Hello all. I've been intermittently working on a rewrite/continuation of an old green I was writing a long, long time ago, and I've decided that now is as good a time as any to start posting what I have. It was originally posted in May of 2018, in response to a prompt posted by another anon. The premise was a HiE scenario, in which Dale Gribble from King of the Hill was isekaied somehow into Equestria. It was fairly popular at the time, and I wound up writing quite a bit. I completed an entire story arc, and had a second arc that I planned on doing eventually. However, I kept putting it off, and well...time makes fools of us all. Eventually the thread 404'd and was forgotten.
I'm not sure how many people from that era are still around who would be interested in reading this, but every now and then I'll get asked about it, and I've been promising this rewrite for years now. A draft of the first few chapters was posted a few months ago in the writing thread, but I'm not sure how many people actually noticed.
In any case, I feel like it's better to give this story its own dedicated thread, as opposed to dumping massive amounts of text into the writing general. This will eventually end up on fimfiction, but since it originated on this site I feel like I would rather give you guys the first shot at reading it.
The current working title for this story is:
A Pocketful of Sand
Here is the archive of the original green:
https://mlpol.net/mlpol/archive/146529
While I feel like I've more or less got it hammered into a form fit for human consumption, this is still basically a work in progress. Comments/notes/criticism is appreciated. Also, as is the case with the rest of my threads, if my endless tripfagging and walls of text start getting annoying, feel free to tell me I'm a faggot, and I will stop posting, or move this to a more appropriate containment thread.
/mlpol/ - My Little Politics
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50 replies and 22 files omitted.
>>380057
"I knew it," she said. "This is just more crazy stuff about her being a sideboard or whatever, isn't it? I'm going to bed."
She turned back towards the house.
"Wait!" I cried again, grabbing her by the tail. She made an irritated noise in the back of her throat and glared over her shoulder at me.
"Silver Spoon isn't a cyborg," I said quickly. "I don't even need to talk to her at all. It's her father! It was him all along!"
She sighed.
"So now you think her father's a sideboard?"
"No, I think he's a government agent!"
Sweetie Belle just stared at me like I had bugs in my teeth.
"Well yeah, of course he is. He works for the government in Canterlot."
"No, I mean—"
I cut myself off and took a deep puff, trying to think. How could I explain this to her without blowing her mind?
"Look," I said, exhaling. "You're just going to have to trust me for now. But I think we can blow this whole thing wide open, tonight!"
"What thing? Blow what wide open?" Sweetie looked me over for a moment, and then sighed heavily. "Oh, never mind. I never know what in Equestria you're talking about most of the time, anyway."
"If your planet was about to be terraformed I'd help you."
She sighed again.
"Alright, fine," she huffed. "I'll go with you. But only because you'll just cause more trouble if I'm not there."
She started back towards me, then paused.
"Wait here a second," she said.
She trotted off towards a little garden in the back of the carousel-house. A few moments later she returned with something floating in her tractor beam.
"Here," she said, passing me a small bundle of asparagus stalks. I immediately snatched them out of the air.
"You were holding out on me!"
"Just take them. You get weird when you don't have these things."
My fingers still twitching, I broke the stalks into several cigarette-sized chunks and stuffed them into my pocket. I put the last one in my mouth and began flicking at it with my lighter. My hands were shaking and there was a breeze, so I was having trouble getting it to ignite. Sweetie Belle watched me with a bemused expression.
"...weird-er," she added.
Finally, I had a flame. I blackened the tip of the asparagus, then I took a long, grateful puff. The shakes went away almost immediately. I breathed out a huge sigh of relief, then rose to my feet and brushed off the front of my jeans.
"Alright. S'go."
[hr]
About thirty minutes later, we were once again crouched in the bushes in front of the path, looking at the dim outline of the Spoon mansion silhouetted in the moonlight. The place was eerily quiet, and all the windows were dark.
"There, you see?" whispered Sweetie Belle next to me. "They're probably all asleep. Now let's hurry up and go back before my sister notices I'm gone."
I scratched my chin, staring pensively at the house. The place did indeed look quiet. Perhaps a little too quiet. I blew out a puff of imaginary smoke and ground out my asparagus stalk against a nearby rock.
"I need to get closer," I whispered, and started crawling forward.
"What?!? Hold on, you can't go in there!"
I felt a small tingle of electricity on the back of my neck as Sweetie Belle's tractor beam tugged against my shirt collar. I looked back over my shoulder.
"Don't you remember what she said earlier in the woods today?" I asked. "About her father having some important ponies over for dinner tonight? Government ponies?"
Sweetie Belle huffed.
"Is that what this is all about?!? I told you already, her dad works for the government in Canterlot. That's why her family is so rich. They probably have 'important ponies' over for dinner all the time."
"Then how come the house is all dark?"
"Uh, maybe because it's nighttime?"
I scratched my chin again, trying to recall exactly what that well-dressed earth pony had said back at Twilight's place:
"Now if you will please return my daughter's glasses, I'd like to be on my way. I have a very important dinner tonight, with some very important ponies."
It was just about sundown when he was over there, and there was still light in the sky when I snuck out of the basement. Figure in maybe twenty minutes to get to Sweetie Belle's, and another thirty to get to the Spoon house... there's no way it's any later than nine o'clock right now.
[Read more] "I knew it," she said. "This is just more crazy stuff about her being a sideboard or whatever, isn't it? I'm going to bed."
She turned back towards the house.
"Wait!" I cried again, grabbing her by the tail. She made an irritated noise in the back of her throat and glared over her shoulder at me.
"Silver Spoon isn't a cyborg," I said quickly. "I don't even need to talk to her at all. It's her father! It was him all along!"
She sighed.
"So now you think her father's a sideboard?"
"No, I think he's a government agent!"
Sweetie Belle just stared at me like I had bugs in my teeth.
"Well yeah, of course he is. He works for the government in Canterlot."
"No, I mean—"
I cut myself off and took a deep puff, trying to think. How could I explain this to her without blowing her mind?
"Look," I said, exhaling. "You're just going to have to trust me for now. But I think we can blow this whole thing wide open, tonight!"
"What thing? Blow what wide open?" Sweetie looked me over for a moment, and then sighed heavily. "Oh, never mind. I never know what in Equestria you're talking about most of the time, anyway."
"If your planet was about to be terraformed I'd help you."
She sighed again.
"Alright, fine," she huffed. "I'll go with you. But only because you'll just cause more trouble if I'm not there."
She started back towards me, then paused.
"Wait here a second," she said.
She trotted off towards a little garden in the back of the carousel-house. A few moments later she returned with something floating in her tractor beam.
"Here," she said, passing me a small bundle of asparagus stalks. I immediately snatched them out of the air.
"You were holding out on me!"
"Just take them. You get weird when you don't have these things."
My fingers still twitching, I broke the stalks into several cigarette-sized chunks and stuffed them into my pocket. I put the last one in my mouth and began flicking at it with my lighter. My hands were shaking and there was a breeze, so I was having trouble getting it to ignite. Sweetie Belle watched me with a bemused expression.
"...weird-er," she added.
Finally, I had a flame. I blackened the tip of the asparagus, then I took a long, grateful puff. The shakes went away almost immediately. I breathed out a huge sigh of relief, then rose to my feet and brushed off the front of my jeans.
"Alright. S'go."
[hr]
About thirty minutes later, we were once again crouched in the bushes in front of the path, looking at the dim outline of the Spoon mansion silhouetted in the moonlight. The place was eerily quiet, and all the windows were dark.
"There, you see?" whispered Sweetie Belle next to me. "They're probably all asleep. Now let's hurry up and go back before my sister notices I'm gone."
I scratched my chin, staring pensively at the house. The place did indeed look quiet. Perhaps a little too quiet. I blew out a puff of imaginary smoke and ground out my asparagus stalk against a nearby rock.
"I need to get closer," I whispered, and started crawling forward.
"What?!? Hold on, you can't go in there!"
I felt a small tingle of electricity on the back of my neck as Sweetie Belle's tractor beam tugged against my shirt collar. I looked back over my shoulder.
"Don't you remember what she said earlier in the woods today?" I asked. "About her father having some important ponies over for dinner tonight? Government ponies?"
Sweetie Belle huffed.
"Is that what this is all about?!? I told you already, her dad works for the government in Canterlot. That's why her family is so rich. They probably have 'important ponies' over for dinner all the time."
"Then how come the house is all dark?"
"Uh, maybe because it's nighttime?"
