My Little Pony: Skye Dubson

Chapter II: The Equestrians

She was about to run and tell someone, then she saw what it was doing. It was crying. "Humans don't cry" she whispered. She trotted a little closer; the human looked up and opened his eyes. He looked straight at the pony. Skye edged away from the pony, trying to hide behind the tree,

"Keep away!" he shouted, and "Don't hurt me, I don't want conflict!" he continued. He orange pony trotted up to Skye.

"I ain't ever seen a human crying so badly before" she said. Skye leaned against another tree and covered his face with his hands,

"If you're gonna kill me, please hurry up!" he shouted.

The orange pony came up by the side of him, checking to see if he was really scared or if it was a trap. "My… You're really frightened huh?" she said. Skye nodded,

"Yeah, I have never seen a talking pony, and they all tried to kill me" he said. The orange pony looked like she didn't seem to mind. She seemed to open up,

"The name's Applejack, you?" she said. Skye opened his eyes again, expecting her to be ready to kill him, but she had a hoof outstretched. "C'mon, surely you know how to shake?" she asked. Sky nodded,

"Sure" he whispered as he slowly outstretched his arm and took her hoof. He shook quickly.

"Well, yer cryin' ain't gonna get you anywhere" said Applejack, smiling. Skye looked into her eyes, she was being kind.

"My name is… er… Skye" he said, still nervous, "Why aren't you trying to kill me?" he asked. Applejack giggled,

"Well, you see, I am the element of honesty, and I can tell if someone is lying. Your expressions seem real, and you don't look like you know where you are" she said. Skye face-palmed,

"Your good" he said. He smiled.

Skye decided to try and stand up and see how tall he was compare to her. He was actually about the same height. "Say, thanks for not trying to kill me or nothing" he said. Applejack patted his back,

"I do hate humans, trust me, but I can tell you don't know anything about the humans from Ponyville" she said. Skye wasn't stupid; he knew that Ponyville was the place with all the markets. Skye decided to ask Applejack about the tomboy pony and the others,

"Applejack, who is the tomboy pony, the one with rainbow colours in her mane?" he asked. Applejack face-hoofed,

"Rainbow Dash, she would kill a human if she got the chance" she said.

"Maybe you could tell your friends that I'm not hostile?" he asked. Applejack looked threatened,"Well, if you wouldn't mind, but I think that they need to know I'm not a threat, or at least I don't want to be one" he said. Applejack looked at the ground, then tapped her chin with her left hoof,

"Well, I ain't no scientist, but humans like apples, right?" she asked. Skye nodded, they weren't his favourite food, but if she was offering, why not take it?

"Yes, are ya offering one?" he asked. Applejack simply looked at her backpack. Skye looked too, he saw an apple on the top of a bunch of herbs and spices and stuff.

Skye wondered if she had anymore, then thought to ask her if she was definitely okay with it, "You're sure?" he asked, gaining a nod. He picked the apple form the backpack and looked at it; it was very shiny and very red. There were shades of red, but this was too red for words. As he took a bite of this too red for words apple, Applejack looked at the tree and made a "Woo-hoo" noise. "Wha?" said Skye, his mouth full of delicious fruit. Applejack looked at him with big kind eyes, "You found ma special bucking tree" she said.

"I did?" he asked. Applejack was ecstatic,

"This tree has been handed down generation after generation, and I thought I lost it. It teleports ya see" she said. Skye suddenly realized that this forest was evil, which meant Applejack was evil, or lost too.

"Applejack, why are you in this forest?" Skye asked. Applejack gasped,

"Zecora!" she shouted. She started running off,

"Wait up, please!" shouted Skye. Applejack slowed down,

"Sorry sugar-cube" she said. Skye raised an eyebrow,

"Sugar-what?" he questioned. Applejack sighed,

"I don't have time for this, erm, would you mind?" she said, looking at her back.

Skye didn't understand. "What?" he asked. She looked at him, then her spine again,

"You know right?" she asked, sighing even more.

"You mean… ride you?" he asked. Applejack cheered with sarcasm,

"Clever boy, now get on" she said. Skye wasn't sure about this,

"Won't I hurt you?" he asked. Applejack blushed,

"Goodness me, you are either very evil, or the most kind-hearted, well-mannered, considerate human I have ever met" she said. Skye also blushed. He walked over to her and patted her back.

