Bonus Chapter: Postalogue
Tracy stared down at the pony in his living room, taking in her terrified visage. She might not be physically shaking anymore, as she had been when he first arrived. But she couldn't hide the fear from her scent. This was a pony on the edge of their endurance.
Now did Discord intend for you to run into me, or was that an accident?
"Why don't you start with the details you remember," he said, taking the seat across from her. He shifted slightly in the seat, adjusting his legs. It had been long enough that he barely even remembered the old human taboos. But he could smell that shyness in her. A little too much of that, and Roseluck would start getting jealous.
"I'll bring refreshments," Rose said, vanishing into the kitchen. "Come along, Violet. Let's let the aliens talk amongst themselves."
"Aliens," The crystal pony repeated, watching the filly go. Violet moved only reluctantly, but she was obedient enough that it didn't turn into an argument. The two of them vanished down the hallway into the kitchen, leaving Spark and the new pony in the den. "And you've been stuck here... long enough that you have a family. Oh god. This is one of those Star Trek episodes, isn't it? Where the captain is stuck somewhere for so long that they abandon hope of ever going home. I'm doomed."
"Well... maybe. Maybe not." He resisted the urge to interrogate her about that old property. How awesome it would be to see what new content had come out since his departure from Earth. But it was easy enough to banish the thought.
Spark Gap had chosen another life. He could accept the sacrifices. "Why don’t you tell me your name. I’m Spark Gap, I think you already heard that. Or you can call me Tracy, if you prefer.”
“Michele, Michelle Hughes,” she said, voice faint.
“Nice to meet you, Michelle. Why don’t you start by telling me what you agreed to? What did you sign?"
"I, uh... a contract, I guess? I know I should've been more careful, but I was desperate! You don't get a deal like this one every day."
"You sure don't," Spark agreed. "First thing's first, you're not stuck. Read the terms—Equestria doesn't keep you prisoner forever. I'm pretty sure Discord isn't allowed to keep you for more than a year."
"It was..." She trailed off, turning as Rose re-entered. She must've been baking those cookies already, because they smelled fresh. Lucky coincidence for Michelle, then. "Wait, allowed? You telling me this curse has some kinda rules behind it?"
He took one using a wing, and that evoked the desired reaction. There was something particularly impressive about displays of dexterity like that when you couldn't imagine how to function without hands.
"Thank you, sweetheart. What's the occasion?"
Rose shrugged. "Might have to wait. See if your new friend needs any help first." She left as quickly as she came. Spark caught one final glimpse of a set of slitted bat-eyes peeking through the door before Rose clicked it closed, and the two of them were alone again.
"So the one who brought you, Discord—you're probably better off not knowing too many details. Just think of it like this: whatever you signed, he can't break the rules. He can ignore the laws of physics, but not an oath you've both sworn. Does that make sense?"
"Not even a little." She nudged one of the cookies with her nose, then finally got over herself enough to pick up a chocolate chip cookie in her mouth. She chewed, and visibly relaxed into her seat. There was something special about warm cooking, particularly the fresh ingredients ponies used. "Just tell me how to get out of it. Someone on this side has to know... guess it's you."
How could anyone go back to eating on Earth after this?
"There's no magic bullet, unfortunately. I've known of some others who made a contract like yours in the past. Sometimes they want to go back where they came from when they're done. Other times they stay." And every single one of them was someone Discord thought was vulnerable to being persuaded to move between worlds, and they almost always did.
"I just needed somewhere to give me an education cert," Michelle continued. "I maybe thought someone was going to falsify their credentials and give me a degree from a school that didn't exist. But that isn't the same as kidnapping me!"
"You... oh, really?" He finished the cookie he'd been nursing, then sat up. "There's only one big school in town, you’re too old for the other one. They have dorms for most of the students, though locals can go home on weekends."
Her mouth fell open. “You can't be serious. There's... actually a school here? And you honestly think that 'Discord' expects me to go? It was a joke, just like this whole... stupid place. You'll think so, when you hear it. This isn't some trade school, or even an online university. It's a school of 'Friendship.' What does that even mean? How do you go to school for that?"
