Title:           The Roseluck Chronicles Chapter 1: That Faithful Day
Author:          Fourdak
Pastebin link:   http://pastebin.com/0j2XsQPn
First Edit:      Thursday 6th of September 2012 04:15:48 AM CDT
Last Edit:       Thursday 6th of September 2012 04:15:48 AM CDT

Roseluck Chronicles Chapter 1:That Faithful Day
Part 1: A Magical Night
 
>Another long day.
>It's just a job, you think to yourself
>The only reason you have the blasted job is so you can make it though college and start up your own business.
>Exhausted, you slowly walk out of the office building where you work.
>You have been working as a desk jockey here since you started college
>The work is remedial and repetitive
>But it’s a job you can do for some money until you graduate
>You start to make you way back to your apartment
>A usually short and uninteresting chore.
>You're preoccupied with thoughts about the future
>As you pass by an alleyway something happens
>Something magical
>A bright flash and a loud crack emanate from the alleyway
>The suddenness of this knocks you out of your thoughts
>As you stare down the now dark alleyway you swear you can hear something struggling
"Hello?"
>Ok you know you heard someone say that.
"Hello, is somep0ny out there?"
>Did they say somep0ny?
>You must have heard it wrong
>None the less, sounds like someone needs some help
>You start to walk down the alley
>"Hello?" you say into the darkness
>"Do you need some help?"
>You hear some clanging coming from a nearby dumpster
"Oh good, somep0nys there, I seem to be stuck inside of this metal box."
"If you could give me a helping hoof, I would appreciate it."
>Now you know that someone had said somep0ny, but did they also say hoof?
>You slowly approach the dumpster
>You grab onto the lid and lift it open and peer into the darkness
>In the low light you can make out the vague shape of what appears to be a four legged creature
"H-Hello..."
>The voice now sounds shaky
>You slowly extend you hand down into the dumpster
>You feel something move into it.
>Its soft and fur covered.
>You start to pull the creature out of the dumpster
>As you pull it out into the light you get a better look
>You nearly let go when you see her
>She looks like a horse
>But that’s impossible, horses don't talk
"W-what are you..."
>you lose your grip leaving her hanging half out the dumpster
>"You can talk!
>She seems to be able to get herself the rest of the way out of the dumpster and jumps down to the ground
>You can now make out her full appearance
>She appears to stand at around the height of your waist when on all four
>Her coat is a pale yellow, her mane is two shades of pink, and you can barely make out the shape of a flower on her flank.
>"That’s impossible! Horses can't talk!"
>She appears to be taken aback by this
"I'm not a horse, I'm a pony. And you haven't answered my question."
>In all the shock, you nearly forgot the question she asked you.
>What are you...
>"I'm human..."
"What's a human?"
>You can't think straight, you still can't get over the impossibility of the situation.
>You are standing in an alleyway, in the middle of the night, talking to a pony that you pulled out of a dumpster
>There was only one logical explanation for it all
>You job has finally cost you your sanity
>Why not play along...
>"Humans, I guess we can be described as intelligent, talking apes."
>Yeah that sounds good
"Ok, where am I at? This doesn't look like Ponyville. Is this even Equestria?"
>Equestria, right...
>"You’re in Chicago. It is a city in America. On a planet called Earth."
>Your starting to have some fun with this, and why not, if you're going to go insane might as well have some fun along the way.
>She looks around nervously
>"What’s your name, and what’s with the tattoo on you flank"
>She tilts her head to the side when you mention the word tattoo
"My name is Roseluck, and what do you mean tattoo?"
>"The rose, right there." You point to the rose
"Oh that's my cutie mark. It means my special talent is growing and selling roses. I just love flowers."
>Cutie marks, special talents, roseluck...
>Yep you're definitely headed to the loony bin.
>You look at your watch, it’s getting late.
>You don't want to leave her out her, even if she was a figment of your insane mind.
>"It's starting to get late; you shouldn't stay out here at night like this."
>"Come with me back to my apartment. We can figure everything out in the morning."
>She slowly nods and follows you out of the alley
>The rest of the walk back to your apartment was silent.
