"Applejack, are you home?!" Twilight shouted while knocking at the door...

"Perhaps she's still harvesting apples," Rarity intervened. "It's almost apple-cider season, after all."

"Yeah, you're right. We should search for her all around, then." We were about to leave the front door of the house, when suddenly it opened up slowly, with a scratching sound. In front of us, a little filly with pale yellow fur, a a pale red mane and a big, big bow of the same color right behind her head, probably to tie up a much bigger chunk of mane the one who was kept loose. I didn't recognize her right away because of the bow, but checking out her colors, she looked familiar...

"Hello, Applebloom." Rarity chirped, "Do you know if your sister is still kicking apple trees?"

"Nah, she's in the attic right now, giving some order to all the stuff up there. I'm gonna call her now..." She said while heading to the stairs. Just like with Scootaloo and Spike before, I felt a big heavy weight inside me. She looked so cute and innocent. her childish voice mixed with country accent was adorable... and she would've die horribly one die. No, Littlepip! Stop thinking this, or you'll end do another show like before. Too much attention is the last thing you want right now. Suddenly, Applebloom stopped in the middle of the room; she looked back, staring right at me wiht a surprised look. No, please not you too.

"Oh, shoot! I'm sorry!" she said while trotting back to us, "I didn't knew we had a new pony in town." Why everypony notices me?! I'm no different from all the others! "Hi, my name's Applebloom, welcome to Sweet Apple Acres!" she cirped while grabbing my mmy hoof with her little ones and shaking it like crazy, "You look like a city pony, are you from Manehattan, or Fillydelphia, *gasp* don't tell me Las Pegasus...?", she stopped as Twilight's magic grabbed her away from me. Thank you!

"Ah, eheh, sorry Applebloom but Littlepip here is... a little shy, you see," she said while making her landing beside her. "She only arrived today in Ponyville and... well, she had apparently lost her memory. She can't remember where she comes from, nor why she came here."

The little filly watched me with surprise, who then turned into a puppy-eyed sorry face. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Lil'pip", she said. Sweet Celestia's humps, those big pupils filled with sorrow made me feel guilty for nothing. "U-uhm, it's nothing, don't worry..." I replied while laughing nervously and looking away.

Right in that moment, we heard the sound of a wooden door opening, then a crashing of something hitting the floor upstair. “Applebloom!” a familar voice shouted from the stairs, “Come an’ help me with this darned box here. It’s a hay of an heavy one.” She sounded so much younger and juvenile, despite the grumpy tone of her voice.

“Eh eh, sorry,” Applebloom said, “me and Aj are givin’ some good ol’ cleaning to the attic, so we’re moving most of the stuff up there to the barn. Hold on here, I’m gonna call her.” She then trotted rapidly to the stairs, up to the first floor.

“Well, that is the most uncanny of luck,” Rarity said. “With Applejack and family emptying the attic, there sure would be enough room for Littlepip to stay."

"They haven't say yes, yet. We shouldn't jump to conclusions...", I said while looking at the floor. Noticing that the two mares where looking at me apprehensively, I blushed and added shyly, "I-I mean... not that I wouldn't like that, you know..."

Before Twilight was going to say something, probably to reassure me, we heard the slow trotting of hooves from the stairs. A blonde maned mare with with light orange fur and a cowboy hat presented herself to us. She had a worried expression on her face, as we interrupted her in something important. I widened my eyes at seeying her, and I think I felt my heart starting to race a little bit. I already knew that mare was Applejack, I knew how she looked like. And yet, having her in front of me, right now, was still exciting, and I couldn't tell why; maybe the fact of having in front of me the progenitor of all Stable 2 ponies, my ancestor. Or maybe because... she was so beautiful. More then I expected...

"Twilight, Rarity, ya'll got me in a hay of a busy moment here," she said while sweating.

"We know Applejack, Applebloom told us just now," Twilight responded. "If we knew before, we would've come and help you."

"That's sweat an all, sugarcube, but before movin' stuff we first gotta decide what to move and what not, and..." she interrupted herself as she suddenly glanced at me. I blushed and look away for a moment. "Hello..." I said awhile smiling shyly.

The country mare trotted toward me, in my surprise. She looked at me sospiciously. My heart raced even more. Why was she interested in me?! Did she saw in me something suspicious? And why were those freckles so damn cute?

