Chapter Ten
You hadn't even noticed that the sun had come up as you read your book aloud to Twilight from the comfort of your bed until Fluttershy came in, asking you both if you were interested in heading outside and enjoying a bit of the outside air.
You accepted her offer immediately, but Twilight didn't seem as eager to end your activity. It was a bit strange how she seemed so fond of you, but you were sure it was just the overly affable behavior that all the ponies (save for what you had seen so far from Celestia) seemed to have. You simply abolished any thought in your mind that it may have been anything else.
After closing the book and noticing Twilight's disappointed face, you hopped out of bed and shook your legs to make sure that the blood was flowing through them properly. After sitting their for so long just talking with Twilight, it would be good to get moving again.
Twilight quickly left the bedside to stand beside you. Fluttershy gave a sly smile in her direction, causing you to wonder what she was thinking. It must have been a thing between them both and you didn't really want to worry yourself about other's issues.
You both followed her downstairs to the main room where a single coach laid against the far wall and the ceiling adorned with hanging birdhouses. You weren't sure if they were used practically or were just for decoration, but it did fit with the sense and overall feel of the quaint cottage.
“Would you both care for something to eat? I mean, it wouldn't be right to head out on an empty stomach.” The yellow pegasus asked you both, as you finally stepped off of the stairs.
You weren't honestly too hungry, even considering that you hadn't eaten anything since you had left the train upon arriving in Ponyville (a modest salad, with you picking specifically at the croutons, for they were always the only real part of the meal worth eating.) You suspected that perhaps you had been fed when you were indisposed. Yet, for the sake of being polite, you gave a questioning look towards Twilight.
She returned the look towards you and you found yourselves in a quiet and awkward stalemate, trying to figure out exactly what both of you felt towards the notion of enjoying a breakfast.
Fluttershy had been watching you both with curious eyes, wondering exactly what you were both getting at. She wanted to interject and speed up the situation, but didn't find the heart to do so. So she just stood their awkwardly, waiting for one of you to answer her question.
“Is that a yes?” Twilight asked after a moment.
“No...?” you returned. This was going to be awhile if it kept like this. It was time to get something decided or risk standing her awkwardly any longer. “I'm not too hungry; how about you, Twilight?”
“Well I ate right before you woke up last night. So I think I'll be good.” Twilight said with a sigh, glad to be done with that ordeal.
“Okay then. But don't feel like you'd be a bother if you need anything while we're out, okay?” Fluttershy said, mainly to you. She seemed more glad to be done with that than either of you who had actually been involved.
You nodded and walked through the rest of her cottage, careful to keep your head low or risk hitting one of the supposedly ornamental birdhouses that hung from the ceilings. Oh what you would have given to be a few inches shorter at this very moment. But you knew you shouldn't forsake the height you had, even though you were only average height, (to the dismay of your parents who at one point, wanted you to become a professional athlete.)
The sounds of birds chirping and a whole plethora of other sounds crossed the air as you all stepped outside. It was a slightly cloudy day, the pegasi were either likely taking a break or it had been scheduled to have such a day. Whatever, it was only going to hurt your head if you tried to assume everything in a world so unbelievable.
Of course, when you thought Fluttershy said 'outside', you thought it would end up with you all walking around town. Instead, you found yourself basking in the sunlight out in the front lawn while Fluttershy tended to the critters, as was the daily ritual around here.
You dangled your legs just above the water of the small stream that ran by the house under the bridge crossing it. It would really be a blessing if that little occurrence the day previous did not repeat itself. It was like you were impaired, and that was never fun for anyone; you just wanted to be normal, both mentally and physically again.
Your definition of normal was a bit different from the denizens of this world now, though. When you thought of it that way, you would never be normal again. At least not to anyone around you. Back when you just an average Joe with a horrible job, you didn't care what anyone thought of you; you were just you.
Here it was a bit different, since your differences between everyone else were quite a bit more evident. Still, you didn't feel like a freak even though your looks were so unusual around these parts. You guess that was one of the effects a colorful cartoon world had on an individual. Impressions were still important to you, however. The more that liked you here the better, you had no one to fall back onto here if things went awry. Especially when it seemed you were fighting a losing battle everyday.
“I still think it's quite strange how you can sit like that with your legs danging off the edge.”
You didn't look behind you, you knew who it was. It was nice to have someone around you, at least; you weren't going to get any better without help from an outside source. Was it really as bad as to start thinking of your mental connection with those things as an illness now, however?
No, you were better than that. It was just an issue you would have to deal with. You weren't sick, you just a really serious issue with voices in your head; no biggy, right? Oh man was it a biggy if you didn't get it under control. The thing you needed to worry about the most was what they were planning on doing in Canterlot. Not exactly like you could do anything, however, when the most powerful political presence in the land didn't like you and only sent troops out to the borders to watch for signs of massing armies on the word of her faithful student that wasn't in her favor at the moment either. She probably never even sent them out.
“You aren't ignoring me, are you?”
You shook yourself out of your monologue; it was enough of that today. “Oh.. no! Of course not.” You looked down at the image of yourself in the water, which was soon joined adjacently with an image of a purple unicorn.
