Michael's eyes crept open as the sun shone on his face. He bolted up. This was not his home, nor the ponification center. He looked around and saw the wooden walls with shelves filled with books.

"Right... I'm in Ponyville. This is Twilight's house."

He climbed out of the undersized bed and walked over to the precipice that overlooked the expansive interior of the library.

There was no one else there.

Michael picked his shoes up off the floor and carried them as he walked down the stairs to his motorcycle. Unlatching and lifting the seat, he removed a set of clothes from inside the compartment along with a bottle of water and a disposable toothbrush. As he brushed his teeth, He looked around to find a suitably private place to change, but there wasn't a curtain in sight. Worse still, just as soon as Michael resigned himself to try his luck and change near his bed, the front door opened and Twilight returned.

Michael stood back against his bike as she hovered a basket of baked goods ahead of her. The room filled with the scent of apples as Michael crammed the clean clothes back into the compartment.

"Oh, Good, You're up," she said, lowering the basket onto the nearby table, "I brought us some breakfast. I didn't think you were a fan of hay, so I asked Applejack for some of her baked goods."

Michael grabbed what looked like a muffin with apple chunks in it, "Thank you."

        He kneeled on one of the pillows next to the table. Twilight sat across from him.

"So," he said, "I guess I should start telling you how I got here."

"Actually," said Twilight, "Your timing is pretty good. The Princess is supposed to be arriving here later this morning."

Michael nearly choked on his muffin.

"What?!" he gasped. The news shouldn’t have caught him so off guard; he expected that Princess Celestia was the reason the ponies had left the ponification camp. Still, he assumed that she had given them orders by post, not that she would come to brief them personally, much less with him there.

"She's supposed to be arriving soon to explain to us the task she'll be sending us on."

"Any idea what it is?"

Twilight sighed, "I don't have a clue. I wish she'd tell me so I'd at least have a chance to research it..."

Michael finished his muffin, "So what do you think her reaction will be to me being here?"

"I have absolutely no idea. I'm not even sure what my reaction is to you being here."

A thought struck him, "Say, where's that little purple dragon?"

"Oh, Spike? He's out making sure everyone else knows the Princess is coming. It's a bit last minute, but we like to make the town look nice whenever she visits."

"Big thing, huh?"

"Well, she is the princess."

"I suppose so," Michael got up and threw the paper lining of the muffin away, "Twilight, is there a place around here where I could change?"

She looked puzzled, "Change?"

Michael pointed at his clothes.

"Oh, 'Change'! Sorry, I forgot that humans think of clothes differently than we do. Yes, just a moment."

Twilight levitated the blanket off of the bed Michael was sleeping on and sent two tacks flying, nailing the blanket to the wall, covering the opening of the bedroom area.

"Will that work?"

Michael nodded, "Yeah, that'll be fine, thanks."

He retrieved his clothes from the motorcycle once again and went up the stairs to get changed.

From behind the improvised curtain, he heard the front door open and close.

"Spike, there you are; how are the preparations coming?" Twilight asked.

"Right on schedule. Pinkie Pie is helping Mr. and Mrs. Cake make a batch of cupcakes and pastries, Rainbow Dash is almost done clearing the clouds, and Rarity is hanging banners around town."

"Very good. You didn't tell anyone about our... guest, did you?"   

"Nope. But some people were asking about those strange tracks through town."

Having donned a fresh black button down shirt and black cargo pants, Michael emerged from behind the curtain and walked down the steps, carrying his bundled up clothes from the day before under his arm. "Sorry about that, but I think footprints would be even more difficult to explain."

Twilight nodded gently, "That's true; there are enough ponified humans here that footprints like yours would cause a considerable panic."

As he approached the two, Spike sized him up, "You know, you're not that mean looking."

"Uhh... Thanks?" Michael answered, unsure if that was a good thing or not. He turned to Twilight, "So, when's the Princess getting here?"

Suddenly, the sound of fanfare could be heard from outside. He smirked, "I guess that answers that."

Twilight looked panicked, "Oh no! She's early! Michael, you stay here. Spike, go get everyone while I greet the princess!"

She and Spike both took off through the front door, leaving him there. Having nothing to do but wait, Michael grabbed a book off one of the shelves and another muffin and drudged back up the stairs. Sitting on the bed, his back up against the wall, he opened the old book and waited.

Nearing the sparkling golden chariot, Twilight called out to the princess.

"Princess Celestia, You're early! Is everything alright?"

The pegacorn turned to her and, for the first time, did not smile upon seeing her prized pupil, "No, Twilight, something is very wrong. Where are your friends?"

"They're on their way here as we speak."

"Good, there is little time. Let us go to the library and wait there until they arrive."

        Michael turned his head in the direction of the sound of the library door opening again. He couldn't see them, but he heard the short, quick steps of a pony, and the slower, heavier steps of something else. Whatever it was had to be much bigger than the pony.

"Please, Princess, have a seat."

"Thank you, Twilight. While we wait for the others, tell me, how are things at the Conversion Bureau in Newark?"

"So the Princess is bigger than ponies?" he thought.

Twilight went on until the door opened once more and the noise of multiple ponies entering the wooden building sounded through the cavernous walls of the library.

Once pleasantries were exchanged and the noise settled down, the Princess spoke up, "I do believe this accounts for everypony."

"Not... everyone," Twilight said nervously.

"Oh? Is somepony missing?" Princess Celestia asked.

"Not... exactly." Michael didn't have to see her to tell that Twilight was squirming, "Princess, there is something I have to tell you. We have something of an... unusual guest with us today. He's apparently been through a lot to come here, however, I believe whatever he has to say will be very useful. He's actually here with us right now, if you are ready to see him."

"Well, if you feel his presence here is that important, of course. He's welcome to join us."

Twilight let out a nervous sigh, "Alright, come on out."

Michael stood up from the bed. His profile, no longer shielded by the portions of wall surrounding the window, was cast as a silhouette by the sun onto the blanket that still hid him from sight of the rest of the library. He walked slowly until he stepped down onto the stairs, emerging from behind the blanket.

Gasps from all corners of the room could be heard, but none as loud as the one that emerged from the white pegacorn with flowing techincolor hair.

Michael locked eyes with her and smiled wryly, "Hi there. I'm Michael; Michael Frost. Nice to meet you." Next Chapter: Chapter 12 Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 47 Minutes