>You climb the stair case leading to your apartment
>Behind you the sound of hooves reminds you of your delusion
>You open the door and let yourself and Roseluck into your studio apartment
>Your apartment is spacious and kind of bare.
>You have set up some temporary walls to make the place feel like it has separate rooms
>You have your semi-combined kitchen/living room, some office space, and your bedroom.
>You lead Roseluck over to your couch in the living room.
>"you can sleep here tonight, I'll get you some blankets and a pillow"
>"The kitchen is over there, if you’re hungry I think I have a salad in the refrigerator."
>You walk over to your bedroom and grab a few blankets and an extra pillow.
>When you return you find roseluck already half-asleep
>You place the pillow under her head and cover her with the blankets
>As you do so you catch her scent in the air
>She smells of roses
>You quickly undress and crawl into bed
>Your final thoughts as you drift off to sleep are of your delusions and the smell of roses.
End of Part 1
 
Part 2:The Next Morning
>You awake from a restful sleep
>As you slowly stretch one thought goes through your mind
>Roseluck
>It must have been a dream
>There is no such thing as talking ponies from a land called Equestria
>You were really tired
>You must have walked all the way home, collapsed into your bed, and dreamt the whole thing
>It is the only explanation
>It's a good idea for a TV. show though
>Maybe you can write a story about it and sell it and make millions
>Yeah...Right...
>You roll out of bed and quickly throw on some shorts
>Time to enjoy a nice Saturday morning
>You walk into your kitchen not even taking a glance at the couch
>You pour yourself a cup of coffee that the machine has already made for you
>You turn around and lean against the counter and look out into the living area
>That’s when you see it
>The blanket
>The pillow
>The Pony
>You really have lost it
>You feel yourself go numb as the coffee cup slips from you hand
>It falls and crashes into the floor, shattering upon impact
>The sound of breaking glass wakes up the sleeping Mare
>She's up with a start and looking around at her surroundings
>Her eyes finally settle on you
>She looks just as shocked as you feel
"So it is real then?"
>You slowly feel yourself nod
"I'm not in Equestria, I'm on Earth."
>Again you nod
"And you're a human."
>You nod again
>"And you're a talking pony"
>Your voice sounds foreign and distant
>Pull yourself together Anon
>You have a talking pony inside your apartment
"You never told me you name last night?"
>"Wha..." You barely comprehend the question
>For some reason she speaks slower
"Your name..."
>Work brain, work! What is our name?!
>You finally manage to utter your name.
>"Anon"
>She nods and continues to stare at you
"Well, what now?"
>Now, I call a doctor to get my head examined...
>A talking pony, in my apartment
>For some reason your brain can't get passed with thought
>"Are there more of your kind?"
>Stupid question anon
"Well yes, equestria is filled with all different kind of ponies"
>"Different kinds of ponies" you repeat slowly
"Well yes, I'm an earth pony; there are also Unicorns, Pegasi, and Alicorns"
>You nod slowly, trying to take in all the information
>You walk over and sit down the couch next to her
>The smell of roses fills you nostrils again
>For some reason the smell is calming
>To take a deep breath, lean back, and carefully listen
"Unicorns have horns, which they are able to cast magic from."
"Pegasi have wings, and are able to control the weather."
"Alicorns have both, most are considered royalty."
>You start to slowly digest the situation
>"And all of you have these cutie marks, which denote your special ability..."
"You’re starting to catch on!"
>Right, I'm starting to catch on.
>Never mind that this is insane and impossible
>"How did you get here?"
>She hangs her head and shakes it
"I don't know, one minute I'm taking care of my flower garden, the next I'm stuck inside of that metal box."
>All of the events from last night are in clear focus in your mind
>It finally dawns upon you that this might all be happening
>Your mind still needs one last thing to be sure
>Your hand slowly reaches out to touch her
>At first she recoils from your outstretched hand
>But then she moves closely towards it.
>Her mane feels like silk between your fingers.
>Slowly you start to pet her mane
>with each pass, she presses herself against your hand
>You slowly move your hand down to her back
>She is soft
>So very soft
>She arches her back against your touch.
