One human and who knows how many ponies; what could go wrong?
*Sigh* It was supposed to have been just an extra credit project I had planned to work on over the break. Nothing big, right?
Except, somehow I've ended up in a place inhabited by these...pony beings, with no knowledge of how far from home I am, or how to get back for that matter!
Well, at least the locals are mostly friendly.
Though I do wonder why the one named Twilight Sparkle is looking at me like that...
Yep I'm finally taking a shot at the HiE genre. (revised)
"Hope that landed on something soft." Groaning as I cracked an eye open to see where I had slapped my alarm clock to, I spared my other to check the calendar.
And felt a big grin on my face
March 4th. The start of Spring Break, which meant nearly every other student would be gone for the week and a full five days to myself.
With a sigh of contentment, I climbed out of bed and decided to take my time for now before getting down to business. I grabbed my MP3 player and turned on one of my favorite tunes as I went to get dressed.
Before I continue, I probably better introduce myself. My name is Spike Dracson, 19-year-old Sophomore at Emory University. Not really going to bother with listing stuff like sports or what fraternity I'm in. Mostly 'cause...well...I'm not in either. Now I'm no shut-in; but stuff like that just never interested me. I mean, I go to movies, socialize a little, that sorta stuff; but outside of that...meh...
And before you ask why I'm still at the campus while everyone else is partying, at the beach, or both; at six-foot-two and a hundred fifty-seven pounds of lanky, I'm not exactly what you'd call 'beachwear compatible'. Besides, if I did go, I wouldn't be able to do this extra credit project I'd been planning on for a while now. Hell, it'd taken me this long just to earn the teachers' trust for me to use one of the labs by myself.
Anyhow, I finished getting cleaned up and dressed, grabbed my old comb and stared at the spiky green mop on my head...yes, green. Don't ask why, my parents couldn't figure it out and the doctors just attributed it to a genetic anomaly; a recessive gene that malfunctioned somewhere down the line, or something like that. Either way, I tugged the comb through it a couple of times before giving up. Trying to tame this thing was always a lost cause.
Once that was done, I retrieved my clock from it's impact spot (still in one piece, thankfully) and went to hit up the on-campus McD's for some breakfast, then off to work.
-----------Two Hours Later-----------
The Geology Lab: home to the students working on volcanology, seismology, mineral surveys for mines and similar occupations; and all mine for the week. With a tape recorder and a wrapped up bundle.
My reason? A few years ago on a camping trip with my dad, I was scrounging up some rocks to make a campfire ring when I saw it. Stuck in the base of an old dead tree was what I could only assume was a baseball-sized meteorite. I could only guess that it had landed a few days prior since what apparently were scorch marks were still visible around it, at least, they were in the wood that hadn't shattered from the impact. Once I had gotten over my surprise, I went to tell my dad, and after a few minutes of prying with his hatchet we finally worked it loose. I don't know exactly what the odds are, but they must've been pretty good for it to make the trip intact. It was almost a perfect sphere of greyish-blue rock when we got it out.
Ever since then, I'd had it as sort of a memento, setting on a stand on my dresser. Now however, it would help me with my grade point average:
I was going to dissect this meteorite over the break. Setting the bundle on the work table, I unwrapped it to reveal the lump of space rock. Things started out fairly standard: "Spike Dracson. First entry of meteorite analysis. Diameter: Seventy-two-point-three millimeters. Weight: Twenty-two ounces."
Next step was to open it. The lab, thankfully, had a sturdy bandsaw available. What was inside, on the other hand...
It..well, it looked almost oily, it even had the rainbow effect when in the light. But, attempting to scrape a sample up for later proved it was dry.
This had to have been from one of the outer planets, or even outside the solar system! My confusion quickly turned to excitement at that prospect. I'd decided to try and get a sample from the core then go inform one of the professors of my discovery.
I grabbed a hammer and the sharpest chisel I could find, Intent on getting as as intact a piece as I could. Drew it back and I struck true.. Unfortunately, it proved to be a bit more hazardous than I had expected.
Wasn't prepared for the massive flash of white and explosion when I hit.
Before everything went black, I could've sworn I heard a voice giggle, "Oooh, a new neighbor!"
As my brain finally booted back up, my senses began to take note of my surrounding over the grogginess and dull ache permeating my body .
First off was hearing, catching the very end of a rather soft, female voice along with a few chirping birds. But, I don't remember opening any of the lab windows
Next came smell, the air was surprisingly crisp and clear. It seemed...how do I put this...fresher than normal, coupled with the fragrant smell of flowers nearby.
Then touch. A light breeze, the heat of the sun, which, strangely enough, didn't feel as hot as it normally did this time of year, adding to my confusion. Though, shock quickly joined in when I closed my hand. Instead of the the linoleum of the lab floor, one of the table legs, or even the sheets of a hospital bed, I felt grass...a handful of real grass, or at least it felt pretty damn real.
