Twi and Ty's Topsy-Turvy Tours

by TAP BaDap18

First published 4th of July, 2012

Twilight Sparkle gets a first-hoof learning experience about humans and their world, and then some.

In an attempt to instantly transport herself to different cities in Equestria, Twilight Sparkle mistakenly casts a spell that transports her not to another city, but out of her universe entirely! She finds herself thrown into an unfamiliar place inhabited by strange creatures no one in her own world has ever encountered before. However, instead of panicking, she delightfully takes it as an opportunity to learn about the new world she unintentionally warped herself into, gaining her insight from the very first of these ethereal beings she makes contact with. This 'human' agrees to bestow his knowledge upon the inquisitive unicorn, under the grounds that she return the favor. What neither of them knows, however, is that life has very unusual ways of forming bonds that span across literal galaxies...

Who... and WHAT are you? (Prologue)

Of all the things I’d have thought possible, this was by FAR, not one of them. “There are many possibilities in the ever-expanding universe,” was something I’d been told time and time again by various science teachers I’ve had for a good portion of my childhood. However, even they would be as dumbfounded as I was when the implausible, the improbable, and the outright crazy happened...

“Aaaand, done!” I said as I finished up an online game on my Xbox 360. “…whelp, I’m bored. What to do now…? Maybe I’ll just take a walk to kill time… or maybe aimlessly surf the internet until somethin' catches my eye…” As I pondered what I would do to spend rest of the already-late afternoon, I began to notice a dim, purplish gleam forming in the center of my room.

“What the hell…?” I asked myself in wonder. “Man, that’s what I get for starin’ at this TV screen for so long…” I muttered as I took off my glasses to wipe them with my shirt. However, even after putting them back on, the gleam was still there, and appeared to be getting brighter. I took my glasses off once again; only this time, I began to rapidly rub my eyes, figuring that there was something in them. Of course, that failed to be effective in the least, as the gleam was still there, getting brighter. In addition, a small gust of wind began to blow. Confused, I looked at my window to see that it was closed. I then got up and checked my air vent. The lack of flowing air through it told me that the air conditioning was off. Whatever was going on was seriously starting to freak me out.

"I’ll b… ack, gir…!” A feminine voice shouted vaguely, seemingly from nowhere. Further discombobulated, I looked around to realize that no one around me.

“Whoa, what? I know I ain’t high or nothin’… Ah’own even smoke…” I mumbled, scratching my head in confusion. “Somebody here?” I asked aloud. No answer. Instead, the gleam became a bright purple glow, as the swirling winds increased in intensity and an electric crackling sound began to emit from the strange, inexplicably bright light. I shielded my eyes as the shining, luminous light became too bright for me to stare at directly.

*Crackle Crackle*

*Whish*

I was beginning to wonder if there was a hurricane about to form in my room, when *BOOM!* a loud, thunder-like crash rattled my room, startling the living hell out of me.

"Oh, shit!" I hurriedly ducked for cover behind my bed as the purple light quickly brightened and expanded, making the area flash a blinding white. After a few seconds, the wind, light, and crackling noises dissipated in almost an instant. Trembling with the sudden intensity of a crack addict hopped up on caffeine and adrenaline, I slowly peeked from behind the side of my bed farthest away from the explosion to find my jaw almost dislocating in shock at what I laid my eyes on…

"...M-maybe I AM high... What the...?"

“Wow, what a trip… That took a lot out of me… Next time, I should probably ask for help from Rarity…” a small, strange talking animal muttered to itself after emerging from what I’d guess was some kind of portal.

“Get the f… How does somethin’ like this even…?” I whispered to myself loudly.

“Oh, hello there!” the home invader spoke aloud. I almost moved to hide myself back behind my bed, but figured I’d surrender, as the being had already spotted me.

"Damn...! Might as well come out now..." I thought, still afraid beyond belief of what was standing in front of me.

“Um… hello,” I sheepishly replied.

“Hi! My name is Twilight Sparkle! Who…" it trailed off, taking on a look of total astonishment. "...and WHAT, may I ask are you?” the strange creature asked as I crawled from cover, ironically looking as confused as I did.

“Uh… My name is Tyshawn… I’m… a human,” I barely managed to shakily murmur as I was still looking in shock at the creature standing before me and TALKING; in perfect English, no less!

“Well, Tyshawn, I’m very sorry to have alarmed you like this. You see, I was practicing this spell I had recently learned which was supposed to allow me to travel great distances across Equestria, and I—!”

"Whoa, wha...? 'Equestria...?'"

“Hold on, hold on, hold on..." I respectfully interrupted the extraterrestrial being. "Okay, sorry to interrupt, uhh… Twilight Sprinkles, but you don’t even have to finish that sentence for me to have a ton of questions…” I skeptically interrupted, the fear in my voice mostly gone as I figured from the tone of the creature's voice that it wasn't here to rip my brain out or do something freaky like in a typical science fiction movie. “Also, you ain’t in any place called ‘Equestria,’” I added, wondering what horse-back riders had to do with Twilight’s appearance here.

“Sparkle,” the unicorn-like extraterrestrial being corrected matter-of-factly. “But what do you mean, ‘not in any place called Equestria’?”

“Exactly what I said, er... Twilight. You are not in Equestria. You are in America.” At that, its face twisted up in total bewilderment.

“America? What the hay kind of country is that?”

“Certainly not one where you’re from, I’m guessin’...”

“Odd…" Twilight mumbled as it focused its attention away from me. "I seem to have made a bit of a miscalculation in the incantation... Note to self: Further research must be conducted on the spell that inadvertently brought me here instead of anywhere in Equestria... Still, I guess I’ll have to mark this down as a new branch of transportation magic… Yet, there's much to evaluate because of the mistake I made... Hmm...” Twilight pondered to itself for a short while as the room went silent. As the creature was wondering what had happened to transport it to this place, I surveyed every inch of its small, horse-like body. It had such a strange, yet… cute look to it. Like a teddy bear, or a pet. Either way, I felt compelled to touch it. I slowly approached the somewhat-small, purple alien and laid my left hand on the top of its head and applied very light pressure with my fingers. It instantly became apprehensive, as I’d expected.

“What are you doing?” Twilight asked in surprise after shaking my hand off of its head and backing away.

“I’m… uh… obtainin’ knowledge… and stuff… yeah, tha’ss it.” I answered uneasily, realizing how foolish my excuse sounded as soon as I uttered it. “Other than the fact that you can talk and that you don’t look like anythin’ I ever seen before, you seem pretty tame. Are you housebroken?” I asked, assuming it was some sort of animal that had lost its owner.

“You mean like some kind of pet?” It asked, raising an eyebrow at me in what seemed like offense. My eyes widened in surprise at its knowledge. “Well, you’re dead-wrong if you think I’m some stray animal. I’ll have you know that I am a pony.” I almost laughed at the irony of Twilight’s statement about not being a stray animal.

"I fail t' see the point in that remark. But alright, that rules out the possibility o' bein' a lost pet, I guess..."

“A pony, huh?” I asked, tilting my head slightly and raising an eyebrow myself. “Not sure how bein’ a pony is different from bein’ an animal…"

"It's a huge difference, actually."

"Right... but I guess that you bein' a horse--!"

"Pony."

"Sorry, 'pony'...explains the mane, horn and tail… The horn must mean you’s a unicorn. But that don’t explain the fact that you’re purple and so are your eyes, along with the oddly… straight dark blue mane and tail with purple and pink highlights...”

"Yes, I am a unicorn. But what's so strange about my appearance that...?" the alien horse-- er, PONY didn't finish its question as it noticed me leaning to the right to get a better look at its body. I noticed a tattoo of some sort adorned on its backside.

“Hey, what’s that starry-lookin’ thing on your butt? That some kinda brandin'?” I asked rather brashly. The alien’s jaw dropped a little as it blushed in embarrassment at my admittedly rude comments and question.

“You’ve got quite some nerve, talking to a mare in such an incorrigible manner,” the indignant unicorn stated in annoyance, glaring at me. I was about to stick my foot further into my mouth with yet another idiotic comment regarding its-- I mean HER gender. However, I caught myself and instead slid backward a couple of inches in apprehension. “I’ll have you know that I was born the way I am, and I’m proud of it. Also, to answer your question, this is my Cutie Mark,” she explained, turning her body to face sideways, looking back at her flank. “It is a symbol of my special talent, which deals in the infinitely vast and ever-expanding subject of magic."

"Whelp... Now I'm REALLY lost... What sense does THAT make??"

"But that’s enough about me for now; what about you?”

“What? What about all the—!?”

“In due time, Tyshawn. But for now, I'd like to familiarize myself with my surroundings… As you can see, I’m entirely new to this country.”

“Fair ‘nuff… Quick note, though: I think you’re in a whole ‘nother world, given that you look way different from any horse on this planet and you can talk but ain’t seen a human before. Anyway, what do you wanna know?” I asked nonchalantly.

“Hmm, where to begin…? Ah! You said you were a ‘human,’ right?”

“Yea.”

“Well… What’s a human?” she asked with utmost curiosity.

"Really? You don't know what a human being is?" I questioned, shocked at her realization.

"I can't say I do," she replied. "I haven't seen anything quite like you before. Would you mind enlightening me?"

“Sure. Ah, well… let’s see…” I pondered as I rubbed my chin, trying to begin a proper explanation of my species. “Okay, do you have monkeys where you come from?”

“That we do,” Twilight answered, her eyes widening in eagerness to hear what I had to say.

“Good, tha'ss gonna make this easier. So anyway, humans are like monkeys, but… We don’t got tails, most of us ain't nearly as hairy, and we are able to stand completely upright on two legs, seein’ as instead of havin’ ‘forelegs’ like you, we have ‘arms’ an' ‘hands’."

"Intriguing..." Twilight mumbled to herself before giving me a once-over. "Do you have a gender? If so, then are you male or female?"

"Yes, I have a gender. I'm male. There are two predominant genders in this world, by the way: Male and Female."

"I see... I also can't help but notice your clothing."

"What about it?"

"Is... is it common for a human to wear clothes?" she asked. I almost gave her a look like she was crazy, but it took mere seconds to understand the inquiry, as she wasn't wearing clothes herself. Odd that she even knew what 'clothes' were, though...

"Yea, we wear clothes on a regular basis."

"Really? Why?"

"Well... for lots o' reasons. But we'd be here all night if I went int' that."

"Mm-hmm... I see. Is there anything else you'd like to teach me?"

"Hmm... Yea, humans are also capable of speech, as evidenced by the fact that this conversation is unbelievably happenin' now. As I’m assumin’ these 'ponies' are the dominant species in your world, humans are the dominant species here. Tha’ss just the basics from my point of view, though.”

“Wow, I see…!” Twilight responded in thoughtful understanding. “Well, what about ponies? Are there ponies here?”

“Well… yes and no,” I answered uneasily. “Y’see, while there IS such a thing as horses an' ponies here, ‘ponies’ of your kind would supposedly be… how you say, ‘not real.’ Your look seems like you was drawn out of a cartoon o' some sort... no offense."

"None taken," the mare pardoned, though when I got to the subject of her appearance, it struck a chord in my head.

"Hmm... Interestingly enough, there’s this kids’ TV show I’m not too familiar with that your look reminds me strongly of. I think i'ss called My Little Pony or somethin’ like that, an' there’s tons o' toys an' books an' whatnot based on it.”

“What!?” Twilight asked in shock. “So what you’re saying is, in this world, a world that is strikingly similar to mine is known about and visible through this… ‘TV’ device, but not tangible, or believed to be real?”

“I guess so. I’m also gonna guess that in your world, humans don’t exist, and that there’s nothin’ that even hints to us existin’?”

“100% correct,” the unicorn responded. “At least until now, anyway... Say, seeing as there’s the possibility that my world’s already known of, has there been any research done in order to prove its existence?”

“Research?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well yeah," she responded most seriously. "You know... Magic tests, teleportation spells, et cetera.”

“Um… if your idea of ‘research’ includes ‘makin’ toys and merchandise for human children, girls specifically, but recently missin’ the demographic, instead attractin’ humans my age and older,’ then I’ll say it’s goin’ swimmingly!” I responded sarcastically. She let out a small chuckle.

“Nice one. You’re pretty funny,” Twilight complimented. “But seriously, what about the magic? Can’t humans use magic?”

“Sadly, no. There ain’t one magic bone in our bodies. I'ss all physical labor an' technology for us. The closest thing to magic we have here is maybe… Optical illusions an' strange ways to exceed the believed physical limitations o' the body.”

“How peculiar… You can’t even do something like this?” she asked as her horn began to glow a bright magenta and, within a second, my entire body was engulfed in the same luminous shade of ethereal light.

“Whoa, what the fuuuuUUAAAAH!” I screamed as I began to involuntarily float into the air, thrashing about like a fish out of water. She levitated me over my bed, and loosened her magic grip. The glow around me disappeared instantly as I came crashing onto my bed face-down. Twilight giggled again.

“Cute,” I flatly stated with a fake smirk after lifting my head. She giggled a little more. “Ahem! Well, to answer your question: No. No we can’t do that,” I said, getting up off the bed and standing in front of her. Comparing my height to hers, her head seemed to meet a little below my waistline. Her size overall was pretty close to that of an actual pony in this world, though maybe a little bit smaller. It was sort of hard to tell, given I didn't necessarily have a reference guide for this sort of thing.

“Whoa, you’re huge!” Twilight exclaimed looking up in surprise. “Are all humans this tall?”

“Mm, not really,” I said, unsure. “I’m six feet and three inches tall, while I think the average height for humans—at least, in America, is somewhere lower. But then, there’s many other humans who are taller than I am. Some by a little, others by a lot. That, and humans have various body shapes an' sizes. In terms o' shape, I’m pretty lean.”

“Is that so? Interesting. I see… I’ve got a lot to… *yawn* learn…" she observed, seeming tired. "I’m worn out from that faulty teleportation spell, though.”

“We only just scratched the surface on learnin’ about each other. Buuut, I assume that means you gonna be sleepin’ here rather than teleportin’ back to Equestria, huh?”

“Funny AND smart. I can tell we’ll get along just fine…” the purple unicorn whispered as she hopped onto my bed and curled herself up, and rested her head in her hooves. "You don't mind if I... *yawn* sleep here, do you...?" she drowsily asked, despite already making herself comfortable.

“Hey, who said—?” I began, but decided not to finish my question, as I saw she was already fast asleep, snoring lightly.

“Aww... For some freakish alien horse thing... She’s adorable…” I said to myself, unable to fight the wan smile that crept onto my face. I looked at the clock to see it was inching towards midnight. “Man, time flies...” I took out a pair of pajamas and went into the bathroom to change into them. When I came back, I found a comfortable position next to my new extraterrestrial unicorn acquaintance, making sure not to disturb her peaceful slumber as I joined her...

Now HERE'S an (Impromptu) Idea: A Field Trip!

I had apparently awoken quite early the next morning, as my room hadn't been entirely lit up with sunlight. I was usually awake at around this time for many a currently unimportant reason. I rose to look at the time on my phone on the floor. It read 5:46 AM.

“Damn, why do I always feel content with less than six hours of sleep…?” I mumbled, stretching and yawning as I sat. "Good thing i'ss the weekend..." As I finished stretching, I noticed a lavender-colored blob in the corner of my eye moving about. I turned to see that same strange alien who'd invaded my home, now poking her snout through various things in my room. “Oh wow, so that wasn’t a dream… you really are here?” I sleepily asked.

“Well, I don’t see why I wouldn’t be, given what we'd been through just yesterday... At least, I THINK it was yesterday... Not entirely sure how time moves here, but I assume it to be similar to Equestria.” Twilight answered in a somewhat insensitive tone while gazing out the window to get a good look at the small forest outside. “Good morning, by the way.”

“Okay, princess, no need to be cranky… What’re you even doin’ up this early?”

“I couldn’t sleep all that well with the knowledge that I’m quite possibly in an alternate universe. I’m simply too excited about finding an entirely new plane of existence to go back to sleep! So I figured I’d just spend some time observing our immediate surroundings… or as you said, ‘gainin’ knowledge…’” she responded with a chuckle. I couldn’t help but laugh a little myself.

“Oh, haha. Makin’ fun o' my accent. How rude!” I jokingly said, turning my head up and away and folding my arms in mock-offense.

“I am so terribly sorry,” she began, playing along, but not turning towards me as she was captivated by my TV and video game system. “But that statement kinda stuck with me. The way it sounded... Plus, your accent sounds pretty similar to a friend of mine…”

“Really, now?” I turned to her, interested. “Do I know them?” I asked, too tired to realize I was talking to a magic purple pony alien.

“Oh, I dunno… That depends on if you’ve ever been able to instantly travel amongst different dimensions and wound up in Equestria at some point in order to meet her before.” Scowling at the unnecessary use of sarcasm, I got her point.

“Oh, right… Smart-ass…” I muttered in contempt, cutting my eyes somewhere else.

“Excuse me, but there are no donkeys around here as far as I can see,” she said with a fake sense of cluelessness, apparently hearing my comment as she continued to look around. My eyes widened in surprise and a little fear as they focused on the small purple unicorn. She turned to face me, her brow furrowed. “…Except for maybe—!”

“Stop, stop, I get it, I’m sorry,” I hastily interrupted before Twilight could finish her remark. “Anyway, who’s this friend o' yours?”

“Her name is Applejack. She’s a pony like me, but she doesn’t have a horn or wings. She’s an apple farmer with a fairly strong accent. As I stated before, the dialect in which you speak sort of reminds me of hers.”

“Oh, an' the questions keep pilin’ up,” I flatly responded with a small twinge of sarcasm, flicking a hand in front of me.

“Well, what about my questions?” she asked with a hopeful tone as she looked up at me with an innocent, glassy-eyed stare.

“Hmm… We'd be here for days on end if I sat here explainin' everything t' you. An' I'm sure you ain't got time for that. I know I don't..."

"So how do you suppose I acquire the knowledge I'm looking for?" the unicorn mare asked.

"Good question..." I stated before beginning to think of ways to get her a quicker ride on the ol' knowledge train.

"Well, there's the internet... But she likely won't know what the hell that even IS, an' I'd rather not sit an' answer half a million questions on what a computer is... Then there's TV, but there ain't ever nothin' but a buncha garbage on it, anyway... Maybe I should jus' take her for a walk or somethin'... Yea, tha'ss it! Take her for a walk!"

"Y’know what? How ‘bout, instead of answerin’ your questions myself, I take you with me to explore this world a little?” The unicorn’s eyes widened and glimmered like an ocean in bright sunlight as she smiled with excitement.

“That’s an excellent idea!”

“One catch, though: I’mma probably need to keep you hidden the entire time, jus' t' be safe… But how will I… Oh! How about I put you in a book bag and you… I dunno, like; use your magic to see through it or somethin’?” Her look quickly turned to one of uncertainty.

“I don’t really like the sound of that, but it COULD be a viable option… one question, though; what’s a ‘book bag’?”

“One o' the many things it’d be better to show you than tell you,” I answered as I got up and walked to my closet to pull out a large black book bag.

“Intriguing… It looks like a saddlebag, but for your kind.”

“Exactly! Now get in,” I said, opening the bag as my stomach began to growl. “…after we wash up and eat.”

“That sounds good, although I’m less than ecstatic about having to gain this experience from the inside of a human saddlebag… Why exactly do I have to hide?” At that, I involuntarily shot her a glance of blunt incredulity.

"...Seriously?"

“Um, I don’t know… Maybe it’s because you’re a magic purple talking horse with powers no one in this world’s history has ever had,” I bitingly remarked, still feeling a bit salty about how she rudely addressed me earlier.

“Wow, okay... Sheesh, no need to be so mean about it…” Twilight indignantly complained with a pout. I instantly felt horrible about my comment.

“Sorry about that… I didn’t mean t' upset you. I forgot that you’re new to this place,” I somberly said.

“It’s fine,” Twilight replied, seeming to forgive my rash insult. “But still, why do I need to hide?”

“It’s safer an' much less conspicuous that way. Unless you know how t' transform yourself into a human being…?”

“I don’t unfortunately, seeing as there's no such things as humans in Equestria. Learning how to do so would likely take weeks at the very least, too... So, taking into account the stipulations you've presented, I guess this plan seems like the only reasonable one...” Twilight glumly lamented.

“Aww, now don’t get all sad on me. We’re still goin’ on this li'l adventure, ain’t we?” I asked. She perked up a bit and smiled at me.

"Indeed. I can hardly wait!"

“Don’t expect us to go too far, though. I know this is a dangerous idea, an' for a number of reasons, so I’mma need you to keep quiet while we’re out there. I’ll pack a notebook and a pen for you so you can write about what you see… You can write, right?”

“Of course. And before you get another question, I use magic, while other ponies tend to either use a hoof or their mouths. Although, in Equestria, we use quills and inkwells, as these ‘pens’ you speak of don’t exist there. We DO have pencils, though...”

“Uh-huh... You answered one question, and raised at least three more. Care to try again?” Twilight let out an annoyed sigh as she was growing impatient.

"Later. I'd rather we embark on this journey right now. It's bad enough that I have to gain all my experience in this world from the inside of a saddlebag. I'd rather not sit inside longer than I have to. The sooner, the better. After we're done, THEN I'll answer your questions for you. Deal?" She made an offer I couldn't refuse there.

“Deal. Alright, le’ss go…”

After a fantastic morning of washing up and playing guessing games with Twilight on what she ate, we were on our way. It turns out that a pony’s diet isn’t far off from an actual horse’s, as she appeared to be a vegetarian (or herbivore, in her case). Taking that into consideration, I gave her an especially large green apple to eat for breakfast. Fun Fact: Apparently, her favorite food is dandelion sandwiches. I questioned her on it, but she didn't give me much other than 'The flavors mesh together really well.' Why she likes to eat dandelions on bread, I have no clue… Must be a pony thing. She also seemed to like sweets, as I found huge teeth marks in the slice of chocolate cake I was saving in the refrigerator... She must've gotten to it while I was clearing out the bookbag, given I'd left her downstairs for a moment.

“Remember: Keep quiet, and write down questions and notes for whatever you find interestin’,” I instructed the lavender unicorn as we reached the front door of my home.

“Got it, boss!” Twilight responded with delight from within the big black book bag. With that, we made our first steps outside of the house to reveal a large cul-de-sac surrounded by tall trees, cars of various shapes, sizes and colors parked in front of every nearly identical-looking house, and a pond located off to the side, behind two of the large houses. Already, I could hear a faint twinkling sound, followed by the pen scribbling furiously against the notebook.

“See anythin’ worth notin’, li’l pony?” I jokingly asked.

“Yes… EVERYTHING!” Twilight answered in a somewhat-dreamy tone, enunciating her last word.

“Good to hear. On we go, then!” I announced as I began to walk out of the cul-de-sac and into town. We walked a good two miles around the small town, which took up close to an hour's worth of time. There wasn’t much to see other than woods and more housing complexes, and given I hadn't heard much scribbling for the later part of the hour, I elected we find a livelier place for Twilight to take her notes.

"Okay, I can see this is gettin' a bit monotonous," I declared, bored out of my brain. "Le'ss go somewhere else, shall we?"

“Where should we go?” Twilight asked, her curiosity ever-present.

“For the sake of education, my dear, we take public transportation into a large city!” I dramatically responded as we stopped at the nearest bus station to catch a bus that led into a huge, hustle-and-bustle city nearby my town of residence. I could feel Twilight’s hooves kicking gently with glee from inside the bag.

“We're stopping? What’s up?” the unicorn asked after we reached our first destination within the next five minutes or so.

“We're at a bus stop. We gonna wait here for a bus t' take us to a city about an hour or so away that has more for you to study an’ look at.” I plainly replied.

“That sounds fantastic! But... I thought you said we weren’t going too far.”

“I changed my mind. Even I can tell you ain't gettin' much insight from here.”

"On the contrary, I've already got about a quarter of this notebook you gave me filled up."

"Huh. Well then..." I began, a bit shocked by how much she'd already recorded. "...how about you get the whole thing filled up?"

"Really??" she asked in excitement.

"Yea. We're goin' pretty far off, though, so prepare yaself. And keep quiet. We're treadin' way outta our way for this..." Twilight went silent for a minute within the bag. I assumed it meant I scared her. “I promise we won’t be caught," I assured.

“And by ‘we,’ I presume you mean ‘me’?”

“Precisely! Which is why you are gonna be makin’ NO sounds at all that might give you away.”

“If you say so…” Twilight timidly responded after taking a deep breath, the twinge of nervousness evident in her voice. With that, the bus arrived and we got on. Of course, additional twinkling and loud, rapid scribbling sounds were made from within the bag during the ride, which I INGENIOUSLY blotted out with random, frequent fits of coughing. Not even a couple streets later, I'd already attracted unwanted attention from some of the other riders.

"Jeez, Twilight. Any louder with the scribblin', an people are gonna start thinkin' I'm smugglin' some exotic animal... which I kinda am...! Aw sh--!"

“Sir, are you okay? You’ve been coughing like that since you got on,” a fellow passenger, a frail-looking old woman in a white flower dress, commented.

“Uhh… yes, I’m fine. Just a li’l sore throat is all,” I lied before I quickly but carefully took off the bag and set it down on my lap. Immediately, I slapped a hand on it to get Twilight to stop making noise. This was ineffective as it spooked the unicorn, causing her to let out a small squeak in surprise. At that moment, the passenger began to eye me with extreme scrutiny, seeming to not blink for a second. I held my breath as I darted my eyes around the vehicle, looking for some sort of way to distract the old woman. My mind raced as she stared me down:

“Oh no, oh no, oh no! She musta heard Twilight squeal! WhatdoIdo, WhatdoIdo, WhatdoIdo? Umm… I know! I could just get up and move! But then she prolly gonna get real suspicious. Maybe I could just cough some more… But the fact that I stopped will prolly tip her off that I’m hidin’ somethin’… No, wait. I got it! I—!”

“You got some toothpaste on your lip, sir,” the woman flatly stated, breaking my train of thought. I let out a huge sigh of relief while quickly bringing my hand to my mouth to wipe off the toothpaste residue.

“Uh, th-thanks!” I blurted, still flustered from the discovery I’d thought she’d made.

“You’re welcome, hon,” the lady replied before turning away to talk to someone else. The rest of the ride was eerily silent, save for the roar of the bus’s engine as the vehicle moved from destination to destination in a timely order. Eventually, Twilight and I had made it to the city, luckily without being caught.

“That… coulda went more smoothly,” I mumbled as I got off of the bus.

“Ya think, Toothpaste-lip?” I heard Twilight whisper back sarcastically from within the bag I was holding in my hands. I almost responded, but then I realized we were surrounded by other people. Instead, deciding NOT to look like I was some sort of mental patient, I nonchalantly flicked the bag where I thought the unicorn’s head would be.

“Ouch…! Hey, watch it…! That was my rear…!” Twilight whispered harshly.

“Hehe… oops,” I snickered. I then put the bag properly onto my back, only to receive a hard hoof to my back after doing so. "Oof!" I grunted loudly as I stumbled forward a little, looking to have tripped.

“Not so funny now, is it...?” Twilight whispered vindictively. I growled and shook my head in annoyance as I walked in no particular direction into the city...

I walked around for hours, giving Twilight Sparkle perfect opportunities to observe various buildings, busy streets, and many different people. As a small bonus for her agreement to take this trip, I brought her to a nearby boardwalk that had an abundant supply of souvenir shops, food stores and even a couple of casinos, which I chose not to enter, as I was uncertain of such a negative influence existing in her world. Twilight Sparkle seemed to have never put down that pen as she scrutinized and recorded every detail she could about our surroundings. After making our way off of the boardwalk and to a local donut shop for some lunch, I set the bag down onto a table and peeked inside.

“How ya makin’ out with them notes, Twilight…?” I asked quietly.

“Splendid, Tyshawn! Oop…!” Twilight excitedly responded, almost forgetting to stay quiet. The radiant gleam in those big violet eyes could have melted hearts made of even the coldest ice, she was so adorable. “There’s so much to see in this world…! Life here seems so similar to that in Equestria, yet… so different at the same time in so many ways…! I actually think I’m almost out of space in this notebook. This adventure is no less than… awesome…!” She finished as she smiled from ear to ear.

“Tha’ss great to hear…! Say, it’s about lunch time… would you like some donuts or cake or somethin’…?”

“You have those here…?? I’d love some…!” Twilight’s eyes grew wide as she realized something. “Hey… how’d you know I like sweets…?”

“Heh heh… Don’t think I ain’t see the cake in the fridge this mornin’…” I replied with a wink.

“Oh, sorry… I-I couldn’t help myself… It was… an experiment…?” She sheepishly stammered, blushing and smiling.

“I'ss alright… Now le’ss get us some sweets…” I said smiling warmly as I slowly ran one hand down her unbelievably soft, vibrantly-colored mane and back. She responded to the gesture in a way akin to an actual pet (y’know, if pets could talk and show emotion in the same way humans do); she relaxed herself, arching her back as she let out a sigh of enjoyment, a look of blissful satisfaction appearing on her face. Though I was interested in her surprisingly pleasured reaction to such a simple gesture, I decided I’d question her on it later as I went to buy four glazed donuts and a large, cream-filled chocolate éclair for us to share.

“Shouldn’t we have something to drink with that?” Twilight asked as we left the donut shop. “I’m not entirely sure about you humans, but sweets are known to make a pony thirsty.”

“You’re right,” I answered. “But there’s this real good kinda drink I want, called a ‘slushy.’”

“A… ‘Slushy?’” Twilight asked, her curiosity piqued.

“Yeah. You never had one before?”

“I haven’t even heard of such a thing before…”

“Well now! Prepare to be surprised!” I stated as we headed to the nearest convenience store. I made the trip to the store quick, getting exactly what I needed, an extra-large slushy, of which I took the liberty of mixing up the flavors between grape, blueberry, and watermelon, and took two straws. After buying the drink, I sat down on a bench in a small park that was across the street from the store, setting the bag down by my side.

“You can come out of the bag now, if you want.” I said, concerned that Twilight was getting a bit cramped.

“What?? A-are you sure?” she asked back, noticeably scared.

“Well, not really… but come on. You been in that bag all day. Give them legs a good stretchin’!”

“O-okay… This doesn't seem like such a great idea considering you previously stated you didn't want me to be seen... but we’ve gotten this far without much of a hitch… So I trust you…” she timidly said, slowly poking out her head before creeping all the way out.

“If anybody sees us or says anythin’, then you are my pet dog wearin’ a costume. And just to be safe, use the bag to cover yourself while you sit.”

“A dog?” she asked with a deadpan tone, implying that the suggestion I made was to her chagrin. "Really?"

“S’all I can think of.” I narrowed my eyelids and put on a smug smile. “…especially with the way you reacted to me pettin’ you back at the donut shop.” She was speechless. She looked away, her cheeks turning a bright pink.

“I… I-I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she tried to deny.

“Mm-hmm… Anyway, here’s what I got; four donuts- two for me, two for you- and a chocolate éclair for desse… later for us to split. Also, I got this giant fruit-flavored slushy for us to share.” If she was hungry before, she must have been ravenous then. Her eyes were so focused on the meal we had in front of us that I swore she tuned out everything I’d just said.

“Hey, Twilight… Twilight?” I called as she continued to stare at the donuts and éclair. If I didn’t know better, I’d say I saw a strand of drool forming in the corner of her mouth, too. I raised my hand to her ear and snapped my fingers as hard as I could. She shook with fright, as if she’d been awoken from a deep trance.

"Hm?" she said, startled back into the real world (as real as it could get, anyway...). "I-I'm sorry... What'd you say?"

“Hahah… You can ea—!” I didn’t even finish my sentence before she quickly grabbed and took a huge bite out of her first donut. More than half of the confectionery was gone in a single CHOMP!

“Well jeez! Keep eatin’ like that, an' you won’t even get time to enjoy the thing!” I warned as I bit into my first donut. Twilight didn’t seem to hear that one either, as she let out a pleasured “Mmmmmmmm…” while staring into the sky.

“Just like how they make ‘em in Ponyville…” she dreamily commented.

“My goodness, girl, if that was that good, then I’d love to bake somethin’ for ya if I get the chance.”

“You can bake?” Twilight asked as she ate the remainder of her first donut.

“Shocker, right?” I asked back with a mouthful.

“Well, yes, actually… I might not be very familiar with human customs, but I feel like I know you in particular well enough... Suffice it to say, you don’t seem like the ‘baker’ type.”

“I see ya point. It’s more or less an occasional thing, so I don’t do it a lot.”

“Intriguing…” Twilight pondered as she bit into her second donut. She then stared inquisitively at the blue, red, and purple-swirled slushy for a good minute, eventually using her magic to levitate it towards her.

“You ain’t gonna get a good idea of what that is by starin’ at it…” I told her. “Here’s a straw.” I slid the straw into the icy refreshment and gently nudged it towards her to let her take a sip.

“…You sure this will—?”

“Just drink it. I assume you like learnin’ new things through experience, no?”

“I do! But I don't know if this, given the presumable differences in the molecular make-up, could erode the enamel in my teeth or cause severe indigestion due to its ingredients--!” she frightfully explained, but trailed off as I shot her an annoyed stare.

"Drink the damn slushy, Twilight. It won't hurt you."

“Fine… here goes nothing…” She slowly, nervously put her lips onto the straw and took possibly the slowest sip ever. Her eyes widened once the frosty liquid finally made contact with her tongue.

“Well? How is it?” I asked, intent on hearing her opinion.

“It’s… it’s delicious!” she gleefully responded. “It’s like a mix of ice cream and soda, but not quite either of them at the same time… I’d better take another sip to get a better idea…”

“Alright, but be careful. Too much will—!” I cut myself off as I saw her practically inhale a large portion of slushy.

“WAAH!” Twilight shouted in sudden pain. As I expected, she immediately jerked away from it, clamping her fore hooves to the sides of her head, her eyes squeezed shut in ache as she spat some of the slushy in her mouth out and all over my blue shirt and the bench. She lost her magic grip on the cup, but I grabbed it as soon as I saw the magenta glow suddenly disappear.

“…give you brain freeze,” I finished, stifling a chuckle.

“Oww… what’s this… ‘Brain Freeze’ you’re talking about?” She asked in a strained tone as she massaged her temples to rid herself of the sudden burst of sub-zero agony.

“Brain Freeze is what happens when you eat or drink too much of somethin’ tha’ss super cold. It makes ya head hurt for a few seconds. Oh, an' thanks for the new shirt design…” Twilight, finally relieved of her tiny headache, opened her eyes to see the mess she made.

“Hehe oops… sorry,” she said, trying not to laugh (and failing). “But… why does that happen?”

“I don’ really know, but I would guess that the sudden change in temperature in your mouth winds up sendin’ shockwaves through the rest o' your head.” I informed her as I grabbed the slushy, sunk my own straw into it, and took a few long, careful swigs. It'd been quite awhile since I'd last had one. The sudden frosty, fruity, carbonated goodness practically overwhelmed me as I drank from the condensation-covered container. My tongue danced around like there was a party in my mouth.

“Hey, save some of that for me!” Twilight demanded, clearly craving more of the icy treat.

“I AM savin’ you some… On my shirt, that is. You can have all of the slushy you spit out all over me. I’m sure you know a magic spell or two that make shirts taste good…” I quipped before taking another long drink, this time looking right at Twilight Sparkle and smiling.

“Oh, that’s a good one,” Twilight sarcastically remarked with a smirk, getting up onto all four hooves. “Now give it here, please...” The mare 'politely' demanded as she enveloped the slushy in the same glow as before and tried to pull it away.

“No! I ain’t done yet!” I shouted, gripping the drink and pulling away.

“Neither was I!” She yelled back, increasing the strength of her spell. It was quite the unique experience playing Tug-of-War when the person (or PONY in this case) didn't even need to physically grab hold of the object being fought over. It was like trying to physically resist a strong, yet gentle gust of wind... or a Jedi using the Force. Either way, I wasn't going to allow our little impromptu game to end in my defeat...

“Oh, how rude of me. Where are my manners?” I sarcastically said through clenched teeth as we still struggled for possession of the drink. “You want this slushy?” I asked the unicorn in a much more calm and reserved tone, feigning concern.

“I WANT IT!” She bellowed as she got ready to lunge on me, loosening her magic on the cup, seeming to prepare for an attack. Thinking quickly, I grabbed the donut she didn’t finish and held it in front of her.

“Fine, but finish your lunch fi—!” I snatched my fingers away as she devoured the donut in one bite.

"Wow! Well then... I'm glad she doesn't eat meat, because my hand would've been LONG gone with THAT kinda appetite..."

“Now give me the slushy!” She playfully shouted with a mouthful of donut, jumping onto me and reaching her fore hooves towards the slushy as I raised it high in the air. I used my free hand to lift her up and gently set her back down on the other side of the bench.

“Y’know what? How about we share, like we were supposed to?” I laughingly asked, finally realizing that we were behaving in a way that might attract attention and may have already done so.

“Okay, okay... Fine with me, but no funny business,” Twilight breathlessly, yet humorously replied, jokingly (I think) eyeing me up like I was a crime suspect. With that, I set the cup down onto the bench as we simultaneously wrapped our lips around a straw, not caring which one was whose, and each took a long enough drink of it to finish it in one gulp to make sure neither of us got more than the other. Bad move on both our parts.

“Ahh, t-too f-fast…!” I rasped as I clutched my forehead with one hand and shivering.

“Ow ow ow ow owww…!” Twilight whispered frantically, also shivering and rubbing her hooves on her head again.

“Hey, sir! You okay over there?” A stranger from across the park asked, apparently seeing me in my agonized state. I almost panicked as I saw him running towards me.

“Twilight, hide…!” I whispered. She quickly complied, but due to spur-of-the-moment thinking, she ducked behind the black book bag rather than teleporting into it. Not a second later, the stranger, a big, burly-looking guy with a basketball jersey and jean-shorts came to us, looking surprisingly concerned.

“You alright? I seen you grabbin’ ya head,” the stranger stated.

“I’m good. Jus’ a li’l bit of brain freeze from this slushy,” I replied, pointing to the empty cup, but then realized that there were two straws in it.

“Aww, shit…!” I thought.

“How come there’s two straws in it?” The stranger asked with a look of slight confusion. I stammered trying to find a reasonable response when I suddenly heard fake barking sounds coming from behind the book bag. I resisted the urge to face palm, instead letting out a sharp exhale and pinching the bridge of my nose. Surely enough, Twilight leapt from behind the bag, putting on the best “I’m suddenly a dog” impression she could.

“What the hell? This yo dog?” The stranger asked, flat-out bewildered at this point.

“Umm… yeah, my dog,” I uneasily answered. “She’s uh… in costume right now because we just came from… a dog show… down at the convention center…” I lied.

“Oh, aight… Dat costume lookin’ mad real, though… She cute!” The stranger complimented.

“Thanks!” I said, grabbing Twilight and hugging her as she sporadically barked like a puppy. “Her name’s… Sparkles. She's my best friend. Always has been. She's just so cute, and friendly, and energetic, and lively... I call her Sparkles ‘cuz she brings a uh… 'Sparkle' to my life,” I semi-lied, pasting a goofy smile on my face while scratching “Sparkles” behind her ear. Twilight then found it necessary to suddenly lick the left side of my face. Her big, cold, wet, slushy-stained tongue slowly dragging up my face nearly froze me in place. Not from how freezing, sticky, slimy, and sopping wet it was, but from the shock. I stared straight ahead, but I swore I felt strands of her pony saliva droop once she pulled away as they still connected the unicorn’s tongue to my cheek.

“Aww, da’ss cute,” the stranger said with admiration, not noticing my slack-jawed, wide-eyed stupor. “I’mma leave y’all ta do ya thang. Take care o' Sparkles now!” The stranger hollered as he ran, seeming to be in a rush. I quickly fixed my face into a forced smile as I held up a peace sign as my goodbye to the man, and waited until he faded from view before turning to the 'dog' sitting beside me.

"Finally..." she said, breathing a sigh of relief. "That was way too close... How about that?" I at first, said nothing, still registering the fact that Twilight just got a huge taste of face... MY face, to be exact.

“Twilight… What the heck was that?” I asked her, still in disbelief from that performance she put on.

“What? You DID say that if anypony— err, I mean anyBODY saw us, I was supposed to act like a dog,” she replied in defense, shaking her head. "So degrading... I hope we won't have to do that again anytime soon..."

“Yeah, that, but… I mean when you decided to LICK MY FACE… like an ice cream cone…" I enunciated, bringing a hand to wipe the remnants of the unicorn's saliva off of my cheek. "W-What was that?”

“Oh! That… I thought that it… was necessary. You know, to make the ‘I’m a dog’ thing more… believable,” she explained with a blushing, toothy grin. I stared skeptically at her for a moment and then turned away in thought.

“That’s... actually pretty smart, now that I think about it. Good work!” I praised.

“Thank you,” She began. “But I have a question for you.”

“Shoot.”

“Um... heh, forgive me if this sounds a bit forward or silly, but... um.. Did… did you mean it when you said all that stuff... y'know, about me being... cute? And that I… ‘bring a Sparkle to your life?’"

"Why d'you wanna know that?" I asked, shooting her a look of wonder.

"Oh! Um... Uh, N-no reason... It's just a silly old passive thought of mine. I-I mean I’d totally understand if you were only saying that as a necessary response, given that we were both under press—!” Twilight rambled, seemingly flustered by her own question.

"She is just adorable... Heh, any cuter, an' I might consider convincin' her t' live with me in this world..."

“Yes,” I nonchalantly interrupted. Twilight’s eyes widened and gleamed when she heard my answer. To say her smile was heart-warming would be a gross understatement.

“Really?? How?”

“…You really gon’ make me explain it?” I asked in a somewhat whining tone, shooting her a look of somber lethargy. Her look of enthusiastic anticipation convinced me of her answer. “*sigh*… Well, it ain’t every day that someone pops up from another universe, for one… and everything about you I seen up to this point has been cutely— scratch that, ADORABLY entertainin’, to say the least. You only been here for a day, and I already feel like we been friends for years… and I guess… I guess I kinda enjoy bein’ the one to show you the ropes o' this world. You’re somethin’ else, Twilight Sparkle.” I smiled warmly at her, placing a hand on her head and slowly running it down her mane and back. She reacted the same way as before, relaxing her body and sitting down as she let out a pleased sigh.

“Mmm, that feels incredible, Ty…” She dreamily said.

“’Ty?’ She already has a nickname for me. How cute...”

“Y’know, I wanted to ask: Why do y—?”

“Oh, my god! A pony!” yelled someone from across the street, alarming me, but interesting Twilight. This person was a somewhat heavyset man wearing a butter-yellow T-shirt with the word “Yay!” inscribed on it in pink, blue jeans, and a pair of sneakers. He came barreling towards us with such speed and such a look of excitement on his face that it almost looked cartoonish…

Spotted: Operation G.T.F.O.H.!!

“Aww, crap, we gotta go!” I quickly stated as I wrapped Twilight in one arm, grabbed the book bag in my other hand, cradled them in my arms like a football, and high-tailed it out of there with extreme haste.

“Wait, why?? What about th— WHOA!” Twilight tried to hurriedly ask as I whisked her away. I wasn’t sure where we were going, but I bolted across a street adjacent to the park to escape our “predator.”

“Dude, wait! I just want to talk to her!” The stranger called after me, surprisingly keeping up. “My friends and I would LOVE to meet her!”

“Nah, we good, dawg!” I yelled back, sprinting full speed towards no particular destination except away from the guy who spotted us. I could feel the adrenaline beginning to fuel my every step as I charged forward, not caring about my own fatigue quickly setting in as sweat was beginning to drench me like I'd taken a dive in a swimming pool of perspiration.

“I don’t think he wants to do us any harm! Plus, he already knows I’m a pony! Maybe we should stop and let him talk!” Twilight shakily reasoned as she bounced around in my arm.

“And risk… exposin’ you to the… whole world? No!” I hastily objected as I ran, bobbing and weaving through small groups of people as they walked by. “I can’t…! risk you bein’ taken…! away and experimented on…! or some craziness like that!” I ran in that direction for four blocks before making a sharp right and ducking behind a tall building to catch my breath and put Twilight back into the bag. I peeked back to see the heavy man nowhere to be found.

“I thought I was supposed to learn more about this world, not hide from everyone in it,” Twilight disappointedly stated as she looked at me, visibly upset and frowning. “I've been keeping silent on the issue, but now I really don’t get why I have to hide from everyone… Especially since that guy already knew what I am…”

“You are… hah… learning… hah… But I think it’s better if… you learn undercover… hah… that way, you… hah… can get all the info you… need without bein’ bombarded… with all kinds of stuff from people… who could possibly wind up takin’ you away to who-knows-where to do who-knows-what to you,” I replied breathlessly, but with concern for the unicorn’s safety. “You came… to me, and I want… to keep you safe.”

“I can take care of myself, y’know. I’m not a foal,” Twilight shot back, seeming to be offended by my concern.

“I understand that, Twilight, but please… trust me on this. I don’t want you to think… you couldn’t-a taken this trip on your own or… handled yourself better than I been doin’, but I… I guess I care too much t’ see anything bad happen t’ you, especially in a world… you ain’t even been to before. A hasty confession, yes, but—!”

“Please, say no more,” Twilight sternly interrupted.

“Listen, you! I—!” I began, taking a tone of frustration, but I abruptly stopped when I looked at her. Her eyes were glimmering in the afternoon sunset, tears forming in them as she gave me yet another one of those heartwarming smiles of hers. Calming down, I took a deep breath. “Y’know, that smile of yours could be dangerous…” I quietly joked as the tension I was feeling had melted away.

“How so, Ty?” She asked, climbing her way partly out of the bag to offer a hug.

“It’s just so ador— Wait, why are you callin’ me ‘Ty?’” I asked as I kneeled down to embrace the unicorn.

“I figured it’s easier to remember. You can call me ‘Twi’ so we’re even, if you’d like. That's what my friends call me...” Twilight innocently suggested.

"Aww, she wants to be friends with me... Awesome!"

“You have no idea how many times I done got that as a reason for someone not to call me by my full name… But sure… Twi,” I quipped with a small chortle as she and I still hugged each other firmly.

“THERE SHE IS, DUDE! WITH THAT BLACK GUY!” A familiar voice screamed from down the street, bringing both the unicorn and I, now back on good terms, back into the situation at hand.

“Looks like we gonna hafta cut this moment of ours short…” I murmured to Twilight, quickly getting up as she ducked into the bag. I zipped it shut and took off in the opposite direction of our pursuer.

“Dude, wait!” The familiar voice called after me with a tone akin to worry.

“We just want to see what’s in the bag!” Another voice shouted.

“Yeah, don’t run!” Yet another voice shouted as I heard their footsteps trailing behind me.

“Aww great… This persistent sumbitch done got his friends on me…” I growled through my clenched teeth, ignoring all of their pleas for me to stop as I sprinted away from them. They expectantly gave chase, seeming willing to follow me to Hell and back just to get their hands on Twilight. I ran to the edge of the sidewalk and made another sharp right into a shopping center’s parking lot that was filled with parked vehicles. I frantically looked for a place to hide, eventually choosing to duck behind the largest vehicle in the area.

“What’s going on out there?” Twi whispered. “Can you get away from them?”

“I ain’t sure... at this point… They seem… hah… persistent,” I answered breathlessly as I caught a glimpse at two of the men coming into the parking lot from the same direction I’d entered. I heard the sound of Twilight’s horn activating, which must have meant she was getting her own view of the surroundings.

“Where’s the third one…?” I asked myself.

“Behind you, behind you...!” Twi whispered anxiously. I heard her horn suddenly stop twinkling. I turned around and sure enough, the missing man, a rather thin fellow wearing a large light blue hoodie with a strange-looking cloud and rainbow lightning bolt design on it was creeping his way towards us. I dashed from behind the truck we were hiding behind and headed towards the supermarket it was parked in front of, but stopped, stumbling and almost falling over as I saw the heavyset guy already standing there waiting, smiling with an almost-lustful look on his face.

“Try the other way...” Twilight advised. I obeyed, quickly turning around and running some more, but I didn’t get far before another one of the trio of would-be pony-nappers popped up from behind a car in an attempt to catch me off guard. This guy seemed to be a bit more muscular than the guy in the hoodie, but he was wearing a plain white t-shirt and jeans. However, the noticeable thing about him was his hat; it was a bright white baseball cap with a dark purple brim, but the logo on it was for some team I hadn’t seen or heard of before. The logo was a trio of light blue rhombus-shaped diamonds set up in a sideways equilateral triangular formation.

“Nrrgh… Dammit…!” I grumbled, clenching a fist in frustration as I backed away from the man in the diamond hat. “We’re surrounded… any ideas?” I whispered to Twilight, looking around frantically and backing up from the man in the hat as all three men slowly closed in on me like hungry lions on an injured antelope…

“Hmm… Oh, I’ve got it!” Twilight responded. “I know a spell that will take us back to your home.”

“Simple, but gre—!”

“But, there's a catch: It will not send us directly there when I cast it.”

“What? So h—!?”

“In order for it to work, I’ll need you to accelerate yourself to your terminal velocity for approximately 5.2309 seconds after the spell is cast. You’ll notice a glow around you when you hit your maximum speed. You will also need to imagine your home the entire time you’re running without so much as a FRACTION of a second of distraction, so as to make absolutely sure we will be transported there.”

“Sooo… run as fast as I can while thinkin’ about my house for five seconds an’ some change, then poof?”

“Precisely!” Twilight said, casting the spell as I saw a faint, yet familiar glow envelop me for a brief second. “But there’s something you sh—!”

“No time!" I interrupted as the three men closed in on me. "Alright… Here goes nothin’!” I announced as I ran towards the parking lot entrance, the only opening I had. The three men quickly followed suit, refusing to give up their seemingly-bloodthirsty hunt. I ran across the street, narrowly avoiding an oncoming car as my pursuers had stopped on the other side of it behind me. I made a sharp left while waving towards the driver of the car as an apology. I reached the corner of the sidewalk, turned right, and sprinted as hard as I could for what felt like an hour.

“Any minute now, spell, c’mon!” I complained. Soon enough, I saw my entire body begin to take on a familiar pinkish-purple glow as I ran. I took no time to stop, knowing what the glow meant.

“There he is! But something’s up with him…” I heard a voice say. I knew it was one of the three men who were relentlessly hounding me, which provoked me to double my effort.

“Y’mean other than the fact that he’s run… wait, is he glowing!??” another one of the trio shouted as they continued their hot pursuit.

“Get ‘im before he disappears or something!” the third voice commanded.

“Almost there, Ty…! Keep going!” Twilight whispered in encouragement. I nodded, ducked my head down, and squeezed my eyes shut as I raced toward the home stretch. I could feel an electric tingling sensation all around me as I heard crackling.

"Come to think of it, this kinda reminds me o' Back to the Future, where the Delorean, in order t' time travel, had to accelerate past a certain speed... I think it was about 88 miles an hour...? Too bad I never actually watched that movie to see exactly what happened when they teleported..."

5…

4…

3…

2…

1…

*POOF*

I vanished. Everything went black as I felt like my body had been split into many tiny molecular pieces. The surprising part is that it didn’t hurt in the least. I wish I could have seen how the many different particles of my being were separated and sent off in one direction at such a blinding speed that it felt like I’d become one with the wind. However, with such spontaneous molecular deconstruction, also came the loss of all awareness and most of my basic senses. The only thing I was able to see was a faint image of my home that rapidly grew clearer and clearer. This wonderful new experience didn’t last very long, though… I’d say it lasted for just a few seconds before my body reformed in front of my house, with me blindly charging toward my door with my head down and my eyes squeezed shut.

“Ty, st—!” Twilight tried to warn, albeit too late.

*BOOM* “AWRGH!!”

Blindly running at full speed, I crashed against my door head-first, and hard. A large dent was left where the door met my forehead as I flew backwards. Knowing Twilight was in the bag strapped to my back, I quickly turned my body as I fell so as to land on my right side. “AHH-OW!” I screamed in pain as the awkward landing caused me to sprain my left wrist due to me trying to break the fall with just that hand.

“OOF!” Twilight grunted from within the bag. I moved up to a sitting position, clutching my head in extreme pain with my right hand while folding my left arm over my waist.

“Owwwww… why the fu…nnel cake did I go runnin’ int' my door?” I wearily asked, my voice straining from the agony of the sudden migraine combined with the jolts of pain shooting through my left arm.

“I… was going to tell you that uh… when you envisioned your home, you probably should’ve envisioned yourself running in any direction in an open space parallel to it instead of simply bringing up the image…” the unicorn sheepishly explained as I reached behind my back with my left hand to open the zipper of the bag a little so she could make her way her way out of it. She let out a small, embarrassed giggle as she climbed out. I chuckled a little as well, especially when I saw that her mane and tail were all frazzled like someone furiously rubbed a balloon on her.

“Now you tell me… Then again, I ain't give ya the time t' explain it to me... Still, I don’t see the humor in th— Oh, god…” I said as I removed my hand from my head to be greeted with a most wonderful welcome-home gift; the palm of my hand bathed in my own blood. I froze in disbelief at the amount of the ruby red liquid staining my hand. It looked like I'd just murdered a strawberry. I was more alarmed when I felt small beads of it slithering down my face and dripping off like sweat, staining the collar of my already slushy-stained blue T-shirt. I reached a finger up to where I felt the intense burning pain coming from to feel a huge gash streaking down the right side of my forehead, just above my eye. A simple touch was enough for me to pull my finger away and clench my hand into a fist as I flinched.

“Hey what’s wro—?” Twilight began to ask, but gasped in horror at the sight she beheld. “Oh, no! I’m soooo sorry! Let’s get in the house now so we can fix that up!” Twilight worriedly suggested. I tried to get up, but the impact had disoriented me greatly. My vision was getting blurry, I felt unbelievably tired, and I couldn’t even walk more than two steps without staggering and taking a knee. I tried to shake my head, but that made it much worse. I sprinkled blood on the ground from my still heavily-bleeding head wound and I became much dizzier. I almost felt as if I was going to vomit from the sudden case of nausea. It didn’t feel any better when I tried to use my left arm, with its wrist noticeably swollen, to push myself to a standing position.

“Aaaaaaaaahh…!” I hissed as I snatched my hand off the ground, falling back to a sitting position. All of this moving around was making things much worse... If I didn't see those donuts and that slushy again, I'd be VERY lucky.

“Oh, no! Please, don’t try to get up again! I’ll… I’ll teleport us into your room!” the unicorn said in a worried hurry. She placed a hoof onto my back as I heard her horn powering up.

*POOF*

We had teleported back into my room much quicker than I expected. I was too dizzy, tired, nauseous, and in too much pain to ask her any obvious questions that would have followed her seemingly easier, less painful spell being cast. She then levitated me onto my bed in a sitting position up against the wall, and made sure to take my shoes off and put them in the corner of the room.

“Okay, I need you to be very still…” she cautioned, jumping onto the bed and walking up to me. I hardly heard the unicorn talking as I was dozing off.

“But Ah’own wanna go t’ school, mommy…” I deliriously blurted. My eyelids were unbelievably heavy and my head bobbed as I fought to stay awake.

“Ohh...! umm… Mommy needs you to keep still, sweetie… okay?” Twilight whispered in a concerned motherly tone, presumably hoping that would keep me awake. She climbed onto my lap and stood on her hind legs, using her fore hooves to position my head so I was directly facing her. Then, she bowed her head down as her horn began to glow once again. When her horn shined its brightest I’d seen since I met her, she pressed her horn against my forehead and took a deep breath. Her breath smelled faintly of strawberries and freshly baked bread. She closed her eyes and focused on her spell as her horn maintained its luminescent glow. After a sudden flash of white, my vision became clear. I noticed the pain in my head and left arm rapidly fade away, and blood ceased to flow down my face. I also felt a strange tingle as the wound on my forehead gradually closed up and healed in a matter of seconds. In addition, my wrist shrunk back to its original size. When the spell finished, Twilight let out a sharp, exhausted exhale, relaxing herself on my chest.

“Wow… that’s amazing, Twi! I wouldn’t-a guessed you was a nurse!” I praised in amazement and gratitude.

“That’s because… I’m not,” Twilight responded, out of breath as she opened her eyes to look up at me. I didn't know what it was about that tired, fleeting facial expression she made as she rested up against me, but I thought my heart skipped a beat...

"Wow... she's... prettier than I thought... Wait, what?"

“Healing spells aren’t my… strongest point," Twilight continued, bringing me out of my train of thought. "Using them takes a good deal of my energy as of right now… and seeing as I used a bunch of it already…”

“Still, thank you!" I praised. "How can I repay you?”

“Hmm… Two things,” Twi began, recovering her composure, yet still lying down on my chest. “One, you can give me the rest of that cake you have to make up for that chocolate éclair you left at the park in the city, or two, you can give me one of those amazing rub-downs,” she joked, but I could see the sincerity in her statement with the smile she flashed me. Her large, beautiful violet eyes were half-closed; looking at me in such a way that she seemed to be expecting someone or something extra special. Twilight was silent, but her eyes just screamed, “Rub me!” I smirked.

“Ooh, tough choice… I forgot about that éclair back there… Tell ya what: I’ll do both, because I’m feelin’ generous. But seein’ as you’re already comfortable, why not start with option two?” I said in the lowest, most soothing voice I could muster. I placed my left hand on her head and slowly, but gently ran it down her mane and back.

“Ahhh…” Twilight sighed in blissful ecstasy as she stretched herself out on my chest. I repeated the stroke time and time again, occasionally chuckling at Twilight’s unusually extensive enjoyment.

“I’ve been meanin’ to ask, Twi… why do you like this so much?” I queried.

“I’m not sure...” she replied, still in a euphoric stupor. “I’ve only ever been massaged with hooves and claws before... But those…”

“Hands.”

“…those ‘hands’ of yours… they just feel so much better… They’re a lot softer and easier on the fur than hooves or claws…”

“Interestin’…” I said as I continued to rub her. Suddenly, an idea came to me. “Hold on, Twi. Lemme go wash my hands before I go on.” I got up and rushed to the bathroom to wash all the dry blood off of my other hand and face and returned to an eagerly-awaiting young mare sitting on her haunches, longingly and drowsily staring at me like a puppy waiting to be fed. With great mental fortitude, I withheld the sarcastic remark I’d thought up about her playing the part of a dog too well. I lay down beside her in the same position as earlier, and she assumed her previous position on my stomach.

“Now that that’s out of the way, I wonder… how does this feel?” I asked, as I began to gently scratch behind her left ear.

“I… incredible…!” she practically moaned with pleasure, lying her head down.

“Wow… for a magic talkin’ horse from another universe, this girl sure does seem to like bein’ rubbed like a puppy…” I thought. “But then, what do I know about ‘ponies’? I suppose I’ll hafta wait till tomorrow when i’ss my turn t' ask the questions…” I decided to up the ante by running my other hand across her body as I’d been doing before while I continued to scratch her ear.

“Hmmmmmmm…” She sighed, seeming to be in total relaxation. She closed her eyes and smiled sweetly as I continued to stroke and scratch her, occasionally moaning in full enjoyment. At this point, I was beginning to feel a bit unsure about the nature of the unicorn’s contentment with this treatment. I shook it off and assured myself with a “Nah…” and continued.

“Hey, I’d hate t' interrupt your relaxation, but… that spell of yours that made me run int' my door… Why’d we need t' use that instead o' the spell you used t' bring us back in here?” I asked partly to ease my small sense of discomfort.

“Hmm… it was because I don’t know this world very well… and given the situation we were in, I couldn’t focus on bringing us back here myself… So I made things a bit less complicated by giving you a little bit of my magic, and then having you do the rest of the work…"

"Whoa..." I was astounded... I just used MAGIC??

"The fact that it made you run into the door was… something I’d only predicted, but didn’t fully expect, considering I’m usually the one doing the teleporting to a safe location when in danger… I was able to bring us directly to this room from outside because the situation was somewhat less stressful, and as far as memorization, I have this house and its immediate surroundings down-pat…” Twilight dreamily answered with her eyes closed the entire time.

“Aight,” I plainly said. “I suppose that makes sense… in a nonsensical kinda way. I understand ya, though. By the way, you seem tired. You think we should hit the hay now?”

“Hay? Where?” She quietly asked, raising her head looking around, seeming very drowsy. I sighed with relief as her tired disposition put any odd… unsanitary predictions I could have made to rest.

“I meant, ‘go to bed,’ Twi,” I answered with a chuckle.

“I knew that,” She replied, yawning. “But not yet. Please, continue…” I obliged her with a nod as I laid back and she rested herself on my chest once more, and we picked up where we left off. After a while (I’d guess about an hour as it had gotten dark outside during the massage), I felt her breathing pattern change to long, gentle inhales and exhales as she went limp on me.

“Aww, she went to sleep… Good, because my arms are tired as hell…” I murmured to myself as I let out an extensive yawn. “…and so’s the rest of me…” I gently wrapped my arms around the sleeping unicorn, shifted myself down to a more comfortable position, and drifted into a comfortable slumber, joining Twilight Sparkle in the world of dreams…

Home Shenanigans!

I awoke with a stretch and a yawn, and took a look at my window to see that the sun had barely risen. I motioned to get up, but stopped when I felt something— or somePONY holding me down.

“Oh, yeah…” I tiredly said, not fully awake. “Hey, Twilight. Wakey wakey…” I quietly sang as I tapped her on the tip of her horn with a finger. That surely woke me up, because the moment my finger made contact, I felt a sudden, strong electric shock in my hand, accompanied by a loud *POP* like I just stuck my finger in a wall outlet; NOT very pleasant. I flinched violently as I snatched my hand back. “SHIT…!” I rasped, shaking my now oddly-smoking hand.

“Hmm, good morning, Ty…” Twilight greeted with a smile, yawning and stretching before lifting herself partly off of me, still sitting on my stomach. “Hey, what’s wrong with your hand? Does it still hurt from yesterday?”

“Not from yesterday…” I responded, flexing my tingling fingers as I rose. “You never told me your horn hurt so much while you was asleep…”

“Oh… Sorry. When a unicorn dreams, his or her horn involuntarily surges with energy. How much energy it surges with depends on the vividness and strength of the dream. I was having a particularly interesting one, too. It’s not wise to touch the horn of a sleeping unicorn, y’know.”

“Now you tell me… Which reminds me: You owe me an explanation of your world and what goes on there.”

“You’re right… but then, like you said, we'd be here for days on end with me trying to explain to you exactly how Equestria functions..."

"Got a point there..."

"Hmm..." We both pondered in silence, thinking of a way for me to get a decent amount of insight on Twilight Sparkle's land of origin. Suddenly, she gasped with delight. "I've got it!"

"Wha'ss the plan?"

"Just like how it was better for you to show me a little bit of this world, how’s about I see if I can take you to Equestria for a bit myself?”

"Whaaaat? You can do that??"

"I'm not entirely sure, but there's always room for possibility!"

“Awesome!”

“Buuuut not before you give me a little more information about this world. That, and take a look at my notes and answer the questions I wrote in it.”

“Fair ‘nuff. What, did you want to go back to the city?” I asked, although I was far from willing to go back there after the day WE had...

"Please say no, please say no, please say no, please say no, PLEASE say no!"

“No, no… This time, I just want to get a better idea of what a typical home looks like here.”

"YES!"

“I thought you said you had this house and its immediate surroundings down packed…?”

“I do… but only the outside, the bathroom, this room, and your kitchen. I’ve yet to get a full tour of the inside of this house.”

“You got a point. Okay, le’ss wash up and then I’ll show you.” After we cleaned ourselves up and I lazily threw on a black t-shirt and a pair of black basketball shorts with large red stripes going down the sides, I gave her a quick tour of the house, showing her every room upstairs and downstairs as I briefly described their purposes. She already knew most of everything I was talking about, which seemed to make this pointless. Afterwards, we went back into my room.

“I see that homes in this world are almost exactly like homes in Equestria, minus a few small key differences. For one thing, houses in this world seem to be a little bigger than ones in Equestria... or at least, ones in Ponyville. The biggest thing I'm noticing is the presence of these big black boxes in some of the rooms…” Twilight said.

“What, you mean the Televisions, cable boxes, modem, router, and video game systems?” I asked as I sat back down on the bed.

“If that’s what those boxes with the lights on them are called, then yes. Kind of like the ones in this room I saw when I first came here. What do they even do?”

“Well basically, one of them shows images that people record on these things called cameras, while the other one creates images of its own, which are able to be manipulated by something called a controller. The images the second box produces are only able to be seen when it is connected to the first box with wires. See where I’m gettin’ at?” She stared at me, completely bewildered like I was speaking another language. “…I see that all I managed to do was discombobulate you. Awright, time for a demonstration.” I turned on the TV, which brought up a channel showing highlights from last week’s NBA basketball games. “Now are ya startin’ to get it?”

“Whoa…! I thought you humans weren’t capable of magic. How’d you get those other humans stuck inside of there?” Twilight asked in shock.

“This has nothin’ to do with magic,” I explained. “And these guys ain’t trapped inside of the TV. What you’re seein’ right now is a series of movin’ images that were recorded, kind of like how you record memories into your brain, and projected through this TV, as well as any other TV that people want to have the same images projected through. Get it now?”

“I… I understand enough to get what you’re saying,” Twilight stated with uncertainty. “But it still sounds like magic to me. Especially since you mentioned how this is similar to recording memories. We have cameras in Equestria, but the images they capture aren’t nearly as… well-defined as this appears to be. They especially don’t move quite so fluently, either. I’m additionally surprised to see that sports like basketball exist here.”

“…Really now? Equestria seems to be lackin’ in terms of technological advances… But then, you ponies have magic to make up for it, while we humans do not. Here, people have invented new things to make life easier, and are still doin’ so this very day.”

“Ahh… So much to learn, yet so little time…” the unicorn murmured.

“Anything else you’d like to see before we get to your notes?”

“Hmm… yes. I’d like to see how this second box of yours works…”

“Okey doke,” I said as I turned on my Xbox 360 and handed Twilight the controller. When the intro for the system came on, she was astounded. Her jaw hung open in amazement. She had such a look of childlike enthusiasm on her face that I couldn’t help but laugh a little. After the intro was done, the game system went through its usual motions of reading the disc inside, then going to the dashboard with a message indicating that I'd signed into my online profile inscribed on the bottom of the screen.

“Wha...? What is that?” Twilight asked as she enveloped the controller in her magic, trying to read the message before it disappeared.

“That’s uh… what happens whenever I turn this thing on. It basically lets me know that I turned it on,” I answered with a small chuckle.

“Interesting…” She said as she twirled the controller, enveloped in her magic and hovering, around while examining it.

“This thing is used for entertainment purposes," I informed. "Would you like to play a game?”

“Sure…”

“Okay, I’ll start you off with somethin’ simple…” I said as I took the controller from her to find and load up a game called “Super Meat Boy.” ...Okay, so maybe NOT so simple, if one's played this particular game long enough.

“Super… Meat Boy?” Twilight asked, perplexed and a little worried. "I dunno about this... Judging by the name, it sounds... gruesome..."

“Gruesome? Ehh, not so much as you might be imagining. It’s a simple run-and-jump game about a sentient cube of meat trying to rescue his lady friend that only needs you to press three buttons out of the 20-somethin’ on this controller. It’s a great start for you!” I told her as the game loaded up.

"Sounds simple enough... Although, a sentient cube of meat? Why is it a cube of meat?" she asked, seeming a bit displeased with the character choice

"Tha'ss jus' the way the game was made... I really don't know myself why they decided t' make the main character a cube o' meat. If it bothers you that much, then you're allowed t' change who you play as so you don't have t' play as the meat cube. Buuuut, he's the easiest character t' play with, so I wouldn't recommend changin' right away."

"I see... Well, I suppose I'll overlook the 'meat cube' thing in the wake of simply learning what this is all about..." Twilight acquiesced, to which I simply nodded.

One extravagantly cartoonish scene after another later, I put Twilight right into the game. I gave her the controller and allowed the game itself to teach her how to play. I have to admit, I was more eager to see how she’d even play the game without fingers, but she somehow managed. She simply laid the controller down on the ground and pushed the necessary buttons with the tips of her fore hooves. As for her performance, she did quite well for her first time, quickly getting the hang of the game’s simple mechanics. She made a few mistakes here and there, but her handi... er, HOOF work was incredible. It was almost like she had fingers. She cleared the first 20 levels in the game with relative ease.

“These ‘video games’ are pretty fun!” She exclaimed. “But this one’s a little too… easy for me."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. It seems kind of dull, and the obstacle courses are much too short. Plus, even if you make a mistake, your character reanimates almost instantly at the start, which serves as very little challenge," she analyzed. "The music is upbeat and exciting, at least."

"True..."

"To an extent..."

"Got anything a bit more challenging?” the unicorn dared.

“Oh, if i'ss a CHALLENGE you're lookin' for... How about we up the ante a little…?” I said with a mischievous grin. “Press the blue X button.” She did so, and the world map in the game changed from a peaceful forest setting to one where everything was on fire, and none of the levels showed that they were complete. “Hard mode activated.”

“Oh boy, the same levels, but on fire," she dryly remarked. "I said 'challenging,' Ty, not 'repetitive...'"

"Hmph. For someone as bright as I figure you are, I thought you'd know better than t' judge a book by its cover."

"Well... contrary to popular belief, you actually CAN judge a book by its cover in some cases. I mean, the--!"

"Ah!" I interrupted. "This ain't no book. Jus' go back t' level one an' see what I mean..."

"So you really don’t think I can handle something just a little more taxing, huh?” Twilight asked.

"Oh, no... I KNOW you can't handle it in this case..."

“Is that so? Well, Ty, prepared to be proven wrong.”

"Good luck..." I wished her with an evil chuckle. I knew she’d be eating those words in a few minutes. As I expected, the amount of times I saw her mess up rose dramatically. She was determined to surprise me, however; especially because I couldn’t hold in my snickering at every time she died in the game. She grunted, groaned, and complained at each mistake she’d made that wound up sending Meat Boy flying into a buzz saw or falling into a bottomless pit and being forced to restart the level... just like a true gamer.

"Wha'ss wrong, Twi? Havin' a bit o' trouble?" I asked triumphantly, intentionally trying to get a rise out of her.

"No... I jus-- Uuugh!!" she tried to deny before sending Meat Boy to yet another untimely end while attempting to grab one of the game's collectible items.

"Jus'... *snort* give up on the Band-Aid... You're not gonna--!"

"Darn it!!" she shouted in frustration as we watched the game's protagonist go flying off a cliff and into yet another bottomless pit. "Oh my gosh, I don't understand it... This game... it's so simple, yet so... so ANNOYING!"

"Welcome t' MY world..." I concurred as I watched her continue to fail miserably time and time again. At one point, her horn was glowing as if she was going to blow up my TV. She eventually got stuck on a level for a good twenty minutes before she finally rage quit.

“I’m glad YOU’RE having a good time over there!” she yelled, her mane frazzled with stress.

“I-I’m sorry, Twi! But I w-was hopin’ you’d p-prove me wrong!” I choked out through fits of laughter. She growled at me.

“You know what? Why don’t YOU give this headache of a game a try?” she challenged, tossing the controller over to me.

“Sure, I’ll humor you. I’mma make this look easy, too. And I’m gonna start from the first level.” I boasted. Surely enough, I made it through level after level, not making as many mistakes as Twilight did… that is, until I got to the level she’d gotten stuck on, where I’d gotten stuck on it almost twice as long as she did.

“Grr… Dammit…!” I angrily rasped as I died for the umpteenth time. I could hear the purple unicorn laughing at my hypocrisy, but I did my best to tune it out as I died again and again. “Oh, my F—…! Daaah, come on!” I complained, finding a ridiculous excuse for every time I screwed up in the game.

"My my, Ty, you seem to be struggling a bit."

"Tee-hee, Twili--! Shhhit! I was RIGHT there!"

"Not so amusing now, is it?"

"Oh, I'mma show YOU amusin', you little--!" With a stroke of luck, I eventually managed to beat the level I was stuck on.

“See? Makin’ it look easy!” I proclaimed with a false triumphant smile. The vein protruding from my forehead told a different story.

“Ha! You look about as angry as I was,” Twilight responded through her laughter. “If not angrier.”

“Nah, yo! I swear your laughin’ was messin’ me up!” I brazenly lied, making the unicorn laugh even harder as she went belly-up on the floor.

"Right... Haha, blame ME for your mistakes..." she joked through her laughter. I took a deep breath to calm myself down before I thought of a way to get her back.

“You know what? Take this!” I playfully said as I poked her belly. She flinched, but was still laughing.

“Don’t do that! I’m ticklish!” She said as she giggled.

"Ticklish? Oh yea, I'mma have fun wit' that..."

“Oh, well you shouldn’t-a told me that,” I replied as I got off of the bed and onto the floor to give her the old tickle torture.

“No! W-wait! Ple-he-he-he-ase!” She begged. I ignored her pleas as I tickled her into tears of laughter. A few seconds of tickling later, I saw her horn light up, followed by the magenta-colored glow enveloping me.

“WHOA!” I screamed as I flew into the air and crashed on my bed. “I take it you don’t like being tickled…?” I asked with a chuckle as I recovered.

“Not… at… all…” Twilight answered, out of breath. “That was fun... and I think… I’ve gotten enough information about that to suit me… for now, anyway. Now, let’s… look at the notebook."

“Aight. Bring it here,” I said, prompting Twilight to fetch the notebook from inside of the book bag on the floor. She tossed it to me with a hoof and hopped onto the bed with me. I quickly flipped through the pages of the book to see that she managed fill up almost every page (front and back) with neatly organized cursive handwriting (or, hoof-writing… or something like that). I whistled in amazement as I closed the book.

“That’s a lotta notes an' questions… And you wrote it all in cursive... Amazing.”

“I’m a very studious mare, Ty. Had we gone beyond that big city and not had those little run-ins, I’d probably have had a lot more.”

“Right… sorry about that,” I glumly said, rubbing the back of my head.

“It’s fine. Besides, that whole day was actually kind of fun!” Twilight said with cheer. “Now, as for my questions…”

“Okey doke,” I agreed, reopening the notebook to the first page. “Let’s see here… ‘What are those big shiny things with the wheels on them…?’ Those, my dear lavender friend, are ‘cars.’”

“Cars?” Twilight asked with a head tilt.

“Yeah. They are a method of transportation for us humans. The average human can only run at a speed somewhere between six an' ten miles per hour. Cars are able to move more than ten times that speed.”

“Ohh, I see! They’re like carriages, but without the need for ponies— or ‘humans’ to pull them!”

“Exactly! Also, the terms that apply to humans are ‘person’ for singular, and ‘people’ for plural. How fast can a pony run?"

"Hmm... I'd estimate somewhere between ten and twenty miles on average, but I could be mistaken. I'm a bit astounded you have measurements like that here. What other forms of measurements exist in this world?"

"A lot of 'em. But distance-wise, there exists inches, feet, yards, an' so on. We also have the metric system, which I think is easier on the brain than the other one."

"Really?? Measurement styles here are identical, then..."

"Indeed. Now what else do you have here…” I asked as I searched through the book for more questions. Thank goodness this pony had a whole lot more notes than questions, which I assume meant that she was able to answer the majority of her own questions during the trip. “Ahh, here’s one… ‘What is a human’s diet…?’ Well, Twi, most humans are omnivores.”

“Omnivores? Wow, that type of diet is extremely rare amongst citizens of Equestria! All ponies are herbivores, but some of the animals we have there, such as dragons and maticores, are carnivorous.”

“So mythological creatures actually exist there, huh? Interestin’… But yea, most humans are omnivorous. There's a select few that choose only t' eat plants, which we call either 'vegans' or 'vegetarians' based on how exclusive their diet is."

"Wow... Humans have that kind of free choice when it comes to food sources?"

"In some cases, yea."

"...How about you?" she asked. "Are you omnivorous or do you prefer not to consume other animals?"

"THAT, I'm a bit afraid t' answer..."

"...Will you judge me based on my answer?"