She flickered her ears, "Just get on, I'll be fine" she said. Before Skye could get on properly, she sighed "Good enough" and started racing off.

"Applejack…" mumbled Skye. Applejack slowed down for a few seconds while Skye got his balance. They soon arrived upon a small wooden hut tied together with only ropes and strings. Skye remembered Applejack mention 'Zecora', "Applejack what is a Zecora?" he asked. Applejack laughed,

"Not it, she's a zebra who makes potions and stuff" she said. Skye felt weird,

"Not that I'm being weird or anything, but you're the kindest person… or pony I've met in my life" he said, "The only one".

"Zecora, I've got yer ingredients" shouted Applejack. Suddenly, a very stripy zebra exited the hut,

"Ah, my brewing things you have received. One more thing will fill the deed" she said. Skye swore she rhymed on purpose,

"Applejack?" he said, Applejack shrugged him off,

"Sure thing, Zecora, what is it?" she asked. The zebra looked at Skye, he swallowed. Zecora spoke again,

"A human you have with you here, he has - I can see - a brand new fear" she said. Skye looked at her,

"Do you always rhyme?" he asked. She smiled,

"Rhyming is habit of mine yes, no discrimination I hope you digress?" he asked. Skye shook his head while Applejack unloaded the ingredients onto a table inside the hut.

Skye sniggered, "No, I think it's cool you can do that off the top of your head" he said, "I don't know many talented people" he finished. Zecora looked at Applejack and whispered,

"This one time only, I speak no rhyme. If you harbour no evil I wish you luck" she then retreated back to her hut as Applejack emerged with a younger pony. "Applebloom, this here is Skye, he's a human, but don't worry, 'cause-" she started, but the filly hid in her bag,

"Human!" she shouted. Skye tried to focus now,

"Applejack, what did humans do here?" he asked.

Applejack looked at her back again, "I'm taking you into town whether Twilight likes it or not" she mumbled. Skye walked over and sat on her back. She immediately started running one direction, which was the way Skye had recalled coming from, they were going back to the market place,

"Applejack, are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked. She grinned, but Skye couldn't see her face,

"The gang have to know" she said.

As they arrived at the outskirts of the market place, Applejack told Skye to stay where he was, and for Applebloom to keep him safe, she was gonna sort this mess out no matter what. She knew Skye wasn't a bad guy. Before she left, Skye looked into her eyes again,

"Thank you Applejack, I don't even know you and you're helping me. I wish I could repay you" he said. Then she galloped away. Skye looked at Applebloom, she looked really scared. "If you believe I'm evil, then I allow you to leave me" he said, "There's no reason to fear me, but if you really do then you can leave, I admire you" he said.

Applebloom stood up, then she raised a hoof and pointed it at herself, "Why do you admire me?" she asked. Skye laughed,

"Because you're not afraid" he said. Applebloom just stared at him. Skye started speaking again, "It's not easy, being the only one that everyone hates. Being the punching bag, the trash disposal- Don't ask" he said. She didn't think to, Applebloom's only remaining question was,

"How did you get here?" which needed Skye to think. He didn't know how he got there, or why he was there, but if humans were evil it was an antagonists design or pure mistake. Not many ponies would bring a human here, if they were smart enough.

"I don't know, maybe a unicorn wanted to see if humans were still evil?" he asked. Applebloom smiled,

"Yeah, that would make sense, they usually get their noses into things they don't need to" she answered. She looked at Skye, his eyes were full of emotions; worry, hope, anxiety. "You okay?" she asked. Skye nodded absent-mindedly, then said,

"Fine, it's just that I don't know if I will be alright here" he said.

Applebloom smiled the biggest smile that Skye had ever seen, she was grinning like a hyena or something, "Why are you smiling?" he asked. Applebloom opened her mouth, and then stopped to think about what she would say next.

"Well, I'm smiling 'cause you seem nice, and I think you should be fine here" she squeaked with her high-pitch voice. She was just a child though; maybe she didn't understand the complete situation.

