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Kain     Standing at the edge of the barrier is... not quite a kid... but not quite an adult... he looks at the boundary between the Multiverse and Equestria... he much thought it'd be some sort of doorway or mirror like the movie or something... but he just shrugged and took a small breath before hopping on his left foot past the barrier. The change was near instantaneous. His balance was completely skewed, and he fell forward. Onto 2 front hooves.

    The newly formed pony, Earth Pony as he was, did a bit of a look around to look at his own form... it was a pretty weird feeling... but at the same time, it felt... kind of natural. But at the same time really weird... now he kinda knows how Twilight felt in ALO... kind of... anyway, he just took a breath and continued onwards into Ponyville proper, 1, HOP, 2, 1, HOP, 2.

    As he made it to Ponyville proper, he'd probably get a few odd looks... mainly because of the fact that his movement was hindered... by the fact of his back-right leg missing completely. Using his front two hooves to move and crutch himself, he looked around the landscape to the horizon... nope, no big castle... so it really was before then... he sighed, and made his way to where he HOPED the Library was.
Twilight Sparkle      Kain-pony does get a few strange looks, but since unifying with the Multiverse and a few incidents involving Zecora, the residents of Ponyville were not nearly as nervous or distrustful as they had once been. Of course, young foals who don't know any better ask their parents why that pony is missing a leg, but the parents try to politely usher the little ones along.

     The library, thankfully, is right where Kain thought it would be. The Books and Branches Library, according to the signs. A pair of ponies, one a green unicorn and one a brown earth pony, are leaving with a few books on classical music.

     But, before Kain can approach the library, there is a gasp from nearby. "Woah! You're missing a leg! That's awesome! I bet you lost it in some epic battle with a manticore or something!" says a young female voice before a small orange pegasus zips around in front of Kain on her little scooter, her wings serving as a sort of motor.
Kain     The Earth Pony is having troubles keeping up with the zipping scooter pony... but the voice and the fact that it was an Orange Pegasus on a Scooter could only mean there was one pony it'd be... but he wasn't gonna really say anything. "Nah, nothing so awesome. I was actually born with a very bad..." He tried to think of a term that a filly would understand. "Well, basically I was born without my leg." He grimaced a bit. "But it's alright. Since I've lived with it all my life, I've gotten used to it."

    He follows Scootaloo somewhat easily now that he's gotten his pony-legs. "So... what's your name? I'm-" He stopped... trying to think of a Pony name... it was tough... but he might have an idea. "I'm Hobble Hooves."
Twilight Sparkle      The little pegasus seems disappointed when she hears he was born without that leg, but she perks up quickly enough. "Hobble Hooves, huh? Well, I'm Scootaloo! Nice to meet you, Hobble." She looks from Hobble along the road to where he might be headed, then blinks. "Hey, are you new in town?" she asks suddenly, then looks around in a combination of expectation and nervousness. "You might want to keep an eye out...Pinkie Pie could be laying in ambush as we speak!" she says, snickering a bit. With that, Scoot's little wings start buzzing and she takes off. "Good luck!" Scootaloo calls as she darts off. "I gotta find Sweetie and Applebloom!"

     Since Kain is so familiar with the ponies, he likely gets how serious the risk of sudden surprise party is.
Kain     'Hobble' pretends to not know who Pinkie Pie is when Scootaloo first talks about her... then when she darts off, he actively starts looking around incessantly to see if Pinkie WAS lying in wait or something... seeing the coast as clear, he just sighs, going to the library door and... well, libraries are technically public, so... he went inside.

    Books books books everywhere! SO many books! Then again, Twilight IS a bookworm so it makes sense... but seeing the sheer number from the other side of a screen doesn't do it justice! It just felt... so big! Then again, he was the size of a pony... so size of other things might be subjective to that. It was at least good to have a sense of how big the ponies actually were compared to the size of humans. This was a dream not many humans would get in his world! He sighed happily as he realized this.
Twilight Sparkle      The next thing to notice after the books? Twilight Sparkle herself! She was standing at her lecturn, flipping through some book or another. Spike, the little purple and green dragon, was walking around reshelving returned books and those books that visitors just read before leaving somewhere. As the door opens, a cheerful bell rings and Twilight looks up from her studies. "Oh! Welcome to the Books and Branches Library! How can we help you today?" she says, smiling kindly.

