//------------------------------// // Chapter 10: Full Circle // Story: Well, this is new... // by CommunistTaco //------------------------------// Date: 06:28:2014 Location: Area 51 Top Secret Research Facility, Nevada, United States Status: Analysis Of Case 0237D Underway Time: 09:00 Dr. Alexander Collins is hard at work. It had been 5 days since he was given the task of solving the mystery behind Case 0237D. He had uploaded all the information the Area 51 database had on weather anomalies and had begun analyzing it for any possible signals that could explain the strange weather that had occurred almost a month ago. He was currently searching through some old CIA case files to see if any similar anomalies had ever occurred. As nine-ten ticked by on the clock he discovered something. Case 9035A Strange weather pattern spotted near Washington D.C. on June 9th, 1814. Records of occurrence are outdated and unreliable. (One civilian allegedly reported missing.) No data recorded. -Case Dismissed by Secret Service on October 24th, 1872- Dr. Collins was about to dismiss the file like he had every other case of 'strange weather patterns' but something caught his eye. The date listed for the event was June 9th, 1814; exactly 200 years before the occurrence a few weeks ago. He also noticed that case 9035A stated that a civilian had allegedly been reported missing. The similarities were uncanny. This could be the big breakthrough that Collins had been waiting for... I awoke on my own accord some time after sunrise. With the events of the previous day still lodged in my head I got out of bed and went to take a shower. I had several expectations for the upcoming day and none of them were all that positive. It seemed I was the epicenter of trouble lately and this was just one of several incidents as of late. After a nice, refreshing shower I proceeded to head downstairs to get some breakfast. I found the house to be completely empty which was quite a surprise. I would expect at least Granny Smith to be around. I decided to not let it bother me and grabbed myself a simple breakfast of an apple and some oatmeal. The meal was simple but delicious and I took the time to savor every last bite. Once I had finished my breakfast, I decided to look for any of the members of the household in case they needed help with something. I strode out the door and into the warmth of the morning sun. I decided to begin my search around the orchard because either Applejack or Big Mac were bound to be out there working. I was disappointed however, because after an hour of searching, I found no signs of the two siblings. I figured they must be in town then and began to head in that direction. The short walk in-between Sweet Apple Acres and Ponyville allowed me a little time to think. 'I wonder how the townsfolk will react upon seeing me. I find it extremely likely that Rainbow Dash started spreading rumors which might have tarnished my already not-so-perfect image. I guess I'll just have to hope for the best...' My thoughts were interrupted as I entered Ponyville. Strolling down on of the main roads it seemed all was normal. Ponies, just going about their daily lives like normal... It seemed like everything was going to be fine until they noticed me. Immediately the stares came. Stares of malice, disgust, and worst of all disappointment. In their eyes, I was a pony they thought they could trust, but ended up being a horrible monster. It was unbearable to receive such negative attention so I just hung my head in shame and headed for the center of town. Upon reaching the marketplace, I saw Applejack and Big Mac standing at what seemed to be a vendor stand selling apples and apple related items of every kind. I decided to head in that direction because at that point I had nothing better to do. As I approached the stand, Applejack noticed me and my entourage of staring citizens. She looked at me with pity in her eyes before angrily addressing the crowd. "Now y'all stop harassing Vlad! He ain't done nothin wrong!" "He eats sapient creatures! How's that for 'nothin wrong'" somepony shouted from the crowd. "He used to! When he was another species in a different universe for Celestia's sake!" Applejack argued back. "No Applejack, it's ok. It's obvious they don't want me in their town," I said sadly before walking off towards the town limits with the crowd's discerning eyes following my every step. 'I can't believe I fucked things up again! What the hell is wrong with me?!' I reached the edge of town situated by the Everfree Forest. 'It seems I'm bound to keep returning here...' I sighed. "Vlad?" I heard a voice barely noticeable ask, "What are you doing here?" I turned to see Fluttershy standing outside a cottage which I was currently walking by. "Oh, hey Fluttershy. Sorry If I bothered you. I've just been run out of town and I'm going back into the forest... It was nice knowing you!" I said with a forced grin on my face. Fluttershy recoiled at my apparent loss of sanity but stayed where she was. "Oh, um. I'm sorry that you... um... got run out of town. Wanna talk about it? Um, if that's ok with you..." I stopped my march towards the forest and addressed her creepy smile still on my face, "Well Fluttershy, I don't know if you've heard the RUMORS.., but everypony thinks I'm some kind of monster cause I ate cows, pigs, and sheep when I was a HUMAN back in my HOME DIMENSION. I couldn't help it ya know... but they didn't care! Its ridiculous I tell ya! Ridiculous!" Fluttershy looked like she was debating whether to run back inside her cottage or stay and respond to the crazy pony in front of her. She had a look that just said she was terrified of me, but I was in no state of mental clarity at the time. "Oh, um... well I hope they come around... I don't hate you for eating those animals back where you um... came from. I know you couldn't um... help it." That snapped me out of my craziness right then and there. "Oh... thanks Fluttershy. I thought Applejack was the only one with some sense in them but I'm glad to know that you don't hate me either. Sorry for, you know... going off on you..." I said with an apologetic look on my face. Fluttershy gave a sigh of relief and gave me a small