Don't like ads? PRO users don't see any ads ;-)

2. Serenade

By: KKaizer on Apr 17th, 2012 | syntax: None | size: 26.66 KB | hits: 278 | expires: Never

download | raw | embed | report abuse | print

Text below is selected. Please press Ctrl+C to copy to your clipboard. (⌘+C on Mac)

>You start pleading with Zecora, telling her that she can, in fact, trust you like before, pointing out the fact you had been on your best behavior
Hey, come on, at least let me help you pack! I owe you that much!
>A little rustling comes from inside, you wait a moment
...Please?
>The door swings open slowly, Zecora eying you as you enter
>Geez, that's all it took?
>You find that she has a couple of bags and boxes pulled out, a lot of them dusty from neglect
>Books. Lots and lots of books.
>”Anonymous,” she starts, blunt. “Stand over here.”
>Her hoof hits a box, you make your way over
>She's taking this ward business very seriously
>”Place books in the bags, and please stay near.”
>Where she can keep an eye on you, of course
ALL of the books?
>”We cannot afford to leave behind material we may need in time.”
>You nod, thinking it's probably best if you save questions until you two were out of “danger”
>Book after book start to stretch the bags she has available
>Most of the bags look like fanny packs, only twice as big and even wider
>Oh, yeah, she's a quadruped, these go on her back
>Might be uncomfortable, but you figure you could hoist a couple over yourself on your shoulders
>Other bags are more traditional, with thick handles in a loop over the entrance
>It takes a little time, but the two of you manage to fit all the books in
>Whew
>Zecora looks at her shelves, a concerned look on her face as her eyes darted over her bottles
>Then at her cauldrons, even more concerned
>Her hoof beats the wall, defeated
>She then slides her head under a bag, lifting the weight up and up, sliding down her back, repeating twice more
>Four more bags left
>You toss one of those backpacks on your shoulder, then stumble
>God damn these are heavy
>Struggling, you manage to push the other on your free shoulder
>Okay, now it gets easier
>You slip your arms through the handles of the other bags and let them slide to the pit of your elbow
>As you straighten back up, your arms are shaking a bit
>Was she going to just carry these by herself?
>Zecora just watches you, brow raised in amusement
>You give a thumbs up, wincing
>You manage a grin out of her
>Okay, your relationship meter ticked in the positive direction, so far so good
>You follow the zebra out, grunting as you duck to leave
Okay okay, hold on.
>You rest against a tree, shifting your shoulders to get some of the weight off, temporarily
>Your muscles cry for you to stop, but you're afraid you can't give them the luxury
>You've been walking for at least a mile you think
>Zecora sympathizes, but she's showing her impatience
>”We must leave here before sunset, when the forest is its deadliest yet.”
>Yep, that got you motivated
>You push off the tree, and force yourself to keep going, unfortunately Zecora has hastened to make up for lost time
>God damn that zebra
>Growling under you breath, you pick up the pace, arms and shoulders screaming
>Oh god is that
>YES
>Sweet merciful jesus that's the sun
>Or what's left of it, anyway
>You're blinded by the settling orange in front of you, but you're out, you're safe
>Hallelu-fuck, Zecora's a mile ahead of you
>Your groan is as heavy as the shit on your arms, but you keep shifting your feet in her direction
>It's much easier to keep track of her now
>Multicolored specs shift in and out of your vision with every step
>You think you hear sounds and murmurs aiming towards you, but disregard everything except the vision in front of you
>Oh thank god, she stopped
>She stopped at... another tree.
>This one was a little different, it had a balcony, more than one floor
>And... that's all you really care to notice
>You hear a door open, and another gasp, but your muscles politely explain that you have other problems
>You feel your weight shift to and fro, this is it
Miss zebra lady, can I... please... set these down.
>A pause, the doorway has a shifting purple blur to it
>You think you hear Zecora say something about insides and on the floor
Why miss Zecora, I didn't think you thought of me that way.
>The blur shifts out of the way, and your back gets a push
>Nope, your legs ain't going
>But your face sure does
>WHAM
>The weight from your shoulders shifts, and oh my god you could not be happier
>You expect to conk out, arms feeling like painful jello
>But no, you experience the whole thing
Uuugggghhh.
>”What the heck is this?” says a new voice. Girly, you think. No accents. No rhyming. Good.
>”Hey, it looks kinda like a diamond dog! Except... no fur, snout, tail, sharp pointy teeth...” Another voice. Younger, sounds a bit immature. Male.
>”Are you sure this thing is safe, Zecora?” says the girly voice.
>”...its ears aren't droopy and pointed, its arms aren't as big...”
>”This creature here may be large in size, but he could not hurt hurt a group of flies.”
>Your pride cringes
>”It's wearing pants-”
>”We get it, Spike. Hmm...”
>A light tap on the back of your head
I'm resting.
>”And I'm Twilight. Twilight Sparkle.”
Fantastic.
>”Now if you would please move, you're blocking the door.”
>Groooooooooan. You have no intention to-
>float
>You're floating, and all you can see is a faint purple haze
>You weakly kick
AAAHH WHAT ARE YOU D-
>Dropped
>Again, on your face
>You rise slowly, wondering what kind of miracle it must be to not have a nosebleed by now
>You raise you hands up to see what the hell her deal was when you stop abruptly, watching as the purple horse thing makes her head rod glow some funky purple
>Consequently, all those bags of books you dropped float over to an empty table, neatly stacking ten high for each stack
Um.
>Zecora follows after the path is clear, dropping her bags down beside the table
>You're still not sure what happened
>The purple bitch closes the door. “There. Now.” She eyes you with dem perpuls. “What are you?”
>Your brow raises, her voice is a little too demanding for your tastes, and it irks you a bit
I am...
>”Yes?”
a hyyyyyyyoooooooomun.
>”Spike, write this down. Creature claims to be a human. Origin unknown. This ne-”
>”Uh, wait, how do you spell 'human'?”
B-I-T-E M-E
>”... B, I, T ... Hey!”
>You snicker
>”Sarcastic in nature, and horrible at spelling.”
>You narrow your eyes at her, she's not really getting on your good side
>”It appe-”
He. I'm a guy. Male.
>”... HE appears to lack hygiene and in willingness to cooperate. Would otherwise assume hostile if not reassured by my friend.”
