Isekaitis is an illness affecting teenagers when they encounter a truck crashing into them. It usually brings them into other worlds upon the whims of the afterlife. These humans get supernatural abilities due to this illness.
However, for poor Anonymous, his condition is terminal. He ain’t going to be stopping his journey anytime soon.
From living in a peaceful Equestria he is sent far flung to the future after an untimely demise. He also is still a horse. He has no clue how he feels about this situation.
“Gah!” Anonymous shot straight up, his heart pounding. He was heavily breathing, his hooves shaking, his chest inflating and deflating. “God damnit. Fucking…” His eyes look around, a pleasant field spanning countless miles, a giant tree behind him, and a patch of dirt showing where he has spawned. With one final inhale he felt a need to vent, an urge to scream, but he stifled himself. He didn’t want to do that. He needed to control himself, so with deep controlled breaths his body found stillness.
“Last time I try to fight that,” his hooves find himself standing as he turns to face the tree, a reminder of a loved one, “fire horse. Yeah, she didn’t have parents who’s around.” He spits on the dirt and glances up at the leaves. It was too similar to her castle. “And this tree. Fuck this tree!” He closed his eyes and tried to demolish this tree. Only for his horn to stay fixed. No magical aura, no mana, and nothing being absorbed. He feels empty.
His eyes slowly open up to see the tree still, his eyes now wide open. Quickly, his pupils look to his forehead. The horn was there, but nothing was powering the medium. There as no magic here.
“So I’m just a normal unicorn now? Lame. I guess it wouldn’t be healthy to destroy things.” He turns away from the tree, that was planted on a hill oddly enough. His thoughts snap into his brain for a sudden moment, assign him to stop. “Wait, I was being edgy. Gotta purge those angry and angsty thoughts. With, uh…”
He scans the area, around him was grasslands. More grasslands, absolutely more grasslands, and a canyon nearby. The tree next to the canyon looked very much dead. With a glance up, he saw it was morning, or at least should be morning. He was unsure if he was facing eastwards or not.
“What the hell…did I finally reach heaven? Is this the afterlife?” He slowly trots forward, his hooves catching some stray dirt and thus began his fall to the ground face first causing his body to roll down the hill. He slid on his side once he hit the button of the hill, with a groan he stands. “Okay. Heaven wouldn’t have uneven terrain, this is definitely purgatory.” His body was dirty now, great, luckily he was already green to begin with.
“Woah woah! You’re coming with?!” A bubbly voice rang from behind him.
“Not now Pinkie…” He sighed and turned to face the other pony that probably joined him in purgatory. However he didn’t recognize her. A bright purple unicorn with a fluffy blue mane. Her eyes seem hopeful, exposing an innocence that Anonymous hasn’t seen in a while.
“I’m not Pinkie. Who’s that? Is she your friend? I assume it’s a she. I know there’s a Colt named Minty back home, but he’s so not that green.” The mare gasps heavily, “Is she your marefriend and you’re going through a messy breakup so you’re running off? If so that’s so sad!”
“…I’m getting an odd sense of déjà vu.”
“Don’t worry new friend! I’m on a journey to make more friends!”
“I guess I found the main character too. New record.” He mutters to himself before clearing his throat, “ahem, well, where are you headed?”
“I’m heading to Maretime Bay!” She flashed him a smile, her spirits are high.
“Huh. Ocean town.” He feels like there should be cat girls standing around a large blue crystal, but those ideals slowly fade once he remembers he is a horse. “Okay then, mind if I join you?”
“First friend? Yes!” As if a lightbulb went off in her head she immediately turns suspicious and step back. “Ooo. Wait! You’re not from Bridlewood. Your sparkle is something I never seen before.”
“Odd choice for a name.” Anonymous comments to himself. Bridles were a sex thing back in the previous horse world, now they’re just a normal accessory. Then again, there was a Hookerton. He didn’t notice the Mare that was staring into his own body, seemingly seeing right through him.
His brain also processed her other observations. “Also sparkle?” He asked with uncertainty.
“It’s so weird. Why does it keep moving?” She slowly creeps up and holds her face oddly close to his own. He could feel her breathing, this is uncomfortable for him.
“Hello?” He tried to break her concentration, but it didn’t work.
“It’s like a lava lamp. I can’t look away.” Her iris grows in entrancement, but Anonymous walked past her, heading over to the dirt path.
“Okay. So is Maretime Bay,” he turns to face the mare but she is staring off into the distance, “to the east?”
“It’s to the west.” She got herself under control eventually, with a little shake of her head a new renewal was born. “We can make way more friends in Maretime Bay, let’s go!” She began her walk with a quick hop to the west, leaving the tree behind.
“The cycle continues. At least the objective is clear, make friends. Just like the last world.” Anonymous smiles, but dread slowly fills his heart. There’s no magic here, he is defenseless without his spells. It stung badly. Though, through it all he knows that finding another person—or pony—would be enough to calm his fears. It worked last time.
With a slow jog he began to follow the mare, the journey set before the two of them. They didn’t converse much as Anonymous didn’t talk all too much. The mare however was very excited, she never dropped a smile as they kept their pace steady.
“I realize now I never asked for your name.” Anonymous decided to take a quick peek at her cutie mark, a button with a pin.
“I’m Izzy Moonbow. The one and only.” Her name eluded him, she had a relatively normal human name. With the knowledge of his past experiences he could infer her family was probably aligned with the moon.
