My Little Pony: Once in A Lifetime

by BoCpony

Part 2: Maring is Caring

PART 2: MARING IS CARING

Day 5

Nick was standing in line for breakfast with Phoenix.
"Hey Nick, check that out."
He pointed at Buck, who was smuggling a gun into his friend's pocket. His friend pushed the gun further so nobody could see it.
"What are they planning?" Nick wondered aloud.
"Should we tell?"
"No. They'll probably go postal."
"But that's a WEAPON, Nick! Why are we the only one's noticing?"

Nick brushed his comment off.
Phoenix growled.
"I swear they're gonna use that on one of us. It's only a matter of time."

Phoenix changed his clothes and approached the gym door until Rainbow Dash stopped him.
"Why are you wearing different clothes?"
"I'm going to gym class."
"This place has GYM CLASS??"
"Quiet down!"
"Can I join? I bet you I can beat your classmates at whatever they're doing!"
"No! You cannot go out there! Stay in this stall right here and wait until I come back!"

Rainbow Dash moaned.
"Fiiiine. I'll wait in this gross stall."

Nick opened his locker.
"Twilight Sparkle, I need you to go in there until this period's over."
"...I'm too big."

Nick looked around for a suitable place for a full sized pony to fit.
"How about you stay in the equipment room."
"The equipment room?"
"Yeah."

Twilight Sparkle trotted into the equipment room.
"Good luck in PE."
Nick smiled and ran off.

"Alright class, today we'll be playing a game called 'Falcon ball'." The gym teacher said.
The class was divided into teams. Nick and Phoenix glanced at Buck, who cracked his knuckles.
Jennifer stood next to Nick.
"I hate Falcon ball."
"You hate everything Jennifer," Phoenix snapped back.

The teacher blew her whistle.
The blood spilled.
Kids fell with balls hitting their heads. Buck and his friends were scanning the room for Nick's friends.
Buck aimed precisely at Jennifer's back. Jennifer flew forward and screamed.
"WH AT WAS THAT FOR??? YOU MONSTERS!!!!!"
Buck threw a ball at Harry's face. Harry fell back.
"My nose! It's bleeding!!"

Twilight Sparkle watched in agony at the sight of her friends getting hurt.
All of the kids were out except for Nick, Amy, Phoenix and Buck.
Buck looked at Amy, who recoiled at the face of her ultimate demise.
"Don't throw it at me, I beg you!"

Buck licked his lips and chucked the ball into Amy's gut. She fell to the side. She didn't have enough oxygen to yell for help.
Twilight Sparkle was steamed. She spotted Phoenix fetching the second ball, while Buck was aiming for a swing at Nick's braced leg. Buck aimed....and threw.

Twilight had to do something fast! The world went slow as Twilight thought of a way to bring Buck down. She transferred magic from her horn to the ball. The ball stopped an inch from Nick's leg.
The sphere flew back at lightning speed into Buck's groin.

Buck screamed in pain and fell to the side. The ball bounced on the ground.
Phoenix chucked the ball at Buck's side.
"WE WIN! WE WIN! WHO'S THE LOSER NOW???"
"Bulls eye!" Twilight remarked.

After school, Nick walked home with Twilight Sparkle.
"You shouldn't have done that."
Nick said.
Twilight Sparkle sighed.
"He was aiming for your leg brace."
"He's a real jerk. But, there's nothing you can do about it."

Twilight's stomach growled.
"I sure am hungry."

Nick opened the fridge and frowned at all the poultry. He opened the cabinet and couldn't find anything suitable for ponies.
He looked around and yanked the bouquet of flowers on the dining room table.
"This is all we have," Nick said with a weak smile.
"So humans eat flowers too!"
"Um, well, our diets have bigger horizons."

Twilight munched the flowers without a problem.
"You do what you must. My parents don't get back home for another 3 hours. I'll be in my room."
Nick sped down the stairs and typed in My Little Pony.
He was amazed at the reviews for the show. He read in depth about all the characters, even the supporting characters, like the Cutie Mark Crusaders. He looked up the show on Youtube.
He didn't know where to start, so he simply watched the first episode.

