//------------------------------//
// Unwanted Involvement 
// Story: Familiar 
// by Cookies 
//------------------------------//

After a couple additional check-ups (mostly on the head due to the light concussion I got when Discord threw me in Luna's room), Doc gave me the okay to leave the hospital.  

Celestia and I thanked him and walked toward the exit, passing by the two guards stationned there. They proceeded to follow us without a word being said. 

Despite the relative silence (hooves aren't exactly quiet), Celestia had a smile etched on her face. I stared at her from the corner of my eyes, wondering why she was smiling and pondering about her declaration of friendship earlier. 

Maybe the two were linked?  

With how much I saw of the ponies, maybe it wasn't such a stretch. 

By no means I am an expert in society analysis or social interactions, but maybe the ponies had it right from the beginning. Calling friendship at the first occasion I mean. 

If I learned anything from animes, it's that the best kind of friends are friends that should always be there for each other, whether it's for physical or emotional support. That's the core of that kind of relationship right?  

Well that also applies to love, but that's generally between two people only, whereas friendship can be formed with almost anybody.  

My point is... If ponies started calling each other friends after a simple conversation, it would have push them quicker toward unity, wouldn't it? 

Everyone looking after each other just after a few conversations. 

It sounds like an utopy, but it was right before my eyes. 

... 

How did it happen? For it to work, the relations were to be pretty genuine. No malice or abuse coming from either end. 

Are the ponies really that good-natured?  

Or perhaps they are all a bit naïve, and they all started to trust each other without a second thought? 

Hmm. Celestia would probably say that it wasn't very nice to think that. 

"It is not good for you to think like this." Celestia said with her usual motherly tone. 

I snapped my head toward her, my eyes wide with surprise. How could she..? "Can you read minds?!" I asked, baffled. 

She initially recoiled from my sudden outburst, only to laugh it off a second later. "Anon, you were so deep in your thoughts that you didn't realize where you were going." She said with a little smile. "Now unless you want to accompany me to Canterlot, I suggest you get off the chariot." 

"Wait wha..?" I glanced around me and found myself quite shocked to 'suddenly' be in Ponyville's park, and standing on the royal chariot no less. "Huh." 

Celestia gave me a half-worried half-amused look. "Is something on your mind? If you were wondering about the limits of ponies' abilities, you could have asked me." 

"No, I wasn't... Uhhh..." Well that was embarrassing. I couldn't even reply properly, so I just jumped off the chariot. "Thanks." I said for no real reason. 

Now she was getting really getting worried. "Are you feeling well? We can go back to the hospital if you wish." 

I declined with a wave of my hand. "No. I'm okay. I was just..." I glanced at the guards strapped in front of the chariot, ready to take off at any moment. "Nevermind that. I wouldn't want to keep you from your duties more than I have to." 

She sighed quietly. "As you wish. But know that if anything troubles your mind, you can always come to me for advice." 

A small smile formed on my face. "Thank you Tia." 

She returned the smile, but then whispered quietly, "Please only use that nickname in private. Some ponies would cause a ruckus over this." 

I raised a brow but nodded in agreement. She winked and tapped one hoof on the carriage. That was the signal for them to depart. 

I stepped back and watched the guards take speed before lifting off toward Canterlot. 

... 

Yep. I would have fell off the platform pretty quick anyway. 

I reflexively tried to grab my phone in my pocket, but it wasn't there. Right. Left it at home, I remember. 

Home. I wondered how much time has passed since the whole Discord thing? 

Oh god. If I disappeared for a few days again, she's definitely gonna bite my head off this time. 

I prepared myself to return home when I felt the strange warmth coming back in my chest. "Uh?" 

At that moment, I heard Twilight call to me. "Anon! Were you let out of the hospital?" She said as she trotted quickly to me. She looked... nervous? 

"Yes. I was about to go home, I need to check on something. Can you say hi to the girls for me? Oh and tell them that I might not come back for a while." 