“I’m Anonymous Incognito.” He never changes.
“Are you hiding your name, or is that what your actual name is?”
“It’s my actual name, yeah.”
“Wow, your parents really must want you to stay hidden.” She chuckles to herself, the thought humorous. It was also kinda funny to Anonymous, thinking of parents who wanted to evade taxes, so a smile grew on his face.
“Or hidden in plain sight.”
“Oooo, like a spy!” She puts on a serious face and pretends to be sneaky, jumping behind some rocks that were large enough to obscure her body before jumping into some grass.
“Not much of a good spy if he uses his real name.” The antics on view were heartwarming. The innocence of starting a new quest combined with his party member was exciting.
“But no one would expect it, that’s the best name.” Izzy pops out of a bush, brushing some stray leaves off of her fluffy hair.
“You got me there.” He chuckles, having to grab a leaf from off of her horn using his hoof.
The two continues their jokes and banter for quite some time. Anonymous hasn’t felt this content in a while.
The morning sun slowly sets onto a noon heat. The once flat grassy plains now lead to a rocky terrain, the moss on the rocks, and a gently flowing river leads to nice scenery for a small break. The two find themselves sitting on a rock skipping stones on the pond. Izzy was oddly adept at this activity, even surpassing Anonymous’ experience.
“What kind of friends do you think we’ll meet in Maretime Bay?” Izzy looks over at Anonymous. Her voice full of doubt.
Anonymous wasn’t expecting this to be set up so soon. The doubt phase of entering a new adventure with a novice was an annoyance, now it’s just a little sad. He can’t help but feel for those adventures now. “I dunno, maybe someone nice hopefully. Someone to give me a job. Why do you ask, are you getting cold fe-uh hooves?”
“Maybe. I’m just wondering, it’s been a while since I got the news. Do you think they’ll still welcoming new friends in Maretime Bay?” Izzy wasn’t smiling, but it wasn’t a frown either. She looked like she needed something to reaffirm her actions. With a flick of her hoof she skipped the small pebble eight times across the river.
“I think they have to. They’re by the ocean, so they must have boats, and boats mean trading.” Anonymous used what he knows, but really he knows nothing. “And I assume when they trade, they make friends along the way.” He casts a stone, almost beating Izzy’s amount of skips on the water, but only got seven.
“That makes so much sense.” Izzy’s booped her forehead and blew a raspberry. “Then let’s go! The faster we get there the faster we make new friends.” She decided to just toss the biggest rock she can find into the river, causing a big splash.
“No self deprecating, this is good. She’s mentally healthy, either that or weird.” He mutters to himself. “Then let’s go then.” He announced and stands up, the two continue their journey.
Anonymous felt that journey was about one, maybe two hours, considering the sun hasn’t gotten merciful with how much it’s shining in his eyes. The sun was at least still most of the day in the other world. It was now clear to him that it was a luxury. The astrophysics are back to being normalized now.
“We’re almost there! I can smell the salt!” Izzy was at least in high spirits. Anonymous how ever felt a slight envy towards her. That hair helps with keeping the sun out of her eyes.
“Yeah we are near the ocean now.” Anonymous looks over the the horizon. There it was, Maretime Bay. The lighthouse near the edge, a small docks area near the bottom, it was oddly bright. The colors on display create a town that looks idyllic. However, something was concerning him. This looked modern, a little too modern. The tram lines that run through the streets, light posts dotting the roads, and the huge building built on the apex of some hill. He has no idea what year it is.
“C’mon let’s go!” Izzy grabs Anonymous and pulls him with her, causing him to yelp in surprise. “This is so exciting. I can’t wait to make so many new friends!” She was fast, the boundless energy unleashed. “I’ve been waiting for so long and I’m finally here!”
Anonymous slips out of her grasp, falling down to the brick road underneath him. “Ow.” He rubs his nose with his hoof and looks up to see Izzy approach a group of three stallions talking about something. They were all earth ponies, or just normal ponies.
“Hi friends!” Izzy announces to the group, who all turned to smile at her, but they all glanced at her horn, a silence ensued. Izzy thought they were doing a goof. “Hello? New friends?”
The middle one of the pact made the first yell, jumping back away from Izzy and yelling. “UNICORN!” The other two quickly scattered jumping off the sides of the elevated bridge area, whilst the one in the middle slipped on the brick road until he took off.
“Well that is…interesting?” Anonymous pushed himself off the floor and walks over to Izzy.
“Don’t worry, it’s just what Earth Ponies do. Let’s see if there’s one willing to make a friend.”
“I…” He was caught off guard by the sudden racism, it seemed too casual for that to be a normal remark. “Right.” He coughed into his hoof as he continued to walk. Heading down deeper to be near the water.
“Woah! Nothing!” Izzy smiles as she looks off into the ocean.
“Yep. The ocean, it’s salty though.” Anonymous smiles, it was quite peaceful. Though he heard more screams of terror from behind him. He peeked and saw some more ponies run away from them. “Or is it a sea?”
Izzy didn’t pay this any mind and kept her smile up, walking down the street dead center.