>You decide to cut the act, this isn't going anywhere
Okay, okay. Calm your cakes, lady. I'm exhausted. One minute I'm almost drowning in a lake that I crashed into from the sky, the next I'm about to be mauled by a big red hairy psychobeast, and BEFORE I CAN CATCH MY BREATH, we have to leave immediately, away from whatever “danger” voodoo zebra pulled us away from.
>Twilight goes quiet, her big eyes angled in confusion
>”Crash? Psychobeast?” She turns back to Zecora. “Danger?”
>”He speaks the truth, my curious friend,” she starts, sitting near the table. “Your assistance is required, troubles to amend.”
>”Troubles? What kind of troubles?” Her focus is off you now, and you plant yourself on the ground, against the wall as she walks over to her friend
>The smaller purple and green one walks over to you, looks like a reptile of some sort
>”That wasn't very nice, you know.”
What? Oh, the 'bite me' thing. Yeah, I was just getting a little irritated at her. Nothing against you, erm, Spike right?
>He nods. ”That's me.” He points to himself proudly. “Spike the Dragon!”
Ppphhfhhfffahahahaha
>”Hey! What's so funny?!”
>You throw you hands up, a maniacal grin on your face
You are, man! This house is funny! This fucking WORLD is funny.
>You let out a huge, irritated sigh
Dammit, I liked it better in the forest, things felt at least a little familiar there. I walk like, two, three miles from there and I'm tossed around and questioned by a bright purple tinyhorse-
>”Pony,” Spike corrected.
PONY. That makes things move with it's glowing head rod-
>”Horn.”
... Horn.
>Spike bit on the end of his quill, piecing bits together in his head. In the background Twilight and Zecora yammer on about wards, evil, doom, and other things you're not paying attention to. ”So, I guess you're new to magic then, huh?”
Magic.
>”Yeah, magic.”
>Sigh. You give up
>Fucking magic
How does it work?
>”How does... magic work?” You nod. “Uh, well it's kinda like... uhhhm... BAM! HISS! BOOSSHHHHH” His hands dart up, expanding with ever explosion noise he makes. “POW! CRACK! Ssssssizzle... pop.” He closes his hands together at last, looking up to you. “... Just like that.”
>...
You have no idea do you.
>”Not really, no. I'm more of a fire-breathy, message delivery, note taking kind of guy. Twilight's the one that knows all about magic.”
>You groan. Having your curiosity sated isn't worth that much
>”Oh relax. She's really nice once you get to know her.”
Thanks but no thanks, I don't plan to stick around too much lo-
>”Spike?” calls Twilight from across the room, “Could you grab the spare blankets? Zecora's staying with us tonight.”
Oh.
>”Well what about this guy?”
>Twilight beams at you, then sighs.
>”He can stay too, as long as he doesn't touch anything. Or mind small blankets, or the floor.”
>You open your mouth to object, but then you realize you don't exactly have anywhere else to go
Ah... thanks, I guess. I don't suppose you have a sho...wer... ugggghh.
>You slap you hand against your face, remembering that you don't have any extra clothes
>Having been fully soaked, twice, and covered in sweat doesn't do well for your smell
>You sniff your shirt and cringe
>”Well... I do, but no offense, you're kind of big.”
I realize this, but how else am I supposed to appeal to your higher-classed sense of smell? Plus my clothes really REALLY need to be cleaned.
>The purple pony rolls her eyes. “Fine. It's through that door on the left, you can't miss it.” A hoof lifts to point you in the direction
Thank you, Mizz Zpahkul.
>You bow, even though her back is turned to you, and head out
>Boy she wasn't kidding, this tub was small
>But other than that, the bathroom looks pretty normal for a change
>You lock the door, and begin to take off your clothes
>Aw man, how are you going to wash these rank ass things?
>You can only assume she doesn't have a washing machine or anything like that, so you figure you should chuck them in the tub too
>start up the water, scrub the pieces of cloth with some soap, rinse, wring, hang it on the side of the tub, repeat
>All this manual labor slowly brings back your muscle aches, but you power through it
>Whew, finally done, you fling your arms a bit to ease up your muscle and clime into the tub
>You try using as little resources as possible, it's the least you could do for letting you, you know, wash and stay the night
>You guess Spike wasn't lying, she was nice enough in that sense
>Her attitude towards you could use some work you think, but maybe that's where your part comes in
>You finish, and sitting quiet and wet in the tub you think about life's mysteries
>Like how in the fuck did you get here?
>Oh, right, the ass-to-water routine
>But, why? There has to be a reason why YOU are HERE, in a place absent of species like yourself, as far as you can tell
>Your head beats against your knees, over and over, stuck waiting for your clothes to dry a second time, without the luxury of the sun
--
>So there you are
>Anonymous
>Curled up in a fetal position in a pony tub
>Stark naked, waiting for what seems to have been about an hour for your clothes to dry in the most unfavorable conditions possible
>At least you smell better
>Knock on the door. “Hey, Twilight says hurry up. There are other people in this house you know.”
It would go a lot faster if my clothes were dry.
>”Why do you need clothes?”
>You sigh
It's a hyoomun thing. Can't go in the public without anything to wear.
>You hear the kid laugh behind the door, “You remind me of another pony in this town! Although, less strict about the clothes thing.”
So you guys DO wear clothing?
>”Sometimes! Depends on the situation. Like, say, formal events.”
>Maybe your hopes of getting a new set of clothing hasn't be slashed
>Still doesn't help your current situation
Wait, you breathe fire, right? Think you could help me and my predicament?
>”Uh... I dunno. What did you have in mind?”
>You take your shirt and just barely open the door, shoving the bundled cloth through the crack
Do you think you could, like, super dry this for me?
>Spike eyes it awkwardly “I'm not your errand boy.”
Spike, come on man. I promise I'll pay you back. Just do me this one favor, show me that dragon in ya.
>He groans. “Alright alright. But remember, you owe me.” You feel the bundle leave your hands, and give him a thumbs up.
Just, please don't burn it.
>Spike chortled, and you hear a plop on against the wooden ground. “No promises.”
>So you manage to get your shirt back in one piece, thank god, and you convince him to do the same for your pants
>That's all you care to put him through though, he's done enough
Thanks, man.
>”Yeah yeah. Remember!”
Yeah, favor, I gotcha.
