Welcome one and all to Cowwarr, a sleepy little town in south-eastern Australia. Strange things have started happening, but it's all okay, the new school teacher just arrived and soon the new doctor will be getting here. Just don't mind how folks look around here, something odd happened. Something magical.
This story has a lot of backstory and world-building behind it, as well as a huge plot ahead of it. Sit down, strap in, and relax with a beer (or apple juice for the foals), this will be a long ride.
Art by the wonderful Ghostly Muse.
See This Blog for licensing.
Chapters (52)
A new story, and set in the town where I grew up!
Note, Cowwarr does exist, it is about as small as you would imagine, but we are taking some creative liberties with it. Population is even smaller than it really is, as is the schoolhouse. It is also moved a little, just on the edge of the local bush (that is a forest), with a creek and a river flanking it.
Time frame for things happening is around seven years prior to season one episode one. You will see some familiar faces, but they are going to be younger than seen in the show.
Thank you for getting this far!
This looks really interesting. I'll be following this, I think.
I'm the story commissioner. The idea was inspired by the "welcome to Thestralia" image. Considering the author lives in Australia, and is a fan of bat ponies, we brainstormed what the fictional homeland of the bat ponies might be like.
Along the way, we wondered if Australia and Thestralia were one and the same, and that became this story.
What's a weekly commissioned story?
7826124 Means it is a story funded by a patron to be updated weekly.
Oooh, from the mind of Canary through the hooves of Damaged, huh? Can't complain about that combination.
Is it bad if I don't want it to develop a "huge plot"?
Tiny Australian town makes first contact with ponies and then they just kind of chill and learn about each other seems like enough for carrying some super comfy serial fiction. (Even if our point of view character does seem a bit of a judgmental stick-in-the-mud.)
Excited to see where it goes, in any case!
Typo or intentional?
Stonecrop? Is that relevant to an actual place, can only find a small area north of Nowra with that name but it doesn't fit with this very well so I guess it's a twist of another name?
7839720 Ack, an extra E got in. Fixed.
This could use an [hr] or summat to indicate that some time passed here, I think, rather than the latter paragraph implying it only referred to the past couple. Otherwise the jump to Mike speaking full phrases in Equish is a little confusing.
Awww, I was hoping that "magic" was just that mystical thing called maturity that allows adults to treat people as people based on how they act rather than what they look like. I won't deny being a bit disappointed at this state of affairs, but I'm kind of curious what everyhuman thinks is going on, then, hm.
I mean, I'm pretty sure ponies don't have to physical proportions to get wyrdfiltered into ordinary humans, so if they're being perceived as something else, I can't really see what it would change about the situation (aside from how much fun it would be to cuddle them, which is admittedly very important). You've still got tiny magic people from a place that shouldn't exist, so.
7843401 Woops, sorry. It was meant to have a break there. Things are going to change, that filter isn't going to last, I promise.
7843467
That's good news about the filter. It's somehow... disturbing... to me that the adults don't see them as ponies. But I'm curious. Will we find out what they see them as?
7843774 The filter is akin to a weak version of Douglas Adams' "SEP" field. People would either not see them, or would see them as something perfectly normal.
Sorry; no questions yet.
I'm not certain why I felt the need to post that.
I suppose empty comment fields just make me antsy.
A good story, by the way. I'm enjoying it.
7843774 Not sure how a filter would work around Misty flying everywhere anyway.
Question for Marble: Bit of a prankster, hay? You do realise now I'm imagining you in fluffy edged pink oversized clown pants and suspenders now? (or purple PJ's, fluffy pink nightgown - can't find a clown pic, darn)
pre12.deviantart.net/39dc/th/pre/f/2015/312/2/a/__mlp___sleepy_time_marble_pie_collab_by_krazykari-d9g22qq.png
pre03.deviantart.net/0659/th/pre/f/2015/309/b/c/marble_pie_sketches_by_bugplayer-d9fm6ji.png
edit: Limestone has a clown fetish...
derpicdn.net/img/2016/11/14/1296001/large.png
as the thousandth - for the thousandth
eased on to - eased onto
little winged pony - little, winged pony
once I finished my internship - once I finished my fellowship (Not sure if this is a typo since commonwealth English could use a different term than American English, but here doctors in training are residents and not interns.)
anymore dissent - any more dissent
This is utterly delightful! I hope it has the legs to continue for a good while before you move on to another project!
7846822 Thanks, some weren't mistakes, though!
https://ama.com.au/careers/becoming-a-doctor#five
It is indeed called an internship here in Australia.
Well it's good to see the irritable mare switched her tune, we were worried about her seemingly unusually derogatory thoughts...
Huh, it will be interesting when they start interviewing things like social studies, geography, and physics. Learning magic is fun!
