart we might be. If we really are friends then we will always be friends, even if we are worlds apart. 
> Magic at Golden Oaks Library
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Familiar scene awakens over Ponyville. In the distance the sun can be seen as it sets behind the mountains and blankets the land in a warm orange hue. Soon one phase will end while another will take it's place and my favorite time will begin. It brings the most soothing scene to my eyes that I could never get enough of. The entirety of the land is given time to rest for both itself and those who look upon it. Bright colors are mellowed out and can still be enjoyed under the light of the moon. Stars pepper the skies and even make shapes to try and get our attention. Polaris guides the weary for a place to rest their heads for the night while the moon lights the way. The most beautiful sight, though, is when the moon is so bright that everything cloaked in a bright light and even looks as if the world is blue. An indescribable blue. It is my favorite yet most elusive color. 

"I wonder if that's why my coat is blue..." I said aloud as I sat out side the library. 

Rarity was going to show me around Ponyville before I left but she decided to help Twilight look through the books in the library to try and find a way to get me back to my world.

"A few extra hooves, even for a short time, can make a huge difference." She said some time before.

It had been twenty minutes since then.

"Even if she helps for the rest of the night I doubt they can make a dent in that library. There are books everywhere!" My hooves raised up to emphasize just how big the library was. "The only way they could do that is if they had at least ten other ponies." I didn't mind her leaving me at all but it seems a lot more like a journey than a drive.

Getting curious, I  peek into the library. Fluttershy was flipping through a book on the ground while Rainbow Dash quickly removed books from their shelves and stacked them up. Applejack was helping Spike reach a book on a shelf.

"I wonder were Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight ran of to?" I thought to myself. Feelings of guilt grew as the ponies continued without rest to find a book that would somehow be the answer to my problems. "They're probably in another part of the library. Maybe I should help them out. It would be a lot better than just sitting out here."

The door to the library opened with ease to the scene of the three mares and dragon still at work.

"Hey every....uh...pony?" I said walking in and trying to get their slightly different language down.

Rainbow Dash didn't seem to notice me walk in but Fluttershy was very quick to notice. 

"Oh hi Alan." Fluttershy said looking up from her book. "Is everything ok?"

"Ah bet he was just gettin' bored sittin' outside all alone." Applejack added. 

"Yeah, I feel bad having you all work while I do nothing." I said walking up to a shelf. "If Rarity and Pinkie Pie are helping then I should too." I lifted a hoof to the bookshelf and dragged a book out. 

Upon opening the book I found it was written in very complex writing. There were very few words I understood and the ones I did were words I barely even used. Turning the book to the front page I found the title was, "Theoretical Alchemy: an unabridged history."

"So where is everypony else?" I said quickly shutting and re-shelving the book before my brain exploded.

"Ah think Twilight an Rarity are up stairs." Applejack said pointing towards a staircase. 

"Cool. Maybe I'll go on up and see if I can help out. Maybe I can take a few of these books up and.." I said as clumsily trying to carry a few books in one hoof. 

"Here let me help you with that." Spike said grabbing the books and placing them on my back. "There!"

"Thanks Spike. Back were I came from I never ran into a problem like this before."

"No problem, I help Twilight out all the time." The young dragon said as he proudly proclaimed his usefulness.

To be honest, though, now that I don't have hands anymore it's a good thing there is a dragon who has the next best thing.
Hopefully I won't be in such a state of helplessness for long.

Steadily I went up the stairs with my book cargo. Stairs seemed to be a whole other animal when you have hooves. There was no telling how I was supposed to use them and I found my head closer to the steps while walking up but thankfully it didn't last long. 

Note to self. Never take stairs for granted ever again.

"Twilight Sparkle? Are you here?" My eyes quickly inspected the room. Even the entire upstairs of the library was filled with books but this time it seemed to be a smaller room. On closer inspection I found a desk stocked with paper and quill pens. I didn't even know those were even used any more. How in the world would a pony even use one? I guess using teeth to hold the pen is an option but I don't think the words would be too legible. At the top half of the room I found what looked like the edge of a bed. Would that mean that this also double's as Twilight Sparkle's room?

