//------------------------------// // Beast at the Ball // Story: Change in Perspective // by Quicksear //------------------------------// A pin dropped in Cloudsdale would've been heard in the seemingly endless silence. Marc knew that if he moved an inch, mass panic wouldn't be far away. He watched the multicoloured herd as a few of the ponies began backing away, and whispers started to become screams of fear. But then, pink fate intervened. "Oh, hi Marc! Did you like my confetti cannon? It sure can come in useful for all sorts of things!" Pinkie Pie leaned against her fiendish device with a happy smirk. She threw a look around the silent ponies before she suddenly hopped into the air and tumbled towards the new arrivals. She ran up to the prone human and threw a hoof over his shoulder. "Hey, everypony! Come and meet my new friend, Marc! Don't be afraid! He just dropped in to visit!" Pinkie stopped when she heard her own joke, then burst out laughing and fell over. The ponies seemed torn between what their instincts told them and what Pinkie was saying. Luckily, Applejack stepped forward too. "Howdy Marc. You could ‘a made a better entrance, but now you're here, let’s get you cleaned up." She trotted over and offered a shoulder to Marc so that he could pull himself upright. His tall stature set more ponies whispering, much to the annoyance of Applejack. "Hey now, don't be rude, He won't hurt ya none. Ya'll heard there was somepony special stayin' out in that cottage by the forest? Well, this here's 'im! C'mon now, be neighbourly!" Marc pulled himself upright and got his balance after the fall. He looked over to where Rainbow Dash and Derpy were trying to untangle themselves. Relief flooded him just to see them moving gain. "Hey, would someone help those two, they look a sight" He said, before thinking about it. Twilight’s spell allowed the ponies in earshot to hear his words. Applejack worked with it, “That’s the spirit! Ah’ll go see about some medicine-y stuff for ‘um, Y’all jus’ get ‘um on their hooves, now.” At this, the ponies seemed to decide that Marc couldn't be much a threat. After all, Applejack had said he was fine and she was honest as they come. Still, the majority stepped away uneasily and went about their business. But some stayed. A dark coloured Pegasus stallion trotted around and helped Rainbow to jump away from the awkwardly positioned Derpy, happy to be rid of the clumsy mare. "Thanks Thunderlane... Derpy! Why didn't you stay away like I told you!" Rainbow Dash was incredibly mad. Derpy had just made her crash in front of her entire town, fail the mission the Princess had given her, and drop her friend, nearly to his death! Before anyone could stop her, she turned and flew off with a sheen of mortification in her eyes. Thunderlane growled at the grey pegasus huddled on the ground before turning back to rejoin the crowd of milling ponies that continued to give Marc a wide berth. Marc had a clear sight of the poor Derpy as she slowly regained her hooves with a little stagger. Rainbow had landed mostly on top of the grey mar, leaving her far more worse for wear, and it showed. Marc had never stood to see the weak stood upon by the strong; it went against his nature and experience. Rainbow Dash was a great character, but in this, she was wrong. Marc walked over to the hunched grey figure huddled in the dust. "Hi, I'm Marc…The alien. Are you okay there, Derpy?" A few ponies stopped and watched as he kneeled alongside the dejected mare. Derpy looked up at Marc with surprise in her golden eyes. Then her eyes unfocused and she looked down, stuttering, "I-Im s-sorry crashed you into… I mean...Sorry." She looked miserable as she began to slink away. "Hey, I thought you wanted to talk to me?" Marc pressed. He'd had experience with humans with much the same problems at the Orphanage, and knew where a sympathetic ear could be helpful. This Pegasus meant no harm, and deserved none, in his mind. Derpy turned to look at him again, looking confused. "Wha'? Marc sat on the breach-end of Pinkie's Party Cannon, now in the centre of the abandoned area around him. "Come and sit with me, then we can talk a little bit, since you're the only pony not scared of me. You aren't scared, are you?" Derpy shook her head and trotted up to sit on the other end of the cannon. Unfortunately, her weight on the end of the barrel caused the entire contraption to tip down, throwing Marc over the once again sprawled-out Pegasus. Marc sat up and looked aghast at Derpy. "Wow, you have one hell of the skill there." "Buck it...” Derpy whispered as she sat up. "...s-sorry again..." Marc smiled, "Don't worry about it, this ground is actually more comfortable anyway. So, Derpy-" "Ditzy..." she said with some vehemence. "M-my name's Ditzy Doo, n-not Derpy Hooves...J-just 'cause I'm f-friends with T-Turner..." Marc realized that Derpy must have been an insulting nickname that had just stuck. He nodded apologetically, "I'm sorry, Ditzy, I'll remember that from now on." He smiled at her until she finally got the nerve to look up at him and smile back. "Aww! That's too cute!" It calls for a cupcake! And Ditzy, I got you a muffin!" Pinkie Pie ruined the moment slightly, but at least she added some cheer to it. Ditzy fell to her muffin like she'd lived through a seven year famine, And Marc couldn't help but laugh at that. Applejack noticed a distinct shift in the crowd's attention, towards the area more or less abandoned since Marc's startling entrance. Thank Celestia for Pinkie Sense, she thought. How Pinkie could have known where to aim against the falling rays of the sun was and forever would remain a mystery. Now, she pushed her way through the press of ponies beginning to surround her to watch in amazement as Marc sat with Pinkie Pie and Derpy, enjoying a snack and laughing like old friends. "Good job, there, Marc." she whispered to herself, grinning. She carried away the medical supplies she had gathered. The harm had already been resolved. Marc's head shot up when he heard the speakers turn back on with a buzz of static, followed by a voice over the massive sound system. Marc looked over to the stage set up in front of the large domed town hall as a voice rang out over the crowd. "Well, go-o-od evening Everypony! We