Fred Walsh: Diverted

by Baguettedood

Chapter 3 - Perception

Chapter 3 – Perception

"I didn't expect myself to act so formal around the sea serpent. Does he radiate some kind of gentlemanly aura or something? Although, I think everyone back on Midgård could definitely learn something from him. I I quite like the guy... Okay, now I'm envisioning a future where everyone speaks in that extremely formal tone.

"So I'm about to enter Ponyville. As I'm a human I have no clue how this is going to turn out and I feel that anything I say here might jinx it. Well, what better way to discover than to go in there? As long as I don't get killed, which I doubt would happen, I should be fine.

"...Damn it."

---

Fred Walsh, after making his way out of the Everfree Forest, continued onward to the small town of Ponyville. The walk didn't take very long as it wasn't that far between the two locations. 'From a tactical standpoint, the town's placement makes a good bunch of sense. It's well situated as a good economic midpoint; travelling salesponies could rest here and continue to or from Canterlot. Also, its proximity to Everfree made it useful for the return of Night-'

Fred had to shake himself out of admiring Princess Celestia's excellent placement of the town long enough to realise that he had already arrived within... and nopony noticed him. Everypony continued about their day without so much as batting an eyelid.

Fred paused and looked from side to side. 'Okay then, why in Equestria is nopony noticing a six foot tall bipedal hairless ape semi-casually wandering the streets of Ponyville?' he questioned himself. 'I sincerely doubt that humans can be common here, I only ended up in this universe because of a messed-up cult summoning. Regardless, I need to know my way around.' He moved to intercept a nearby mint-green unicorn.

"Excuse me, do you know where I can find a map of Ponyville?" Fred asked her.

"I think there's one near the town hall," the pony he knew as Lyra replied and pointed, using her right hoof, to a large building in the centre of the town.

"Thank you." He nodded and followed her directions. 'Okay I still don't- OH!' The human remembered why he wasn't being noticed by anypony, 'Some unicorn scientists last week – personal timeline - cast a perception filter to avoid freak-outs. Good call, I say.' He continued his trek to the town hall.

The town hall stood in the centre of Ponyville. It was a primarily cylindrical building that ended in a cone, with some circular balconies radiating on each story. Fred ascended the very small staircase and found a wooden frame, roughly two metres by one metre, encasing just what he was searching for: a two-dimensional diagram of the growing neighbourhood. The centre of the map showed the town hall, with 'YOU ARE HERE' printed in large white lettering on a red arrow.

'Gee, I would never have guessed that's where I am,' Fred mentally commented as he continued to skim over the map. He noted the locations of various places, including destinations he knew from the show, such as Sugarcube Corner, Carousel Boutique and Twilight's library, the latter being where he was headed next. After briefly memorising key points, he set his destination to the magically grown tree-house. It seemed the most logical way to contact Princess Celestia, and they had over two-hundred years, or a few days, depending on frame of reference, of catching up to do.

Approximately halfway to his destination, a tingling sensation spread through Fred's body, starting from his chest and radiating outwards. It felt as if some kind of energy departed his presence. In conjunction with the feeling, everypony in his vicinity screamed and ran indoors. He twisted his head around a bit before looking at himself, then at the ponies looking at him, both inside and at a distance. Fred mentally cursed as he realised what just transpired: The perception filter he only recently remembered he had chose that time to wear off.

Slightly shaken, but not deterred, the now-undisguised human continued his way to the library, as onlookers kept their distance.

“This makes me feel really self-conscious,” he muttered out loud to himself with a small frown as he noticed all the stares directed towards him.

---

Twilight Sparkle and Spike riding horseback exited Carousel Boutique after she dropped off a dress that required adjustments by Rarity. The lavender mare turned the final corner between her origin and her home, the treehouse-library and froze. Some kind of tall creature she had never seen before seemed to be waiting at the door. It only stood on its hind legs. Its right front leg held onto its torso while the other dangled.

“What in Celestia's name is that?” Twilight inquired.

“I dunno, but it sort of walks like me,” Spike responded. “It's a bit taller though, and differently coloured.”

The thing used one of its front legs to knock on Twilight's door. There was no answer as the only occupants hid around the corner. It looked at some kind of rectangular box on its left forehoof, then knocked again.

“Where's everypony else?” The baby dragon looked around at the empty streets.

“Hiding, I think. So are we, now that you mention it. The only other events that cause everypony to head straight indoors was Zecora's old visits, and that incident with Applebloom.”

Still without a response from inside, the creature shook its head and left the unicorn's house alone, heading in the general direction of Canterlot. The mare and dragon slowly crept to the library and ducked indoors. The two approached the window to observe the bipedal thing leave.

“I've never seen one of those before, but wasn't it a little alienating to just hide? Surely everypony had a reason.” The unicorn made some observations. “Do you think this is related to that explosion we all heard yesterday?”

A pink blob whizzed past the library, not escaping the duo's vision. The object seemed to be following the new arrival.

Comments

[Lord Commissar Alexer]

Good.

[FastShadow78]

I wonder how Celestia will react