"Did ah saw yah before? Yah look kinda familiar..."

How??! We never met before! Well, I saw her in the memory orbes, but she can't know that...right? I was sweating, not knowing how to answer.

Rarity came to my rescue, stepping between me and AJ. "Sorry Applejack, but I doubt she can answer that, right now? The poor thing have lost her memory. She doesn't even remember where she comes from, as of now." I agreed with my head, while looking sad.

Applejack gave a gasped expression, then took of her hat. "Oh my. Ah'm awfully sorry, Mrs. I was jus' wonderin' if yah ahppened to be a member of the Apples too. Yeh'r features looks kinda similar to mah family..."

Did she really deduced that, despite my Apple blood being mixed up for centuries with Sweetie Belle's one? Well, can't say I wasn't impressed.

"Actually, she's the reason why we're here," Twilight explaine to AJ. "You see, we wanted to ask you could make room for her here in your farm, at least until she have regained her memory. But since you and your family have other problems right now, guess it's not the right time for this kind of favor."

"Well shoot, Twilight, yeh'r sure are taking me into an hard spot here," Applejack replied. "Yah know I would hardly say no to a favor from yah girls, 'specially if it's about helpin' another pony, but we're all occupied here already as it is. There's a hay of a lot of things to take from the attic to the barn, and we still need organize what needs to leave and what not..."

"Uhm..." I suddenly interrupted. "If it's about the stuff take out, well, maybe I can give a hoof here. I'm... good enough with telekinesis". I know what I was doing; the more helpful I showed myself to be, the less suspitious I would've been to them. At least, I hoped so.

"Yeah, and I could help with both that, and making a list of the things that leaves and stays," Twilight intervened.

And I can help too," Rarity added. "Especially to give a good cleaning with all the dust that's probably up there."

Applejack took her hat back on her head, probably asa sign of optimism. "Well gals, yeh're help will surely shortened the time necessary for this task. Tell yah what, after emtpying the attic a good bunch and cleaning it up, yeh'r friend here can have it for the time being."

"littlepip." I corrected her. "That's my name, I mean.

"Right, Littlepip..." she said while laying her right arm on my shoulders. "Ah'm curious to see what yah got. Yah look like the kind of mare a pony can rely on, and ah don't say that to everypony in town.

I smiled while blushing. I dunno why, but that compliment made me a lot happier then it should've. Maybe because it came from a famous ancestor of mine, or maybe 'cause her accent and attitude reminded me a lot of certain pegasus I had as a dear friend. Point is, I was feeling myself welcomed like never before. But... was this how I should've felt?

Emptying half the attic took no more then two hours. Organizing the stuff to take out took most of the time. There sure was a crap ton of stuff up there, I don't even wanna imagine how long it would've take to the poor Earth pony family to finish this burden (at least a couple of days, I think) if Twilight and Rarity didn't just happen to come for an unrelated favor and offering to help. They did most of the organisation, with making a list of the most essential things for the Apples, and dividing them from all the trinkets good only for the memories. I offered myself to help with moving the heaviest of stuff, but Rarity reassured me then nothing was to heavy for Twilight's magic. She was right. This was my first time seeing Celestia's prodigious student in action, and she truly lived up to her name. Even with only the telekinesis spell she did extrardinary thing, making massive crates and objects floating like they had no weight whatsoever, organizing them in suspended lines, laying them down graciously and ordinatedly; it honestly felt almost like a dancing number of living, floating objects. I know my telekinesis spell by now was strong enough to all of that flying in and out the attic, but doing all of what I just saw? I'm sure it would've required orgazination and mathematical precision that I was positive I had none of it.

After all that, all we needed to do was moving the stuff to the barn, something made much easier thanks again to Twilight's magic. I gave a hoof too, this time around: I could've use my telekinesis in all it's strenght and taking all the stuff by myself, but I was afraid that by doing that so soon I would've maybe create some suspicion on me, so I followed the other ponies instruction and took only a bunch of crates and trinkets.

