//------------------------------// // Making Acquaintances // Story: Equestria: A Flux Tale // by Star Sage //------------------------------// You considered this question carefully. The two sisters were powerful, you knew that from the show, Celestia literally raised the sun before your eyes, and displayed her power a few times in other works. Luna, in the meantime was just as strong, summoning a storm over Ponyville on Nightmare Night, as well as a few other demonstrations of her power when she was Nightmare Moon. Both seemed to be good choices, Luna was, once cleansed of evil, a kind, and caring, if someone oblivious god queen, and Celestia, for all some people, including Vinyl apparently, thought her an evil, power mad dictator, had seemed nothing but kind to you on the show. Thinking this, you shook you head, and nodded up at Octavia, who still held you in her hooves. "Let's go see Rarity," you said simply, and Octavia smiled back at you, before sliding off the couch, and then holding you in only her left front hoof for a moment, before leaning back and placing you on her flank, where you grabbed a few hairs to hold yourself in place, as she started trotting towards the door. "Oh, so you're just going to go get yourself dissected then? Cut up just to see how you tick?!" demanded Vinyl as she followed, her tone implying more friendly jibs than anything else, though you had to admit, the thought of being studied had crossed your mind. What if they really did want to study you, and what if your size was still normal, and it was just…the ponies were huge. What if they then tried to cross over? You had all sorts of images, but the problem with most of them was that, despite their size, the ponies didn't seem the type to willingly hurt anyone, at least physically. Everything you'd seen of this world was good, and you had to trust that everything you hadn't seen was good too, as the musical divas exited their house, and walked the streets. The streets, now that you didn't have to worry about getting stepped on, or falling off the pony you were riding, looked quite interesting. To one side was the stand where Applebloom was selling apples, to the other was Sugar Cube Corner, and you could hear some off note singing from Pinkie Pie inside, something about brownies, though it was hard to hear from this distance. Off down one of the streets, you spotted the library, where Twilight lived, and for a moment, you were tempted to tell your rides that, but then realized something, you hadn't mentioned the show yet, not to them. You'd told them you were from another world, and your species, but not that on your world that theirs was a show, a piece of fiction, intended for children. Did you dare mention it though? After all, it might do some damage somehow that you couldn't comprehend. How would you feel, after all, if you were just someone else's story? Then of course, there was the fourth wall to consider. Pinkie and Spike leaned on it, or out and out broke it all the time, but they did so from the side of fiction, not reality. Whatever had brought you here, and you refused to even consider that you had gone insane and were imagining this, and a few bumps on your body that hurt told you that you weren't dreaming, it must have had a purpose. Luckily, neither of your hostesses had caught onto you knowing too much about their world, or that you knew Rarity's name without them asking, and for the moment, you intended on keeping them in the dark about that, to avoid any unpleasantness; At least for now. Thinking such deep thoughts, you completely missed Octavia and Vinyl reaching Carousel Boutique. Really, the show never did it justice. The place was, from your perspective, big as a mountain, maybe even a whole range of mountains, but still, somehow lovely and gaudy at the same time. Every line, every bit of plaster, had been designed, probably by the Fashion Pony herself, and it all flowed together in a way that was just perfect. Of course, it was only then you smelled it, and it was quite an experience there. You hadn't thought of it before, but dress making, especially for fancy stuff back in the day, involved a lot of chemicals, and this place was no exception, as you could smell the stuff used for various dyes and fabric softeners, and it nearly caused you to keel over. "I will never understand how someone like you can be related to someone like Rarity," chided Octavia as they got to the door. "Hey, just because I'm not a pompous wind bag doesn't mean I'm not proper. Besides, you should meet my aunt and uncle sometime. Now they are a hoot and a half," claimed the pop pony as she pushed the door open, revealing the Boutique to you, and it was lovely, if smelly. Of course, the scene was one of movement, as somepony was quickly running around