>You feel something begin to build inside of you
>What is this feeling?
>Whoa! No, you can't have that feeling.
>She's...she's a pony
>A talking pony
>But still an animal
>You remove you hand from her
>She looks at you in a mixture of surprise and disappointment
"Is something wrong?"
>No, nothing’s wrong...
>I just had strong feelings for a talking pony that magically appeared in a dumpster last night
>Yes, there is something terribly wrong
>But, all you can utter is "No, not at all."
>A sudden thought crosses your mind
>"Do you think that you're the only one that came to this world?"
>She looks at you in puzzled
>She brings her to front hooves up and shrugs
>"Well if there are more of you here, the news will have caught wind of something."
>You reach over and grab the remote and flip on the T.V.
>You surf the channels to the nearest news station
>It looks like your suspicions were right.
>Ponies
>Ponies Everywhere
>As the news reports it, last night at the same time around the globe, ponies appeared
>They all came in a pallet of different colors.
>Earth ponies, unicorns, pegasi, a few alicorns.
>All each having a unique cutie mark
>"Well, looks like I'm not going crazy after all."
>Roseluck looks at you with a tilted head
"You thought you were going crazy?"
>"Well yes, how insane is it that there are talking ponies
"How insane is it that there are talking monkeys..."
>Touché...
>"Are you hungry?"
>Almost as if on cue her stomach growls
>She makes the funniest and maybe cutest face you have ever seen...
>No, not those feelings again...
>"Let me get you that salad. It looks like we have a lot to discuss."
End of Part 2
 
Part 3: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
>You get up off the sofa and make your way to the kitchen
>As you walk into the kitchen you nearly step on a piece of your broken coffee cup
>Ok, step 1 clean up mess from coffee
>You slowly bend down and start picking up the larger pieces of the cup
>Your thoughts drift off
>There is a talking pony sitting on your couch
>She smells of roses
>Her and a bunch of ponies from the land of Equestria have magically appeared in your world
>No matter how real it feels
>No matter how you try and logic it out
>It still doesn't feel right
>Maybe it isn't, maybe your still dreaming
>That’s it, this is still a dream
>A really complex and vivid dream
>But a dream none the less
>You finish picking up the pieces of glass and you throw them away
>You grab a few paper towels and start to mop up the spilt coffee
>Your mind continues
>What about "that"
>You stop mopping up
>You take a look over at the mare sitting on your couch
>She is engrossed in the news about her people on earth
>You go back to your cleaning
>It was nothing
>Are you sure about that...
>You slowly start to push "those" thoughts to the back of your mind
>Yes, I'm sure any kind of feelings I have can be explained by this being a dream
>She is nothing but an animal, an intelligent talking animal
>My feelings need to reflect as much.
>Plus at any moment, I'll wake up and this dream will fade away into distant memory
>I might as well enjoy this dream while I have the chance.
>You finish cleaning up the coffee
>You walk over to the refrigerator and pull out the salad
>Do ponies even like salad?
>You look up from the salad to ask and notice that roseluck is already staring at you.
>She looks worried
>"Is something wrong?"
"It looks like chaos out there"
>You nod in agreement
>"Talking ponies appear overnight, people aren't going to handle it well."
"What about you? You seem to be handling it just fine."
>You nod to yourself
>Yes what about me
>Whatever you do don't tell her you think it's a dream
>It might end it early
>"I don't know, maybe it’s because I watch a lot of sci-fi movies..."
>"Not to say that I'm not freaked out about this, it’s just maybe I can handle it..."
>"I mean there's a talking pony in my apartment..."
>"And talking ponies just randomly appeared all over the world..."
>The more you talk the more light headed you get
>"And now it’s all over the news...
>"And I think the realization of the whole situation just hit me..."
>Houston we have a problem...
>"You’re a talking pony, from another world..."
>"The whole idea of it is impossible...
>"Insane..."
"Didn't we just go over that?"
>"I think... I wasn't... This isn't..."
"I don't understand it either..."
>"I’m just having a hard time now...
>"Talking about it doesn't seem to be helping any..."