Sight was the slowest to come, since opening my eyes even slightly was met with another blinding light that forced me to shield them. I glanced around as best I could to see several fuzzy outlines and blurred colors.
"Are..are you all right?" The lady's voice spike again, this time I could tell she was right beside me. The feel of a hand on my arm confirmed that; although it was surprisingly small and for some reason, only had three fingers.
I grunted, sitting up slowly, "Yeah, I...I think so. Just not all there at the moment. Nothing feels broken, at least."
For some reason, the lady gasped, "You..you can talk!?"
The hell? What was she getting at? "Of course I can!" I replied, slightly indignant at what I thought was a dig at my intelligence for some reason.
"Oh! I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to imply you were dumb! I've just..I've never seen anything like you before. I mean, there..there are lots of animals who live here in the Everfree, but there's nothing like you...at..at least, not that I'm aware of."
The hell? Now THAT had me wondering what the frig was going on even more, "The heck are you talking about?" Thankfully my head was clearing enough so I could sit up, albeit gingerly. A few blinks was enough to get my eyesight back to normal and...and....
I wasn't in the lab, that much was true. Wasn't in the hospital either. In fact, the Science building, the college, the whole damn campus...it was all gone! In its place was a small glade surrounded by a rather dense forest. Also, it was then that I saw the small, triple-digited hand; it and the equally small forearm it was attached to were covered with fur that was a shade of yellow I could really only compare to butter. But that isn't really what threw me off: it was what the arm was attached to.
Kneeling beside me was..well, SOMETHING. How do I describe it...? Well, it had a very slender humanoid body, covered in the same butter-yellow fur, though I could see its legs ending in what appeared to be horse-like hooves. It wasn't very tall, probably just around four feet even. Given the fact it's build looked feminine, and it was wearing a pale green blouse and blue skirt with three butterflies embroidered on it, I think it was safe to assume it was most definitely a 'she'. She also had bubblegum pink hair-i noticed a pointed ear visible on top of her head as well-down to her middle back and an obvious equine tail the same shade, almost looked like it was styled the same as her hair too.
Oh, and she had wings. I shit you not; a pair of small, feathery wings were sticking out between her shoulderblades. All in all, coupled with those big blue-green eyes she had fixed on me, I gotta admit; she was actually kinda adorable, whatever the hell she was.
Naturally, I could only respond one way.
"Eh..I..ebe..wha..uh..w-whodawha..?" I blathered like an idiot before snapping out it, "Come again?" I asked, not really to anyone in particular, "Ever-who?"
"T-The Everfree Forest. The woods just outside Ponyville." She replied, showing it was her voice I had heard earlier.
That's when it hit me..a talking horse-girl...being, the middle of the woods...'Everfree', 'Ponyville'? It all made sense then!
"Of course! It make so much more sense now!" I laughed, relief flowing through me, "Why didn't I see this sooner?"
"S-see what?"
"I haven't woken up yet; I'm still dreaming!" I laughed heartily, "That blast must've hit me harder than I thought."
"But...I'm awake..." She piped up. At least, I think that's what she said, but I wasn't paying much attention
"And now that I'm aware of this, I'll make myself wake up. Sorry to leave so soon, horsey-girl; maybe I'll dream you up again the next time I'm asleep." With that, I drew my hand back and let it fly.
THAT! FREAKING! HURT!
Stifling the whine of pain and trying to ignore my now stinging right cheek, confusion and dread finally settled into my gut and I could feel the blood drain from my face: I wasn't dreaming... "No...No, No. Nonononono!" I whispered in a panic, "This can't be real;"
Could...could I be d-dead? Was that blast fatal?? No..checking showed I still had a heartbeat and pulse. That left only one possible outcome: by some twisted turn of fate, I was in an alien land with no real way of knowing exactly how I got there or how to get back.
"You don't look so good. Maybe you should.."
"Oh really!?" I snapped at her, the realization finally sinking in, "What was your first clue, Genius; that I have abso-friggin-lutely no damn idea where I am, or that I don't know how the hell I even GOT here, or better yet, how in the fuck I'm supposed to get back home?! TAKE YOUR PICK!"
I know, I know, I really shouldn't have responded to her that way, but when you realize circumstances like that have happened, even the best of us can react in a less than pleasant way.
After saying that, I immediately regretted it; the little horse-girl shrank back some, whimpering and shaking. Felt my heart sink when I saw those big eyes of hers start welling up.
"Oh jeeze..!" I dropped down beside her, wincing when she flinched away, "Wait, look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you like that!"
All I got was a sniffle in return. "Good going, Spike...you dumbass" I muttered to myself. Call it cliche if you want, but seeing a girl cry, especially one that hadn't really done anything to warrant me yelling at her, was something I just could not handle. So I did the only thing I could think of...