"Of course not, Ty... We're friends now."

"Well then, tha'ss good t' know. Because I myself am an omnivore. Not t' say I WON'T survive without meat, but yea, i'ss a pretty prominent part o' my diet."

"Intriguing..." she pensively murmured, not seeming in the least bit afraid of my confession.

"Huh... I thought you'd at least be a LITTLE rattled... You mus' be pretty open-minded..."

"You're not afraid t' know that I eat other animals an' you don't?"

"No, not at all... Why?"

"I dunno... I jus' thought that would make you think differently about me because of it."

"Nope. Your dietary choices are what keep you up and running throughout the day. It's not my place to judge you based on what you rely on for sustenance. I mean hay, one of my best friends eats rocks and jewels for sustenance."

"...REALLY now...?" I asked, at this point mind-blown.

"Yes indeed. Besides, it's not like you eat ponies... right?"

"Correct. Y'know, I like you a lot more already," I confessed in relief. "You're cute, open-minded, intelligent, AND you're givin' me the education of a lifetime..."

"R-really?? You... think of me that way already?" she asked, seemingly taken by surprise as I noticed her cheeks turning a bright, pale pink as she fought an involuntary smile.

"Yep..."

"Wow... I-I don't know what to say... um... Thank you, Ty..."

"No problem, Twi," I plainly replied, patting her on the head before continuing to sift through her notes. "Okay, next… ‘Whose job is it to change the weather in this world?’… That’s a weird one. The weather changes completely on its own here.” The unicorn’s eyes widened in shock.

“Seriously?? In my world, the Pegasi, which is the plural term for Pegasus in case you were wondering, are totally responsible for everything weather-related but the movement of the sun and moon.”

“Ya don’t say? How bizarre…” I murmured as I gave her a confused look. "Pegasuses exist in your world??"

"Yes. There are four races of pony that reside in my world: The Unicorn, like myself, The Pegasus, who has Wings, but no Horn to utilize magic with, The Earth Pony, which have neither Wings NOR a Horn, and last but CERTAINLY not least, the Alicorn, which is a pony who has both Wings AND a Horn... It's worth note that each and every race of pony has their own specific strengths and weaknesses that qualitatively differentiate us from one another."

“Whaaaaa...?" My interest in seeing this 'Equestria' was amplified tenfold. "Anyway, what’s next…? Ah; ‘Is there a ruler of America? If so, are they a deity?’ Yes, there technically is a ruler of America, but not in sense of a dictator or monarch. Here, we have a President, tons of government officials, and a voting system that allows the general population to choose who they want as leader. And no, they are not a deity. They are just as human as I am. In fact, I personally don’t believe there is such a thing as a ‘god’ of any kind in this world. But, there are many others throughout this planet that follow many various philosophies, theories, and everything in between on the existence of a god, or of many gods. It’s pretty complicated, Twi.” She stared at me with a most intense look of bewilderment.

“…Wow,” She finally managed to squeak out. “I am familiar with the type of government you’re talking about, as Ponyville, the town I live in, has a mayor who has the same types of officials under her, as well as being chosen by the citizens of the town, but… the possible nonexistence of a supreme ruler…? I can’t even begin to fathom what that would be like… Not to mention what you said about there being different paths of thought on the existence of one or more… mind-blowing, to say the least. In Equestria, we have two nearly-omniscient Alicorns ruling over our fair land. They are also Princesses, so they have very strong influence on all kinds of things, from international relations, to simple laws and rules in each city in Equestria.”

“I see… Okay, one more before we make the trip. That sound good?”

“Why stop so soon?” Twilight asked, showing a bit of disappointment.

“I’ll look through and answer more questions later if you want. Besides, from the looks of the notes you took, you seem to be very good at answerin’ your own questions,” I assured. “I’m mainly lookin’ for questions that your notes may not answer for you. Now let’s see here… ‘Who raises the sun and moon in this world?’ Kind of an odd one… Well, Twi, I will tell you that the moon moves all by itself, and that the sun don’t move at all; instead, this planet moves around the sun!”

“WHAT??” Twilight asked with extreme shock. “But… how?? That can’t be scientifically possible!”

“Oh, but it is… What, do your Princess/Goddesses move the sun and moon around in your world?” I asked sarcastically, smirking.

“Well… yeah, actually. One is known as Princess Celestia, the Princess of the Sun and Daylight. The other is known as Princess Luna, the Princess of the Moon and Night. I'm actually a student directly under Princess Celestia. She's taught me everything I know about magic, and in turn, I study the magic of friendship and report my findings to her. This little detour has proven rich in valuable information, and it's all thanks to you, Ty!” My smirk dropped immediately into an idiotic slack-jawed stare.

“…we’re goin’ to Equestria,” I said in a dramatically low, deep voice. I had forgotten to eat or even put on shoes due to my excitement for going to another world— no, another UNIVERSE. “Let’s go!” I said with noticeable excitement. “Oh, and bring the notebook with you so I can answer any questions you have about this world while we’re in yours.” Twilight nodded in agreement as she grabbed her notebook.

“Alright. I'm not entirely sure this spell will work the same way as it did when it brought me here, and it may take a bit more concentration, seeing as I'm bringing you along with me. Cross your... uh..."

"Fingers," I answered for her.

"...and prepare to be amazed!” Twilight announced as she placed a hoof on my leg and picked the notebook up in her mouth as she powered up her horn, and with a *POOF*, we were gone...

A Most WONDROUS Welcome Gift...!

Again, the exhilarating feeling of being instantly ripped apart into tiny molecules (if that doesn’t sound painful) consumed me as we were on our way the magical land of Twilight Sparkle’s kind. This trip lasted a bit longer than I expected, but I assume it was because we were going much further than just a few towns away in the same universe. Just like last time, everything around me was black and silent, save for a vague image of what looked like a giant tree with a door, windows, and a balcony on it. This trip lasted for what felt like an hour before we finally arrived.

“At last! Home sweet… Um, what are you doing?” Twilight asked with contempt as she looked at me and saw me hunched over on the ground, ducking for cover.

“I ain’t tryna run into no more doors again!” I cautiously responded.

“Well, you can relax now, because we’re here. As you can see, this trip didn’t need you to do any running.” She had me there. I lifted my head to see a most colorful landscape. Everything was so… vibrant and incredibly flamboyant. I looked around and spotted a town in the distance that looked like a typical medieval village, but as it seemed, everyone I could see was some sort of horse, pegasus, or unicorn with a coat color totally unnatural to a horse in my world. In addition, their eyes were so big and shiny, with irises of colors I’d never thought to have been possible; even for a human being. I also saw that each of them had some sort of tattoo adorned on their rears, every one of them unique in that they were pictures of seemingly random things. I thought back to what Twilight said about “super special talents,” and was quickly able to figure out what they meant.

“Are you going to keep gawking into space, or are you going to come in?” Twilight asked impatiently from her door, snapping me out of my trance.

“Oh! Uh… coming!” I replied as I got up to follow the unicorn into what I assumed was her home. Of course, seeing as Twilight was a bit smaller than I am, so were quite a few things in this new place. I barely fit through the door, being forced to duck low as I entered. I was relieved to see that the inside of this tree-house thing was at least a little bit roomier than the doorway, but what I saw shocked me; the place looked like a sort of library, but if the library was also a home for the owner. Given that we were inside of a large tree, most, if not all of the furniture was made of wood.

“Sooo… This is my home,” Twilight began.

“I figured that,” I said. “You sure wasn’t lyin’ when you said you was a studious mare… This is a LOTTA books to keep in your house…”

“That’s partly because my house also serves as the town library.”

“Ohh… so I assume you’re the librarian here?”

“Yes, technically. But my real job is to research and study the magic known as friendship. This place serves as sort of a base of operations.”

“Twilight? You’re back! Finally!” I heard a voice call from the top of a staircase. What I saw running down those stairs confused the hell out of me. A big purple-and-green lizard with green eyes and a green Mohawk-styled set of scales trailing over the center of his head that led down to the end of his tail, as well as some green scales of a similar design on the sides of his head. He walked upright on two legs, and had the voice of a 10-year-old human boy. “Uhh… I see you brought company…” He said, giving me an unsure look that basically conveyed he had no idea what he was looking at.

“Good morning, Spike!” Twilight happily greeted the lizard. “I’ve brought a visitor from another land far beyond the reaches of Equestria. He showed me around his world while I was gone, and now it’s my turn to show him around ours! Go ahead and introduce yourself!”

“Okay… uh… Hi. I’m Spike. I’m... a dragon. I’m also Twilight’s #1 Assistant,” Spike timidly said, approaching me with extreme caution.

“Wassup? I’m Tyshawn,” I replied nonchalantly with a nod as I kneeled down to offer him a handshake. His… claw, I guess I should call it, was hardly bigger than a kitten’s paw, so I just used my thumb and index finger to shake his claw with.

“Nice to meet you,” he said, seemingly over his nerves.

“Likewise.” He turned to Twilight with a look of confusion on his face.

“So... What… is he??” he asked.

“He’s what is known as a ‘human’ in his world. Where he comes from, his species is the ruling kind, just like ponies are here. His world is wildly different from ours, but strikingly similar at the same time.” Twilight answered as if she were teaching a class.

"Yyeah, you lost me," Spike remarked, seeming only more confused than he already was. "What do you mean by 'his' world? I get that he might not be an Equestria native, but you sound like you went to a whole different planet or something..." Twilight merely smirked at the dragon's inquiry.

"Funny you should mention that. You see, I actually DID wind up going to a different planet of sorts instead of a different city when I used that spell the other day... Though I think 'planet' would be a bit of an understatement in this context."

“Uh-huh…” the dragon child(?) murmured in perplexity as he took a good look at me. “You’re huge!"

"So I've heard..." I curtly replied.

"How do you expect to go walking around Ponyville without anypony panicking and thinking that you’re some sort of monster?” He asked, bringing up a VERY valid point of concern.

“…Y’know, tha’ss a good point…” I answered. “Hey Twilight, how am I supposed to blend in here?”

“Hmm… You’re much too big to fit into any saddlebag…” She began to ponder. I chuckled a little at her saddlebag thought. The unicorn went silent as she thought for a minute. "Maybe you could um... pretend to be my pet... monkey?" at that, I shot her an incredulous look.

"You mus' be out'cho damn mind..."

"Yea, that ain't gonna fly," I refused.

"Why not?"

"One, I don't have a tail. Two, I ain't no animal tha'ss gonna be paraded around town. I got too much pride for that."

"Oh, but you making me pretend to be a DOG wasn't degrading for me?" she shot back.

"...Touché, Twilight... But I still ain't doin' it."

"Fine. But if that won't be the case, then we HAVE to do something with you so you can blend in..."

"Ooh! I've got an idea!" Spike suggested.

"Yeees?" Twilight urged, intent on hearing him out.

"What if... um... What if you used a size-reduction spell on him? You could shrink him down to the size of a hoof and hide him in your mane. Or a saddlebag."

"Hmm... That SOUNDS plausible... but I'm not sure I've fully worked out the kinks of the size-reduction spell just yet... I think it'd be a bit risky to try right now, too..."

"Yea, an' I'd rather be within her line o' sight so she doesn't accidentally crush me or somethin'..."

"Also a good point," Twilight agreed before we went back to the drawing board. The three of us pondered for a few minutes before one of us came up with an idea...

“If hiding you isn’t an option, and neither are pretending to be an exotic animal or shrinking you, then…" Her eyes went wide in realization as she gasped in noticeable excitement, casting her gaze toward space for a brief second. "OOH! Spike!" The unicorn beckoned her... pet dragon, I guess, pointing towards one of the many bookshelves with her hoof. "Hand me that copy of—!”

“Anthology of Anatomy, coming right up,” Spike finished excitedly, already on his way to retrieve the oh-so-convenient book Twilight was about to ask for. He quickly found it and handed it to Twilight. She levitated the book towards her with her magic as she opened it to a seemingly random page.

“Now let’s see here… Ponies... Stallions. Here we go,” Twilight mumbled as she read.

“What…? Why would…?” I mumbled. A sudden idea had hit me as for why Twilight needed that book. I was skeptical, so I brushed the thought away with a “No way…”

“Mm-hmm… Mm-hmm… Okay! Spike, please get me the copy of ‘Magic Guidelines and Guiles Volume Two, Sixth Edition',” Twilight requested.

“…Wait, WHAT???” I asked in total disbelief as the idea I’d ignored was now the only thought in my head. “You don’t SERIOUSLY PLAN ON—!?”

“…Attempting to turn you into a pony, yes,” Spike finished matter-of-factly as he fetched another book from a shelf and handed it to the unicorn. Again, she magically flipped to a seemingly random page and carefully read the contents. I was so scared out of my mind of what could possibly happen with something as outlandish as being magically transformed into an animal from a completely different universe that I was trembling.

“…Hold on! Is this safe?? I-is it gonna hurt?? W-w-will I be stuck that way??” I asked in rapid succession, overcome with terror.

“Yes, it’s safe… I think. No, it won’t hurt… well, maybe a little. And no. It says here that this spell is temporary and that you’ll be a pony for a maximum of one week, or until any point during that time you’d want me to change you back.”

“You are DEFINITELY convincin’ me…” I quipped, trying to build a shield of sarcasm.

“Well… to be perfectly honest with you, Ty… this is the first time I’m trying anything like this… You should consider yourself lucky! The first thing you get to do here is become a test subject for an experiment of mine!” Twilight said with excitement, trying to cheer me up, seeming to ignore my obvious fear of such a procedure.

“You and your experiments,” I shot back. “Remember the first experiment you tried on me? Y’know, the one that made me get into that losin’ fight with my door?”

“Relax! At the very least, you know it worked!” She yelled. “Besides, the second experimental spell, the one I used to heal your injuries from said ‘fight’, worked like a charm! Now stop being such a foal and let me try this!”

"Heh, y'know, I-I think I'd rather uhm... go with the 'pretend t' be a monkey' idea, huh? I mean, er... I-it might be degradin', but at least we'll be sure it won't hurt..."

"...anything but my pride, that is..."

"Sorry, dude," Spike apologized. "Once Twilight gets into her mad scientist mode, it's VERY hard to pull her out of it. Trust me, I know. I've lived with her for as long as I remember."

"Really? Oh..." My heart sank. I did NOT want to be a lab rat... not so soon... not like THIS! "Hey I've got it! Why don't you... use Spike here as a test subject first!"

"Hey, don't try throwing ME under the carriage!" he complained. "It's YOU who needs the disguise, not me."

"Yea, but... what about you? You're a--!"

"Nice try, but I'M widely accepted in the pony community despite being a dragon," he countered, already knowing what I was about to argue with. "Now toughen up! You seem big enough to handle a measly little spell..."

“…I don’t suppose there’s any changin’ your mind on this, then, huh?” I asked the inspired lavender mare.

“To be blunt, Ty… nope! This is an opportunity I just CAN'T afford to pass up! Now let’s get this started,” the unicorn commanded as she set the book down and charged up her horn.

“Whoa, wait! Ain’t there some kinda prec—!” I tried to spit out, but I was interrupted by an impact from a magenta-colored beam of energy. I levitated into the air as my arms and legs were forced to be straightened out…

Now, to say that this spell hurt would be a SEVERE understatement. You ever have one of those times where every bone, organ, and muscle in your body was slowly contorted, separated, and reformed into the shape of another animal? No? Good for you, because what I am about to say here will likely sound pretty graphic…

“AAAAAAAAAGH!” I shouted intense agony as my limbs were the first to undergo the transformation. I felt my hands and feet curl up and seemingly disappear into my wrists and ankles, respectively. Next, the nubs where my hands and feet used to be were stretched out to form large, flat circles that hardened on the surfaces. Next, my arms and legs stretched out in separate directions on their own and with a series of eardrum-shattering *SNAPS* and *POPS*, were detached and twisted in varying, indiscernible directions at each connection point. This was by far, the worst of it. Thankfully, this horrible pain subsided as quickly as it started, as my limbs felt like they’d healed completely in just a few seconds after they were reset. I'm guessing that was because they went numb...

“Uhh, Twilight… he seems to be in a LOT of pain… You sure this will work?” I heard Spike ask with concern.

“I’m positive that this will work,” Twilight replied. “I just never thought that the spell would cause this much pain…” she finished with a guilty tone.

The next thing I’d felt was my insides shifting around in my body. Every muscle, every organ, and every bone was being detached, reshaped, and/or shifted in one way or another to change my form into that of a horse (or “pony,” in this regard). I felt like I was being subjected to some kind of cruel medieval torture. I let out another wail of despair as the spell worked its seemingly-sadistic magic. I just wanted to pass out and let the spell finish without me feeling it. That’s exactly what I was going to do, too, until I heard Twilight's voice.

“It’s almost over, Ty! Hang in there!” Twilight shouted, jolting me awake for no reason I could explain. The next step was the changing of the formation of my head. This part, while thankfully taking the least amount of time, came with an added effect I wasn’t expecting; my clothes were stretching and fusing onto my body. Every part of my head began to reform itself into a different shape, which caused a migraine like I’d never had before. That was done in a few seconds, but the throbbing pain stayed. It was as if someone had bashed me over the head with the heaviest rock they could find... Repeatedly.

Anyway, my ears shifted to the top of my head and took on a pointed shape, my hair grew longer, my eyes got larger, and my mouth and nose were pulled outwards and reformed into a muzzle. The last thing that happened was that my shorts and shirt seemed to begin covering and wrapping tightly around my entire body, save for my eyes, mouth, nostrils and hair. In addition, once my clothes fused into me, I felt a large plethora of tingles and stings all over me, which I’d assumed was the fabric turning into a fur coat. I especially felt the tingling sensation from just above my rear. Lastly, I felt my now pony-fied body shrink considerably, and with a sudden *CRASH*, the transformation was finally complete. The magic suspending me in the air subsided, and I landed on my back with a thud, panting heavily as the migraine took its toll on me.

“Quick! Help me get him to my…” was all I’d heard before I blacked out...

I slowly awoke to find myself in a bed with an outer space-themed blanket on it. I moved to place a hand on my forehead, but jumped out of the bed and fell onto the floor when I realized what I was looking at.

“AAH! What…?” I almost asked, but then it all came flooding back to me; I’d been painstakingly turned into one of Twilight's kind. “Oh, right…”

“Oh, good! You’re awake!” Twilight happily announced as she cantered over to help me up. Standing up was a bit of a struggle in itself, given that this new form seemed... foreign.

“Yeah… remind me t’ NEVER let you do anythin’ like that again,” I groggily replied as I looked down at my new hooves.

“Aww, c’mon… It wasn’t THAT bad, was it?”

“Depends on if you’ve ever been forcibly stretched out, twisted around, an' turned into a completely different animal before…” I bitterly quipped, cutting my eyes at her. "Thanks t' you, I now know how circus balloons feel." Both the unicorn and the dragon grinned, though their faces read differing emotions ranging from amusement to unspeakable guilt.

“You got me there… Sorry, I didn’t know! I-it was an honest miscalculation! All part of the scientific process!” Twilight nervously defended.

“Yea, okay… Hey, speakin' of, why doesn’t everything hurt?” I asked as I noticed an alarming, yet relieving lack of physical anguish.

“I used another healing spell on you just in case anything drastic happened to you while you were unconscious. I’m relieved to see that you’re alright… Do you want to see what you look like?”

“Sure.”

Twilight didn’t hesitate to bring me a large mirror to examine myself with. I found my look to be… odd, compared to the ponies I’d seen (given that Twilight and the vague glimpses of the local townsfolk were all I had as references). Whereas every pony had a solid, usually-bright coat color, mine was a solid, definitive jet black. I also noticed that my eyes, instead of being a dark brown, were now a lighter, more golden-brown. My… mane, I guess, was formed into a medium-sized afro with long, very curly hair lining the back of my neck. My new tail had the same dark, puffy texture. I didn’t see any horn or wings, which was kind of disappointing, but I couldn’t complain. I took a look at Twilight standing next to me and noticed that, even though I’d shrunk, I was still a bit larger than she was. The thing that really caught my eye was the tattoo that appeared on my flanks; a white comic book-styled thought bubble.

“Sooo, how do you like it?” Twilight asked.

“Not gonna lie; this is pretty cool!” I answered enthusiastically.

“Good! What do you suppose your Cutie Mark means, though?”

“My wha…? Oh, right! The tattoo thing… Hmm… A thought cloud of all things... Well, I do usually have my head in the clouds..."

"How so?"

"I did always find enjoyment in thinking about everything and givin’ advice to friends who needed it… But mainly, I’d find myself thinkin’ about ways to do somethin’, dependin’ on the situation I was in. Otherwise, I’ll sometimes lose myself in my own train of thought when I’m alone. Basically, I’d like to see myself as a pensive kind of pers— I mean, pony. I generally like t' study minds.”

“Interesting… Now, when you say 'study minds', you mean--?”

"Psychology, yes. It's been an interest o' mine for a little while now."

"Wow... I've studied up on that subject myself..." she informed, seemingly amazed by my chosen interest. "Do you think human minds work the same as ponies?"

"Considerin' who I've come int' contact with, I'd LIKE t' assume so... but I couldn't give ya a good answer until I explored this place a bit... Speakin' of, when you plan on showin’ me around?”

“As soon as I’m sure you’re able to walk and run like a pony. I hypothesize that, because you were a human and you’re now a completely different species of life-form, you’ll probably have some difficulty with basic pony movements.”

“No way! Humans can crawl, and I hypothesize that this won’t be as hard as you sayin’ it might be!” I challenged thinking I knew instantly how to move like a horse.

“Okay, Mr. Daring,” Twilight said with a smirk as she walked to the other side of the room. “Come here,” she ordered, motioning a fore-hoof in a come-hither motion. I smirked as I tried my first steps as a pony. A problem arose immediately. I’d been so used to bending my knees forward that when I tried to move my hind legs in the same way, they locked up. I also forgot that I was so used to my arms bending towards my body that my forelegs also locked up. I fell flat on my face, my rear sticking high into the air.

“What the…?” I growled with my face still firmly planted on the floor. The combined laughter of the scientific mare and her reptilian assistant, who was sitting on the bed, was no help. “I hate’cha… Hate’cha both…” I moaned with a sigh, finding myself unable to move from this embarrassing position. Spike jumped off the bed to help me set myself up again, still laughing.

“Care to try again?” Twilight asked, stifling a giggle.

“Yea. I see my problem already… My forelegs an' hind legs kinda feel like they bend in the opposite directions of what I’d expect, which is throwin’ me off. I wanna say this DOES sort of feel like crawlin’ as a human, but I think I’m s’posed to be usin’ more o’ my front legs to keep me steady rather than relyin’ on my back legs to do so...” I took a few lengthy moments to examine exactly how my new limbs bent... where exactly my legs were supposed to connect at the joints, which I was surprised to see that my legs simply bending backwards was NOT the case in point for joint movements. Turns out equine bodies were similar to humans in some ways... it's just that this new form, after only spending my entire LIFE as a human being, was a bit difficult to master. I also needed to figure out how exactly to communicate with my human-wired brain in a horse-like body... THIS took a while to get used to.

I tried and failed numerous times to get the hang of things in this new body... I just COULD NOT get my brain to work my body the right way... It's almost as if I'd had to clear my mind of how to walk as a human, shut down, and completely reprogram my basal ganglia (the part of the brain that controls movement) to meet the expected commands that needed to be delivered to my somatic and other various nervous systems. Twilight offered some insight on exactly how a pony walks, but even that didn't help me much. She offered more help than SPIKE did, though. The little bastard just sat there laughing at me because I couldn't learn right away how to walk. I swore to get him back somehow. However, I persevered, and after a few VERY long, humiliating hours, I'd finally gotten the basics on equine movement.

“Okay, Ty... We've been at this for the last, give or take, three hours now," Twilight drearily let me know as if I didn't have enough to feel ashamed about. "Try again.” On her command, I began to move, keeping everything I'd learned. I started with my right fore-hoof. Then my left hind-hoof, followed by my left fore-hoof, after which came my right hind-hoof. I finally comprehended the pattern and internalized it as I approached my Equine Anatomy 101 tutor.

"There," I stated, finally getting the hang of things.

“I’m impressed! You’re a quick learner!” Twilight cheered as she patted my afro-mane with a hoof.

"Quick? We've been here ALL morning! THAT'S quick?"

“Wow, your mane is just about as puffy as Pinkie Pie’s…”

“Pinkie who?”

“A friend of mine I’d like you to meet later. But there is one more lesson I need to teach you before we take off. I'd like to see if you know how to gallop.” Twilight instructed. Nodding at her order, I turned and began to trot very slowly...

"Okay... slow an' steady wins the race here... jus' be careful not t' bust ya ass again..." I sped up the trot to a humble canter.

"Good, good... it seems you're finally learning how to control your body..." After a few moments of cantering, I broke into a slow, steady gallop, making ABSOLUTELY sure not to get ahead of myself. Somehow, I managed to surprise her, as I noticed her jaw dropped in shock. “You’re able to do that already??”

“What?” I asked as I galloped around the room a couple times before slowing myself to a trot, then stopping completely in front of Twilight.

“Lesson complete!”

“Alright! What do I win?” I jokingly asked.

“A no-expense paid trip around the fair town of Ponyville!” Twilight answered, matching my joke with another.

“No expense-paid? Darn! Oh well, let’s go!”

“Wait! One more thing,” Twilight began. “Spike, take a letter.”

“With gusto!” Spike enthusiastically answered as he grabbed a feather (or QUILL, as it's called) and a piece of paper (parchment).

“Alright. Dear Princess Celestia... The latest spell I learned, the spell that was supposed to let me instantly transport myself to different places like Fillydelphia, Las Pegasus, and even Canterlot, I am sorry to say was a failure in that department. However, this same spell instead let me travel to someplace where nopony has gone before. I am delighted to inform you that I may have discovered intergalactic travel! I have even brought a guest from the universe I visited, as well as a plethora of notes! I wish to show him around Ponyville before bringing him to Canterlot to discuss his knowledge with you, if that is okay. Faithfully Yours, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Aaaaand done!” Spike declared as he finished writing down Twilight’s words. He then rolled the letter into a scroll and, with a strong breath of green fire; he burned the scroll to sparkling vapors that flew out of a nearby window.

“…What was the point of that?” I asked, confused. “Why write a letter, and then burn it up?”

“The letter didn’t actually burn,” Spike answered.

“You see, Ty, when Spike breathes fire on a letter, it is dematerialized and sent instantly to Princess Celestia, where it will reform itself for her to read. Spike here is a sort of messenger. Through him, I am able to send and receive letters with The Princess,” Twilight explained.

“Ahh, wow, so Spike’s like your personal magic mailma— mail-dragon?”

“Exactly!” As Twilight answered me, Spike’s cheeks ballooned like a chipmunk’s.

“Why ya makin’ that— WHOA!” I shouted as I ducked under the dragon’s sudden fiery burp. I felt something land in my afro-mane almost immediately after he was done belching.

“Wow, she responded pretty quickly!” Twilight excitedly announced before grabbing the foreign object out of my mane with her mouth. She took the scroll into her hooves and opened it to read its contents:

Dearest Twilight Sparkle,

While it is unfortunate to hear that your spell did not work the way you’d intended, it is most wonderful to hear that you’ve discovered something entirely new with it! In all my millennia, I have never heard of a pony being able to travel outside of one plane of existence and into another one! You never cease to amaze me, my Most Faithful Student, and I hope to meet this intergalactic friend of yours soon.

Yours Truly,

Princess Celestia

I was completely unable to process what just happened as my mouth fell open and I just gawked stupidly at the unicorn.

“I understand that this is a lot to take in, but we don't have any more time to dilly-dally! We’ve got to give you a tour around the town! Let’s go!” Twilight commanded, snapping me out of my stupefied trance. I moved to follow her, but then my stomach growled with the intensity of an angry bear.

“Oh, right… I was in such a hurry to get here that I forgot to eat,” I sheepishly informed the unicorn with a toothy grin. "Plus, all that walkin' practice kinda took my mind off it till now..."

“Well that...” she began as her own stomach began to growl. “…definitely tells us where we’re going first," she finished, smiling sheepishly. "Onwards, to Sweet Apple Acres! Come along, Spike!”

"Sure!" the dragon eagerly complied, climbing onto the unicorn's back. "This, I don't think I WANNA miss..."

"Huh... Even though they're sapient, they STILL have qualities akin t' horses back home... Interestin'..."

"All set! Let's go!" Twilight commanded.

“Mmm… Apples…” I hungrily moaned as we finally headed out the door and into the town of Ponyville…

We Really DO Sound Alike...

The humble, seemingly tranquil town of Ponyville was quite the sight to behold up close as Twi, Spike, and I walked through. Everywhere, there were candy-colored ponies of all ages and… races, I guess, with tattoo— I mean, “Cutie Marks,” going about the various routines and tasks of their day. The environment was almost something I’d only seen and read about in history books; completely dirt roads devoid of any traffic light or motor vehicle and buildings made of milky-white cobblestone with unbelievably medieval designs to them, and even stands that sold various necessities such as fruits, vegetables and flowers. Shockingly enough, there seemed to be some modern-day inventions here, as I saw a little orange filly with spiky purple hair, wings, and a blue riding helmet zooming by on a scooter.

“Sooo, how do ya like Ponyville so far?” Twilight asked with an inflection of excitement.

“It’s incredible…! But so odd at the same time…” I answered, perplexed by everything around me. “Everything here looks so archaic… but then I’m seein’ stuff that I wouldn’t expect of a place that seems so old-fashioned…”

“Old-fashioned? I’m not sure what you mean. Ponies have lived this way for a very long time. I suppose it seems ‘old-fashioned’ to you because your world is a bit more… advanced than this one is in some aspects, should I say?”

“Yea, I guess... I wonder, though; is walkin' an' flyin' the only ways t' get around here?"

"Oh, no. We also have alternative methods of transportation. One of those methods includes a carriage taxi service for ponies who can't get to where they need to go under their own power for whatever reason."

"Is that right...? Huh..."

"Pony taxis... to carry ponies... Talk about Inception..."

"Also, someponies use more personal transportation devices such as scooters and skates to get around..."

"Funny you should mention that... I think I saw a little pony girl ridin' by on a scooter not too long ago."

"Oh, Scootaloo?"

"I... guess tha'ss her name...?"

"Yeah, she's widely known around these parts for riding her scooter around town. Not sure if you'd noticed it when you saw her, but she's a pegasus who hasn't learned how to fly yet. That scooter of hers serves as a sort of substitute."

"Really?"

"Indeed."

"Huh. You'd figure flyin' would come natural to somethin' or someone who was pretty much BORN t' do it..."

"It's perfectly okay. Some ponies just take longer than others to learn. Also, the term for younger ponies here is 'filly' for females, and 'colt' for males."

"Yea, I knew that. Jus' wasn't sure if terms for horses in my world applied t' ponies here..."

"Well if they're anything like what you're implying, then yes they are. Stallion, Mare, Filly, Colt, so on, so forth?"

"Yep, EXACTLY alike..." I confirmed before my stomach growled yet again getting impatient.

"OKAY, stomach! Damn, I know you're empty, but cut me a break here!"

"Hey, are we close to this Apple Acres place?” I asked, trying not to sound like I was whining.

“That we are! It’s right over there,” Twilight answered as we approached a large field that was covered in apple trees with a big red barn in the distance. The place seemed no different than any farm I saw in my world, which shocked me even more. Something clicked in my brain the second I saw the apples.

“Wait a minute… I take it we’ll be meetin’ this friend o’ yours… Applejacks, I think?” I asked.

“Applejack,” Twilight corrected. “And yes, you finally get to meet the pony who sounds like you!” She said with a smile. "As I said, she's one of my best friends, and quite friendly, too! I'd imagine you to get along with her fairly quickly. And believe me on this one, Ty: Her family recipes are simply UNRIVALED in how delectable they are. The Apple family is the most revered in all of Ponyville for their apple-related recipes... Apple pie, Apple cobbler, Apple cider, Apple turnovers..." as she rambled on about all kinds of delicious apple-related treats, my stomach was practically trying to eat itself into a black hole... it wasn't long before I couldn't take the punishment anymore.

"Yea, keep talkin' like that an' I'mma be forced t' eat my own ha-- er, hoof, you're makin' me so hungry..." I blurted out.

"Oh! Sorry..." she giggled. As we walked into the field through the gate, we were greeted with a “Howdy!” from an orange mare with a cowboy hat and a blonde mane and tail that were… ironically tied up in ponytails. Right before she came over to us, she kicked a large, sturdy tree with both of her hind-hooves, causing every apple in it to fall into two baskets nearby it. My eyes widened in surprise.

“Good afternoon, Applejack!” Twilight responded to the green-eyed mare with a smile.

“An’ who’s this tall dark feller here?” she asked. I opened my mouth to speak, but Twilight interrupted right away.

“This is… Ponder Memoir!” Twilight answered for me, causing me to shoot her a confused look. She winked at me, which I read loud and clear. I suppose ‘Ponder Memoir’ would become my pony nickname here so I could better fit in. I guess telling anyone here my actual name would be a bit unusual, not to mention cause suspicion. I wasn’t sure why, but given that the two ponies I’d known up to this point were named for something having to do with their special talents, I assumed that was the case for everyone here.

“Uhh, yes, I’m Ponder Memoir. But you can call me Ty. How ya doin’, Applejack?” I shakily said, holding out a hoof.

“Howdy, pardner! Any friend o’ Twi’s is a friend o’ mine!” Applejack brightly said, touching her hoof to mine. “I reckon yer new to Ponyville. Would y’all like somethin’ ta eat?”

“Sure!”

“Alrighty! Follow me!” Applejack commanded with a wave of her hoof as we made our way to a nearby picnic table. The meal she’d made for us, I suppose shouldn’t have come as a surprise; given the girl’s name was APPLEjack. There wasn’t a single thing she fed Twi, Spike, and I that didn’t have some kind of apple in it. Apple Pie, Apple Cobbler, Apple Fritter, Apple everything! Unfortunately, this is where problem number two arose. I had NO idea how I was supposed to use the fork and knife in front of me when I had hooves instead of hands.

“Thank you for this meal, Applejack!” I praised.

“No thanks necessary,” she responded graciously. “No newcomer’s ever been t’ Ponyville without tryin’ some famous Apple family cookin’!”

“Yea, I'm sure my taste buds are in for a WILD ride..." I assured. "Quick question, though..."

"Ask away, Ty," the farm pony permitted.

"Uh... I know this is prolly gonna sound kinda dumb, but…"

"Nonsense. There ain't no such thing as a 'dumb' question. Now what's on yer mind?"

"Umm… How do I use these?” I asked, pointing a hoof to the silverware. Applejack shot me a look of confusion. It didn't take long for her to assume I was joking, so she laughed at me, thinking she was laughing with me.

"Now THAT'S just silly... Hoo-wee, ya almost had me there, sugarcube..." she laughed some more, forcing me to awkwardly chuckle along with her.

"Eheh heh heh, yea, I can be a pretty funny guy..." I nervously went along with it. "But.... seriously, how do I use these?" Applejack's laughter stopped more suddenly than a deer that was caught in a car's headlights as she began to eye me up like I was some demented weirdo.

“Yer serious?" she skeptically inquired.

"Y-yea..." I shamefully admitted.

"Well why didn't ya say so?" she lightheartedly remarked. "Sorry fer laughin' atcha. But it's simple. Ya jus’ pick ‘em up, put ‘em in th’ food, an’—!”

“No, I mean how do I pick these things up when we got hooves instead o’ hands or claws?” As I should have expected, another, even more confused look from the earnest country mare aimed at me. I heard Twi and Spike stifling giggles until I glared at both of them, causing them to stop, although they were each wearing goofy grins.

"No such thing as a dumb question... What a load o' shit...! Now ya got me feelin' like I failed outta fourth grade... at age fifteen!"

“Twi… Where’d ya find this stallion...?” Applejack whispered to Twilight. “He seems a few apples short of a bunch...” Twilight giggled some more. I face-hoofed and let out a deep, exasperated breath as I reached for the fork, which miraculously stuck to the bottom of my hoof, and stuck it into an apple turnover on my plate. As soon as I realized my endeavor, I let go of the fork and gazed at it in amazement.

“What the…? How is that even…?” I mumbled to myself in amazement.

“Theeeeere ya go, sport! Way ta use the ol’ noggin!” Applejack teased, causing the unicorn and the dragon to laugh even more. I flashed a fake smile at her, and then turned to my plate. “Ya sure ya don’t need me t’ tell ya how to lift it inta yer mouth?” she quipped again with a laugh. Surely enough, Twilight and Spike joined her in laughter. I clenched my teeth in annoyance and grabbed the fork again, still looking down at the plate.

“Jeez, I hope not everyone here’s a smart-ass…” I grumbled under my breath, my annoyance with such treatment already growing thinner than a sheet of paper with an eating disorder.

“Didn’t quite catch that, sugarcube. What’d ya say?” Applejack asked in a genuinely curious tone. Twilight and Spike went completely silent, which scared the shit out of me. I refused to look up as I feared the worst.

“Oh, crap! What do I tell ‘er now!? I can’t tell her what I said! I’ve seen what she can do t' trees! I don’t wanna have all my teeth kicked outta my face like the apples outta that tree! Ummmm…!”

“I said uh… I hope everyone here’s not… bein’ too crass! Y’know, table etiquette and such. I uh… I want to make the best first impression on you that I can, seein’ as I want to be friends with you an’ all.” I said with a nervous chuckle. Thankfully, the orange mare chuckled with me. "I-I understand if I'm kinda failin' miserably at it, heh..."

“Aww shucks, yer already good in my book! Even if ya do seem t' be a bit out there. You sound like y’all paid a li’l visit t' Rarity before comin’ here.” Applejack chuckled some more.

“Gee thanks… I guess. But no, we ain’t get to see this Rarity pers— pony yet. I just like to be as polite and considerate as I can when I’m a guest.”

“That right?" she looked at me in bewilderment yet again.

"Yea. Why?"

"So yer smarter than yer lettin’ on…?” Applejack stared at me for a bit. “You definitely are an interestin’ one, Ponder Memoir. But I’m sure I’ll get t' know ya better once we’re done eatin’. Let’s dig in!” Applejack said as she grabbed her fork and began to eat her apple pie. The various apple (food) products were like nothing I’d ever tasted before… By the time I was done, I’d developed a new appreciation of apples. I also gained a better understanding of the whole “Cutie Mark-Special Talent” relationship. I saw Applejack’s was a trio of red apples, which I guessed meant her special talent had everything to do with apples.

“So, Ty… How’d ya like them apples?” Applejack mused.

"Haaa, I see what you did there..."

“I ain’t even gon’ trip. That was amazin’!” I happily answered.

“Y'know, I gotta say... One thing I done noticed about you, other than the fact that y’all are about as big as my big brother, and that you’re a bit outta the ordinary, is yer accent… Ya sound almost like I do!”

“Really now? I can’t tell the resemblance…” I joked to the amusement of the entire group.

“Heh heh, you’re a funny one. But hey, where ya from, Ty? You definitely don’t seem like nopony from a place I ever been to…” Applejack asked with wonder.

“Trust me, i'ss a LOOONG story, an' given that I gotta get a better look around this town, I might not get time t' tell ya the whole thing today… Le’ss just say that I’m from a place VERY far away from here.”

“How far we talkin’? New Colt City? Manehattan? Mare-yland? Fillydelphia?”

“He’s from an alternate universe,” Spike suddenly blurted, causing me to shoot him a wide eyed stare that said, 'What the hell, man!?' Twilight gave him such a scolding glare that I got scared even though she wasn’t looking at me.

“Really?” Applejack asked as her eyes widened in interest.

“No! Not at all!” Twilight hastily interjected with a blatant lie, smiling sheepishly. “Spike was just uh… telling a little joke is all!” Applejack turned to look at the unicorn, studying her mannerisms.

“Now Twi, as the wielder o' Element o' Honesty, I can tell when anypony is fibbin’. Y’all ain’t gotta hide nothin’ from me. If it’s true that Ty here’s not even from this world, then I don’t see a reason to hide it. As crazy as it sounds…”

“Element of—?” I tried to ask.

"How'd ya manage somethin' like that, Twi?" Applejack asked over me.

"Cat's out of the bag now... Might as well come clean," Twilight surrendered, choosing not to lie anymore. "To be entirely honest, A.J., I don't have too much of an idea myself," she uneasily answered her friend. "The spell I was demonstrating to you and the others a couple days ago went a little... haywire, to say the least... Ty being here at all is evidence of that."

“Uh-huh..." Applejack nodded in a mix of confusion and a small amount of understanding. After a couple of minutes of her gathering her thoughts and giving me a few pensive glances, she turned to me, seeming to have comprehended the information she'd been given. "So yer really from a whole ‘nother place outside o' this here world, huh?” Applejack inquired as she turned back to me.

“Y-yea,” I stuttered, unsure of what to say next. “But that’s somethin’ I’d rather not let everyone here know. At least, not yet. I don’t need the heat right now, y’know? I don’t wanna cause some kinda mass panic or nothin’…”

“I hear ya. Yer secret’s safe with me. But seein’ as I know now…" she trailed off, getting into my face. "What’s your place like? Are the ponies there nice? How’d y’all wind up here? Are the apples there as good as ours?” Applejack relentlessly drilled me with question after question. As much as I REALLY wanted to sit there and play 20,000 questions with the apple farming mare, I figured Twilight would eventually give her the answers she was looking for when I answered all the questions in that notebook.

“All part o’ that story I owe ya tomorrow. Whoo, look at the time!” I hastily announced as I looked at the invisible watch on my fore-hoof. “Twi, Spike, wouldn’t you say it’s time for me to explore Ponyville some more?”

“Yes, yes!” Twilight hastily answered with gusto as she, Spike, and I regrouped and prepared to leave. "Sorry to leave in such a hurry, A.J., but we've got a busy schedule ahead of us!"

“Well, hold yer horses, y’all!” Applejack yelled, stopping us in our tracks. “Surely, y’all got at least enough time to introduce Ty t' Big Mac, Apple Bloom, an’ Granny Smith!”

“That’d be nice, but uh… Don’t you and Big Macintosh have a lot of chores to do today?” Twilight asked while trying not to sound hopeful about distracting the orange country mare from the barrage of questions she had ready for me.

“Oh ma stars! I completely forgot! Thanks fer remindin’ me, Twi!” Applejack responded with realization of her duties. She hastily got up to grab all of the dishes from the picnic table to carry them into a house nearby. “Y’all are free t’ go now! Today’s s'posed t' be extra busy for us! Nice meetin’ ya, Ponder Memoir!” Applejack announced as she ran off. Twi and I breathed a sigh of relief as we left the farm to return to the town.

“That… could’ve gone more smoothly,” Twilight said.

“Irony hurts, don’t it?” I remarked, snickering at the unicorn.

“Hey now, you made a couple of mistakes yourself back there, ‘Ponder Memoir’."

"So I didn't know how t' pick up a fork with my hoof. Sue me, Twilight. We didn't exactly get t' go over how t' use silverware before we left..."

"Point taken. Although, I'd assumed that was common knowledge; even WITH the species transition. Also, that last little slip-up wasn’t my fault. Right, Spike?” she replied, turning to glare at the dragon riding on her back.

“Umm… An honest mistake, really!” the dragon said with a shrug and a shy, squinting smile.

“So where should we go next?” I asked.

“Hmm… I’d say we should go—!”

“Twilight! Look out!” Spike yelled. Both the unicorn and I turned to see and hear a screaming rainbow-colored blur beaming towards us at a startling speed. Before any of us could move, the blur came crashing into us, sending Spike flying off of Twilight’s back as the object hit the unicorn and me hard, and knocking us to the ground along with it. We quickly recovered from the blow to see a light blue pegasus with an unkempt, spiky rainbow-colored mane and tail lying flat on her back in a daze…

Something ODDLY Familiar...

“Rainbow Dash! Are you okay?” Twilight asked with great worry. Both of us moved to help the dizzy rainbow-haired pegasus to her fee— hooves.

“Yeah… yeah, I’m good. Thanks Twilight. I was trying this new trick, and…?” She began to say as she snapped out of her daze. She stared at me for a second, seeming to be trying to register me in her thoughts. “Who’s this guy? Your new coltfriend?” she immediately asked in a teasing tone.

“What?? Uh, n- no!” Twilight hastily answered, blushing.

"Well THAT assumption came up a lot sooner than I thought..."

“He’s new to this place, and I’m just showing him around.” Rainbow and I laughed a little at Twilight’s sudden loss of composure at Rainbow Dash’s question.

“I’m T-uh… Ponder Memoir,” I introduced myself. “An' no, Twilight an' I ain’t datin’. We’re good friends.”

“Huh? Good friends? How’s that possible if you’re new here? She hasn't mentioned you before. Are you a friend of hers from a different city?”

“Hmm, you could say that," I dismissed. "Mind if you introduce yourself?”

“Well if ya know Twilight, then SURELY, you know who I am..."

"Nope. Sorry t' say you haven't exactly come up in any conversations of ours. Wha'ss ya name?" Rather than get an acceptable response, the light blue pegasus simply gawked at me like I was uneducated.

"You never told this 'friend' of yours about me?" Rainbow asked, turning toward Twilight.

"Sorry, Dash..." the unicorn mare in question uneasily began. "I haven't really told him about anyone, to be fair... I uh... suppose, as he said himself, the topic of friends hadn't come up in our conversations. In fact, we just got done introducing him to A.J."

"...That's understandable, I guess," Rainbow responded in a tone of consideration, seeming to mercifully let her friend's excuse slide. "Still," she continued, turning back to me. "I shouldn't need an introduction. I mean, who in Equestria HASN'T heard of Rainbow Dash?"

"G-Guilty..." I reluctantly raised a hoof, unsure of how to approach the prismatic-haired pegasus mare's assumption that I had any idea who she was.

"Y’mean you REALLY haven’t heard of me? The fastest flier in Equestria? The mare who did not one, not two, but THREE Sonic Rainbooms? The savior of many a pony in this land? The aspiring Wonderbolt?” She boasted, getting uncomfortably close to me.

“…Uhh, no?” I flatly answered with a slight hint of annoyance as I moved my head back, staring at her with a cocked eyebrow. I had NO idea what she was talking about, and it perturbed me for her to think I did. “And what is a ‘Wonderbolt?’”

“PFFT, seriously??" This would-be 'Wonderbolt' criticized, further wearing my already-thin patience even thinner. "Wow, you must be either living in a cave or from another universe if ya haven’t heard of your friendly neighborhood Rainbow Dash,” she insulted. “…let alone the Wonderbolts, the only pegasi in Equestria with talent that rival, if not exceeds mine!” she pompously stated as she struck a heroic pose.

Already, I could tell this girl had a knack for talking too much without thinking, as well as attention seeking, which instantly rubbed me the wrong way. However, her comment about me being from an alternate universe almost worried me before I figured she was just being... her.

“Hey, now who do you th—?” I began to angrily ask before I got a sudden mouthful of hoof from my traveling companion.

“Sorry, Dash. He’s just not very familiar around here,” Twilight interrupted, saving me from starting an argument before removing her dirt-covered hoof from my mouth.

“Thanks for the taste test, Twi, but I’m pretty sure dirt ain’t for eatin’,” I flatly said. “As for you, Miss… Rainbow Dah…” I trailed off as I noticed her Cutie Mark; a familiar-looking cloud with a rainbow lightning bolt coming out of it.

"Uh... what?" she asked, noticing my sudden change in behavior.

“That mark… No way! How…?” I whispered in amazement as I scurried behind the now-confused pegasus.

"What? My Cutie Mar--! Huh?" Without thinking about it, I roughly grabbed her flank with a hoof to get a closer look at her Cutie Mark. BIG mistake on my part... Man, was I glad to have good reflexes, because she would have knocked my head off with the kick she threw at me had I not ducked in time and backed away. “YO! What the hell!?”

“HEY, PERV! You’ve got some nerve pulling a move like that on ME!” Rainbow angrily screamed at me as she quickly turned around to face me.

“Chill out! It wasn’t even like that!” I tried to explain, now realizing my foolish mistake. “It’s just that your Cutie Mark looks familiar! That’s all! I realize my mistake now, and I’m sorry! There ain’t no need to be kickin’ nobody in the head!”

“Yeah, sure!” She sarcastically remarked, not believing me for a second. “What the hay kind of stallion claims to not know who I am, then pulls a move like that just to say my Cutie Mark looks familiar!? Not cool, dude!” Although she raised a fairly good point, we exchanged glares of enmity as the air around us got eerily quiet.

“Rainbow! Calm down! I’m sure he didn’t mean it like that!” Twilight interjected, trying to bring the situation to a peaceful close. At that, the pegasus mare only scoffed in disgust.

“You’re actually DEFENDING him, Twilight? Wow, way to help a friend!” Rainbow brashly screamed at the unicorn. “The wrong one, at that! Whose side are you on!?” I was taken aback by her bullheaded hostility, especially towards Twilight. The sheer disregard for her friend’s concern in the wake of her anger at me appalled me.

"Don't put her in the middle," I suggested. "If you would just listen to m--!"

"Just who do you think you are, anyway!? I have half a mind to knock some sense into you!"

"Oh, so now you're threatenin' me?? Listen to me! I said I was sor--!"

"No! I'm not gonna listen to a pervert who thinks it's okay to make dirty moves on mares!"

"Jesus Christ, how hard-headed IS this one?!"

"And it's worse that you can actually THINK to justify it, Twilight!" the pegasus screamed at the unicorn. "Some friend YOU are!"

“Rainbow, please!” Twilight pleaded. “I’m not justifying anything! I'm just saying that he didn't—!”

“Hmph! Whatever, I’ll leave you and your special somepony to have fun with each other! I’m outta here!” She interrupted as she began to fly away.

"Un-friggin'-BELIEVABLE...!"

"I can't... believe she just took her anger out on me... without even listening to me... What do I do now...?" muttered Twilight. I took a look at the light purple mare, only to see her face riddled with sorrow. The tears I saw forming in the distraught unicorn’s eyes as she hung her head instantly drove me from irritated and a little guilty to outright pissed off. Turning around and fueled with sympathetic anger, I called toward the disgruntled mare who'd just flown off in huff.

“RAINBOW DASH!!! GET’CHO ASS BACK DOWN HERE!!!” I exploded, shocking everyone, including the pegasus I was shouting at, as well as myself. Surely enough, Rainbow floated back down to the ground, not out of fear, but out of anger at me. I was surprised she even heard me, given how far away she seemed.

“You know, you’ve got SOME nerve talking to me li—!”

“I don’t wanna hear it! Tha'ss enough arguin'! I want to make things clear.”

"Things ARE clear between us! It's clear you're a--!"

"STOP!" I shouted, not letting the hotheaded mare intimidate me. "Give me like, a MINUTE t' explain myself, will ya?"

“*sigh*…Fine, I’m listening.” She said. I was actually surprised she was going to lend me her ear, but I wasn’t going to let this go to waste. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to cool myself down.

“Listen,” I began in a much calmer tone, looking her dead in the eye. “I’m sorry. I… I don’t know what kind of idiotic impulse came over me for me t' disrespect your personal space the way I did. I’m not lyin’ when I say your Cutie Mark looks familiar, though. I’ve actually seen it somewhere before, but I honestly did not have a clue as t' who you were until now."

"Okay...?"

"An' Twilight deserves none of your frustration. This is all my fault, and my fault alone. But I SWEAR to you, I meant NOTHING personal when I stupidly grabbed you the way I did, especially when I only just met you."

"Right..." she simply commented, seeming not to want to hear me out. Almost desperate to earn the mare's approval, I went on a whim.

"In fact, if you still don’t believe me, I want you to give me a kick, right here.” I offered as I lifted my chin up and closed my eyes. “If you still have any aggression towards me, kick me as hard as you can to let it go, and we’ll never speak o’ this again.”

"What??" I heard Twilight stammer in surprise from behind me. "Ty, that's incredibly d--!"

"I know what I'm doin', Twilight," I cut in, never moving from my position. "Well, Rainbow Dash? The choice is yours..."

Again, everything went silent. Yet, there I stood, chin up, eyes squeezed shut, half-expecting Rainbow Dash to break my jaw into a million pieces. But what she actually did shocked me beyond belief. She gently touched a hoof to my cheek, causing me to open my eyes as I gasped and flinched. She chuckled a little at my fearful knee-jerk reaction.

“Don’t worry, I’m not gonna hit you,” she said calmly, smiling. I sighed in relief as I lowered my head to meet her gaze. “Y’know, you’re the first stallion ever to willingly let me kick him if I didn’t accept his apology… That, I respect. I also find it pretty cool that you stood your ground, especially for a great friend like Twilight. Speaking of..." she trailed off before turning toward Twilight. "Sorry about that... I-I shouldn't have lost my cool..."

"It's fine, Rainbow," the lavender mare assured. "Our friendship's a lot stronger than some silly old argument, right?"

"Right," she concurred with a smirk before turning to me. "As for you, I do see your sincerity and I’ll accept your apology… under one condition.”

“And that condition is…?”

“You answer me this question…: Where have you seen my Cutie Mark if it's really true that you've never seen or heard of me before right now?” I normally would have been delighted to answer her question, but given that my answer would sound completely ridiculous, I hesitated. I stood there, staring intensely at Rainbow, worrying about my answer as I felt a sudden shortness of breath, my heartbeat speeding up a little to compensate. “Well?” she said impatiently. “Where did you see it?” she asked again in a demanding tone.

“I… uh...” was all I could manage to choke out before I went silent again.

“Listen, if you don’t answer me now, I’m going to take you up on your offer from before!” She shouted, beginning to lose her patience again.

"Screw it, jus' tell 'er the truth... Especially if you wanna eat your food without havin' t' suck it through a straw for the rest o' ya life..."

“*Sigh*…Looks like I’mma hafta come clean with you, huh?” I reluctantly began. “What I’m gonna tell you, I want you to make absolutely sure it don’t leak to anyone else under any circumstance. Do you promise?”

“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” she answered as she made strange motions, which I took as a “yes.”

“Ty, are you sure?” Twilight asked.

“Yes. She deserves to know, especially since i'ss part of my apology to her. Alright, Rainbow Dash…”

“Just call me Rainbow. Or Dash.”

“Duly noted. First of all, you were right..."

"About what?"

"About me not bein' from this world. I really am from a different universe. That is the reason I’ve never heard of you or whatever it is you was talkin’ about before. Second, I’m here because Twilight brought me here to show me around this world after she teleported herself to mine and took a tour of it."

"What??" her eyes bugged out in total astonishment at the news I was relaying to her, but I could tell I finally had her attention.

"Third, while I was showin’ her around my world, these three me— colts began chasin’ us because they somehow recognized her. One of the three had a… a Cutie Mark that looked strikingly similar, if not exactly like yours.” Dash gawked at me with such a look of surprise that I’d thought she didn’t believe me. But, her wings were flared in what I assume was interest.

“So... lemme get this straight... YOU'RE from a WHOLE different world, and somehow, some way, MY Cutie Mark, or something that looks like it, exists there??" she asked, leaning in toward me like I had something to give her.

"Tha'ss the gist of it, yea..."

"I-is that seriously where that spell sent you for the last two days, Twi?” Rainbow asked Twilight.

“Yes… Everything he said is true. The spell I used to try and teleport to Manehattan actually wound up sending me to his world."

"Whoa..." Rainbow seemed astounded. "So... what's this other world of yours like?" she addressed me.

"I'd be here all day tryna explain it to ya. Tha'ss why I'm tourin' the town with Twilight... so I can make a comparison an' actually give HER a good enough answer..."

"Rainbow, I’m holding you to it that you don’t tell ANYPONY anything you heard. We don’t want to cause a panic or draw too much attention towards us.”

“I’m not the Element of Loyalty for nothing, y’know! You have my word. But still… uh…” She trailed off as she turned to me, which I took as her forgetting my name. But there was that thing about being an Element of something again… just like how Applejack was saying she was the Element of Honesty. Maybe they’re part of some secret club or something…?

“Call me Ty,” I said.

“Ty. You’re from an alternate universe, and yet my Cutie Mark exists there, huh?"

"Indeed."

"Ohmygosh, I have SO many questions!” she stated with new-found excitement. "Are the ponies nice? Do they have Wonderbolts there?? Is there some sort of weird parallel-universe version of me that does everything I do???"

“Sorry, Rainbow,” Twilight began. “But as of right now, he’s here to learn about our world before meeting Princess Celestia. As he informed you, I’ve been taking him through town to observe, but so far, we’ve only gotten to see Applejack at Sweet Apple Acres before this little fiasco happened. I assure you, though; he’ll answer as many questions you have to ask as he can when the time comes. Speaking of time, we should really get going now.”

“Aw, what a bummer..." she dejectedly stated before turning and looking up into the clouds. "Aw, horse-apples! I’d tag along, but I just realized my break time is up. I gotta get back to work! See you guys later! Nice meeting you, Ty!” she said as she took flight and flew away.

“Bye, Rainbow!” Twilight yelled.

“I hope we meet again, Rainbow! Under different circumstances!” I shouted.

“Oh, don’t worry! We will!” she shouted back as she turned, waved and smiled, then continued her flight until she was out of sight. Once she was gone, I groaned in a mix of exasperation and relief in that situation being handled the way it was.

“My goodness, I done hardly been here a few hours and already, I blew my cover twice, and almost made an enemy!” I lamented with a face-hoof as we continued our trek through Ponyville.

“Well, at least you didn’t tell Applejack or Rainbow Dash that you were human,” Twilight countered. “All they know is that you’re from an alternate universe and, in Rainbow’s case, her Cutie Mark exists in your world. You did pretty well in leaving out any explicit details that would’ve REALLY given you away. And Rainbow's your friend now... I think.”

“Yeah, and the first time your cover was blown wasn’t your fault,” Spike added, owning up to his previous mistake. “But hopefully, they’re the only two to find out before we meet Celestia.”

“Yea, but can I REALLY trust ‘em to keep this on the down-low?” I asked.

“They’re two of my best friends. They’ll keep it safe,” Twilight assured.

“Alright, then…" I uneasily replied, having no choice but to take her word for it.

"Hey, Ty." Spike called.

"Yea?"

"What was that about you letting Rainbow Dash hit you in the face if she didn't accept your apology?"

"Uhh, i'ss a long story... Tha'ss somethin' I learned when I was younger. If you unintentionally hurt or upset somebody, you offer t' let 'em hit you for stress relief..."

"And has a strategy as dangerous as that worked?" Twilight inquired, seeming a bit disbelieving.

"Yea, actually. You'd be surprised at how many people actually decide NOT t' hit you, an' instead choose t' make amends... Not a lotta people like dealin' with aggression by lashin' out on others, even IF they feel like the person deserves it..."

"Wow... That's actually very insightful of you... Reckless and VERY risky, but insightful..."

"Yea, I hear ya. I'ss a good thing I'm good at makin' friends an' not enemies."

"I'd say it's a good thing, too..." Spike interjected. "Rainbow Dash is quite the athlete. Had she decided on hitting you, we'd probably still be at Sweet Apple Acres, looking for all of your teeth in the orchards..." he mused, much to my dismay as I cringed at how painful it would've been to have a horse kick me in the mouth...

"Okay, Spike, no need to frighten the poor guy..." the unicorn intervened, albeit gaining some humor out of the dragon's statement.

"I'm not scared o' her!" I defensively rebutted.

"Come on, Ty... I SAW you flinch when she touched your cheek. She actually took a look at me before making her decision... NOT to say she wouldn't have made the same choice if Spike and I WEREN'T there... but your chances would've probably been significantly lower if you were alone..."

"Oh, well thanks for THAT tidbit o' knowledge..." I sarcastically remarked. "I still wasn't afraid o' her, though. I was jus' expectin' her t' be a bit quicker on her choice..."

"If you say so..."

"Anyway, where should we go next?”

“Well, seeing as we’re apparently making a trend out of seeing my best friends first, how about we head to a place called the Carousel Boutique to visit my friend Rarity? It isn't too far a walk from here,” Twilight suggested. If there’s anything I’d noticed at this point, it’s that almost every place here has some kind of horse-related pun in its name…

"Sounds like a plan... Le'ss go."

Rumors...

“Yess…!” I heard Spike whisper in a poorly-hidden sense of delight.

“Well now. You sure seem happy t' visit this next place,” I taunted. “Somethin’ special about it?”

“Only that it’s run by the most beautiful pony in all of Equestria, the amazing Rarity!” Spike gleefully and lustfully responded, his gaze seeming to be aimed into outer space. I swore I could see literal pink hearts in his eyes as he informed me of this supposedly 'beautiful' Rarity pony.

“Is that so?" I asked, taking it as an opportunity to mess with Twilight. "Ooh, sounds like you’ve got some competition, Twi,” I joked.

"Yeah, okay," she rolled her eyes, seeming to pick up right away that I was joking. "That's really funny..." she added, clearly not amused.

"Who said I was makin' a joke?" I asked, taking note of her skepticism. "What if I meant it?"

"Okay, I TOTALLY believe you now... You, a human, calling me, a pony, beautiful..."

"Talk about neigh-saying... Pun TOTALLY intended..."

"What does species hafta do with it? I don't necessarily see how me bein' human discredits my compliment from bein' genuine."

"Well... you're a totally different species of being than I am!"

"So?"

"So how would you know who's pretty and who's not when it comes to ponies?" I stared incredulously at her for a second or two before I rebutted.

"...Y'know, you are goin' a LONG-ass way t' reject a simple compliment. If you want me t' take it back, jus' say so," I shot back, getting a bit upset with her over-thinking.

"Okay okay, fine, I accept your compliment. Thank you," she finally conceded. "But still... there's NO way you're already able to make judgments about ponies based on looks alone." She allowed me to raise a point.

"Wasn't it YOU who told me that it was possible t' judge a book by its cover in some specific cases?"

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with now?"

"Well if it means anything, I'd like t' say that from the day I met you, I thought you were actually really cute. From there, you haven't proven me wrong..."

"...I'll give you that, but still..." she still seemed to be holding onto some kind of doubt in my joke-that-was-no-longer-a-joke.

"Bringin' this back t' the case in point, I jus' said you're really pretty. A compliment's a compliment, an' I assume they work the same here in that they're meant t' make ponies feel good..."

"That they do..." she answered, her wall of defense seeming to crumble a bit.

"Right, an' if I say I think you're beautiful, then what does that mean t' you?"

"...So, you're literally telling me--?"

"That I think you're beautiful, yes..." I finished for her, the air of joking long since vanished from our little debate.

"Well... Th-thank you..." she accepted my compliment. Too bad it took an entire debate on the subject just to do so.

"No problem... Honeybun," I taunted her with a wink, wanting to make the air a bit less uncomfortable.

“Oh, stop it, Ty,” Twilight retorted, giggling and blushing. Even though she was sapient talking horse, she was... actually really pretty. I took a small, unusual sense of pleasure in flirting (and debating) with her.

“What can I say? You know it's true. Don't be so modest,” I nudged, smiling at her.

“Ugh, get a room, you two!” Spike complained.

“Spike!” Twilight scolded, taken out of her adorably bashful mood by the comment.

“My, you’re grown for your age,” I added with a chuckle. “Fallin’ in love with full grown mares AND you know a choice phrase usually said when others are havin’ moments of intimacy? Twi, what HAVE you been teachin’ this young dragon?”

“Hey, don’t look at me!” Twilight shot back. “Spike, where DID you learn such a thing?”

“Uhh… I dunno!” Spike shakily answered, looking flushed. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something… or someone, rather, bouncing their way towards us, humming with joy. “Oh hey, Pinkie Pie!” Spike called, prompting me to get a better look at the pony headed towards us.

“Hiya Spike! Hi, Twilight!” The pink mare greeted with a shrill, upbeat inflection as she stopped in front of us. This one was easier to read than Rainbow Dash. The fact that she was positively pink with equally pink, puffy hair and wearing a possibly perpetual perky smile on her face, combined with what I presumed was her probably peppy party-hardy personality led me to believe she was quite the entertainer.

“Good afternoon, Pinkie Pie!” Twilight happily greeted. “I’ve brought a friend I’d like you to meet.”

"You did??"

"Yes. His name is..." Twilight trailed off, noticing Pinkie already staring bullets at me. The second our eyes met, Pinkie Pie’s smile dropped and she stared at me intensely, her gaze never faltering for even a millisecond. She got so close that our noses pushed up against one another as that creepy, angry-looking stare pierced into my very soul. Oddly, she smelled strongly of cake and cotton candy…

"I dunno WHAT she's up to... Is she tryna get t' know me by readin' my mind...? Or Is she tryna kiss me...? Cuz this is INCREDIBLY awkward..."

“…Um, hi?” I nervously greeted, breaking the awkward silence. Instead of responding, she leapt into the air, took an extensive, dramatic gasp, and then ran off away from us with a speed I daresay rivaled Rainbow. “Oooookay…? What was that about?” I asked Twilight, who seemed none too fazed by the erratic series of behaviors exhibited by this... Pinkie Pie pony.

“Oh, just… Pinkie bein’ Pinkie is all,” Twilight answered in a suspiciously nonchalant tone as we continued forward.

“Uh-huh… Well anyway, where’s this Carousel place?”

“Right here!” Spike yelled as we approached our destination. Looked like a big-ass dollhouse if I ever saw one.

“Rarity! Are you home?” Twilight asked as she knocked on the door.

“I’ll be down in just a moment, Twilight, darling,” answered a soft, royal-sounding voice. A few seconds later, the door of the house opened to reveal a white unicorn mare with azure blue eyes and a dark purple mane and tail that seemed to be styled very fancily. Spike wasn’t lying when he said she was beautiful... Y’know, for a pony.

The inside of her house was something, too. It was like walking into a fashion studio/upper-class home. Pony-shaped mannequins and various stitching and fabric utensils and materials were strewn about a very decorative room. “Oh, I see you’ve brought a guest! Please, come in! Oh dear, I’ve hardly had the time to tidy up the place. I do hope it isn’t a bother to you, Mister…”

“Memoir. Ponder Memoir.” I greeted with a smile as we entered the marshmallow unicorn's abode. “You must be Rarity.”

“You know of me?"

"I guess you could say I do."

"I see that my reputation proceeds me," she modestly replied. "Have you been admiring any designs of mine?”

“Design? Oh, sorry no, I’m new here. I mainly only know o’ you because Romeo over there was talkin’ about you on the way here,” I said, motioning a hoof at Spike who took a look of alarm at me. “Somethin’ about you bein’, and I quote, ‘the most beautiful an’ amazing pony in Equestr— OOP!” I was interrupted by a small, scaly purple claw forcibly clasping itself over my mouth.

“Oh dear, Spike, you sure do have a way with words…” Rarity coyly stated, her cheeks turning red as she stifled a laugh with her hoof. I can see why Spike likes her so much.

“Ix-nay on the ote-quay…!” Spike whispered harshly as he removed his claw from my face.

“Sure, so long as you an’ Twi stop stickin’ your hooves an’ claws in my mouth. Tastes like apples, by the way…” I looked back up at Rarity, who was still giggling at the antics of Spike and me. “Pardon me, milady. It’s just that on occasion, my mouth gets ahead of my thoughts,” I said in the most refined voice I could muster. “Anyway, it is a most wondrous pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ms. Rarity.” I bowed down in front of her, almost losing my balance due to me not being quite used to this body just yet.

“My, what a flatterer you are,” she said, seemingly impressed by my manners. “Tall, dark, handsome, and well-mannered…” She was making me want to blush… “Twilight, is he your colt-friend? I must say, quite a pick you’ve made.”

“NO!” Twilight and I both shouted in unison.

"Huh... why am I so jumpy all of a sudden...?"

“H-he’s just a friend is all!” Twilight hastily added, blushing very hard.

“Uh, y-yeah, a friend!” I continued, dropping the fancy accent and standing back up while I felt my own face heat up. “Since I’m new around these parts, Twilight volunteered to show me around. We ain’t—!”

“Now now, you two… You don’t have to hide your relationship from me,” Rarity replied matter-of-factly. Spike was overcome with a sudden outburst of laughter as Twilight was frozen with embarrassment and I face-hoofed. "I understand if you wanted to keep your new-found love on the down-low, Twilight, but you simply must embrace it. Although, it's quite a shock finding out like this... Were you planning on informing the others anytime soon?"

*sigh* “Fine, you caught us,” I sarcastically began. “We TOTALLY can’t hide our feelin’s from you, Rarity. We just love each other SO much,” I said as I walked over to Twilight to give her a hug, confusing the purple unicorn even more until I winked at her, which she understood as her blush mostly faded with an assuring, yet mildly nervous smile. I was pretty sure she still didn’t know what I was doing, but still trusted me enough to allow me to play along with Rarity’s misconception.

“See, there you go! Don’t be afraid of your love! Embrace it, accept it and most of all, share it!” Rarity advised.

“Right… Well anyway, what do you do around here?" I said, wanting VERY badly to change the subject. "You said somethin’ about designs…?”

“Oh, yes, I’m a clothing designer. I make many fashionable designs and share them with many different areas of Equestria! My creations are unrivaled in their elegance, beauty, and overall appeal to many a pony throughout this land! I’ve even managed to draw in some of the most scrutinizing eyes in the fashion world, and even they have praised my work!”

“Hm… I don’t get it…” I murmured.

“What is there not to get, dear?” asked Rarity, seeming confused by my pondering.

“I mean, I ain’t seen one pony in this town yet wearin’ any clothes. Maybe a bowtie or a hat or somethin’, but other than that, everyone here is naked… even you."

"Yes, most ponies don't wear clothes on a regular basis. Might I ask where you're going with this?"

"...I’m sorry if this comes off as a bit rude, but why exactly do you design clothes if no one wears ‘em?” At that, the white unicorn stared at me with a look that I couldn’t tell was confusion, disgust, shock or a combination of all three.

“Before I answer that, might I ask you where exactly you’re from?” she inquired, seeming not to want to offend me, although the question came across as a bit hurtful. I suppose it was understandable, given that I didn't word MY question very well... But still, I had NO answer to hers...

“Dammit! Of all the things she coulda asked me, it had to be somethin’ like that… Hmm, what could I say…? Manehattan? Fillydelphia? Um…Ooh! Maybe…!”

“I’m from uh… Las… Pegasus,” I lied, making up what I thought was a random city that sounded like Las Vegas.

“Oh, I see! You’re from an area very far away from Ponyville. I suppose your lack of knowledge of me and my designs can be explained by your place of residence. My designs go as far as Canterlot, Manehattan, and Fillydelphia to my knowledge…”

“WHEW! Dodged a bullet there…”

“Seeing as you don't know, ponies here usually wear clothes only during special occasions, such as large parties or other types of important social gatherings, and when we do wear clothes, I’m usually the one to supply the most dazzling of designs. Ask Twilight! I made her and all of our friends many gowns for the Grand Galloping Gala a while ago, not to mention I made another set of gowns for the royal wedding between her elder brother Shining Armor and Princess Cadence!” she explained as I heard a low growl coming from her. “Oh my, I’m feeling famished. I knew I shouldn’t have skipped breakfast to perfect that summer dress… Please excuse me while I fetch myself something to eat. Would you all like anything?”

“Nah, I’m good. Thanks, though,” I replied.

“Same here,” Twilight added. “We came here from Sweet Apple Acres not too long ago.”

“I’ll gladly take anything you have to offer, Rarity!” Spike enthusiastically said. I swear I could have seen drool hanging from that boy’s mouth, he was so busy staring at the white unicorn.

“Very well, then,” Rarity said as she trotted off into a different room. “Come with me, Spikey-Wikey.” Spike immediately followed her into her kitchen. I almost busted out laughing at Rarity’s nickname for Spike… but, her Cutie Mark caught my eye. Three light blue rhombus-shaped diamonds aligned in a triangular pattern… How oddly familiar… as she and Spike rummaged through her kitchen, I took the moment to ask Twilight about something.

"Twi?"

"Hm?"

"What was that Rarity said about a wedding between your 'elder brother' an' a princess?"

"Oh, that? Well... I have an older brother... and a sister-in-law... who happens to be a princess herself..." she quietly confessed, seeming not to want to make a big deal of it.

"That right?"

"Yeah."

"So... are you royalty or somethin'? I mean, I already know you study under Equestria's leader, but... Your family's upper-class?"

"Yes, but it's nothing special, really. I prefer simpler things than wealth or power... Although, I DO aspire to earn the respect and admiration of ponies, not just have it given to me simply because my family's from Canterlot..."

"I see... well if it means anything, I'd respect you even if you WEREN'T royalty. Hell, I respect you more now for jus' admittin' it t' me..."

"Oh, um... Thank you, Ty... You're... you're sweet..." she murmured, blushing as she looked at me.

"Well, I try," I nonchalantly responded. "You seem like a nice gir-- er, woma-- *sigh* mare." At that moment, Rarity and Spike strolled back into the room, a slice of cake enveloped in a light blue glow and levitating in Rarity's telekinetic grasp.

"Having a moment, I see?" Rarity observed with a giggle. Twilight blushingly looked away from me, prompting me to do the same, scratching my head with a hoof before I realized I needed to ask Rarity something...

“Hey, Rarity,” I called.

“Yes, dear?”

“Your Cutie Mark…” I hesitated, remembering the last two ponies I’d already revealed my true place of residence… or should I say plane of existence to. I couldn’t afford to expose myself any more than I already had.

“Hm, yes, it’s quite a lovely little thing, isn’t it? This Cutie Mark represents my love for the finer things in life, especially fashion and design. It also represents my undying love for… how you say, ‘breaking bread with my fellow pony,’ which explains why I am the representation of the Element of Generosity,” she enlightened me. Yet again, there was that thing about Elements…! I figured that there must have been some secret club going on that I didn’t know about.

“Okay, what’s this about—?”

“OH NO!” Rarity shouted with extreme alarm.

“What?”

“I’m terribly sorry, but I must ask you to leave now! I’ve just realized I have a very important order to fill for Hoity Toity, and I’ve let procrastination get the better of me! This will likely take me the entire afternoon to finish, and I cannot have any more distractions!”

“Bummer. Well, it was nice meetin’ you, Rarity,” I said as Twilight, Spike and I headed towards the door.

“I’m so sorry to throw you out like this… Especially since you seem like such a nice fellow…” She said to me. “Oh, and Twilight…? Would you mind if Spike stayed here to help me finish my design?”

“Of course I’ll stay!” Spike answered for himself, running up to Rarity’s side.

“Well, I guess you have your answer there,” Twilight added. “Looks like it’s just the two of us from here on out today, Ty.”

“Okey doke,” I responded.

“I thought you said your name was Ponder Memoir…?” Rarity said questioningly.

“It is,” Twilight began. “…but he prefers to be called ‘Ty.’”

“Aww, that is just adorable!” Rarity gleefully replied. “You two have already come up with nicknames for each other! Twi and Ty… Oh, that has such a cute ring to it! And it rhymes, too! I can just tell you two are going to have such a harmonious relationship!” Twilight and I just stared at Rarity, dumbfounded and completely speechless.

“…W-well, we should get outta your hair now…” I sheepishly blurted. I was still caught completely off-guard by Rarity’s comment. “A-Again, it was nice meetin’ you...”

“Goodbye, Rarity...” Twilight said with what sounded like uncertainty.

“Tootle-loo, ‘Twi and Ty!’” she replied as we walked out of the door, making us both cringe. As the door shut behind us, I swore I heard a child cracking up from inside. Spike, no doubt.

“Wow… just wow,” I said with a sigh, shaking my head in a mixture of embarrassment and shame.

“Great… Rarity actually thinks we’re dating…” Twilight added with disbelief. “Which reminds me: Why did you play along with her assumption?”

“That’s what I usually do when someone accuses me of bein’ involved with somethin’ or somebody I actually have no connection o’ that sort with,” I answered in defense. “I play along with it so the accuser and I could just have a laugh and forget about it. Clearly, it backfired this time. I didn’t think she ACTUALLY thought I was serious…”

“Well that’s just fantastic, because if we don’t clear things up, which we pretty much can’t now, I guarantee the whole town will think we’re dating by tonight!”