"Is that you Alan?" The voice of Twilight called out from the direction of her bed.

"Yeah! I just wanted to see if I could help even just a little. I brought up some books too."

"Great! I'll be right down." Just as she said this a wave of books came down from her location and still managed to stack themselves followed by Twilight who just jumped down to my level. " Here let me just have a look at those books." She said as I felt the weight of the books on my back disappear. "Now if we're going to get you back home we might need to use this..."

"W-what!?" I said jumping from the sight of the floating books.

"What's wrong?" Twilight asked in a manner I was used to. The kind that said, you look like you've never seen this before.

"S-so you have flying ponies and flying books here?" I said grabbing a book from it's stationary position in mid air.

"What are you talking about? Books can't fly..." Not listening, I tossed a book into the air expecting the tome to achieve flight again but instead hearing a thud and getting a scold from Twilight.

"Oh no...did I break it?"

"What do you think you're doing? You need to treat books with upmost care! You can't just be throwing them around!" The bookworm steamed.

"Sorry!" I said rushing to pick up the book and by instinct tried to use the hands I didn't have only to fumble the book.

Twilight sighed followed by her hoof making contact with her forehead. "Here just let me do it." The book was now once again airborne by mysterious means but this time I noticed an aura that surrounded it. It was a transparent red...purple...color. I'm not good with colors. 

"How is it doing that?" Questioningly I lifted a hoof and waved it above and under the book. "Are you doing this?"

"What, you mean levitating the book? Yeah, I thought it was obvious. I am a unicorn after all." Turning to look at her I noticed that her horn, too, was surrounded in the same aura.

"But...how?" I asked. 

"Wait...you really don't know what this is? Do they not have magic in your world?" She pointed to the horn that rested on her head which also had the same aura of the books.

Images of Aura and the little magic I witnessed her preform flashed through my head. The only time I had ever witnessed real magic before now. The memories, however, were painful to bring up

"No, not really. The magic we have is just stage magic like card tricks and disappearing acts. The only real magic I knew of came from Aura." I said staring at Twilight. "Then that means you can do magic? Can all ponies do magic?" 

"No, just unicorns. It's sort of our thing." She said as more books were surround in her aura and lifted. 

"That's amazing Twilight Sparkle!" Feelings of a child who watched his first magic trick and thought it to be real were brought back to me but this time the magic WAS real. 

"Oh come on it's not that amazing." She said bashfully. "Rarity can do levitation spells too."

"It's STILL amazing Twilight! You are using magic, REAL magic!" I said skipping around a bit like Pinkie Pie had done earlier. It was just so exciting to see magic like this.

"Heh, you sound like a little colt." She said chuckling. "Were you still considered a child back in your world?"

"Hey! I'll have you know that..." I began before I heard hoof steps climb the stairs

"Oh Twiiiiilight! I brought the sandwiches! Oh Alan! Will you be joining us?" Rarity said strolling in the room with grace with a plate full of sandwiches floating above in a light blue glow

"Um, yeah. Thought I could lend a helping hoof. I didn't want to just sit around and wait while you all are helping me out. Is Pinkie Pie helping out too?" Come to think of it, I haven't seen the hyperactive mare for a while. I've been meaning to at least talk with her a little.

"Well she was helping with the sandwiches but I don't know where she could have run off to..." Rarity said looking around her self.

"Here I am!" Pinkie yelled, appearing out of nowhere.

"Ah!" Screamed Rarity, resulting in her losing control of the plate she was holding. Luckily Pinkie Pie reacted and caught the plate before it could hit the ground. "Pinkie! Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry! I was trying to surprise everypony. I guess it worked a little too well..."

"I'll say." I said while trying to get over my heart nearly breaking out of my chest. "Twilight I thought you said only unicorns could do magic."

"They are, but Pinkie is....well, Pinkie. There's not really a better way to say it." Twilight said trying to fake a smile.

"Never mind..." I said realizing I was probably better off not knowing. "Anyway, it's nice that we finally get a chance to talk like this after that episode we had earlier."

