//------------------------------// // A Place to Call Home // Story: PonyFall: Australia // by Thunderbug80 //------------------------------// A Place to Call Home April 27, 2012 Moey's call came shortly after Twilight left, which gave me a great opportunity to speak with him alone. Though I still wasn't pleased with how he had acted when I sought shelter, I at least understood that he thought he'd been doing the right thing in his own way. It was important that I didn't dwell on such matters though, so when the call came and we exchanged awkward greetings, I simply gave him a brief update on the events that had occurred since I'd spoken to Victoria, and directions to our camp. As soon as I got off the phone I rounded up everyone for an impromptu meeting. The reality that I'd had a hard time admitting was that we didn't have any real plans as for how we were going to move forward. Sure, unexpected setbacks were piling up almost as fast as random Equestrians were, but up until that point my only real plan had been to go into hiding and get in touch with DragonLS. Even if Dragon had somehow managed to gather up the overseas Equestrians, I still had no real idea how we were going to unite them with my group. I owed it to everyone involved to be upfront with what was happening. Maybe someone else might even have an idea or two to share. Once everyone had assembled, I took a moment to reflect on just how large our group had grown. Pinkie, who was fidgeting with a Coke she had somehow acquired, and Fluttershy, who calmly had her hands in her lap, sat in two of my green folding chairs just outside my tent. Right beside Fluttershy, perched on the ground by her feet, sat Angel, who winced occasionally from his various injuries. John, still nursing his side, was perched on a log with Apple Bloom to his left, and Sweetie and Scootaloo to his right. Princess Luna sat on the far end of the log, swinging her legs to and fro. Twilight sat near the log in my last folding chair and absently played with a few stray strands of hair, with Matt and Michelle holding hands to her left in their own chairs. I cleared my throat as an indication that I was ready to speak. Eleven people stared back at me expectantly. Time to dive in head-first. "I've called everyone together because..." I stopped and tried to rethink my words. It was made more difficult by the fact that I had everyone's attention. I felt like they were all waiting on me to say something like "Hey, I figured it all out. We're going to be alright," as if I'd actually had anything to do with finding and uniting so many Equestrians. The truth was that it was just dumb luck that I had stumbled upon them all. Nothing more. I tried again. "From the moment I came across Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy out in the middle of nowhere, I've been acting as if I have some grand plan for finding and uniting everypony, and bunny, and getting them all home." I noticed Apple Bloom looking at me like I was Cheerilee, about to teach her some kind of life-changing wisdom, and shook my head. "The truth is I've been flying blind. Any plan I once had has long gone out the window." John shifted nervously on the log and stole a quick glance at the Crusaders, then looked to the ground. Matthew and Michelle looked at each other. They seemed to come to some kind of unspoken agreement, and Matt stood up. "So you're telling me you have no idea what you're doing?" he asked. He crossed his arms and his eyes showed a flash of anger. "You've dragged five ponies and a rabbit, several of which are injured, out into the Australian wilderness without any kind of plan whatsoever!?" "Hey!" Pinkie jumped up and pointed at Matt. "The captain did have a plan, but things didn't work out and now we're out here. And in case you've already forgotten, you allowed a princess to run around in the wilderness completely unsupervised!" Matt pointed his thumb at his chest. "It's not my fault the princess–" he jabbed the thumb towards Luna "–decided to take a moonlit stroll while we weren't looking!" "Guys, I don't think any of this is helping," John said quietly. He was consoling Apple Bloom, who looked miserable. Beside him, Sweetie Belle had her eyes shut tight, her hand absently rubbing her forehead. Scootaloo was doing her best to avoid eye contact with anyone, and Princess Luna was sobbing quietly from her spot on the log. I held up my hands as if in surrender. "This is what I'm talking about. Every time I try to come up with a new plan, it all falls apart. It's almost like I'm cursed or something. Whatever the reason, I think we need to work together on how to proceed. From this point forward, I'm no longer calling all the shots." It was hard to tell if Matthew had even been listening, as he and Michelle were busy comforting Luna. John looked as if he'd just gone through the worst few days of his life, if the lost expression on his face was any indication. Twilight regarded me thoughtfully, but was otherwise silent. It was Fluttershy who eventually broke the silence. "Well... if you want my advice I think we need to find a way to get some better shelter." She indicated the entire group. "I think you've done a wonderful job of bringing us all together somehow, but until we all get to know each other better perhaps it's best if we give each other some space." She had a point. Matthew and I certainly needed some time to work out our differences, and despite being out in the open wilderness it was impossible to avoid each other for long. It was also difficult to have any private conversations, as there was always someone else nearby. Pinkie and the Crusaders needed some fun in their lives, and being out here wasn't cutting it. The problem was that we had nowhere else to go. For the moment. "You're right, but right now we don't have a choice other than to stay put. That brings me to the other thing