I scratched my chin again, trying to recall exactly what that well-dressed earth pony had said back at Twilight's place:
"Now if you will please return my daughter's glasses, I'd like to be on my way. I have a very important dinner tonight, with some very important ponies."
It was just about sundown when he was over there, and there was still light in the sky when I snuck out of the basement. Figure in maybe twenty minutes to get to Sweetie Belle's, and another thirty to get to the Spoon house... there's no way it's any later than nine o'clock right now.
>>380058
"Both Silver Spoon and her dad said they were having a dinner party tonight," I explained. "And when her dad came over to Twilight's earlier to yell at me, he also said he still had to get ready for it."
"So?" she whispered back.
"So, that was only a couple hours ago. Have you ever heard of a fancy rich-people dinner party that was over in two hours?"
Sweetie Belle opened her mouth to say something, then she paused, considering.
"Well, Rarity has dinner parties sometimes," she admitted finally. "And they usually do last a pretty long time. Those fancy ponies she invites over always want to stay for cop-tales and whatever after dinner. They're always talking and laughing and making noise when I'm trying to sleep..."
She trailed off. We both looked back at the house, a gloomy mass of towers and and spires rising up from behind the wall. It was completely dark and silent.
"Do you really think something's wrong over there?" she whispered. It seemed like her curiosity was starting to get the better of her.
"Only one way to find out," I whispered back.
A light breeze stirred up, rustling the foliage around us. Sweetie Belle's tail twitched back and forth.
"I guess it couldn't hurt to get a little closer and take a look," she whispered finally.
We crept slowly forward until we reached the gate. Sweetie Belle nudged it with a hoof and found that it wouldn't move.
"It's locked. How do we get in?"
I lifted her up and set her on top of the wall, then hauled myself over. Then I picked her up and set her down on the other side.
"Right, that works," she muttered.
Now that we were on the other side of the wall, I could see that there actually was a single window on the first floor that had a light on. That was it though, and somehow it made the place look even more foreboding. Another soft breeze stirred the grass, and nearby a rusty old swingset began to creak.
"I don't like this," hissed Sweetie Belle. "Maybe we should go back..."
"We're already here," I replied. "Might as well take a look."
I got down on my hands and knees and began crawling up the slight incline of the yard towards the mansion. After a moment's hesitation, Sweetie Belle trotted quickly after me, staying close.
We crouched down low, just underneath the lit-up window. I put a finger to my lips, and then ever so slowly I peered up over the ledge.
The room inside looked like some kind of library, lined with shelves of leatherbound books and lit by an ornate chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Silver Spoon's father was seated on an enormous couch, next to an earth pony mare who I assumed was her mother. Both of them were drinking wine out of expensive-looking crystal goblets, which they somehow managed to grip with their front hooves. Across from them on another couch sat a refined-looking unicorn wearing a tuxedo and monocle. The three of them were all laughing about something.
Suddenly, a door at the back opened, and another pony entered the room.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, old sport," said the newcomer in a casual tone.
"Oh, that's no trouble," said Spoon's father. "Hopefully you didnt—"
He cut himself off mid-sentence. His jaw fell open and the crystal goblet dropped away from his hoof, spilling wine all over the rug.
"Oh now, darling, look at what you've done," his wife chastised. "You've gone and spilled—"
When she noticed what he was staring at, however, she went immediately silent and dropped her own goblet. Standing in the doorway was... Silver Spoon's father.
The replica entered the room and stood directly in front of his counterpart.
"What in the—" they both said at the same time. "How is this—"
Silver Spoon's father lowered his head, then raised it again. Across from him, the other one did the same. He lifted his front hoof and wiggled it, and his doppelganger mirrored the gesture.
The unicorn with the monocle tilted his head back and laughed.
"Oh, how droll this has all been," he said, in a refined voice that matched his appearance. "However..."
There was a bright flash of blue-green light, and the unicorn transformed into an exact copy of Silver Spoon's mother.
"...I'm afraid we must cut our visit short," she finished, her voice now matching that of the earth pony mare she was imitating.
Before the pair on the couch could even react, there was another flash of blue-green light, and the two copycats had once again transformed. They were now a pair of black, horrifying creatures, part bug and part pony, with bulbous green eyes and flittering insect wings.
The jagged horns on their heads lit up, and Silver Spoon's parents were each enveloped in a blue-green aura that solidified into a coccoon-like sac. The ponies inside struggled, flailing their hooves and screaming in silence. Finally, their eyes rolled back and they went still, each one suspended in the center of a translucent orb like mosquitoes in amber.
I lost my grip on the ledge and fell. I backed slowly away from the window, dew from the lawn seeping into the seat of my pants, my mouth gaping silently open and shut.
"What?" hissed Sweetie Belle in alarm. "What did you see in there?!?"
"Ah... ah..." my mouth continued to open and close as I struggled to get the words out.
"What?!?" Sweetie Belle now looked genuinely frightened.
"Aliens," I finally croaked out.
"What?"
"ALIENS!!" I practically screamed, my voice high and hysterical. "Real ones!! The invasion is upon us! It's every man, woman and horse-child for themselves!"
[Read more] "Both Silver Spoon and her dad said they were having a dinner party tonight," I explained. "And when her dad came over to Twilight's earlier to yell at me, he also said he still had to get ready for it."
"So?" she whispered back.
"So, that was only a couple hours ago. Have you ever heard of a fancy rich-people dinner party that was over in two hours?"
Sweetie Belle opened her mouth to say something, then she paused, considering.
"Well, Rarity has dinner parties sometimes," she admitted finally. "And they usually do last a pretty long time. Those fancy ponies she invites over always want to stay for cop-tales and whatever after dinner. They're always talking and laughing and making noise when I'm trying to sleep..."
She trailed off. We both looked back at the house, a gloomy mass of towers and and spires rising up from behind the wall. It was completely dark and silent.
"Do you really think something's wrong over there?" she whispered. It seemed like her curiosity was starting to get the better of her.
"Only one way to find out," I whispered back.
A light breeze stirred up, rustling the foliage around us. Sweetie Belle's tail twitched back and forth.
"I guess it couldn't hurt to get a little closer and take a look," she whispered finally.
We crept slowly forward until we reached the gate. Sweetie Belle nudged it with a hoof and found that it wouldn't move.
"It's locked. How do we get in?"
I lifted her up and set her on top of the wall, then hauled myself over. Then I picked her up and set her down on the other side.
"Right, that works," she muttered.
Now that we were on the other side of the wall, I could see that there actually was a single window on the first floor that had a light on. That was it though, and somehow it made the place look even more foreboding. Another soft breeze stirred the grass, and nearby a rusty old swingset began to creak.
"I don't like this," hissed Sweetie Belle. "Maybe we should go back..."
"We're already here," I replied. "Might as well take a look."
I got down on my hands and knees and began crawling up the slight incline of the yard towards the mansion. After a moment's hesitation, Sweetie Belle trotted quickly after me, staying close.
We crouched down low, just underneath the lit-up window. I put a finger to my lips, and then ever so slowly I peered up over the ledge.
The room inside looked like some kind of library, lined with shelves of leatherbound books and lit by an ornate chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Silver Spoon's father was seated on an enormous couch, next to an earth pony mare who I assumed was her mother. Both of them were drinking wine out of expensive-looking crystal goblets, which they somehow managed to grip with their front hooves. Across from them on another couch sat a refined-looking unicorn wearing a tuxedo and monocle. The three of them were all laughing about something.
Suddenly, a door at the back opened, and another pony entered the room.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, old sport," said the newcomer in a casual tone.
"Oh, that's no trouble," said Spoon's father. "Hopefully you didnt—"
He cut himself off mid-sentence. His jaw fell open and the crystal goblet dropped away from his hoof, spilling wine all over the rug.
"Oh now, darling, look at what you've done," his wife chastised. "You've gone and spilled—"
When she noticed what he was staring at, however, she went immediately silent and dropped her own goblet. Standing in the doorway was... Silver Spoon's father.
The replica entered the room and stood directly in front of his counterpart.
"What in the—" they both said at the same time. "How is this—"
Silver Spoon's father lowered his head, then raised it again. Across from him, the other one did the same. He lifted his front hoof and wiggled it, and his doppelganger mirrored the gesture.
The unicorn with the monocle tilted his head back and laughed.
"Oh, how droll this has all been," he said, in a refined voice that matched his appearance. "However..."
There was a bright flash of blue-green light, and the unicorn transformed into an exact copy of Silver Spoon's mother.
"...I'm afraid we must cut our visit short," she finished, her voice now matching that of the earth pony mare she was imitating.