Gently cupping her chin, I coaxed her head just enough so I could look her in the eyes., "Listen.." I said, taking out a handkerchief to wipe away the tears that had already ran down her face, "I did not mean to yell at you, honest." The gesture seemed to calm her down, "I'm just finally realizing what's happened and I having a lot of trouble accepting it. "
"R-really..?" She asked, the timid way she said it just hitting me. I don't know why I did what I did, but I did it, and hugged her, getting a somewhat surprised squeak in return. Though after a moment, she did seem to relax a little.
"Really." I said.
Would have said more if it wasn't for the hissing snarl behind me, followed by the now shaking horse-girl's terrified whisper, "Oh no!"
Don't look, don't look, don't-why the hell did I look!? And what the hell was I even looking at?? It looked like someone had put the head of a wolf on a crocodile's body, stretched the legs out, made it three times bigger than normal and painted the whole thing purple. Whatever it was, it looked kinda hungry.
"A ch-ch-chupacabra..!" She squeaked out.
Joy...
"That...that thing's carnivorous , isn't it..?"
She nodded.
More joy...
It snarled again, baring a set of teeth that I'd rather not see up close before taking a step our way. When that happened, I nodded and a three step process began.
Step one: Turn back and grab the horse-girl, who was surprisingly light for her size.
Step two: Prop her over my shoulder, ignoring the yelp.
Step three: RUN LIKE FUCK!!!
"I hope you know a way out of here!" I yelled, running full tilt. The guttural racket behind us was a good indication the chupa-whatever was tagging along.
"Th-that way!" She yelped, pointing off to my left.
I'd describe the chase, but I'm not real sure you want a step-by-step account of a guy running away from a big-ass predator wile carrying a small, panicky alien-horse-girl...I really should've asked her name beforehand; calling her that was getting old fast! So I'll cut ahead to a few minutes later.
I could hear the thing breathing almost right behind me; it was catching up to us, It was also then that I got an idea,
A stupid, insane, completely batshit-loco idea. To this day I still wonder why in the name of self-preservation did I go through with it.
"Can you fly with those!?" I asked her.
"Yes, but.."
"Good!" With a heave, I tossed her up as hard as I could, ignoring her startled shriek. As soon as she was in the air, everything seemed to go into slow motion:
On my next step, I pivoted on the ball of my foot. Planting my other down once I was facing it, I swung, aiming a right hook for its snout. and praying to anyone who heard that I would startle or surprise it enough to buy me a few more precious seconds to put some distance between us
I put everything I had into the punch, which if I recall in gym, wasn't much. This time, though...
My fist connected, time caught back up...
It's head snapped to the side...
Then plowed into the ground, its back end lifting into the air for a moment, twitching slightly before falling back down. Its eyes widened briefly before closing, though I could still hear it breathing.
It was out cold.
No..no..this wasn't possible...
This thing was almost the size of a Texas Longhorn and probably almost as heavy! Now, I'll be the first to admit that I'm not all that muscular, not by a long shot...but this...no!
It's a physical impossibility! Even if it did have something akin to a glass jaw, there should have been absolutely NO way for me to have knocked it out! My fingers should be broken at the very least,if not my whole hand! But, I barely felt it..
I probably would've mentally ranted about it more, but the feeling of her suddenly grabbing my hand brought me back to what was currently reality.
"Is your claw ok!?" She fretted, turning my hand almost every way it could go, a mix of concern and awe "I..I've never seen anypony go hoof-to-hoof with a full grown chupacabra like that!" She looked back at it, somehow now sporting a large bandage on its face, "Luckily he'll be ok and back on his feet in a couple of hours."
"That..that should NOT have happened!"
"I know, but I don't think either of us were expecting him.."
"No, no..little horse-girl... you don't understand..."
"I-I'm a pony.."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm a pony. The closest horses live in Saddle Arabia.."
"Oh, ok. Well, little pony-girl..." I stopped, "Please tell you have a name."
"Fluttershy."
"Huh"?
"That's my name. Fluttershy."
"Well, glad to meet you, Fluttershy. I'm Spike. Anyway, I shouldn't have been able to even do that in the first place. I was hoping to startle it or something at the very most to buy some more time to get away. Cleaning its clock was the FARTHEST thing from my mind!"
"You weren't?"
"No!" I shook my head vehemently, "I should be clutching my hand in agony right now at the very least!" I quickly stopped myself. A few feet from an unconscious-and possibly apex-predator was not the best place to have this kind of discussion, "All right. I think it might be a good idea to continue this AFTER we get out of here...and a good deal away from him," I looked back at the chupacabra, "Before he wakes up."
"Oh, yes." She looked around suddenly, "We should probably hurry, because sometimes..."
This time multiple growls caught our attention, followed by three more of those things lumbering out of the foliage.