I wanted to talk about." I waited until I was sure I had everyone's attention before continuing. "An old friend of mine will be arriving here soon. His job is to determine what's really going on out here, and I'm going to tell him the truth. All of it." As expected, the reactions were immediate. "Are you insane? The fewer people who know about these ponies, the better!" "For the record, I actually agree with Nathan." "Does this mean ya finally called her?" "Called who, Apple Bloom?" "His wife!" "Whoah, I didn't know he's married!" "If your friend is who I think it is, then I change my mind. We're fine out here." "Oh come on, Fluttershy. Moey isn't so bad. And you know, now that I think back on it, it probably did kind of look like the captain and I were about to–" "Okay, enough!" I called out. To my surprise, everyone actually quieted down and listened. "Right. Look, I know as well as anyone how foolish it would be to announce the Equestrians to the world. Truth is, we need help. We–" I motioned between the native humans and myself, "–aren't enough. If Moey can convince my wife that I'm not crazy, it could mean having more help. It could mean having shelter again." "Or things could go wrong, as you just pointed out tends to happen whenever you come up with a plan," Matt stated. "Do you have any idea the things I've gone through to try to protect them?" He asked, referencing Twilight and Luna. "No, because you haven't shared anything with us. I can understand the need for secrecy, but–" "They were going to take Luna away and place her in a god-damned foster home!" He shouted. He sat back down in his chair and placed his hands over his head. "I work... used to work as a nurse. Luna was struck by a car almost as soon as she appeared on Earth, and was taken into the hospital as a Jane Doe. I worked with kids, so she ended up under my care. But the social worker they put on her case didn't give a damn about her. She was going to take her away, and then the princess would have had no chance of ever returning home. So I... I did what I had to do. I've taken her away from that place." Michelle spoke up then. "It hasn't been easy on us, and I can tell it hasn't been easy on any of you, either. We care about getting Twilight and her friends back home. But in trying to do so, we've had to do some things that required us to go into hiding. That's how we ended up out here. That's why we can't really afford to take chances." "That's why you used a fake name," I said. Matthew didn't even respond, but Michelle nodded, confirming what Twilight had told me. There was a lot to absorb. First, John had run into Discord and suffered broken bones for his troubles, as well as forcing his mum and sister into a car accident. Then Matthew had basically kidnapped Luna from a hospital and was likely the target of a nationwide, if not international, manhunt. It seemed that finding Equestrians and getting into trouble went hand in hand. Before anyone could say anything else, I heard the unmistakable sound of leaves crunching under someone's foot. I turned to see Moey, his eyes wide, emerge from behind a tree. "Moey?" I called. Then, "How long have you been there? What did you hear?" Moey blinked and looked at me. "I heard everything." It took a good half an hour to get things under control after Moey's sudden arrival, what with Matthew asking questions, the Crusaders taking interest in another new human friend, and Fluttershy having to come to terms with the fact that he was, in fact, back. Admittedly, it also took about that long for me to stop worrying about what to say, and to just start talking. It was another few hours worth of everyone, and everypony, chipping in their own experiences and explanations before we finally finished detailing everything that had happened from the moment we'd all found our respective Equestrians. Then came the wait as Moey tried to process everything he'd been told. After many long minutes of pacing, the questions began. "So you are saying you're actually a pony, yes?" "Yup!" "Indeed. It would not surprise me in the least if you are just as lovely as a pony." That got a giggle out of Pinkie. Moey then moved and knelt down before Apple Bloom. "You, too, are a pony?" "Um, yes sir." "Are there schools in this place you call 'Ponyville'?" "Oh, yes. Me, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle are in Miss Cheerilee's class." "Ah, even in the pony lands they are indoctrinated so young! So tell me, what is it that you learn there?" "All kinds of stuff! We learn about math, Equestrian history, cutie marks. You know, that sort of thing." "Is there a pony president?" A huff. "Yes. It's usually Diamond Tiara." "Has she started many wars?" "May as well have." "Um," Fluttershy chimed in. "I think he means the ruler of Equestria, not the student pony president." "Oh yes, of course. A thousand apologies, the lovely one is correct. Though perhaps this Diamond Tiara is on the path to becoming a tyrannical ruler, yes?" Apple Bloom shrugged. "Not likely. She'd have to become a princess first." "Let's hope that never happens," said Scootaloo. "Though if you ask her, she'd say she already is one." "So the pony lands are ruled by a princess? Is she, too, a tyrant?" "Hardly!" Twilight shouted. Her cheeks grew red as everyone looked at her. "Ahem, well she isn't. A tyrant, I mean. Princess Celestia is well-loved and respected throughout all of Equestria. As is her sister, here, Princess Luna." Moey's eyes widened. He moved to Luna and crouched near her. "This one is a princess, you say. A little young though, yes?" "Far be it for the likes of you to judge whether we be fit to rule!" Luna said suddenly, standing on the log and pointing a fist at Moey for emphasis. Her voice was commanding, and yet it was still that of a little girl. I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. And so it went. Moey