the shop, and to your surprise it was the normally composed Rarity, her mane flying behind her as she dashed about in a panic. The motion blur that was Rarity was babbling about stupid rush orders, as her telekinesis was grabbing various fabrics and things and dragging them in front of her face, lacing them together quickly, almost haphazardly to your eyes, but in a flash, they became a dress, a complete and without a seam showing, to be laid on one of her models, before racing off to do the next. Octavia and Vinyl, probably having expected a bit less of a frantic scene in the shop, which had looked calm and nice from the outside, just stood near the door, staring at her. As they waited to be noticed, you noted that Vinyl was smiling, probably enjoying her cousin's disorganization, which showed how different the two were in methods, and gave a few more clues as to Vinyl's personality. It was, by your guess, a full fifteen minutes before Rarity, having made something like twenty dresses and twelve suits in that time, finally fell to the floor, gasping for breath, and just to show she wasn't all bad, Vinyl levitated her fainting couch towards her, allowing Rarity to fall into it, still seemingly oblivious to the musical ponies who'd entered her shop as she lay there. Looking around, you were impressed. The outfits, despite looking like they'd been thrown together randomly at first glance, all had an earth tone theme to them, and looking from one to another, you could tell they all had a similar look to them in the details, meaning while no one would be wearing the same outfit from this group, you could still tell they were part of the same line, showing just how much of a fashion genius Rarity was. "Um, Ms. Rarity?" Octavia spoke up at last, causing Rarity to turn her head wearily to face the pair, only to bolt upright when she did. "Oh, Octavia, I'm sorry, I didn't see you come in!" she exclaimed, getting up quickly and walking towards a door, "What brings you here today? Wait! First things first, let me go get you some refreshments." "Hmm, that doesn't sound too bad, considering we didn't eat those sandwiches you made," said Vinyl, as she followed, and Octavia muttered something about Vinyl that you couldn't hear, but sounded rather unpleasant. The pair, well trio since you were with them, walked into the kitchen, and you noticed it looked better than the last time you'd seen it, cleaner, and Rarity, knowing exactly where to go, soon had the table set with a plate of pastries, and some glasses of tea, making you wish you'd been transported with a soda, as you doubted the ponies had any of that particular drink, though perhaps, if you could remember how it was made, you could introduce it to them. Ponies on a caffeine buzz sounded like fun. "Now then, what are you two doing here? Was there something wrong with the house?" asked Rarity pleasantly, her tone saying she would fix anything the pair had found out of place at their new abode. "What? Oh, no Ms. Rarity, it really is quite a lovely home, and I must thank you again for helping us out while the studio in Canterlot is rebuilt," responded Octavia. "Yeah, that place is actually pretty swank, though Octy did object to sharing the bed last night," said Vinyl with a mischievous smirk. "Well, it just didn't seem proper that we....you know what, nevermind, you're just trying to distract me from why we're here," she said, and suddenly you found Octavia's face hovering over you, mouth wide open, her tongue lolling out, and with a shout, you were scooped up on the slimy member, and then dropped as lightly as possible on the table in front of her. "Hmm?" went Rarity, as she leaned forward, looking at what, at first, was probably a glob of saliva on her nice clean table cloth, but then started to move. "That was gross....do it again!" intoned Vinyl, smiling and shaking her head, while Octavia and you, as you shook yourself off, stared daggers at her. "I will not, though I must admit, you do have a rather pleasant aftertaste.Hmm, that sounds odd, just forget I said that," responded Octavia, making you give her an odd look, and Vinyl an almost identical one, as she blushed a bit. "Anyway, Ms. Rarity, this, I believe he said hugh man, right?" she asked, looking towards you, and as you stood up, ringing your clothes out, you nodded up at her. "Right, this human found his way into the house you were loaning us, and made contact with us. He claims to be from another world entirely, and we were wondering if you could take him to Princess Celestia's student, so she could take him to Celestia herself and maybe find him a way home," she says, and Rarity, looking down at you, leans closer, her eye filling up your sky, and causing you to fall on your bottom again as you try to stare into it. "Hmm, that