The party was in full swing and had been for a good hour or so. It felt like, in just that time alone, I had spoken to every pony in the world, let me tell you. Celestia and Twilight had surprised me coming over early on and talking, too.

“Shane, may I ask... when you spoke with us, when you removed your hat. Did you feel, anything strange?”

I looked the alabaster mare in the eyes and gave a nod. “I did. It was weird, like warm and peaceful. It was like someone was feeding me the words to say.” I lifted an eyebrow. “You cast something on me?”

Twilight chimed in for her. “No one cast anything, Shane. Though, we all felt it. Every last pony in that room did.”

I looked down at her and blinked. “Felt what?”

She smiled and put her hoof on my leg. “Heartsong magic, Shane. The words, they were not cast on you but came from deep inside you. The harmony magic in the room, the friendship magic all around, both of those combined. Your simple words flowed into the heart of every pony there, perhaps every pony in Canterlot. They were as honest and true as any words can ever be.”

That had made me really have to ponder for a moment. Sure, I recognized the heartsong magic... well, as best to my ability, being human. I understood it was very powerful, and that it affected everyone around it. Now it had affected me too, and I wasn’t sure how to feel about that; past the warmth I felt in my chest just thinking of the moment it happened, that is. Celestia had explained that feeling would never leave, whenever I thought of standing there before them, that feeling would well up in my heart. It was a lot to take in, but, I don’t think I was too upset over it.

At the moment, I hung out with the Dame Lulamoon, speaking with Trixie and Starlight. “I must admit. For a simple human, you are almost as great and powerful as I am,” the mare in question remarked, flipping her mane a bit. I saw Starlight roll her eyes but kept an amused expression on her face.

I shook my head. That was just Trixie being Trixie. I had learned to take her with a grain of salt. Despite her arrogant attitude, she seemed to be an amiable pony. I then turned my head to see Applejack walking up, and it was the tall older unicorn mare that made comment as she leaned over and spoke in a low tone for only me to hear.

“When a stallion’s eyes lock on a mare like that, Shane, there is only one thing to do. Give in and accept you have fallen in love.”

I kept from snorting or making any sort of rude noise. Fall in love, with a pony, like that would happen...

Still, she had a point. Just watching AJ stroll up made my heart skip a beat and my palms slick over with a nervous sweat. I spoke back in same whisper tone.

“It... would be nice, but it can never be, Dame Lulamoon.”

She scoffed. “Will you please, Shane, call me Gealeich?”

I smiled some. “I will try.” I looked down as Applejack came up on my side and sat down, looking up at me.

“Shane, ah been talkin' to a few folks, and ah would like to speak with ya alone.” She gestured to a balcony exit.

I gave a tip of my hat to the group around us. “Ladies, if you will excuse me,” then looked down at Applejack and motioned my hand, “After you.” As she got up and started to walk, I fell in place next to her.

Once we got out on the balcony, I took a moment to marvel at the view. Looking out across the city, and out on the lands. You could just make out the edge of Sweet Apple Acres, even from this far away.

“Shane, you given any thought to what you might do, once yer sentence is up? Ya got two weeks left.”

I shrugged my shoulders after a moment. "It crossed my mind once or twice,” looking down and finding myself looking right into deep, green, country girl eyes. For not the first time, I wondered if it was right, feeling the way I was starting to. What would Shawna say?

“I ain’t going to say it has not crossed my mind, AJ.”

She gave a nod in response. “Shane, we want you to stay on. Big Mac says we can afford it with the increase in production you bring with your help. Granny likes havin' ya around, when ya ain’t being a lippy varmint. Well, heck, even Apple Bloom has learned a lot with you around.”

I took that all in, looking out at the view a second time. I went silent for a bit. So was she, just standing there alongside. I finally spoke in a lowered tone. “What about... you and I, AJ?”

She flicked her ear and shrugged. “We said our peace last night didn’t we. We remain friends, ‘cause that is just how it has to be.”

I once again was quiet for a bit, then glanced down at her. “I-if it starts to bother you, you won’t just try to hide it and hold it in right?”

She looked up at my eyes and then shrugged again. “Ah ain’t gonna give you no Pinkie promise. However, ah will try to be honest if things... bother me.”

A huge part of me wanted to reach out, stroke her mane, touch her neck as we talked. Instead I turned and looked back to the view. “I will hire on. I could use the money, and I do enjoy being around your family, AJ,” leaving the rest unspoken.

From somewhere inside the castle I caught a frustrated snarl and someone blurt out, “Why is he so stupid?!” ...odd, that sounded like Cadence.