"The talking box says that everyp0ny is gathering at some park downtown."
>Park, downtown right...
>"Which park did they say?"
"Millennium Park."
>Ok relatively close by.
"I would like to see if any of my friends are down there, maybe Mayor Mare or even Princess Celestia."
>Mayor Mare? Princess Celestia? Who?
>"I'll walk you down there... I could use some fresh air..."
>"You might want to eat first before we go."
>You can hear her stomach growl across the room
"Good Idea."
End of Part 3
 
Part 4: The Millenium Park Speech
>You and roseluck start eating some breakfast
>Your slightly surprised when Roseluck asks to have some of the eggs you made
>"I thought ponies would be vegetarians"
"Well, we are, but we also eat animal by-products as well"
>You and Roseluck quickly eat and start to make your way down to Millennium Park
>As you exit the apartment you notice you are not the only whole with a pony
>Some ponies are indeed by themselves or with other ponies,
>But several are accompanied by humans.
>Looks like you weren't the only one to make a friend
>You probably aren't the only one who thinks that they are going insane either.
>You begin to take in the sights of a world now with ponies
>Honestly not much has changed
>Except for the inclusion of ponies
>As you walk you notice a group of ponies being led my another pony with a map
>A map that is floating in front of the lead pony.
>Roselucks words about Unicorns comeback to you
>Not only are you in a world of ponies now
>You are in a world of magic.
>You head still swims trying to comprehend the implications of ponies and magic
>Something catches your eye above you
>You see several brightly covered streaks zoom through the air
>Those aren't birds
>Those must be pegasi
>One seems faster than the rest
>It also stands out the most from the rest too
>Its streak is colored like a rainbow
>Ponies everywhere, magic wielding unicorns, flying pegasi
>You stumble a bit from all the thoughts that cloud your head
>You look down at your pony companion
>She doesn't appear to be faring any better
>"It’s a lot to take in, isn't it?"
>She sounds almost breathless
"It’s so big..."
>You chuckle slightly
>"The fresh air doesn't seem to be helping..."
>She coughs slightly
"This is fresh air? It feels like I can hardly breathe"
>Pollution and smog, they probably don't have it...
>"Do you use fossil fuels in equestria."
"What are those?"
>That confirms it
>"Humans haven't been the nicest to our planet..."
"What do you mean?"
>"It’s a long story, I'll explain later..."
>If there’s a later...
>As you approach Millennium Park the number of ponies and humans begins to swell
>You also the notice an increase in one other department
>Police officers
>Most of them appear to be outfitted in normal patrol gear
>But as you get closer and closer to Millennium Park you begin to notice slight increase in armaments
>What are they expecting?
>You don't think that the ponies would hurt anyone
>No, it’s not for fear of the ponies
>Humans were the x-factor here
>They are here to protect the ponies from us
>It appears that all of the ponies are gathering around the amphitheater
>As you approach you can hear several voices calling out different names in the crowd
"Has anyp0ny seen Lyra anywhere?"
"Applebloom! Applebloom! Where are you sis?!"
"Oh Celestia, why is this happening"
"Roseluck, Lily?!"
>There to your right.
>"Roseluck over here, I heard your name."
>Roseluck follows you through the crowd
>You eventually find a pink pony, with green hair.
>She has two daisies as a cutie mark
"Daisy!"
>Roseluck runs over and puts her front legs around Daisy's neck
"I’m so glad I found you!"
>You notice that daisy doesn't appear to be alone; a man is with her also
>"I'm glad you found one of your friends Roseluck."
"Oh, Daisy this is Anon, he saved me from a metal box last night."
>You smile at daisy and she smiles back
>The two ponies begin to converse with each other about their other missing friend.
>The man who is with daisy looks around nervously
>"Something wrong buddy?"
"I-I don't like crowds much. Plus doesn't this strike you as kind of weird"
>"Well, yes, ponies appear everywhere across the earth overnight does strike me as kind of weird."
>He laughs nervously
>You turn and look at the stage.
>Up on the stage you can make out two figures.
