Ponies on Broadway
Ponies on Broadway
April 18th 2012
Morning arrived sooner than I would have liked, but complaining about it would have been no use. The night had been spent tossing and turning, and no matter how long I kept my eyes squinted shut, I had not been able to fall asleep. I had tried to focus my thoughts on the joy of meeting Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Angel, but they always drifted back to the frightening encounter with Discord. We may have escaped unscathed physically, but the mental strain it had caused was already leading to problems.
The lack of sleep was one thing, but dealing with the disappointed looks from Pinkie and Fluttershy, and the fact that they knew I was hiding something from them, was another problem altogether. The girls had welcomed my friendship with openness and trust, telling me anything I wanted to know without fear, and doing what they could to help around the apartment. The fact that I could not treat them with the same openness was heartbreaking. I still felt that it was best that they didn’t know about Discord just yet. I wanted to get John and the Cutie Mark Crusaders to Sydney, then form some kind of plan before revealing who it was that we had picnicked with.
I stretched my arms over my head, then arched and stretched my back and shoulders. It was still fairly early. A glance at the wall clock revealed that it was six forty-two in the morning. Angel would likely be up in less than an hour, followed by the others. If I took a shower now, I’d be out in time to cook breakfast before anyone else had awoken. I crawled out from the sleeping bag, rolled it up, and quietly put it away in the linen closet. I then sleepily made my way to the bathroom and opened the door.
Sitting on the floor of the bathroom, staring straight ahead with her knees pulled up to her chin and her back to the wall, was Pinkie. She closed her eyes and let out a small sigh when she noticed me enter the room.
“Pinkie?” I asked before kneeling down next to her. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
She continued to keep her eyes closed for several moments before opening them and looking into my eyes. “I don’t know,” she replied. Her voice was uncharacteristically strained, and her eyes were dull instead of having their usual mischievous gleam to them. She looked down to the floor and continued. “I guess a lot of things have happened lately, and it’s finally catching up with me.”
My heart ached to see Pinkie looking so discouraged. Her voice, mannerisms, and even her word choices all contrasted sharply with how she generally behaved. I had known that she was under a lot of stress, but to see her in such a state...
I sat down next to her and stared at my hands, trying to think of the right words to say. Lack of sleep and an increase in my own anxiety made it difficult to focus, though.
“How long have you been in here?” I asked. I waited for a response, but it soon became clear by the stark silence that Pinkie either hadn’t heard me, or didn’t want to talk about it. Reaching for her hand, I decided to simply ask her, “Would you like to talk about it?”
Pinkie looked up at me with her crystal blue eyes, a sad hint of a smile touching the corners of her lips. She held my gaze for a few moments before answering. “I miss Gummy,” she said breathlessly.
An image of the wall-eyed baby alligator came to mind, and I wondered if Gummy had also been caught in the blast of chaos magic that sent the ponies to Earth. Angel apparently had, and he also managed to find us somehow. Perhaps the alligator had also been transformed, and was out there somewhere, looking for a way home.
Pinkie spoke again before I could think on it further. “I miss the others, too,” she continued. “I miss pulling pranks with Rainbow Dash and baking goodies with Applejack. I miss helping Rarity with those beautiful dresses she creates, and listening to Twilight talk about weird sciency things that I don’t quite understand, but seem like fun anyway.” There was another moment of silence as she looked at her hand that I was holding.
I wondered what to say to that, but she continued.
“I thought that turning into a human would be a lot of fun,” she explained. “So I just went along with it. And it had been a lot of fun.” Her voice grew quieter. “Until yesterday. Something happened at the picnic that I wasn’t prepared for.”
From what I could recall, Pinkie had been squirming and had looked extremely uncomfortable as she tried to sit still. I couldn’t imagine that being made to keep quiet would make her that upset, so there had to be something more to it.
“Go on,” I encouraged.
Pinkie took her hand out of mine and returned her gaze to my face. She bit her lower lip, and I thought she would reconsider telling me, but she finally answered.
“I felt my Pinkie Sense,” she revealed. Suddenly her hands were on my shoulders. “It was awful! I didn’t understand what any of it meant. Normally, I get an itchy nose or a twitchy tail, but in this body everything’s wrong!” The words that followed struck me like a physical blow. “Something was wrong at that picnic, and you won’t tell us what it was! You said that tall man was dangerous, but there was more to it than that; I could feel it. Don’t think for one second that I didn’t see what Angel gave you, or the way you looked at that man when he did. Our lives were in danger, and you won’t even tell us why.”