Before the pair on the couch could even react, there was another flash of blue-green light, and the two copycats had once again transformed. They were now a pair of black, horrifying creatures, part bug and part pony, with bulbous green eyes and flittering insect wings.
The jagged horns on their heads lit up, and Silver Spoon's parents were each enveloped in a blue-green aura that solidified into a coccoon-like sac. The ponies inside struggled, flailing their hooves and screaming in silence. Finally, their eyes rolled back and they went still, each one suspended in the center of a translucent orb like mosquitoes in amber.
I lost my grip on the ledge and fell. I backed slowly away from the window, dew from the lawn seeping into the seat of my pants, my mouth gaping silently open and shut.
"What?" hissed Sweetie Belle in alarm. "What did you see in there?!?"
"Ah... ah..." my mouth continued to open and close as I struggled to get the words out.
"What?!?" Sweetie Belle now looked genuinely frightened.
"Aliens," I finally croaked out.
"What?"
"ALIENS!!" I practically screamed, my voice high and hysterical. "Real ones!! The invasion is upon us! It's every man, woman and horse-child for themselves!"
File (): 3365344BC7AC2C9C2D23C03FA6068766-7986942.webm (7.6 MB, Resolution:1920x1080 Length:00:00:33, 2476187__safe_artist-colon-tweek+studio+animation_derpibooru+import_screencap_angel+bunny_apple+bloom_applejack_big+macintosh_derpy+hooves_doctor+whoov.webm) [play once] [loop]
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>>380059
My outburst had attracted the attention of the creatures inside. One of them flew immediately to the window, pressing its face against the glass and hissing.
"Witnesses!" the creature at the window snarled to its accomplice. "We can't let them escape, it will spoil everything!"
"YAAAH!"
I continued to back away from the window.
"What are those things?!?" cried Sweetie Belle.
The monster's horn crackled with blue-green light, and suddenly the window exploded outward. Sweetie Belle flinched and covered her face with her foreleg as shards of broken glass rained down on us.
"Save yourself!" I shrieked, scrambling to my feet. I took off running as fast as I could.
"Hey!" Sweetie Belle shouted after me.
I was out of breath after two steps, but adrenaline got me as far as the wall. I vaulted over it a single leap, but lost my balance on the other side and fell face-first into the grass. Behind me I could hear the buzzing of insect wings as one of the creatures followed me over the top. I thought I was a goner, but somehow it missed me and kept flying off into the woods in the direction I would have run, hissing and cursing as it went. Whatever these things were, they didn't seem to have very good night vision.
"Mr. Rusty! Help! I can't make it over!"
I heard Sweetie Belle squeaking in terror on the other side of the wall. I hesitated, torn between my natural instinct for self-preservation and this nagging, insistent voice in my head, telling me that I might have some small responsibility here. Against all reason, the voice won out.
I stood up and peered back over the wall. The second monster had caught up. Sweetie Belle was flailing her limbs helplessly, being slowly cocooned inside one of those big blue orbs.
I reached into my pocket, but all I had were a few asparagus stalks. It was better than nothing, though, so I flung a handful of them at the creature. It hissed, its concentration broken by a sudden hail of vegetable matter. The half-formed orb popped, and Sweetie fell to the ground, coughing and sputtering.
While the monster was distracted, I leaned over the wall and pulled her up. The alien meanwhile had recovered its composure. It hissed again, and took to the air.
"WAAAH!"
I cried out, cowering against the wall as it lunged after us. It flew over the top, but instead of pouncing it just hovered a few feet ahead with its back to us, hissing angrily. Its head darted from side to side, sniffing the air and looking into the darkness.
I let go of Sweetie Belle and grabbed the last few pieces of asparagus I had in my pocket, then flung them in the general direction of the woods. They didn't go very far, but the distraction worked. The creature hissed, and darted off into the trees.
Sweetie Belle and I sat there, panting quietly and not daring to move, but the night was once again still. There was no sign of any more of the creatures.
"Mr. Rusty, what were those things—"
Sweetie Belle was whispering, but I was already crawling around in the grass, trying to recover as many of my asparagus stalks as I could find.
[hr]
Neither of us had much to say to each other as we made our way through the darkness, back to Ponyville. Those two aliens were still buzzing around out there somewhere, and every snapping twig or moving branch was enough to set us on edge. Being a professional soldier of fortune I was naturally in my element, but I had to figure that Sweetie Belle was pretty scared. I knew I would need to keep all my wits about me if we were to have any hope of surviving the night.
"YAAAAAAAGH!" I shrieked, as I felt something brush against the back of my leg.
"Shhh!" hissed Sweetie Belle. "Sorry, that was just me. I can't see anything out here."
I recovered my composure and checked my six. Finding it secure, I checked all the other numbers. Also secure. My heart was thumping in my chest, so I lit an asparagus stalk to quiet it down.
"That's okay," I whispered back. "But try to keep quiet, or else you'll give away our position."
We carried on in relative silence, until finally we were out of the woods and back in the town proper. By then it was well past the bedtime of most respectable ponies, and the streets were dark and quiet.
[Read more] My outburst had attracted the attention of the creatures inside. One of them flew immediately to the window, pressing its face against the glass and hissing.
"Witnesses!" the creature at the window snarled to its accomplice. "We can't let them escape, it will spoil everything!"
"YAAAH!"
I continued to back away from the window.
"What are those things?!?" cried Sweetie Belle.
The monster's horn crackled with blue-green light, and suddenly the window exploded outward. Sweetie Belle flinched and covered her face with her foreleg as shards of broken glass rained down on us.
"Save yourself!" I shrieked, scrambling to my feet. I took off running as fast as I could.
"Hey!" Sweetie Belle shouted after me.
I was out of breath after two steps, but adrenaline got me as far as the wall. I vaulted over it a single leap, but lost my balance on the other side and fell face-first into the grass. Behind me I could hear the buzzing of insect wings as one of the creatures followed me over the top. I thought I was a goner, but somehow it missed me and kept flying off into the woods in the direction I would have run, hissing and cursing as it went. Whatever these things were, they didn't seem to have very good night vision.
"Mr. Rusty! Help! I can't make it over!"
I heard Sweetie Belle squeaking in terror on the other side of the wall. I hesitated, torn between my natural instinct for self-preservation and this nagging, insistent voice in my head, telling me that I might have some small responsibility here. Against all reason, the voice won out.
I stood up and peered back over the wall. The second monster had caught up. Sweetie Belle was flailing her limbs helplessly, being slowly cocooned inside one of those big blue orbs.
I reached into my pocket, but all I had were a few asparagus stalks. It was better than nothing, though, so I flung a handful of them at the creature. It hissed, its concentration broken by a sudden hail of vegetable matter. The half-formed orb popped, and Sweetie fell to the ground, coughing and sputtering.
While the monster was distracted, I leaned over the wall and pulled her up. The alien meanwhile had recovered its composure. It hissed again, and took to the air.
"WAAAH!"
I cried out, cowering against the wall as it lunged after us. It flew over the top, but instead of pouncing it just hovered a few feet ahead with its back to us, hissing angrily. Its head darted from side to side, sniffing the air and looking into the darkness.
I let go of Sweetie Belle and grabbed the last few pieces of asparagus I had in my pocket, then flung them in the general direction of the woods. They didn't go very far, but the distraction worked. The creature hissed, and darted off into the trees.
Sweetie Belle and I sat there, panting quietly and not daring to move, but the night was once again still. There was no sign of any more of the creatures.
"Mr. Rusty, what were those things—"
Sweetie Belle was whispering, but I was already crawling around in the grass, trying to recover as many of my asparagus stalks as I could find.
[hr]
Neither of us had much to say to each other as we made our way through the darkness, back to Ponyville. Those two aliens were still buzzing around out there somewhere, and every snapping twig or moving branch was enough to set us on edge. Being a professional soldier of fortune I was naturally in my element, but I had to figure that Sweetie Belle was pretty scared. I knew I would need to keep all my wits about me if we were to have any hope of surviving the night.
"YAAAAAAAGH!" I shrieked, as I felt something brush against the back of my leg.
"Shhh!" hissed Sweetie Belle. "Sorry, that was just me. I can't see anything out here."
I recovered my composure and checked my six. Finding it secure, I checked all the other numbers. Also secure. My heart was thumping in my chest, so I lit an asparagus stalk to quiet it down.
"That's okay," I whispered back. "But try to keep quiet, or else you'll give away our position."
We carried on in relative silence, until finally we were out of the woods and back in the town proper. By then it was well past the bedtime of most respectable ponies, and the streets were dark and quiet.
