//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 - Exiled // Story: The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds // by Kamahido //------------------------------// Arc and Scootaloo fly out the other end of the portal as it closes. Scootaloo looks around, confused before turning to Arc. “Where… are we?” “Earth.” Dinky giggles as she walks towards them. “Yup! I can’t wait to have fingers and toes again!” “What are those?” Derpy smiles as she helps Scootaloo up. “Something that Arc has instead of hooves, dear.” Sereb looks around before speaking. “We should get inside though.” Arc nods. “Agreed. It’s a bit chilly out here today.” They head for the house. Arc reaches for his ring and pulls out his keys. Opening the door he steps aside to let them enter. Scootaloo looks around nervously. “This place is so big!” Dinky grins. “I said the same thing my first time too.” Derpy turns to Arc. “A bit cool in here.” “Yeah. I’ll get the furnace going.” Sereb turns to Arc. “Shall we change your family back into their human forms now, Arc?” “One sec. Heat first, big guy.” Flicking a switch on the thermostat, Arc steps back. A few moments later warm air blows up through the vents as he turns to the others. “Okay. Now let’s head upstairs and do the transformation thing.” Leading the way Arc takes everyone to his parent’s room. Heading for the closet he pulls out a sheet and turns to Derpy. “Here you go.” “Thank you, Arc.” Dinky runs into the room levitating two sets of clothes. “What about Scootaloo and I, dad?!” “Let’s try this.” Pulling his magic cloak from his ring, Arc drapes it over Dinky before pulling out the navy blue one for Scootaloo. “What’s this for?” Arc chuckles as he puts the cloak over her. “For after the transformation.” “I don’t get it.” Dinky giggles. “You will!” Stepping behind the fillies, Arc motions for Derpy to kneel down with him. “Let’s see if we can do this in one shot, Sereb.” “Very well.” Returning to his normal form, Sereb charges up his magic and casts the spell. In short order Derpy, Dinky, and Scootaloo transform into humans. Scootaloo gasps as she looks at Dinky. “What happened to you?!” Arc looks at her. “The same thing that happened to you, Scootaloo. Now then, I’ll let you get dressed with Derpy and Dinky.” “We’ll take care of her, Arc.” “Yeah, dad!” Arc nods. “I’ll wait in the hall.” He leaves with Sereb. Derpy walks over to the bed and allows the sheet to fall onto it before heading for the closet. Scootaloo gasp at the sight of her new body. “M-miss Derpy?!” Derpy turns to look at the little girl. “Yes?” “What… what ARE we?!” “Humans. Now, I know this might be hard to understand, but this is what we need to look like while here on Earth.” Dinky nods. “That and walking is going to be a bit harder.” “Walking?” Dinky smiles. “On two legs. Like this.” Standing up, Dinky allows her robe to fall to the floor. Taking a few steps, she twirls nimbly before facing Scootaloo. “You look different too! But not like your mom though.” Dinky points to her mother’s chest. “Yeah. Mom’s an adult, so she has breasts.” Derpy giggles slightly as she puts on her bra. “You will too someday, dear. That is, if you stay here on Earth. Now then, how about I help you onto the bed, Scootaloo?” “I can do it myself.” Standing shakily, she attempts to walk but falls to the floor. Derpy walks over to her and kneels down. “Can I help you now?” Scootaloo shakes her head. “No thanks.” Getting to her hands and knees, Scootaloo crawls to the bed and hefts herself up onto it. Sitting, she looks down at her new body. “I… just can’t seem to understand how I’m… what’s Big Brother again?” Dinky smiles at her. “A human.” “And now I am too?” Derpy puts a hand on Scootaloo’s shoulder. “Only on the outside. In your heart, you’re still you.” Dinky nods as she points to the clothes she brought. “Yeah. These are for you though.” “What for?” Derpy gestures to the clothes. “Humans have to stay somewhat covered.” Scootaloo sighs. “Fine. What do I need to do?” Dinky picks up a pair of panties. “We start with these. They cover your filly parts. It’s really important.” “But I’ve never had to cover them up before. How will I pee?!” Derpy smiles. “You can pull them down before sitting on the toilet.” Scootaloo groans. “This is going to take some getting used to.” Dinky grins. “We’ll help you!” “Thanks.” Dinky sits down next to the little girl. “Now then, just do as I do.” She picks up a pair of jeans and pulls them over her legs. “Keep going until your feet stick out the holes at the bottom. Like this.” “Okay.” “Now you have