“Aww come on now, rumors don’t spread THAT fast… and don’t forget: Rarity and Spike are s’posed t’ be spendin’ the rest o’ the day inside finishin’ that outfit.”

“Oh, you’d be surprised…” Twilight countered. With that, I assumed that there was quite a shit-storm a-brewin'...

Reclusiveness... Begone!

Twilight and I were completely silent for a while as we walked through more areas of Ponyville. I had no idea what to say to the unicorn after our little mishap at the Carousel Boutique. I was trying to think of a way to either ease or avert the situation of the idea of every citizen in this town coming under the impression that I and Twilight were boyfriend and girlfriend… or should I say “colt-friend and filly-friend…?” I also wondered if she was thinking the same, but when I looked at her, she seemed to be… blushing as her head hung low. She seemed to be gluing her eyes to the ground like she didn't want to look at me. I hoped to goodness that that blush was nothing more than out of embarrassment for what happened with Rarity…

Nonetheless, we had practically wandered blindly into what looked like a shopping center, as there were concessions stands left and right with ponies everywhere picking up groceries. I even saw Applejack at one of the stands with a big red stallion and tons of baskets of apples. I would have stopped by to say hello, but she and who I guess was her big brother looked extremely busy as the line in front of her stand was incredibly long. As Twilight and I continued to walk through, I finally decided to break the awkward silence.

“Hey, wassup? You ain’t said nothin’ for a while now. The thing about Rarity still on ya mind?” I asked with concern.

“Yeah… But that’s only half the reason.” She answered, finally bringing her eyes to mine. She seemed more distraught than I initially thought about the ordeal, which worried me a bit.

“Wha’ss the other half?”

“Well… it’s…” she went silent once again as she averted her eyes from mine. Now I was really curious, given this new demeanor of hers.

“It’s… what?” I prodded her.

“It’s just that… um... Y’know what? Just forget I mentioned it,” the unicorn dismissed, too embarrassed to bring up the topic.

"Why?" I asked, not willing to just drop the subject matter so soon.

"Because... it's... it's not important."

“I am not takin’ that as an acceptable answer, Twilight. Talk to m— OW!” I was cut off by something hitting me, forcing me to stumble back a little as I saw fruits and other miscellaneous groceries fly into the air and rain all over the place. I shook my head and looked at what suddenly attacked me. It was a yellow pegasus with a long pink mane and tail, dizzied from the sudden head-on collision as she lay on the ground in front of us.

“Hey, you alright?” I asked.

“Fluttershy? Are you okay?” Twilight asked after me. We both moved to help the pegasus up, but when she got up, she took one good look at me, then quietly squealed and swiftly snatched away from me and hid behind Twilight.

“I’m sooo, so, so, so sorry. Please, don’t be angry at me, sir,” she fearfully pleaded .

“Angry? Why would I be angry?” I asked. She refused to budge and didn’t respond.

“Fluttershy, it’s okay. He’s with me. He’s a new friend of mine,” Twilight told the startled pony.

"H-he is...?" the frightful canary mare asked, lifting her head just enough to get a peek at me.

"Yes. Please, introduce yourself..." Heeding the unicorn’s words, Fluttershy slowly rose to her hooves and took a few steps towards me while looking at the ground. For a full grown mare, she sure was timid…

“Um, hi… I’m Flu’rsh…” She mumbled, still looking at the ground and rubbing one of her fore-hooves on the other.

"Huh? I didn't hear that. Say again?" I requested.

"I... I'mFlutterzhy..." she squeaked in an even MORE inaudible tone. Taking note of this mare's unprecedented timidity, I decided to take an approach that might coax her out of her shell.

“Hey now,” I said in a gentle, quiet tone as if I were speaking to a baby. I walked up to her and placed a hoof on her back. She flinched, of course. “It’s okay. You don’t hafta be afraid o’ me. I won’t hurt you…”

“Oh no, I’m sorry. It’s not that I’m afraid of you…” Fluttershy began to speak more audibly as she finally got the courage to look look up at me with her large, shimmering turquoise eyes, her voice still very soft and quiet.

"Wow... such an innocent, childlike disposition... and here, I thought these ponies couldn't get any fluffier..."

“Well… maybe a little…" she continued. "But it’s more that I… I just have trouble meeting new ponies… And seeing as this isn’t the best way to meet a new pony…”

“Ah, you’re fine."

"You're not upset at all?"

"No. There ain't a reason t' be. Other than that, you remind me o’ myself a little…”

"I... I do??"

“How so?” Twilight asked with piqued curiosity.

"Ehh, I'd rather not bore you with another story about me..."

"No, please, I insist." Twilight urged, seeming interested in what I had to elaborate on. "I'm all ears."

“Alright. Well, when I was younger, I had the same problem with bein' too afraid of what others would think o’ me. Generally I didn’t feel like anybody would like me for me, so I cut myself off from others an' interacted as little as I possibly could. That an’ I showed a general disinterest in social interaction in the first place. It forced me into a reclusive shell. I was a huge introvert. It took a while, but when I finally realized that I’m just as hu… I mean equal as everybody around me, I began to get comfortable with talkin’ to others. It took a lot of help from forced social interaction in places like school an’ at basically any place where there’s a large group of… ponies, but eventually, I grew an’ was able to get to know an’ become comfortable enough with myself to be able to present myself to others. I still got some learnin' t' do though, cuz I still have my tendencies t' prefer t' be completely alone...”

"Even after what you've learned, you still prefer solitude over interaction?" Twilight asked.

"Not quite... Well, sorta... I still communicate, but it takes a bit more effort for me t' actually initiate conversation a lotta times. Most times, when I come home, I close myself off from the world around me t' become a proverbial hermit..."

“Wow… You and I aren’t so different in that department…” Twilight replied, awestruck. “I... I didn't take you to be that kind of pony."

"Yea, but what can I do. At the very least, I learned not t' be so scared of others that I couldn't talk to 'em."

"I see... Come to think of it, I never knew how strong the connection was between self-image and social interaction… My reason for being that way when I was younger was a slightly different one, but I get it now…”

“Really? Looks like we still haven’t gotten very far in knowin’ each other, huh?”

“Indeed…”

“Yes, I see what you mean, too,” Fluttershy began. “A little while ago, I took an assertiveness class that I thought was teaching me to become more comfortable with myself, as well as how to not let others walk all over me. I learned my lesson, but only after I realized that the class only taught me how to turn my insecurity into aggression. I went from being bullied to becoming a bully. I almost lost two of my best friends because of my behavior, too. It was just awful…”

“Ahh, wow…” I said, thinking about how a pony that seemed so sweet and innocent could ever possibly be aggressive. “I can’t really see you bein’ a bully. I don't know you jus' yet, but you seem too sweet an’ innocent to do such a thing…”

“Oh my… th-thank you,” She said, regaining a little bit of her timidity as she blushed.

"You're welcome, uh... um... F..."

"Fluttershy," the yellow mare finally gained enough courage to pronounce coherently.

"Nice t' meet ya!" I exclaimed, offering up a hoof. She was actually pretty forward in touching her hoof with mine, even going the extra step in shooting me a warm, friendly smile, which I couldn't help but return. "So, Fluttershy... How are ya?"

"I'm good. Thank you for asking. How are you?"

"I am also good. Y'know, i'ss always nice t' meet somebody you can relate with."

"Yes, it is. I'm sorry for being afraid of you..."

"I'ss fine, really. It ain't like you're afraid now... Right?"

"Oh, goodness, no. I think you're a nice stallion now. But I don't think I've seen you around here before... Are you new here?"

"Yea. Twilight brought me along so she could give me a tour o' the town."

"Oh. That's very nice of you, Twilight," Fluttershy praised the unicorn.

"Well, you know me; helping everypony out in any way I can..." Twilight casually replied. "Speaking of, Maybe we should gather your things up off the ground."

"Oh! You're right. I almost forgot. Would you two be willing to lend me a hoof?"

"Of course!" with that, Twi and I committed ourselves to the task of helping Fluttershy gather up her groceries.

“Ooh! Then there was this time where I was supposed to help all the other pegasi, including my friend Rainbow Dash, whip up a tornado big enough to carry all the water from a lake up to Cloudsdale…” I saw that she’d warmed up to me very quickly. All it took was a single point for us both to relate on for her to cast her shell away and talk without fear of judgment. I was also surprised she knew Rainbow Dash, but then I figured that if they were both friends with Twilight Sparkle, why wouldn’t they be friends with each other?

“Is THAT right?” I asked, amazed by the quality of the story she was telling me.

“Oh, yes. My problem there was that I was didn’t want to help because I was too afraid of what other ponies would think of me if I tried. I let my filly-hood memories of being teased for being a weak flier get the best of me. Time and time again, I tried to conquer my fear of failure and humiliation, but I soon realized that I had to do it not for Rainbow Dash, the other pegasi, or even because all of us were required to do it; I had to do it for myself. I had to do it to prove to myself that I was able to make an impact and stand against the odds.”

“Wow, Fluttershy… I saw that you were having trouble with your self-confidence, but I didn’t realize how much that day made you grow…” Twilight said as we finished restocking the yellow pegasus’s saddlebags.

“Yea, I see your experiences are teachin’ you to be more comfortable with who you are as a pony,” I said. “Those were some very big examples. It seems to me that you learned how t' assert yourself without bein’ mean about it, and to have faith in yourself and your abilities. The only thing left for you t' conquer is meetin’ new faces an’ interactin’ with ‘em."

“Thank you both so much!” Fluttershy exclaimed as she pulled Twilight and me into a group hug. “I’m so happy to have this discussion with you, Twilight and…”

“Ponder Memoir,” I finished. “But please, call me ‘Ty.’ Would you like us to walk home with you?”

“That would be nice. But I’m actually headed to Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie Pie came by here earlier. She said something about a surprise party for somepony…”

“Pinkie Pie…?" I wondered before the name rang a bell. "Oh, she’s the pink one who saw me an’ ran away for no reason! Looks like now’s the time to catch her and ask her why…”

“I’m sure she was just in a rush,” Fluttershy dismissed. “But please, let’s head there now.”

“Hmm, aight,” I responded as we trotted our way towards Pinkie Pie’s place of residence. On our way there, my curiosity about the unicorn was piqued. “Hey, Twilight?”

“Yes?”

“You ain’t share a story with Fluttershy and me about how you came outta your shell. Care to enlighten us?”

"That depends... what would you like to hear about?"

"Anything, really. Even your life story, if you want."

“Hmm… okay. It’s a long one, but I’ll try to nutshell it so I can finish before we arrive. That sound good?”

Fluttershy and I simply nodded.

“Where to begin… As a filly growing up in Canterlot, I was always into my studies. I wanted to learn everything about magic and the many possibilities surrounding it; so much so that one day, during an entrance exam for a very exclusive unicorn magic school, I wound up showing a great deal of my raw, uncontrolled ability."

"Raw, untapped ability, huh? I take it you're pretty strong...?" I speculated.

"Mm-hmm. It was that day that I not only got accepted into said school, I also earned my Cutie Mark and was enlisted by Princess Celestia herself as her direct student. From then until a little after I moved here to Ponyville, my main focus was making the Princess proud as I learned more and more about magic every day. I unfortunately let that focus consume me to the point where I would avoid social interaction at every chance; for fear that it would only hinder my studies. I had almost no friends…"

"Get out... Really??" I was captivated by the lavender mare's story, listening intently to every detail she had to share.

"I know, it's a bit hard to believe, but yeah. The only ponies I’d ever talked to other than Celestia were my older brother Shining Armor, and my foal-sitter-turned-sister-in-law, Princess Cadence. Sadly, even they couldn’t keep consistent amounts of communication with me. Once I was old enough to stop needing a foal-sitter, I lost all contact with Cadence. As for Shining Armor, he had become captain of Princess Celestia’s Royal Guard. As a result, his duties tied up his time more and more until I rarely saw him at all. At that point, the only 'friend' I had was Spike, whom I was allowed to keep as a pet of sorts after I had hatched him from an egg during that entrance exam. Even then, I had no clue on what friendship truly was or how important it was to me, and I treated him like little more than an employee. That doesn’t go to say I didn’t love the little guy… I just didn’t know how to show it."

"Wow, Twilight..."

"Yes, I wasn't exactly the most approachable pony in Equestria... I'd put money on it to say I was one of the LEAST... But yeah, eventually, Celestia sent me to Ponyville to learn about the magic known as friendship. I’ll admit that at first, I thought she was just setting me up so I could get out more, but boy was I wrong…"

"How?"

"Now THERE'S another story in itself. It took a whole lot of crazy things to happen, which I’ll fill you in on another time, Ty, for me to finally realize how friendship strengthened me and all of my friends and played a huge factor in forming us into the mares we are now. In fact, on that very day, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and I had become the representations of the Elements of Harmony, the most powerful magical objects in this entire world. I think that’s good enough for now. I hope that wasn’t too much for you two to take in…”

“…Incredible…” I could only mumble, my eyes and mouth agape. This unicorn had a lot to say. I was shocked to find out that she allowed herself to become so… lonely, and all because of an obsession with learning. I gained a new feeling for Twilight after hearing that. I wasn’t sure if it was pity, empathy, respect, or something else… Another thing was that FINALLY, I learned about that thing about Elements. But what I learned only made me want to explode with questions about what they were and how Twilight and all of her friends managed to get their hooves on them. I figured that would wait for a different time, as I was still getting to know Twilight as a pony.

“Wow, Twilight. That’s amazing,” Fluttershy began. “I had no idea you had so much trouble meeting ponies, too. When we first met, I assumed you had a lot of friends and that you were just trying to talk to me, so I shut myself off from you. Instead, I spent that whole time talking to Spike and not giving you the time of day. I’m so sorry…” the pegasus frowned as she contemplated her new-found guilt.

“Aww, it’s okay, Fluttershy! We’re friends now, and that’s all that matters,” Twilight said to comfort the pegasus.

“Thank you, Twilight…” Fluttershy smiled warmly at the unicorn, which she returned. I couldn’t help but smile myself.

“Man, the both o’ y’all are so adorable when you smile…” I said, prompting the two mares to giggle as they turned their gaze to me. Their cuteness could have given me a heart attack.

“Looks like we’re here,” Twilight announced when she looked forward. The building itself was quite a wonder. It looked almost exactly like one of those crazily decorative gingerbread cookie houses bakers back in my world made; except that this one was enormous! I almost wanted to take a bite out of it right then and there. Once we reached the entrance of the extravagant structure, a question popped up in my head.

“Hey, quick question before we go in, Fluttershy,” I requested.

“Yes, Mr. Ty?”

“Just 'Ty' is fine. But your Cutie Mark… I see that i’ss three butterflies. I guess that means you’re good with animals?”

“Yes. I take care of many different animals back at my home. It also represents the fact that I’m a calm, gentle mare who is nice to everypony, which is why, when it comes to the Elements of Harmony, I represent Kindness.”

“I see… That makes sense,” I simply said, nodding as we moved closer to the door. Judging by the strong, overwhelmingly delicious pastry smell emulating from it, I could tell that this house wasn’t just for show; it was an actual bakery. However, I noticed that all the lights were out and that it seemed completely black inside. I wondered if we came at a bad time or if the place was closed. I got my answer the second I set hoof on the doorstep. The lights inside flicked on, the door flew open, and before I was able to process what was happening, a pair of pink legs suddenly wrapped themselves around my neck and yanked me inside…

PAAAAAR-TAY!!!

“WHOA!” I screamed as I flew face first onto the floor of the building. *THUD* “OOMPH!”

“SURPRIIIIIISE!!” shouted a familiarly shrill voice. I looked up to see a pink mare with a cotton candy-looking mane who was wearing an extravagantly decorative party hat and the brightest smile I’d seen on anyone I’d met since I came here.

“Ohh, hey I remember you…” I began as I gingerly pulled myself back up. “You’re that pony that looked at me all funny an’ ran away from me for no reason. Pinkie Pie, was it?”

“In the flesh! And the fur! And the party hat! And in Sugarcube Corner! And in—!” Pinkie rambled.

“Stop, I get it. Nice t’ finally meet you.” I looked around and saw all kinds of party decorations set up, and ponies everywhere mingling with one another. Twilight and Fluttershy were standing on either side of me, seemingly unfazed by Pinkie’s ambush of an introduction.

“It’s super-duper fantastically nice with a cherry-changa on top to meet you, too, Ponder Memoir!”

“Well than—! Wait a minute… How d’you know my name?”

“Because I know everypony in Ponyville!”

“Well, okay, but…” I began, but I realized something. “…I’m guessin’ somebody told you, hm? Who? Applejack? Rainbow Dash? Rarity?”

“All of them! Oh, giiiiirrrls!” Pinkie called. Surely enough, the aforementioned ponies in question, plus one little dragon with a color scheme reminiscent of Barney the Dinosaur walked up and stood behind the pink pony.

“Howdy, Ty!” “Hey, Ty!” “Good evening, Ty!” “What’s up, Ty?” All three mares and the dragon greeted simultaneously.

“Well hello… Wait, was this all some kinda set-up?” I asked, turning toward Twilight.

“Yeah, kind of…” Twilight admitted with a short giggle. “You see, Pinkie Pie throws parties for every first-time visitor to Ponyville. She didn’t know who you were when we first ran into her…”

“…which is why she ran away so suddenly when she saw you,” Fluttershy finished. “So she could throw this surprise party together to welcome you to Ponyville.”

“Ohhohoho…” I responded. “Y’all got me good. Nice job, girls. An’ Spike.”

“That’s not the only reason for this party though…” Rarity said with a mischievous inflection.

“Wait, what? What’s the oth…?” Then it hit me like… like my front door to the face. My heartbeat quickened as my eyes and mouth widened in shock and fear. “…N-no… y-you didn’t…”

“CONGRATULATIONS, TWI AND TY!!” shouted everyone except Twilight, Fluttershy and myself. I stood there, my body practically turned into a furnace, a dumbfounded expression on my face. I slowly turned to look at Twilight to see she had the same look of completely speechless, clueless astonishment plastered on her face. Her cheeks were about as red as apples.

“…She… did…” Twilight murmured.

“I knew there was somethin’ y’all were hidin’,” Applejack said with a smile.

“I knew it!” Rainbow Dash added. “Twilight was just too shy to admit that she’d found a special somepony,” she teased, smirking at the her thoroughly-embarrassed friend.

“Now now, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity countered. “I’m sure these two would have revealed their relationship sooner or later.” She then turned toward me. “I’m terribly sorry, but Twilight getting herself a special somepony was news much too joyous to keep to myself! I was going to keep it a secret, but then Spike and I hatched this wonderful idea while I was perfecting my design!” The second I heard the part about Spike’s little idea, I glared at him. He simply looked at me with a feigned sign of innocence, which would have ALMOST been believable (emphasis on ALMOST) had it not been for the huge grin and stifled laughs.

“You… little—!”

“Oh, my! I… I had no idea you two were dating…” Fluttershy said, distracting me from the scolding I was ready to give the dragon. “Um… congratulations, you two… Yay…!”

“But we’re n—!” Twilight and I said in unison.

“Alriiight! Let’s get this party started!” Pinkie Pie announced as she swiftly raced to a nearby record-player and turned on some weird-sounding, yet oddly… catchy party music as everyone in the room began to dance. I took this as an opportunity to pull Twilight to the side to talk to her.

“We’re REALLY in it now,” I worriedly stated. "You wasn't playin' when you said rumors spread real quickly around these parts..."

“Yeah... I'd hate to say I told you so, but this is what happens when you have friends who have ways of spreading information more rapidly than wildfire… What do you suppose we do now?” She replied, equally as befuddled by the situation.

“Tell ‘em we’re not datin’.”

“We can’t do that!”

“Why not?”

“That’s half the reason for this party. Why ruin it when everypony’s having so much fun?”

“True… But we ain’t got a lotta options if we don’t tell everybody outright… I guess we could… play along with it?”

“And let everypony think we’re actually dating? Doesn’t sound too good.”

“Also true… *sigh* but hey, it’s not like this is gonna be the center of everybody’s attention for too much longer than today… right?”

“Hmm… I’m still pretty iffy about it… What if we—?”

“Hey there, lovebirds!” Pinkie Pie interrupted as she danced towards us. “You’ll have more time for chit-chat and lovey-dovey kissy-kissy later! Get your flanks out there and move with the groove!” She, with unbelievable strength, forced us out into the center of the room where a large circle was formed around me and my so-called 'girlfriend'. Problem number three made itself very apparent; I had no clue how to dance as a pony.

“Twilight, I have no idea how to dance in this body…!” I whispered harshly. "I barely got walkin' an' runnin' mastered, but dancin'...!?"

“Just uh… do what I do…!” She hurriedly answered as she began to dance. I did my best to keep up with and imitate her seemingly erratic, random movements. Surprisingly, it didn’t take long to get used to the routine. However, I still felt unbelievably uncomfortable. Walking as a pony was hard enough... DANCING... was harder. Despite that, I found myself somewhat able to get into the rhythm… even if I did look and feel like a complete idiot.

“Okie dokie, I hope everypony’s having tons of fun out there!” shouted Pinkie, who was standing near the record player. “But now, for the first time at a Pinkie Pie party, we’re gonna play a slow song to set the mood for all you couples out there; you know who you are!” she added as she looked directly at Twilight and me and winked while smiling ear-to-ear, much to our chagrin. As the party pony said, the music changed to a very slow, gentle song that greatly contrasted the previous one.

“Jeez, what a curve-ball…” I mumbled. “How’s this work?”

“Stand on your back legs and lean towards me,” Twilight instructed. “We use each other for support.”

“Okay…” Twilight and I each pushed up and were standing on our hind-legs. Steadily, we allowed ourselves to lean over into one another. Given our difference in size, I rested my fore-hooves on Twilight’s shoulders and she wrapped hers around my waist as we took slow, coordinated steps around our area of the dance floor. The dance felt extremely weird, yet familiar at the same time. It really wasn’t too different from human slow-dancing, if one disregards the fact that we were quadrupeds. Pinkie must have gotten bored quickly though, because after less than five minutes, she changed the song back to the party music that was playing earlier.

“That’s enough of the mushy stuff! Now it’s time to party-hardy-hearty ‘til ya just can’t party no more!” she shouted as she raced back to the dance floor. My goodness, could that girl move. At first, I couldn’t wait until this party was over. Part of it was because I wasn’t a very big fan of parties or dancing; in fact, I hated it. The other part of it was so I could think of a way to sort this little rumor out; if not with the whole town, then at least with Twi’s friends; not to mention have a little talk with a certain purple dragon about spreading rumors…

The party went on for hours with dancing, fun, and socialization... This kind of party was hardly any different from a party back in my world; yet ANOTHER anomaly I mentally jotted down. I also caught glimpses of Pinkie moving around so wildly that she wound up shoving other ponies into walls; something that made me avoid the pink mare for the majority of it... or at least, TRY to, up until...

"Hey, Twilight! Can I borrow this lucky-ducky-bo-bucky stallion for a sec?" Pinkie asked, showing no signs of losing energy as we danced around.

"Sure, I guess. I think I need a break, anyhow..."

"Twi!" I called, a bit wary about taking time to dance with who I'd already observed as an equine wrecking ball. "A-are you s--!"

"Yes, go ahead," she permitted (which I DIDN'T want her to do). "Pinkie's the only one of my friends you didn't take the time to get to know yet. Now's as viable an opportunity as any!" And with that, Twilight relinquished me to Pinkie Pie, who took no time to drag me back to the center of the bakery's dance(?) floor.

"So Ponder! Is it okay to call you Ponder? Or do you prefer 'Ty?' Spike told me you go by that name, too."

"Ty's fine," I answered, trying my best to keep up with this overly-energetic mare.

"Okie Dokie! Ty it is! So Ty! What brings such a mysterious fella like you to a town like Ponyville?"

"Well, I--!"

"Did you hear about the delicious baked goods at Sugarcube Corner? This is Sugarcube Corner by the way, in case you didn't know. Or maybe it was the choices they have to offer over at Sweet Apple Acres! That's where my best friend Applejack works. Believe it or not, we don't compete. Sometimes, we even sell Apple Acres food products here!"

"Okay. But I--!"

"OOH! I bet it was the fancy, super-elemagent... eloquent... no, that isn't the word... Elephant? No, that's just silly..."

"Elegant?" I guessed.

"Yeah, that! Did you come here for Rarity's elephant, nice clothes over at the Carousel Boutique? No, that can't be right... You'd have been wearing something from there if that was the case..." the mare kept rambling as we danced, hardly taking a breath.

"No, I jus--!"

"I've got it! You... came here to meet Twilight because you're one of those super-genius-y types that likes to spend all day cooped up in a room with like, a bajillion, chameleon books and science-y stuff and then you heard about how smart Twilight is, so you just HAD to pop into town to meet her because you wanted somepony to share your smarty-pantsness--!"

"Intellect," I corrected her again.

"Internet with, right?"

"...Lolwut?"

"Well... You're gettin' warm, but I--!"

"Ooh, this is my JAM!!" she interrupted me yet again as the song changed to something akin to a pop song I'd had the grievous displeasure of suffering through... repeatedly... about five to seven times a day on the radio. In any case, Pinkie picked up the pace of her dancing (how that was even POSSIBLE is beyond me), even going as far as to wrap her forelegs around my waist to toss me around like a ragdoll.

"PinkIEEE!" I frantically shouted, losing all sense of awareness as the mare wrestled me around relentlessly.

"Yes?" she FINALLY heard me despite being in her little zone.

"Not so rough! It's... my first time..." I shyly admitted, given I'd had no experience with this kind of roughhousing.

"Your first time?? Oh, well you're REALLY lucky then. Cuz you're about to take a ride on the Pinkie Express!!"

"P-please be gentle!" I begged, at the mercy of this fun-loving, hyperactive mare I was sure was out of her mind.

"By the time I'm through with you, Ty, you'll be BEGGING for more!"

"H-huh??"

"Trust me! You're gonna LOVE it...!" she pulled me in and whispered in my ear. At that, I mulled over exactly how our conversation was going so far... and when I was done, I'd come to a horrible epiphany regarding the wording...

"...Um... We're still talkin' about partyin'... right?"

"Of course, you silly billy! If this is your first time, then it's my job to make it memorable for ya!"

"Oh, it's memorable alright..."

"Good to hear! Ooh! Here comes the bestest, most awesome part!!" With that, she pulled me close and wrapped one foreleg around me...

"Pinkie, what are you doin...? Pinkie...! Stahp!" ...and with a MIGHTY swing, she sent me spinning around the room like the Tazzmanian Devil.

"WHOOHAHAOHAHAOAHOAHOAHAOAHAAAA!!" I couldn't see anything at ALL. At the same time, however, I felt myself crashing into other party guests and bouncing off of walls like a damn Pinball! Eventually, a table broke my fall as I unceremoniously flipped over it, landing flat on my back. Dizzier than a sleep-deprived drunkard with vertigo, I pulled myself up, only to stumble about like the ground beneath me was shaking.

"Okay, there's crazy, there's batshit crazy, and then there's... THAT!"

Right as I was about to fall over again, I felt myself enveloped in a warm, tingly sensation. Suddenly, I lost control of my body as it was levitated into the air and placed on a nearby stool. The bluish glow dissipated almost instantly and within a moment's time, I was joined by Rarity.

"Enjoying yourself, Ty?" the mannerly white mare asked.

"Tha'ss an understatement..." I sarcastically muttered as I recovered from the vicious physical assault that was Pinkie Pie's dancing.

"I understand Pinkie can get a little... rambunctious at times, but she does mean well."

"Yea, I'm sure... I jus' don't know how she can bounce around like that for so long, though. She doesn't seem t' have lost ANY energy."

"Well, these sorts of social events are part of what she lives for. It's almost necessary for her to be as energetic as she is. However, I'd like to apologize..."

"For what?"

"One, for not warning you sooner of Pinkie Pie," she joked, which I actually managed to heartily chuckle. "And two, for um... revealing your relationship with Twilight without your permission. It's just that-- and keep this between us-- Twilight was one of the LAST ponies I'd expect to find a special somepony."

"Really? Why?"

"It's just... How do I put this... she's an extraordinarily busy mare. Given what I've observed of her schedule, I didn't think she'd had time to search for companionship."

"Now would prolly be a REAL good time t' tell Rarity we're not really datin'... Ah, screw it, the purpose o' that, I'm sure has been LONG defeated..."

"Yea, well... uh..." I began, not exactly sure what to respond with. "From what I gathered about her, she's really nice. Cute, too. I'm sure we'll... work things out."

"I do hope you do. You seem like a sensible fellow. Polite, perpetually curious, and might I say handsome..."

"Stop, you're makin' me blush..." I countered, mildly flustered by the white mare's compliments.

"Not to mention modest. You and she seem compatible. You two should have a prosperous relationship."

"You... you really think so...?" I asked with a cocked eyebrow, although I knew the chances of Twilight and I becoming THAT close so soon was HIGHLY unlikely... ESPECIALLY because I wasn't actually a pony... but still, it shocked me that Rarity was so observational of me...

"Hey, Ty! Rarity!" A voice called from behind me, I turned to see none other than Twilight approaching. "What's up?"

"Hey, Twi! Oh man, are YOU a sight for sore eyes..."

"And sore everything else...!"

"Good evening, dearie! Ty and I were just conversing, getting to know one another a little better."

"Oh! Well that's good."

"Quite. Oh dear, I seem to have misplaced my drink... Please excuse me while I go and locate it..." With that, Rarity made her exit, allowing Twilight to take her seat.

"So... what'd you and Rarity chat about?"

"Pinkie's insanity..." I managed to coax a giggle out of the unicorn.

"Heh heh, yeah, I guess we should've warned you."

"Yea. But then she started givin' me this stuff about our 'relationship'..."

"You too?" she asked, catching me off-guard.

"Huh?"

"While you were busy being practically mauled by Pinkie, she pulled me to the side and began talking to me... about you."

"Really, now?"

"Mm-hmm. She really seems to think we'd be a good couple..."

"Tha'ss basically what she was tellin' me. I didn't take her t' be one t' play matchmaker..."

"Neither did I... *sigh* but still... I... um..." she faltered, which only served to catch my full, undivided attention.

"Wha'ss up, Twi?"

"I... it's just so... unusual... to think about that sort of thing..."

"What, havin' a significant other?" She nodded, blushing. At that, a strong, awkward silence (despite everything going on around us) washed over us...

"Why don't we just enjoy this party?" she shyly suggested, seeming to want to end the conversation prematurely. "We can um... we can talk about this another time. For now, we celebrate your welcome into Ponyville..." she added as she stood up, reaching a foreleg out toward me.

"Fine by me," I agreed, taking her up on her offer to dance.

The rest of the Welcome-to-Ponyville party went rather swimmingly. Cake, ice cream and fruit punch (which I have to say tasted kind of funny towards the end of the party… like somebody had drank directly from the bowl, but then backwashed it…), and even getting to chat with quite a few of the other party guests (even if most of them were simply asking me questions about my "relationship" with Twilight). I was actually, dare I say, having fun. By the time it was over, everyone had left with the exception of Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Twilight, Spike, Fluttershy and I. Rainbow and Applejack took off early because they were both exhausted from their hefty work schedules during the day. We all stood outside of the bakery, momentarily basking in the moonlight.

“Whew, what a party,” I said, fatigue evident in my voice.

“Pinkie Pie’s parties are always magnificent,” Rarity informed. “They are simply fabulous. Definitely ones you can only know of from experience.” That was actually pretty unusual to hear from her. She didn’t seem like one to enjoy parties like this one; maybe ones where everybody just sits around gossiping about others over tea and crumpets, but hey...

“Oh, you guys! Thank you!” Pinkie enthusiastically stated. “But it’s all thanks to you for being here, Ty!”

“Me? Why, what I do?” Pinkie giggled at my cluelessness.

“You silly! You were the guest of honor! The party wouldn’t have been so super awesomely spectacular with ten chimmy-cherries on top if you weren’t here!”

“Aww, thanks, Pinkie! Heh heh… But I thought they were called cherry-ch—! OOP!” My favorite snack food forcefully found its way into my mouth once again. The color and flavor this time? White strawberry cake frosting.

“Please, DO NOT get her started!” Rarity warned as she removed her hoof from my mouth.

“Y’know, I’m startin’ t’ think everybody LIKES stickin’ their hooves in my mo— ACK!” Yet another hoof in my mouth. This time, it was pink and tasted like bubblegum. Pinkie Pie giggled gleefully with a funny little snort at the end of it.

“Hey, that’s pretty funny!” The pink party mare giggled some more as she took her hoof out of my mouth.

“Y’know what? Next one t’ do that gets bit!” I playfully warned as I bared my teeth.

“Wow, Ty,” Twilight began in surprise. “Your teeth… they look so… sharp!”

“What, sharp teeth not normal here?” I asked in confusion, putting a hoof to my mouth. I assume that the shape of my teeth were the one thing the transformation spell didn’t bother to change…

“Oh, no…” responded Fluttershy. “Sharp teeth are perfectly normal… just, not for ponies.”

“Why?”

“Ponies are vegetarians. We mainly only eat plants and baked treats. Because of that, our teeth don’t need to be sharp to eat. See?” Fluttershy opened her mouth to give me a look at her teeth; all of them flat. “Only dragons and some of the animals that live in the Everfree Forest have sharp teeth. Dragons do because they eat jewels. Some animals in the Everfree Forest do because they eat other animals… you’re not either of those things… right?”

“Of course not!”

“Then why are your teeth so sharp?” asked Rarity.

“I just can’t get a break from these damn moments of extreme pressure, can I? Man, I’ss like I’m on some lie-detectin’ game show where the first lie that gets found out ruins everything for me… Good thing Applejack ain’t here… Hmm…”

“Well uh…” I shakily began, darting my eyes back and forward between the faces of the inquisitive ponies. “This is gonna sound a little embarrassin’, but… I like to chew on things that ain’t meant for eatin’ sometimes…”

“What do you mean?” asked Pinkie.

“Like… things like ice or wood or plastic or even metal. Not that I actually eat ‘em or anythin’; jus’ chew on ‘em. That and when I can’t open somethin’ with my hooves, I use my teeth… I-it’s not somethin’ I’m proud to admit, y’know?”

“Oh dear! You… *yawn* might want to get that checked out,” Rarity advised. “That’s certainly not good for a pony.”

“Yes,” Fluttershy added. “I’ve heard of such a thing before. I don’t remember what it’s called— I think it’s Pica— but I think it happens when a pony doesn’t get enough sweets in his or her diet.”

“Really?” I asked in genuine shock. I had no idea disorders like Pica would exist in this universe, albeit under different circumstances. “How odd... AGH!” Pinkie Pie found it necessary to shove a chocolate chip cookie in my mouth. Where she even got it from, I had NO clue, because she hadn’t moved from her spot since we got out here.

“Dr. Pinkie Pie at your service!” Pinkie happily announced. Everyone had a good laugh at that. Even I laughed with a mouthful of cookie. Hey, it was better than hooves. Plus, it was delicious!

“Gee thanks, Dr. Pie,” I quipped.

“Okie Dokie Lokie!”

“We should probably get back home now…” Twilight said. I turned to her and noticed Spike was knocked out and snoring on her back. That little talk would have to wait. “Good night, girls!” Twilight waved as we walked away.

“Peace!” I added with a wave of my hoof as I followed the unicorn.

“Bye!” “Good night!” “Have a marvelous night!” the three mares behind us called back.

“Oh, and congrats on the new colt-friend, Twilight!” Pinkie shouted. We both cringed in discomfort once again…

Nightly Arrangements...

“So… we kinda got distracted about the whole ‘us datin’’ thing…” I quietly and uncertainly said as we trotted back to the tree house.

“As I’m aware…” Twilight plainly retorted.

“Any ideas on how we're gonna deal with that?”

“Hmm… no, none. As far as I see it, the only thing we can do now is to let the rumor ride itself out. Given how much happens around this town, it’ll probably be old news by tomorrow afternoon.”

“Right…” We were silent for a few minutes before something spontaneously popped up in my mind. “Hey, can I ask you somethin’?”

“What’s up?”

“Before we ran into Fluttershy earlier today… You looked like you was really lost in thought. What was it you was tryna tell me?”

“O-oh! That? I was just… wondering about how Pinkie’s party would’ve gone if Rarity wound up telling everypony that we’re together… which happened anyway, evidently. I couldn’t tell you then because it was supposed to be a surprise…” I was a bit skeptical about Twi’s response, given that I remember her blushing and refusing to look me in the eye, coupled with the fact that Rarity said she’d be too busy making a dress to talk to anyone except Spike… but then I thought that I was just being paranoid. Plus, that party sure was quite the surprise.

“Oh, alright. Since we're on that topic... do... you mind pickin' up where we left off at the party?" I uneasily asked.

"Sure... what'd you want to discuss?"

"Um... what... uh..." I stuttered, unable to bring an orderly form to my question. "What... is so unusual about...?"

"...talking about significant others?" she finished for me.

"Y-yea, that..." I bashfully confirmed.

"It's just... I have so much going on all the time on a daily basis... Studying, running the library, taking care of Spike, solving minor issues around town... That I... it never really crossed my mind."

"Huh..."

"I... I guess I've grown rather... complacent with my current relationship status... with being single... at least, until now..."

"Oh... I-I'm sorry..." I felt the need to apologize, figuring that she'd probably never had to deal with this sort of social pressure very often, which only meant that it was more of a headache for her to deal with when issues DID arise.

"Why?" she asked, bringing her gaze to me.

"Well... if... if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't-a had t' deal with that rumor... I really shoulda stood my ground when Rarity FIRST thought we were um... together..."

"You don't need to apologize... I probably wouldn't have been able to convince her to drop it, anyway. Knowing Rarity, even if we WERE to convince her that you and I weren't seeing each other romantically, she'd likely keep trying to push me into it."

"Ah, I see... She's that kinda girl who thinks you don't get out enough, so she tries draggin' you along t' someplace you don't wanna be, throwin' you int' social situations you don't need t' be in, despite you already provin' you have the brains necessary t' communicate at your own discretion?"

"Precisely... How'd you know?"

"Trust me: I know the experience. And I mean I KNOW the experience..." I dramatically enunciated, bugging my eyes out. Twilight found it in herself to let out a chuckle.

"Wow... It's odd how we share a lot of similar qualities and experiences despite being from two separate worlds..."

"Heh, yea..." I agreed, smiling as I lost myself in the gaze of the unicorn. She in turn, stared back, smiling. Soon, however, another silence passed over us... One that seemed to last ENTIRELY too long; the only noises being Spike's snoring, the crickets chirping in the distance, and the clopping of our hooves as we walked back to the library/tree-house. Within seconds, our smiles faded, but not our mutual stares... The longer I focused on the features of the unicorn's face, the more I suddenly felt my heartbeat intensify... My throat also became inexplicably dry, to the point where I'd involuntarily swallowed air.

"MAYBE we should... I dunno... talk about somethin' else??" Catching myself staring, I decided to break the silence.

"*AHEM!* Uh, sorry... Kinda zoned out there..." I shakily apologized after briefly shaking my head to bring myself back to the physical realm.

"Y-yes, I did too..." Twilight sheepishly admitted, turning her gaze away as her cheeks took on a rosy pink hue.

"Um... what exactly did she tell you at the party? If i'ss okay t' ask..."

"Nothing important... Some things here and there about how nice you seemed and how much it would benefit me to have somepony to come and visit me on a regular basis and to rescue me from my... 'Ocean of Books' as she put it... If I wasn't mistaken, she sounded more like SHE would've wanted a chance with you if we were to convince her we aren't actually dating..." At that, I nervously chortled.

"Her? With me? Somehow, I find that HIGHLY unlikely. Even if I WAS actually a pony, she seems too... prim, proper, an'... how you say, theatrical for somebody like me. In case ya haven't noticed, I'm one o' those types who prefers the simpler things... T' sit back an' relax when the chance arises, but still very much willin' t' put in work or help somebody when I'm needed or wanted. Rarity's nice an' all, but... she does NOT seem like my type."

"Heh, yeah... I don't think you two would work out so well, either," she readily agreed. "If anything, it sounds like you'd be better off with me of all ponies than her..." she passively remarked, although her statement sent a wave of butterflies swarming through my stomach. Seeming to realize what she'd just said, she quickly turned away from me yet again, her cheeks a brighter pink than Fluttershy's mane. "I-I mean... if hypothetically, we gave one another the chance, of course... Which I'm sure is highly unlikely to happen anyway, because we DEFINITELY don't see each other that way. Not at all... R-right?"

"Wow... She's even more flustered about that comment than I am... an' SHE'S the one that made it..."

"U-uh, yea... *AHEM!* What’s on the list of things to do for tomorrow?” I asked, attempting to change the subject to something more comfortable.

“Um... Oh! As for our schedule, I’ll need you to look at the notebook a little more and maybe answer some more questions. After that, we could go to Canterlot to meet Princess Celestia, depending on her schedule. If she’s too busy, then I guess we could just knock all the questions out with the time we have. From there, if there’s time, we could take another walk around Ponyville while you ask me any questions you might have.” I was amazed to see that she’d planned out everything in a matter of seconds.

“Sounds like a plan. I been wantin’ t’ see this Sun Goddess o’ yours… But seein’ as she rules this land, I won’t get my hopes up about meetin’ her for sure tomorrow.” On that note, we finally reached the library and went inside. I followed Twilight to her room and watched as she laid the sleeping Spike in a basket-bed and laid a blanket over him.

“I don’t suppose you have a couch or a guest room here?” I asked quietly.

“Unfortunately, no,” Twi responded. “This is a library, so this doesn’t exactly accommodate for guests. As a matter of fact, I’ve only had one sleep-over in this place. Buuuut, there IS an extra bed right over there that you can use… unless of course, you want to sleep with me,” she suggested nonchalantly. I was unreasonably caught off guard by that statement.

“…what?”

“I said—!”

“I heard you… but still…”

“What’s the problem? You’ve slept with me before.”

“Well, yeah… but I’m a pony now, an’ you’re a pony, an’…”

“And…? What’s your point?”

“Well… y’know… biology…” I tried to keep it as vague as possible.

“What are you talki—?” she began to ask, but gasped in disbelief as she finally realized my lewd thought mid-sentence. “Ty! You… you didn’t think I meant—?”

“N-no!” I hurriedly answered. She gave me a deadpan 'Don’t you lie to me' look. “Okay, yes, sort of…” I admitted with shame. “But i’ss because this time, we’re the same species an’ I uh… I dunno how that would carry over from us sleepin’ together when I was a human…”

“Oh, well I don’t see how it would be too different unless…” Her eyes widened. “…Unless what you’re implying is… is that you being a pony for a day has already changed how you feel about me…?”

“What? N-no, of course not.” I brazenly fibbed as turned my head away, towards her window. I didn’t want to admit that... that I actually did start to feel some type of new way for her… There were so many thoughts racing through my head. Like how it would be wrong. How I wasn’t actually a pony. How I’m human. How we don’t even live in the same universe. As a human, Twilight and I bonded quickly back in my world. But the bond was purely platonic... or so I thought. I had no reason or motivation to see her as anything more than a friend or a pet of sorts... well, maybe not a 'pet' per se, given that she's proven to be just as intelligent and capable of speech and emotion as a human being...

Maybe being turned into the same species as the unicorn began to toy with my mind, even though I’d only been like this for a day... which reminded me; I wouldn’t be here in Equestria forever… I refused to develop or acknowledge any unusual feelings for anypony for the indefinite, yet severely limited amount of time I was here… even Twilight. Doing so would only make my departure and our eventual separation from one another THAT much more difficult.

“Oh, okay…” she said. I expected her to be relieved by my response, but the look I saw on her face when I turned back to face her… it seemed to be one of slight disappointment. That killed me inside.

"Now I feel like an ass..."

“*sigh* Listen… I’m just overreactin’ to a foolish— or should I say ‘foalish’ assumption I made… I’ll sleep with you… if you’re alright with that,” I offered with a sympathetic smile. She brightened up a little and smiled herself. We climbed into her bed and lay juxtaposed with each other.

“So… how’s this gonna work?” I asked.

“We’ll just turn our backs to each other, I suppose.” She answered.

“Sounds good.”

“Alright. Good night, Ty…”

“Good night, Twi…” I tried to go to sleep, but something was eating at me, keeping me awake. I knew what it was, but I didn’t know why it was bothering me like this. Much as I tried to ignore it and go to sleep, I eventually figured it would keep me up all night if I tried to push it to the back of my mind. “Hey… Twilight?”

“Yes…?” She tiredly asked, although she didn’t move, indicating that she was still awake.

“Now or never…”

I sighed quietly and swallowed hard, gaining enough courage to sit up, turn around and place a small, tender kiss on the unicorn’s cheek. Although she didn’t move from her original position, I saw her horn flicker with magic for an instant.

“Sweet dreams...” I said as I turned back around and shut my eyes. My heart was racing, but that didn’t keep me from finally finding peace as fatigue instantly overtook me. I shifted myself into a more comfortable position (as comfortable as I could get with all my limbs bending in moderately dissimilar ways than what I was used to) as I was drifting off into a much-needed slumber. Sometime after I’d lost myself in a comfortable night-long ride to the infinitely vast land of dreams, I swear I felt something softly touching my own cheek and holding itself there for a few seconds. My eyes sprang halfway open, but slowly closed once again as a calm smile crept onto my face. The foreign object attaching itself to my cheek felt wet, yet… warm. It also felt like there were two of them. The objects removed themselves with a quiet pop.

“Sweet dreams, Tyshawn…” a familiar voice whispered.

Carpe Diem!

I awoke from what felt like the best night of sleep I’d had in a very long time, despite how completely insane the events of the day before went. However, I found myself in a position very much unlike the one I’d gone to sleep in. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was a shaggy mass of navy blue with a streak of dark purple and pink in it. My hoof was resting on something that was… rising and falling in a familiarly slow, steady pattern.

“Ooh, wow…” I thought as I finally realized what happened. I somehow wound up cuddling up to Twilight in my sleep. “I hope she won’t be mad about this… Maybe if I just move REAL slow, I can—!”

A sudden yawn coming from the ball of blue, pink, and purple stopped my thought process dead.

“Good morning…” Twilight whispered.

“Uh… g-good morning, Twi…” I fearfully babbled.

“Oh, shit! It’s too late! I am so f—!”

“Sleeping with me wasn’t entirely different this time, was it?” she calmly asked as she rose from under my foreleg. I had no clue how to respond.

“Uh, I-I… um… huh?” I was baffled by her surprisingly calm reaction. "Wha...?"

“You moved around a lot in your sleep last night," she began, seeming to take note of my confusion. "I didn’t think you'd ever stop… I was about ready to wake you up until you wrapped your leg around me and settled yourself almost instantly," she explained.

"I... I did?"

"Mm-hmm. I wanted to move, but you finally calmed yourself down enough to lie perfectly still. Not to mention I was feeling much too lethargic to try slipping out of your grasp without waking you, so I decided to make the best of it and go back to sleep myself. I’ll admit, for as unusual as it was, it was… nice. It sort of reminded me of last night, minus that magnificent massage you gave me.”

“Wow, I’m sorry…” I said as I sat up. “I guess bein’ a pony messed up how I sleep, too… I-I didn't mean to um...”

“It's no big deal. From the way you were moving, it seemed like you were trying to find positions of sleep that were physically impossible for you to take in your current form, until you unconsciously found me and hugged me."

"Huh... I expected her t' be a LOT more upset that I spooned her in my sleep. Could she have gotten used to me that quickly?"

"...Y-you're not mad?" I blurted out, still a bit disheveled.

"Not in the least. I can only assume that was the most familiar position you could find, all things considered about our most recent sleeping arrangements... It also makes for an interesting little note to take down about how you're handling being turned into a species of life entirely different from your own... amongst all the other observations I've gathered thus far.”

"Might as well not push the issue further if she's over it already."

“Makes sense… I guess,” I concurred, moving a hoof to scratch my head. Something felt out of place, though… like the side of my afro mane was pushed up in a goofy fashion. Twilight’s giggling confirmed that I had a bad case of bed-head.

“Your mane… it looks so lopsided.” The unicorn kept chuckling.

“D’oh, blah,” I responded with a dismissive hoof wave. “Your hair ain’t lookin’ so hot either, scruffy.” Twilight scoffed.

“Touché… Why don’t we wake Spike and get ourselves cleaned up so we can tackle today’s tasks?”

“Aight.” With that, Twilight and I woke the dragon from his sleep (something he was none too happy about, to my amusement), got ourselves clean, and straightened our crazy-looking bed-manes up into their shapelier (in my case), more organized and publicly presentable nature. Washing up here was no different from washing up back in my universe. Despite this world being one where the dominant species was magical horses, therefore less advanced in terms of technology, it had many essential utilities and other things that humans used every day. I wondered if this world was only as different as it was because of the fact that magical ponies ruled it.

“Alright, Ty. Let’s crack open that notebook! I can’t wait to gather more information to report to the Princess for when we meet her! Which reminds me… Spike? Take a letter.”

“Okay,” Spike obliged as he grabbed a feather and a sheet of paper. “Ready.”

“Dear Princess Celestia… My guest and I were wondering if we were able to make an appointment to visit you today. He’d love to meet you and make your acquaintance. In addition, I’d like to share with you the knowledge I’ve gained from my experiences in his universe. While I am currently unsure exactly how the information I’ve acquired has any ties to my primary studies on friendship, I am sure that this information is worthwhile and may even be able to be documented, as well as open a new area of study on an entirely new subject of magic, which I will dub M.I.T.: Magic Intergalactic Travel! I’ve memorized the spell I utilized to send myself to the alternate universe, but I haven’t had much practice with it, which causes it to burn up a considerable deal of energy as of yet. As such, I currently can’t use it very often. In short, I hope to hear from you soon! Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Aaaand… done! Except I might need you to proofread it… Some of those words sounded way too hard for me to spell.”

“Ugh, Spike…”

“I got it. Lemme see it,” I said. Spike looked at Twilight, who gave him an affirming nod. He reluctantly handed me the letter, seemingly ashamed of his work. “You lookin’ like somebody died. It ain’t that bad, is it?”

“…Read it,” Spike mumbled.

“Alright, let’s see here… Dear Princess Celestia, my… apoin ment…? akwaintence…? nalege…? e-experianses…? a-a-acwired…?” At this point, I was trying VERY hard not to laugh at the poor little dragon’s illiteracy. I was noticeably failing, because every word he spelled wrong made me either snort, puff out my cheeks, or scoff. I was also grinning the entire time.

“Ohh, this is why I wanted YOU to do it, Twilight!” Spike complained, causing Twilight to scowl at me.

*Ahem* “Sorry. Sorry. Okay, I’ll get serious now,” I assured the dragon after I took a deep breath. “Awright then… pry marry…? What the... what is this…? Doc, you meant it? *SNORT* *AHEM* uh, where was I…? Oh, yeah… Oh, no… i-innergolacktick??” I completely lost it in a fit of laughter at that one. I dropped the paper and fell back on my haunches cracking up. I tried in vain to put a hoof in my mouth to control myself.

“Ty! That’s not nice!” Twilight scolded.

“I-I’m so s-s-sorry-hee-hee-hee-ha-ha-haaaa!"

*ZAP!* "AAGAHGGH! Oww…!” Twilight zapped me with a small jolt of magic to stop me from laughing.

“Are you finished?” the unicorn impatiently asked.

“Yeah… yeah I am…” as soon as I said that, Spike started stifling laughs of his own. “What?”

“Y-your hair…!” Spike choked out between laughs.

“My hair…? What… Oh, uh-uhh… No you didn’t…!”

“Take a look,” Twilight said as she laughed and levitated a mirror towards me. My jaw almost hit the floor when I saw what she did to my mane. It looked like the hair of an anime character! It was so frizzy and unruly, with every strand of hair sticking upwards in crazy zigzag patterns that made it look like I was trying to brush it with a balloon. The unicorn and dragon were howling with laughter.

“I hate you both SO much right now… Heh heh… I guess I deserved this, though. Alright, lemme proofread this letter so we can get on with the day…” I picked up the letter and corrected every mistake the dragon made (there weren't too many of them, but his spelling could've used some help), and handed it to him. “There, happy now?”

“Thanks, Ty,” Twilight said, smiling. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“Oh, hardy har-har,” I dryly responded as I walked up to her and poked her side. As I expected, she flinched and lifted a hind leg up to cover the side I'd poked.

“H-Hey, I told you not to do that!”

“Nooo, you told Tyshawn the human not to do that. I am Ponder Memoir the pony. Ponder Memoir does not recall Twilight Sparkle tellin’ him not t’ do this,” I joked as I began to hit Twilight with a barrage of pokes, which erupted into me tickling her half to death again.

“Hahahaha! T-Ty! St-st-sto-ha-ha-hop!”

“Sure… If you fix my hair,” I demanded as I kept tickling her. Of course, this didn’t last long as she once again used her magic to lift me off of her and drop me on the ground a few feet away.

“Okay… that’s… enough… distractions…” She breathlessly stated as she got up.

“I knew you were ticklish, Twilight, but wow…” Spike chimed in with a chuckle.

“If you try anything, Spike, I will turn your claws into pudding,” Twilight jokingly threatened as she giggled. “Now Ty, come here and let me fix you up so we can get started on this notebook.” I obliged as I picked my face up off the floor and walked toward the unicorn. She zapped me once again. I felt my mane with a hoof to make sure she didn’t try anything funny. “Spike… the letter.”

“Oh! Right!” Spike attentively complied as he grabbed the letter, rolled it up into a scroll and sent it on its way to Princess Celestia.

“Okay. Now that that’s out of the way,” Twilight murmured as she magically levitated the notebook from a nearby drawer and handed— I mean “hoofed” it over to me.

“Okey doke, where did we leave off…?” I mumbled. “Ahh yes, the sun-and-moon question… Alright… next up… ‘Are horses here able to communicate with humans?’ Nope. They don’t even speak. In fact, other than the basic biological similarities between horses and ponies, horses in my world hardly even LOOK like ponies here.”

“Wow… what DO they look like? What do they eat? How do they communicate with one another?” Twilight asked again and again.

“They’re much bigger than ponies— although not nearly as cute or multicolored—, as far as I know, they eat basically everything a pony eats— minus the sweets, among other things—, and they’re only capable of neighing. Basically, they ain’t nearly as intelligent as ponies are.”

“Darn… I wanted to meet one, too…”

“Bummer. Next up… ‘How is time measured here?’ We have seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years. There’s sixty seconds in a minute, sixty minutes in an hour, twenty-four hours in a day, seven days in a week, four to five weeks in a month— depending on the month—, and twelve months in a year.”

“Our worlds are exactly the same there.”

“Interesting… next… ‘How do humans communicate with one another over long distances?’ Well, we have traditional mail, which is sent an’ delivered by people. But then we have all kinds of crazy things, like phones, computers, walkie-talkies, and so on. Humans have TONS of different ways t’ communicate with each other much faster than mail. It’s hard for me to explain it because there’s so much in all that stuff that I couldn’t even comprehend it or condense into a simple explanation for ya.” Twilight and Spike just gawked at me like I was an alien… But then, I technically was.

“Phones? Computers? What the hay…?”

“Sounds like you’d need t’ pay another visit to my world t’ get what I mean. Basically, just like how you’re able to use Spike as a magic messenger, it’s just like a thing called e-mail in my world, where people are able to instantly send messages to each other, no matter how far away they are.”

“Ohh… I guess that makes a little more sense… I suppose I will need that extra trip…”

*BURP*

“Speakin’ of instant messages…” Spike caught the letter and handed it to Twilight. She quickly opened it and began to read:

Twilight Sparkle, my most faithful student,

My apologies in advance for the shortness of this letter, but I’m currently very busy settling an issue between two nations in the far east who have cut each other off from valuable resources due to disagreements between their leaders. I will have time for you to pay me a visit, but it may not come until this evening. Your letter has given me much to discuss with you two, and I wish to see you as soon as possible. Give your guest my regards.

Regally yours,

Princess Celestia

P.S.: If you’re having difficulty with spelling, Spike, then please let me know. This letter was very hard to read with all the spelling corrections.

Hearing that last note made me laugh.

“Great. That puts a bit of a damper on our plans for today,” Twilight stated in disappointment.

“Not necessarily. Like you said last night, we could take this as an opportunity for me t’ give you more info about my world so you can be better prepared for—!”

*SLAM*

“What the h—!”

“HELLOOOOOO, TWI AND TY!!” shouted Pinkie Pie as she joyfully bounced into the room like a rabbit with a picnic basket and blanket on her back. Following her were Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash, each of whom had miscellaneous supplies of their own.

“Well hello, girls!” Twilight greeted. “What brings you all here today?”

“Umm… well we were just wondering…” Fluttershy began.

“…if you guys wanted to come along for a group picnic!” Rainbow Dash finished. “Somepony else is covering my weather patrol shift for me…”

“…while I got up bright n’ early to finish all the chores I missed yesterdee…” Applejack continued.

“…and I don’t have any huge orders to fill today,” finished Rarity.

“We’re all free as birds to do anything we want today! Like party, or eat cake, or have a picnic, or go on a ridonkulously crazy adventure like we always do, or *GASP* PARTYYY!”

“But… you said party tw… Mm?” Another hoof found refuge on my face. No shock there. The shock came from the fact that the hoof was yellow, and that it gently, yet firmly pressed itself against my lips. So, with a mouthful of Fluttershy, I huffed and took an annoyed deadpan glare at the pegasus.

“Oh! Um… I’m sorry,” she apologized with a sheepish smile. “It’s just that ponies here know not to question Pinkie Pie on anything she says…”

“Fankf fo da hezf uh, Fwutterfy,” I flatly mumbled with the canary yellow pegasus’s hoof still firmly planted on my lips. She took it as the cue to finally take it off.

“Oops. Hee hee, sorry…”

“So anyway… You guys down to hang with us today? Or are you two lookin’ ta get romantic on your own,” Rainbow Dash teased with a wink and a nudge on Twilight’s shoulder.

“Rainbow!” shouted a flustered Twilight, her cheeks a light pink. I shook my head and sighed as the ‘dating Twilight’ rumor became fresh in my mind once more.

“Not in front-a Spike, Rainbow! What would the neighbors think?” I jokingly warned in a melodramatic tone. I also knew I still had some reconciling to do with the periwinkle pegasus in particular, and I figured I'd break the ice by making a small joke at my own expense.

“Hah! Good one, Ty!” she commended, seeming to enjoy the quip.

“Yeah, thanks... Anyway, I suppose we got the time to go on that picnic witch-y’all. How ‘bout it, Twi?”

“Sure, why not?” she responded with uncertainty. “I was hoping to learn a bit more before we did anything today, though…”

“You’ve got all the time in the world to learn stuff, egghead! Come on!” Rainbow Dash teased.

“Alright now, Rainbow. Lay off ‘er,” Applejack interjected.

“Yes, it’s entirely up to Twilight on what she wants to do. There is no need to pressure her,” added Rarity. With that, the room went silent as everyone waited for Twilight’s answer.

“Hmm… Umm… I don’t know…” Twilight was in deep thought over what she wanted to do.

“Any day now, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash rudely commented. It seemed to go unnoticed by the purple unicorn as she was still figuring out what she wanted to do.

“Y’know what? Why don’t we turn this into a learnin’ experience for all of us? Sharin’ is carin’, ain’t it?” I suggested.

"Yeah, that sounds dandy t' me," Applejack agreed.

"Indeed. We should all get to learn a little more about our newest acquaintance," Rarity added.

"Hold on!" Twilight objected before pulling me to the side to discuss something with me. "Are you sure you want to do that...? What if you wind up revealing yourself by accident?" she whispered.

"Trust me. I won't," I whispered back. "Even if I did, two of 'em already know I'm not really from here. Worst case scenario, we spill the beans about everything."

"You sure? I mean, any small detail that seems askew from the story you told A.J. and Dash could lead to your cover being blown. Plus, she might not look it, but Applejack has a keen eye for detail... This seems too risky."

"True... but then they can vouch for us since they know already. Plus, we only told Applejack I'm from a different world. No details were included. The only one other than Spike who knows any more is Rainbow. Does she have a keen eye for detail?"

"Hmm... Not quite, but that doesn't mean she didn't pay close attention to you; especially with the Cutie Mark thing..."

"Okay... If we DO let anything slip, then we jus' go ahead an' admit the 'different world' thing, but NOT the human part. Jus' t' play it safe. I trust those two are holdin' up their promise anyway, since the other three don't seem t' know about it yet. Other than that, we jus' get to know one another a li'l bit more."

"And the 'dating' thing?" she questioned, veritably stumping me.

"Um... I... have no idea. Maybe we could jus' downplay it at this point. The less we talk or think about it, the less it'll get brought up."

“Seems reasonable enough...” Twilight agreed as she turned back toward her friends. “Okay, my mind’s made up. We will go on that picnic with you!”

“HOORAY!” everyone but Twilight shouted. With that, Twilight gathered some supplies of her own, including the notebook, and we were all on our way…

It was such a beautiful day outside. The skies were clear, the sunlight was comfortably warm, and everything was so serene; especially the area the girls chose to settle and set everything up. A large, grassy meadow with a single oak tree looming over the area Pinkie Pie decided to mat the blanket. The wind was cool and soft, blowing ever so gently and rustling the tree and grass.

“Wow… It seems so… peaceful here,” I stated in amazement.

“That’s what makes this one of the most desirable spots for us to have these picnics,” Rarity replied. “This area brings out such a calming and euphoric vibe on a day as magnificent as this…” she finished as she magically conjured up a luxurious-looking couch to lay her luminescent white-and-purple form on.

“I thought this was a picnic… Why do you need that couch?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Rarity here’s too scared of a little bitta dirt gettin’ on her oh-so froufrou coat to use the blanket or the ground for a proper place ta rest,” quipped Applejack as she set a basket down and pulled out some plates. We both shared a chuckle at the white unicorn’s expense.

“VERY funny, Applejack,” Rarity sarcastically remarked. “But a REAL lady knows to keep her appearance as lovely and radiant as she can at all times.”

“I’m just gonna pretend ya didn’t say that,” Applejack stated with a hint of annoyance. “Ya know, so I don’t gotta embarrass ya in front-a our guest here.”

“Alright, girls, that’s enough,” Twilight intervened.

“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie added as she pulled food out of her basket. Of course, everything the pink party mare pulled out was some kind of cake, pie, or other sweet baked treat. “We’ve got too much fun and cake and pie and tasty pastry to have and too much friend to be shipping to be fighting each other. Who needs fighting when you can have cake?” She asked as she pulled out a giant chocolate cake that should NOT have been able to fit in that basket with all the other things she packed, and set it in the middle of the blanket.

“Good point,” Applejack concurred with a smile.

“So, if y’all don’t mind me askin’, what exactly do y’all do on these picnics?” I said.

“We usually just sit, eat, and share stories with each other,” Fluttershy answered. “We get together and simply enjoy each other’s company while we catch up with one another.”

“Unless you’re like Twilight,” teased Rainbow Dash. “One of the times we did this, she was so freaked out about missing some imaginary deadline for sending a letter to Princess Celestia that she went completely crazy and hypnotized the entire town into fighting over some dumb doll. According to Scootaloo, you looked like you went insane, and tried to force her, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle to play with that doll.” The blue pegasus started cracking up.

“You WHAT?” I asked the apparently-crazed mare in shock as I laughed.

“I… kinda let my obsession with organization and scheduling get the best of me…” she answered with a sheepish titter.

“Yeah. Like making a checklist, then making another checklist for that checklist, then making another checklist for those checklists,” Spike interposed. “I had such a bad case of writer’s cramp that day…” he added as he held up his claw.

“Speakin’ o’ dolls… Applebloom an’ I caught Big Mac a few times cuddlin’ up to some ugly li’l thing in his sleep… Calls it ‘Ms. SmartyPants' or somethin’… Ya want it back, Twi?” asked Applejack.

“Ms. SmartyPants is not ugly,” Twilight answered with contempt. “But no, I stopped playing with her years ago. It’s nice to know she has a new home,” she finished in an oddly caring and motherly tone.

“Wow… that’s insane. Heh heh… Of all the things to lose ya mind over, and you chose a letter?”

“I was under the impression that the Princess expected a letter on what I learned about friendship every week, okay? But that wasn’t as bad as the time Rainbow tried to steal a book from the hospital…” Twilight grinned defiantly.

“Twilight, you’d better not!” Dash warned.

“Oh, please, do tell!” I encouraged. I was eager to hear this one.

“Well one time, Rainbow broke her wing and had to sit in the hospital for about a week. She got so bored of just sitting there that I decided that I’d give her a book to read. At first, she stubbornly refused it and called me an ‘egghead.’ She even said that, and I quote, ‘I’m an athlete! Athletes don’t read! Reading’s for eggheads like you, Twilight.’”

“Wow, Rainbow. Not a fan o’ readin’?” the sky blue mare ignored me as she sat and pouted.

“Oh, it gets better,” Twilight interjected. “So I left the book there, and when we came back to visit her a couple days later, she started acting weird like she didn’t want any of us there. I suspected that she’d taken a liking to it and didn’t want to be disturbed while she read it, but then I thought I was being silly. Turns out she really liked that book, because when she was released from the hospital before she could finish it, she decided it was a good idea to sneak back in at night and try to take the book herself.”

“Woooooow. What kinda book was it? An’ why ain’t you just ask Twi for a copy, Rainbow? She has a library, y’know,” I joked and chuckled with the group.

“Daring Do, only the most awesome book series ever. And it was because I was scared of being a hypocrite,” Rainbow shamefully admitted, still pouting.

“Aww, Dashie!” Pinkie began. “Don’t be a Grumpy McGrumpy-Pants! We’ll all get to tell an embarrassing story so you won’t feel all sad.”

“Yeah, sure,” Rainbow said as she cheered up. “If that’s the case, then why don’t you tell Ty about that time you kept harassing that donkey until he agreed to become your friend?”

“Harassin’ a donkey?” I asked. “That don’t sound like such a great idea…”

“Oh, believe me; I almost thought the same thing!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Okay, so that day was an extra-special awesome day where I was feeling more excited than usual!”

“Trust me, that’s sayin’ a lot,” interjected Applejack.

“Yeah! So anyway, I was so happy that I suddenly burst into a random song that I made up in my head on the spot that I like to call, ‘Smile,’ which is about—!”

“Lemme guess: smilin’?” I sarcastically asked.

“OOH, so close! But no; it was about MAKING everypony smile!”

“What th— But—… Ah whatever, jus’ go on witcha story…”

“Okie dokie lokie! So when I got done with the song, I came across this really sad, grumpy donkey. His name was Cranky Doodle Donkey. But don’t call him ‘Doodle.’ He only lets his special somedonkey, Matilda, call him that. So anyway, I was trying sooo super hard to get him to smile, but he just wouldn’t! I shot him with a confetti cannon filled with cake batter, had Rarity make him a new wig after I crushed his old one thinking it was a spider, and I even chased him relentlessly around the town all day just to apologize for burning and completely ruining his most prized scrapbook full of important life memories!”

“…My goodness, I can only IMAGINE why he wouldn’t wanna become friends with you after all that…” Here, I came to the conclusion that Pinkie Pie was nuts.

“I totally know, right!? So anyway, I FINALLY got him to smile and become my friend after I got Matilda to show up and give him a kiss. Say, speaking of kissing, I wonder… have you and Twilight kissed yet?”

“…WHAT???” Twilight and I asked in unified shock. I heard snickering coming from everyone but Twilight and Pinkie, who was actually dead serious about her question. The fact that she was serious shocked me even more.

“I mean, it’s totally okay if you haven’t. I get it if you guys are—! OOP!” I shoved my own hoof into her mouth.

“Nuh-uh! Next story, please!” I shouted, still very flustered. I heard more chuckles coming from everyone else.

“Say it, don’t display it! Sheesh!” Pinkie angrily complained after I removed my hoof.

“I’m really sorry… But hey, at least you know how I feel, right?” I said sympathetically as I placed a hoof on her shoulder.

“Aww, you’re right! Come ‘ere, you!” she said as she picked me up off the ground and wrapped me into the second most painful bear hug I’d ever become a victim of.

“AAAGH! How are you…! So strong…!?” I choked out as she squeezed the life out of me like a tube of toothpaste. She held me there for a few excruciatingly agonizing seconds before she decided to loosen me from her double anaconda grip. I took some time to catch my breath while everyone laughed at my misfortune. “So… who’s next on the list of storytellers?”

“Oh, I have one… if you don’t mind me going…” Fluttershy timidly said.

“Ooh, this one’s gotta be good…”

“Yes… well, no, not for the pony in the story, but—!”

“I get what you mean. Please, tell ya story.”

“Okay… there was this one time where Rarity had me try out some of her designs for a photo shoot done by famous pony named Photo Finish…”

“Fluttershy! Why’d you have to pick thaaat oneeeeee???” Rarity whined.

“Thanks for the confirmation, Rarity,” I joked. “As you was sayin’, Ms. Shy?”

“Hee hee… right. So Photo Finish decided that she not only wanted me to become a model, she also decided that she didn’t want anything to do with Rarity…”

“Hah. How ironic…”

“Yes. We tried to be happy, but it turned out Rarity got jealous of me. At the same time, I started to hate becoming a model. There was too much unnecessary attention, and I had no time for my friends. Both of us confided in Twilight to keep our true feelings secret, but she was given so many secrets to keep that she wound up blurting them all out. Luckily, she didn’t do it until after Rarity and I decided to be honest with each other.” Fluttershy was merciful in not keeping Rarity on the hot seat (no pun intended) for too long.

“Yeah, but she still blew my cover about my crush on Rarity,” Spike complained.

“Oh please, Spike,” countered Rainbow Dash. “We all coulda seen it from the highest point in Cloudsdale!”

“Ohh, it was that obvious?” Spike whined.

“Well, you were drooling over her since the instant we met her…” Twilight said matter-of-factly.

“Leave poor Spikey-Wikey alone!” countered Rarity. “He can’t help it if he has such wonderful taste in mares,” she added as she cantered over to hug and nuzzle the dragon.

“Aww, isn’t that schweet…” I teased. “Spike an’ Rarity… such a cute couple!”

“Not as cute as you and Twi,” Applejack quipped. She got me good, because all I could do there was lower my head and face-hoof while I got laughed at again.

“Oh, that’s a good one, Applejack,” Twilight sarcastically remarked. “But you know what’s funnier? That time you thought you could work yourself half to death picking up your brother’s chores while he was injured.”

“…that’s a low blow, Twi,” Applejack retorted with a small chuckle. “But I’ll tell ya what: I’ll tell this one. Okay, so Big Mac was injured, so I figured I was able t’ pick up his slack on the apple buckin’.”

“Apple buckin’?” I asked.

“It’s where ya kick a tree with both yer back legs an’ make all the apples on it fall into a basket.”

“Oh.”

“Eeyup. So anyway, I was in WAY over my head on that one cuz my work schedule was already so plum full that I stopped bein’ able to get any proper shut-eye. I kinda did more harm than good cuz of it…”

“Yeah, I’ll say…” Rainbow interjected. “She was supposed to help me with a trick by helping me propel myself into the air faster than I normally could, but she wound up catapulting me into Twilight’s house…”

“…releasing a bunny rabbit stampede all over Ponyville when she tried to round them up like they were cattle, even though I told her to be gentle with them…” Fluttershy added.

“…giving everypony who came to Sugarcube Corner one of those days a bad case of food poisoning from really icky baked bads…” continued Pinkie Pie.

“Those cupcakes were good!” Spike announced.

“Eww, Spike! You got them from the trash that day!”

“Tha'ss nasty, yo…” I said with disgust. He simply shrugged like dumpster diving was a profession of his.

“…and worst of all, she constantly refused to let anypony help her with her chores because she was so determined to prove Big Macintosh wrong on her ability to handle more than double her workload,” Twilight finished.

“Wow, Applejack… seems like you’re the worst one yet,” I said as I laughed.

“Aw, come on!” Applejack protested. “That’s worse than makin’ the whole town fight over a doll cuz of a misunderstandin’, stealin’ books from hospitals cuz of prideful shame, relentlessly harassin’ others t’ solicit friendship, or one-uppin’ yer best friend on somethin’ she worked real hard for, then throwin’ it away?”

“Hmm, to be fair, I’d say i’ss VERY close… but you did cause a stampede of rabbits throughout the town, as well as poison a bunch-a ponies with ill-prepared food while you deprived yourself of sleep, all cuz you was stubbornly refusin’ any help from ya friends because you was tryin’, but apparently failed to prove a point to ya big bro that became invalid the minute you stopped gettin’ the rest you needed since you already overextended yaself before takin’ up the challenge. In short, yours seems to have caused the most damage, especially to yaself. So yea, you win!”

“Now that’s…!” the orange farm pony began to scream, but seemed to lose her words. “But I…! That ain’t…! *sigh* Fine, ya got me…” she disdainfully admitted.

“Aww, come on now… Don’t get so down on yaself… At least yours was the funniest yet,” I said as I consoled her by placing a hoof on her shoulder.

“Y’know what? Yea, it was pretty funny, huh?” She chuckled a little. “Thanks, Ty! Lemme show ya how much I appreciate that…” She said as she moved to hug me with a mischievous grin.

“Uh, n-no! I’m good! I’ll pass!” I said, distraught as I tried to run. I didn’t get very far. Applejack caught up to me in a matter of seconds before she stomped on my tail and dragged me towards her. All that farm work must have made her EXTREMELY fast and strong. “No! I don’t wanna hug! S-Some apple pie will do just fine! Please!” I begged.

“Aww, don’t run,” she said in mock sympathy. “I jus’ wanna show ya some love.” She picked me up so I was standing on my hind legs and squeezed me from behind much harder than Pinkie Pie did. This was no doubt the worst “hug” I’d ever partaken in.

“AAAAH-HA-HA-HA-HOW!! MY RI-HI-HI-IBS!!” I screamed as the mare crushed the life out of me.

“Applejack! Put him down!” I heard Twilight shout. Applejack obliged as she finally let go of me. I almost fell to the ground, but managed to steady myself on my hooves.

“Hah… hah… I’m not sure… which one of you… gives worse hugs… you… or Pinkie…” I breathlessly and painstakingly joked as I offered a congratulatory high fi… handsha… thumbs uh… hoof touch.

“I’m sure that’s somethin’ only you can decide,” she joked back as we touched hooves and rejoined the others at the picnic. I’d be feeling sore for weeks after those inconceivably strong bear hugs.

“So… who hasn’t told a story yet?” I asked.

“Just you, Rarity and Spike,” Rainbow answered.

“Ah, okay. So… Spike, you wanna go first?”

“Nah, I don’t have a story,” he answered. “I’m just too awesome to embarrass myself in any way. So you can go!”

“Ya sure ya ain’t got one, Spike?” Applejack skeptically asked as she smirked. “Cuz I can think of at least three for ya…”

“Yeah. Like the time you got jealous of Owloysius,” Twilight added.

“Owl-oh-what-now??” I asked.

“Owloysius, my pet owl. He came to me one night and cleaned up after I’d fallen asleep studying and Spike was too tired to finish the chores I’d given him. Owloysius quickly became my #2 assistant, and he still is.”

“I guess that explains all the hootin’ I heard last night…”

“Yep, that’s him. Spike thought I was replacing him with Owloysius… ESPECIALLY after he burned one of my books and lied to me about it.”

“Sorry, Twilight…” Spike remorsefully said.

“It’s okay… now, anyway. I still love you.”

“Thanks… I uh… luhyoutoo…” The dragon slurred the last part out of awkwardness (which I’d assume was because I was there), looking away as he pushed a finger on each of his claws together.

“Remember the advice I gave Twi and Ty, Spikey-Wikey. It applies to everyone else, too,” Rarity advised. “…even you.” She winked at him, which caused him to start blushing. I puffed out my cheeks to keep from snickering at the dragon.

“Right… Can we get back to the story now? I’d rather tell that.”

“Go… *AHEM* right ahead,” I answered, still fighting laughter.

