Familiar

by Cookies

Wandering

I woke up to the sounds of muffled voice coming from the door. I lifted my head, briefly looking around and sighing at the fact that this mess wasn't a dream.

I checked the clock hanging on the opposite wall of the bed to evaluate how long I slept. It was nearing 3 p.m.

I was home after midnight. Then the whole stuff happened and I got here. It shouldn't have lasted more than two hours. Did I really sleep for 16 hours?

I slowly got myself in a sitting position. But it was day time when we got out of the ruins...

...

I furrowed my brow. There was a detail that bugged me. Why is that clock so similar to human clocks?

Probably a coincidence. They said no one ever saw a creature like me, right? Of course they could be lying about it, but they sounded so... sincere.

...

I felt like didn't even sleep at all, but my mind was already up and running. I pressed my hand against my head and groaned. Everything was so strange.

The voices died down at my sound. They probably heard me.

"Doc?" I called out. The door opened slightly and sure enough I saw his head look inside.

"Are you awake?"

"Yeah. Mind telling me how long I slept?"

"I'd say less than 4 hours. You should rest a little more." He starts closing the door but i interupt him.

4 hours. So it should be 6 a.m at most in Earth. That means there's a 10 hours difference or so. Interesting.

"Wait. I'm already awake, I won't go back to sleep." I said, standing up and walking toward the door, then pulling it open.

"Is that so?" I see him write something on his notepad. "And how do you feel?"

"Awful." I replied. There's some more scritching from the writing. "You're still taking notes? I thought the 'diagnosis' was already done."

"We need as much information as we can get from you. You're from an unknown species after all."

"You're making me uncomfortable again doc."

"Right, right." He stops and put the small notepad back into his doctor coat. "I'll make my report to the Princess and let somepony else take care of it then."

"What do you mean 'somepony else'? Don't you mean 'someone'?"

"What? No, the correct word is 'somepony'."

"No it-- You know what? Fine." I grunted. "I'm not even supposed to understand you. I'll just go with it."

...

"Are humans always grumpy when waking up..?" he tries to ask softly but i see his notepad glowing from under his coat.

"I'm out." I said with authority, making him immediatly move out of the way.

"Eep!"

My head turns toward the sound. It happens that there's a white pony with a pink mane standing in the hallway. Perhaps she was the one talking with the doc? "Hello. Can you guide me toward the exit please?"

Well at least it was clear that she was wary of me. She flinched when I made a step toward her. I lifted up my hands. "I'm not going to hurt you. Please just tell me where the exit is."

"J-just continue down this hallway and you'll be back at the reception." She says, her ears folding back.

...

I got down on one knee to be somewhat at eye-level. "Am I that scary?"

She looks away, gulping nervously. "We know nothing about your kind and what you can actually do..." Her voice trails off as she glances at my hands. Is that really why they want to study me?

I sighed. "I'll be careful to not do anything bad." I got up and walked toward the entrance.

I saw her nervously shifting toward the doc as I went on my way.

~ ~ ~

Celestia and Luna --along with some guards-- were standing in the lobby as I got there. "Oh! Perfect timing Anon. We just finished attending the celebration. We were about to check on you." said Celestia. Luna looked down when she saw me enter the room.

"Oh uh. Hello again." Now I was the one to shift nervously. "Can you please check with the doc? He got a report ready for you. I'm just going to clear my head outside."

Celestia stared at me for a second, then nodded. "Word has gotten out that a strange creature got in town."

"Someone saw me?"

"I believe it is one of my student's friends that spoke about you. I will assign one of my guards to stay with you to ensure your safety as well as reassuring my little ponies."

"Good thinking, but I prefer being alone at the moment. I have a way to defend myself if need be."

"I hope you are not thinking about violence." She warned.

"No, no." I said motioning her to calm down with both of my hands. "Patting."

She stared in my eyes. "...Patting?"

"Patting." I confirmed.

"I need to know if it's safe. Would you care to demonstrate?"

"Wouldn't it be weird?"