>>380869
Sweetie Belle didn't want to approach her house from the front, on the off-chance that her sister might still be awake. She took us through a small opening in a nearby fence, and we threaded our way through a bit of underbrush until we came out through the hedge behind Rarity's garden. We sat there awhile, watching, but the carousel was dark and there was no sign of the monsters.
"Do you think we lost them?" whispered Sweetie Belle.
I took a long, thoughtful puff of asparagus.
"For now," I said. "But they'll be back."
"What should we do?!?" she whispered. Now that the immediate danger had passed the reality of what we'd seen was sinking in, and there was a note of panic in her voice. "We have to warn everypony! Maybe we should go to the library and wake up Twilight—"
"SWEETIE BELLE!!"
Sweetie Belle cut herself off mid-sentence at her sister's sharp tone. Her entire body went instantly rigid, her back arching like a cat's. We both turned slowly in the direction of the voice.
Rarity, still in her curlers and bathrobe, was standing in the middle of a yellow square of light spilling out from the back door. Sweetie Belle opened her mouth to speak, but the words seemed to freeze in her mouth. For all the rancor in her voice, Rarity didn't seem to have even noticed us. Instead, she was talking to... us.
Sweetie Belle's doppelganger flashed her sister an insolent grin.
"Sorry," she said. Her voice had an unfamiliar nasal quality to it. "Guess we just lost track of the time."
Rarity huffed indignantly.
"I should say so, it's past ten o'clock! Honestly, Sweetie Belle, I just don't know what to do with you lately! You're turning into quite the delinquent, young filly, and I do not much care for it!"
Sweetieganger smiled pleasantly at her.
"Sor-ry!" she repeated, in a mocking, sing-song voice.
Rarity huffed and sputtered, evidently too incensed to notice the ominous green glow in her baby sister's eyes.
"Just—get in the house," she snapped finally. "We'll discuss this later. And YOU!!"
She rounded suddenly on my doppelganger, who was rocking back and forth on his heels, whistling nonchalantly and staring up at the night sky.
"How dare you corrupt my poor, sweet sister this way! Just what do you have to say for yourself, Rusty Shackleford?"
"I am terribly sorry," said me, in a voice that didn't sound even a little bit like me. "We went into the forest to gather throwing-vegetables. We were then sidetracked by a conversation about how old and boring you are, and we lost track of the time. Please forgive us."
Sweetieganger had her fetlock pressed against her mouth to stifle laughter. Rarity's entire body trembled with rage.
"Why, you boorish, ill-mannered, malodorous... miscreant!!"
"You are correct," said me. "For I am slow-witted and smell terrible."
Sweetieganger finally burst out laughing, which earned her a withering glare from her sister.
"Sweetie Belle! In the house, now!!" Rarity commanded, pointing her hoof towards the door with a theatrical flourish. "And you, Rusty Shackleford, will return to Twilight's this instant! You may rest assured that I will be having words with her regarding your conduct. In the meantime, you will stay away from my sister. And I do not ever want to see you around my shop again! Hrrmph!"
She spun around dramatically and strode back inside. Sweetieganger trotted gaily after her, nose in the air. As she went, she turned and looked directly at us, flashing us an absolutely evil smirk before disappearing into the carousel-house. The Gribbleganger, meanwhile, was already crawling up the side of the building like some kind of lizard, slithering through Sweetie Belle's open window on the second floor.
The real Sweetie Belle turned to me in dismay.
"What do we do?!?" she hissed. "We can't let those things get my sister!"
I wavered. Sweetie Belle gave me a disgusted look and then took off at a gallop. Before she could go, however, I grabbed her by the tail, holding her in place as her legs thrummed uselessly against the grass. She turned and glared at me. I took a deep drag of asparagus.
"Hold your horses," I said, grinding the stalk out on a nearby decorative stone. "That's just what they want us to do. Come on. I've got a plan."
[Read more] Sweetie Belle didn't want to approach her house from the front, on the off-chance that her sister might still be awake. She took us through a small opening in a nearby fence, and we threaded our way through a bit of underbrush until we came out through the hedge behind Rarity's garden. We sat there awhile, watching, but the carousel was dark and there was no sign of the monsters.
"Do you think we lost them?" whispered Sweetie Belle.
I took a long, thoughtful puff of asparagus.
"For now," I said. "But they'll be back."
"What should we do?!?" she whispered. Now that the immediate danger had passed the reality of what we'd seen was sinking in, and there was a note of panic in her voice. "We have to warn everypony! Maybe we should go to the library and wake up Twilight—"
"SWEETIE BELLE!!"
Sweetie Belle cut herself off mid-sentence at her sister's sharp tone. Her entire body went instantly rigid, her back arching like a cat's. We both turned slowly in the direction of the voice.
Rarity, still in her curlers and bathrobe, was standing in the middle of a yellow square of light spilling out from the back door. Sweetie Belle opened her mouth to speak, but the words seemed to freeze in her mouth. For all the rancor in her voice, Rarity didn't seem to have even noticed us. Instead, she was talking to... us.
Sweetie Belle's doppelganger flashed her sister an insolent grin.
"Sorry," she said. Her voice had an unfamiliar nasal quality to it. "Guess we just lost track of the time."
Rarity huffed indignantly.
"I should say so, it's past ten o'clock! Honestly, Sweetie Belle, I just don't know what to do with you lately! You're turning into quite the delinquent, young filly, and I do not much care for it!"
Sweetieganger smiled pleasantly at her.
"Sor-ry!" she repeated, in a mocking, sing-song voice.
Rarity huffed and sputtered, evidently too incensed to notice the ominous green glow in her baby sister's eyes.
"Just—get in the house," she snapped finally. "We'll discuss this later. And YOU!!"
She rounded suddenly on my doppelganger, who was rocking back and forth on his heels, whistling nonchalantly and staring up at the night sky.
"How dare you corrupt my poor, sweet sister this way! Just what do you have to say for yourself, Rusty Shackleford?"
"I am terribly sorry," said me, in a voice that didn't sound even a little bit like me. "We went into the forest to gather throwing-vegetables. We were then sidetracked by a conversation about how old and boring you are, and we lost track of the time. Please forgive us."
Sweetieganger had her fetlock pressed against her mouth to stifle laughter. Rarity's entire body trembled with rage.
"Why, you boorish, ill-mannered, malodorous... miscreant!!"
"You are correct," said me. "For I am slow-witted and smell terrible."
Sweetieganger finally burst out laughing, which earned her a withering glare from her sister.
"Sweetie Belle! In the house, now!!" Rarity commanded, pointing her hoof towards the door with a theatrical flourish. "And you, Rusty Shackleford, will return to Twilight's this instant! You may rest assured that I will be having words with her regarding your conduct. In the meantime, you will stay away from my sister. And I do not ever want to see you around my shop again! Hrrmph!"
She spun around dramatically and strode back inside. Sweetieganger trotted gaily after her, nose in the air. As she went, she turned and looked directly at us, flashing us an absolutely evil smirk before disappearing into the carousel-house. The Gribbleganger, meanwhile, was already crawling up the side of the building like some kind of lizard, slithering through Sweetie Belle's open window on the second floor.
The real Sweetie Belle turned to me in dismay.
"What do we do?!?" she hissed. "We can't let those things get my sister!"
I wavered. Sweetie Belle gave me a disgusted look and then took off at a gallop. Before she could go, however, I grabbed her by the tail, holding her in place as her legs thrummed uselessly against the grass. She turned and glared at me. I took a deep drag of asparagus.
"Hold your horses," I said, grinding the stalk out on a nearby decorative stone. "That's just what they want us to do. Come on. I've got a plan."
File (): F02472376D2568089C37B842DA25027C-254120.png (248.2 KB, 2000x2000, lets_havve_14_foals.png)
Forgot to post the last couple chapters to this thread. Large text dump inbound.
>>380870
"This is your plan?!?"
Sweetie Belle stared at the crude lean-to I'd constructed, a ramshackle structure made out of sticks and leaves.
"I know it doesn't look like much," I admitted, lighting an asparagus stalk. "But we may have to survive out here for days, weeks, months even. We are going to need shelter. Food. Water. A steady supply of asparagus. Ammunition. Barracks and provisions for the army we need to raise. This humble shelter is just the beginning."
Sweetie Belle raised a single eyebrow, saying nothing. Then she walked over to the lean-to and nudged it gently with a hoof. It collapsed. She turned and looked at me with the same dry expression. I shrugged.
"Okay, I'll admit my design could use some tweaking. If you have any suggestions, I'm willing to listen."