“Okay. Where’d we leave off… Oh! The book. So Twilight found the book and got angry at me for it. I kept trying my best to make it up to her, but Owloysius was always two steps ahead of me. I eventually tried to frame him for making a mess of the library so she’d get rid of him and…”

“Got caught in the act red-handed… literally,” Twilight interrupted before taking a bite out of what looked like a dandelion sandwich.

“Heh heh, yeah… at that point, I thought Twilight didn’t love me anymore, so I ran away into the Everfree Forest…”

“You went in there alone??” Fluttershy asked in surprise.

“Yeah. It wasn’t as scary as you guys made it out to be… at least, until I went into this cave full of jewels. I thought I would’ve had it made in there…! That is, ‘til the dragon those jewels belonged to came and found me eating some of ‘em. He wasn’t too happy… He would’ve swallowed me whole if it wasn’t for Twilight and Owloysius coming to my rescue.”

“The ketchup footprints told us where he was. We barely made it out of there alive,” Twilight said in between bites.

“Ketchup? Why was there ketchup on ya feet?”

“It was one of the things I was using to try and frame Owloysius…” I shot him a look of bewilderment because I had no idea why he would need ketchup on his feet to frame an owl for messing up a library.

“Okay then…?”

“Yeah… well, that’s my story!” he announced, finally relieved. “Your turn, Rarity!”

"Oh, dear!" Rarity said in alarm. "I'm not certain I have one for you..."

"You sure?" I asked.

"Well..." she pondered as she looked at the ground with a hoof on her chin. "OOH! I've got a wonderful story to tell!"

"Le'ss hear it."

"Alright. There was this one time where a big, scary dragon had decided to take a nap in a mountain not very far off from Ponyville. The dragon's snoring was becoming a bit of a hazard for the towns-ponies because the smoke billowing from him as he snored was causing a severe case of smog over our town."

"Wow... musta been one big dragon..." How big exactly, I could only imagine.

"Oh, yes it was enormous! As a result of the dragon's resting place becoming a danger for us, the girls and I had taken it upon ourselves to embark on a journey up the mountain to reason with him, hoping to convince him to move."

"Whaaat? That sounds no less than insane! Wasn't any of you scared?"

"Pshh, it wasn't THAT scary," Rainbow proudly said with a dismissive wave of her hoof. "I wasn't afraid at all!"

"You say that NOW, Rainbow," Applejack began. "But you shoulda seen the look on yer face after Pinkie Pie spooked the daylights outta you by pretendin' t' be a dragon," she finished, laughing. Everyone joined her except Rainbow, who speechlessly glared at the orange cowpony before chuckling a little herself.

"Okay, maybe I was a LITTLE scared... I'll give you that much. But I was nowhere near as scared as Fluttershy."

"Oh, yes," Rarity interjected. "We were all a bit frightful about taking such a hazardous voyage into a dragon's lair. Fluttershy, however, was outright petrified."

"I um... don't like dragons... their big, sharp teeth and their long, jagged claws are absolutely horrifying..." Fluttershy admitted with a shudder at the thought.

"Well that don't make sense..." I said with uncertainty. "What about Spike here? He's a dragon. I assume not a very big one, but yea..."

"But Spike's a baby dragon. He's an exception, especially because of how cute he is." I saw Spike grin as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, and I've spent my entire life around ponies," the little dragon added. "Even if I was big and scary, which actually did happen one time, I wouldn't even dream of hurting anypony! I'd sooner give up all the jewels in the world than lay a claw on a pony."

"Aww, that's my Spikey-Wikey... so noble!" Rarity praised, making Spike blush. "Shall I continue my story?"

"Yea," I simply stated.

"Alright, where was I... Oh, yes! We took the trip, but Fluttershy's fear of dragons was affecting all of us. She was so afraid that she couldn't fly, she panicked once and caused a rockslide that forced us to take a long detour, and she spent almost the entire time lagging behind everypony which made the perilous journey much longer than it should have been. I felt so horrible for her, but none of us could understand her fear. In fact, all of us had hardly even known one another."

"Wow, Fluttershy..." I said with a hint of pity as I gave her a worried look. The butter-colored pegasus simply smiled warmly at me with her long pink mane hanging over one of her large turquoise eyes as she sat, her hooves folded while she nibbled on a slice of apple pie. I suppose it was a way to let me know that she was fine, but I was sure of one thing; she was just ADORABLE!

"...when we reached our destination, each of us had tried to convince the dragon in our own individual ways," Rarity continued. "I tried to flatter him, Twilight tried to reason with him, Pinkie tried to... quite frankly, I'm not sure WHAT Pinkie tried..."

"I tried to party with him!" Pinkie practically screamed. I was SO shocked at hearing her attempt at persuasion. "That big ol' Meanie-Pants dragon wouldn't know a party from a picnic! He ruined the costume I put on, too! I worked so hard on it." I could tell she was about to go off on a tangent, but I decided, against my better judgment, to listen. "I got the idea for it from this drawing I saw one time of some weird animal that had the face of a duck, but the head of a flower, and a flagpole for a tail with the flag showing a screw and a baseball on it and the body of something... I guess it was a decorated water raft or something...?" It took me a second to realize it, but my eyes widened as it hit me that Pinkie was describing (with unbelievable accuracy) an image of Daffy Duck from a REALLY old Looney Tunes episode... I couldn't even BEGIN to fathom how she could have come across such a thing in a place where TV didn't exist.

"Right... so Rainbow Dash had tried to use brute force in the form of, according to the dragon, kicking him. In return, that beast callously blew Dash out of the cave and sent her flying into the rest of us and knocking everyone except Fluttershy out. She saw us and, to everypony's surprise, stood up to the dragon! She scolded him like a mother would her foal! It was simply a spectacular sight to behold. He backed down as if he were staring at his own worst fear and even agreed to leave! Fluttershy saved the day!"

"Whaaaaa?" I said in pleasant surprise, turning my gaze from the white unicorn to the yellow pegasus. She gave me that same warm, inviting smile that completely betrayed the Fluttershy that Rarity portrayed in her story. "You... you are just full o' surprises, ain't you?" I asked as I smiled back at her.

"I do believe it's your turn, now," Rarity informed as she pointed a hoof at me. Everypony’s eyes widened in intrigue as they simultaneously focused their gaze on me.

“Oh boy… this is gonna take A LOTTA on-the-spot editin’…” I took a deep breath and a bite of chocolate cake before I began.

“Okay, here goes… Couple things you’ll all need t’ know, though… One: As some of you know, I’m from an alternate universe that Twilight accidentally sent herself to. An’ Two: A lot of the things I’mma mention might not make sense to y’all, so I’mma keep it simple. I’mma hafta ask y’all t’ hold ya questions ‘til I’m done.” Everyone but Spike and Twilight stared me down even harder, studying me with their eyes. I was starting to get nervous…

“So… you’re NOT from Las Pegasus??” Rarity asked.

“Nope! Never even heard-a the place. So yea, this story is about how Twi an’ I met…” I had everyone’s undivided attention here. “So… a couple days ago, I was at my house… relaxin’ from a long day o’ the daily grind when I saw this purple flash showin’ up in my room. I ain’t know what t’ think of it, cuz that type o’ thing never happens in my world, given that magic SUPPOSEDLY ain’t real there. Clearly, science in my world was wrong in this regard..."

"DEAD wrong..."

"Anyway, after a good minute of a small, suspenseful hurricane in my room, POOF! In comes Twilight Sparkle. When we met, she was as shocked as I was. We started talkin’, an’ she said somethin’ about a place called Equestria, but I told her she was in America.”

“America? What kind of world is that?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“That ain’t the name o’ the world I live in. Tha’ss the name o’ the country in the world I live in. It ain’t all that different from Equestria, except for a few key differences…”

“And by ‘few,’ he means a LOT…” Twilight added.

“Yea. So anyway, I told her a li’l bit about my world, like how there wasn't supposed t' be such a thing as magic or that… um… unicorns an’ pegasi don’t exist there.” With that, I got a collective “WHAT???” from most of the group. “Yep. It was already a lot for her t’ take in, plus she said the spell she used drained her power. So she stayed with me. The next day, I told her I’d be able to take her around a small part o’ my world, so long as she could keep herself hidden inside a bag…”

“But…” Applejack began. “You ain't that much bigger n’ us! How’d ya keep Twi hidden in a bag without gettin’ spotted?"

“One of many questions you’ll have answered in due time. So anyway, I hid her in the bag an’ we went on to explore. To make sure she got as much info as she possibly needed, I gave her a notebook to record any notes or questions…”

“This notebook, to be exact,” Twilight stated as she telekinetically lifted it up from her saddlebag. “It has ALL of the information I’d collected from my time in Ty’s world, plus a lot of questions that I want him to answer.” Everyone responded with a collection of “ooh’s” and “ah’s.”

“The li’l trip we took… didn’t exactly go too smooth… On our way to a big city, we almost blew our cover when Twi was writin’ too loudly an’ squealed when I tapped her as a way to tell her t’ stop. When we did get there, though, everything smoothed out. I spent the whole afternoon walkin’ all around the place so she could get as much info as possible. She wound up fillin’ that entire notebook up. Every page, front n’ back, covered with notes. As a li’l bonus, I took her to a donut shop an’ got us a few donuts an’ a chocolate éclair.”

“Oh, yeah!” Twilight realized. “You still owe me for leaving that éclair on that bench when we—!”

“Continuin’ the story, we also went an’ got somethin’ she said don’t exist here called a ‘slushy’ before we sat down in a park an’ I finally let her outta the bag.’”

“Ooh, that sounds delicious!” Pinkie Pie happily stated. “What’s it made of?”

“I’ss definitely somethin’ you’d like, Pinkie. I’ss kinda like soda, but if it was mixed with fruit juice an’ ice cream. Take out the ‘cream,’ add in more ice, grind the ice up as much as possible, get a straw, an’ BAM! Slushy. They come in tons of different flavors, most of which are based on fruit, and they’re really cold an’ sweet.”

“*GASP* Ohmygosh, I wanna make one right now! That sounds so awesomely, wonderfully, amazingly delicious!” She exclaimed. She then started licking her own face like she had slushy all over it.

“Trust me; it is. Hah, even Twilight could tell ya. I gave her one little sip an’ she practically ripped my head off for the rest of it!” Everyone had a laugh at Twilight’s expense.

“I did not!” the lavender mare hastily objected. “I got a good enough sip to get something called ‘brain freeze,’ which, according to Ty, is a temporary headache you get when you eat or drink something extremely cold too quickly.”

“Yea, she learned the hard way, which I suffered for when she spit the slushy she had in her mouth all over me.”

“Wow, Twilight! I thought you’d be more considerate than that,” Rarity criticized as she laughed.

“It caught me off guard!” she defended.

“Yea. So we got into a li’l bit of a spat over who wanted the rest o’ the slushy more, which we resolved when we drank the slushy together...”

“We both drank it too quickly and we both got brain freeze…”

“…this caused us to almost get our cover blown a second time.”

“Some stranger walked up to us to see what the matter was. I tried to hide back in the bag. But then, remembering an agreement Ty and I made before we left…”

“Twi pretended to be my pet dog in disguise. How we pulled that off an’ got away with it still baffles me… But then after that stranger left, another one who apparently recognized Twilight spotted us…”

“I wanted to introduce myself to them and hopefully gain more information, but before I could say anything, Ty picked me up and ran like there was a manticore chasing us.”

“I couldn’t risk Twilight bein’ taken away an’ havin’ any kind of harm inflicted on her, so I did what I thought was necessary… We managed to escape the guy chasin’ us for a long enough time that I told her why she wasn’t allowed to be seen by anybody there at that moment. At first, she was upset at me, but we eventually came to an agreement, an’ she gave me one of the cutest smiles I’d ever seen…”

“D’aww… Such a romantic story…” said Rarity.

“Really?” I asked in confusion. “I don’t see how… Anyway, back to the story. So we clear things up, but the second we do, the stranger who was chasin’ us found us again. What’s worse was that…”

“He brought two of his friends along,” Twilight interjected.

“What’s weird is that… is that the two uh… stallions he brought along… had Cutie Marks that looked identical to the ones you two have…” I said as I pointed hooves at Rainbow Dash and Rarity. I was careful with my words because I didn’t want to let them know about humans or that I am one. I figured that’d be a little surprise for Twilight to show them after I was gone so I didn’t wind up scaring anyone.

“WHAT??” shouted a shocked Rarity.

“Did they look anything like us?” asked Rainbow.

“No, not in the least,” I answered. “They just had those marks on ‘em. But anyway, I hid Twilight back in the bag an’ hauled a— err… booty tryin’ t’ get away from ‘em. They eventually surrounded me. I thought we’d be done like dinner but then…”

“I came up with a last-minute spell that allowed Ty to take us back to his house.”

“I was just about t’ say…” Applejack began. “Why didn’t y’all jus’ teleport back t’ his house?”

“I had no clue where it was,” Twilight answered. “Plus, I was so freaked out and being moved around so much that I couldn’t think straight. So I cast a spell on Ty, which gave him enough of my energy that, if he kept up a constant running speed for a long enough time while keeping an image of his home in his mind, would teleport us right to it…”

“That spell worked a li’l bit TOO well… It worked in that it teleported us to my house… but what happened was that we materialized with me still runnin’. I slammed my head against the door full-force. Then, tryin’ to keep Twilight from gettin’ hurt, I twisted as I fell, but then sprained my hoof when I landed on the ground.”

“I tried to warn you about the conditions of that spell...”

“We ain’t have no time for no warnings. But anyway, there I was, barely conscious but extremely disoriented, my head leakin’ blood, my hoof swollen an’ throbbin’ with pain.”

“Oh my… it almost sounds like you tried to fight the door… and lost,” Fluttershy joked to everyone’s humored surprise.

“Ohhohoho, Fluttershy got jokes,” I said, amused.

“Oh… that was mean… I’m sorry…”

“Don’t be. That was really funny. Besides, if that sounded bad, you shoulda seen my door…” I garnered a light, cute little giggle out of the yellow pegasus.

“I managed to teleport us back inside of his house, given that I was able to think clearly again, and used a healing spell to treat his injuries,” Twilight continued. “That day was one I could never forget… As completely unorthodox and outright crazy as everything went… I loved every minute of it. ” That last part caught me completely off guard… but in a way that made me feel… warm inside.

“Yea, I’ll say… So much happened that day…” I said as I looked down and shook my head, contemplating Twilight's most recent words. “The next mornin’, we exchanged information with each other until Twi mentioned somethin’ about a Princess Celestia an’ how she studies directly under her. With that, I decided I wanted to come here, so POOF! Here I am! The end…” Everyone was silent, fathoming the kind of universe I lived in, although having only the tiniest clue of what it’s even like, not even knowing the species of animal that ruled it, let alone all the things my world had that this one didn’t.

“Hey… how long WILL you be staying here?” asked Pinkie Pie.

“And does anypony in your world know that you came here?” added Fluttershy, which raised a huge point in my head.

“She’s right… No one back home knows where I am… They must be freakin’ out about me right now…”

“I… I don’t know for sure how long I’ll be here…” I said, now thinking about my disappearance from my own world and its effects. “But… I don’t think it’ll be for much longer… I have others in my world that’re prolly worried sick about me right now. They have no idea where I am… but at the same time, I… I want to stay here to get t’ know this place, especially all o’ you a bit better… it’s so wonderful here. I’ve only been here a day, but everything seems so different… in such a way that I’d love to stay here longer just to explore and find out what life is really like in Equestria… But I've been here too long already... Considerin' all the things I've missed back home by simply takin' this trip, I'll probably wind up leavin' once we're done meetin' this Princess. After that, I'm not sure we'll meet again...”

Everyone gazed at me with concern as my facial expression morphed into one of intense worry. I took a look at each pony, and even at Spike. But the face that worried me the most… was Twilight’s. She looked so hurt by my statement that when we locked eyes, I felt my heart drop as I suddenly became short of breath. I was rendered speechless as we stared at one another. “Twilight…” I finally mumbled.

“I… I understand your feelings…” She spoke with a slight waver in her voice. “I should've realized the ramifications of dragging you light-years away from your home… We can go back after we--!”

“I… I’ll stay for another day,” I boldly interrupted. “At the very least, jus' to answer all your questions before I go back home. That’s already beyond pushin’ it for me, but I’m willin’ to make that sacrifice… for… for you, Twilight…” I knew that that would be taken the wrong way by everyone around me, but I didn’t care. I had already failed in my self-appointed mission to harbor no unusual feelings for anyone in Equestria. However, at this point, I’d spent far too much time hanging around the wonderful, illustrious unicorn mare to just disregard the fact that I’d formed a bond with her… I was thinking of her more than anything else.

“A-are you sure? You don’t have to do that for me… What about your friends and family back home?” she said as her large, violet-rimmed eyes began to water.

“*sigh* Yes… Honestly, you made quite an impact on me since we met, even if we only known one another for less than a week… I can’t jus’ let that go… I know I’ll have a LOT of explainin’ t’ do when I go back. But I don’t know what will happen between us, or if we’ll ever meet again after I’m gone, so I will make the best of the time we have together, Twilight…” I smiled at her, finally sure that I knew what I was doing.

“Oh, Ty…” She said as she walked over to hug me; a hug that DIDN’T hurt, thank goodness… I returned the hug with gusto as everyone around us admired with “d’awws” except for Rainbow Dash, whom I saw sitting and folding her forelegs across her chest, vehemently trying to avert her gaze, but still making occasional side-eyed glances at me. Spike was comically pretending to gag himself… that dragon’s got a lot to learn if he wants a shot with Rarity. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a flying chariot headed towards us.

“Hey… what’s that?” I asked as I moved a foreleg to point up at the chariot. Twi and I broke the hug to watch as it descended and landed gracefully beside the area the picnic was settled. Pulling the chariot were two identical, very tall white pegasus stallions wearing golden armor that kind of looked like that of Ancient Roman gladiators.

“Miss Twilight Sparkle,” one stallion sternly announced. “Princess Celestia requires your presence. She also requests that you bring a guest with you. I assume the black one with the unusual mane is he?”

“Unusual?” I indignantly remarked. “What’s so…?” I trailed off as I got a gut feeling that someone was going to take the initiative to shove a hoof in my mouth once more. I looked around and saw everyone staring at me like I was going to make a big mistake in finishing my question. I wouldn’t give anyone else the pleasure of doing so, so I sighed and half-heartedly placed my own hoof into my mouth and shut up.

“Yes, sirs. He is the guest I informed the Princess of,” Twilight responded.

“Very well. You two are to come to Canterlot now,” said the guard.

“Looks like we’ll have to continue this another time… Bye girls!” said Twilight as she took the notebook and a couple of food items, packed them into her saddlebag, and hopped into the chariot, followed by Spike.

“I’ss been real fun, y’all! I hope we can do it again sometime!” I happily added as I made my way into the carriage.

“Bye!” “Good bye!” “See ya later!” “Buh-bye!” “So long!” the five mares called back and waved as the guard pegasi flared their wings and took flight, the chariot following behind them. With that, I was on my way to finally meet the Goddess of the Sun…

A Short Canterlot Misadventure!

The ride to Canterlot was longer than I’d have liked it to be, but it was nonetheless, a new experience for me. Flying thousands of miles above ground but instead of being in an airplane, I was basically in a luxuriously extravagant portable park bench with wheels, being carried by two flying horses in gladiator armor. It was so COLD up there… The stinging chilly winds nipping at every part of my body as we made our way to this Canterlot place didn’t help, either. The high altitude allowed for less of the sun’s heat to reach us. I also felt somewhat short of breath as less warmth from the sun came accompanied by less oxygen to take in. I tried to tough it out, to no avail.

I found myself shivering violently and wrapping myself with my forelegs for warmth as I sat, eagerly waiting for this trip to be over. My miserably frigid disposition didn’t go unnoticed by Twilight and Spike. I expected them to be laughing at me because I assumed they were used to taking trips like this, seeing as neither of them was bothered by such horrid weather conditions. Instead, they looked at me with a surprising amount of concern. I tried to smile to let them know I was fine, but the drastic atmosphere only allowed me to screw up my face as I felt a chill go down my spine. Twilight took it upon herself to nuzzle up to me, which surprised me.

“Sorry…” she softly began as she shared her warmth with me. “I forgot about how harsh these trips could be for ponies that haven’t traveled to Canterlot this way instead of taking the Friendship Express…”

“F-F-Friendsh-sh-ship Exp-press-s-s?” I stuttered as I quickly wrapped my forelegs around the unicorn, all the while trying not to make the movement seem desperate. It didn’t exactly cure me of the cold, but it sure came close enough…

“Mm-hmm. It’s a train system that takes ponies to different cities around Equestria; Canterlot included.”

“H-how come w-w-we ain’t take th-that?”

“This way is much faster and safer, although less convenient in terms of uh… passenger care…” she answered with an unsure smile. Twilight snuggled up to me and wrapped her forelegs around me, seeming to get comfortable with the hug.

“H-how don’t this b-bother y-y’all?”

“I’ve been riding in these things since I was a filly.”

“And I’m a dragon,” Spike interjected. “I’m basically built to be immune to extreme temperatures.”

“Lucky y’all…” I said as I saw a series of extravagant large buildings protruding from a mountainside approaching. FINALLY, we made it.

“Here we are!” Twilight announced as she tried to break from the hug. “Um… you can let go now…”

“Just a liiiittle longer…?” I innocently asked with a shy smile.

“No, you’re fine now. Canterlot isn’t cold. I promise,” she responded with a short laugh. I reluctantly let the unicorn go as the chariot descended into undoubtedly THE most overly decorated medieval-looking city I’d ever laid my eyes on. The buildings were huge, each and every one of them designed like they were part of one giant majestic world, totally separate from everything else. This place must’ve been where all the rich upper-class ponies lived. Given that Twilight herself lived here at one point AND had tight connections with royalty, I began to suspect that I’d been one lucky enough to come into contact with one VERY important pony… The chariot landed in front of the entrance of an enormous, translucent white castle with what seemed to be a stylish solid gold roof. Thankfully, the atmosphere returned to one identical to that of Ponyville; pleasantly warm with a sufficient supply of quality air.

“The Princess is still not back from her international duties,” one of the pegasus guards informed as Twilight, Spike, and I got off.

“She will send you a letter when she returns. In the meantime, Miss Sparkle, you and your colt-friend may freely explore the city,” the other guard said.

“Dammit, not these guys too…”

“Thanks. But for the record, we ain’t datin’. We’re jus’ friends is all,” I informed.

“That is not the message your snuggling with Miss Sparkle in the carriage delivered to us.”

“What?? But I—!”

“Thanks, officers. Let’s go, Ty,” ordered the unicorn. I growled in defeat and looked at the ground as I turned to follow Twilight and a snickering Spike away from the castle and into the city of Canterlot.

“I don’t get it… why is it that just about EVERYONE here automatically thinks we’re romantically involved?” I asked.

“Well… to be perfectly honest with you…” she nervously began as we trotted through the clean cobblestone streets of Canterlot. “I um… don’t have many friends who are stallions… in fact, other than you— even though you’re only temporarily a stallion— the only ones I have right now are my big brother Shining Armor, and Applejack’s big brother, Big Macintosh. All my other friends are mares save for Spike. Any other colts or stallions I know as of yet, I merely count as acquaintances... I’d guess that since you’re the first stallion anypony’s ever seen with me that wasn't related to me or one of my best friends, they all quickly assume we’re a couple…”

“Seriously?” I asked in surprise. “Tha’ss crazy…” Now I was really curious about the purple mare. “Hey… have you… ever… actually dated anybody before? I‘m sorry if I’m pryin’ into your personal life, but I—!”

“No…”

“Whaaat? Why not? You’re cute, smart, funny, and enjoyable to talk to. I’d expect you t’ have had at least one past relationship.”

“I told you before… I was too busy with my studies on friendship and making the princess proud to worry about social interaction… Thank you, by the way…” she smiled a little.

“I’ss the truth. But as for the introversion… You ain’t like that no more. Wha’ss keepin’ you from enterin’ the datin’ world now? Other than your apparently busy schedule...?” I noticed the unicorn mare beginning to blush. Spike, not wanting to hear anything, covered his ears… wherever they were.

“I… guess I’m still a little wary about trusting anypony with my heart like that… Don’t get me wrong, though; I’d be partial to having a special somepony in my life… I just don’t know if I’m ready for such a thing yet, though…"

"Why not? What would you be lookin' for in a pony?"

"Well... If I WAS looking for somepony, I'd like someone who wouldn't hinder my studies... Somepony who'd share largely similar viewpoints and a synonymous outlook on life as I do, while at the same time understanding my cumbersome daily schedule and not being intimidated by that... OR the fact that my family is upper-class... I think I'd generally want someone who'd see me as just an average pony, you know?"

"I understand completely..." I murmured, listening intently.

"What about you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah. Are you currently in a relationship of any sort with anyone in your world?"

"I can't say I am. When I said I preferred t' be alone, I meant it..." I joked.

"Oh..." she replied, seeming not to find humor in the quip.

"Swing an' a miss... Oh well, it really ain't a time for jokin' anyway..."

"But... I dunno... I just never focused on it, really. There's nothin' stoppin' me, but... in a sense, I jus' don't feel like dating..."

"Care to explain?"

"I guess... Look at it this way: Jus' like how you don't know if you could trust someone that way or be sure that they could handle your schedule, I simply got used t' bein' alone. Not t' say I'm lonely, of course..."

"No offense, but it certainly seems that way to me... I understand you enjoying your alone time, Ty, but it seems to me as if you've gotten so used to it that you're afraid of a little change..." She surprised me with her analysis.

"Afraid of change...? Am I...?"

"Hm... Maybe I am, maybe I'm not..." I conceded.

"Change can be a good thing, believe it or not..." the unicorn advised.

"Yea, but change can bite you in the ass if you ain't careful."

"Bite you in the what?"

"Oh! Sorry, I meant uh... What's a pony's backside?"

"Flank?"

"Yes, that."

"Well, that's no reason to shield yourself from it; that's an excuse."

"I know, I know..." I agreed. "I'll take your word on it. But back t' you... How are YOU prepared for that kinda change?"

"Trust me, I prepare for ANYTHING," Twilight confidently assured me. "I've read tons of romance novels, autobiographies, and love advice guides to know EXACTLY what to do when I—!”

"Already, I disagree..."

“Lemme stop ya right there,” I interrupted. “Listen… love ain’t exactly somethin’ you can simply look at an’ then record into a book or learn about from readin’... it also takes first-ha— err, HOOF experience. I’m almost positive your Princess told you about that, an’ knew about that when she sent you t’ Ponyville to make some friends."

"Hmm... Maybe, but I don't think that means my research is totally insufficient," Twilight rebutted. "I mean, how else would I be able to prepare myself for an amorous relationship if I'm not actively participating in finding a special somepony right now?"

"Fair point."

"Glad you see that. I feel as though my research has more than prepared me for a romantic encounter."

"Such naiveté... Proves that she don't know everything, intelligent as she is."

"Yea, well any ol’ body can write about their experiences in a book, which may be able to do as much as point you in the right direction in terms of how to love, I'll give ya that much… But ultimately, I don’t think they’ll EVER equate or compare to your own experiences. Every pony is unique and as such, has different experiences; especially with love, I'd presume. No one ever got married by readin' advice guides an' followin' the text at every step. Sometimes, ya gotta go through an experience yourself t' really learn somethin'. In terms of meetin’ a special someone… jus’… give it a shot, I guess is the point I’m tryna get across…” I said, never taking my eyes off of Twilight. I felt like I was stabbing myself in the chest with my own words, given how I'd recently been feeling toward her.

“I suppose you’re right… As they say, experience is the best teacher...” she responded as she brought her eyes up to mine. In those big, shining violet eyes of hers, I saw a glimmer… of what, I can’t rightly say. Whatever it was, it kept our gazes locked on one another for a longer amount of time than either of us would have normally allowed as we stopped in our tracks and silence filled the air around us.

“Are you two done!?” shouted a now-impatient Spike, breaking our concentration.

“O-oh, right… Sorry, Spike…” said Twilight, rattled and blushing.

“Uh, yea, my fault…” I apologized as I suddenly felt hot. “So um… where do we go from here?”

“I’m not really sure… Other than the fact that this place is much richer than Ponyville, it really isn’t that different, to my knowledge.”

“Might as well wing it, then. We ain’t really got nothin’ better t’ do before Celestia gets here,” I suggested. With that, we walked around the royal city with no particular destination. Just like the buildings, the ponies there were extremely classy. Almost all of the ones I’d heard talking spoke with some refined British-sounding accent while wearing formal clothes like they were all headed to some important event. I was sure Rarity would’ve LOVED this place.

However, with classy living, of course, came snippy, elitist attitudes. Twilight and Spike had no trouble talking to the locals, given that this was their birthplace and they were well-known. I, however, was not so fortunate. Almost everyone I tried to talk to had some smart-ass remark to say about what a “low-class wretch” I was or how “uncivilized and backwoods” I looked. Otherwise, they’d stick their nose up in the air with a “Humph!” while they’d walk off. I did get an actually kind response like a wave or even a “Hello,” here and there, but those were few and far in between. The hasty judgments based solely on how I looked were getting on my nerves quickly. I was biting my tongue harder and harder to keep from saying something that would get us (or at least me) kicked the hell out of here.

“Are you okay, Ty?” Twilight asked with concern.

“*sigh* I’m good. Why?” I said with a poorly hidden sense of frustration.

“I see how everypony’s treating you here…”

“Yeah, and it’s not pretty,” Spike added as he laughed.

“Spike…” Twilight said, not amused by Spike’s comment.

“What? It’s true!”

“Whatever, le’ss jus’ keep goin’…” I bitterly suggested as I shook my head.

“Alright, then…” the unicorn unsurely responded.

We had to get out of there quickly, because there was only so much verbal abuse I could take before I lost it. This culminated in one pony with an overly gelled-up blond mane, a monocle, a Cutie Mark of a piano, and a black suit jacket doing the upward-snouted “Humph!” after I tried to ask him if the day seemed nice. However, what set me off was that I heard the light blue unicorn stallion, who seemed no taller than Twilight, mumble something under his breath that sounded like “…trash…”

“Oh, aight, be that way!” I snapped, stopping the stranger in his tracks as he turned to me with a look of shock. I’d become noticeably aggravated with the unnecessary mistreatment. “Ah’ont need ya shitty approval anyway, you snooty mothafu—!”

“Ty!” Twilight interrupted, snapping me out of my rage as I straightened up my face before turning to the lavender mare. “Don’t let these ponies get to you. They’re just not used to newcomers here. Let’s just go back to the castle now… this doesn’t seem to be going so well…” I stopped, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath.

“You’re right… I jus’ lost myself for a sec…” I concurred.

“Well, I never!” the blue unicorn shouted, appalled by my outburst. “I demand a proper apology right now!” Hearing his voice angered me as I glared at him from the corner of my eye.

“After you blew me off, then added that little comment you mumbled about me bein’ trash, you seriously expect an apology from me?” I calmly asked the stranger.

“Oh, my… Y-you heard that?” the suddenly-frightened unicorn stallion asked back.

“No, I jus’ thought it up an’ I decided t’— Yes, I heard it!” He took that remark as a sign to high-tail it out of there.

“Hmph. And you said Canterlot WASN’T cold…” I quipped as we changed direction back towards our point of entry into the large, elegant city.

“Well, I meant temperature-cold. I didn’t really expect the ponies here to be so cold to you. They were never that way to me…” Twilight answered in wonder.

“Maybe not to your face…” I said with a raised eyebrow. “I can only imagine how many of ‘em gossip around here…”

“You might be right… Come to think of it…” Twilight pondered.

“Hey Ty. Quick question…” Spike said in a curious tone.

“Wassup?”

“What were you about to say to that unicorn? That he was a snooty mother… what?”

“Uh, um… y-you don’t wanna know…” I nervously replied. I was in no way going to be responsible for teaching profanity to little kids (or baby dragons), especially if I haven’t heard those words being uttered by anyone I’d come into contact with here.

“Oh, okay… what about that other thing, though? About you not needing his shi—?”

“Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah! Spike, I was jus’ mad at the guy. Le’ss not be goin’ into specifics about what I said to him, because it wasn’t nice o’ me. Tha’ss all you need t’ know. Sorry you two had to see an’ hear that.”

“It’s okay,” Twilight responded. “Nopony’s perfect. I would’ve probably done the same if everyone I tried to talk to treated me like how they were treating you, except maybe… not quite so angrily,” she added, making me chuckle a little.

“I’m pretty sure you woulda found some way t’ mess with anyone who gave you a hard time, seein’ as you got magic an’ all. You don’t even gotta get mad.”

“Yes, but I prefer the ‘love and tolerate’ approach. If you can’t find a way to love it, then at least find a way to tolerate it. It makes everypony much happier. You should try it!”

“I guess… But you saw how ‘easy’ it was for me t’ tolerate bein’ insulted like that again an’ again…”

“Believe me on this one, Ty; when there’s a ‘will’, there’s a way… On a different note, would you like a dandelion sandwich?” she asked as she magically lifted a sack out of her saddlebag and opened it up to reveal two dandelion sandwiches and a handful of jewels of various shapes, sizes, and colors. I almost asked Twilight why she had jewels stored in the same place as food, but then I remembered what Fluttershy told me about dragons eating jewelry.

“I’ll take those jewels,” Spike hungrily said as if anyone else was going to take them.

“Sure… why not?” I answered with uncertainty before taking one. I was very apprehensive about eating a sandwich where the “meat” in it was flowers… but it WAS Twilight’s favorite food, so I figured, “what the hell?”

“I think you’ll like it. It’s delicious,” she tempted as she took a bite of hers. She seemed to savor it thoroughly.

“If you say so… *gulp* bottoms up…” I murmured. I took a small bite out of my sandwich, and almost spit it back out as soon as the flower made contact with my mouth. The bread was fine, seeing as it was wheat. The dandelion, however, was a whole different story. It was like someone had taken some celery, soaked it in grapefruit juice and vinegar, and then threw some tree leaves and sugar on it for good measure. Basically, it was extremely bitter and watery with a slight hint of sweetness. I didn’t want to be rude to the little unicorn, so I instead swallowed the piece of sandwich without chewing it further.

“Sooo…? How is it?”

“…scrumptious,” I uneasily replied, hiding my disdain behind a plastered-on smile. She smiled at me, and then continued to eat her sandwich. I figured that throwing mine away was not an option and neither was holding it, so I did what any sensible person/pony would do; I shoved the whole thing into my mouth and chewed rapidly while fighting my obviously angry gag reflex before swallowing the accursed thing in increments.

“Wow, the whole thing in one bite?” Twilight asked with pleasant surprise. “I’m impressed!”

“Eeyup, you sure can make one mean sandwich!” I felt my eyes tearing up from the sandwich’s intense battle with my throat.

“Well thanks! In that case, I almost wish I’d have brought more for us to share…”

"Thank Princess Celestia that you didn't..."

“Oh, what a bummer. Oh, look, we’re here!” I announced as we approached the enormous castle we’d been dropped off at. We trotted up the main stairwell where the two guards were standing. They, without so much as making a vocal sound, opened up the humungous wooden door and allowed us inside…

In the Presence of Royalty...!

I thought the outside of the castle was a sight to see, but the inside just blew me away. The first room we entered, although it was only the foyer, was HUGE! There were very expensive-looking vases with beautiful flowers and mini statues of what seemed to be the rulers of this land lined by the entrance. Looking around, I saw a plethora of corridors with lines of doors in them. I also noticed that there were wooden stakes were hung up in between each door. I suppose that they ignited the stakes for light at night. There was also a very large, wide stairwell in front of us that seemed to have multiple floors with even more doors and hallways. I looked up and saw that the ceiling was at least a hundred feet high with the biggest diamond chandelier I’d ever laid eyes on hanging from the center of it. There were velvet carpets lining the center of each hallway and the stairwell while the floor had a black-and-white checkerboard layout. There was even one giant circular rug placed in the center of the foyer that had a picture of the sun on it. That’s not even half of it. There was so much to see in just that one room. I was mind blown, to say the least.

“Whoa…” I muttered.

“Pretty amazing, right?” Twilight asked nonchalantly.

“Amazing… doesn’t even begin to describe this…” I stammered. She giggled at my being awestruck.

“Well, if you think THIS is beyond amazing, wait till I show you the rest of this place.”

“But there’s so many hallways an’ doors…! You sure you know ya way around here?”

“Like the back of my hoof. C’mon, I’ll show you around!” I agreed, and she led me through the colossal maze-like castle. After a few twists and turns, we eventually found our way to an extravagant garden with very precisely and shapely trimmed hedges all around with flowers of many a kind budding out of them. At some point, I noticed a peculiar looking statue at the center of the garden… It looked like some kind of snake monster with the head of a goat and a body made up of random animals, frozen in a pose that looked like the creature was about to get hit by a train or something. I got such a sudden, strong creepy vibe from it… like something inside it was alive and trying to escape. Rather than ask Twilight about it, I averted my gaze from it because of how off-setting it was. I was also pretty sad that I didn't see any water fountain in the area to drink from to get the aftertaste of that dandelion sandwich out of my mouth...

“This place… this is just… wow…” I mumbled in awe as we left the garden to trot down another long, fancily-decorated corridor.

“You still haven’t seen much,” Twilight informed matter-of-factly. “The library will blow you away for sure!” She seemed to be getting a joy out of showing me around, given my speechless reactions to everything I’d seen. I felt like a child going to a museum for the first time.

“That reminds me… You said you lived here in Canterlot, right?”

“That’s correct. In fact, when I went off to Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns and became the Princess’s star pupil, I actually lived here in this castle for a while. That’s how I know this place so well.”

“Yea, I thought so…” I said as I shook my head in complete disbelief. “Y’know, I’m… startin’ t’ get the feel that there’s a WHOLE lot more t’ you that I ain’t catchin’ on to…”

“Is that so? What makes you say that?” she asked with a sense of cluelessness I could tell was at least partly false.

“Oh, I dunno,” I answered, playing dumb. “Just a hunch, I guess.”

“A hunch, hm? Well then I hope this little adventure won’t be too shocking for you,” she said as she turned and winked at me. I laughed and left it at that. I liked the surprises, so I figured we’d keep playing this game. Eventually, we reached the library, which looked like it was at least ten times as big as Twilight’s tree-home library. Surely enough, every shelf was filled with books of possibly every subject imaginable in this universe (except intergalactic travel, I assumed). It had a circular shape with a giant hourglass in the center.

“So Ty… What do you think of this place?” Twilight asked as we wandered through the vast assortment of bookshelves.

“I feel like I only seen a small part of it, since everything we came across is so giant!” I answered in awe as I scoured the library with my eyes. Almost immediately after I finished my answer, I heard a *GASP* come from the unicorn as I inattentively bumped into her. “Wha?”

“It’s Princess Cadence…!” whispered a now-giddy Twilight, who was pointing straight ahead. I looked and saw a pink unicorn with a long pink, purple, and blonde mane and tail blissfully perusing through some of the books while humming a sweet little tune. She wore a small gold tiara, a gold necklace, and gold horseshoes. The odd thing about her is that she also had wings… This “Cadence” was the first winged unicorn (or Alicorn, as I was informed) I’d actually laid eyes on in this entire world.

She was about my size (maybe somewhat smaller, yet still noticeably larger than Twilight), and gorgeous, if I may say so myself. Her Cutie Mark was one of a heart-shaped crystal with two gold wing-shaped things (I had no clue what they were) under each side of it.

“Cadence…! Over here…!” the unicorn whispered. Surely enough, the winged unicorn mare turned to face us. Her own face instantly lit up with a similar inflection of joy as Twilight’s.

“Twilight! Spike! Hey, how are you guys!? I haven’t seen you since the wedding reception!” greeted Cadence as we closed the distance between us. Even her voice was majestic. Spike climbed off of Twilight’s back and almost immediately after, the two unicorns began to do some strange, seemingly childish dance together.

“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” the two quietly chanted as they went through the motions of what I guess was some kind of secret hoof-shake. I was a little confused as I watched, but what REALLY threw me off was the “do a little shake” part, seeing as I was standing right behind Twilight as she stuck her butt up and wiggled it in front of me. Her tail swung haphazardly, hitting me in the face a few times as she finished her little dance. I completely froze as I sharply exhaled and gawked at the purple unicorn.

“Um… Twilight?” Cadence said as she sat up and pointed one hoof at me while putting another one to her mouth to stifle a laugh.

“What…?” Twilight asked, perplexed with her rump still poking towards me as she turned her head around. “*GASP* Oh my gosh!” Twilight caught on as she swiftly sat down on her haunches and her face instantly became as flushed with embarrassment as mine was. Spike must’ve been getting quite the gut workout because he fell on the floor cracking up, holding his sides and kicking wildly into the air all the while.

“Uh… *gulp* wow…” I sheepishly muttered, my eyes still wide with shock. “Nice uh… dance…” was all I could think to say as I looked away, rubbing the back of my neck with a hoof.

“I’m so sorry!” Twilight hurriedly said, still facing towards Cadence, yet looking down. I guess she was too embarrassed to look at me. “I-I forgot you were behind me! I saw Cadence, and Sunshine, Sunshine, and I… Ohh!” She was outright panicked. She crouched to the ground and covered her face in shame.

“Aww, even as a full-grown mare, you’re still the adorable little filly I took care of all those years ago…” said Cadence as she walked over and ran a hoof through Twilight’s mane to console her. "It's okay... It was just a simple mistake..."

"Y-yea..." I agreed, still feeling hotter than the inside of a race car on a summer day. Twilight, after a minute or so of bashful sulking, perked up enough that she was able to stand and turned to face me, although she could hardly look at me.

“I um… I'm sorry, Ty... I didn't mean to um... to... uhh...” she trailed off, failing to find suitable words for giving me a surprise view of her booty...

“N-No, you’re fine,” I shakily interrupted. “I prolly shoulda moved. You was only doin' ya thing. But uh… at least… at least… um…” I stammered over my own words and froze as I drew a blank.

“Come on, fool! Say somethin’! Anything that’ll make this whole thing wash away!”

“…At least you have a nice figure…?” I finally finished. That only made Twilight blush even more as Cadence giggled a little while Spike continued dying of laughter on the floor. I instantly regretted saying that.

“Oh, that's smooth, you stupid son of a—!”

“Th-thank you…” Twilight murmured as she stood looking at the ground and brushing one foreleg with the other. She seemed to almost become another Fluttershy. I have to say, she was pretty cute with the way she was acting, even if it was my fault.

“Soooo…” Cadence announced, in an attempt to shed the awkward air. “Who are you?” she asked me.

“I’m uh… Ponder Memoir, Mrs. Princess Cadence ma’am,” I politely answered.

"It's actually Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, my subject," she corrected with an air of regality.

"Wow, what a name... Either Spanish or Italian for 'My Love, Cadence...' Ain't that somethin'.."

"Oh. My apologies, Mrs. Princess Mi Amore Cadenza..." I excused myself as I stepped forward and reverently bowed to her. She laughed, which served to confuse me.

“I'm sorry... I was just messing with you," she informed with a smile. "You can rise. And please, just call me Cadence,” the pink Princess requested, much to my surprise as I brought myself back to a stand.

"R-really?"

"Yes, really. We're all grown ponies here, and I'd like for you to be comfortable." For a Princess, she sure was cool.

“Oh, okay... C-Cadence," I stuttered, at which she let out a small chuckle and offered up a hoof. Taken by surprise yet again, I carefully raised my hoof to hers as if I was about to lay my touch upon a delicate, highly coveted, wonderfully decorative one-of-a-kind vase.

"Relax, Ponder Memoir. I promise, I won't bite..."

"Y-yea, I'm sure... I'ss jus' not every day you get t' meet a Princess, y'know? Plus, given what just happened..."

"I assure you, you are perfectly okay. You have nothing to fear. Any friend of Twilight's is a friend of mine. In any case, what brings you here with little Twiley?" she asked as we broke contact.

"Twiley? Mus' be a family thing..."

"Um..." It took me a second to gather my scatter thoughts, messily strewn about my brain by the overwhelming discombobulation brought in by Princess Cadence's presence (as well as the fresh new mental image of Twilight bending over in front of me... but I digress). "Oh! Yeah, I’m here with Twilight t' visit Princess Celestia. We’re waitin’ for her right now, as a matter o' fact...”

“Oh, so you must be the guest Auntie Tia was telling me about!”

“She told you about him?” Twilight asked with small surprise as she turned again to face the royal winged unicorn.

“Yes. She seemed so excited about meeting you two before she was called off to run her errand. She couldn’t stop talking about how her most faithful student of all ponies wound up being the one to cross intergalactic borders— by accident, no less— and even managed to bring proof of her travels… which I’d guess would come in the form of you, Mr. Memoir.” A Princess calling ME Mister? This pony gained my respect instantly, along with a little admiration for her calm, level-headed nature. I saw Twilight’s face brighten up with such a look of ecstatic vigor that I thought she’d spontaneously rocket up through the ceiling with excitement. “I even told Shining Armor! You should’ve seen the look on his face… You’ve made us so proud, Twilight!” the pink princess finished as she hugged the little unicorn.

“Oh, thank you so much!” Twilight said as she returned the hug. “You don’t know the half of how great that makes me feel!"

"Oh, I think I have an idea..." she replied as they broke their hug. "So, Mr. Memoir..." she began, focusing her sights on me.

"Y-you can call me 'Ty', ma'am..." she raised an eyebrow, seeming to think about preferred name.

"Ty, hm? Alright, Ty... How has your tour of Equestria been thus far?" she asked with a sense of curiosity. "I understand you've been here for a bit longer than today."

"So far, i'ss been a blast, t' say the least! I've only been here since yesterday, but things here are so... captivating! Especially given that magic is actually a real thing here...!" Cadence's eyes widened in shock.

"Magic isn't a thing in your world?"

"No... At least, tha'ss what I thought until Twi here showed up in front o' me the other day..."

"I see... Did you get to do some sight-seeing in his world, Twilight?"

"That I did!" the lavender mare proudly proclaimed. "I've even been recording notes to share with Princess Celestia regarding my findings and the spell I learned from the experience. I simply can't wait to see her!" Twilight REALLY seemed like she wanted to see this Princess Celestia as soon as she could... Even SOONER, if it were possible. But then, I had my reasons for sharing in her enthusiasm. Getting to meet this world's most powerful supernatural being face-to-face... Surely, an opportunity MUCH too rare and prestigious to pass up...

"I'm sure she can't wait to meet up with you, either!" she assured with a bright, beautiful smile. She then turned toward me, but as she did so, her smile faded, which I took as a sign that she found something out of place about me. Pretty soon, her eyes narrowed, studying me scrupulously.

"I-is there somethin' wrong?" I asked, mindful about the tone I took.

"No... No, it's just... I'm picking up something... eccentric about you..."

"Oh shit! She prolly sees through this pony disguise! I didn't think my cover would be blown so soon...!"

"Eccentric?"

"Yes..."

"L-like what?" I asked in fear of what I thought was her discovery.

"That's what I intend to decipher..." she cryptically answered as she continued her stare-down. I simply froze in place, my heart thumping like a drum as the proverbial elephant in the room began making itself known.

"What is she starin' at?" Nervous, I looked around in case she may have been staring at something within my general direction. When I couldn't find anything she may have found of interest, I fearfully brought my gaze back to her. Her face almost seemed frozen in that studious, scrutinizing expression. After a few unbearably awkward silent seconds, she then brought her gaze over to Twilight and began studying her up in the same fashion she'd studied me.

"Hmm..." she continued to ponder.

"Is... there something wrong, Cadence?" Twilight asked in wonder.

"Not necessarily... I sense something, however..." she replied, deep in thought as she alternated between Twi and I. "Something... Warm... Pleasant... Sweet, yet... Somewhat unsettling..."

"You do?" Both Twilight and I asked at the same time. The two of us exchanged looks of confusion before turning back toward a pensive Princess Cadence.

"Is... there something you're not telling me, Twilight?" At that, the unicorn's eyes widened a bit.

"Something I'm not telling you? L-like what?"

"Like something about... You know..." With that, the carnation pink Alicorn smirked at her little sister, lowering the lid of her left eye, so as to communicate to the unicorn mare that she picked up some unspoken vibe of some sort.

"Oh!" Twilight seemed to realize, leaving me in the dark. "...Well, there IS something I'd been thinking about bringing up to you recently... And since you're here, I guess now is as good a time as ever to do so...”

“Hm? What is it?” Cadence curiously asked, her expression softening up as she listened to Twilight.

“I uh… I’d rather not say in front of the boys here… It’s… kind of personal...” I took that as a clue that these two wanted some girl-time. However, I was curious.

“Well, what’s so personal that me an’ Spike can’t—?” I began to ask.

“Do you REALLY wanna know?” Twilight quickly interrupted, giving me a look of suspicion that quite honestly came off as a bit... conspicuous in itself. However, from what I learned about her in the last few days, Twilight seemed like a mare who ALWAYS had a reason or a purpose for anything she did...

“Hm… Prolly not… I guess you’ll be wantin’ me to take Spike an’ disappear somewhere so you two can talk?” I asked, deciding against begging the question further.

“That depends… Spike, do you know your way around the castle?”

“Almost as well as you do!” Spike enthusiastically answered as he climbed up onto my back. I almost flinched at how sharp his claws were.

“Ouch! Hey! Watch them claws o’ yours,” I complained.

"Heh, sorry," Spike apologized.

“Why don’t you show Ty around for a little while Cadence and I catch up?” Twilight suggested.

“Ooh, some male-bonding time! How exhilarating!” I said with as good a British accent as I could muster with an intentionally goofy smile. I got a giggle out of Cadence.

“Err, Yes! Male bonding!” Twilight agreed with what seemed to be a little haste. I still wondered what was so important that she didn’t want me or Spike there to hear it… but then I decided it wasn’t really important what the reason was, seeing as this was an opportunity to get to know this oh-so mysterious purple dragon a little better. Plus, Twi had some time to bond with her former babysitter. “Now you two go. Let’s meet up back at the foyer when you’re done touring the palace.”

“Alright. Away we go, trusty steed! Hyah!” Spike joked as he kicked his heels into my sides. I winced and grunted in pain because he kicked me right in my Applejack and Pinkie Pie wounds.

“Dammit boy, I might be a pony, but we ain’t playin’ no game o’ Horseback Hero!” I scolded as I turned to walk out the door. “Besides, I’m still achin’ from those brutal hugs…”

"Noted," the dragon simply responded.

“Have fun, you guys!” Twilight called as she waved at us.

“And it was truly a pleasure meeting you, Ty!” added Princess Cadence. I turned and smiled as Spike and I were off to have a little adventure of our own…

Dragon Tales...

“So… what’s up with you?” I nonchalantly asked the dragon as we began our trip back to the foyer through the garden.

“Nothin’ really…” Spike responded. “…but the REAL question is… what’s up with you…”

“Same here. Y’know, be—!”

“…and Twilight?” He caught me off guard.

"I seem t' have a knack for not expectin' things I should expect. Gotta work on that…"

“Oh! Um… w-what about me an’ her?” I asked dumbly.

“Oh, don’t think I don’t see it,” Spike teased. “I might be a baby dragon, but I wasn’t born yesterday. You like her, don’t you?”

“Well of course I like her. Who wouldn’t? She’s a very nice, friendly pony.”

“No, I mean you like like her. Like how I like Rarity.”

“What? No way!” I sternly denied, despite the air becoming suddenly hot. “She’s… just a friend is all…”

“You’re not fooling anyone, y’know. I heard you two kissing last night.” He started drilling me. I wasn’t sure what to be more ashamed of: The fact that I was actually becoming infatuated with a unicorn from an alternate universe, or the fact that a dragon child from said universe was digging into me about it.

“It was jus’ a peck on the cheek good night!” I shouted, losing control of my voice volume.

“Ah-ha! So you DID kiss her!” I gullibly fell for that bluff. Spike started laughing raucously. “Oh man, I was just joking, but wow, you’re serious?”

“This li’l sonuvabitch is craftier than I thought…”

“…You sneaky little… *sigh* fine, yes, I‘ll admit that I AM startin’ t’ like like her,” I confessed, seeing no more point in denying it in the face of Twilight's closest friend. “I don’t know why, I don’t want to, but… I am. But you hafta understand that I can’t do anything about it, for obvious reasons.”

“Well, why not?” Spike was a bit puzzled. “I’m pretty sure she likes you, too.”

“Oh? And how do you figure that?” I skeptically asked.

“Trust me: I know Twilight, so if she starts acting unusual, I’m usually the first to pick up on it. Here’s an example; when you two got done talking about love earlier, you were giving each other ‘the eyes.’”

“The… eyes?”

“Staring each other down like lost puppies.”

“Oh, that…” I remembered as we reached the doorway and entered the hallway. “That don’t prove nothin’, though. Maybe she jus’ liked what I was sayin’.”

“You two did it on more than one occasion. And how could you even find it in you to deny it as anything more than her just listening to you? Especially with the way you two were flirting when we were headed to the Carousel Boutique yesterday!"

"Oh, so the instant I compliment somebody on their looks an' they decide not t' respond right away, that CLEARLY must mean she's in love with me?" I indignantly remarked, going on the defensive.

"Still in denial, huh? Okay, then...” Spike was playing detective, and he was making it look easy. “Answer me this, Ty: Why do you think she wanted to talk to Cadence—?”

“To catch up with her, obviously.”

“…without us being there?” He raised an excellent point.

“Well… maybe they jus’ wanted some girl time…?”

“Hmph. For someone as smart as I thought you were, you sure are thick-headed..."

"Jus' make your point," I ordered, not in much of a mood to be ridiculed by a child.

"Well to be fair, since you don’t know, Princess Cadence is widely known as the Princess of Love,” Spike informed. “Given that…— take a left here— she’s probably some kind of love advice guru! Take that into account with her staring both of you down not too long ago, PLUS what Twilight told you about her experience with stallions, or lack thereof, and-- This is the Million-Bit Question, so hear this one out-- What do you think she wanted to be alone to talk to Cadence about?” The evidence was piling up, but I refused to accept it. I couldn’t accept it.

“It… no… but why? She knows I can’t be here long. She knows I’m not a stallion… that I’m actually human… Why…? I don’t understand…”

“Beats me,” the dragon uncaringly answered, finally stumped as we headed into a giant kitchen that was reminiscent of one of those kitchens seen on professional cooking shows, minus the stands for the audience to sit in to watch the chef. Spike pointed me towards the refrigerator so that he could stand on my back and take a bucket of ice cream out of the freezer before we headed back out. Reentering the hallway and continuing back to the foyer, I lost myself in thought about a number of things: Spike’s analysis of Twilight’s reason for wanting to be alone with Princess Cadence, the possibilities of my friendship with the little purple unicorn, the consequences of our emotional attachment to one another, and even… what it would be like to actually date her. But that last one, I had to shake out of my head, seeing as I would not allow myself to do it. Spike was simply sitting on my back, wolfing down that ice cream like it was the last he’d ever have.

“Spike…”

“Yeah?”

“With Rarity…” I began, unsure of how to approach it, but knowing the point of what I was about to ask. “Do you ever feel like… like you can’t ever actually date her? Due to… limitations of any kind that are outta your control?”

“If you mean because I’m a dragon and she’s a mare, then yeah… Sometimes, I do…” he somberly answered to my shock.

“Why?” I had some valid answers myself, but I wanted to hear his.

“Well, other than the dragon-pony deal… I’m a good deal younger than she is, and she hasn’t exactly shown me any clues as to liking me… At least, not in the same way…”

“With the way she was treatin’ you at the picnic? How could you not be sure?” I goaded.

“Well, she’s been that way towards me ever since I made the second biggest sacrifice of my life— the first being when I realized I didn’t want to become a typical dragon, instead choosing to live with ponies— by giving her this big, beautiful heart-shaped ruby I was saving for my birthday to eat. In return, she kissed me on the cheek after telling me that that was the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for her."

"Wow... Tha'ss pretty noble o' you."

"Yeah... Funny thing is, on my birthday, everypony gave me a gift, which awakened something inside me. I wanted more and more material things for no reason, no matter if I had use for it or not. Turns out the reason for that was because I was actually –and rapidly— growing into the full-sized dragon I was supposed to be."

"Growin' into a full-sized dragon in a matter of a single day? What goes ON in this place??"

"It wasn’t until I started terrorizing the town in a fit of greed-fueled rage and pony-napped Rarity, who defended that same ruby when I took a look at it, that I realized a couple things: One, that it’s more worthwhile to give than to receive, and Two, that she actually meant what she said. My memories came flooding back thanks to her and I reverted back to the way I am now. From that day on, I became her ‘Spikey-Wikey.’ She even gave me another kiss on the cheek.”

“Wow… That’s quite a story…” I began as we reached the foyer, went up a few floors via the stairwell, and then continued in our original direction. I was actually impressed by Spike’s knowledge and experiences. They betrayed his age greatly. Still, I wanted his opinion on his feelings for the white unicorn mare. “So… why are you still so unsure about her feelin’s towards you after all that?”

“Because sometimes… I feel like she… like she just sees me in a similar light to how Twilight sees me… like a little brother…” he answered with what sounded like remorse. I even heard him sniffle. “I mean, I’m okay with the nickname and the special treatment I get from her… but it hurts to think that she does it for a different reason than I want…"

"How so?"

"I mean, I do almost as much for her as I do for Twilight, yet there’s still this nagging feeling that I’ve become… TOO helpful to her… To the point where I’ve accidentally made her see me like how Twilight sees me…” He suddenly perked up. “But I’m NOT giving up hope! Someday, Rarity WILL be mine!” He shouted with newfound vigor. I admired his expectantly childlike enthusiasm and strong sense of faith; even though I knew for a fact that Rarity, a full grown pony mare, would probably never even consider thinking of Spike in the way he wanted her to think of him, mainly for physical reasons. Still, I had to give credit where credit was due for his resilience.

"Tha'ss the spirit. Keep ya head up an' don't get discouraged."

"That's the plan."

"But hey, even if Rarity DOESN'T return your feelings the same way you do, I'm sure there's plenty of other ponies-- or dragons-- that'll be more than willin' t' be yours..."

"Yeah, but they won't be as beautiful and amazing as Rarity..." he dreamily replied.

"What exactly do you see in her, anyway?"

"What is there NOT to see? She's beautiful, she's generous, she's pretty, she's wonderful to be around... And did I mention she's absolutely gorgeous?"

"Heh, yea I think you got that message across pretty clear, Spike..." I laughingly replied.

"Hm. Sounds like i'ss more of a thing o' physical attraction... Or more accurately, a childhood crush... He'll prolly get over it with time..."

"Still, you wanna be able t' move on in the case that Rarity doesn't see you in the way you want her to. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make her drink..."

"GOLDEN opportunity t' use that one... Aw, yea..."

"...What's that mean?" Spike quizzically asked, not seeming to understand the proverb.

"I mean that you can give Rarity everything you have, take her t' see all the wonders o' the world, an' even full-on write her name in the stars if you had the power... But none o' that is gonna have as big an influence on her feelings toward you than her own perception and personal choice an' preference."

"Oh, I get it... Wow, that was pretty smart, Ty..."

"Yea, I try..." I nonchalantly responded, although I felt inwardly proud.

As we entered the door to yet another hallway, we momentarily stopped talking. He was finishing up his ice cream, and I was thinking about his relationship with Rarity as compared to mine with Twilight Sparkle. His situation was similar to mine in some ways… I wasn’t sure exactly how old Twilight was, so I couldn’t say anything about age difference between the two of us. However, just like how Spike and Rarity would possibly never be together because he was a dragon, it was the same as how Twi and I could probably never be together… because I’m human. And just like how Spike was much too young for Rarity, assuming she’d ignore his being a dragon, it was, in some bizarre way, similar to how Twilight and I were separated by entire planes of existence, although not as severe.

Sure, she could possibly pop into my world to pay me a visit and/or maybe bring me here to Equestria on occasion once she learned how to better control that spell of hers, just like how age difference stops becoming too big a deal once two lovers are full-grown adults (Though, I’m sure even that would still get in the way in Spike’s case)… But the fact still stood that Twilight had to transform me into a pony for me to be accepted here. Not to mention that I’d have to hide her if we went anywhere in my world (unless of course, she was able to learn how to transform herself into a human girl… I’m sure THAT would be a sight to see…), but that point still stood strong. Even so, the fight against my new-found affection for Twilight found itself becoming steadily harder with the longer I remained here, especially as a pony.

“Say… if you DIDN’T have to eventually go back to your own world and got stuck as a pony… would you date Twilight?” Spike asked.

“Well… I’m not entirely sure. I'd LIKE t' say yes, but... I still don't think I know enough about her yet."

"Well, once ya get past how uptight and nitpicky she gets about being orderly and clean all the time and how frantic she gets when things don't run exactly as she scheduled it, AND how stubborn she can be if you're in an argument and you KNOW she's wrong, she's a great mare. Trust me, you're getting a fair warning on the just the small stuff from the guy who's lived with her since he was born."

"Hahah, I'mma take ya word for it. I’d hafta ask you the same question about Rarity if you were a pony her age…”

“Are you kidding!? I’d be all over her like Pinkie Pie on chocolate cake!” We shared a good laugh as we trotted through the hall. This one seemed much longer than the one going towards the garden.

“Yo, how is it livin’ with Twilight?”

“It’s awesome, to say the least. And that’s not just because I’ve lived with her my entire life. She takes care of me, protects me and most of all, she loves me. The least I could do for her in return is be her #1 assistant by helping her with her studies, looking out for her whenever she has a problem, and even keeping the library clean whenever she has an errand to run. Honestly, she’s been like the mother I never had… But don’t tell her that.”

“Hah, why not?”

“Because that’s too mushy! I’m a growing dragon, and I wanna be big and tough; not emotional and gooey and junk…” It seemed that even with his impressively vast assortment of knowledge and wisdom, he still had much room for growing up. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“I hear ya. Your secret’s safe with me, so long as this whole conversation stays between us,” I suggested.

“Deal!” He excitedly answered as I stopped to reach a hoof around my shoulder to give the dragon a promising hoof-claw shake before continuing. We reached the end of the hallway opened the door to find ourselves outside, standing on top of one of the castle walls. Just a few feet ahead was a large watch tower with two dark gray unicorn guards standing near the entrance. There was one additional guard who didn’t have a helmet on, apparently keeping watch of the area down below from where he was standing in the middle of the pathway. He was a unicorn about my height, with a shoulder-length dark blue mane with light blue stripes in it. His armor was noticeably different from the other guards; it was purple with golden trim and it had a symbol on the chest plate that looked strikingly similar to, although not quite exactly like Twilight’s Cutie Mark. He turned to us with a look of stern wariness.

“Halt! Who goes there?!” asked the unicorn guard as he took a position of attack, freezing me in place. His look and pose shifted to one of relaxation as soon as he looked at Spike on my back. “Well hey there, Spike! What brings you here?” He asked as he approached us. I took a step back in apprehension.

“Don’t worry, he’s cool,” Spike assured me. “Hey, Shining Armor! We’re just here waiting for Princess Celestia to return so we can talk to her about our visitor here.” At last, I’ve met Twilight’s older brother. He sure was a tough-looking guy.

“Ohh, so you’re Twiley’s new colt-friend,” He said in a surprisingly calm tone. I figured he’d been talking to the guards who brought us here, so I didn’t overreact to his assumption.

“No, Mr. Armor, sir,” I politely answered, still a bit nervous. “I’m jus’ a friend o’ hers. Whatever you heard about us bein’ together like that, I’m sure was some kinda crazy rumor. In fact, I’m from—!”

“An alternate universe, correct?”

“Yea. How you know?”

“My wife Cadence told me about it. She mentioned something Princess Celestia told her about Twiley using some strange spell by accident to send herself to your world. Man, I tell ya; that girl never ceases to surprise us… it makes me proud to be her B.B.B.F.F. By the way, have you seen Cadence? I have no idea where she went.”

“Your… what?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Big Brother Best Friend Forever,” he informed with a chuckle.

“Hah, first that little sunshine dance with Cadence, now this…” I said as I laughed with him. I figured Twilight must’ve been showered in love and affection as a filly, which was no less than admirable. “But yea, we jus’ left her an’ Twi at the library. Speakin’ of which, you think we should go back, Spike?”

“Sounds good,” he answered.

“Mind if I tag along?” asked Shining Armor.

"Not at all. The more the merrier, Mr. Armor,” I responded.

“Please, just call me Armor. I didn’t catch your name, though.”

“Ponder Memoir. But everybody jus’ calls me ‘Ty.’”

“’Ty?'" he questioned in stark confusion. "How do you get THAT out of ‘Ponder Memoir’?” He had a good point.

"Funny how no one up until this point had questioned me on that..." However, I wasn’t going to reveal my real name here. "Hmm... Gotta think up an excuse... Ah! I got it!"

“Because… I’m always… TIED up in my thoughts!” I joked with a nervous chortle. I felt like that was probably the dumbest joke I’d ever made. I could even hear the cliché “Ba-Dum-TSS!” drum riff in my head.

“Haha, that’s a good one! It makes sense, too, given your name,” he said. I was pleasantly surprised to see Shining Armor had enjoyed that quip. I heard Spike let out a short chuckle as well.

"Bad puns for the win... I jus' hope I don't gotta make THAT egregious joke again..."

“Quick question before we go: you sure you won’t get in trouble by leavin’ your post?”

“Nah, my break just started. I’ve got the hour to myself.”

“Okey doke! Le’ss be out!” I said as Shining Armor, Spike and I began our journey back to the library…

Rendezvous!

“So... you’re Twi’s older brother, huh?” I asked with intrugue as we trotted our way back down the long hallway.

“That I am,” the burly unicorn guard proudly, yet humbly stated.

“Hm… Forgive me for this, but you two don’t exactly uh… look alike,” I observed.

“Yeah, we get that a lot. Twiley looks more like our mom, except her colors are a mix of both of our parents. I, on the other hand, look more like our dad, but I have our mom’s coat color. I also have dad's mane color with just a touch of mom's style... See the light blue stripes?"

"Indeed I do..."

"Yeah... Oh, and I grew to be much bigger than all of them. I'm one of the tallest in our immediate family.”

“I see…" I said, although I couldn't exactly gain a definitive image of what their parents looked like.

"I know, kind of a boring explanation. Plus, it's one of those things you'd have to see to believe."

"Oh, I believe you. I'ss jus' that I'm not good at picturin' parents... Heh heh."

"Well, if you're in Equestria for a good enough amount of time, maybe Twiley can introduce you to them. They always did want to make sure their little filly's being watched over by a big, strong stallion... Other than me, of course," he joked with a wink, which took me by complete surprise.

"O-oh! Uh... I..." I stammered, at a sudden loss for words and instantly short of breath at Armor's quip. This was Twilight's older brother of all ponies... "*whistle* Wow, um..."

"Shit..."

"Hahah, sorry... Couldn't resist. The guards that brought you here said I might've gotten a funny reaction out of you," he laughingly apologized. At that, I laughed with him, still very unsettled by the joke. Spike of course, had no problem with the joke, cracking up at me like he had been.

"Nice one, Shining!" the dragon complimented.

"I try, I try..." he humorously responded.

"Ah, screw this. I'm changin' the subject..."

"Soooo... How long have you been part of the Royal Guard here?” I asked, recovering from the embarrassing preemptive blow to my composure.

“Since I was a colt. I’d always dreamed of being a big, strong, tough guard who kept the Princess and all the citizens of Canterlot safe. I admired the sheer unfaltering dedication these guys have towards keeping Canterlot and Princess Celestia safe. I love this job almost as much as I love the ponies who helped in motivating me to do it. You could imagine my surprise when they asked me to become captain… They said it should've taken me at least thirty years! I set the record for being the youngest appointed captain yet.”

“Is that so?” I asked. “You mus' be quite the talented guardsman. You’re not afraid that the lives of ponies all over this city depend on your ability to lead, not t’ mention yours and all the other guards’ abilities t’ fight for your land and leader? Not t’ sound negative or nothin’, but man does that sound scary…”

“I’ll admit that at first, it had me a little rattled because of the possibility that I and all the other guards would be faced with situations where we’d have to lay our lives on the line… But after I realized how much of an impact I’d be making on other ponies’ lives, whether they acknowledge it or not, I cast aside my fears and worked towards becoming the best guard I could be… Not just for me, but for the sake of protecting other ponies. Plus, this is my dream job! And I've got a lot to show for it...” he answered with a chuckle. “My little sis is the most powerful unicorn in Equestria— second only to the Princesses themselves—, I’m a captain in Celestia’s Royal Guard, AND I’m married to the most beautiful, kind, gentle, loving mare in existence… man, life is good.”

“Wow, y'all got it made out here, huh? And Twi’s THAT strong…???” At this point, all doubts in my mind about Twilight’s importance in this world were cast aside. Twilight Sparkle, the most powerful unicorn in Equestria, sister to Princess Cadence and Shining Armor, who was a captain of an elite military regiment, niece-in-law AND protégé to this all-powerful Princess Celestia… And she managed to find and make friends with some random run-of-the-mill person like me of all the billions of people in a totally different world, by complete accident… If I didn’t feel like the luckiest person/pony in existence right then, I don’t know WHO would…

“Yeah… what can I say? We work hard at what we do, and love doing it… Our Cutie Marks are reminders of that.”

“I understand the Cutie Mark thing. But you, your sister, and your wife are all so modest about talents… I honestly would've expected some amount of bragging. I’ve never experienced such respectable individuals of power in my world… you all have my utmost admiration. I gotta let you know that.”

“Well, thanks!"

"Wait a second... I jus' realized somethin'..."

"What's up, Ty?"

"You're... married to a Princess, no?"

"Yes, indeed. I suppose you're wondering if that makes ME a Prince, huh?"

"You jus' read my mind."

"Hah. Well, to answer your question, yes I technically am. I say 'technically' because Cadence and I don't necessarily have a kingdom of our own to look over just yet. So, until we're assigned a place to rule over, we help Aunt Celestia with her duties while I resume my line of duty."

"Interestin'..."

"Yeah... Why don’t you tell me a little about yourself?” Armor suggested.

“Uh, sure… well, as you know, I’m from a different world than this one. In that world, the rules work WAY different than here. There’s no such things as pegasi or unicorns, we have much more advanced technology in place of magic, and generally… my world ain't quite as bright as this one seems t' be... But tha'ss my own perspective. Other than those differences, our worlds are just about the same. Tha’ss the gist of it."

“Whoa… insane… I couldn’t imagine how I’d blend in if I went there… Say, how did Twiley handle herself there?”

“Oh, she was cool, calm, and collected most o’ the time! She kept a level head an’ showed such a strong interest in learnin’ about me an’ my world. Hell, she got us out of a huge jam we got caught in when I couldn’t do so myself when we took a bit of a field trip together. An’ on top o’ that, I made an awesome new friend in her. Man, I can tell ya one thing: she is FULL of surprises. Twilight sure is one amazing unicorn…” I said, looking at the ground as we continued journeying through the castle. So many thoughts about the lavender unicorn were racing through my head. Talking about Twilight suddenly made me feel warm inside... like I’d been wrapped in a blanket that was fresh out of a dryer. I wanted to crack a smile, but I resisted it for fear of her older brother’s reaction.

“You’re telling me! I’ve known her all her life, and even now, she still amazes me! I mean, you should’ve been there during my wedding! If it wasn’t for Twiley and her friends, Cadence and I would never have been married… Hay, I would’ve wound up marrying some parasitic imposter who feeds off of love like how a mosquito sucks blood."

"What??"

"Yeah, I almost wound up being hypnotized into marrying the queen of this race of parasites called the Changelings. Her true form was as hideous as could be. The real love of my life would’ve rotted away and perished in some deserted underground mines without me even knowing… while Twiley, her friends, the Princesses, and everypony in Equestria would’ve been…" He faltered as he brought his gaze to the ground. "...I don’t even know, but it would’ve been absolutely horrible. Just thinking about those rotten Changelings makes me angry…” I noticed his horn flickering with magic as he stared at the ground with a furrowed brow.

“Yo, relax. At least I’ss over now, right?” He snapped out of his daydream and looked at me with a sense of remorse.

“Y-yeah… it’s just that I still owe Twiley an apology for how I treated her during preparation for the ceremony…"

"What for?"

"When she and her friends came up here, she was the only one to notice right away that the Cadence I was about to marry wasn’t the real Cadence at all… or at the very least, she suspected that Cadence was evil… yet, time and time again, her warnings were ignored like she was crying 'wolf' and disregarded as her just being jealous of another mare in my life. Not to mention I was getting these awful migraines from putting up a force field around Canterlot, which the impostor used to her advantage when she took the form of my wife and began placing a hypnotizing spell on me that blinded me from my sense of reason."

"How stressful..."

"Yeah. Consequently, it made me become increasingly frustrated with Twiley’s attempts to expose Cadence as evil. It got to the point where she got fed up and outright accused the imposter of being evil in front of everypony. The fake Cadence put on some waterworks, and just like that, everyone, including myself and Princess Celestia, abandoned poor little Twiley… I was so upset with her that I told her that she shouldn’t even show up to the wedding, even after I told her wanted her as my best mare. I nearly disowned my only little sister in my blind devotion to that disgusting Queen Chrysalis…"

"Ouch..."

"Poor Twilight..."

"She must’ve been devastated at the sight of all those closest to her just callously turning their backs on her like that… I never looked back at my little sis or saw her again until she and the ACTUAL Cadence barged into the ceremony in the nick of time. Man, did I feel like a dummy once we finally defeated Chrysalis and her Changeling army… Twiley let everything that happened become water under the bridge and so did everyone else…"

"Well, that's good... right?"

"I... I guess, but the guilt eats at me to this day… I still think back and ask myself, ‘How could I accuse my own little sister of simply being jealous and spiteful when she was actually looking out for me like we’d done for each other countless times over the years?’ My anger at her was completely unjustified, and I haven’t found a way to properly apologize to her for it…” He seemed to be on the brink of shedding a tear as he squeezed his eyes shut. I couldn’t help but place a hoof on his shoulder.

“Yo… if Twi was able t’ get over that, I’m sure she’d want you to as well. The past is already said an’ done, but you can’t let it keep beatin’ you up like this. Learn from your mistakes, don’t kill yaself over ‘em. It makes you a better pony. An’ given that you was hypnotized by a fake Cadence into treatin’ Twi the way you did, your behavior doesn’t seem to be all your fault. I get that it ain’t easy t’ forget somethin’ as emotional as lashin’ out at a family member, but in the end, y’all still family. I know Twi knows that. Tha’ss why she chose to forgive you without needin’ an apology from you. You’re her family, an’ she loves you unconditionally. I mean, ask Spike. He knows.”

“Yeah,” Spike continued. “I’ve done a lot of dumb things in my time with Twilight… and yes, she’s gotten mad at me for some of the things I did… but in the end, she always finds a way to forgive me before I even get a chance to say ‘sorry.’ She loves me, Shining Armor. And I’m just her assistant. You’re her B.B.B.F.F., so you KNOW she loves you, too.” The white unicorn brightened up and smiled.

“You know what…? You guys are right,” he said, seeming relieved by the advice given to him by Spike and me. “I shouldn't let my guilt blind me to the fact that Twiley and I are family… That doesn’t go to say I don’t feel like I should talk to her about it, though…”

“Tha’ss perfectly fine,” I assured. “Jus’ don’t let somethin’ like a disagreement tear the two o’ you apart or let your resultin’ guilty feelin’s tear you apart. I’m sure you been together too long t’ let that happen.”

“That we have… Do you have any siblings back in your world?”

“Yea, one. But she’s MUCH younger than I am. Still a chi— err, foal. Much too young to understand the stuff we’re talkin’ about.” I chuckled a little.

“I hope your relationship with her turns out similarly to Twiley’s and mine… y’know, minus the disagreements.” he said as we reached the end of the hallway and found ourselves back at the stairwell. Down at the bottom, we noticed Twilight and Cadence, casually conversing with one another and laughing. “Hey, girls!” Both unicorns turned their heads and put on gleeful smiles as they saw us.