She lifted her head, her intense gaze showing me I didn't have much choice in the matter.

"A-alright, but I need someone to pat."

"I volunteer." came Luna's voice. It surprised everyone in the room. "I deeply regret what I did to you. I can ever hope that you forgive me one day Anon."

Celestia whispered something to her sister, but Luna shaked her head. "I have to do this."

I looked at a guard next to me. "Are ponies always this dramatic?" I only got a grunt in response.

Luna approached and stopped right in front of me. While Celestia was at my eye-level, Luna came just about at my chest.

"Very well Anon. Show us what is this 'patting' technique."

What did I get myself into...

Everyone was staring at me. I decided to be cautious and slowly hold out my hand.

And I very lightly tapped the top of Luna's head.

...There was a pure silence for a few seconds.

"Is this it? I do not see how it can help you in defending yourself." said Luna.

I hesitated. Am I really going to touch a Princess in that way? I asked myself, but Celestia's gaze gave me the answer.

I sighed and pressed the palm of my hand against Luna's horn. I heard some gasps coming from the guards, but the loudest came from Luna. I kept contact for a couple seconds and separated my hand from her horn.

Luna was in shock. She staggered back to her sister and... was she blushing? They can blush through their coat?

She coughs lightly. "I approve of this technique."

Celestia was surprised at Luna's simple answer but regained her composture quickly. "I believe I need to test your technique as well."

"Please don't." I said with the most serious face i could muster, but she was already closing in.

Now that I think of it, the princesses are both unicorns and pegasi, but are they Earth ponies as well?

Celestia slightly lowered her head to present her horn but I shaked my head. "Your hoof, please."

She blinked at me. "Very well."

With a tap of her hoof on the ground, her golden shoe comes off. She lifts it for me to take.

I pressed the palm of my hand against the underside of her hoof with a small shake of my head. Celestia went wide-eyed but didn't gasp like Luna.

She blushed harder than her sister though.

"That's enough." I removed my hand and headed toward the entrance to leave.

"What a formidable technique." I hear her mutter.

I never walked this fast in my life.

~ ~ ~

I wandered around after leaving the hospital. The ponies had various reactions to my presence. Most were of wariness, but there also were one or two ponies waving at me, and one that straight up glared at me, pointing her hoof between her eyes and me a couple times. I think she had a pink and blue curly hair? I don't remember, they're all so colorful.

I found myself in a park, thankfully there were benches there. At least that didn't differ much from Earth.

I sat down on one, content to work the stress down by relaxing a little. I hanged my head back and closed my eyes.

...

My ears picked up on some rustling nearby. I heard some not-so-quiet whispering, and considering the voices, they were little girls.

"What do you think he is?" said one.

"Ah dunno, should we wake him up?" said another.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" replied a third.

"We could earn our cutie mark." said the first.

"In what?" said the third.

"Species discoverer?"

"...Sounds legit."

Then i heard a voice call from afar. "Alright fillies and colts, time to head back."

The three girls aww'd in disappointment and walked away.

So much for relaxing at a park in an unknown world. I sighed and opened my eyes.

All I saw were big blue eyes that stared at me.

Caught by surprise, I instinctively tried to lift my head but my forehead hit the nose of the pony that stared at me.

The hit made a squeaky sound, the rubber duck kind of squeak.

"Ooh, I didn't know it could do that!" I hear Pinkie say as I sat sideway to look at her. She pokes her own nose a few times, making the squeaks happen again.

"You're... silly." I said, raising a brow but still having a small smile on my face.

"No, you're silly!" she said and poked my nose. It made the same squeaky noise as her.

I recoiled at the sound. Wh-- how?!

"That felt funny!" she exclaimed.

"Yeaaaaah, please don't do that again. Touching me with your hooves I mean."

She tilts her head on the side. Well, that's cute.

"I mean, it will be dangerous eventually."

She gasps. "Is it because you actually draw energy from touching ponies and it builds up without any means of escape and it'll eventually explode?!"

