(Not) Black and White: A Displaced Fic

by Masterweaver

Accomodation

What exactly qualifies one to be a citizen?

That's a question that civilizations everywhere have been asking since, well, before there was civilization. If a tribe wandered across a stranger, they might all come to an agreement that taking them in was a good idea, or maybe think that there was a reason for the stranger to be alone. Such a simple question has many angles, even before one considers all the complexities that come with society--money, jobs, laws, transportation. People from different backgrounds might have different standards, different concepts of normal, and setting them to rub shoulders almost always causes some confusion.

And that's before we take into account things like, you know, magic. Or being different species. Or twice as tall as the usual race. I mean, I was expecting being registered into the Equestrian populace to be a big thing that took hours for just a probationary license, even with the help of a highly placed individual like Twilight.

But... well, all she did was ask me a few basic questions, inform me of a general set of laws, and then had me sign a few documents. She actually seemed surprised when I asked how long it would take for me to get processed...

It just felt... too convenient, honestly. I think it was about that time that I started to suspect there was more going on then just randomly being transformed and thrust into another world. I couldn't really put a name to my feelings, exactly, I couldn't quite put into words what was making me wary. I was being given what I needed with little question, and not even any apparent 'debt' hanging over my head.

Of course, it turned out there was a very good reason for the convenience. I wouldn't find out what it was for a while yet. I was too busy worrying about mundane things like having a place to sleep, but...

I can't really blame the ponies. They helped me out, after all. They're as much victims as I am.

---

"...and that should be about it, for now!" Twilight finished checking the boxes on the paper, giggling to herself. "A full and complete checklist. It's the little things that make life worth living, you know?"

I nodded in agreement. "I was an analyst. Marking up data, seeing the patterns... it was relaxing, in its own way. So... that's really it? I'm officially a citizen of Equestria?"

"Yep."

"With all the rights therein."

"Why is that so surprising?" Twilight asked.

"It's just... I literally just wandered out of the Everfree today. And you're taking me in. Just like that."

"Well, not just like that," Twilight admitted. "If you'd gone through the usual channels, it could have taken a week."

A week? Blake hummed thoughtfully. That's around half the time it takes a kingdom to process refugees...

"...What is your world like?"

"Well, it's very friendly," Twilight said, "although we do have our own issues--"

"No, that's not--" I shook my head, trying to come up with an excuse beyond 'talking to the voice in my head'. "I mean... this is all very easy. And sudden. Does this happen often, is my question--new citizens coming in from outside civilization."

"Huh. Well." Twilight tapped her chin. "We get plenty of griffons, for some reason. And a smattering of individuals from other races. It's more common in places like Manehattan, where there's a lot of cross-country trade." She glanced down at the documents in front of her. "But that's transference from other countries, really. If you're talking about the Acceptance paperwork, I think that's... hmmm. I haven't looked at those statistics, but from the way this is structured it had to have been updated within the past two decades."

"Which means it's regular enough to require updates. And the fact that there's a checkbox for 'undiscovered' races suggests--"

"Species."

I blinked. "What?"

"Undiscovered species." Twilight tapped the paper firmly. "Race is a product of culture, at least legally speaking. I'm not saying it's not important, plenty of pegasi have pride in their feathers, but when a pony crashes through a five-story window the law doesn't care if they did it with wings or balloons."

That's an interesting view to take.

"So... your society promotes equal treatment?" I asked.

"For the most part. The three tribes--pegasus, unicorn, earth pony--united over a thousand years ago. There are some accommodation laws, mostly due to interspecies stature and diets, but those tend to be practical things." She rolled her eyes. "Of course, there are always some tribalists lobbying for 'universal cloud conversion' or 'dampeners for all unicorn foals'. Rational arguments only work on the sensible."

I nodded in agreement. No matter how enlightened a society, there would always be those special few who wanted all the light to themselves. "So... back to my original point, what you seem to be implying is that you discover new species who want to join society regularly enough to be prepared for it."

"Well, not necessarily 'new.' I remember hearing about a sphinx living in Fillydelphia when I was a foal, but the majority of them are fairly solitary and don't feel the need to enter our legality." Twilight glanced down at the paperwork. "So, there's no sphinx checkmark here. Just, you know, other. Then again, sphinxes are huge winged carnivores, about a quarter the size of a full grown dragon, so..."

"Uh... huh." I gave the paper a nervous glance. "How much of this world have you explored, anyway?"

"What do you mean by explored, exactly?"

"I mean... how many unknown lands are there in this place? How many mysterious wilds or... lost ruins are there out there, how much do the countries you know about actually control?"

Twilight tilted her head. "Does... does your world not have wild zones?"

"Well... not like yours, apparently," I managed. "There are plenty of forests, or places where people don't live, but we have a vague idea of what's in there and most of the time, the wild animals are smart enough to not screw with cities." I gestured at the paper. "It's not like this, where you can apparently find refugees from villages nobody knew about--that sort of thing just doesn't happen anymore."