     Spike blinks as he sees that Hobble has only three legs, and the little dragon comes to a stop mid-step. Much like Scootaloo, he seems awed by it rather than disturbed. Twilight of course notices, but she gives Spike a look before the dragon can comment. He sighs before continuing his work. Twilight approaches Hobble. "I am Twilight Sparkle, the librarian here. Just let me know if there is a certain book you are looking for."
Kain     The Earth Pony goes up towards Twilight with a smile. "Well, there's 3 kinds of books I'm looking for... one about Faeries, one about ponies and one about humans." That smile... it was a familiar smile, alright! And his voice was definitely the same! Kain had arrived in Ponyville! But... he was missing a leg...

    He could see Spike was curious about the leg, and looked at him shelving. "If you have questions, you can ask me. I don't mind."
Twilight Sparkle      Twilight nods at the book requests and turns around to start looking, then pauses and look back at Hobble. "...do I..." She blinks, then smiles. "Oh! Is that you, Kain?" she says, moving to get a closer look before she stops and giggles. "Well, I suppose whether you are here in your avatar or not, you wouldn't look the same. How are you adjusting to being a pony? I hope you aren't having as much trouble as I have with being a faerie." she says, shaking her head a bit at herself and giggling softly. She turns after that and goes to find those books.

     Spike sticks his tongue out at Twilight when Kain says it is okay to ask, then grins. "I was just gonna say you'd look awesome with a robot leg!" he says, then finishes shelving his stack of books. "Those Space Wolf guys use robot armors and legs and stuff, and it's pretty cool. And then you could get a laser gun in your leg!" Spike seems to have spent too much time reading sci-fi. Or has had too much contact with the Multiverse.
Kain     Kain is just laughing at Spike's suggestions. "All of those are really good suggestions. But my family doesn't really have the money to afford such things. Mainly, if I did get a replacement leg, it'd pretty much just be a stick. Also Spike... might wanna lay off the sci-fi comics. Stick to something like... superheroes." He smiled. His own little secret... "There's some really neat superhero comics out there. Can't think of any off the top of my head, though..."

    Now he turns his attention to Twilight. "It was a little weird at first... had to basically get my pony legs the moment I passed the threshold of Equestria... but once I started moving, it kinda felt like I was just in another game like ALO. Like learning the controls of a video game." He chuckled a bit. "Also, I didn't really need books on those subjects. I was just saying those things to let you figure out it was me." He had a bit of a sheepish grin on his face.
Twilight Sparkle      Spike lets out a disappointed 'aw' as Kain says he couldn't afford such things. "Well...maybe we'll start one of those Kicker things for you." he says. Twilight blinks as Kain explains about the books, then giggles and blushes a bit. "Oh." she says, then smiles. "Well, welcome to Equestria, and to Ponyville, and to my library. I didn't expect a visit so soon! Would you like anything to eat or drink? I always keep snacks and drinks on-hoof in case of unexpected visitors. I get a surprising amount of them."

     Spike hops down from his little ladder once he is finished, then heads toward the kitchen. "I'm getting something, if you guys want anything." he says as he disappears inside. Twilight motions toward her comfy couch that is set off in one area of the main room which is obviously intended to entertain guests. The couch faces a fireplace with a coffee table inbetween them, and has several other seats consisting of soft-looking chairs and bean bags. "So, what brings you to Ponyville?"
Kain     Kain had to stop himself from just blurting out his full desire to Twilight. Instead, he went with a partial truth. "Oh, I was just bored of ALO and didn't really feel much like trying the other games... and as I was trying to think of something to do, your invite to Ponyville caught from the back of my mind. So... I asked around the Multiverse, and finally found someone who'd been here before. Got directions, and... well, the rest is history. Oh, by the way... if anyone asks about me, I'm Hobble Hooves from Manehattan. Kinda went with that name to Scootaloo when she caught me a little earlier." He accepted the proffered couch, hopping onto it and... trying... to get comfy. He attempts at first to sit like a human would, 'leg' dangling off the edge and his back against the back of it... but it felt really awkward in this position... so instead, he tried to stretch out his body... no go. After a little while longer, he finally just went with how he THOUGHT a quadroped animal would sit... and got it.