“Wait. I didn’t think you should be walking on the tram line!” Anonymous tried to call out, but once he looked at the incoming tram, the driver stopped the car and promptly hopped out. “Never mind then.” Anonymous lost track of Izzy for a moment, having to dart his view around to try to find her. Only for his eyes to lock onto some sort of propaganda. The shadowy figures of unicorns, horns glowing with a red light as the white pony in the center cowers in fear. “I have discovered horse racism inside of horse world. Is this my quest now? Solving this stuff?”
“UNICORN!” Another yell broke his thoughts, only this time with excitement. Anonymous thought it was about time they found someone who isn’t racist—tribalism?—so they got that going for them. That was unfortunately followed up by more screams of terror. Anonymous even saw a dude jump into the sewers just to get away.
He made his was over to the duo, the mare who Izzy was probably introducing herself with had her jaw drop. “Fantastic. Someone who isn’t…” As Anonymous approached the two, he felt like they were being watched, so eh turned his head to the blue cart. A quivering stallion hidden behind it. “I see you.”
The guy squealed, and yelled “It’s an another unicorn!” He followed up his words with a graceful swan dive into the water.
“…you’re seen? Sea? I can’t make a good pun off of that.” He grumbles in failure of his own joke.
“Oh is that why they call it the sea, because you can see it?” Izzy walked up next to Anonymous.
“Two unicorns?!” The same voice, but even more excited. Anonymous turned to face the new friend.
“Oh hey new friend, meet Anonymous!” Izzy puts a hoof to Anonymous’ chest, it felt weird to he introduced but he did say a hello.
“Unicorn attack! A new voice this time. Anonymous and Izzy turned their heads to follow the yell. A yellow stallion pressed a button next to him. Suddenly there was alarms, and even more turmoil surrounding them. “This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill!” He yells, seemingly charging into the direction of the two of them.
“Well this is surprising.” Anonymous said, the chaos around them would’ve been great for a friend of his. He was half paying attention as the chaos swirls around him, his eyes closed as he tried to absorb any sort of magic around. It only ended up with nothing.
“I gotta get you two out of here!” The mare puts her head on their shoulders and got them to start running.
“These guys take their games seriously.” Izzy smiles, seemingly oblivious to the situation, still running as does Anonymous following close to the second mare, allowing him to get a decent look at her. Her purple hair, orange coat, cool shoulder bag, and those pins look familiar, though too much movement for him to get a good look. She seems nice, or at least a good devil’s advocate.
“They’re not playing, they’re terrified.” The orange girl called out
“Of unicorns? Why?” Anonymous asked, looking ahead, wondering why they’re about to go into a large circle.
“Because earth ponies hate unicorns.”
“Really? That seems a little harsh.”
“A little? I walked by a poster that was a little more than harsh.”
“I guess you’ve seen those, I’m sorry this isn’t how it’s supposed to be!” The orange mare suddenly stops as a green sticky substance flies past her and lands on a sign. A sudden extra wave coats the ground around the two of them.
“Sticky stuff?” Anonymous titled his head at the object.
“Gooey too.” Izzy extends a hoof to touch one of the goopy substances, but Anonymous gently pushed it away from the stuff.
“Let’s go!” The orange mare leads the two of them, weaving through fire and the reloading process like an expert. It was odd, how was she good at dodging chain fire and timing when they’re reloading was a mystery to Anonymous. Izzy kept a happy disposition throughout, bouncing up and down through the rain of the green stuff. Anonymous just did his normal routine, following the orange girl’s lead.
The two of them ducked alleyway to alleyway, eventually circling back to the crossroads where they met.
Anonymous skids to a stop on his hooves as he looks around, feeling this place was familiar. “Wait, why did we circle back?”
“Ooo. I haven’t seen this one yet!” Having caught his attention, Anonymous followed Izzy’s gaze. ‘Judgement Neigh’ is a movie apparently, out now.
“They have an Arnold Swar-“ His sentence was cut by a metal box slamming shut around him. It was comforting somehow, no sound, no alarm. Actually, cut back on the no alarm being a benefit, there’s suddenly an alarm ringing above him and it’s making Anonymous mad.
“Oh wow! What’s that? Where did you get those metal box things!” Izzy’s voice can be heard, muffled but the little hole above him was able to bring some noise.
“This what?” Anonymous
“Sunny!” The masculine voice over to Anonymous’s right called out. He could hear sounds of stomping, then some more yelling but it’s all muffled. The sound of the alarm above him drowned out any goods he might hear. It’s times like these Anonymous wishes he had his magic back, because now he’s trapped by racist ponies out for him to be captured alive for whatever reason.
“Well. Fuck.”
“Wait, Sunny! Sunny!” He could hear the voice call out.
“Did they leave me behind? Shit.” Anonymous’ very good day was now replaced with a very bad now now. At least it wasn’t boring, now he can wonder how his execution would go. This place is oddly modern for horses.
The alarm dies down, finally allowing Anonymous to hear.
“Well, we have one. Leave him here for now, Sprout to the lighthouse.”
“Aw what? I’m stuck here now?” Anonymous tried to call out, but he felt he was being ignored on purpose.
“I’m sorry, but we can’t risk you shooting lasers or mind reading us, so we’re going to keep you there until we can get the shield? We have to go, Sprout? Sprout!” He heard the voice walk away in search of who is probably his partner.
“The shield? What does that mean?”
Anonymous was now in a sheriff prison cell with a tennis ball on his horn. “Welp. When in prison, make prison wine. I don’t have a prison bitch…” he mutters to himself, now having to stand over the single toilet in the jail cell.
