Of Hooves and History

A Meeting of Minds

At the vendor trailer, I scanned a menu and took a large-sized strawberry banana smoothie. I held up a few dollar coins and shook my head, pointing to the design, indicating they weren't of the local currency.

"It's on the house, don't worry," Sunny said with a smile.

"Oh really? Thanks a lot!"

She took a mango-banana flavor and we sat down at a patio dining table. I gently sipped on my straw, while Sunny tilted her head slightly in awe and fascination, as if she was a robotic scanner.

"It's interesting, how we both share similar physical attributes on a base level," I mused, attempting to break the awkward silence by pointing to my face. "We both got eyes, ears, nose, and a mouth. I could see how my ears are kinda funny though. Compared to yours, they're –"

"Wait a second!" Sunny interrupted excitedly, pulling a notebook out of her satchel and quickly flipping through it. "Let's see... Twilight Sparkle's Adventures through the Crystal Mirror. No pony's really been through there since her time, it's so so interesting as to – well, everything about that other world!"

I grinned at her enthusiasm, and she caught her breath.

"Okay, 73 Questions to Ask a Human. Number one – where did you come from? Like, in the human world?"

"Well, we call it Earth. I live in a little boathouse in a string of islands called the Florida Keys."

"Do humans live underground?"

"Absolutely! Many use the ground as shelter in dangerous situations, and there's also basements too. Not sure if your houses around here have 'em."

"How good are humans at fighting?"

"So good, we've figured out ways to kill each other over mundane things."

"Oh." Sunny's face fell for a moment, so I quickly lifted it right back up. "But over many eras and eons we've improved ourselves in several ways. Next."

"Do humans really eat meat? If so, why?"

"The way human bodies are built, protein and other key nutrients are needed to survive and function well. And we can't really get it from anything else besides meat. There are plant-based alternatives, but they just don't cut it to the best extent."

"How strong are your hands?"

"Very. But also quite dexterous."

"Can you fly?"

"Not without machinery."

"How much knowledge can the human mind hold?"

"Plenty. And even so, we only use a portion of the brain at any given time solely for thinking. Overall, for all of the body's functions, the brain never stops. Aaaaand you still have 66 questions to go. Which will likely take the whole day and rob you of crucial smoothie sales."

Sunny frowned, and I laughed. "How about questions about me specifically – but at a later point in time. Thanks for the rapid questionnaire. You sound like a historian."

"Yeah!" Sunny replied proudly. "I am. With my father, I've been studying the history of Equestria too, and –"

"Hold up," I said quickly. "Equestria?"

"Yes, that is where we are, currently. Maretime Bay is a small town on the southernmost shore."

I nodded, trying not to freak out internally. "I'm not on Earth, I've been transported to another world..."

Before I could think about it too much, Sunny took a loud swig of her smoothie and continued. "You look refreshed but still a little lean."

"Yeah," I muttered. "As per my series of unfortunate events, snacking is all I've been able to do. No worries, I have some food back at the campsite. I just needed to get some answers as to where I am, but was not expecting, well, all of this."