    He called out to Spike as he went to the kitchen "Nothing for me, thanks. I ate before I got here." He then looked to Twilight and said in a hushed enough voice that only she could hear, "Mainly because I'm pretty sure the foods I like aren't readily available here... at least, not unless a Gryphon is involved..."
Twilight Sparkle      "Hobble Hooves?" Twilight asks, then nods. "Alright. But, why didn't you tell her your..." She pauses, then hmms. "I guess it is natural to assume another name when you assume another form, especially if someone does that everytime." Twilight giggles a bit as Kain looks for a comfortable position. Twilight herself is sitting on her belly, her rear legs curled against her sides and her forelegs resting in front of her.

     The comment about foods containing gryphons was likely meant as a joke, but Twilight looks slightly uncomfortable. "Ah...I can see how that would cause problems." she says, but smiles a bit afterword. "Perhaps you would like a carrot or an apple? Even if you were to eat meat-based food, I think in your current state it might cause you some issues."
Kain     Kain just chuckled a bit. "An Apple might be okay. Like I said, I did already eat before I came here." He didn't know Twilight assumed he meant eating a Gryphon... but he did just mean eating meat in general.

    He looked at Twilight curiously. "Well... I mean, Kain doesn't sound like a typical Pony name... neither does Shoda Takeo... at least, I don't think so... so I thought about what I would be called if I'd lived here my entire life... and Hobble Hooves just came to me." He shrugs. "I don't think it would be necessary around, like... you know, your friends or anybody you trust... but if I were to just call myself Kain to a curious filly, she'd start asking questions, I'd have to answer them honestly, then more questions and it just wouldn't stop."
Twilight Sparkle      Twilight listens as Kain explains, and smiles in understanding. "Perhaps. But then, you might also gain a new friend. Friendships are built on trust, understanding, and honesty. However, I can imagine how explaining about yourself to every pony you meet might become tiresome." she says. Spike returns carrying a few apples and carrots, then plops down in one of the beanbag chairs and starts munching. He blinks after a moment. "Uh...did you guys want something?" he asks, his cheeks bulged with apple. Twilight giggles a bit and shakes her head. "Thank you, though." she replies to her assistant.

     Twilight looks to Kain again after that. "The ponies of Ponyville are quite used to Multiversal visitors now, though. Even if you did introduce yourself as Kain or Shoda Takeo, they would just accept that as your name and assume you were from outside of Equestria. We have been unified for a few years now, so we have had plenty of time to adjust. Not that I am pushing you toward one way or the other, I just don't want you to put yourself through undue stress."
Kain     Kain just shrugs. "I can only imagine it'd be much weirder for the young ones, though. But, I guess I'll just keep going with Kain then..." He thinks about it a bit. "I'm gonna have to find Scootaloo later and apologize for lying to her..." He just shrugs and looks to Spike as he came back, munching on fruit, chuckling. "And here I thought I'd see you munching on gems or something. If I had the money..." He chuckles some more.

    He then turns back to Twilight. "So... you remember what I told you about how Equestria is in my world... right? I mean, from before the Multiversal merger." He was referring to the fact that Equestria was a fictional cartoon... but he didn't want to say that while Spike was here. "I was thinking about it, but... I wanted to see how familiar some of your adventures were so I could maybe talk freely about what you've already been through... point out helpful things, and avoid talking about things that could alter the course of events."
Twilight Sparkle      Spike chuckles at Kain. "Well, I do have a good supply of gems, but sometimes I feel like apples and oranges." he says.

     Twilight nods as Kain asks her if she remembers. "Of course. It is hard to forget that another universe holds a show similar to one's own life." she says, smiling. "So, you want to hear aboutmy life here? I don't mind discussing my life. Feel free to ask me anything you want!" As she says that, Twilight's horn lights up gently and an apple floats over to her before she takes a bite of the floating apple.
Kain     Kain is about to ask her about a more prominent thing that happened in the show at the end of the First season... but then is stopped when a clock chimes and he looks at it horrified! "Oh dear! Oh geez... Umm, thanks for the hospitality Twilight, but I didn't realize what time it was! My mom's gonna kill me if I'm not back home for dinner in half an hour! She already thinks I spend too much time in ALO... what would she think of me if I started spending my time as a Pony?" He nervously chuckled, standing off of the couch and getting his balance back. "Thanks for letting me come by, Twilight. I'll probably be by again sometime!" With that, he was out the door. He may have looked rather funny with his front legs going normally and his back leg just hopping along... but he moved just as fast as a normal pony running along.