He patiently sat through the events. He wasn't yet grasped by the "magic" but he respected the show. He moved on to the next part of the first episode. He continued watching about three more episodes until he heard Twilight's galloping.
Nick cursed and switched to the first tab he saw that didn't have to do with ponies.
"Nick! Your parents are home! What am I going to- Nick."
"Yeah?"
"What are you doing on the computer?"
"I'm, uh, just.....browsing. I can browse. Right?"
Nick saw what his window was showing and slammed the laptop shut.
"It's......for a school project." Nick growled.

It was nighttime. Amy was traveling home. She usually took the path through the forest into her neighborhood. She didn't necessarily like it, but it was better than the empty streets.
All of a sudden, she heard leaves cracking.
She whipped around.
"Who's there?" she demanded.

She followed the continued sound behind a tree. The object crawled into a bush.
Amy grabbed a sturdy twig and swung the twig down hard on the bush.
She heard a thud and a small scream.
Amy removed the leaves.
"Oh my gosh!" She cried.

Day 6

A man walked in an official posture down a staircase and through a doorway. He walked through a long hallway and finally came to a stop in a room filled with exotic animals in cages. He walked through the room of cages, ignoring the squawking and barking. He walked into an operation room with a doctor.
"Oh, Mark, you're finally here!"
"Dr. Drew, this is the animal you were talking about?"
"A beauty, isn't she."
"She's out of this world."

"Please don't hurt me!" The animal begged. Dr. Drew smacked the animal.
"Stop complaining!"
"What's her name?"
"She goes by the name of Fluttershy."
Mark laughed.
"How cute."
Fluttershy wriggled vigorously, but her legs were held down by metal bracelets.
"If you hurt me, my friends will get you!"
"There's more? Where are these...'friends'?"
"I don't know!"

Mark stood up.
"Well be that way then. I'll have a decent shelter for you."
"Decent?"
"Oh yes. It's perfectly suitable for your living."
Dr. Drew took Fluttershy to a small cage.
"No! Not in there please!"
Fluttershy struggled, but Mark's tazer took her over.
"Get in there!"
Fluttershy pushed herself against the bars, staying away from the remains of a former occupant.

"LET ME GO PLEASE!!"
Fluttershy begged with tears flooding her eyes.
"You want some more of this?" Dr. Drew showed her a syringe with clear liquid in it.
"You know what happened when I used this on your little friend."
"No, please not that!"
"Then SHUT UP!"
Fluttershy succumbed from the yelling and broke into tears. Mark smiled.
"Get her friends. I think we got ourselves a fortune."

Fluttershy jumped awake with a yelp.
She found herself on a couch with a neat salad on a coffee table and some Boards of Canada playing in the background. There was almost nothing else there.
She preceded to munch on the salad when the door opened.
Amy crept in.
"Please don't hurt me!" Fluttershy begged, pressing herself against the wall.
"I'm not going to hurt you," Amy reassured.

"What is this place? Why am I here? Why did you HIT ME?"
"I thought you were a monster. I am SO, SO SORRY."
"There are monsters here?"
"No! Monsters don't exist."
"Oh thank goodness!"
Amy sat down.
"Where were you these five days?"

Nick woke up and heard clanking upstairs. He climbed up the staircase. Twilight Sparkle was rummaging through his fridge.
"What's going on?"
"I'm starving but all you have in this fridge is meat! You don't eat lettuce?"
"Of course we do."
"Can you get me some?"

Nick walked through the doors to a store called the Goose. He navigated himself to the vegetables.
He approached the cashier and placed his groceries on the counter.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Nick leaned back and watched his bags of lettuce being placed into larger shopping bags.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
The cashier was sweating out of exhaustion of sliding the bags across the scanner.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
The cashier sighed when all the bags were placed in bags.
"What's with all the lettuce?" the cashier asked.
"I just got a pony. Why else?"
Nick left.

He walked back home and dropped the bags of groceries.
Twilight trotted into the kitchen.
"That looks delicious!"
"You better enjoy it. Those greens cost me over a hundred dollars, and lots of pain on my bad leg."