To Maud: did you ever learn Boulder's birthday?
Keep going! ;)
The perception filter has been broken! Everyone welcome Joyce to the herd!
Please, please tell me that it's this one:
(the older ones are better)
That's interesting, can Mike feel the magic?
We're surprised the camera didn't work so well. I figured there would be heavy interference with the magic and all that, but not that badly. Oh well, time for some legacy products! Bring out the film!
The Pie sisters are really warming up to him, huh?
To Limestone: how do you feel about Mike crushing on your sisters?
Keep going! ;)
Well that must have taken a while to include a planet in one 'word', impressive writing skills there!
JK!!!!
Wonder how many humans freak out at this revelation?
Something like this image gif (large file wait for it to load, takes a bit)
orig10.deviantart.net/a9ff/f/2016/064/7/0/trapped_8_exp_by_equumamici-d9tyw93.gif
Yep!
Always love spellchecker for not understanding context.
fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/096/a/4/here_comes_the_airplane__by_pandramodo-d60pjg6.png
7897884 Electronic camera can't accept loss of 3rd dimension and interact with altered 4th and additional 5th dimension.
Need to take my dads old 1960's German 35mm film camera, has really good optic lens. Very fine picture quality.
collectiblend.com/Cameras/images/Voigtlander-Vito-C.jpg
7898046 Fixed. And yeah, Pinkamena is still silly, but she is lacking that spark that is her confidence that making smiles IS her destiny.
So they're not bat ponies... yet.
This story is like an uncut diamond about to be shaped and full of potential.
Let's see what surprises this mine is hiding from us.
I wonder if the changes are going to go both ways...
7933173 The diamond was there from the start, all I did was take away the parts that were "not diamond."
7933086
7933192 Things aren't always how one would wish, life is going to be very strange in this little town.
"not a pony" ears? Well she's not a vet so we're not docking her points for being... Less than descriptive.
Something strange and wonderful indeed!
At least they're not inciting general panic, that's probably the best one could hope for. Very mature reactions. It's a nice change, to be honest.
To Dave: do you really think they'd wear Black out here? The organization doesn't torture its agents!
Keep going! ;)
7934404 You might want to reread her intro, she is a qualified vet, and doctor. Although she hasn't had much time in the field as a vet. She has literally studied her way into her 30s, with very little time spent recovering from her pregnancies.
And to be fair, she doesn't have much light, and she didn't get to do a proper examination.
7934439 oh whoops, must have forgot.
7933086 The general impression I got from most stories is the bat pony is related to fruit bats and their ears aren't tufted, I can't find any normal bat that has tufted ears so I wonder where that discrepancy came from?
bio.bris.ac.uk/research/bats/China%20bats/images/cyan80%20C.%20sphinx.JPG
7934531 That camera shot is really washed out, they must have used a LOT of flash on that. Their eyes normally look a solid brown, with a slightly darker black for the pupil. Their ears are movable, twisting around, and fur around head can be anywhere from light gray to russet red.
[youtube=g82XHIlulxc]
If not for the story title, with the "not pony ears" comment, the first thing I thought of was diamond dog. The guy does work in a mine, after all.
7934540 Yeah, the lighting is wrong, I was wanting an image that pronounced the ears mostly.
Mike: What castle were you drawing?
at
Tried learning guitar when i as younger, too unco!
pinkie: what do you see when youre in both worlds at once?
Interesting that Harmony is pulling him toward Canterlot. But does Pink Bow actually have a red ball?
Keep going! ;)
Human magic is still magic!
Interesting that Mike accidentally snubbed Maud.
He's going to be giving lessons four days out of the week? That's some dedication! Marble's going to take advantage of that for sure!
To Marble: have you had any weird dreams lately?
Keep going! ;)
For Pinkie:
New picture! I'll have to get a close look later. Meanwhile, interesting developments in Conwaar...
Is tumblr the only way to get into contact with Ghostly Muse?
8025313 I know she is hyper-busy right now, but Tumblr would probably be a good start.
I have learned that 'woop woop' is more than the title of a pretty silly/bad movie from about 15 years back, and that is awesome! So it seems that woop woop is a less vulgar analog of the American bum-**** (name of country/state) to describe an isolated location.
I'm not a doctor but in the work I do, I've had to become familiar with the administration of rabies vaccine. A preexposure course requires 3 doses given on day 1, 7 and 21 (or 28), so 6 doses is enough for two individuals that haven't actually been exposed. Post exposure treatment consists of three doses of vaccine, plus one dose of rabies IGG. And her friend is right, rabies vaccine and IGG are expensive, only available in small amounts, and difficult to transport and keep viable, especially to the middle of nowhere.
P.S.: This story series is amazing!