"You're... not that far off. First, it's not energy, it's magic. And second, it won't explode, I'll just have surges, like unicorns."

"Aww, I usually have it right. Is it because you took a bit of my magic?"

"Hey, you make it sound like I wanted to take it. Plus you're the one who touched me."

She thinks for a bit. "You're right Nonny!"

"Nonny?"

"Sounds better than Anon right?" She bounces in place.

"Uhh sure Pinkie."

"Great! It's like we're already friends!"

"If it makes you happy Pinkie." I said.

She gasps and hugs me. I froze for a second.

Well at least I couldn't absorb her magic through my shirt.

I gently grabbed her sides and lifted her. She was surprisingly light for her size. She wiggled her hooves and went 'weeeee' while giggling.

...That was adorable.

I put her down on the ground gently. "Thanks Pinkie."

"Uh? What do you mean?"

"For trying to lift my spirits. You're kind."

"Pshht, that's nothing. You should see Fluttershy!"

"...You know, I might do just that."

She beamed at me. "That reminds me, she ordered a batch of cookies earlier." She pulls a bag from her hair. "Can you give it to her pleaaaase?"

H-how did she hide it?

"Sure. Can you point me toward her cottage?" I said, grabbing the bag.

Then a rumble was heard.

It came from my stomach.

I sighed. I should've asked something to eat in the hospital.

I looked back at Pinkie, she was holding another bag. "I had a hunch you'd have the munchies."

"Is this really for me?" I asked, taking the bag.

"Mhm! It's on me, so enjoy them!"

On her? She's selling them? "You're too kind."

"Nah i'm just regular kind." She said with a little giggle. "Fluttershy's this way." She pointed at my right. "The cottage is out of town so you'll walk for a little while. Thank you for doing this."

I patted her head. "Don't worry about it."

...

I kept patting, mainly to check how she could hide the bags in her hair. It made no sense.

"Nonny?"

"Right, right. I'll get going. Thanks again for the food."

I got up and with a wave of my hand, I went on my way to deliver some baked goods to a magical talking pony.

~ ~ ~

I ate the cookies Pinkie prepared for me on the way to the cottage. I don't know what she put in them but they were the best cookies I ever ate. Damn masterpieces.

The walk was peaceful, and it helped me reflect on how much different Earth and this place was.

This pony-land was much less advanced than us in technology, but it seemed like didn't need it considering all the magic they have. They also seemed closer to nature. The result is that the grass is greener, the air is cleaner, and they seemed really at peace.

If we ignore the whole evil princess stuff of course.

I approached the cottage. It was nifty, away from the town, meaning no sounds to wake you up at night. Also perfect to stay alone if you need the space. From what I saw of Fluttershy, it's the best home she could have.

I knocked on the door.

The door barely opened. I saw a blue eye staring at me and heard a soft gasp.

"Hi again Fluttershy. Pinkie asked me if I could deliver your cookies." I said, waving the bag.

"Oh my. It didn't bother you I hope." she said softly, opening the door a little more.

"Not at all. Actually, I wanted to speak with you a little bit."

She stops the door from opening further. "W-why would you want to talk with me?" She nearly whispered.

"Please don't be scared. You just seemed like..." I thought about the less creepy way to say it. "...the easiest to approach?"

"Oh... I'm sorry, I didn't realize it would be this hard for you to talk to other ponies." She finally opens the door wide so I can go through.

"That's not exactly the problem. It's just that I can relate to you more than the other ponies I guess?" I say hesistantly, going past the door frame.

...

The whole place smelled.

What kind of unholy activities was she doing here?! I gagged a little bit and resorted to breathe with my mouth to not be impolite.

She looked at me with worry. "Are you alright?" she asked softly, staring up at me with her big blue eyes and tilting her head.

My heart! I nodded quickly while clutching my chest. "I-I'm alright... thanks." That's too much cuteness.

"I'll get you some water." she says, and with a few flaps of her wings, she fluttered toward her kitchen.

I spotted her sofa and went to sit on it, waiting for her patiently.

