FIVE MINUTES EARLIER
----------Fluttershy-------------
"So I told her; 'Lotus darling if it's really such a problem, just use your hooves! Celestia knows you send me to heaven with them every time I'm here!' "
Rarity's titters don't really reach you, nor does her...dirty story. The two of you have been enjoying some tea in your living room for the past twenty minutes. You finished tending to your animals just as Rarity finished brewing a pot of your favorite blend. Mr. Alien, er, Anonymous has been listening to Twilight teach him about Equestria up in the guest bedroom. Occasionally the odd thump, yell, or bang screams through your nerves.
He seemed like a nice human...though you haven't met any other humans. You still feel terrible about scaring him like that, you should know better than to use the stare so liberally...but you were just so afraid!
"Fluttershy are you alright dear? You are awfully quiet...er...well moreso than usual."
"Oh! Um...yes, I'm fine Rarity...but thank you for asking."
"Are you sure?"
"I...um...yes."
"Are you thinking about our...visitor?"
You let out a startled 'Eeep!' and hide behind your bangs.
"...um...maybe."
“I'll admit he’s of an interesting sort. He seems to be getting along with Twilight quite famously."
"They do seem alike..."
"He doesn't seem to have much sense in the way of fashion though, I mean honestly did you see those clothes? What a nightmare! Why, if I had my supplies I would-"
You zone out as Rarity goes off on another rant, this time about clothes. It’s not like you couldn't appreciate her craft, you were actually an accomplished seamstress in your own right. You just can't stop worrying about Mr. Anonymous...It’s just this feeling you have that something bad is going to-
You jump in fright as a loud knock comes from the door, stopping Rarity in mid-sentence.
"Goodness! I wonder who that could be, you don't usually get visitors do you dear?"
"N...n...no." You whimper.
"Calm yourself darling I'm sure it's just the mailmare." Rarity reassures you as she gets up from her seat to answer the door.
"Just a moment!~" She calls as she envelops the door in a white aura and undoes the various latches and locks. Living on the edge of Ponyville made you wary of break-ins. The door swings open and you gasp in shock. Standing in the doorway is none other than-
PRESENT TIME
-----------Anonymous------------
"-Princess Celestia? HERE?!" Twilight squees in joy. "Shes probably here to see the result of my experiment personally!"
"...Princess Celestia?"
The purple unicorn whirls around to you. "That's right! Equestria's population consists of three types of ponies, but its rulers, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, are alicorns! They have both wings and a horn and are the most powerful ponies alive!"
You gulp nervously.
"Oh this is going to be so awesome!" Twilight squeals before bounding past Fluttershy out the door.
...okay. You are going to meet their leader.
No pressure.
NOT HELPING.
You turn to Rainbro.
"Anything I should expect?"
She snorts and waves a hoof. "The princess is totally awesome dude. Shes the nicest pony in all of Equestria!"
"Darn tootin'." Applejack agrees. "Ah reckon there ain't a mean bone in her body!"
Celestial body...snrk.
Goddamn you BRAIN.
With no small amount of anxiety, you follow Rainbro and Applejack out the door-
Then you notice them; ass tattoos. What the fuck?
Come to think of it all of the little ponies had them.
"Hold up."
The two ponies turn back to you.
"I have to ask...what are those?" You gesture to their respective flanks.
"Oh! You mean our cutie marks?" Rainbro nods to the cloud and rainbow lightning bolt adorning her backside.
"...yeah?"
"Shoot they tell us what our special talent is! Fer example-" Applejack pokes her flank with a hoof. "Ah've got apples as mah cutie mark because growin' and harvestin' apples is mah special talent!"
Applejack grows apples. If I had sides I would be holding them.
It's taking all my willpower not to do the same, BRAIN.
"And MINE, which is AWESOME, means I am SUPER fast and good at contolling weather!"
"So they're like, your life's calling?"
"Ah guess ya could put it that way. Now c'mon! T'aint raht to keep royalty waitin'."
With that the two ponies leave you in the hallway and head downstairs.
