It's occurred to me that I have yet to visit my home, or my character's home, which I have situated on the opposite side of the Everfree forest from where Fluttershy lives. And, my character needs to go back from Sugar Cube Corner to get on the right track.

On the way there, I meet another pegasa, this one gray with a yellow mane and tail. The way her eyes point in different directions has been described as “wall-eyed” or “cross-eyed” by others. Yes, this pegasa is known as either Derpy Hooves or Ditsy Doo. And, our meeting is far from the most graceful you might imagine. In fact, she tackles my character, knocking him down.

As my character sits up and looks at the gray pegasa, she whimpers, “I'm so sorry. I just don't know what went wrong.”

Yes, I included her catchphrase in my game. I can't help smiling to myself as I say, “It's alright. You're Derpy Hooves, right?”

The gray pegasa goes from whimpering to glaring as she responds, “I'm not! You don't have to be so mean. My name is Ditsy Doo.”

As my character stands up again, I answer, “My mistake. So, Ditsy Do, are you alright?”

The gray pegasa hovers, but continues glaring at me, as she says, “Didn't your mother teach you manners? It's not nice to call ponies names. My name is Derpy Hooves. And, to answer your question, I'm fine.”

While it's good to hear that Derpy Hooves, or Ditsy Doo, or whatever, is unharmed by our collision, the puzzle I'm left with is what to call her without offending her. Fortunately, I have in mind a solution to the problem. First, I ask, “So, do you prefer to be called Derpy Hooves, or Ditsy Doo?”

I hear a groan from the gray pegasa, followed by whimpering again, as she says, “Why do you have to be so mean to me?”

I answer, “I'm sorry. Why don't I give you a nickname?”

The hovering gray pegasa groans, looks away from me, and asks, “What other mean name do you have for me?”

My character approaches her, and I answer, “I promise it won't be anything mean.” Then, as she turns to me again, I ask, “How about Ataahua?”

The gray pegasa drifts toward my character until all I can see are her eyes before she asks, “And, what exactly does that mean?”

As my character takes a step or two back, I answer, “It's a Maori word. It means 'beautiful.'”

The glare on Derpy's face morphs into an expression of sincere surprise, and she stops flapping her wings. The problem is it causes her to start falling.

There is the concern that, as high in the air as she is, she could get hurt from landing too hard. So, my character takes a step forward and catches her under her forelimbs, succeeding with some effort in slowing her down so she lands softly, or at least without getting hurt. After that, I ask, “Are you alright?”

The pegasa looks at me and asks, “Do you really think I'm beautiful?”

I answer, “I do. So, how do you feel about Ataahua as a nickname?”

The pegasa focuses on me with both eyes and squeaks, “Nopony has ever been that nice to me. If you really want to call me that, then it's alright with me.” Again she tackles my character and knocks him down, but then proceeds to nuzzle him and cry.

It takes him a little longer, and he has more of a struggle getting up with a grateful Ataahua holding him down. To help him out, I say, “Alright, Ataahua, I appreciate you too. But, I have somewhere I need to go right now. So, if you'll let me stand up, … “

At my announcement, Ataahua backs away from me and apologizes again. Then, as my character stands up again, she asks, “So, where are you headed?”

I answer, “My home is on the other side of the forest from where Fluttershy lives.”

Before I can say any more, Ataahua concludes, “And, you're headed back there.” Again, before I can answer affirmatively, she continues, “And, derpy me, I run you down and keep you from getting back home. I'm sorry.”

My character reaches out with a hand and strokes Ataahua on the side of her neck as I say, “It's alright. I should've been paying closer attention.”

Just then, I hear another female voice from behind my character say, “Alright, now I'm jealous.” Then, I notice a pale-green unicorn with silver-and-white mane suddenly next to Ataahua. Considering Equestrian ponies generally have tails colored the same as their manes, it's logical to assume the same is true with this pony, who I recognize as Lyra, a pony portrayed by most as having a fascination with humans. And, considering there are humans fascinated with horses, this kind of response makes sense to me. But, again I'm digressing.

As my character turns to her, and indeed I see her tail is colored like her mane, I say, “Oh, it's nice to meet you.”

Before I can say more, Lyra grabs my character's hand in her hooves and starts vigorously shaking it as she says, “Hi. My name is Lyra. It's nice to meet you too. We don't get many humans around here. What's your name? How long are you planning on staying here? Can we eat together sometime?” I must admit, there's something about her behavior that reminds me of a puppy.

I can't help laughing at seeing her level of enthusiasm.

In the mean time, Ataahua says, “Lyra likes humans, although I think you're the first living human she's ever seen.”

Once I recuperate enough that I can talk again, I answer, “You may call me Mormon. I was just heading home, just across the Everfree forest from where Fluttershy lives. As for eating together, I don't know that I'd have any food that you'd like to eat.”

As my character finally stands up again, Lyra answers, “Yeah, that's alright. I can fix something, and maybe you can choose a place for a picnic.”

My character starts walking again, back on the course to his house, as I say, “I think you need to slow down.”

Lyra had also started walking, keeping up with me to the side. But, when I mention her going too fast, she stops and says, her nose pointing toward the ground and her ears drooping, “Oh, I'm sorry. I do have a tendency to talk too fast when I get excited. I hope you'll forgive me.”

My character pauses and turns to her, and I can see a couple of puddles forming under each side of her nose. I say, “It's alright. If you want to walk with me, that'll be fine. We can talk about whatever you want to talk about along the way.”

Whatever I said is evidently what Lyra wanted to hear. She immediately perks up again and joins my character once more on our way to my character's home.

As we make our way to the middle of town, I comment under my breath, “So far, I have a pegasa and a unicorn with me. All I need to complete the set is an earth pony.”

If Lyra heard me, she says nothing about it.

On the other hand, Ataahua makes it clear that she heard me. She says, “Well, if you really want one to join us, ... ” then flies off.

My character watches the gray pegasa as she flies into and searches the market that marks the middle of Ponyville, then lands and disappears for a few seconds, then shows up again and points at my character.

I can't help notice a stallion sticking his head up and looking to see what the hovering gray pony is pointing at, sees me, then disappears into a cloud of chaotic motion.