>You slip on your damp undies, shivering as the cold shoves through your loins and up your body
>It's oddly pleasant, at first
>Shirt, pants, socks
>Ahhhhh this feels better
>You pull the door open, and you're a little surprised to see Twilight and Zecora still at the table, though more piles of books have appeared
>You look outside, it's almost pitch black
You two plan to stay up all night?
>Twilight snaps her head over to you. “Oh. You're alive.”
Sorry I took so long, I had to-
>”Right, Spike told me you had some sort of condition.”
Yeah, I... wait.
>”You feel so insecure about your body that you have to hide yourself behind meaningless clothing in front of others in order to feel comfortable.”
>Your mouth holds open, unable to respond
>You can't believe how right she is
>But to you that was how 'normal' was perceived
>You weren't about to argue though, finding it pointless
Geez, Sparkle. You sure know how to be blunt.
>”It's Twilight. It was merely an observation.” She turns back to her books.
>You roll your eyes
What are you guys trying to find?
>You set yourself beside Zecora, peering at the open books, all to seemingly random things
>”We're trying to find out what kind of... thing Zecora faced. From her description, it was far from the normal monsters that lurk in the forest.”
>Zecora nodded. “With all my years of travel and wander, I've never seen this creature here nor yonder.”
>”The most disturbing fact has to be that it broke through Zecora's ward,” continued Twilight.
Right, you mentioned this ward before.
>Zecora sighed, distraught. “The ward repels all malice and hate, evil intentions, and whomever irate. Strengthened once a week or else lose its power, my home then is opened to the wild within hours.”
>Twilight looks over at you. “Here, can you read this?” Purple juju aura surrounds a book and keeps it levitated in front of you, showing you the cover
>Man you're still not used to that
>You squint your eyes at the golden lettering of the brown, slightly used book
>It looks jumbled and scrambled, but the symbols shift and blur together fluidly before you, and you're not exactly sure if that's because of the juju or not
>Magic
>Then, they turn into familiar characters, from left to right, until the entire title is was clear
“Artifacts of the Ancient, Volume IV”
>”That sure took you a while.”
I couldn't read it at first, but I guess it was just blurry or something. I kept seeing it move.
>”Interesting... well, you can help us out then.” She jujumagics a stack over towards you, and you look at it with distaste
Uh... well... I mean... isn't it getting a little late?
>You shove your thumb towards the window, hopeful, but she doesn't acknowledge
>”Of course not! Not when there's something as big as this out there that we could prevent!”
>Zecora places a hoof onto the purple's back. “He is right, my friend, the moon has ascended. Tomorrow we will continue the progress as intended.”
>Whoo. Thank you, zebra girl.
>Twilight sighs, defeated. “Fine. But I'm starting first thing in the morning.”
>Zecora smirks, and heads upstairs with Twilight
>You look around for Spike, but you think he might have hit the sack while you were talking
>You don't blame him
>On the ground next to a wall, you spot a blanket and a pillow piled up with your name on it
>You know you should be grateful and excited to see some kind of bed awaiting you, especially with what you've been through today
>But, you don't feel tired at all
>Not giving it too much thought, you lay the blanket on the floor as a makeshift mat, and lay back on the pillow
>...
>Still nothing
>Your eyes close, and you try your very hardest to concentrate on nothing but sleep
>Ahh sleep, how it should embrace you and set your consciousness off
>Ahhhhh sleep, how it should make your eyes heavy and zip you through the next day
>Ahhhhhhhh sleeeeeeeeeeep, how it should fucking be here by now
>...
>You're impatient
>You figure it's been about half an hour, and you spring up
>Maybe you need to relax. After all, you've been through a lot of shit for just one day
>You consider your options
>You could read through some of the books Sparkle shoved at you earlier
>Or you could wander aimlessly through the house, the curious being you are
>But probably shouldn't pry through people's business
>You put your attention to the window, staring outwards
>Ah... you guess a walk wouldn't hurt
>Making as little noise as you can, you slip on your shoes and open the door, which then a mild breeze hits you, causing you to shiver
>Ah... guess you'd better bring warmth, you have no fat on you to keep you warm
>You snag the blanket, wrap it around your shoulders, and promptly exit
>Your eyes adjust to the light the moon provides, and you admire how bright it is in the sky as you make your way through town
>With time, you can make out smaller details, but colors are still hit and miss
>So this is where ponies live, yeah?
>Other than the designs of some of the buildings, it doesn't feel much different than a human town
>Comforting, even
>You wonder what the town is like when it is active, bustling with activity and marketing
>You were so depleted and full of tunnel vision from the initial travel to the town you didn't even notice anyone around you
>God, all the stares you must have gotten, you're surely the gossip of the town now
>Traversing throughout Ponyville is going to be difficult in the day, you figure
>Eventually, after taking a few mental notes on the various landmarks in the town you make your way to the end where you see a rolling field, the entrance to the forest in the distance
>The fields look relaxing enough, you're still not even close to sleepy
>You trek across the lands, clenching the blanket around your shoulders to keep warm in the gentle breeze
>You attention rises up, and you can't help but smile
>God the sky is beautiful tonight, the stars flicker through the small number of clouds, but the moon just outshines them all
>It almost feels bigger than the one you had back home
>You feel at peace with yourself, and, finding nothing better to do, you take a seat on one of the hills, with clear view of the sky
>You could just sit here all night you think, a tranquil sensation running through your body the more you stare up
>Your back lands against the grass, clenching the blanket around your shoulders
>A mental tune run through your head, using an imaginary score, with the stars as its notes
>You're sure that the notes wouldn't sound anything like what you have going on in your head, but you don't care
>It's a beautiful piece
>Your hands reach upward, and move to the beat of the song, imagining conducting a room full of skilled percussionists and orchestra masters
