FMA Anon in Equestria: C1

FMA Anon in Equestria: C1

>you are running in the dark halls of an abandoned mansion in a forgotten road, miles from Dublith
>the air is heavy with a damp, moldy smell
>not much left of the west wing, there are more holes in the ceiling than there is ceiling
>the carpets squish under your boots
>your weight helps you sprint through the empty, slippery corridors
>instead of slipping on the wet carpets, you sink into them and find some grip
>for a few steps you wonder if you'll end up crashing through the rotten floorboards
>hopefully not
>your task here is much too important for you to lose focus like this
>currently, your assignment was of the outmost priority
>tracking down an alchemist that was bent on creating the philosopher's stone
>it was a horrible image, for you were briefed on the techniques your suspect might be using
>this was related to the disappearance of more than a hundred local villagers
>you'd gotten a tip from one of your contacts, he said it was urgent, that something was going on in one of the suspect's old homes
>you had hoped that the suspect had only been that
>you wished that he had only been misunderstood, that the accusations of his intents and past activities had been lies
>more for the sake of the missing villagers than anything
>but there is little doubt now, for at the end of the corridor, you see a closed door where a sheepish, flashing purple light seeps from the corners and gaps
>a sick, unholy light
>you push your nearly entirely mechanical body to its maximum speed
>you probably only have mere seconds before it's too late
>the door might be blocked or reinforced
>keeping up your sprint, you opt to simply choose not to even try the door
>it would just take too much time to bother with any of that
>you cover your face with your arms and simply plow through the wall next to it
FUCKING CRASH!!!
>you blow through the wall with relative ease, your momentum only dampened slightly
>kicking down with a heel, weight completely thrown back, you use the top floorboards to stop you, destroying the wood across the room
"STOP THIS AT ONCE, ROHENS" you bellow
>the main hall you were in was massive
>decrepit on the outside, it had been boarded up and rebuilt from within
>bare floors and walls only enhanced the contrast in the troubling sight before you
>the suspect, a frail man in ragged clothing, was on his knees in front of a forbidden circle
>surrounded by the chained missing villagers
>they are all immobile, and you can't help but wince at their empty gazes
"It's too late now..." he says, barely noticing your less than subtle entrance
"CEASE YOUR ACTIONS!" you yell, rage distorting your voice
>he's giving you no choice
>transmutation circles are engraved on pretty much every part of your automail
>you turn the top plate of your forearm into a three foot long sword
>grabbing Rohens' shoulder, hearing it crunch and crack under your steel grip, you run him through, impaling his heart from the back
>scowling in disgust at his depravity
>you almost pity him for having fallen this low
>his hands were still extended forward, now cramped with pain
"I can see it...  It's perfect..." he moans almost incoherently, blood bubbling from his lips
>you blink, and the room you were in is no more
>Marcus Rohens and his victims has vanished
>you're alone in a white void, where a towering, ornate black door stands before you
"No...  No, this is all wrong...  What the hell have you done?" you curse, looking around for the cause of this horror
>the massive, multiple story tall gate groans, the doors shaking
"I told you it was too late..." says the mad alchemist, standing in front of you
"I just killed you...  How are you standing? What in the world have you done?" you ask feverishly
>he tilts his head whimsically, smiling as if he had not a single care in the world
"Don't worry, I am dead.  Our sacrifice wasn't for nothing, thankfully...  I have succeeded in creating the first true Philosopher's stone" he explains, calmly
>you can only feel revulsion
"Where are all those people?  What have you done with them?"
>he puts his hands together, two fists pressed against one another and goes
"Poof" as he gestures a small explosion, his hands opening and moving apart
>you bare your grit teeth
"You may be dead but I'll swear I'll kill you again for that...  For them" you growl, stepping towards him
>why was he happy?
>what good was the Philosopher’s Stone to him if he was dead?
>hunched over, blade at the ready, you bring it back for a thrust
"You wouldn't want to cut me down again just yet..." he taunts
"I think I do..." you mumble, only a few steps from him
"Don't you want to hear what's going to happen next?"
>you stop
"You see, we are all sacrifices tonight.  However all of this" he waves around at the endless white expanse "is just ensures that my master will get every chance of succeeding.  With the Philosopher's Stone, he will be unstoppable"
"Your master?"
"You didn't think I was doing all of this for myself, did you?  How foolish" he chuckles
"What is he going to do?" you bark
"Why, he plans to assault the presidency and take over, of course"
>a coup?
"Bastard!" you spit
"He'll overthrow the whole state and feed it to Ishbal...  It's only fair, right?"
>it is true that the war had been tragic for them...  But this was madness
"All I wanted was to be useful for my Master.  I'm happy with this death...  And now that you're along for the ride, there is really nobody that even knows what he's up to" explains Rohens
>you rear back
"You mean you've also dragged me into this?"
>he looks down at his perforated chest
"Actually, you've dragged yourself into this..."  he replies
"What?"
"When you killed me at the critical stage of my transmutation, you and I became linked in this event.  It couldn't have happened more perfectly"
>impossible
>it should have stopped him and his horrible blasphemy
>the immaterial floor beneath your feet starts shaking but you're too angry to care
>roaring out with rage, you lunge towards him, swinging down
>your blade stops before it reaches its target
>you try again, but this time you notice thin, black arms around yours
"Damn you, Rohens..." you groan, ripping the arms away
>a half dozen more take their place
"HELL BETTER TAKE YOU 'AFORE I DO" you scream, ripping the black, tentacle-like arms off you
>in a flash, a sea of black arms race past you and swallow the man
>you hear him yelling to you over the rushing mass of tendril-like arms
"Don't worry, it has"
>looking behind you, the gates are completely open and from them come only arms
>the same rippling mass of appendages swings around to capture you as well
>you feel a cold fear
>were you really going to die like this?
>all your strength is useless against these endless numbers
>they pull you towards the door and you black out