It's not until a few minutes later when he shows up right next to me, that I recognize the brown stallion with darker-brown mane and tail, as well as the hourglass cutie mark on one of his hips, or at least on the hip I can see, as Doctor Whooves. I do seem to remember fan works suggesting different things about this earth pony, including that he was the pony version of Doctor Who, and that Derpy, whom I've most recently nicknamed Ataahua, had some kind of romantic interest in him. But, once again, I've gotten off track.

The stallion says, “Derpy told me you're wanting to go through the Everfree forest, and wanted an earth pony to join you.”

Thinking about what I'd said to myself, I can understand how it might be interpreted that way. I answer, “I just said that an earth pony would complete my present set of ponies. I already have a pegasus and a unicorn with me. But, it is true that I'm heading through the Everfree forest. My home's on the other side. If you're also headed that way, you're welcome to join us.”

There seems to be something in what I say that causes Ataahua, then Lyra, to start drooping again.

On the other hand, Doctor Whooves answers, “Well, we seem to be in luck, then. I have the tardis parked in an open field on the other side of the Everfree forest.” After that, Doctor Whooves says something in French. I don't know how to print it without perhaps offending a French-speaker who might read this; so, I'll just say I think it's the French term for “Let's go,” and leave it at that.

As we continue along the pathway toward the forest, Doctor Whooves turns to me and says, “So, you're named for a prophet from the ancient Americas.”

You'd think that someone who designed this game and all the characters in it would not be surprised at what those characters say. But, I am. I have my character turn to the only other male in the group, and I say, “I must admit, I'm surprised that you'd know about that. So, you've paid a visit to the Nephites then?”

Doctor Whooves looks forward again and answers, “Not something on record, but yes. I had to rescue Ditsy Doo from becoming a casualty in a fierce battle between them and the Lamanites. Did you know that one military leader among the Nephites fortified some cities to the point that the Lamanites couldn't get inside for years?”

I answer, “Sounds like Captain Moroni. Yes, I've read about that. The only reason why the Lamanites were able to get in again was because the Nephites living there started forgetting their God again.”

Doctor Whooves nickers and says, “So, I guess that means there's more to your name than just being the same as that of an ancient American prophet. You are a Latter-Day Saint?”

I have to smile to myself as I answer, “That's right. And, I'm guessing you're familiar with that religion.”

The brown stallion answers, “Being a time lord, I've had the chance to become familiar with many religions. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the only religion of its time that believes that God speaks to men again. I have a copy of the Book of Mormon. Fascinating reading.”

For some reason, I find myself unable to say anymore on the subject, to ask any further questions. Whether Doctor Whooves is also a Mormon or not, I find myself unable to ask about it. And, besides, the time lord is saying no more either. Just as well, since we're almost out of Ponyville anyway.

Once we're far enough outside of town that I can't hear the commotion anymore, Lyra asks, “So, is it true that humans made flying machines?”

I answer, “Airplanes, helicopters, kites, gliders, machines like that, yes.”

A few seconds after my answer, Lyra asks, “And, is it also true that humans made machines that can make other machines?”

I answer, “We humans have made such machines. And, we do use them. In fact, humans have gone so far as to invent machines that can make imaginary objects real.”

Presently Lyra grunts, “Huh?”

At this point, Doctor Whooves chimes in, explaining, “One type of machine humans have built is called a computer. Around two thousand years after the birth of their Christ, humans have made computers that they can use to make objects they can imagine visible to them. Then, they've made machines called 3-dimentional printers which can use different materials, depending on the printer, to make those objects real.”

Doctor Whooves is surprising me more and more with his knowledge of different aspects of humans, not just aspects relating to religion.

Before I can comment on this, though, Lyra answers, “Oh. And, all that without the help of magic. Is there anything that humans have not been able to do?”

I laugh and answer, “With all that humans have been able to do, we do still have our limits. We can die, and we can delay death; but we cannot avoid death altogether. And, on our own, we cannot revive someone who has died, either.”

I can't say for sure why Lyra is suddenly silent. My character looks down at her, and I can see she's just looking ahead. I have to wonder if her not showing emotion is, in some strange way, a demonstration of emotion.

I ask, “Are you alright, Lyra?”

The female unicorn says nothing, just keeps walking.

As my character looks forward again, I can only guess what I said affected Lyra on some level I don't know about, some level that she doesn't want to talk about.

That's when Doctor Whooves decides to say, “So, I heard you gave Derpy a nickname, a word that means beautiful?”

I answer, “Ataahua, that's right.”

The time lord pony nods slowly and says, “Ah, the Maori language. A good choice.”

Before I can respond, Ataahua says, “I don't know if I took the chance to thank you for the nickname.”

My character turns to the gray pegasa, who has settled down and taken a position between my character and Doctor Whooves, and I say, “Well, you seemed to dislike the names you already have; so, I thought I'd give you a name I thought you would like.”

I hear and see the gray pegasa sniffle as she says, “Well, you're right. I do like that name. Thank you.”

At this point, I can see through my character's eyes that we're approaching Fluttershy's property, as evidenced by the yellow house I recognized as belonging to the timid pegasa.

Not too much later, I see, through my character's eyes, the yellow pegasa near her chicken coop. I wave and call out, “Hi, Fluttershy!”

Unfortunately, I seem to have frightened her enough that she disappears behind the coop for a second or two. When she peers from behind the coop to see who called her name and sees me, she seems to only mouth some words. But, I understand she is actually saying the words, “Oh. Hi human,” just not loud enough so I can hear her.

In the mean time, my salute evidently attracted the attention of the ponies that are with me.

Ataahua and Doctor Whooves salute her as well, but she just hides behind the coop again.

We make our way past her house and on into the forest before Ataahua asks, “Is your house really on the other side of the Everfree forest?”

I answer, “That's right.”

After a moment, Doctor Whooves says, “Ditsy Doo is probably asking because we didn't see anything looking like a house when we came out of the tardis.”