>And they follow your hands accordingly, all under your control
>For that moment, you have found your peace
>You didn't care about this world, ponies, zebras, dragons, water hazards, or hairy beasts
>And in that same moment, the world didn't care about you, and that's exactly what you wanted
>”Dost thou admire our work, Anonymous?”
>The music clashes
>Bounce the fuck up
>Your head darts in the direction of the voice to find a peculiar sight
>She was another equine, but taller and leaner. Sitting down, she could Her coat looked black in the lighting, but her mane and tail was something else entirely
>It flowed from her head as a solid aura, moving with no breeze. She was adorned in a neat looking neck brace sort of thing, with elegant “slippers” included
>Horn AND a pair of wings, oh boy
Jesus christ my heart can't take much more excitement.
>You beat your chest a bit, settling yourself down
>She bows her head slightly. “We apologize for startling thee, but we wish to speak with Equestria's new guest. We are Princess Luna, it is a pleasure meeting thee at last.”
>You just glare at her, a million questions in your head, but you can't seem to choose one, which keeps you silent
>Luna approaches you casually, “Thou seems to be adapting well enough, we were concerned about thine safety on the first day. We will have to thank whomever is responsible.”
>Hearing her talk gets your mind sorted out a bit more, so you keep quiet hoping that she'd keep talking and answering on her own
>Also she has a wicked cool manner of speech
>”YThou must be curious to know why we know thy name. Our sister and ourselves hath chosen thee in hope that thou shalt offer assistance.”
>More questions, but the only thing you can say is
So you're the one that blasted me out from the sky and into that freezing pit of ice water?
>You sound frustrated, and Luna can detect it. “We admit the entrance was... less than ideal. We tried to place thee in Canterlot directly. As thou can see, our aim was a little... off. We were worried that thou might have been injured, or worse. Thou hast our sincerest apologies.”
>She sits down near you, and looks up at the sky. “We were rearranging the stars for to make way for the new constellations when we spotted thee. Needless to say, we are... relieved.”
>You've settled down, but you're even more confused
>”We are sure thou hast questions, but perhaps thou should seek rest. After all, the time of day is less than ideal.”
>You shake your head
That's why I'm out here in the first place, I can't sleep. I figured walking around a little would help, but nothing so far.
>”Curious. We have heard that a warm beverage may help with that.”
Maybe. But I mean... okay, look, I'll be honest. I'm not a very strong guy. Walking with fifty pounds of books from Zecora's treehouse to Sparkle's home really really took a toll on me.
>You roll your shoulders, expressing your fatigue
My muscles were screaming, and they still are a bit, sweat was rolling down my body from head to toe, and the first sign of relief I got was when I crashed into Sparkle's floor. I swear I was going to pass out right then.
>”Perhaps thou art stronger than thou would think.”
That's... doubtful.
>Luna starts to continue, but shakes her head, turning to a different question. “Thou speakest of Zecora? She is the one that found thee?”
>You go on to explain how she found you, and how quickly she was to help you, after the initial shock of realizing where you were, and how unusually friendly you thought she was at first
>You add how she saved your life from this beast thing
>Luna frowns upon hearing about the creature, nodding. “Then we do not have as much time as we originally perceived.”
>Intrigued, you pursue this further
>”Do not fret. We will inform thee and Twilight Sparkle soon enough. However we should thank Zecora for helping thee.”
>You're about to keep going, but then, fuck it. You shrug
>Maybe you shouldn't care
>You just got here, and your head has been on a constant rampage ever since
>You've actually pretty much declared to yourself that you're insane, and now you just don't give a fuck
>Go with the flow, you guess
>Quiet, you just lay back down on the grass and stare at the sky, with Luna just watching you
>You figure a little small talk wouldn't hurt
Constellations, huh... I guess... you can control stars or something.
>It's a long shot, but you kinda want to have a normal conversation for once
>Even though star ponies are far from normal
>Luna looks up and smiles, giving a small nod. “Thou be'st correct, Anonymous.”
It's just Anon, please.
>”Very well, Anon,” she continued. “It is our responsibility to raise the moon every night, and align the stars up appropriately, and it will last until my sister, Princess Celestia, begins to raise the sun.”
That sounds difficult. And... powerful. Can all ponies do that?
>She laughed and shook her head. “No. We are the only ones that can achieve such a task. Furthermore, not all ponies can use magic, just unicorns.”
The ones with the horns.
>She nods. “There are Earth ponies, Pegasi, and Unicorns. The only exceptions are ourselves and our sister.”
Which are like some sort of... hybrid ponies.
>”Er... We... suppose thou could see it in that manner.”
>You sit up, looking at her quizzically
And you say you and your sister are the only different ones?
>She nods.
So... should I feel honored, or something?
>Luna looks at you with uncertainty
>”We... erm... Well, many ponies in this land bow in our presence, though we do not expect thou to. Thou be'st OUR guest, Anon, however unwilling thou may have been.”
>Your brow crunches, and you really try to think back
>All you can remember is music, then you were part of a slingshot
>Then your ass really really hurt, then you started to drown...
>Wait, there was a voice, saying something you can't quite remember
>Your head is starting to hurt again
Agghh...
>Your fingers press against your temples, rubbing against your brain to try to ease it
>”Art thou troubled, fair Anon?”
No... not really.
>”Perhaps we should continue our conversation at another time, then. Thou shalt be expecting our sister soon, so we recommend trying to rest.”
Yeah... alright. I'll keep it in mind.
>Luna smiles at you and nods. With one swift movement, she extends her wings and fires herself upward to the awaiting skies.
>You can't help but smile too. Even though this is a pretty fucked up world you got yourself in, you still admire the unnatural beauty that comes with it.
>You actually don't think there's anything like this where you come from.
>Your head plops back on the ground, and soon enough, you rearrange your orchestra and resume your symphony with your hands guiding it with every step.

