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BizzarreCoyote

Hunter In Equestria: Chapter 3

Oct 12th, 2012
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  1. You woke with a start, not knowing why. A look out the window showed it was still night, and the storm had passed...or had been otherwise dispersed. Whichever it was, you stood up off the floor. Stretching and popping your back, you shook off the weariness. You noticed sweat trickling down your chest, so you figured it was yet another nightmare you wouldn't remember.
  2.  
  3. You decided to take a walk and calm down. Your heart was beating rapidly, and would take some time to slow down to its normal rhythm. A walk on a cool night would be perfect. No one awake, nice and dark...
  4.  
  5. You quietly unlatched the door and stepped outside, closing the door behind you. A cool breeze swept across you and the damp ground, the moon shining down and making the grass glitter. The village you and Twilight had sprinted through earlier was quiet, which was natural as it was the dead of night. Seeing as everyone was asleep, you decided to take a self-guided tour.
  6.  
  7. You wandered for a bit, taking note of what appeared to be shops. All were closed, of course, but it was good to know what was where. What stood out most were two buildings in particular. One looked as though it was built out of gingerbread, frosting, and other sweet tooth-rotting treats. Adding to this fact was a sign hanging over the street. Instead of a store name, it instead has a picture of a cupcake with pink frosting. You smiled lightly, that seems like somewhere you'd like to stop in.
  8.  
  9. The other building was a mixture of pink and blue, and rather tall. It reminded you of a circus tent. Big round windows were on the first floor, lined with gold-colored curtains at the top. The interior was dark, though one of the lights were on at the top floor. You didn't see any motion, so you continued on. After all, you didn't want to be spotted.
  10.  
  11. You cut between two cottages and came to what you assumed was the center of town. A large, multistory building sat in the center of the clearing. It appeared important, especially with the multiple flags on the upper deck. You shrugged, figuring you'd ask Twilight in the morning.
  12.  
  13. You turned and walked back, when you heard a small groan of pain. It was coming from the other side of the large building.
  14.  
  15. "Augh, why does this hurt so much...it didn't hurt this bad last time..."
  16.  
  17. That voice was familiar. After all, you had just heard it a few hours ago. Rainbow Dash.
  18.  
  19. You walked around, carefully staying out of her line of sight...which wasn't very wide to begin with, given how her right eye had swollen up and closed. A twinge of regret crossed your mind. In your defense, she attacked you first...but you still felt as though you had gone overboard. One of her wings was tilted at an angle that couldn't have been natural, and she sniffled again.
  20.  
  21. You decided to make yourself known.
  22.  
  23. "Rainbow?"
  24.  
  25. She jerked her head in your direction, then winced in pain. She looked bad, real bad. You must have hit her much, much harder than you thought.
  26.  
  27. "What do you want?" She snapped. She sniffled lightly as blood dripped from her nose again, staining the ground under her.
  28.  
  29. "I want to apologize."
  30.  
  31. She stared at you blankly. "What...?"
  32.  
  33. "I went overboard. I shouldn't have hit you at all, regardless of what you did. My Hunter training taught me better than that. I'm sorry." You bowed your head.
  34.  
  35. You looked up when she didn't respond. She was looking away from you, actively avoiding eye contact.
  36.  
  37. "Come on, let me at least get you patched up." You offered your hand forward, palm up. She hesitated, naturally. You *did* just beat the everloving shit out of her, after all. She had no reason to trust you, despite the fact you were only defending yourself.
  38.  
  39. She slowly reached her hoof forward, placing it in your palm.
  40.  
  41. "...fine."
  42.  
  43. You smiled and stood, easily lifting her light frame up. She was even lighter than Twilight was. You carried her back to the treebrary, evading streetlights. The occasional pony was walking the streets, you assumed the sun was getting ready to rise, and quickly. You finished the trek to the treebrary, stepping inside and locking the door behind you. You took Rainbow to the guest bedroom, placing her on the bed. She crossed her hooves, pouting slightly.
  44.  
  45. You gently bandaged up her injured wing, remembering the strange reaction she had when you grabbed them before. She winced when you tightened the bandage, keeping the wing set in place.
  46.  
  47. You then moved on to her busted face. You wished you had an ice pack to use for the swelling, but a potion would help at least. You pulled out small splints from your bag, placing them over where you saw a bump in her snout, and pressed down. You felt something click under her skin, and she yelped in pain, glaring at you.
