“Yes, I’m looking for my niece. Her name is Gloomy Sonnet and she is just a little filly.” The cyan unicorn relayed to the concerned and attentive Zephyr Heights’ guard-pony. “She ran away from Bridlewood with this disreputable creature… he was half pony from the barrel down… the top half was some kind of… creature? With fingers? Like in that video game…”
“Well, ma’am,” the guard responded, “If you could give us a description of the filly, we can send an alert across the network. Anypony who spots her could relay their location to the guards. I just need to get your name one more time for the report, ma’am.”
“Untitled Duet, officer. Thank you so very much.” The cyan unicorn flashed a disarming smile. “Though I prefer Madame to ma’am, if it’s all the same, sir.”
“Of course Madame Duet.” The guard nodded. “We will keep you updated. I’m sure your niece will be returned safe and sound. The pegasi of Zephyr Heights take these notifications seriously. We are a law abiding city.”
-=-=-=-=-
"One thing." Back hopped from one rock to the next, easily ascending the mountain with wing-assisted jumps. "Can you do anything?"
"Anything?" David was using clever human fingers to grasp and pull along, a form of cheating in another guise. "I doubt anything."
Joypad was riding the disc. She was not above a cheat when available. "But where is the limit. That's a fair question. Teleporting didn't work."
It had not… No matter how much he focused on the spot, they did not move. "I don't have a better answer." He hauled himself up onto the next platform with a heaving gasp. "Only practice will tell me that. Wait… Idea."
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking, Pinkie?” Gloomy grinned, before shuffling her hooves nervously. “Sorry it’s an in-joke with Charlie. I think it might be a reference to something?”
"But where can we get that much fondue on such short notice?" David chuckled softly with the received reference. "Seriously, just thinking that, I dunno, it's a range thing. Too far outside of me. So…" He turned instead to an old envisioning, the Internal Dwarves. Powered by his own will and, in theory, his own magic, he woke them up from their idle work. Was it actually helping? Well, he was climbing still.
“If I could fly, I'd live in the sky.” Gloomy chanted as her little hooves beat their rhythm on the way up the path. “I come from ‘why’, and obviously… You. Do. Too.”
Joypad thrust a hoof forward. "Onwards, good steed." That she was more of a traditional steed than the human drawing the disc she was floating on entirely escaped her. "We're almost there!"
“You know?” Gloomy Sonnet continued her monotone chant as they ascended the mountain in playful hops. “You never know yourself… All the years you lived you could be someone else.”
"That a song you know?" The climbing stopped as he reached a still steep but walkable part of things. They were coming on the outskirts of the city, a suburbs really. "Welcome to Zephyr Heights."
"Good to be home!" Back Story giddily pranced in place a moment. "And I get to explain where I've been…"
As they entered the city, conversations seemed to halt as they passed and all the phones pointed in their direction, just then they all received a message on their cell phones. “Be on the lookout for a human-like creature in the company of a pegasi mare, an earth pony mare, and a gray unicorn filly. Please report any sightings to the Zephyr Heights’ Guard. Thank you, Citizen!”
David fished out his chiming phone to find the message. "Well, dang. Would Pegasoft put out an ABP on me? We should head that way to stop them freaking out more than they already have."
Joy leaped down from the disc, walking along the road. "Probably a good idea."
Suddenly David’s phone rang, at a glance he could see it wasn’t any of the ponies he had exchanged contacts with, as most of them were walking along with him.
An unknown number in an unknown world. David wagged the chiming device at his friends. "Are spam calls a thing? Kinda has to be that, or a wrong number. Not many other options."
Joy shook her head. "I'm new to the phone thing, and it wasn't me. Also what's spam?"
"Sounds tasty for some reason." Back Story was otherwise clueless about it. "Odd."
A different tone sounded and a text notification appeared.
"Way less commitment." David had no urge to answer random calls, but a random text could at least be viewed without harm. He brought the message up.
David, it’s Ki. Answer yer damn phone!
David’s phone rang again.
Boop, Beep. David answered directly to speaker phone. "Kai?"
“Gods of hell! Dude. We just got high enough to get an actual cell signal.” The doll's hoarse voice had an almost panicked edge. “OC’s social media is blowing up, and you’re all over it. What did you do while I was gone? It’s been less than a week and you're a satyr, Gloomy is like ten years old, and I think you have a pony amber alert out you. Like seriously. Whisky! Tango! Foxtrot!”
"Are you done?" Even as the ranting went on, David casually saved the contact to his phone for later recognition. "She's an adult and can do what she wants. We're headed to Pegasoft, but this isn't about me." He held out the phone towards Gloomy. "Pretty sure you have something to add."
“Charlie is that you?!?!” Gloomies voice broke in excitement that quickly took an angry edge. “And you called David before you called me? I know the pony you're with has my number. She sent me an email telling us she’d found you.”
“I called David because your phone is almost definitely being monitored by the guard… damn, actually so is David’s. Dammit I should have called Joy, she’s a random earth pony… but I only bothered to learn yours and David’s numbers…” The doll stammered on the other end.