She rolled her eyes.
"Come on, follow me."
She led us back through the orchard a little ways, until eventually we came to a small clearing. At the center was a squat, wide-branched apple tree with a wooden hut built into it. I recognized it as the treehouse I'd been brought to shortly after my arrival on the horse planet.
I stood at the base of the tree, scratching my chin. I had to admit that this place would make a good base of operations. There was even a reconnaissance tower complete with a spyglass at the very top.
"This will probably work for now," I mused. "But if we're going to withstand a prolonged siege, we're going to need provisions..."
Sweetie Belle said nothing. She walked over to the trunk of the tree, then gave it a swift kick with her hind leg. An apple dropped from one of the overhanging branches. She caught it in her horn aura and munched it slowly, giving me that same deadpan stare.
"Alright then, that takes care of food," I said. "Now we just need water. I'll see if I can rig up a filtration system so we can drink our urine—"
"Yeah, I already told you I'm not doing that," said Sweetie Belle. "Besides, there's a stream right over there."
She gestured with a hoof, and sure enough a small brook was softly gurgling a short distance away.
"You can't drink from that!" I exclaimed. "You don't know what's in it!"
Sweetie Belle just shook her head, and began tromping up the ramp.
"Come on, Mr. Rusty," she said wearily. "Let's just get some sleep. We can figure the rest out in the morning."
[hr]
I felt like I had barely drifted off, when I was suddenly jerked awake by the sound of birds chirping on the branches outside. I groaned and opened my eyes. The light coming in through the treehouse window was the dull grey of early dawn. My body was stiff and cold, and there was a thin layer of dew on my clothes.
I sat up slowly, rubbing my aching joints. Sweetie Belle was sitting behind a wooden crate that functioned as a table, munching despondently on an apple. The dark circles under her eyes suggested that she hadn't gotten much sleep either. Wordlessly, she levitated another apple and passed it to me.
We had a silent, gloomy breakfast, and then clambered slowly down out of the treehouse. The clearing was in the middle of an immense grove of apple trees, stretching as far as the eye could see in every direction. Sweetie Belle had explained the night before that the treehouse was situated on Apple Family land, about halfway between the farm and the Ponyville school.
We hiked a short distance through the orchard until we reached the road. The sun had risen by then, transforming the early morning mist into a golden haze that made it difficult to see very far. In the distance, I could hear the faint sound of hooves approaching.
"Get down," I whispered, ushering Sweetie Belle into some nearby underbrush, and then crouching down next to her. I lowered my clip-on sunglasses and peered over the top of the bush, squinting into the morning sunlight.
The hoofsteps gradually became louder, and a moment later Apple Bloom trotted around a bend in the path. She had her schoolbag slung across her back, and still looked a little bleary-eyed from sleep.
"Psst!" I hissed from my hiding place as she passed by. The filly paused, looking around. "Pssst!" I hissed again.
"Is somepony there?" she called out hesitantly.
"PSSST!" I hissed, louder this time.
Next to me, Sweetie Belle sighed and stood up. She stepped out of the bushes.
"Over here, Apple Bloom," she called out.
Apple Bloom turned.
"Oh, hey Sweetie Belle."
I stood up and brushed myself off. Sweetie Belle had cost us the element of surprise, but that was probably okay this time. The little pony looked like she was alone.
"Hey, Mr. Rusty," Apple Bloom added when she saw me. She frowned, taking note of my muddy, rumpled clothes and Sweetie Belle's dissheveled mane and tail. "Uh, are you two alright? You look like you slept outside or somethin'."
[Read more] "This is your plan?!?"
Sweetie Belle stared at the crude lean-to I'd constructed, a ramshackle structure made out of sticks and leaves.
"I know it doesn't look like much," I admitted, lighting an asparagus stalk. "But we may have to survive out here for days, weeks, months even. We are going to need shelter. Food. Water. A steady supply of asparagus. Ammunition. Barracks and provisions for the army we need to raise. This humble shelter is just the beginning."
Sweetie Belle raised a single eyebrow, saying nothing. Then she walked over to the lean-to and nudged it gently with a hoof. It collapsed. She turned and looked at me with the same dry expression. I shrugged.
"Okay, I'll admit my design could use some tweaking. If you have any suggestions, I'm willing to listen."
She rolled her eyes.
"Come on, follow me."
She led us back through the orchard a little ways, until eventually we came to a small clearing. At the center was a squat, wide-branched apple tree with a wooden hut built into it. I recognized it as the treehouse I'd been brought to shortly after my arrival on the horse planet.
I stood at the base of the tree, scratching my chin. I had to admit that this place would make a good base of operations. There was even a reconnaissance tower complete with a spyglass at the very top.
"This will probably work for now," I mused. "But if we're going to withstand a prolonged siege, we're going to need provisions..."
Sweetie Belle said nothing. She walked over to the trunk of the tree, then gave it a swift kick with her hind leg. An apple dropped from one of the overhanging branches. She caught it in her horn aura and munched it slowly, giving me that same deadpan stare.
"Alright then, that takes care of food," I said. "Now we just need water. I'll see if I can rig up a filtration system so we can drink our urine—"
"Yeah, I already told you I'm not doing that," said Sweetie Belle. "Besides, there's a stream right over there."
She gestured with a hoof, and sure enough a small brook was softly gurgling a short distance away.
"You can't drink from that!" I exclaimed. "You don't know what's in it!"
Sweetie Belle just shook her head, and began tromping up the ramp.
"Come on, Mr. Rusty," she said wearily. "Let's just get some sleep. We can figure the rest out in the morning."
[hr]
I felt like I had barely drifted off, when I was suddenly jerked awake by the sound of birds chirping on the branches outside. I groaned and opened my eyes. The light coming in through the treehouse window was the dull grey of early dawn. My body was stiff and cold, and there was a thin layer of dew on my clothes.
I sat up slowly, rubbing my aching joints. Sweetie Belle was sitting behind a wooden crate that functioned as a table, munching despondently on an apple. The dark circles under her eyes suggested that she hadn't gotten much sleep either. Wordlessly, she levitated another apple and passed it to me.
We had a silent, gloomy breakfast, and then clambered slowly down out of the treehouse. The clearing was in the middle of an immense grove of apple trees, stretching as far as the eye could see in every direction. Sweetie Belle had explained the night before that the treehouse was situated on Apple Family land, about halfway between the farm and the Ponyville school.
We hiked a short distance through the orchard until we reached the road. The sun had risen by then, transforming the early morning mist into a golden haze that made it difficult to see very far. In the distance, I could hear the faint sound of hooves approaching.
"Get down," I whispered, ushering Sweetie Belle into some nearby underbrush, and then crouching down next to her. I lowered my clip-on sunglasses and peered over the top of the bush, squinting into the morning sunlight.
The hoofsteps gradually became louder, and a moment later Apple Bloom trotted around a bend in the path. She had her schoolbag slung across her back, and still looked a little bleary-eyed from sleep.
"Psst!" I hissed from my hiding place as she passed by. The filly paused, looking around. "Pssst!" I hissed again.
"Is somepony there?" she called out hesitantly.
"PSSST!" I hissed, louder this time.
Next to me, Sweetie Belle sighed and stood up. She stepped out of the bushes.
"Over here, Apple Bloom," she called out.
Apple Bloom turned.
"Oh, hey Sweetie Belle."
I stood up and brushed myself off. Sweetie Belle had cost us the element of surprise, but that was probably okay this time. The little pony looked like she was alone.
"Hey, Mr. Rusty," Apple Bloom added when she saw me. She frowned, taking note of my muddy, rumpled clothes and Sweetie Belle's dissheveled mane and tail. "Uh, are you two alright? You look like you slept outside or somethin'."
>>382156
Sweetie Belle blinked and yawned. She had dark bags under her eyes and looked like she was beyond exhausted.
"We slept in the treehouse," was all she said.
"The treehouse?"
Apple Bloom looked back and forth from one of us to the other.
"Uh, maybe you should tell me what's goin' on."
We did our best to recount our adventures from the night before. Apple Bloom's frown deepened.
"So... you're sayin' these weird shape-shiftin' bugs kidnapped Silver Spoon's parents and replaced 'em with copies?"
Sweetie Belle nodded.
"Yeah. Probably Silver Spoon too. And my sister." She looked drained. "They can make themselves look like anypony they want."
"How many of 'em are there?"
"I don't know. We’ve only seen two, but there are probably lots more.”
She gave a huge yawn, swaying unsteadily on her hooves. Apple Bloom watched her with concern.