...

Why did I feel observed?

I looked around, and spotted a small white bunny on a table, standing on his feet.

I raised a brow.

He raised a brow.

I squinted at him.

He squinted at me.

Is he copying me?

"Can you talk?" I asked.

He emitted little squeaks as an answer. I was surprised. "Woah. Well hello to you little bunny. I can't understand you though."

Can every animal talk in this world? That'd be awesome.

The bunny fell silent. He looked back, toward the kitchen and squeaked to someone with a shake of his head. When I looked in the direction of the kitchen, I saw the head of a bear staring at me.

My blood ran cold instantly.

The bear pointed his claws between his eyes and me. I gulped.

Wait, Fluttershy was in the kitchen..!

"Fl--" I started calling out, and at the same time, I saw her come back with a little glass of water in her hooves. I heard her greet the bear while passing next to him, he's called 'Harry' apparently.

...What?

I stared at her, and let out a sigh of relief when she was next to me. I took the glass shakily and drank everything in one go.

"Oh my. Did something happen?" she said while sitting down next to me.

"Didn't know you had a bear." I responded.

"Oh no, he didn't scare you did he?" I stared at her, I'm pretty sure I could blend in in snow right now. She hid herself behind her hair. "I-I'm sorry. I should have warned you. I take care of various animals, but I promise you they're all nice." her voice trails off as it goes higher in tone. "I should've known you were already scared being in an unknown world, and I let this happen..."

Oh no. OH NO.

I rest my hand on her shoulder --is it even a shoulder?-- "It's okay Fluttershy. It was just a little scare, nothing bad happened."

She looked up at me, teary eyed. "Are you sure?" she squeaked.

I think I heard my heart crack at the sight. "Please don't cry. Everything's alright. I'm okay, really."

She sniffed, and wiped her eyes with a wing. I lifted my hand to dodge it.

Nope. No more awkwardness. I said to myself.

"Sorry..." She said.

"You don't need to apologize. It's fine." I replied.

It took her a few seconds to calm down. I remembered I still had the bag of cookies in my hand. I opened it and offered her one, setting the bag between us. She took it gently. "Thank you."

"You should thank Pinkie for them."

She stared at me before taking a bite. "Why did you say I was the most relatable to you?"

I thought for a bit.

"Let's just say i'm not the most social human there is."

She closed her eyes and nodded. "Well I am not the most courageous pony there is."

"Pfft. Taking care of a bear is quite something though." I said, shaking my head.

"Oh no, that's only thanks to my talent." She pointed at the image on her hips.

"Talent?" I sit a bit further from Fluttershy to have a good look of the three pink butterflies.

"Oh, you wouldn't know about Cutie Marks."

"Cutie"? Really?

She clears her throat. "They appear on our flanks when we find our special talent, or calling in life. Everypony usually gets it when they're foals. It's really rare that an adult still doesn't have their mark."

What?! That like a cheat code or something!

...

"Anon?"

"Yes. I'm just processing what you said." I press my hand against my forehead. "It's sounds pretty useful though, to have an indication where to go in life."

"Well... In my case, I think I would've still tried to stay close to animals, even if I didn't have my Cutie Mark."

"So, it's based on what you really want to do, instead of it pushing you to follow its path?"

"Mhm! I think so."

...Still a bit OP though. "Interesting. Can I ask you some questions about some stuff?"

She nods, taking another cookie and nomming it.

Oh my poor heart.

I faked a cough. "Okay, can you explain how does Pinkie do her tricks with her hair?"

"Hair?"

"Yeah." I pat my own head for emphasis. "Hair."

"Oh you mean 'mane'."

"Why did ponies feel the need to change simple words into something else?" I mumbled. Fluttershy gave me a kind smile. "Fiiiine. How can Pinkie hide two full bags of cookies in her mane?"

"Actually, nopony knows. Pinkie is just Pinkie, she always do strange things."

It certainly didn't sate my curiosity, so I just kept asking. "Do dragons really exist?"

"Y-yes."