    In the back of his mind, all he could think was 'Next time... maybe next time I can ask if Magic's powerful enough... to give me a leg...'
Staren Just as Kain runs out of sight, a beam of red light strikes in front of the Library, then coalesces into the humanoid form of Staren. Smiling as he raises a fist to knock on the door, he calls, "Twilight, are you home?" Then he notices the lights are on and feels a bit silly about asking. Still, it's polite to knock first all the same. On the other hand, he sometimes feels a bit silly having to knock formally all the time... well, he can ask about that.
Twilight Sparkle      Twilight blinks in surprise as Kain suddenly hops up and heads for the door. "You're welcome! Feel free to drop by anytime!" she sas as he runs out. She goes to look out the door as Kain leaves, and finds...Staren! "Oh! Hello, Staren." she says, smiling. She gives him a little nuzzle, then welcomes him inside. "How are you today? It has been a while again since we have been able to catch up."
Staren     Staren brightens up even more as he sees her, and puts an arm around her. "Great, now! But, I was alright before, too. Hasn't been a bad day or anything. Um..." he walks with her, and scratches his head with his other hand. "Quiet lately. Took a few days off from the Multiverse to try and see if I could relax a bit. I guess it worked, but it's still not as nice as spending time with you." He beams. Then rubs his chin. "Let's see... I tried that new VRMMO with the pirate theme... It was alright, adapting to combat without wings threw me off but I think I did pretty well. And Zwei's contacted me and said she's ready for another expedition into the NGR soon. I'm... not sure what to make of all that. Germany is changing, but not as fast as I'd like. Looking down on people for their species just always seems so... /backwards/ and weird. I'm... I guess after years in the Multiverse I came to think more places would become accepting, but the Coalition certainly hasn't changed, so..." he shrugs, then leans down to nuzzle her in turn. "What about you, what've you been up to lately?"
Twilight Sparkle      Twilight looks up at Staren as they walk inside, her ears perked toward him to listen. "Is it made by the same developers as ALO?" she asks before she seats herself on the couch again. Her ears flatten as she hears about the troubles in RIFTS Germany. "It is unfortunate that some are judged on their appearance or race rather than their merits as individuals." she agrees, then sighs. "But, I think it is an unfortunate hold-over from most species' time as an 'uncivilized' species, when survival of the fittest was the rule."

     Her ears perk again as Staren asks about her. "Well, I've had some free time lately, so I have been trying to get used to ALO. In fact, that is where I met the person who just left. Kain, as he is called in the game. He is apparently a big fan of ponies, and there is a show featuring colorful talking ponies in his world, so when he heard about this world he had to visit."
Staren     Staren sits by her head on the couch. He nods, "I know where it comes from, but that doesn't make it any more... I don't /want/ to think that sort of thing is 'okay'." His expression brightens again as the subject moves from speciesism to Twilight making new friends. "Ah! We'll have to play ALO together again sometime! Good to hear you're making new friends there, though! A show about ponies..." he strokes his chin. "I'll have to see that. Sorry I missed him... but he'll probably be back? Or we might meet in ALO..."
Twilight Sparkle      Twilight nods lightly, then shifts over so she can lean against Staren. "I am sure he will visit again. He seems quite friendly, and was even concerned that his knowledge of his world's show could somehow damage this world. I doubt there is much to that, but it was kind of him to be concerned." she says, then smiles. "And, he seemed to be of high skill level. I am not sure he is at Kirito's level, but he seemed to know what he was doing. I am sure you will encounter each other in ALO, and if not then perhaps you could friend each other."
Staren     Staren leans back against her and puts an arm around his special somepony again. Sitting with her and talking, he's missed this. He nods at her words. "I suppose this show bears investigation, all the same. Although, as both universes have been part of the Multiverse for more than a few years now, I wonder if maybe it was made by someone who visited here?" He shrugs a little. "I'll friend him anyway so we can find eachother. Kain, you said? With a K or a C? Actually I guess it could be spelled a few ways..."
Twilight Sparkle      Twilight giggles a bit. "With a K. K-A-I-N, according to his information." she says before curling up closer to Staren. "You didn't want to be a pony today?" she asks as Spike hops up from his beanbag and tries not to gag from all the mushiness in the room. "If you guys need me, I'll be in my room." he says before heading up the stairs. Of course, his room is also Twilight's room.