Nick's phone rang.
"This is Nick."
"Nick- Rainbow really does like Nascar and Spongebob!"
"That's......great?"
"Check this------she says she might have seen it!"
"Phoenix-----who cares?"

"Obviously anyone who read the fanfic- if it was a fanfic."
"Phoenix don't be ridiculous! Fanfics are just the product of some forever alone fan making a story of what he wishes could happen to him in real life but is depressed because he knows that FANFICS ARE FICTION!"

Nick hung up.
"How about we turn on the television? Let's show you the outside world....."
Nick grabbed the remote and pressed the power button.
"EQUESTRIA GIRLS-"

Nick almost broke the remote beating on the channel button. A documentary on horses came on. Nick changed the channel. HBO happened to be playing War Horse. Nick changed the channel again. Finally the desperate channel surfer landed on a channel that showed a camera panning over a large field of pink flowers narrated by a deep, relaxed voice.

Nick smiled.
"Finally."
Until the camera caught up with a herd of horses galloping from a group of poachers boxing the herd in.
"Oh COME ON!" Nick yelled.

Amy grabbed a tissue and wiped her tears away.
"I can't believe they did that to you."
Fluttershy groaned. "I know, but thankfully, some animals helped me out. They're tougher than the ones in Equestria, but they'll do."
"Amy....what are those voices?"
"It's my brother. He's here to take care of you."

Fluttershy looked around nervously. The brother walked in.
"What------Fluttershy???"
"Th-that's......me?"
"Fluttershy IS real!!!!!!!"
"Meet my brother... Erik."

Fluttershy slowly emerged from the corner.
"Um.....hi?"
"I KNEW this day would come! I knew it! It's just like that fanfic I wrote!"
Amy sighed. "Alright. Take care of her while I finish my report."
Erik cheered and called Fluttershy to his room.
Fluttershy cautiously approached his room.
"How are you doing?" he asked.
"I....I'm doing......nice."
"Well that's good to know. But, first off--"

Erik yanked something off behind Fluttershy's ear. She let out a yelp.
"I couldn't help but notice this."
He held up a microchip.
"Oh. I didn't know that was there!" Fluttershy looked appalled.
Erik stomped hard on the microchip.
"How did you escape?"
"There were other animals there. They helped me."
"How did you end up in that room?"

"I was running around the island and something hit me! I-I think it was a truck- and the next thing I know----I'm tied up in a room filled with animals! But this time they weren't moving at all. I tried talking to them, but they wouldn't respond! It was terrible!"
"What happened next?"
"A doctor- I think his name was Drew-came in and---"
Something knocked on the door.

Erik ran up the stairs and opened the door.
"Whidbey Island Poultry. Our business aint' balogney."
"Now is not the time to mess around."
"And who are you?"
"I am Mark. I'm a member of animal control. I believe there's a dangerous animal on the loose."
"Can you show me pictures?"
Mark gave Erik a crude picture of Fluttershy from Google Images.
"Aw, that's just cute."

"Have you seen her-it?"
"Yes I have."
"Where did you find it?"
"At the beach. She washed up ashore."
"What state was she in?"
"Washington of course."
"I mean what was her physical image smarta-"

Erik ripped the page in half and handed Mark a half.
"I found her in this state. Poor filly.
Now I gotta go. I'm making pony cupcakes."
Erik slammed the door.

Mark opened his cell phone.
"Dr. Drew. I think I know where that creature's hiding."

Day 7

Nick just finished season one of My Little Pony. He found spare time when Twilight Sparkle went to sleep, looking more adorable than ever curled up on Nick's floor.

Nick discovered Equestria Daily. He was surprised on how popular the show was. He clicked on an article explaining how terrible fanart is.
"Funny, I didn't know there were even 33 rules on the Internet."
Nick clicked on a random link.

Nick flushed the toilet he just finished vomiting in. He coughed and sat back down on the chair.
"God that's nasty," he choked.

He put the the cursor over the close button and clicked it. He logged off and went to bed. He looked down at Twilight, who was sleeping soundly next to him.
Nick closed his eyes.
"Nick!"
Nick opened his eyes. The sunlight was leaking through the windows.
"What is it?"
"It's Fluttershy! She's in trouble!"