create a new version of this paste RAW Paste Data

>You start pleading with Zecora, telling her that she can, in fact, trust you like before, pointing out the fact you had been on your best behavior
Hey, come on, at least let me help you pack! I owe you that much!
>A little rustling comes from inside, you wait a moment
...Please?
>The door swings open slowly, Zecora eying you as you enter
>Geez, that's all it took?
>You find that she has a couple of bags and boxes pulled out, a lot of them dusty from neglect
>Books. Lots and lots of books.
>”Anonymous,” she starts, blunt. “Stand over here.”
>Her hoof hits a box, you make your way over
>She's taking this ward business very seriously
>”Place books in the bags, and please stay near.”
>Where she can keep an eye on you, of course
ALL of the books?
>”We cannot afford to leave behind material we may need in time.”
>You nod, thinking it's probably best if you save questions until you two were out of “danger”
>Book after book start to stretch the bags she has available
>Most of the bags look like fanny packs, only twice as big and even wider
>Oh, yeah, she's a quadruped, these go on her back
>Might be uncomfortable, but you figure you could hoist a couple over yourself on your shoulders
>Other bags are more traditional, with thick handles in a loop over the entrance
>It takes a little time, but the two of you manage to fit all the books in
>Whew
>Zecora looks at her shelves, a concerned look on her face as her eyes darted over her bottles
>Then at her cauldrons, even more concerned
>Her hoof beats the wall, defeated
>She then slides her head under a bag, lifting the weight up and up, sliding down her back, repeating twice more
>Four more bags left
>You toss one of those backpacks on your shoulder, then stumble
>God damn these are heavy
>Struggling, you manage to push the other on your free shoulder
>Okay, now it gets easier
>You slip your arms through the handles of the other bags and let them slide to the pit of your elbow
>As you straighten back up, your arms are shaking a bit
>Was she going to just carry these by herself?
>Zecora just watches you, brow raised in amusement
>You give a thumbs up, wincing
>You manage a grin out of her
>Okay, your relationship meter ticked in the positive direction, so far so good
>You follow the zebra out, grunting as you duck to leave