---


>you wake up in a grassy field
>where the hell were you?
>how did you get here?
>your mind is fuzzy, you remember trying to stop Rohens' transmutation when something went wrong...
>you sit up, fully alert at the memory of your conversation with him
>you had to inform your superior at once of Rohens' Master's plans
>couldn’t remember much after those moments, but all that mattered was that you could get back to headquarters or contact them somehow
>stopping this was beyond important; such a coup would surely plunge everyone in another civil war
>flashes appear in your mind
>massive black gate
>you stand up, checking yourself
>automail seems to be functioning
>arms, legs, torso and abdomen musculature system
>your blue uniform is a bit dirty, but you dust it off easy enough
>bit of blood on your right shirt arm, already dried
>apart from the clothes on your back and the Hexagram watch in your pocket and a coin purse, you don't have much on you
>there seems to be nobody around
>surviving in this lush wilderness wouldn't be too hard
>you were more than three quarters automail, you didn't really need to eat a whole lot
>just where were you anyways
>this place was far too lush, the flora was much too prosperous for it to be Dublith, it was nothing like those dry, sandy expanses
>you trace a circle on the ground and form a pillar under your frame
>it took a lot of energy, you started breathing hard
>effort like this was good for you, it’s not like you got all that much exercise with automail limbs and pretty much everything else
>the elevation was pretty quick and you were soon well above the treetops
>looking around, you see nothing but vast fields and forests
>this entire world seemed to be green, apart from a village in the distance
>at least it was inhabited
>you would be able to get some information from there, hopefully
>if they even spoke your language
>you sit and transmute a link of your watch chain into a needle
>you transmute a bowl in the dirt, gathering moisture from the earth
>placing the needle on a leaf, you set it in the water
>the needle aligns itself with the earth's magnetic field and indicated that the village was north-east from where you were
>you confirmed by placing the needle straight up on the watch face and seeing where its shadow landed in relation to the hour
>strange
>on the face of the watch, the shadow was pointing south west
>this place was getting weirder by the second
>an easy explanation would be that you were in the southern hemisphere...
>but how could you be all the way there when you were in the outskirts of town just moments ago?
>you hope the village has a telephone of some sort; you needed to call in at the very least
>any form of communication with headquarters was required
>if Rohens was serious about his Master’s plans, the level of carnage the wrong person could do with a real Philosopher’s Stone would be catastrophic; not to mention the repercussions of his coup
>you lower the pillar of earth until the landscape is back how it was and walk off in the direction of the distant village
>walking through the forest, you hear the strange calls and sounds of creatures unimaginable
>whatever makes those sounds seem to stay out of sight
>good
>no delays then
>you still had a job to do and being late was against the rules
>you can only jog through this forest, the large knotted roots and jutting branches limit your speed
>as the night rolls in, you are forced to stop
>not enough light to keep going, the thick leaves and full treetops block any moonlight that could have helped you navigate
>with a final circle, you make a small, hard packed earth coffin to sleep in
>it would keep the bugs and water out for a night
>you fall asleep, wrapping your upper chest and head with your blue jacket
>the rest of you didn't really need comfort or warmth
>you are suddenly back in the endless white expanse, facing the black gates
>it was happening again?
>Marcus Rohens was in front of you, again, smiling
