//------------------------------// // When "yet" Comes // Story: Welcome to Batstralia // by Damaged //------------------------------// Language check. Anything wrapped in < > in this chapter is spoken Equish, everything else is in English. Why the swap around? This chapter is from the point of view of a human, not a pony! "Are we there yet?" Robin said, for—what felt to Mike like—the thousandth time. Their mother, Joyce, gave a sigh and gripped the steering wheel of their car a little tighter. Leaning over to his little sister, Mike cupped his hand close to her ear. "Okay, you ask again at the next sign, then we swap, right?" When she nodded, Mike Robertson grinned like a fiend. He had only to wait now. It had been a long drive, four full days from Brisbane, then a final two hours out to the nearest major town. When Joyce had turned down a single-lane road, everyone in the car had seemed surprised. That was nearly an hour ago. "Are we there—" Robin had the biggest, cheesiest grin on her eight-year-old face. It dropped when her mother spun around and glared at her. Joyce had clearly had enough. "We're not, Robin Cassie Robertson, and you—" "Mum, truck." Mike pointed. When his mother spun back around and swerved off to get half the car onto the gravel shoulder, he grinned. "Seriously though, how much longer?" 'Totally not going to take my turn, mum would tie me to the roof of the car the rest of the way if I did.' The big cow-filled truck sped past in the opposite direction, blowing the glorious smell of manure through the old Ford station wagon. "Aw mum, that's horrible. You should excuse yourself." Mike was proud of his joke, and despite her obvious annoyance, his mother laughed. "It's no time to laugh, you should say 'I am sorry' or 'please excuse me.' " Mike was struggling to keep a straight face now, the combination of smell and his jokes starting to get to him. "Michael, you have been watching way too much Python." Joyce turned the wheel so the car followed the road, curving toward a bridge ahead. "Okay, this is the oldest one yet." She slowed the car down and eased onto the narrow, wooden bridge. "Okay, I can understand this isn't Brisbane, it isn't even Melbourne, but where the heck are we going to be living, mum?" Mike leaned out his window, almost able to see down into the mostly dry waterway under the bridge. "Look, we're here." Joyce gestured at a sign ahead that read "Cowwarr." "Are we there yet?" Mike lifted his hand and gave his little sister's a high-five. "Sorry mum, couldn't resist. So what are we going to be living in? A house? Paper bag? An 'ole in the ground?" Mike took a little moment to stop giggling quite so much. "So how do I even pronounce that? Cow war?" "Cowahh." Putting on a bit of an extra drawl, Joyce got yet more giggles from her kids. "I guess the 'General Store' is as good a place to ask around as any." She flicked the indicator on the old white car and turned in to park out the front of the little shop. "My legs don't work!" Robin pushed her lower limbs around her hands. "Help mum!" The girl was laughing her head off, and more so when Mike leaned over and started tickling her for all he was worth. "Out, you two. Stretch your legs while I get directions." Pointing at the shop, Joyce left her children to take care of each other. "Mike…" Robin's words got her brother's attention. "Is that… what does that even…" She trailed off, hand pointing. Turning to his sister, Mike followed her hand. His eyes widened and he couldn't help but stare at the little, winged pony as it trotted along into the shop. "Was that a… a little horse, with wings, going into the shop?" "I think so." Robin turned to her brother, her face the very image of young excitement. "That was a pony!" She started bouncing in place, the car so full of their stuff that it didn't rock at all. "A pony!" Mike was already out of his door, leaving the confines of the car behind he walked slowly up to the shop and waited on the footpath. Sure enough, the little pony came out first, with his mum right behind her. "Uh, mum?" "You didn't let your sister out?" Joyce looked to see her daughter climbing over the seats of the car, the child-locked door stopping her from getting out easily. "I spoke to Bob, it was lucky Misty came in, we're going to be sharing a house with her and her mum." "Misty?" Mike blinked at his mother, then at the little horse that walked around her legs. "Misty?" The word was stuck, Mike couldn't seem to say anything else. "Uh, g'day!" The little horse lifted a wing and waved. "My name's Misty Rainfall." She looked up at Joyce and then back to Mike. "Come on, I bet I can beat you!" Mike blinked, then blinked again. He tested his legs and grinned. "Bet I'll win… where are we g—" He was cut off as the little horse took off at a gallop. "Hey! No fair!" Heart pounding in his chest, Mike ran for all he was worth. 