  48.  
  49. "HEY, don't DO that!"
  50.  
  51. "Sorry."
  52.  
  53. You finished bandaging what you could, then placed the remainder of your medical supplies in the bag. You pulled out a potion, one of your last.
  54.  
  55. "Here, drink this. It'll help with the pain and swelling." You said, popping the lid off. If Rainbow had the same reaction Lyra did to the fluid, then she'd gulp it down after a sniff test.
  56.  
  57. She did indeed sniff the fluid, and cautiously took it into her hoof. She sipped it at first, then delight spread across the non-injured portion of her face. She downed the rest, relief visibly spreading through her. She sighed contentedly, closing her good eye as the pain faded.
  58.  
  59. You tossed the pillow and blanket onto the bed.
  60.  
  61. "Get some sleep. You need it." You said softly, tucking the injured pegasus in. It was strange that she let you, but you supposed potions had some sort of sedative effect on ponies. You weren't sure, to be honest.
  62.  
  63. Regardless, Rainbow Dash was asleep in a matter of moments. You stepped out of the room, closing the door behind you. The sun had risen while you were tending to the cyan pegasus, though neither Spike nor Twilight were stirring.
  64.  
  65. Bored and not exactly in an exploratory mood anymore, you decided to read for a bit. You picked out something from the section labeled "Biology". The title read "Earth Ponies, Pegusai, and Unicorns: Know the Difference!" The book itself was rather thick and heavy, some of the pages wrinkled with age.
  66.  
  67. Figuring you might as well learn something today, you cracked it open.
  68.  
  69. --
  70.  
  71. You learned more about ponies from that book than you truly wanted to. It was all from a scientific standpoint, so it wasn't anything *dirty* per say...but it did make you rethink your actions with Rainbow Dash.
  72.  
  73. You shuddered. If you read this right, then you were essentially giving her a rough erotic massage that one day. Fun. Your hands would never be clean again. You'd burn them if you didn't rely on them so much.
  74.  
  75. You closed the book with a sharp clap, returning it to its shelf. Twilight had come down from her bed at some point during your reading session, though she didn't disturb you. Your eyes darted to her horn, and you shuddered again.
  76.  
  77. You learned WAY too much about ponies today, and it wasn't even noon.
  78.  
  79. --
  80.  
  81. "So today, I want to run some tests. Maybe take some more notes."
  82.  
  83. You were sitting on your knees to keep level with the small table breakfast was served at. You had settled for waffles while Twilight had various greens on her plate. Spike still wasn't up, his snores echoing from upstairs. Your mouth was full, so you only gave the purple unicorn a questioning look.
  84.  
  85. "Nothing to be worried about. Just something like a physical." She said sweetly, obviously trying to coax you into it. "Do this for me, and I'll show you around."
  86.  
  87. You didn't let her know you had already shown yourself around, nor did she know Rainbow was in her home. You swallowed.
  88.  
  89. "Oh hey, Twilight? Rainbow came back last night."
  90.  
  91. "She did?" Twilight tilted her head and adopted a concerned look, laying her left ear flat. "You two didn't fight again did you?"
  92.  
  93. "No no, nothing like that. I patched her up a bit, she's asleep in the guest room." You replied, taking another bite of waffle. Damn these were good...
  94.  
  95. "Is she?" She peered around you, looking at the guest room. "The door's open, there's nopony there."
  96.  
  97. "Huh?"
  98.  
  99. You turned around and, true to Twilight's word, the door was open and Rainbow Dash was nowhere to be seen. She must have sneaked out while you were having breakfast, because you would have heard the door open during your reading session...you think.
  100.  
  101. The front door was shut but not latched, which didn't surprise you. Her wing was busted, and likely would be for a little while. Still, she was a tough pegasus, even by that book's standards. She'd be fine.
  102.  
  103. You shrugged and turned back to the purple unicorn. "What kind of tests?"
  104.  
  105. --
  106.  
  107. You were regretting this decision already. She asked you to strip, but allowed you to keep your shorts on for modesty. She had a quill in her magical grip, and it was making various strokes on the parchment floating in front of her. Apparently she was going to make a book and base it on you and your 'discovery'. A sketch, naturally, had to be included.
  108.  
  109. To her credit, Twilight was remaining perfectly professional. She also didn't ask too many basic questions, having already asked them and taken notes the day before. Instead, it almost seemed like the unicorn was quizzing you.
  110.  