Pinkie fell silent and continued to look into my eyes with a sad mixture of uncertainty and frustration. It was clear to me then that my efforts to shield the Equestrians from the stress of Discord’s presence had actually led to the even greater stress of having to deal with the unknown. Not to mention the disappointment of having a friend hide the truth from them.
The time had come for complete honesty, regardless of the consequences.
“Pinkie, I’m sorry,” I began. With a heavy sigh, I continued. “I only wanted to protect you all from the reality of what we’re facing, but...” I closed my eyes. “I’ve only made things worse for you. I guess I made the mistake of thinking you couldn’t handle the extra pressure and for that, I apologize.”
Pinkie blinked. “Do you really feel that way? I mean, you just wanted to try to keep us happy?”
“Yeah,” I muttered.
Her smile returned, if a bit strained. “Okay then, how about this... I promise not to get upset over whatever it is you’ve been hiding from us.” She began to make motions with her hands. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in-”
Pinkie was cut off as I gently placed a hand on her forearm. “There’s no need to Pinkie Promise,” I said. “I’m just going to tell you the truth, and I’m not going to force unrealistic expectations upon you. There’s no way to tell how you’re going to react, so we’ll just take it one step at a time from here on out, okay?”
Pinkie seemed to relax, her smile more genuine. “Alrighty then,” she replied. “Let’s try it.”
I took a deep breath. “The tall man from yesterday was Discord.”
The smile, along with the slight glimmer of hope I’d seen in her eyes, disappeared. Her brow furrowed as she began to grasp what I had just said. Surprise, fear, and anger all flashed across her face before finally giving way to resignation.
“So that’s why I felt so strange yesterday,” Pinkie reflected. She let out a small sigh. “I don’t blame you for what you did, and I can definitely relate to wanting to see somepony smile.” She paused for a moment. “I still can’t help but worry about my friends though.”
I thought for a moment. “Well, they can’t be any worse off than we are,” I commented.
Pinkie frowned. “What do you mean?”
I put an arm around her shoulders and motioned with the other. “I doubt that they’re sitting on a bathroom floor sharing their problems with whoever happened to find them,” I said.
Pinkie stared at me for a few seconds, then a small giggle escaped her lips. “You’re right.” She smiled again. “I bet Twilight’s probably still studying the trees near wherever she landed, Rarity has probably made a dress out of leaves by now, and Applejack and Rainbow Dash are probably fighting over who looks better as a human. Princess Celestia was found by your friend, and I bet Luna’s being taken care of, too. We even get to see Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo soon too!”
A smile crept onto my face. “That’s the Pinkie I’ve come to know. Are you going to be okay?”
My answer came in the form of a hug. “Thanks, Captain,” she said. “There’s still plenty left to worry about, but I do feel better now.”
Just then the bathroom door opened and Fluttershy poked her head in. She froze the moment she saw us, and openly stared with wide eyes and bright red cheeks for a few awkward seconds.
“Oh my, um. Well, I guess I can wait. I’ll just, um, leave you two alone now...” she managed to say before retreating and shutting the door. I could hear her hasty footsteps as she practically ran back to the bedroom.
Pinkie and I looked at each other and burst into quiet laughter. Once we settled down, I stood and helped her to her feet so we could go explain things to Fluttershy before the former pegasus could have a fit.
With Pinkie back in a stable condition, and Fluttershy no longer panicking and thinking that her friend had finally lost her mind and fallen in love with an alien, it was time to decide what our plans would be for the day. Browsing the internet was dismissed as an option almost immediately. While looking online might have led to finding more Equestrians, I wasn’t prepared mentally or financially to meet any more of them; not with the Cutie Mark Crusaders coming to Sydney. I would need to get the passports sorted for them soon, but I didn’t want to have to deal with Moey while Pinkie and Fluttershy were both emotionally drained.
Pinkie and I had sat down to breakfast with Fluttershy and Angel and explained Discord’s presence at the picnic. Angel wasn’t surprised, since he had been informed of the draconequus by Ashton already. But Fluttershy was taken aback, and needed several minutes to recover.
When she did come around, she simply listened and nodded as Pinkie and I explained how we couldn’t just leave Sydney to try to find their friends without confirming their locations first. I explained that actively looking for Discord was out of the question, with Fluttershy agreeing as she nibbled on homemade pancakes. All in all, she handled the news better than we had expected, and while she did offer her hopes that we could find the others quickly, she accepted our situation and agreed that we needed to take it one step at a time.
