//------------------------------// // Somepony New // Story: The Experiment // by IwuvWoona //------------------------------// Ker-thunk! Thump! Clunk! Wilson groaned, beginning to stir from his deep sleep. What was making that racket? He buried his face into the mass of blankets he was cocooned in, but it didn't feel...right. Where he was..., it wasn't in a straw or fur roll. No, this bedding felt far more...artificial. Refined, really. How did he even get here? He remembered...he remembered the rift. Yes, he was with Wendy, and...maybe Abigail. They were collecting charcoal for the fire pits, which came from a grove of trees Willow had burned down the night before. Then, there was the corruption. The darkness he'd felt just before he was...trapped, it twisted and swirled in the area. Abigail went ballistic, trying to guide them away from the area. There were evil flowers everywhere, and there it was. It was black, with shades of purple and green spewing from it. Just a giant...split in the world. Immense pain ripped through his head, and he winced. What happened? Did they find them? No. No, they couldn't have. He was hurt. The dull aches in his joints were proof of that, and it felt like his hands had been jammed into his wrists. However, he couldn't be in Wisteria's tent. In there, it always smelled strongly of the herbs and flowers she used to heal everyone. Here, there was none of that. It was too clean, not even the scent of nature lingered. "OUCH! You little brat!" "DON'T TOUCH ME AGAIN, WITCH!" The first voice was unfamiliar, but the latter was unmistakable. Though weak, Wilson managed to bring himself to a sitting position. "Wendy?" he called, then his eyes registered the new, colorful world he was in. He was in a room, far larger than the tents back at the camp. Heck, this place was bigger than his old cabin. The walls were a light violet color, and all along them were ocean-blue crystals, which branched out like jagged trees. All sorts of furniture and rugs decorated it, yet it still felt empty. The bed he was set in had a crystalline, blue frame, with white blankets. This bedroom was fit for royalty! "What?" He sighed, burying his face into his hands, then immediately pulling himself away from them. He stared, horrified, at the white hooves that had replaced his fingers. "What in blazes!?" His confusion mounted. What was all this? Some freakish nightmare? Or...was he dead? He rushed off the bed, humorously tripping over new appendages and a mass of sheets before falling face-first onto the crystal floor. He cried out, pain flaring up everywhere. It made him realize this was all too real. The doorknob clicked, and Wilson froze. Who were these people? Where did they take him? Confusion overwhelmed him when a rather curious, but innocent-looking being came through. It looked like an equine, but far more simplified and colorful than the horses he'd gotten used to seeing in his old world. The equine was the color of candy-floss, with an outrageously fluffy mane and tail akin to raspberries. It stared at him with big eyes that were a vivid blue. "Oh, wow!" the voice was feminine. "You finally woke up!" Wilson was too shocked by this new creature to provide any response. It was...talking. TALKING. The mare's wide grin faded as she got a look at him. "Um, are you alright?" "I," he grunted and tried shifting his position, only to give himself more discomfort, "am in a lot of pain right now." The mare snickered at his situation. She skipped over to him with felicity. "Let me lend you a hoof, friend!" With a few moves that seemed physically impossible with hooves, the buoyant mare untangled him from the bedding and eased him into a far more comfortable position. "There you are. My name's Pinkie Pie!" She offered her hoof. Hesitantly, he reached up and grabbed it. Pinkie lifted the shaky man to his hooves. He bit his lip, "I'm Wilson." "Oh, I know!" "Why did you ask, then?" "I didn't ask, you just told me!" Pinkie giggled again. Wilson opened his mouth with a (not-so)clever retort, but realized she was was right. "Wendy told us everything!" So Wendy was here! He wouldn't be alone in this strange world, and that relieved him a little more. "Wendy, could you clarify? When did she-" Pinkie cleared her throat, beginning a barrage of chatter that would never end without something to interrupt her. "She woke up two days ago. I found both of you while preparing for my favorite-est princess's first alicorn anniversary party! That was THREE days ago. I got my friend, Rarity, and we brought you and your filly to her castle. The other three of our friends are lodging here too. 