"Uh, I'm not sayin' I don't believe you, but... maybe you should just go home and get some sleep, Sweetie Belle. You too, Mr. Rusty. I can tell Miss Cheerilee you're not comin' to school today—"
"NO!"
Apple Bloom jerked back, alarmed by the sudden force in her friend's voice.
"No," Sweetie Belle said again, in a more normal tone. "Please, I know how all of this sounds, but I swear we're not making it up."
Apple Bloom looked from her face to mine and then back again, frowning.
"I swear we're not making it up," Sweetie Belle repeated.
"So... what should we do, then?" asked Apple Bloom.
"We're going to need to raise an army," I said. "We've secured a base of operations, but we're going to need weapons, ammunition, provisions that can last through a protratcted siege—"
Sweetie Belle stomped on my foot.
"We need to find Scootaloo," she interjected, cutting me off with a sour look.
"Don't you two usually walk to school together?" Apple Bloom asked, glancing at me briefly with a mild look of pity in her eyes.
Sweetie nodded.
"Yeah. She sleeps late, though. Sometimes I have to go in there and get her out of bed. She probably isn't even up yet."
"Well, let's get goin' then!"
[hr]
Scootaloo's house turned out to be a dilapidated two-story cottage in a run-down section of Ponyville. The windows were dirty, and the roof badly needed to be re-thatched. The overgrown yard had trash and rusted scooter parts strewn across it.
"You know, I think this is the first time I've ever been to Scoot's house," said Apple Bloom as we approached the shabby hut. "Does anypony else even live here?"
Sweetie Belle shook her head wearily.
"It's kind of a long story," she said. "Anyway—"
"Get down!" I hissed suddenly, grabbing the two ponies and ducking behind the unkempt shrubbery that bordered the yard. We peered cautiously through a hole in the bushes just as the front door of the house began to creak open.
"So, what was the thing you guys wanted to show me before school?"
Scootaloo stepped out onto the porch, blinking sleepily in the morning sunlight.
"It's over at Twilight's library," said a voice that sounded vaguely like Sweetie Belle's. Sweetie's clone emerged onto the porch a moment later, followed by mine.
"Yeah," said the Dale clone. "I really think you're going to like it."
Scootaloo yawned and cracked her neck.
"I've been to Twilight's library before, no offense but it was nothing special. Can you at least tell me what it is before we walk all the way over there?"
'Sweetie Belle' scowled and tapped her hoof impatiently. The whites of her eyes had a faint green glow behind them.
"It's a surprise," she said. "But we have to hurry up and get there now, before everypony starts waking up."
Scootaloo stretched and yawned again, extending her tiny wings as far as they would go.
"Your voice sounds kind of weird, Sweetie Belle," she said. "Do you have a cold or something—"
"BOO!"
They all jumped as I sprang out of the bushes suddenly, landing directly in front of them and making jazz-hands.
'Sweetie Belle' and 'Dale' hissed in surprise, and with a blue-green flash they both transformed into bugs. Scootaloo just stared blankly, looking back and forth between me and the two insect-creatures who were standing where I and Sweetie Belle had just been. The bugs hissed again and took to the air, buzzing quickly over my head. With another flash of light they transformed into pegasi and disappeared into the town. A nearby stallion pulling a cart laden with vegetables watched them go, a confused expression on his face. Then, he shrugged and continued on his way.
Scootaloo blinked as Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom emerged from behind the shrubs. She glanced at us, then at the direction the bugs had gone, then back at us again, and then behind her into the house. She shook her head and scowled.
"Dammit. I'm still asleep, aren't I?"
[Read more] Sweetie Belle blinked and yawned. She had dark bags under her eyes and looked like she was beyond exhausted.
"We slept in the treehouse," was all she said.
"The treehouse?"
Apple Bloom looked back and forth from one of us to the other.
"Uh, maybe you should tell me what's goin' on."
We did our best to recount our adventures from the night before. Apple Bloom's frown deepened.
"So... you're sayin' these weird shape-shiftin' bugs kidnapped Silver Spoon's parents and replaced 'em with copies?"
Sweetie Belle nodded.
"Yeah. Probably Silver Spoon too. And my sister." She looked drained. "They can make themselves look like anypony they want."
"How many of 'em are there?"
"I don't know. We’ve only seen two, but there are probably lots more.”
She gave a huge yawn, swaying unsteadily on her hooves. Apple Bloom watched her with concern.
"Uh, I'm not sayin' I don't believe you, but... maybe you should just go home and get some sleep, Sweetie Belle. You too, Mr. Rusty. I can tell Miss Cheerilee you're not comin' to school today—"
"NO!"
Apple Bloom jerked back, alarmed by the sudden force in her friend's voice.
"No," Sweetie Belle said again, in a more normal tone. "Please, I know how all of this sounds, but I swear we're not making it up."
Apple Bloom looked from her face to mine and then back again, frowning.
"I swear we're not making it up," Sweetie Belle repeated.
"So... what should we do, then?" asked Apple Bloom.
"We're going to need to raise an army," I said. "We've secured a base of operations, but we're going to need weapons, ammunition, provisions that can last through a protratcted siege—"
Sweetie Belle stomped on my foot.
"We need to find Scootaloo," she interjected, cutting me off with a sour look.
"Don't you two usually walk to school together?" Apple Bloom asked, glancing at me briefly with a mild look of pity in her eyes.
Sweetie nodded.
"Yeah. She sleeps late, though. Sometimes I have to go in there and get her out of bed. She probably isn't even up yet."
"Well, let's get goin' then!"
[hr]
Scootaloo's house turned out to be a dilapidated two-story cottage in a run-down section of Ponyville. The windows were dirty, and the roof badly needed to be re-thatched. The overgrown yard had trash and rusted scooter parts strewn across it.
"You know, I think this is the first time I've ever been to Scoot's house," said Apple Bloom as we approached the shabby hut. "Does anypony else even live here?"
Sweetie Belle shook her head wearily.
"It's kind of a long story," she said. "Anyway—"
"Get down!" I hissed suddenly, grabbing the two ponies and ducking behind the unkempt shrubbery that bordered the yard. We peered cautiously through a hole in the bushes just as the front door of the house began to creak open.
"So, what was the thing you guys wanted to show me before school?"
Scootaloo stepped out onto the porch, blinking sleepily in the morning sunlight.
"It's over at Twilight's library," said a voice that sounded vaguely like Sweetie Belle's. Sweetie's clone emerged onto the porch a moment later, followed by mine.
"Yeah," said the Dale clone. "I really think you're going to like it."
Scootaloo yawned and cracked her neck.
"I've been to Twilight's library before, no offense but it was nothing special. Can you at least tell me what it is before we walk all the way over there?"
'Sweetie Belle' scowled and tapped her hoof impatiently. The whites of her eyes had a faint green glow behind them.
"It's a surprise," she said. "But we have to hurry up and get there now, before everypony starts waking up."
Scootaloo stretched and yawned again, extending her tiny wings as far as they would go.
"Your voice sounds kind of weird, Sweetie Belle," she said. "Do you have a cold or something—"
"BOO!"
They all jumped as I sprang out of the bushes suddenly, landing directly in front of them and making jazz-hands.
'Sweetie Belle' and 'Dale' hissed in surprise, and with a blue-green flash they both transformed into bugs. Scootaloo just stared blankly, looking back and forth between me and the two insect-creatures who were standing where I and Sweetie Belle had just been. The bugs hissed again and took to the air, buzzing quickly over my head. With another flash of light they transformed into pegasi and disappeared into the town. A nearby stallion pulling a cart laden with vegetables watched them go, a confused expression on his face. Then, he shrugged and continued on his way.
Scootaloo blinked as Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom emerged from behind the shrubs. She glanced at us, then at the direction the bugs had gone, then back at us again, and then behind her into the house. She shook her head and scowled.
"Dammit. I'm still asleep, aren't I?"
>>382157
The four of us sat around the small table in Scootaloo's kitchen. Her cottage was even dirtier inside than outside. The floor looked clumsily swept, like it had been done by a child, and there was trash everywhere. A small vase of wildflowers on the table did little to conceal the dank odor wafting up from the sink. Scootaloo seemed uncomfortable, and wouldn't look any of us in the eye.
Finally, Apple Bloom cleared her throat.
"Uh, I like your house, Scoot."
Scootaloo reddened slightly and sank down into her seat.
"This place reminds me of my friend Bill's house," I said, looking around. I sniffed. "Kinda smells the same, too."
Scootaloo slunk down even further. Apple Bloom shot me a disapproving glance and cleared her throat again.
