//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3: Settling In 
// Story: A New World, And A Better Way 
// by Recteik Shade 
//------------------------------//






Night time in Fillydelphia was rather curious in Castelia the city had always stayed noisy and active even late into the night, but here it was almost deathly quiet.  The walk to Sparkler's apartment had been peaceful enough, there were next to no ponies on the streets and the only Pokemon Allen saw were Rattata lingering in alleys.  It seemed strange to him that any city could become so still, it was both relaxing and unnerving. 

Sparkler seemed completely oblivious as she continued to ask question after question.  Her favourite topic seemed to be the difference in Pokemon Types and how their abilities varied.  If he had not been so tired he would have made more of an effort to elaborate but as the clock was ticking passed three in the morning.  Fortunately Taillow seemed more than happy to answer her questions to the best of his limited knowledge but the kids effort were enough to keep the curious mare occupied.  Normally he would find her inquisitive nature delightful but as late as it was and with no caffeine to stimulate him; all he wanted to to sleep.  He was barely aware of his surroundings as Nova pushed him onto a couch, and he melted into the soft sofa.







Sparkler watched as Allen settled onto the sofa with all the grace and dignity of a rock slide, the former human was essentially pushed over by his friend and she could already hear him snoring.  " I didn't realize he was that tired."

"Sion Typhlosion."  Nova said shaking his head.

Sparkler blushed as she realized she had forgotten to cast the translator Spell on the Fire-Type.  "Whoopsie I forgot you Nova. One second."  She sparked her horn and shot the spell towards him," There we go!  Now what do you say?"

Nova smiled, which was actually rather terrifying," I said, He's even worse in the morning."  He said in a deep gravely voice.  "It's like trying to get a tree to cook breakfast." 	

Sparkler chucked at the thought," Will you be okay out here Nova?  I'm not sure about Loki though, we only have the one chair."  She gestured to a recliner that looked older then she did.

Nova chuckled," I'll be fine on the floor.  This is nice carpet almost as soft as grass."  He then curled up and into a tight ball in front of the sofa and let out a yawn.

"If he burns that couch we're not getting our Security Deposit back, you know that right?"  

Sparkler turned to see Starshine rubbing an eye and looking tired," It'll be fine Star I promise.  Sorry that we woke you."

She shrugged," I was actually trying to wait up for you.  I figured you'd let him crash here.  I was wondering when you'd finally bring a stallion home."  She grinned devilishly and waggled her eyebrows.  "I was starting to think maybe you played for the other team."

Sparkler flushed a bright red," Shut up Star."

"Hahahahahahaha!  You should see the look on your face!"  Loki phased into sight rolling around in midair laughing like a lunatic.

Sparkler glared at the ghost," I know a nice ice spell so unless you wanna spend all night thawing on the balcony shut up."

The threat seemed to do the trick as the obnoxious Pokemon stopped laughing to give her a nervous look," You wouldn't dare!"  

The pastel mare narrowed her eyes trying to look tough, which was enough to get Loki sweating," Try me."

The two stared eachother down for almost a minute untill Sparkler light her horn, which was enough to make Loki break.  "Alright!"  He said with a sigh as he threw up his hands in a gesture of defeat.  " I'll be other places."  He grinned and chuckled sinisterly before winking out of sight.

"Don't get into anything." Nova growled without opening his eyes.  " Allen is in enough trouble because of you.  So don't get the ponies who were nice enough to take us in, into hot water too."

"I'll behave." Loki's voice echoed faintly through the room.

"Too bad."  Taillow sneered as he ruffled his feathers.  " I think he would look good as an ice cube." 

His comment made Sparkler giggle," Maybe next time Tally."  

The Flying -type ruffled his feathers again," Please give me a better name than that."  He almost pleaded making Sparkler giggle again.









The hours ticked by and most of the City slept, save its new nocturnal residence.  So few ears perked up when a odd groaning, wheezing sound came out of back alley near the park.  A lone Rattata was rummaging trough a trash bin looking for anything tasty when the noise started.  With a confused squeak it looked up to see a small blue light pulse in time with the groaning.  With each pulse the the shape of a blue box seemed to become more and more solid, and less transparent each time the light faded.  