“So what’re we doing today, Captain?” Pinkie asked through a mouthful of Snickers. She was sitting at the table and trying to pull a shirt down over her shoulders, oblivious to the fact that she shouldn’t have been walking around with just a bra on. Especially in front of Angel, though I wondered if that really mattered.
I turned off the television, causing The Wiggles to shrink into black nothingness. “Well, we can probably consider this as a day off. The pictures of the Crusaders aren’t likely to be ready for a while, and DragonLS seems to have the princess taken care of. We may as well try to have a little fun today; I think we could all use it,” I pointed out.
Fluttershy set down the Wii remote she had been examining and looked up. “Um well, if you don’t mind me saying, I really don’t...” She grew quiet as she considered the right words to use. “Let’s please not go back to that nature reserve,” she asserted.
“No,” I said. “We’re definitely not going back there.” I’d seen enough ‘wildlife’ lately, and was in no rush to see any more.
“Let’s go find some bronies!” Pinkie suggested. “I want to know everything about them!”
No you don’t, Pinkie. No you don’t.
“How about we go to the mall? Are there malls in Equestria?” I asked, to which Pinkie nodded in confirmation. “You all could do with a few more outfits, and I can’t believe I forgot to buy you toothbrushes.” A thought occurred to me. “I’m also running out of food.”
Pinkie’s eyes briefly looked down towards the pile of candy bar wrappers and Coke cans on the table before her. “Sorry!” She grinned sheepishly. “You humans make really yummy treats!”
She had Snickers and Coke for breakfast. I’m going to Hell for sure.
I quickly brushed away the thought. With everything that had happened recently, even a silly thought like that could lead to questions I didn’t want to think about.
“Right,” I said. “Unless anyone has any objections, then we’ll head to the mall on Broadway. Once we’re done shopping I might take you around the city to see some of the sights.” I looked at each Equestrian in turn. “Pinkie, you need to finish getting dressed, and please don’t forget pants this time. Fluttershy, you should change out of that dress. You’ve had it on ever since I bought it for you. Speaking of which, you’re going to need another shower before we go out.”
“I um, don’t know how to get it off,” Fluttershy replied, her cheeks turning crimson. “It’s very different from what I used to wear.”
I sighed. “Just get Pinkie to help you again.” I turned to find Angel, but stopped and turned back to the girls when I sensed a problem with what I had just said. “No, don’t take the dress off of her out here.” Pinkie froze, a hand already reaching for Fluttershy’s dress. “Go get another outfit for her and take it into the bathroom with you. Get her showered and dressed in there. Neither of you come out unless you’re fully dressed and ready to go.” I watched as the girls retreated into the bathroom, then looked around once more.
“Where’s Angel?” I asked. I was met with a soft kick to the side of my leg and looked down to see the boy standing right beside me. “What did I tell you about that?” I glared at the boy. “Oh, forget about it. I’m going to need to get you some clothes, too. Where did you get those from, anyway?” I asked, indicating his white outfit. Angel looked down at his shirt and shorts, then back up at me. “You know what? Never mind, I don’t want to know. Just be ready to leave by the time the girls finish.”
I watched the former bunny run off, then began cleaning up after breakfast. It felt strangely satisfying, the sudden realization that I was actually beginning to grow accustomed to seeing the Equestrians around the apartment. I knew it couldn’t last forever, but I was okay with that. I would get them back to their rightful home and be left with memories; some happy, some sad, and some...
“Hey Doug, is the shampoo supposed to come out like whipped cream? Hey, does this mean humans eat and wash their manes at the same time? That's brilliant!” Pinkie’s voice called from within the bathroom.
Some memories would be of Pinkie trying to wash Fluttershy’s hair with shaving cream.
We arrived at the Broadway mall without incident, though finding a parking spot took at least twenty minutes. How the shopping center could be packed on a Wednesday was beyond me, but it was Sydney, so I shouldn’t have been surprised.
Fluttershy murmured a small, “Thanks,” as I helped her with her seatbelt again, then stepped out of the car with me and the others. Together, we all walked towards the main building.
Before us was one of the many entrances to the mall, which was actually composed of three large, multi-story buildings that took up one small city block each. The buildings were connected by enclosed walkways that crossed above the streets, and it could be easy for first-time shoppers to become lost without the help of the maps that were available at information desks scattered throughout the shopping centre.
“Stay close by,” I told the Equestrians as I moved to hold the door open for them. “You don’t want to get lost here. We’ll be around a lot of other people.” I looked at them each in turn and lowered my voice. “Remember that... you refer to them as people, not ‘humans.’ I also can’t call you by your real names here, so we’ll be using the names I came up with for when we get your passports. Fluttershy’s new name is Felicia Shay. Pinkie, you’ll be Diane Shay, and you’re supposed to be Felicia’s sister. Got it?”