“Honey!” Cadence called to Shining Armor. We quickly made our way down the stairs to regroup. The unicorn guard captain and his Princess wife were quick to embrace one another as if they’d not seen each other in weeks; kissing and hugging each other tightly for a prolonged amount of time. I let out a chuckle and averted my gaze, suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable. To my surprise, Twilight wrapped her forelegs around my neck and pulled me close.

“Hi, Ty,” she happily greeted as she held me firmly. If I didn’t know better, I’d say I felt the purple unicorn even nuzzling me... but that could just be me.

“Uh, hey Twi! I um… missed you, too,” I said with uncertainty as I rubbed a hoof on her back.

“Hey, don’t forget about me!” Spike complained as he hopped off of my back.

“How could I forget my #1 assistant?” asked Twilight as she let go of me and hugged the little dragon.

“You got enough for me over there, Twiley?” Shining Armor joked. The suddenly-excited unicorn mare said nothing as she practically tackled her brother in a loving embrace. The two siblings hugged tightly for a bit, and before they separated, he lovingly rubbed his hoof on her head, frazzling her mane, eliciting a childlike-- er FOAL-like giggle from his younger sister.

“You seem happier than usual…” I said, a little confused by her newly ecstatic mood. “What gives?”

“Oh, nothing…” she dreamily responded. “I’m just… suddenly in a really good mood,” she added as she cast her gaze at me with half-open eyes and a smile that would’ve made my heart melt, had it not been for the wave of awkwardness I was feeling in reaction to her sudden change in demeanor.

“Alright then…?” I looked at Spike on my right, who looked back at me and shrugged in an equal amount of confusion as I. My eyes shifted up to Cadence, who stood there smiling at me like I’d just given her a present. “So… how’d you girls enjoy your alone time?”

“We didn’t do much…” Cadence answered, still smiling that same sweet smile at me that was honestly starting to weird me out.

"Oookay...? Why the hell is she starin' at me like that...?"

“We just talked,” continued Twilight. “How’d you and Spike like your walk around the castle?”

“We ain’t get very far, but we definitely got along well,” I answered with a smile. “Spike’s awesome!”

“Yeah, Ty’s a pretty cool guy himself!” Spike complimented back.

“Oh, and we ran into Shinin’ Armor here. I gotta tell ya, Twi; you got one real good brother here. Don’t let ‘im go for anything.”

“I wouldn’t DREAM of letting my B.B.B.F.F. go, no matter what!” Twi proudly informed. I looked at Shining Armor and saw him smiling wide as if Twilight had just given him the highest praise imaginable.

“You don’t know how much that means to me, Twiley,” he said as he pulled her into another heartfelt hug. Suddenly, a *BURP* accompanied by a burst of green fire emitted from Spike. A second later, a scroll materialized in the air. Twilight broke her hug with her Big Brother Best Friend Forever, grabbed the scroll, opened it and read it:

My Most Faithful Student,

You may now visit me. I am in the throne room.

Princess Celestia

“Well, looks like this is finally it…” Twilight said. “The moment of truth is here… The moment you finally get to meet the most powerful pony in all the land, Ty.”

“As if I wasn’t nervous enough…” I joked.

“Don’t worry; she’s magnanimous and absolutely kindhearted. You’ll love her, I promise!” Twilight assured me with a smile as she placed a hoof on my back and kept it there. As much as I enjoyed Twilight’s company (and I REALLY enjoyed her company), I was confused as to why she was suddenly so gleeful and touchy-feely. I wondered if it had something to do with that talk she and Cadence had or the fact that she was now with her brother and sister-in-law for, from what I understand, the first time in a while. Nonetheless, I smiled back at her.

“You sure you guys are just friends?” Shining Armor jokingly asked. “You seem awfully close…” This prompted Twilight to realize that she still had her hoof on my back. She quickly removed it and let out a small, shy titter. I wasn’t quite as flustered as my lavender companion, given how many times we'd already been the butt of the 'dating' joke, but I was close. Shining Armor and Cadence shared a good laugh at our expense. Twi and I could only force awkward chortles to lighten our mounting discomfort.

“What was that about Celestia being magnets?” Spike asked in bewilderment. He succeeded in calming Twilight down with his question, since it prompted a much-needed subject change.

“Not magnets; magnanimous. You know… benevolent? Compassionate? Empathetic?” Spike stared blankly at her as if she were speaking in a completely different language. “Nice, Spike. She’s nice.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. Well, let’s get going! We’ve waited long enough, don’tcha think?”

“You sure got that right…” I answered, now completely on-edge about meeting Princess Celestia. With that, Twi, Spike and I bid our farewells to Shining Armor and Princess Cadence as we trotted all the way up the extensive staircase. We came up to some HUGE, decorative double doors, manned by two more pegasus guards.

“You may enter.” One of them simply stated as the doors opened, seemingly on their own. We took no time to hesitate as we walked into the room…

The Goddess of the Sun...!

The sight I saw when we walked into that room took my breath away five times over. The throne room itself was able to do that at least twice. The very first thing I noticed was the stain-glass windows. Each of them seemed to show some kind of picture of a historic event. One showed a portrait of two alicorns, one white and one navy blue, beating a monster that looked exactly like the statue in the garden. Another one showed six VERY familiar smaller ponies beating a different version of the dark blue winged unicorn. The third showed the same six ponies beating the snake monster again. If I wasn’t mistaken, I’d say that Twilight and her friends… were Equestria’s protectors… That thought threw me for so many loops that I thought I had a case of vertigo because of it. I forgot about my amazement at the rest of the extravagant throne room simply because of the windows.

“Those windows… the pictures on ‘em… A-are you…?” was all I could say to Twilight.

“Heh… yeah, that’s what I meant about my friends and I being the wielders of the Elements of Harmony,” she modestly said. “We’ve saved Equestria from three great evils to this point.”

“…My Goodness…” I was completely astounded. I stood there in a daze before an unfamiliar voice that sounded even more regal than Cadence’s awoke me.

“Well, hello there!” said the voice in a friendly tone. I looked up and lost my breath another three times when I laid my eyes on the magnificent being before me sitting on her throne. She was stunning! Her long, effervescent multicolored mane and tail flowing as if a gentle breeze was lifting it, her gold tiara and horseshoes, her alabaster body, equipped with a Cutie Mark of what seemed to be the sun… Everything I saw in this Princess struck me speechless as my jaw dropped. It almost dislocated when she got up and walked towards us. She was at least twice my size, her horn was at least three times the size of Twilight’s, and when she flared her wings to stretch them, each one of them seemed to be ten of a pegasus’s wings put into one. “You must be the guest my most faithful student was telling me about.” She bowed to me, which shocked me even more. “I am Princess Celestia. Nice to meet you. What, may I ask, is your name, kind sir?” I froze in such a state of amazement that I just flat-out gawked at her.

“Um… Ty? You alright there?” I heard Spike ask. I said nothing. “Ty?”

“Ty!” shouted Twilight. I still said nothing. What woke me up was a hoof swiftly making its way across my face. “Snap out of it!”

“AH! Oh! Umm I-I’m sorry! I’m Ponder Memoir,” I shakily said, rubbing my cheek. “And yes, uh… I-I’m the guest Twilight brought h-here, Your Highness, Ms. Princess Celestia…”

“Simply ‘Celestia’ will do just fine,” she informed with a cute little laugh. “I see Twilight has told you of me?”

‘Y-yes… Please, forgive my nervousness… Meetin’ you an’ discoverin’ exactly HOW important Twilight is… it’s jus’ a lot t’ take in…”

“What do you mean by how ‘important’ I am?” Twilight asked.

“Well… Even though you told me about a lot of it before, I learned first-hoof for confirmation that you’re Celestia’s niece-in-law, your brother’s the captain of the Royal Guard, your sister-in-law’s a princess herself, and you an’ your friends are Equestrian heroes… that’s what I mean…”

“Wow, you’ve learned a lot about me… yes, all of that is true… but one thing I didn’t realize myself… was that Princess Celestia is now my aunt!” she excitedly proclaimed. Celestia chuckled again.

“Hm, yes, that IS true, isn’t it?” the sun goddess rhetorically asked. “But that’s enough about us…” she continued in a more serious tone, standing back up. “What about you… Ty?”

“Oh! Right… I’m from a universe that is similar t’ this one in terms of how ponies interact with one another amongst other similarities, but at the same time, completely different. Like how there’s no such thing as pegasi or unicorns, my world is far beyond this one in terms o' technological advances due t’ lack of the existence o’ magic, and that there is no clear answer as t’ the existence of a supreme overseer like yourself… I’ss also worthy of note that not everybody in my world is quite as friendly as most o’ the ponies here in Equestria... or at least, in Ponyville. Can't say too much about Canterlot...”

“Oh, my… Did you take a tour of the city?"

"I did. And with all due respect, Canterlot residents are a tough crowd to please, Your Majesty."

"I see... I must ask that you forgive them. The citizens of Canterlot simply aren't very used to new visitors. That aside, this world of yours sounds quite peculiar… but I feel that there is one more thing that you’re not telling me…”

“Really…? Oh! Twi has a notebook that ha—!”

“No, I know about the notebook… there’s something else you’re hiding…” she stared at me, studying me like some kind of animal. Her stare was unsettling to say the least. I didn’t want to tell her about me being human, for fear of her reaction. Her horn suddenly lit up with a golden aura as I froze in fear.

“Princess? What are you going to do to him??” Twilight asked, panicked by her mentor’s action.

“Do not worry my student. I simply wish to scan his anatomy…” she said as her horn cast a similar golden aura over me. I felt a barrage of tingling sensations all over me as Celestia highlighted me in her glow. She closed her eyes and focused for a few seconds before she took a deep breath and ended her spell. The expression on her face communicated that she was a little less than pleased with her discovery. “I sense that there was a spell placed on you... one that allows you to maintain your current form,” she deduced to the collective shock of me, Twilight and Spike. She turned toward her protegé. “Is there something you know about this?”

“Y-yes…” Twilight admitted. “You see, he’s not actually a pony like us… He’s what’s called a ‘human.’ He is part of the dominant species in his world, where ponies like us don’t exist. I transformed him into a pony just in case everypony who saw him in his human form would panic. I took precautionary measures mainly because I remembered how everypony treated Zecora when she first arrived in Ponyville…” Celestia's mood seemed to darken a little more at that confession.

"I... don't think I like how things are goin' right now... She seems... a little mad..."

“...I see. Which reminds me… what was it about ‘Magic Intergalactic Travel’ you were talking about in your letter to me?”

“Oh yes! It was just an idea swimming around in my head recently, but I wanted to document the spell I used, seeing as I have it memorized now, so that other unicorns strong enough to use it would be able to traverse to Ty’s world and interact with humans themselves.”

“I see… while that does seem like an interesting idea, please respect and understand that I cannot allow you to bring that thought into action,” the Princess denied in a suddenly serious tone. That shocked everyone again.

“What??” Twilight said, seeming to be hurt by Celestia’s rejection. “If I may ask, why?”

“It is too dangerous. We don’t know everything that goes on in Ty’s world. For all any of us know, somepony could bring in a human that would cause severe damage to the ponies here.” She raised an excellent point there.

"Okay... Well, will there be some research done on it by ponies other than myself so precautionary measures are taken?"

"I am... uncertain," the Solar Monarch curtly replied.

“*sigh* Fair enough,” Twilight plainly said, seeming to brush off the ambiguity of her mentor's answer.

“It also brings a burden on my heart to tell you that I cannot allow the information you’ve acquired about the alternate universe via the notebook to be distributed in any way. That being said, I will need you to give me the book.” I was coming back to reality as my amazement at the Princess and her castle was wearing off and being replaced with soul-crushing remorse as I looked at Twilight. She looked absolutely devastated. Her jaw was dropped as her eyes were wide and wavering. I felt horrible for her.

“Y-yes, Princess… I understand,” Twilight responded as she looked down, melancholy about her aspirations being torn apart by none other than her own mentor.

“Two more things…” Celestia said. “…it is with utmost sorrow… that I ask you to return Ty to his original form and then send him back to his world immediately after this meeting is over.” That was the kicker. Twilight gasped in pain as if someone had struck her across the face. I was upset by that order as well, but I couldn’t bear to see her in such agony, so I looked down in shame, clenching my teeth in anger. “I…” the Princess faltered there. “I… will also have to request that you never return to Ty’s world again after you take him back… In fact, I hereby forbid you to use or mention that spell again once the deed is done…” To say Twilight was upset about that would be a severe understatement. She broke down and began to weep right there. I was getting increasingly angry at Celestia’s outlandish requests. I found the courage to look back up at my distraught comrade. There were no signs of her previously good mood to be seen.

“T-Twilight…” was all I could choke out from my own sadness. She didn’t even look at me. She magically lifted the notebook out of her saddlebag. Her magic fizzled out from lack of focus as she dropped it in front of Celestia.

“Twilight… I know you’re upset about this, but I assure you… this is for the be—!” the Princess tried to inform.

“WHY!? Why are you banishing him!?” she screamed through her tears as she looked up at her aunt-in-law. Her outburst was beyond alarming for all of us. The despair in that unicorn’s face was heartbreaking.

“I’m not banishing him. I am simply taking precautionary measures,” Celestia answered calmly.

“Precautionary measures? What kinds of precautionary measures involve unjustly banishing someone from Equestria— no, this entire WORLD with no feasible basis!?” the royal mare was hesitant to answer. “You even said it yourself that you don’t want him back here! I assure you, he hasn't done anything wrong! He’s been the sweetest, kindest, most understanding pony in both our worlds to me! Yet here you are, telling me to send him back to his world and to never go back there myself! Worse, you’re even planning to destroy all of my notes…! Everything I'd worked for in the past few days... Every memorable experience I'd had... All in the name of friendship..."

"Twilight, I implore you to to consider your words. I--!"

"I can’t just pretend this never happened! Why are you doing this to me? To him? There isn't a single, sensible transgression that either of us has committed that should give you a reason to banish him!” Her words were getting to me… Yes, she was upset at the Princess for her orders, but…

“Twilight Sparkle, what has gotten into you?!” Celesia finally shot back in a scolding tone, appalled by Twilight’s wrathful outburst. “You have never spoken back to me with such disrespect in your life! Do you not understand the enormous amount of consequences that could stem from allowing such unmitigated breaches of our dimensional barriers!? Would you rather launch this entire country into a state of peril on the grounds that this spell be cast without supervision!?"

"No! But I... I..." Twilight could find nothing to say as she stared at the ground, crestfallen. Celestia took a deep breath to calm herself before continuing.

"Tell me, what is so important about him that you’re acting outside of yourself like this?” she asked.

“It’s because... he's my friend... And yet you're telling me to get rid of him and cover up all the traces of his being here... of all the time he and I have spent together... of our feel..." she tearfully replied before seeming to abruptly cut herself off, her radiant devastation beginning to take her over. "He hasn't done anything wrong, Princess... I don't understand... I…! I…” Twilight faltered on her words and froze. She then swiftly turned around and bolted out of the throne room, weeping openly along the way. I was fighting back my own sympathetic tears as I stared at the ground, furious. If I still had my hands, I SWEAR they’d be bleeding from their palms from how tightly I imagined myself clenching them into fists.

“Spike… go an’ comfort Twilight…” I calmly, yet shakily instructed the dragon, who was still standing there, appalled. “I’d… like to have a word with Celestia…”

“…O-on it,” Spike obliged as he ran out of the throne room after his grieving surrogate mother. I waited until he was out of earshot to finally convey my feelings to the Princess.

“Y’know… with all due respect… That was some real fucked up shit you jus’ pulled there, Princess…” I said, still trying to remain calm, although the waviness in my voice betrayed it. I couldn’t even look at her, so I stared back at the ground. I wanted to avoid such profanity in this world, especially in front of the Goddess of the Sun but my emotions got the best of me here.

“I… I am not familiar with some of the terms you used, but I’ll assume they were not very friendly…” Celestia somberly said, to my surprise. It still did nothing to soothe my anger at her for what she did to Twilight.

“No… they weren’t… and for that, I hafta apologize. But why…? Why would you jus’ go an’ crush that girl’s hopes like that?” My tone became cold and contemptuous. “She wanted t’ make you proud… t’ expand her knowledge an’ everyone else’s… t’ go beyond what you assigned her t’ do… an’ you jus’ MERCILESSLY tore that away from her like—!”

“SILENCE!” Celestia shouted, fed up with my berating. I got quiet instantly, but the noise I heard after I quieted down shocked me… I heard Princess Celestia herself actually weeping. That was enough to coax me into looking up at the alicorn. She was looking at me like she’d just lost someone special to her. Her sharp magenta eyes had tears flowing freely from them, a look of regret evident on her face. “Do you think it didn’t hurt for me to break the heart of my most faithful student and niece? That I’d just tell her that she was disallowed from traveling to your universe again with no justifiable reasons? Believe me, Ty… I wouldn’t do this without a valid motive.”

“No… Goin’ by what Twilight said about you before we came in here, which is lookin’ REAL ironic right now… I don’t suppose a leader like yourself would be so cruel… but I haven’t heard a reason other than basically ‘inhabitants in my world could be dangerous…’ in which case, you have a point. My world is very unequal in terms o’ the various dispositions o’ the humans there… there are areas in it where everyone is welcomed with open arms no matter what… then there’s areas that have been ravaged by an’ riddled with things like disease, poverty, prejudice, and/or blatant, unjustified hatred. I don't know much about this world, but I can assume at least some o' those same things happen here, too, no?"

"Indeed those issues do exist in this world," Celestia confirmed.

"So neither of our worlds is perfect. For that, I don’t blame you for shuttin’ Twi down on the M.I.T. thing… but what I don’t understand is why I’m bein’ punished. Why you want me to go home an’ never return. Or why Twi is unable to visit me again…”

“*sigh* When I was out in the far east to settle that trade dispute, I found out that it was started because someone from one of the countries had brought in a guest from the other country. That guest turned out to have ulterior motives in the form of planning to cause both countries to collapse in on themselves by tricking their leaders into shutting down trade routes with each other and making them go to war with each other. He figured that if he rounded up a fair enough amount of rebels and waited until both countries were low on resources due to lack of sufficient trading and dramatically increased deficit spending, he and his troops would stage a coup d’état and take over both countries… He would’ve gotten away with it, too, had he not made the fatal mistake of trusting a spy that I sent after I got word of him and his suspicious activities.”

“Tha’ss unfortunate an’ all, but what does that have t’ do with me or Twi?”

“My point is that Twilight could have seriously injured herself by going into an entirely unfamiliar world with no way to navigate. She could have also jeopardized Equestria’s safety by bringing you here. You could have been just like that stallion, simply gaining the trust of an unsuspecting ally in order to carry out a sinister deed against this world.”

“So you’re accusin’ me o’ bein’ some kinda criminal on the basis o' somebody else's deeds?”

“No. What I’m saying is that, by allowing her to distribute this information, someone could wind up targeting her and tricking her-- or ANYPONY capable of performing this spell-- into bringing them into your world and causing mass destruction there. Or, say if I allowed her to document the spell along with the information you gave her; what’s to stop one malevolent individual from using it to bring a denizen of your world here to do something harmful?"

"...A decent enough point, I guess..." I reluctantly agreed, not finding much ground to stand on against someone who's, as I've been informed, has been leader of this world for a very long time.

"I must look out for the interests and safety of the population and the country before I look into the personal interests of those closest to me. Twilight, though I love her dearly, is no exception...” She raised such strong points. I found myself unable to argue against them because, although I believed her to be acting paranoid, she was in fact the leader and overseer of Equestria..

“I… I understand, Your Highness… You are completely right about everything… but why are you forcin’ me t’ go back so soon an' without the possibility of return?”

“I can’t risk you giving away information that would cause uproar... Even by accident.”

"You can't trust me t' keep my mouth shut, is wat you're tryna say?"

"Not necessarily... It's the sheer amount of magic that needed to be channeled into you, between this trans-dimensional spell and the one currently masking you as a pony, that presents some worrisome circumstances. Canterlot in particular is still currently recovering from an attack by foreign invaders who were able to masquerade as ponies. The context of your presence here, with no offenses intended, does not seem too different..."

“I… I see your point,” I disdainfully admitted before chuckling a little. “I’ss funny, too… because this reminds me of a quote I heard before… ‘It is impossible for a leader to be loving AND just, at the same time.’”

“What do you mean?”

“Like, if you were rulin’ because you loved everyone, you’d find that deliverin’ justice where i’ss needed would be unbelievably hard t’ do if not impossible, which would severely impact your decision-makin’ skills. However, if you were rulin’ for the sake of justice, you would find yourself unable t’ love anyone because the rules an’ necessary enforcement OF those rules wouldn’t allow it. I realize now that you’re kind of an exception t’ that rule. Sure, you love all the ponies in Equestria… I’ll guess ESPECIALLY Twilight. But even then, like you said, you do wha’ss best for the country as a whole before you look at the interests of one or a few… An’ for that, I can respect you… You look out for everyone, yet you still find time t’ cherish the population, especially those you’re close to… An’ though it will be hard for Twi an’ me… We can find a way t’ forgive you for your decisions because in the end… We know you know you’re makin’ the right ones…” I calmed all the way down and held up a hoof to the royal mare.

“Your words are wise, human… thank you. And please, give Twilight Sparkle my condolences,” Celestia said, now seemingly calm as she reached out a hoof to touch mine. I pulled my hoof away. “Is it not a hoof-shake you are requesting?”

“Exactly. Because I want a hug.” She looked at me with confusion. “Aw, come on. Surely, you ain’t too ‘just’ for a hug… I promise you I ain’t gonna bite.” She smiled and complied as she lowered her neck, allowing me to gently wrap my forelegs around her. She even returned the hug with one fore hoof. I’ll admit that I did it as a way to get a feel of that mane of hers… it was just too tempting to pass up! It felt softer than anything I’d ever touched before… like living teddy bears whose fur tickled and swayed in accordance to my embrace. It felt… magical. Celestia was also pleasantly warm like morning sunlight. She smelled like a mixture of exotic fruits mixed with a most pleasing fragrance of perfume… “Hey, can I ask you a favor before I go?” I asked as we separated.

“What might that be?”

“That… I get to say goodbye to Twilight’s friends before I change back t’ my human self… It’s rude t’ leave without a proper goodbye, y’know…?”

“Hmm… very well… so long as no one other than Twilight and Spike see you in your human form,” she gracefully permitted. I smiled and nodded in agreement before turning around and going to find and console Twilight.

“Thank you, Princess Celestia… An’ though we won’t ever see each other again, I will say that i’ss been an honor t’ meet you.”

“Likewise… Farewell… Tyshawn,” she gladly responded as I walked out the door. A second after the door closed behind me, I froze as I had an epiphany.

“How the hell did she know my name??”

Confessions and Goodbyes...

I trotted down to the bottom floor of the foyer, looking for Twilight and Spike. As I walked toward the center of the entrance room, I heard quiet sniffling noises coming from the other side of the front door. Instantly, I knew I found who I was looking for and opened the door to see Twilight, sitting on her haunches on the top doorstep with her back facing towards me. Spike was sitting on her right and rubbing her back. Both of them turned to look at me with expressions of grief as I exited the castle.

“Hey, y’all…” I said, unsure of how to approach the saddened unicorn.

“Hey…” was all Twilight said. Her eyes were still glassy with fresh tears. Her face was drenched in them. Evidently, so was her right foreleg.

“How’d your word with Celestia go?” Spike asked.

“I’ll… tell y’all on the way back.” I answered. “I’ss kind of a long story…”

“Are you ready to depart?” asked a pegasus guard, already hooked up to a carriage alongside another guard.

“Y-yes…” Spike answered. We subsequently made our way to the chariot, and soon, we were on our way back to Ponyville. The ride was eerily quiet at first, seeing as I figured Twi was too upset to speak, and Spike was just as unsure of how to go about comforting her as I was. I was feeling the familiar chill and decrease in air from being so high up, but given that I’d already gotten my first experience, coupled with the fact that there was a more important matter to focus on, I managed to ignore it. It took me a short while of thinking of a conversation opener, but eventually, I decided to break the silence.

“…Princess Celestia at least allowed me t’ say goodbye t’ the girls before I left…”

“That’s good…” Twilight sadly answered, looking at the floor of the chariot.

“We talked to each other and we came upon an agreement. She says she’s jus’ lookin’ out for the best interests of Equestria…”

“As a Princess should do, I suppose…”

“She… told me t’ tell you she’s sorry…”

“I’m sure she is…” Nothing I was saying was making the unicorn budge. I was at a loss for what to say next, so I went on a whim and scooted close to her and hugged her. At first, she didn’t respond, but she slowly found it in herself to return the hug, albeit halfheartedly.

“Please tell me you ain’t lettin’ this hurt you THAT badly… I mean, it hurts a lot for me, too… I don’t like this any more than you do… I hate it… But le’ss not forget that I woulda had t’ leave anyw—!”

“I didn’t want you to leave so soon…” she gloomily began. “I already acknowledged that I’d have to take you back eventually… but… what I wasn’t prepared for was that… *sniffle* by order of Princess Celestia, I’m not allowed to see you or go back to your world anymore after I take you back…” She was right about that.

“I… I know,” I answered with a hint of sadness. “But… we’ll always have the memories of our times together, at the very least. At least Princess Celestia didn’t say we had t’ get our memories o’ the last few days wiped… right?”

“That’s true…” she said as she put more effort into the hug. “But still… both of us are practically forced to live out the rest of our lives as if the times we'd shared had never happened... Plus... there’s something… I was going to tell you before you left… I just thought I’d have more time to confirm it for myself before I did, though…”

“What’s up?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.

“Well… I… I think I…” she was hesitating, losing her words.

“You… what?” I asked again, wondering what was keeping her from answering me.

“I… kind of… L… L… *sigh* Ohh, why is this so hard…?” She went silent and started to feel warmer in my forelegs. I tilted my head slightly to get a look at her face to see her cheeks turning a bright pink. Whatever she wanted to tell me, it must’ve been big.

“Twi… what is it you’re tryna—!” I was cut off as she turned to me and pressed her lips against mine, which froze me in complete surprise. Shortly after, she pulled her head away. I got the message right away, but I was dumbfounded. I looked at her, but she was looking down at the floor of the chariot once again; not out of sadness, but out of embarrassment. “Umm… I-is that… your way of tellin’ me… that you like me…?” I asked, still taken aback by her unexpectedly brash action as I impulsively licked my lips.

“Wh-what if it is…?” she sheepishly asked.

“Then… then I don’t think I heard you very well…” I slyly retorted with a smirk. “Mind repeatin’ that?” She giggled and looked back at me with that same dreamy smile she gave me before we went to see Celestia. “Y’know, this is gonna make it a LOT harder t’ say goodbye…”

“I know… but I had to get that off of my chest… Cadence told me that I should’ve waited to make sure my feelings were genuine, but since there’s no time left to wait… Better now than never, right?” My eyes widened in realization.

“So… that IS what you an’ Cadence wanted t’ be alone for… I shoulda figured… Even Spike saw it before I did… This is kinda ironic, too…”

“What is?”

“All the time we spent tryin’ t’ either ignore or deny that silly rumor about us bein’ together that way… Yet look where we are now…” We chuckled a little.

“True… I just wish Princess Celestia would’ve made it clearer as to why she made her decisions on you leaving…”

“She explained it to me after you left… she said she had to, basically because she was scared that what happened while she was away could happen on a whole different scale had someone evil got wind o’ the spell you learned and the knowledge you acquired o’ my world.” Twilight’s eyes widened in shock.

“What happened…?”

“Turns out that trade dispute started cuz somebody from one country invited somebody else from the other country over. The guest turned out t’ be usin’ the first person as a way t’ sneak into that country an’ start messin’ everything up for both of ‘em. Celestia managed t’ stop ‘im when she got ‘im t’ spill all his secrets out to a spy she appointed. The guy was plannin’ t’ cause a war that started off with the trade dispute so he an’ a group o’ rebels would be able t’ take over. She told me that she didn’t want that t’ happen if somepony here learned your spell and got some of your info on my world with those kinds of intentions, so her only reasonable choice was t’ keep you from usin’ it or lettin’ anybody else know anything…”

“I see…” Twilight replied as she thought. “But… what about you?”

“As for me, she didn’t want me t’ accidentally say somethin’ that would wind up givin’ either of us away in some form or another… that pretty much sums up why we ain’t allowed t’ do this anymore… she’s jus’ lookin’ out for everypony’s best interests. That don’t go t’ say she ain’t feel bad about it, though… after you stormed out, she started cryin’ herself…”

“Oh… well now I feel horrible…” Twilight said, now remorseful. “I lost my temper and yelled at my mentor because of a crush, and it turns out she was just worried about everypony’s safety… she must hate me…” New tears began to stream from her eyes. “How could I be so selfish…? *sniffle* I wouldn’t be surprised if she never wanted to see me again…”

“She doesn’t hate you,” I assured. “There ain’t no way she could hate you. I’m sure she understands your feelin’s, but unfortunately, they had t’ take a back seat t’ her duties as ruler of Equestria. If anything, she prolly thinks YOU hate HER an’ don’t wanna see her again… But i’ss jus’ like I told your brother; you’re family. No arguments as small as that is gonna change that. She might be the Goddess of the Sun and the leader of Equestria an’ all, but remember… she’s also your aunt and your teacher.” I smiled at the unicorn as we held each other firmly in our forelegs.

“Thank you for that…” Twi said as she looked back at me and gave me a tearful smile.

In the rich orange light of the radiant, clear-skied sunset we were flying in, Twilight looked even more beautiful than ever. Her mane flowing freely in the unreasonably frigid wind as the waning sunlight hit her in just the way that made her large, gorgeous purple tear-stained eyes glimmer as she smiled warmly at me. In that moment, all my worries about me being human and from a different universe temporarily washed away as I smiled back at her. It still hurt that we’d never be able to share our true feelings like this again, but I was more focused on the little lavender unicorn I was holding than anything. After we stared into each other’s eyes for a few seconds as we hugged, we closed our eyes, moved in and locked our lips together once again. She tasted faintly of sweetened lemon, which I guess had something to do with the last thing she ate or drank while I wasn’t around. I also tasted the salt from her tears. I lost myself in the euphoria of it...

“*AHEM!*” Spike interrupted, clearly feeling a bit uncomfortable.

“*pop* Oops! Heh, sorry, Spike,” Twilight apologized, flustered and withdrawing from the embrace.

“Yea, my bad…” I added as I scratched my head in embarrassment. While Twilight was blushingly staring down yet again, I looked at Spike. He turned to look back at me, smiled and winked so as to convey the message, “I told you so.” I laughed, but I was still a bit resentful of him at that moment.

“You little mood-killer…”

The rest of the ride was awkwardly silent, but I couldn’t help but frequently glance at the object of my affections. I tried to avert my gaze, so as not to be tempted to flirt with Twilight and make Spike feel more unsettled than he already was. Twilight hardly moved from her position of discomfort, but I did catch her staring back at me a couple times, where she would swiftly look back at the floor of the chariot. She was adorable. Spike must’ve noticed our little game, because every time I looked at him, he seemed more and more annoyed as he stared off into space with a furrowed brow, away from Twi and I. Eventually, Twilight’s library came into view as we approached.

“Finally! I was getting tired of sitting here with you two flirting with each other…” Spike complained. I laughed at the dragon’s agitation.

“Don’t worry, Spike,” I began. “I promise that we won’t do nothin’ else in front o' you...” He looked at me and smiled. “’Cept this,” I quickly added as I kissed Twilight on the cheek, causing her to giggle and blush. I gave him a purposefully goofy smile. He shot daggers at me with his eyes before turning away. I was wondering if he felt… jealous, in a way. Nonetheless, we finally landed in front of Twilight’s library where, surprisingly, all of her friends were waiting for us.

“And you said you and Miss Sparkle were just friends…” I heard one of the guards say as we climbed out of the chariot. I cringed at that remark, seeing as I wasn’t expecting the same guards who took us to Canterlot to be the ones to bring us back to Ponyville, much less the ones to witness everything that went on during the way here… or were they the same guards…? They all looked alike… Damn…

“Hey!” “Howdy!” “Good Evening!” “Hello…” “Hiya, guys!” the five mares greeted in unison.

“What up, y’all.” “Hi, girls.” “Hey.” We also greeted in unison.

“How was your trip to Canterlot?” Rarity asked.

“It was… okay…” Twilight answered, showing a bit of disappointment in her voice.

“Yea… it ain’t turn out like we expected…” I added.

“’Okay?’ Why’s it just ‘okay’, sugarcube?” Applejack asked with concern.

“And what were you expecting?” Rainbow Dash interjected.

“Well I can tell ya one thing,” I began. “A lotta the ponies there are stuck up jerks… Other than that, the trip was amazin’ for me.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right,” Rainbow replied with a short laugh.

“The trip was fun for me, too! I even got to see Shining Armor and Cadence! It’s just that…” the purple unicorn hesitated on her words as she looked to the ground.

“What’s wrong, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked.

“We saw Princess Celestia and…”

“…she said that she wants me t’ leave… immediately.” I finished, shocking everyone but Twilight and Spike. “And once I’m gone… Twilight is forbidden to use the spell that brought me here ever again. For safety reasons…”

“Well that’s awfully mean of her!” Rainbow exclaimed.

“Yeah, that doesn’t sound like something Princess Celestia would do at all!” Pinkie continued. “Why would she just tell you to go back to your world without being able to come back?”

“Did you do anything to upset her?” Rarity asked.

“No… it wasn’t me or Twilight that did it. She had a fearful premonition put into her by a situation she was dealin’ with in some far-off countries in the east…”

“What in tarnation happened?” asked Applejack.

“She said somethin’ about a trade disagreement goin’ on between two countries over there. Apparently, the issue was caused by some stallion who was brought in from one country to the other. Turns out he was a traitor to both countries because he instigated the fight between ‘em in hopes of takin’ ‘em both over once they wore each other out.”

“Oh my… that just sounds dreadful,” began Fluttershy. “I couldn’t imagine what kind of horrible pony would do something so cruel… But what does that have to do with you and Twilight?”

“That situation put the fear in her. She said that some similar thing could happen should information about how t’ use Twilight’s spell be released, except on intergalactic levels because o’ shady individuals in either of our worlds possibly havin’ the intention of causin’ destruction in the other world— or both worlds. She doesn’t want Twilight t’ become a victim or a target, so that’s why she banned Twilight’s use of the spell once I’m gone. As for why I have to leave so abruptly, she basically doesn’t trust me to keep it quiet without accidentally lettin’ somethin’ slip. That, I didn’t fully agree with her on, but she made her points clear.”

“That’s horrible!” Rarity exclaimed. “While I do understand that Princess Celestia’s decisions are for the safety of Equestria, how could she just tear you two apart? Does she not know that you’re a couple?” I chortled nervously at her question.

“I uh… guess you could say that…” I answered as I sheepishly rubbed the back of my neck.

“Yeah, but I sure know,” Spike mockingly said as he shot glares at me and Twilight. I smiled apologetically at the dragon. He then started to smile mischievously at us, which made my smile drop into a wide-eyed begging stare.

“Don’t you do it, you little—!”

“On the way back, these two were all over each other! They were hugging nonstop, and they even ki— MMPH!” Spike was suddenly interrupted when Twilight hastily shoved her hoof into his mouth, scowling at him.

“Don’t feel so great, does it?” I jokingly asked the dragon. Unfortunately, it was too late as the endearingly quizzical looks on the other five mares’ faces showed that the damage had already been done.

“Whoa whoa whoa! Did he say what I think he was about to say?” Rainbow asked, grinning ear to ear with teary eyes.

“You and Twilight finally…?” Fluttershy began to ask, but trailed off.

“*sigh*… yes.” I admitted with defeat as I felt a wave of embarrassment take me over. I shyly looked to the ground, away from everyone to hide my face.

“D’aww, how wonderful!” Rarity proclaimed yet again. “And what better place to share such a special, beautiful moment than on a chariot in a romantic sunset? Twilight, I’m beginning to grow envious of you…”

“That’s absotively spectaculastic!” Pinkie Pie shouted. I had NO idea what she said. “It must’ve been so magical and romantic and giving you that funny feeling in your stomach like when you get hungry but you know you’re not hungry because you ate a humungous banana split twenty minutes ago, so you realize it’s your stomach being super-duper happy because it had the yummiest banana split ever and… *GAAAAASP* you see and kiss your special somepony, and that tickly feeling in your stomach becomes fifty kajillion times more tickly!” She ended her… monologue (?) with a trademark giggle.

“Uh… what?” I asked in complete confusion.

“She means that it must’ve felt really wonderful when you kissed Twilight,” answered Fluttershy. “And that you two must’ve had butterflies in your stomachs…”

“Oh…”

“BAA-HAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!” Rainbow erupted into a fit of laughter. “Oh man, the looks on your faces are priceless!” she added as she lay on her back cracking up, one foreleg clutched across her stomach as the other pointed at me and Twilight. I looked at the purple unicorn beside me to see her with her eyes squinted shut and her fore hoof over her face like she’d just seen something scary. Her cheeks were a bright red. Spike was stifling laughs of his own, clutching his mouth with both claws. “This is just too rich! Twilight with a special somepony!”

“Rainbow Dash… that isn’t very nice,” Fluttershy informed.

“Aw, come on, Fluttershy!” Rainbow shot back as she climbed back to her hooves, still laughing. “You can’t seriously be telling me you don’t find the idea of the egghead with a colt-friend funny!?”

“Well actually… No. I don’t see what’s funny about it… I think it’s very sweet.” The yellow pegasus's words were ignored as the blue one continued cracking up.

“Ignorin’ the rudeness of Rainbow Dash here, I think it’s mighty nice o' y’all t’ be honest with each other about yer feelin’s…” Applejack said with a warm smile. “Hay, I’ll even bet Rainbow’s actin’ like this cuz she’s jealous,” she added as she winked at us. Rainbow stopped laughing immediately and angrily glared at the farm pony.

“Am not!” She shouted at the orange farm pony. “Why would I be jealous!? I can easily get a special somepony of my own! It’s just that uh… I don’t have time is all…!” Everyone got a good laugh out of Rainbow’s sudden apprehension.

“Now who’re you tryin’ ta convince here, sugarcube? Us or yerself?”

“…Aw, whatever!” Rainbow dismissed as she pouted. “Can we talk about something else now?”

“Sure, Dashie!” Pinkie responded. “So Twilight… how was it? Was it special or romantic or giving you the hungry butterfly feeling?”

“Not exactly what I had in mind, Pinkie…”

“I um… think we’re getting a bit off-topic now…” Twilight answered uncertainly as she regained her composure, dodging Pinkie’s intrusive question. “I do have to take Ty back home pretty soon… now, actually.”

“Oh, yeah…” Pinkie sadly said. “What a bummer. We don’t even get to throw you a going-home party or anything!”

“Or give ya one o' my special baked apple pies t’ take back with ya,” Applejack continued.

“Or show you who the Wonderbolts are. Hay, I would’ve even shown you a Sonic Rainboom so you could brag to your friends in your world about seeing it,” Rainbow added.

“Ahh, i’ss fine…” I assured, although I was sorely disappointed about what the three mares told me I’d be missing out on. “There’s always… oh… right…” I’d almost forgotten that there wouldn’t be a next time. I dejectedly stared at the ground at that realization. A sudden blur of pink rushed over to me and pulled me into a tight, yet mercifully warm embrace.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t give you anything to remember us by…” Pinkie said, surprisingly not in a hyperactive tone, but in a more... calm and soothing one. “...but look on the bright side… we still got to meet and make friends with each other, and we had some really fun times together. And the best part is that we don’t have to forget about those times… We can just reflect on them and smile…” Her words opened my eyes greatly, especially because they were unpredictably wise coming from someone I’d assumed was nuts.

“Wow… thanks, Pinkie!” I said, rubbing a hoof on her back before we separated. “You’re right. We did have some pretty good ti— AGH!” she’d shoved another treat into my mouth. This time, it was a cupcake.

“Don’t forget to get your daily dose of sweets… y’know, for your Pica,” she advised with a heartfelt smile. I smiled back as I chewed and swallowed the delicious cupcake.

“I won’t… I promise.”

“Pinkie Promise?”

“I… don’t know what you mean…” She happily obliged in teaching me the Pinkie Promise, going through the motions of a silly little ritual while reciting the same phrase that Rainbow Dash had recited when I first met her.

“Now don’t you break that promise… because if you do, I’ll know… and I’ll getcha, no matter how far away you are!” she playfully warned, but followed it with a stern look that actually startled me. The seemingly hostile stare soon turned into an inviting warm smile.

“You have my word, Pinkie… So, anyone else want a goodbye hug?” The next pony to take me up on the offer was Fluttershy. She wrapped me almost as tightly as Pinkie did, but she felt softer.

“Thank you… for letting me know to be more comfortable with myself…” the kindly pegasus quietly praised.

“Aw, you’re welcome. But I didn’t teach you anything you didn’t already know,” I said back as I rubbed her silky smooth mane.

“Yes… but it’s still nice to talk to another pony that’s had the same problem before… even if he isn’t from this world.”

“Good point…” I agreed as we separated. “It was definitely a great experience talkin’ t’ you, Fluttershy. Shame that I can’t learn more about you. I jus’ know there’s more t’ you…” At that, she responded with a cute little smile. As Fluttershy stepped back, Applejack came forward. I cringed in fear at the orange mare, still remembering the last time she “hugged” me. She chuckled at my nervousness.

“S’alright, sugarcube. I’ll be gentle this time…” I believed her, calming down enough to be able to hug her. However, she still wound up squeezing me tighter than the other girls did.

“Ahh-ow! Heh heh, I thought you said you’d be gentle…”

“I am. Guess I don’t know my own strength sometimes… But yeah, it was nice havin’ ya over fer lunch yesterday.”

“Oh, it was my honor. Honestly, your cookin’ made me appreciate apples on a whole new level. I never tasted such delicious apple-related things before…”

“Aw, shucks… If only you’d-a got a taste o' the things I could make with some Zap Apples…” she said as we broke the hug. Before I could ask what a Zap Apple was, I was practically tackled by a white unicorn mare who seemed to be crying.

“Of all the worst things that could happen! This is The! Worst! Possible! Thing!” she melodramatically shouted through her tears. I laughed a little.

“As bad as this might be, and it’s VERY bad for me, I don’t think it’s the WORST thing t’ happen t’ anyone…”

“Oh, p-please forgive me…” she began, now (barely) under control of her emotions. “I’m just not able to handle such heart wrenching moments like this very well… I mean, Twilight finds herself a special somepony, and before you’re able to truly begin your relationship, you find yourselves being permanently separated from one another by a cruel act of fate! It doesn’t help that you’re also being torn away from all of us as well, never to return!” She then buried her head into my neck and sobbed uncontrollably for a prolonged amount of time. She seemed to be taking this much harder than anyone here, and I failed to understand why. Nevertheless, she was right. So I simply rubbed her back as she let her sadness out all over me like I was some sort of sopping wet safety blanket. I gave a puzzled look to everypony else, but even they couldn’t give me a clear answer for Rarity’s soap-opera behavior. Spike, however, was the only one to seem to have an idea.

“Hey, Rarity? I’m *sniffle* feeling a little sad, too… Can I have a hug?” Spike asked with what sounded like a feigned sense of despondency.

“Ohh, Spikey-Wikey!” the white unicorn practically screamed as she let go of me and quickly grabbed hold of the purple dragon to use as a walking handkerchief. I was actually relieved that he pulled that trick. I was sure Rarity would’ve never let me go if he didn’t. In any case, I looked towards a certain blue pegasus with spiky hair of every color on the color spectrum. The instant we locked eyes, she turned away and scratched her head.

“Listen, I uh… don’t do hugs…” she admitted. “At least, not with stallions…”

“What?” I skeptically asked. “I’ss not like I’m gonna bite you or anything. I’ss jus’ a simple li’l embrace. Jus’ like if you was huggin’ anyone else here.”

“Yeah, I know… but… It’s kind of weird for me… Is it okay of we just… I dunno, touch hooves or something?” That suggestion hurt me a little, but I was intrigued that she didn’t want to hug me just because I was a male pony. It gave me a new series of thoughts about the mare. Was she simply afraid of males? Or was she not very open about displaying her emotions around males other than Spike? Or maybe she didn’t want to display her feelings to a stallion in front of all her female friends? Or… she could quite possibly be a… no, it could be just her tomboyish personality that makes her not want to act all emotional and sappy… I didn’t suppose I’d ever figure it out. I wish I’d had more time to talk to her about it.

“Fine, come here,” I requested with a fore hoof held out towards her. Rainbow smirked as she approached me and touched her hoof with mine. She looked around with that smirk on her face, not noticing the one creeping across my own.

“You see?” she arrogantly began. “Now this guy knows how to say goodbye in a way that isn’t sa— WHOA!” I interrupted her as I grabbed hold of her hoof and yanked her towards me and locked her into a hug. “Hey! You jerk! You tricked me! Lemme go!” she objected.

“Not until you hug me back,” I calmly demanded. “You shouldn’t be afraid t’ be huggin’ anybody,” I added as I softly nuzzled her in an attempt to get her to warm up. She sure was quite the fighter, though. She kicked and squirmed and flapped her wings vehemently to escape my grasp.

“I said let me GO!!” she screamed as she haphazardly swiped a hoof across my face. I was stunned as I let her go to place a hoof on the cheek she slapped, gawking at her in shock. Everyone else collectively gasped.

“Rainbow! How could you??” Twilight berated.

“All he wanted was a hug… why would you respond by doing something so violent?” Rarity asked, seeming to have finally recovered from her tantrum.

“I… I didn’t mean it! It was just a kneejerk reaction, I swear!” The frantic sky blue pegasus tried to defend herself, to no avail as she got only scolding glares from her friends. Her ears fell to her head as she looked to the ground in shame.

“Hey, that was my fault,” I admitted. “I shoulda respected your wishes when you said you ain’t want a hug. Heh, I kinda deserved that slap. I’m sorry…” I reached out a hoof toward my enemy-turned-acquaintence to give her a proper hoof-touch. She looked up at me with such an uncharacteristic expression of guilt that I almost wasn’t sure I was talking to the same Rainbow Dash.

“…if there’s one thing you taught me, Ty, it’s how to own up to your mistakes…” she began, starting to smile sweetly. “But this time, it was my mistake, so I’M sorry.” She apologized as she trotted towards me. But, instead of touching hooves with me, she wrapped her forelegs around my neck, which surprised everyone. Despite being caught off-guard yet again, I welcomed her embrace as I rubbed her back. Her wings felt so different from the rest of her body. Instead of fur, there were actual feathers on them. Her embrace wasn’t quite as strong as everyone else’s (given that she likely only hugged me out of guilt), but I swore I could hear her heart pounding rapidly in her chest. It was actually kind of cute that a pony as headstrong and confident as Rainbow Dash would actually be nervous about something as simple as giving a stallion a hug.

“You’re adorable…” I muttered to her. “I hear your heart poundin’ a mile a minute…”

“If you tell ANYpony, I’ll find a way to your world and personally make you regret it…” she whispered back. I let out a soft chuckle.

“Deal,” I agreed as we broke the hug. “You got quite a swing there, by the way. I’mma be feelin’ that one for a few days…” Rainbow giggled.

“Yeah, again, sorry about that…”

“No apologies necessary. Think of it as a way t’ get me back for the first time we met.” We both shared another laugh. “Now get over here, Spike.” The dragon obliged my walking up to me, holding out a claw. I put a hoof on his head and smiled at him. He smiled back. “We had a lot t’ talk about while we was in the castle. Thanks for the convo, man,” I finished as I took the hoof off of his head and placed it in his claw.

“Oh, the pleasure was mine. It was nice being able to get some advice from another guy for once, considering most of my other friends are girls…” Everyone shared a chuckle at Spike’s comment.

“You ready, Ty?” Twilight asked.

“*sigh*…no. But we can’t delay the inevitable much longer, so le’ss go…” I sadly answered as I walked toward the purple unicorn.

“I’ll be back, girls…” Twilight’s voice wavered a bit as she bid her farewell.

“I’ss been real, i’ss been fun, but most importantly… I’ss been real fun.” I added, choking back tears of my own. Twilight’s horn lit up in that familiar magenta glow as she powered up the spell she’d soon never be able to use again once she returned from her trip to my world.

“Farewell!” “See ya!” “Bye!” “Goodbye!” “Catch ya on the flipside!” “Peace!” the five mares and the dragon saw us off as they waved. I waved at them in return before I heard a *POOF* and from there, all of my senses were suddenly filled with emptiness in the form of being dematerialized as every part of me was suddenly moving at an incredible speed once again…

*POOF*

“Well, that was fast…” I murmured, but I looked around and realized that we weren’t at my house; we were in Twilight’s room with the lights off. “Wait a minute… I’m pretty sure Celestia wanted you t’ take me back to MY home, Twi…” I quipped.

“I know that… but there’s one thing I’ve got to do before we go,” she said as she removed her saddlebags and set them on the floor.

“And what might that be?”

“This…” she answered as she wrapped her hooves around my neck, pulled me in close, and locked her lips with mine once again. I was shocked at her sneak attack, but I soon found myself participating actively. Given that she didn’t have much experience, we kept it simply at pressing our lips together time and time again as we hugged. We kept it up for what felt like forever before I opted to part with her for air.

“Wow… what a lustful li’l trick you pulled there… you sure do seem t’ like kissin’, huh?” I asked with a smile as we broke the embrace.

“Yeah…” she blushingly admitted. “I don’t know what it is, but… it gives me such a wonderful feeling… something I don’t think I’ve ever felt before…”

“You mean like that hungry-but-not-hungry butterfly feelin’ Pinkie was talkin’ about?”

“Sort of… I can’t explain it, but whatever it is, I REALLY like it. It’s phenomenal… This is definitely something I’m going to spend some time studying…”

“Ha. And I assume you brought us in here t’ avoid the awkwardness of kissin’ in front o’ your friends?”

“You’re smarter than I thought,” she quipped. “But I think we’ve wasted enough time. Let’s go… for real this time.”

“Alright… but I have one question...”

“What?”

“Forgive me if this sounds kinda dumb, but… what if you, say… cast the spell while we…”

“We’d probably get stuck that way for all I know,” she joked. “Then we’d have a HUGE problem on our hooves.” We both shared a short laugh.

“Yea, prob’ly…”

“Yeah…” she said as silence overtook the atmosphere. I found myself staring at Twilight intensely as she stared passionately back at me. Eventually, she shook her head in an attempt to regain focus. “Okay, we REALLY need to stop horsing around. Let’s go.”

“Gotcha... I see what you did there, by the way…” I said, snapping out of my trance as she powered up her horn once again and with a *POOF*, we were going back to my world… for real, this time…

*POOF*

After an extensive intergalactic teleportation trip, we were back in my world; my room, to be exact.

“Whew! Wow, does it feel good t’ be home again…” I said as I looked around the area as though I hadn’t seen it in months.

“That’s great and all, but…” Twilight began breathlessly. “Don’t get too comfortable yet; I still have to turn you back into your human form…”

“Aww, shit…”

“Oh… right…” I meekly mumbled as I began trembling in fear of the intense pain I was going to have to endure throughout the process. Her horn lit up as she prepared to cast the reverse-transformation spell on me. I moved so I was in front of the unicorn, stood straight, and closed my eyes in fright. “Oh, man, this is gonna—!” I was interrupted as I was shot with a beam of magic and instantly transformed back into my human form on all fours. My hands, my feet, everything! All back to normal in the blink of an eye. I even grew back to my original size and my clothes and hair were back to the way they were before I got pony-fied. I turned to check if I still had a tail, but I saw that even that was gone. I was completely shocked, to say the least as I sat. “…Hurt…? Wait, what? But… how…?”

“For some reason according to the spell book I was reading, reverse transformation works MUCH faster than the initial process.”

“But why didn’t turnin' back hu—AAH!” I said as I moved to sit down, only to feel sharp stabs of pain in my chest. “What the…? I don’t get it. Is this a side effect of the spell?” I asked as I poked various spots on my chest for more specific areas of discomfort. I found them the second I poked the sides of my torso, and cringed in agony.

“That’s odd… I thought I’d fixed up any potential injuries you’d have once you were transformed…”

“Now that I think of it…” I began with a strained voice. “…this is more likely Pinkie Pie an’ Applejack’s faults… Remember when Spike kicked me in my sides in the Canterlot library and I said that it still hurt?”

“Hmm… Oh, yeah! But other than that, you seemed perfectly alright… I don’t understand why you’d be in so much pain now.”

“I don’t get it either… Maybe the way pain is received by a pony is different than the way humans receive pain, even though I was a pony when I sustained these injuries… I can only assume that turnin’ back t’ human gave my body its original tolerance for pain. How long did it take Rainbow t’ recover from that broken wing again?”

“About a week or so. After that, she was back to flying around like she’d never broken it.”

“That doesn’t make sense… You ever been injured before?”

“Oh, plenty of times! I’ve had flowerpots, anvils, and pianos dropped on me, I’ve fallen down stairs, had doors slammed on me, and I’ve even been stung by a swarm of angry bees! That was all in one day just because of me denying the validity of Pinkie Pie’s Pinkie Sense, too. In just that one day, I’d estimate that I’d had every bone in my body broken except my neck… I’ve been injured a lot more than that, though… What?” I just looked at her like she was absolutely crazy. My mouth and eyes were wide open as I tried to fathom how anyone could survive all of that.

“Um… how are you even ALIVE, much less WALKING after all that???”

“I don’t have a clue myself. But those injuries healed in a matter of hours at the most, and I didn’t even have to use my magic. The way in which injuries like those heal never seems to be consistent. Either it takes a few minutes, a few hours, or a few days, no matter how severe the injury may be. How long would it take a human to recover from those types of injuries?”

“Well le’ss see… Havin’ a flowerpot dropped on you: Maybe a week at the most if it hits you in the head. An anvil or a piano? Instant death. Not such a pretty picture either…. Maybe a few months if someone is lucky enough to survive it. Even then, there ain’t a guarantee of a full recovery. Doors bein’ slammed on someone? Well, I’m pretty sure you know first-hand how well a human takes a door t’ the face…” she laughed. “If it wasn’t for you, I’d-a prolly recovered from that in a few days, but the cut and the sprained wrist would’ve lingered around longer… but bein’ stung by a swarm o’ bees? If you ain’t allergic, then the stings could prolly go away in like a couple weeks. If you are allergic… I’m pretty sure you’d be as good as dead. Recovery time in this world is VERY much consistent, too.”

“Wow, humans sure seem fragile here…” she assumed.

“Generally, yea. I mean, jus’ look at my hand for example,” I said as I showed the unicorn the palm of my right hand to reveal a small four-pointed star-shaped scar near the upper left corner on the top hand line.

“Wh… what is that?” she asked as she looked and placed a hoof on my hand to feel it.

“A scar, my dear lavender unicorn. I had it since I was little, an’ ALL I did was accidentally get my hand vertically cut open. If my memory serves to recall, it took about a month t’ heal, I was able t’ see inside my hand for two weeks, an’ I was left with this pretty little decoration ever since it healed. It hasn’t changed at all since it got t’ this point. I even got a few more on my arm. All of ‘em jus’ from cuts and sores, too. I’m shocked t’ see that you don’t have a scratch on you, considerin’ what YOU been through…”

“Now that you mention it… Even I don’t understand how scars are left on ponies. Some ponies I’ve seen have permanent scars, but it’s usually very rare. Hay, I’d even expected myself or even Rainbow Dash or Applejack to earn a few of them by now.”

“Hm. Lucky you—OOH!” I winced and clutched my side as I tried to move up to my bed. I painstakingly, yet hastily moved up onto my bed and lay flat on my back. “Oh, right… the Pinkie-Jack wounds…”

“Pinkie-Jack?” Twilight inquired with a giggle at the portmanteau.

“Hah, yeah… they both had a hand— err, hoof in this,” I said as I lifted my shirt partway up and felt my sides again to find the areas around my upper abdomen somewhat bloated and extremely sensitive to the point where simply trying to sit up was nearly impossible. It was like I spent an entire day doing over nine thousand crunches. “…but I think… Applejack takes the cake for most brutal Heimlich maneuver. If there was a next time, I think I’d nominate Fluttershy to help me if I was chokin’…” I joked again. It helped a little that I was able to get a couple of giggles out of my unicorn friend.

“Yeah, you keep joking. Maybe I’ll sneak Applejack over here one day after I tell her what you said…” she jested back.

“Hahahaha—Ow, it hurts t’ laugh…”

“Here, let me fix you up,” Twilight offered as she climbed onto the bed next to me and lit up her horn to cast her healing spell on me. The fact that there were no lights on and that it was night time made Twilight’s glow that much more fascinating as she used her spell. My torso ignited into the most wonderful purplish-pink aura I’d ever seen as I felt soft, warm tingles throughout my body. The spell was working like a charm as I felt the pains in my sides melt away into oblivion. When Twilight was done, she let out an exhale and lay her head on my belly.

“Thanks. You okay there?”

“Yeah, just… a little tired is all. I don’t think I’ll be able to transport myself back home right now…” she took on a look of worry. “I just hope Princess Celestia won’t be angry with me…”

“Hey, that reminds me… she said I had to go back as soon as possible… but she DIDN’T say YOU had to…” I slyly informed.

“Nice loophole, Ty, but I don’t thi—!”

“Come on… what’s a little extra time together gonna hurt?”

“Ty, I—!”

“Pleeeease? Besides, I still owe you a baked treat. Plus, I’m sure you’ve been missin’ this…” I said as I ran a hand down from the top of her head all the way down her back. She let out a satisfied moan of pleasure.

“That’s a cheap trick…” she tiredly said, getting comfortable as she climbed up onto my chest. “…but fine, I’ll stay JUST a bit longer.”

“Hooray…!” I whispered as I began to rub the fatigued mare down.

“Hmm, you’re just lucky I like these rub-downs of yours…”

“You sure it ain’t my charmin’ personality?”

“…I’ll just leave that to your speculation for right now... I’m exhausted...”

“Fine… sweet dreams, Twilight Sparkle…”

“Good night, Tyshawn…” she replied as she leaned forward to kiss me good night before laying her head down. I’d have thought that I being human again would’ve made her become hesitant about doing such a thing. But then I just guessed she was tired and maybe let herself get lost in her own enjoyment of the massage. Soon, I heard Twilight snoring lightly as she went limp on me, prompting me to stop rubbing her. I began slowly, but surely losing myself to intense waves of lethargy as I struggled to keep my eyelids open.

Even so, I began to mull over Princess Celestia’s choices as to what Twilight and I were allowed to do or what not to do. I replayed my conversation with the Sun Goddess in my head over and over again; her fearful premonition about my world based on an event in her own, why she was so hasty as to deliver such a harsh judgment upon me, given that she knew next to nothing about this world, and even why she didn’t trust me to keep quiet as long as I remained a pony in Equestria…

Was it possible that even a deity like her could actually let her lack of knowledge get the better of her? That she was… afraid of me because I was from somewhere she’d never been in all her years, to my knowledge? Why was it that that ONE scenario scared her so much that she pinned me as some sort of suspect? The more I pondered it, the more it seemed like… like she was hiding some important details from me. Why didn’t I ask her to elaborate? Why did I let her intimidate me into agreeing with her? How could I let Twilight down like that? The possibilities of Princess Celestia’s motives combined with my feelings of regret for not trying harder to argue my case overwhelmed my already-fatigued and addled mind as I drifted off to sleep. I was at least thankful that Twi managed to tire herself out so she could stay with me a bit longer. At first, it was because I was able to spend at least one more day with her, but after a little alone time with my thoughts, I realized that we needed to talk… badly…

An Urgent Discussion...

I awoke early once again as I noticed the sun had only just begun to rise as the darkness in my room was only slightly less prominent. As I yawned and tried bringing myself to a seated position, I noticed Twilight was still soundly asleep on top of me. So as not to disturb her, I very carefully slid her off of my chest and onto the bed. She looked so peaceful in her resting position that I couldn’t help but rub a hand on her back and kiss her on the forehead (of course, making sure to avoid that horn of hers in case she was dreaming again). Once I was out of bed, I grabbed a new set of clothes (for the first time in days) and went to clean myself up. Throughout the entire process, I considered my late-night questions about Princess Celestia that arose before I’d gone to sleep. I also thought about ways to begin a conversation with the unicorn about her mentor and where I'd go with it. I wasn’t sure exactly how she’d react or respond to it, but I did know that I wanted— no, NEEDED to talk to her. When I came back, I found Twilight stirring from her slumber with a stretch and a yawn.

“Mmm, good morning, Ty…” she sleepily, yet happily greeted.

“Good morning, Twi…”

“What’s the gameplan for our last day together?” That question made me want to start the discussion right there, but I felt that I’d have to be patient.

“About that…” I began. “Get washed up first. Then I’ll fill you in, okay?”

“Sure,” she complied as she leapt off of the bed and trotted into the bathroom. In that time, I thought I’d surprise her with a batch of pancakes. So I hurried downstairs as swiftly as I could, gathered the ingredients I needed, and got started cooking. Eventually, I’d finished, making six large, hot, fluffy pancakes for each of us. I placed some maple syrup, butter, and orange juice on the round dining room table. Remembering that Twi was a vegetarian, I sliced a green apple into sections and lined them up around her plate in lieu of any meat product. Afterwards, I hurried and set up some appropriate silverware and glasses neatly next to both of our plates.

“Ty? Are you down there?” I heard the mare call.

“Yea. Come down an’ eat!” I called back. She trotted down the stairs and into the kitchen looking like new. Her face lit up as she took in the strong, fresh aroma of the meal she was soon to eat. She saw me sitting down in the kitchen waiting for her and smiled with glee.

“Pancakes? For me?”

“Of course! This might not count as bakin’, but I figured I’d make somethin’ special for a special friend,” I brightly stated as I winked at her.

“Aw thanks, Ty! You really are sweet. Ooh, apples too?” she asked as she took her seat near me. “You went all out for this, huh?”

“Ah, this ain’t take too long. But that don’t mean I ain’t put a good deal of effort into it t’ make it good for ya. Le’ss dig in!” the unicorn nodded in agreement as we began to eat our breakfast. It was quite a sight to see watching her telekinetically lift the orange juice and pour some into the glass while at the same time manipulating the butter knife to cut a slice of butter onto her pancakes as she simultaneously poured some syrup on them. Nonetheless, there was an important matter to discuss and I would not allow any distractions to steer me away from it. “So Twi… how ya feelin’ about this bein’ our last day together?”

“I… I don’t know how to feel about it, frankly. I mean, I’m glad we’re able to do this, but at the same time, I still feel… like I’m disobeying Princess Celestia in a way… But I don’t want to say goodbye to you forever…” she solemnly replied as she magically sliced the pancake into cubes and levitated the fork into one of the pieces, then into her mouth. “Mmm, theshe are derichus!” she commended with a mouthful of pancake.

“Thank you. But like I said before, she never told you t’ go back as soon as you brought me back. Technically, you ain’t disobey anything. And I HATE the idea of saying goodbye t’ you, too… but while we’re on the topic of Princess Celestia… what do you think of her choices?”

“Honestly, I don’t think they’re very fair. I don’t understand why she would do something like permanently disable you from coming back to Equestria when you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Same here… I been thinkin’, though… what exactly do you think that scenario had t' do with us?”

“I’m not sure… I was too upset to figure out a reason myself. You talked to her. What reason did she give you?”

“Jus’ that she was afraid o’ what might happen if she allowed knowledge o’ your spell t’ be released… but I got t’ thinkin’ last night after you went t’ sleep an’ wondered what she was so afraid of… I feel like such an idiot right now because I didn’t call her out on it when I had the chance…”

“Well why didn’t you ask her to explain it further?” Twilight asked with concern.

“I… I let my fear for your safety and the fact that she’s the Goddess of the Sun get in the way o’ my judgment..." I admitted, feeling ashamed of myself.

"I see..." she pensively murmured as she fixated her eyes on me.

"Y-yea... I allowed her status t’ overpower my thought process… I doubted that I was gonna win an argument against a goddess/princess, so I choked and allowed myself to lose… I’m sorry.”

“Understandable… But like I told you, I can handle myself just fine. You don’t have to worry about me so much. If anything, I should worry about you. You’re more prone to accident than I am!” she remarked, to my comfort and amusement.

"Hm... when ya think about it, tha'ss prolly at least PARTIALLY true..."

“Maybe..." she smilingly concurred. "Ty, I’m going to tell you something that I don’t even want you BREATHING to anypony else…” that statement intrigued me.

“What is it?”

“Pinkie Promise me that you won’t tell anyone…”

“Aw come on, Tw—!” I froze as I looked at her. She wore a look of absolute seriousness. “Fine…” I agreed, rolling my eyes. “Cross my heart and hope t’ fly, stick a cupcake in my eye— OW! Dammit!” I accidentally wound up poking myself in the eye.

“Hm… close enough.” She giggled. “I remember the first time I made a Pinkie Promise… I did the same thing… Anyway, Princess Celestia may be the Princess of Equestria, AND she may have lived MUCH longer than anypony in our entire world, but… she doesn’t know everything.”

“Really??” I asked in shock, still rubbing my now-irritated eye. “I thought she was supposed t’ know everything since she’s a deity… Like how she knew my real name an’ called me by it as I left t’ go find you…”

“Did she now? That's interesting…" Twilight pondered, my last statement seeming to have fed her thoughts.

"Any idea on how she'd know my real name without me tellin' her?"

"Hmm... I'd say it was most likely a mind-reading spell. She probably cast it while she was using the magic-scan spell to figure out that you weren’t actually a pony..."

"Mind-readin'?? She can do that? And why WOULD she do that?" I asked, feeling a little violated by the possibility that Princess Celestia invaded my thoughts.

"Just to mess with you, I suppose...”

“Uh-huh...?" I skeptically stated, as I didn't take Celestia to be the joking type.

"I'm not saying it's the correct assumption to make, but... it is very likely. How else could she know your real name?"

"True dat..."

"Still, this should be proof enough to you that she doesn't know everything. And though I neglected to correct you on it until now... believe it or not, Celestia is NOT a goddess," the unicorn informed, much to my shock.

"Really?? I'd have never guessed..." I muttered, scratching my head.

“Yes… she’s the most powerful pony in our world by far and she’s one of only three alicorns currently in existence there. Despite that, she’s also mortal just like us. It’s just that she ages much more slowly than a normal pony would. Long story short, her position of power was decided when she was born. She never told me very much about her past, but she did at least allow me to learn that much about her. She’s lived for well over one thousand years and has overseen generation after generation of pony-kind, which allowed her knowledge and wisdom to expand exponentially over the years… much more than anypony, myself included, could ever hope to gain in a lifetime. However, she’s still learning new things just like everypony else. Seeing as she’s co-ruler of Equestria alongside her sister Luna AND she’s responsible for raising the sun every day, which ties up her schedule to no conceivable end, why do you think she has me studying the magic of friendship instead of doing it herself?” Twilight’s brief overview of the Princess opened my eyes wide.

"...So... is it safe t' say she’s more of a demigoddess than an actual deity, all things considered?”

"Correct," Twilight confirmed.

“I… I see… now I feel more idiotic than ever…”

“Don’t. You respected her views and her status over yours.”

“Yes, but… she seemed real shaken up by that situation she dealt with in those eastern countries… I still don’t get why she felt that it related so strongly t' us…”

“I’m… not quite so sure myself, either…” the unicorn concurred as she finished the last of her pancakes.

“Y’know, the more I thought about my li’l talk with Celestia last night… the more I kept feelin’ like she coulda been hidin’ somethin’… It annoys me greatly that I didn’t dig into her when I had the chance… now I’ll never be able to… an’ worse… I won’t be able t’ see you anymore because o’ my cowardice…”

“Ty… don’t feel so bad about it. You didn’t know what to expect of Princess Celestia then… and you were more concerned about my safety and the potential dangers to Equestria the princess mentioned than about… your feelings…”

“…and that’s why I feel like such a friggin’ fool. I didn’t take into account how you woulda felt if you’d-a stayed in the room t’ give your opinion. The Princess an’ I played a game o’ Poker an’ I MIGHT'VE had the winnin’ hand… but I folded under pressure like a foolish coward...” Twilight only managed to sigh at my guilt as we went silent for a little bit.

“…Tell ya what; What if we go back to Princess Celestia and see if we can find a reason for her decision?" Hearing that suggestion surprised me.

"W-what?? Really?"

"Of course! We might be able to get her to change her mind about it. Although she wouldn’t be too happy about me disobeying an order of hers, I personally feel we have a legitimate case to argue. That sound good?”

“That sounds amazing!" I almost readily agreed before coming to a sudden realization. "But… I think I’m gonna hafta stay here…”

“What?? Why??” the unicorn asked in utter disbelief.

“Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean I don’t wanna go back. I jus’ gotta deal with some issues I’m sure have arisen because o’ my two days o’ goin’ AWOL. As much as I HATE to say it… you’ll have to go talk t’ her without me. Even though I REALLY wanna go back an’ correct my own mistake of agreein’ with her actions… at this time, I can’t. I’m sure I got LOTSA ‘splainin’ t’ do t’ some people here… That an’ I’m pretty sure if I went with you, that would only screw up our chances of persuadin’ her, seein’ as, like you said, she’d likely be angry about you bringin’ me back after she specifically told you not to.”

“Hmm... You’re absolutely right… I understand. Don’t worry, Ty! I won’t let you down!” the mare assured, a new resolve seemingly implementing itself within her.

“Thanks, Twi… But are you sure you can change her mind or get any more info outta her than I did?”

“I’m her most faithful student, Tyshawn. I KNOW I can. She knows she can trust me. And besides… I’d hate to have to study that new butterfly feeling without my only suitable test subject…” she cleverly added as she batted her eyes at me. I smirked in amusement.

“My my, aren’t we cheeky?” I sarcastically asked. “But… ain’t you weirded out at all that I’m a different species than you?”

“At first, yes... but to be honest, I had a lot of time to think about that… Ever since I started to… um... like you… after we got away from those other humans.”

“Wow… you had those feelin’s for that long?” I asked in astonishment.

“Y-yes… When you told me you cared too much about me to let anything bad happen to me while I was here, even though we’d only known each other for a day. That made me feel so… so…”

“Special?” I guessed for her.

“Yeah. I don't know what it was, but... it made me want to stick around for a bit longer... to get to know you better as you taught me more about this world. I initially thought the feeling would just blow over as soon the next day came along, but spending more time with you made it increasingly hard to fight it... especially when you kissed me goodnight the day we traveled around Ponyville..."

"Oh... right... I wasn't sure what came over me. I... jus' figured it'd be a nice thing t' do after I told you I wasn't catchin' feelin's for ya... but then, that kiss kinda was a way t' let you know..."

"I figured. Thank you, by the way. Other than that, you grew on me. You've proven to be sweet, compassionate, and really charming in a way... You also seem to be pretty intelligent, given how much you've taught me..."

"Wow... I-I don't know what t' say..." I nervously stammered as my body increased in heat.

"In addition, I feel like you'd be able to understand me, given our juxtaposing backgrounds... I also admired your unique way of standing up for me when Rainbow Dash got mad at you, but took some of her frustration out on me… As dangerous a tactic as it may have been to allow her to hit you for stress relief, there's definitely a sign of nobility in it... Then there's how you were able to get along with all of my best friends, as well as my brother and my sister-in-law so easily."

"Heh, I guess that jus' proves our worlds ain't too different in terms o' how t' interact with others..."

"Very true... And as silly as it may sound... regarding that rumor about us being together, I actually DID allow myself a bit of time to think about what it would be like to... to... date somepony... I just wasn't sure as to why it was you who'd been coming up as a potential partner every time I mentally conjured up a scenario..." she blushingly admitted.

"...I... can't say you're alone there," I admitted back, eliciting a chuckle out of her.

"Going to Canterlot made me realize that I like you. That chat we had about special someponies, I'd like to think sealed it for me. I still didn’t know what to do about it, so I asked Cadence for advice. If it wasn't for the issue with Princess Celestia, I likely would've tried keeping it secret until I felt I was ready. Long story short, I feel… comfortable around you, to put it bluntly. I also like your sense of humor. You're quite a character..."

"Thanks."

"Mm-hmm. Even though you’re human, I still find myself attracted to you for some reason. I guess it’s kind of like Spike with Rarity, now that I think of it…” she blushed. “How embarrassing… All the times I’ve told him that he should get over his crush on Rarity and find a special dragon for himself… now look where I am…” I laughed.

“Ha! How ironic. But hey, he didn't seem t' mind when you kissed me the first time... well, not that much anyway. Heh, then again, you didn't exactly get to chat with him about it. Other than that, maybe there’s a chance for him.”

“Maybe, depending on how Rarity feels about interspecies relationships. I mean, for all she or anyone in my world other than Spike or Celestia knows, you’re a pony.”

“Yea, true… As for me, well… nobody even knows about you bein’ here, except those three weirdos... Good thing they don't know where I live... but still, I guarantee that we’d be looked down upon unless you transformed yourself into a human like how you made me a pony.”

“That’s true, too… Our worlds aren’t so different in that aspect. Mind if I ask you when you started to like me…?” she innocently suggested.

“Well, I’d hafta say when we was talkin’ t’ Fluttershy an’ you shared your story. I couldn’t believe a girl as cute an’ smart as you are coulda been so lonely… Even with all the love an’ affection you got from Armor, Cadence, an’ even Celestia an’ Spike when you was little… you still wound up puttin’ your studies on magic as the top priority…"

"I wasn't necessarily 'lonely...'" she countered. "I just preferred to be alone. It's virtually no different from what you told me about your preference for being alone."

"I know, but still... even with the friends you made since you got sent t’ Ponyville, you still seemed… like you wanted someone to be more than a friend, but not quite a family member of any sort… Someone especially close."

"Oh? And how, pray tell, did you figure that?"

"Hmph. Between how readily you allowed me t' sleep with you, the way you react when I rub you down, an' all the little telltale signs you'd sent me throughout our time together..."

"...No way, I couldn't have been giving off THAT strong a vibe..."

"Well to be fair, I wouldn't have noticed it myself were it not for Spike. He said you'd been actin' a bit funny around me when I talked to him..."

"Of course..." she blushed. "Leave it to Spike to give away my feelings before I do..."

"Don't sweat it. He only knew because I admitted t' him that I liked you, too... Or more, he tricked me int' admittin' it..."

"Tricked you? Heh, it goes to show you that Spike can prove to be smarter than he looks."

"Yea, I know... But other than that, I admire your resolve... Your undyin' determination to please your teacher, as well as your strive t' better yourself for the sake of everyone. But I also felt bad that you were lettin’ it get in the way o’ your social life."

"Can't argue with that... Sometimes, I feel like I STILL allow my studies to cloud my aptitude for free time..."

"It's alright, really. You do what you love, an' you enjoy doin' it. No reason t' be ashamed of it. It actually makes me admire you more for it. But generally, I really enjoyed your company, Twilight... You're quite the entertainer. You know how t' keep things interestin'. Oh, and admittedly, I thought you were really pretty the day we met... I really did mean it when I said you were beautiful the other day..."

"You... you really WEREN'T joking?" she asked in surprise. "You... honestly think I'm... b-beautiful?"

"Indeed. What interests me most about you is your personality... You're incredibly intelligent, you're open-minded, you're modest... Not t' mention you've taught me quite a bit about both you AND myself, considerin' the conversations we had..."

"I... I've learned quite a bit myself..." she concurred. "I have you to thank for teaching me as well..."

"Couldn't agree more... An' given what I've heard about you from your friends, you're a great pony t' be around... An' I know they're tellin' the truth because the last few days I spent with you have been absolutely wonderful, Twilight. You’re an awesome mare an' spendin’ time with you not only in Equestria as a pony, but here on Earth brought me t' be more attracted t’ you than I realized despite us bein' totally different in body…”

She didn’t say anything back; just simply stared at me with an endearing grin on her face. I cracked a smile back at her, to which she responded by practically leaping off of her chair and onto my lap to plant a huge sloppy, syrupy kiss on me. As messy as it was, I didn’t pull away from it. I actually enjoyed her untidy embrace.