Since we started organizing the stuff, I left my mind thinking about what happened before. I knew it was wrong for me to be here, in this time period, and I could've easily screw everything up by staying too long... then why I felt so good until now? Could've be the hair of ospitality and friendlyness I never experienced in the wasteland? The fact that I just met in person the six legendary mares I respected the most? Thinking about the last part made my chest feeling suddenly heavy, when I suddenly remembered the tragic fate that awaited, and all Equestria, in the future. The fact that I was here, somehow, wasn't maybe a chance fate give me to prevent all of that to happen? But even if I was able to prevent it... did that mean I wouldvd've eae to exist? And with me all of the ponies I knew?

Thinking about all that made me loose my mental grip on some of what I was carrying: a crate and few other trinkets fell on the ground. Thankfully, none of them break to the hit. "So-sorry, sorry!" I apologized myself while sweating suddenly. Well done there, Littlepip! Break the stuff of the ponies who wants to help you, they're gonna give you a bed to sleep alright. "I'm just... not very good with heavy stuff, I guess."

Applejack came to give me some pats on the back, while I magically grabbed what fell over. That little accident game me the resolve I needed: I had to stick with my plan to go back to the present, somehow. The more I stayed here, the more confused my thought were going to be. I had to get out of here, as fast as I could!

Finally, the last crates has been moved to the upper floor of the barn. The barn itself was just like I remembered it to be (except, well, in better conditions) but the floor up was was larger then how I remembered it to be. I shunned the thought; it could've just been shortened by the passing of time, one half crumbling down. I could still tell exactly where the underground entrance to the vault door of Stable 2 was going to be; that somehow brought I slight feel of nostalgia, for something that had yet to happen... weird.

"Woah nelly!" Applejack shouted, "Yah girls never stop t' surprise me. This whole work would've take more then a bunch'a days, without yehr help."

"Oho, darling, it was nothing", Rarity assured. "I myself have dealt with much heavier things then these."

"Yah ain't forgetting anypony else, right?" AJ responded with irony, "Twilight and Pip here made all the heavy work with their magic".

"Me?" I responded with surprise, "I... didn't do that much. I only brought a couple of crates and things. Small potato compared to what Twilight did, you know..." Admitedly, I was playing a little with my humbleness card. Again, to not raise some suspition.

Applejack laughed to that, then pat my back again. "Well shoot, yah kinda emind of somepony I knew who was just like you, when she first came to Ponyville", she said while making eye contact to Twilight, who blushed a little. Was Twilight Sparkle really that much humble? Hard to believe a unicorn like her never showed off her big talent. "It ain't the amount of work that counts", AJ continued. "Yah offered t' give a hoof instead of just lookin' at somethin' tha' didn't concerne yah. Anypony who does that, have mah whole respect an' admiration. Yehr welcome in farm this anytime yah want!"

"So, will you make her stay here?" Twilight asked with shining eyes.

"Well, there's a little mo' cleaning to do, but after that, the attic's all hers fo' the time bein'."

The other two ponies shouting of joy, followed by hugs. I limited myself to smiling a fair bit; this was nothing more then a starting point for me. The real deal would've start soon.

"I'm so happy we solved this problem", Twilight said to me. "Trust me, Applejack and her family will make you feel at home. All you need to do is relaxing until your mind will start remembering. I'm so curious to se how the head of a pony functions when rebooting itsellf!" Rebooting? I'm not a freaking computer!. Wait... did computers existed already in this time period? "It will be such an interesting study, oh I'm so excited...!"

"Ahem..." I interrupted, while she was clapping her hooves for excitment. I won't lie, that was both awkward and adorable. "I'm glad to give you something to study upon, but I'd like a little favor in exchange."

"Oh yes yes, of course. Ask whatever you want!"

"Well... is it ok if a borrow some books from your library? I need something to pass time, you know." Hopefully, I would've find some about time travelling spells and such. it was Twilight Sparkle's library, after all.

Twilight's eyes lighted up with excitment, while she gave a big open smile. "Of course! You asked to the perfect pony, I know all about books. Well, I think you expected that, since I live inside a library, eh eh. Just tell me what kind of book you want and I'll give it to you tomorrow."

"Actually, I wanted to find one for myself right now... if I don't bother you, that is."

"Oh, I see," she added with a slightly guilty expression. "Of course you can, I'll just be nearby if you need some help choosing"

"And I will help Applejack cleaning the attic from the dust," Rarity intervened. "After all, she would leave half of it without my help," she added while whispering to us, for Aj to not hear it. Twilight gave her an unimpressed look.