He was brought into the jail by some pink unicorn with blonde hair, and the biggest Earth Pony they had around. Their sheriff was busy dealing with the ‘problem child’ outside of her house.
The duo had hazmat suits on, a strange helmet that beeps, some extra green sticky stuff to keep Anonymous from running. Having been dragged into a cell he wondered how they had the keys to the prison cell was only Anonymous’ best guest, but hey. This isn’t a bad first impression of this world. He might like it here.
Hopefully the others will come back for him, right?
It’s only been a few minutes, the water slowly stirring in the toilet. The cool air conditioning keeping him nice and calm. The sounds of scared ponies when they walk by the Sheriff office. The sounds of the ticking clock in the room mixed with the silence was hell.
“Izzy ain’t coming for me is she? I was at least expecting some spy activities, but without magic.” He lowers his head as he remembers having zero magic. “I’m pretty much just a dude who seen it all.” He began to pace the small area around him, walking back and forth, to and fro in the cell. The outside looks wonderful at this point. A modern society, it’s been ages since he has been in one. The electricity, the luxuries, the computers, and no futuristic bullshit to slow him down.
His eyes look over at the computer on the sheriff’s desk, he couldn’t see what was on the screen, but it was good to know that there was something he could probably hack into.
His concentration was broken when the door opened. Two stallions walked in, one red with what looks like a beet root on his cutie mark, and the other was a handsome yellow devil with a badge featuring a horseshoe.
“Ah! The unicorn is in here!” The red one yelled and promptly slammed his head into the door. Anonymous chuckled softly in amusement.
“Relax Sprout. He’s got the shield on.” The yellow guy pulls Sprout off the ground with his teeth by the scruff of sprout’s neck.
“What if it doesn’t work. Hold on, I think I have some spare mind blocking devices at home.” He was about to take off, but the yellow guy stops him.
“Sprout, we need someone to stay in the Sheriff’s office to watch the prisoner while I go get Sunny home.”
Sprout looks at Anonynous who just flatly stares back, this shakes him slightly and he got an idea. “Wait, we can interrogate the unicorn! He must have something to do with Sunny. Maybe his friend is the one mind controlling her.”
“Good idea. Unicorn.” The yellow guy gets behind his counter and draws a notebook. He also grabs shoulder bag. “Gonna need these…” He mutters to himself, now approaching and sitting down in front of the jail cell. “Talk.”
“I have a name.” Anonymous frowned at this, he was being interrogated.
“Well what is it?” The sheriff pulled a pen from the spine of the notebook and began to write something.
“Anonymous.”
“We can’t have that,” he shook his head at the name, “what is your actual name?”
“That is my actual name.”
“Really? Unicorns have such strange names.”
“Sure, I’ll be the judge of names when I hear yours.”
“Hitch.”
“Like a post?”
“Yes.”
“Huh, neat.”
Hitch gave his own grumpy expression at the scene. “Great, are you going to talk?”
“Why would I?” Anonymous turned his head to the yellow fellow and sat down in front of him. “You’re the one who unfairly captured me.”
“We are simply doing what is best for Maretime Bay.”
“Right, capturing a helpless unicorn is totally helping. I don’t even know what crimes I’ve committed.”
“Well uh…you’re trespassing.”
“It’s a public area.”
“Well you’re were loitering.”
He looks outside and noticed some benches “Staring at the sea with benches around doesn’t really count as loitering.”
“We can’t okay, the other ponies are terrified over you.” Anonymous can notice the annoyance within Hitch, but he was controlling his frustrations. Then the annoyance filled out, as he lets out a breath. “This is the only way we can get the town to relax. I’m sorry if this troubling for you, but we have a town to look after and care for. We can’t have a unicorn running around taking ponies.”
“We were trying to make friends.” Anonymous looked at Hitch, he never respected the police. It was always about the majority and never about the little guys. He couldn’t control his emotions, not as well as Hitch. “I thought friendship was magic around these parts and apparently I get locked up for trying to extend my hoof to another pony. It feels this town just fears others for what reason? A horn?”
Hitch looked a little downcast, the frustrations from the unicorn was not unfounded. His heart feels stuck in place. “I…look. I’m not responsible for every pony. I do what I can.”
“I know you are, that’s what’s making me angry. I just don’t get it.” Anonymous was on the brink of telling, but he stopped himself suddenly. As he lowers his head he could only softly lament, “Everyone was so friendly before.”
“What do you mean before? Don’t tell me you’re into that friendship business like Sunny. Is that why you’re here? To bring that friendship and unity.” He stagnated on the last three words, almost as if he didn’t want to denounce them.
Anonymous looked up at him, he was looking doubtful. This information could prove use. His ideas run wild with a simple thought, try to recruit the sheriff into his side. If friendship was held in the same value as the other horse world, this could be good. “Well, it was a lot better than what we have now. We had friends, we cared for eachother, we didn’t have that fear. It was beautiful.”
“I…Anonymous. You seem to know about this friendship stuff more than me, do you think maybe I drove away Sunny to run off with that other unicorn?”
He now knows the name of the earth pony that saved his friend. Sunny, like a nice warm day. He likes it, it’s the most normal Pony name he has heard so far. “Most likely. Izzy may have just been a friend I known for all of a day, but she is still a friend. Whatever they may do might just be right, or at least make them happy. To make a friend without being seen as a monster.”