She gave me a really unsettling smile, with one of her eyes twitching. "That's great! Could it be that you have a big problem and that you could use the help of a good frieeeeeend..?" She said, accentuating that last word creepily. 

I would usually point out these details to her, but my survival instinct told me I should be quick about it. "Uhh... Not really. I just have to tell my sister that I'm still alive and well before she kick my butt so hard that it would be the only thing I'd see for the next week or so." I replied, then blinked as an idea crossed my thought. "Oh! Since you're here, can you tell me how long was I out?" 

Her head twitched on the side and she was now trying to grin by just showing off her teeth. I think I also saw a couple of small tufts forming just now in her mane. "Five days." She replied with a small awkward laugh. 

Holy heck. I'm in deep trouble. 

"Five? Okay, I think you all won't see me for at least two weeks. Thanks though, and it seems that the picnic you're preparing is really stressing you out. You should go easy, all will end well." I said while patting her head. "See you soon hopefully. I'm going home now." 

"Wait!" she cried out but it was too late. Everything went black. 

I think I get how the teleport works. Mostly. Maybe. Say the words and intend them to be true uh? 

I reappeared back in the main room of my small apartment. It was good to be back. Though there was a light wind that washed over me. I remember leaving only one window open. Strange. 

I spotted my phone's screen lit up and play my favorite ringtone. It had a great melody for the first half, then it followed with a stressing tune as the call was about to be missed. The phone vibrated on the low table nearby, so I quickly approached to grab it. 

Incoming call: Dragonbreath 
Missed: 4 

My face lost all colors when I saw that 'missed calls' number. Three was the line to never cross. I always hoped to never see the light of this day. 

I shakily answered the call. 

"Ohey sis! Sorry, I think I missed some calls? My phone charger was dead again and I was too lazy to get out and buy one. Just like last time!" I said, quickly following with by my best attempt at a genuine laugh, but there was no immediate answer. "Sis?"

"You're dead, Chris."

Now, anyone would be scared --or at least very confused-- when hearing something like this, but when you know it's coming from someone who didn't hesitate to throw a man twice her size on the ground and bend his arm in a not-so-conventional way as she was starting to get upset, you can be sure that you'll need to change pants in the next few minutes.

Especially when you hear her voice both from the phone, and from behind you at the same time.

I dropped the phone and froze. I didn't care if it would break the screen or something. At that moment I was mostly thinking of a way to prevent any early demise in the next 10 seconds.

Fight? She'd get me down in half a second.

Flight? Where to? If she's behind me, that would mean she stands between me and the front door, and the windows aren't an option.

There was only one choice left. I slowly got my hands in the air. "I surrender." 

... 

A deadly silence suddenly invaded the room. The only sound I could hear was the hectic rythm of my heart in my chest.

I heard multiple soft things hit the ground not far behind me.

A bead of sweat ran down my forehead.

Then I heard a sniffle from up-close.

"Wh--" I started before two arms hugged me from behind. 

Aww. She could be really fierce, but I always knew deep down she wouldn't actually hurt family--

"You didn't answer or even sent a text back for five whole days, you dingus! You have no idea how worried I was!" She cried in my back, while tightening her grip around my chest with tears wetting my back.

I would reply that I now had a pretty good idea of it right now, but I was too busy wheezing for air.

"Don't ever do that again!" I felt her lift me off and throw me backwards while still holding me.

Holy fricking meatballs on a stick. She was executing a German Suplex on her little brother.

Obviously not wanting to hit my head or shoulders on the hard ground below, I extended my arms to grab onto something, anything, to save me from this cruel fate.

My hand briefly landed on the couch's armrest. 

I tried to grab it, but I was already too low. This was about to be a repeat of that one scene in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

Damnit.

...

POMF

I landed harshly on some of my couch's pillows that were unexpectedly laying on the ground.

I didn't have time to realize that I wasn't hurt that she released me and sat on the couch.

Finally able to breathe again, I wheezed and coughed while trying to sit up.

Her eyes were teary but also full of fury. That was enough for me to stop trying and just stay down. I grabbed one of the small pillows.
Where the fu--" she started, only to receive a pillow in the face.