>like a damn cockroach, he just keeps coming back
>the black arms wrap you once again
>you try to fight them and you wake up when something smashes you in the face
>you appear to have struggled enough in your sleep to have caved in your shelter
>you dust off and rub your sore face
>you wonder if they make automail faces
>the air was fresh and the trees glistened with morning dew
>you scowled
>all this humidity was going to rust your limbs
>you were also a little hungry
>walking out, you start looking for breakfast
>strange plants
>you spot a large bird in a tree, sitting in its nest
>perfect
>you hurl a stick at the bird and miss, but succeed in making it fly off
>you climb the tree, sticking your fingers in the wood when no branch was available
>grabbing the whole nest and jumping down, you sit and start yourself a fire by striking a small, sharp rock against the back of your hand
>a search for a flat stone later, you make yourself a decent breakfast
>sunny side up
>the trip towards town was pretty uneventful
>more jogging
>time was of the essence but you were not going to risk permanently disabling yourself by rushing foolishly
>your knee picked up a squeak, you really needed to take your limbs apart and do your maintenance
>the thumping of your boots isn't really quiet as you enter the small town
>frankly, it looks deserted
>but it's not a ghost town, it's too well kept for that
>it's like the inhabitants just got up and left
"STATE ALCHEMIST" you holler
>no reply
"IS ANYONE THERE?"
>silence
>you look around
>small houses and overly decorated stores stand out
>what kind of quack village was this
>sooner you find someone, the faster you can leave
>state alchemists were often hated and feared
>military dogs they called you
>you cared little for their whims
>might explain why this town looked empty
>you walk towards a large, stone buildings
>pillars hold up its parapet
>looked pretty official, perhaps it was a town hall or government building
>you don't even know what government it could belong to, but any large agency would most likely be of some assistance
>walking in, you aren't happy to see it appears just as empty as the streets outside
>this was just wonderful
>deciding to investigate further, you start looking around
>you come across a set of oak doors
>a golden plaque labels it, but the language is foreign to you
>you knock
BOOM BOOM BOOM
"State alchemist.  Open up" you say, loud and clear
>you try the doorknob
>locked
>you trace a transmutation circle around the knob and unlock it with ease
>you swing the door open
>empty
>standing still, you think
>where could everyone be?
>under the floorboards, in hiding spaces?
>you stomp down with a heel
WHAAAAM
>you hear surprised gasps and yelps as everything in the room jumps off its resting place a good half inch
>came from behind the desk
>you ready yourself, they could be armed
>crouching a little to get a more stable center of balance, you approach
>in a quick movement, you pull the desk away to reveal three shaking, cowering...
>...  things...
>animals?
>you grumble angrily, shoving the desk back in place, inciting a scared mewl from the animals or pets
>you'd never seen anything like them but it mattered little
>leaving the room, fuming, you slam the door behind you
>this was going to be a long day
>you had no time for these games
>you walk towards a house nearby
>door wasn't locked
"State alchemist, I'm coming in.  Do not be afraid" you say
>cozy furnishings as well as many plants and flower pots decorate the humble home
>you start looking through, trying to find anyone hidden inside
>closet is empty
>nobody under the table
>you go upstairs
>lifting up the bed reveals only two more of those animals you saw in the official-looking building
>they're both stiff with fright, forelegs wrapped around their faces
"Damn it, where are your masters..." you groan, speaking to yourself as you lower the bed back on top of them
>bloody things were practically pests
>you walk back out, frustration mounting quickly