She just gave a nod and we stood there for a few quiet minutes. Although, as I have well found out, Murphy exists here too, and he is just as much of a dick as back home.

“Well, I was going to suggest we step out on the balcony, but, it seems to smell of dung and poor ponies,” a voice that was haughty, arrogant, and a little familiar. I turned to meet two mares, a unicorn and a pegasus respectively. One looked to be the one Dame Lulamoon had put in her place. The pegasus, however, was for sure the one Applejack had words with... what was her name? Oh, Cloudy something.

Applejack glanced up at me. “Come on, Shane, let’s go back inside.”

The unicorn gave a snort. “Yes, please do before you befoul our great city as you have our society.”

I was done. Turning to look dead in the unicorn’s eyes, I sniffed at her then shook my head, stealing a line from a good movie I knew. “Shady, you stink.” Applejack and I then walked past and back into the party, leaving her sputtering and looking like a fish out of water.

“That wasn’t very nice of you, Shane.” My eyes roamed to the deep blue alicorn taking up walking with us. “But, Shady had it coming. Appropriate use of your words without resorting to vulgarity. Perhaps there is hope for you yet.”

I lifted an eyebrow at Luna and gave a nod. “Shhhit, ah ain’t that bad,” smirking at her. I knew damn well what I was doing.

Luna rolled her eyes and muttered, “And, there it goes,” looking to Applejack. “I wish you the best of luck with this one, I am afraid he is beyond help.”

Applejack returned a similar smirk and gave me a light tap in the leg with a hoof. “Ah, he ain’t so bad, Princess, just ah bit rough around the edges is all.”

The party wrapped up a few hours later and we took the train back to Ponyville. It felt so... off, not to see Golden and Cortland with us. I already missed them, they were two of my best friends now. Hell, in a village full of mares, Big Macintosh, Cortland, and I were kind of the three amigos. I really was going to miss him most of all.

---

For the final two weeks of the time I owed Equestria’s legal system, life went quiet and smooth. No huge happenings, no danger, just hard work in the day, writing in the evening, and spending time with ponies in between.

I had picked up my old guitar from the cabin and started to try and play again. Nothing too fancy, just practice around the small camp fire as we all talked. Mac and I agreed, not having Cort there with us was a whole new feeling.

So, today was my first morning of my own once more. My sentence was served, and was now done. Breakfast had come with a contract to sign, and an advance on my first paycheck of twenty bits. It wasn’t a lot, but enough to buy a few things I needed from town.

Apple Bloom had asked if she could hang out with the fillies in the park, and Applejack had nicely asked me to keep an eye on them, so she could get some stuff done. I agreed, picking up my guitar and carrying it along. I wanted to show it to the music pony in town to see if he could get strings made long enough for it, in the likely event I break one.

So, there I was, just sitting in the park, watching the foals play. Seeing Apple Bloom with her friends off at one table talking and sharing some snacks. Couples strolled past, and townsfolk hurried from place to place. You know what, it really was just an overall gorgeous day.

I looked up and I took note of a older stallion, sunbleached mane, his light brown fur dusty, a cutie mark on his rump depicting a stalk of wheat. Accompanying him was a little colt, darker brown with a warm green mane and tail. The colt was looking up at his father as they stood at a stand buying what looked to be a colt sized plow harness.

I kind of felt my fingers glide over the strings as I practiced a few cords. Glancing down at my hands, I changed up some. It just felt right, and someplace deep inside I felt that same warmth from the day I became a citizen. Part of me wanted to see if I could fight it, but I figured why? It had not hurt me, and it made ponies around me smile. Heck, it made me smile.

I simply went with the flow, and lyrics to an old country song came out of my mouth. I am no country singer, but I can hold a tune. Closing my eyes I just let it flow, giving into it. Fairly eloquent proof of Twilight's theory if I do say so myself.

“First time he saw the ground get busted, he was ten, and it was nineteen sixty two. His daddy worked hard from sunup to sundown, and the going got tough behind them ol’ gray mules.”

I closed my eyes as I played. Lost to the song, I could not help but feel it, remembering watching my own father and grandfather till the ground to plant oats for the cattle.

“The farm grew to be a moneymaker, and the house he lived in grew up room by room. The boy worked hard but soon got tired of farmin’ , so he slipped away one night ‘neath the harvest moon.”

I was into it now, I don’t think I thought one bit of who may be watching, or where I was, only that warm glow deep inside me. I saw my little girl standing in a field out near our house playing with the grains, my wife in a summer dress, and I think for the first time in a long time, it didn’t hurt! It was a happy memory as I belted out the song.

“His neck was red, as Alabama clay, but the city’s call, pulled him away. He’s got a factory job, and runs a big machine. He don’t miss the farm, or the fields of green.”