  111. "5 + 5 is?"
  112.  
  113. "10."
  114.  
  115. "13 x 24 is?"
  116.  
  117. You paused for a moment, then answered. "Uh, 312?"
  118.  
  119. She gave a small nod, before returning to an apparent list she had. This was the strangest "physical" you had ever taken.
  120.  
  121. A small plate was lowered onto the floor. "Step on this please." At your quirked eyebrow, she continued. "It measures your weight." Satisfied, you stepped onto it.
  122.  
  123. She made a few more notes, extending a tape measure to record your height. "Would you say you're about average for your species?"
  124.  
  125. "Height wise, yes. Weight wise, no. I'm somewhat heavier than most due to what I do."
  126.  
  127. She nodded again, satisfied with your answer.
  128.  
  129. "For the book's sake, what is it you do?"
  130.  
  131. "I'm a Monster Hunter."
  132.  
  133. She compared it with the notes she had taken yesterday, glad they matched and that you weren't lying to her.
  134.  
  135. "Does your species have any magical aptitude?"
  136.  
  137. "As far as I'm aware, no. There are stories of some Humans having strange abilities, but said stories have never been confirmed."
  138.  
  139. "Do you mind if I ask about Humans in general?"
  140.  
  141. "Not at all Twilight." Oh boy, here it comes.
  142.  
  143. "Is your species naturally inclined towards violence, or is it a last resort?" You knew that question was coming, after all you *did* hit one of her friends. You didn't expect it to be the very first one, however.
  144.  
  145. "I would say we're naturally inclined towards it, yes. Over the centuries we've gotten better at controlling ourselves though."
  146.  
  147. "Why do you say that?" She was genuinely curious.
  148.  
  149. "Well, we used to have terrible, terrible wars. Many thousands would die over land or resources. In the past two centuries though, wars between humans have been very brief and with little bloodshed." She paled a bit at the 'many thousands' part, but regained her composure quickly.
  150.  
  151. "I see," was her only response to that. She thought for a moment. "I noticed you said 'between humans'. I assume that means there are other sentient beings on your world?"
  152.  
  153. "Yes, there are. As I mentioned to you before, there are the Wyverians. They tend to live for several centuries, but successful birth rates are low between two Wyverians. They are compatible with humans, and as such often choose to have children with a human instead."
  154.  
  155. She wrote down the new information eagerly. "Interesting."
  156.  
  157. You continued without waiting for a prompt. "Wyverian/Human half breeds have roughly half the lifespan of a normal Wyverian, but still much longer than a normal Human. They have features from both parents, as is normal. I was actually dating one before I got sent here."
  158.  
  159. "While we're on the subject, what are your mating habits like?"
  160.  
  161. You would have done a spit-take if you had been drinking anything. Instead, you choked and looked at her, eyes wide. You honestly should have expected this question, but it still caught you off guard. Thinking for a moment, you simply replied.
  162.  
  163. "That's a secret." You then stuck your tongue out at her, and she frowned.
  164.  
  165. "Come on Anonymous, I'm trying to be serious here."
  166.  
  167. "So am I. That's something I'm not comfortable discussing at the moment."
  168.  
  169. "Fine, fine..." She pouted, then looked to her list. "Only a few more. I've asked before about magical aptitude. What about resistance?"
  170.  
  171. You shrugged. "Honestly, I've never been hit with magic, so I can't be sure."
  172.  
  173. "Hmm. Guess this needs some testing then."
  174.  
  175. Her horn glowed a little more intensely.
  176.  
  177. "Twilight, what are you do-" You didn't finish your sentence as a purple bolt slammed into your chest. You staggered a bit from the force, but didn't feel any worse for wear. It was just as if someone had shoved you. "What was that?"
  178.  
  179. "Hmm." Without another word, she shot you again, this time knocking you back a few steps.
  180.  
  181. "Knock it off!" You nearly shouted, growing annoyed. "What are you doing?!"
  182.  
  183. "Testing stun spells. One more."
  184.  
  185. She started grunting with exertion, the glow around the parchment and quill disappearing. They fell to the floor, and the light Twilight's horn was putting out started to get blinding.
  186.  
  187. "Uh, Twil-"
  188.  
  189. With a shout of force, she cut you off and unleashed the massive bolt. It hit you with the force of a charging Uragaan, lifting you clean off your feet and tossing you out the window behind you. You quickly reoriented yourself in midair, landing on all fours and skidding to a stop. You were pissed.