She fished around in one of her many pockets, coming up with several folded sheets. She set it on the table between them, flattening them out with one hoof. Spark didn't recognize the patterns moving down the sides, like a complex QR code. Must have something to do with whatever devices people were using back home these days.
But the dense, perfect scrawl of Discord's handwriting was as familiar as ever. Despite his chaotic nature, every time he wrote a contract the words were noted with precision. He didn't entrap people by tricking them into signing something they couldn’t read—the fun was apparently in getting them to agree while the insanity was in plain sight.
Tracy didn't need to read the whole thing to get the gist—Michelle here had agreed to attend two semesters at the school, beginning with the fall. She would get to go home for usual breaks, and weekends, but that was it. In fact, she was required to go back to Earth for those periods, though she was encouraged to bring her friends with her if they wanted, and would even be allotted a stipend for each one who came along.
You're really upping your chaos game on this one. But Spark didn't express his anger and involuntary appreciation for the audacity of it. That wouldn't help Michelle feel better.
"And you read all this?" he asked, after skimming over the most important bits."
She nodded. "Not until I got here. I have this bus pass..." She tossed it onto the table between them. More like a bracelet, though it was obviously wide enough to accommodate a whole hoof. “I scan it while I step on, and the whole place changes. It's way worse than LSD, and then I'm here. But it doesn't work in reverse. There's no road on this side, no bus."
"Yeah, you use the train." He slid the contract back to her. "It's not the weekend, so you can't go back. You should be using this time to prepare for the first day of school tomorrow. You have five more days before your bus comes."
"You're shitting me." She leaned down over the contract, practically devouring that section. It was all fine print, densely packed and indistinguishable. But the subheadings gave it away.
"This can't be okay," she said, hyperventilating all over again. "Who do we call? There's gotta be a lawyer somewhere in town who can help me. I can't pay much, but... maybe they'll take the case pro bono?"
He chuckled. "I don't know about 'okay', but Discord is basically a god. There's no one who could stop him even if they wanted to. And what he does—" Usually ends up being for your own good. Even if it doesn't feel like that at first. "Don't bother fighting it the way you're thinking. You signed this, and he didn't compel you. That's it. All you can choose to do now is decide what you'll do with your next few semesters in Equestria."
He rose, turning to the window. "I could take you to the campus, if you like. Help you meet your..." Did any of the human-college words apply? Probably not. "RA? Yeah. I've lived here in Ponyville long enough that I know my way around. Or..." He glanced once at the door, and the set of slitted eyes peeking in, watching eagerly. "Actually, I have a better idea. My daughter could show you around. The campus doesn't have very many students my age, but she's almost old enough to attend."
He waved one wing, looking Violet right in the eye. "Don't just stare, Violet. Come on in."
She did, and at least had the decency to look embarrassed at being caught. That was more than Indigo would've done.
Michelle stood up, shuffling nervously back and forth. Like she was preparing to run away, but kept realizing that she had nowhere to go. "You can't just be expecting me to accept this! It's evil, it's kidnapping! We should fight it together!"
Spark shook his head once. "It is all those things. But I'm not going to get into a fight I know I won't win. That's just... one of those things you come to accept, living here in Equestria. Sometimes there are things bigger than you out there in the world. You learn to deal with some, or you get out of the way. You don't step out onto the tracks and demand the train to stop."
"You'll like it here!" Violet said helpfully, circling around the obviously unhappy pony. "Mom says Dad didn't like Equestria either when he first got here. But he changed his mind after a while... you will too! It's a really nice place to live. We've got magic here, lots of things to do..."
Michelle kicked at the couch with one hoof. It thunked loudly, resonating through her crystal body. Spark winced, but couldn’t see any cracks. Just how fragile were crystal ponies, anyway?
"If you ever need anything, come back to the flower shop, we'll try to help." He stood too. "I'm sorry that wasn't the answer you wanted."
Violet led the strangely overdressed pony back out into the streets of Ponyville. It was almost nightfall now, though that didn't mean a return to comfortable darkness. She'd have to go outside the city limits if she wanted to experience real dark on her eyes. She didn't think the odds of that were terribly high tonight.