Again I answer, “I guess I'll have to get a look at where you landed to be sure. This route should lead to my house after passing an open field before going back into the forest. If the field you mentioned is the one I'm thinking of, my house is probably hidden from you there.”

Just then, we hear what sounds like the howling of a wolf.

On one side of my character I'm suddenly aware that the sound of hoof-falls has ended, and been replaced by whimpering. He turns around to show me the source of what is now whimpering, and I can see through his eyes that the pale-green unicorn, Lyra, is trembling, looking wildly to her right and left.

From behind where I'm watching the evidently terrified unicorn, I hear Doctor Whooves sigh and say, “I would suppose Lyra's probably not used to being in the Everfree forest. Mormon, I think you'd better pick her up and carry her.”

As if to act in agreement, my character lowers to just above Lyra's level as I say, “Lyra, if you want, you can ride on my back.”

If I need any more evidence of her state of mind, I get it when she looks at my character's face. She says nothing, just jumps into my character's arms, still whimpering.

My character proceeds to maneuver her onto his back, then stands up.

That's when I hear laughter from Doctor Whooves.

I answer, “I know what you mean. For hundreds, maybe thousands, of years, humans were the ones riding horses. Now it's a role reversal. A horse, or a pony, is riding a human.”

As we resume our travels, Doctor Whooves, still laughing, says, “I wonder what kind of Yankee Doodle you'd be now.”

I can't help laughing as well at the reference to the familiar song.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to help Lyra's attitude any.

We continue on through the forest, with the only evidence of fauna being the vocalizations: howling of wolves; growling of some large creature, maybe a bear; chirping of birds and perhaps resident rodents; rustling of bushes. It could be luck that none of the creatures show themselves, or it could be that they just don't have any incentive to interact with a trio of ponies and a human traveling together. Whatever the case may be, we're evidently safe from attack.

None of us says anything further as we make our way through the forest. That is, until I notice, through my character's eyes, some odd movement ahead along the path, what appear to be tree branches moving oddly up and down a tree.

I call out, “Hello there!”

As if in response to my call, the branches fall off and line up near the tree; and, as suspected, they prove to be stripes on an equine leg. Then a zebra's head appears from behind the tree, and says, “Oh, Mormon, I didn't see the human sneaking up on me.”

I answer, “I'm sorry, Zecora. I didn't mean to make you think I was sneaking up on you. I just saw branches moving up and down at the base of a tree and, knowing they don't normally do that, I just wanted to know who was hiding there.”

The zebra answers, “Apology accepted. I understand.” Then, as she notices Lyra on my back, she asks, “You're giving a unicorn a hand?”

I respond, “Lyra, here, decided she wanted to follow me home. Then she got spooked by some howling, so Doctor Whooves and I figured it'd be a good idea for me to carry her until we got through the forest.”

Zecora eyes my character carrying Lyra, chuckles for a moment, and asks, “Do you take the interest in unicorns that Lyra takes in Homo Sapiens?”

After a momentary pause, I answer, “I can't say that my interest is specifically in unicorns, although I do find them interesting. Each type of pony in Equestria has their interesting qualities, whether its the supernatural talents of the unicorn, the aerial abilities of the pegasus, or the physical prowess and overall potential of the earth pony. No doubt based on how they were designed, they have qualities that humans, such as me, also have. There are ponies, such as Ataahua, with disabilities, that have the potential to tell powerful and inspiring stories by showing how they, by maintaining a humble attitude, overcome those weaknesses and turn them into strengths. There are mysterious ponies, such as Pinkie Pie, that allow people to theorize why they act the way they do. There are also well grounded ponies such as Applejack that provide an anchor for this universe. Many different people find different ponies to connect to, to find things they have in common with them.

“What attracted me to this universe in the first place was that there is so much to laugh at. And, I still see that. But, like another universe that seems to have closed down a long time ago, although there was a noble effort to revive it, I just see more in Equestria the longer I stay with it, the deeper I dig into it. If there is, or will be, a chapter in the story of Equestria that takes a page from the Book of Mormon, that'll give me the greatest incentive to really connect with this universe.”

A look at Zecora's face lets me know she's willing to listen to my soliloquy, although I'm sure I've given her more information than she asked for. After a momentary pause, she asks, “I'm sorry. May I ask of you, uh, who is this pony, Ataahua?”

Before I can answer, the gray pegasa drifts in front of the zebra and answers, “Mormon gave me that nickname. Do you like it?”

Zecora answers the hovering pegasa, “Yes, the nickname Ataahua is a perfect fit for you, ah.” She then turns to focus on me and asks, “So, if you had to choose from these three, what kind of pony would you choose to be?”

I pause for a few seconds before answering, “Well, that's a good question. But, my decision is based on my opinion that this type has, I believe, the greatest potential. With this in mind, I think I'd choose to be an earth pony.”

I hear Lyra loudly say “What?” and see Ataahua start to slowly descend to the ground. Evidently, based on their reactions, my answer upset both of them.

On the other hand, I hear Doctor Whooves ask, “Is that so?”

I add, “That's not to say that I don't like being a human. But, as for the three types of ponies, unicorns manipulate things with magic, and pegasi have control of the weather. While I have had experience with agriculture, and the earth ponies seem to have that as their main general talent, I do have to wonder if that's the limit of their capacity. And, if I had to be a pony, I'd want to be an earth pony so I could test the limits of the abilities of earth ponies in general. I don't hate the other types; if I did, I wouldn't agree to have a unicorn and a pegasus join me on my walk home. It's just the mystery of their capabilities that attracts me to the earth ponies more than the other types.”

Before the ponies with me can say anything, Zecora says, “You've given me the answer for which I did ask. Now I must return to my task.” And, with that, she disappears into the trees again.

As the four of us resume our walk, Ataahua approaches me and asks, “Is it true what you said about me?”

I ask in response, “What would that be?”

Ataahua pauses for a moment, then asks, “Do you really believe I could tell a powerful and inspiring story by overcoming my weaknesses humbly?”