  190.  
  191. "WHAT THE FUCK, TWILIGHT?!" You shouted. "Are you TRYING to kill me?!" The loud explosion and your angry shouts were drawing attention from the nearby town, and Twilight was looking out the window, stunned.
  192.  
  193. "That should have stunned you. That was strong enough to stop an adult dragon, why didn't it work?" She looked more unhappy that you weren't unconscious than she looked happy you were still even alive. You checked yourself over, glad there wasn't any form of injury aside from the bottoms of your feet and palms of your hands being a bit torn up.
  194.  
  195. You grumbled and growled to yourself, throwing the front door open and slamming it behind you. Twilight looked a little bashful, to her credit. "Sorry Anon. Are you okay?"
  196.  
  197. You showed her your bleeding hands in response, going back to your pack in the guest room. She followed.
  198.  
  199. "Hold on, let me try one more thing." You rolled your eyes.
  200.  
  201. "What, are you going to shoot me again?"
  202.  
  203. "No, I'm going to try helping with your forehooves."
  204.  
  205. "Hands."
  206.  
  207. "What?"
  208.  
  209. You pointed to your right hand with your left. "They're called hands."
  210.  
  211. "Regardless."
  212.  
  213. Another light buildup around her horn, and this time a glow settled over your hands. Nothing happened, and the unicorn's face fell.
  214.  
  215. "I don't get it." She almost whined. "Healing Magic usually goes through magical resistance, due to its innately helpful nature..."
  216.  
  217. You grew a bit annoyed. If that was the case, why didn't she hit you with a healing spell *first*? After a moment's thought, you realized she didn't because there wouldn't have been a noticeable effect. She stood and left, pouting.
  218.  
  219. You returned to your bag, pulling out the last of your medical supplies. You wrapped your hands and feet, but left the final potion in the bag. Your hands and feet weren't hurt that bad, so you wanted to save it for something more serious. With a huff, you stepped back into the main lobby.
  220.  
  221. "Why don't we call it quits for now?" Twilight asked, as if nothing had actually happened. You nodded. No test was worth getting blown out a window for. "Here, for your assistance."
  222.  
  223. She tossed you a small sack. You caught it, hearing the rustle of coins when you did. Pulling open the draw string, you saw what had to be a hundred small coins.
  224.  
  225. "One hundred bits, for being such a great help!" It was probably also a small bribe to keep you quiet about the attempted murder, you thought sourly. She smiled at you, and you couldn't help but smile back. "Why don't we take that tour now?"
  226.  
  227. You shrugged, then nodded. You went back into your room, grabbing your knife and its sheath and clipping it to your waistband. You also put the rest of your clothes back on. Twilight gave you a strange look when she saw your knife on you.
  228.  
  229. "You know you won't need that, right? Ponyville is a very safe place."
  230.  
  231. "Just a precaution, and a force of habit."
  232.  
  233. She didn't look convinced.
  234.  
  235. You heard motion coming from the upper floor, and a very tired Spike peered down at the two of you.
  236.  
  237. "Can you keep it down please? I don't need the noise right now..." He looked sick, and the occasional sniffle confirmed it.
  238.  
  239. "Okay Spike, go back to bed. Try not to sneeze on anything, we don't want the Princess getting hit with anything in the middle of something important. Remember that formal dinner one of your sneezes made...more lively?"
  240.  
  241. Spike rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "Yeah, gotcha Twilight. Going back to bed now."
  242.  
  243. He turned and went back to wherever he had been as you and Twilight left.
  244. --
  245.  
  246. Both of you stepped outside, Twilight magically locking the door behind you and placing a 'closed' sign on it. You realized for the first time that it was indeed an actual library, so the closed sign made sense.
  247.  
  248. "Spike would ordinarily take care of it, but you saw how he is. He'd more likely sneeze on someone and send them crashing into the Princess than actually help them check out." Twilight explained when you looked at the closed sign.
  249.  
  250. "Wait, what?"
  251.  
  252. "Spike can blow a special flame that sends things to Princess Celestia. When he gets sick, or gets the hiccups, he has no control over it." She said, then continued. "Last time he got sick, he sneezed and sent a chair to her. It struck one of the guests during one of her dinners, and knocked him out. Needless to say, nopony was very happy about that."
  253.  