"Yeah, I'm super disappointed we can't have a welcome party for you like everypony else but this is kind of like a party too!" Pinkie said only looking disappointed for half a second and then filling the rest with cheerful optimism.

"Oh, right. Alan I'm so sorry I took so long in the library." Rarity added. "I was going to go out and get you as soon as I was done but..."

"No worries Rarity. You were just trying to help me as much as you could. I couldn't be more thankful for that."

"Well, now that everypony is here, why don't we get back to the books?" Twilight said cheerfully. 

"Okay! Maybe one of the books I brought can help."

"No no. The books you brought don't contain any spells in them. We're looking for a spell to send you back home. If a spell brought you here then I'm sure another spell can send you home." 

Twilight directed me to a shelf where she said that she kept most of her spell books. Along with Pinkie Pie, we searched the shelf while Rarity and Twilight quickly flipped through the books they levitated.

"So do you get any of this?" I whispered to Pinkie as we look through our own books.

"Hm?" She looked up. "Sorry I was just thinking about what I was going to have for breakfast today." She flipped around the book revealing it to be a cook book with many breakfast recipes.

"Pinkie! Aren't we supposed to be looking for a spell?"

"Sorry!" She said grabbing more books from the shelf and causing two more to fall.

"Well I found a spell for teleportation. Do you think that would work?"

"No Twilight does that all the time, and usually for just small distances. Oh, but I did find a spell on how to turn carrots into tomatoes!"

"I don't think that would help too much..."I said smiling awkwardly. This mare is pretty random but I just can't help but smile at how innocent she can be. "heh, maybe we can use this one. It can make windows taste like ice cream!"

"No way! You can do that? I would love to wake up in the morning and have mint chip flavored windows!"

Both of us started to laugh at this. I was joking but she might have been serious about the window thing.

For the next few hours Pinkie Pie and I searched through various books looking for the right spell. We would often just bring books that interested us or had pictures of food. To be honest, though i had no idea what kind of spell i was looking for. It wasn't long before i could hear a few small yawns come from the pink mare sitting next to me. Her eyes seemed to look like they were growing heavier by the minute. She didn't last much longer after this and within a few minutes she was sleeping up against the book shelf with a book still open in her hooves. 

"Looks like everypony is getting tired..." Twilight's voice called out from her bed. "Even Rarity fell asleep in my spare bed. Do you think we should call it a night?"

"Well I don't feel tired yet so i can keep going if you can." I said lifting another book up.

"Of course I can. I usually do a lot of late night reading anyway." She said proudly. "Maybe you should check on everypony else then..."

"Ok!" I said trotting down stairs.

When I arrived the only pony down stairs was Applejack and spike was asleep in a small pile of books.

"I guess everypony left..."

"Well it is gettin' late now sugar cube" Applejack said with a yawn. "I was just about ta leave mahself till ah realized you were still here. You ready ta get going?"

"About that...well I was planning on staying to help Twilight a little more..."

"So then yer gonna stay here tonight?" she asked

"Well...I'm not planning to...I don't want to keep asking you girls for a place to stay the night."

"Ah guess ah understand what yer sayin' but then where do ya plan on sleeping tonight?"

"Most towns have inns right?"

"Yeah, but those cost bits" She said with another yawn.

"Bits? Oh, that must be what you call money here..." I said with a snicker. "Don't worry AJ, I'm sure I'll figure something out. Now you go get some rest." I said urging her to not press the matter further.

"Well ok...but ya'll better..." she was about to say before I cut her off.

"Pleasant dreams!" I said closing the door.

"I have no idea if things will turn out fine, but I'm a pony. I'm sure one night outside won't hurt. If Applejack finds out, though, she might give me a real talking to. I can't keep asking them for a place to stay. Now if only I had bits for a stay at an inn."

Twilight was still busy on a stack of books when I finally returned.

"Everypony else down stairs went home?" She asked not looking up from her book.

"Yeah..." I said stopping to think. "Twilight? What if there really isn't a way to get me back home?"

Twilight said nothing.

"Could...this have just been for nothing?" just then a bright light flashed and in it's place stood Twilight.