'I must be mad. That's what the problem is. I've gone crazy, a tiny talking horse with wings just challenged me to a race and I am now trying to outrun… her?' "Catch up!" Misty teased, giving her wings a little flap to keep traction as she rounded a corner into one of the town's few side-streets. Mike saw her look both ways before she dived across the road, hooves not even touching the ground. "" Mike saw another horse, bigger than Misty, look out the window of the modest-sized house. "How… how many of you're in the town?" He jogged the last bit, catching up to Misty just as she reached the front door of the house. "Just me and mum." Misty beamed at Mike. "Better luck next time!" An overwhelming urge to pick the little horse up and hug her almost took over Mike, but months of finely-honed teenage sensibilities kept him from it. "Uh, sure." His little sister, on the other hand, was not a teenager yet. "PONY!" Robin was running as fast as she could right at Misty. She had her arms out and didn't look to be slowing one bit. When Mike moved in and caught her mid-charge she protested loudly. "Let me go! I want to pet the pony!" "Her name is Misty Rainfall. This is where she lives." Mike stared at his sister until Robin pouted. "Hey Misty, you like hugs?" He turned his head and saw the little horse nodding. "One mega-hug incoming then." The moment Robin was free she rushed up and then stopped. "You can talk?" The question seemed to short-circuit her brain. "But ponies don't talk…" "She is a magical pony, aren't you Misty?" Mike was out of view of his sister, and nodded exaggeratedly at Misty. "Oh… oh yes!" Misty spread her wings, giving them a flap. "I am magic pony!" "A magic pony who will get on big trouble if she doesn't introduce me." The bigger pony walked out the front door. "Now, who are these nice people, dear?" Misty blinked, looked from the pony that was obviously her mother, then back to Mike and Robin. "Uh, he… uh…" "Mike, sorry. I challenged your daughter to a race and I think we both got carried away." Mike couldn't stand seeing Misty down. "And this is my sister, Robin." "You must be Candela." Joyce walked up behind her children, smiling at Mike's little lie to protect the little pony. "I am Joyce Robertson. Bob said we were going to be sharing this house?" Candela perked right up and smiled brightly. "Oh yes, the doctor! I am pleased to meet all of you… uh…" she looked around Joyce at the car, "all. Why don't you come on. I just put the kettle in." Candela turned, swishing her tail a little as she reentered the house. "" When Misty chased in after her mother, Mike realized that some of the words were the same as the odd ones she said before. "Sure Candela." Joyce looked at her two children with a little worried glance. A bit quieter, she added, "And you two be on your best behavior, Candela and Misty might not look like everyone else, but just because they are a little short and… odd-looking, doesn't mean you shouldn't be—" "Mum, it's cool. I've never seen talking ponies before, but I think I can handle it." Mike had a tight hold on Robin, his sister fighting with him to charge into the house blindly. "Michael, be nice. Don't call them names." Joyce gave her son a tight look before heading inside, leaving her children standing, staring at her back. "Something really strange is happening here, Spud." Mike dropped down into a crouch. "I don't think mum sees them… maybe they are magical?" Using his old nickname for Robin got his sister's attention. "What do you mean?" Robin looked into her brother's green eyes. "Don't say that, that's scary." "It's true." Misty trotted up to the two. "Only other foals can see we properly. Mum says she don't know how works." She reared up and put forelegs around both the astonished siblings, pulling them into a hug. "Don't worry, us aren't naughty ponies. Mum teaches!" "Candela is the teacher here?" Mike could hold back the urge no more, he reached one arm up and around the adorable pony and hugged her and his sister. "So what cool stuff happens in town?" "Mike! Magical ponies ARE the cool stuff that happens in town." Robin squeezed her brother and Misty. "So… uh…" Slowly slipping from the hug, Robin looked around. "Is there anything to do?" She tried desperately to avoid her big brother's glare. "Oh, oh! Do you have a trampoline?" Looking to Mike, Misty shook her head. "No trampo… what was that word?" "I knew it! You're learning English." Mike shook his mop of brown hair as he pumped a fist. "It's trampoline. A big net-thing you bounce on." "Oh, a !" Misty giggled and pointed at their car. "We don't have one of them and… yeah, it took we days get to Stonecrop, then we came through the magic mine to here, and no one speaks Equish!" Mike gave a laugh, walking slowly to the car. "Equish? Never heard of Stonecrop. I guess if we're moving in with you, we might as well start bringing stuff in. Spud, front and center!" It was odd for Mike; up until arriving here, he had been in a bit of a downer. ' "A typical teen," the counselor at school said. Pfft, this place is a thousand times more interesting than there, and I've only met two people… ponies, here.' Misty watched Mike walk around and pull something in the front of the car, only for the back of it to open and lift up. "Oh, that's neat. There is a lot of cool stuff here." She trotted around to the back, only to jump to the side when a box started falling out all on its own. "Whoa, steady. This stuff has been packed in like sardines for days." Mike grabbed the box before it or Misty could be hurt. "Spud, this is your stuff, of course." He passed the box down to Robin. "Oh, my toys?" Robin took the box before realizing it wasn't actually her thing. "Hey, this is mum's stuff!" She glared at Mike. "You cheater!" When she saw him grab two boxes as big as the one she had, she shut up quickly and started walking for the house. "What's it like where you're from, Misty?" Mike turned to follow Robin, hauling the heavier load along. 