“Right.” Hitch looks away and hides his notebook into his shoulder bag. “Look. I’m not proud of this, but I’ll have Sprout here to watch over you.” Hitch turns around only to find Sprout has left the building. “Great just great. Well I can’t leave you unsupervised. Unicorn you’re coming with me?”
“On what? Parole?” Anonymous looked up only to see his cell door slide open.
“Yep. Here’s the deal, we get our friends back, then we can go home. Okay?”
“Fair enough deal.” Anonymous holds his hoof up. “Bump?”
“Uhhh….no. We have to go, Sunny may be getting farther and farther.” Hitch walks to the door and stops himself. “Right right right.” He quickly slides back and slaps a badge onto Anonymous. When the recipient looked at the badge it simply said ‘On Parole’ with handcuffs underneath. “Almost forgot. Now let’s go.”
“Right.” Anonymous smiles and gets out of the cell room, following after Hitch they both run off. The other ponies still scream and quickly get into hiding when they see Anonymous, but Hitch had to quiet them down.
As they run Hitch spots a familiar red pony. “Sprout keep the town save we’ll be back!”
“We? What do you mean we?!” Sprout yells as the two run off to find their friends.
“You know. This is pretty exiting already. Solving racism…” Anonymous mutters to himself, smiling at the quest.
“What you muttering to yourself? Trying to cast a spell on me?”
“Nah. Even if I did, I wouldn’t announce it!”
“Sure you would! Thats how magic works.”
“Suuuuure.” Anonymous rolled his eyes as the two run.
The brick roads get replaced by a dirt path, then the dirt patch slowly looses itself and becomes simply grass. Having seen the rocky landscape before, but the other side is just as equally pleasant to look at. This was going to be a fun journey.
“So, sheriff, where do you…what are you doing?” Anonymous simply looked at the sheriff as he just stopped in his tracks and hopped onto his stomach, inspecting the ground. “Hmmmm. They’re going straight east. That means they’re…heading to the Pegasi.”
“Huh, I guess that would be a trifecta if they find one of them.” Anonymous looked over to the east. In the distance he could see mountains that span up high. The clouds that have formed on the tip of the mountain range looked artificial. Anonymous could only suspect they were holding magic.
“Cmon, I can’t keep you out of sight.” Hitch turns and motions his head for Anonymous to follow.
“I know I know. Hold your horses.”
“What does that mean?”
“Right, I forgot about that. So you see.”
This sheriff was innocent, and he unfairly locked him up. A little revenge is in order.
“I know what whorses are. I’m just glad that the one infraction that was made for that law was only for kissing.”
“Oh, that’s not that bad. I assume a kissing booth is illegal without proper paperworks?”
“Exactly! They needed to get approval to set up a stand with the-“
Anonymous puts a hoof on his mouth to shut him up. “Yeah yeah. Hold the details sheriff.” He turned his head back to the front, the steep mountain surrounds the both of them as nothing but a dull brown mixed with a harsh fog envelops the bottom of the range. “So, how do we get up there? Sheriff?”
He turns around to see Hitch already jumping from rock to rock to climb the hill, a lot like a mountain goat. Anonymous could only gulp in stress as he was never a physical guy, only really using magic to boost his body. “This is going to be hell.” He closed his eyes to try to absorb any hint of magic and began to run up the mountain only to slide down onto his back after just one step. “Great. Slow it is then.” He gripped a rock and slowly began to climb up, his body already regretting not being a mountain goat.
Hitch was at the top, dropping down to search the ground for any trace of his friend. Finding litter, a clue, some more searching he found a strand of unicorn hair, and a Pegasi feather. Giving it a preemptive lick then raising it away.
Anonymous wheezes as he finally climbs to the top, almost losing his grip at the end, but he catches himself by digging his hooves into the dirt and scrambling up. “Okay. I made it. That wasn’t too hard.” He rolls onto his side to fully get up and with a little hop he’s back on his hooves. He noticed Hitch being surrounded by an odd sort of fluffy creatures, these weird round bunny things. How this makes any sense as to living on a mountain range is beyond him. “Whatcha find?”
“I have found a track! It’s gone cold, well Sunny think she has escaped, she’ll think again. We will not sleep, we will not eat!” The bunnies surround him to listen to him intently.
“Maybe a nap and a light snack if we don’t find them soon? “ Anonymous had no real reason to pay attention to the bunnies as the rabbits was keeping a respectable six feet away from him at all times. His interest was caught elsewhere as he stared off to the random litter of bunnies approaching.
“But after that, nothing will stop us! Through the coldest tundras, through the hottest deserts. We will find them!” Hitch was making a speech, ether he was trying to rile himself up or make a show for the various bunnies around was, at best, a guess.
Anonymous began to drift away from the bunnies and faced the floods. His eyes widened at the sight of Izzy and Sunny holding the standard black prisoner board displayed on a large digital screen on skyscrapers. “Hey they write in English here…” His first observation, his second: “Oh shit, they’re prisoners. Glad we all have one thing in common at least.”
“Who’s writing what now?” Hitch realized no one was really paying much attention. He slowly turned around and gasped at the sight. His best friend Sunny has been arrested by the Pegasi. His heart began to race in fear of how dangerous the prisons must be. Anxiety fills his heart, but also excitement. She was definitely here, and it thrills him. “Gotcha.” He smiles, ready to get going.