The road back to Ponyville lasted less then when going to the Apple farm, probably because I was more familiar with it. The sun was completely set, and the light of dusk was had almost give all space to the dark of the night. I never saw such spectacle in person, only inside book illustrations and memory orbs, which is way I spent almost the entirety of the road watching that warm light slowly disappearing, like if I was hypnotized by it. Is this what my sacrifice into the SPP gave to the ponies of Wasteland? Thinking yes gave me alittle warmth inside; perhaps ot wasn't all for nothing. Perhaps a bright future was coming for my dark and depressing future. But then I thought if it was really going to last, without me being where I should've been right then, right now. It all made me just being even more preoccupied to get out of here...

Inside Ponyville the stands of the market were almost all dismounted, and the road was mostly empty. Soft lights were facing the windows of the many houses (electrical? Made by candles? Couldn't really tell...), including those from Twilight's library, just right in front of us.

"So, what kind of book are interested in, if I may ask?" suddenly asked Twilight. We were being silent for most of the road, hearing her cheerful voice brought me back to reality. Now, what should I told her?

"Well, uhm... you know, one book is like the other, but I think to remember that I'm fond of science books..."

"Really?!!" she shouted, once again with her eyes full of glee. "That's great! Books and sciance and the study of magic are my speciality. You're gonna find alot of them here." She opened the door ro the library with her magic, when...

"SURPRIIIISE!!!!"

We both jumped in fear, as a pink colored pony I was familiar with jumped at us and greeted us in a loud way, like she's used to. Behind her, a huge line of pony did the same.

SURPRISE! WELCOME TO PONYVILLE!

Multicolored confettis flew in the air, paper trumpets shouted, and the circular hall was filled with cheers and shouts of fun. Behind all this mess, I saw a long piece of white fabric hanging on the ceiling, with the words "WELCOME, NEWCOMER" written on it. Oh, you gotta be kidding me!

"Pinkie, what's all this?" Twilight called. "Don't tell me this is for..."

"Aww, isn't obvious you silly filly?" Pinkie responded with her almost screetching voice. "We all made a welcome party for the new pony in town! At first I wondered where was she gonna live, but then I remembered seeing her with you so of course we organized all of this inside your library 'cause I was sure you were gonna make her be your guest. Just a hint gave by my Pinkie sense, you know?"

"Ok, first of all, you were wrong; Littlepip is staying with Applejack and her family for the time being, and she came her just for some books. Second, who gave you the permission to do all this here anyway?" She ended that phrase while giving an harsh stare to Spike, who just came toward us.

"Hey hey, don't blame me for that," Spike responded to that stare. "She and the others were already in the middle of doing this, when I came back. I tried to reason with Pinkie about the whole permission thing, but she already made me occupied with tables and stuff before I could open my mouth."

"Of course I didn't ask ask for permission, silly," Pinkie intervened. "What kind of surprise would that be if I told about what we were gonna do? Duh!"

While Twilight was getting Pinkie occupied by lecturing her on the imprtnce of asking permission, I slowly moved away, hoping no other pony would've notice me; I couldn't waste more time then I already did, I had to find a book about time travelling fast.

This plan ended up being just an utopia, however, has some ponies already noticed me and came closer. "Hi! You must be Littlepip, right?!" chirped a pale green (of a paleness I don't recall to ever see before) colored pony, with mane and tail of the same color plus some white strips, and and a weird stringed instrument as a cutie mark. I will have later realize who was she, but for now the hurry distracted me on it. "Pinkie Pie told me and Bon Bon about you being new to town, so we decided to help her welcoming you here. If you need anything we're happy to help out, right Bon Bon?"

"Uh uh, sure no problem..." answered the other pony, a pale yellow colored mare with manes colored with dark blue in one said and fuchsia the other. She didn't seem that much interested in my presence.

I tried to subtly move away from them while smiling and nodding, but the green mare striked back. "Uao, your cutie mark looks so cool!" Is it a hoof watch of sort? I've never seen something shaped like that..."

"Uhm, yeah, yeah it is, eheh! Sorry gotta go now...". Finally I got away from those two... but I ended crashing unto another one.

"Oh! Why hello there," a stallion with grayish amber coat and dark brown mane greeted me. His cutie mark was an hourglass. "I was passing by seeing what this ruckus was all about. Happy to see a new face in this tiny town, for once."