'Maybe I really am insane, and I am locked up in a cozy little rubber room, talking to imaginary friends… man I've a vivid imagination if that's true.' "I grew up at Cloudsdale at first. It is amazing. A whole city built into clouds!" Misty spread her wings and flew a tight spiral around Mike. "They have to travel all over Equestria to give out the weather!" "Equestria? Cloudsdale?" Mike snorted a laugh. "Sorry, go on. You said 'at first'?" 'Nope, my mind isn't this twisted and crazy. I couldn't make all this up. Which means this is real, I am moving in with a family of cute little ponies. Cool.' "Hold on, you said it a little wrong. 'I grew up in Cloudsdale,' is right." "Right, 'in,' got it." Misty blinked a little, looking to be absorbing the knowledge like an adorable little sponge. "So then mum needed to learn teaching in," Misty giggled, "Canterlot." "Yup, you got it right then!" Mike heard his sister yelling out for their mother. "Hold on, let me find out where we're putting our stuff. If you want, I would love to learn Equish, if you want to teach me?" "Really?" Misty started bouncing with excitement. "Then us can both learn each others' words!" She was so excited, she almost tripped Mike, who managed to stop before dropping boxes or stepping on a filly. " 'Then we can both.' " Mike shook his head at the little pony's excitement. "Okay, those words you said when we were running, what were they?" "Mike?" Joyce poked her head out of a room down the hallway. "Put all the things in here for now. The house is fully furnished, and Candela has gotten most of the things needed to keep house. All we need are bedclothes and a change of things for tomorrow." "Right mum." Mike started walking down the hall, looking around for Misty. The sound of flapping behind him had him stop and look back at the hovering filly. "Neat trick. So, words?" "I called out to mum. I think I said, '' Which means, 'Mum, mum, visitors.' " Misty flew along behind Mike's head. " is mum, got it?" "?" Mike tried the odd word, it sounded a little hard to say and he was pretty sure he messed it up. "No, . ." Misty giggled after she said the word as slowly as she could and still pronounce it properly. Focusing on the word, Mike got his head around the slight inflection. "? Oh hey, I think that's right?" ~~~~~+++++~~~~~ Joyce came into the living room to find her son with Misty sitting on the couch beside him, talking together in a strange language. She stopped and listened for a moment. Noticing his quiet mother, Mike half-turned on the couch. "Hey mum, what's up?" His brain was fizzing with excitement, practically grinding over all the new words and phrases he had learned in just one afternoon. "I haven't seen you smile this much for over a year, my little Mikey." Joyce walked up and leaned forward to kiss her son's cheek. "I think this was the right choice, no matter how boring this place might be for your sister." "Mum!" Mike tried to pull away half-heartedly. "You could have given more warning. I had friends." It was a halfhearted protest, they were friends in the sense that all of them wanted something from each other, the painful bit was always that he knew that and just wanted to be friends anyway. "You already have a new friend here, and Misty doesn't try selling you things you shouldn't have." Joyce's words were firm. "You knew we were going to move once I finished my internship. So we moved. And here I get to do everything." Her voice softened significantly. Mike knew this was his mom's dream, he knew how much it meant to her, which was why instead of voicing any more dissent, he reached up for a hug instead, and got it. "I know, I just didn't expect it to be so sudden." Joyce squeezed Mike a little tighter. "When you're on the brink of being talked into doing something stupid, and Robin is at an age when everything her big brother does is the best thing ever, I didn't want to take a chance. Speaking of, where is she?" As if on cue, Robin raced down the hall, wearing her pony hat, consisting of a floppy-brimmed hat with a pudgy, pink unicorn on the front. "Mum! Mum! Look!" While Joyce picked Robin up and took her through to the kitchen, Mike turned his attention back to Misty. "." He started from the start. "?" It was rote learning, for now, but he really wanted to learn more. "My name is Misty Rainfall, and I am happy I meet you, Mike." Misty giggled a little. "You need to work on ." She shook one of her wings a little. They worked back and forth, Misty helping Mike with his pronunciation as much as anything, and Mike helping the little filly conjugate. They were so wrapped up in their impromptu learning that when Joyce called for them, for dinner, both jumped. "Coming, mum!" Mike pushed up with a leg, getting upright easily and giving a stretch. "What do you normally eat?" He waited for Misty to get her legs unfolded and climb off the couch. "Back home it would be flowers, fresh green vegetables and salads. Gotta eat light if I want to keep flying." Walking for the kitchen, Misty caught Mike watching her. "What do you eat?" Thoughts of pork-chops, roasts of lamb, steaks, and bacon flitted through Mike's head. "Uh, probably the same." Dinner turned out to be a mix of vegetables, lightly grilled and well seasoned. Mike looked to Candela, then Misty, and realized this was likely to be standard fare. Part of him wanted to complain, to get upset about it. "What's the matter, Mike?" Joyce looked at her son with a little concern. "Nothing, mum." Mike took a deep breath and speared another deliciously cooked piece of carrot, before popping it in his mouth. 'Can I just leave that part of me behind?'