...BRAIN?
Yeah?
You with me on this one?
You know it bro. Just take a minute to breathe and prepare yourself.
You do; in, and out. In, and out.
Just breathe, relax.
Rainbro and Applejack say shes nice...Twilight seems to worship the ground she walks on...this will be okay.
Your jimmies are stable. Thank God for that wonderful gorilla on your table.
Alright. You're ready.
Lets do this man.
With one last deep breath, you head downstairs.
You get about halfway down the stairs when you hear the conversation below.
"But Princess I don't understand!" you hear Twilight cry in a pleading tone. "He isn't dangerous, he's an intellectual! We just had an incredibly civil discussion about our respective worlds!"
"Yeah!" Rainbow interjects. "And hes got a great sense of humor! Hes a total bro!"
"Hes...well...um...nice." Fluttershy mumbles. How you even heard her is beyond you.
A motherly sigh. "Be that as it may my loyal subjects, I happen to know much about humanity."
A wave of warmth flows through you as an older, honeyed female voice reaches your ears. It calls to mind images of beautiful sunrises, warm embraces...and fragments of a memory that even you do not understand. That all vanishes in a heartbeat when that motherly warm tone turns to imperious ice.
"Humans are savage. They kill without mercy or discrimination. They wage wars that claim millions of lives over things utterly inconsequential."
Hoofbeats. "I know I have said in the past that it's important to push yourself my faithful student, but bringing such a being here was incredibly irresponsible. Besides, how much do you truly know of this human? What of himself has he told you? What of his world has he mysteriously left...unclear?"
Silence. You feel ice water creeping through your veins.
Your bowl of jimmy-settling cereal shatters upon the metaphorical floor of your mind.
She knew. Whoever this Princess Celestia was she somehow knew. About your world, your species, its history. From the way she spoke, this world was your own's polar opposite; peaceful, understanding, tolerant. You weren't an alien, a visitor...to her you were an invader.
"Princess, ah hafta ask, how do ya know so much about these hyumins?"
"That...is something I cannot tell you. Not yet. There will be a time and a place for that but it is not now."
A huff. "Alraht, then answer this; how do ya know Anon is like other hyumins?"
"Applejack you of all ponies should understand the metaphor 'One bad apple spoils the bunch'. He carries with him the legacy of his world, its taint. We do not know what such an individual is capable of. I will NOT suffer such madness in Equestria...not again..."
Celestia's tone falters, but she regains herself. "But enough of this. Where is the human?"
...full retreat?
There's a window upstairs.
Shall we?
With the speed of Kenyans.
As quietly as possible you turn to head back upstairs-
*CREEAAAK*
"Anon?!" Twilight calls from downstairs.
Fuck everything. Just...just fuck everything.
The sound of hurried hoofbeats brings Twilight to the base of the stairs. She stares at you with a mixture of fear, confusion...and pity.
"...is it true?"
You turn back towards the bottom of the stairs, but you can't bring yourself to look at the little purple unicorn.
"Anonymous...please...is what the Princess says true?"
"Twilight? Is the human in the stairwell?" Celestia calls from out of view.
Your eyes clench shut as your head slumps forward in anguished affirmation.
Silence. "...yes Princess he is." Twilight answers, her tone dripping with disappointment.
"Bring him."
You look back to Twilight in desperation.
"Twilight...that's not me. It's true, what she said, all of it...but that's not me! You have to believe-"
"Human you will refrain from speaking to my faithful student, and come down here to face your judgement." Celestia interrupts with a voice that freezes your voice in your throat.
Twilight stares at you, eyes starting to brim with tears. She lets out a defeated sigh. "Please do as she asks Anonymous."
BRAIN?
Yeah.
Been nice knowing you.
We could still-
"And do not delude yourself with thoughts of escape. I have a contingent of pegusai guards stationed outside that can, and WILL catch you."
...yeah. It's been real bro. I know I've given you a lot of shit but...
Yeah...
You feel yourself automatically descend the stairs. Each step passes with the length of a lifetime.