sounds alright with me, but, um are all humans this small?" she asks, turning her head towards Octavia, while Vinyl, seemingly ignoring the pair, was tearing into a pastry from the plate that Rarity had offered. "No, no we're not. At least, I don't think so," you say to her, and she suddenly jumps back, the table shaking violently, and causing Octavia to hop back as well in surprise. Of course, due to your size, the shaking table sends you flying for the second time today, and you sail right towards Vinyl, who had stepped back, and was about to tear into another pastry. You close your eyes as you think you're going to miss everything and slam into the hard floor, hoping that your terminal velocity is actually slow enough to keep you from dying. Of course, then you land on something soft, and get driven into it up to your waist, making you complain, though muffled, as you try and extricate yourself from the situation, and finding that the soft terrain helped with that as well, allowing you to pull yourself out, and then stare right into a gaping abyss. Apparently, Vinyl, barely noticing anything, hadn't seen your miniscule form flop onto her snack, a donut, and before you could cry out, she shoved the shimmering treat into her mouth with her telekinesis, her teeth snapping shut behind you, and sealing you inside her dark, dank maw. There was some luck of course, the donut was small, and so it easily fit inside Vinyl's mouth, probably some fancy finger/hoof/whatever food that Rarity kept on hand just in case some important visitors came by. That meant that you wouldn't have to deal with Vinyl chewing you up, though your body was drenched in sweat in seconds, and a glob of saliva a moment later, meaning that you were once again soaked. It also meant that, Vinyl, being a bit of a messy eater, didn't bother with chewing, and so, without a care, you felt everything shift backwards, and you surged towards the opening at the rear of her throat, the wall undulating around you, and squeezing you, as you were passed down into her neck, and then shifting hard as you hit the base of it, before falling out into her belly. "Vinyl, stop stuffing you face and help us search," you heard Octavia say through the walls, her voice distorted by various organic sounds, the lungs that roared like jet engines, the heart thudding in the background, and most disturbingly, a gurgling sound from deeper in the stomach. Luckily, again, the donut was floating on Vinyl's stomach juices, and so you were safe from the bubbling muck below you, for the moment. So, with some safety even here, you start to call out to Octavia and Vinyl, wondering if your voice could get through the pop pony's pudge, like Octavia's could for you. "Hey! You can stop looking! Vinyl found me!" you shout, and suddenly everything shifts wildly, and then starts to spin, your ride slamming into the wall and staying there thanks to centrifugal force, as you cry out. "Stop!" you yell, and everything freezes just as suddenly, and you are left to slosh around a bit, before it all finally stops, and you luckily, still find yourself floating on the donut. "Hello? Where are you?" asks Octavia's sweet voice, probably looking on the floor for you, thinking you were about to be stepped on. "I'm inside Vinyl, floating in her stomach juices on a donut, and it's not a pleasant experience, let me tell you," you respond, pulling away from a bubble of stomach juices that pops near you, watching as the stuff bubbles a bit against the top of the donut, "And I would appreciate some aid in escaping.” You pause “So, in other words, GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!" you cry. "Oh no, not again....I hope Twilight can help this time," comes Rarity's voice, actually rather calm considering the circumstances. "What do you mean, again?" says Vinyl, and you feel everything shake and bob again, as Vinyl's body shudders a little with her speech, though you don't cry out this time, as you were wondering what she was talking about too. "A few weeks ago, Applejack got herself shrunk by the Poison Joke again, and something like this happened," she answered, and you could feel Vinyl walking, causing more waves, though these weren't nearly as rough as the spinning from before. "Applejack?" came Vinyl's question. "Poison Joke?" was Octavia's, both asked at the same time. "Applejack is the farmer you met the other day Vinyl, can't you remember anyone not one of your fans? As for the Joke, it's a plant outside of town, and it likes to play these awful, awful jokes on you if you touch it, I don't want to think about it. Still, Applejack's joke is probably the worst, as it shrinks her down to the size of a toy. The second time that happened to her, she got swallowed. First by Dashie, then by Pinkie, and