Waking up, my body felt like a freight train passed by it or a salt truck dumped it's entire load onto me. Hearing voices speak to me, my thoughts went fuzzy as to what the hell happened.

''Hey, are you okay?...''

Great, another wake-up call.

''Hey, can you hear us?. . .''

Feeling the rays of the sun on my face, I opened my eyes to see the 6 faces of the denizens of this new place I was in.

I was still considerably mind-blown, however small that wherever this Equestria is, humans have already been here. And it seems like we were banished or something along those lines since it's been 100 years since they've been heard or seen before I came here, through a magic pond.

''We really don't know, it was weird. From what Twilight told us, he just kinda. . .appeared here," Rainbow Dash said to Pinkie and Rarity, me making sure I was careful to know everyone's name and not confuse them with somebody else.

''Really? Great. How am I supposed to get home now?" I groaned, surprising them as I woke up from the small, and I mean, very small couch at Fluttershy's place. Then realization hit me. "Shouldn't that have killed me? I mean, I was shot, and underwater for a good minute, how is it I'm still here?"

''I'm afraid we haven't the slightest idea, Duncan,'' Rarity said, chuckling a bit nervously. ''But we can say we are glad that you did not die whilst underwater and injured. Perhaps Twilight, with some research can see how it is they you were even able to get here from this 'Earth' you speak of.''

''Thank you,'' I smiled, trying to seeing a bright side to this. ''but I have a question: why is it that all of you look so calm about me being here? I mean, you're not scared or intimidated by me?''

''No.'' Pinkie said, hopping over and smiling at me. ''There's no real reason to judge you first hoof. . .cause we kinda learned that somepony may seem strange or different, but that only expresses them being different and it's not smart to really do that.'' Pinkie said, sitting on the floor.

''Yea!'' Rainbow shouted, starling me for a second. ''Besides, offense to the side, you're not as weird as you think we think you are. And true, we haven't actually seen a human in the flesh instead of books and stuff before today, so this should be a learning experience for all of us.''

Well, knowing that neither helped or killed my resolve to understand. But seeing this as good a chance as any to learn about this Equestria, I guess I'll have to adapt, and hopefully, meet some like-minded people here. I was no more sure about how I was going to do that no more than how I would find out my situation when it comes to living and stuff like that. I mean, the first thing would be, to really sit down and talk about the elephant in the room, being how my kind were exiled.

And given how we as humans have a tendency to make most new things we find in our own image or subject to our understanding, I shudder to think what exactly prompted us to be moved, and what the cost of that was. War? Hunger? Social and economic differences?

''Hmm, well, my brain still says some part of this is not real, but let's see how far logic can go,'' I stood up, stretching from my little rest after being thrust in this world. ''Can't we all have a sit down and. . .I guess, compare notes and try and find a way to wrap our heads around this? I mean, seven heads are better then one.''

''Good point, Duncan,'' Rainbow said, giving my knee a tap with her hoof. ''Let's go into town, and get you some grub.''

''Uh, Rainbow, are you sure that's wise to do at this time? I mean, while none of us have heard or seen the slightest sign of humans since The Exodus, you would think dear Duncan might attract just a little too much attention should all of Ponyville see him at once,'' Rarity stopped her friend from going any further. ''We need a plan until we can find a way to get him, as well as Ponyville ready and comfortable before we go off showing him like a caged beast.''

''Weren't they at one point?'' Rainbow asked, with a small quirk of her brow. ''But given that we've grown in the past 100 years, some might see things the same way as everypony else.''

Did she just suggest that we were put in cages while being here?

I don't know if-

''-Well, I guess it will have to be up to us to see that the opinions of others are swayed to the side of right, and I believe nothing was done wrong on the part of the humans, even with the evidence given,'' Rarity stood by me, Pinkie doing the same.

Should I be mad?

''. . .'' I stared at them, coughing to catch their attention. ''Uh. . .''

Rainbow's ears dropped as she folded her lips up. She turned more red then a tomato as she spoke. ''S-Sorry; I didn't mean it like that, or to say it like that especially with you. . .actually being here. It's just we all have different opinions on what happened on the day of The Exodus.'' Rainbow said, my own thoughts about this exile being held until a better time.

''I don't need you to explain it to me, I know enough about my own species to know that we are the farthest thing from saints, but also not complete monsters either. It just sounds like a case of 'this side' vs 'that side', and the only thing that can help fix this is everyone coming together to see the good and the bad, and stuff like that.'' I said, trying to remain neutral.

''Are you some type of congress pony?'' Pinkie asked. ''You sound like you know a lot about this kinda stuff.''

''No, no, it's just I'm looking at this with a perspective of being on both sides, even though it wasn't for long with both sides. That, and I don't know how laws and stuff like that work in this place, so why not be in the middle so I don't end up being hated by one over the other?''

Rarity nodded her head and smiled. ''I agree as well, my friend. We should not be so quick to judge one side over another, even with evidence; we should learn to be firm, but fair. But just standing here will no more answers any of our questions our friend here. We need to come together.''

I folded my arms and spoke. ''How?''

''Princess Celestia should know, I mean, she was the one who put The Exodus in effect, so she should be the only pony who might have an idea of why Duncan came from the Mirror Pond!'' Pinkie exclaimed, Rainbow and Rarity seeming to agree. But I wonder how far that would go with me there.

The only human in 100 years might surface some form of contempt or animosity. And as much as I would love for this to be a meeting with this Princess Celestia, if she was the one who put humans wherever they are now, I think I would have the opposite effect of help over having something sharp pointed at me and told to go through what they did. I mean, it could work out, until it no longer has weight.

''Ok, before we go any further on this little quest to of ours, can you guys at least tell me what it is you hope to have happen?'' I wondered, going following the trio outside and to the back where there was a separate area for small animals like chickens, bunnies and a bear, even though I would not classify that as small in any regard.

''More understanding,'' Rainbow said, hovering above me. ''From what I read and learned, you guys don't really have a lot going for you; no claws, no venom, not even speed, like me,'' Rainbow smiled. ''How do you guys get by with just those clothes on your back?''

Hmm, I'm gonna she doesn't know about the more interesting side of people, like our craftiness. It should stay that way until I know more about this place.

''Timing,'' I had to give some type of answer, without being too much on the nose. ''Humans are really patient, so that's a big way we were able to survive and stuff, it never fails,'' I give her a crap eating grin, seemingly her, Pinkie and Rarity buying it as they nodded in agreement. ''So why are we here? I thought we were gonna eat.'' I had a bit of a curious feeling about why we were out here, but like I just said, I'll just wait to see what it is.

''Well, one thing we noticed from studying you guys is that you're omnivores-'' Rainbow went over to a chicken coop, and coaxed out a hen. ''- so meat kinda has to be in there somewhere.''

''Well, that makes things easier for me,'' I chuckled, looking to see the three of them curious and tilting their heads. ''I thought I would have to go without that for long.''

Rarity gave me a sympathetic smile, then spoke. ''We here in Ponyville, at least are thoughtful of the needs and ways of others, or we try our very best too, so you do what you need to to survive as long as it's within reason, darling,'' Rarity told me. I would hope that would be the case, so it would be fair. But I wondered why Rainbow brought the chicken out. ''Now, that being said, do you need to eat now? We'd rather have some time to prepare the chicken then to just do it now.''

So I figured right, that they were gonna rip the chicken's head off.

But we were getting off topic. We had to figure out a way to get me. . .introduced to the residents of this world. . .and I was not ready.