"No Alan, don't think that way. I'm sure if there is a way to get you home we will find it, don't worry." She said looking me straight in the eye to get her point across. "Sure, it is taking a long time to find it...and I only have a few books left...but that doesn't mean we still can't find it. You might not go home today, or maybe even tomorrow, but you will get home, okay?"

The expression she wore on her face was a mixture of a reassuring smile that tried to stay away from the worry it masked but her words alone seemed to be enough.

"Okay Twilight...sorry I got a little pessimistic..." I said rubbing the back of my head and picking up a new book. "...back to work?"

Twilight smile became more genuine when she heard this and she levitated the three books she was reading down to us.

"Sounds like a plan!" She said

For the next half hour, though, the spell of sleep began to take it's toll on me.

"Are you sure you don't want to just go to sleep?" she said noticing me jolt awake again.

"N-no...I...I can do this." Unfortunately I was more than wrong when I felt my head land on the hardwood floor.
> The Spell...and...a spell caster
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Alan! Alan, wake up!" Once again my rest is interrupted by a pair of hooves pushing at my side. Don't these ponies know the value of sleep?

My eyes lazily open, seeing the roof of the library. A nearby window reveals that it's still the middle of the night. The pair of hooves jabbing at my side continue till my head raises to see who they belonged to.

"Good, you're finally awake!" Twilight said before levitating a book in front of my muzzle. "Look! I found the right spell! I told you it would be in one of these books somewhere!"

Energy seems to return to me in an instant as I spring to my hooves.

"Seriously? Twilight, you did it!" I said almost loosing all sense of restraint and trying to hug her only to be brought back to reality by a book tripping me.

"Quick! We have to cast it right away!" She said as she began to light up her horn and not noticing the fact I tripped. 

"W-wait Twilight!" I said stumbling to my hooves.

"What is it?" She said, horn now without it's glow. "Don't you want to go home?"

"Of course I do, but don't you think we could wait till morning? That way I can say a proper goodbye to everypony?" I say glancing out a window at the bright moon.

"Oh...how could I have forgotten that?" She said shaking her head, making her mane move like waves.

"It's ok, you just got really excited." I say placing a hoof to her back. "This is wonderful news after all, but I do admit that it also comes with sadness."

"I see..." She said, seeming to understand what I meant, it being that I would have to say goodbye to my newfound friends.

"It's ok. Even if it was for such a short time, I would never have wished it never happened." I say smiling bringing a smile to her face as well. "Someone wise from my world said, 'Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.' After all this, I doubt I will ever look back at this moment and not have a smile."

"You're right..." Twilight said teleporting back to her bed. "I feel the same way." She looked at me. "It's already late," She said tossing a blanket and a couple pillows. "You should get some rest." She said giving a short chuckle.

"Well I would have if a certain purple pony didn't wake me." I said giving a wink. We both quietly laughed trying not to cause more disturbance to the two other ponies in the room.

"Good night" Twilight said escaping my view.

"Yeah, good night"

************************************

"So this is really it..." Rainbow dash said as she flew above Applejack and Rairty. 

Morning had come a lot faster than I would have liked it and when the others were called, they wasted no time. It also helped that two were already in attendance as well. Since we did not know each other that long there were no tears, save the few that Pinkie shed for a few seconds only to be replaced by a smile and almost quoting the same quote I had said to Twilight word for word. Fluttershy did look like she had misty eyes but she held them back. Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash gave smiles of encouragement. Spike rested in his bed still, he didn't know me besides a few words so I didn't feel the need to wake him.

"Yeah, I guess it is, but this is what we worked for right?" I said looking at them all one by one.

"Right." They all confirmed.

"Thank you....everypony. While my stay here was short and the longest any of you had known me was a day, I still feel like all of you will always be my friends and I will never forget all that you have done for me. In one day you have shown me more kindness, generosity, loyalty, laughter, and honesty than I have ever known. I would never have thought that my life could be changed, even just a bit, by a group of such wonderful ponies....and who knows...maybe I might get to come back and visit someday...somehow." I said laughing to mask the small amount of tears I felt.

"I'm sure we would all like that." Twilight said smiling.