  254. "Alright, this is going to sound rude, but...Princess Celestia? Be gentle, I'm not from here." She nodded, though looked a little hurt you hadn't asked earlier.
  255.  
  256. "Princess Celestia is co-ruler of Equestria, and charged with raising the sun and keeping us safe. She is also my personal mentor!" The unicorn said the last bit with a large dose of pride.
  257.  
  258. "Impressive." You now had someone...er, somepony to blame for the sniper sun in your face for the past two days. "Wait, you said co-ruler?"
  259.  
  260. "Yes, she rules with Princess Luna."
  261.  
  262. "I assume from the name, she has something to do with the moon."
  263.  
  264. "That's right. She raises the moon and arranges the stars every night. Sometimes I'll stay up late to watch them, though I'm one of the few that does. She got really upset about this a thousand years ago, and it blew up into a huge conflict."
  265.  
  266. A thousand years!?
  267.  
  268. "Oh?"
  269.  
  270. She donned a sly grin. "Well, I'd tell you about it, but...seeing as you enjoy reading so much, there's several dozen books on the subject in the library."
  271.  
  272. You leveled a stony gaze at her, then looked up. Your conversation had taken you well inside the town's borders, and you hadn't noticed the stares the other ponies were giving you. They weren't outright fearful because you were with Twilight. You assumed she had some major pull around here, what with being Celestia's direct student. The stares were unsettling you however, especially because literally every eye was on you.
  273.  
  274. Most of the shops that had been closed during your night-time stroll were open, with the overwhelming majority being produce stands. It reminded you of Minegarde's bazaar... When the city wasn't under attack, anyway.
  275.  
  276. Twilight was explaining the history behind the area, but you tuned it out. The only thing that really concerned you was the name of the place: Ponyville. You suppressed a chuckle. Was everything a horse-related pun here? Probably, you surmised.
  277.  
  278. She lead you around, stopping when you wandered away to a fruit stand. The ponies at said stand scattered when you approached, with the storekeep shaking violently but not abandoning his stand.
  279.  
  280. "Hey there." You said, trying to show your non-violent intentions. You picked up an orange. "How much, buddy?"
  281.  
  282. "I-it's free! On th-the house!" He stammered, desperate to get you away from him. You frowned, then shrugged.
  283.  
  284. "If you insist."
  285.  
  286. You dug into the small pouch and pulled out five of the coins. Tossing them onto the counter, you walked away. "Thanks man, take that as a tip."
  287.  
  288. "You know you over-paid for that orange, right?" Twilight said with a hint of amusement.
  289.  
  290. "Yeah, I figured. How much does he usually charge?"
  291.  
  292. "Three bits."
  293.  
  294. You shrugged. "Better to tip a guy than underpay, right? Besides, two bits difference isn't going to kill me."
  295.  
  296. She nodded. "You know, you might like Fluttershy. You're almost as kind as she is."
  297.  
  298. You chuckled under your breath. You just decked a pegasus last night, you doubt you counted as kind. Then again, you did turn around to help her...
  299.  
  300. You shrugged, peeling the orange with ease. Twilight watched with a twinge of jealousy, and you had a small smile. Skin gone, you then cored it and peeled it into individual slices, letting Twilight take a few.
  301.  
  302. "Who's Fluttershy?" You asked, wanting to get the obvious out of the way.
  303.  
  304. "She's the yellow pegasus you saw with me the other night. Very shy, easily startled. Very good with animals though."
  305.  
  306. "I see. Who else were you with, anyway? You don't have to re-introduce Rainbow Dash, we're...already well acquainted." You rubbed the bruise on your cheek for emphasis. You supposed a large portion of the stares were from the injuries you were sporting, now that you thought about it.
  307.  
  308. "Well, the orange earth pony with the hat was Applejack. She's actually right over there." Twilight gestured with a hoof to a stand covered in apples and apple-based products. Said orange pony was currently mid-transaction with another earth pony.
  309.  
  310. After sending him on his way, Applejack beckoned you both over.
  311.  
  312. "Well howdy Twilight, stranger!" She tipped her hat to you, and you returned the welcoming gesture with a nod of your head. "How y'all been?"
  313.  
  314. "We've been fine Applejack. Just taking Anon here on a tour." Twilight replied for you both.
  315.  
  316. "Ah. Does'e talk?" She asked, looking at you this time. A small playful grin crossed her muzzle.
  317.  
  318. "I do. Nice to meet you." You extended a hand, which she gripped and then shook with a hoof. How she did that, you weren't sure. Thinking about that made your head hurt.