had an interesting interuption there! My good friend Rainbow Dash says it’s time to introduce our infamous gate-crasher! Marc! You better hoof your ass over here, I wanna see an alien!" Marc got up and walked towards the stage. He noticed that the voice came from a white unicorn with a shockingly blue mane oddly prancing about in the sound booth. Shades on a pony. Now I've seen everything, Marc thought, knowing it wasn't the truth. It took a while to move through the now curious crowd of ponies, but soon he was standing before the stage, looking up at a slightly annoyed grey pony holding, of all things, a cello. He guessed he was holding up her show. The other band members looked just as peeved. Suddenly a microphone hit him upside the head. He instinctively grabbed it and glared at the unicorn in the sound booth. She just grinned. Marc held the microphone awkwardly, and said into it, "Hiya every...pony." It was the right thing to say. One or two ponies cheered (Marc recognized Applejack and Ditzy in there), and then a smattering of the crowd followed suit. Marc spoke again. "Now, I'm pleased to meet you all, and I hope you'll forgive my accidental landing. I didn't mean to scare anypony." A little more sporadic cheering, but mostly an awkward silence. Marc cleared his throat and said. "Well, I think I'll bid you all a good night. Enjoy the show!" Marc walked over to the sound booth and handed up the microphone to the pony there. She looked at him curiously. "Hey, dude, lookin' rough...Tell ya what, come to my place tomorrow, yeah? Rainbow said you were staying at Rosewood Cottage, if you look out the kitchen window, you can see my place; it’s the one with the lightning rod by the big tree." Marc was very surprised to get and invitation like this. "Thank you, may I ask your name...?" "Uh, sorry dude, chat tomorrow, gotta get to work, SEE YA!" She shouted as a massive wave of sound blasted from the speakers around her. The concert started up again. As he quickly scuttled to a slightly less noisy location, Marc wondered how Rainbow had gotten hold of that pony when she had already left. Soon, he was gathered by Rarity as he walked through the crowd, still getting nervous looks. She ushered him out of the square to where it was a little quieter. Then she turned to him and said rapid fire, "Well, darling, that plan went completely awry! Now, don't worry, the Princess comes out at the end of the show, that was when Rainbow Dash was meant to lead you onto stage, so now she'll cover for you. Anyway I will lead you to the cottage up the road here-" "R-Rarity?" "Rarity looked annoyed at Ditzy's interruption, "Please dear, I'm talking-" "Can I t-take Marc to R-Rosewood? I mean, I-I live t-there an' all." Marc looked at Rarity, "I think Ditzy can handle it, right? Don’t worry, things went far better than I ever expected. I thought I would be chased away, actually." Rarity tossed her mane, "Oh please, ponies are far too polite for that sort of thing." She thought for a second, "Well. If Der...Ditzy is going home too, then I don't see any harm in her taking you there. Just don't get lost again, Ditzy. Sleep well!" And with that, she headed back to the concert. Marc looked over the roofs of the cottages and saw a tell-tale spray of confetti. Pinkie pie. "S-should we go?" Marc followed Ditzy Doo up the road in silence or a while before she spoke, much more confident than before, "Um, thanks for not shouting at me or anything, and I-I'm sorry I crashed into you and Dash. I'm just a little clumsy sometimes..." "It's okay Ditzy, we all make mistakes. But please try not to hit into me again, it really hurt." Ditzy raised one wing and scowled at all the crushed feathers. "Yeah. I know." Marc laughed along with her at that, and patted her on the shoulder."C'mon Ditzy, let’s see what Rosewood is like." She smiled gratefully, saying. "Oh, Rosewood is great! All the ponies are nice there! Scootaloo sometimes, and m'sister Dinky... and all sorts of fun ponies s-stay there!" Marc realized something then. Rosewood cottage. The town Home, perhaps? Images ran through his head of years being shuffled about through halls and empty enclaves, being asked prying questions and being given useless remedies for a problem that could only be healed with time. He couldn't shake fear from his mind; it had been drummed into him by a cold system with little time for sympathy and friendship. But these ponies wouldn’t do that to him, would they? Sure, the whole locking him up for education thing had been a bit annoying, but it was better than humanity would have managed something like this. And the Princesses…To promise him freedom and then put him in a home seemed so cruel… Logic fought to regain control. Of course it they should have done that: it made sense. But repressed memories encouraged his irrational reaction. He masked it behind a stony face as he tried to retain his balanced countenance and question his companion; “Ditzy, do your parents own this Rosewood Cottage? Is it…is it like a guest house or something?” Ditzy bounced up with excitement, ready to gush with pride about her precious home. “Oh, no! My parents don’t live in Ponyville. I look after Rosewood, all on my own! It’s really fun! All the ponies in P-Ponyville who need a place to s-sleep can come there anytime-!” Marc actually growled. So Rosewood was sanctuary house? So it was a home! Just like that place they made me stay at after my- He cut himself off, along with a dumbfounded Ditzy, by storming forward a few steps. The quiet that followed was barely pierced by Ditzy’s inquiries; Marc was lost in painful memories he had hoped to leave buried. He had consoled himself about the loss of his friends with the knowledge that he had escaped the system. Now he was convinced that he was simply being thrown under the arms of another. When they reached Rosewood, the sun was fully down, hiding the building and the hill it perched on from Marc’s downturned eyes. He didn't even hear Rainbow Dash as she greeted him from the roof where she'd been waiting: He stormed through the door and collapsed on the bed a confused Ditzy offered him. He didn't hear or feel anything around him, he could only think as he cried silently to sleep: Even here, I'm an Orphan. Not again.