They walked in silence for a few minutes, with Michelle proceeding at a modest mope. She dragged her hooves through the dirt, occasionally kicking small rocks. Without her strange shouting and begging others for help, they didn't attract the constant stares and pointing. There would be no royal guard showing up.
"What about you?" Michelle finally asked, after a few minutes of trudging through Ponyville. "You know you dad comes from another world. Does it bother you?"
Violet took off, hovering along just ahead of Michelle. That way she wasn't shorter—let the new pony be the one to look up at her. "Nah, nothing like that. I think maybe it's a little lame that he used to go on adventures, but now he wants to stay here and be boring all the time. Not that Ponyville isn't great. But how could a pony see all those amazing things, then come back and stick in one place?"
The School of Friendship appeared before them, its towers juxtaposed strangely against Ponyville's rural architecture. The smell of moving water and thick greenery overtook the dust and earth pony sweat scent that normally dominated Ponyville.
Michelle was silent for a long time, taking in the waterfall, the elegant buildings. Her eyes lingered on the crowds of students moving in and out. Many of them had bags overflowing with classwork. But there were others, freshly moved in, that carried little more than she did. Ponies didn't wear much, and the school provided everything they could need.
Too bad Violet hadn't gotten in. It looked like fun!
"I don't know if you'd see it that way, in my place," she finally said. "Imagine if you were kidnapped, taken away from home. It's not like you have a lot to go back to... but it's the principle of the thing. You liked the place you lived. You'd built things there. You didn't want to give them up."
Violet landed on the grass in front of her, grinning. They'd already been noticed—was that the headmare? Starlight Glimmer turned towards them, expression weary. Were we keeping her waiting?
"I'd be scared. But I think I'd try to make the best of it. Maybe I'd make some new friends while I was there. Worth a try!"
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very nice!
nicely done!
Still feel like this could be a whole new story/part 2 of this one by itself.
I suppose expulsion might fix things, depending on how the contract is worded, though I'm sure there are penalty clauses in there.
10908019
I second this.
Aw, Violet's adorable. She'll get into the school eventually; I'm sure she'll be a great student.
Ohh! A twist!
"Yes, yes it is. And you can't fight a Q."
Welcome to Equestria.
Makes me wonder exactly how long how he was doing this. If Tracy was even the first.
Makes me wonder if Discord and Starlight Glimmer has some deal going on, considering Michelle isn't the first foreign exchange student.
Ehhhh...unless we're talking a date far ahead from the here and now (2021) where obviously what content Trek has since produced can't be predicted...then as a Trek fan myself, I can honestly say you've not been missing all that much. I mean, Lower Decks is worth a watch for at least the laughs, but Discovery is forgettable, and Picard is...mixed at best.
Oh dang, I almost want a whole story for this one now.
Yeah, admittedly, I think even the most devoted of MLP fans have to concede that even the show's staff hadn't quite worked out all the fine details to answer those questions.
On the upside though...you get to make lots of new friends, many of which are bound to be non-natives, so if you like broadening your horizons...
It really is, so much so I'm actually sort of impressed. This seems a lot more ambitious of Discord than the scheme he had done with Tracy.
Also, I think this is also Discord signaling that he thinks ol' Michelle here could use the schooling on this particular subject.
Oh, but I'm sure somebody's tried by this point, and I mean seriously tried. I'm sure Discord makes it a point to select "candidates" who he's confident won't have the spine to try him too much, but surely there was at least one who tried to push back as hard as they could. And looking back to Tracy's case, we already know that Equestrian law won't back up Discord in the event of a contract breech (at least not by his specific terms, unless he's conceded that and changed his terms to something more reasonable since Tracy...but I really doubt it, seeing they work as a good scare tactic even if he can't actually enforce it legally), and as Tracy already pointed out, Discord still has rules he himself must follow or get in trouble himself, which would in turn limit the things he can do to try and "coerce" his subject to behave and adhere to his terms. That all means there's really only so much Discord could get away with doing to try and stop someone from trying to fight back and resist him before certain ponies would no doubt act to intervene.
And, you know, a stony time-out is always still an option.
So surely someone's tried at least once, and more importantly--though it'd be mad difficult to the point it'd probably be easier to play along than fight it as Tracy suggests--I think you actually could beat Discord at this with enough effort and playing the right cards.