"The flowers are a nice touch," she offered.
Scootaloo's flush deepened.
"Look, it's usually not this messy, okay?" she muttered. "My mom and dad are away on a trip."
Apple Bloom furrowed her brow.
"Now when you say 'away on a trip...'"
"It's for their work, they have to travel a lot. My aunts check up on me sometimes."
"Now when you say 'sometimes...'"
Scootaloo cleared her throat loudly.
"So... what are we going to do about school, anyway?" she interjected, changing the subject. "Class has probably started by now."
"Maybe we should just stay here today," said Sweetie Belle. She looked like she wanted nothing more than to curl up somewhere and go to sleep.
"Hey, yeah," said Scootaloo. "Mr. Rusty's a grownup, kind of. He could write a note to Miss Cheerilee for us."
"What about tomorrow, though?" countered Apple Bloom. "And the day after? We can't just hide here forever, while Ponyville is gettin' taken over by giant bugs. Besides, Miss Cheerilee is going to wonder where we are."
"What if Miss Cheerilee's been replaced by a bug?" asked Scootaloo.
"You three should go to school," I said, exhaling. The three fillies looked slightly disappointed. "The aliens already know this place. It's not safe here."
"Aren't you coming with us?" asked Sweetie Belle.
"I have something I need to look into. It'll be better if I go alone. Meanwhile, you three just go to school and act like everything's fine and natural."
"What about the bugs?" asked Scootaloo.
"We don't know who's been replaced and who hasn't. Stay together. Trust no one. Don't go off anywhere alone."
"Not even to go to the bathroom?"
"Especially not to go to the bathroom."
Scootaloo stood up.
"Uh, in that case, I'll be right back."
She trotted quickly down the hall. We all waited politely, and when she returned we all stepped out onto the front porch.
"Maybe we should come up with a signal," suggested Apple Bloom. "Somethin' we can all say to each other in case we get separated, that only we would know."
"Oswald was framed," I said. All three of them looked at me. "Well, he was. Also, that can be the password. From now on, don't trust anybody—anypony—who doesn't say 'Oswald was framed.'"
They all nodded.
"Oswald was framed," said Apple Bloom.
"Oswald was framed," said Scootaloo.
Sweetie Belle sighed. She looked like she might collapse from exhaustion at any moment.
"Oswald was framed," she muttered.
"Good. Now you three run along to school. We'll meet up at the treehouse later."
"Where are you goin', Mr. Rusty?" asked Apple Bloom.
"I want to see what's so special about Twilight's library."
[hr]
I felt leery at the prospect of walking back through Ponyville, completely exposed, where any pony I met could be an alien in disguise. Instead, I decided to double back through the apple orchard, skirting the edge of the town and following the train tracks.
Eventually, the trees thinned out and I came to an open meadow. In the distance I could see the distinctive outline of Twilight's tree library. I licked my thumb and checked the direction of the wind. It was coming from the northeast. I wasn't sure what to do with that information, but it was probably good to know.
The field was nothing but high grass, with no cover anywhere in sight. If there were any snipers nearby I'd be a dead man. My only option was to belly-crawl through the grass and approach with stealth from the rear.
Moving slowly and in serpentine fashion, I crept through the tall grass towards the tree. When I'd gone about halfway, the grass parted abruptly and I found myself touching a woolen blanket. I looked up to see two confused-looking ponies staring at me. There was a basket nearby, and plates and cups were scattered about. One of the ponies, a sea-green unicorn, was levitating a teacup.
"Uh... what are you doing?" she asked.
I ground out my asparagus stalk on a nearby saucer, which earned me an annoyed look from the unicorn's friend.
"I was never here," I said in a low voice, and receded backward into the grass.
Giving their picnic a wide berth, I continued to serpentine until the tall grass of the field evened out into the manicured lawn surrounding the library. I paused, scanning the perimeter. So far, it looked like I hadn't been spotted. The little cellar window I'd escaped through the previous night, carved into one of the roots in the side, was still open. If I could make it across the lawn without being seen, I could probably get in that way...
Suddenly, a shadow fell across my path.
"Oh, hey there Mr. Rusty," a familiar voice said.
"BWAAAAAAH!" I shrieked, scrambling backward. It was then that I noticed Spike, Twilight's weird little dragon assistant, standing off to one side.
I stood up and brushed off my clothes, doing my best to look nonchalant.
"Spike."
We stared at each other until it became uncomfortable. Spike cleared his throat and began to fidget.
"So, uh, why were you crawling around on the ground? Did you lose something?"
[Read more] The four of us sat around the small table in Scootaloo's kitchen. Her cottage was even dirtier inside than outside. The floor looked clumsily swept, like it had been done by a child, and there was trash everywhere. A small vase of wildflowers on the table did little to conceal the dank odor wafting up from the sink. Scootaloo seemed uncomfortable, and wouldn't look any of us in the eye.
Finally, Apple Bloom cleared her throat.
"Uh, I like your house, Scoot."
Scootaloo reddened slightly and sank down into her seat.
"This place reminds me of my friend Bill's house," I said, looking around. I sniffed. "Kinda smells the same, too."
Scootaloo slunk down even further. Apple Bloom shot me a disapproving glance and cleared her throat again.
"The flowers are a nice touch," she offered.
Scootaloo's flush deepened.
"Look, it's usually not this messy, okay?" she muttered. "My mom and dad are away on a trip."
Apple Bloom furrowed her brow.
"Now when you say 'away on a trip...'"
"It's for their work, they have to travel a lot. My aunts check up on me sometimes."
"Now when you say 'sometimes...'"
Scootaloo cleared her throat loudly.
"So... what are we going to do about school, anyway?" she interjected, changing the subject. "Class has probably started by now."
"Maybe we should just stay here today," said Sweetie Belle. She looked like she wanted nothing more than to curl up somewhere and go to sleep.
"Hey, yeah," said Scootaloo. "Mr. Rusty's a grownup, kind of. He could write a note to Miss Cheerilee for us."
"What about tomorrow, though?" countered Apple Bloom. "And the day after? We can't just hide here forever, while Ponyville is gettin' taken over by giant bugs. Besides, Miss Cheerilee is going to wonder where we are."
"What if Miss Cheerilee's been replaced by a bug?" asked Scootaloo.
"You three should go to school," I said, exhaling. The three fillies looked slightly disappointed. "The aliens already know this place. It's not safe here."
"Aren't you coming with us?" asked Sweetie Belle.
"I have something I need to look into. It'll be better if I go alone. Meanwhile, you three just go to school and act like everything's fine and natural."
"What about the bugs?" asked Scootaloo.
"We don't know who's been replaced and who hasn't. Stay together. Trust no one. Don't go off anywhere alone."
"Not even to go to the bathroom?"
"Especially not to go to the bathroom."
Scootaloo stood up.
"Uh, in that case, I'll be right back."
She trotted quickly down the hall. We all waited politely, and when she returned we all stepped out onto the front porch.
"Maybe we should come up with a signal," suggested Apple Bloom. "Somethin' we can all say to each other in case we get separated, that only we would know."
"Oswald was framed," I said. All three of them looked at me. "Well, he was. Also, that can be the password. From now on, don't trust anybody—anypony—who doesn't say 'Oswald was framed.'"
They all nodded.
"Oswald was framed," said Apple Bloom.
"Oswald was framed," said Scootaloo.
Sweetie Belle sighed. She looked like she might collapse from exhaustion at any moment.
"Oswald was framed," she muttered.
"Good. Now you three run along to school. We'll meet up at the treehouse later."
"Where are you goin', Mr. Rusty?" asked Apple Bloom.
"I want to see what's so special about Twilight's library."
[hr]
I felt leery at the prospect of walking back through Ponyville, completely exposed, where any pony I met could be an alien in disguise. Instead, I decided to double back through the apple orchard, skirting the edge of the town and following the train tracks.
Eventually, the trees thinned out and I came to an open meadow. In the distance I could see the distinctive outline of Twilight's tree library. I licked my thumb and checked the direction of the wind. It was coming from the northeast. I wasn't sure what to do with that information, but it was probably good to know.
The field was nothing but high grass, with no cover anywhere in sight. If there were any snipers nearby I'd be a dead man. My only option was to belly-crawl through the grass and approach with stealth from the rear.
Moving slowly and in serpentine fashion, I crept through the tall grass towards the tree. When I'd gone about halfway, the grass parted abruptly and I found myself touching a woolen blanket. I looked up to see two confused-looking ponies staring at me. There was a basket nearby, and plates and cups were scattered about. One of the ponies, a sea-green unicorn, was levitating a teacup.
