Then and Now Pt. 1

>The sound of a basketball hitting, then rolling, against pavement slowly nudges you awake
>Your face is pressed against the ground
>You push yourself up, groaning in mild pain, before dusting yourself off and trying to orient yourself
>You head over to your basketball and pick it up, before observing your dark surroundings
>You are Anon
>You are twelve years old
>And where the heck were you?
>Last thing you remember, you were in front of your house, playing basketball with your friend Tiffany
>She wanted to see you slam dunk, so you lowered the net and went for it
>Even with it lowered, it was hard to reach, but as you did…
>…that’s right.
>Your hand passed through the net, as if you were a ghost, and you dropped
>Dropped through the ground, deep, into some sort of colorful mess
>It sucked you right in
>That’s all you can remember about what you did last
>And here you are, on the pavement, outside of what seems to be some sort of village
>Gripping the basketball, you decide it best to head toward it. Perhaps the locals can tell you what’s going on
>It’s night, but someone would be awake, right?

>You walk into town. All the lights are off, and you’re getting a little uneasy about it
>You’re in an unknown village at night, who knows what could happen to you
>Nervous, you subconsciously begin dribbling your basketball
>You’re pretty good at dribbling. You’re one of the stars of your local kids’ league
>Some parents think you’ll really go somewhere if you keep it up
>The airy thud of the basketball reverberates throughout the town
>It crawls around each alley, house, and building, piercing the still night air
>One by one, lights begin to turn on in the houses
>…Oh no, you’ve woken everybody up
>They’ll hate you, throw you out of town, leave you to die in this strange world
>You begin to pick up the pace, going toward what seems to be a large tree in the middle of town
>You can hide in or around that, pretend you weren’t even here
>Suddenly, a light turns on inside the tree too
>The tree is a house as well?!
>You begin to hear murmuring, and doors opening
>As well as the basketball’s airy bouncing sound
>Shoot! Come on, Anon, stop dribbling the ball!
>You begin to hear the sound of trotting hooves coming from near the houses
>Oh man, they’ve brought mounted police, you’re really in for it now
>You grip the basketball between your palms, fingers digging into it
>Maybe you can bean the ball at one of them and make a run for it
>You slowly turn to the sound of the officer
>To find…
>…
>What are those?
>Emerging from the houses are small, colorful p0nies
>They emerge from the houses and walk toward you, but keep their distance
>Their eyes are wide with wonder, curiosity, and even a little fear
>”What is that thing?” you can hear one say
>They can talk?
>”It looks like some sort of monkey.”
>”Is it lost? Poor creature.”
>”Why is it wearing those clothes?”
>They murmur and speak to one another, forming a small, but distant, crowd around you
>You bolt your head around, trying to keep an eye on all of them
>You must look like a scared animal to them
>”I’ve never seen anything like it…” you hear from behind you
>You turn your head to the voice
>A purple p0ny with a horn sticking from her head has emerged from the tree, slowly approaching you
>”I know somep0ny who might be able to help you. Do you want to come with me inside? I’ll be sure to contact her.”
>She extends her hoof toward you
>”She could surely take care of you.”
>You don’t know what to think. What was this thing offering you?
Oh, um… thank you, but I can take care of, um, myself… I mean…
>The entire group of p0nies gasps
>The purple one reels her hoof back in shock
>”Y-you can talk!?”
>You lower your basketball to your hip, ever so slightly more comfortable now
>You smile nervously and laugh
Yeah, I can… I’m a little more curious as to how you can…
>The p0nies all begin talking rapidly amongst themselves
>You have never before felt so on display, not even during a basketball game
>The purple one is still in shock, but eventually regains her composure
>”Please… come inside, I have so much to ask you!”
>Do you really want to go inside a stranger’s house?
>Well, it’s a talking purple p0ny, how bad can it be?
Um, sure, I guess.