  319.  
  320. "So what brings ya to my humble shop?" She asked, taking a second to complete a sale with another customer.
  321.  
  322. "Nothing really, just taking Anon on a tour like I mentioned. I'm also introducing him to our friends!" Twilight said. Your stomach growled again, that orange had done nothing to quell your hunger. That apple pie was looking awful good...
  323.  
  324. "Hey, Applejack?" You spoke up, looking hungrily at the still-hot apple pie. "How much for that pie?"
  325.  
  326. "Just a slice, or the whole thing, sugarcube?"
  327.  
  328. "The whole thing."
  329.  
  330. She chuckled.
  331. "Somepony seems awful hungry. Tell ya what, ah'll let you have it for fifteen bits. Ah'd charge anypony else twenty, but ah like ya."
  332.  
  333. "Done." You fished out the right amount of coins, and she handed you the pie.
  334.  
  335. "Careful now, it's mighty hot. Fresh out of Granny Smith's oven!" She grinned widely, probably knowing you'd ignore her warning anyway. She was right, of course. You took it to a nearby table, then suddenly realized you had no silverware.
  336.  
  337. You drew your knife and began cutting the pie, giving a smug look at the purple unicorn. 'You won't need that', riiiiight.
  338.  
  339. After cutting a sizable slice, you then used the side of the knife as a spatula, lifting the aromatic piece of appley heaven to your mouth. You carefully took a bite, avoiding the steel easily enough.
  340.  
  341. Pure bliss was the only description. You gave a sound of approval, giving a thumb's up to Applejack. She looked politely confused, but you were too busy enjoying the pie to give an explanation.
  342.  
  343. Twilight joined you a few minutes later, just in time to watch you cut another slice.
  344.  
  345. "Want some?" You asked, gesturing to the slice you just cut. She nodded, lifting it up with her magic and taking a bite. Her reaction was much the same as yours, if not slightly more tame.
  346.  
  347. "Mmmmm...Granny Smith really outdid herself this time." Twilight hummed happily. "Compliments to the chef, Applejack!" She called out, and AJ tipped her hat in response. The blonde mare returned to serving her customers, which had multiplied after seeing both yours and Twilight's reactions to the pie.
  348.  
  349. A few minutes and one pie later, you were full. You had eaten just over three quarters of the pie, while Twilight ate what remained. You had offered her more, but she declined. Her loss.
  350.  
  351. You and Twilight stood, and you gestured for her to take the lead. "Ready to continue when you are Twilight."
  352. --
  353.  
  354. Next stop was the same gingerbread building you had seen last night.
  355.  
  356. "Here's Sugarcube Corner!" Twilight announced, walking up to the front door. "I wonder if Pinkie's in..."
  357.  
  358. "Did somepony call me?" You heard a bubbly voice from *directly* behind you call out. You jumped and whirled, and a bubblegum pink Earth Pony stood there, balancing a bag of sugar on her snout. She giggled at your reaction, still somehow perfectly balancing the bag.
  359.  
  360. "Hi there! I'm Pinkie Pie! What's your name?"
  361.  
  362. "He's Anonymous, Pinkie." You were getting annoyed with Twilight answering for you.
  363.  
  364. "Ooooo, he's that big scary monster from the forest, right? Except he doesn't look so scary...or big...or even like a monster..." The pink pony put a hoof to her mouth in thought. "What is he, anyway?"
  365.  
  366. "He's called a human. He's...not from around here."
  367.  
  368. "Oooooooo, he's an alien? I've always WANTED to meet an alien! WecouldgoonadventuresandbeatbadspacepiratesanddrinkaliendrinkswhatdoesheeatanddrinkanywayIkindawonderbecause..."
  369.  
  370. It was at that point your brain tuned her out, not wanting to risk damage. Twilight was listening only halfway, apparently waiting for Pinkie to run out of breath. After a minute, Pinkie started turning blue from lack of air, and she took a deep breath.
  371.  
  372. It was at this point Twilight put her hoof in Pinkie's mouth, effectively silencing her. "Easy Pinkie. I'm just taking Anon here on a tour, and wanted to ask you something."
  373.  
  374. She lead Pinkie Pie away from you, and started whispering into the bubblegum pony's ear. Pinkie's eyes widened, as did her grin.
  375.  