"S-Sometimes they don't...*gulp* don't hunt alone!"
I'm not exactly sure what happened in the following moments...having it go from one large, hungry-looking, and scary as hell monster to THREE MORE large, hungry-looking, and scary as hell monsters sometimes has the unfortunate side effect of any making rational thought reeeally hard to come by.
Especially when you realize that they're apparently smart enough to get pissed at the fact you managed to clobber their buddy... if the way they bristled at the sight of the unconscious one before snarling at us was any indication.
All I do recall is roaring....
A scream, whether it was from me or Fluttershy, I'm not too sure...didn't really pay attention after I tossed her back over my shoulder again.
More running....at least, I hope I was running...most of my brain had dedicated itself to not thinking about what could happen if those things got hold of either of us.
Only thing I'm really sure of is hitting a big grassy area and no more trees..
"They..they won't go past the tree line..." Fluttershy's voice hit me a moment later, "You can stop now...um, if that's ok.."
"Wha..?"
"Chupacabras don't like leaving the forest...and..and we're well outside it now..."
Risking a glance, I looked behind in time to see them glare before slinking back into the woods. Relief was a somewhat welcome thing when I saw that, allowing myself to slow to a stop...though the adrenaline didn't really last long after that and my legs were the first to experience it, right before I lost all feeling in them...and the rest of me followed.
The human body wasn't really meant to fold up like that. Your lungs feeling like they've been napalmed isn't much fun either.
"Oh no!" I vaguely heard her call out, "Are you ok!?" My faced was suddenly squished between her hands and her own popped up into my field of view, panic evident in her expression.
"I..I'll be ok.." I managed to get out in between gasps of air, "Just..just need...to catch...breath.." It took a few minutes, but once the exhaustion managed to taper off a bit, I was able to sit up and at least get a better look at my surroundings:
To my right, the forest. That speaks for itself I think.
Behind me, a large area of what looked like hilly grassland. Seemed to go on for a couple of miles at least; the sight was actually relaxing in a way. Squinting a little, I could see a set of railroad tracks off in the distance, "Something I recognize at least" I thought, my slightly frayed nerves settling down a bit.
Ahead of me was, well, the biggest damn orchard I ever saw, to put it bluntly. The acres had to be in the double digits at least. I could make out a barn and farmhouse in the middle of it all.
"That's Sweet Apple Acres." Fluttershy spoke up, getting my attention again, "They provide most of Ponyville and Canterlot's crops."
"Well, that's kinda cool...um, what exactly is Canterlot and Ponyville??"
"Ponyville's where I live." She pointed to my left.
The sight that greeted me...
Nearby was what I could best describe as almost a medieval-style town; thatched roofs, cobblestone roads, but there was definitely hints of wild west or at least Victorian era mixed in if some of the larger buildings were any indication. I mean, I could even see street lights down there.
However, it was the thing behind this Ponyville Place that REALLY got my attention. The mountain was impressive, don't get me wrong.
But it was the castle on the side of it.
I repeat; a friggin' CASTLE! On the side of the damn mountain! "That is so friggin COOL!"
Yes, I geeked out. Shut up.
"You..you don't have palaces where you're from?"
I managed to pry my eyes away enough to turn back to Fluttershy, "There's a few, none like THAT." Meanwhile, I mentally added 'get close enough to check that place out' to my bucket list, "I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that's 'Canterlot', right?"
A nod from her confirmed it, "The Princesses might be able to tell you how you got here."
I looked at her, "Princesses?"
A second nod, "Princesses Celestia and Luna are in Canterlot, Princess Cadance and her husband Shining Armor rule the Crystal Kingdom north of here, and Twilight Sparkle became one a few months ago."
"That..that's a fair number of princesses." I would've asked which one I should try and see, but my stomach had other plans.
"Oh my..."
"Um..heh.." I chuckled weakly, "I guess I better deal with that first." I don't know how long I was out, so there's no telling when I last ate.
"Well, Twilight lives in Ponyville. We..we could go to Sugar Cube Corner in town and then see maybe she can help you figure out how you got here."
"Seeing a-a princess? M-ME??" I looked down at what I had on; a lab coat currently covered in grass stains over my Linkin Park t-shirt, jeans, and my faded blue Converse sneakers.
"Oh...well, I'm sure Twilight won't mind. Rarity, on the other hand, might take offense."
"I take it this 'Rarity' is a pony like you?" Figured calling them 'pony-beings' was a mouthful. If they called themselves ponies, then just go with the flow.
"Yes, she owns the Carousel Boutique in town."
"Well, only one way to find out. Lead the way, milady." I gestured with as much of a flourish as I could, getting a giggle from her in the process.