Okay okay, hold on.
>You rest against a tree, shifting your shoulders to get some of the weight off, temporarily
>Your muscles cry for you to stop, but you're afraid you can't give them the luxury
>You've been walking for at least a mile you think
>Zecora sympathizes, but she's showing her impatience
>”We must leave here before sunset, when the forest is its deadliest yet.”
>Yep, that got you motivated
>You push off the tree, and force yourself to keep going, unfortunately Zecora has hastened to make up for lost time
>God damn that zebra
>Growling under you breath, you pick up the pace, arms and shoulders screaming
>Oh god is that
>YES
>Sweet merciful jesus that's the sun
>Or what's left of it, anyway
>You're blinded by the settling orange in front of you, but you're out, you're safe
>Hallelu-fuck, Zecora's a mile ahead of you
>Your groan is as heavy as the shit on your arms, but you keep shifting your feet in her direction 
>It's much easier to keep track of her now
>Multicolored specs shift in and out of your vision with every step
>You think you hear sounds and murmurs aiming towards you, but disregard everything except the vision in front of you
>Oh thank god, she stopped
>She stopped at... another tree.
>This one was a little different, it had a balcony, more than one floor
>And... that's all you really care to notice
>You hear a door open, and another gasp, but your muscles politely explain that you have other problems
>You feel your weight shift to and fro, this is it
Miss zebra lady, can I... please... set these down.
>A pause, the doorway has a shifting purple blur to it
>You think you hear Zecora say something about insides and on the floor
Why miss Zecora, I didn't think you thought of me that way.
>The blur shifts out of the way, and your back gets a push
>Nope, your legs ain't going
>But your face sure does
>WHAM
>The weight from your shoulders shifts, and oh my god you could not be happier
>You expect to conk out, arms feeling like painful jello
>But no, you experience the whole thing
Uuugggghhh.
>”What the heck is this?” says a new voice. Girly, you think. No accents. No rhyming. Good.
>”Hey, it looks kinda like a diamond dog! Except... no fur, snout, tail, sharp pointy teeth...” Another voice. Younger, sounds a bit immature. Male.
>”Are you sure this thing is safe, Zecora?” says the girly voice.
>”...its ears aren't droopy and pointed, its arms aren't as big...”
>”This creature here may be large in size, but he could not hurt hurt a group of flies.”
>Your pride cringes
>”It's wearing pants-”
>”We get it, Spike. Hmm...”
>A light tap on the back of your head
I'm resting.
>”And I'm Twilight. Twilight Sparkle.”
Fantastic.
>”Now if you would please move, you're blocking the door.”
>Groooooooooan. You have no intention to-
>float
>You're floating, and all you can see is a faint purple haze
>You weakly kick
AAAHH WHAT ARE YOU D-
>Dropped
>Again, on your face
>You rise slowly, wondering what kind of miracle it must be to not have a nosebleed by now
>You raise you hands up to see what the hell her deal was when you stop abruptly, watching as the purple horse thing makes her head rod glow some funky purple
>Consequently, all those bags of books you dropped float over to an empty table, neatly stacking ten high for each stack
Um.
>Zecora follows after the path is clear, dropping her bags down beside the table
>You're still not sure what happened
>The purple bitch closes the door. “There. Now.” She eyes you with dem perpuls. “What are you?”
>Your brow raises, her voice is a little too demanding for your tastes, and it irks you a bit
I am...
>”Yes?”
a hyyyyyyyoooooooomun.
>”Spike, write this down. Creature claims to be a human. Origin unknown. This ne-”
>”Uh, wait, how do you spell 'human'?”
B-I-T-E M-E
>”... B, I, T ... Hey!”
>You snicker
>”Sarcastic in nature, and horrible at spelling.”
>You narrow your eyes at her, she's not really getting on your good side
>”It appe-”
He. I'm a guy. Male.
>”... HE appears to lack hygiene and in willingness to cooperate. Would otherwise assume hostile if not reassured by my friend.”
>You decide to cut the act, this isn't going anywhere
Okay, okay. Calm your cakes, lady. I'm exhausted. One minute I'm almost drowning in a lake that I crashed into from the sky, the next I'm about to be mauled by a big red hairy psychobeast, and BEFORE I CAN CATCH MY BREATH, we have to leave immediately, away from whatever “danger” voodoo zebra pulled us away from.
>Twilight goes quiet, her big eyes angled in confusion
>”Crash? Psychobeast?” She turns back to Zecora. “Danger?”
>”He speaks the truth, my curious friend,” she starts, sitting near the table. “Your assistance is required, troubles to amend.”
>”Troubles? What kind of troubles?” Her focus is off you now, and you plant yourself on the ground, against the wall as she walks over to her friend
>The smaller purple and green one walks over to you, looks like a reptile of some sort
>”That wasn't very nice, you know.”
What? Oh, the 'bite me' thing. Yeah, I was just getting a little irritated at her. Nothing against you, erm, Spike right?
>He nods. ”That's me.” He points to himself proudly. “Spike the Dragon!”
Ppphhfhhfffahahahaha
>”Hey! What's so funny?!”
>You throw you hands up, a maniacal grin on your face
You are, man! This house is funny! This fucking WORLD is funny.
>You let out a huge, irritated sigh
Dammit, I liked it better in the forest, things felt at least a little familiar there. I walk like, two, three miles from there and I'm tossed around and questioned by a bright purple tinyhorse-
>”Pony,” Spike corrected.
PONY. That makes things move with it's glowing head rod-
>”Horn.”
... Horn.
>Spike bit on the end of his quill, piecing bits together in his head. In the background Twilight and Zecora yammer on about wards, evil, doom, and other things you're not paying attention to. ”So, I guess you're new to magic then, huh?”
Magic.
>”Yeah, magic.”
>Sigh. You give up
>Fucking magic
How does it work?
>”How does... magic work?” You nod. “Uh, well it's kinda like... uhhhm... BAM! HISS! BOOSSHHHHH” His hands dart up, expanding with ever explosion noise he makes. “POW! CRACK! Ssssssizzle... pop.” He closes his hands together at last, looking up to you. “... Just like that.”
>...
You have no idea do you.
>”Not really, no. I'm more of a fire-breathy, message delivery, note taking kind of guy. Twilight's the one that knows all about magic.”
>You groan. Having your curiosity sated isn't worth that much
>”Oh relax. She's really nice once you get to know her.”
Thanks but no thanks, I don't plan to stick around too much lo-
>”Spike?” calls Twilight from across the room, “Could you grab the spare blankets? Zecora's staying with us tonight.”
Oh.
>”Well what about this guy?”
>Twilight beams at you, then sighs.
>”He can stay too, as long as he doesn't touch anything. Or mind small blankets, or the floor.”
>You open your mouth to object, but then you realize you don't exactly have anywhere else to go
Ah... thanks, I guess. I don't suppose you have a sho...wer... ugggghh.
>You slap you hand against your face, remembering that you don't have any extra clothes
>Having been fully soaked, twice, and covered in sweat doesn't do well for your smell
>You sniff your shirt and cringe
>”Well... I do, but no offense, you're kind of big.”
I realize this, but how else am I supposed to appeal to your higher-classed sense of smell? Plus my clothes really REALLY need to be cleaned.
>The purple pony rolls her eyes. “Fine. It's through that door on the left, you can't miss it.” A hoof lifts to point you in the direction
Thank you, Mizz Zpahkul.
>You bow, even though her back is turned to you, and head out
>Boy she wasn't kidding, this tub was small
>But other than that, the bathroom looks pretty normal for a change
>You lock the door, and begin to take off your clothes
>Aw man, how are you going to wash these rank ass things?
>You can only assume she doesn't have a washing machine or anything like that, so you figure you should chuck them in the tub too
>start up the water, scrub the pieces of cloth with some soap, rinse, wring, hang it on the side of the tub, repeat
>All this manual labor slowly brings back your muscle aches, but you power through it
>Whew, finally done, you fling your arms a bit to ease up your muscle and clime into the tub
>You try using as little resources as possible, it's the least you could do for letting you, you know, wash and stay the night
>You guess Spike wasn't lying, she was nice enough in that sense
>Her attitude towards you could use some work you think, but maybe that's where your part comes in
>You finish, and sitting quiet and wet in the tub you think about life's mysteries
>Like how in the fuck did you get here?
>Oh, right, the ass-to-water routine
>But, why? There has to be a reason why YOU are HERE, in a place absent of species like yourself, as far as you can tell
>Your head beats against your knees, over and over, stuck waiting for your clothes to dry a second time, without the luxury of the sun

--

>So there you are
>Anonymous
>Curled up in a fetal position in a pony tub
>Stark naked, waiting for what seems to have been about an hour for your clothes to dry in the most unfavorable conditions possible
>At least you smell better
>Knock on the door. “Hey, Twilight says hurry up. There are other people in this house you know.”
It would go a lot faster if my clothes were dry.
>”Why do you need clothes?”
>You sigh
It's a hyoomun thing. Can't go in the public without anything to wear.
>You hear the kid laugh behind the door, “You remind me of another pony in this town! Although, less strict about the clothes thing.”
So you guys DO wear clothing?
>”Sometimes! Depends on the situation. Like, say, formal events.”
>Maybe your hopes of getting a new set of clothing hasn't be slashed
>Still doesn't help your current situation
Wait, you breathe fire, right? Think you could help me and my predicament?
>”Uh... I dunno. What did you have in mind?”
>You take your shirt and just barely open the door, shoving the bundled cloth through the crack
Do you think you could, like, super dry this for me?
>Spike eyes it awkwardly “I'm not your errand boy.”
Spike, come on man. I promise I'll pay you back. Just do me this one favor, show me that dragon in ya.
>He groans. “Alright alright. But remember, you owe me.” You feel the bundle leave your hands, and give him a thumbs up.
Just, please don't burn it.
>Spike chortled, and you hear a plop on against the wooden ground. “No promises.”