  376. "Well duh Twily, I was gonna do that! I just wasn't sure if he came out of the forest or not, silly filly!" Twilight glared at Pinkie, which went ignored by the excitable pony. "Don't worry, it'll be a blast!"
  377.  
  378. "Promise?" Twilight had a grin.
  379.  
  380. "Cross my heart, Hope to fly! Stick a cupcake in my eye! It'll be so much fun! I've gotta get working on it now, bye bye!"
  381.  
  382. With that, Pinkie galloped at full speed into the building. The door slammed and, with an audible click, locked behind her. The entire time, that bag of sugar never once tipped.
  383.  
  384. "What on earth was that all about...?" You asked, somewhat stunned.
  385.  
  386. "You'll see later, but for now..." She trotted off. "Our tour continues!"
  387.  
  388. --
  389.  
  390. She lead you to the opposite side of town, where the circus tent was. She walked up and in, and a bell chimed. You followed, setting the bell off again. A snow-white unicorn with a dark purple mane came out of a room in back, a pair of orange glasses settled on her face.
  391.  
  392. "Welcome to the Carousel Boutique, how may I-Twilight! How delightful to see you darling! How are yo-"
  393.  
  394. It was then that she saw you.
  395.  
  396. "What is that BEAST doing here?! I thought it fled back into the forest!"
  397.  
  398. You arched an eyebrow at the violent reaction the unicorn gave you. It was then that you were hit over the head with a broom.
  399.  
  400. "Out! I said OUT! I will not allow a brutish animal into my home!" She shrieked at you. The hits with the broom did little but annoy you, except when a bristle jabbed you in the eye. You grabbed the broom and wrenched it out of her magical grip, silently surprising yourself when you did it.
  401.  
  402. "That's *quite* enough of that." You said with a low growl. You didn't follow your impulse to snap the broom, and instead set it against the wall behind you. "I'll have you know, I'm not an animal."
  403.  
  404. Twilight stepped in between the two of you, before you had an incident like with Rainbow Dash. You were probably even more of a threat to Rarity, due to your apparent outright immunity to magic.
  405.  
  406. "Wait a minute you two. Rarity, this is Anon. Anon, Rarity."
  407.  
  408. "A pleasure." You grumbled dryly, the sarcasm in your voice almost palpable.
  409.  
  410. "Oh, it has *manners*? Color me absolutely shocked!" The glare she was leveling at you could freeze fire. "After it practically groped Rainbow Dash, I gathered that it was simply an uncouth fiend."
  411.  
  412. Your face flushed a tiny bit when the 'wing incident' was mentioned. If either pony noticed, it went ignored.
  413.  
  414. "Rarity, calm down. I'm giving him a tour of the town and introducing my new friend to my old friends. I'd appreciate it if you weren't so hostile towards him." Twilight said calmly. You noticed the purple pony's right eye twitch eversoslightly.
  415.  
  416. Rarity sighed, then walked into the back room. "Twilight, dear, come in. The brute can stand out there."
  417.  
  418. "Rarity, come on." Twilight moaned.
  419.  
  420. "No, it's alright Twilight. I'm about done with this tour anyway. Go, enjoy the rest of your day. I didn't get any sleep last night, I need to crash." You said, moving to leave the store.
  421.  
  422. "But Anon-"
  423.  
  424. "It's fine, Twi. I can handle myself. Thanks for the concern." With that, you left.
  425.  
  426. --
  427.  
  428. You walked back through the town square, looking for anything that might sell medical supplies. You needed to restock, but you were also concerned about price. You had eighty bits left, and you weren't sure how far they would get you.
  429.  
  430. You spotted a white colored female earth pony with a pink mane, a tatoo of a medical cross with hearts on her flank. Perhaps if you followed her, you could find some medical supplies...?
  431.  
  432. Knowing how suspicious directly following her would be, you decided to only glance in her direction occasionally. Eventually, she walked out of the center of town and towards a massive building. Out front on a sign and on the top of the building was a logo much like the cutie mark of the pony you were following. The only real difference was the logo was white instead of red, but that hardly mattered. It appeared you found the hospital.
  433.  
  434. Deciding stealth was no longer needed, you quickened your pace. You quickly overtook the pink-maned pony, eliciting a gasp from her.
  435.  
  436. You stepped inside the building, and just from the smell alone you identified it as a hospital. It appeared that no matter where you were, what world you were on, hospitals all smelled the same.
  437.  