I had to walk a little slower than normal since my stride was somewhat longer than Fluttershy's, and she seemed more comfortable just walking, so it was going to take us a bit to get to Ponyville. So, I decided to try and maybe start up a little small talk, to kill some time and hopefully learn more about this place.
In hindsight, I wonder if I should've thought more about how much my life was going to possibly change once I entered that town.
Fifteen, maybe twenty minutes; that's about how long the walk to Ponyville was gonna take. So, to make it pass a little faster, and to satisfy my own curiosity, I asked Fluttershy a few questions about this place. And since she looked like she wanted to ask some herself, but seemed kinda reluctant to do so, I offered to go one-for-one with her.
Safe to say, I REALLY doubted I was still on Earth...
According to her, I was now in a realm called Equestria...appropriate in a way, given the populous. Though, from what she said-didn't quite catch all of it-there were other races like griffons, minotaurs, even freakin' HYDRAS!
Again, I geeked out a little. I admit, I have a fondness for fantasy stuff: Dragonlance, Song of Ice and Fire, Lord of the Rings; even joined up with the campus' games club play a one-shot session or two of Warhammer Fantasy on occasion. So, yes, I found that cool as hell.
Her-surprisingly happy-remark of "So that's what you look like!" when I said I was a human made sense after she told me about this Twilight Sparkle chasing a thief. Somehow they had gone through a portal of some sort that sent them into a world with human versions of them.
Slightly outlandish, maybe. Though, being in a world of humanoid ponies can make a quick believer.
As for ponies, I learned they more or less had three...I guess, versions: Earth Ponies, your standard type, for lack of a better term. They were the ones with a knack for growing things and were the primary food producers, which explained the size of that farm.
Next were the Pegasuses, or Pegasi, which Fluttershy happened to be one of. Their job, at first just seemed too out there to be really believable. I mean, physically manipulating the weather??
Well, that skepticism lasted until she pointed out above the town, saying "There's a couple of them. I think their prepping for the rain tonight."
I followed her finger, and sure enough, two...I couldn't fully make them out, but there were two other Pegasi flying up there, and moving the clouds! And I don't mean using their wings to blow them around; they had a hold of a cloud each and were friggin' PUSHING them like wagons! Damn near slapped myself again to be sure I was all there!
Then there were the Unicorns, who were basically the local magic-users. A bit of me was still skeptic at that, but after seeing what I had just saw, that bit got bitch-slapped back into its hole pretty fast. Most of them seemed to focus somewhat on scientific studies and research
Others, along with some of the Pegasi and Earth Ponies, pretty much seemed to prefer various other professions that they felt suited them better.
The whole place apparently was a Monarchy of sorts, given that Fluttershy had said that the two princesses Celestia and Luna were in that Canterlot place, and they were basically in charge.
Judging from the state of it all, they weren't doing too bad a job at that.
Speaking of the weather, it was pretty nice outside and even though it was just a lab coat, it felt kind of silly to still keep it on. So, I took it off and draped it over my shoulder, at least until I could get it washed. It was also then that I saw Fluttershy looking at me out of the corner of my eye. She seemed to be a little curious about something.
"What's up?" I asked.
"Um..uh...W-what was your name again..?" She blushed, in embarrassment if her tone was any indication.
Couldn't really blame her, what with the slightly stressful circumstances the two of us met under. So, after fighting back the urge to flat out hug her (Seriously, why does she have to look so damn cute doing that? For that matter, HOW does she do it?? If her fellow ponies are anything similar, I'm in a LOTTA trouble...), "It's Spike. Spike Dracson."
"Oh! I've never met another Spike before." She said, perking up a bit. I guess with names like 'Celestia', 'Luna', and 'Shining Armor', finding someone else with the same name is uncommon enough to warrant that comment.
I just grinned and shrugged a little, "My parents used to joke that they really wanted a dog. So...is that what you were wanting to ask?"
"Hm? Oh! Oh, I-I didn't mean to pry, but...um, I couldn't help but wonder what your Cutie Mark meant."
'Cutie Mark'?? What the heck was THAT? "My..my what?"
She pointed to the Linken Park logo I had on my shirt, "Your Cutie Mark." She tilted her head slightly as she examined it.
That's when it dawned on me. "Oh, no, heh. This is just the logo of a band I like. Don't even know what a 'Cutie Mark' is."
Her head tilted to the side in confusion (AGAIN with the cute! I swear I almost HNNG-ed this time!), "It's what ponies get when we discover the skill we're really good at." She turned her hip a little to show me the butterflies on her skirt, "Like mine shows my connection with animals and how much I love caring for them."
"So, you're kind of like a veterinarian?" I asked. After seeing the chupacabra with its head bandaged, that makes sense.
"Mm-hm." She nodded.
"That's cool. However, humans don't get Cutie Marks."
It might've been the wrong thing to say, 'cause as soon as I did, she took on an expression that was either worry or alarm, "But...but how do you know when you've found your special talent?"
