//------------------------------// // Questions and not so subtle foreshadowing // Story: Equestria Livestream! // by Jomama //------------------------------// Once Matt remembered that he can simply breathe through his nose, he realizes that whatever is in his mouth is actually quite tasty. “This is delicious! What is it?” The new hyperactive pink pony gasps as if he sprouted a second head, “You’ve never had a cupcake? You poor thing have another!” A second cupcake is shoved into Matt’s mouth before he can protest. Choking me with kindness. Jeez, Guantanamo Bay has got nothing on this pony. “Pinkie stop! He’s disorientated enough as it is,” Twilight yells. Matt finishes swallowing the barely chewed cupcake and manages to sit back up to look at slightly more sympathetic ponies creatures. The Pink one is just bouncing in place wearing a grin on her face and a platter of cupcakes on her back. He decides to try and calm down the pink pony before she shoves another cupcake in his mouth while he’s still tied up. How hard could that be? “I’ve actually had cupcakes before miss…?” “Pinkie Pie!” “Pinkie Pie, part of my shock was how good it was. It’s one of the best ones I’ve ever had. How did you make it?” Pinkie Pie grin somehow grows even wider from that complement. “Oh it’s super duper easy! You should come over to Sugar Cube Corner and we can make some together!” “Well I’m a little tied up at the moment,” says Matt, pausing to let Pinkie finish laughing at his joke, “but I’d love to make some with yoooooooUUUUAAAHHHHHHH!!” IT”S A TRAP!!!! SHE’LL RIP OUT YOUR GUTS, AND TURN YOU INTO CUPCAKES JUST LIKE RAINBOW DASH! Matt almost, almost passes out again. That last blast was quick, but it was LOUD. “I am not passing out more than Katniss in Mockingjay,” Matt groans to himself. “Are you okay partner?” “Yeah, I just keep hearing voices yelling in my head.” “So that’s what my pinkie sense was telling me! I was just getting a scratchy forehead again, and I’ve never had one until this morning. What did the voice sound like?” “It was… toneless like a comput- never mind,” Matt answers. At this point all the other ponies start looking nervous. Fluttershy looks a few steps away from being terrified. “I’m not crazy I swear!” blurts Matt, “Look, I just started hearing these screaming voices the moment I woke up here this morning, where ever I am.” “You’re in Equestia. Specifically, Sweet Apple Ache just outside of Ponyville,” answers Twilight. “What did this voice say to you a moment ago?” “uhh…” --------- Matt was already disturbing the ponies enough by being both an alien, and potentially crazy from hearing voices in his head that knew the names of ponies before they introduced themselves. Telling them that said voices were informing him that he was surrounded my murderers seemed a tad unwise. On the off chance that they were in fact killers, it would be best to not inform them that he knew. In the end, Matt only mentioned he heard the name Rainbow Dash and something about cupcakes. Naming off a second pony that he shouldn’t know generated mixed reactions from his captors, but ultimately gave them reason to believe that Matt might be experiencing something similar to what they called ‘Pinkie Sense’. Matt had no idea what they were talking about, but was more than happy to let them draw their own conclusions that could lead to his release. Sure enough, AppleJack reluctantly released Matt from his over the top rope restraints. “You know you could have just tied my wrists and ankles together instead of my entire body.” “I’ll be sure to remember that if you steal any more of my apples,” Applejack replied sternly. “I’d expect nothing less from you,” responded Matt with a mild smile. This prompted a eye rolling from Applejack, a giggle from Twilight and Pinkie Pie, and a meek smile from Fluttershy. After promising to pay back Applejack with a favor after he gets his bearings, Matt Twilight, and Pinkie walk (in Pinkies case hop) towards town with the sun just starting to set into the horizon as Matt asks them questions about where he is, general facts about his surroundings, social norms, and anything other topics to avoid miscommunication on his part. Twilight seemed to be amazed with Matt’s ability to hold a conversation with her friend Pinkie Pie, completely unfazed with her lightning fast dialogue. The walk would have actually been pleasant for Matt if the voices didn’t keep popping up making vulgarly sounding comments about Twilight and Pinkie’s plots, as well as something called “clopping”. What