"Language." I said with a small groan, before catching the same pillow flying at Mach 2 with my forehead. 

Wasted.

"Where were you?!" She demanded with an angry sob.

I slowly removed the pillow on my face with a groan, then blinked at her like I just woke up. "Uh? What are you doing here sis? Why am I on the groun--" She grabbed another pillow and I had to shield my head with my arms this time. 

"Wrong answer." She said while throwing the pillow even faster than the last one. Oof. 

Shoot. What else could I use? Distraction? Ninja smoke grenades? Teleportation? 

Scratch that last one. I probably shouldn't use it in front of her. 

She was already preparing to throw another pillow when I held out my arms to her. "Stop stop stop! I'll tell you everything!" 

She slowly relented and put down the pillow. "Talk." She ordered. 

"You see, I was actually kidnap--" I didn't even have time to start on my half-lie. She slammed me with the pillow harder than a Thwomp would slamdunk on Mario. "Will you stop hitting me?!" I yelled. 

"I know you didn't win the lottery. I checked." She said, frowning but also openly crying. "Did... Did you get into some sort of shady government business?" 

What the heck? Why would she check on something like that? I decided to avoid reacting to the first comment. It would be hard to explain. "What? Where would you pull that from? I'm not a spy if you're wondering." 

"Then how did you just appear from thin air?"

SHE SAW THAT?!

I tried my best to contain my surprise. "What are you saying even?! You're implying that I just poofed there?!"

She stared at me dead in the eye. "I know what I saw. Stop trying to avoid the inevitable."

"That's crazy and you know it. Have you hit your head when you threw me into the ground?" I needed this bluff to work. I couldn't just tell her everything, could I?

"Then prove it to me. Tell me where you went." She asked while rubbing her tears away.

"Well..." I didn't have many believable lies to tell. "I actually stayed here. I fell sick."

Speaking of ill, I started to not feel so good after all of this. It felt like a knot was forming in my chest.

"Then why didn't you f-" She stopped herself before getting herself angry again. "Why didn't you answer any of my calls?"

"All this time I stayed in my room. I barely even ate." I replied, and there was some truth to it, since I was actually in a micro coma.

"And you didn't do anything?" 

"I played a few times on the PC. Why are you asking all of this?" I said while exhaling. The knot felt a little worse now.

"When did you become such a liar? I asked Kevin earlier. He said the last time you got on was last week, and you haven't been online since."

"Why the heck would you ask him that?!"

"I was worried. He may become your step-brother soon, and he's also one of your teammate in one of your FaVoRiTe gAMeS." She said that last part while waving her fingers in a mocking fashion. "He said he waited for you to play some 2v2 together."

Darnit Kevin. Even team-killing in real life.

"I hate him so much." I stated, and the knot tightened strongly.

That, and her death glare for speaking bad of her boyfriend, made me quickly go back on my word. "H-Heh I'm joking. He's a cool dude."

Strangely enough, the knot relented a lot after that new statement. 

Hah. It felt like it was Applejack judging me for each of my... 

...

No way. That's what's happening really?! Can't lie for too long?! 

'Oh yeah, you're now attuned to Harmony. Sounds great right?' 

NO.

Holy heck. Does that mean I have to respect all of the other Elements?

At one point during my epiphany, I took my head in my hands.

Okay, half of them are somewhat easy. But Loyalty? What are the rules for it?

And Magic? Is it striked out?

What about Laughter?!"

My sister poked me with a finger. She looked worried. "Hey. You know I won't tell the police, right?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah family comes first, I know. You win. Congrats Sherlock."

She looked skeptical. "Does that mean I figured it out earlier?"

"Nnnnope. But you won't believe me when I'll tell the truth anyway." I said with a shrug.

"Try anyway."

This won't end well. "...I got abducted by talking alien horses." I lazily responded.

...

She seemed to think about it for a moment. She was even leaning forward to get into the 'serious' sitting position. "I think I'm going to need something sturdier than pillows to hit you with."