Step.
You wonder things.
Step.
You wonder what could have been.
Step.
You wonder what will happen to you.
Step.
You wonder if, maybe, you'll be sent back to your own world.
Step.
You wonder if you will be killed.
Step.
You wonder what death feels like, if it will hurt, or if it will be quicker than falling asleep.
Step.
You wonder if there is truly an afterlife...and if your deeds will guide you to paradise or damnation.
Step.
And as you reach the last step...you wonder what the little purple pony before you thinks of you now...and also why that is important to you.
A moment of silence passes between you and Twilight before she steps back allowing you to exit the staircase. As you step forward, you see her turn toward something out of view about to speak, when her eyes go wide at a sudden bright light.
You step off the last stair and turn towards the illumination, and your vision goes blank as a high keening tone splits your ears.
And then everything goes to shit.
Your perception of the world around you inverts several times over upon itself.
You feel the novel sensation of your entire body being scrambled and then reconstituted.
Your entire being feels as though it is sucked through a winding, looping tube the width of a straw.
A loud crack, agony, and then nothingness.
----------Twilight Sparkle-------------
...
"What in tarnation just happened Twah?!" Applejack screams, shaking you violently.
"I...I don't-"
"What did the Princess do with Anon?!" Rainbow cries, shock etching her face.
"I don't kn-"
"Darling she- she wouldn't hurt him would sh-"
"I DON'T KNOW!" You wail. "It looked like teleportation but I. Don't. KNOW!!!"
You collapse onto your haunches, your hooves over your eyes. This was too much, too fast. The emotional whiplash was wreaking havoc with your mind. What happened? What went wrong? It was going so well! You trust the Princess implicitly, always have, always will. Yet...you cannot shake the feeling that this time she is wrong. They way he had looked at you, how he appeared to just...resign himself...there was no way he was some monstrous killer. He seemed...so much like yourself.
And now...now hes-
Your rapidly deteriorating train of thought is interrupted by Applejack wrapping her neck around your own. "Woah there sugarcube. Just calm down, ah'm sure this'll all git sorted out."
Fluttershy's nuzzling joins Applejack's hug. "Applejack is right Twilight. I'm sure the Princess will realize her mistake, and Anon will be just fine."
Rarity gently lays her head against your own. "Of that I have no doubt. He will be okay darling."
Rainbow's forelegs drape themselves around your group. "Yeah! He seems really cool! The Princess will totally give him a break."
"And when he gets back we can finally throw him that partay!" A pink ball of cotton concludes as it worms its way into the center of the group hug seemingly out of the floor itself.
"PINKIE?! Where did-...actually never-mind. Thank you girls..."
You sigh contently. Thank goodness for your friends. They really were your anchor, your port in any storm. Without them...you really don't know what you would-
"Ahem."
You all look towards the door. A guardsp0ny apparently let himself in at some point. "I take it her Highness has already taken the creature into custody. We-"
"He is NOT a 'creature'!" You yell with rage you did not know you had.
Breaking free of the group hug, you stomp over to the guard and stare him defiantly in the eye. He shrinks back slightly.
"He is a person! Not some, some monster! I may have only just met him, but I KNOW Anonymous isn't a threat! He deserves all the same respect and kindness a pony would receive!"
By this point the guard has backed up into the door frame, staring at you wide-eyed in fear.
"B-be that as it may Lady Sparkle, the Princess told me to inform you that you and your friends should return to the library. Her Highness will reconvene with you there once shes passed her judgement on the cr- Anonymous."
You glare unflinchingly at the guard for a few long seconds before releasing an exasperated sigh.
"Fine. Lets go girls."
You roughly shove past the stallion out of Fluttershy's cottage, and your friends follow suit.
"Wait!"
You whip back towards the guard. He trots over to you, a scroll in his mouth. You levitate it from his teeth.
"The Princess desires that you read this once you return to your home. It contains important information."
You nod curtly before turning back towards the road and making your way down the dusty path. You still don't understand any of this. But hopefully this scroll will remedy that...