>One is the Mayor of the city
>The other is a pony who is tan colored with a white mane
>The Mayor of Chicago approaches the podium
"Good Morning citizens of Chicago. As you may or may not have noticed we have a few visitors with us today."
>You hear a few nervous chuckles from the crowd, but it’s mostly silent now.
"I have been told that they are from the land that they call Equestria."
"I have also been told that they are quite friendly."
"I am officially offering my hand in friendship to our new visitors"
"Without further ado, I present Mayor Mare, to have a word with her people about the current state of affairs."
>The mayor walks over and extends his hand down to Mayor Mare
>The mayor extends her hoof and they both shake.
>That will probably be the picture on the front page tomorrow.
>Mayor mare walks over and then takes the podium
>She clears her throat and begins
"Good morning Fillies and Gentlecolts, I hope that everp0ny out there is safe and sound."
"As Mayor Emanuel stated, I am here to talk on the current situation."
"We still do not know how we all ended up here."
"We don't know exactly how many of us got transported here, or where all the rest of us are."
"I know some of you are missing friends and family members."
"Every effort is being taken to reunite everyp0ny with their scattered families."
"Most of all, we don't know where and of the Princesses are."
>At this an audible gasp goes through the crowd
>Murmurs spread and begin to get louder
"Please calm down everyp0ny, we are looking for them, if they are here we will find them."
"Finally comes up the question of shelter."
"Mayor Emanuel has assured me that temporary shelters are being set up for us in several places around the city."
"But, if you can find some hosts that are willing to take you in, we highly encourage this."
"Thank you everyp0ny for your patience."
>Mayor Mare steps down and Mayor Emanuel takes the podium again
"Citizens I encourage you to be good hosts and open your homes to our visitors."
"Thank you."
>He steps down from the podium.
>As he does there is a few moments of claps and some hoof stomping
>But that is quickly overtaken by the rising clamor of voices shouting out names again.
>You turn to Roseluck, who is already staring at you
>"Well, it’s your choice Roseluck, what do you want to do."
>She looks down at the ground and back up at you.
"If you wouldn't mind, Anon, I would like to go back to your place."
>You nodded and start making your way through the crowd.
End of Part 4
 
Part 5: The Long Road Ahead
>You and Roseluck make your way out of Millennium Park.
>As the crowd begins to thin out, you turn around to Roseluck.
> “So if we are going to be staying together, we had better go and get some groceries.”
>Roseluck nods silently
>”So what do Equestrians like to eat besides salad and eggs?”
“We eat all kinds of fruits, vegetables and flowers, and as I said before some animal by-products.”
>”You eat flowers?”
“Yes, what do you use flowers for?”
>”We use them as decorations; we also use them to display affection for another.”
>”So does that mean the flowers that you grew were for food.”
“Yes, they were the best flowers around. I won several prizes for my flowers.”
>”Impressive.”
>”Thank you, Anon.”
>You both continue to walk along in silence until you arrive at a small grocery store.
>You, with Roseluck’s guidance pick up groceries suitable for the diet of a pony.
>After leaving the grocery store you and Roseluck make your way back the apartment.
“I really wish I had my bags with me so I could help you carry the groceries Anon.”
>”It’s no trouble at all Roseluck.”
“I appreciate you helping me out Anon.”
>”Well, I just couldn’t leave you in the dumpster could I?”
“It’s not just that, for letting me stay with you until they can figure out what to do.”
>”Like I said, it’s not trouble at all.”
>The rest of the walk home is relatively quiet and uneventful.
>You eventually reach your apartment and begin to put away the food that you have bought.
>There is something that you have forgotten.
>It has been bothering you since you left the park.
>But what was it…
>Oh that’s right…
>You probably should have checked with your landlord before agreeing to let a pony stay in your apartment.
>Wouldn’t want to violate your lease by letting a talking pony from another world stay here.
>That would be bad.
>The more you turn that thought over in your mind the more alien it sounds.
>Talking ponies, Equestria, and magic.
>This is going to take some time to get used to…
>You shake your head clear and turn to Roseluck.
>”I’ll be right back Roseluck, I probably should have checked with my landlord to see if it would be ok if you stayed here.”
“What’s a landlord exactly?”