  438. You approached the front desk. A grey-coated male pegasus sat there, nervously watching you.
  439.  
  440. "Uh, h-how m-m-may I hel-elp you?"
  441.  
  442. You mentally rolled your eyes.
  443.  
  444. "Yes, I was just wondering if I could purchase medical supplies from here, or if I had to go elsewhere." You said, cutting right to the chase. You figured the sooner you got out of here, the sooner you could get people to stop staring. It was really starting to bug you.
  445.  
  446. "W-we don't sell m-medical supplies here. You need to go to the town square for th-that." Said the shuddering pegasus, pointing back to the door you entered from. You weren't dim, you could take a hint.
  447.  
  448. "Thanks." Was your curt reply, and you walked back to the door. When you opened it, you saw the white pony only a few steps away. You held the door for her, and she quietly thanked you as she walked by. You left shortly after that.
  449. --
  450.  
  451. You figured you'd ask Twilight when you two met back up as to where you could find more supplies. Still, that was a secondary concern compared to you being hungry. Again. Damn your metabolism...
  452.  
  453. You looked around and saw a small cafe, so you figured you might as well grab a bite to eat from there. You walked in, and a male unicorn with a very distinguished look greeted you.
  454.  
  455. "Good afternoon sir, how many in your...party...?" He slowed down as he looked at you. Man you were getting tired of that.
  456.  
  457. To his credit, he recovered quickly. He cleared his throat and started again.
  458.  
  459. "*ahem* Good Afternoon sir, how many in your party?"
  460.  
  461. "Just the one, thanks." You replied. He lifted a menu up.
  462.  
  463. "Inside or out, sir?"
  464.  
  465. "Outside, please."
  466.  
  467. "Follow me, sir."
  468.  
  469. He began walking away, and naturally you followed. He lead you outside to a table, and offered to get you a chair. You were slightly surprised they had chairs, so you voiced that aloud.
  470.  
  471. "Ah, sir, we cater to many different species. A Minotaur has recently moved in, and he cannot sit comfortably like many of the residents here do. We purchased several chairs as a result, just in case. I can fetch one if you would like."
  472.  
  473. "Yes, please. Thank you."
  474.  
  475. "Not an issue sir, please wait. I shall return momentarily." With that, he departed. You looked around, and noticed that you were getting far fewer stares than usual. That was good, most of the peop...ponies here were enjoying their meals and talking amongst themselves.
  476.  
  477. After a short wait, the unicorn returned with the chair and the menu.
  478.  
  479. "I shall return after a moment to take your order." He then drifted off to other tables, taking orders or bringing checks.
  480.  
  481. You looked at the menu for a moment, not truly seeing anything appetizing. Still, your stomach was making threats of mutiny, it would be wise to silence it.
  482.  
  483. "Dandelion salad...hay fries...daffodil and daisy sandwich...wildflower stew..." To hell with it.
  484.  
  485. The waiter had a notepad out, waiting. He must have approached when you were reading the menu over. You quickly chose the cheapest thing on the menu.
  486.  
  487. "Uh, I'll take...a honeysuckle and orange salad."
  488.  
  489. "Anything to drink, sir?"
  490.  
  491. "Just water, thank you."
  492.  
  493. "Very good, your order shall be out shortly."
  494.  
  495. "Thanks."
  496.  
  497. You figured you'd just pick around the honeysuckle. The orange wouldn't bother you, nor would the lettuce. You made a note to avoid this cafe in the future.
  498.  
  499. Several minutes went by, and you tried to find a way to occupy yourself. You weren't having any luck, simply choosing to tap your foot to something in your head. You had absentmindedly began humming the Hunter's Guild anthem, and a few ponies glanced at you when you did. They quickly went back to their own meals.
  500.  
  501. Your food came out, and it was an absolutely tiny portion. There were a grand total of five leaves of lettuce, three orange slices, and roughly a dozen honeysuckles on a plate, garnished with a parsley leaf. You mentally groaned, you were going to have to find something else after this. Still, it would shut your stomach up.
  502.  
  503. "Enjoy, sir." The Unicorn bowed and walked away to another table, taking their order.
  504.  
  505. You 'enjoyed' your salad in silence, then beckoned the unicorn over. You asked for your bill, paid the eleven bits total, and left without incident.
  506.  
  507. You then went back to the Library to do exactly what you told Twilight you were going to do. You went into the guest room, found a comfy spot on the floor, and went to sleep.
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