"Checks out." David stood there, being a convenient resting place for the phone.
Joypad perked an ear. "I don't even know my number." She fished hers out and tapped at it busily to get that information. "Oh."
Back waved it away. "Your number is your identity. You have to know that! Anywho, let's talk and walk. We can do both at once. Nice to hear from you, doll person."
“Look, it’s crazy. Somepony is claiming that she’s Gloomy’s aunt, and that she’s been led off to Zephyr Heights by David… honestly it’s stupid. But on the surface it works. So watch out. We’re almost to street level. We’ll meet you at the Pegasoft Building.” The doll gruffly chuckled.
"See you there." David pinged the hang up button. "So do ponies have any identification of any kind? Like a birth certificate or something that says 'I am this person here.' Or something like that?"
"Sure." Joypad dug out her brightly colored identification card. "Don't need it often, but here ya go."
"Fantastic. Gloomy, you have one? That'd go a long way to clearing this up." Not that he was slowing in his march through the thickly populated city towards Pegasoft.
"I have my Tea House Medallion,” Gloomy grinned, pulling out the previously useless trinket. “It proves I’m old enough to order hard drinks. Every adult in Bridlewood has one. You can’t fake one because it’s stamped with your cutie… ooohhhh. Damn.”
She tapped an awkward rhythm…
"How those work is no longer known to me." It was at that moment that David realized he had what it took, namely a pony rump. He might be eligible for one of those… He might have already gotten one! He wasn't going to double check in the middle of the street. "Let's get to Pegasoft. They still want me, and they're rich and powerful."
Joypad snorted softly. "Sure, hiding behind the bits."
“If nothing else, they can stand witness that I am an adult pony under legally binding contract.” Gloomy nodded at the idea. “Who would do something like this? I mean, it is a pretty flimsy frame job. Even if we get caught by the guards, I have actual parents and an actual aunt in Bridlewood.”
"You do?" David was moving along though. Moving like he had a place to be, which he did. The group soon found itself in front of the tower that was Pegasoft. "We meet, again, as the fates foretold."
"They did not," scoffed Joypad. "I would have noticed."
Ragdoll sat at the entrance riding what appeared to be a foal-sized lady-bug plushy toy with a pony head that waved vigorously. “Greetings! I am Ocellia Ladybug, of the Hidden Village of Enchanted Misfit toys! I am the crowned princess of cuddle muffins!”
“It’s the best we could come up with while spelunking around the under-city for days.” Ragdoll stated flatly. “You would not believe the crazy crap that goes on down there. She’s totally not a really small teenaged changeling…”
Gloomy rushed forward and snatched her beloved doll from the plushy’s back, perhaps a bit possessively. “Charlie! You’re alright!”
“I told you I’d return him as soon as I could.” Ocellia beamed. “Don’t worry, I kept Uncle Cornelius snug as a bug for you! Honestly you're, like, a lot younger than I expected…”
“Uncle… Cornelius?” Gloomy cocked her head curiously.
“Don’t ask.” Ragdoll chuckled. “It’s easier to just humor her on the small stuff…”
More new names for him to forget… David hiked a thumb at the Pegasoft building. "Should we wait here, or head on inside?"
Back was already skipping inside as if she worked there, which she did. "Gonna have a story to tell!"
“Okay… I have so many questions right now…” Ragdoll rubbed the back of his head with an errant hoof. “Starting with why does everypony in Bridlewood, myself included, trust an actual doctor who’s actual name is Dr. Feelgood? I’m just assuming the way you both look is some level of medical malpractice… because the last time I saw you guys, David was a full on human and Gloomy was a grown ass mare. Then we went to an obviously mad scientist to test experimental medicine, and… you know what, I think I answered all my own questions…”
“Oooo!” Ocellia was poking David’s pony legs with her stubby, plushy hoofsies. “It’s a human satyr! Just like in classic Humanway! I have almost a complete collection of the fifth edition books back home the hi..err… village…”
"I was pretty sure I wasn't going to fall over and die." He had half an eye on where Back had already vanished. "We really should get after her though. You all alright?" He looked from plush to plush to filly.
“I have my own questions about what happened while we were separated.” Gloomy stated flatly, “Apparently it has been a busy week all around.”
“Guards! There’s my niece!” A cyan unicorn mare with a dark blue mane pointed and shouted
A flinch, memories of past experiences coming to the surface in an uncomfortable moment. David went still and quiet, watching the guard and neither moving towards or away from them.
Joy did not have this issue. "I doubt it."
“My actual aunt has a cell phone.” Gloomy recited without concern. “Would you like to speak to her?”
“Wait… wut?” The mare was instantly set back on her hind hooves.
Joypad laughed, clopping a hoof down in steady beats. "Wow… That went as well as I thought it would."
David remained silent.
“Mr. Human?” Ocellia nudged David Gently. “Are you okay?”
"I'm fine." A small two words, spoken quietly. David was busy not moving, just keeping his eyes on the guard.