I wasn’t average, I never knew what average was until I went to college. At the time, it all seemed so nice, so relaxing, and it was right. Not the college thing, or the average thing either. It’s what happened when I began to write something one day. What happened that one day changed my entire life. You see, it all began when the most peculiar guests visited me…
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“Now Pinkie, can you see the window now?” Twilight looked to her friend with vested interest. The last time she had hooked the party pony up to this machine it was to try to figure out her “Pinkie Sense.” This time Twilight had invited her friends to the vested attempt to find out something about Pinkie Pie. Everypony was concerned once Pinkie was getting Lyra interested in the alleged window she was able to see. Each was strange enough on their own, but together they could cause a major incident if even one pony were to believe them about this thing.
“No only some text forming in frame,” Pinkie replied as the machine began to spit out unusual information. “Hey, whoever it is they’re talking about Lyra!”
“Alright everypony, I’m going to try the spell so we can see what Pinkie’s seeing.”
At the time, I was unaware of Twilight’s master plan. All I was thinking about was writing a fanfic, not what happened next. A sudden electrical surge echoed across my screen and then I saw it, saw them staring at me. “Well,” I continued to stare at the blinking ponies, “this is awkward.” In my defense, it was taking all of my willpower not to panic. I was being a fair sport about it too, trying to delude the fact that I was staring at six ponies and a baby dragon. I didn’t have the best of fuel to maintain this delusion. Too many sleepless nights working and copious amounts of energy drinks were already eating away at what could pass for my attention.
After a few moments of silence and a very confusing staring contest between eight pairs of eyes, most being pony eyes, a second surge echoed across my screen. After that, I wasn’t exactly sure what happened but something yellow was covering my face. I know my chair hit the floor, I heard it, and I could also feel the lump on the back of my head; I couldn’t tell much else. All that helped me was the sense of pain and a very small crack of light in the periphery of my left eye.
I heard a squeal and the field of yellow moved out of my way, but not before allowing me to catch a glimpse at the three pink butterflies on it. After trying to figure out what happened I looked to see a large machine in my living room, something that wasn’t there before. “I’m sorry, but I’m with a client or otherwise indisposed right now. Please leave your name, number, and a preferred time for me to get back to you.” That was all I could say to stave off the confusion, panic, considerable urge to scream at the top of my lungs, and that I had Fluttershy on top of me a few seconds ago. It was cold and monotone, matching my deadpan stare; clearly not the best first impression.
“Takin’ this pretty good sugarcube?” Applejack’s voice seemed to snap some sense back into my mind. It allowed confusion to settle back and give some expression to my face.
“He’s taking this good,” Rainbow Dash screamed, “I’m surprised anypony’s taking this good! I’m shocked at how well Fluttershy’s taking this.” She pointed a hoof to the hyperventilating yellow pegasus curled up behind Rarity.
“Don’t worry,” I said, my face still chalk white. “I’m just in shock. I can show something more than confusion after I can pull myself together.” Slowly I sat up so I could look at my company better.
That had done it. It riled Fluttershy’s attention enough for her to snap out of her worry on instinct. “There now,” her voice was soft and motherly as she rubbed my back softly. “Just take a few deep breaths and get up when you feel like you can.” I have to admit, she snapped to it faster than I could imagine but I could feel her shaking hoof as she rubbed my back. Fluttershy, despite her fear, was displaying considerable willpower in order to ease everyone’s combination of confusion and alarm.
I couldn’t think past the soft words reaching my ear though. I took a few deep breaths and stood up. “Could I interest anyone in a cup of tea?” Tea always helped me and making some for everyone would help me out more than anything else at the moment.
A smile greeted me from Fluttershy, now looking up to me. “Oh, yes please. Let me help you, I’m sure we all could use something to drink right now.” I moved towards the kitchen, a three and a half foot tall yellow and pink pegasus following me closely.
*****
After we reached the kitchen, I filled the kettle and set it on the oven. “So, did Pinkie do something or do I have Twilight to blame for this unusual turn of events?” I tried to remain calm. If I learned anything about Fluttershy, it was to remain calm at all times. While quick to startle, she was mostly even-tempered and was, in my opinion, the mildest among the ‘Mane Six’.
“There’s some fault with all of us. That is if you wanted to know what it was.” I heard a brief click as she gently kicked a hoof along the floor.
I just nodded, doing my best to show some level of understanding; I could get the whole story later. “Will anyone, err anypony, want sugar Fluttershy?”
She backed away a little when I said her name. “I would like some, two scoops please. I think Rarity may want some as well. Do you want me go and ask them?”
“Please do and thank you for helping me compose myself. I really needed that helping… um… hoof.” I didn’t notice her blush before she left. I simply waited for the water to come to a boil and flip through a thick index of herbal mixtures.
“Let’s see… panic, panic, I know it’s in here… ah, panic attacks.” I opened a large box fastened to the wall to reveal several containers, each labeled with a different herb. “I’ll need one teaspoon of dried lavender and three teaspoons chamomile.” I measured out the two carefully and closed the box up. I’ll need more chamomile soon, no doubt I’ll need to make a lot more of this blend.