Nick peeked out the window and saw Mark sticking a gun against Fluttershy's temple. Fluttershy had a shock collar tightened around her neck.
"Hello, is Twilight Sparkle your name?"
"Let Fluttershy go!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that unless you do something for me."
"What's that?"
"Hey kid."
"The name's Nick."
"Nick. Turn in the pony."
"I'd do that because?"

"Because if you don't I'm afraid your friend here's going to lose her head. Literally."
"There's no way I'm doing such a-"
He stopped as he saw Twilight Sparkle approaching the men with her head hanging.

"Take me. Let Fluttershy go."
"Sure. Whatever."
"Just let me say goodbye."
Fluttershy looked shocked.
"Twilight.......you don't have to do this......." she whimpered.
Mark laughed.

Twilight shed a tear and rested her horn against Fluttershy's shoulder. Then they both disappeared.
They reappeared in Nick's bedroom.
"I'm not that easy to get," Twilight said in a triumphant manner.
Mark cursed and aimed his gun at Nick's window.
"Duck!!!!!"

Nick yanked Fluttershy and Twilight's manes downwards just in time to avoid a shower of bullets to rain in Nick's bedroom.
The shooting stopped.
Nicked peeked out a hole a bullet made. The van was gone.
"What's with people and guns?" Nick wondered.

Nick quickly dialed Amy's number.
The phone answered.
"MMPH MMPH MMMPPPHHHH!!!!!"
"Amy?"
"MMPH!!!!"
"What?"
"MMMPPPPHH!!!!! MMPH!!!!"

"It sounds like Amy's in trouble," Twilight told Nick.
"Are you tied up Amy?"
"MMMPPHH!!!!"
"How did you answer your phone?"
"MMMPPHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"
"I know where her house is!" Fluttershy commented.
"Take us to it!"

Nick crashed through the door and saw Amy tied up with Phoenix hazy on the floor.
"I-can-still-beat-you-up--"
Nick cut the rope off Amy's mouth.
"Acoupleofpeoplecameinrightwhenphoenixandiwerehangingoutandthenphoenixtriedtoprotectmebuthegottasedthreetimesandohmygoodnessimsogladtofluttershyalivebutpleaseletmefree!!!!!"

The room was silent.
"So....what was Phoenix doing here?"
"He comes to check on me every Tuesday because that's when my parents are out all day."
"Well, now I have to check on the other three."
"Can I please have Fluttershy back?"
"Are you going to be okay?"
"Yes. Phoenix is here, anyways."

Nick walked out of the house and dialed Lucy's number.
"Nick, you have to help me."
"What's wrong?"

Pinkie Pie grabbed the phone and put it close to her face.
"Lucy keeps getting my name wrong! I keep telling her it's Pinkie Pie, not Annoying! "
"Pinkie Pie, put Lucy back on the phone. Now!"

Pinkie Pie groaned and gave the phone back to Lucy.
"Nick."
"Yeah?"
"This pony keeps trying to make me laugh.....she's bad at it! Can you please take her?"

"Nope. She's your prozac for the next week or so."
Lucy let out a frustrated scream and hung up.

Nick dialed Henry's number.
"Henry!"
"Hey Nick!"
"How's Applejack doing?"

"She's doing great! She's really good at cooking."
"Alright. Whatever you do, DO NOT answer the door. At all."
"But what if it's the IRS?"
"I can't believe you open the door for the IRS you fool!"
"Fiiine! I won't answer for anybody."

Finally, Nick called Jennifer.
"Jennifer?"
"OMIGAWSH RARITY AND I ARE THE PERFECT PAIR! WE'RE KNITTING COOL CLOTHES AND WATCHING FASHION SHOWS AND LISTENING TO ONE DIRECTION AND-"

Nick hung up.
"Wait..... where's Rainbow Dash?"
Rainbow Dash was in the kitchen twitching uncontrollably. Just like Phoenix.
Nick shook his head in annoyance.
Nick left the house with Twilight and they went home.

"No! I'm not trying apples!" Henry begged.
"C'mon. Ya can't be allergic to apples if yer house is full of em!"
"It is?"
"Yup! Found a whole stash under the sink!"
Henry grabbed one.
"But my parents said they were allergic to apples too."