"I sure hope Apple- Hold on, are you two related?" he asked, just realizing they both had Apple in their names. She giggled,

"Of course we are, how didn't you realize sooner?" she asked, really confused. Skye looked at her with a sad look on his face, and Applebloom knew that he didn't have time to think about that when he was getting a chance to speak to the residents of a town he didn't know anything about. "Sorry" she mumbled, becoming slightly depressed herself.

Skye didn't like to see children, or fillies, sad since it reminded him of his terrible childhood, and s specificity horrible time in his life. "Applebloom, it's fine, cheer up please" he begged, and she did.

"Do you suppose Applejack will get you to speak with Twilight?" Applebloom asked. Skye wiped his face and stroked the bristles of hair on his chin,

"She the purple one?" he asked. Applebloom jumped high in the air,

"You met her already?!" she screamed happily. But Skye looked at her again, shocked about how high she could jump, he stopped focusing on that and asked,

"Well, is she… kind?" he asked.

Applebloom stopped jumping, something set off in her mind, "Generally, but since… that doesn't matter, but she's really kind and talented and nice… and kind" she said. Skye giggled a bit, Applebloom he found quite funny.

"You already said that one" he said happily. Applebloom sniggered,

"See, you aren't as sad as before" she said through grins. She was right; Skye had been cheered up by a young pony, with very red hair.

"Skye?" said Applebloom, with a hint of seriousness. Skye felt uneasy, as if something bad was about to happen. It wasn't bad, but it might not have been good. What 'It' was, was applejack coming back with Twilight, the purple pony with a darker purple mane and a star tattoo on her flank. Skye also noticed that Applebloom didn't have a tattoo, and every… pony in that mob did.

"Twilight, just give him thirty seconds at least" begged Applejack, as Skye heard her coming closer.

"Applebloom, what do I say?" he asked, starting to sweat. Applebloom quickly came up with a smart response,

"As long as you're not evil, I don't see why you should be nervous" but Skye could think of a few things that could give Twilight the wrong impression.

She marched over next to Applejack; far behind her he saw a bunch of four other ponies. "Hello?" he asked. Twilight stopped in front of him, he was sat down and now half as tall as her.

"Who are you?" she demanded. Skye felt like he was being punished for something, but he might as well try to make a good impression.

"I-I-My name is Skye Dubson, I'm twenty-one and I-erm-", at this point, he was interrupted by Twilight,

"Why are you here?" she asked, she seemed to have lightened up a little. Skye tried to stand up, but he felt sick,

"I really don't know, I just woke up in a field over a hill over there" he stuttered.

She examined him, "Do you know anything about humans here?" she asked. Skye put his hands on the dirt ground beneath him and pushed, he stood up, feeling like he was gonna be hit,

"I know from a few sentences that they're evil or something much worse" he said. Twilight looked him up and down, but Skye assumed that since Applejack was the element of honesty, Twilight could only try and think. "I have a question" he mumbled. Twilight nodded, and then looked at Applebloom, who quickly ran over to the four ponies away from him and Twilight, Applejack stayed with him. "Can you tell the shy one that I thank her?" he said.

Twilight gasped and jumped back, "You said thank you!" she shouted. Skye stumbled backwards,

"What, is something wrong?!" he shouted back. Twilight stood there stunned,

"No human ever says thank you" she said. Skye smiled,

"Well, I do" he said cheerfully. Twilight stuck out a hoof,

"Good to meet you" she said in a serious tone. Skye looked at her hoof and grabbed it, but not too hard as she could've taken it as a threat,

"Nice to meet you too, Twilight sparkles" he said. Twilight's eyes widened,

"You know me?" she questioned. Skye didn't know who she was,

"No, why, is Sparkle your last name?" he asked.

"Yes, it is, how did you know?" she asked, backing away a bit more. It was as if, the more she didn't trust him, the further back she went and vice-versa.

"I just said it because your tattoo, its… nice?" he said, trying to fix the situation. She stepped forward,

"You mean my cutie mark?" she asked. Skye nodded. Twilight stepped forward and let go of his hand,"Well, I suppose that was a giveaway" she muttered. Skye smiled,

"If you could give me a chance or something, I could show you that I'm no threat" he said, "I mean, it's not like I could take on six ponies even if I tried, right?" he finished with a cheesy smile, trying to get Twilight's trust.