>So you manage to get your shirt back in one piece, thank god, and you convince him to do the same for your pants
>That's all you care to put him through though, he's done enough
Thanks, man.
>”Yeah yeah. Remember!”
Yeah, favor, I gotcha.
>You slip on your damp undies, shivering as the cold shoves through your loins and up your body
>It's oddly pleasant, at first
>Shirt, pants, socks
>Ahhhhh this feels better
>You pull the door open, and you're a little surprised to see Twilight and Zecora still at the table, though more piles of books have appeared
>You look outside, it's almost pitch black
You two plan to stay up all night?
>Twilight snaps her head over to you. “Oh. You're alive.”
Sorry I took so long, I had to-
>”Right, Spike told me you had some sort of condition.”
Yeah, I... wait.
>”You feel so insecure about your body that you have to hide yourself behind meaningless clothing in front of others in order to feel comfortable.”
>Your mouth holds open, unable to respond
>You can't believe how right she is
>But to you that was how 'normal' was perceived
>You weren't about to argue though, finding it pointless
Geez, Sparkle. You sure know how to be blunt.
>”It's Twilight. It was merely an observation.” She turns back to her books.
>You roll your eyes
What are you guys trying to find?
>You set yourself beside Zecora, peering at the open books, all to seemingly random things
>”We're trying to find out what kind of... thing Zecora faced. From her description, it was far from the normal monsters that lurk in the forest.”
>Zecora nodded. “With all my years of travel and wander, I've never seen this creature here nor yonder.”
>”The most disturbing fact has to be that it broke through Zecora's ward,” continued Twilight.
Right, you mentioned this ward before.
>Zecora sighed, distraught. “The ward repels all malice and hate, evil intentions, and whomever irate. Strengthened once a week or else lose its power, my home then is opened to the wild within hours.”
>Twilight looks over at you. “Here, can you read this?” Purple juju aura surrounds a book and keeps it levitated in front of you, showing you the cover
>Man you're still not used to that
>You squint your eyes at the golden lettering of the brown, slightly used book
>It looks jumbled and scrambled, but the symbols shift and blur together fluidly before you, and you're not exactly sure if that's because of the juju or not
>Magic
>Then, they turn into familiar characters, from left to right, until the entire title is was clear
“Artifacts of the Ancient, Volume IV”
>”That sure took you a while.”
I couldn't read it at first, but I guess it was just blurry or something. I kept seeing it move.
>”Interesting... well, you can help us out then.” She jujumagics a stack over towards you, and you look at it with distaste
Uh... well... I mean... isn't it getting a little late?
>You shove your thumb towards the window, hopeful, but she doesn't acknowledge
>”Of course not! Not when there's something as big as this out there that we could prevent!”
>Zecora places a hoof onto the purple's back. “He is right, my friend, the moon has ascended. Tomorrow we will continue the progress as intended.”
>Whoo. Thank you, zebra girl.
>Twilight sighs, defeated. “Fine. But I'm starting first thing in the morning.”
>Zecora smirks, and heads upstairs with Twilight
>You look around for Spike, but you think he might have hit the sack while you were talking
>You don't blame him
>On the ground next to a wall, you spot a blanket and a pillow piled up with your name on it
>You know you should be grateful and excited to see some kind of bed awaiting you, especially with what you've been through today
>But, you don't feel tired at all
>Not giving it too much thought, you lay the blanket on the floor as a makeshift mat, and lay back on the pillow
>...
>Still nothing
>Your eyes close, and you try your very hardest to concentrate on nothing but sleep
>Ahh sleep, how it should embrace you and set your consciousness off
>Ahhhhh sleep, how it should make your eyes heavy and zip you through the next day
>Ahhhhhhhh sleeeeeeeeeeep, how it should fucking be here by now
>...
>You're impatient
>You figure it's been about half an hour, and you spring up
>Maybe you need to relax. After all, you've been through a lot of shit for just one day
>You consider your options
>You could read through some of the books Sparkle shoved at you earlier
>Or you could wander aimlessly through the house, the curious being you are
>But probably shouldn't pry through people's business
>You put your attention to the window, staring outwards
>Ah... you guess a walk wouldn't hurt
>Making as little noise as you can, you slip on your shoes and open the door, which then a mild breeze hits you, causing you to shiver
>Ah... guess you'd better bring warmth, you have no fat on you to keep you warm
>You snag the blanket, wrap it around your shoulders, and promptly exit

>Your eyes adjust to the light the moon provides, and you admire how bright it is in the sky as you make your way through town
>With time, you can make out smaller details, but colors are still hit and miss
>So this is where ponies live, yeah?
>Other than the designs of some of the buildings, it doesn't feel much different than a human town
>Comforting, even
>You wonder what the town is like when it is active, bustling with activity and marketing
>You were so depleted and full of tunnel vision from the initial travel to the town you didn't even notice anyone around you
>God, all the stares you must have gotten, you're surely the gossip of the town now
>Traversing throughout Ponyville is going to be difficult in the day, you figure