>Her name is Twilight Sparkle, you discover
>And she’s been asking you questions nonstop
>She’s sitting on the floor, firing away, while you sit up on her couch
>At the very edge
>To keep your distance from that purple monster
>He doesn’t look too dangerous, but… come on, he’s a dragon
>You think he may be a little offended from your distance
>But oh well
>”So Earth? What a strange name! And it’s full of people like yourself? You ‘humans’?”
Yeah, just like me. Well, some bigger. I’m still a kid, really.
>She scribbles something down on paper
>…with her horn’s levitating powers
>She told you the very basics of magic, but you still find it a little hard to believe
>”How old are you, then?” she asks, eyes brimming with curiosity
I’m twelve.
>”And how long do humans usually live?”
Umm… it depends on a lot of stuff, but usually around 85 years, though some make it to 100, I think…
>For some reason, you feel like you’re misleading her. You’re just saying what you know
>”Are you the biggest you get?”
Oh, no, I have a lot of growing to do.
>She’s so fascinated
>”This is so crazy! I’ll have to send a letter to the Princess right away!”
>She claps her hooves together excitedly
>You shift a little in your seat. It’s odd being the exotic creature
>”Spike! Take a letter!”
>The purple dragon groans and hops off the couch
>”You just wait here, okay Mr. …”
>She pauses
>”Oh, I’m sorry, with all this excitement, I think I’ve forgotten to even ask your name!”
>You can’t help but laugh a little
Anonymous, but most people just call me Anon.
>”Okay Anon, make yourself comfortable, Spike and I will just be in the other room for a bit.”
>She trots off with her dragon companion down the stairs
>You hear the faint echo of “Dear Princess Celestia…” as she descends
>And with that, you’re alone in this library-tree-house place
>You inhale deeply, then exhale sharply
>What a strange situation you’ve ended up in
>Talking p0nies, a different world, a country called Equestria
>It’s all so much to take in
>You wonder what Tiffany would think of this whole situation
>Tiffany
>You wonder if she even knows what’s happened. She’s probably terrified that you’ve disappeared. Maybe told your parents, who’ve alerted the police… it’s been hours at this point
>You hate making Tiffany worry
>Would you ever even see her again?
>…
>Of course you would. Get that thought out of your head
>You start dribbling your basketball absentmindedly
>It’s become a habit of yours whenever your mind wanders
>Suddenly, there’s a knock on the door
>Your head bolts to it
>What do you do in this situation?
>Do you bug Ms. Sparkle downstairs? No, that would be rude
>Do you answer it yourself? No, that’s rude too, this isn’t your house
>So instead, you sit there awkwardly as the guest continues to knock
>”Twilight? Are you home?” you hear
>You don’t answer. Man, this is awkward
>The door creaks open
>You see a little bit of pink and yellow peek its way inside
>A teal eye peers inside, then locks with your own eyes
>Oh boy, things just got real weird
>This guest pushes the door open slightly more, inviting herself in, before closing it again
>She stares at you with absolute bewilderment and wonder
>You just sit there
>Anon, come on, do something!
H-hi. Um, I’m Anon… Ms. Sparkle is downstairs. Do you want to, um… wait with me?
>Her eyes widen, staring, her mouth gaping open
>She’s a soft yellow color with a long pink mane. You think she has… wings? That must be a pegasus, like what Ms. Sparkle was saying
>She’s still not moving. Did you do something wrong?
>”A-are you the creature that… um, everyp0ny’s been talking about?”
>You place the basketball next to you and try to sound more inviting
>You clear your throat
Yeah, that’s me. Anon, the one and only human!
>You give a big smile
>She hides a bit behind her mane
>Man, this p0ny is awkward
Why not wait for Ms. Sparkle with me?
>You pat your hand next to you, inviting her to the couch
>She pokes her head out and gives a small smile
>That’s the way. Be polite and inviting, and everyone will like you
>Er… everyp0ny
>She walks over slowly and takes a seat next to you
>She still seems so nervous
>You have a thought…
>Well, you do it with dogs and cats… and these p0nies are about the same size… maybe…?
>You react over and place your hand on her head, petting it down her back
>She lets out a soft “eep!”, stiffening up
>You dart your hand away
Oh, I’m sorry.
>She blushes a little. Man, that’s pretty cute.
>”N-no, that’s fine… actually, um…”
>She really is a shy one
>”If you could, um… *mumble *,  if that’s okay with you…”
Pardon?
>”If you could… do that some more…?”
>You laugh a little. Guess you were right
>You begin petting her again
>She vibrates softly, then rests her head down on your lap as you continue
>Looks like she’s warming up to you
>In almost no time at all, you begin to hear hoofsteps rise from the stairs, reverberating throughout the house
>There’s Ms. Sparkle again, returning with Spike
>”So the letter’s sent! I’m sure the princess will be—Fluttershy!”
>She speaks excitedly
>”Just the mare I wanted to see, great timing!”
>She just now takes notice to her comfortable position with you
>”And already such great friends! I knew you two would get along!”
>You wonder how. If it weren’t for you, this p0ny probably wouldn’t have budged from the door.
>Maybe she was referring to your outgoing personality? But she hardly knows you. In fact, you’ve been nothing but shy as well since you’ve been here
>”O-oh yes. I think Anon here and I will get along great…” the p0ny, Fluttershy, says, gazing up to you
>Something seems almost… off.
>”Anon, I invited Fluttershy here earlier to talk with us. She’s great with anim—“
>She cuts herself off
>”…other creatures. I think she’ll be a great friend to have here in Equestria.”
>She shows a bright smile
>You look down to the yellow p0ny. She’s beaming happily as you continue to pet her
>She seems nice enough… you don’t even know how long you’ll be here
Oh well…
>You grab your basketball and shoot it at a small, basket-looking bed up the stairs
>It lands directly in it. You can’t help but smirk
…worth a shot.

End of Part 1