"Well, we usually decide what we want and work on getting good at it. On occasion we'll get luck and find something we have a natural knack for."
"Ohh." She said, "But still...no Cutie Mark?"
I shook my head, "'Fraid not."
The next few seconds were a slightly awkward silence; I think mainly because we kinda ran out of stuff to use as smalltalk at the moment. Thankfully we'd already reached the outer buildings of the town so it wasn't that big a deal. The streets were rather empty at the moment-guessed it was like that this time of day.
It was also the moment my stomach decided to protest my neglect of it again. "Yeah..." I grinned sheepishly, "I guess I better take care of this soon."
"Oh! Yes, Sugar Cube Corner is this way." She turned and started down one of the wider streets towards a brownish two-story no far off, "I'm sure the Cakes..."
Unfortunately, I didn't get to hear the rest of her sentence. I was about to follow when she was cut off by a loud cry from up above us.
"FLUTTERSHY! LOOK OUT!"
Two seconds later, I was promptly taken off my feet by something flat, quite solid, and very, VERY fast meeting the side of my face.
Ever seen a video where some skateboarder or biker fails a stunt they're trying and ends up skidding the pavement? Especially when the aftermath looks like they got tickled with a belt sander?
That's kinda how everything withing three inches of my left eye felt once I came to again. It's NOT a pleasant sensation, I can tell you that much!
With a grunt, I managed to sit up and took in what I discovered to be my new surroundings: there was no mistaking the off-white walls and ceiling of a hospital room. At least, that's what I could tell on the right side of me, after reaching up-gingerly-to feel a bandage covering my other eye.
"Mr. Dracson!" Fluttershy's voice hit me from my currently blind side when I did, along with feeling the small hands grabbing my arm, "Thank goodness you're finally awake! Are..are you ok?"
"Unf.." I muttered, still a little dazed, "For the most part." I muttered, "Who threw the painted brick at me?"
"Well, that..." Holy shit! Her voice went from 'soft and concerned', to 'The Mom Tone' in a flash! Last time I'd heard that was when I was Fourteen and my mom caught me telling a couple of my brattier cousins to go fornicate themselves with an eggbeater.
She 'ah-HEM'ed pretty loudly, causing me to turn so I could actually see what had her in this less than pleasant disposition.
Standing near the window was another pony; a blue Pegasus to be exact, though the wings on this one were almost twice the size of Fluttershy's . Dressed in shorts and a t-shirt with a multicolored lightening bolt, it wasn't hard to tell this was a girl as well, though she looked a tad taller than Fluttershy and had somewhat of a more athletic build. Her hair...er, maybe 'mane' might be the more accurate term. Anyhow, her mane and tail were multicolored as well.
Her fur color made it safe to assume that it was her I saw coming at me. Plus, she was in the traditional 'scolded' stance: hands behind back, hangdog look, and kicking at the floor slightly with a hoof..
Oddly enough, looking at her made me wish I had a big bag of Skittles right now.
"Rainbow Dash." She said, using the tone.
"Yeah.." The other one piped up, looking my way, "Um, Sorry about kicking you; I thought you were chasing her and may've overreacted a teeny little bit." She smiled sheepishly, complete with an oddly cute little squeak when she did. (Seriously, it sounded like a squeaky toy!)
"And 'a little bit' is all that happened to your eye, thankfully." Another new voice spoke up nearby, belonging to yet another mare, if the nurse uniform was an indicator; this one was a shade of white with a pink mane and tail similar to Fluttershy's. I assumed the red cross with hearts on the uniform was her own cutie mark. "Aside from the obvious bruising, the worst was some minor corneal abrasion. That should heal up within the next day or so; just leave the bandage on till then."
"Ok, thanks Doc...?" I trailed off, having no clue what her name was.
"Nurse, actually. Nurse Redheart." She smiled.
"You...you're taking this kinda calmly, you know? I mean, technically I'm an alien being that Fluttershy found, more or less."
She just let out a dry laugh, "Well, I'll admit I was surprised when you were brought in, but, judging from how she was acting when they did, I think it's safe to assume you won't be going on any rampage through town. Besides, compared to what this town normally sees at times, having a...what was it? 'Hue-mun', or something like that? Anyway, you showing up is kinda par for the course. "
"Oh, right." Didn't know if I even wanted to ask what she'd consider 'freak-out'-worthy, "Um, how long was I out?"
"About two hours. It..it took us a few minutes to get you here." Fluttershy said, "Sorry.."
I wondered why she apologized, but just filed it away for later.
"A few??" The one she identified as Rainbow Dash piped up. The name was somewhat familiar, for some reason, "Fluttershy, we're lucky most ponies are busy at the marketplace so we didn't get seen! It took the both of us just to drag him here!" She looked at me "You're heavy!"