puzzled Matt the most was that whenever one of these comments arose in his head, a pinging noise would shortly follow, accompanied with comments (in different pitches) ranging from apologies to calling someone a “bucking troll”. “So what do you ponies do for fun around here? Do you have sporting events, play games, read literature, any parties?” OH BOY Matt jumps sideways as Pinkie Pie gasps louder than his unwelcomed voices while somehow defying gravity staying the air longer than what should be possible. “Oh my gosh how could I have forgotten to throw you a welcome to ponyville party? GASP!! Wait, that’s not right! This is your first time in Equestria!! Not only that you’re the first human ever!! I’m gonna have to use every trick I know to make this the biggest party in history because this is history!!!” Pinkie starts to speed off as she starts to blur when Matt yells for her to stop, resulting from the pinkie pony going from 60mph to 0 faster than you can crack a whip. “What’s wrong Matty?” “Could you not throw me a party?” Pinkie face starts to form a frown as Matt quickly interjects, “I’m just nervous about my first impression with the rest of your town that is.” “Don’t be silly Matty! Parties are the best way to make introductions and new friends!” Matt deflated a bit after realizing he got himself cornered in an argument with no way out that didn’t involve upsetting a potential homicidal pony, “Could you at least wait until tomorrow before you throw me a party? Today has taken a lot out of me and I wouldn’t want your efforts go to waste because I was tired.” “I understand Matty. This can work because it will give me more time to make the party even bigger,” and with that, the pink pony was off. “You handled that very well,” approved Twilight, “It’s like you’ve known her all your life.” “Oh, well I’ve studied psychology and a little sociology in college. I had to talk to a lot of… eccentric people for my studies. You could say that I’m used to personalities like hers. However, she could definitely stand to lay off of the caffeine.” While his statement was true, Matt omitted the fact that the voices in his head were making bets with themselves on how fast Pinkie Pie would throw a party for him, and if he would reject said party, and making her cry in the process. While annoying, it gave Matt a heads up, and enough time to think of a proper response for the pink sugar rush. Unfortunately for Matt, mentioning that he was a college graduate (with a major in human psychology no less) gave Twilight her own sugar rush from the excitement of being able to talk with an alien colleague. Shortly afterwards Twilight was firing questions at him faster than the 10th Doctor can ramble. This continued for the rest of the walk, Twilight being completely oblivious to the fact that she was escorting an alien into town, prompting quite a few flabbergasted stare from other ponies in Matt’s direction. Matt even heard one pony cry out dramatically “The horror! The horror!” only to have the voices in his head celebrate claiming to call another line. Eventually, the unlikely pair makes it back to Twilight’s home, a giant hollowed out tree. Matt comments out loud how the place smells like an oak tree to satisfy the barrage of questions from the voices. Matt flips out when a small purple dragon walking into the main room, only to be quickly shoved in the kitchen to cook dinner (to the curious humans dismay) by Twilight as she continues to grill Matt with questions for the next two hours. After yawning for the fifth time (3 of which were forced in hopes that Twilight would take the hint) Matt insisted to be allowed to go to bed, only being able to do so after promising he would answer more of Twilight’s questions in the morning. After grabbing some blankets and pillows out of a closet, Matt finds himself in a room roughly the size of freshmen dorm room. The oaky was furnished with a simple wooden table, a small bureau, and a bed that was about two feet to short for him to sleep comfortably. Not even entertaining the idea of sleeping on a four foot long bed, he flips the bed frame to make space on the floor the mattress, blankets and pillows in hopes he’ll get some semblance of sleep. However, Matt first sits down on the hardwood floor in a lotus position. He inhales deep enough for his lungs to hurt a little, counts to ten slowly, and exhales. After doing this four more times, Matt opens his with an unfocused glaze over them as he breathes slowly, and steadily. “So… what do you all call yourselves?”