smile. "I was just making some tea before you um... came along. You can come have some with me... you know... if you want to." "I'd like that. It might be just what I need to calm down a bit. Thanks Fluttershy..." I said giving her a appreciative grin. "You're um... welcome. Come on in..." Fluttershy said before turning back to her house with me in tow. I looked at the quaint home and spotted several animals of all kinds lounging around. "Wow that's a lot of animals," I said out loud. "Oh... um. I take care of them. It's... my special talent." Fluttershy said overhearing me. "Wow, cool. I used to have a pet dog before... um my parents passed." I said with a sad smile. "Oh I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories!" Fluttershy exclaimed eyes widening. "No it's fine. Happened ten years ago so I'm pretty much over it," I reassured her. "Oh... um. I'm still sorry for your loss." Fluttershy said giving me an apologetic look. "Thanks Fluttershy. That means a lot to me," I said. "Oh... no problem. I'll go fetch the tea. You can have a seat... if you want to," Fluttershy said as we entered her home. As she went off to what I assumed was the kitchen, I plopped down on the couch situated in what seemed to be her living room. The house was decent size and was much larger than my crummy old apartment. As I was sitting on the couch reliving old memories, I was interrupted by something tapping my hoof. I looked to my right to see a white rabbit looking at me with an irritated look. "Oh, hey there little guy. I'm Vlad, nice to meet you," I said. The rabbit continued to look at me with a scrutinous gaze as If judging me. After thirty seconds of awkward staring, it shrugged and hopped off to where I had last seen Fluttershy. I was slightly confused about the encounter but decided to just put in my ever-growing pile of 'awkward stuff that I can't explain about this dimension'. I sat on the couch for a few minutes until Fluttershy returned with a tray containing two cups of tea and a plate of... flowers. "Um... hey Vlad. Tea's ready..." "Cool. You can just set it down on the coffee table if ya want." I said. Fluttershy placed the tray down as I had recommend and took a seat on the opposite side of the couch. I grabbed the piping hot tea, being careful not to spill, and brought it to my mouth. When the beverage reached my taste buds I was assaulted by sweetness. The tea obviously had honey as well as another flavor that I couldn't put my hoof on. Overall, it was the best tea I had ever had. I hadn't been that into tea when I lived in Russia, and was more of a fan of kvass (a popular Russian drink consisting of a bread-base and a variety of flavors. I had tried it when I was 3 at a restaurant and immediately loved it. My parents tried to stop me from drinking it because it contained trace amounts of alcohol.) "Mmm, this is great tea Fluttershy." "Oh... thank you," she responded as shy as usual. "You know, I'm glad I met you and your friends, even if I'm not on the best terms with some of them as of now. You've all been so supportive of me, despite me being a complete stranger," I said deep in thought. "Oh err... well I can't imagine what you have been going through these past few days, so helping you was the least I could do." "Thanks Fluttershy, you're a real pal ya know that," I said giving her a stupid grin. "Oh... well, I try," she said obviously uncomfortable about receiving yet another complement from me. Upon seeing her discomfort, I decided to change the subject. "So what kinds of animals do you take care of?" She seemed to perk up upon hearing this and got a dreamy look on her face. "Oh, all kinds. I just try to give them a home or a temporary sanctuary when they need help or are injured. I just feel so happy when I'm around them." "That's nice. It's always good to be able to do what you enjoy, ya know?" I replied. "Oh yes. I don't know what I'd do without all my animal friends, especially Angel Bunny." "Is 'Angel Bunny' that white rabbit I met earlier?" I inquired. "Why yes. I hope he was nice to you. He can be a bit... protective around new ponies." "Well I can't say he was all that happy to see me, but he must of decided I was ok cause he didn't bother me much." I replied with a shrug. "Oh, well that's... good I guess. It's better than how he treated some of my other friends, especially Spike and Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy replied with a sigh of relief. I let a small chuckle upon hearing Rainbow's name. "I doubt Rainbow would do well around animals, being as impatient as she is." "I guess... But she's still a good friend none the less," Fluttershy replied. "I ain't gonna argue, she can't seem to make up her mind of me though. I thought I had finally gotten her to like me until yesterday happened," I said with a sigh. "Oh, I'm sure she'll forgive you. She can be a bit stubborn, but she's always there for a friend when they need her," Fluttershy said reassuringly. "I sure hope so... I guess it was kinda my fault for messing things up in the first place," I said lowering my head a bit. "Nonsense! You couldn't help it... Ponies just tend to jump to conclusions sometimes..." Fluttershy scolded me upon my display of self pity. "Yea, I'm glad you and Applejack don't though. Otherwise I would probably be hunkering down in a cave somewhere," I said with an awkward chuckle. "Applejack is the most honest pony there is. I'm sure she'll clear you name in no time," Fluttershy said with up-most confidence in her friend. "Here's to hoping." I said raising my cup of tea and then taking a large gulp. As I did so, there was a loud rapping on the door. "Oh, I wonder who that could be," Fluttershy said before getting up and going to the door. She opened the door and immediately gasped in surprise. "Applejack, Twilight. Nice to see you. What can I help you with?" she asked. "We're looking fer Vlad. Did he happen to come by here?" I heard Applejack ask. "Why yes. We just had a pleasant conversation over a cup of tea." she replied. "Is he still here? Cause we need to speak to him." Applejack asked. "Yes he is. Come on in." Fluttershy replied. I gulped upon seeing the three ponies turn towards me. 'Oh boy, here we go...'