spent hours asking each of the Equestrians for details, and listening with interest at their responses. He would occasionally repeat an earlier question, but ask it to somepony other than who he had originally asked. When daytime had turned to dusk, he finally stopped and asked to speak with me alone. The others, relieved for it to finally be over, eagerly went about preparing for dinner. Moey and I walked until we felt we were far enough away from camp, then he turned and put his hands on my shoulders, his face close to mine. "My friend, either you have collected the most talented acting troupe in the history of the world, in which case why have you not put them to work by now, or they are, as unlikely as it may be, telling the truth. Please for my sake tell me they are actors." "I wish they were," I said. I shrugged out of his grasp and started to pace. "I know as well as anyone how crazy it sounds. Why do you think I didn't try to explain things to Victoria?" "You're right, she would have kicked you out of the house for sure. Oh wait, she did that anyway, yes?" I glowered. "Thanks, Moey. You really know how to comfort your friends." "Always my pleasure. So, these ponies. Does your Christian bible say anything about them? The end times are here now, yes?" "Hardly. I'm having doubts about everything I once thought I knew." "Well, I won't ask you about converting to Islam. The Qur'an has done nothing to prepare me for this shit." It was said in a joking manner, but I knew Moey was having trouble coming to grips with what we'd told him. For one, before then I'd never really heard him swear in all the years I'd known him. I allowed a few moments of reflection before continuing. "So, your thoughts?" "My friend, I do not know what to think. I have seen the faces of liars, and your friends do not possess them. For whatever reason, they truly believe they are ponies, which is ridiculous of course. What is even more ridiculous is that their story is somehow more believable than anything else I can think of." He put his hand to his chin in thought. "If I were to pretend that everything I heard tonight is true, then we are all in danger, yes?" "Well, Discord is still on the loose, and–" "No no no," Moey interrupted. "Please, I don't even want to think about that right now. I mean your friends. The ones who don't think they're ponies. They are all fugitives, so we must do things quietly, yes?" "Well, yes..." "Then it is settled," Moey said with finality. "Ponies or no, you are in need of assistance. It is my belief that you and everyone else I met tonight may very well be insane, but I also believe you have remained faithful to your wife. Tonight I am going to report my findings to Victoria. Then," he put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me in conspiratorially, "you and I are going get into as much mischief as we can while we find a way to get these pony friends of yours home." I woke the next morning refreshed, having slept surprisingly soundly for someone who's future hinged on whether or not his wife believed everything his crazy Arab friend told her. Moey had left late last night to stay at a hotel, with apologies that he wasn't prepared to try to accommodate us all for the moment. He'd return sometime early today to report how well, or unwell, my wife had taken the news. I emerged from the tent to find Fluttershy having a conversation with a few birds who had flown down to greet her. Quiet voices from Matthew's tent told me that he and Michelle were awake, if not out of bed yet. Angel, John, and the Crusaders were still asleep, though Twilight and Princess Luna were up and about. Anxiety threatened to get the better of me as I went about getting the morning chores out of the way. There was a chance we'd be forced to remain at the camp for a long time, so it was best to prepare for the worst. My heart rate peaked when Moey arrived just as everyone else was emerging from the tents to start the day. Everyone knew what was on the line. Moey's face was unreadable as he drew near, however. "Well... what's the news?" I asked. Moey frowned and my heart skipped a beat. Then he smiled and said, "Victoria has agreed to let some of the former ponies stay at your house. Furthermore, I will take some of them to my home as well, so things are not so cramped, yes?" Even as Pinkie shouted and somehow managed to throw confetti into the air, and as the Crusaders all hugged John, and Matthew whispered excitedly to Luna, I could only focus on one thought: I was going home. I was finally going home. I managed to crack the first real smile I'd had in days. It faltered, however, as Moey drew near with a look of sympathy on his face. He held up some keys. "Not you, though. I am sorry, my friend. She needs more time, yes?" He pressed the keys into my hand and surprised me with a hug. "Your mother-in-law is still away in Cairo for some time. Victoria has left you the keys to her home. She... she is not yet ready to see you just yet, you see. Take whichever ponies you want with you. She trusts you, she just needs time." Words failed me. I'd just had my life given back to me, and then snatched away again just as quickly. I understood, though. Victoria would be given however much time she needed. And she would be taking care of some of the Equestrians. Perhaps they could convince her? As much as I wanted to have my old life back, it would just have to wait a bit longer. I had to look at the positives. We'd gained not just one place to call home, but three. Not only that, but my mother-in-law's house was large and isolated on the Georges River, with loads of space both inside and out. I'd have plenty of room to house more Equestrians if we managed to find them. As the others made plans and discussed who would be staying with who, I resolved to do whatever it took to find the others. And then... then I was going to come home.