“So, we doing a prison break or?…” Anonymous turns to Hitch, who still looked composed and ready to march forward.
“As much as I don’t like to bust prisoners, this is a special case.” Hitch’s voice had a distinct resolve to it. “We will get my friend Sunny, and your friend Izzy and we will save them from the Pegasi.”
“Woah. You’re fired up. Now how will we reach the city?” Anonymous felt oddly small when seeing the large screens.
“Elevator.” Hitch points off into the clouds, Anonymous had to squint to see a silhouette of a lift that connects to the city via a glass tube.
“…You know I wonder why they have one. They can fly.” Anonymous took a gander around the area, there were multiple tubes connecting to the main pathway deep into the centers plus tubes connecting to those tubes that seem to be various entry points into the city.
“I think it’s for their sick and injured. You never know about safety.”
“If they’re sick and injured and outside of the city, there’s others who can fly and carry them.”
“What if they are also sick and injured from a battle? Pegasi are known for their rowdiness and warfare.”
“I guess that’s how they got technically advanced there. I don’t think I’ve seen screens that big in Maretime.”
“Hey!” Hitch was slightly offended. “Our TVs can be that big too. We just have no use for screens that big.”
“Uh huh. Sure. Let’s just get going.” Anonymous began to walk across the mountain.
“Likewise. Getting them out of there is top priority.” Hitch quickly overtakes Anonymous in lead.
“You’re letting your sheriff show Sheriff.” Anonymous gave hitch a slight smirk. Despite rocky race relations, Hitch was a pretty alright dude. Upstanding and polite with that strong sense of justice. He reminds him of Applejack.
“Of course I should let it show. How else would authority be respected.” Hitch rubs his badge clean, letting a quick sparkle shine from the sun.
“It’s like a little Southern Hospitality.”
“Like the Apple Family?”
Anonymous flicked his head towards Hitch. “They’re around?”
“Yeah, but they live in the Deep South. We have to go by boat if we need to buy food from them.”
“Huh. Neat.” Anonymous felt odd, he was assuming this place is very similar to the other horse place. It’s not enough data to make an assumption on whether this universe was the same as the old one.
Hitch turns to face Anonymous when he suddenly begins to slow down. The look upon Anonymous’s face was concerning. He was staring off into the distance with a blank stare, his pupils looked empty. “You good buddy? You look like you’re lost in thought.”
“Just thinking. Little homesick. I think.” Anonymous only gave off fractions of what he was feeling, but felt himself snap back into reality when he sees Hitch fully stopped and facing him.
“I don’t think you are. I have done many things as sheriff. Knowing when someone else has lost something dear to them is one of them.” Hitch placed a hoof on Anonymous’ shoulders. His voice was low, concerned.
“Let’s just say, I can’t exactly go back home. Even if wanted too.” Anonymous felt happy, this guy who he only knew for half a day was concerned over him. A unicorn he arrested for being a unicorn. He felt magic in his soul ignite, that familiar feeling he has never forgetting ever since Twilight introduced him to it. Friendship Magic.
“When you’re ready. Let’s talk about it.” Hitch gave an easy smile as he turned to walk to the elevator. Anonymous silently followed.
“He’s an element…” Anonymous mutters under his breath. His body has magic, not a lot, it’s enough to cast one or two minor spells. This journey may be worth it. If he could build up enough magic he could reasonably travel back to Twilight. He just hopes he won’t be late. If magic was the reward for solving horse racism, it was worth.
Anonymous looked up at the elevator. It was huge, and seeming also hides within the mountain. “Huh. I guess if they have to trade for outside goods they just use the elevator.”
“We just need disguises.” Hitch looks around, the rocky landscapes have nothing for the two of them.
“True. I guess. It’s a Pegasus city so fake wings?”
“Now I just need some card board and…” Hitch looks at Anonymous and stared up at his horn. “Right. Forgot about that. You guys don’t use that thing too often do you?” He points to the horn on Anonymous’ head.
“What does that mean?” Anonymous looks up at his horn.
“Lasers? Mind reading? That sort of thing.” Hitch sets his hoof down as he just stared at the horn. “Can’t you. I dunno, can help levitate me to pretend I’m a Pegasus.”
“From experience a pony is really heavy to hold, but the ground beneath you can be lifted to hold you up. Something to do with your body moving more than the ground.”
“Oh, but lasers are still a thing.”
“Sure, if you’re boring! C’mon get some imagination.”
“Then uh, how many lasers can you shoot before you get tired.”
“One or two.”
“…Really?” Hitch wasn’t sure if this was a different type of joke.
“Depends how much I can do, besides Violence isn’t the answer here, we need to be sneaky! Blend in! Hide among the masses. Find the nearest politician and take them out.”
“Woah!” Hitch recoils at the thought of taking another ponies life, even if it is a Pegasi. “We are not killing any pony.”
“On a date you weirdo.”
“Oh. When you said politician I assumed…”
“Yeah. Yeah. I get it.” Anonymous waves him off.
“Wait, date a politician? There’s no politician in the Pegasi city, they’re a monarchy.”
Anonymous smiled, his experience will prove useful. “Even better! If Izzy and Sunny are in there, they must be in maximum security. The whole racism thing is probably just as strong if they made it to the news.”