I answer, “Yes, I do believe that. And, by the way, don't think your potential is any less because of what I said. It may be that there's a potential in unicorns and pegasi that I'm not seeing. I'm not perfect, after all.” Then, once I figure we've gotten out of earshot of Zecora, I add, “I wonder if Zecora is a typical zebra. With those rings around her neck, she reminds me of a human culture I've read about, I believe they're called the giraffe people. They wear rings similar to the ones that Zecora wears to make their necks longer, and more are added as they grow. Unlike them, I doubt Zecora would be immobilized or die if her rings were to be removed. At least, from what I can see, the rings around her neck don't seem to stretch it the way the giraffe people's rings do.”

My soliloquy isn't answered as we make our way through the forest, again to only the audio evidence of animal life. It can't be more than an hour before we make our way to the other side of the Everfree forest, and there's no evidence of my character's home.

On the other hand, there is a dark blue box, taller than my character, that reminds me of a telephone booth, although telephone booths don't have the word “Police” on them. This is the tardis that Doctor Whooves was talking about.

As if on cue, the brown earth pony turns to me and says, “Well, this is our stop. I guess you were right. We couldn't see your house from here. But, maybe we'll come by for a visit some day.” With that, Doctor Whooves and Ataahua turn to the tardis and proceed to enter through the visible door.

As my character passes the meadow, he looks back, and we see the tardis start to disappear and reappear, until it finally disappears with an explosive sound.

For the past ten minutes until now, Lyra has evidently been asleep on my character's back, as I've heard her snoring for that amount of time. But the explosive sound wakes her up just long enough for her to notice the group has been reduced by half. Then she goes back to sleep.

It's just a few more minutes before we reach my character's home, a fenced-off area that includes a house surrounded by a green lawn, with an orchard next to it, a vineyard behind the orchard, a vegetable garden behind the house, a grain field behind the vegetable garden, and a pond and a family history center behind the vineyard. At the gate, leading to the house, my character kneels down and proceeds to allow Lyra to slowly slide off his back.

Lyra stirs awake with the change in altitude, and as she feels the ground under her hind hooves. When she's finally on all four hooves on the ground, and after my character turns to her, she looks up at me and asks, “Are we there yet?”

I have to laugh at hearing that from her. How often has that been the main question of a game children would play? And, more often than not, the answer to the question would be “no,” because the question was most often asked in transit. But, since human and unicorn have arrived, I answer, “Yes, we're here.”

My character stands up and unlatches the gate, which swings open.

Surprised at the movement, Lyra shakes her head. Still unstable with sleep, she stumbles through the gate and on up the cement pathway to my house.

Letting the pale-green unicorn proceed ahead of him, my character lingers behind long enough to close the gate behind the two of them, then proceeds to follow her up to the porch.

While I expect her to wait for me at the door, instead she moves to the side of the door where she won't get hit by it opening, settles down canine style, and looks at my character.

Seeing that she doesn't seem to want to go inside, my character sits down next to her, two steps down to be somewhat on the same level with her, and I say, “I have fruits like and apples and pears, or vegetables like carrots and parsnips, that I can get. Is there anything you'd like?”

The pale-green unicorn hums with interest, then says, “An apple sounds good to me.”

My character stands up again as I say, “I'll be right back.” He then proceeds to the orchard where he picks two apples and a pear, all ripe. Then, he returns to the house and proceeds to enter.

At this point, Lyra stands up, turns to my character, and says, “You can give me my apple whole. I'll eat it just fine.”

I answer, “If you want to follow me inside, you're welcome to.”

The pale-green unicorn studies my character, I'm assuming, from his feet to his head and back down again, then, looking back up at his face, says, “Alright. But, I'll have my apple now, please.”

My character holds out the fruits to her, at which point the red apple glows with a nearly-white-green aura and drifts toward Lyra's mouth.

Lyra opens her mouth as the apple makes its approach, then bites the apple once part of it is between her teeth. After she swallows her mouthful she says, “Thank you. I needed that.”

As my character proceeds to open the door to allow the two of them to enter, I answer, “I'm glad you like it. There are more where that came from.”

The glowing apple moves closer to Lyra's mouth again, but, before she takes another bite of it, she says, “Thanks for the offer, but I think this'll do.”

My character allows Lyra to enter the house first, then follows behind her, then closes the door behind them.

The pale-green unicorn looks at the setup of the front room, notices two couches surrounding a coffee table, then makes her way to the couch facing away from the front door and jumps up onto it, settling down this time on her haunches, more like a human.

In the mean time, my character enters the kitchen and produces a knife from the drawer, then a small saucer from a cabinet, then proceeds to cut the remaining apple and the pear into quarters before returning to the living room to eat the fruits and perhaps talk with the unicorn that had been so curious about humans before. After my character takes a seat on the couch opposite the one where Lyra's sitting, I ask, “So, is there anything else you wanted to ask me?”

While my character was in the kitchen, it appears that Lyra has had time to eat all her apple except for the core. The first thing she asks me is, “Do you have a garbage receptacle?”

Remembering where I saw it as my character entered the kitchen, I answer, “In the kitchen, next to the fridge.”

The unicorn nods and says, “Thank you,” then proceeds to drop off the couch and enter through the door where I entered. I can't help noticing she uses a front hoof to push the door open, keeping the remnants of the fruit hovering over her back. She disappears through the closing door for a few seconds, then returns without the apple core. As the door closes behind her, she says,”I'm hoping that strange box with the sliding door on top was the garbage. If not, I guess I didn't get the right one.”

I answer, “It sounds to me like you got it right.”

Lyra makes her way back to the couch she sat on before as she says, “Good,” then proceeds to jump up onto it again.

At this point, I'm not sure how I should expect her to sit down. Understanding that she's interested in humans, and having already seen her sit like a human on the couch, still I don't know if I should expect her to sit on her haunches again, the way a human would, or canine style, the way she did on the porch. Either way, it's her choice.

As an answer to my unasked question, she proceeds to prop herself up on her haunches again and sit, in a way I sense is rather uncomfortable for her, almost as though she were standing with her backside against a well-cushoined wall. She then asks, “So what do humans like to do?”

I answer, “It all depends on the human. I, for example, like playing video games. I also like fishing, and I especially like startling burglars.”

Lyra looks away and scratches the back of her neck with a front hoof as she asks, “Startling burglars?”

