[Author's note: If you haven't re-read the first chapter yet, do it, because I rewrote most of it and changed some of the storyline parts.]

"And that's when I found your house."

Silence fell across the table for a moment, before being shattered by Rainbow Dash.

"So you're tellin' us that you got here through some magic portal that came from nowhere? Sounds like one of those fantasy stories Fluttershy is always reading where the master wizard somehow screws up an easy spell."

I smiled at what Dash pointed out - it was an unbelievable story, after all.

Twilight began to look agitated, as though Dash's remark had struck a chord in her head. She stood up and trotted out the door. "I'll be right back!" she called over her shoulder, not bothering to explain herself.

As the door slammed shut behind her, the two pegasi and I were left sitting in silence. After a minute the quiet spell was broken again - this time, to my surprise, by Fluttershy.

"So, um... is your arm okay?"

I glanced at my arm, which had been covered in bandages.

"Oh, yeah... it still hurts a bit; I'll be alright soon, though. Thanks for the bandages, by the way."

I smiled at her and she blushed, squeaking a reply; it sounded something like "you're welcome," though I couldn't be sure as it wasn't properly audible. I looked back at Dash, who was still giving me a distrustful look. I smiled awkwardly at her while I tried to think of a way to diffuse her hostility. Her ear twitched as she continued to give me the same look.

Just then the door slammed open again, and an open book floated in; it was shortly followed by Twilight, who was lost in thought.

"Aha! Here it is!" she said, sending the book my way and releasing it into my hands. I read the passage aloud.

"Out among the stars, it is said that other worlds exist. Other lands where other races may live, where anything is possible. Many have tried to reach these far-away places. Many have failed."

I lifted my eyes from the book. The two pegasi wore puzzled expressions, but Twilight gave me a look that said she had all the answers.

"So..." I drawled, "...what happened?"

"I was practicing some spells during last night's storm. Just as I was winding up a long-range teleportation spell, a bolt of lightning struck the library. It shattered the lightning rod and just about jumped me out of my hide, so I... lost control of the spell. I remember reading about the dangers of mixing magic with the forces of nature, but it didn't seem to do anything at the time; I didn't really think anything of it until, well, just now."

"So you're saying you think you brought me here by accident." I said, clearing up her implication.

"To put it bluntly... yes. I'm sorry." she replied, staring down at her hooves. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to send you back, either."

I felt a twinge of regret; I hadn't meant to upset her. "Don't worry so much about it. I'm sure you'll figure something out." My train of thought was interrupted as my stomach growled mightily. I hadn't eaten in three days.

"Oh my goodness," Fluttershy said in a near-panicking tone, "You must be so hungry, I can't believe I didn't think of that! I, um, wait here, I'll go get something..." she stood up from the table, then took a few steps toward the kitchen. She abruptly turned back around to face me, then turned around again. She did this several more times, back and forth as if she didn't know what to do. Finally she turned back to me, and opened her mouth to speak. "Um, I'm sorry, but what is it that you eat?"

I meant to reply immediately, but thought better of it. Mentioning eating animal meat was probably asking for a hoof to the head at best. I thought of the things I had seen ponies eating. "Uh..." I drawled, coming up just about empty. "...do you have any apples?"

The pegasus' head drooped, an expression of exaggerated sorrow on her face. "Oh... I'm sorry, I ran out of apples just last night." She brightened up a moment later, though, as she was struck by a realization. "But, um, I know where we can get some! If you're, um... up to walking, that is. I mean, I can just go get some and come right back, if you wouldn't mind waiting..." her voice trailed off.

Twilight snapped out of her brooding, a smile spreading on her face. "That sounds like a great idea! We can all go to Sweet Apple Acres together. I'm sure Applejack would love to provide the first meal for a new face in town." Twilight chuckled, remembering her own first day in ponyville and the subsequent apple overload.

"Sounds fine to me." I said, doing my best to sound nonchalant. Inwardly, however, I was absolutely giddy; I was finally going to meet Applejack, and taste the famous apples of Sweet Apple Acres. It took a great deal of effort to keep from springing into a skip as I stood up from the table.

We were taking a path I'd never seen in the show, a long route to get to the farm without passing too close to the city. Twilight had pointed out that the town's other ponies were likely to react unfavorably toward such a 'strange creature' as myself.

"I think you've already taken your fare share of lumps and then some." she said with an uneasy smile. "Speaking of which... don't you have something to say, Rainbow?" She looked up at the pegasus, who was flying low overhead.