"You'd better come back so we can hang more."

"Maybe next time I can introduce you to all my animals."

"I will already have such a nice design for you when you when you return."

"Maybe you'll be lucky an show up around cider season"

"It will be a "Welcome back to Ponyville we've missed you so much when you were gone and now you're finally back again!" Party!"

We all laughed before falling silent, everypony with a smile and no frowns at all.

"I'm glad I met all of you..." I said tuning to Twilight. "Ok...I'm ready..."

"Yes." she nodded as she prepared the spell.

"Bye!" Pinkie and Rainbow waved.

"Good bye Alan" Fluttershy tried to yell but still had sound just the same.

"Do come back soon." Rarity nodded

"Later Alan" Applejack tipped her hat.

The magic around Twilight's horn surged and looked like it was ready to burst as it flowed with energy.

"Goodbye." Twilight said as she looked up for one second.

"Goodbye...everypony." I said standing ready.

The glow on Twilight's horn grew brighter and brighter until...it finally burst into a large amount of purple light, sending a bolt of magic at me.

I braced myself, closing my eyes for what I thought to be pain as I felt the spell hit me head on. The only time I had felt a spell before was the one that sent me here and most of the pain came more from it throwing me instead of the spell itself but this time it wasn't like that at all. Instead of pain it felt more like a tickle. 

The intense crackling of the spell subsided and I opened my eyes one by one. I expected to see the abandoned mansion where it all began, still in ruins from what had transpired there but what I did see...was a little more shocking.

There was everypony still standing there, in the library, with looks of confusion on their faces except for Twilight who had just now looked up and jumping to see I was still there.

"What? But you're supposed to be...hold on I'll try it again!" She lit up her horn again and cast it. Once again I braced myself only to just feel the same sensation. The spell once again didn't work and I was still standing here in the library. "Why isn't it...ah!" She said quickly bringing a hoof to her head.

"Twilight, please do be more careful." Rarity says rushing up to her. "Casting a spell like this can't be easy."

"Yeah, maybe my magic isn't enough to cast this spell." She said shaking her head and gesturing that she was fine now to Rarity. "...but It worked before....I even tested it out on an apple and it just went back to the tree I picked it from. This spell is supposed to send things back to their homes, hence the name 'go home' spell."

"Well, maybe it doesn't work because Alan is from another world," Fluttershy said as she made her way next to Alan. "Maybe it's too far away for your magic to send him."

"But if that's the case then how are we supposed to send Alan back home? We have the right spell." Twilight said raising her hooves to her temples. "Argh! We're so close yet so far!"

"Don't worry Twilight, if there is a way I'm sure we can figure it out." I said trying to calm her. "Even though the spell doesn't exactly work, it still exists, we just need to find somepony who has more magic right?"

"Yeah I guess so, but where in Equestria....wait! I know just the right pony for the job!" She says cheering up.

"Really? who?" I ask.

Twilight trots to her front door and kicks it open. "Come on girls!...and Alan," She says almost forgetting that the room also contained a stallion. "We're going to see the princess!"

"Hey yeah! The princess has more than enough magic to raise the sun. Sending Alan home should be a snap!" Rainbow  Dash says as she makes her way to the door.

Everypony else in the room agrees to this as well but I, being the outsider have my doubts.

"The princess? You mean your ruler, right? Why would she help us?"

"Well I am her student after all," Twilight says proudly. "All I have to do is explain the situation to her and I'm sure she will be more than happy to help."

"I guess your right..." My mind trails off to try and picture what might happen but is soon interupted by Applejack.

"Ah course she'd right!" She says pushing me out the door. "Now hurry up! If we're gonna make it to Canterlot, we better get to the train station right away!"

Before I have a chance to protest, I soon find myself trotting with the six colorful ponies to the train. Where this will lead to is anypony's guess though.

********************************

Outside the train station a young mare is reading a book and taking a large amount of notes on a nearby note book. She doesn't see the six mares drag Alan onto the train though and before she can look up to check the train has already gone. She brushes her crimson red and silver mane from her face and continiues reading.

"Darn...missed the train again..." She levitated her quill and returned to her notes.