*****
“He’s taking things better overall than I expected,” said Twilight, her face was showing what her tone was trying to hide, her alarm. She was busy unhooking Pinkie from her machine, trying to keep herself occupied with the simple process by taking it slowly.
“Darling, he was just looking for a reason to leave us.” Rarity told her in a harsh tone. She too was trying not to display her fear. She was at least succeeding far better than Twilight.
“C’mon Rare,” Rainbow was trying to sound supportive. “He’s doing well for having a half dozen ponies popping up outta nowhere.”
“Yeah, if I were in his hooves I’d be screaming and having a super massive panic attack!” Everyone turned to look at Pinkie Pie. Oddly enough, the party pony was disturbingly calm about everything.
“Shoot Pinkie Ah suppose you read mah mind there,” Applejack was also being supportive.
“Um girls,” Fluttershy said as she returned, “who would like sugar in their tea?”
“Three scoops for me,” chirped the party pony.
“None for me Fluttershy,” replied Twilight as she worked on unhooking Pinkie to the machine.
“Me neither,” added Rainbow.
“A little milk if at all possible dear,” said Rarity.
“None fer me Fluttershy,” stated Applejack.
All eyes were on Spike now. “Two scoops please.” A scowl on Twilight’s face made him wince. “I’m sorry, I-I mean one.”
*****
Shortly after Fluttershy returned, so too did I with everyone’s drink. “Please ladies, Spike, take a seat.” I put my computer chair up and sat there. “I’m sorry Rarity but I couldn't add milk to your tea.”
“But why,” she asked in an overly dramatic whine.
“I chose to favor a specific herbal blend. Much like how everyone else has honey instead of sugar, it conflicts with the blend and it’s traditional application.”
“And what is that exactly,” Twilight asked curiously.
“To alleviate anxiety and stress. Now then, what brings all of you to this side of the screen?”
“Oh,” Pinkie had her hoof in the air, waving it like a ten-year old trying to get some attention.
I gave her a gentle nod of my head and took a sip of the very soothing blend.
“See, Twilight hooked me up to this machine again,” she pointed to the mad scientist contraption, “and tried to figure out what I was staring at. I tried to explain to everypony that I saw this screen every week in Ponyville. Only Lyra seemed to take it in any serious stride. Then, when I saw it again after being hooked up Twilight cast some weird spell-”
“The third eye spell,” muttered an agitated Twilight.
“-so they could see what I saw but something must have been wrong since we’re all here now.” She finished, completely ignoring Twilight’s correction. Each word she said with her all too familiar unwavering smile. That one you can’t help but smile with when you see it.
“Of course,” I exclaimed with a devilish smirk and liberal doses of sarcasm, “that makes perfect sense.” I calmly took another sip of tea and recomposed myself. “To Pinkie at least, of course the rest of us would be a little confused somewhere along the way. No offense Pinkie, but I think I speak for everyone when I say that we don’t always understand you.”
“That’s okay silly, I don’t understand myself all the time.”
“Regardless of why everyone’s here, I think my home can fit all of you. As long as long as everyone doesn’t mind sharing a room then I think we have enough room.”
“You sure it’s all right sugarcube? We don’ want to be intruding.” Applejack’s voice rang with a very modest concern. Right then, it made my skin crawl.
“No it’s fine,” I politely lied. I enjoyed my solitude sometimes and Pinkie Pie alone would probably begin to drive me up the walls within the week. “My parents left me this house. We can’t raise our voices too loud or be too rowdy because of my neighbors. Is everyone ok with that?” Seven heads nodded. “Alright then, everyone finish your tea and I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping while we try to get you all back home.”
“If you don’t mind,” Twilight broke the silence while we all drank. “Could we see what you see when you look into our world?”
I smiled. “In the morning Twilight, I promise.” Well, unless I have the opportunity to sleep in, I added silently. Sometimes it was my guilty pleasure to just say ‘screw it’ and snooze until three and after some nights I needed it.
*****
After showing everyone around my home, I showed them all to their rooms. I was left an old house fit for a large family. Four bedrooms in total, two on the second floor and two on the third. To keep things simple that meant two to a room, as long as there were no complaints. “So, is there anyone who wants to preferably be with anyone else?”
“If you don’t mind, could Spike stay with you?” Twilight sounded like the calm voice of reason. Either that or she wanted to play chaperone. Despite her motives she seemed more herself now. I may follow it but I don't exactly trust the ‘Ancient Chinese Secret’ schtick. That just means I didn't trust it being the tea though.
“Twilight, you want some time away from Spike right?” A curt nod from the lavender unicorn was all I got for a reply. “Okay Spike, we’ll take the room at the end of the hall then. My brother might not like it, but we’ll take his room.”
Spike merely looked up at me, a helpless look in his eyes. “He won’t like it?”