Part of me wanted to joke about the time one of the female weightlifting team gave me a twenty to sit on her back while she did push-ups for a bet. (she won it, needless to say) But, taking into account they were both the size of 8-10 year olds, I skipped it.
"Oh! I almost forgot! I have to go back home and check on my animals!" Fluttershy yelped, "Mr. Dracson, I'm really sorry, I have to go. But Rainbow Dash can finish showing you around, right?" She looked at the pony in question.
"You know you can just call me Spike, right?" Is what I probably should have said right then, but decided to wait till after things settled down a little
"Me??" After another look, she seemed to relent, "Fine...I..guess I do owe you for the hoof in the face..."
---------------------------------
After a few minutes of them checking to make sure there wasn't any damage they missed, and giving me something to ease the soreness along with a warning about how some ponies in town could be.....excitable, for lack of a better term, I was given the ok to leave. Fluttershy said her good-byes for now and headed off to wherever her place was, leaving me and Rainbow Dash standing outside the hospital.
"Sooo..no hard feelings...?" She asked, the sheepish smile and squeak returning.
I looked at her, "Well, I am a little irked at your assumption that I was chasing her since she informed me that, like you, she was capable of flight."
She rubbed the back of her head as we started walking. Well, I walked: she decided to fly around a couple of feet off the ground, (Which, in hindsight, made me wonder just HOW they pulled that off, what with how slowly her wings were actually flapping.) so we were currently at eye level with each other, "I thought she was scared. Shy kinda forgets she can sometimes when she's scared or upset."
Remembering how she reacted to my less-than-pleasant reaction to learning I was really here, I kinda saw her point, "Fair enough. Tell you what, you pay for me to get something to eat, and I'll consider us even, deal?"
"ME!? Why do I gotta pay??" She demanded, glaring at me a little.
I checked for my wallet and, after a moment of relief that it was still there-and happy day, my MP3 player as well!-, took out a dollar, "Because I have no clue what your currency is and I'm pretty sure the money I do have isn't going to be worth much here."
She gave me a mildly annoyed look, "You had to bring that logic junk into it, didn't you? Fine, deal." And with that we headed to that Sugar Cube Corner place Fluttershy had mentioned.
---------------------------------
I've asked myself a lot of questions over the years: What's the safest way to store hydrofluoric acid? How can I make a nitrogenous base? Can I repair this before Mom gets home? Why do some women like wearing thongs?
Upon reaching this Sugar Cube building, I had another one:
Why do I suddenly wanna try and take a bite out of the corner? Seriously, the whole damn place looked like it was made outta gingerbread, complete with icing and gumdrops on it! It actually did look kinda tasty in a way...
"You still there? Hello??" I was broken out of my musing by Rainbow Dash poking my shoulder.
"Huh? Who? Oh, sorry, my mind wandered a little." I said, trying not to look as silly as I thought I did.
"Right..Anyhow, like I was saying, it's after the lunch rush so the place should be empty right now. The Cakes, they're the ponies that own and run the place, they're pretty easygoing, so it shouldn't be too bad. Just let me explain things first." She landed on the front steps and we headed in.
Then it hit me; the smell of chocolate cake, donuts, bagels, bread and more. I inhaled and damn near started drooling.
Also, the place was most definitely NOT empty! At best glance, I counted at least a dozen other ponies sitting inside at various tables chattering and munching...or they were until they noticed I was there.
Then the whole place went dead quiet.
"I thought you said it'd be empty!" I whispered to Rainbow Dash, glancing around and praying they didn't freak out.
No answer.
"Rainbow Dash? Don't just...!" I started, only to watch her suddenly zip over to the counter and engage in a conversation with the pony at the counter. From my spot, I could only catch a few words of what they were saying, "New.....Flutters.....eye.....bits.....care"
Once they were done she bolted back to me and suddenly shoved a handful of odd coins into my hand, "ItalkedtoMrCakeandhellgetyousomethingPinkiePiewilltakecareofyouwhensheandMrsCakegetbackherearesomebitsbye!" She blurted out in rapid fire before taking off back out the door as fast as she talked.
"Who..wah...what's going...what are you..Dash! Get back here; where're you going!? What'd you just give me!? WHO THE HECK IS PINKIE PIE!?" I yelled after her once my brain pieced together some of what she said. Unfortunately, she was well out of earshot by then, "You have GOT to be kidding...!" I muttered, looking back at the staring ponies.
I swear, it felt like I was in a friggin' Mexican Standoff with this room; every single pony there just stared at me...
Some in mid-chew, too.
I gulped; it was really the only thing I could do that hopefully wouldn't send the whole place into a panic
“All right, you lot. Give the poor fella a break. Looks scared out of his wits.” An obviously male voice spoke up.