I answer, “Oh, yeah. Especially unicorn burglars. I just find it funny to see how rattled they can get.”

Just then I hear a zipper sound effect from Lyra, after which she seems to hide her crotch with her front hooves. She then asks, “Uh, where is your bathroom?”

I have my character stand up as I answer, “If you'll follow me, the closest one is this way.”

The pale-green unicorn, now with glowing red cheeks, proceeds to jump off the closest arm of the couch as she says, “Again, thanks. I hope I didn't mess up your couch.”

As my character heads through the kitchen door down a hallway and opens the second door down on his left, I say, “Something tells me if you did, your tail is probably a mess as well.”

As my character watches the unicorn walk in front of him, I can see that there's nothing sticking to her tail. But, not long after she enters, and my character closes the door behind her, I hear another, longer, deeper zipper sound effect, followed by a splattering sound, then Lyra saying, “Oops. I'd better clean that up.”

I ask, “Are you alright in there?”

Lyra answers, “I'm fine. No need to worry about me.” Yet, in spite of her reassurance, I sense something in her voice that suggests she may not be alright after all. Then, I hear her ask, “What kind of video games do you like to play?”

Thinking it better to answer her question than to dwell on what I suspect happened, I answer, “I personally like RPGs, racing games, puzzle games and adventure games. I don't mind survival horror games, as long as someone else is playing them, or has recorded a playthrough for others to watch. For that matter, if there are games that I don't have and can't get, I'll search for the playthrough of that game and watch that instead.”

Just then I hear another deep zipper sound effect and splatter, followed by Lyra saying, “Ouch, that hurt.” And, by the tone of her voice, I'm guessing it actually did.

I ask, “Are you sure you're alright in there?”

Lyra doesn't answer immediately. When she does, after a few minutes, she whimpers, “Do you think I could spend some time here? I'm not feeling well.” After that, I hear a gagging sound and a splashing sound, followed by silence.

At this point, I wonder if there's something about the apple she took from my character that's having an adverse effect on her. I ask, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

The only response I get is a groan. I can only guess that the best thing to do, once Lyra is out of the bathroom, is to provide a place for her to lay down for a while. And, my character has the same idea. He proceeds to a nearby closet and produces from it a blanket or two and a pillow. He then proceeds to carry the bedding to the couch where Lyra had been sitting. I see no stain on the cushions of the couch, and my character proceeds to spread the blankets out and place the pillow near where Lyra had been sitting. By the time the now nearly-white unicorn comes out of the bathroom, my character has also provided a bucket for her, just in case, while she's relaxing, she feels nauseated again.

Lyra stumbles toward the couch and, seeing the bedding provided for her, turns to my character and says, “As much as I appreciate it, you really didn't need to do that.”

I can only guess that she's starting to feel better, since she's been able to say that long phrase.

As she makes her way to the couch, my character offers to help her onto it, which she accepts without protest.

I see her wince when my character tries to lift her hind quarters after setting her front quarters onto the couch near the pillow. But, once she's in position, she turns to me and asks, “Do you have any questions for me?”

After her evident stomach ache, I'm not sure I should be bothering her with questions.

When I say nothing for a while, Lyra, who's taken a more equine resting position on the blankets, says, “I just need something to get my mind off of what happened in your bathroom.”

Well, that puts a limit on the questions I can ask her. Thinking about it for a moment more, I ask, “So, what is it about humans that you find so fascinating?”

Lyra rests her head on the pillow provided and answers, “You humans have created so many amazing things. It's like you have your own kind of magic.”

I respond, “It's helped us to have thumbs.”

Lyra smiles, or at least tries to. Then she says, “Some friends of mine are hoping to play a video game we've discovered. We found a machine, I believe it's called a computer, that has all sorts of games. If you want to join in, even just watch, you're welcome to.” Before she can get my answer, she starts snoring. Evidently her stomach problems took more out of her than either of us thought.

My character covers her with the other blanket, then takes the remnants of the fruit into the kitchen to finish it off. After that, he goes to a nearby bedroom to get some rest of his own.

A message on the screen reads, “Two hours later … “

My character wakes up to pounding on the front door. After waking up, he proceeds to the front door to see that Lyra is ready to leave at present.

The impatient unicorn looks at my character and says, “If we don't leave now, we're going to be late for that game party at Vinyl's and Octavia's.”

I know what Lyra's talking about. This is based on another fan fiction I've listened to, where four mares proceed to play a version of Slender for ponies. Indeed this isn't an event I want to be late for, much less make Lyra late for.

My character opens the front door, and Lyra runs toward the front gate.

As my character closes the door behind him, I ask, “Couldn't you just teleport there with your magic?”

Lyra, now at the front gate, turns to my character and answers, “After my tummy problems? I don't think so. I'm probably going to need you to carry me through the Everfree forest again, in fact. I hope you don't mind.”

I answer, “No problem. Do you think your friends will wait for you, just in case you do arrive late?”

Lyra answers, “I hope so. There were some titles that looked really interesting to me. I hope to get to play at least one of them.”

I don't say this aloud, but I'm hoping to be on hand to spice up their experience. What I do say is, “I'd like to see how ponies work with technology made for humans.”

As seems to be expected, once again Lyra is too scared to move ahead under her own power. So, once again, my character is her mount, but this time for the return trip through the Everfree forest.

The trip, which takes about an hour, is once again uneventful, with only the sounds to indicate animal life in the forest. The evidence that we're through the forest, and that Lyra can start walking on her own again, is Fluttershy's house opposite a stream just to the side of the trail.

It seems to me fortunate that Lyra didn't fall asleep on the way back through the forest, and she seems alert enough to easily support herself and walk, or in this case run, the rest of the way to Ponyville.

She leads the way to a tall tree house, that is a house either shaped like a tree or built inside the trunk of a tree, near a tree that I recognize as one that serves as the library. The excited unicorn waits for me at the door, only knocking when I've caught up to her.

A minute later the door opens into the house to reveal a gray earth pony with darker-gray mane and tail. While I'm unable to see her cutie mark, I already know it's a treble clef. Yes, it's Octavia who's greeted us, and is showing us in.