Wait, are you serious? Blake asked, surprised.

"Huh." Twilight frowned for a moment. "I... see. If your world's so interconnected, it's highly likely somebody will notice you missing, right?"

"Not really," I sighed. "I mean, my friends and family will, and I'm sure they'll report it, and then... well, somebody will get paid to look, and find nothing because magically being transported to another world and being transformed is literally the work of fiction. So after a while, the professionals will give up, and I'll just be known as 'that guy who vanished one day.'"

Twilight gasped. "That's... that's horrible! How could anybody be so cruel?"

"It's not cruelty. It's apathy and... well, this is just outside my world's scope to handle." I took a slow breath. "Which is why, after I get my feet under myself, one of the big things I'm going to try to do is find out how I got here and... maybe, if I can go home."

And what about me?

"Another big thing is finding out how I got in this body and reversing it," I assured Blake.

"Well... I can't say that I disagree with your plans," Twilight mused. "In fact, I'd be willing to help in any way I can, it's just that I'll have to gather the information and form theories. That could take a while."

"I understand entirely. Which is why my plan right now is just to make sure I can survive in this world of yours." I glanced at the paperwork again. "That's a start, I guess. But now I need a place to stay, and some sort of income so I can buy food and other things... I'm sorry, I don't mean that you have to give that to me. You've been so helpful already--"

"No, no, it's fine! I understand the importance of an itinerary." Twilight took the paperwork in her magic. "In fact, why don't you come with me to town hall? I need to file all this anyway, and it would let you look at all the publically available residential possibilities."

"Are all ponies as helpful as you," I inquired with a small grin, "or are you just trying to make a good impression?"

"I'd like to think most ponies would be willing to lend a hoof to those in need."

I shrugged, walking after her. "I mean, sure, giving directions if they're asked is pretty easy, but sitting down and filling out all the paperwork for a new citizen before personally escorting them to the town hall to look for a home? That's a bit above and beyond the call of duty."

Twilight chuckled. "Well, I am the princess of friendship, after all."

"Ah, so it's a reputation thing."

"No, it's a friend thing. I mean..." She turned, a worried frown on her face. "We... are friends, right?"

"Well... I'd like to think we could become friends," I replied cautiously.

"...I see."

Little did I know what I had just signed myself up for.

Comments

[Void Runner]

Twilight just hasn't heard the population statistics of Earth yet. For that matter, neither has "Blake"...

I get the feeling that once they hear there are over Seven Billion people on Earth, Governmental apathy over a single missing persons case will be much more understandable. No less horrible, but understandable nonetheless...

[Malandy]

She turned, a worried frown on her face.

AWWW!

Little did I know what I had just signed myself up for.

Ominous! ... I like!

[FrostTheWolf]

Gratz on getting featured!

[Even Evil Has Standards]

I got a bad feeling about this

[Titan Commander Sebaste]

Damn...

[FanOfMostEverything]

I can't really blame the ponies. They helped me out, after all. They're as much victims as I am.

Well that isn't at all ominous...

In any case, hooray for bureaucracy in a world of countless sapient species and a government overseen by a benevolent god-queen! To say nothing of the Princess of Checklists. Still, it has to be weird for both women in this scene to hear about such a tame world.

[drake geargrinder]

Ah! What an interesting tale being told! Another new story to keep my eye on. >=)

[ErikPhantom]

8492377
I just have difficulty comprehending a world where exactly what he described wouldn't be the result. A random citizen disappears completely while helping a merchant set up at a convention. The police are involved, follow the only lead and seek the merchant for questioning, and discover they have not only vanished, there are no records of their existence or any paperwork for their shop and no-one who recalls ever speaking to them or getting a good look at their face. Can't have a manhunt for a faceless nobody with no information. They request any who may have seen the suspect/have info to come forward, no-one does. Dead end.

Case is archived and circumstances and M.O. flagged as a potential serial killer's first known victim, to be reopened if/when more cases like it appear.
You literally can't do anything more.

[Greatazuredragon]

"No, it's a friend thing. I mean..." She turned, a worried frown on her face. "We... are friends, right?"
"Well... I'd like to think we could become friends," I replied cautiously.
"...I see."
Little did I know what I had just signed myself up for.

At least it wasn't Pinkie he said that too...

Nice chapter, good work.

[ifuckkids]

>>Greatazuredragon
AAhh but if he say that to Pinky

[Queensarrow]

8495295
Since this is a Displaced fic there are other people who have gone missing at conventions after buying something from a shady merchant.

[Proginoskes]

No matter how enlightened a society, there would always be those special few who wanted all the light to themselves.

And the Trees are all kept equal by hatchet, axe, and saw.