I awkawardly shaked hooves with him, when a familiar looking rainbow-colored mare divided us with light speed. "Hold it, pal! Pip here only wants her best friends with her!"

"Excuse me?" I questioned her with a raising eyebrow. Well, technically I did know her, but in that circumstance we were totally stranger to one another.

"Oh, don't sweat it," she responded while hugging my back with one hoof. "Everypony who knows my friends is my friend too. Sorry we didn't have much time to know eachothers today (apart the crashing, eheh), but now I'm here to tell you that an awesome pony like will be the best friend you'll ever have!"

"Y-yeah, sure, thanks for the tip," I answered while getting out from that back-rapping hoof of hers. "Sorry, but now I need to do some..."

"You're well!" a meek but chirping voice shouted while hugging me all of the sudden. I knew that voice was Fluttershy's. "Oh, I'm so happy to see you fine and and healthy. I was so scared when I found you unconscious this morning, but it's all in the past now, I'm not worried anymore."

"Thanks! I appreciate!" I shouted while being crushed by that hug. For being a meek pony, her hooves were pretty strong.

"okay Fluttershy, enough with the hugging," Rainbow Dash said while diving me again from somepony else. "She said she needs to do something important, leave her do whatever she haves to do," she ended with a wink toward me. Dunno if she was doing that to show off how great of a "friend" she was being, btu I was thankful either way. Finally, I was near one of the many bookshelves...

"There you are, you silly!" a shrieking voice stopped me. Oh, Luna's glory hole, please no." Are you making new friends already? Great, you feel already like home!" My eyes searched for Dash, hoping she would've save me again. She was occupied with Fluttershy.

"oh I'm so happy to havea new friend in Ponyville, it's not so often we recieve new friends in this tiny village, you know?" I moved to the bookshelf, trying to forget that she was there." I mean there was Twilight who came here along time ago, followed then by Lyra and by my dear friend Crancky, but aside that and some visit from the Princess we are pretty lonely here..." Finally I reached it. I started to take the first book I saw, then keep loking at them one by one, none of themwas even about science or magic. "AW, BUT THAT'S ONLY THE PAST, now you're here and I'm so excited, I can't wait to show you all Ponyville, to make you know my friends, who knows, maybe you'll find some new friends yourself...!" I checked another line of books, then another one, and another one; nothing. I was growing stressed by the second, note helped by somepony who didn't want to shut up. "There's the bakery where I work at, the Cakes are such nice ponies and they make me sleep there, then Rarity's boutique, she makes the best dresses in all Equestria, let me tell you...!" Shut up. Shut up, for the love of the princesses' rumps. No book I needed in this shelf, I had to move to another one. "And, uhm, oh, there's Fluttershy cottage, it's all full of animals of any kind there, you know, whenever you need a pet to give you company. Oh, and Applejack's farm is not far from there, she and her family are soooo nice, you're feel like their part of th..."

"OH FOR CELESTIA'S BIG ANUS, DID YOU EVER SHUT UP ONCE IN YOUR LIFE!!?"

Silence. That's what followed right away. As if the party was over all of the sudden, and the hall empty...

After calming down, I then gasped and covered my mouth with a hoof. I slowly looked around the hall; everypony was looking at me, with expressions that went from surprised to utterly horryfied. Pinkie herself was now jsut sterring at me, her mouth slightly open and the pupils of her eyes reduced to tiny points. I started to sweating cold, while my heart was pumping faster. Now you've done it, Littlepip. You screwed up big time.

"I... I..." I was trying to say something, anything, but words weren't coming from my mouth; my head was thinking aabout too many things at once, so all I could do was babbling nonsense. In the end, I took a drastic decision."Excuse me!" I said fast without even listening to what word I used, as I sprinted to the exit door as fast as I could.