Lyra says, “I hope you don't mind me bringing a new friend along.”

Octavia eyes my character suspiciously, but says to Lyra, “I suppose it'll be alright. We've got the computer set up in Vinyl's and my bedroom upstairs.”

Without further invitation, Lyra proceeds to run past Octavia, only stopping to wait for my character to catch up with her.

In around a minute the human and unicorn are upstairs and ready to enter the bedroom.

As I enter, I notice what appears to be a bathroom set up almost like a stage, with a toilet and a shower(?) and what could be a sliding glass or plastic wall, opposite the room from the door Lyra and my character entered. Depending on how things go, that minimal bathroom may end up being a good thing.

Vinyl, already sitting at the computer, turns to Lyra and says, “Oh, glad to see you made it.” She then sees me and asks, “And, who's your friend?”

Before I can answer, Lyra says, “This is Mormon. He wants to watch us play on your computer.”

Vinyl turns back to the computer and says, “Great, we're just about to begin. Is Octy coming soon?”

Another pony, with neither wings nor horn, yellow with pink and dark blue mane and tail, with a cutie mark of what look like three rare candies, says, “I can go find out if you want.”

Before Vinyl can accept the yellow pony's invitation, Lyra asks, “So, what game are we playing first?” Once again, her behavior is reminding me of a puppy, although I don't dare mention it aloud.

Vinyl answers, “I found a game called Slender. I think we'll play that first.”

Just then, the door opens, and Octavia enters with a platter of what appear to be really thin fries made from Yukon Gold potatoes, although I doubt that'd be my luck. They're more likely stalks of hay or something like that.

The gray pony says, “I'm here with the refreshments.”

Vinyl cheers, “Yes! Let's get started!” Then, more calmly, she adds, “Alright, since it's my computer, I go first.” And, with a click of the mouse, the menu screen disappears and is replaced by the scene of a quaking aspen forest at night. And, all gather around the musical mare to see how well she does.

I have to hand it to Vinyl Scratch. As weak-minded as she seems, she does seem to have a gift when it comes to video games. As for this Slender game, she manages to collect two pages before the screen starts getting staticky. And, that's when Vinyl starts to panic.

It's also her luck that I decide it's time for my character to take action. As per my instructions, he moves into position behind the unicorn mare, then, at just the right moment, just as Slender Pony appears on the screen in all his glory, I have my character put a hand on Vinyl's closest shoulder.

Presently the white unicorn screams long and loud. But something else is happening, as the other mares are backing away from the two of us.

Then my character releases Vinyl Scratch's shoulder, backs away, and looks down, to see his legs now suddenly have what appears to be a line of shiny chocolate just below the knees. Whatever I did, it had more of an effect than I had really intended.

The now furious Vinyl Scratch swivels in her chair toward me and says, “That wasn't buckin' funny, human.” Then she tries to stand up, and there's clearly some kind of adhesive effect between her and the chair distracting her from me. It takes her a little more time to separate from the chair than she evidently hoped, but she does manage to do so.

The other mares turn away, and Bon-Bon, the yellow earth pony I described earlier, even starts gagging, when Vinyl Scratch puts a front hoof on the back of her leg, then pulls it back up to look at it and find it caked with some of the shiny chocolate that's also on my character's legs.

She says no more, just removes her goggles using her magic, then glares and snorts at me for a few seconds, before heading carefully to that bathroom attached to the bedroom.

After Vinyl Scratch has left, my character looks at each of the remaining ponies. From what I can see through my character's eyes, Lyra is deeply disappointed in me, Bon-Bon is nauseated, and Octavia is just angry.

Octavia, evidently the only one who can talk, asks, “Didn't you see me trying to warn you?”

Before I can answer Octavia's question, Lyra answers for me, “Well, obviously not. That, or he didn't or couldn't bother.”

Before anyone else can say anything, I say, “Well, that response was more than I expected.” I look at the chair and ask, “Is every pony near me gonna do this sort of thing?”

Octavia groans, then puts a front hoof on Bon-Bon's back, opens the door with the other hoof, and proceeds to guide the sick pony out of the room.

As my character grabs the soiled chair, I say, “Well, I guess I'd better get this cleaned up.”

As my character proceeds to drag the chair out of the room, I hear Lyra say, “You're the one that made the mess.”

My character drags the soiled chair through the hall back along the path where Lyra lead me to the room, and outside. I can see through my character's eyes a hose, evidently used for watering the small flower garden, and my character turns on the tap that connects to it, then proceeds to hose Vinyl's feces off of the chair.

While my character is in the process of hosing off the chair, Pinkie Pie hops by and, seeing my character, says, “Hi! I'm glad to see you here. I just came to invite you over to Sugar Cube Corner. I've got some cupcakes I want you to try.”

I answer, “Sure. I just need some time to clean up a mess first.”

At my statement the pink pony stops bouncing and sees what I'm doing. Staring, she tilts her head and says, “Eww! What happened?”

I answer, “I thought I'd watch some friends of yours play a video game. Vinyl Scratch started off playing a game called Slender. I thought I'd have some fun with her, so I grabbed her as Slenderpony appeared.” After a momentary pause, I add, “I expected her to scream, I just didn't expect the scream to come out of both ends.”

The pink pony just stares at me for a while, confused, then straightens her head again and says, “Well, when you're ready, come on over. I'll be sure to have a cupcake ready for you.”

Most would expect Pinkie Pie to resume her bouncing, maybe proceed to the library next. That's my expectation.

Instead, Pinkie Pie marches up to the door, turns the doorknob with a front hoof, and just enters the house.

My character resumes cleaning the chair. When the chair appears to be free of any stains, my character then turns the hose on himself, rinsing the pony dung off his legs.

I hear the door to the house of Vinyl and Octavia open, and my character turns to show that it's Lyra at the door.

The pale-green pony looks at me and wanders toward me, saying, “I feel responsible for bringing you here.”

Presently I answer, “Don't. It was my idea to grab Vinyl when I did. The mess was my fault.”

Lyra says, “Well, if I hadn't lead you here, you wouldn't have had the chance.”