Henry held it close to face.
"C'mon. You can do this," Applejack quietly said.
Henry bit into the apple and slowly chewed. He swallowed.
"I'm not dead."

Henry bit into the apple again.
"These things are good. Wait a minute....."
Henry dragged a sample of leftover from another night out of the fridge.
"My parents have been hiding apples in my food and they told me we were all allergic to them."
"Congratulations Henry,"
Applejack said happily.
"You just found out ya weren't allergic to apples."

"Come on everybody let's give a nice warm smile! I sure do promise you it will be all worthwhile!"
Pinkie Pie bounced around Lucy in a small circle before approaching her party cannon.
"Do not set that thing off in the house again!"
BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM.

Confetti flew everywhere in the room. Balloons were popping on contact with the popcorn ceiling.
"That's weird," Pinkie Pie wondered.
"There's usually a cake."
A cake flew out of the cannon and landed neatly on the table.

Lucy sat there in pure anger.
"I'll...I'll go to my room." Lucy reminded Pinkie calmly.
"I'm very tired." Lucy dragged her feet to her room muttering curse words.

Day 8

Nick walked into South Whidbey High and navigated himself to Mr. White's room.
Mr. White was sitting at his desk, reading a book.
"Mr. White...."
Nick didn't know where to start with the news he had for him.
"Anything Nick."

Mr. White placed his book down and listened.
"Remember that lesson you told us about alternate universes?"
"I believe I do Nick. Why? You need help?"
"Well, I seem to have found evidence for your theory."
"Did you? With what?"
"I found characters from My Little Pony Friendship is Magic in my household."

"Really Nick? You can't be-"
Nick slammed pictures of Twilight Sparkle in various places in his house."
"Oh."
"I need your help, Mr. White. Please?"

Fluttershy sat down as Erik inserted a disc into his Playstation 3.
"You sure you want to see this?" he asked.
"Oh yes. I'd love to see what video games are like in this world!" Fluttershy responded with a smile and sparkling eyes.

Erik shrugged as the game's menu came up.
"Fluttershy......welcome to the world of Silent Hill 2."
Erik grabbed the controller and moved the character through a long, dark hallway.
All of a sudden, Pyramid Head came out of the blue and Erik frantically shot at him. Pyramid Head left, and Erik's character moved on.

"Hey," Erik narrowed his eyes.
"Is that.....a dead cat?"
Fluttershy was gone.

Erik opened the closet and found Fluttershy shivering.
"You alright?"
"Are....are all video games like this??"
" Nope. I think there might be one you'll like."
"Is it scary?"
"Nope."

Erik inserted Little Big Planet into the system.
The tutorial came up. The little sackboy jumped up and down.
Fluttershy gasped.
"Fluttershy?"
"Oh my goodness! He's so CUTE!"

"Wanna play?"
"Do I!"
Fluttershy set the controller underneath her hooves.
"It's alright little guy, I'll take good care of you!"

Erik heard the phone ring.
"Hold on, I'll get it."
Erik held the phone.
"Papa Erik's Pizza, our pizza is as cheesy as our employees' sex appeal."
"Remember me, kid?"

"Aren't you that guy that got his butt kicked by a couple of utterly adorable cartoon ponies?"
"Just shut up and listen. You like money?"
"Yup."
"How about I make you an offer?"
".....I'm in."
"How about for-"

Erik hung up.
He placed the phone down and entered the room Fluttershy was in.
"I'm going to sleep," he told her before tucking himself into bed.
"I'll just keep playing," Fluttershy responded.
Erik fell asleep.

Nick got out of the shower and walked into his bedroom. He shut the door and jumped when he saw Twilight staring at him with a worried look.
"Twilight! You scared the sh-"
"Nick, those people are out there," she whispered, worried.

Nick looked out the window.
Sure enough, Dr. Drew and Mike were sitting in their van eating Lays and playing a beyond gory first person shooter.

"Shoot that guy like you will shoot that pony when she leaves the house,"
Mike told Dr. Drew.
"What are we going to do, Nick?"
"First of all, I'm going to kick you out of my room so I can change. Then we'll plan."