to zip it up and fasten the button.” Dinky demonstrates as Scootaloo follows along. “Now we have to put on a shirt.” Scootaloo points to Derpy. “What about that other thing?” Dinky appears confused. “Huh?” “That gadget your mom’s wearing under her shirt.” Derpy shakes her head. “This is called a ‘bra’. It’s only for mares.” Dinky lifts her shirt. “I’m not wearing one either.” “Okay. Anything else to put on?” Derpy sighs. “Probably some socks. It’s not exactly the warmest here now.” “Socks?” Dinky looks down at her feel. “They keep your toes warm.” “Toes?” Derpy nods as she touches the little girl’s feet. “These little things here are toes. They can get cold easily though, so we wear these.” She carefully slips a pair of socks over Scootaloo’s feet. “There. Now you’re dressed.” Dinky shakes her head. “Not completely. There’s also ‘shoes’. But we usually only wear those when going outside. Extra protection for the feet.” “What about my other feet?” Derpy appears confused. “Other…?” Scootaloo holds up her hands. “These.” Dinky grins. “Only during winter. They make socks for hands called ‘mittens’.” “And winter’s coming, isn’t it?” Derpy shakes her head. “Not for a while yet. But the house is warm, and we have Arc here to protect us.” “Big Brother’s good at that.” Dinky looks to the door. “Yeah. You ready to show him how nice you look?” “I guess so.” Standing, Scootaloo again attempts to walk. Taking a couple steps, she quickly falls to the floor yet again. Dinky moves to help her up, but Scootaloo waves her away. Crawling to the door, she pulls herself up with the aid of the doorknob. Turning it, she opens the door to see Arc and Sereb waiting for her patiently. “Hey there.” “H-hi, Big Brother.” Sereb frowns. “Everything go alright?” “Mostly. I kinda feel like I’m trapped in these clothes though.” Dinky looks to her father. “We could get her a dress, dad.” “I suppose. But it’s kinda cool for that now.” “Is there something wrong with how I’m dressed?” Arc shakes his head. “No, Scootaloo. Dinky was just suggesting that you might be more comfortable in something else.” “Oh. Um… do I look okay though?” “Yes, you look very nice. But your posture is a bit off.” Derpy sighs. “She’s having trouble walking, Arc.” “I’ll figure it out though!” Letting go of the doorknob, she takes a few unsteady steps toward Arc. Stumbling, he rushes forward to catch her. “I got you!” “Thanks, Big Brother.” “Why don’t we go downstairs and I’ll help you learn to walk like a human?” Dinky giggles. “My dad taught mon and I how to walk. I’m sure he can do the same for you.” “I’ll certainly do my best.” Picking Scootaloo up, Arc carries her downstairs as Derpy and Dinky follow along with Sereb bringing up the rear. Sitting her down on the couch, he pulls her socks off. She appears confused. “Big Brother? What are you doing?” “It’ll be easier for you to learn without these on.” Dinky nods. “Yeah. They’re kinda slippery.” Derpy sits down on the couch with Dinky. “We’ll be here for emotional support.” Arc spends the next hour teaching the little girl the basics of walking as his family watches from the couch. Taking a few steps away as Scootaloo holds on to an end table he kneels and holds out his arms. “Okay, let’s try again. Just take it one step at a time as slowly as you need to.” “I’ll try.” Taking a deep breath, Scootaloo lets go of the table. Shakily putting one foot in front of the other, she carefully takes a step. Repositioning her other foot, the little girl does her best to stay balanced. Derpy and Dinky call out from their places on the sofa. “Just like that!” “You’re doing it!” Breathing heavily, Scootaloo looks down at her feet as she moves to take another step. Sereb nods approvingly. “Keep at it, little one.” Making another step, she stumbles but is able to recover before wrapping her arms around Arc’s neck and grinning. “I did it!” “Very good!” Dinky smiles. “I knew you could!” Derpy giggles. “You learned faster than I did.” “What should I do next, Big Brother?” “Just keep doing what you’re doing. Practice makes perfect, after all. Before long you’ll be running and jumping.” “I hope so. Um…” “Something wrong?” Scootaloo nods. “Kinda. I’m a bit hungry.” Dinky gasps. “We forgot to eat breakfast!” Sereb sighs. “I thought we’d get that at the castle.” Arc looks at the clock. “It’s almost noon already.” Derpy turns to Arc. “Should we cook something?” “Admittedly, we can’t.” “Why not, dad?” “No fresh food in the fridge or freezer. I made sure we ate it all before our last mission.” Derpy appears nervous. “What should we do then?” “I’ll