“Hey, you mind warnin’ me before you decide t’ put your syrupy lips on me?” I teased.

“Heh heh, sorry…” she shyly apologized, still sitting on my lap and wiping the syrup off of her mouth with a magically-lifted napkin.

“You’re jus’ lucky I like you that much,” I said as I leaned in to give her a peck on the lips after she cleaned herself. “But before we get distracted, there’s still the issue of how t’ deal with Princess Celestia.”

“Oh, right! Okay, so what do we have in terms of her reasons?”

“She used that one scenario as a reason t’ ban us without givin’ a very good explanation for why other than ‘for the safety of Equestria,’ which was kind of a substitute for ‘I’m afraid of what to expect of the inhabitants of an alternate universe.’ She basically banned me for fear o' me leakin' any secret information out or havin' you get discovered usin' the spell. She banned your use of the intergalactic teleportation spell once you went back because o'f a bunch o' stuff havin' to do with hypothetical instances of people--or ponies-- causin' trouble with the spell. I'm actually surprised she didn't wipe my memory right there... then again, I prolly would've freaked out from my sudden lack of knowledge of where I was or who I'd been captured by... or why I was suddenly a horse. That wouldn't-a been pretty at all...”

“You got that right... Okay…” Twilight simply answered as she went silent in thought. “Alright, I have a few counterarguments right off the bat against your banishment and my discontinued use of the spell. However, I think I’ll have to investigate her motives in relation to this incident and why it plays such a huge factor in her choices. We know the crisis in the East caused her apprehension, but I’m sure that, if there are any, the real reasons for her fears will come out if I dig into the details of the situation. From there, I think I’ll be able to persuade her. Alright, I think I’m ready…” she said with an air of determination as she hopped off of my lap and onto the floor.

“You sure you got everything you need?” I asked as I gathered up the dishes and the breakfast supplies.

“I’m almost certain. But… I’ve never challenged Princess Celestia’s authority like this before… I… I don’t know if I’ll be able to follow through with it by myself. I wish you could come with me.”

“So do I… but I have my obligations here, and I need to get them settled before I take another trip to Equestria… that is, IF I’m able t’ take another trip to Equestria…”

“You WILL be able to come to Equestria again. You can count on me!”

“Thanks, Twi… I actually can’t believe you’re doin' this for me… I hope you succeed where I failed. I know you’ll have a better chance than I did, seein’ as you know her better than I do.”

“I’m doing it for both of us. I’m usually behind Princess Celestia’s decisions 100%, but this is one I feel like I HAVE to contest. It’s unfortunate that you couldn’t do it when you were there, but that’s okay; it’s probably better for us if she heard it from me, anyway. I refuse to disappoint you, Ty,” she replied as her horn lit up.

“Leavin’ now?” I asked in surprise.

“Yeah… I don’t want to, but… I feel like it’d be better to carry this out while the thoughts are still fresh in my mind. I’d love to stay and hang out with you, but—!”

“I understand. Before you go, though... Would you like a kiss for good luck?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Actually… I’d love that right now…” she said, her horn’s glow dying down. I smiled as I set the dishes in the sink nearby and set the supplies on the counter before I knelt down. Twilight stood up on her hind legs, wrapped her fore legs around me, and pressed her lips to mine. Surprisingly, it didn't feel so unusual... After a few seconds, each of us reluctantly pulled away as her horn began to light up once more.

“Good luck, Twilight,” I saw her off with a wave.

“Goodbye… for now, Ty.” With that, she vanished with a *POOF*. Already, I felt a welling emptiness growing in me, as this was the first time in what felt like forever that I was without her. But I knew she wouldn’t be gone for too long… I hoped.

“Godspeed, Twilight Sparkle… Godspeed…”

A New Mission...

I made the trip back to Equestria safely, but I knew I wasn’t here to enjoy the day. I had an objective to complete, and I had to complete it immediately; for my sake, for Celestia’s sake, and most importantly… for Ty’s sake. I arrived back in my room at the Golden Oaks Library in Ponyville, where I saw Spike was sleeping peacefully in his basket. It was unfortunate for him because I urgently needed him to send a letter to Celestia requesting another visit.

“Spike… Spiiiiike…” I gently called to him as I tapped his back. He groaned and grumbled as he turned away from me in his comfort. I really didn’t want to bother him, but I REALLY needed him. So I took drastic measures in waking him by whispering to him that there was a huge pile of rubies, emeralds, and sapphires waiting for him. He popped up almost instantly, wide awake.

“Jewels!? Where??” My #1 assistant popped up with newfound vigor as he looked around frantically for the false jewelry pile.

“Good morning, Spike.”

“Twilight? You’re back. Where are those jewels?” asked Spike with a yawn, wiping the sleepies out of his emerald-green eyes.

“Sorry to disappoint you, Spike, but um… I kind of… lied about that.”

“Ohh, why?” he whined in disappointment.

“I need you to send a letter to Princess Celestia requesting another appointment. This is extremely important.”

“Well why didn’t you just say so? I would’ve gotten up right away to help you…”

“Really, Spike?” I asked, a bit skeptical.

“Well… y’know, if you had some jewels. Or if Rarity was here.”

“I’ll take that as a ‘no,’” I said as I laughed.

“So, what’s so important about this letter?”

“Well… I need to have a little talk with the Princess… about her choices regarding Ty and I…”

“Oh. Hey, speaking of Ty, that reminds me: What was that you were always telling me about finding someone of my own species to fall in love with?” I instantly felt hot with embarrassment. I should’ve known this was coming… “Because you and Ty seemed to be REALLY close…”

"*sigh* Yes yes, I know... Practice what you preach..."

"Uh-huh..." he smirked.

"Okay Spike, I'll admit defeat, but I really ne--!"

"In a sec. I just want to bask in the moment of being right for once..." he stated, crossing his arms and smirking at me as if it was THAT big a deal that I found an extraterrestrial being interesting enough to... to...

“Spike, can this wa—?” I attempted to plea to no avail.

“It’s pretty ironic, don’tcha think?” He chortled. “The very pony who advised me to get over my crush on a pony because I’m a dragon winds up getting one of her own on an alien.”

“He’s not an alien, he’s a human,” I defended.

“Either way, he’s not a pony. Yet, you like him. Tell me, Twi: How does hyp… hypo… hippopotamus…”

“Hypocrisy,” I corrected for him, my patience with his taunting growing thinner by each excruciatingly urgent second.

“Yeah, that. How does THAT feel, hmm?” my little dragon inquired with a cute, smug little grin on his face.

“Listen, I don’t have time to be badgered about this right now, okay? I need you to take a letter this instant.”

“I dunno… Maybe if you give me a day off from my chores, I’ll consider it.” Spike chose the perfectly wrong time to start getting cute with me.

“Excuse me? And if I refuse?” I asked, appalled by such an under-hooved, conniving suggestion; coming from SPIKE of all ponies.

"CLEARLY, somepony needs to be reeducated in morality...!"

“Then certain someponies are going to be informed about a purple unicorn’s feelings for an alien…” I gasped in such disbelief at his shifty, manipulative tactic that I might’ve been able to swallow him whole.

“He’s NOT an alien, he’s human! And… are you… blackmailing me!?”

“Blackmail is SUCH an ugly word… I’d prefer ‘negotiating…’”

“Spike, I’ve had just about enough of this,” I raised my voice as my patience for my assistant’s game finally ran out. “Will you write the letter or not!?”

“Okay, calm down! Jeez, I was just kidding…” he unhappily obliged as he fetched a quill and a sheet of parchment.

“Thank you. Are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

“Okay. Dear Princess Celestia. It is with utmost respect and understanding of your plentifully busy schedule that I request another meeting with you. I strongly feel that I must talk with you as soon as you are available. Your most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Finished,” Spike said as he wrapped the letter into a scroll and ignited it to send it off.

“Thank you for being so compliant, Spike. For that, I’ll hear you out on your feelings for Rarity if you’d like.”

“Thanks but no thanks, Twilight. I actually have a date with her later on today.” He took me by surprise there.

“…Seriously??”

“Yeah. Right after you left to take Ty home, she couldn’t stop crying about how your oh-so precious relationship with him was ruined before it even began. I gave her another hug to try and comfort her and asked her if she’d like to spend the day with me to cheer her up. We have a reservation at the Ponyville café this afternoon,” he informed me with an elated smile.

“That’s great! But are you sure Rarity sees it as a date, too? Not just a--?"

"Yes, she does!" He confidently answered. "She even said it herself when she agreed to it. She told me, and I quote: 'Spike, I would LOVE to spend a day with you. I'm not terribly swamped with work this week, so I shall make it my top priority to arrange a meeting with you...'" the dragon explained, even going so far as to mimic Rarity's dialect to prove his point.

"Rrrrright. I didn't hear the word 'date' in that statement..." I replied, deadpanning.

"Doesn't matter. Clearly, it's a date. Nopony has to SAY the word 'date' for it to be a date, Twilight." I wasn't sure if he was trying to convince me or himself that this scheduled meeting with the fashionista was a 'date' as he described it. However, I didn't want to rain on his little 'date' parade, so I pushed the discussion no further.

"Well alright, then... I hope it all works out for you.” I was sincerely happy for my wonderful little dragon, but a small part of me still worried for him. While I was fairly confident that Rarity would understand his feelings despite him being a dragon, I was also certain that she’d likely be forced to decline any requests he made in terms of starting a relationship together. He’s not much that much younger than Rarity or myself, seeing as he was born when we were but fillies, but dragons are known to grow up at a much slower rate than ponies do unless they begin to instinctually exhibit greedy behavior. In that case, dragons will grow to full size in a matter of hours, which comes accompanied by an exponential increase of their greed. Seeing as Spike has been able to resist his avaricious urges in favor of his life with ponies, he’ll probably have some trouble trying to court Rarity simply because of his physical appearance. Nonetheless, an awkward silence passed over Spike and I as we waited for Princess Celestia’s response.

“So… how are things?” Spike asked as we sat in silence.

“They’re… good. Could be better, but you know…”

“Great…” we both went silent again as we fidgeted around, looking for things to talk about.

“…How do you think your date with Rari—!” *KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

“Oh, that must be her now!” Spike said with a newfound sense of excitement as he rushed downstairs to get the door. I followed suit and joined him down in the library, where I saw him open the door to let in a familiar white unicorn mare.

“Good morning, Spikey-Wikey!” Rarity thoughtfully greeted. “Oh, Twilight! I see you’ve returned. Good morning, dear!”

“Good morning Rarity.” “Good morning, Rarity…” Spike and I greeted back, although he sounded more… excited, for lack of a better term.

“I’m terribly sorry for dropping in so early, but I seem to have made a mistake in the scheduling of our date at the Ponyville café."

"And THERE'S the magic word, folks! Out of the mouth of the mare of the hour herself..." I glanced at Spike to see him shooting me an 'I told you so' smirk.

"It appears our reservation was set to be in a half hour instead of in three hours. I was wondering if that was okay with you, Spike.”

“Any time’s good for me, so long as it means spending time with you,” answered the seemingly awestruck dragon.

“Oh, dear Spike. Such a gentledragon…”

"I just need to freshen up a bit. Hang on." with that, he was on his way upstairs to clean himself up.

“Spike, wait!” I called. “I—!”

“I’m sure he’ll be able to finish his chores later, Twilight,” interrupted my generous friend. “Why not give him the morning off? I promise I’ll take good care of him.”

“Yes, but I—!”

“Pleeeeease, Twilight?” Spike begged, giving me a look that made him seem like a lost puppy. I glanced at Rarity to see her making the same face, only she was poking her bottom lip out. It was two to one, and I couldn’t bear to hurt either of my friends all because I was waiting for a letter that would usually come when I least expected it. It didn’t help that they were giving me those unbelievably cute pouty stares, either…

“*sigh* fine…” I reluctantly permitted.

“YES!!” shouted a now-ecstatic Spike, running the rest of the way upstairs for a quick wash.

“Thank you, Twilight!” Rarity said as she cantered over to give me a hug, which I half-heartedly returned out of disappointment. “I assure you, he will be perfectly safe with me. Come, Spikey. If we hurry now, we may be able to make it in time.”

“Gotcha. Right behind ya!” called Spike as he hurried back down the stairs after he was done with his business.

“Oh, and you have my condolences for what happened to Ty, Twilight! I’m sure things will look up for you soon!”

“Can you please hurry ba—!?” I didn’t even get to finish my request as the two were out the door in an instant. I was instantly angry at myself for not standing my ground. But, Spike did kind of deserve a break, and it isn’t very often that he gets to spend time with his crush that didn’t have to do with him helping her around the boutique. Then again, I REALLY needed him here with me in case Princess Celestia sent a response. And I needed one A.S.A.P. so I could get my chance to argue my case.

“Ohh…! Dammit!” *GASP* “…Ty, you and your mouth…” I worriedly muttered to myself as I decided to spend the alone time I’d now had to formulate and solidify my arguments.

Meanwhile, back in Human land…

“Okay, where’s my phone…?” I asked myself as I went back up the stairs and into my room. I saw it flashing on and off underneath my bed. I picked it up to see that the battery was low, so I plugged it into the charger before checking for any updates.

“Le’ss see here… twelve missed calls, five text messages, and two voicemails… I missed quite a lot here…” I mumbled as I began to read the texts. Most of them were simple “hellos” while the others were stupid “Forward this to all your friends if you don’t want a random little zombie girl with a chainsaw to hack you into pieces at 12:57 AM at the 46th second” messages. I moved on to see who’d called and saw that I’d missed calls from my mother, a couple friends, and my job.

I was beginning to get a bit worried before I checked the voicemails. One of them was simply the messenger hanging up, but the other one was a detailed description of what happens to employees who decide to pull “no-call, no-shows,” which is basically what happens if a person simply decides not to show up to work without warning. In any case, I now had a legitimate reason to regret going to Equestria for two days. Lucky me that the first day I’d spent there was my last off day for the week. Turns out I would’ve been fired on the spot, but seeing as I’d had perfect attendance up until this point, the higher-ups decided to be lenient and dock my next paycheck by that day.

“*sigh* crap… There goes $60 for that new game I was hopin’ t’ get… Still better than gettin’ my ass fired, I guess. I suppose I’d better make up some kinda lie t’ get through the day faster… ah, whatever, I’mma jus’ tell ‘em I got a stomach virus or somethin’…” I glanced at the time to see that it read 7:07 AM. I realized I needed to be at work in the city before 8:00, so, with a burst of adrenaline and a disheveled fit of profanity that would shock even a construction worker, I hurriedly prepared to go to work.

Rejoining Twilight in Equestria…

I already had my arguments planned out, so I spent some time (I’d estimate a couple of hours) checking them, rechecking them, then rechecking them another seventeen times over before I felt satisfied with the information I had. After that, I wasn’t sure what to do with myself until Spike got back. I sat and pondered as I scoured the plethora of bookshelves in the library. I’d read all of these books before, but one of them caught my eye in an instant. I cast a telekinesis spell on it and brought it closer to examine its title.

“Whimsical Osculation: A Beginner’s Guide… I don't remember reading this one...” I was at first, confused about how I’d let such a book escape my usually-meticulous watch. Confusion soon found itself turning into curiosity as I opened the book and skimmed its contents. “Mm-hmm… Mm-hmm… Oh… OH… Wow, you can do that…? Oh, my… *GASP* Wow…” I lay on the floor on my back, my eyes widened in not so much shock as they were in intrigue at all the different… techniques that were available to use. I was feeling that "butterfly" sensation in my stomach again by the time I'd finished reading through the advice guide. I set the book down and began to let my mind reflect on all the different methods I’d just learned… If only Ty were here…

“NO! I can’t let myself be distracted! I have to focus!” I snapped myself out of my sudden trance and brought myself back to the issue at hoof; my discussion with Princess Celestia. “Please please PLEEEEEASE hurry up and come back, Spike…” My moments of solitude were interrupted by a knock at the door. I sprang up with joy as I trotted over to answer…

“Uh… Hey, Twilight,” my guest greeted with an apparrent sense of self-consciousness, to my complete surprise...

Minor Setbacks and Technical Difficulties!

Beginning with Ty...

So far, I’d already managed to get chewed out by my boss for my absence and lose a day’s worth of pay. What a bright first day back on Earth this was turning out to be! In a seemingly record amount of time, I found myself missing my favorite little unicorn. However, my faith in her was strong, and I hoped for the best as I shifted the focus of my thoughts to my job, so as not to worry about Twilight too much…

Meanwhile, in Ponyville…

“Rainbow Dash! Hey, how’s it going?” I greeted in pleasant surprise. I was a little disappointed that it was her instead of Spike at my door, but I was also concerned as she stood there looking at the ground with one of her fore hooves scratching her multicolored mane.

“It’s… great. I don’t have much work to do today, so I decided I’d… just pop in for a surprise visit to my best friend,” she replied as I let her in, sounding suspiciously unsure of herself.

“…Is there something wrong? You seem upset.”

“No! Nothing at all!” she frantically answered.

"You sure? It seems to me that something's bothering you..."

"No, no... I-I'm good. I just wanted to see how my best pal was doing..."

"Just stopping by to see how I was doing...? That isn't like Rainbow at all..."

"Oookay...? Is it... because Ty is gone now?" I guessed.

"Not quite... Sorry about what happened, by the way. Things will... get... better...?" the sky blue mare uneasily consoled.

"Don't worry. I'm not quite done with that issue just yet," I assured, all the while keeping my self-appointed mission secret for now. "In any case, have you checked in with the others to see how they're doing?"

"No. I'm sure they're all fine," she simply answered.

"That doesn't make sense... Why would she care about what I was doing and nopony else...?" I was getting doubtful of her true motive for popping in unannounced. She had to have some reason to come here so suddenly without anypony else, and I was going to find out.

“Alright then…? Are you looking for a new copy of Daring Do? Because the newest one came out about two weeks ago, but I’m pretty sure I already lent it to you.”

“No…”

“Is there something you need to talk about?”

“Kind of…” whatever was bothering her must’ve really been severe if it had her acting more withdrawn than Fluttershy.

“Well… what is it?”

“I… um… I uh…” she stumbled over her words as her eyes darted around the library. Eventually, her gaze turned to the book I’d accidentally left on the floor behind me. “Hey, what’s that?” now it was MY turn to be embarrassed…

“Oh! Nothing! I was just… doing some studying… y’know, boring ol’ egghead stuff,” I hastily answered as I quickly willed the book back into its rightful place. Unfortunately, Dash saw right through my sudden sense of discomfort as she trotted past me to get a better glimpse.

“Whimsical Osculation…? What’s that book about? And why are you so embarrassed about it?”

“Embarrassed? Me?? No, no, I'm not embarrassed at all!" I reasoned, following with a nervous chuckle. I already felt my face getting hotter than a tea kettle as Rainbow picked the reading material up. "It’s um… a book about the wonders of correctly identifying configurations in various constellations in stars during the night that are formed like… like musical instruments!” I grinned sheepishly at her, secretly hoping I’d bored her with my explanation. She stared at me with a deadpan expression that already told me she wasn’t buying it.

“Y’know, you’re almost as bad a liar as Applejack,” she told me as she focused her attention on the book and read a few pages in it. I felt my face become hotter than sweet Celestia’s sun as my periwinkle pegasus friend looked back up at me, snickering. “R-really, Twi? A kissing book??” before I could defend myself, she burst into a fit of laughter.

“*sigh* Yes,” I admitted in defeat. “But it was purely for educational purposes, I promise!"

"Education for what, exactly?" she laughingly asked.

"For... for.... um... *sigh* it doesn't matter," I concluded, shaking my head in annoyance. "ANYWAY, what reason are you here?” I asked, trying not to sound impatient with my inquiry. Nonetheless, Rainbow Dash's laughter stopped more immediately than it began as she threw herself back into her shell. "It's pretty clear to me that something's bothering you, and I'd like to know what, exactly..."

“Oh, right. Well… y’see… I kinda… need advice on something…”

“Oh? Alright...” I replied, my interest piqued. "About what, exactly?"

"Well... it's sort of a long story and I don't wanna bore you with the details... Plus, it's kind of a personal thing, so PLEASE don't let the other girls know I came to you about this..."

"Believe me when I say this, Dash: I have ALL the time you need. But why is it imperative that the others not be informed about it?"

"Because..." she paused to gulp. "I-it's embarrassing..."

"Ah... Okay, I understand. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," I Pinkie promised. "Not a word of this will leak to anypony else. Now tell me..." I implored, trotting up to my friend and placing a hoof on her shoulder. "What's on your mind?"

"Well... since you're the only one out of us who probably has any quality experience on it..."

"Yeees?"

STOP! Human time…!

“I heard you telling the boss about a stomach virus, but I’m not buying that. You told me yourself you haven’t had a stomach virus in years. What REALLY happened to you?” my nosey coworker asked.

“Don’t worry ‘bout it. All that matters now is that I’m here,” I answered curtly.

“He was prolly with some girl yesterday,” another coworker quipped solely to antagonize me. “Wha’ss her name? She cute?”

“I told y’all, don’t worry ‘bout it,” I demanded, now getting a little agitated. Well, more than I already was.

“What’re you so afraid of that you can’t tell us who you were with yesterday?” the first prying coworker asked.

“How would yo ass even know if I was with somebody? Stop listenin' t' this a-hole.”

“What, was it a dude you was with?” asked the second coworker, who got enjoyment out of egging me on whenever I got mad. This day was unfortunately no exception. I was already in hot water, so I simply tried to ignore the intrusive remark. “You know, we ain’t got a problem with homosexuals ‘round here. I’ss okay if you are.” He was WAY too good at this.

“Man, I ain’t gay,” I irritably shot back.

“Then why ain’t you tryna tell us who you was with yesterday?” This guy was SO convinced that I was doing something he had no business knowing about with someone he had no business knowing about and there was hardly anything I could think of saying or doing to shut him up.

"Oh, man... You are gettin' me SO angry..." I mumbled as I rubbed a hand on my forehead, which I swore was throbbing from a suddenly heightened blood pressure.

"Well, you wouldn't be if you'd jus' tell us who you was with. Why is it so hard for you t' jus' tell us?"

"Ugh, maybe I NEEDED t' miss work yesterday..." At this point, I could already feel the migraine coming on from the sheer stupidity of the interrogation I was being placed under. So I did what I usually do when I'm faced with an impossibly moronic situation where fighting it only makes it worse; I intentionally lost all sense of caring and decided to go with the Bartleby approach.

“Because… I would prefer not to,” I simply answered after taking a deep breath to simmer down.

“Why the hell not?” asked the first coworker.

“I would prefer not to.”

"Dude, we swear, we won't tell anybody! Can you PLEASE just tell us what you were doing to miss work yesterday?"

"I would pefer not to."

“Get your asses back to work!” shouted a new voice.

“I would prefer not to,” I foolishly answered. I realized my mistake as soon as I turned around to see my boss, a big burly man with a bald head in formal attire that made him look like he was going to court, glaring angrily at me and my “friends”; specifically at me. He walked over to me, looking none too pleased.

“What was that, boy?” He was about my height, but he was much more muscular. Compared to him, I was a walking faggot. (DISCLAIMER: In America, the word ‘faggot’ is --or at least WAS-- the term used to describe a pile or bundle of twigs.)

“Ooh shit, son…!”

“I um… I would prefer not to… let you down, sir! I was jus’ tellin’ these guys the same thing when they was… askin’ me if I would ever slack off on the job!” I nervously lied with a noticeably frightened titter.

“Hm. That’s what I like to hear. You might’ve missed a day without tellin’ anyone, but I see you haven’t lost your work ethic. Keep it up.” With that, he made his way out. I was still shaking in fear at what I could only guess almost happened to me.

“Come on, Twi… PLEASE get done soon…” I murmured.

"...So 'Twi' is her nickname?" asked one of my coworkers. I took that moment to introduce the palm of my hand to my face.

"*sigh* Goddammit..."

Back to Twilight…

“Wow, Rainbow… I… I had no idea you had so much trouble with that…” I said in shock after listening to her crisis.

“Yeah. To be perfectly honest with you, I thought you had trouble with the same thing… you know, with you being an egghead and all…” I could see her troubles did nothing to change her somewhat brash thought process.

“Rrrrright... Well in my case, it just kind of… happened. Neither of us really tried to do anything.”

“And that’s what I don’t get!” Rainbow began in stark distress. “How come a special somepony falls right into your hooves without you even trying? I mean, what’s wrong with me that I can’t find somepony like that?” she seemed so distraught. I felt for her, but I was equally as shocked as I was sympathetic.

“Well, he’s from an alternate universe that I accidentally visited, so I think it was more of me falling into HIS hooves. I can’t rightly explain it myself, but… everything just played out the way it did..." At that moment, a sudden thought had hit me. "Rainbow Dash… were you… jealous??”

“No…!"

"Are you certain?"

"...Okay yeah, kind of. I… I just don’t get it. I’ve overheard tons of other ponies talking about how they’d like to go on dates with Fluttershy or Applejack, and even a few that preferred Pinkie Pie. And we BOTH know that Spike obsesses over Rarity. I thought we’d be the only two single ladies out there… then you met Ty. It stinks that he’s gone, but you still had somepony care for you that way.”

“Well I'm sorry to hear about your troubles, but I don't know exactly what I could tell you in terms of solving this dilemma of yours... And speaking of Ty, I was actually going to try and see if I could convince Princess Celestia to change her mind."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Well that's good that you're fighting for somepony you care about. Are you sure you can talk her into letting him back? Do you need any help?"

"No, that's alright," I respectfully declined, considering who (or WHAT) I was going to argue for. "And I'm fairly confident I can change her disposition."

"Oh, alright. How come you aren't in Canterlot now?"

"Trust me, I'd have been there hours ago if I was given the chance. I sent a letter this morning, but before I could get a response, Rarity took Spike off on a date.” In that instant, Rainbow's face contorted to one of total slack-jawed astonishment.

“Are you kidding me!?” Rainbow practically shrieked. “Now THEY’RE dating??”

“Not quite. You see—!”

“I thought I’d be able to find SOMEpony before Rarity ever considered Spike an option!” she almost sounded like she was going to cry.

“You weren’t there when he asked her? He told me he did right after Ty and I left. Besides, I thought you said you didn't have the time to meet a special somepony when Applejack said you were jealous...?”

“No. As soon as you left, I went home. And I only said that to get her off my back. But anyway, how do you expect to change Princess Celestia's mind when you see her again? What makes you want to talk to her about Ty rather than just finding somepony else like him?”

“You and I both know that isn't how something as complex as romantic feelings works. I couldn't just give up on him and decide to be interested in someone else. Especially when he was essentially banished before I even got to know him."

"Point taken."

"Indeed. As for my appointment with the princess, I spent the night in the other universe with Ty. In that time, we started to talk about Celestia’s decisions and how unfair they seemed. We both came to a consensus that she may not have given us all the details for her rules, so I decided to try and pay her another visit in hopes of changing her mind. But thanks to Rarity, I don’t know if I’m going to be able to do that today or not because I needed Spike. Until they get back, I’ve got all the time in the world to sit here and wait for them...”

“That’s great!” exclaimed Rainbow.

“Great? I hardly find anything great about—!”

“I mean, it’s great that you have this free time, because I need you to teach me how to be more… appealing.”

“Rainbow, I have nothing to teach you on that subject. I think it’s a matter of preference for everypony, anyway.”

“Yeah, but as you can see, nopony seems to find me very ‘preferable!’ Maybe I’d have a better chance at going to that other universe and finding somepony there…”

"Now THERE'S an idea..."

"I mean, if you could find somepony there, then maybe you could take me there sometime if Celestia DOES change her mind..."

"Huh... I'd never have taken Rainbow of all ponies to yearn for romantic companionship so badly... Still, that suggestion is outright unorthodox..."

“I… wouldn’t bet on it...” I uncertainly countered. I was unsure of how to tell her that the other universe was inhabited by humans, but I realized that my response wasn’t the best one.

“And what’s THAT supposed to mean!?” asked an expectantly offended Rainbow.

“No, I didn’t mean it like that! *sigh* Listen, I don’t really know what to tell you except to be comfortable with yourself and be confident… And um... just... give it a shot. I'm... sure there's somepony out there for you..." I found myself bumbling over my words due to my lack of experience on the subject. "Ohh, Ty knew more about this sort of thing than I do…”

“He did?”

“Well, I THINK he did. He’s really good at giving advice to other ponies... I know that first-hoof. He did a great job at talking to Fluttershy about her reclusive nature when they met, for example... He's definitely taught me a thing or two as well...”

"That right?"

"Don't take MY word for it, but I'm pretty sure he could help you once I'm done with my errand... of course, as soon as Spike gets back here..."

"Uh-huh..." At that, the library went quiet for a brief moment. "…Say, where DID Spike and Rarity go?” Rainbow asked, breaking the silence.

“I believe they said they were headed to the Ponyville café, but that was a few hours ago. Why?”

“Maybe I could go check on them and see if Spike got that letter yet. If he did, then I’ll be back to bring it to you. If not, then… then I’ll take you to Canterlot myself.” My face brightened with joy at Dash’s proposition.

“You would do that for me, Rainbow?” I asked, barely able to hide my new-found excitement, although I figured she was doing this partly to sort out her own dilemma.

“Like I said, I’m not the Element of Loyalty for nothin’!”

“Ohh, thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!” I repeated as I hugged the pegasus mare tight.

“Heh heh, no problem, Twilight,” she answered as she freed herself from my grasp and reared up to fly out of a window. “I’ll be back in a flash!”

“Wait, Rainbow, please use the—!” she disappeared through the window in a polychromatic flash before I could finish. “…door.”

Joining Ty on Earth... a couple hours and a bout of Sailor Mouth later...

FINALLY, my miserable work day had come to a thankfully peaceful close as I looked at the clock to see that it read 4:39 PM. I couldn’t wait to get out of this obnoxious city and back into my comfortable abode almost an hour’s drive away. However, I wouldn’t be getting there as soon as I’d liked, as three ODDLY familiar faces came walking towards me from the other end of the sidewalk. I immediately thought about ducking into the nearest alleyway. It was too late as one of them had already seen me, prompting them all to approach me. I instead froze in place, hoping that they were some kind of dinosaurs and that if I didn’t move, they would stop seeing me and move on.

“Man, today jus’ AIN’T my damn day…”

“Hey, man! I remember you!” said the heavyset guy, now wearing a black “20% Cooler than You” T-shirt.

“Do you, now?” I asked, trying my best to keep calm while playing dumb.

“Yeah,” answered the second guy, the thin one who wore what I could now guess was the Rainbow Dash hoodie. “How could we possibly forget you?”

“Beats the hell outta me… y’know, there’s tons o’ people in this world. I'ss a big place. You prolly saw somebody else. I’m just a stranger,” I replied, still feigning ignorance.

“Sure, but how many strangers are able to magically teleport out of a compromising situation?” asked the third guy, now wearing an orange T-shirt with the design of a trio of red apples on it. If anything, it looked… like Applejack’s Cutie Mark! Nonetheless, these guys were interrogating me, and I wanted out.

“M-maybe there’s actually such things as magicians…?” I was already out of ideas for snippy, yet falsely stupid statements. I was just left with actually stupid statements.

“Listen, you don’t have to play dumb with us. We know you had Twilight Sparkle with you the other day,” said the first guy. He completely blew me away, because I had absolutely NO clue how he could’ve known that. I still felt the need to play dumb, so that’s exactly what I did.

“Twilight what? I don’t read that teenage vampire-werewolf romance garbage…”

“No, not the books! The pony! You know, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, the TV show? Twilight Sparkle? The purple one with the horn and the dark blue mane with the purple and pink stripe in it? Her Cutie Mark is a pink six-pointed star surrounded by a bunch of smaller white stars?” I thought I was blown away by the fact that he knew Twilight’s name, but the fact that he knew ALL of this!? It didn’t make sense…

“Hol’ up… WHAT TV SHOW!?” I asked in utter disbelief.

“Wow, you seriously don’t know about My Little Pony?” asked the guy in the Rainbow Dash hoodie.

“I do, but I guess I ain’t exactly a fan of it…” or was I….? Anyway, I HAD to see what these guys knew. “This… Twilight Sparkle. She’s… a character in this show?”

“Yep. She’s the main one. Her and her five friends, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie. She studies for Princess Celestia and has a pet dragon named Spike. They all live in a land called ‘Equestria.’” From there, it ALL became clear to me…If what they were saying was true, then I had LITERALLY spent almost a week with a cartoon character, and two days inside the actual cartoon. A girls’ cartoon that I only knew had a good amount of grown men and women for fans. I went to the world these guys were saying existed only in a TV show, managed to get to know— AND KISS— the main character, and met every pony and dragon they named… and I enjoyed it.

But, if Equestria and all the ponies in it WERE supposed to be fictional, then how… how did Twilight find her way here? How did she have the ability to bring me there and turn me into a pony? I mean, if this all happened to me, and I have vivid memory of it all happening to me, then it couldn’t have been any kind of dream. It wasn’t a drug trip, either because I make it a point to stay away from that. My entire perception on reality was thrown for the loop of a lifetime… Still, little did these guys know… Equestria was an actual place. The ponies were real. I guessed they must be so far away that literally the only thing that could get someone to them… was magic; something that was said not to exist in this world.

I didn’t know WHAT to think… but one thought did come to mind; I wasn’t going to tell these fools anything about my experiences. One, I already knew I’d sound like I was on drugs or I’d gone insane. But then, these three DID see me teleport away from them. Two, I wasn’t going to allow anyone in this world to know about Twilight’s being here at one point. Even if these guys knew who she and her friends were, I wasn’t going to allow them to know about anything I’d learned or experienced with her. For safety reasons, of course. Three, I figured that even if Twilight was able convince Princess Celestia to allow me back to Equestria, she would probably still impose some kind of condition that I be the ONLY human to even know about the factual existence of the place.

“Well… ain’t that nice?” I nonchalantly said. “That show definitely sounds like one t’ watch. But, I’m sorry. I don’t know what’cha talkin’ about. I don’t have any Twilight Sparkle with m—!”

*POOF!* I was interrupted as a sudden magenta flash appeared in front of me. A second later, a scroll with some kind of… royal seal on it manifested itself in front of my face, highlighted in an all-too-familiar purplish-pink glow.

"Ohh, fuck me senseless..." The three strange men and I just gazed at it in awe. I soon snapped out of my trance and grabbed the levitating scroll and slowly put it into my pocket. I figured that Twilight must’ve sent me a message from Equestria by casting the universal travel spell on the letter. Instantly, I knew I was outright boned as I saw the three men giving me the most unsettling crazed looks I’d ever seen.

“Well, aren’t you gonna read it?” asked the Rainbow Dash-hoodied guy.

I responded by taking three steps back, turning around, and hauling ass like I’d never hauled ass before. As I expected, the three guys followed in hot pursuit. There was only one thing on my mind at that moment, and it was this:

“FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU—!”

Aaaaand, as for Ponyville…

“There. I hope that gets to him safely,” I said to myself as I waited upstairs in my room after casting the universal spell on a letter I'd written for Ty. I began pacing about with incredible angst. I wanted to get this task done already so I could see him again… The hours of lethargic indolence were taking their toll on me. I’d waited all morning and into the afternoon for either Spike or Rainbow Dash to come bursting in with some kind of message from the princess. “I can’t believe how much I miss him already… Where are you, Spike, or Rainbow Dash or whoever...?”

*SLAM*

“Twilight! It’s here!” shouted a familiar voice from down below. But it didn’t sound like Rainbow Dash… It sounded like Spike. I was quick to gallop out of my room and down the stairs to see my #1 assistant on the floor and out of breath as he held up the scroll. Eagerly, I magically lifted the scroll from Spike’s claw and unrolled it to read its contents:

Dearest Twilight Sparkle,

I apologize for replying to you on such a late notice, as I was scheduled for a last-minute meet-and-greet with some official ponies from Appleloosa. I presume that by now, you have already fulfilled your task of returning Ty to his home and that you currently wish to speak to me about the matter. I am pleased to inform you that the remainder of my afternoon for today seems to be clear. I am able to make time for a meeting with you, but unfortunately, I cannot send you a chariot. Today is the transportation pegasus guards’ day off and I must stay put in the case that there is a sudden emergency that I must tend to. I am afraid you’ll have to find some other means to get here. Your most accessible and viable option would be the Friendship Express. If that is not acceptable, there is always the choice to wait until tomorrow afternoon. In any case, I look forward to seeing you, my most faithful student.

Kind Regards,

Princess Celestia

“Ohh, GREAT!” I was getting frustrated with all the delays and obstacles that seemed to place themselves right in the way at the very moment I didn’t need them there.

“What is it?” Spike asked as he recovered.

“The princess IS able to see me, but I don’t have an adequate method of arriving there in time! All of the guards usually assigned to carry the chariots are off, she can’t come see me herself, the Friendship Express takes an entire day to get to Canterlot, and since I haven’t learned how to teleport between different cities and towns in the same universe yet, my only other option is to wait! Hmm…”

“Um, Twilight?”

“Oh, I know! I’ll capture a griffin and tie it to my hot-air balloon and that will serve as a chariot! But then how would I get it to stay…?”

“Umm… Twilight? You’re doing it again…”

“For that matter, how would I even get my hooves on a griffin?” I let out an exasperated sigh as I was stumped on what I could do to see the princess.

“Twilight?”

“Oh! Here’s an idea! What if I…! No, that’s completely ridiculous… Come on, Twilight, think. THINK! You can do this… OH, I’ve got it! Spike, what if I gave you wings and made you grow a few sizes so you could—!”

“Twilight!! Snap out of it!!” Spike shouted as he grabbed me by the face and directed my gaze to him.

“Oh, I’m sorry Spike,” I apologized as I came to my senses after Spike released me. “I just don’t know what to do, and I’ve been waiting all day for Princess Celestia to respond, and—!”

*SLAM*

“Rainbow Dash, what is the meaning of this!?” shouted Rarity as she was being held in midair by Rainbow as they barged in through the door. “Let me go this instant!”

“Sorry, Rarity!” Rainbow replied. “But I need your help in finding Spike so I can bring him… to…” Dash trailed off and dropped Rarity as she laid her eyes on the amethyst and green dragon. “Dude! Where the hay were you!? I looked all over Ponyville for you!”

“Well hello to you, too, Rainbow Dash. Can I ask why you’re suddenly so interested in me?” Spike inquired with a raised eyebrow.

“I was looking for you so I could see if you had a letter from Celestia about Twilight’s meeting so I could bring it to her.”

“…and I assume that during your little escapade, you saw me and figured I knew where he was?” asked Rarity as she picked herself up and dusted herself off.

“Yeah.”

“Hold on: How did you even know about the letter?" asked Spike, now confused at Rainbow.

"Or that he was with me today, for that matter?" Rarity added in an equal amount of concern.

“Because I… came here earlier looking for Twilight,” answered Rainbow, now on-edge due to being interrogated.

“For what reason, if it’s not too troubling to ask?” Rarity began. “I thought you were supposed to be on your daily weather patrol duty…”

“Because I… I wanted to… *sigh* Look, that isn’t important right now! Did Celestia give you a letter or not?”

“Yeah, she did,” I answered. “The good news: she IS able to see me today. The bad news: she has no way to get me there any faster than the train, so I may not be able to visit her until tomorrow, and I don’t know WHAT her schedule looks like tomorrow…”

“Plan B it is, then!” announced Rainbow Dash. “I’m taking you there myself!”

“Are you sure, Rainbow? I mean, how are we going to get there?”

“Easy: I’ll carry you!”

“Carry me? That sounds a bit dangerous. Besides, won’t you have trouble holding my weight up along with your own all the way to Canterlot?”

“…Good point. Can’t you just use some kind of weight-reducing spell that makes you light enough that we can make it there?”

“Hmm… Yes, actually! It’s just that last time I tried it on Spike…”

“…It made me float up into the air like a balloon!” Spike finished. “I could’ve wound up floating to the moon if Twilight didn’t know the failsafe for it…”

“Heh heh, sorry about that…” I apologized to the sweet little dragon again. He responded with an assuring smile. “But yeah, that’s the only spell I can think of. I suppose we could tie ourselves together with rope, but I don’t have any lying around…”

“Well then,” Rainbow started. “I guess we’re paying a certain farm pony a little visit before we head off to Canterlot then, huh?”

“If she isn’t too busy with her work around Sweet Apple Acres today, then I suppose…”

“There’s only one way to find out! Let’s go!”

“Okay, hang on tight!” I suggested as Rainbow laid a hoof on my back. “Sorry about messing up your date, guys.”

“It’s no problem, really,” replied Rarity. “There is an important matter afoot and we were glad to take time out of our day to assist you… even IF the assistance came in the form of being kidnapped without an explanation,” she finished, glaring at Rainbow Dash, who could only sheepishly rub the back of her head while offering a shy giggle as an apology.

“Have fun!” I said as Rainbow and I teleported out of the library to Sweet Apple Acres…

Back to Ty’s situation…

I had to get away from these freaks as soon as possible. I’d been running for what felt like all afternoon trying to get away from them. I could tell because when I started running, the sun had already begun to set. At this point, the sky was passing its twilight. All I needed to do was get to my car and floor it all the way home, speeding tickets be damned. I was already halfway to the parking lot where it was parked by the time I began this little cardiorespiratory exercise routine, so I got the idea to just run around in that general area so as not to get lost.

“DAMMIT, DUDE! STOP RUNNING!” called one of the pursuers. I didn’t care worth a damn which one of them said it at this point; I needed to get out of there now! I already had tons of thoughts running through my head about what I’d found out about Twilight’s universe being depicted in a television series and how the hell she managed to send me this letter (at the absolute WORST time, no less). If there was one thing to figure, it was that she and her universe DID exist and that somehow, humans managed to recreate it in the form of a TV show. I decided that was the best explanation to go with as I tried to escape the stooges hounding me like rabid dogs on a cat covered in gravy and bacon grease so I could read what she sent me.

“We already know you met her! That letter is proof!” one of the guys called to me.

“All we want you to do is read it for us!” said another one.

“Yea, well y’all got another thing comin’ if y’all think I’mma—! Oh, shit!!” I yelled as I tripped over a crack in the sidewalk. I fought hard to keep my balance, just barely succeeding to do so as I pushed off of the ground with my hands before my feet gave way. Lucky for me, I was actually slowly losing them as I ran. Problem was that I was almost completely exhausted from running away for so long. My legs felt like somebody had wrapped them in duct tape and ripped the tape off, then decided to pound them into jello with a rubber chicken filled with sand. My lungs and heart felt like someone had opened my chest and proceeded to repeatedly jab at them with their bony fingers as I fought to keep from passing out from fatigue. My throat was bone-dry and begging for water thanks to all the extra air I was pumping in and out of my esophagus that hardly did more than make my head and chest feel like I was mauled by Pinkie Pie. Although, I figured that if I was feeling this tired, the jerks behind me must’ve been just as bad, if not worse. I didn’t turn around to find out. I was worn out and desperate to get home. I managed to make my way to the parking lot, jump into the car, fumble the key around the ignition, start the car, and floor it out of there to get anywhere away from those guys…

“My God…! That was intense…” I thought as I drove home. “I REALLY wish she’d have picked a better time t’ send this letter… But at the same time, I wish she was here t’ bail me out like last time… Dayum…!”

The Time of Reckoning...!

We begin with Twilight, now accompanied by Rainbow Dash…

Rainbow and I had teleported to the entrance of Sweet Apple Acres and walked in to see a large red stallion with a yoke around his neck, a short, somewhat unkempt golden brown mane and tail and a Cutie Mark of the inside of a large green apple, alone in the forest of apple trees, bucking apples in the afternoon sunset.

“Hey, Big Mac!” Rainbow and I greeted as we approached the large red stallion.

“Howdy,” he simply replied as he wiped some sweat off of his forehead after halting his progress.

“Everything good?” asked Rainbow.

“Eeyup.”

“Hard at work?”

“Eeyup.”

“Grrreat…”

“Eeyup.”

“…Soooo… Is Applejack here?” Rainbow asked after a short moment of silence.

“Ee-nope.” He stoically responded in his usual monotone.

“Well, where is she?”

“Sellin’ apples in town.”

“Oh.”

“Eeyup.” We were getting nowhere fast. Big Macintosh never was the conversational type. He was always a hard worker, as well as a stallion of few words. He seemed to hardly ever say much more than his renditions of “yes” and “no” unless the topic interested him.

“…Do you have any rope that we can borrow?” I asked, hoping for an at least slightly more wordy response.

“Eeyup. Why?” he asked, which shocked both me and Rainbow Dash.

“We um… we need it for a trip to Canterlot.” He stared at me with the tiniest hint of confusion as he raised his eyebrows ever so slightly.

“Mind explainin’ how rope’s gonna help ya in Canterlot?” he asked again.

“Oh, well you see, I’m scheduled to meet Princess Celestia today, but she doesn’t have a way to get me there, and Rainbow Dash offered to fly me there herself. But we don’t know if she’s able to hold my weight along with hers, so we need some rope to tie us together so she doesn’t wind up dropping me.”

“Why don’tcha jus’ use yer magic t’ get there?”

“Trust me, I would’ve, but I haven’t perfected the spell necessary to teleport me there yet. Instead, I’ll be using a spell that temporarily makes me light enough so that Rainbow’s flight isn’t hindered by me.” We sat in silence after I explained my situation, the red work stallion eyeing the pegasus and me quizzically while keeping his usual straight face.

“…Hang on,” he finally answered as he began to gallop towards the barn.

“…How did you DO that??” Rainbow Dash whispered to me in surprise.

“Do what?” I asked.

“Get Big Mac to talk.”

“Well, he never seemed to be the kind of pony to be very interested in idle chatter. According to Cheerilee, he only ever says more than a couple words if the topic pertains to him in any way. Otherwise, he just likes to keep things simple. Despite how big he is, he's actually pretty shy.”

“What?? How would Cheerilee know anything about him?”

“Apparently, they um… dated at one point. Or at least, they went on a friendly date together one time after Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle corrected their mistake of tricking her and Big Mac into drinking a love poison that made them fall in love with each other. She told me that the fillies’ attempt to force them together, while incredibly irresponsible and misguided, piqued her interest in Big Mac. The date they went on after they were cured was to 'test the waters,' so to speak. I’m not entirely sure as to how they’ve connected since then. I haven’t spoken to Cheerilee to find out.” Rainbow just gawked at me like she’d seen a ghost or something.

"Seriously? Even HE has ponies who like him??" my fellow mare growled in frustration. "I swear, if I hear about ONE more pony that isn't me getting a date, I'm gonna--!"

“Whelp... here ya go, ladies,” Big Mac said, interrupting Dash's tirade as he approached us with a coiled-up rope in his mouth. He unfurled the rope to reveal it to be an adequate length for Rainbow and I.

“Thanks, Big Mac,” I replied. “Buuut, could you do us one more little favor?”

“Eeyup,” he answered, already realizing what I was going to ask him as he moved to pick up one end of the rope to wrap it firmly around my waist and then tie it tight. He soon moved onto Rainbow, who flared her wings so as not to have them tied down. After Big Macintosh bound us together with the rope, I cast the spell on myself. Instantaneously, I began to rise into the air. Gravity no longer held any sort of control over me. Of course, my drift was halted by the rope tethering me to my friend. “Be safe now, y'all,” the red stallion added with a short wave as he went back to work on apple bucking.

“Thanks,” I responded.

“And AWAY, WE GO!” Rainbow shouted as she took a readied stance. A wave of fear instantly hit me harder than a grand piano that fell out of an airborne moving truck.

“…Oh dear, sweet Celestia, no…”

“Rainbow Dash, WaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!” Before I knew it, she impulsively rocketed into the air with her trademark polychromatic trail (as well as me) following closely behind her, seeming to completely forget that she had a passenger on board. I swear, if I were able to look back, I’d probably see a trail of the colors of my mane and tail, we were flying so speedily. I’d never been so terrified in my life…

Jumping back into the human world…

I was just TWO streets away from my house when I noticed a sudden barrage of flashing red, white, and blue lights turn on behind me, accompanied by a couple of warning sirens.

“Ah, Motha...FFFFucker...!”

I pulled over to the side of the road, both sides of which were covered with forestation. I sat and waited for the inevitable as I went through the motions of rolling down my window, pulling out my license and registration, and placing my hands firmly on the steering wheel. Not a moment too soon afterwards, a police officer wearing shades despite it being dusk walked up to the side of my car and shined a flash light in my eyes.

“This can NOT be happenin’ right now…!”

“Good evening, sir,” greeted the police officer, whom I was none too pleased to see.

“Evening, officer,” I responded with a false sense of calm.

“License and registration, please,” the officer requested. I didn’t hesitate to give her my documents. “Have you been drinking tonight, sir?”

“No I have not.”

“Are you aware of the speed you were going?”

“I’m sorry t' say I am not.”

“Oh, well allow me to inform you that you were doing sixty in a forty-five mile zone. There any reason you were speeding?”

“If I told you, you’d think I was crazy.”

“I’m sure I’ve heard ‘em all. Try me,” the cop dared as she handed me back my papers.

“Well ma’am, to be perfectly honest, I spent a good amount o’ my afternoon tryna get away from three dipshit My Little Pony fans who wouldn’t leave me alone. I ran and ran and ran, got into my car, and drove as quickly as I could from the city to here.”

“My Little Pony fans, huh? You must mean ‘bronies.’ One of ‘em wouldn’t have happened to be wearing a Rainbow Dash hoodie, would they?” My goodness, even cops knew about this show? What the hell did I miss? And just what in the hell was a “brony?”

“Uh, yeah… why?” I asked with extreme uncertainty.

“That’s my nephew. He and his friends like to hang around in the city. I’ll be sure to give him a talking-to when I’m done here. But as for you, I’m gonna have to give you a speeding ticket.” I reserved any sarcastic remarks I’d thought up in that moment to prevent the proverbial shit from hitting the fan. She scribbled a few things on the ticket, ripped it out of the notebook she was holding, and handed it to me.

“Two hundred fifty dollars!?” I couldn’t withhold my outrage at the pricy punishment I was dealt after reading the document. “Please, officer, this is my first offense!” I begged. “It wouldn’t be too much trouble t' gimme some leeway, would it?”

“I am,” the officer shot back. “I’m allowing that remark you made about my nephew being a dipshit slide.”

“*sigh* that son of a bitch… This is him and his dumbass friends’ fault…” I was frustrated beyond belief, to the point where I was thinking irrationally as a coping mechanism for my current situation. I was aware that this was partially Twilight’s fault for sending the letter at the wrong time, the three pony fans’— I mean “bronies’” fault for chasing me down like they did, but mostly my fault for speeding all the way home as if they were still chasing me. However, it felt better to blame them.

“Well, that’s all the business we have here. Drive safe. Oh, and you should REALLY check out My Little Pony sometime. They say it’s a kids’ show but even I find it charming and hilarious,” the officer said as she walked back to her car and pulled off in front of me.

“*sigh* Oh man, this day has been jus’ the worst…” I muttered as I drove the rest of two streets. I made it home safely, but swiftly and practically raced into my house, up to my room and crashed unceremoniously on my bed.

“Oh, man does it feel good t’ be home… I’m ‘bout t’ pass out up in here…” I tiredly said to myself as I stretched. However, rest could wait for just a few minutes as I remembered Twilight’s letter. I climbed back to my feet to turn on a light before I sat down and carefully opened up the letter to read it:

Dear Ty,

Currently, I’m not entirely sure if this has gotten to you or not. Consider this another experiment of mine. In the case that this letter DID get to you, you’re probably wondering how I managed to do so. I'll have to explain that to you if I get the chance. I’d just like to let you know that I miss you already. Like, REALLY miss you. I haven’t missed anyone this much since my big brother after I moved to Ponyville, and I hardly understand why. What’s worse is that there is the lingering possibility that I may not be able to see you again.

In any case, I really wish you were here. At this point, I’m waiting for a response from Princess Celestia, and there’s been nothing but distractions and delays all day. I understand that this isn’t the best news to relay to you, but I assure you, I will not let you down. I’ve got all of my argument points practically etched into my brain, but I still can’t shake off the air of timidity I’ve been feeling. Not only is it because it’s my first time challenging a direct order from Princess Celestia, it’s also because… you aren’t physically here to encourage me or help me… to comfort me… to kiss me… I admit that other than the outside distractions, I’ve been getting sidetracked thinking about you and what I would do if I wasn’t able to convince her to let you come back, as well as what we would do if she did reconsider and allow your presence here or at least allowed me to use the spell to see you.

I feel as though I’m rambling at this point, so I’ll keep it short. I miss you so much right now, and I’m still not feeling one hundred percent on this, but I want you to know that I will try my hardest to change Princess Celestia’s mind so that we WILL see one another again. Have faith in me.

Love,

Twilight Sparkle

I set the letter down and began to register the contents of it. It suddenly hit me that my chances of seeing the little unicorn again were fairly uncertain. I still had faith that she would succeed, but she brought up a point I’d all but neglected until now:

"What if she WASN’T able to convince the princess? What would she do? What would I do??" We were worlds—no, UNIVERSES apart. Yet, we bonded like we’d always lived in the same world, almost completely disregarding our physical differences. We shared many different things in our short time together; laughs, adventures, experiences, and so on…

I couldn’t even begin to fathom what would happen if they were all abruptly ended before we were able to allow our friendship to flourish. I wasn’t too lonely a human being, knowing I had friends and family that cared for me. But Twilight… I felt like she’d become my closest friend in a record amount of time. It may or may not have been simple spur-of-the-moment thinking brought on by her message, but I was certain of one thing: I couldn’t stand the thought of losing her simply because of my species and plane of existence. In a few days, she’d shown me more than anyone in my world ever has in years. Losing her would devastate me. Whether she and her universe was a cartoon or if it actually existed, but a cartoon in this world that was strikingly similar to the actual Equestria was conveniently created or whatever the case was stopped mattering in the least to me anymore. All I cared about was seeing MY little pony once again...

“Twi… I miss you just as much as you do me…” I felt a lump growing in my throat as I somberly, yet anxiously mused. “There’s no way in either of our worlds that Celestia wouldn’t change her mind… is there…?”

I turned the light back off and set the letter on my dresser before lying back down on my bed to collect my thoughts. I soon found myself quickly losing a sudden battle against my weariness from the long, unfortunately eventful day that was coupled with the fact that I’d gotten much less sleep than normal at the beginning of it. It didn’t take long for me to succumb to the sleepiness and slip from consciousness…

As for Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle…

“RAINBOW DASH!!” I screamed in aggregate terror as I clung to the rope for dear life. “COULD YOU PLEASE SLOW DOWN!!?”

“WHY??” she screamed back. “THE SOONER WE GET THERE, THE BETTER! BESIDES, WE’RE TIED TOGETHER! YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT FALLING! OR DRIFTING AWAY, IN THIS CASE!” she was flying as if she were in a race that guaranteed her a spot on the Wonderbolts if she won.

“YEAH, BUT I STILL HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT—!” *POOF* The pegasus guided me right through a cloud that burst into mist on impact. We were tethered together by the rope that was tied firmly around each of our midsections. The weight-reducing spell I’d performed on myself had the same side effect as when I used it on Spike, which meant I was rising into the air like a balloon, but being held steady by the rope that bound me to the blue pegasus. “RAINBOW!!” I shouted, now soaking wet, freezing AND soaring though the sky at an alarming pace. I could only hope I didn’t get sick because of this…

“What? We’re here now,” she replied, not looking back at me as we hovered over the glorious mountainside city.

“Yeah, that’s great, but—! WHOA!” I was interrupted as Rainbow Dash hastily zoomed towards the city, landing us right at the front door of the castle. As soon as I realized where we were, I was quick to reverse the balloon spell and plant my hooves firmly on the ground.

"O sweet gravity, how little I’ve appreciated your loving hold..."

“Yeah, we’re NEVER doing this again…” I complained.

“Oh come on, Twi! It wasn’t THAT bad, was it?” asked the oblivious rainbow-maned mare.

“Look at me,” I snippily answered. She turned to see my drenched, shivering form, my mane matted firmly against my body and face, and my tail feeling five pounds heavier. She began to giggle at my misfortune, even though it was her fault.

“Oops… sorry about that… here, lemme dry you off,” she offered as she readied herself to give me a spin cycle.

“NO!” I apprehensively rejected her offer for fear of what would happen to my hair. Last time she dried me off, my hair wound up looking worse than Ty in his pony form after I zapped him for laughing at Spike. “I’ll air dry if that’s alright. You remember what happened LAST time you dried me off, right?”

“Uh… Oh yeah…”

"Let's go now," I impatiently ordered. She complied, continuing her laughter as we approached the door and were allowed inside of the castle by the guards. Rainbow Dash and I wasted no time untying the rope and trotting our way into the extravagant foyer of the castle. However, before we made our way up to the throne room door, I began to have second thoughts regarding Rainbow’s presence during the discussion. She didn’t know about humans, and I was afraid that bringing her here would jeopardize my chances of winning the princess over.

“Rainbow… Why don’t you wait out here?” I asked, not trying to sound rude.

“What? And NOT help you to try and get Ty back? What kind of friend would I be to ditch you at a time like this? Besides, I didn’t come all the way here with you just to sit on the sidelines. I want to help you.”

“I understand that, but I need to do this alone.”

“Give me ONE good reason why!” she demanded.

“Because… because…” I had no legitimate reason for her not to be there other than the fact that I was going to fight for a human’s right to visit Equestria. But I wasn’t sure if telling her was the right thing to do at this point. I went silent.

“Listen, Twi… if you’re feeling nervous, then it’s only necessary that I go with you. I don’t know what’s got you so shaken up all of a sudden that you don’t want me in there with you, but I’m your friend. I’ll stick by you through thick and thin," she let me know. Dash's assurance of her willingness to help me sent me into a state of deep thought for a few moments. I couldn't stop her at this point... it wouldn't be right. She DID come all this way just to assist me with this most pressing concern... But then, she had no idea what she was getting herself into... I scrutinized exactly how I'd handle giving the pegasus a role in this discussion... and soon, I'd made up my mind.

“…Thank you, Rainbow Dash…” I finally said, now sure of what to do with her. “I guess it’s only fair that you know what you’re getting into, though. What I’m going to tell you, you must promise me that it won’t leak to anypony else, okay?”

“You have my word. What is it?”

“Here goes nothing…”

“*sigh* As you know, Ty’s from an alternate universe.”

“Yeah?”

“Well… he’s also not a pony.” Her eyes went wide.

“What? What do you mean, ‘not a pony?’ He looked like any run-of-the-mill Earth pony I’ve ever seen.”

“That’s because I transformed him into one. The truth is… he’s actually part of a race in his world known as ‘humans.’” Rainbow stared at me, her magenta-shaded eyes as large as dinner plates. She seemed to be dumbfounded by the information I’d just relayed to her. “Princess Celestia found it out herself when we came to visit her yesterday. She subsequently banned him from this world and told me to never go back to his world for a reason she claims to be ‘for the safety of Equestria,’ for which she used that crisis in the East as an explanation."

"Wha...??"

"What’s wrong is that I think she cast a mind reading spell on him without his or even my knowledge at the time once she found out about him being a human. I came here not only to get her to overturn her decisions, but also to dig into her reasoning for making such harsh judgments. That’s the gist of it…”

“…Wow… Well, if he didn’t do anything wrong, then I don’t see any problem in joining you in changing Celestia’s mind. I don’t know nearly as much as you do, but I’ll add in what I can. But we’ve sat here horsing around long enough, don’tcha think?”

“I was more afraid of how you’d react to finding out that Ty wasn’t actually a pony and that you’d be helping me defend someone not only from a different universe, but also of a species that doesn’t exist in this world than me being nervous..."

"Well... the only thing I find weird is that you're apparently dating him... But I'm sure you have your reasons. Plus, if he's as cool as you made him out to be even though he's not a pony, then there's no reason I shouldn't be able to help..." she assured with a warm grin.

"...Thank you for that, Rainbow Dash...” I couldn't help but smile back at my friend.

"No problem. Now let's go rescue ourselves a human..." With that, we cantered our way up the stairs leading to the throne room. I took a deep breath as I felt my heart begin to thump in my chest like a drum. I swallowed the massive lump in my throat as the guards allowed us access. Rainbow and I walked into the throne room almost immediately. I glanced at her to see she wasn’t really showing any signs of anxiety. She maintained her normally cool attitude towards the coming debate. What I wouldn’t have given to remain as calm and collected as she seemed to be.

“Good afternoon, Twilight. Rainbow Dash,” Princess Celestia greeted from her throne.

“Good afternoon, Your Highness,” Rainbow and I greeted in unison as we respectfully bowed before her.

“You may rise, my little ponies. I understand you wish to speak with me, Twilight?” she asked as she approached us.

“Y-yes. I want… to talk about Ty’s banishment.”

“I see…” the princess took a tone of what sounded like worry. “What is it you have to say on the matter?”

“Well… I… I…” already, I was choking…

“Come on, Twilight! You can do this! You've gotten this far… You CAN’T let him down!” With that thought, I decided to wing it.

“I have to say I disagree with your decision,” I finally gathered up the courage to blurt out. “I’ve thought about it thoroughly after discussing your stipulations with him and I cannot find a valid reason to agree with you.”

“Twilight… You have to understand that my decision was for our fair country’s safety.”

“I do, Your Highness, and you know I’m usually behind your decisions one hundred percent. However, this particular decision, I cannot find any reason to justify. The way I see it, an innocent visitor was wrongfully exiled from our land for a suspicion that may not have been true.”

“Suspicion? I don’t see how removing a potential threat to our safety is equal to suspicion, my most faithful student.”

“Princess, do you honestly think he could've harbored any sense of malice toward us?” I unintentionally raised my voice. "I'm confident that, considering how much time I spent with him, he's a good pony."

“That doesn’t mean he wouldn’t have developed any malevolent intentions had I allowed him to stay or allowed for you to continue bringing him between dimensions without any supervision.”

“With all due respect, that isn’t a very fair reason, Princess. That actually equates to suspicion. Whether he would have done any harm to Equestria and its citizens or not, we won’t know because we never got a chance to get to know him.”

“That is exactly my point, my student. I eliminated a potential threat before it got a chance to become a threat.” She walked me into a wall on that one. I wasn’t going to be deceived into forfeiting, though.

“As you know, Ty has spent a total of two days here. He spent the entirety of both those days with me, and not once has he shown any intention to cause harm to anypony. In fact, he’s quickly been able to befriend Rainbow Dash here, as well as all of my other friends. I must also inform you that I myself have spent roughly the same amount of time with him in his universe. When we’d first met, he was actually more afraid of me than I was of him because we were unfamiliar to each other in more ways than one. His most surprising concern when we'd met pertained to my ability to utilize magic; an ability that, to my understanding, a human does not possess under any circumstance. As time went on however, he and I built a friendship much like the friendships I’d built since you sent me to live in Ponyville.”

“That is similar to what the pony in the East said about her traitorous ex-companion.” That rebuttal threw me off guard for a second, but I knew that this was the chance to finally get some insight.

“If you please, would you mind elaborating?”

“The two ponies shared a very strong friendship, despite being on opposite sides of the border that separated their homelands. At one point, the trusting pony began to illicitly sneak her companion in and out of her country simply so they could enjoy some quality time with one another and with friends. As it soon turned out, the stallion was using her in order to get close enough to government officials in her country to begin an uproar that caused the trade dispute I was called in to settle. He had already sabotaged the trust of the other country in his own, but had no way to do so in the other one without the help of a unicorn mare.”

“I see. But it pains me for you to consider me so gullible as to allow such blatant ulterior motives to victimize me. I wouldn’t be here right now if I didn’t trust him, which brings me to this: Why exactly IS this situation so important? Why is it that you feel that the unfortunate series of events that unfolded there holds relevance to me and Ty?” Silence enveloped the room almost immediately.

“Twilight, I do not see you as ‘gullible…’ you are far from it. You’ve learned to be critical and you’ve demonstrated that you cannot be easily fooled. However, nopony is immune to the effects of love.” Love…? Such a strong word she used… I knew I LIKED Ty, but… “Love is blind. It fills a pony with unprecedented joy and ecstasy and there isn’t one pony in this world that isn’t capable of love… However, this same feeling can, and has proven to cloud a pony’s sense of judgment. As for the unicorn in the east, she allowed her love for the stallion to overshadow her thinking, which disallowed her from scrutinizing and finding out about the stallion’s motives herself until it was too late.”

“So you’re saying I’m only here for the sake of love?” I asked. I wasn’t sure about how to attack that point, because it conflicted with me in some ways. “I… I won’t deny it as a reason, but… even so, you don’t know that much about him to tell me he could be using me. If he was, I’d be able to pick up on it. I’m no foal. I’m your most faithful student. There’s a whole different reason I’m here as well. Aside from my friendship with Ty, I have to argue that you chose to get rid of him because he was human. I feel that goes strictly against your teachings of love and tolerance. Considering you haven’t seen a human before, why exactly are you holding such a strict position on keeping him away from here?” Another moment of silence passed; this one longer than the last.

“*sigh* I was hoping I wouldn’t have to tell you this, but I see I don’t have a choice… You see, my most faithful student, I know more about humans than you think. In fact… that stallion in the East…?” I was quick to acknowledge her implication, but I was completely flabbergasted by it.

“Are you saying…? But how…? I thought I was the only one…”

“It is true, Twilight. You are NOT the first pony to learn that spell. This other unicorn revealed that she’d learned it before you did; in fact, she learned it over a month ago and had been trying to perfect it in secret for over a year before that point. Once she'd felt confident that she'd mastered her new spell, she visited the other universe and found a human there. However, she informed me that she hadn't spent nearly as much time with him in the alternate universe as they spent in this one. In addition, her spell proved to be somewhat unstable and somehow malfunctioned during the journey back here. When the two came back, they found themselves separated, being transported to opposite sides of her country’s international border."

"Unbelievable...!" I muttered, aghast at Celestia's story.

"Indeed it may seem so... She also told me she used a similar transformation spell on him that turned him into a pony at his request before they made the trip here. The only difference was that the transformation spell she used on him was permanent. Before she did so, she questioned him on why he was so intent on never returning to his own world. He reasoned that everyone in that universe is malevolent and anyone brought here from that world would have some motive to bring harm to this world. He told her that he was different and he didn’t want to live with those negative influences anymore. It is similar to what Ty told me when he was in your position. However, Ty insisted that not everyone in his world is evil, but there are varying degrees of such dispositions there. As for this human-turned-stallion, he was quick to find a friend in a powerful government official and used him to gain influence in that nation’s government, while at the same time having the mare that brought him here sneak him over the border for private visits.”

“Wow…” I was mind-blown at this revelation. There was ACTUALLY another human that existed in Equestria. I couldn’t wrap my head around how another pony could have discovered the universal travel spell before I did. But, I still had a point to make, and Celestia opened the door for me on it. “I see… but I'd like to point out that you should have figured out he wasn't a malevolent being... even when you read his mind.”

“What??” Celestia was taken aback by my discovery. “H-how did you know?”

“He told me you called him by his name before he walked out of here last time. From that, I deduced that you must have cast a mind-reading spell on him right after you scanned the magic around him to find out he was a human in disguise. I told him you were just messing with him so he wouldn’t be upset, but you violated his privacy. Even if you did so as a precautionary measure for Equestria’s safety, I cannot agree with casting such a spell. However, that brings about this next question: Even after you peeked into his subconscious, did you manage to find anything resembling an ulterior motive within him?”

"I didn't peek that far into his mind. I only wanted to find out how he managed to become a pony and what his real name was. I had little reason to investigate further, as I already have a testimony on the nature of humans given to me by one of them," my mentor confessed.

"Really now...? Well, Your Highness, I am 100% confident that Ty harbors no evil intent whatsoever. I should know from personal experience. To say you can't take my word for it would mean you couldn't trust me."

“I understand your sentiment completely, Twilight, and I do trust you. As much as it pains me to admit it, it's Ty that I currently can't bring myself to trust. I didn’t want to take the risk of him revealing his true origins to anypony. Given what I’ve heard and learned about humans thanks to the two that found their way here, they seem to be very dangerous creatures to themselves in their world. I don’t want those same dangers lurking about in this one, too. As I informed you, the first human to come here nearly started a war between two countries in an attempt to gain control over both of them. Aside from that, I also don’t want to risk you getting hurt in the other universe or repeating the same mistake that the other unicorn made in trusting too strongly in a human she’d barely known. I would never be able to live it down if something were to happen to you. I haven’t experienced first-hoof what Ty’s universe is truly like, but given what I’d heard from him and the two ponies in the east, I could only assume that it was extremely dangerous.”

“But Ty ISN’T dangerous. He showed you himself that he wasn’t dangerous. I could even write you an extensive report on how I know it as fact that he wouldn't bring harm to our world. Why? Why did you still choose to get rid of him? It doesn’t add up…” I was eager to hear her answer for this.

“*sigh* Truthfully, I admit that I am… afraid. I do not know what to expect of humans and I... I suppose I allowed one bad human to ruin my perception on the rest, even when you brought one in that showed no discernible signs of wickedness..." She went briefly quiet, seeming to contemplate her words. "Maybe I should've reconsidered when he stood up to me after you departed last time..." Hearing that last statement surprised me.

"He stood up to her? For me? Wow... He told me he simply agreed with her..."

"If you don't mind me asking... What exactly went on after I left?" I asked with extreme curiosity.

"He was visibly hurt by my decree as well and voiced his concerns quite eloquently. He and I had a short discussion about the ethics of your newest spell and the potential dangers it could pose to both of our worlds. Eventually, he managed to accept my standpoint as me being considerate of Equestria's safety rather than apprehensive about the nature of humans. Now that it comes to mind, he... he even found it in him to hug me goodbye before he left..."

"A HUG, too??? Wow, I guess I must've gotten through to him on the 'love and tolerance' philosophy..."

"Now that I recall the events that transpired yesterday in better detail, I feel my judgments have hurt my most faithful student and her friend. I apologize. I now realize that I... may not have made the best choice.” Just when I thought she would cease to surprise me, Celestia exceeded my expectations yet again. I saw her sharp lavender eyes wavering with guilt... That hurt to see, but I knew it meant that I must've gotten through to her. Here she was, the most powerful and most knowledgeable pony in existence, truly showing that although she’d learned much in her time, she still had room to grow herself. For that, I actually respected her more than ever.

“I… I understand your standpoint, Princess Celestia, but I know what I’m doing. And I know Ty well enough that he wouldn’t be capable of performing any dastardly deeds like that other human did. In fact, he even told me that he chose not to pursue his arguments against your choices because he respected your position as Princess of the Sun and co-ruler of Equestria too highly to contest your judgment. If he did have any ulterior motives to carry out, however, I’d be able to stop him.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash finally spoke up. “I haven’t spent nearly as much time around him as Twilight, but even I could see he wouldn’t try anything fishy. If anything, we’re probably more of a danger to him than he is to any of us. But then again, I’ve only seen him as a pony. I have no idea what he’s capable of as a human, but I’m positive he wouldn’t try to hurt us. I mean, when we first met, he accidentally um… uh…” she scratched her head as she looked around the room for an acceptable choice of words.

“Encroached upon your personal space,” I added for her to avoid discomfort.

“Yeah, that,” Rainbow agreed, regaining her focus. “I got really angry at him, and then I sorta took some of it out on Twi when she tried to defend him… But you know what he did after that?”

“What?” asked the princess, taking an interest in Rainbow’s story.

“He called me back down as I flew away. I went back only to yell at him some more, but he stopped me from yelling and apologized. He… he even offered me to buck him right in the face if I didn’t accept his apology.” She let out a lighthearted chuckle. “Since then, I haven’t been able to talk to him much, but when we did talk, he proved to be a really great guy.”

“I see… How about your other friends? What do they think of him?” Celestia asked.

“He managed to get Fluttershy to talk to him almost immediately after she bumped into him,” I began. “Before that, he greeted Rarity with great manners; to the point where she thought he was my special somepony.”

“Pinkie Pie and Applejack seemed to like him, too,” Rainbow Dash interjected. “We had a picnic yesterday and we all laughed and joked and told stories about each other and ourselves. He cheered them up when they felt down and in return, they practically squeezed the life out of him by hugging him.”

“And before we came to see you yesterday, I allowed him to explore the castle alone with Spike for a bit. When he said his goodbyes, Spike mentioned something about it being nice to receive some advice from another male... which, now that I think about it, is probably the reason he and Rarity are spending some time together as we speak. He also met Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. I actually spent time alone with Cadence to see what she thought about him. She told me that he was really nice and that she sensed almost right away that he had… strong, but conflicting feelings… for me.” I felt myself blushing as I admitted that. “In the time I allowed him to separate from me, he met and quickly befriended Shining Armor.”

“…I see…” the princess audibly muttered.

“Yes, and the type of friendship we’ve formed with him, in a lot of ways, felt no different from the friendships I’d formed with everypony else. Particularly, he’s… he’s shown me a very special kind of friendship… one I’d been wanting to learn about, but avoiding for a long time now… Anyway, even if he were to accidentally let out that he was from an alternate universe, nopony here would know what he was talking about. Sure, they may ask questions, but Ty has proven that he knows how to keep it simple enough that he wouldn’t reveal anything too alarming.”

“I… I understand. However, there is still the issue that you needed to transform him into a pony for him to fit in here. How would the citizens of Ponyville react if they were to see him in his true form?”

“An excellent question, but we’ve dealt with a situation of that sort before with Zecora. Yes, some may run away from him and hide from him; that, I would only expect. But given how friendly he’s been to everypony he’s met in Ponyville, especially at Pinkie Pie’s welcome party, I doubt their reactions would be as extreme…"

"Unless, of course, they mistake him for a Changeling, no?" She had raised an excellent point there.

"True... However, I trust the spell I used to transform him last time would work very well in that no discernible hitches would arise from its use," I confidently assured. "Still... I think the choice should be his in terms of what he would like to do… in the case that he is allowed back here, that is...”

“I see…” was all the princess responded with.

The room went silent once more, the air feeling tense and suspenseful for me. My heart was pounding against my chest like it was going to burst. I instinctively held my breath as Rainbow Dash and I eagerly waited for Princess Celestia’s decision…

AAAAAAND the Winner Is...!

*POOF*

My eyes shot open after I’d heard what sounded like a small burst. I was still woozy from the nap I took after the miserable day I’d had. I moved to get up, only to feel something pinning my chest down. Given how dark it was in my room, coupled with the fact that I was halfway asleep, I couldn’t make out a clear image of what was suddenly on top of me. I lifted a hand to grab at the foreign object. My hand was met with some kind of soft, silky, yet bristly-feeling material, like a broom or duster of some sort.

“What IS this…?” I ran my fingers through the object, still unable to get a clear idea of what it was. I moved my hand upward a bit more to find that the material had connected to something else… Whatever it was felt warm… and furry. It also felt fleshy and soft as I gently squeezed the new, velvety material and rubbed it, still trying to get an idea of what was laying on me. It was as if whatever was on me was alive…

“Hey, watch where you’re putting those hands…!” a familiarly feminine voice quietly scolded. It sounded like… like…

“Twilight!??” I shouted as I popped my head up, quickly withdrawing my hand from what I could now guess was her flank.

“Hey there, sleepyhead! *cough*” she greeted as she lit up her horn to reveal a whimsical smile. Although my heart was pounding like crazy because of her scaring me, I couldn’t help but be overjoyed that she was back. “Miss me?”

“Oh, I dunno…” I nonchalantly quipped as I lay back down and folded my hands behind my head as the unicorn towered over me. “…if I could tell you that. Mind if I SHOW you instead?” she giggled as I lifted my head up to give her a kiss. She happily welcomed the embrace as she sat and placed her fore hooves on my shoulders to get more comfortable. We separated briefly to passionately press our lips together time and time again, enjoying every aspect of the moment. This culminated in me feeling something unfamiliarly slimy and warm trying to make its way into my mouth on the last kiss. I pulled my head back in a mixture of surprise and intrigue as I eyed the unicorn with a raised eyebrow.