'Cause, we think you may have something to do with Twilight's disappearance! At least according to Wendy." "T-Twilight? Rarity?" He groaned and struggled with his shaky form. "Urk...others? Others like...you?" "And you!" Pinkie leaned in and tapped something on his head, something new and solid. She twisted him around, pointing at a blue-framed mirror in the corner. "Before you freak out, wanna get a good look at yourself? Wendy FLIPPED when she first saw herself!" "I...nnng...yes, yes I'd like to see." Gently, Pinkie grabbed his hoof to guide him over, continuing to talk about what happened. "Twilight is one of the four princesses in Equestria. This is her home and where all of us meet if there's something wrong. She got her wings a year ago next week. Rarity's what you are! So right now, we have me, you, Wendy, Rarity, AppleJack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Spike, Sweetie Belle, AppleBloom, and Scootaloo all here. Wendy's told us a lot. She's been really irritable. And, also a bit hide-y," Clangs and clashes thumped in the room above, "Looks like Rarity finally got her, though. She'll fill you in when you see her. 'Cause I have NO idea what's going on!" This horse was incredibly annoying, more so than mandrakes. He couldn't be rude, these beings may have saved his life. And Wendy's. Dang it, how many times would his hide need to be saved, anyway? She shoved him in front of the mirror. "There you are. I need to go help AJ with dinner now, BYEEEEE!" "I-I'm not sure how good of an idea it is to let me walk on my own." "Psshhhh! Wendy was up n' about in a half-hour. I'm sure an adult stallion would be fine even sooner!" And with that, Pinkie was gone. Wilson sighed and turned his face to the mirror. With a single glance, he was paralyzed by his alien appearance. He found bright, azure eyes staring back at him. He was covered with a white, fuzzy coat, only slightly hidden by his red vest and white shirt. His muzzle (he never thought he'd use a muzzle to describe a part of himself!) was longer and more...boxlike than Pinkie's. His hair was nearly identical to his old self, but now he had a tail to go with it. Then he saw something that made him sure that everything he believed in was dead here. Right in the center of his head...was a horn. Wilson whimpered. He. Was. A. UNICORN. It was several minutes before he broke away from his shock. He slowly trudged out of the room, wondering if he should have just stayed in bed. "OOWWW!" "LET. ME. GO!" What was happening up there? Wilson, cautiously and slowly, wandered up a shining staircase, leading to a labyrinth of doors. He crept down the hallway, calling for the filly he knew was here. Suddenly, the door he was just passing by burst open. He jumped to the other side of the hall and dove to ground as a white blur fled from the room, twisted around, and shut it. The thing proceeded to crash itself against the door. It was a mare, a unicorn like Wilson. She had blue eyes and a pure, white coat. Her mane and tail was curled, and was colored like a nightmare amulet. Despite the fur, she somehow managed to neatly apply makeup, sky-blue eyeshadow. Curiously, she had a mark on her flank, three diamonds. She was slightly unkempt, however. Her mane and tail had stray hairs sticking out in all directions. One of her eyes was dark and swollen shut. Upon closer inspection, something had bitten her front ankle. The doorknob jiggled, followed by pounding. "LET ME OUT!" It was Wendy. The mare sighed before screaming, "I'LL LET YOU OUT WHEN YOU'RE CLEANED UP! DON'T MAKE ME COME IN THERE AND DUMP YOU IN!" "YOU WOULDN'T DARE TOUCH ME AGAIN!" The unicorn mare sighed, and surprisingly, her horn lit up with a blue glow. A shriek came from within the room, quickly followed by a sploosh!. There was a pause. "You win this round..." Her voice was quiet and irritated, "Well played." A filthy pink shirt and mauve skirt slid under the door, encased in the mare's glow. "Pardon me, Darling. If you excuse me, I need to go wash, scrub, and sew up this atrocious ensemble. It looks like it hasn't been cleaned in ages!" "Erm...w-what was going on in there?" She turned her head to look at him. "Oh! I thought you were Fluttershy by the way you were on that floor! I'm sorry, Wilson. Wendy will be pleased to know you're finally awake." "You kn-know my name?" "Oh, we all do. Your little filly, however...troublesome she may be, has been providing us some info about you and herself. She didn't want to say much until you were okay, though." She took his hoof and gave it a slight shake. "My name is Rarity, town seamstress and the element of Generosity. I helped Pinkie Pie get you here." "Um, what was happening in there?" Rarity scowled. "Trying to get that filly into a bath. She was utterly filthy! All covered in grass stains and mud," she shuddered, "She refused to do so when she first awoke, and has evaded me until just recently." She sighed, "I think it went well." He glanced at her injuries, "It doesn't look like it..." "You haven't met my sister yet. Three words, dear; punch, kick, AND bite. Try to make her touch water and she'll be out for your blood. I mean that literally." She turned to walk away. "Rarity?" "Oh, yes?" "Thanks for helping us." The mare grinned. "Tell Wendy that we'll serve dinner when she's out. You should join us, meet everyone." Wilson nodded, unsure if he was ready to be in that size of a group.