     Twilight shakes her head a bit and giggles, then smiles up at Staren again. "What have you been up to lately?"
Staren     Staren nods slightly. "Dawn will log in and add him to my friends list." He blinks at the question. "Well, I... was just doing it to fit in better, and you said I didn't need to." He looks up at the fleeing dragon. "Goodnight, Spike." then back to Twilight. "I'm comfortable either way. Do you want me to be a pony today?" There's a brief blur, and then a familiar white unicorn is sitting next to her. He smiles at the question, "I told you! Taking a break... Well. Playing games, checking in with the projects in Lazlo to adapt Multiversal technology..." his expression saddens slightly, "I'm sad that they rejected the best transhuman technology for fear of recreating the TITANs, but some things they have been able to use, like computer and cybernetic technology, and even nanotechnology and uploading are being studied in a much more careful, slow, and limited fashion... One day..." he sighs and leans back against the back of the couch. "I've tried to become less obsessed with such things. To not want to force my values on other people. But things like life and health are so important... I just haven't quite found a way to make it all fit, but I'm trying. And I don't want to take up our time together with a circular argument again."
Twilight Sparkle      Twilight blinks. "Oh! I was simply curious. Most of the time you come here as a pony, so I was concerned something might be-" Then Staren is a pony. She giggles a bit. "..wrong." she finishes, then nuzzles Staren. As she listens to his concerns, she nods lightly. "They are making progress, right? The positive things are what we should focus on." she says, then smiles and slips a foreleg around Staren's middle. "I am glad to hear you are trying to be less obsessive. I am sure you will be able to help those people eventually, but patience is important."
Staren     Staren smiles. "Well, like I said, I was just trying to fit in, sort of... After this place, and you... Equestria and you, you've made me so happy... I wanted to reciprocate, to fit in, to show I appreciated this place, fit in rather than making it fit me... So, I adapted to a pony body as best I could, though it's hard without telekinesis... You said I didn't have to do all that, though, and the locals do seem pretty accustomed to non-ponies now... So, I haven't bothered since. I guess... I didn't think about whether that might have sent some kind of unattended... I mean unintended message too. But I mean... I don't have any rules to follow on this. Is there some, uh, right amount of the time to be a pony? Or did I misunderstand before?"
Twilight Sparkle      Twilight shakes her head and smiles gently. "Staren, it's alright. I was just curious since I have rarely seen you in your human form here. You are welcome to take whatever form you wish. Human, pony...dragon, gryphon. Whatever form you take, you will still be you." she says, then hugs him. "You didn't misunderstand back then. You misunderstood today."
Staren     Staren chuckles slightly when she starts listing forms he /doesn't/ have, but nods in agreement with the message. He turns towards her in the hug, shifting back to hug her back with hands.. He smiles, "I'm glad, there's no social faux-pas for me to be worried about. Just a concerned marefriend." He leans in to nuzzle her cheek. "The same goes for you, of course, though I suppose it doesn't come up as much."
Twilight Sparkle      Twilight nods at that and nuzzles back happily. "Although, for me it is a bit different. Until recently I had never experienced a form other than my natural one. I'm more comfortable as a pony. It is kind of fun to try out new things, but I don't think I'd want to spend a significant amount of time as something other than a pony. So, I understand why you would want to remain human most of the time."

     Twilight yawns softly after that. "Oh dear...I guess it has gotten a bit late. I should get to bed." she says, then snugs Staren before she stands. "I'm glad you came by. And, I think you seem much happier than before, so you must be doing something right!"
Staren     Staren nods, shifting back to pony again in a more quadrupedal sitting position, and leaning against Twilight just as she starts to yawn. He gives her a questioning look. "Oh, I guess it is pretty late..." He lifts his head as she stands from the couch, smiling. "I'm glad I came by too. And... that's good to hear! I mean, I feel alright, but it's good to get an outside view." He stands from the couch as well, ready to head up to the guest bed. "Oh, I was going to ask... is it oddly formal for me to come outside and knock every time, or should I just beam in on the balcony or something?"
Twilight Sparkle      Twilight considers that a moment. "I...hmm. Well, even though it is a library, I prefer if people knock before entering. It is kind of rude to enter someone else's house even if you are a close friend or special somepony. If we were living together it might be different, but I think for now I would prefer if you knock." she says, then smiles warmly. "However, appearing on the balcony sounds kind of romantic, so if you wish to do that sometimes that would be alright."
Staren     He nods. "Alright. Goodnight, Twilight! Sleep well, and see you in the morning!"