//------------------------------// // Brave New World (Dash) // Story: Stuck in a Rainbow // by theRedBrony //------------------------------// "What do you mean 'huh'?" "I mean uh, hi?" I smile like an idiot. This guy's just giving me a blank stare. I'm kinda nervous, he must know me… "You're not very good at listening are you?" "Not really," I shrug helplessly. Whoever this is, he has a long, slightly wavy, black mane, with slicked-back bangs. He's wearing black sunglasses that are… a lot like my favorite pair back home, actually. "Shame," he smirks, "so where ya headed?" He asks. "I uh… nowhere special. Just um… felt like getting out of the house," I answer on the fly. Hey, it's pretty much true. "Well, I'm heading to Danny's house. Kinda thought you'd be going there today, too. But first, I'm going to the gas station. Care to join me, pal?" "…Sure?" I immediately regret my decision… should have just said no and went back home. Now I'm going to dig myself into a hole! I follow him in awkward silence for maybe five minutes. But now I notice something. Something bright on his depressing black clothes, a little lanyard type thing hanging out of one of his flank pockets (not that I was looking at his flank, or anything…). It's white and has a little pendant thing on the end. I walk a little closer to him and squint at the thing, trying to get a better look. No way. I'd know those blue diamonds anywhere! What is this guy doing with Rarity's cutie mark hanging out of his pocket?! "Hey, uh," (guy who's name I don't know!), "what's with the thing hanging out of your pocket?" "What? This?" He says, grabbing it from his pocket. "It's the lanyard that Claire got me last Friday. Thought I showed it to you already…?" "I mean… what's that on it? The diamonds…" "Yep. They're diamonds alright..." He says sarcastically. "Oh for the love of…!" I facehoof… (facehand?) "I mean… where are they from? What do they mean? You know!" "Dude. Come on. You know it's Rarity's cutie mark from MLP. Stop playing with me man, you should know this." So it is! It's not a coincidence. I don't know what em-el-pee is, but that IS Rarity's cutie mark! "So um…" I'm trying to sound as casual as possible, "you know Rarity?" I know it's a stupid question, I'm pretty sure I'd know if Rarity knew any of these humans… but how else was I supposed to ask this? "What kind of question is that, Church?" Ugh! Why is this guy being so difficult?! "You know… uh…" I can't drop this now! If he knows Rarity, he might know a way back! Or at least a way to send a letter… or something! "Well you have to know Rarity if you have her cutie mark on a lanyard!" "Oh yeah, like I got this from Rarity herself or something. Also, last time a checked, you never liked MLP. So, did you finally watch it?" He's giving me a huge smile with that question. "What the hay is em-el-pee?!" Oops, I let that slip! It was probably something I should have known about, like this guy's name and where in the hay I am right now! "Holy shit." He stops walking completely and whips off his shades. "Church just said 'what the hay.' Wow. Somebody check the temperature in hell! You like ponies don't you?" He says with a huge toothy grin, biting his lower lip. "Uh, I guess. Why wouldn't I?" He's so completely flabbergasted that he just stares at me for a couple seconds. "Hell, about a month ago you told me you completely loath-… er, didn't really like them, unless you were lying then…?" He asks with a playful little smirk, as he slowly slides his shades back on his face. Even if he's just playing with me, I still talked myself into some kind of corner… "Uh…" Oh look, a little truth… "A lot's changed since then…" "Well that's good! So who's your favorite? Come on, tell me, tell me!" That smile seems to be plastered on his face now, what's with that? He's creeping me out! "Who's my favorite… what? Pony?" "Well, doy!" Why do I have to pick a favorite? I have five best friends. I could name a random acquaintance… but maybe this is a trick question! Maybe he's a SPY! My mind suddenly turns to a little orange filly. Probably the only pony I'd let down by not joining the Wonderbolts. She looks up to me. Like a big sister. Now that I think about it, I probably should spend some more time with my number one fan / sort-of-little-sister. She reminds me of myself when I was her age… head in the clouds. Figuratively. She can't fly yet, but she tries so hard to when I'm with her. It's so cute. "Scootaloo." "Scoots? Really? I mean, hey, awesome pick, but uh, you just don't seem like the type- ah, what the hell. She's cool." That's it? He seems to be done with this convo, oh well. I'll have to weasel some more information out of him later. Anyway, I think this is the 'gas station' we were headed for. There's a lot of these car-things here. Not really sure why. I follow him inside a little building with a glass door. He walks to the back of this store, and opens another glass door, with stuff behind it, and picks up a can. I can't read the label. "You want anything?" He