“I-is there something wrong?” she worriedly asked.

“Nah, nothin’s wrong… I’m jus’ a li’l bit surprised you would try usin’ your tongue…”

“Oh! Well, there’s *cough cough* this new technique I learned *cough* from reading this book in my library…” I resisted the urge to laugh at how ridiculous that sounded.

“Wait… you have some kinda book on how to…?” I took her silence and sudden sense of shyness as a “yes.” I let out a chuckle as I shook my head. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised at that. But… t’ be perfectly honest… I don’t know myself how t’ use my tongue.”

“Oh, well allow me to explain it to you. According to the book, we just— *cough cough cough* *AHEM*”

“Hey, you alright?” I asked, somewhat worried about her frequent coughing. “Why you coughin’ so much?”

“Oh, it’s *cough* nothing… just a scratchy throat is all…” I was skeptical, given that I spent a good amount of my years watching people come down with horrendous colds and fevers that started with scratchy throats. At the same time, however, I hoped she was right. After she basically tried to get a taste of the inside of my mouth, I REALLY hoped she was right…

“If you say so…” I warily replied, now concerned about Twilight’s health, as well as my own. “But speakin’ of explainin’, how’d you send me that letter?”

“So it DID make it to you!” she excitedly stated.

“Yea, it did… Right when I ran int’ those three guys from the other day again in the city.”

“Ooooh… sorry about that… I had no idea…” she shyly answered with a giggle. *cough*

“You good.”

“Thank you… Why were you in the *cough* city?”

“I had t’ go t’ work. I spent the whole day bein’ interrogated about what I was doin’ with my time off, gettin’ yelled at by my boss, and when I got off and was on my way home, I ran int’ those guys again. They didn’t let go that we had t’ teleport t’ get away from them, so they kept pressin’ me on it. Right when I was about t’ tell ‘em I had no idea who you was or what they were talkin’ about, your letter popped up right in front o’ me. So I grabbed it an’ ran.”

“How’d you get away?”

“I ran around for like three hours until I guess they gave up. After that, I was free to get int’ my car an’ drive home.”

“Wait a second… *cough* If you had one of these ‘car’ things of your own, then what *cough* *AHEM* was the reason for us going on that other bigger ‘car’ with all those other humans the other day?”

“Hmm… I will answer that with this: If we drove there, how much information would you have gotten compared to our li’l bus ride?”

“Probably the same amount…” she informed matter-of-factly. “Buuuut… I don’t suppose it would’ve been as fun.” We smiled and shared a laugh.

“How did things go with the princess?” I asked after we quieted down.

“She… *cough* she didn’t give me a straight answer…” that made my heart skip a beat.

“Well… w-what did she say t’ you?” I timidly asked, fearing the worst of her response.

“She said she wouldn’t…*cough* *cough*" The mare paused to clear her throat. That half-second lapse in her response sent my heart sinking into the pit of my stomach as my eyes widened in aggregate fear and anticipation of her answer. "Sorry about that... as I was saying, she told me she wouldn’t give me an answer… *cough* without you there to hear it.” At that, I wasn’t sure how to feel. Twilight’s reply was almost completely ambiguous. I mean, I was happy that I was able to go to Equestria one more time, but… did that mean Celestia wanted me there in person so she could tell me that she was staying firm with her choice? Or possibly that she was reconsidering it? Or maybe she wanted me to explain myself before she made her choice? Questions were swimming around in my head like crazy as Twilight and I went silent (more so me than her, given that she was coughing so much). I decided against bombarding her with them as the feeling of excitement for being able to set foot in Equestria one more time was more than enough to momentarily satisfy me.

"I... I see..." I murmured, the dissonance in my voice leaving my emotions unmasked.

"Yeah, I don't know what to expect, either... At the very least, you're able to come back for a short time..."

“True... How was the rest o’ your day? I’m guessin’ it wasn’t great, accordin’ t’ that letter…?”

“Oh, it wasn’t too *cough* bad… As soon as I went home, Spike tried blackmailing me into *cough* giving him the day off, using you as the blackmail…”

“That sneaky li’l dragon…”

“Then after I got him to *cough* send Princess Celestia a letter, Rarity came in and took him away on a date before she sent a response…”

“Well shut my mouth wide open… He actually scored a chance with her…!”

“Then Rainbow Dash dropped by asking for advice…”

“Advice…? On what?” I asked, curious about the headstrong light blue pegasus.

“Um… *cough* I’ve said too much already on that…” she smiled and winked at me. I wasn’t sure how to take that, given I was completely in the dark (no pun intended) about what Rainbow could’ve needed advice for. “Anyway, she agreed to take me to Canterlot *cough* herself if all else failed… Believe me, Ty; that was possibly the WORST thing I’d done all day…”

“Is that so?” I asked with a chortle. “How?”

“As fate would have it, her offer was my only option. The *cough cough* pegasus guards responsible for transportation via chariot were off today, Celestia was *cough* too busy to come and see me herself, and she said the only way I could’ve gotten there at that point was to take the train, which would’ve taken MUCH too long. I sat at home for hours on end waiting for either *cough* Spike or Rainbow to get back to deliver that news to me. I used some of that time to write you that letter and try to send it to you. Speaking of, I had sent the *cough* letter expecting it to land in here for you. I sent it while I conjured up a mental image of your face instead of an image of your *cough* room. I guess from there, the letter recognized you and materialized as soon as it found you…”

“I see…” It didn’t make much sense, but given that I was talking to a unicorn from an alternate world, I went with it without question.

“Right after I sent that *cough* letter, Spike came in with the letter from Princess Celestia that told me the circumstances of the visit. Soon after, Rainbow Dash came bursting in with Rarity held captive…” I had a good laugh at what it would look like to see Rainbow holding Rarity against her will.

“Why’d she drag Rarity to you?”

“I told her Spike was *AHEM* with her, but I guess that by the time she found her, Spike was already on his way back to me. Anyway, before we left for Canterlot, I took Rainbow to Sweet Apple Acres to get some rope…”

“Rope? What did you need rope for?”

“We were afraid that Rainbow would wind up tiring herself out if she tried carrying me. We acquired the rope in order to tether ourselves together. After that, I cast a spell that allowed me to become weightless like a balloon…” I could already see where this was going.

“Oh boy... An’ lemme guess,” I interjected. “She took off like you WASN’T attached to her?”

“Yes! It was a *cough* nightmare! She was going so fast, I could hardly see anything. She even wound up making me fly through a cloud, which got me all soaking wet and cold. It didn’t help that we were so high up in the air… and THEN we made it to Princess Celestia.”

“Y’know, you prolly shoulda half-expected that t’ happen. But it sounds like you had just as bad a day as I did…”

“Tell me about it… *cough cough cough*”

“Hey, you sure i’ss just a scratchy—!”

“HATCHOOO!!” Before I’d even finished my question, Twilight decided to grace my face with a spray of her pony saliva via sneeze. “I’m so sorry!”

“And THERE’S the icing on the shit cake for today…”

“It’s… it’s fine,” I said with the slightest hint of irritation, sighing as I wiped the residue off my face. “Maybe we should jus’ get some rest. Hopefully, you’ll feel better tomorrow.”

“Yeah that sounds good. We’ve got a very special meeting planned for tomorrow, anyway.”

“This is true… sweet dreams, my little pony…” I liked the sound of that name at this point, despite it being the name of that TV show that was apparently an on-camera look at life in Equestria. It had a catchy sort of ring to it.

“Good night, my giant human…” she retorted as she leaned in for a peck. I pressed two fingers to her lips.

“Don’t you think you’ve gotten me sick already?” I asked, removing my fingers.

“I suppose you’re right…” she dejectedly answered as she lay her head down.

“Aww, you’re just adorable…” I whispered as I rested one hand on her head and stroked her with the other. “Fine, you win,” I conceded against my better judgment regarding my health. She said nothing back; only lifted her head up to look at me with a warm, inviting smile with her eyes half-closed as she lay on my chest. I swear I could’ve gotten lost in those sizable, stunningly beautiful glimmering oases of royal violet, in addition to that adorable straight dark blue mane of hers; how perfectly the deep purple and hot pink streaks complemented the rest of her colors. The bangs of her mane draped so perfectly over her eyes, just short of hiding them, with that cute little glowing horn protruding from the middle of her forehead, through her hair. The wonderful sight I was beholding was completed by that petite, cutely modest smile she wore.

“How could I say ‘no’ to a face like that?” I quipped as I brought the hand I was using to stroke her back up to caress her cheek.

“Mmmmm... You don’t care that I may be *cough* sick?”

“Ah’ont think it matters now… you probably already infected me. I jus’ hope that colds can’t be transmitted from ponies to humans. If they can, then I hope the colds we wake up with tomorrow won’t be too much t’ deal with…”

“Or it could be that I have a scratchy throat and we’ll both be okay.”

“Here’s t’ hopin’…” I said before I puckered up.

“To ‘hopin’’…” she mocked.

“Hey…” I shot back in amusement before we shared one last quick kiss before calling it a night…

Sick Day...

“Ty… Ty, get up…” I heard a raspy voice call. I could hardly get myself up, being much too tired to move. Suddenly, I felt a shock course through my arm.

“OW! *cough cough cough*” I was finally awake, but my throat felt like someone had taken a razor blade to it. I felt a small amount of nasal congestion as well, but other than that, I was fine. I wished I could’ve said the same for Twilight, though…

“Good… morning…” she weakly rasped as she barely lifted her head, only to lay it back down. “Ohh, my head…” she groaned in agony.

“Oh, no…!” I said, worried about the unicorn as I laid one hand on her forehead while keeping the other one on her back. Her mane was totally out of shape, she felt unusually cold from the neck down while her head was burning hot, and when she sluggishly moved her head to face me, she revealed that she’d had bags under her eyes, her coat was slightly paler than normal, and that she was extremely weak. She tried to get up, to no avail as she plopped back down onto me, groaning. “You look horrible!”

“Yeah… that’s what a girl likes to hear in the morning…” she tiredly retorted.

“You *cough* know what I *cough cough cough* meant. But still, you’re in no shape t’ go anywhere. We’re stayin’ here today.”

“What? No, I’m *cough cough* totally fine!” she protested. “We can *cough* still make it to Canterlot… We need to go see the princess…”

“Twilight, you can barely move, much less take even yourself to Equestria... *cough* I don't necessarily feel 100% myself... Neither of us is in a good condition t’ *cough* see anybody. As a matter o’ fact, gimme a sec. I’m *cough cough* callin’ outta work,” I said as I carefully lifted the ailing unicorn off of me to place her on the bed. I then slowly got up to grab my cell phone off of the floor and dial the number for my job and wait for someone to answer.

“Hello?” said the voice on the phone. From the sound of it, it was my boss; just the guy I needed.

“Yo… This is *cough cough* Ty… I can’t come int’ work for the next couple *cough* days…”

“What!?” he practically shouted into my ear. “After the no-call, no-show you pulled the other day, you expect me to give you MORE days off!?”

“Listen man, I’m sick as a *cough cough* dog. I can’t breathe an’ my throat’s sore like somebody *cough* used it as a pincushion while I slept… Not t’ mention my uh… *cough cough* my… girlfriend here’s stayin’ with me an’ *cough* she’s got a full-blown fever. I might-a caught it myself…”

“Bullshit!” he replied. “You were fine yesterday. There’s no way your girl got you sick THAT fast!”

“What, are you some kinda expert on how colds an’ fevers work?”

“No, smart-ass! But fine, show me you’re not lying.”

“*sigh* Fine, I’mma prove it,” I said, not in much of a mood to argue. I placed the phone over Twilight’s ear. As I expected, she looked at me in total shock. “Jus’ go ahead an’ *cough* talk…” I whispered with a wink.

“Um… hello *cough cough* How are yuh.. ha… HATCHOO! *cough cough* Ohh, I don’t wanna talk right now…” she groaned. I lifted the phone back to my ear.

“*AHEM* That proof enough for ya?”

“Yeah, dude. Sorry ‘bout that. Fine, ya got today and tomorrow, but THAT’S IT for extra days off until next month! You’re comin’ in even if you’re dying! Got it?”

“Loud n’ clear, Mista Bawss Man.”

“Get well soon. Send your girl my regards.” With that, he hung up. What a relief that was.

“Well, we got the whole day together t’ *cough* spend bein’ sick. I don’t feel too bad, so I guess I’mma be the one t’ take care o’ you. Dr. Memoir, on the case!” I managed to elicit a sickly little laugh out of the unicorn. “First thing’s first: hydration. The best thing you can do when you’re sick is drink a lotta water so you can wash the toxins outta your system. Can ya sit up?”

“Y-yeah… I *cough* think so…” she answered as she slowly, painstakingly moved to a sitting position. “By the way, your voice sounds… different.”

“How?”

“It’s… deeper and more *cough* nasally.”

“Yea, tha’ss what happens when ya get a sore throat an’ stuffy nose. Wait right here.” I wrapped a blanket around her and quickly made my way downstairs and into the kitchen. I came back up with a tall glass of lukewarm water. I figured ice cold water would’ve only made her colder than she already felt. She enveloped the glass in her magic glow and tried to bring it to her mouth.

“Ow!” she winced as she raised a hoof to her head and lost focus on the glass, causing it to spill all over the floor. “*gasp* Sorry…”

“Nah, you fine. That does tell me that magic’s outta the question for you, though. I’ll get another one and feed it to you. By the way, you hungry?”

“A little… I don’t feel like I can eat very much, but I’d rather put something into my *cough* stomach for now…”

“Gotcha.” With that, I grabbed a towel to dry up the water from the last glass and then brought her a simple waffle with another warm glass of water. “Now come ‘ere,” I instructed as I sat next to her on the bed, prompting her to move onto my lap. “Sit back.”

“What *cough* am I, a baby? I don’t need that much help…”

“Well, you’re MY baby for today and I wanna take care of you. But fine,” I said as I picked up the glass. “Will you at least lean back int’ me?”

“*sigh* Fine, ‘daddy’…!” she remarked and rolled her eyes as she turned to face away from me, then leaned back into my chest, folding her legs.

“Jeez, I could only wonder what i’ss like t’ have you for a daughter…”

“Oh, I’m sure it couldn’t be too different from having me as a… a…”

“…Girlfriend?” I finished.

“More like ‘filly-friend…’ but yeah…” silence passed over us as I lifted the glass to her face for her to take a sip.

“Y’know… we really haven’t talked about how this would work…”

“You’re right…” she concurred as she smacked her lips together before I fed her the waffle. “There are a lot of *cough* complications to cover with our… friendship. But let’s save that for AFTER we hear what the princess has to say to us.”

“I guess. *cough* What should we do with today as we try t’ get better?”

“I’m not sure… we haven’t really had alone time together, so I *cough* suppose we could… maybe talk and get to know each other a little better. I *cough* mean, you know my story, but what about yours?”

“Aw, you don’t wanna hear mine. It ain’t exactly a happy one. I’ss not the most depressin’ story you’d hear; far from it when I think about all the people in this world with much worse life experiences than me, but I don’t wanna kill the excitement of havin’ you here, even if we’re sick.”

“Well, I’m all ears. I’ve trained myself in psychiatry, y’know. Besides, I’d love to get to know my special friend a little *cough cough* better…” she said as she finished the glass of water.

“Ask, an’ ye shall receive, Dr. Sparkle…” I responded as I gently patted the mare on her head.

“Ow…! I’m a bit sensitive right now…” she informed as she raised a fore hoof to her head.

“My bad.” With that, I lifted up, allowing the unicorn to climb back onto the bed as I grabbed some shorts and a t-shirt and proceeded to clean myself up. I came back and relaxed back on the bed and tapped my belly, giving her the signal to climb on.

“So. What makes you tick, Ty? What goes on in that mind of yours that keeps you going?”

“Well, Doc, my life is good. Not great, not spectacular, but not bad or horrible, but good. Simply good,” I answered, role-playing with Twilight.

“I see.”

“I suppose you want to know more about my history, though, right?”

“If you feel comfortable with that. I’m only here to help, Mr. Ty.”

“Okey doke. Well, here we go: NOW this is a story ALL about how my life got flip-turned upside down, and I’d like t’ take a minute, jus’ relax an’ you’ll see, I’ll tell ya how I became the prince of a place called ‘Jersey…’”

“Ooh, please, tell me more.”

“Alright. A BIG city in the south, born an’ raised, outside alone is where I spent most o’ my days: Chillin’ out, maxin’, relaxin’, all cool an’ all playin’ with my new toys outside after school, when every other kid, who was up to no good, started messin’ around with my childhood! I got in too many fights an’ my mom got mad an’ said, ‘you’re gettin’ the hell outta here so you can visit your dad…’”

“Oh, my…”

“It gets better: I saw my dear ol’ dad every weekend, and for a while, the getaway was a godsend… until he had a daughter with whom he played favorites, an’ shunned me to solitude like I came from the toilet…”

“Ty…”

“This don’t end sad, don’t worry: A… few… years down the line and my mom was filled with relief, as she found a nicer place a good distance northeast. I thought for a second that this could be new, but then I said, ‘Ah, forget it! It’ll hafta do.’ We Fast-forward to now, and as you can see, that I feel like a prince livin’ in Jersey. Word.”

“Wow… that’s incredible… but now you can tell me your REAL story, right?” My eyes went wide in surprise.

“Wait, how’d you know I was—?”

“Come on, Ty. That funny little *cough cough* poem couldn’t have even HALF way described your life,” Twilight retorted with a chuckle.

“Fine, ya got me… By the way, that was a little somethin’ called, ‘rapping.’” The unicorn looked at me in confusion.

“…Rapping? What is that?”

“Y’know, Rap? Hip-Hop? It’s a music genre!”

“Well it sure as hay doesn’t exist in Equestria, to my knowledge…”

“Whaaaaat?” I was bewildered. “Hip-Hop don’t exist there? You, my dear little filly-friend, have much t’ learn. Basically, Rap is a sort of abbreviation for the phrase, ‘Rhythm And Poetry.’ It’s basically recitin’ a poem to the tune of a musical beat. That’s as simple as I can make it sound.”

“Interesting…”

“What kinds o’ music DO exist there?”

“We have various styles, such as classical, rock, polka, pop, and so on..."

"Yet NO rap or Hip-Hop? I'm not sure whether to be astounded or offended... Where's the black culture?? ...or, whatever the pony equivalent to 'black' is..."

"But then we have a certain style EVERYPONY knows about... I’m not really sure we have a name for it… A lot of times in Equestria, the magic surrounding its inhabitants gets so strong that a lot of us just break out into random, fully orchestrated impromptu songs. Remember what Pinkie told you about that song she called, ‘Smile’ that she made up in her head?”

“Yea…?”

“She wasn’t *cough* kidding. She made it up in her head entirely; complete with a special song played seemingly out of thin air that perfectly matched the lyrics she came up with in an instant.” I looked at Twilight like she was crazy.

“…What in the hell sense does THAT make? Is your world some kinda livin’ musical or somethin’?”

“No. It literally happens. I suppose it’s one of those things that you’d get a better idea of by seeing it for yourself.”

“Got that right…”

“Anyway, about your story…”

“I already told you.”

“Your REAL story, Ty,” she demanded.

“Alright, fine…” I took a deep breath and used a moment to consider what to tell her. “Well, le’ss see… I was born t’ parents who didn’t get along with each other and decided to separate. I spent the majority of my childhood livin’ in that city we visited the other day with my mother."

"Separated parents...?" she asked, her eyes wide with intrigue.

"It ain't as bad as ya might think. So anyway, My mom’s a great human being. Always there t’ support me, like a true mother would. Can be a bit snippy, usin’ sarcasm when it ain’t necessary at times, an’ other times, she’ll get overly stressed out at trivial things an’ it drives me crazy, but I love her."

"Well that's relieving to hear..."

"Indeed. As for my childhood, I was extremely reclusive to the point where I got picked on whenever I went outside. I didn’t know how t’ deal with my aggressions in a positive manner an’ I couldn’t talk t’ my mom about my problems cuz she was always so busy workin’ that I’d only see ‘er late at night whenever she’d pick me up from a babysitter, so I got int’ lots o' fights with other kids an’ became a troublemaker in school even though the teachers would tell me time an’ time again that my grades an’ work ethic often betrayed my behavior."

"Really?? You don't seem like you'd be the aggressive type..."

"Maybe, but my fuse back then was notoriously short. I've LONG since been able t' keep myself under control, but I still have bouts o' spontaneous recovery, as you saw when we walked around Canterlot..."

"Oh..."

"Yea. What else...? Oh yea! I only saw my dad on weekends for pretty much as long as I can remember. We got along pretty well for the most part despite him teachin’ me things I shouldn’t have learned at the age he was teachin’ ‘em to me."

"Like what?"

"Lots o' things... Adult words, a depressingly pessimistic worldview ALMOST t' the point o' nihilism, so on, so forth... He had a short temper, though. There were times where he would lose his patience and his temper with me, especially one time where he busted my lip."

"*GASP* Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed in horror, her eyes wavering as she brought a hoof over her own lips.

"Mm-hmm. Then he had a daughter by a different woman by the time I was five, which caused him t’ gradually shift his attention t’ her over the years until visitin’ him became more an’ more like goin’ t’ solitary confinement with all the time I spent there alone due t’ him spoilin’ his daughter t’ no conceivable end. Eventually, he moved somewhere without tellin’ me, and I ain’t seen him since. And then I moved here. Buuuut, over the years, I learned t’ take my education seriously and break away from the wrong crowds after however many years I spent bein’ the fall-guy for the other kids I thought were my ‘friends.’ By the time I hit high school, I changed myself almost entirely. For the better, I might add. Well, tha’ss the gist of it. Is this good enough for ya, Dr. Sparkle?”

“Wow… so that ‘rap’ thing you did WASN’T totally off…”

“Nope.”

“I’m… sorry about your dad…”

“Don’t be. I stopped carin’ a long time ago, an’ I don’t want anybody else t’ care. It ain’t the best thing t’ say, but tha’ss how it is.”

“That’s terrible! I couldn’t even imagine *cough* *AHEM* what it would be like for my parents to have been in the same situations as yours were in. Especially the whole ‘playing favorites with children’ thing.”

“Yea, I know. But i’ss what I grew up with, an’ I learned that it wasn’t right, but it happened. I ain’t mad, though. In the end, my experiences made me who I am. I also learned not t’ make the same mistakes my parents did, like the ‘playin’ favorites with kids’ thing. How could I be mad at that?”

“I still don’t like how that happened to you…”

“I appreciate your concern.”

“I appreciate your appreciation for my concern.” She smirked.

“Cute.” I laughed

“As I’ve been *cough* told.”

“So… how do you think you got sick?”

“My best guess is when I decided to *cough* take Rainbow Dash up on her offer. After she flew me through a cloud that made me all soaking wet and cold, I told her I’d be okay if I air dried, for fear of letting her dry me off, which *cough cough* would’ve made my hair look like yours when you were a pony… no offense.”

“None taken.”

“Good. But yeah, I probably should’ve taken her up on it, because it’s bad for a pony’s health to be wet, cold, and in open air. It opens them up to all kinds of sickness.”

“No different from humans in that department, I see.”

“Indeed. So… what got YOU sick?”

“Oh, I dunno…” I quipped. “I think it was cuz some girl tried stickin’ her tongue in my mouth last night, even though she was coughin’ like she had lungs full o’ smoke…” she giggled.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Was this girl at least cute?”

“Heh. Stunning. You could almost say she looked… magical.” We shared a good laugh before falling silent and staring at one another.

“Sorry for getting you sick, though…”

“What done been did, done been did.”

“…What?”

“Exactly.”

“That doesn’t make any sense…”

“Yet, it makes all the sense…”

“Riiight…”

“Eeyup.”

“So…”

“So… wanna play some Xbox?”

“If by ‘Xbox,’ you mean that infuriating ‘Meat Boy’ game, I’ll pass.”

“No, we won’t be playin’ that,” I said as I sat up. “There’s tons of other games t’ play.”

“Like what?”

“You’ll see…” I answered as she climbed off of me to allow me to grab two controllers and turn the TV and game system on. I handed her one of the controllers and grabbed a CD case to show her some of the games I had. “I got quite a few games for us t’ play together. Would you like t’ play some… Sonic…? Street Fighter…? Mortal Kombat…? Halo…?”

“I don’t know what ANY of those are, but I suppose I’ll pick… that one,” she said, pointing a hoof to the disc with the design of a black dragon on it.

“Mortal Kombat it is. I hafta warn you, though… This game is a bit uh… graphic. I dunno if you can handle it…”

“What harm could a series of moving images do to anypony? Or human…?” I raised my eyebrows and gave her an ‘I warned you…’ look before I put the game in. Shortly, we were immersed in a virtual world of intense violence and ridiculous amounts of blood. The first thing we saw was at the title screen, where a yellow ninja had punched a blue ninja in the face.

“I get the feeling this game has a bit of violence in it…” Twilight hypothesized.

“And ya feelin’ would be right.” I was sure to enter the tutorial mode that allowed for the practice of finishing moves and picked a particularly brutal one, just to see Twi’s reaction.

“Now, are you ABSOLUTELY sure you won’t get scared?”

“There’s nothing to be afraid of. Why are you so afraid of what I might—? *GASP*” she didn’t finish as she turned to the screen to watch the blue ninja rip another ninja’s head off, the spinal cord attached, with his bare hand and present it to the camera. The look on her face changed from one of naïve confidence to wide-eyed shock and disgust.

“Turn it off, turn it off, turn it off!” she begged as she hid behind my back.

“I told ya,” I said, breaking into a laugh as I took the game out.

“Oh, dear sweet Celestia, that was horrible!”

“That it was. That it was. Why don’t we play somethin’ a bit more… friendly?”

“I don’t mind the violence, but that was just *cough* grotesque,” she said as she returned to her original position.

“Noted.” We spent some time trying out various games for her to play. I tried my best to keep her away from any games that showed a lot of killing in them. We also steered clear of the dreaded ‘Super Meat Boy.’ We started off with simple run-and-jumpers like Sonic the Hedgehog, which she caught the hang of very quickly, seeing as it had a similar play style to Meat Boy, but much more forgiving and enjoyable. We also played Street Fighter. She was quickly able to learn the controls of the game, despite its notoriously confusing moves list descriptions. Nonetheless, Twilight proved to be a much faster learner than I could’ve anticipated. We didn’t play it for very long, due to her needing to use magic to be able to press all of the buttons, which didn’t help her headache. Otherwise, she actually proved to be a VERY challenging and analytical opponent; especially with Chun-Li and Rose (her two favorites). She beat me a few times, to my surprise and teensy bit of humiliation.

The most fun we had together was when we were playing co-op in a game by the name of ‘‘Splosion Man,’ where teamwork was absolute key for level completion. We were on-point with coordination for the most part, with each of us making an occasional mistake that got us both killed again and again. Afterwards, I took a break and introduced her to some classics, like Galaga and Pac-Man, which she mastered instantly. As she played, I decided to go make us some lunch. I came back to find that she was blowing through Pac-Man like nothing…

“You’re on level seventy-five???” I asked in total shock. “And you have all your extra lives???”

“Yeah. This game’s incredibly simple,” she matter-of-factly replied. “By level ten, I noticed that each of the little ghosts follow distinct, yet predictable patterns depending on how I move while the game itself gradually sped up. I also noticed that the effects of big dot things you make this cheese ball thing eat gradually got weaker, until eventually, it only temporarily altered the directions in which the ghosts move rather than turn them blue. Taking that into account, I was able to figure out how to maneuver through this game with relative ease.”

“Is that so? You’re far better at this than I am… I could only make it to twenty-one if I’m lucky…” Then I got an awful idea, which I smirked at. “Jus’ be careful once you get t’ level two hundred fifty-six...”

“This game goes on for that long?? And what happens at level two hundred fifty-six?”

“Keep playin’ an’ find out…” I simply responded. “Oh, and I made you some PB n’ J with some cookies an’ milk. And I brought you some tissues and cough drops in case your nose starts to run or gets stuffy.”

Two Hours Later

“Y’know, making cheese ball man—!”

“Pac-Man.”

“…eat the same two hundred forty-four dots and the occasional snack at the middle of the maze for two hundred *cough* fifty-four levels, listening to the same ten sound effects gets KINDA tedious…” she informed, seeming to be very drowsy. I looked at her eyes to see that she looked like she was so focused that she hadn’t been blinking. That was shocking enough, but what really shocked me was that…

“You actually counted how many dots there were on—?”

“AAAND two hundred fifty-five is done…”

“Alright, here we go! The level we’ve ALL been *cough* waitin’ for! Two hundred fifty-six!”

“Yeah, finally… What the hay???” The level that came up on the screen was something Twilight never expected; only half of the level was visible, while the other half was a jumbled cluster of broken sprites and glitch madness. She finally hit Pac-Man's notorious Kill Screen.

“Ta-da! There ya go! Level two hundred fifty-six! It’s completely unbeatable, because it’s broken! You’ve beaten this game so hard that you basically broke it! Congratulations, Twilight Sparkle!”

“…”

“Uh… Twilight…?”

“You made me sit here… for two hours…”

“Twi? You okay?”

“…running through the same repetitive level with the same repetitive theme…” she started speaking through tightly clenched teeth.

“…I take it you’re not too amused.”

“So you could trick me into finding a surprise that came in the form of getting to a level that’s too BROKEN TO BEAT!?” she stared hot death into my eyes, her frazzled mane rising into the air as if she were about to undergo a super transformation.

“Aw, shit son…”

“I-I uh… thought you’d find it amusing…?” She was clearly not happy with that answer. However, instead of going through that transformation, she simply calmed down completely, which scared me even more.

“You know what? You’re right. It WAS pretty funny, now that I think of it…” she chuckled. And chuckled. And chuckled. I forced a laugh out of uneasiness.

“Uh, y-yea! See, now you’re lookin’ on the bright si—!” I was interrupted as she grabbed me by the shirt and pulled me close. She leaned in, her brow furrowed. “You ain’t that mad, are ya? If you are, I’m sorry. Can you forgive me for this?”

“Hmm… Okay, I’ll forgive you… under one condition,” she suggested as she let me go.

“What might that be?”

“I want you… to… play the Meat Boy game for just as long as you had me playing this game. No stops, no breaks for anything, continuous play, no matter how much you get stuck… and as a bonus, I want you to play the hardest levels it has to offer.”

“Now that’s just CRUEL! Two hours o’ THAT??”

"She'd have a better time watchin' me burn down a forest out o' pure rage..."

“It’s only fair…” she teased with a smirk and a shrug. I could tell she was just looking for a laugh at this point. “Oh, and if you quit or stop for any reason, you owe me BIG time…”

“*sigh* Alright, fine…” I reluctantly agreed. “But if I break somethin’ cuz o’ how angry I’mma get, I blame you.”

“Before you begin your perilous journey, allow me to freshen myself up.”

“Okey doke.” With that, she got up and walked into the bathroom, leaving me to my thoughts of how I was going to go through two hours of this game without quitting. But then, I wondered what she had in store for if I did Rage Quit…

“Goddammit…!” I rasped as I sent myself flying into a pit of lava. I’d spent almost an hour watching myself die again and again as I progressed through this merciless game. Fitting that the world I was in was literally called ‘Hell.’

“Even I’M beginning to question if making you play this was such a good idea…” said Twilight, sitting next to me as she took a bite out of the sandwich I’d made her.

“This game isn’t even that— NRRGGH! Hard…! I’ss jus’ me makin’— D’oh, my GOD!” I felt drenched in sweat as I focused on the game, trying vehemently to complete the levels. I had a bit of a competitive streak when it came to games like this, where there are set par completion times for the levels, which I was determined to beat every single one of. This unfortunately served to infuriate me much more than if I was simply trying to beat the game. “Don’t think I don’t hear you laughin’ over there…”

“Who, me?” she asked, poorly feigning offense. “I’d NEVER laugh at someone’s misfortu…” she choked on the word ‘misfortune’ and burst into a giggle after watching me face palm and huff in anger at yet another embarrassing death. “*AHEM* I’d never laugh at another’s mis… *SNORT* fortune.” I shook my head.

“You have no idea how much I ha— DAMMIT! Hate this game…”

“You COULD just stop playing it. Surely, doing me that favor would be better than this, right?”

“Hold on, I think I got this one. All I have t’ do is lightly jump in between the saws at the last part, make a mad dash, an’ I’ll be golden on this one.”

“Alright. I believe in you.”

“Thanks.” With that, I focused on the level at hand. This one had taken me particularly long to figure out how to complete, but after a good fifteen minutes or so of trial-and-error, I was finally zooming through the level. I’d JUST made it to the part where I was making the home stretch when…

“HATCHOO!!”

“Eww, what the— NO! No no no nonono—!” *SPLAT* I died again.

“Are you SERIOUS…!?” I could only blankly stare at the screen, devoid of any emotion as I contemplated what just happened. I was beating the level. I was so close. SO close! Then Twilight sneezed on my hand. I lifted my hand up, still holding that blank expression as I examined the saliva and mucus-covered appendage. I puffed out my cheeks slightly as I pouted and directed my stare at the unicorn, looking for an explanation.

“Ooh, I’m… really sorry, Ty…” she apologized, smiling sheepishly. “I um… I didn’t expect that to happen…”

“…Twi.” I very calmly said.

“Y-yeah?”

“Could you please step outside for a moment?” my voice was a bit shaky as I tried to remain calm.

“You’re not going to break anything, are you?”

“Perhaps… perhaps… but I just really need you to step outside o’ the room, close the door, and very tightly cover your ears… because I, quite frankly, am pissed off.”

“Ty, I’m sorry! It was—!”

“No, I’m not mad at you. I jus’ don’t want you t’ see what’s about t’ go down in here.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yep.”

“…Well, alright then…” with that, she climbed off of the bed, walked out of the door, and presumably covered her ears. Once I was sure she’d followed my instructions, I widened my eyes and began to huff… and puff... as if I were an antagonist from a fairy tale. And just like in that fairytale, I was fitting to blow some houses down. I clenched my fists and my teeth and held my breath at the same time I was trying to exhale, deliberately forcing blood into my head as I growled. I was basically trying to become a Super Saiyan. *Once I felt I’d almost made my head explode, I let out a deep exhale as I pounded the controller with my fist a few times,* grabbed it, and tossed it on the floor. *Then, I let it go…

“FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU—*COUGH COUGH COUGH COUGH* Stupid ass sore *COUGH* *AHEM* throat…” I very audibly growled.*

After that, I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down, although I was still visibly upset and had given myself a headache, finding myself unable to unfurrow my brow as I calmly moved to carefully pick the snotty controller up, turn off the game system, and reopen the door to find Twilight obediently covering her ears. She looked up at me in worry as she lifted herself to all four of her hooves.

“Are you feeling any better?”

“*sigh* No. But that’ll hafta do.”

“I suppose you’ll want to continue playing?” I thought about it for literally three seconds.

“Nope. Not at all. I am done. I have lost any shred of patience or tolerance I had with that game. I refuse to even look at it again… at least, for a while. Now if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go wash your snot off of my hand AND this sweat-bathed controller.” She only smiled sheepishly at me as she backed into the room. I washed my hands and the controller and rejoined the unicorn in my room, sitting down on the bed next to her.

“Your eyes,” she said as she looked at me. “They’re all… red.”

“It happens. Y’know, when your blood pressure takes an exponential hike,” I calmly replied.

“I’m REALLY sorry… I didn’t mean to sneeze on you. I really didn’t. It kind of snuck up on me…”

“You’re good. Now… what was that favor o’ yours?”

“You’d still do that for me? After I sabotaged your game?”

“A deal’s a deal. Now what do I owe ya?”

“Well… I was… kind of hoping you’d… teach me how to do that… ‘Hip-Hop Rap’ thing you were doing earlier.”

“Oh, that? Sure. What did you wanna rap about?”

“I suppose I’ll talk about my life from beginning to present, like you did, so I can understand how the concept works. Yours was pretty catchy.”

“To be perfectly honest with you, I only changed up the lyrics from this real old song I heard time an’ time again so that the words would describe me.”

“Even so, it’s a good basis.”

“True. Okay, lemme grab a piece o’ paper an’ a pencil so we can brainstorm your lyrics…”

“Alright!”

“Oh, an’ jus’ for good measure… here,” I said as I got up to grab a black cap from my closet and place it on Twilight’s head facing backwards. “There. Lookin’ all G’d up now.”

“G’d up? What’s that mean?”

“Nothin’…” I laughed. “Now le’ss see watcha got, Lady T-Spark!”

“…What?”

“First rule o’ bein’ a rapper: Ya gotta have a stage name.”

“Ooookay…?”

“You’ll understand. Now le’ss get t’ work…”

We spent a fair amount of time brainstorming lyrics for Twilight to recite, but not before we ate some cough drops to keep from spoiling the performance with fits of hacking. I even took the extra step in going onto my computer and searching for instrumental hip-hop beats for her to go along with. It took longer than I’d expected trying to write up the lyrics, considering she was trying to fit in all these big, intellectual words, most of which I didn’t even think had rhymes to them; especially a particular forty-five letter-long word I had no idea she’d even known.

Once that slight nuisance was out of the way, we tested her song out on various instrumental beats I looked up on my computer. She spent half of that time asking about what an ‘internet’ was and how computers worked. I just told her I’d explain it all to her later, because if I did it then, she’d never get this song out of her system. Eventually, we finished this little project and I couldn’t wait to see the results…

“Okay, I’mma play the beat. You ready?”

“Yeah. Um… how’d that phrase go…? Oh yeah! Drop that funky beat, yo!” I cracked up at that. Priceless… Nonetheless, I began the beat for her.

“Get ready!”

“Okay… Here goes nothing… Yeah… Okay… Ready to um... lay it on ‘em…” she said, nodding her head to the opening jingle. As soon as the first drum set sounded, she began.

I’m a pretty little pony who’s a connoisseur of books,

I’m more than meets the eye, you could tell just by my looks,

I represent the fair town of Ponyville,

And now I’m here to show you ALL my MAD mic skills,

As a filly, I was silly, chose my talents over friends,

Reading books willy nilly from beginning to end,

In the city of Canterlot, born and raised,

In the libraries is where I spent most of my days,

Studying the entirety of the day away,

Not exactly the best way to live… But hay,

It got me enrolled in an exclusive institution,

So I figured books were my only suitable solution,

I even got my Cutie Mark at the entrance exam,

And got recruited as Princess Celestia’s right hand…

Or should I say ‘hoof,’ given that we’re ponies,

Not changelings or illusions or any kind of phonies,

I spent my WHOLE life studying up on magic,

Which made my social skills look unbelievably tragic,

Till one day, I was assigned to make the move to a town,

Not on a high mountainside, but WAY down on the ground,

I was reluctant at first,

Not sure what to expect,

I feared the worst, but I could only accept,

That I was given a mission to stop Nightmare Moon,

And gain some friends as an ultimate boon,

In the end, I succeeded and made five friends,

Who’ll have my back all the way to the end…

Rainbow Dash… She’s a blast and a half,

Loyalty is her element; she’s always there in a flash,

Then I got Pinkie Pie, who’s all that and a laugh,

And since Laughter’s her element,

She’ll get you laughing fast,

Next up’s Fluttershy, who’s a heck of a mare,

She’s the element of Kindness,

Always able to care,

Then there’s Rarity, who’s got no ferocity,

Quite the opposite, representing Generosity

Last, but not least, there’s Applejack,

A pony I KNOW has got my back,

She’s the element of Honesty, without a doubt,

She tells no lies; no matter what it’s about…

SILLY me; I never actually mentioned my name!

It’s Twilight Sparkle, and the element of Magic’s my game,

Our experience and friendship has become a big part of me,

And that’s exactly what makes us the…

Elements of Harmony! Word!

I ended the song and stared in amazement at the unicorn.

“Whoo… Hot DAYUM!”

“How was that?”

“Outstanding!”

“Really??”

“Yeah, that was amazin’ for your first time! I’m impressed!”

“Aww, thanks!” she smiled warmly at me. I smiled back.

“I’d suggest keepin’ that memorized so you could show it t’ the others sometime…”

“Oh, I don’t know about that…”

“I say show ‘em! Sharin’ is carin’!”

“Hmm… Oh, alright, I’ll see how they like it…”

“Tha’ss the spirit!”

“Great! So… what’s there to do now? It’s still pretty early in the evening…”

“True… y’know, I have a few questions for ya. But why don’t we talk over dinner?”

“Sure. What will we be having?”

“Umm… depends… what do you like?”

“A lot of things. Mainly fruits and flowers, but I’ll eat sweets, too.”

“I see… is there such a thing as ‘pizza’ in Equestria?”

“That there is! I don’t have it very often, so I could go for that.”

“Okey doke. Whatcha want on it?”

“Just cheese is fine.”

“Alright.” With that, I picked up my phone, called the nearest restaurant, and placed a delivery order for a large cheese pizza. I was given a thirty-minute waiting period. “It’ll be here in a half-hour. In the meantime, how ya feelin’?”

“I’m… actually not feeling too bad. My headache’s calmed down a bit, my nose isn’t as runny, my throat only feels a little tingly, and I’m hardly getting chills anymore. I’ll probably be all better by tomorrow. How about you?”

“I feel like I’m gettin’ worse, actually. It feels gross t’ swallow, my throat’s gettin’ sore, my nose is occasionally cloggin’ up, and my body hurts for no reason. Chills are occasional. How is it that you’re recoverin’ so fast?”

“I use my magic to accelerate my rejuvenation from temporary illnesses like this. It’s a low-level spell I use that makes colds that would normally last a week, last little more than a single day for me. It’s really simple. Most unicorns know it.”

“Lucky you… I’m… HATCHOO! Jealous… This is prolly gonna last me all week… *sniff*”

“I could see what I can do for you tomorrow when I’m in better shape. I’m still not feeling a hundred percent on magic.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Right. So um..." I trailed off, looking for some topic to discuss with the lavender mare. In an instant something popped up. "Hey, I just remembered: Other than what Celestia said about wantin’ us both t’ see her A.S.A.P., what did she say about her reasons behind the banishment?”

“It’s… kind of a complicated story…” the unicorn informed with a hint of worry.

“Complicated? How?” My curiosity piqued. I just HAD to know.

“Well... Get this: Somehow, some way, there was… another human that found his way to my world…”

“WHAAAAT???”

“Yeah… The other human was brought to that distant eastern country by a different unicorn. That unicorn also found a spell that permanently turned him into a pony, which in essence, binds him permanently to my world. That human turned out to be manipulative and shifty, finding ways to almost cause a war that he was hoping to take advantage of by forming a coup and trying to take over both of the countries he managed to turn on one another. The mare that brought him there had no idea he was causing such pandemonium until after he was captured. She was apparently seeing this human-turned-stallion and had no reason to suspect he'd been up to no good. Celestia said it was because this mare's judgment was clouded… because she…”

“Because she what…?”

“…loved him.” Those two words sent a wave of emotion into my gut.

“Love, huh?”

“…So… so she thought that because our situation looks similar in terms of the circumstances of our friendship and my arrival, I’d wind up betrayin’ you?”

“Basically.”

“Well I gotta admit, I'm mildly offended. But how’d she find out that the pony doin’ all that stuff in that other country was human?”

“After he was apprehended, the mare in question came to her and confessed.”

“Huh… That still don’t explain why she instantly decided t’ kick me out without fair trial or somethin’.”

“She assured me that she was only looking out for Equestria’s safety and my safety as well.”

“Tha'ss basically what she told me. I can understand that, but i’ss pretty unfair t’ tell somebody t’ get out because o’ one bad incident that had nothin’ t’ do with them. What, did she figure I’d jus’ decide one day that I MIGHT become evil even though she apparently invaded my head?”

“N-No, of course not,” Twilight answered unsurely.

“That doesn’t sound too convincin’…”

“Well… I mean it wasn’t ENTIRELY because she thought that…”

“But the fact still stands that I got punished for somethin’ I MIGHT do, because somebody else did it.”

“Yes, but please understand that she didn’t do it to punish you. Nonetheless, she realized her mistake and she is willing to make a change,” the mare asserted, suddenly on the defensive when it came to her country's ruler.

“And I appreciate that, but why is it that she was so quick t’ throw me out an’ lock away the key?”

“I think you said that backwards… But anyway, she’s never visited this place before. She doesn’t know what to expect of the inhabitants here. And given that the other human told that unicorn that all humans were evil, Celestia could only base her judgment on that. What you told her about not all humans being evil, but there being varying dispositions around this world didn’t exactly help in changing her mind.”

“…Alright. I won’t hold it against her that she was given some bad info, but seriously: What does that have to do with me specifically, other than the fact that I’m human? It ain’t very leader-like t’ believe a stereotype about an entire race all because one member of said race decides t’ be a jerk.”

“Celestia’s a great leader!” Twilight scolded. “But you do have a point. It wasn’t fair of her to do such a thing. She realized that when I talked to her. But take into account that she didn’t know anything about your race before that other human showed up. She didn’t even know you existed.”

“Yeah, but I’m sure she don’t judge other races that reside in your world based on what she sees. You didn’t.”

“She’s lived for much longer than anypony in my world. Yet, in not one of those hundreds of years has she ever come into contact with a human. Before the other human showed up, her opinion on you was a blank slate. Come to think of it, according to Cadence and the letter we got from Celestia the other day, she seemed pretty excited to see you before that crisis ruined it. Besides that, my appearing to you was a complete accident. I could’ve wound up teleporting myself to someone who tried to hurt me the instant they saw me, conferring to your perception on humans. For all I know… you could’ve tried to hurt me yourself.”

“Twi… *sigh* I’m not gonna hurt you. I didn’t even think about it when you showed up here. And I wouldn’t even dream of hurtin’ you now. Hell, you came in via magic teleportation, so I instantly figured you were much stronger than me anyway. But tha’ss beside the point. Celestia’s hundreds o’ years without human contact doesn’t quite make it a reason for her t’ distrust me to the point where she’d throw me out like she did.”

“You’re right… but now that I think of it, maybe she was so quick to do so because I’m her protégé; her most faithful student.”

“Yeah, you said that already. She was lookin’ out for your safety.”

“Yes, but it's a bit deeper than that… She’s become like a second mother to me. I spent a large amount of my foalhood under her care. She told me that it would really hurt her to see me in pain or danger. That was one of her biggest reasons for doing what she did.” That opened my eyes a bit.

“I kinda see it now… i'ss kind of a matter of trustin' a human t' take care of her daughter along with findin' out what kinds o' creatures humans are?”

“For the most part. But as we’ve gone over before, she has no real way to get to know any humans besides you. Your race isn’t watched over by her, so as of right now, she doesn’t know what to expect from you. Other than that, she and I are very close. Buuut, seeing how close you and I have become...”

“Hm. I see… I have the burden of proof on this one, but I’m confident that I can do it. Alright, I’ll consider her opinion on humans and her relationship with you when we go see ‘er. Thanks, Twi.”

“You’re welcome,” she answered with a smile.

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

“Sounds like the pizza’s here. I’mma get it.” I gathered up the money out of my wallet before rushing downstairs to pick up the pizza and pay the delivery guy. I set the box down on the counter before calling Twilight down. As we got settled in, I decided to start up another conversation topic with her.

“Hey Twi. I know we been havin’ some fun together, but I gotta know… what are your normal hobbies?”

“Hobbies? Well, I’d have to say reading books, studying, learning, honing my magic skills, and planning things out. Oh! And science.”

“Oh boy, how exciting,” I sarcastically remarked, rolling my eyes as I ate my first slice. I looked back at her to see that she didn’t exactly appreciate my quip.

“Oh? And what exactly do YOU do that’s more fun than what I do, huh?”

“I didn’t mean it like that! That was rude o' me... But as for me, I play video games… sometimes, I practice with musical instruments… um… and sometimes, I’ll read. I like a good read every once in a while. I also like t’ jus’ sit an’ think about stuff when there ain’t nothin’ else goin’ on. Again, sorry about the sarcasm.”

“It’s okay. Although I don’t see how you find enjoyment out of making yourself angry by playing those games… But you play musical instruments? And what types of books interest you?”

“Not every game riles me up like that. Just the ones that are unforgivingly hard. As for musical instruments, I jus’ kinda dabble in stuff. My favorites are drums an’ piano, but I’ve recently taken an interest in the guitar. I ain’t that good at any of ‘em yet, so don’t expect a full song from me too soon,” I joked. “And books… hmm… I would say autobiographies, tragedy, humor, and… nonfiction.”

“Interesting…”

“Since you’re so invested in books, what catches your eye?”

“I’ll read just about anything! Every book is an entire world of knowledge and information, and I LOVE learning… other than strengthening my magic, learning is possibly my most favorite thing to do.” I noticed a glimmer in her eyes as she confessed her passion for knowledge to me. It was cutely inspiring.

“Hm. There is no knowledge that is not power.”

“Yes! I feel like learning makes me stronger every day… but as for favorites… I’d have to say I like documentary, biography, spell books, and scientific textbooks most.”

“Nice. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but… what do you do when you’re NOT studyin’ or readin’ or schedulin’ stuff?”

“I hang out with my friends. Sometimes, one or a couple of them will come over and we’ll discuss anything under Celestia’s sun, or all of them will invite me out for a group get-together. There's also the off chance that we'll wind up having to go on some crazy adventure to save Ponyville or even all of Equestria! And before you ask, Spike DOES come along, too, on occasion. He’s never ignored. Most times, he simply chooses not to, though. I can’t say I blame him. A male baby dragon around a bunch of mares isn’t exactly a suitable image for him. I’ve only seen him hanging around two colts by the names of Snips and Snails, but they’re younger than he is, so he doesn’t do so very often. He mainly opts to clean up around the library while I’m busy or gone.”

“I see… He needs more friends of the same gender t’ be around. But then, with him bein’ a dragon in a town inhabited by ponies, I could see how that could be a bit tough.” I hypothesized as I finished my final slice.

“Oh, no. Nopony minds Spike being a dragon, and he knows just about as many ponies as I do. I’d assume he just needs more ponies in his age group to befriend.”

“Possibly. Say, exactly how old ARE you, anyway?” Twilight smirked as she finished her second slice.

“How old do you think I am?”

“I dunno… I’d hafta say you’re… in your late teens…?” I guessed as I rubbed my chin.

“Close… ” she winked.

“In your… twenties…?”

“Close…”

“Aw come on!” I complained. “Which one is it!?”

“I’ll leave that entirely to your speculation…” she winked again.

“Yeah, cuz that’s real fair… Tell me!”

“Nope…”

“Why?”

“Because I want you to guess…” I let out an exhale from my nose.

“…you prolly get this question a lot, don’t you?”

“Correct. This is why I like to play the guessing game with anypony who asks. While we’re on the topic, how old are you?”

“Guess.” I challenged, not one to concede, just like her.

“Alright then… Hmm…” she eyed me up and down as she studied me. She got out of her chair and trotted over to me, focusing her gaze on me.

“Focusin’ pretty hard there, eh?” My quip fell on deaf ears as she climbed up onto my lap, her concentrated stare unfaltering. She leaned REAL close to me as she practically tried boring into my mind with her eyes. Getting a little jaded with her extensive, yet seemingly inconclusive stare study, I decided to break her focus. So I kissed her. She pulled her head back, blushing as she did so.

“No fair! I was so close, too!” the unicorn complained.

“Yea, you was ‘close’ alright…” I joked with a chuckle. “An’ it looked like you ain’t have a clue where t’ begin guessin’.”

“Well… maybe. But only because I have no clue on the human aging process. I don’t notice any gray in your hair, or any wrinkles, so you have to be fairly young.”

“I suppose I could say the same t’ you.”

*RIIIIING*

“Lemme go get that,” I said as Twilight hopped off of my lap. I went into the living room and looked at the caller I.D. to see that it was my job calling.

“Hello?”

“Yeah, Ty?” requested the voice.

“Good evenin’, boss.”

“Yeah, good evening. Um… I’m gonna need you t’ come in tomorrow.”

“What?? Why?”

“One of the other guys got put in the hospital for food poisoning. He won’t be back for a couple days, according to him. All you got’s a cold, right?”

“*sigh* Yeah, but I—!”

“Everyone I called on the 5:00 shift couldn’t take up the extra time. Either that, or they didn’t answer. You’re the only guy to answer, so I guess you’ll be comin’ in tomorrow, right?”

“Come on, man, I—!”

“I’ll pay you for today AND tomorrow, alright? That way, your check won’t be so bad since you still got that no-call, no-show on your record.”

“*sigh* Fine…” I caved. I could use as much money as I could get. Plus, who wouldn’t want to get paid for not working a day? Of course, there was the problem of what Twilight would do here alone for eight hours. That and we had to go visit Princess Celestia. “But i’ss YOUR fault if anybody gets sick there.”

“Yeah, got it. Just keep to yourself for the day, an’ the whole time should blow over quickly, and you can get some time with your lady friend.”

“Gotcha. HATCHOO!”

“Great. See ya tomorrow.” He hung up.

“Damn…”

“Alright, Twi, I got some bad news.” I said as I walked back into the kitchen to sit down.

“What is it?”

“I gotta go t’ work tomorrow, but I’m leavin’ at like 7:30 AM. I should be back by 4:30 PM.”

“That kind of puts a strain on our time with Celestia, but okay…”

“Well, you should be all better by tomorrow, right?”

“Yes, but I can’t make more than two trips between universes per day just yet. That spell is exhausting.”

“Right… but, you don’t actually have t’ leave. What if you…” I thought for a second before I’d gotten an idea. “I dunno, sent a letter t’ Spike t’ send to Celestia tellin’ her about the delay?”

“Hm… I suppose that could work. And from there, she’ll know what’s going on by the time we make the trip there. Alright. But what will I be doing with all that free time?”

“True… Hold on…” I instructed as I got up and looked around the house for some books. I searched high and low for material I found suitable for Twilight’s interest. By the time I was done, I'd managed to find three anatomy and physiology textbooks my mother left, a couple of old Dr. Seuss books by the names of ‘The Cat in the Hat’ and ‘Green Eggs and Ham’, a psychology textbook, an algebra textbook, a perspectives on human sexuality textbook (which I felt EXTREMELY awkward about giving to a unicorn to read), an old magazine, and a dating advice guide (which I also felt awkward about giving to a unicorn to read). I didn’t feel like it was much, but I figured she’d be busy enough to keep from being bored the whole time. I’d also found another notebook and a pen in case she might’ve wanted more notes. I carried the hefty stack of books down into the living room and called the unicorn over.

“Well, I’ve got all these books here for you t’ read. I even got you another notebook if you wanted t’ take notes. Other than that, I suppose you could jus’ mess with the Xbox for a while.”

“Hm, I suppose. Most of these books DO seem sizable enough to keep me occupied... Maybe I’ll be able to focus on them the whole time. Let’s see what we have here…” My heart started to pound out of fear of what she’d think of my findings. “Anatomy and Physiology… Understanding Psychology… Perspectives on *GASP*”

“Yep. Jus’ the reaction I was expectin’…”

“…Sexuality?”

“I swear I only brought it because I thought you might be interested in it,” I rambled in panic as I felt myself getting unreasonably hot. “It ain’t even entirely about sex! A lot of it’s about views on things like gender-based stereotypes and double standards, and communication and— OOP!” I was interrupted by a hoof placing itself on my mouth. I looked at Twilight to see her giggling.

“It’s okay, Ty. I’m a grown mare. I know how to handle reading this type of material,” she calmly assured as she let go. “I’ve read tons of material spanning on a wide scale of natural pony anatomy and activity. I’m sure humans couldn’t be too different.” A wave of relief washed over me as I listened to Twilight.

“Oh…”

“Yeah. But from the looks of the books here, I’ve got quite a lot to study up on! Thanks!”

“Y-you’re welcome,” I timidly replied, still not completely over the uncomfortable air. I glanced at the clock to see that it read 6:57 PM. “Well, I got about five hours before I decide t’ call it a night. What do you wanna do until then?”

“I’d LOVE to get started reading these books, but… I don’t want to ruin all the free time I’ll have with them tomorrow. Do you have anything in mind?”

“Not really… I suppose I could spend some time showin’ you how the TV, the phone, and the computer work…”

“Excellent!” she excitedly stated. “I’ve been wondering how those things functioned.”

“Alright then! Problem solved!” I said with a smile. With that, I spent the remainder of the day showing Twilight the television, giving her a bit more of an in-depth explanation of the mechanics of it. I had the computer to thank in part for some of the information I relayed to her. I also gave her a basic description of the function of the phone. She caught onto that concept fairly quickly. I spent the majority of the time teaching her about the computer, though. She was captivated by its design and functions as I explained to the best of my ability how it worked and how almost everyone around the world used the Internet to instantly send electronic information to one another. Of course, I also warned her about the dangers of wandering around the Internet too much, as I’d heard of horrible places that would likely scar the both of us. In fact, I specifically told her that if she was going to use the computer while I was gone, she was not to get adventurous under any circumstances and to only use the computer for learning purposes while I was away. Eventually, after the lengthy, yet insightful hour-long lectures on the functions of basic human appliances, the time hit for us to hit the hay.

After setting the alarm on my phone, I carelessly crashed my aching, chilling body onto the bed, eager for sleep as the illness was progressing towards the point at which it would make my day a living hell tomorrow.

“Sweet dreams, Twilight…” I said with a yawn as the unicorn made herself comfortable next to me rather than on top. “You don’t want to sleep on me this time?”

“Well, you have to wake up bright and early tomorrow. You’ll save time if I slept beside you rather than on top.”

“True. G’night,” I whispered as I got comfortable.

“Good night, Ty,” she quietly replied as she snuggled up close to me. I wrapped an arm around her as we soon allowed ourselves to drift off to sleep…

Not-Quite-Home Alone...

My phone went off as planned, but I really wished it hadn’t. I got up feeling like I got hit by a car, then spent yesterday screaming my lungs out after being placed in a block of ice while being forced to stick my head in an oven… In short, I felt absolutely miserable. Twilight was still asleep, so I carefully slid out of the bed to turn the alarm off before preparing to go to work. A short time later, I’d dragged my body into the kitchen and had gotten myself a bowl of cereal to eat. I couldn’t enjoy it because every bite felt like I was swallowing broken glass. By the time I was almost ready to go, the unicorn had woken up and made her way down the stairs.

“Good morning!” she contently greeted. I felt too weak to give a coherent response, so I settled on groaning like a zombie. “I can see you’re not exactly in a great mood… or condition, for that matter…”

“How ob— *COUGH COUGH* observant of you…” I remarked.

“I’m really sorry about this… I should’ve told you I was getting sick when I came back. But then, I didn’t think I was getting sick…”

“It’s oka— *COUGH COUGH* HATCHOO! *sniff* Never mind, it’s not okay… But wha’ss done is done, an’ now I get t’ infect everybody around me at work today…”

“I’ll do whatever I can to make it up to you… I promise, Ty.”

“Really? How ‘bout gettin’ rid o’ this cold for me?”

“Hmm, you’re probably not going to like what you’re about to hear…”

“What, that the spell only works on you?”

“No, but… it doesn’t exactly work as well when I use it on others… chances are, you won’t feel its effects until later on today. That and it’ll work at a somewhat slower rate on you than on myself. On the bright side, you’ll still get better much sooner than if you were to wait it out.”

“Good enough for me. I’ll take whatever you can give me.” I welcomed her spell with open arms.

“Alright. Here goes noth—!”

“Aww, no! I’ss 7:34! I gotta *cough* go!” I announced after looking at the clock on the oven as I hurried to grab everything I needed. Afterwards, I made sure to pick Twilight up and give her a quick hug before I left. “I’ll be back later, honey! Hope them books keep you entertained! An’ don’t forget the letter!” I said as I speed walked out.

“Bye, Ty! Have a good day!” she called back before shutting the door. With that, I quickly made my way to the car and soon made my way to what I was sure would be an awful day at work…

After watching Ty leave, I turned and trotted towards the stack of books we’d left sitting in his living room when a thought suddenly occurred to me…

“Did… he just call me ‘honey?’” I couldn’t help but giggle at that… Nonetheless, I was beyond eager to indulge myself in the biology of human beings. I couldn’t wait! However, a nagging question in my mind made itself apparent as I examined the enormous gold mines of educational information before me… But first, I had a letter to write. I brought the notebook towards me and began:

Dear Spike,

I apologize for not coming back home yesterday. I arrived in Ty’s world the day before, carrying a cold with me. I spent the entirety of yesterday recovering from it. Ty and I should be arriving in Equestria sometime today. I’d be extremely grateful if you could relay this information to Princess Celestia, so as to eliminate any inconvenience regarding our meeting. Thanks in advance and I’ll see you soon!

Love,

Twilight

P.S.: I’d like to hear about your day with Rarity. I’ll admit I’m a bit curious.

I finished the letter, tore the notebook page out, and cast the spell on it, sending it to my #1 assistant. I then proceeded to the books sitting in front of me, now ready to assess that nagging question...

“Where to begin…? It’d probably be a great start to begin with psychology, but anatomy and physiology just seems so much more intriguing! Plus, there are three books here on that subject. But then… what about the perspectives book…? No, that can probably be saved for last. Hmm…” I meticulously pondered my options, while at the same time containing my excitement. I also took notice of what seemed to be two children’s books, but compared to everything else in front of me, I wasn’t particularly interested. There was also a magazine here, but I figured that if it was anything like magazines in Ponyville, it could definitely wait. But then there was one book… It had a simple title, ‘The Dating World’, so I could tell right away that it was some sort of dating advice guide. And Ty laughed at me for having that kissing guide… looks like we’re even. Lastly, there was the mathematics textbook. I supposed I’d start simple by comparing the mathematics in this world with those in mine.

“Alright…” I said as I levitated the textbook, notebook, and pen towards me. I spent a short amount of time skimming through various areas, such as the quadratic formula, functions, geometric dimensions, and a small amount of calculus and trigonometry. I was done with that book incredibly quickly. I was as interested as I was disappointed that I found virtually no difference in the math of our worlds.

“Next up… I suppose since there’s three of them here, I’ll start with anatomy…” I immersed myself in the lengthy manuscript, studying closely the functions and buildup of every aspect of the human body. There was SO much to know! Who knew a human body could be so complex...? It was so strange to notice that there had been so many similarities between human and equine builds, yet so many differences in joint, organ, and bone formation... In seemingly no time at all, I was completely invested in studying the human body further... It was here that, as I was scribbling down research notes, I’d hatched an idea…

“I wonder if I could construct a spell of some sort using this information…” With that thought, I pressed on until I’d reached the end of the first textbook. By then, I’d already acquired a vastly rich assortment of notes that had given me more than enough information about the human body, its structure, and its many complex functions... As it would appear, humans were just as, if not MORE complex an organism than ponies were... but that COULD'VE been because there'd been no research done on this species at any point in my world until this moment. This information was no less than groundbreaking for me! Between this, the teleportation spell I'd mistakenly learned to travel to this universe in the first place, and all of the insight I'd been allowed to obtain since my first visit here... I was one happy unicorn, to put it bluntly.

It's just a shame that my original set of notes were obliterated after I'd unfortunately had to relinquish them to Princess Celestia. No matter, for I had been bestowed with a much more valuable and in-depth set of material... although I might have to keep it secret so as to avoid suspicion and danger regarding this valuable information.

As I finished scouring through the first one, I wondered if the other two anatomy textbooks were even necessary. I couldn't imagine how much more information on the enigmatic construct known as the human body I would need... I had a plethora of notes already. With that, I opted to move on to the psychology book. As I was evaluating and gathering notes from the material of the book, I was growing increasingly astounded.

“Unbelievable… they ACTUALLY have human versions of Neighbraham Maslow and his theory on the hierarchy of needs, Jean Poníaget and his theory on intellectual development, and even P.F. Skinner and his theory on behaviorism and their reinforcements amongst MANY others!” I was also shocked that humans and ponies have extraordinarily similar thought processes and cognitive functions. I was getting more eager to develop my idea, which was little more than brainstorming at this point. However, I felt that before I put my thoughts onto paper, I’d need to read up on one more subject…

“Well, since anatomy and psychology are out of the way… we might as well get started on you now, perspectives on sexuality…” I admit I was VERY nervous about reading this one. I mean, pony sexuality was… interesting enough in itself. There were so many theories, opinions, factors, and facts to be taken into account in terms of the variables having to do with such a thing that even I couldn’t fully wrap my head around it at this point. The sexual behaviors of most other animals I’d read about (at least, in MY world) were merely primitive and instinctual, not going very far beyond reproduction. But from what information I’d acquired on humans… I could guess that they were equally as sentient and intelligent as ponies, which was mind-blowing to consider. But… could their sexual behaviors be similar as well, despite their wildly dissimilar bodily shape? Only one way to find out…

“Okay… here we go…” I dove headfirst into the text. It began with some biological information, which I’d mostly had covered in my notes. However, it went more in-depth in terms of reproductive organs. As far as I could tell, there were only two genders evident in the human race. Nevertheless, I continued my note taking as I progressed through the text. There was a colorful plethora of material to cover, such as sexual identity and orientation, intimacy in relationships, illnesses and treatments, and a variety of other, more… dare I say, ‘Adult’ topics. At this point, I just HAD to formulate my idea. After I’d gotten a sufficient amount of information, I decided I was going to conduct another experiment, with Ty being one of the two test subjects… as much as he may or may not welcome it.

I was going to cast a new spell; one that would break new ground in the area of transformation. One that had been previously unheard of and liable to be considered completely insane... One that would reshape the very boundaries of the genre of transformation in itself... even for a Changeling. I had everything I needed and there was next to nothing to hinder me from trying it. I, as enveloped in these studies as I was, was practically radiating with excitement on trying it...

Simply put, I was going to attempt to transform myself into a human. I wanted-- no, NEEDED to see for myself what it would be like to be one... With everything I'd learned, coupled with one of my most valued mottoes that experience is the best teacher, I had to know for myself what it would look like... what it would FEEL like... to be one of this intriguingly ethereal race of sapient beings... Albeit, only temporarily.

I figured I’d use the pony transformation spell I'd cast on Ty as a basis. It wasn’t enough to simply cast the reverse to that spell on myself, seeing as I’m naturally a pony, just as Ty is naturally a human, however. I needed a basis for transforming myself into a human on the inside and out. Thankfully, I had all the information I needed from the textbooks. However, I was missing one glaringly potent factor: What kind of body would I be shaping my form into? I hadn’t gotten a very definitive look at the human female body outside of the textbooks, which didn’t serve to be very much help on outward appearance. The only sources I could derive any idea from were some of the games Ty and I played, the anatomy and perspective books, and…

“Of course! The magazine.” I levitated the flimsy collection of pages over to me and examined its contents. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a very good image of the female body there, either. Every human pictured in it was wearing some form of clothing that masked their true form. I’d almost thought of winging it before I’d had another epiphany.

“The computer…” I trotted my way back upstairs and, relying on my memory of how Ty used the computer, I turned it on. Afterwards, I navigated the little arrow to something called ‘Google Chrome.’ From there, I tried spelling out my request by hoof. Unfortunately for me, I couldn’t. It appeared that this thing was designed specifically for human fingers, not pony hooves. I instead used my magic to press the correct buttons until I managed to spell ‘female human body,’ then selected the word 'images.'

Keeping in mind what Ty said about not getting too adventurous, I spent some time researching the images the screen portrayed and nothing more. I made absolutely sure not to dare to journey further into this most enigmatic human contraption as my interest in it and its wildly convenient functionality increased tenfold... It was somewhat difficult not to be curious about this thing, considering I had little to no knowledge of it beyond what Ty taught me the night before. I really wanted another lesson or two about the functions of this thing, but it could wait; for there was another groundbreaking endeavor on the horizon and I needed to keep my priorities straight. Eventually, I figured I’d had a good enough idea of the form I’d wanted. I was confident that I’d had everything I needed to put this spell to the test when…

*Grrrr*

“Heh heh… I forgot to eat…” I trotted down the stairs and into the kitchen to look for something quick to eat. I opened the refrigerator to be greeted with a pack of green apples. I took one and counted that as my breakfast for now, because I was on the verge of a major breakthrough and I was not going to be halted by any minor distractions. I made short work of the delicious fruit before I redoubled my focus on the task at hoof. I trotted back into the living room and began to sketch a picture of the body type I was aiming for. After that, I thought up and wrote down an incantation of the spell I’d developed in my head in order to pull this off.

After what felt like an hour of brainstorming, revising, ironing out any possible kinks of, finalizing, and memorizing the incantation for absolutely certain in order to minimize the margin of error, I was completely ready... except of course for one measly little detail that I was sure not to overlook once again; the pain factor. I remembered how much agonizing torture Ty went through when I turned him into a pony. I wasn’t sure if the same would happen to me by turning into a human, but I wouldn’t risk it. So I cast a spell on my body that made it entirely numb. I then made sure to study and memorize the incantation as thoroughly as possible, so as not to make any mistakes that may have compromised the experiment.

“Okay… Phase One: Transformation, begin…” I whispered before I focused energy into my horn. After a few seconds, my horn took on its usual bright glow. I began to focus harder, allowing for the magic to surround my body. I began to levitate as the spell began to work. Although I couldn’t feel it, I could see the spell beginning its process. The spell began with my limbs. They stretched out and became slightly more slender as they reshaped themselves into a more humanoid form. I then noticed my front hooves reshaping and forming into human hands, noted mostly by the five claw-like appendages sprouted out of each of them. My back hooves expanded and formed into human feet, as a similar sensation took hold of them.

"So far, so good..."

Next was my torso. It also elongated by a fair amount before some other changes were made. My upper body developed two sizable, round bulbs that formed a small, darkly-toned nub on the centers of each of them. I considered this to be a simple relocation of some of my reproductive organs. I noticed that my belly had developed an indent in it, which, according to the anatomy textbook, was a ‘belly button.’ The next part to shape shift was my head. I couldn't see everything, but I did see that my snout had seemingly shrunken and separated into a nose while my mouth was moved so that it didn't connect directly to it anymore.

"Almost there! Just a little longer..."

The numbness spell prevented me from feeling everything going on, but I was fairly sure that the spell was working to perfection. Lastly, my coat began to recede into my body until I only saw a pale tan layer of skin, save for a patch of my coat on my lower torso just above where my genitalia was located. There was also a series of minuscule hairs on other areas of my body that retained the same color as my coat. Eventually, the transformation was completed as I descended to the ground in a sitting position. I was quick to perform a healing spell on myself before undoing the numbness spell, so as to avoid any substantial discomfort other than the kind I'd be experiencing from transforming into an entirely different animal. Once that was out of the way, I examined myself.

“Wow… I did it…” I was amazed by my results. I actually managed to transform myself into a human! I thought something like this would take much longer to master...

“Oh… oops…” I said as I turned and looked down to see that I’d forgotten to get rid of my tail, which still kept its normal colors and retained its place just above my flanks. I flicked it a couple of times to see that it still retained its normal range of movement. I also noticed that my Cutie Marks were still present. “Phase One: Transformation, partial success. There's still a kink or two to work out... Now for Phase Two: Movement.” Of course, I had no idea how to move in this form. I spent a fair amount of time rolling about on the floor, trying to get my limbs to work the way I wanted them to. It was frustrating, to say the least. After yet another lengthy period of time trying and failing to get the hang of things on my own, I’d almost considered waiting for Ty to get back to see me on the floor before I remembered what he said when he was learning to walk as a pony…:

“My forelegs an' hind legs kinda feel like they bend in the opposite directions of what I’d expect, which is throwin’ me off… but I think I’m s’posed to be usin’ more o’ my front legs to keep me steady rather than relyin’ on my back legs to do so…”

“If I just apply what he said about moving as a pony, but do the opposite, maybe I’ll be able to…” surely enough, I was able to get up and move into a position where I was on my hands and knees. The next step I had to accomplish was crawling. Remembering Ty’s theory about limbs and ligaments being relocated, thus forcing him to carefully rethink his movements by relearning how his body worked in an unfamiliar form, I slowly, but surely began to crawl. I mastered the art in a diminutive amount of time, also learning how to properly work my limbs. It was shocking to see that humans had a much wider range of flexible movement than ponies, but the real challenge would make itself apparent very quickly: standing. Humans stood straight up on their back legs, while using their front legs, called ‘arms’ to grab hold of things. Taking hold of the sofa nearby, I pulled myself up until my legs were fully straightened. However, I was still leaning forward with my hands clutching the sofa, afraid of letting go.

“Okay… how am I going to do this…?” After a moment of consideration, I finally gathered up the courage to push off of the couch in an attempt to stand straight up. I failed miserably, as I only managed to lose my balance and fall flat on my now-human butt. “Oww…” I rasped as I rubbed a hand on the sore area. “I’m going to learn this… I have to before he gets back here…” I glanced at a nearby clock to see that it read 10:47 AM. I had ample time to get the hang of walking like a human, and I was going to use it wisely…

Approximately two and a half hours later

I was making excellent progress. I’d learned how to keep my balance when standing straight up and I’d learned how to walk normally, albeit at kind of a slow pace... I was still having a little trouble with keeping a consistent balance as I moved. Humans proved to have a lot of control over their center of gravity, which I’d been spending some time learning.

“Phase Two: Movement, successful. Phase Three: Examination… Begin.” With that, I carefully made my way upstairs and into the bathroom to get a better look at my new body. I was impressed by how well the transformation turned out. I’d given myself a petite, slender, curvy form based on the images I’d observed. My mane still retained its usual colors and shape, but it had grown longer into a full head of considerably lengthy human hair that spanned down my back. It also managed to retain its natural style; something of a mystery in itself. My eyes retained their same violet color. I saw that my ears were moved to the sides of my head and reformed into a more rounded shape. However, I noticed that my horn had failed to disappear, much like my tail. This spell worked for the most part, but there were still a few kinks to work out on it. I examined the rest of my body to see that I’d matched up every aspect perfectly. I moved my hands to explore my new form, which felt soft and smooth… almost as if I was still a pony, minus the coat. I was no less than ecstatic that the spell turned out as well as it did.

“Phase Three: Examination, complete. Well, I guess that just about does it for my part of the experiment. While I’m in here, I might as well get cleaned up…” I glanced at the bathtub, flexing my fingers as I did so. I was really starting to get the hang of this new body. I couldn’t WAIT to show him… I challenged myself to spending the rest of my time alone without the use of magic, beginning with the shower…

After I cleaned myself up, I dried off and walked downstairs to finish studying. I’d gotten all I needed to know on the subjects on anatomy, psychology, and sexuality, but… curiosity was admittedly getting the better of me.

“’The Dating World’, huh?” I inquired as I picked the guide up off of the floor and sat down on the sofa. “Eh, I have at least a little time…” with that, I got up and walked to the fridge to grab another apple before getting comfortable and indulging myself in the book…

“Finally, the day is *COUGH* over…” I muttered as I clocked out. This sickness was tearing me a new one. The chills, the body aches, the constant nasal congestion, the scratchy throat… it was all too much. Luckily, the day did go by rather quietly, with no disturbances whatsoever. That didn’t stop me from wanting to get out of there, though. I wasted no time getting to my car and taking my drive back home…

Eventually, I arrived at a close enough time to the time I told Twilight I’d arrive. I was quite eager to see her again, for a number of reasons. I actually imagined the bright smile on the unicorn’s face as she greeted me after I walked in. With that, I plugged the key into the lock and turned it, unlocking the door before I opened it.

“Welcome back, Ty!” greeted a familiar voice, coming from an unfamiliar presence. Instead of a unicorn, I was met with a slim, curvaceous, yet petite young woman. She had dark blue hair with two juxtaposed pink and dark purple stripes spanning down the length of it, her eyes were a brilliant shade of purple, her skin was a pale shade of apricot, and she was… completely naked. She simply stood there with a bright smile on her face with her hands interlocked behind her back. To make sure I wasn’t going insane, I rubbed my eyes and took out my pair of eyeglasses and put them on. Once again, I successfully ruled out my ‘I must be going crazy’ factor.