---


>you are Applejack and there was a monster in town
>big and scary, you hoped it would just go away
>you were at your apple stand when Roseluck came running towards you, whispering to hide
>you didn't know what all the fuss was about then you saw it, as it just barged into town hall
>you galloped into Sugarcube Corner for cover, getting everyp0ny you could see to go hide
"Hi, Applejack!  What brings you here?  Is it my new scrumptious sugary super sweet strawberry sundaes?" asks Pinkie
"Pinkie!  Ya gotta hide raight now!  There's a m-m-monster outside...  Quick, turn all them lights off" you explain, shaking
"Oooh, a monster?  I wanna see!" she says, bouncing towards the window
>gosh darn it Pinkie
"No way, close the curtains hunker down...  Ah got a bad feelin' about this"
"How bad can it be, I'm sure that...  Uh Oh..." she says
>now hwhut
"Ummm...  Applejack?"
"Yeah, Pinkie?"
"He saw me..." she says, lower lip trembling
>you shove your hoof in your face, exasperated
"I think it’s coming this way..." explains the cotton candy pone
"We better hide..." you say
>Pinkie nods with frantic, scared energy
>you both rush behind the counter
>you see the jello display start shaking
>dull thumps
>rhythmic
>the creature's footsteps
>they were terrifying on their own
>they get closer and closer
>you get in front of Pinkie
>nop0ny and nothing was going to hurt your friend
>they'd have to go through your first


---


>you are Anon
>you checked two stores and three more houses
>just more of those damn little creatures
>colorful buggers, like little, deformed horses but with ridiculously large eyes
>they had not gotten in the way of your business so you did not care
>still, there was no indication that you'd find people
>there were well travelled roads leaving the town, you assumed that following one should lead you to another village where you could find some person or some way of getting a message back to your superior
>you decided to try one last building
>it looked disgusting
>absolutely ridiculous
>it was like someone had made a house from colorful pastries
>you groan and scowl
>patience level was -23
>you whip the door open
>the bell hanging over the frame tolled and ringed
>it flew back and forth on its spring and rang
>again and again
>you reach it with a hand and silence it in your fist
>bloody
>annoying
>bell
>frustration and irritation boiling to a critical point, you squeeze and turn the bell into a disfigured rod
>you let the door close and hear a quiet "clink"
>much better
>damn it
>you have destroyed private property
>you take out your coin purse and leave more than enough money on the counter to replace the bell
>taking a few deep breaths, you calm down
>no use breaking things
>you could fix the bell with a bit of alchemy, but paying for it was worth the silence
>you walk behind the counter
>another cowering, hideously colored animal
>in front of it stands another of the creatures
>you wonder why it’s wearing a hat
>they are all branded with some design, so they must belong to someone
>the hat-wearing one seems to stand guard over the pink, scared one
>you pay them little attention
>you walk towards them, as they are in front of the swinging doors leading to the kitchens of this pastry shop
>the hat-wearing one growls and whinnies like a dog trying to scare someone away
>you keep going, attempting to simply walk around them when the orange creature rears back and bucks you with both hooves
CLANG!
>she manages to land them on your thigh
>it did nothing
>you push her to the side and walk past them both
>as they couldn't really harm you and were obviously the property of their respective owners, it would be wrong to hurt them
>the orange, hat-wearing animal seems to be staring at you in shock and complete disbelief
>you continue into the back
"State alchemist, anyone here?" you say, monotone, tired of repeating yourself
>you look around
>still nothing
>you're about to leave when one of the ovens ding


---

>you are Applejack and you are terrified
>as much as you are afraid for yourself right now, you are completely scared for Pinkie
>your buck had no effect on the monster, it just ignored your strongest attack
>there was a metal clang when you kicked it, was it wearing armor?
>you only hoped that you could hold it off long enough for Pinkie to run away
>fearing the worst as the hulking beast walked towards you, you braced for the end
>you thought it was going to kill you when you felt its cold, cloth covered claw against you
>it just slid you on the tile floor a little off to your right and went into the kitchens, ignoring you both
>in a monotone, annoyed, rumbling voice it said something
>it wasn't speaking Equestrian, that was fer shore
>it turned to leave when the oven dinged
>you hear Pinkie spring up behind you
"Fritters are ready!" she chimes happily
>before you can even move, she bounces over you towards the kitchen
>towards that thing
"Pinkie hwhut are ya doin'!" you hoarsely whisper, trying to be loud but quiet at the same time
>she bounces in the kitchen, smiling and humming
>you race after her, panicking
>Pinkie bounds towards the oven in her usual gait, passing right in front of the strange creature
>it looks at Pinkie with its beady little eyes, looking a little confused, yet very discontent
>always very discontent
>it was practically steaming with silent anger
>once again, you brace for the horrors your imagination is cooking up beyond your control