"Does flying feel good?"

"Especially in a gentle breeze?" She said, not sure where I was heading.

"Are there monsters l should be worried about?"

"T-there are some unruly creatures in the forest, but they almost never come out."

Well that's worrying. "What is this land called?"

"We are in Equestria."

Huh. Interesting name. "Is Celestia really that old?"

She nods silently.

I paused for a second.

"...Why does no one wear clothes here?"

"Oh, well we already have a coat, so we don't need clothes. Aside from businessponies wearing suits at work, I don't think I've seen clothes being wore casually. I know Rarity make beautiful dresses for fashion shows and rare events, but that's all." She responds with perfect innocence. Then she looks at my clothes and my surprised face. "It isn't the same for humans?" She asked, worried.

I shaked my head slowly. "No. We need the clothes. And even if it's too hot outside we keep some clothes on to hide our body from others."

"What do you mean?" She tilts her head.

"Uhhh... Well we usually wear nothing only when we're alone or with our significant other... in private?" I replied.

"Oh my,oh my,oh my." She blushed, hiding behind her wings.

Good job. I said no more awkwardness, idiot.

I was about to say something but she spoke first. "You probably thought I was trying to seduce you. Oh no, oh no.

"What? No it's okay, I had a cat and a dog and they were always naked so I'm used to it. Not that i'm comparing you to an animal or something. I mean technically we both are animals, but you know what I meant." I said quickly, making her stop mumbling.

"Plus you're a pony, I didn't even think of you that way. I mean, you're not my taste." I pause, trying to rephrase it to not sound mean. "I mean, it's not that you're not cute or anything, it's just... It's..."

I facepalmed.

"Okay i'm going to shut my mouth before I embarrass myself even more."

...

"A-are you saying that i'm cute?"

I hid my face behind my hands and took a deep breath. "You ponies look like big colorful plushes." That prompted a tiny 'eep' from her.

...

Change subject, quick. "Alright, uhhh... Can all animals talk in Equestria?"

She was stilll hiding her face from embarrasment. "N-no. Many species can talk, but there are much more that cannot. But thanks to my talent, I can understand all of them." She said, slowly lowering her wings, but hiding her face behind her mane.

Alright, that's working. "Huh. There was a bunny that tried to talk to me earlier. I didn't understand him." I shrugged awkwardly.

"Oh! That was Angel. He's such a cutie." She said with a little flap of her wings, she gently moved her mane on the side to look at me again.

Okay, back to normal. "Meh. I think bunnies are okay. I prefer cats and dogs honestly."

"Aww." She pouted.

I'm going to die of an overdose of cuteness someday, if not today. "Yeah, sorry."

"You don't need to be sorry about your pet preferences, Anon." She looks at my shoulder, and sees the ice-cream spot still there. "Oh my, you should see Rarity about this. She'll be horrified if you continue to roam Ponyville with a stain."

"Oh this?" I pointed at it. "Nah that's nothing. I'll just wash my shirt when I get home."

"I'm afraid to do this Anon, but I'll have to insist. She will be upset for a week if you do not see her right now." She said with a stern yet so gentle and soft voice.

I felt my heart ache. How could they weaponize cuteness?! "O-okay, Fluttershy, I'm going. Just tell me where she stays."

She nods confidently. "She has a shop called the Carousel Boutique. It's a blue and pink two story building on the edge of the town. From here, it's right after the park."

'Boutique'? "Thank you again Fluttershy." I got up, heading for the door. "I'll see you later, maybe."

She flutters in the air and waves at me. "Thank you for delivering the cookies."

And with that, I went on my way toward Rarity.

Author's Note:

This chapter was getting a bit too long, so I decided to cut it in two parts.

If you're reading this, thank you again for holding up 'till now.

The second part will probably be ready this weekend.

Comments

[Even Evil Has Standards]

Stupid feels.

[Cookies]

9068180
Who needs them?

[AuthorGenesis]

I never walked this fast in my life.

That's right, anon! Take your walk of shame! Walk of shame!