“Got it, Captain!”
“Angel, you’re going to be Adam Bonny, and you’re their cousin. Luckily, I don’t have to worry about you saying your name wrong, but I do need you to remember to respond to ‘Adam,’ okay?
Angel nodded. With that sorted, I followed them through the door and into the mall. We had parked on the second level of the north parking lot, so the first thing to greet us upon entering was the Hoyts Cinema complex, where patrons were in line to see the latest movies and teens roamed the adjoining arcade.
“Oh wow, who are those masked hum- people?” Pinkie asked as we passed by a movie poster.
I stopped and pointed to the poster. “This guy is Captain America, this one is Iron Man, that’s the Incredible Hulk, and that one is Thor. They’re superheroes who banded together to make a team called The Avengers. It’s just a movie, though,” I explained, though I briefly wondered if the heroes actually did exist in some other dimension. “It’s not out yet, though.”
“It looks like it would be a lot of fun to watch!” she gushed. “They kind of look like really strong and colorful Mare-Do-Wells!” There was a certain gleam in her eyes, like a child who had just entered the world’s largest toy store.
I smiled. “Tell you what, it’s rated low enough that it should be safe for the Crusaders to watch. I’ll take us all out to see it next week when it comes out, unless we find a way to get you home before then.”
Pinkie’s squeal of delight and ensuing hug made the one hundred twenty-five dollars or so that I’d be spending just on the tickets alone worth it. Even Fluttershy and Angel smiled in anticipation, and I was left to wonder at how such a simple act could make them all so happy. Then again, I would probably react in the same way if a pony offered to take me to go see a play.
We moved on past the cinema, weaving through the crowd in our search for a decent clothing shop. There were a huge number of shops to choose from: casual, formal, outdoor apparel, designer fashions, lingerie, and an enormous amount of shoe stores. So many shops that it was difficult to choose where to start.
“Well, I guess the biggest concern is finding Angel, er... Adam, some more clothing,” I announced. “We only need a few more outfits for you girls, but Adam needs a lot more than that. We’ll head to a children’s store, and you can just call out if you see something you like on the way there, okay?”
The girls agreed and followed me as I made my way towards Cotton on Kids, which was the only kid-specific clothes shop that I knew of. Unfortunately, it was located on the other side of the mall. We set off in that direction, trying to maintain a quick pace so we could finish shopping and get out as quickly as possible. Eventually, pushing through the crowd began to become a nuisance, and I was starting to regret my decision to come to the mall when we finally arrived at the shop. I stopped just outside the store and turned around to address the Equestrians.
“Great, we’re finally here,” I announced. “Do you girls want to wait for me here by the entrance, or come on in with us? It shouldn’t take too long, so it’s up to you.”
“Um, I’d rather stay with you,” Fluttershy replied. I could understand. By the nervous looks she kept giving the large crowd around us, it was likely getting to her.
“Yeah we should stick together,” Pinkie agreed. “Lead the way, Captain!”
“Alright then,” I said. “Come on, Adam. Let’s get you some new clothes.” I blinked and looked down by my side, then towards Pinkie and Fluttershy. “Adam...? Adam!?”
It was no use. Angel was nowhere in sight.
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The fucking Wiggles!
god dammit ang...adam
shit angel... er Adam is going to kill somebody
1210861 dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Octavia_O_O.png
Shaving cream. Oh the shenanigans!
In hindsight....
suddenlygay.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/holding_hands.jpg
hold hands
Yep, Adam is gonna have trouble. Slorg, you better find him fast or Fluttershy might give you a Stare.
I got lost in a mall when I was 6. When a security guard tried to help me, I kicked him in the balls. It was hilarious to see a giant dude crumple over and cry. I'm still not allowed to go back there.
Avengers in April?
... worth the broken arm and ribs.
Also, wow, that was quick to finish. Now we just have to play "Where's Angel?"
1210711
god damnit nexus!
alfalegion is best
YAY! Hide and Go Seek time!
FIGURES ANGEL WOULD GET LOST!!!
UUUUGGGGHHHH!!!
Looks like it's wabbit season.
So glad I avoided getting detention for reading this in IPT. I decided I'd finish a heap of assignment work, then just come back. All in all, another great chapter. Can't wait for more crazy Australian shenanigans...
...Why aren't there any giant Huntsmans?