---


>you are Anon
>the Pink one with the fuzzy fur bounced in, humming
>this was beyond silly
>perhaps you died and this was hell, slowly driving you insane
>only when the little creature threw on oven mitts and took more pastries out of the oven did your jaw drop ever so slightly
>What the hell were these things
>the orange one was staring at you, somewhere between fright and concern for the pink one
>you didn't have time for this craziness
>with a loud sigh of confused exasperation, you walk out, sliding the orange one out of the way
>again
>it didn't look happy but you returned the glare
>damned things
>you storm out
>this was useless
>you would have to travel to the next town
>shoving your hands in your pockets, you hunch over and make for the first road out of this god forsaken place
>you walk through the empty streets
>a train station?
>there are tracks...
>this might be your lucky day
>the station is also empty, save for those damned little colorful furry hoofed animals
>you can't read the signs, so it's hard to tell when the next train is going to arrive
>could be minutes, could be days
>maybe not your lucky day after all
>you kick a garbage can in anger
>taking some more deep breaths, you set it right side up and ensure it isn't damaged
>no sign of activity
>you didn't want to waste any time waiting for a train that may not come
>you walk off, trying to find a map
>you look on the walls
>there should be some form of map around in a train station...
>you see what is probably a little gift shop or store set up inside the station
>you open the door and are not surprised at the lack of life inside
>by now you expected some more scared creatures but something came to you
>why were they so afraid if they belonged to a person?
>shouldn't they be used to seeing people?
>you shake your head
>there was obviously plenty here that was strange and insane
>plenty you didn't understand
>however you are not going to bother with details when you have critical information to relay
>the lives of many were at stake
>rushing into the store, you startle another wretched, large dog sized equine of sorts
>it squeaks and sprints out to the back
>you don't even care at this point
>looking around, you find a stack of maps by the cash
>unfolding it, you can only shake your head
>you don't need to be capable of reading this language to know that you're really not anywhere near Dublith anymore
>just wonderful
>no phones around either
>you fold the map back up, pocketing it and slapping some more change on the counter
>you exit and head for the nearest town, going west
>the road you're taking leads you towards a huge tree
>a tree with a door and windows
>a literal treehouse
>your scowl intensifies
>the lights inside were on, perhaps this...  "House" would still contain a person that could at least get you to a telephone or something
>any authority would be a good start
>you decide to sneak up, lest you scare the occupants into hiding again
>you peek in through the window
>nobody inside save for another foul animal
>you watch for a while, hoping to see someone
>anyone
>perhaps the people of this town are all away for some reason; not hiding like their pets or servant animals
>and they have left their domesticated animals here
>the logic of it all is beyond you and you push the train of thought from your mind
>you're about to leave when you see the creature inside get up
>it has a horn
>the horn glows as a book floats down towards it, the pale glow reaching from her horn to the levitating object
>the creature begins looking through
>is it reading?
>what kind of sorcery was this
>could these creatures be intelligent?
>how did it make that tome just fly down to it?
>how was it floating right now?
>you were now highly confused and conflicted
>you had seen the pink, horselike creature operate an oven
>now there was this one, horned thing that seemed to be holding a book without touching it
>and reading
>if these creatures were intelligent, at some level, could they be the inhabitants?
>you think of how crazy this is
>you have discovered a strange land with strange inhabitants, there could be more at work here than you can see
>you decide to try and test this theory of yours
>there were some issues you have not yet figured out
>like how were you even supposed to communicate with this...  Tiny, mutated mule?
>it could be the quickest way to finding a phone or courier, so this might be worthwhile
>you knock on the door
>you hear a reply, a sing-song neigh
>your scowl remains intense
>this was completely ridiculous
>the front door of this obscene tree-building opens
>the creature begins with a gentle whinny-snort and stops
>its eyes bug out and it slowly looks up
>and up…