“That does make sense, maximum security should be…in the castle? The dungeons?”
“Yep. That’s what they’re called. Either that or maximum security.”
“Sunny won’t last a day in there!”
“Relax, they’re not going to put her with the other Pegasus, maybe. Hopefully….” Anonymous stared at the elevator. He pressed a button next to the door and waited for it to fall to their level. “Yeah. We should get going.”
“Wait, is your plan to actually try to seduce a monarch as a unicorn? You can’t exactly hide your horn that well.”
“That’s what you think, but you see my capabilities are beyond what you think.” Anonymous lights up his horn using the small amount of magic he has gained from Hitch.
“Hey! Watch that!”
“Just hold still. This will only work for about twelve hours.” Anonymous grunts, using this little magic will put him into a destitute state, but anything to save their friends.
Hitch quickly covers his eyes from how bright Anonymous’ horn is glowing.
“Almost. Got it. Disguise Self!” He calls out, a flash of white covers the two of them. Anonymous pants heavily as he felt his horn and eyes burn from the lack of magic coursing through him. “Did I do it?” He asked, looking at Hitch. Who now is sprouting some new appendages.
“Wait did you turn me into a Pegasus?!” Hitch imma began to panick. His entire life suddenly thrown upside down as he circles around in place trying to figure out how he got wings.
“Relax. It’s only an illusion. It’s really handy for infiltration. Plus, my horn is gone and I also have wings.” Anonymous flexed one of his new green wings. His horn was still there physically, it was just invisible.
“But how will we…right you said twelve hours. That’s about…10 Pm until our wings fade.”
“Correct. Glad you’re also a detective. Let’s go Sheriff. Lift’s here.” A soft him of the elevator lands at the bottom of the pillar. The golden doors keeping them out open up.
“Woah…” Anonymous was flooded with stimulus for his mind. Tall golden sky scrapers surround him. All with the glorious sight of capitalism at its finest: Advertisements! The screens showcasing everything from phones, to computers, and food. He has a sudden urge to chomp down on that oddly captivating image of a hay burger. Though what really caught his eye was the sight of one of the princesses. A Pink Pegasus pony by the name of Pipp, sure she was only on an advertisement but she did look adorable. A bit short for his liking, but still adorable.
“Hey. Anonymous?” Hitch was trying to get his attention, stomping his hooves behind Anonymous. Sadly, the green stallion kept staring at the screens. “Anonymous!” Hitch had to yell into Anonymous’ ear who caused the stallion to quickly jump back in surprise.
“Hey! What was that for?” Anonymous looked at Hitch with annoyance.
“You’re staring, we have to get moving. You said this disguise only lasts for twelve hours. We don’t have much time.” Hitch was now rocking a fake mustache. Anonymous found out bits were still a universal currency here, so they went to a gag store to buy a fake mustache. It’s an odd purchase.
“Fine. Let’s get moving then.” Anonymous took one last glance at the screen, it was a commercial for perfume sponsored by Princess Pipp. The French still exist no matter the timeline.
“So, after gathering some information, the best course of action is to join the Royal Celebration.”
“Huh, why’s that?”
“One of the Princesses is doing a debut of a new song.”
“That’s…oddly convenient.”
“It’s the only thing the locals are talking about.”
“So that’s what those guys mean when they say ‘Pip Pip Hooray,’ I thought they were just weird.”
“Nope, but between the both of us the princesses look like they’re controlling their own kind through the music.”
“I mean, it sounds…” He pause, it was possible to control people through songs, he has met a bard before. Though with no magic, it feels off. “reasonable.”
“I know right? We gotta get Sunny out of here, and bring her to justice!” Hitch looks off to the castle, his chest out and wings automatically spread wide to show his bravado. A couple passing mares giggle at Hitch’s display with the kind stallion saying “Thank you. Thank you.” He took a moment to realize what happened. “Did a Pegasus find me attractive?”
“Wait, why? What happened to bringing our friends home.” Anonymous ignores the events with the mares.
“She resisted arrest.” Hitch quickly closed his illusory wings.
“Not helping.” Anonymous shook his head.
“It’s the only way for me to leave Maretime.”
“Is helping actually.” He nodded his head.
The two chuckle at the little exchange as they start to walk across a bridge to head over to the castle. The news is talking about something or other.
“So, how do we enter the event?”
“Through the front door.”
“…dumb question.” Anonymous mutters to himself, as he was begging to take a look at the views around him. It was still baffling to him that horses somehow were able to develop technology this advanced. He took a gander forward and quickly trots to keep up with Hitch, he was keeping a steady confident pace through the city.
Anonymous felt content, if he could only show her what the future held.
The duo had to kill time, the party wasn’t until a couple of minutes. The two did some hanging out, they got a glance of the other princess, Zephyrina Breeze, less normal than the others but at least closer to a normal pony name. Anonymous also learned the name of the city, Zephyr Heights. His knowledge was growing.
The two had to take a quick rest at a café, the two were having a light snack and a quick nap. It was a couple hours after all, there was no rush to find Sunny if they both knew she would be in the dungeons. So they had time.
“So. About that Princess ay?” Anonymous looks over at Hitch who nodded to his question.
“She doesn’t strike me a princes.”
“Still got the royal pure white going for her. I wonder if…” Thoughts of the sun flooded Anonymous’ mind. “Nah, she never had time for love.”