"I know you won't do that. And I'm telling the truth by the way."

"You're right, I won't." She said while ignoring the last part. "Then maybe I should break more than your front door."

"My..." I looked toward said door. It was wide open, with the handle looking like it was hit repeatedly until it broke. "Did you kick my door open?! What is wrong with you?!"

"Hey, you never gave me a spare key. Plus, I told you I would do it." She took a tissue and blew her nose.

"Oh yeah sure. When exactly did you tell me?" I said, nearly snarling.

She deadpanned at me and threw her used tissue at my head. I tried to dodge, but didn't need to, she narrowly missed. "I sent a text warning you of it after you missed my third call. Did you really not check your phone?"

I clapped my hands. "Great. Awesome job there. What if I just forgot my phone and then had an accident sending me to the hospital huh? You idiot."

"Uh-huh. But that's not what happened."

I blinked. Technically,  that's what happened. "Actually..."

Alert: Murderous Intent Detected

Her voice sent chills down my spine. "Who hurt you?" 

"H-Hey calm down. It's over. Dude's a statue now."

She looked confused for a second. "You put him in a cast?" She lightly punched my shoulder. "Way to go."

"No, he's really a statue." I replied hesitantly.

Her face turned a bit pale. She got closer and dropped her voice. "Did you get rid of the evidences..?"

I smacked her lightly with a pillow. "He's still alive... I think."

She gasped. "How... When did you become so cruel? Torture, really?"

"No!" I groaned in frustration. "It's just a prison for him. It's because of magic from the alien world."

"This again? You already tried that one." She said while resting her head on one of her hand.

Have you ever tried to tell the truth and people didn't trust your word? Do you know how infuriating that is? 

I held out my hand to her. "Take my hand. If you feel an itch, it's because you're absorbing some magic."

"Stop wasting my time with your 'magic'. I'm not touching your dirty hand." She said with a disgusted face. 

I cracked my neck and exhaled slowly. I looked for my phone, wherever it fell. I was now determined to prove my story.

I found it under the pillow near my midsection. The underside where you plug the charger was now dented, but the screen seemed to have no damage. 

"What are you doing?" She asked with a raised brow.

"Bringing back some photos." I replied.

"You're not going anywhere." She stated.

I looked at her with a smirk. "I won't even take a single step."

Her eyes went wide. "Wait you're not going to..."

"You asked for it. I'm going to Equestria."

"N--" she started, extending her arm trying to grab me, but I disappeared instantly.

I reappeared in Ponyville's park. Not really intended but good all the same. 

I had no time to lose. She would probably start breaking stuff while I was here. I unlocked my phone and prepared it to take photos.

I heard weird thumping noises and giggles behind me.

I turned towards the sounds to spot three pony childs playing with a beach ball. Perfect.

I switched cameras to take a selfie and stood in a way to snap a picture of my face with the three little ponies behind. It would be enough proof.

*snap* 

Uh oh. I hope they didn't hear that...

I glanced at where they stood previously but they weren't there anymore.

"Doesn't he looks like the one we saw a month ago?" I heard coming from under me. 

I looked down, seeing that they were suddenly at my feet. "Gah!" I said while flinching. I didn't expect them to be there. How could they move so quickly?

"He can't be the same one, mah sis told me he was staying in the hospital." Said the cream colored one with a big red bow on her head. Her accent also gave a big hint as to who was her sister.

"Yes, I just got out of the hospital. I'm guessing you're AJ's sister." I said, pointing my finger at her which made her gasp.

"You have weird hooves, mister!" Said the little white one just before the orange one hit her lightly on the side. "Ouch. Hey! What was that for?"

"Why are you calling him weird? What is he decides to eat us?!"

"He wouldn't do that, he's friends with me and Applebloom's sister!" 

"He's friends with you, Sweetie Belle?" Asked the one seemingly named Applebloom.

Belle? She was Rarity's sister?

"No. I... You know what I meant!"