>and up
>then it start backing away
>you hear it cooing at you
>a bit like when you go "nice doggy" to a snarling dog
>you stand there and cross your arms, huffing impatiently
>enough with the scared routine, already
>the creature seems to make a few inquisitive sounds, slowly looking less frightened
>you raise your eyebrows and lightly tap the floor with a foot
>you try to calm down and remain patient
>at least this one isn't running away, hiding, or kicking you
>it looks like if you're going to find any help around, this is your best bet
>your frown just keeps getting more serious; what a bet this was indeed
>after a few seconds, the little thing starts moving towards you tentatively
>finally, some form of progress
>it continues making some more sounds, as if trying to speak to you
>slowly approaching
>you don't want to move lest you scare it off
>the horned animal points towards itself, making a sound that starts and ends with a "T" sound
>in the middle is a bunch of quick neighs and "L" sounds
>she repeats the gesture, slower this time
>is it trying to communicate?
>these things can communicate?
>this was absurd
>what do you have to lose at this point?
>with a sigh, you point to yourself
"State Alchemist Anon Emus" you say
>it swallows nervously
>you repeat the gesture, slowly
"Staate...  Alchemiiist...  Anoon Emuus" you say, enunciating clearly
>she pauses for a second and points at you
"Staahit Alkimit Anan Imu?" it says with difficulty
>you roll your eyes
>close enough
>you nod, then you realize that there's no telling if nodding means "yes" to these things
>the purple, horned one smiles
>apparently it may
>she points at itself again and repeats what you assume is its name or its species
"Twynigheliegnit" it seems to say
"Twy-nee-lii-nee-nit?" you attempt
>it winces as if you'd slapped it
"Twy" it says
>a nickname?
>you point at yourself
"Anon"
>the thing extends a hoof, smiling
>were you supposed to shake hands?
>you look at it with some confusion, not really knowing what this creature expects you to do
>might as well try the usual shake, it can't be too far off from this thing's customs
>this part of your mission is something you would definitely omit from your urgent report
>shaking hands with a damned mule
>once back to Central, you’d just forget this whole ordeal happened
>you wrap your gloved hand around the extended appendage as gently as you can
>it suddenly pulls back, surprised, neighing, as if it was expecting something else
>you are running out of patience
>these pleasantries concern you little, you need a form of communication, a phone, an autocar, a train
>anything
>the next thing it does surprises you further
>it regains its composure and bows its head a little, as if excusing itself with little whinnies and neighs
>then extends the hoof again
>you hurriedly shake it and it seems pleased
>the creature runs off in another room
>you hear glassware clinking
>what now
>you had no time for this
>if you haven't been unconscious for more than a day, that means you will be considered overdue at the end of the week
>much too long, for all you know the coup could be taking place right now
>seeing how large this country was from the map, you would need a train to get back anywhere close to headquarters
>if not, you would have to find a radio transmitter or a phone before then
>a telegraph or even morse code would work
>you stand, silently fuming
>a few minutes later, the purple one trots out, a tray floating behind her, where sits a teapot and cups
>it was serving you tea?
>it waves at you, pointing towards a sofa
>it was even offering you a seat
>you are half inclined to start rummaging through the books for anything useful
>however this "Twy" thing could be the only one willing and/or able to help you
>you decide not to offend it
>you slowly sit down on the little sofa
>feeling it sag under your mass, creaking and groaning
>slowly, you test it
>it seems to hold
>no sudden movements
>okay, it seems to be good
>you relax a little
>"Twy" seems to be watching you with a considerable amount of disbelief, a strange awe
>it's like it's never seen anything like you
>you scowl even harder at the thought
>wonderful
>you must be really, really far away from home
>its comically massive eyes dart around nervously, then it points at the teacups with a little back and forth movement
>seemed "Twy" was offering you tea
>you pick up one of the small teacups and take a sip
>it's horribly sweet
>your frown just deepens, now your nose is flared, the wrinkles around it meeting up with your impressively downturned mouth
>you were thirsty, but you aren't sure if drinking this is only going to make you thirstier
>as you attempt another sip, the door bursts open

