//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 - Awkward Interactions // Story: Fragmented Harmony // by Mares-a-Mares //------------------------------// Turning around the corner, magenta eyes scanned the area in front of the trio. She wasn’t expecting what she saw. Legs…! …So many legs….! Rainbow Dash felt her mouth drop as she pulled herself back from around the corner towards her companions. “…That’s a LOT of humans!” She exclaimed with astonishment. Fluttershy blinked as she watched her friend’s reaction. “A-Are there…really that many…?” She squeaked out. If Rainbow Dash was freaked out, who knew how many were out there! Were they even friendly? Gulping, the pink-haired girl slowly balanced more weight on her arms as she peeked where her friend had looked. She let out a gasp. Rainbow Dash was right. There were humans everywhere, all walking on two legs, dressed in several types of clothing, and they all walked past each other by the droves. There were legs covered in all kinds of colors, stitching, and even some that wore short skirts in uniformed designs. There were some who did their hair in all sorts of different directions, heights, and lengths. Overall they didn’t look much different other than the fact that they all had peach or brownish skin, walked on two legs, and weren’t ponies. For a different type of animal, they were truly fascinating! If only she could learn more about them! Her excited blue eyes caught sight of a small pink pigtailed girl, red ribbons in her hair, wearing a cream-colored blouse with a black skirt. This human looked like she was enjoying spending time with her blue-haired friend, but why were they wearing the same exact type of clothing? Was it a best friend thing? Rainbow Dash frowned as she watched her friend sitting in the same position. Was she just as freaked out as she was about the whole thing? ‘Maybe…I should check on her…’ The Magical Girl thought. Fluttershy let out a squeak as she felt something tap her shoulder. Turning back around, she was relived to discover that it was only her friend behind her and not some stranger. Rainbow Dash cringed. “Sheesh…! Flutters! Sorry…” Her tone became calmer. “…So, you seem to be staring out there a lot longer than I did…Anything interesting to note?” Fluttershy gave a rather excited smile. “Oh, all of it is very interesting! So many of them on the move, wearing different clothing and caring about appearances, just like we ponies do! This is even better than seeing new dragons!” The excitement filling her up was more than enough to wipe away her shyness for a few moments. These humans weren’t exactly cute and cuddly like bunnies, but she could sense that they too had a sense of friendliness that she could scope out! If she could only befriend them, it’d be like the Breezies! …Her companion gave a face-palm. Of course Fluttershy would get excited from seeing a new species. Normally she’d get a little excited too, but getting involved in the Witch’s Barrier and Cubes was more than enough to make her uneasy around this place. It just felt…weird, somehow. Nothing was the same anymore. Kyuubey jumped onto Rainbow Dash’s shoulder, its ears shifting slightly. “In order not to stand out in this world, it is essential that you learn how to walk like these humans do. Once you have practiced it enough, the rest should come by instinct.” Fluttershy blinked as she gripped onto the corner, her eyes on the pink-eyed creature. “…Maybe we can…use this to prop ourselves up?” She suggested. Rainbow Dash frowned at it as she used a hand to push Kyuubey off her shoulders. It was worth a try…and they couldn’t really blend in walking on all fours. “…Alright…but let me try it first, Flutters. I don’t want you to get hurt.” Fluttershy gave an inward sigh as she moved behind her friend. Rainbow Dash always tries to play the hero, leaving her in the back. Protection was nice, but sometimes it was a little frustrating when you couldn’t play the hero yourself. Despite this mindset, she always was willing to let her friend play the loyal role…even if it causes inner conflict. “…Okay. Be careful, Rainbow.” She mumbled softly as she sat up, picking up Kyuubey in her arms. Rainbow Dash nodded as she moved forward. The corner wasn’t very huge, but it gave enough grip that she was able to pull herself up onto her legs, knees slightly shaking and feeling numb from constantly keeping them bent. ‘This, this just FEELS weird…’ She thought to herself as she focused on keeping her legs from bending on instinct, her hands gripping tightly to both sides of the corner. If standing on her hind-legs for a long time when she was a pony felt straining, this was a whole other matter. Humans walked like this?! Fluttershy blinked as she watched her friend stand on her two legs. “W-Wow…” Watching her friend stand only gave Fluttershy incentive to try and stand on her own as well. Gently putting Kyuubey down, she slowly moved towards the corner and gently pulled herself up onto her two legs, feeling balancing starting to leave her. Gripping the corner with her hands, she came face to face with Rainbow Dash, who's magenta eyes were wavering. Fluttershy wanted to beat herself in the head. ‘Oh, Rainbow was struggling as well…I knew she often bit off more than she could chew…’ Rainbow Dash gave a silent gulp as she looked towards her friend. “G-Great…we’re standing…” Fluttershy gave a nod. “...And clinging to the wall…” Rainbow Dash continued. She gave another nod. “…Where do we go from here?” Her rainbow friend finished with a questioning tone, her magenta eyes peering from side to side to see if there was another corner somewhere she could cling on. Kyuubey walked in front of the two. “…Clearly the next step would be to walk.” This was the first time it’d contracted ponies, of all fascinating things…but it did not expect to be teaching them as if they were babies. …While they had magical potential, perhaps this was too much work to be worth the effort. Shaking its head, it faced the Magical Girl. “Simply place one foot in front of the other.” Rainbow Dash nodded. ‘One foot in front of the other…This should be easy…’ She slowly released the wall, her arms flailing for any form of support before she shifted her legs to balance herself. ‘Phew…one foot…in front of the other….’ She thought as she shifted, her right foot in front of her; giving her body a slight tilt to the front. She moved the left foot next, meeting the right. However, this knocked her off balance, and she started flailing her arms again. “Y-Yeesh…!” She grunted as she tried to gain balance once more, but instead she felt gravity take her down. “Gah…! Oww…” The Magical Girl grunted; her back against concrete. It really sucked not having her wings. Fluttershy gasped. “R-Rainbow Dash…! A-are you…okay?” Somehow the wall seemed even more comfortable as she gripped onto it as tight as she could. Kyuubey simply shook its head at the spectacle before it. This was going to take a while… The world had taken an orange hue as the sun began to set. The crowd just around the corner had changed, somehow seeming even more crowded than before. It had taken a few more tries before Rainbow Dash figured out the whole ‘walking on two legs’ gig, but Fluttershy was a whole other matter. It took almost an hour just to get her off the wall! However, eventually they managed to convince her to try, and surprisingly enough it took less time to teach her than it took for Rainbow Dash to figure it out! It was probably because she kept assisting her in trying to keep balance, but Fluttershy was able to keep her own balance over time. Kyuubey blinked as it looked towards the sunset. “…Do you have accommodations for where you are going to rest?” Fluttershy blinked as she brushed dust off her green skirt. “…H-Huh? Um…um…” Looking towards the sunset, she gasped. When did it get so late? Were they really learning how to walk that long? Rainbow Dash held a puzzled expression. “Uhh…not…really…?” She gave a sheepish grin as she shrugged. Thinking about it, it really had only been a day…and now they needed to figure where to sleep! She couldn’t trust any random stranger though…especially not when she was with Fluttershy! “Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh…” She started muttering under her breath as she turned away from her companions. How could she find a safe place for them to sleep in this place? Kyuubey made a sound that resembled a sigh, but its mouth didn’t move out of that empty smile. “…In any case, perhaps it is best that you search for a witch. You still have the Grief Seed from this morning, but it will only take another cleansing before you can no longer use it.” Fluttershy faced the pink-eyed creature. “…What do you mean? You…you can’t keep using the same one?” Rainbow Dash frowned. “Aww, come on! Why not?!” The creature shook its head once more. “A Grief Seed can only absorb so much corruption before it is filled up. If it’s filled up but then left alone, that same Witch will hatch from it, even stronger than before.” It explained. Both blue and magenta eyes widened. If she didn’t get another Witch, they’d be stuck facing that creepy clown-snake Witch again…! Fluttershy shrunk back as she pulled both her arms towards her chest, making a shield around herself. Rainbow Dash noticed. She couldn't put Fluttershy through that again. Not again. Rainbow Dash stepped closer, her face in a frown. “…Where do you usually find these things?” Kyuubey showed its empty smile as it looked up at the Magical Girl. “Witches are usually found in dark abandoned areas, places people tend to avoid. Being the main cause for mysterious disappearances and suicides, you tend to find them in the red light district.” Fluttershy gave a small whimper. “S-Suicides…!?” Suicide wasn’t a common thing to deal with back in Ponyville…to be used so lightly… Kyuubey nodded. “Indeed. This is due to the Witch casting a spell on a human in a weak-minded state. It is called a ‘Witch’s Kiss’, and causes the human to fall into their Barrier, where they can’t get out. If inside the Barrier, that human is most likely eaten and is declared missing outside of the Barrier.” Rainbow Dash gave a quiet gulp. “…What do you mean 'outside the Barrier'? Is it like, another world? A…A pocket world or something?” Honestly, she didn’t wanna find out…but as a Magical Girl now, she needed to know these things…even if it made her sick on the inside. Kyuubey closed its eyes. “If a human or Magical Girl dies inside a Witch’s Barrier, and is not carried out by someone before the Witch is defeated…then that human or Magical Girl would disappear along with the Barrier, declaring them missing in this world as there wouldn’t be a body to retrieve.” Fluttershy gave a quiet sob. Thanks to her always being useless and acting shy…her friend was in danger of meeting that fate. If only she could have the strength to protect her… Rainbow Dash frowned. “…So if you find people with a Witch’s Kiss, it means there’d be a witch nearby…Got it.” Looking back towards her frightened friend, Rainbow Dash gave a deep sigh and offered her hand towards her, refusing to make eye-contact. “…Here. Come on, Flutters. We can’t keep hanging around here…and I’m not leaving you hanging, either.” Fluttershy watched her fillyhood friend. It was a little hard to understand exactly how her friend was feeling. She couldn't see her expression...but surely she was just as scared as she was. Nodding slowly, Fluttershy took her companion’s hand, allowing herself to be led along. The two started walking along down the sidewalk away from the strange tall white building, keeping a tight grip on the other’s hand. ‘No matter what, we’ll stick together. We’ll find a way back.’ Fluttershy nodded to herself, her long pink hair bouncing slightly with each step they took. …Behind them on top of the tall white building, they weren’t aware of a pair of royal-blue eyes staring. A young girl dressed in a cream-colored uniform frowned, her dark-grey hair flowing in the wind. “A rainbow-haired…Magical Girl…?” Her voice gave a tone of astonishment as she locked her eyes towards the trio. “…They woke the Witch up early…” She kept the same frown as she started to pursue the direction they went. “...Could this… make a difference…?” Once they finally left that corner, the new world only got even larger to the rainbow-haired Magical Girl. Looking around, magenta eyes caught sight of several symbols she didn’t understand. It…it looked like writing…but none…none of it was equestrian…Pointing towards a sign with something that looked like a maze, she faced the creature. “Hey, Cubes…What does this say?” Kyuubey jumped onto her shoulder. “Ah. This is a map showing where the various train stations are. You are aware of trains?” Fluttershy nodded. “…We used to use them to…get to Canterlot whenever we…needed to.” Rainbow Dash blinked. “Wait, so this is a map? What are all these…weird symbols for, then?” Kyuubey looked closely at the ‘symbols’. “These are various forms of ‘kanji’, which is part of the Japanese language. This one that you are pointing to says ‘bathroom’.” The rainbow Magical Girl held a puzzled expression. “…Japanese language…? Great, w-we’re not only in a foreign body, the…the language around here is foreign?!” She sputtered. Wait, weren’t they speaking equestrian? How could Cubes understand them? Rainbow Dash glanced back at the creature. “…Are you many languages or something?” Fluttershy blinked. “U-um…-“ “The correct term is actually ‘multilingual’. The language you are currently speaking is known in this world as English. There are plenty of English foreigners in Japan, so you should be able to find someone who can understand you.” Kyuubey corrected her. Rainbow Dash dropped her mouth. “So…we’re speaking ‘English’…and we’re in some place called…’Japan’?!” Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “...H-How will we understand others…?” Kyuubey shifted slightly on Rainbow’s shoulder. “For the actual public, that is your own problem to figure out. However, as I am multilingual, so are Magical Girls, and those who are involved with the link they share.” The rainbow Magical Girl blinked. “Wait, link? What kind of link?” …This kind of link. Both girls gasped. That voice…it was in both of their heads! Do not panic. I have simply opened a connection between myself and the both of you. If I was not around, Fluttershy would not be able to hear us, but a Magical Girl is capable of creating telepathy amongst each other. Rainbow Dash closed her eyes. So…kinda like this? Fluttershy gave a small squeak. Rainbow Dash, you scared me! Oops…Sorry, Flutters… Indeed. This is precisely how you do it. Once you have met other Magical Girls, it is possible to use this as a form of contact. It does have a radius, but across from a large building is no trouble at all. Wait, so we’re like, not talking at all right now?! That’s…awesome!!!! I’m not so sure…I think I’ll opt out of the conversation…I prefer my thoughts stay private… You know…me too, actually... …If you both insist on doing so. Rainbow Dash faced her friend. Not that she’d hide things from Flutters…just…things can get kinda complicated… Fluttershy faced the map again. “So…um…where can we find the red light district from here…?” Kyuubey held a paw out. “There is a dark alleyway down that way. That will most likely take you there.” Despite this whole Magical Girl thing, Rainbow Dash still didn’t like the idea of taking her friend with her to the red light district…but what choice did she have? She couldn’t leave her on her own…but she wasn’t going to leave her with Cubes, either! Despite his knowledge and how helpful he’s been…she still can’t trust him. Something about this whole thing feels…strange, somehow. …Like a whole other kind of chaos. Shaking it from her head, she kept a hold on Fluttershy’s hand as they ran towards the dark alleyway. She couldn’t hesitate. She couldn’t show weakness. Not in front of Fluttershy. Fluttershy frowned as she allowed herself to be led through the dark alleyway. The area just spoke creepy and frightening to her…but she didn’t want to be seen as weak. She didn’t want to burden Rainbow any more than she already had. Closing her eyes, she looked away from the foreign graffiti all over the walls, keeping close to her fillyhood friend. No matter what, they had to escape. The question was, how? And…there…there are no Witches in Equestria…So…would… …Would Rainbow Dash have to stay behind…?!