Well that was great and all but I needed to move. "Okay girls. I really have to go. See you another day." I closed my eyes and breathed deeply to calm myself before having to deal with my sister again.

"What are those things on his shoes?" I heard the orange one say below me.

I rolled my eyes and looked at the sky as Sweetie answered the question. "They're laces. Some of my sister's clothes have them. You never saw these before?"

"I'm going home." I stated, making myself disappear and appear just a few meters off where I was earlier.

My sister had my TV in her arms and was dangerously approaching the window.

"What are you doing?!" I yelled at her and visibly spooked her.

Spooked her enough that one of her hand slipped and I saw the TV swing like a pendulum, have the screen hit the corner of the table, then fall on the ground completely because she couldn't hold it with one hand only.

I had both of my hands land on my forehead. "Eva! MY TV!"

She slowly turned on herself to look at me, but her eyes went wide for some reason. "What is that?!" She said, pointing at my feets.

"You're not changing subject!" I yelled at her.

"They're called laces!" I heard a voice say from below me.

My head snapped so fast toward the source that I actually caught a cramp in my neck. 

"Oh my god it's talking!" Eva yelled back, visibly frightened.

I crouched to face the tiny orange pony. She hid behind my leg, probably being scared by my sister. "What are you doing here?"

I heard Eva approach slowly. "Don't talk to it, it might attack you!" She yelled.

It only made the pony flinch. "I-I don't know. I was poking your shoe and then I was here!"

...Okay, it was just an accident. I didn't even know I could transport other people with me.

"Alright." I took one of the pony's tiny hooves in my hand. "We're going back to Equestria."

While I said that last part, I didn't expect to feel a hand landing on my shoulder.

After the obligatory blackout signaling the teleport between worlds, I let go of the pony and got up, turning backwards to confront my sister. It seemed like we popped outside the town. That was good. No witnesses.

"What do you think you're doing?!" I said while trying to grab her wrist, but she quickly stepped back and tripped, making her fall on her haunches. 

I think I heard the pony run away at that moment. She's probably running back to her friends.

Eva's eyes were so wide they threatened to pop out of their sockets. She was shaken up by the new environment she was in.

Can't fault her for that.

"Whatwhatwhatwhatwhat" She was repeating over and over, looking all around herself.

I signed. "That's enough mind blowing stuff for you. We're going back." I said, approaching to grab her arm or leg. Whichever would be trying to push me back first when I'd get close.

But when I took a step, she crawled further away from me. "What is this?! What's happening?!" She asked.

"Talking alien horse world. Any other question?" I said, approaching again.

She crawled away once more. "How?!"

I took a deep breath. "Magic."

"Magic doesn't exist!" 

"It does here." I said, taking another step, but she continued to crawl away. "Don't make me jump on you. I'm getting you back home."

"How can you do that?!"

"I got kidnapped, then cursed but then it turned out somewhat okay. Now I can move between Earth and this place, but that's it." Better not tell her about the whole Harmony problem I just found out about.

"You got CURSED?!"

Okay, maybe that wasn't my wisest choice of word.

"I'll tell you everything, but ONLY when we're back at my place." I said, sitting on the ground.

"Chris, we're not moving until you tell me everything."

I shaked my head and let out a chuckle. "If you want to stay here, that's your problem. I'll head back in ten seconds. It's up to you if you want to get stuck in this world."

"Leaving me all alone here? Do it, you won't." She said with confidence.

I smirked at that. I had a joker that had a 100% chance to convince her to come back.

I started counting down, but she just stared at me, thinking that I wouldn't do it. "Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four..."

"That'll not work on me." She said.

"There are dragons here. Three." I replied with a completely serious face.

Now she was the one to have all color drain from her face. "You're kidding."

I slowly shaked my head. "Two."

She hesitated to move.

"One."

She finally decided to listen to me and held out her hand. 

She was terrified of anything scaly.

I grabbed her hand. "We're going home." I stated, bringing us back to the apartment. We landed on the couch.

Crisis averted.

But now I had some serious explaining to do.