My character drops the hose as I state, “You didn't know what I was going to do.” I have to wonder if my amused smile can be heard through the speaker as I add, “Then again, I didn't know Vinyl Scratch was going to react the way she did.” My character returns to the tap and turns it off, then returns to the chair. As he grabs it and starts to drag it back to the door, I conclude, “Now, if I'm not mistaken, there's still a mess for me to clean up in Vinyl and Octavia's room.”

In less than a minute my character is back in the room, although he leaves the chair just outside the door. No need to have one more obstacle in cleaning the remaining mess.

Pinkie Pie is there at the now-closed bathroom, saying, “He said you screamed out of both ends?”

While Vinyl's response is somewhat garbled, I can still make out her saying, “Just wait 'til I get my hooves on that human.”

Pinkie Pie says, “That may be sooner than you think. He just came in.”

I say, “I just came in to find out if there're any cleaning utensils I can use. There's still a mess in here for me to clean up.”

From behind my character, I hear Lyra say, “I think I can help.” As my character turns so I can see the pale-green unicorn, she continues, “Just wait here, and I'll get the things you'll need.”

It's most likely because I'm on the opposite side of the screen from the activity in the game, but I feel no fear about the immediate future. For that matter, I don't have any fear at all.

One thing that surprises me is that, as long as it takes for Lyra to return with a bucket full of soapy water and a brush for cleaning carpets, Vinyl Scratch doesn't leave the bathroom. Perhaps her feces stained her more than I realized.

It's not until I'm well into the job of scrubbing the feces stains out of the carpet when Vinyl Scratch finally comes out. I hear her ask, “Haven't you caused enough trouble?”

It's Pinkie Pie who speaks, and she says, “He's cleanin' up the carpet, silly. This isn't the first time I've seen him cleaning up a mess he caused.”

Just then the door behind my character opens again, and I hear Octavia's voice say, “I'm going to take Bon-Bon to her home. Are you alright, Vinyl?”

After a few seconds, I hear Vinyl Scratch say, “I'm gonna stay here and keep an eye on the human. I was gonna beat him up, but I think I'll just watch him clean up the rest of the mess he caused. I'm having more fun watching that anyway.”

My character looks up at Vinyl Scratch, and I can see she's wearing a towel around her abdomen. The towel does a good job covering her crotch and legs.

The white pony looks at me and says, “Get back to work cleaning up your mess.”

My character turns his attention to the mess again. In a matter of minutes, the last spots are gone, from the blankets as well as from the carpet, and my character makes his way out from under the desk.

Vinyl Scratch inspects the carpet under the desk, then the rest of the area, then says, “I don't know what surprises me more: that you came back to clean up, or that you did such a rockin' job. So, where's my chair?”

While Vinyl Scratch was inspecting the carpet, my character was standing back up. At her question I say, “It's in the hallway, just outside. Do you want me to bring it in?”

Vinyl Scratch moves past me and says, “I'll get it. You can leave now.”

As my character maneuvers toward the door, I say, “I'm glad I had the chance to clean up the mess I caused. Now, if I'm not mistaken, Pinkie Pie invited me over to sample some cupcakes she made.”

That's when the party pony chimes in, “That's right!” In one bounce, she jumps over the beds and lands behind my character. She then says, “Well, let's get goin'.”

Vinyl Scratch opens the door and moves into the hallway, moving out of the way of my character and the pink pony pushing him out of the bedroom and eventually back out the door and toward the bakery.

I get no control over my character until he and Pinkie Pie are at the doorway to Sugar Cube Corner. At that point, knowing what to expect, still I have my character proceed through the door and toward a platter stacked with what appear to be pink-colored, strawberry cupcakes. My character walks up to the platter and grabs one of the pastries.

As the cupcake disappears from the bottom of my character's view, text at the bottom of the screen reads, “Your senses detect two types of meat in the cupcake, one of which reminds you of chicken. The best flavors of the meats seem to have been brought out in herbal seasonings.”

I know what the main ingredient is, but I also know this is not the place to talk about it. I compliment Pinkie Pie on a job well done, then have my character leave the bakery and proceed toward the shed where he was trapped by the pink pony, again knowing what to expect.

It's a matter of minutes before I arrive at the shed, and a matter of seconds before I find the trap door that leads to the basement. Inside, near the doorway, I find a stack of bones, surprisingly clean. On top of the stack is a skull with a beak.

As I proceed toward the pile of bones, I hear Pinkie Pie excitedly talking to another pony, one that sounds like Ataahua. Then, a few seconds later, I hear a thud, followed perhaps a minute later by the sound of hoof-falls on wood, then down the stairs. In short order, my character grabs the griffon skull and proceeds to look at it's face, as though looking into the now-absent eyes.

As I hear the door open, I say, “Alas, poor Gilda.” I give Pinkie a moment to stop screaming, then continue, “I knew her, Pinkie. Not as well as I would like to, although, all things considered, I'm likely closer to her now than I was when she was alive. I never did get a clear answer about whether I won that roaring contest or not; I suppose I shall have to assume I did.” Then, after my character puts the skull back in place on the pile of bones, I have him turn to her, and I say, “Well, enough of channeling Shakespeare. I think we need to talk about this.”

As I look at her, I can see that her mane is straight and all to one side so that I can see her face clearly.

Pinkie Pie (or her other identity?) takes a moment to steady her breathing before saying, “So, what did you think about the cupcake?”

I pause for a moment before saying, “Well, in the sense that the meat was well prepared and seasoned, and had a pleasant flavor, it tasted just like chicken.”

The pink pony smiles and says, “I'm glad you liked it. I could make more if you want.”

I add, “But, having said that, this is not the sort of thing I would expect from you.”

After my first word, I hear the pink earth pony say, “Uh, oh.” After I say “having said that,” I hear her say, “Well, here it comes.” When I finish my statement, she asks, “What do you mean? You said you liked the cupcake.”

My character stands up and takes a hasty step toward the pink earth pony while I say, “That's not the point.” Then, through my character's eyes, I see what, or who, the earth mare had started dragging down into the basement: a gray mare with wings and yellow mane and tail. Recognizing her immediately, I say, “Ataahua.”