order a pizza.” Scootaloo grins. “Pizza? Like what we ate at your base?” Arc nods. “Yup. Let me make a call.” Picking up the receiver, Arc dials a number. After talking to someone on the other end for a few moments he hangs up and turns to the others. “It should be here in about forty-five minutes.” Scootaloo raises an eyebrow. “Somepony’s going to bring it here?” Dinky nods. “Yeah. But we should probably teach you a few things about talking.” Scootaloo frowns. “I know my voice is a little scratchy! But I was born that way!” Sereb shakes his head. “She means specific words.” “What?” Derpy smiles at her. “For starters, you can’t say things like ‘somepony’ or ‘anypony’ here.” Dinky nods. “Or refer to someone like my mom as a ‘mare’.” Arc chuckles. “Right. Instead it’s ‘someone’ or ‘anyone’. And rather than call someone a mare, you would say ‘woman’. Oh! That and you aren’t a filly here, but rather a ‘girl’. Dinky clears her throat. “For example, ‘has anyONE seen my mom’.” Derpy nods. “Or ‘you’re a pretty young girl’.” Arc turns to Scootaloo again. “There’s a few other words that are different here, of course. But I’ll go over them with you as they come up.” “This is all very confusing.” “What should we call Scootaloo though, dad?” Scootaloo frowns. “How about by my name?” “Dinky means that you need a human name. ‘Scootaloo’ would raise suspicion.” “I’m called ‘Dawn’.” Dinky giggles. “And my dad picked out ‘Daisy’ for me.” Scootaloo tilts her head to one side. “Those are strange names.” She turns to Sereb. “What about you?” “No change.” Arc nods. “On Earth, naming a pet something out of the ordinary is pretty common. Well, other than Sereb, that is. Now then, let’s see…” He looks Scootaloo up and down silently for a few moments before grinning. “How did you like being called the ‘Scarlet Filly’?” “It was really cool! Can I go by that?!” Arc shakes his head. “We could shorten it to just ‘Scarlet’. It’s not the most common human name out there, mind you. But no one would start asking questions about it. Are you okay with that, Scootaloo?” “Yup! Just call me ‘Scarlet’!” Dinky smiles. “We can do that.” Derpy nods. “It’s a very pretty name.” Arc offers her a thumbs up. “‘Scarlet’ it is then.” Sometime later there is a knock at the door. Scootaloo appears confused. “Who could that be?” Dinky grins excitedly. “Our pizza.” Arc stands. “I’ll get it.” Walking to the door, he opens it to find Jackal standing there holding a pizza box. Sereb stands and growls. “Here your… hey! It’s you!” “Uh… hi.” “You boss’ friend, right?! Yeah! The one with the doggie!” Arc nods. “Yeah.” “He gonna be SO happy you back! Can I pet the doggie?!” “Maybe another time. Tell Frank I’ll stop by the old base this evening at dusk to see him.” “Okays! You take pizza!” “Thanks. Um… here’s the money.” “Thanking you! Enjoy that!” The large man turns and hurries back to an old looking car idling in the driveway. Arc watches him drive away before turning to head inside with his pizza. Dinky looks to her father as he returns. “Who was that, dad?” “Jackal. He’s one of the Shards.” Sereb frowns. “All muscle and no brains, that one.” Derpy groans. “You don’t suppose they’re causing trouble again, do you?!” Arc furrows his brow. “They better not be.” Dinky grins wickedly. “If so, do you think the Hero of Light will take care of them again?” Arc shakes his head as he sets the pizza on the table. “No. But if they’re up to their old tricks, regular old Arc will.” “Want a hoof with that, Big Brother?!” “Want a HAND with that, Scootaloo. And I think I can handle them.” “You sure, dad?” Arc nods. “Yes, Dinky. If necessary I can talk Frank into keeping them on a tighter leash.” Derpy appears nervous. “Would he listen though?” “He knows who I really am, AND what I’m capable of. So, I’d say it’s a… definite maybe.” “I should come too then, Big Brother.” “Now, Scootaloo…” “We’re a team!” “This is a bit more than you’re used to.” “They can’t be worse than that gang we took out in Dodge Junction!” Dinky giggles. “You might want to take her and Sereb with you dad.” Derpy nods. “Agreed. They’re both well-versed in combat from what you’ve told us.” “Yes, well… I suppose I could do that. But we’ll have another ace up our sleeves.” Scootaloo grins. “I think I know just what you mean.” “But if you want to come, you have to learn how to properly walk, Scootaloo.” “No problem, Big Brother! But don’t you mean, ‘Scarlet’?” Arc chuckles. “I suppose I do. Let’s see if we can keep that level of detail up this evening though.” Sereb puts a paw in front of his face. “And now I’m worried…”