//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: You Have Mail // Story: Ask Stickmin // by Dragonfire2lm //------------------------------// This is a story about a man named Henry. Wait, we did this joke already. Henry Stickmin (not to be confused with Henry Stickman), plodded down the streets of a rural village with thatch roofed, brightly coloured houses, eye-catching flowerbeds, and all manner of colourful ponies walking the street. Henry had, after suddenly appearing in this technicolor world, escaped from the authorities and snuck aboard a train to end up here. He wasn't sure where here was exactly but, he'd made himself a simple camp in a forest outside of town. The other forest that lay on the town border was a bit too foreboding, even for him- No Henry, we're avoiding the murder forest. Henry had a tent, he bought food from the market when he needed it, and spent most of his free time reading books he'd "borrowed" from the tree-library to try and decipher the written language. He couldn't, but it gave him something to do until he came up with a new plan, or found a map. Whichever happened first. As Henry walked, the local ponies gave him a wide berth, or ran from him, not that he minded. He'd been able to earn a reputation as the strange thing that camped outside the town, as no one recognized him as the person that stole from the large white castle he'd first appeared in. Henry had snuck back in to return what he'd stolen after realizing it was practically worthless since he had no way to sell it, and it would only serve to get him caught if he was found with it. It was a shame but despite his love for shiny objects, he'd been around the block enough times to know when to change tactics. He'd settled for pickpocketing and scavenging the streets for what meager amount of money he could find. His black turtleneck and grey pants kept him warm despite the nippy spring day as he headed into the post office and pulled out a small bag of the local currency. He... paused? Henry? You need help buddy? He nodded, half-heartedly gesturing at the counter and the blonde pegasus mare sitting behind it. After his confirmation, the world froze, Henry merely blinked as everything stopped, frozen in time. With no pressure to immediately act, Henry could take the time to think, to get his bearings in order to handle the first major obstacle in his new life in this world. Communication. Speaking was a struggle, the words caught in his throat or simply wouldn't come, nor could he write the local script, and his efforts at using sign language had been for naught as the ponies simply had no clue what he was doing. Henry looked around the post office in the hopes of finding something he could use to get his point across. A bulletin board on the wall caught his eye. Flyers and notices were pinned to it, many of which had visual indicators of their contents. He made an noise in contemplation and spotted what looked at advertisement, it featured a cartoony drawing of a letter. He grabbed the advert and headed over to the counter as time resumed. "What can I do for you?" the bubbly mare behind the counter asked and Henry showed her the flyer. "You're interested in renting out a post office box?" He nodded. Henry snuck into the library feeling better than he had in days, the key to his new PO box tucked away in his pant pocket. His good mood was broken by the sound of hooves on wooden flooring as the library's equine resident made a mad dash towards him. He'd been careful to avoid the unicorn in his previous trips to the library, sneaking in to read when she and the small dragon she lived with left, or reading by candlelight in the dead of night when they were asleep. In his success at the post office, he'd forgotten she was home. "Wait, please! I just want to ask you a few questions," She said as Henry turned around to leave out the same window he'd entered. With one leg swung over the windowsill, he looked back at her warily. She took that as sign he'd listen and continued. "Who are you? What are you? I've seen you around Ponyville and I've heard nothing but rumors. Where do you live? Are there others like you?" Henry looked at her, bewildered as she paused for breath. After a moment, he realized she was expecting an answer, and he pointed at his throat and shook his head. "...You can't talk?" the unicorn guessed and Henry shrugged. It was the best she was going to get. Undeterred, the purple pony's horn glowed as she levitated over a quill and a piece of parchment. "Well, you could always write your answers-" She was cut off as Henry grabbed the offered writing implements and quickly scrawled out a sentence in English and handed it back to her. She blinked owlishly, staring at the parchment for a few seconds as she tried to process what he;s written. "This, this isn't Ponish..." She trailed off, looking up at him as he shrugged once more. Her grow creased in thought as she muttered. "You can't talk, can't write, but you can understand me correct?" He nodded and the mare smiled, a determined look in her eyes as she walked further into the building. "I can teach you Ponish, that way we can establish two-way communication! Oh, do you have somewhere to stay?" She looked over her shoulder at him and Henry hesitantly nodded as he extracted himself from the window and trailed after the pony. He wasn't sure what to make of her, but he wouldn't pass on the opportunity to actually learn one of the skills he knew he'd need in order to live here. The unicorn was oblivious to his cautiousness. "You're more than welcome to stay here if you want. Spike and I are the only ones that live here and we have plenty of room for you if you'd like." Henry shook his head, as tempting as it was to have a roof over his head, he'd make do with camp until he could afford his own lodgings. And if were honest with himself, he didn't want to risk the pony finding out about his criminal activity, her offer was genuine, but the thief knew how easy it was for people to change their tune. No matter how many times he'd thought he'd finally found a place to belong, it was ripped out from beneath him. "Alright, the offer still stands," the mare said. "Why don't you take a seat and we can get started." A week later, Henry stood in front of his brand new post office box. Twilight, the unicorn hellbent on establishing communication with him, had helped him put an ad in the local newspaper in the hopes he could find some work. He'd included the address of the PO box as well, so the locals (or anyone really, work was work) wouldn't have to go looking for him out in the woods. Apparently, he had mail.