---

>you are Twilight
>you can't believe your eyes
>meeting a completely new species, like nothing you've even read about before
>it was terrifying, fascinating and exciting
>initially you were shocked, almost into a panic
>however it had not threatened you; it had even knocked at the door
>the entity before you was massive and from how your couch looks, it was very very heavy
>you were horribly worried you'd offended it many times
>you were not able to help yourself from jumping back when it held your hoof
>through the glove, you felt a dead cold appendage
>thankfully it had not seemed to take any more offense at your faux-pas than anything else
>it was really hard to read its expressions
>you didn't know what it would look like if happy or sad
>it just seemed to have a permanent frowning scowl at anything and everything
>it looked very, very unhappy
>it seemed to go from utterly unhappy to completely miserable
>but a species this different could simply look like this normally, perhaps this was actually what it looked like when it was pleased
>there was obviously a language barrier to overcome
>it had a hard time saying your name and so did you
>you think it was called "Anaan", it seemed to be fine with you calling it that
>but right now you were too excited and curious to care
>you could barely sit still
>you were having tea with this entity!
>were you dreaming?
>you were about to grab a piece of parchment and quill when the door exploded
>you jump nearly out of your seat
>Applejack?
"TWAHLI-"
>the cowp0ny freezes, horrified, seeing the "Anaan" being
"Applejack?  What's wrong?" you ask
>she just looks at you, looks at the "Anaan", looks back at you and then looks back at the "Anaan"
"Twahlight hwhy are ya havin' gosh darned TEA with that thaing?  It could be dangerous or somethin'!" she cries hoarsely
"It's okay, honestly...  Look, it doesn't seem dangerous at all.  It even told me that its name is "Anaan"" you reply
>the apple pone fidgets nervously
"Hwhell ah'm glad yer okay but ah'm not tew sure about all this...  Ah think ah'd like ta keep an eye on this...  "Anaan""
"Anon.  Anoon" says the large being before you, putting emphasis on the "O" sound, trying to correct you both with the pronunciation
>the deep voice seems to rattle the silverware
>you look at it with a bit of embarrassment
"Sorry...  Anon" you say
>it just scowls some more
>it seems to glare at your friend when she's talking, then glares at you when you're talking
>"Anon" was clearly intelligent, you couldn't wait to learn more about it
"See, it's not...  Bad...  It's just different from us" you say, attempting to calm your friend down
"But it just stormed through town, walking in errywhere, scarin' erryp0ny" she says, still stiff with worry
>you stop and look at it
"...  Did it hurt anyp0ny or break anything?" you ask
>Applejack thinks for a few seconds
"Hwhell...  Ah guess not...  Oh!  It broke the doorbell at Sugarcube Corner!" she says, an accusing hoof pointing at the strange being
"But...  Ah think he tried ta pay fer it after...  Ah…  Ah guess ya could have a point..." she says, hoof going limp
>you smile reassuringly
"See, nothing to worry about" you reply