>Eventually, after taking a few mental notes on the various landmarks in the town you make your way to the end where you see a rolling field, the entrance to the forest in the distance
>The fields look relaxing enough, you're still not even close to sleepy
>You trek across the lands, clenching the blanket around your shoulders to keep warm in the gentle breeze
>You attention rises up, and you can't help but smile
>God the sky is beautiful tonight, the stars flicker through the small number of clouds, but the moon just outshines them all
>It almost feels bigger than the one you had back home
>You feel at peace with yourself, and, finding nothing better to do, you take a seat on one of the hills, with clear view of the sky
>You could just sit here all night you think, a tranquil sensation running through your body the more you stare up
>Your back lands against the grass, clenching the blanket around your shoulders
>A mental tune run through your head, using an imaginary score, with the stars as its notes
>You're sure that the notes wouldn't sound anything like what you have going on in your head, but you don't care
>It's a beautiful piece
>Your hands reach upward, and move to the beat of the song, imagining conducting a room full of skilled percussionists and orchestra masters
>And they follow your hands accordingly, all under your control
>For that moment, you have found your peace
>You didn't care about this world, ponies, zebras, dragons, water hazards, or hairy beasts
>And in that same moment, the world didn't care about you, and that's exactly what you wanted
>”Dost thou admire our work, Anonymous?”
>The music clashes
>Bounce the fuck up
>Your head darts in the direction of the voice to find a peculiar sight
>She was another equine, but taller and leaner. Sitting down, she could Her coat looked black in the lighting, but her mane and tail was something else entirely
>It flowed from her head as a solid aura, moving with no breeze. She was adorned in a neat looking neck brace sort of thing, with elegant “slippers” included
>Horn AND a pair of wings, oh boy
Jesus christ my heart can't take much more excitement.
>You beat your chest a bit, settling yourself down
>She bows her head slightly. “We apologize for startling thee, but we wish to speak with Equestria's new guest. We are Princess Luna, it is a pleasure meeting thee at last.”
>You just glare at her, a million questions in your head, but you can't seem to choose one, which keeps you silent
>Luna approaches you casually, “Thou seems to be adapting well enough, we were concerned about thine safety on the first day. We will have to thank whomever is responsible.”
>Hearing her talk gets your mind sorted out a bit more, so you keep quiet hoping that she'd keep talking and answering on her own
>Also she has a wicked cool manner of speech
>”YThou must be curious to know why we know thy name. Our sister and ourselves hath chosen thee in hope that thou shalt offer assistance.”
>More questions, but the only thing you can say is
So you're the one that blasted me out from the sky and into that freezing pit of ice water?
>You sound frustrated, and Luna can detect it. “We admit the entrance was... less than ideal. We tried to place thee in Canterlot directly. As thou can see, our aim was a little... off. We were worried that thou might have been injured, or worse. Thou hast our sincerest apologies.”
>She sits down near you, and looks up at the sky. “We were rearranging the stars for to make way for the new constellations when we spotted thee. Needless to say, we are... relieved.”
>You've settled down, but you're even more confused
>”We are sure thou hast questions, but perhaps thou should seek rest. After all, the time of day is less than ideal.”
>You shake your head
That's why I'm out here in the first place, I can't sleep. I figured walking around a little would help, but nothing so far.
>”Curious. We have heard that a warm beverage may help with that.”
Maybe. But I mean... okay, look, I'll be honest. I'm not a very strong guy. Walking with fifty pounds of books from Zecora's treehouse to Sparkle's home really really took a toll on me.
>You roll your shoulders, expressing your fatigue
My muscles were screaming, and they still are a bit, sweat was rolling down my body from head to toe, and the first sign of relief I got was when I crashed into Sparkle's floor. I swear I was going to pass out right then.
>”Perhaps thou art stronger than thou would think.”
That's... doubtful.
>Luna starts to continue, but shakes her head, turning to a different question. “Thou speakest of Zecora? She is the one that found thee?”
>You go on to explain how she found you, and how quickly she was to help you, after the initial shock of realizing where you were, and how unusually friendly you thought she was at first
>You add how she saved your life from this beast thing
>Luna frowns upon hearing about the creature, nodding. “Then we do not have as much time as we originally perceived.”
>Intrigued, you pursue this further
>”Do not fret. We will inform thee and Twilight Sparkle soon enough. However we should thank Zecora for helping thee.”
>You're about to keep going, but then, fuck it. You shrug
>Maybe you shouldn't care
>You just got here, and your head has been on a constant rampage ever since
>You've actually pretty much declared to yourself that you're insane, and now you just don't give a fuck
>Go with the flow, you guess
>Quiet, you just lay back down on the grass and stare at the sky, with Luna just watching you
>You figure a little small talk wouldn't hurt
Constellations, huh... I guess... you can control stars or something.
>It's a long shot, but you kinda want to have a normal conversation for once
>Even though star ponies are far from normal
>Luna looks up and smiles, giving a small nod. “Thou be'st correct, Anonymous.”
It's just Anon, please.
>”Very well, Anon,” she continued. “It is our responsibility to raise the moon every night, and align the stars up appropriately, and it will last until my sister, Princess Celestia, begins to raise the sun.”
That sounds difficult. And... powerful. Can all ponies do that?
>She laughed and shook her head. “No. We are the only ones that can achieve such a task. Furthermore, not all ponies can use magic, just unicorns.”
The ones with the horns.
>She nods. “There are Earth ponies, Pegasi, and Unicorns. The only exceptions are ourselves and our sister.”
Which are like some sort of... hybrid ponies.
>”Er... We... suppose thou could see it in that manner.”
>You sit up, looking at her quizzically
And you say you and your sister are the only different ones?
>She nods.
So... should I feel honored, or something?
>Luna looks at you with uncertainty
>”We... erm... Well, many ponies in this land bow in our presence, though we do not expect thou to. Thou be'st OUR guest, Anon, however unwilling thou may have been.”
>Your brow crunches, and you really try to think back
>All you can remember is music, then you were part of a slingshot
>Then your ass really really hurt, then you started to drown...
>Wait, there was a voice, saying something you can't quite remember
>Your head is starting to hurt again
Agghh...
>Your fingers press against your temples, rubbing against your brain to try to ease it
>”Art thou troubled, fair Anon?”
No... not really.
>”Perhaps we should continue our conversation at another time, then. Thou shalt be expecting our sister soon, so we recommend trying to rest.”
Yeah... alright. I'll keep it in mind.
>Luna smiles at you and nods. With one swift movement, she extends her wings and fires herself upward to the awaiting skies.
>You can't help but smile too. Even though this is a pretty fucked up world you got yourself in, you still admire the unnatural beauty that comes with it.
>You actually don't think there's anything like this where you come from.
>Your head plops back on the ground, and soon enough, you rearrange your orchestra and resume your symphony with your hands guiding it with every step.

Pastebin.com Tools & Applications

iPhone/iPad

Windows

Firefox

Chrome

WebOS

Android

Mac

Opera

Click.to

UNIX

WinPhone