I looked to where it came from and saw a surprisingly square-jawed pony at the counter with a brownish-yellow coat. Looking at the hat and apron, I guessed he was either an employee or owner. He looked at me and patted a spot on the counter. Didn’t seem to have too many options so I went over, keeping my eyes on the counter itself and trying to ignore some of the chatter.
Could swear I heard one of the kids (at least it sounded like one) ask if I was a minotaur.
“Take a seat. Rainbow already paid, so take your pick.”
Given how the place smelled, I chose some donuts and a glass of milk. Wasn’t much, but it’d at least shut my stomach up.
“To be honest, I’ve never seen a...a…” He looked at me after setting a plate and glass down, “If you don’t mind me asking; what are you exactly?”
“A human.”
In hindsight, that might’ve been the wrong thing to say since I heard at least three spit-takes behind me, along with one of them sounding like they required the Heimlich.
“Those are a myth!” One spluttered.
“Well, I’m sitting right here. Also, where I’m from, unicorns and pegasuses...pegasi...horses with wings are myths, so there.”
A little childish, yeah, but I was really too hungry to give a damn right then. In hindsight, I should’ve ask why they thought that since this Twilight Sparkle had gone into a portal to find them.
The counter pony chuckled, “So, what’s your name, Stranger”
“Spike Dracson” I mumbled around a powdered donut. As I did, I found myself wondering why these pony beings were scarfing down baked goods to begin with. Last I recalled, those of the equine persuasion usually ate hay, grass, and the occasional apple. Of course, they didn’t have hands, horns, wings, or the ability to talk either.
Had to admit, these donuts were pretty good, though.
“Huh. Never expected to meet someone else named Spike.” He replied, getting my attention. That was the second time someone said that.
“No offense, but you’re oddly calm about me being here, kinda like that Nurse...what was her name again….Redheart.”
He chuckled, “Compared to the other things that’ve happened in this town, you’re pretty mild in comparison. Though, if you’re gonna be here a while, you might wanna keep your guard up. There are a few ponies who’ll straight panic at the most absurd thing.” He gave a mild glare to a trio of female ponies at a nearby table, "That goes double for you and your sisters, Roseluck."
"We-we're not that bad...!" the one in question protested...kinda weakly, I might add.
He just rolled his eyes before looking at me, "Oh, before I forget, name's Carrot. Carrot Cake. " I gave a nod of acknowledgement with half a cruller in my gob and he continued, "Say, just outta curiosity, how'd you get to Equestria anyway? Rainbow Dash said Fluttershy found you out in the Everfree, but that's about it."
"Well, originally my day had started with me working on an extra credit project...I'm a college sophomore." I added, feeling a little relieved at the comprehending look on Carrot's face, "Anyway, I had found a meteorite a few years back while camping with my dad. Figured with the equipment the school had, studying it would be a good idea. Had just cut it open and was trying to take a sample out of the center when...well, I think it might've exploded somehow when I hit it when a chisel."
Carrot almost dropped the cleaning rag he was holding, "E-Explosion!?"
"Yeah, it was pretty big too, considering it threw me back a bit." Glad that was all it did, too, "After that, I woke up in a glade with Fluttershy nudging me." I finished off the last donut, "To be honest, aside from that, I don't have a clue how I got here. Unfortunately, that means I don't know how to get back either."
It looked like Carrot was about to say something else, but I didn't get a chance to find out because our conversation was brought to an abrupt end by a flash of purple light in the middle of the room. Well, I thought it was a flash; caught a bit of it out of the corner of my eye.
"Um, do-do I wanna know...?" I asked Carrot hesitantly. Part of me was pretty curious, but the other part was muttering 'Don't move, just sit there and maybe you won't be noticed' over and over.
"You probably better turn around." He replied, "She staring right at you."
The chant was quickly replaced with 'Fuck!'
It took me a moment to collect what resolve I could; but taking a deep breath, I slowly turned around in my seat, ready to hit the floor if need be. What-or who-greeted me when I looked was...well, I'd say 'unexpected' but after everything so far, that'd probably be getting a little old by now.
A pegasus with a horn? Unicorn with wings? Whichever she was, she was apparently the source of that light. A lavender pony girl with a dark indigo mane and tail. Dressed in a dark red pleated skirt and violet sweater, she stood a few inches taller than Fluttershy.
I had to admit, she was actually pretty cute, too.
"Um, hi?" I said, not really sure what else to say, given the wide-eyed stare she was giving me.
"You...you really are one."
Don't know why, but when she said that, I had a feeling my life was gonna be a bit more different. Well, compared to what I'd been through so far.
It pains me to says this, but New Neighbor is kaput.
Sadly, I've managed to write myself in a corner, and everything I've tried to continue it just doesn't come out right. So, I'm afraid that this story is over.
Maybe one of these days I can salvage some of it for another go, and not make the same mistake, but for now, unfortunately, it's goodbye.
