Strange and Stranger

by False Door

Neighbors

Things inside pony houses were always a little smaller than what was comfortable for Anon. The ceilings were a little low. The doors were a little low. The counters were a little low. Not low enough that he could just drop to his knees while chopping vegetables. It was an in-between kind of low that had him stooping a bit more when washing his hands in the sink. Even Flurry, with her larger than average stature, seemed a little out of place snooping around in commoner pony apartments.

It was just for a year. Then he'd just move into the castle after the lease expired. And then it was just a few months till the wedding.

“They all look the same to me,” shrugged Flurry, sticking her head inside a criminally small coat closet. The crown molding on the floor was chipped, revealing a history of colors including mint green and cotton candy pink before the present day eggshell gloss.

“Yeah but I like the square footage on this one,” countered Anon, opening the cupboards. “And the ceiling seems a little less claustrophobic… and it's got a pool.”

She joined him in the kitchen. “Okay, but if you want to swim you should just come over to the castle.”

“That's true,” he agreed.

“You should just let me buy you a little two story house somewhere,” she reiterated for the third time today.

“A house for just a year? I dunno. This'll be fine. And your dad raised a good point: if I live like an average pony in town for a while it builds solidarity with the Crystal Ponies and then when we're married, that rubs off on you. They'll think you're more grounded and in tune with your subjects; it's almost like a public relations campaign.”

“I guess,” she groaned, running a hoof over the naked MDF board showing through the worn edge of the salt and pepper laminate counter. “No doubt, somepony at the Mirror is writing a glowing article while they watch us through a telescope at this very moment.”

“Wave hi,” said Anon, waving to the window over the sink. “You know, this is actually pretty nostalgic for me. I used to live in places just like this all the time before I just graduated straight to giant castles.”

“I would live with you here until the wedding if it didn't defeat the whole purpose,” mused Flurry. She spun the faucet knob with her magic just to make the water hiss for a half second and leave a thin puddle in the metal basin, proving that someone had visited the empty shell of a domicile. She looked back at him with longing. “Are you hungry? Let's go have lunch somewhere.”

“Yeah, sure. I'm just gonna get the paperwork for this place.” - - -

---

Anon doodled idly in his sketchbook at the table while they waited for their order. They sat outside as was usual for them at restaurants whenever it was an option.

“I start my new job next week,” he told Flurry. “I told him straight up too that I'd probably only be there for a year at most but he didn't seem to care. I think he thinks that me just being there at all is going to boost his business like he's adding a high profile sideshow or something but I don't mind; I'm just happy to have an easy interview for once in my life.”

He held up his book to show her a loose drawing of a man and an alicorn walking through a spooky forest of trees with faces. “Look. It's us. We're going on an adventure.”

It wasn't a realistic art style. It was more like an old cartoon where they both had noodle limbs. Flurry laughed at the strange depiction of them.

Anon lifted his bag from the floor and slipped the pen and sketchbook back inside. His eyes fell on the empty telewriter he brought with him everywhere and guarded vigilantly. He fished it out and set it on the table. It had been over two weeks since he reached out to his family and he still hadn't received a response. The reason could be any number of things but his fingers paused on the latch as a strange thought occurred to him.

“Do you think time works the same here as it does back on Earth.”

Flurry blinked at the out of the blue suggestion.

“Like, what if time moves a lot slower here and everyone I know is actually already dead or something?” he elaborated in wonder.

“I don't think so,” frowned Flurry. “But I'm no expert. That sounds like a Twilight question.”

He sighed and undid the strap. Then he opened the journal to page four where his letters and instructions ended. At first glance it appeared as if nothing had changed. He might not have noticed at all if it weren't written in blue ink as a subtle contrast to the black, a single cautious word.

Hello?

Anon's mouth dropped open. He pushed the telewriter to the center of the table and pointed urgently to the page.

“Flurry, did- did you write this?”

She squinted at the open book and shook her head. “I haven't touched it.”

“Then… this must be from the other side!” He reached down and rifled through his pack to retrieve a pen. On the space below the phantom word he scribbled his own question.

Who is this?

They waited and watched for a reply for nearly two minutes but nothing happened.

Anon cleared his throat and took a drink. “Well, everyone's probably busy and I'm sure no one's just waiting by the telewriter or carrying it around with them. It might be a while till anyone checks it again.”

“Should we both write in the book if it works?” asked Flurry.

“Yeah, I think that would be great. It'll be the closest you ever get to meeting my family.”

“Look,” blurted Flurry, pointing to the journal.

Anon’s eyes landed on a brand new line of text just as it finished appearing. It was written in the same blue ink.

Your mom.

“It's your mom,” gasped Flurry with excitement.

Anon felt a surge of joyous euphoria as he picked up the book. “Well, not necessarily,” he posed, reading the words again. “It could be my brother… or even my dad.”

Comments

[f0st3r21]

Interesting development. I suppose we’ll get to learn some about that time differential question. Is the text permanent? I wonder if they’re limited to the number of pages or if it fades out with time. I don’t think that was an issue with Sunset because that portal was stabilized and they could just make a new book if it filled up.

Even so, if Anon’s talented with a pen, he could send a drawing of his wedding… I imagine the parents might appreciate that after getting over the multi dimensional drama.

[LoserkidUwU]

👍

[Mister-H]

That definitely could be a 'You're Mom' joke right there