“That’s right, but he’s on a different continent right now, well at least his last letter said that he was. He won’t have leave for a good three months, so we can worry about it then.” America worked my little brother hard, but he claimed to enjoy it. “He’s got bunk beds so go ahead and pick whichever one you want.”
“Alright then,” and off the baby dragon went.
“I have to finish some work downstairs. Can I count on the rest of you to pick a bedroom?”
“You sure as sugar can,” replied Applejack. “Ah hope you get ta bed soon though. Can’t have you sleep all day.”
“My name’s Alex. I can’t have everyone just saying ‘you’ all the time.” I took a deep breath and smiled. “Good night everypony,” I added cheerfully before I went back downstairs. It felt weird at first to say everypony. For a moment, as I stepped off the staircase, I realized something. I liked saying it. Despite it probably destroying my grammar, it felt right.
*****
The minutes seemed to go by slowly, until I saw the clock and noticed that it was now pushing two in the morning. I had returned to my computer, the very short fanfic, if three sentences counted as fan fiction. The basis of a story had been saved and, in its place, there was a notice about files being transferred from one drive to another. Since one, the notice has said that there was an estimated time of thirty minutes left. The entire time…
It started as a hobby, but I was taking to the occasional file recovery and frequent computer repair simply enough. The annoying parts were all the waiting for files to finish or parts to come in, and clients coming in to pick them up. Ads were all over downtown, in the newspaper, on local sites, the works but it didn’t stop the work from going slowly. I mostly worked at home and met with my clients to formalize exactly what they wanted before doing anything for them. I had fair rates and did a good job.
After the tenth cup of coffee, not to mention the two Monsters and one of those five-hour energy bottles, I was sure that sleeping at the computer was going to be my fate that night. I had everypony head to bed around eleven and I was dead tired from restraining my reflex to completely lose it halfway between a freak out and a fangasm. It didn’t stop me from making sure everything went as planned on the computer, or the awkward nudging of a cyan hoof.
“Um, I just wanted you to know Fluttershy’s stopped crying Alex.” Rainbow looked like she was trying her hardest to look tough enough to cope with the situation. “She’s worried about everything.”
Just about all I could do in my excessively sleepy haze was smile and look down at her. “She finally broke down then?”
“Uh huh. Applejack and I managed to get her into bed then she just started crying into a pillow and everyone tried to let her have a little space.”
“She’s scared, away from all her animals, in a whole different world, and in some stranger’s home. If I was in her place I’d be scared too.”
“Yeah,” she replied with a dismissive wave of a hoof.
“Rainbow, it’s just us down here. You can tell me if something’s bothering you.” I wasn’t asking for her to just break down, cry, and spill out her soul. I just wanted her to speak her mind without having to show her usual bravado.
She recoiled, her wings flared and a determined look in her eyes. “I don’t think it’s your fault if you think that’s bothering me.”
I had no energy for an argument so I just droned on in a passive analytical tone. “You want to blame someone and would feel bad if you blamed one of your friends right?”
Rainbow looked like she was on the verge of crying, but it just never came as she nodded at me.
“Nobody’s at fault, not really at least. Rainbow Dash, sometimes things just happen. Then again, I’ve never seen anything this strange happen before but that’s not the point.” I managed to get a feeble smile from her. “I know it looks boring but this is what I do for a living.”
“You help other ponies with gateways?”
I gave a feeble chuckle, the concept of no computers in Equestria seemed too fitting to me. “No, I help people keep their computers working, I can explain later if you want. Anyways, it’s boring work but it pays the bills.” I slipped out of my chair, got onto my knees and gave her a hug. I didn’t want to do something like invade her space, but I still wanted to show that I wanted to be comforting. “Don’t worry I’m sure we’ll get you all back soon. In the meantime I’d really like to be friends with everyone.”
The cyan pegasus smiled and sniffled as she returned the hug as best as she could. “That’d be great. And thanks for cheering me up a little.”
This is a good start, I thought. Then again, something in all of this should bite me in the ass eventually. “My pleasure Rainbow, I want to help you all as best I can. Now, run along to bed this should be done soon.”
“Can I just wait a little more Alex?” As I nodded, she smiled as broadly as she could and nudged a chair over to my side.
A short while later, if three thirty could really be considered ‘short,’ I was carrying her up to her room, tucking her in next to a still sniffling Fluttershy. After kissing Fluttershy gently on the cheek and wiping a tear from her eye, I left them and went down to my brother’s old room; falling asleep almost at the very instant I made contact with the mattress.
For now, they were under my watch. As Celestia as my witness, I was going to keep an eye on these little ponies as best as I could. After all, I could be responsible. This wouldn’t be responsible in a ‘taking care of a pet’ way, but more of a ‘I have guests foreign to the area’ way.
Even in my slumber I knew that eventually they would leave. I didn't care if I would get close to any of them though. Sadness and joy are parts of life and I felt like I wouldn't really be alive without getting to know them somewhere along the lines.