“Relax, you don't need to be so on edge; you're among friends here.”
You finally broke your gaze at the stream and looked at the unicorn who had a reassuring smile stretching across her face. She meant it, didn't she? To think that you would become friends with Twilight Sparkle was ludicrous indeed. Yet here you were, sitting here peacefully with her by your side in front of Fluttershy's cottage.
“Well.. that's good to know.” You said, trying to give the faintest of smiles without over doing it.
She gave you a gentle nudge on the shoulder and laughed. “There's no need to be so coy here. We're going get you through this. I promise.”
You almost wanted to laugh a bit, just from the thought of them carrying you around whenever those things invaded your mind, rendering you incapacitated. You thought about how bloody your knuckles and toes would be at the end of all of that.
“I'm sure I'll be just fine.” You kicked at the water, causing both of your images to distort.
“You will be.” She tried to look as confident as she sounded on the statement, but it seemed to be failing her until she finally looked down into the ripples you had created.
For several moments you sat there, gently kicking at the water on occasion, careful to keep the surface from being peaceful. The sun hung high in the noon sky, but it was never hot; it was just perfect. You could just sit here forever enjoying the sight of the Everfree forest to your side and Ponyville down the trail.
Something about it provoked feelings and memories of what you had lost to get here. You were sure it was worth it, for your only other option in that situation would have been to be burned alive. You weren't up to experience one of the punishments for Witchcraft first hand, and you had hopped into the well as a result, leading you to this world that you never thought you'd see.
It would all be worth seeing all of that again. Just once. You were right about you missing all your old music and the like. Then again, with all that had been going on right now, you weren't sure you'd be able to take the time to enjoy such things anymore. In these past few days, you had been more social then you had been in a year of your past life.
“Wait! I promise it's just for a minute!” Fluttershy's voice carried across to you both in a surprisingly well audible volume.
Before you could turn to see what exactly she was yelling at, a white mass of fur cut in between both you and Twilight and hopped into your lap. You looked down to see a very sullen bunny trying to use your figure to obscure himself from the vision of a certain pegasus.
“Oh please, Angel. I just need to brush you so you won't get fur everywhere you go.” Fluttershy poked her head in between you and Twilight and looked down to see the bunny with his paws folded. He obviously was not looking forward to the proceedings.
At first, you were kind of mad and shocked that the situation had come to play out all on and around your sitting figure, but you couldn't help but snicker slightly as you watched the bunny hop off your lap and proceed to get brushed while laying down on the grass tapping his paw sourly.
You could hear Twilight trying to suppress a giggle as well as the act continued. You were almost surprised to see that in the end, no protest had been put up towards the act. Fluttershy took a step making sure that she had done all that she could in ridding the bunny of his excess fur.
“Well that should do for.. oh dear.”
“W-what?” You asked, you felt both Twilight and Fluttershy's eyes on you know. Even Angel had diverted his fuming gaze away from the pegasus enough to see what she was referring to.
You looked down at yourself and nearly cursed. You were covered in the white fur that Fluttershy had just attempted to prevent against. It was all over your shirt and legs, and you were already trying to make an attempt to brush it off with your hands.
You shouldn't have let Angel hop on you like that, but how could you have known that this was going to happen? The strange occurrence had happened in the manner of a split second and without warning.
You stood up and continued to brush off the white fur while cursing under your breath. Nothing ends well for you it seems. Eventually, in haze of fur and anger you nearly tripped and fell into the stream, only just barely being saved by the magical aid of Twilight.
You fell to the ground instead, grumbling. Eventually this was followed by giggles, which escalated into full on laughter. You didn't even want to get back up after that little fiasco. Instead, you laid there, with your face in the grass.
To your dismay, you felt a small mass once again hopping onto you, this time it was your back. You couldn't do anything, though; and you just simply laid there as you felt the bunny run up and down your back until he finally tuckered out and fell on your back in a similar manner as the way you were laying on the grass.
“I think that's enough for now..” Fluttershy said, gesturing for Angel to get off of your back. He stuck his tongue out in protest, but did as he was told, enabling you to push yourself up and look yourself over one last time.
You still had plenty of fur on your clothes, but that was going to have to wait for now. Still, it was a T-shirt of your favorite band and you weren't too happy about this one being treated as so. Then again, you can't believe it survived your entire adventure so far in the first place.
“We can probably get Rarity to make you some new clothing, since you seem so fond of wearing yours all the time.” Twilight said, looking you up and down, still trying not to laugh.
“If I could just wash the ones I got...” you muttered. But were reminded of the state that would put you in if you were to wash your clothes without having another set to fall back onto for the time being. “That actually sounds nice.” You finally said.
“Well good! Now we have somewhere to go again. Would you like to come along, Fluttershy?”
“I-I suppose.. It's always nice to see Rarity.”
“Now that that's settled, we should probably get going.. You know.. you do look a bit scruffy, but I like it.” She said with an examining eye. You weren't sure she knew what she was saying at this point, but you took the compliment nonetheless.
You crossed the bridge with your new found friends, who just happened to be two colorful ponies that you enjoyed watching every Saturday morning. You were going to be prepared this time if another attack happened, you weren't going to go down the same way again.