Pinkie Pie says, “You liked the cupcakes with griffon flavor. I thought I'd try pony next.”

I answer, “No, just no. This is not how the element of laughter works.” As my character looks at the pink pony, I continue, “You don't make your fellow ponies into cupcakes, you make them laugh. Pinkie, what are you doing?”

As my character walks past Pinkie Pie to the dormant Ataahua and proceeds to untie her, the pink pony answers, “First of all, you can call me Diane. Second of all, I should be asking you what you are doing.”

I answer, “I'm putting a stop to this. And, you'd better stay and clean up those bones before someone comes and finds them.” By now, my character has managed to undo the ropes and unwrap the gray pegasa.

Diane looks at me and asks, “Didn't you promise you'd keep this place a secret?”

My character turns to Diane, and I say, “I don't want to have to ask your friends to intervene on your behalf. But, I will do what I have to. Ki tahi au.” And, with the time the pause gives him, my character takes Ataahua and runs out of the basement and the shed, on his way back to town. I don't say “continue” until he's approaching the outskirts of Ponyville. Once the animation resumes, I have my character make his way to the library, hoping Twilight Sparkle can keep the gray pegasa safe until I can take steps to gather evidence in case I do need to intervene. And that means my character needs to return to his house.

No one, that I can immediately tell, joins my character on his way through the Everfree forest, although I am aware of something either following him, or maintaining a position next to him.

I can hear a calm, friendly voice next to me say, “So, how is Pinkie Pie?”

My character turns toward the voice, and I recognize the unusually large size, the white body, and the pastel-rainbow mane. I answer, “Celestia, I didn't expect you to follow me.”

More urgently, Celestia asks, “How is Pinkie Pie?”

My character slows to a stop before I answer, “I'm not sure how to answer that. She's not physically hurt or sick, but she's not her normal self, either.”

Celestia pauses for a moment, then says, “I know you brought Derpy Hooves to the library so my student could take care of her. And, I know you and Pinkie Pie are acquainted. Is there something about that familiarity that might explain her unusual behavior?”

Now it's my turn to pause for a moment before answering, “The first time I came to Ponyville, three stallions attacked me, trying to chase me off. I told them a story that caused a mess, and I guess Pinkie Pie wanted to take revenge on me for that.” After another pause, I continue, “I've done more things that I hope prove that I'm not a threat. And, maybe I was successful. All I know is Pinkie Pie doesn't want to get even with me for evidently hurting the stallions. I can't say any more than that.”

By the way Celestia's face fills the screen, it's clear that she moves to closer to that of my character and says, “You must do something to divert Pinkie Pie from her present course. At this rate, I fear she will kill a fellow pony. You know she's already killed a griffon, and I think you're responsible. And, furthermore, I sense you know what'll happen to her if she continues on this course of destruction.”

I only answer, “Agreed.”

Now Celestia moves away from me and says, “Good.” She turns on her hooves a hundred eighty degrees, but looks back at my character and says, “I'll allow you to address me in the familiar in circumstances like this, when it's just us two. But, when other ponies are present, I would appreciate it if you called me Princess Celestia.” And, with that, she trots off.

Princess Celestia's warning has importance, but in this first playthrough I intend to fail. When I retell this story, I'll demonstrate a way, hopefully the best way, to succeed.

My character resumes his trek back home, and the last of the journey takes perhaps three-fourths of an hour. When he opens the door to his house, I see Pinkie Pie there waiting for him.

The pink earth pony says, “Alright, I won't hurt Derpy Hooves. But, I am indebted to you, and I intend to pay that debt.” Then, as her mane and tail uncurl, and her mane flows to one side, indicating that Diane is taking over, she says, going through the actions, “Cross my heart. Hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye.” And, with that, she walks past my character, out the door, and to the gate. When she turns back to my character, her mane and tail are once again curly, indicating that Pinkamena is back in control. She says, “There's no breaking a Pinkie promise.” Then, she lets herself out of the gate and closes it behind her and proceeds back toward Ponyville.

It's time to put a plan of mine into action. As my character enters his house, I direct him to a different room, one attached to a hallway connected to the front room, more or less opposite the hallway from the kitchen. In that room, which I have set aside as my character's work room, I direct him to gather some equipment, including a drill and a small camera. But, there's one last thing I'm left to wonder about: How did Pinkie Pie know where my character lives? Did she somehow follow him through the Everfree forest without me noticing her? But, now isn't the time for those questions.

Another hour or so and my character is at the basement. Inside, it's evident that Pinkie Pie hasn't cleaned up the remains of Gilda the griffon still near the door. But, that doesn't matter right now.

My character drills a hole in the wall, then pushes a wire into the hole, then attaches a tiny camera to the end of the wire, then plants the camera in the hole, making sure there's no visible evidence of the device. Then, he leaves the basement, fishes the other end of the wire out of the dirt, produces a solar panel, and connects the end of the wire and the solar panel. After that, he returns to his house. After that, I send my character to bed, at which point I save the game and close it down.

Author's Notes:

So, in this chapter, the main character finally reveals his name, or at least his user name: Mormon. He also offers a nickname, which is promptly accepted, by one of the more popular background ponies. And, then he has to rescue that pony from Pinkie Pie. Clearly, whatever the pink pony's reasoning is, her fellow ponies aren't safe from it now. And, it hasn't helped that Mormon's character has sampled one of those griffon cupcakes.

We also know that the main character, Mormon, has a house where he lives on the other side of the Everfree forest from Ponyville.

And, not to worry. For the rest of this volume, we'll hear no more from those three stallions.

In the mean time, in the next chapter, Evidence, things will go from bad to worse when Pinkie Pie kills her first fellow pony. I can promise you, it won't be Rainbow Dash. But, having said that, let me state that just because I have a pony or griffon die in this story doesn't mean I hate that griffon or pony. As a matter of fact, the pony that dies in the next chapter is one that I really respect and appreciate. For that matter, I also respect Pinkie Pie.

So, I hope you enjoy the story so far. I'll release the next chapter two weeks after this one.