//------------------------------// // Ch. 3: Like Dark Paint in Water // Story: Extraria: And Then I Was to Serve // by Thinking Engine //------------------------------// Extraria: And Then I Was to Serve Chapter 3: Like Dark Paint in Water Pre-reader: Zeela ---- For the first time since I got here, I'm left alone in the workshop cafeteria with my thoughts and my food while Righty and Merlot are out in the yard to finish the cleanup. Apparently it's Saturday here, and the workers won't return until Monday, which is fine by me. The ones who found me seem to have handled this better than I have, to be honest, but I wonder how the average pony would react to an alien creature suddenly appearing among them. Would they panic? Would they be hostile? “Alien.” I mutter quietly to myself. If the word didn't leave such a bad taste, I’d probably find it amusing that this is what I’ll be referred to from now on. An outsider. One who doesn't belong in this world. I look at the food before me. How would the cook who prepared this hours ago react if he found out that something like me would be sitting here and eating it, in his workplace? Hunger and fatigue are getting to me. I better stop thinking about this for now. I take a deep breath, clearing these ominous thoughts from my mind, and concentrate on the food in front of me instead. A large bowl of minestrone soup, some fragrant soft bread, and even a slice of redcurrant tart for dessert. It all looks very tasty. Even more interesting is the mug of pale ale in front of me. The idea of serving alcoholic beverage at work seems out-of-place to me, but at the same time wonderfully old-fashioned and indulgent. I imagine the workers must enjoy working here, assuming they benefit from this practice as well. As I eat, I can feel my strength returning, and my mood improves a bit. The savory vegetable soup and the hearty rustic bread are filling, and when I’m done I feel sated, and calmer. The ale probably helped me there too. It was pretty good ale, and the light bitterness complemented the rest of the meal well; except maybe for the tart, which I haven't tried yet. My...hosts… also provided me with some very basic clothes when they noticed that I kept the blankets from the office wrapped around me as we left for the cafeteria. They seemed to find this aversion to the natural state puzzling, but Merlot seemed to sympathize when I explained that it was a matter of dignity and personal discomfort at being naked. They didn't ask any more about the matter and after a few questions about human clothing and cutting up a couple of burlap sacks, I now have a makeshift tunic and ski...kilt to wear. They're ugly and uncomfortable, but at least I can walk around without feeling like a deviant. Some rags and strings serve as footwraps. This really confused the ponies. Why would a creature evolve feet it couldn't walk on without protection? I guess the skin on my feet would eventually harden, but I’m not interested in risking cuts and infections in the meantime. Plus, I don't like having dirty cold feet. I take a tentative bite out of the tart, and my eyes widen as the flavor shocks my tongue. Holy shit, it's so sweet it BURNS! I frown and push the dessert away from me, washing the sickeningly sweet taste away with the dregs of my ale. Is this some kind of mistake, or do pony taste buds work differently? I hope it's the former. I'm not really a fan of sweet things, but it would be horrible if every dessert ever would be like this instant-diabetes monstrosity right here. I shake my head and get up, deciding to stretch my legs and go take a look around for a bit until Righty and Merlot gets back. I leave the cafeteria and walk down the corridor we came from, and soon reach my destination; a section of the corridor with large glass windows. I didn't get the chance to take in the view when we passed by the first time. From here, I see outside the walls surrounding the complex. Bushes and a few small trees, all speckled with early fall colors, dot a grassy slope down to a small river lazily flowing by, the evening sun making it sparkle in the golden light. On the opposite side, heavier vegetation obscures my view, but I can make out a few slate tiled roofs and ornate spires in the distance. That must be Trottingham. My eye catches a glimpse of something in the air, high above the city. I can just barely make out the shape of winged ponies circling around, doing small dives and loops as they play. I already knew about there being pegasi here, so I’m not as surprised as I am fascinated by the sight. I feel calm, almost tranquil, as I watch them glide through the air, sometimes doing little tricks in the golden light, some light clouds adding pink and orange tones as a backdrop. I just stand there, watching the pegasi play for a while, until they descend back into the city. It's getting darker. “Sometimes, I wonder what life would be like if I had been born a pegasus, or a unicorn.” I'm startled by Righty, who I only now realize is standing next to me, watching the same scene “To fly freely without a care, or to interact with the world using only your mind.” “Must be tough being an earthpony.” I reply, imagining how powerless they must feel in comparison. I'm surprised when I hear him chuckling, however. “No, I wouldn't say that. Not really. We all have our place in life, and we're all equally precious and special.” he thinks for a moment before he continues “Our connection to nature, life, and the earth is what's makes us different. Anypony can plant a seed and make it grow, or break a rock, but an earthpony will make that seed thrive, and intuitively know where the rock is weakest. We are strong, and generally try to keep our hooves on the ground, if you know what I mean.” “It also colors our place in society. Pegasi are generally more flighty and temperamental, while unicorns are more prone to being fickle and whimsical. Earth ponies value traditions and the bonds that connect us all. We're the foundation the house has been built on.” I raise an eyebrow “Sounds like a generalization.” Righty nods, smiling awkwardly “You're right, it's a huge generalization, and it sounded worse than I intended. My father's housekeeper would never forgive me for calling her fickle or whimsical. I was only trying to give a general impression of the different types of ponies, and how we get along. Without each other, we would stagnate and perish as a nation and culture.” “I see...” “Yes...” Righty sheepishly replies. Sensing an incoming awkward silence, I change the subject. “It's kind of amazing that there are three completely different types of ponies though.” “You think so? I take it there's only one type of human then?” “Not counting different skin colors and minor physical differences, yes.” I briefly consider mentioning angels and wizards as mythical