1215571
>implying you know australia
1216244
>Implying an Australian doesn't know Australia. Bitch, please. If they weren't so damn fast and disagreeable, I'd have one on my shoulder right now.
1216256
The last time I saw a huntsman or heard of one was years ago. It's not that big of a deal that stories have to have huntsman living in the streets.
Then again I'm a WA fag. States may be different.
1216290 Yeah, I haven't seen one in yonks either. Only about 8-12cm diameter the last one I saw.
1216290 I've had one say 'Hi' to my face while driving.
1216306
Exactly. No giant huntsmans needed.
1216307
Jesus that's unlucky.
..If the need to actually be an Australian stereotype comes up, Fluttershy is gonna die.
1216307 I had one say hi to my face while canoeing, in Primary school. Fun times.
You DO know that Angel can be a human's name, right? After all, there was a show about a guy with that name.
SPOILERS
Read the last two chapters together. And have to say, this story keeps getting more intense
! (though mostly last chapter, as expected with what happened then)
I'm trying to figure out how the title relates to the content of the chapter though - Normally it's much clearer than this.
Anyhoof - since I don't see enough of it in the comments... *hehem*
MOAR
Now, whats his face, TheSlorg is going to run around the mall like a man who just lost his child, "Adaaaaaaaaam? Adaaam? Adaaam? Adam! ADAAAM!! ADAAAAAAAAAM!!!"
Watch this, I dare you.
This video relieves tension:
I suddenly want it to be next week in the story so I can read about how the ponies react to The Avengers.
Their minds; Almost Certainly Blown. 
1218697 Yu Yu Hakusho... that is all.
1217673 I think the mall is on Broadway Street.
1216307 Listening to Sanctuary After the Battle in another tab while reading the Pinkie Pie bathroom scene is recommended.
OH GOD! I know exactly what I would do if I found a person/kid with white hair and completely black eyes. Though it would involve several wooden stakes, some garlic, a rather large cross, 150 pounds of fire wood, a container of lighter fluid, several pitchforks, even more torches, and a medium bacon pizza.
Keep up the swag.
1221318 Remember watching that as a kid.... mmm, one day he got to that guy with scars on every inch of his body, then I never watched the show again.
1221324 Assuming I've found the right place...
http://www.street-directory.com.au/nsw/sydney
Find Central Station (the large red block), and centre the map there. Zoom in two levels, then drag the station to the right. Broadway Shopping Centre is the orange block that appears on the left.
1223454 It even says Hoyts (the Cinema from this chapter).
1222400 I don't remember much of it considering the fact that I was 5. I think I remember a cat lady announcer
. I was referring to the car at the end of that Heavy Rain video.
1224846 True but it also reminds me of how the main character died at the beginning of Yu Yu Hakusho. In that same exact way. Saving a little boy of the same age.
1224887 Yeah, I can't remember anything about it except fighting in a tournament and using a spirit gun with his finger all the time.
Glorious.
1216290I'm from WA too, and had a huntie as an "automated" ute anti-theft device. He used sit right in the footwell and stare at ya while you drove... Scared the livin shit outa dad when he flogged my ute for a fencing erend one day
R.I.P
Hazza the huntsman
1246667
traveljournals.net/pictures/l/6/68320-a-rather-large-huntsman-spider-that-we-found-in-the-back-of-the-car-blue-mountain-australia.jpg
R.I.P...
1246818May he forever guard the utes of heaven
I blame dad for squashing him. I was putting the drying out, and I heard a girlish (yes girlish... From a 45 year old man) scream and saw dad running from my ute in terror... And he tells me to man up!?
1246889
Yeah, because we definitely don't worship and fangasm over a children's cartoon-
Wait...
We do. :/
1250103When I told dad that I was a brony (after alot of explaining what a brony was), he was like "meh, it's not like your gay our anything, considering I walked in on you and your girl--". That's all he could get out before a swift punch to the face (we agreed not to talk about that)
1251997
Still too young for that stuff.
Considering that I'd never get together with anyone.
1252208Cmon mate, don't give up. I've never even so much as touched a girl till I left school, for all you know she could be around the corner. My current misus was my friend since year 8 (we both had secret feelings for each other, but we were both scared about being rejected by one another... Weird huh?)
1253314
Funny how coincidences are like that.
Well, we'll have to see. I'm not really the social type.
1257315Call it what you like, but hey... Got laid
1273488
You got born from an egg?
1273621... I pray that you are joking
1273688
Of course. Being jokingly concrete is fun sometimes.
1280033True
, I was just having a shit day getting dizzy in the tractor putting out fertilizer