lastly by Derpy Hooves, our local mail pony. Luckily, Twilight does have a spell to get one out of this, so I suggested we go find her, before Vinyl digests her meal," she said, and you can feel everything slosh again, as Vinyl starts to move, it might be a good idea to speak up and have Vinyl stay still. Then again, resting did help the digestive process, and your ride was already a bit soggier than it was before, maybe it would be best to get to Twilight as soon as possible. That last part, the fact that your donut was dissolving anyway, kept your mouth shut. The contents of the stomach slosh from side to side as Vinyl walks, and oddly, you find the motion, mixed with the rhythmic thudding of her heart, to be rather calming. Heck, if you could do something about the smell, and the danger, this experience might not be so bad. Luckily, the donut was pretty solid, all things considered, and it still stayed floating, even as the gastric acids around you churned a bit, the walls undulating to shift and mix the contents of Vinyl's belly, which includes one tiny human right now. You avoid the stuff that splashes against your ride, and then are forced to grab on tight as the donut smacks the stomach wall, which smacks back, making you wonder if Vinyl can feel any of this, as the ride continues. Luckily, Ponyville is small, at least compared to the human towns you're used to, and so you soon come to a stop, and you can hear voices, but quiet ones. At first, you think it might be because they're trying not to scare you or anything if Twilight can't help you, but then you realize it was because there's another source of noise drowning the others out. That noise was the stomach, or more likely intestine, below you, that gurgled loudly now, and you could smell a tinge in the air that wasn't there before. Looking down, you find your ride sinking into the stomach juices. Vinyl was still, and after the walk, her stomach was kicking itself into overdrive, which meant that, before your very eyes, you could see the donut you were riding on dissolving in the stomach juices. "Uh! ladies! Help!!!" you shout, but your own voice, much like theirs, was more muffled than before, and you began to realize you were in danger of being digested. After coming all this way too, and even getting spotted at your size, you were still going to end up a meal for a pony. That really seemed unfair, and you mentally cursed whatever force dragged you here, even as you jumped as the edge of the donut sank into the stuff, and you had to get to the other side to avoid a similar fate. Now lying hard against the soft donut, staring down into the bubbling, churning mixture, which was getting closer by the second, you closed your eyes, bracing for the end, being digested because someone was taking too long to explain something. Death by info dump, that had to be a new one. All at once though, you weren't where you were. You weren't what you were either. It was hard to put into words. It was like floating, light infused your being, a purple light, coming in through the walls, and surrounding you with a flash like a camera, and then you were gone. You could still think, in this state, despite realizing you had no body, and you wondered, idly, if this was how it felt to enter the pony universe, as it felt familiar, but at the same time, completely alien, like you'd literally just gotten up, and walked out of yourself, and you were now a formless spirit. This was liberating, truth to tell, and though you couldn't move yourself, you felt some force tugging at you, and let yourself drift at its whim, before suddenly, you had weight, and you fell with a grunt against a hard wood surface. "Are you alright?" a voice asked, in fact, several did, but one stood out for you. It was melodic, and as you blinked your eyes, which were blinded by sudden light where they had seen nothing before, you found yourself staring upwards into the shadowy form of an angel. The face, the curves, the eyes, deep and soulful eyes, drew you towards them, especially with the concern shining in them. Of course, then you realized you were staring into Octavia's face, and had to blush at the thoughts you been having, as you tried to stand up and dust yourself off, making two more discoveries. First off, you were no longer bug sized, as Octavia's face, along with Rarity's, Twilight's, and Vinyl's, didn't fill the whole sky. Probably you were mouse sized now, at least compared to them, which would make this whole being tiny thing a bit more bearable. The second thing you noticed though, that was a bit different. Well, not so much you, as your wardrobe, which has pulled a Houdini, and left you standing stark naked on the floor of Twilight’s library. Idly, you wonder how many bronies would pay to be in this position.