Prelude: Midnight Meeting

It had happened in a rush. With a massive flash of light and noise, the once-thought fictional land of Equestria suddenly merged with what was believed to be the "real world". Humans and Ponies now existed in the same realm of existence. Most humans believed it was some crazed science experiment gone wrong. Most Ponies believed it was a magic spell taken to an extreme. But none could deny the fact that now two completely different cultures had merged. First, the former Ponies of Equestria were found in new, unfamiliar human bodies, albeit with tails. However, magic had been lost in the translation, as far as anyone could tell. As both humans and ponies were adaptable creatures, most attempted to simple move on with their lives.

Some couldn't do so easily.

"Tyr, we're out of apple juice!" A soft voice called from downstairs. Tyr stirred from his book to look up. He was dark skinned young man with braided hair that fell just a bit past his shoulders. He smiled softly and stood up. He wasn't exactly muscular or anything, but he considered himself decently attractive. He walked over to the staircase and glanced down. A small girl with long, bubblegum pink hair tied in a ponytail stood there, fidgeting slightly when she realized he was looking at her. Her name was Sherry Spice, a former inhabitant of Equestria. She had been a young filly in that world, while she was essentially a middle schooler as a human. Much like the human world, Equestria had its share of orphans. So Tyr, and many other sympathetic humans, had adopted them. Sherry was a pretty young girl, shy around those she didn't know, but a joy to be around once she opened up. They had been living together for about a week, so some of that shyness was still there, but Tyr enjoyed her company nonetheless. Honestly, he'd still be living alone in this big house if not for her. The old house had always seemed to have two inhabitants anyway.

"Want me to run out and get some more?"

Sherry blushed a little. "…If it wouldn't bother you…"

Tyr smiled. She was adorable like this. "I don't mind in the slightest my dear. I'll be back in a bit." He came downstairs and retrieved his coat from the closet before heading out. It was a crisp August evening as the sun shed its last light over the horizon. The store wasn't far from the old house Tyr and Sherry shared, so he walked at a brisk pace and got there in a minute. As he entered, he found the store largely abandoned, except for the clerk watching something going on in the back. He seemed a bit engrossed in what he was watching, so he wandered down an aisle to get a better look. He paused in awe at what he saw. An average height girl with long, dark, black and cerulean hair was attempting to reach a bottle of soda on a shelf just outside of her reach. She had a tail of a similar coloration swishing behind her. Apparently the clerk was having more fun watching the girl's butt while she struggled.

"Confound this height of mine," She seethed quietly to herself in a voice that flowed like somber music. "Of course Tia has her greater height, while I…"

"Do you need some help?"

Tyr's voice startled her, and she whirled around defensively. Her hair had the hue of midnight, while her eyes were a light cerulean color. She focused on him with a small scowl. "Why yes, I've been struggling to get that blasted drink for at least five minutes and no one will help me!"

There was a soft chuckle from the store clerk. Tyr shot him a glance before turning back to the irritated beauty in front of him. "Let me get that for you," He said, giving her a wide smile. The girl looked him over, and realizing the height difference, stepped aside. Her star-patterned dress flowed softly around her knees as she moved. She was quite slender; however he could see how she had held the clerk's attention. Tyr shook off the thought and retrieved the soda for her. He also grabbed a carton of apple juice. "Here you are," He said.

She actually smiled. Nothing big, but a small smirk that caught Tyr's eye immediately. "Thank you… my, I have not even gained your name."

"It's Tyr. I live a short walk from here."

"Well met. I am Prin—er, Luna."

"Nice to meet you, Luna."

"The pleasure is mine. "We ought to pay for our consumables, yes?"

"Ah, right." Tyr led Luna lead over to the counter. The clerk, obviously disappointed by Luna's chest, rang her up first. "That'll be two-fifty."

Luna fished around in her purse for a moment before extracting a couple of wadded up dollars. She rooted around for a moment longer, before frowning. "It seems I am short."

"No kidding," the clerk joked, looking at her. She scowled.

"I got it," Tyr said helpfully, putting the carton of apple juice on the counter. "Ring this up too." He tossed a twenty dollar bill onto the counter. The clerk rolled his eyes and rang it up as one purchase. Tyr gave Luna another smile.

"You've been awfully helpful, Tyr," Luna said with a small smile as they left the store. "I should repay you."

"No, it's alright. I'm a self-employed repairman. I have quite a bit of money saved up." He smiled.

"You must get a lot of business."

"Since I have Sherry now, I may have to get an actual job, but yeah." Tyr smiled softly. "It is a small town, after all."

"Much like Ponyville was," Luna said thoughtfully.

"What was it like there, if you don't mind me asking?"

"It was… brighter. This world is not horrible, but… our land was always bright no matter what."

"Sounds nice."

"Not to say this world is worse." Luna looked around. "Not having to work at night opens up a lot of possibilities."

"Not having to work?"

"I was a busy… girl back home," Luna said. "I had a lot of things to do in the night time."

"I see." They lapsed into silence. Before long, Tyr saw his house come into view. "Ah, this is my house."

"It looks very old," Luna said thoughtfully, looking up at it.

"It belonged to my grandfather," Tyr replied. "He passed away years ago."

"I'm sorry."

"It was a long time ago. Scars heal y'know?" He smiled. "Don't worry about it."

Luna was silent for a while longer. Before long, she glanced down at the warming soda in her hands and nodded to herself. "Well, you have a good evening, Tyr."

"You don't need me to walk you home?"

Luna laughed. "The night is my domain, in this world as well as mine. I will be safe. I'm not living too far from here."

"Ah… I see."

"Get home safely, Tyr."

"You as well, Luna."

They parted ways, and Tyr reentered his home. He found Sherry asleep on the couch in front of the TV. A television drama was playing, some sappy romance one. 'Is it really past nine?' he thought to himself. He deposited the apple juice in the fridge, and then came back to the living room. He scooped Sherry up into his arms and carried her upstairs. He laid her in bed and pulled the covers over her, and with a gentle touch, stroked her hair comfortingly before leaving. 'Guess I'll go to sleep too,' He figured, going out and into his own room. He undressed and put on a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt before climbing into his own bed. As he drifted off to sleep, the image of Luna watching the moon rise and fall imprinted itself onto his mind.