"Oh, right... that." Dash said, rubbing the back of her neck with a hoof. "Look, I'm sorry I hit you so hard."

She cast a sheepish look down at Twilight. The unicorn glared back at her, so she added, "Okay, okay, so I probably shouldn't have hit you at all. But how was I supposed to know you had a glass jaw?"

I smiled uneasily up at her, sensing she wasn't quite done. Sure enough a moment later she was suddenly in front of me, hovering in the air and glaring at me. I stopped in my tracks, staring back into her fierce eyes.

"Don't fool yourself into thinking you're off the hook just yet though, buster. If you even think of pulling a fast one on one of my friends, I'll make that punch feel like a love tap. Ya got that?"

I nodded sheepishly, in no condition to be arguing with one of Equestria's best athletes.

Minutes of plodding steps later, we arrived at the farm. I felt my jaw come unhinged and hang as low as it ever had - it was, by leaps and bounds, the largest apple orchard I had ever seen. As we passed through the gates, I looked up at the sign overhead; a simple little thing, needing no more than a carved apple picture to announce to all comers whose land they stood upon. We stopped in front of the house, and Twilight put a hoof to her chin in thought.

"Alright, Fluttershy and I will go inside and talk to Applejack. Rainbow, can you stay here and keep an eye on Matt? Try to make sure he doesn't get hurt any more than he already has."

Dash put a hoof to her head in mock salute. "By your orders, cap'n!" she said, before floating up into a nearby tree. Coming to rest on a sturdy branch, she appeared to instantly fall asleep.

Twilight chuckled and shook her head, turning back towards the apple family home.

As the two ponies trotted toward the door, Fluttershy cast a look back at me over her shoulder. "We'll be right back - you just sit here and rest, okay?"

I nodded, and a smile spread on her face as she disappeared into the house.

I took a seat beneath the tree that Dash was watching from, twiddling my thumbs to pass a few moments. My stomach growled furiously. I grumbled aloud in response, my hunger turning each passing second into an eternity. I dimly heard the sound of shuffling overhead, followed by a far-away voice.

"Heads up, shrimp!"

I covered my head with my hands just in time to save myself another bruise, as an apple tumbled out of the tree. It rolled out of my hands and fell straight to the dirt, but I was too hungry to care. I grabbed the apple and shoved it into my mouth, taking a single ravenous bite. I took off nearly half of the fruit, and numerous grains of sand went unheeded as they followed the food down my throat. I glanced upward again intending to thank Dash for her small act of help, but she had already gone back to sleep. With a shrug, I returned to the task of devouring my tiny snack. Moments later, however, a heavily accented shout shocked me out of my apple-centered reverie.

"YOU THIEVIN' SNAKE! GIT YER PAWS OFFA' MAH CROPS!"

A flash of orange soared into my peripheral vision, and I had no doubt the pony-shaped missile was aimed straight at me. I held my arms up to shield myself and closed my eyes in anticipation of whatever new pain I was about to experience, but it never came. Instead there was the crash of one pony slamming into another, as Rainbow Dash had jumped out of the tree to save me. When I opened my eyes, the two ponies were rolling over each other in the dirt. Their motion came to a stop with Rainbow on top, pinning a disgruntled-looking Applejack to the ground. As soon as AJ regained her bearings, she opened her mouth to protest.

"Rainbow? What the hay has gotten into you? Don't tell me this here thief is another one of your lousy friends from when you were a filly."

Dash put on her best attempt at pretending to be offended. "Hey, if you wanna go pointing hooves at anyone, go talk to Twilight. She brought this guy here all the way from some other planet, or something."

Applejack cast a disbelieving glance in my direction, then looked back to the pegasus that was holding her down. "...whuh? Another planet? Well I'll be dipped, Rainbow, if that ain't the strangest explanation I ever did hear. It would sure explain why he looks like a shaved monkey, though."

At that she began to giggle, as did her feathered friend. As they shared a laugh at my expense, the other two ponies came walking out of the house.

Twilight gave a lopsided smile to the entangled ponies. "I see you two are getting along as well as ever. I take it that means the introductions didn't go as smoothly as I might have hoped?"

My stomach growled again, overshadowing whatever reply AJ or Dash intended to give. Applejack chuckled as Dash released her from the ground.

"Alright, alright, let's go inside and get somethin' to eat. You folks can explain all this to me after we get your new friend here properly fed."