Outside the library, it was full nighttime. I expected to see the absolute dark in front of him, yet the night was full of light; light coming from the moon, the very first time I was seeying it in person, so beautiful in it's white brightness; light coming from the windows of ponyville's many houses, proof of life inside the now desertic streets; and finally, the subtle light coming from the uncountable numbers of stars in the sky, all of them sorrounding the moon like many ponies carrying broght candles in adoration of one big shining monolith. The night wasn't dark anymore. Not here.
I should've be mesmerized by such spectacle, but I was still cringing for what just happened inside. It was over now; I just made the biggest mistake I could've done in this place and time. Shouting a big profanity to these ponies' most beloved and respected authority, the mare responsable to making the sun shine everyday in her kingdom; no way they were going to forget this. Especially Twilight Sparkle, Celestia's beloved student. She was never going to help me again, after insulting the name of her teacher. Even worse, she would probably tell her friends too, and all the favors I had 'till now will have been taken back from me. And all this because of my damn mouth. You're an idiot Littlepip, you're such an idiot! The six mares you adored most then anypony else were now going to look at you with disgust. Anything you go in contact with, you end up screwing it. Suddenly I could feel tears moving down on my cheecks. From the inside, I could here Pinkie Pie saying something, then laughters followed. Laughing at me, probably...

I heared the door opening up and being closed again.

"Littlepip?"

Twilight! I dunno what automatic process my brain reacted to, but before I noticed it I ran toward her.

"I'm sorry!" I shouted while laying my chest on the ground and colliding my hoof into a preying position. "I didn't mean to, I swear! I was nervous because I couldn't find the book I was searching for. I didn't want to insult your teacher, it was a mistake. Please, forgive me!"

"Hey, it's ok. I'm not angry with you."

"You... you're not?" I honestly didn't know if I should've feel relieved or confused. I looked at her with a puzzled expression. She smiled tenderly to me (golly, what a beautiful smile!).

"Of course not! I know that Pinie can be obnoxious with her chatting, especially for those who are not used to it. Besides, it's not like you insulted the Princess in her presence."

"But... she's your mentor. I mean, aren't you even a little bit disgusted that I named her doing... well, that thing?"

She gave me a cute, mouth-closed laughter in response (ok seriously, stop being so damn gorgeous!). She then looked around, as if checking out if others were near, before coming near me and whispering to my hear. "Actually, I used to swear with Celestia's name a lot, back in Canterlot."

Well, that was something unexptected. So it's true then that anypony have skeletons in their closets. "You... did?" I slowly asked, my face not even trying to hide the surprise.

"Well, it's not much weird, when you think about it." She answered, blushing a little. "Exams in her school, especially in later years, are very hard and professors gives you a lot to study in preparations for them. My old school friends and I used to deprecate a lot because of frustrating studies, and we used her name a few times. You ca't imagine how many times we feared the princess to casually walking near us and hearing the many names and words we gave to her."

She was right, it wasn't that hard to imagine; I was a student myself, after all. It made me feel so stupid to be scared about it, even though looking t it now my fears weren't so unfounded. "Oh, I see. eh eh eh." I quietly laughed myself. It didn't last long though, as I thought of the many other ponies inside. "I don't think though that half Ponyville inside there will see it as nothing special too."

"I wouldn't care too much about that." Twilight replied. "My friend Pinkie is good at playing down a thtings with her humor. And even if somepony else will still remember that, I'm sure they would change your mind after getting to know you better. Trust me, there's nothing to worry about." She ended winking at me.

Gotta say, the way Twilight Sparkle comforted me, telling me things were goona be fine, reminded me a little bit of Homage. Maybe that's why I felt like trusting her, without a single doubt. She somehow cheered me up like as nothing happened before.

"Thank you, Twilight. I needed that." I said while smiling at her.

"Oh, don't sweat it. I did took care of you the whole day, after all"

We both laughed. Then Twilight suddenly interrupted the cheerful moment.

"Wait... now that I think about it," she said while looking puzzled at me. "How did you know Celestia is my mentor? I don't recall telling you that before..."

Aaand preoccupation started raising up again. Thankfully it didn't pass too much time beforean answer was found. "Oh, I... uhm... just heard of it around. You know, many ponies in the market today mentioned it today."

"Oh, really?" she responded while looking shyly away. "Well, I was talking to Rarity back there, so i guess I didn't give it too much attention."

"Yeah, well, how about we go back inside? I bet they're wondering right now oon what happened to the newcomer and Celestia's greatest student. That can get suspicious."

We both laughed at it, as we walked our way back to the library. Something was telling me that maintaining the secret was going to be harder and harder. I had to hurry up before it would've go out of hoof.