asks, pointing to the bottles and cans behind glass doors. Drinks. I could use a drink after that little sprint. "You buying?" I smile as I ask, I don't think I have any bits on me. "For our new brony here, why not?" Well that's nice of him. "Cool." What's a 'brony'? I canter over and look. I honestly don't know what I'm looking for. Cider would hit the spot right about now, but I don't think they'd have any. I guess I'll just have what he's having. I pick up a can that looks like the one he had. And it's nice and cold. He walks over to the… shopkeeper… and I follow him there and put my can on the counter next to his. He pulls a black cloth thing out of his pocket, that looks suspiciously like the one in my pocket right now, and pulls a piece of paper out of it. Paper money? Weird. The shopkeeper gives him some coins back. So paper and coins? Huh. Drinks paid for, my new friend and I walk out the door, and back down the path we came from. It's a quiet walk, with just us two sipping our drinks (which I followed his example on how to open), and him still smiling like a complete idiot, back to the three-way intersection where I bumped into him. He starts taking me down the road I haven't been down yet, when I suddenly hear a funny noise. Like music. He digs in his pocket and takes out a black rectangle thing. He taps it with a finger and puts it up to his ear. "Y'ello? Yeah. What!? Where are you gonna be? Alright. Alright, I- I'll be right there." (I think he's talking into the box.) He pockets the thingy again and talks to me this time, "Hey sorry Church, got a family emergency I gotta tend to. When you get to Danny's, tell him I'll be there later… probably." Aw, horseapples. I don't know where I'm going! "Um, actually, I think I have to go home! I uh… left my icebox open!" "What? Well whatever man, gotta run! Seeya! Oh, and welcome to the herd!" And he sprints off, through a lot full of cars that nopony is in, chucking his drink can as he goes. Whatever that was all about must be important. "That was a close save though…" I turn back and go down the road I came from. There's almost nopony around now. Funny, I could swear there were more people earlier. And I didn't get to see much of this place when I was running through. I pass a bunch of houses. There's a really big building, looks like it might be a big school. Past that, there's a old cracked road that leads down to some rundown buildings, maybe a factory or something. I walk and a few more houses go by. Geez it seems like everything around here is rundown. There's trash everywhere, like newspapers and empty cans in the road. A way's down, and across the road from me, I see another 'gas station.' But this one obviously hasn't been used in a while. The stone paved lot has tons of weeds growing out of it. I keep walking. But I'm stopped by something unusual… a stray cardboard box in the middle of the sidewalk. I notice this particular box because it happens to be in my way. A person seems to come from the direction of the gas station and crosses the road to get to me. Another friend I guess? "Hey Church, what's up?" This dude is kind of scrawny. He has a stupid haircut, and an even stupider smile. "Uh, not much, just headed home. Heh heh." "Awwww, why? When you could hang out with your best friend Dyllen?" He puts his arm around my shoulder. Personal space, dude. Yep, another friend… Now I know how Twilight felt when she first came to Ponyville and met all of us. I look up to the sun, it can't be much past noon. I have a whole day of moping around the house planned for the rest of the day. That, and maybe some Harry Potter and bacon. Mmm, bacon… "Eh, sure, why not?" At least 'Dyllen' unintentionally introduced himself. Makes this a little easier. "Well alright, let's go." He crosses the street toward the old gas station. That's funny, looks like he's going into the deserted gas station shop. BRRRRRRRR What the hay? BRRRRRRRR There's something moving in my pocket! I dig around in there and find the plastic rectangle thing is vibrating. A little window on the top of it says 'Call from Danny.' Wasn't that the guy me and what's-his-face were going to go see? The thing vibrates some more. I notice it looks like it opens up, so I flip it open. There's another little window on the inside and some buttons with numbers. It still says 'Danny.' "Hello?" The thing says. "Uh, hello?" I ask the thing. "Hey, aren't you coming over today?" Wait, am I talking to Danny? Cool. "Uh… I don't think so, I'm hanging out with Dyllen…" "Uhhh, so you are coming over then?" He asks sarcastically. Huh? Wait. "Does that mean Dyllen is over there with you?" I ask, worrying and waiting for an answer. "Naw, he was bored of waiting for you so he went out to find something to do." Oh… thank Celestia… "HAHA! Yeah, right! You know all he does is sit around the house! He's here waiting for you to come over so we can play." I look over to the guy who just said he was Dyllen. But now this Danny says Dyllen is with him… Oh buck. I hope it's not… Gasp CHANGELINGS!