As the soft light stopped pulsing so did the wheezing noise that accompanied it, leaving a tall blue box floating about eight feet off the ground.   Granted it had woken up this morning in a city filled with not Pokemon Ponytas, but this still had be the single strangest thing it had ever seen.  It's confusion and mild state of awe was shattered as gravity seemed to finally decided to apply its laws and the hovering oddity slammed into the asphalt with a mighty crunch.  It slammed down with a startling amount of force which crushed the trash can that it had checked only two minutes prior.

The thunderous crash rolled through the silent city, a few dogs barked somewhere far off and at least two angry voices shouted into the night, rudely demanding quiet.  Through all that the little Mouse Pokemon just stared as the box shuddered under its own force, torn between its curiosity and its instincts screaming at it to Run Away.  

The latter won out as  the door swung open to reveal a light grey not Pokemon Ponyta with one eye pointing in a different direction from the other.  She walked to the end of the alley looking more and more perturbed as she went. By the time she reached the sidewalk she was glaring at everything she turned her gaze to," I don't believe this."  She growled under her breathe as she turned to walk back into the blue box, never noticing the pair of eyes that followed her from under a small pile of trash.






Ditzy pushed the door open again as she stomped back inside," Well this isn't Ponyville.  Time period looks right though."  

She glared up at a light brown Earth stallion who was running from one spot to another frantically flipping switches, pushing buttons, turning a hoof crank and, pleading with the mechanism in the glass tube.  "Nonononono!  NO!  Please no!"

"DOCTOR!"  Ditzy yelled while stomping her hoof again.   

"I'm sorry Derpy.  Really I swear to you this isn't me!"  He said while continuing his desperate attempts to reign in the machine.  " All I did was take her into the vortex and she goes all wonky like that.  It took everything I had just to get her to land here!"  

" Do you at least know where we are?"   She asked dropping the edge in her voice now that she knew the stallion was blameless.

The Doctor swung over to the monitor and tapped it a few times, he looked mildly relieved.  " I got the year right but it looks like we've been gone about twenty-eight hours."  He tapped the screen again and laughed to himself," We're in Fillydelphia!  I'll never get tired of those names." he smirked.

" My sister lives here." She said looking back towards the door with a smile.  " At least we can visit her while we're here."

The Doctor tapped his chin for a moment and hummed to himself," Wasn't she the pink one who was glaring daggers at me during the whole reception?"  

Ditzy layed her ears back and pawed at the floor," I forgot that she had been doing that but ya, that's her."

"Have fun then."  He waved a hoof as he went back to  the control panels.

She glared up at him," Oh no you don-"

"MOMMMMMMIE!"  Her scolding was interrupted as a high shrill voice sounded from a corridor,  which came from a small light grey filly who was was in nearly every sense of the word a copy of her mother.  She had the same straw blonde mane and pale coat, though instead of a pair of wings like her mother she had a small spiral horn.  She was rubbing her forehead just below said horn," I bumped my head."  She whined her voice filled with innocence that only a six year old could fake.  In truth the filly was as sharp as they came often surprising her elders with her attentiveness, and providing solutions that most grown ups overlooked.  

" What happened Muffin?"  Ditzy asked as she ran to the fillies side.  

"Everything got all shaky and I fell out of bed."  She looked up at the stallion as her joined her mother to fret over the filly.  " Did we crash again Daddy?"  

He smiled down at her, no matter how many times he heard her call him that it still tugged at his hearts." Just a bit of a rough landing."  His smile dropped," Wait, what do mean again?"

Ditzy giggled as her husband realized that he'd been burned by a six year old.  " Hey Muffin?  You wanna go visit your Aunt later?"

Dinky's big sad eyes were suddenly filled with excitement," Ya I haven't seen Aunt Sparkler since The Sisterhooves Social."

" I thought you'd like that idea."  Ditzy laughed.  " But right now it's late so why don't we go to bed and then we can go see her in the morning."  She gave the Earth stallion a sideways glance that that said ' You're coming too!'   

He grinned nervously, his wife could be really scary when she wanted too.  " I'll try and figure out what's wrong you two get some rest."  He gulped," Don't want you to be sleepy when we go to see your sister, do we?"  He kept up the grin until he was sure they were gone," I swear that glare of hers could crack an Angel."

" I heard that!"





Unknown to the ponies inside a less than pleasant being had managed to enter and leave without them being any the wiser.  It phased back into sight outside the box, revealing itself to be a familiar and extremely obnoxious Gengar.  Loki laughed to himself as he lazily drifted away," This place just got even more interesting."