“Um… hi?” I answered with a mixture of confusion, shock, and apprehension. “Who are you? Have we met before? How did you get in my house? …and why are you naked?”

“You seriously don’t recognize your own filly-friend?” the young woman teased with a wink as she placed her hands on her hips.

“What?? Who…? Wait… that hair… those eyes… that… horn!?” Then it hit me as my jaw practically unhinged in complete bafflement. “TWILIGHT!??”

“In the flesh!” she proudly answered as she made her way over to give me a hug. I wasn’t sure about returning the gesture, given that she was nude. However, I noticed that she still had her tail as well. “How was work, honey?” she asked as she kissed me on the cheek. "You look adorable in glasses, by the way..."

“Er... f-fine, I guess…? And uh... thanks...” I was frozen in such a state of shock that a statue would be jealous. “Do you— HATCHOO! *COUGH* mind explainin’ what *cough cough* went on in here?”

“Well, using information from the books you gave me to read, I took a series of notes, then developed an idea. One thing led to another, and POOF! Here I am, in human form! I'll explain it a bit more later, but we should probably do something about that cold first. Follow me,” she instructed as she grabbed my hand and led me into the living room. There was a considerable height difference between us. As tall as I am, her head was a little below my shoulder. I’d be lying if I said that her height was the only thing I’d been observing... but I digress.

We sat next to each other on the couch, with me holding my feelings of disbelief at what was going on. Twilight managed to transform herself into a human; an extremely good-looking one, at that, despite her horn and tail still being visible. She was naked, but seemed to have no problem with that. I figured it must’ve been a pony thing, seeing as I hadn’t seen her wearing clothes in pony form once at this point.

“Hold still,” she said as she placed her hands on my shoulders. I noticed her horn taking on a familiar glow, but I got lost in her eyes. They were so beautiful… and purple. She focused her gaze on me as her horn’s glow strengthened. After a few seconds, she closed her eyes and touched her horn to my forehead. I felt a rush of warmth course through me as Twilight kept her focus. A short while later, she ended the spell, but only drew her head back a little as she smiled warmly at me.

“There. That should speed up your recovery process.”

“Well thanks, Twil—mm?” I was interrupted as she closed the distance between us again, this time with her lips. We stayed that way for what felt like an eternity before she eventually pulled away. “Wow… w-what was that for?”

“For giving me the opportunity to learn so much in such a short amount of time,” she answered.

“Oh, um… you’re welco—!” she interrupted me again by locking lips with me once more, this time much stronger than the last.

"Keep doin' this an' I might get a bit curious about what else you can do in this form..."

“And that was for… well, because I wanted to…” she smiled as her face began to redden. I let out a small chuckle, despite still being a bit bewildered.

“Well thanks… But didn’t it hurt turnin’ yaself human? I mean, you remember what happened t’ me.”

“I was prepared this time. I cast a spell that made my body numb before I did this.” At that, I scoffed.

“Oh, nice,” I sarcastically remarked. “Where was that spell when you pony-fied me?”

“Heh, sorry…” she shyly smiled as she giggled. “I… didn’t have any experience with spells like this before that day. I had no idea it would hurt you like that.”

“Hm. Good point. What made you wanna try somethin’ like this?”

“A few things, actually… general curiosity, it was an excellent opportunity to test the limits of my magic ability, amongst other reasons…” she piqued my curiosity, causing me to raise an eyebrow.

“Other reasons like what?” She didn’t answer with words. Instead, she pulled me into yet another long, hot, passionate kiss.

“How does that make you feel?” she asked, which confused me a little.

“Um… a few things, I suppose. Happy, relaxed… um…”

“Aroused?” I raised both eyebrows at that.

"Well, she's certainly bein' straightforward..."

“…W-What?”

“Does it make you feel… aroused?” I wasn’t sure WHERE she was going with this. I only hoped that she wasn’t trying to imply that she wanted to…

“Well… I’d… be lyin’ if I said no… why?”

“Did... Did you get that same feeling when I was a pony?” That question opened my eyes as to where she was going with this.

“Okay, I see what this is about…” I began. “You wanna know if I like you better as a pony or a human… don’t you?” She timidly nodded, seeming to feel a bit ashamed about her approach. “You know, this ain't exactly the best way t' go about testin' how I feel for you…”

“Yes…”

“But, I can understand. As obvious as this might sound regardin' what I'd like better, it shouldn’t matter… to either of us. I mean, we’ve clearly been able t' hook up together, despite the fact that we’re different."

"I know, but... I was just wondering how you'd react to this... How... you'd feel knowing that your unicorn significant other could transform her body to suit you..."

"I... I understand... You shouldn’t feel like you hafta do this to accommodate for me. Besides, this ain’t the real you. The real you is a unicorn. I mean, you didn't seem t' have a problem kissin' me despite me bein' human... or was it the pony disguise that stopped you from feelin' scared...?"

"I like you for you, Ty... regardless of what form you're in... It's just... I'd never expected to feel this way toward a non-pony... It's unusual for me..."

"You have a point... I know as well as you do how… odd it is that we’re different species, yet we have these feelings for one another…”

“…Which is why I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about this. Honestly, this started out as a test of magic. But then I read the perspectives book just before I tried this spell and that dating advice guide afterwards… it would appear that something as minor as interracial relationships amongst humans is mildly controversial and generally frowned upon to an extent... That isn’t exactly a big problem in Equestria, but in terms of interspecies… let’s say if, for example, Spike and Rarity became this close… I’d already overheard some ponies around talking about how unethical or unsanitary it would be for somepony as classy as Rarity to, and I quote, ‘stoop herself as low as dating a dragon; a baby one at that’. In our case, nopony in Equestria except for Princess Celestia, Rainbow Dash, Spike, and I know that humans even exist…”

“While in this world, your world has somehow been depicted in the form of a television series, which I’ve yet to watch. We’ll likely hafta catch it sometime jus’ t’ see if i’ss as accurate as I think it might be… if it IS that accurate, then I could see all kinds o’ problems arisin’ if we ever stepped foot or hoof outside with you in pony form, a good deal of 'em jus’ for the simple fact that you’d be too recognizable. That an’ you’d be looked at as some sort of alien by those who don’t recognize you. There would be a similar problem if we did the same in Ponyville with me in human form. I dunno how many ponies know my name there, but they do at least THINK we’re together… I’m not sure how they’d react if they found out I’m not actually a pony.” At that, she let out an exasperated groan.

“Why is this so complicated?”

“*sigh* I know…” I moved to hug her. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. But le’ss not forget; we still hafta see what Celestia has t’ say first. Which means you’re gonna hafta go back to pony form.”

“Right.” With that, she got up off of the couch and allowed her horn to attain its active glow. Soon, her entire body became enveloped in a luminous magenta light as her form shape shifted from one of a humanoid form into one of a quadruped. After about a minute, the young woman standing before me was replaced by the familiar purple unicorn I’d remembered leaving here. “What about you? Do you want to be in your current state or in pony form when we see her?”

“Hmm… tha’ss a tough one…” I carefully considered the options. If I WERE to stay in human form for our visit to Celestia, she’d get a better idea of what a human looked like. Buuut, I’d stick out like a sore thumb, revealing myself at a time I felt was too soon. I figured we weren’t going to teleport directly to her. We’d more than likely be going straight to the library in Ponyville. If I opted to transform into a pony instead, I wouldn’t have to deal with the hassle of being bothered by every pony who saw me. However, I wasn’t sure what Celestia would think if we showed up there with me hiding behind a transformation once again. But then, she’d hopefully understand that I’d only be doing it to prevent a sense of alarm. After much thought, my choice became clear. “I think I’mma go pony on this one. Keep things on the D.L. until after we hear her final verdict, y’know?”

“You’re right.”

“Quick question, though…”

“Hm?”

“I had on a specific outfit last time you did this t’ me. Do you think the clothes I’m wearin’ now will affect how I look?”

“…Honestly, I have no clue. Only one way to find out though…” she said as she powered up her horn. I took a deep breath, took off my glasses, and closed my eyes, waiting for the inevitable. After a few seconds of suspense, I reopened my eyes to see Twilight sitting on her haunches with a look of worry on her face.

“Wha’ss wrong, Twi?” I asked in concern.

“There’s… one more… experiment I want to conduct before we go through with this… if that’s okay with you…”

“Hm… whatever it is, fine… so long as it don’t hurt.”

“Oh, don’t worry… it won’t…” with that, she trotted over to me, climbed up onto my lap and gave me one more deep, passionate kiss. “Does… that feel any different?” she asked in an uncertain tone.

“Honestly… no. Not at all…” I smiled warmly at her; a smile she returned with gusto. “Okay, le’ss go visit a Princess…” she obliged by getting back onto the floor and casting the transformation spell on me once again. As I was being reformed, I surprisingly didn’t feel much more than a few tingles here and there. I wondered if it was because I’d gone through this transformation before, or if Twilight simultaneously cast a spell that may have dulled the effects of it. Nonetheless, the spell had completed, and I was a pony once again.

“Wow… How about that? You actually don’t look different at all,” she said.

“Really?” I examined my pony body to verify. Turns out everything was there; the black coat, the white cloud Cutie Mark… even the afro-mane! “But… how?”

“Beats me… maybe this form is the one you've grown accustomed to, making this spell work in favor of making specific changes that altered your body to look this way…?”

“Sounds like as good an explanation as any,” I passively answered, not wanting to make my headache worse. “Now le’ss roll…”

“Roger that.” Twilight obliged. With that, she powered up the teleportation spell. Within a few seconds, we were on our way back to Ponyville…

Proving Grounds!

*POOF*

“Here we are! Back at the Golden Oaks Library!” Twilight announced after we arrived in front of the giant tree/building in the late sunset.

“Golden Oaks…?” I asked, perplexed by the name. “Is that what this *cough* place is called?”

“Yeah. Haven’t I told you that befo—!” she stopped herself as her ears perked up. She planted an ear up against the door as if she’d heard something strange.

“What are you do—?”

“SHH! Come here…” she beckoned.

“Oookay…?” I uneasily approached and joined her in pressing my ear up against the door. There was whispering going on from the inside. I couldn’t tell what the voices were saying but the voices themselves sounded familiar… One sounded like that of a child while the other sounded like a well-mannered grown woman.

“What do you think is going on in there…?” Twilight whispered.

“I dunno…” I whispered back. “…but I have a pretty good idea as t’ who’s inside there…”

“So do I…”

“Aight… Le’ss go in an’ see wha’ss goin’ on…”

“Alright… On three… One… Two… Three…!” with that, Twi and I burst in through the library door to be greeted with a most unexpected sight. It was a small purple dragon and a white, indigo-maned mare holding one another as they seemed to be in the midst of an intimate moment. Their eyes widened in shock as they froze in their position.

“Oh, my god…” I muttered in shock.

“Spike!? Rarity!?” Twi shouted in complete disbelief. In lieu of saying anything, I started cracking up.

“Twilight! Ty! How do you do,” Rarity nervously greeted as she planted her fore hooves back on the ground.

“It isn’t what it looks like! Honest!” Spike defended as he hastily removed his claws from Rarity’s shoulders.

“Oh, really?” I asked, still laughing uncontrollably. At that, I saw the faces of both the white mare and the purple dragon heat up into a bright crimson.

“I-I assure you, we were simply… um… checking to see if… our faces were in tip-top condition,” Rarity said in a tone that sounded like she hastily came up with a lie.

“Yea okay, an’ I suppose y’all was gonna go ‘head an’ do that by wettin’ each other’s’ whistles, huh?” I got no verbal response; instead, the couple in question lowered their heads in embarrassment, which I took as a sign to relax and cease my laughing. I took a quick glance at Twilight, who I noticed stifling her own snickers with her fore hoof. “*AHEM* But seriously, I suppose i’ss nice t’ see you’re gettin’ better acquainted.”

“Better acquainted than I thought possible…” Twilight quipped. I resisted the urge to laugh at her remark.

“So uh… what sparked this li’l romantic flame between you two? If ya don’t mind me askin’…”

“I wouldn’t so much call it a ‘romantic flame’ as I would prefer to label it a… ‘Quixotic examination,’ of sorts… However, if you must know, the day we’d spent together was absolutely splendid!” the fashion mare informed with a smile.

“Yeah,” Spike continued. “We got to know each other so well! We went to the café, took a walk to the park and spent time talking and thinking back to funny moments…”

“Yes, and I must say, Twilight,” Rarity began in a tone of concern. “I had no idea you were having such problems with acne that you’d had to find and use a spell to hide it… If you would’ve come to me, I would’ve given you some of the finest ointments available to battle your blemishes in a more conventional manner. I also would’ve helped you with your issue in terms of— mm?” Spike quieted the mare by gently placing a claw over her muzzle. The library went awkwardly silent. At that, I widened my eyes as I gave a sideways glance at Twilight. She looked absolutely appalled, her jaw hanging open as she gawked at Rarity. I then turned to the dragon.

“You do realize that you’re prolly gonna have a *cough* LOTTA makin’ up t’ do…”

“Yeah…” he answered as he lowered his head, scratching the back of it with the claw he removed from Rarity’s mouth.

“But as for your adventure…”

“Oh, yes,” Rarity replied. “We simply spent the entire time learning about one another. Over the course of the next two days, Spike had finished his chores around the library earlier than usual as I’d made the extra effort to complete customer orders as swiftly as possible. We’d found a mutual break time where we were able to meet up and discuss miscellaneous stories with one another about anything and everything. He’s proven to be such a sweetheart…”

“And then today came, where neither of us was busy,” Spike continued. “So we spent most of the day in here, just talking, one thing led to another, and…”

“We kinda… ruined your moment,” I finished.

“Oh, of course not!” Rarity replied. “We were simply conducting…”

“An experiment!” Spike abruptly finished for her. At that, I laughed, considering Rarity's look changing to one of puzzlement.

“Ha, ‘experiment…’ Yeah, I know all about those…” I joked as I looked over at the purple unicorn. She looked none too pleased, glaring at Spike as if he’d just screwed up big time. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

“Changing the subject,” Twilight began in an eerily calm tone. “Spike, did you get my message?”

“Oh! Y-yeah! She said to let her know when you got back. In which case…” the small lizard scurried his way to a nearby desk to pull out a slip of parchment and a quill. After he was done, he engulfed it in emerald-colored flame as it made its journey to the princess. “There.” With that, he fearfully approached Twilight as she fixed her glare from one of anger to one of mild annoyance.

“Good. Now that that's out of the way... Ty, Rarity…”

“Yea?” “Yes, dear?” we asked in unison.

“Could you two please step outside for a moment? I’d like to have a word with Spike… alone.” Already, I could tell he was probably in a lot of trouble. The two of us didn’t hesitate to trot outside of the library door before it magically slammed itself shut. Now sitting outside in the waning sunset were Rarity the fashion mare, and myself. After a short, uncomfortable silence, the white mare spoke up.

“So, Ty… How do you do?” she politely asked.

“Um, I could be *cough* better… But I’ll manage."

"Good to hear. Last I heard, you were exiled from our fair land."

"Yea, well... In a nutshell, we're goin' t' see the princess so she can deliver us her final verdict."

"I see. Spike DID mention something about an important letter regarding a meeting between Twilight and Princess Celestia... I presume it must've been Twilight following up with a challenge to her ruling?"

"Your presumption would be correct."

"Quite..." she commented, suddenly smirking at me. "It's actually quite admirable... seeing you two fight the justice system in the name of love..." she followed THAT statement with an admittedly cute little giggle and a wink, instantly putting me on the hot seat.

"Jeez... She's too good at this 'flattery' thing..."

"Y-yea, well... when the goin' gets tough, the tough get goin'..." I nervously murmured, scratching the back of my head as I tried to make sense of what I just babbled out to her.

"Indeed, Ty," she agreed, still smiling that enticing smile at me.

"Right. So uh... How... are you today, madam?”

"Why the hell am I so NERVOUS around her?? She isn't even flirtin' with me! At least, I don't think she is..."

“Marvelous, dear. Thank you for being a gentlecolt and asking so politely,” she kindly replied in such a tone that sounded like it was laced in intrigue.

"Huh... Maybe she IS doin' it on purpose..."

“You're welcome…" I said, almost losing my words before I thought up a topic to discuss with the strangely alluring marble-coated mare. "So… um… you an' Spike, huh?”

“I assure you, Spikey-Wikey and I are not an item…” she curtly replied, her smile disappearing almost instantly.

“Hmph. That ain’t what that puppy-dog stare you two were givin’ each other while you was huggin' said…”

“Honestly, I had no intention of doing anything suggestive, if that's what you're implying…”

“Uh-huh…” I was still a bit skeptical of her.

“You must understand that he’s simply too young for me,” she explained without me needing to prod her. “I mean, he has all the qualifications of a perfect gentlecolt and he will find a suitable special somepony OR somedragon in due time. However, he and I are… too different for me to think of him in such a manner. As I previously mentioned, he’s younger than I, which wouldn’t necessarily be a problem in itself if he weren’t still a child. The real predicament lies in—!”

“Him bein’ a dragon?”

“Well… yes. Dragons age much more slowly than ponies do unless they experience a sudden growing, insatiable greed. In that case, he’d become an adult in a matter of hours—!”

“Unless he was to snap out of it, which would make him turn back t’ normal, right?”

“Yes. Not to mention, he'd grow to the size of a mountain... How did you know that last little tidbit?”

“He told me hisself. But as you was sayin’…"

“Oh, yes. Other than that, we’d likely be long gone before he even finished puberty. In addition, he is one of my best friends. Even if he were to somehow become a stallion, I certainly wouldn’t want to damage the little dragon with something so terribly demanding as a relationship. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us for the simple fact that he is, in a way, Twilight’s younger sibling. Add that to how sisterly Twilight and I have become over time and that would serve to further deter me from considering Spike as a… special somepony…”

“I see…”

“Please understand that I do love Spike very much… It’s just that I just cannot find it in me to love him in that fashion. I would find it much too harmful to the relationship we have now...”

“Ouch…” Hearing that hurt me a little and I wasn’t even the one with feelings for her. “You are aware of his feelin’s for you though, aren’t you?”

“Of course, dear. It would be hard to miss… In fact, it would be harder to miss than, as Applejack would say, ‘the broad side of the barn.’ Still, there's always the possibility that it's simply a childhood crush and that he'll be over it himself in due time...”

“Right. But what if it isn't just some insignificant little prepubescent infatuation? How will you break it to him that his love is unrequited?”

“That’s what would pain me most. After these last two days we spent learning about one another, we were on the verge of touching that subject… of course, until you and Twilight burst in…”

“Ooh… Sorry about that…”

“It’s okay, darling… I’ll simply have to find another time to converse with him…” As Rarity finished her statement, the door reopened with Twilight and Spike standing in the doorway.

“She’s ready for us, Ty,” Twilight informed. “A chariot should be here any moment.”

“Alright! Hey, wha’ss wrong with him?” I said as I looked at Spike, who seemed less than thrilled. In fact, he seemed really grumpy, as he was pouting with his arms crossed.

“Oh, nothing… He’ll just be spending the rest of this week reorganizing this entire library as a way to learn not to spill secrets that aren’t his to spill…”

“Ouch… but then, this is a lesson to you, too, Twi…”

“And what lesson might that be?” she asked as she raised an eyebrow.

“A secret between three friends is best kept… if two of them are dead.” The two mares and the dragon looked up at me in shock.

“Whoa whoa whoa, I’m certainly not gonna KILL anypony…” Twilight warily said. I felt my face go deadpan as I resisted the urge to face hoof.

“No, I mean don’t share secrets if you aren’t comfortable trustin’ anyone else with them.”

“Oh,” All three of them said in unison.

“Well, that’s certainly a dark way of putting it…” the lavender mare worriedly remarked. “And all the things he told Rarity weren’t things I told him. They were things he’s seen me doing, but found humorous enough to blab to her.”

“Oh… Well, Spike… You sir, are a bad, bad boy.”

“Yeah, yeah…” He dismissively replied, waving a claw.

“Aww, cheer up, Spikey-Wikey!” Rarity cooed to the dragon. “I’m sure it won’t be too difficult. I might even be able to lend a helping hoof… if you’re okay with that, Twilight…”

“Sure, fine. I’d hate to separate you two lovebirds…” the purple mare teased, much to the chagrin of her fellow unicorn. “But NO more embarrassing stories about me. Please??”

“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye…” Rarity recited.

“I see these Pinkie Promises are serious business…” I said.

“That they are, Ty. Just be extremely careful not to break one if ever you make one… If one is unwise enough to go back on their word, Pinkie Pie will know. From there, she will most likely hunt you down like nopony’s business…” I wondered what COULD happen if one was to break a Pinkie Promise… I could imagine the party mare going completely insane and practically killing someone if they weren’t careful. But then I got this dark, ominous feeling… like I was going to be finding out firsthand. I shook it off as I saw a royal chariot approaching us. It landed in front of us, prompting Twi and I to climb on and take our seats. We said our goodbyes and soon enough, we were headed off towards Canterlot.

“So… Twilight.”

“Yeees?”

“I’m curious… What exactly DID Spike wind up tellin’ Rarity?”

“I’d tell you… but then I’d have to kill you…” Instantly, I remembered what I told her just a bit earlier.

“Oh yeah…” I gave a short laugh. “Nice one.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem… But here’s a quick thought: Why punish Spike so harshly for revealin’ a few secrets o’ yours when you wound up revealin’ one o’ his by accident?”

“You mean that time where he, Rarity, and Fluttershy trusted me to keep so many secrets that I inadvertently blurted out the one about his crush?”

“Yea.”

“It’s not like anypony DIDN'T know about his infatuation; except Rarity, who was completely oblivious at the time. That was the only secret of his I’d revealed, and it wasn't even secret. Did you know he crafted a T-shirt with a picture of Rarity’s face inside of a heart on it? Other than that, he was practically worshiping the ground she walked on.”

“Wow… he made it THAT obvious, huh? Borderline creepy…”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Still, tha’ss somethin’ he trusted you with.”

“Yeah, well I also trusted him with keeping my problem with my Obsessive Compulsive Disorder sec— *GASP*!” I laughed heartily at that.

“Looks like you can’t even keep your own secrets… O.C.D., huh?”

“I-it’s not as bad as you think… honestly!” she gave me such a pleading, worried look that I actually felt bad for her.

“I dunno… that brings me back to what Rainbow told me about you trickin’ the whole town int’ fightin’ over that raggedy ol’ doll that Applejack’s older brother is now in possession of…”

“That was one particularly bad incident… Nopony actually knows I have the disorder, to my knowledge… except Spike… and Rarity… and now you…” she lowered her gaze to the carriage floor. A second later, she slightly lifted her head up as she moved her eyes to look at me in the most adorable display of submissiveness I’d ever seen. “But… I learned how to control it…”

“Aww, Twi… I don’t think any less o’ you for havin’ O.C.D. Nobody’s perfect. I mean come on... You've seen already that I can get a little too frustrated at small things a bit more quickly than I should…”

“Interesting… Could you possibly have Intermittent Explosive Disorder?” She surprised me with her knowledge of psychology.

“I.E.D.? Oh no, not THAT frustrated… most times. I don’t usually get violent when I’m angry… Most o' the time, I jus’ stop talkin’. Period. Other times, I might laugh at whatever’s gettin’ on my nerves. You’d know right away.”

“I see… Well, I hope I don’t have to see you angry… unless it’s for my amusement,” she teased and winked as she scooted close to me.

“Oh, hardy har har…” I remarked as I hugged her tight. “Anything else you’d like t’ ‘accidentally’ share with me?”

“Hmm...” she pondered as she returned the hug. “Well… this isn’t so much a secret as it is a… request…”

“A request, hm? Wha’ss up?”

“Well, I know how you don’t really like being experimented on, considering what I've put you through thus far… But I know I could gather tons of information from you if you allowed me to… I just don’t feel like it’s fair to you, though…”

“It ain’t really that Ah’ont like it. I’ss jus’ that I don’t like when I don’t know your motives. If you need me in order t’ learn somethin’, jus’ lemme know. I understand that I’m your first human test subject, but I’m not a lab rat. I’m honored to assist you in your studies. But at the same time, I don’t want that t’ be the only reason you’d keep me around, y’know?”

“I understand loud and clear… There’s no way I’d let my colt-friend feel like anything less than that… Thank you for letting me study up on you. I think it’d make an excellent addition to my primary studies on friendship, which I’m a little behind on due to everything that’s happened to us over the past week. Besides that, I really do like you, Ty… I would hate for you to think I’ve only been keeping you around as a scientific instrument.” She finished her statement by kissing me on the cheek. I couldn’t help but smile at Twilight as I held her in my forelegs. She looked up at me in such a state of blissful happiness that I instantly felt my heart thumping in my chest like it was going to burst. My stomach felt like an entire exhibit of butterflies had been released inside it. I absorbed the euphoria of it all as I stared into her eyes, grinning with delight.

A short time later, we’d arrived in Canterlot once again, the chariot gracefully landing in front of the palace doors. The two of us gave our appreciation to the guards for the ride before we entered the enormous building and trotted all the way up the stairs to the throne room door.

“Here we are… The moment o' truth is here… No pressure… No pressure at all...” I muttered before taking a deep, uneasy breath and gulping down my anxiety.

"Who am I kiddin'? ALL of the pressure!"

“Relax, sweetie…” Twilight whispered to me, which prompted me to shoot her a slightly perplexed look.

“Sweetie? That’s a new one…” She merely smirked at my observation.

“I should say the same to you. That's how I felt when you called me ‘honey’ before you left for work today…” It took me a moment to recollect my thoughts, but I did remember what I said to her this morning.

“So I did… So I did… Okay, enough stallin’… Le’ss get this over with…”

“Right…” We wasted no more time in entering the throne room to be greeted with the luminescent presence of the Sun Goddess Princess herself. The second she laid eyes on us, she stood up and smiled. Twilight and I walked up to her. I felt the need to take a bow, but I was stopped.

“Formalities, while thoughtful, are not necessary, my faithful subject,” Celestia calmly informed, prompting me to stand back up as I looked at her. “Now I know you two must’ve had a busy schedule today, so I won’t hold up more of your time than I need to. Ty.”

“Yes?”

“I’d… like to issue an apology for my decisions regarding your presence here in Equestria.” We’d just gotten here and already, she’s thrown me off-guard.

“Oh, wow um… It’s… okay?” I meekly replied.

“No… no, I’m afraid it’s not okay. What I did to you was unbefitting of me, and it was certainly unfair to you. I am not afraid to admit that I’ve made a mistake. I didn’t give you a fair enough trial to prove yourself worthy of staying in Equestria.”

“Water under the bridge, all of it,” I said, wanting to bring the princess to the main topic of why she called me here. “Twilight an’ I already talked about the reasons behind your decisions an' I understand ‘em. For one, as we ALL know by now, you was lookin’ out for the greater good of this country. Tha’ss what a leader’s supposed t’ do. Then there’s the fact that you had no contact with humans before that guy in that other country who told you that all humans were evil. I told you that NOT all humans were evil, but I didn’t elaborate.”

“Yes, but I’m sure you are aware by now that I invaded your privacy by performing a mind-reading spell on you, are you not?”

“Yea, I know…”

“That was far from fair to you, whether you choose to combat that point or not. I had no right, even as Equestria’s leader, to encroach your personal boundaries in such a treacherous fashion. However, I had no idea what human beings are capable of and I’m still not quite certain I know now… However, what I do know is that you genuinely care for my most faithful student.”

“*sigh* Yea… yea I do…” I felt the air get significantly thinner as I glanced over at Twi, who looked at me and flashed me a small smile. “But I also understand that you an’ she are very close. Like, family close.”

“Are you referring to the fact that she is my niece-in-law?”

“Close, but no. I mean, I’ve only heard about all the time she’s spent under your protection an' care as she learned more an' more about magic every day since she was a filly… But she holds you in such high regard that she wouldn’t dare even think anything negative about you. Even when we were discussin' your choices an' our thoughts on 'em yesterday. The idea I’m gettin’ at is one of a possible mother-daughter relationship between you two. Not that you would need some random stranger like ME t' tell ya that, of course...” Despite that last comment, Celestia’s eyes went wide.

“Mother… daughter…?” she quietly asked as she registered the words in her mind. She then averted her gaze over to the purple unicorn, who flashed a bright, warm smile at her mentor. “Twilight… I… you haven’t a clue how much that means to me…” Celestia’s eyes began to show signs of wavering as she smiled at her protégé. Twilight took it upon herself to approach the royal winged unicorn before they shared a loving, heartwarming embrace with one another.

“…and that’s why I could prolly guess that you was especially lookin’ out for her. Your distrust o’ me hurts… but what can I say? This IS your one an’ only most faithful student. I’d be a fool not t’ at least comprehend that,” I informed as the two unicorns separated.

“Ty… I do not distrust you. At least, I don’t now… Again, I’m deeply sorry for the inconvenience I’ve caused you and Twilight. It would be my honor if you were to stay in Equestria…” Those words made my entire day. Princess Celestia ACTUALLY allowed me to stay in Equestria! But, there was a pressing issue at hand…

“Thanks! I’m eternally grateful, Princess. But… I likely won’t be stayin’ long. Not that I wouldn’t come back, but…”

“Yes, I understand. You have no intention of leaving your world permanently.”

“Yes…”

“I wouldn’t have a problem with bringing you in between worlds,” Twilight finally spoke.

“Well thanks, Twi! But I’m sure that would exhaust you if you kept doin’ that, wouldn’t it?”

“Right now, yes. But, as you can see, the more I use that spell, the better I become with it. It’d be more or less a training regimen for me.”

“I see… but then, what about the transformation spell?”

“That one’s easy! It hardly—!”

“No, I mean… would you have to keep doin’ it? I don’t mind bein’ a pony at all. I’ss a new experience for me. But you’re already goin’ outta your way t’ bring me to an’ from here. I don’t want you stressin’ yaself constantly usin’ your magic on me…”

“I will see to it that a spell that more properly accommodates your situation is found,” Celestia graciously offered, to my surprise.

“Tha—!”

“However, I require something from you first.”

“Anything! You name it. A slushy? A sweater from my world? A hug?”

“No,” she answered as she let out a small chuckle. “I need you… to prove your feelings towards Twilight.” Twi and I both shot looks of confusion at each other, then at her.

“Um… prove my feelings?”

“Yes. I’m aware that you two are more than friends.”

“What!? How’d y— Ohohoho, okay, you prolly got that from the mind-readin’ spell, right?”

“Actually… no.”

“What? Then how’d you know…?”

“Word spreads quickly around Canterlot; especially amongst the guards,” she informed with a wink. I almost asked her what she was talking about, but then I remembered the first time we came here…

“Oh…”

“Indeed.”

“Okay... I accept your challenge,” I confidently said as I walked over towards the purple unicorn and kissed her on the cheek. “There.”

“A nice try, but not quite.”

“No? Okay…” I kissed her again, except this time giving her a small peck on her lips, provoking her to blush vehemently. “That good enough?”

“*sigh* It will take more than you kissing her to convince me...”

“I see… is there somethin’ specific you want me t’ do?”

“Not at all. Simply do what comes to mind that you think would convince me that your feelings are truly genuine.” I wasn’t sure what she was looking for me to do, but if kissing didn’t work, then something had to give. After a moment of pondering, I finally hatched an idea.

“I got it! How about a song?” I suggested.

“A song would be nice. Let’s hear it.” I simply nodded before I began to think about what song I’d serenade the two lovely mares with. I mainly thought about mushy love songs, given my objective. A short time later, a single song got stuck in my head and I couldn’t get it out. I sat there, trying to think of a better song to sing to the unicorns that would also force the current song out of my head. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be happening as the song I’d been listening to in my head suddenly started playing loudly out of nowhere, where all three of us could hear it. I figured that this must’ve been that song magic Twilight told me about, because I suddenly lost control of my body as it began to do these ridiculous dance moves on its own. Rather than resist it, I got curious and allowed it to happen.

“I jus’ wish I’d-a picked a better song than this… Damn it…! Well, here goes nothin’…”

“We’re no strangers to loooove,” I impulsively began singing with no explanation as I found my body at the mercy of this strange magic.

You know the rules, and SO! DO I!

A full commitment’s what I’m thinkin’ of...

You wouldn’t get this from ANY OTHER GUY!

Aaaaah jus’ wanna tell ya how I’m feeling…

Gotta make you… Understand!

Never gonna GIVE YOU UP, Never gonna LET YOU DOWN, Never gonna RUN AROUND and… DESERT YOU!

Never gonna MAKE YOU CRY, Never gonna SAAAY goodbye, Never gonna TELL A LIE… and HURT YOU!

“Wow…” I heard Twilight say as I was too busy being a magical marionette. I also noticed a few random ponies I hadn’t even seen enter the room; they were dancing right along with me. Some were even providing background vocals. The choreography of it all was astounding to say the least. Everything seamlessly flowed together, despite everypony and everything just showing up out of nowhere... Before long, the next part of this awful song began…

We’ve known each other! For so long…

Your heart’s been achin’ but… YOU’RE TOO SHY to say it!

Inside, we both know what’s been… Goin’ on…

We know the game and we’re… GONNA PLAAY IIT!

AAAAAND If you ask me how I’m feeling…

Don’t tell me you’re too… BLIND TO SEE!

As the song went back to its hook, I noticed my body making especially strange movements towards Twilight. So far, I’d somehow been moving in ways I’d only thought were possible in human form, making strange gestures towards the unicorn, such as gently brushing her face or caressing her chin with a fore hoof or winking at her and smiling as I sang to her. The weirdest part is that she seemed to be absolutely captivated by it, her eyes glimmering as she smiled brightly at me. So I figured I might as well keep this going. After a short instrumental stint accompanied by some background singers saying "Give you up!", I involuntarily began to sing again. This time, I was just repeating three words, though:

Never gonna give, never gonna give!

“Give you up!” said four unbelievably familiar voices.

Never gonna give, never gonna give!

“Give you up!” this time, I saw my background singers… Shockingly, they were none other than Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack. Despite them only saying a couple of words, they all had wonderful singing voices! Especially Rainbow, whose singing voice I would’ve assumed sounded like a wet cat attacking a chalkboard, considering how boyish her normal voice sounded… no offense to her. I didn’t even have the time to wonder how they even got there before the song progressed through one more torturous set of lyrics.

We’ve known each other! For so long…

Your heart’s been achin’ but… YOU’RE TOO SHY to say it!

Inside, we both know what’s been… Goin’ on…

We know the game and we’re… GONNA PLAAY IIT!

Aaaaah jus’ wanna tell ya how I’m feeling…

Gotta make you… Understand!

One final time, the song went back to its trademark hook of “Never gonna’s,” except this time, everyone in the room save for Twi and Princess Celestia were reciting them with me. Something unusual happened the final two times the hook was repeated. Instead of the normal lyrics, it came out as…

CROSS MY HEART

AND HOPE TO FLYYYY

OR YOU CAN STIIICK A CUPCAKE

IN MY EYE!

With that impromptu Pinkie Promise that I’d made twice in a row, the song finally ended with me and all of my… helpers, I guess, striking ridiculous poses as the music finally stopped. Almost instantly, I finally regained control of my body. The first thing I did was plant all four of my hooves on the ground as I panted, completely worn out by the performance.

“Damn you and your catchy song, Rick Astley…”

I looked up at Twilight and Celestia to see that they had different looks on their faces. Celestia wore a look of what seemed like surprise, satisfaction, and approval. Twi, on the other hand, was on the verge of tears, albeit grinning ear to ear.

“Is that… proof enough… for y—?” I was about to ask the Sun Princess before completely interrupted by her niece as she wrapped her forelegs around my neck and pulled me into the most surprisingly strong lip lock I’d ever had. She seemed to be holding nothing back, holding me tight as she moaned into the embrace. Eventually, she let me go with an audible pop. I simply stared at the unicorn, mind-blown and a little disoriented.

“Thank you for this wonderful song, Rick Astley…”

“WOW... I uh… take it you liked that?” I stammered.

“Like it?” she rhetorically asked. “That was the most wonderful thing anypony’s ever done for me!” she tearfully answered.

“Aww, I already broke the Pinkie Promise I made for you in the end… I wasn’t supposed to make you cry,” I somberly said as I pulled the mare into a consoling hug.

“I… I think it’s okay… these are just tears of joy…” I heard her loud and clear as I stroked her mane with a fore hoof as we continued to hug, provoking everyone in the room, with the presumable exception of Rainbow, to “d’aww” in admiration. I looked around to see that most of the other ponies that had magically appeared during the song were already gone. The only ones still in the room were Rainbow, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Applejack.

“Hey, y’all!” I greeted after Twilight and I separated from the hug. The four of them merely waved back at me. “Nice t’ see y'all again! But… Somebody’s missin'…” I pondered for a moment before I realized who the missing link was. “Where’s Pinkie Pie?” The second I asked that, that ominous feeling I’d gotten while I was talking to Rarity earlier intensified as I shuddered inexplicably. “I… sense a disturbance in the force… I feel like I’m… in a LOT of trouble…”

“Darn tootin’ you are…” Applejack concurred with a sinister smile as she and Rainbow crept towards me, prompting me to back away in fear.

“W-why? Did… did I do somethin’ t’ y’all? I’m sorry if I did…”

“Oh, it’s not US you should be apologizing to…” Rainbow warned as she smirked and chuckled. Now I was really confused. As I backed away in apprehension, I looked around to see the faces of everypony else. They all seemed to be wearing the same look of confusion as they observed.

“Then wh—?” I was stopped when I’d bumped into something behind me. The dark premonition I had amplified as I slowly turned around to lay my eyes on a most fearful sight; a positively pissed off pink party pony with a piece of pie in her palm…

“Awwwww sheeit…”

Broken Promise, Fixed Arrangements!

“Hi there, Ty…” Pinkie creepily greeted, wearing the most horrifying grin I’d ever seen.

“Um… what up, Pink…?”

“Oh, I think you know EXACTLY ‘what up…’ How could you!? I warned you… Why'd you done-do'ed it, Ty?" She demanded to know, glaring at me as if I'd kidnapped her pet or something.

"I didn't 'done-do'ed' anything... t' my knowledge... could you t—!"

"I don't know how youse do-dunned it, but I KNOW YOUSE DO-DUNNED IT!!!" the mare shouted at me in a strange, yet familiar 1940's gangster accent.

“I knew she was nuts, but holy crap…”

The three mares were closing in on me like lions on an injured antelope... Talk about 'Deja Vu...' I had no idea what they were going to do to me and I didn’t want to find out. I looked around, seeing if any of the others would help. I was sadly mistaken, as they all seemed to just stare at the events transpiring.

“I REALLY wish I knew what you was talkin’ about right now…”

“The Promise, you liar liar, plants for hire! You broke your Pinkie Promise!” she yelled at me. “But I’m here to help you un-broke it…”

“Pinkie, wait!” Twilight called. “I wasn’t crying because I was sad! They were tears of joy!”

“…with this slice of pie. Open wide, ‘cuz here comes the choo-choo…” Pinkie threatened, apparently not hearing the presumably panicked unicorn mare as she cocked her foreleg back to try and hit me with the confectionary. I seriously wondered why making Twilight cry tears of JOY was so bad that she’d be provoked to assault me with baked goods. Nevertheless, I took the initiative to duck under it as she launched it. I heard a splat, which caused me to turn around to see that Pinkie nailed Rarity in the face.

“My WORD!” Rarity complained as she angrily brushed the pie residue off.

“Oopsie! Sorry, Rarity…”

Now so afraid that my legs were trembling, I looked at Celestia, only to see her mouth the word “Run!” to me, which I obeyed without question.

I bolted for the door, swiftly passing by Rainbow and Applejack. Just when I thought I’d make it, Rainbow practically teleported in front of me, prompting me to skid to a screeching halt.

“Goin’ somewhere?” she taunted with a smirk. I looked for a way around her, but now seeing how fast she was, I found myself stumped. However, I noticed Applejack sneaking up behind me, which I took as an excellent opportunity.

“Yea. Out,” I remarked as I spun around to swipe Applejack’s hat and jammed it over Rainbow’s head in order to pull her out of the way before slamming through the door and into the extensive maze of hallways.

“This un’s crafty…” I heard Applejack say as I ran down the stairs a little before turning left into a hallway. I ran until I randomly picked a door to hide behind. I ran into what seemed to be a luxurious guest room. I figured I’d hide there until something in my favor happened, like Twilight coming to save me or something.

“Peekaboo… I see you…” I heard that high-pitched voice of Pinkie’s taunt and giggle. I turned to my right to see Pinkie hiding in a vase that seemed to be MUCH too small to hold a pony. Ignoring the wide range of impossibilities in my panic, I ran out the door and back into the hallway. Unfortunately, I ran right into plain sight as Rainbow Dash spotted me.

“There you are! You’re gonna pay for that little trick you pulled!” she flew at me at an amazing, blinding speed. If I’d have tried running, she would’ve no doubt caught me.

“I’m sorry for this!” I shouted as I reopened the door to have the blue pegasus crash into it with a voluminous *THUD*. I was tempted to check the damage, but I remembered that Pinkie was still in the room, so I ran all the way down the hall and out of the door on the end of the corridor. I wound up in the maze-like garden, which was almost pitch-black due to the sun being almost invisible over the horizon and being replaced by glimmering moonlight. Despite that, I ran into the labyrinth and hid behind a bush to catch my breath.

“That was a close one with Dashie, huh?” Pinkie’s voice asked again. I looked up to see her poking her head out of the bush I was hiding behind. Panicking again, I got up and galloped at full speed, making random turns throughout the maze in hopes of losing the mares.

“Come back here, ya varmint!” I heard Applejack shout from an indiscriminate direction. Unsure of where she was, I kept going and making random turns until…

“Gotcha!” announced a hatless Applejack. I blindly ran RIGHT into her. I tried to do a quick 180 and speed off, but that wouldn’t be the case as she grabbed hold of my mane and pulled me into a headlock.

“OUCH! What a dirty trick!” I complained.

“Ya mean like how ya stole ma hat an’ used it t’ throw Dash outta the way?” she shot back. She did have a point…

“Okay, good po—ACK!” she tightened her grip as she held me in place. I tried REALLY hard to get out by unfurling her foreleg from my neck, to no avail. This mare was VERY strong. Deciding that I wasn’t going to get out of her death grip through brute strength, I decided on the best idea I could think of…

*CHOMP!*

“OW!” she shouted in pain. I managed to get her foreleg up enough so that I’d be able to bite her. Of course, I didn’t bite her nearly hard enough to draw blood or make any cuts; just enough to give her a pinch that would shock her into letting me go. Strangely, she DID have sort of a faint taste of apple… and dirt... with just a splash of manual labor.

“Sorry ‘bout that!” I apologized as I recovered and ran away from her. She was quick to follow suit, seeing as I did nothing to keep her occupied.

“Oh, you’re gonna get it now!”

Not seeing any immediate turns in the current section of the bush maze, A.J. and I were running straight, with her slowly, by surely gaining on me. It didn’t help me in the least that I saw Rainbow, now with a more frazzled-than-normal mane and a couple of small streams of blood trickling from her nose, standing right in the way as she waited for me to run into her. She looked outright livid, glaring hot death at me. I couldn’t stop or else I’d get caught by Applejack, but I couldn’t keep going or else I’d run into a pissed-off Rainbow Dash. Suddenly, another idea had come to me.

I sped up, intent on playing a game of Chicken with the daring mare. I lowered my head, determined to scare her into moving out of the way. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to be working.

“You think I’m scared of that?” she asked. “You’re gonna have to do better than that if you…” she trailed off as she gawked at me in shock. Instead of running directly into her, I waited until the last second to test my jumping skills. They were in proper working order as I had cleared the obstacle standing before me. In her shock, she seemed to have forgotten that Applejack was right behind me.

“Rainbow, move!” Applejack shouted.

*THUMP* “OOF!” “ARGH!”

The two mares collided with one another. Hard. I decided not to take the time to look back as I made a left into more maze. I could hear the two arguing with each other as I ran, but it wasn’t enough to get me to stop and listen. I made a few more random turns before I felt satisfied and stopped for a breather.

“Wowee-Zowee, you can jump REALLY high! I’ve never seen anypony jump over Rainbow Dash like that before! Except for this buffalo named Little Strongheart when we were going to Appleloosa one time…” lauded Pinkie Pie as she’d magically found me again. She was standing right beside me, any signs of frustration seemingly gone as she rambled about something I’d stopped listening to as I bolted past her. It seemed like no matter WHERE I went, no matter how many twists and turns I’d made, Pinkie was always RIGHT there to present herself in some random, outlandish fashion before continuing what eventually came to be her story about some race A.J. and Rainbow entered that she was the announcer for.

Fortunately, I seemed to have lost the would-be poachers known as Applejack and Rainbow Dash as they searched for me. However, the real challenge came in trying to lose Pinkie Pie, who must’ve been moving at the speed of light, accompanied with some weird sense of foresight. Not trying to give up, I eventually made my way to the center of the garden where that creepy snake statue was. I was just about exhausted as I leaned on it to catch my breath. I warily looked around to see no sign of Pinkie Pie anywhere.

“FINALLY! I'm safe...”

“There he is! By the Discord statue!” shouted Rainbow Dash, who’d finally taken the initiative to fly above the maze to get a bird’s-eye view of things.

"Damn... I'm screwed!"

She dashed towards me, which I expected. Just as I was about to get up and run away, I felt something wrap around one of my hind legs and forcefully pull it from under me. I fell onto the ground and before I could get back up, Rainbow had slammed her body into my back.

“AHAAWWGH!” I shouted.

“You’re not going ANYWHERE…!” the pegasus hissed into my ear.

“Like hell I ain’t!” with that, I rolled onto my back, making the mare fall off of me before I got up and attempted to run again, only to have Rainbow grip my tail to hold me in place before pouncing on me.

“Get over here!” she screamed.

“Oh, sh—!” before I could finish the statement, I found myself rolling around on the ground with the sky blue pegasus mare, trying as hard as I could not to get caught in her grasp. In the ruckus of it all, she’d managed to cuff me in the eye really hard (whether by accident or not, I could only wonder), as well as a few miscellaneous parts of my body. Adhering by human moral code, I decided against trying to hit her back, instead opting to keep her from getting a grip on me. I was doing pretty well as we wrestled on the ground, but I was getting extremely tired from it. After a couple of minutes of struggling and grappling with Rainbow, Applejack entered the fray as I tried to escape. Exhausted and outnumbered, the scuffle didn’t last for too much longer before I was eventually pinned to the ground on my back with Applejack holding my hind legs down as Rainbow held my forelegs down. “Okay… hah… hah… I give up…”

“Hoo doggie, you’re slipperier than an oil-covered snake in the rain… hah…” Applejack breathlessly complimented... I think.

“Yeah… You sure can move… hah…” Rainbow added. “I didn’t think I’d have to use my wings to getcha…” I opened my mouth to reply, but then the Earth pony and pegasus released me. However, before I could get up, Pinkie Pie, seemingly out of absolutely nowhere, leapt through the air and plopped flanks-first on my stomach with the force of a giant, heavy sandbag, knocking what little wind I had left in me, out.

“AAH-HOOGH! *cough cough*”

“Oopsie… Maybe that was a little much…”

“Ya think…?” I groaned as I tried to catch my breath. It was kind of hard to do with such a heavy mare sitting on me, coupled with the fact that I was completely worn out. I guessed that her constantly being around sweets caused her to eat so much of them that she packed on the pounds. It sure as hell wasn’t evident until I had her sitting on me. “Can you… get off now…?”

“Nope!” she bluntly answered as she pulled an entire pie out of her mane with one hoof as she moved the other to grab my face.

“Ty!” I heard a wonderfully familiar voice call. I looked to see that the rest of the gang joined us in the garden while I was still being held down. I noticed Fluttershy was in possession of Applejack’s hat. “Pinkie, stop!” Twilight called.

“Nopey-Dopey, Twilight,” Pinkie answered. “He’s a Pinkie Promise breaker and he has to learn how serious it is to break a Pinkie Promise after Pinkie Promising.”

“But he didn’t break any Pinkie Promise! I was crying from happiness, not sorrow!”

“I know.”

“You… know??” The purple mare asked in perplexity. “Then why are you three doing this!?”

“Because he broke a Pinkie Promise, Twilight! How many times do I gotta say it?”

“Pinkie, you JUST admitted that he didn’t!”

“But he totally did!” At that, Twilight let out an exasperated sigh.

“I… I think I get it now…” Fluttershy spoke up. “Ty didn’t break his promise not to make you cry… but he must’ve broken a different one.”

The entire group except for Pinkie, Rainbow, and Applejack gave a collective “Ohhhhhh,” of realization. Twilight gave a deadpan look, as if to say, ‘Of course…’

“Well do you mind tellin’ me what promise I broke to deserve gettin’ the sh…erbet beat outta me?”

“Ohmygosh, I LOVE sherbet! Isn’t it so wonderfully delicious and fruity and tangy that you could just eat an entire tub—! No, a KAJILLION tubs of it!? But then what about ice cream? Ice cream is delicious too… And you can put fruit in it, but does that turn it into sherbet? No, that would be silly…*GASP* and then there’s frozen yogurt! It’s like regular yogurt, but froz—!”

“*AHEM*” I cleared my throat loudly in order to bring the mare back into the situation at hoof. “Could you PLEASE tell me why you’re sittin’ on me with a pie in your hoof now?” I was growing impatient with being on the cold ground under a mare I’m sure was insane.

“Oh, yeah! It’s because you broke your Pinkie Promise about eating sweets every day to cure your Pica.” I face hoofed and took a long, deep, irritated breath as I recalled the promise I’d made her before I left.

“…You had me chased out of the castle an' around this giant-ass garden AN' got me beat up by your friends, all because I FORGOT TO EAT SOMETHIN' WITH SUGAR IN IT!!?”

“Hey hey hey! This is YOUR fault, not mine,” she indignantly replied. “All you had to do was eat something as small as a piece of candy and none of this would’ve happened. Besides, I told you what would happen if you broke a Pinkie Promise…”

“All you told me was that you’d ‘get me!’ I thought that meant somethin’ like… I dunno, makin’ me eat somethin’ sweet…”

“And that’s exactly what I’m doing, you silly filly! Or… silly colt!”

“Ohh, I see. But come on now... You seriously expect me t' jus’ lay here an’ let you force-feed me like this?”

“No, Mr. Memoir… I expect you to PIE!”

“Ha, I see what she did the—!”

*SPLAT!* Rather than force-feed me piece by piece, she shoved the entire pie into my face. Afterwards, she finally got off of me. After taking it in that I’d just been assaulted with pie, I moved to get up despite being unable to see. Somepony helped me up as I licked some of the residue off of my face.

“Mmm! Sweet potato!” I announced as I wiped some of it out of my eyes; one of which really hurt to touch. “How’d you know this was my favorite?”

“I didn’t, actually. It was more of a hunch than anything! You just kind of have that sweetie potato-ey kind of vibe.” I found it in me to laugh with her, despite being surprised by her knowledge of my favorite pie flavor and confused by her explanation for it.

“Well however you found out, this pie is great!” After I cleared as much of the remains of the sweet potato pie off of my face as I could, I looked over at Rainbow and Applejack standing beside me. “Hey um… sorry about all that…”

“T’weren’t nothin’,” Applejack pardoned. “’Sides, that was actually kinda fun. I do gotta say you got quite the pair o’ chompers on ya, though,” she quipped as she held up a foreleg and shook it.

“Speak for yourself,” Rainbow, holding a hoof over her nose, stated.

“Wow, I feel like such a jerk. Sorry about the hat trick, Rainbow… and the door… and the makin’ you crash int’ Applejack…”

“It’s all good…” she said as she looked up at me. Underneath the nosebleed, I saw her smirking. “Besides, I think I got you back already with that little wrestling match, judging by your eye…”

“My eye…? Ow!” I moved a hoof to touch my left eye to realize that it had been swelling up and was extremely sensitive to the touch. The pegasus succeeded in giving me a shiner for my troubles. Inexplicably, I found it all… humorous. I began to chuckle, which soon turned into a hearty laugh that the rainbow-maned mare joined me in. “Oh, and Rarity? Sorry that you got caught in the crossfire…”

“It’s quite alright, dear. I’ve taken a liking to Pinkie’s baked goods anyhow.” At that, everyone got a good laugh before Pinkie got up in my face with a serious face, abruptly ending the laughter.

“This is your warning, mister. Do NOT break another Pinkie Promise again; ESPECIALLY the one you made to Twilight about never giving her up, letting her down, running around and deserting her, making her cry— unless it’s tears of joy, of course— saying goodbye— unless you’re gonna come back and say ‘hello’ again— telling a lie, or hurting her. Because if you do…”

“I… I understand, Pinkie. I’d probably get it ten thousand times worse and from ALL of you if I screwed up on this one…” I was admittedly worried about the promise itself. I mean, my future with Twilight was questionable; not because of anything bad, but because I was fearful of what to expect, as I was sure anyone would be. I wasn’t expecting it to be picture perfect, but I supposed I’d try my hardest to keep her happy… for her sake… and mine.

“Okie dokie lokie…” she warily replied before backing up. I took that as an opportunity to breathe some hot air out in relief before she startled me by jumping up at me and giving me the stink eye before slowly backing away again.

“WHO DARES ENTER THE ROYAL GARDEN SANS OFFICIAL AUTHORIZATION!?” shouted a voice that sounded like it was coming out of a bullhorn. I looked up into the night sky to spot a sparkling dark blue cloud as it approached. The closer it got, the more it looked like… another pony.

“Oh! Dear Sister and friends!” the pony said in a much less voluminous voice as she landed by Celestia. This mare seemed to be the polar opposite of the Sun Princess in terms of looks. Her coat was dark blue, her mane, while sparkling like Celestia’s, was an even darker blue, and her jewelry seemed to take on the same colors as her body. Her eyes were a bright ocean blue. She was somewhat smaller than her counterpart, but she still outsized the rest of us. I noticed her necklace, which had a crescent moon on it. I figured out who it was immediately. After everyone else greeted the mare, I decided I’d introduce myself.

“Hello!” I greeted with a smile. She returned the gesture with a bewildered look.

“Who, may I ask are you?” she inquired in an unsure and surprisingly wary tone.

“This is Ponder Memoir, sister.” Celestia introduced. “However, he prefers the name ‘Ty.’ He is Twilight’s newest friend.”

“Oh dear. Um… salutations, newest friend Ponder Memoir.” She seemed… somewhat afraid as she approached me. “I am Luna, Princess of the Night.” She slowly reached out a hoof to shake.

“Please, jus’ call me Ty,” I said. “I’ss definitely a pleasure t’ meet you, Your Highness.” I extended a hoof to meet hers. Rather than immediately shake my hoof, she lowered hers and looked at me with worry.

“Thine tone of voice… it shows no signs of apprehension. Thou… dost not fear me?” That question confused me; not because she was speaking in Old English, but because she actually expected me to be afraid of her.

“Fear you? I don’t even know you yet. So far as I know, there ain’t a reason t’ be scared. Besides, we’re all friends here, right?”

“THIS IS MOST WONDERFUL!” Luna shouted in my face with that megaphone voice, accompanied by a gust of wind as strong as a hurricane. I thought my eardrums were going to explode with how loud she was. Soon after, her horn began to glow a slightly brighter blue than her body.

“Hey, what—?” Before I realized what was going on, she wrapped me up in her glow, levitated me towards her, and gave me the new worst ‘hug’ I’d ever been victimized by. “AAAAHAHAHAHOWWWW!!” It was here that I’d developed a new sense of pity for anything and everything that required squeezing.

“THOU ART NOT FEARFUL OF US! WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THINE BRAVERY, NEW FRIEND!”

“Luna! You’re doing it again…” Celestia scolded.

“*Gasp* Oh! Our… My apologies, Sir Ty,” the Moon Princess, who I could probably guess was unbelievably socially awkward, said as she loosened her grip to allow me to fall flat on the ground.

“It’s… Ah! Okay… I’m completely fine with not bein’ able t’ walk again. At least I… ow…! At least I get t’ say I broke my back huggin’ a princess…” I quipped in pain, which I got a few giggles from.

“Thou… I mean YOU… are humorous. I must say, however, that you appear to have been involved in an arduous battle that... seemed to include a confectionary treat. I especially take notice of your eye... It seems injured.”

“What, this?” I rhetorically asked as I got up and placed a fore hoof over my swollen left eye and examined the rest of my body to see the rope still tied to my leg. “Rainbow Dash an’ I, bein’ the GREAT friends we are, got into a heated game o’ tag. Long story short, I gave her a nosebleed and she punched me in the eye. After that, Applejack and Pinkie Pie jumped me usin’ a pie an’ some rope as weapons.” Luna blinked and looked at the pegasus holding her nose, then to the two Earth ponies (the orange one with a slightly scraggly mane and tail, but reunited with her hat), and then back at me with my swollen eye before raising an eyebrow.

“I… do not understand. I was under the impression that friends did not commit acts of violence against one another.”

“No, we didn’t do this to each other on purpose…” Rainbow began. “…well, at least, HE didn’t do this to ME on purpose…” I exhaled in shock and offense, joined by a few of the others gasping as we gawked at her. I couldn’t believe her. She actually MEANT to punch me in the eye! “What? I was maybe the TEENSIEST bit upset, alright?”

“Oh gee, well I hope you feel better now,” I remarked.

“Not gonna lie, Ty… I do… I do.” She followed her comment with a titter.

“*sigh* you an’ I are gonna get along GREAT, I bet.”

“I’ll say…” Twilight spoke towards both of us. She then turned her attention to Rainbow. “From you almost bucking his head off when you two met, to accidentally slapping him in the face when he tried to hug you goodbye, to you helping me give him a chance at being able to come back here, only for you two to get into a fight over a broken Pinkie Promise…”

“If ya needed a punchin’ bag, you coulda jus’ got one at the gym, Rainbow!” Applejack joked.

“Yeah, but how many ‘punching bags’ punch back?” the blue pegasus wittily retorted.

“A punchin’ bag, huh? Okay, I see how it is… jus’ wait till next time,” I jokingly warned, winking at her with my good eye.

“You… you’re not seriously going to fight each other… are you?” Fluttershy worriedly asked. I gave a light chuckle at the question.

“Of course not, Fluttershy. I’m jus’ sayin’ Dashie here betta check herself before she wrecks herself.”

“Anytime, anyplace, tough guy!” Rainbow challenged, giving me a cocky smirk. And to believe, according to Twilight, that she of all ponies helped me get a chance to talk to Celestia again…

“On a different note,” Rarity began. “It is delightful that you’re able to stay, Ty. Maybe you can help Twilight with her—!” before she could finish what she had to say, she got evil stares from both Twilight and Pinkie Pie. “…studies.”

“Oh, okay,” the purple unicorn and pink party pony said in unified relief.

“Yea… yea I could do that…” With that, we all enjoyed a relatively short amount of time conversing with one another on various subjects before I let out a large yawn, the events of the day finally catching up to me. “I’ss gettin’ late… I’m beat.”

“Yeah, it is gettin’ pretty close t’ quittin’ time, ain’t it?” said Applejack.

“Yes, it is time to rest, my little ponies,” Celestia stated. With that, we all migrated to the front of the castle. There, we said our goodbyes. In the midst of it, Rainbow told me that no one calls her ‘Dashie’ but Pinkie and that if I said it again, she’d let me have it. I responded by telling her that I wasn’t scared of her and then proceeded to antagonize her by calling her ‘My Little Dashie’. She answered by poking me in my bad eye and laughing at my misfortune. A chariot carried everyone except Twi and I back to Ponyville. We stayed behind because Celestia had mentioned that she wanted to discuss our situation further. The two monarchs, the unicorn, and I all returned to the throne room.

“Now then…” Celestia began. “This is quite a new situation to address.”

“What situation is there to address, dear sister?” Luna quizzically asked.

“You see, Luna, Twilight and Ty here are… how you say, courting.” Luna gasped with delight.

“Oh, my! You have found yourself a lover, friend Twilight Sparkle?”

“Yeah, I… guess you could put it that way…” Twilight bashfully admitted, blushing and rubbing the back of her head with her fore hoof. I instinctively put on a goofy smile as I felt a little hot myself.

“However, Ty is not originally from Equestria… In fact, he is from an alternate world entirely.” Luna gasped again, this time in surprise.

“My word! What kind of world is it?? Who are its leaders?? Are there such things as the fun and games??”

“All of that, I’m sure will be answered in due time, sister. The issue at hoof here is how to accommodate for the bizarre circumstances of their union. So far, we have covered that you are allowed to visit at yours and Twilight’s leisure so long as you do not inform anypony of your travels until an appropriate time is chosen, that you do not under ANY circumstance abuse this privilege, and that an alternative transformation spell to the one under effect at the moment is to be found and cast upon you.”

“Transformation spells…? I am befuddled as to why transformation spells are necessary… Does this mean…?”

“Yes, Ty’s original form is not that of a pony, but of an entirely new species… called ‘humans.’” Luna took in another shocked gasp. With all the air she’d been taking in, I was surprised she didn’t get lightheaded. “Before you develop any more questions, dear sister, I believe that the answers will come in due time… especially when you are able to read this…” With that, Celestia used her magic and pulled something out of a nearby chest that shocked me and especially shocked Twilight, whose eyes lit up at the object.

“The… the notebook!!” the starstruck unicorn shouted as Celestia levitated it towards her. As soon as she grabbed hold of it, she began bouncing Pinkie-style in circles around me, chanting “Yes!” over and over again in rapid succession.

“*AHEM*” Celestia sounded, bringing the unicorn mare out of her happy place.

“Oops… sorry.” She shyly apologized out of awkwardness. “But… I thought you destroyed it when you took it away…”

“I had no plans on destroying your information. I was actually going to examine it myself, but I hadn’t the time. However, with everything I’ve observed from you two since Ty’s arrival here, I believe I’ve more than enough information to suffice for now. I do hope you realize, however, that I’m expecting an extensive letter on what you’ve learned about friendship… from both of you.”

“No problem, Princess Celestia! Consider it written!” Twilight happily replied.

“Wait… what??” I was completely bewildered.

“See it as one of the perks of dating my most faithful student. You have also become a scholar on the subject of friendship under me, which means I expect a letter on a lesson of friendship from you as well.” I had mixed feelings about that, but I supposed nothing comes absolutely free, no matter what universe one was in.

“But… I—!”

“There’s no pressure. You may write one if, and ONLY IF you happen to discover a lesson on friendship.”

“Yea, but... *sigh* I suppose that’s fair. Come t’ think of it, it WOULD help you keep on track with your studies, no?” I asked Twilight.

“Certainly.”

“And if you’re going to continue your studies of the human world, I’d like to know what you’ve learned on that as well, if that isn’t too troubling to you, Twilight,” Celestia requested.

“Not at all. I’d be happy to.”

“Heh. What, are you tryna go there yourself sometime?” I remarked.

“Perhaps…” the Sun Princess slyly answered with a wink, which piqued my curiosity. However, I kept the thought to myself. “I do believe we’ve covered the basics of your situation other than the spell. With that, our meeting is adjourned.”

“Alright. So… now what?”

“If my memory serves to recall, you have work in the morning in your world, don’t you?” Twilight asked.

“Eugh… I do… Good thing i’ss Thursday today…”

“*sigh* Yes, unfortunately… but after that, I’m totally free till Sunday night.”

“Excellent! In that case, would you want me to wait until you got home so I could bring you back here?”

“I suppose, but… are you sure you have enough energy t’ take me back AND change me back?”

“Barely… but I think I’d have a better chance if we did so early tomorrow morning.”

“Okey doke. I guess we’re goin’ back to the library t’ rest up then?”

“Indeed.” With that, we said our goodbyes to Equestria's leaders, although Luna seemed to be a bit disappointed. I took the initiative to assure her that we’d likely meet again if that was okay with her; an offer she graciously accepted. We were delivered to Twilight’s home in Ponyville via chariot. The ride itself was mostly silent, but I was too caught up in my thoughts over everything that had happened; not just this day, but over the course of my entire time with Twilight to be able to say much. Ignoring the throbbing pains in various parts in my body, my gaze fixated on the pretty little mare staring off into the night sky as I thought about her. Eventually, we made it to her home and didn’t hesitate to make our way upstairs and into her bed facing one another.

“You know, you look like you could really use a healing…” she whispered to me.

“Heheh, I FEEL like I could use a healin’… but for now, I think sleep will do wonders…”

“Don’t get too comfortable. We’re getting up bright and early to write that letter before I take you back home…”

“Ha, good one…”

“Good what…?”

“…Oh no, you’re serious…? Come on, Twi… can’t it wait?”

“No. Not with how far behind I am on my studies. In fact, you’re going to be helping me to catch up on them this entire weekend…” At that, I groaned in reluctance. But I knew I owed it to her for everything she’d done for me.

“Oh, alright… It is the LEAST I can do for ya…”

“Oh, would you two be QUIET!?” Spike suddenly complained, startling the both of us.

“Sorry, Spike…” We whispered at the same time before turning our attentions back to one another.

“Well, g’night, Twi…”

“Night, Ty…”

“One more thing…”

“What’s up…?” As she asked, I gave her a small kiss on her lips.

“To a long, beautiful friendship…” she responded by returning the gesture before turning around.

“To a magical, loving friendship…” she said before we got comfortably snuggled together and drifted off to a blissful slumber...

Friendship Letters and a New Beginning... (Epilogue)

Dear Princess Celestia,

There was QUITE a lot to learn on a wide scale, spanning from friendship to my perception of physical reality, and so much more! But I’ll keep this to the point. Your student Twilight Sparkle has shown me time and time again how limited my knowledge of a variety of topics such as the existence of another world full of sentient beings, the possibility of magic, and the like is. She’s also shown me that making friends is possible no matter what world you live in. Never did I think that I’d be met with a creature as… captivating as Twilight is. I surely never thought I’d make friends with her either, given that she simply (and quite literally) popped into my life spontaneously. After she arrived and gave me some insight on where she came from, I took her on a small trip around my world (of course, making sure she was hidden so as to avoid suspicion), where she was able to take down every single note in that notebook. We ran into a few hitches here and there, but we made it through the trip safely (for the most part…).

In return, she introduced me to an entirely new world— no, an entirely new PLANE OF EXISTENCE! I’m not entirely sure what you call this world, so I guess I’ll have to refer to it as ‘Equestria,’ the name of what I understand is your country. As we spent time together, our bond grew and we became closer. Honestly, I think spending time in the form of a pony may have had a hand (or hoof) in the way I saw her. Originally, I saw her as a sort of… pet (no offense intended), given our differing species. However, the longer I’d been around Twilight (in either form), the more I’d strangely found myself… attracted to her. Strange, right? An 'alien' getting a crush on a unicorn... In any case, I was unsure of myself, trying to suppress and ignore my new feelings of affection. Evidently, I failed. But I don’t regret it. If it wasn’t for that, I’m not sure everything would’ve played out as it did over the course of my time in Equestria. I also wouldn’t have come to the conclusion that love truly is blind.

Despite the trials and tribulations Twilight and I had gone through, I’m ecstatic to say that I’ve enjoyed my time in Equestria. I especially cherish my time with Twilight and I’d like to say thank you for understanding me and my background, Your Highness. I can promise that we both will relay as much information about my world to you as you want. I also promise to keep your daughter/niece-in-law/most faithful student as content as possible, while at the same time keeping myself from becoming a distraction from her studies on the magic of friendship.

Your Newest Faithful Subject,

Ponder Memoir AKA Tyshawn AKA Ty

P.S.: If you REALLY are planning on paying my world a visit, Twilight might have a new spell of the transformtion variety in the works…

“There…” I concluded.

“Alright, my turn…” Twi began.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Friendship… a concept that seems so simple, yet proves itself to be totally complex at every turn. As you know, I was trying to demonstrate a spell that would send me to a different area of Equestria that actually wound up sending me to a whole new world entirely. Of course, this is where I met Ty. I was at first, startled by his appearance when we met. It was something the likes of which I’d never seen before... An entirely foreign species of being never known to have ever set hoof-- or FOOT, rather-- in our WORLD, much less our country. Despite that, he proved to be relatively approachable. We spent some time getting to know one another and he even allowed me the opportunity to gather quality information about his residential plane of existence, which led to the two of us forming a connection of sorts. As a thank-you gift, I brought him back to Equestria in order for him to acquire some insight on life here.

As I spent time with him, I realized that he, despite being of a race that is entirely alien to our world, exhibited the same qualities of friendship that I’d been studying up on ever since you relocated me to Ponyville. I was growing quite fond of him, and quickly, too. In addition, likely because of the extensive amount of time we spent together gathering information on each other, I began to feel something new for him… I wasn’t sure myself of what it was that was making me feel this way, but the idea of Ty and I being more than friends was put into my head when Rainbow Dash appeared and introduced herself to him. It was initially a recurring, yet passing thought until we’d met with Rarity, who insisted that we would make a cute couple. Me being the dedicated student I am, I merely attempted to shift such allegations off as simple hearsay in the name of focusing my time on honing my magic skills and researching friendship as you had assigned me.

Then again, Ty and I had hardly been out of reach of one another, with us spending a considerable amount of time together this past week. During that time, he and I talked... a LOT... and the more we did, the more I found a wide variety of traits within him that very much resembled those of a pony. Not only that, but I also began to take a special interest in him... for more reasons than just his surprisingly-advanced thought process that proved he was more than some strange animal I'd stumbled upon. Since my first encounter with the human world up until our first meeting with you, my feelings towards him grew to be… peculiar to me, to say the least. However, I knew what I'd begun to feel... affection. Simply put, I'd developed a 'crush' on my extraterrestrial companion.

Not necessarily knowing why, coupled with thoughts of the perceived immorality in being ensnared in feelings of affection toward someone who not only wasn't a pony, but also wasn't even a resident of our world, I tried my best to keep my inexplicable infatuation hidden until I was sure for myself if my feelings were more than a simple illusion. Before I could explore it, however, you assigned me the task of taking him back home immediately and never returning to his world after the fact. I do not say this out of spite, Your Majesty. I mention this because It was during our trip back to Ponyville after that meeting that I went on a whim and displayed to him how I'd felt. I suppose I have you in part to thank.

Throughout this entire time, I learned two primary lessons: The first is that friendship can be obtained by anyone, anywhere, no matter what existential boundaries may be placed. The second is that love is blind… I mean this in the sense that Ty and I have been able to see past our physical and existential differences. While they are not completely out of the way as obstacles in the name of our recent courtship, we are currently settling into the idea of an interspecies relationship. In addition, while I am aware of the vast assortment of other stipulations of our involvement with one another, I cannot help but feel… calm and relaxed whenever he is around. There are many other lessons I’ve learned along the way, but I will report them to you in separate letters so that you may accurately categorize them. I’d like to thank you, Princess Celestia, for allowing him to visit Equestria and permitting me to travel to his world. As I've previously stated, I understand that there is a plethora of issues Ty and I need to address for a relationship of this caliber to function correctly, but as they say: When there's a will, there's a way.

Your Most Faithful Student,

Twilight Sparkle

P.S.: Ty has agreed to make it a point assist me in my studies in any way he can so that I won’t lose focus on my primary objective.

“Great!” Spike announced as he swiftly organized the parchments into scrolls and proceeded to engulf them in his telegram-sending flame. “I’m going back to sleep now. Remember those jewels you promised me, Twilight…” he irritably finished as he climbed back into his basket and dozed off.

“Thank you, Spike. You will be rewarded accordingly,” Twilight commended the dragon.

“I still can’t believe you made both of us get up at 4:30 A.M. for this…” I blearily complained.

“Well at the very least, it’s finished, right?”

“I suppose…”

“Exactly. Seeing as we’re up, do you want to go now?”

“*yawn* Might as well…” I concurred while I stretched.

“Okay.” With that, I moved to stand next to the lavender unicorn as she prepared the spell to send us back to my home… "Wait!"

"What??"

"Do you want me to heal your injuries first?"

"Hmm... nah, I'll sustain 'em for now. All that really hurts is my eye, an' I'm keepin' it as it is t' remind Rainbow that she owes me a rematch when we come back..." The unicorn cocked an eyebrow in a mixture of amusement and disbelief.

"Really, Ty?"

"Don't you judge me..." I turned away for a moment to hide the involuntary smirk I was wearing. "Besides, she's gonna learn today that there ain't gonna be no punchin' bags 'round hea!"

"Yeah, well while you're at it, Mr. Macho, maybe you can return her favor of helping me bring you back here by helping her learn how to find a special somepony..." I froze, my look turning to one of bewilderment as I blinked.

"...W-what?"

"She needs dating advice from you. That whole 'punching bag' thing was a joke-turned-cover-up. Even with as confident and headstrong as Dash might be, there are some things even SHE'S too afraid to admit... needing advice on topics such as dating being one of them... When you do see her, don't mention that I said anything on the subject. If anything, try luring the topic out of her when you talk to her. And be patient about it."

"Well why tell me this now if she was eventually gonna do so herself?"

"So you won't be caught completely off-guard if she decides to spring the topic upon you. Remember what I said about Rainbow coming to me for advice the other day?"

"Yea..."

"She originally came to me to see if I could give her some tips on how to find a special somepony. Remembering what you and I talked about back in Canterlot, I figured you'd be better-suited to point her in the right direction. Besides her doing me a favor when she flew us to Princess Celestia, I assume she also came along in order to get a chance to talk to you. Now that I think of it, you two probably need some quality time to get to know each other a little better anyway."

"...Okey doke, then..." was all I could reply with. It seemed that Rainbow Dash and I had a LONG, possibly awkward talk awaiting us...

"Shall we be going then?"

"Yea... le'ss go." With that, Twilight powered up the spell at took us on our way...

*POOF*

“Welcome home, honey,” Twilight said, waking me up a little and eliciting a warm smile from me before powering up her horn one more time to reverse the transformation spell placed on me. Instantly, I found myself in my full human stature, equipped with the clothing I’d been wearing since I’d been under the transformation. I made an effort to pick out a new set of clothes and wash up before changing into them and rejoining my filly-friend in my room. I observed the clock to see that it read 5:39 A.M.

“Well baby-cakes,” I began with a smirk. “…we got about an hour or so before I take off an’ I’m not really in a sleepin’ kinda mood anymore… Whatcha wanna do with the time?”

“Baby-cakes?” she questioned, giggling. “You’re such a smooth talker, you…” she sarcastically added.

“Sure baby, I know it,” I replied, running a hand through her mane. Despite being tired, I was absolutely overjoyed to have Twilight here with me.

“Hmm… I think another experiment is in order…” she suggested in a sly tone, batting her eyes at me and smiling coyly. I wondered where she picked up such flirtatious behavior…

“Oh, really?” I asked in extreme interest. “What kind of experime—!” I was interrupted as she launched a surprise attack, locking her lips with mine as I fell back on my bed. During the passionate, loving embrace, I felt her lips part, allowing her tongue to slip past them, eagerly looking for an entrance, which I delightedly welcomed. Suffice it to say, her tongue was oddly... wide and flat as compared to my own. After a small bout of sloppy, amateur tongue-wrestling, she pulled back, smiling at me with half-lidded eyes. As she lay on my torso, I brought both of my hands to her back, softly caressing her. From what I could tell, she was just about as happy to be with me as I was with her.

“How was that?” she asked.

“Wow… where’d you learn how t’ do that?” I asked, amazed and a little dazed by the intensity of our moment.

“A couple places, actually… That kissing guide I have in my library… and that dating advice guide you have downstairs… seems like we’re both a bit… inexperienced.”

“Oh, dear…” I playfully said. “What ever shall we do about that?”

“There’s only one thing we CAN do…”

“And that is…?”

“Learn…” she answered with a wink and a smile.

At that, I felt a sudden sense of eagerness and contentment. Not just because of Twilight’s chosen method of killing time, either. I also began to feel eager about learning more about Twilight and her world. I actually couldn’t wait to see what it was like to help her with her studies. Additionally, I could hardly wait to get better acquainted with her friends. I was just as eager about learning about her and her world as she was about me and this world. Best of all, we had each other to learn from and with…