As my voice dropped out, I plucked away at the strings. No real hurry, no need to rush. Somewhere deep inside I sort of marveled at it all. Had I ever truly played this well?

“Now the city’s just a prison without fences, his job is just a routine he can’t stand, and at night he dreams of wide-open spaces. Fresh dirt between his toes and on his hands. “

In retrospect, I wonder sometimes why some words I used were ‘pony’ words, and some were from my home. I guess it didn’t really matter as ponies seemed to understand regardless when I did slip into terms from my own world.

“Then one day a picture came inside a letter, of a young girl with a baby in her arms, and the words she wrote would change his life forever. So he went to raise his family on the farm.”

I felt myself almost shimmering as I heard voices, more than I could count, join in on the chorus of the song. That warmth and joy, for that moment I didn’t care what anyone else thought. This wasn’t for me, this was for that stallion and his boy.

“His neck is red, as Alabama clay, now he’s goin’ home, this time to stay. Where the roots run deep, on the family tree, and the tractor rolls, through the fields of green.”

“His neck is red, as Alabama clay, now he’s goin’ home, this time to stay. Where the roots run deep, on the family tree, and the tractor rolls, through the fields of green.”

I plucked off a few cords and exhaled, as I ended the song. It was my voice and my voice alone once more.

“His neck is red… As Alabama clay”

Ending the song I blinked and looked up at noise. Hooves stomped, ponies cheered. I looked around and started to blush faintly, spotting forty, perhaps fifty ponies were now gathered around me. I looked over and saw that stallion and colt, hugging close with warm smiles. I gave them a little nod and slowly set the guitar back in the soft bag I carried it in.

I had many run over and start to talk to and at me. I found myself looking at a rather shy yellow pegasus. “Why, Shane, did you write that?”

I shook my head. “No, Fluttershy, no. It is a song done by a country singer from my world by the name of Garth Brooks. It just has always been one of my favorites.”

Another pony—a unicorn mare—who walked over with the very same stallion and colt that started all this in my head. “It was a beautiful song, Shane. Thank you for sharing it with us all.” She leaned on what I took to be her husband and spoke in a softer voice. “It’s almost like us, word for word, ain’t it threshed?”

That proud earth pony glanced at his wife, then gave a nod as he hooked his hoof around the colt once more. I made eye contact with him, and we didn’t need to say a thing. He did, however, gesture with his nose to something behind me.

Turning, and because I was sitting on the ground, I found myself gazing straight into warm, emerald cores that had a hint of dampness about them. Once more I just, couldn’t take a breath. All I could do was whisper inside my head, “Damn it, Shawna, this ain’t what I want... is it?”

“That there was a heck of a song, Shane,” came the voice of the orange mare. “Ah had no clue ya could sing like that.”

I found my voice, but not the ability to hide the red creeping up in my cheeks. “I... don’t do it much, just,” I gave a gentle nod to the small family and the colt proudly wearing a brand new shiny pulling harness, just like the one his father donned. “I saw them, and, it just... came to me.”

She chuckled and gave a nod of her head, making me turn to find myself nose to nose with seven very excited colts and fillies. Apple Bloom seemed to be the defacto leader of the group as she exclaimed, “Wow, Shane, that there was really great!”

Other ponies had started to go back about their day, but everywhere I looked they had smiles, a bounce in their step, and an extra measure of kindness to each other. I suppose the very same feeling I had going inside me right now.

“Well, thank you, Apple Bloom.” The others all then clamored to ask questions. I gave a look over my shoulder at Applejack. “I think I am going to be here for a bit, boss.”

She shook her head with a reassuring smile and patted my shoulder. “Ya take all tha' time ya need, Shane, then you walk Bloom back home.” as she turned, adjusted her hat, and trotted off.

I watched her walk off, kind of lost in my thoughts once more before a hoof tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to see a pink filly with a grey mane looking right at me. “Mr. McDonald, can you play us another song from your world? Please?”

I tilted my head, then nodded. “Long as you call me, Shane.” To that she nodded affirmatively and sat down with the rest of them around me. I pondered a bit on what song to give them. Every one of them were looking at me with hope with that youthful eagerness of life we all lose as we grow older.

I thought about that, looking at them, then a song came to me. It wasn’t country, but I had sung it to my little girl, and now I would sing it to the little fillies and colts listening. Plucking some cords up, I set a soft beat, tapping the strings with my hand. Sitting there in the grass, with the warm sun beaming down...

“Come, stop your crying, it will be all right. Just take my hand, and hold it tight...”

Today really was a good day. The first in a long, long time.