equivalents to pegasi and unicorns, but decide to just leave it. I've decided to cautiously accept the possibility of there being magic, even if I haven't witnessed it yet. I mean, I'm in a world with flying horses and wormhole machines, so who am I to start questioning things now? “How did the cleanup go, by the way?” “We've incinerated most of the organic matter and buried the rest.” he sighs “Whatever is left out there will be washed away when the rain starts soon.” I look out at the peaceful sky. It's mostly clear, except for a few light clouds. Not a sign of impending rain at all. “Not very optimistic, are you? ” I remark jokingly, and almost immediately black clouds start spilling in from over the workshop, like paint from a brush dipped in clear water. Not only that, but there are individual clouds coming in from other directions, as if they had a mind of their own. “What's going on with the clouds? Is that normal?” I ask, staring incredulously at the clouds gathering up above. “-Cough- Yeah, that's normal. The weather in Equestria is managed by the pegasi. They have the ability to manipulate clouds directly. In fact, Cloudsdale is a pegasus city made up almost entirely of clouds.” “What? That's amazing!” Righty looks at me, a smirk forming in his beard as I lean in so far my face almost touches the window, looking for any sign of someone moving the clouds around. And sure enough, I soon spot a few fliers pushing a stray cloud back up where it belongs. Surreal. “Well, the equipment is safely stored away, and the refuse has been removed.” I turn around to see Merlot walking towards us “Just in time for the rain to deal with whatever is left out there.” He joins us by the window, watching the light drizzle growing into a pouring downfall outside. I wonder if there's other types of weather the ponies control. What about snow or fog? Or wind? Is there even seasons here, if the sun orbits the planet? “About your future situation...” Merlot starts “We discussed it while we were working outside. And as we see it, you have a few options.” “If you decide to reveal yourself publicly, it might cause a panic, and Canterlot would no doubt get involved. You'd be thoroughly questioned and evaluated, possibly detained indefinitely or even experimented on. You could try staying hidden out in the wilderness, but you'd be on your own, far from any settlement.” “Righty could use another welder, if you're interested. You could try keeping a low profile here in the workshop, but honestly, it's as good as the first alternative when you're this close to a major city like Trottingham.” “Then there's our third option. My housekeeper has been pestering me for a while now about employing another servant to lighten the workload. If you're interested, I might have a position as a hoofcolt for you. It's a position with varied work schedule, mostly for show, really. And better yet, our home is near a small town that's remote enough not to draw too much attention. If we put out a rumor that our family has an...exotic servant, we could probably gradually introduce you to the community there, without too much of a risk of everypony panicking or Canterlot getting involved.” Merlot and Righty look at me, trying to gauge my response to these options. I don't like the idea of being a government captive with an uncertain future, or living like an animal in a world I have no familiarity with. The second alternative is, like they said, extremely uncertain, and hardly better than the first. It would also mean that I’d stay cooped up inside this complex forever. The third alternative is almost absurd. A human being the servant of a talking miniature horse. Then I realize that I am at a crossroad with no way back where I came from. “There's no chance of ever going back home, then.” the melancholy in my voice is a little surprising. But it stings when I think about the town I grew up in. The places grandfather used to take me and Jason. My friends at work who will worry when I stop showing up and later assume I’m dead somewhere. Realizing that I will never see another human being again. The fact that I had possibilities that are now lost forever. ...the graves that will go untended and forgotten without me to remember them... “I'm...stuck here...for the rest of my life...” I fight the choking sensation in my throat. The hollow feeling welling up in my chest. I can't do this now. I can't, I can't, I can't! Fuck! “H-hey...James! Are you ok?” I'm unable to reply, or I’ll lose control of myself. I breathe hard and steel myself, killing these feelings of loss and hopelessness with my resolve alone. After a few seconds I manage to force it back down...barely. “I'm fine.” I respond monotonously. Merlot seems awkward. Righty simply nods in sympathy. “Well...we might be able to find a way, eventually, if we find the cause of the malfunction. But that might take a long time. Months, or years.” Merlot says as he stares into the darkness and rain. In the distance a few flashes of lightning dart across the sky, and just as the thunder rolls by, a door slams open somewhere in the building, followed by rushed hoofbeats. “Herr Merlot, we haf a problem!” Doctor Cast calls out as he rushes through the corridors. “We're here, Doctor.” Righty calls out, leading the pale unicorn in our direction. As he rounds a corner, it becomes obvious that he's very disturbed about something. “Merlot, I belief we need to get out of here as soon as possible.” he urges the burgundy stallion, glancing nervously out the window “Ze hospital was overflowink with unicorns. Ze streets were startink to fill up outside when I got finally got out.” Eyes widening in horror, the two eartponies stare at the doctor with terrified realization. “The anomaly...your magic..” Righty meekly whispers. “It wasn't just me, Righty. The whole city ees cut off, maybe beyond zat as well, I don't know. Merlot, zis is a disaster. If we somehow get linked to zis...” he gulps “We could end up gettink exiled, Merlot. Or locked in a dungeon. Or worse! Und Herr Maxwell here...” Fear and suspense starts to sink in, and I also notice a strange feeling of guilt, which makes no sense. I couldn't possibly have caused this. But will the ponies feel the same way? Merlot stares into the air with unfocused eyes, with an expression you'd expect on someone who had just been asked to solve a difficult puzzle to save their lives. “Alright, I have an idea...” he suddenly says as his eyes shift back into focus, turning to me “and I’m sorry to tell you this, but you will have to make your decision right now. We can't stay here.” I rub a hand across my face, trying to focus my mind. The options just got worse, leaving only one alternative that could possibly end well. Not much of a choice, is it... “Alright.” I say to Merlot as I turn to him. “I'll accept your offer.”