Another idea I'd kinda want to see happen now...somebody choosing to fight Discord back on this...and ultimately win.
That all said though...Tracy is right, Michelle, it'll be better on your sanity to play along, at least for now, and try to adapt. It'll be hard, and maybe you'll never quite accept the circumstances (Tracy did imply not all of Discord's "candidates" ultimately embraced Equestria and still left it all behind the first chance they could), but you can trust Tracy on this--it'll take too long to explain, but he's been through all of this himself and been largely where you are now, and the fact he's here talking to you about it now just shows what he ultimately learned in the end--some fights aren't worth it.
Well, adventuring is exciting and all...but I imagine it's also exhausting after awhile.
I mean, if Discord's really so big on dotting his i's and crossing his t's, I'd think that'd mean he'd still have to give Starlight an advance heads-up if he expects this to actually have a chance of sticking.
10908019
Already said as such myself, but I might as well third this too.
10908114
Michelle: "Wai--? You mean--Discord is Q!?
"
"
"
.....*later*....
Tracy: "And that was the last we ever saw of her...screaming...running off into the night."
Twilight Sparkle: "You told her he was Q!?
Tracy: "Well, it's the truth. He is."
Twilight Sparkle: "NOT the point I was trying to make.
I would very much like to hear what our resident Trickster's justification is for this one.
Very nice to see some variety in the contracts. Discord can offer all kinds of helpful services in Equestria. And hey, it's encouraging him to not upend civilization like a bag of confetti. That's always a plus.
Still, at this point, there ought to be an FAQ pamphlet. So You Signed a Contract With a Crazy Man. Twilight, you want to get somepony on this?
I'm going to go out on a limb and say "not".
10908156
True enough and now that imagined scene has me LMFAO. But nice Postalogue.
10908019 10908146 10908066
Fourthed.
*Gasp*
A-a...Sequel?
I know it might not be but this hook is SO interesting!
A human student learning at the Friendship School. Plus Michelle and Violet are interesting characters.
I'd know I'll read it.
Hold up! How did he make her registration pass Twilight/Starlight in the first place? Did they know they have admitted a trans-dimensional student? I can really see Twilight make a fuss about this later.
Good chapter. There's nothing I can say here that hasn't already been said; I agree with all of it. But I do have one typo I found: "You know you dad" should be "you know your dad". That is all. I wonder if there will be more story?
10908278
He not upend civilisation but Individuals lifes which could be argued worse as it more personal, but yeah if this stories taught me anything always read the fine print
Kinda want to see a human find a loophole and go full villian, just to see discord react when his plans backfire
10908030
Undoubtedly Discord has planned for that.
10908720
Has he planned for how "Friendship University" is supposed to be accepted as an actual education credit in the event that Violet decides that she doesn't want to stick around?
10908146
When it came to the court case Discord tried to apply the terms of his contract on three humans who hadn't signed anything and just entered Equestria uninvited. Load Bearing also broke the door but that was on earth not Equestria. You are right that it seems not everyone who signed the contract stayed in Equestria.
10908019
I agree with that sentiment.
this is a awesome set up for a sequel. or two.
10908431
Note the mention of Starlight's weary expression at the end... methinks it isn't the wait for the student that's causing (all) of it...
10908724
"yo I got accredited at F.U. Don't laugh it's a real thing!" 😂
A wonderful addition.
You could easily turn this into a sequel that we will eagerly await “that day” of each week for.
Do you publish your stories elsewhere too ?
Or exclusively on FimFiction ?
10908689
There are a number of loopholes that can leave the contract null and void. Provisions that were misrepresented to an unsophisticated consumer. In this case, the signer having no idea they'd be transported to another dimension and transformed. A court may consider one or more of the provisions to be unconscionable. Or, the contract may be deemed unethical. There is also the issue where provisions may be illegal. Removing someone from their home/place of domicile without their full consent and understanding, regardless of whether or not a contract has been signed, definitely counts as immoral and illegal. Using the wrong fonts as required by law may also void the contract. Though I'd imagine Discord would be sure to have every clause in every required fount. On the other hand/hoof, what Discord is doing could also be considered bait and switch. No matter how iron clad the contract might appear to be, pretty sure that most courts would throw it out.