---



>you are Anon
>the two little horse things seem to talk back and forth
>for what it’s worth, the purple one that served you tea appears to be on your side
>however quaint this all could be, you are rapidly losing patience
>this mule could be the quickest way to finding a means of communications so scaring it or acting dangerously would be counterproductive, but this was simply taking too long
>you set the teacup down and stand up, attracting the nervous, careful eyes of the two creatures
>the orange one with the apple branded on its flanks twitches into a defensive stance
>it doesn't seem to like you
>you don't like it either
>if this place is populated strictly with these gaudy little beings and seeing how much they feared you instinctively...  Why had you not run into a policing or military force?
>you are thankful you have not, for being thrown in jail or something would be a bit of a pain
>you look around
>there are rolls of parchment and quills, inkwells and books littering the environs
>rows and rows of shelves line the walls of this hollowed out tree, filled with more books
>this might be fruitful
>you ignore the gawking creatures and start to look across the shelves
>you had accepted their sugar water and introduced yourself
>now you needed to get to work
>you needed to do something to get back home, or get a message back
>anything
>you pull your map out and see if you can recognize any symbols from their language
>the map is labeled with a series of symbols that you match up with a few books on the shelves
>you take them and lay the three tomes on a table, sliding the previous documents to one side
>you hear the purple one squawk, it seems to be offended or surprised
>first tome seems to list things, it contains pictures of plants and seeds
>you throw it aside
>second tome is filled with birds
>the purple one is now getting up and seems to be speaking at you
>it doesn't sound very pleased
>the last book you pulled from the shelf seems to contain information of some sort
>it had a map, then more texts and pictures
>maybe it was a history book?
>impossible to tell
>you flip through it and find nothing useful
'Damn...  Damn... Damn..." you curse, hands digging into the wooden tabletop
>the spear-headed mule's tone is gentler somehow
>was it concerned?
>you hear some light footsteps from your right and then a loud squeak
>"Twy" speaks out louder as you look at the source of the sound
>some small lizard was walking down the stairs, on two legs
>what the hell was this thing?
>it was backed up against the stairs, having leapt in surprise and fright
>holding its chest with one claw, the other against the staircase for support
>the purple "Twy" gallops over and seems to comfort and reassure the lizard
>they speak to each other
>the lizard here can speak too?
>you just shake your head and go back to scrolling across the shelves
>you were hoping to find a book with a title that had words matching those in the map you took
>hopefully, depending on how these things labeled their maps, you would land on a book about the place you were in
>en encyclopedia would be wonderful
>maybe there would be some indication of technology or long distance communication
>"Twy" continues chatting with the little lizard
>you then see it find a quill and parchment, writing down as the horned, deformed p0ny talks
>the lizard then breathes green flames and the parchment combusts, the ashes picked up by the open window's breeze
>this was getting infuriatingly asinine
>deformed goats and fire-breathing lizards
>it dawns on you that there could be something horribly wrong with you
>was this what insanity was like?
>were you suffering from the effects of Rohens' transmutation?
>you could be lying in a bed, delirious, or you could be unconscious in the old mansion
>you might even be dead
>if this was death, you had a word or two to tell God
>regardless of your situation, there was no way of telling what was truly happening and you had to assume you were still somehow capable of getting back to headquarters one way or the other
>giving up because of what could or might be was inconceivable
>you rummage through the books
>you're beginning to simply pick them up at random and flipping through them for any image that could be useful to you
>you just needed some way of telling them you needed to return to Central or to send a message
>maybe you could draw them something?
>you approach the lizard for his quill
>it rears back and starts pedaling, quickly hitting the wall behind him
>it continues backpedaling, scared witless
>the hat-wearing animal whinnies and snorts as "Twy" neighs in surprise
>you bend down and snatch the quill from the lizard's claws
>it had put them up as to shield its face
>you stand back up and start scribbling on the nearest piece of paper
>you draw a few things
>the designs are crude
>you are no artist
>a few models of phones
>a car, a train, a boat
>the creatures have started talking in agitated tones while you are doodling
>when you are satisfied that the pictures are clear and detailed enough to be recognizable, you turn the page to Twy
>it seems more or less cooperative; more than the lizard or the orange kick-happy creature
>Twy seems to go quiet, looking at the pictures, confused
>you know they have train tracks, so you point at the train diagram with the quill
>you pull the map out and you trace a line from the middle of it, going off the page completely
>you hope it can understand that you're trying to tell it you need to get out of this strange land completely
>before you can get a response or try to see if it knows about phones, a burping noise and green flame interrupts your trial at communication
>the lizard seems to have...  Regurgitated a scroll, along with a gout of strange green flames
>Twy uses its horn to levitate the scroll towards itself and begins reading it out loud
>you looked at the scene with complete incredulity
>what the hell was all this
>you shake your head again, going back to the books

---

>you are Twilight
>you were wondering why the Anon was so agitated
>it appeared to dislike sitting still for more than a few minutes
>the Anon had started to rummage through your library, ignoring you when you tried to say "be more gentle" or "please slow down, that's an expensive copy of Equestrian Avians"
>it then pushed the books aside and looked even more woeful
>you tried to ask it if anything was wrong
>you sent a letter to the Princess asking for guidance; you did not want to mess up on something as important as the discovering of a completely new species
>you'd explained that it was a strange biped, very large but didn't seem threatening
>then the Anon rushed towards Spike, scaring him to death, only to snatch the quill from him
>the Anon then drew some objects
>you recognized a few
>the train was similar to yours
>there was a cart of sorts, a bit different from the horse drawn carriages you were used to
>you didn't know what the other objects were, save for the boat
>it took out an Equestrian map and drew a line from Trottingham, going completely off the map
>was it a traveller?  An adventurer?
>did it need to go to Trottingham and then leave Equestria?
>why was it so agitated?
>it was frantic and this worried you
>the reply from Celestia was rapid and short
“My dear student, please be careful.  Do not provoke this creature; I will be arriving in P0nyville shortly to see to this matter personally.”
>you swallowed nervously
>you were now having a bad feeling about all this...
>you were feeling a strange foreboding, for the Princess to be obviously so concerned
>today was most likely going to be a long day
>you started doing what you did best
>you started taking notes immediately