>”Well, I don’t own the apartment we are in, someone else does. I pay him for letting me stay in it.”
>”He makes the rules about things we can do in his apartment.”
>”So, I really should have seen if talking ponies are against the rules.”
>She chuckles at the last statement.
“If he is as nice as you are, there shouldn’t be a problem.”
>”I don’t see one either, but its better if I do the courteous thing and check first.”
>She nods and continues to put the food away as you exit the apartment.
>Mr. Williams lives on the first floor of the apartment complex.
>He’s a very nice and understanding man.
>He’s even been a little lenient when you’re late with the rent.
>There really shouldn’t be a problem.
>You get down to the first floor and knock on Mr. Williams’ door.
>He quickly answers it.
”Hello Anon, how are you? Seen the news lately? Crazy stuff going on out there. Anything I can help you with?
>”I’m fine Mr. Williams. The news is actually why I’m here.”
>He chuckles…
“Let me guess, you took one of them in didn’t you and you wanted to check with me about it?”
>You scratch you head as he says this.
>”Well, yes, but how did you know what I was going to ask?”
“You’re not the first one to come knocking today.”
“All I ask is that you keep no more than one, and any damage that they might cause you are liable for.”
>You smile and nod.
>”Thank you Mr. Williams, have a good day.”
“Have a good day Anon.”
>You make your way upstairs to tell Roseluck the good news.
>As you enter the apartment you find Roseluck is once again watching the news.
>She doesn’t notices your entrance into the apartment until you speak.
>”Anything new about your people?”
>She shakes her head.
“They aren’t people their ponies.”
>Right ponies, need to start trying to use the right syntax.
>She turns and looks at you.
“Good news?”
>You smile and nod.
>She smiles and continues to look at you.
“Anon, about what you said earlier…”
>”What do you mean Roseluck?”
>She laughs.
“Stop calling me Roseluck, call me Rose.”
>For some reason this sends you back to a moment in time watching the Titanic.
>You’re barely listening to Rose as you play some of the scenes from the movie in your head.
“Anon, are you listening to me?”
>”Wha-“
>She sighs.
“You said that you would tell me about your planet and how you haven’t taken care of it later.”
>You nod.
>You really don’t want to tell her about the faults of humanity.
>Especially to someone who hasn’t even been in this world for not even a day.
>You realize a little too late that you are wearing your thoughts on your sleeve.
>She is still staring at you.
“Is it really that bad?”
>She can see your hesitation at the question.
>Your willingness to lie to her about the state of the world.
>You finally are able to get out the words.
>”It’s too early…”
>She looks down at the floor from your answer.
>”I’ll tell you someday, but I want you to see the world for yourself before you hear my opinion on it.”
>She nods silently.
>”I would love to hear about Equestria, if you would like to…”
>She shakes her head, when she looks at you can see tears forming in her eyes.
”It’s too early, I just…”
>That was too much for her.
>She begins to cry.
>Good job Anon…
>You walk over and sit down on the couch next to her.
>As you do she reaches out and hugs you around the neck.
>Her tear streaked face buried into your shoulder.
>The smell of roses once again fills your nostrils.
>Your surprised the by action.
>You can barely make out the words between her sobs.
“Wha-what if we ca-can’t go b-back…”
“Wha-what if we-were st-stuck here…”
>She continues to sob uncontrollably.
>Your brain is slow to react.
>You slowly begin to stroke her mane.
>”Its ok, Rose, they will find a way to get you back home.”
>”And, if they can’t we will just cross that bridge when we come to it.”
>She continues to sob into your shoulder.
>Her whole body trembling underneath your hands.
>It’s an all too human emotion.
>Wait…what…
>No, she’s an animal…
>A talking, sentient, animal, from a magical land called Equestria.
>But an animal, none the less.
>You look up and stare at the news.
>It shows pictures from all around the world of gatherings of ponies.
>Just like the one you were just at.
>You can only comprehend one thought at the moment.
>Between the mare sobbing in your arms and the ponies gathering all around the world.
>Everything just got a lot more complicated.
End of Part 5
End of Chapter 1