“Who are you talking about?”
“An older friend who I once tried to date.” Anonymous wonders what they were doing in their retirement, they are immortal.
“You go for mares older than you?”
“I did once…errr twice.”
“That’s weird.”
“I’m weird.”
Hitch chuckles at the confession. “That you are.”
“Maybe you’re weird too. You’re hanging out with me after all.”
“Hmmm.” Hitch puts a hoof to his chin. “Maybe, maybe. I am hanging with a…” Hitch looks around, to see if any pony was in earshot. “Unicorn.”
“They’re on parole. They’re fine!” Hitch gave another hearty chuckle. Anonymous soon follows. “You know. I’m starting to think Sunny was right about this…you know. Friendship between ponies.”
“Mood swing for the ages, but yeah. It’s just friendship. There’s nothing to be afraid off. It’s magic, the thing that fuels this world.” Anonymous looked up at the castle. It was nearing party time.
“I guess she did prove it.” Hitch looks off at the castle too, Sunny was there and he was determined to get her back home. “Maybe we don’t have to go our separate ways, we can go back to Maretime bay.”
“I doubt they’d be welcoming.”
“Nonsense, they’re just afraid. So was I, but they’re still brave ponies they can soon face you like I can.”
Anonymous smiles, he feels it yet again. Friendship Magic. It’s weak, fragile, and won’t last forever. Despite that, it was wonderful to feel it again. Though the second dosage around felt different from the previous friendship magics he had absorbed before.
Generosity felt as if messaging stones slid comfortably on your back. Kindness has the feeling of a furry friend nuzzled into your chin. Loyalty was a jolt of adrenaline. Honesty was the rush of a good day’s work. Laughter is the feeling of pure dopamine, and Magic felt like a swirling mass of endless potential.
This new element of Kindness, this new feeling of the magic. It felt like looking at the face of someone you can depend on.
“You okay Anonymous? You’re staring off into space.”
“Just…nostalgia. Haven’t had a friend in a while. Not since…well I know what happened.” His memories of his death were fuzzy, all he remembers is blue fire and screaming for his life.
“The prejudice got you down?” Hitch looks over at him.
“Well chalk it up to that.” Anonymous slides off the chair. “Let’s go, we have a party to crash. It’s about…” He looks at a nearby clock. “5 Pm.”
“Five hours…can’t believe I’ve been here for that long. I still can’t believe Sunny had to sit in that cell for that long too.”
“You really love her, huh?”
“She’s like a younger sister, she makes a mess but I’m always happy to help her.”
“I wonder if she sees it like that.” Anonymous quietly said to himself. He silently wishes he won’t be around for that sort of messy confrontation if it ever occurred.
“So this is it.” Anonymous smiles, the red carpet was out and ponies began to flood into the main ballroom of the Palace.
The castle was grand, and oddly futuristic. There were hoof print scanners, holographic displays for some of the decor, and tons of gold plated guards.
“Did that table just move?” Anonymous leans his neck back but Hitch quickly pulls him close, into a huddle.
“So let me run through the plan. First we find where the dungeons are, and considering the guards here, we might need to do some espionage.” Hitch kept his voice low, but spoke quickly.
“Are you even trained to do that?” Anonymous copied Hitch’s speaking manner quickly.
“I’m a detective and a sheriff, not a spy.” Hitch looks at one of the hoofprint scanners, it didn’t look too great. “Can you do espionage?”
“So by ‘we’ you mean me?”
“Yes.”
“Right, well I doubt these guys are just out alone. They definitely have some sort of communication between them. If I could just weave a new spell…maybe?”
“You have magic. Can you laser blast a door open?”
“There’s more tactful ways to open doors Hitch. You have to be gentle, smooth, and enter slowly.”
“Are you trying to seduce a door.” Hitch takes a step away from the strategy huddle as soon as they walk pass some new guards.
“If it works, it works.”
“…You are weird.”
“Told you.” Anonymous smiles. The main ballroom was just up ahead, this was an oddly long hallway. Then again, castles were made to defend the king and to disorient intruders. So there was probably a method to the madness of having an odd long hallway to the main center room.
The two entered the main ball room, looking up he saw an odd assortment of mechanical parts past the darkness of the room. It was a handy time to have dark vision down here. “Why do they need those pulleys and wires? Strobe lights, maybe?”
“Pipp Petal’s concert will begin in a moment! Please, enter and be patient. The new song will be our first act.” A speaker over the announcement spoke. It sounded motherly.
“So, the plan?” Hitch pulls Anonymous into a huddle
“Seduce a Queen”
“What?”
“What?”
“…You should probably get older mares out of your head for a moment. We have friends to save.”
“You’re right actually. I should really stop with my nonsense.” Anonymous stepped backwards into the shadow.
“That’s right we…Anonymous?” Hitch looked around and found himself alone. “You son of a…what’s the saying? Witch? Yeah, witch.” He clears his throat. “You son of a witch.”
Anonymous had left to find out where the princesses are. With what little magic he has a chance to at least interrogate one of them. If they have two body guards he’ll be fine, any more and he’ll resort to using his greatest asset: throwing hands. Hooves now, but he can throw hands.
As he rushes through the halls and sneaking past some guards by hiding behind continently placed shrubbery. His green fur blended in the plants well enough. His journey to find one of the princesses will be glorious! It will be fun! Most importantly. They have money.