Twilight finished studying him, and then said, "Alright then, one chance, and if you ruin that, I will get Celestia to rid of you" she said though gritted teeth. Skye started to sweat again,

"Celestia?" he questioned. Twilight ignored the question and said,

"Come with me, I'll take you to the lib- No, I have a better idea" and they both with Applejack started walking towards the other four. Twilight pointed at each pony, individually saying their names, "This is Pinkie Pie" she said, the pink pony seemed ready to take down they prey, "This is Rarity" but the white pony huffed. Skye recognised her.

"Hey, aren't you the pony who I saw when I woke up?" he asked. Rarity looked disgusted,

"Yes, I am, and you looked very scared, and then you passed out" she said. Skye was disappointed; he hoped they'd be kinder than this.

"Passive aggressive much?" he asked. Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Never mind" finished Skye, he looked at Twilight, "Continue" he muttered. Twilight pointed at a cyan pony with a rainbow mane, but before Twilight could speak, the pony said,

"I'm Rainbow Dash!" she said.

'It's the tomboy!' Thought Skye, then he actually spoke, "I'll silence you in a minute" he said. She looked at him with cold eyes. Then he looked at her, "It was a joke. You know, cause of what you said earlier?" he asked. She didn't laugh or anything.

Twilight pointed lastly at a yellow pony, with a pink mane. She looked timid and really cute, unbelievably cute. "Wow" he said forgetting he was speaking aloud. Twilight snorted a bit,

"That's Fluttershy" she said. Skye thought she looked pretty, a lot prettier than the others, but that wasn't for him to decide.

"Fluttershy, I want to thank you about earlier" he said. Fluttershy's voice was quiet and even cuter than her looks,

"Why, what about?" she asked, staring at the ground.

"You know, the 'Maybe he's not evil' thing. It was really nice of you to consider I'm not a bad person" he said. Fluttershy looked up a bit, saw him, squealed and looked back at the ground.

"Are you… scared of me?" he asked. Fluttershy coughed, but she was just doing it because she was nervous.

"N-No" she said anxiously. Skye walked over to her after looking at Twilight for permission, these ponies would do anything to protect their friends.

"Fluttershy, you have no need to be afraid. I would never harm any animal, in fact, I have four pets at home, although one ran away" he said. Fluttershy gradually looked up,

"What happened to them?" she asked. Skye didn't know, he put up help posters and asked locals, but his dog Aaron was gone.

"I don't know I've been trying to find him for a week now" he said. Fluttershy seemed upset,

"Poor creature, I hope he's okay" she mumbled. Skye thought it appropriate to raise her face so he could see her properly, so he put his hand on her chin and looked at her. She seemed very scared, "Fluttershy, imagine me as a… dog, okay?" he said, Fluttershy back away and looked at him properly,

"Okay" she said.

"Well, a dog is loyal right?" he asked. Fluttershy thought,

"I suppose so" she came up with. Skye continued,

"And a good dog wouldn't hurt people, would it?" he asked. She nodded. Skye smiled, "That's me, loyal and neutral, I've been bullied all my life, and I don't have the ability or personality or hurt anyone" he said. Her mouth bent slightly and she started to smile,

"Alright, if you say" she giggled slightly.

"You know, this is the first time anyone has ever laughed at me in a nice way I think" said Skye. Fluttershy put a hoof on his shoulder,

"You won't be bullied here" she said, "There are bullies, and they're horrible, but we'll make sure you are okay" she said. Skye felt a tear in his eye and wiped it,

"That's very kind of you" he said, then he turned back around to Twilight, "So, what's this plan of yours?" he asked. Twilight grinned,

"We're going to town" she said. Every other pony there said

"WHAT?!" in unison, including Skye.

Elsewhere

A tall white pony with a multi-coloured cloud like mane stands alone on a balcony, overlooking a huge town, filled with stands and crowds of ponies, but they looked more posh than those of Ponyville. A smaller, maybe younger pony walks up beside her, "Has he arrived yet?" she says in a soft voice. The white pony's face it out of view,
"Yes, and it is here where their journey to friendship begins" she says.

END OF CHAPTER 2…