10910252
For now it's just my Patreon, where I sometimes post non-pony stories as well. I do hope to one day publish independently and get my own books printed, this year in fact. I don't know yet whether that goal can be achieved, but I'm somewhat hopeful. I've got a few novels most of the way finished or in second draft, it's really just finding something I like enough to take a chance on publishing.
10910294
Now if only a court had enough power to handle discord... Then again discord might just go along with it.
I would love a whole story based on Michelle! (But you got a lot of stories on your plate right now, so there's genuinely no rush.)
Weird. Michelle Hughes was my back-door neighbor when I was a kid. Ended up getting a masters degree the normal way, though.
Well done. I don’t often get to pay the author for a well-enjoyed story on this site. Mission Accomplished. And, of course, thank you. (Picture of your book below.)
i.postimg.cc/4x2Wkx1b/848633-C3-C7-DA-4-B3-F-8-E70-7-E41-BA707017.jpg
Usually I don't view the incompleted stories, since there was stories that were abandoned/forgotten, no matter it's good quality. But I decided to give this story a shot. I bookmarked this story while it was 'Incomplete', because it looked real promising, and the date of chapters were still recent.
And I'm glad I was able to read it 'till it's end, completedly!
Because of you, I've made myself skip some sleep hours to read more, and completed reading it in 2 DAYS. Meaning, it was THAT good enough for me to read and not be bored, because some HiE fics tend to be cliche and bland, which this case, your's weren't.
Glad I was able to have a good time reading, and hope you have a good day bro!
Your.
I find it more than a little concerning that Discord is apparently bringing lots of humans over to Equestria. What’s his game, and how is it going to harm the ponies of Equestria?
got my book today and it look amazing. thank you
Starscribe
for printing this grate story.
Good story. Thank you for finishing it.
What a great wrap - up!
Nice to see how that went!
10924043
It feels more like he's trying to be 'helpful' in his own way. While also pulling in people who he knows he can bring over here. Tracy had few ties holding him back on Earth, and Shane wanted to come to get a fresh start and an escape from his life from before. Likely there are lots of people who would fit that criteria, who are more likely than not to choose to stay. That, and the fewer ties people have to Earth, the fewer people will be looking for them if they decide to stay. No doubt most of them went a lot smoother than Tracy's last day too, though that's not to say it wouldn't cause some chaos here and there at the same time.
All the same, Discord has been at this for years now at this point, so he's likely taken in a few every year to manage...perhaps he's become a building owner and supervisor. Halfway There, housing for those in-between! Look for the man that's half there and half not!
10919358
Are you so certain she got her degree in the normal manner?
===
*PLEASE*, this needs to be fleshed out. Lets see what a teacher learning at the school of friendship will take back to the human world when she returns.
This story can be less about "her year learning friendship", and more about "How she changes her teaching to encompass friendship after that year".
So this is a major change, and a good point for the story. Show us her time back on earth, as she changes and becomes more of a beacon of friendship. And if she's encouraged to bring her friends? Let them know that they'll be signing up for a week visit because of the bus schedule, and give them a chance to see the place. Michelle might wind up being a major headache to Celestia as she becomes responsible for a wave of immigration requests, and *that* would be the chaotic outcome that Discord wants (all these missing person reports ...).
This is Tracy's chance at getting a new TV, all he has to do is ask politely.
I demand a sequel! SEQUEL CHAIN START!
That was a good story.
11060205
I understand wanting more, but imo the story has a satisfying conclusion that could be ruined with a sequel
11099104
Fair... But still! Sequel!
11106794
i just found out today that eillemonty does vtubing... im really out of the loop looks like.
11115002
ah, FINALLY found it:
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/342886/anchor-foal-a-romantic-cringe-comedy
11115053
reading the description, it sounds really interesting thanks for finding it. of course, I'm going to read this first https://www.fimfiction.net/story/487641/forbidden-places
since it is set in the same universe as fine print.
11116091
oh, well, you might want to read "Triptych" first, since that's where most of Estee's world-building is explained.