"Uh... what are you doing?" she asked.
I ground out my asparagus stalk on a nearby saucer, which earned me an annoyed look from the unicorn's friend.
"I was never here," I said in a low voice, and receded backward into the grass.
Giving their picnic a wide berth, I continued to serpentine until the tall grass of the field evened out into the manicured lawn surrounding the library. I paused, scanning the perimeter. So far, it looked like I hadn't been spotted. The little cellar window I'd escaped through the previous night, carved into one of the roots in the side, was still open. If I could make it across the lawn without being seen, I could probably get in that way...
Suddenly, a shadow fell across my path.
"Oh, hey there Mr. Rusty," a familiar voice said.
"BWAAAAAAH!" I shrieked, scrambling backward. It was then that I noticed Spike, Twilight's weird little dragon assistant, standing off to one side.
I stood up and brushed off my clothes, doing my best to look nonchalant.
"Spike."
We stared at each other until it became uncomfortable. Spike cleared his throat and began to fidget.
"So, uh, why were you crawling around on the ground? Did you lose something?"
>>382158
I slipped my hand into my pocket, and felt it wrap around something cold and hard-edged. I realized that I still had the gem he'd given me the other day.
"Oh, uh, I was just looking for this."
I showed him the gem. Spike glanced at it with disinterest.
"Oh, okay," was all he said. "Anyway, it's good you're here. Twilight's been looking for you."
"She has?"
"Yeah, she's pretty mad that you went running off on your own last night. She says you're still grounded, and if I see you I'm supposed to tell you to get back in the cellar."
I narrowed my eyes and lit an asparagus stalk, trying to think. Spike was smiling pleasantly at me, and he looked like his usual self. Still, my Gribble-sense was tingling. Something was off here. I glanced past Spike to the tree, but could see nothing out of the ordinary except the open cellar window.
Wait a minute, did I really leave that window open last night?
The hair on the back of my neck began to stand. I had the unmistakable sense that I was walking into a trap.
"Come on, Mr. Rusty," said Spike. There was an impatient note in his voice now. "You need to get back inside."
I tossed my asparagus to the ground and ground it out.
"Nah, I've got to get to school," I said.
"Twilight said you should skip school today."
"That doesn't sound like it'd be good for my education."
Spike shrugged.
"Twilight doesn't care. She says you're grounded. She wants you to write a ten page friendship letter to Princess Celestia, and then re-alphabetize the library."
"That doesn't sound like her."
"Well, that's what she told me. She says you're failing school anyway, and that this will be a better use of your time."
There was something about his too-friendly smile that I didn't like. Instead of answering, I handed him the gem.
"Sorry, I think my eyes were bigger than my stomach," I said. "I don't think I can eat this. You want it?"
He took it from me hesitantly.
"Eat... the gem?"
"Yeah," I said. "You're a dragon, aren't you? And dragons like gems. Go on, no need to be embarrassed. Just chow down!"
He turned it over in his claw, staring at it like I'd just dared him to eat a cockroach. Then, without warning, he threw the gem away and raised his claws, hissing angrily at me. I took a surprised step backward.
"I'm not hungry either," he said. All the friendliness had gone out of his voice. "Now let's just get down to the cellar, what do you say, Mr. Rusty? Don't want Twilight to be mad..."
He hissed again, and took a menacing step forward. His eyes now had a slight green glow. He advanced on me, hissing and clawing at the air. It suddenly dawned on me that Spike was only about two feet tall, and his claws didn't look all that sharp.
When he took another step forward I lunged for him, grabbing him by the tail and yanking him roughly into the air. As I'd suspected, he didn't weigh very much; I could lift him easily with one hand.
"WAAAAAAAAUGH!" he cried out in surprise.
I swung him around in a circle over my head and threw him as hard as I could. He yowled indignantly as he went sailing through the air, and then landed with a crash somewhere in the meadow. I heard what sounded like dishes breaking, and the two ponies from before poked their heads up out of the grass, glaring at me.
"Hey!" one of them called out.
"Sorry!" I called back.
Then there came a loud hiss, followed by a green flash of light. The two ponies cried out in alarm as something darted off, rusting through the grass as it fled into the nearby woods.
"That wasn't very nice."
I turned to face the source of this new voice. Twilight Sparkle was standing near the library, and next to her was... Spike. More figures were emerging from behind the trunk of the library as well. There was... Twilight again. And Spike. And a third Spike. They all had that weird green glow in their eyes.
They spread out into a semicircle, advancing on me slowly.
"Oh my god, it's a flying saucer!" I shouted, pointing.
When they all turned to look, I took off running.
[Read more] I slipped my hand into my pocket, and felt it wrap around something cold and hard-edged. I realized that I still had the gem he'd given me the other day.
"Oh, uh, I was just looking for this."
I showed him the gem. Spike glanced at it with disinterest.
"Oh, okay," was all he said. "Anyway, it's good you're here. Twilight's been looking for you."
"She has?"
"Yeah, she's pretty mad that you went running off on your own last night. She says you're still grounded, and if I see you I'm supposed to tell you to get back in the cellar."
I narrowed my eyes and lit an asparagus stalk, trying to think. Spike was smiling pleasantly at me, and he looked like his usual self. Still, my Gribble-sense was tingling. Something was off here. I glanced past Spike to the tree, but could see nothing out of the ordinary except the open cellar window.
Wait a minute, did I really leave that window open last night?
The hair on the back of my neck began to stand. I had the unmistakable sense that I was walking into a trap.
"Come on, Mr. Rusty," said Spike. There was an impatient note in his voice now. "You need to get back inside."
I tossed my asparagus to the ground and ground it out.
"Nah, I've got to get to school," I said.
"Twilight said you should skip school today."
"That doesn't sound like it'd be good for my education."
Spike shrugged.
"Twilight doesn't care. She says you're grounded. She wants you to write a ten page friendship letter to Princess Celestia, and then re-alphabetize the library."
"That doesn't sound like her."
"Well, that's what she told me. She says you're failing school anyway, and that this will be a better use of your time."
There was something about his too-friendly smile that I didn't like. Instead of answering, I handed him the gem.
"Sorry, I think my eyes were bigger than my stomach," I said. "I don't think I can eat this. You want it?"
He took it from me hesitantly.
"Eat... the gem?"
"Yeah," I said. "You're a dragon, aren't you? And dragons like gems. Go on, no need to be embarrassed. Just chow down!"
He turned it over in his claw, staring at it like I'd just dared him to eat a cockroach. Then, without warning, he threw the gem away and raised his claws, hissing angrily at me. I took a surprised step backward.
"I'm not hungry either," he said. All the friendliness had gone out of his voice. "Now let's just get down to the cellar, what do you say, Mr. Rusty? Don't want Twilight to be mad..."
He hissed again, and took a menacing step forward. His eyes now had a slight green glow. He advanced on me, hissing and clawing at the air. It suddenly dawned on me that Spike was only about two feet tall, and his claws didn't look all that sharp.
When he took another step forward I lunged for him, grabbing him by the tail and yanking him roughly into the air. As I'd suspected, he didn't weigh very much; I could lift him easily with one hand.
"WAAAAAAAAUGH!" he cried out in surprise.
I swung him around in a circle over my head and threw him as hard as I could. He yowled indignantly as he went sailing through the air, and then landed with a crash somewhere in the meadow. I heard what sounded like dishes breaking, and the two ponies from before poked their heads up out of the grass, glaring at me.
"Hey!" one of them called out.
"Sorry!" I called back.
Then there came a loud hiss, followed by a green flash of light. The two ponies cried out in alarm as something darted off, rusting through the grass as it fled into the nearby woods.
"That wasn't very nice."
I turned to face the source of this new voice. Twilight Sparkle was standing near the library, and next to her was... Spike. More figures were emerging from behind the trunk of the library as well. There was... Twilight again. And Spike. And a third Spike. They all had that weird green glow in their eyes.
They spread out into a semicircle, advancing on me slowly.
"Oh my god, it's a flying saucer!" I shouted, pointing.
When they all turned to look, I took off running.
>>382159
Gribble's Log
Location: Treehouse
Day 8
I have been careless.
In my efforts to infiltrate Horseworld and prevent the terraformation of Earth, I failed to consider that Horseworld might itself be infiltrated and terraformed. As 'Princess Celestia' sits in her high castle, scheming her audacious schemes for full-scale interplanetary invasion, it appears that all the while a third player has been working on a scheme of their own.
While I would normally call this poetic justice, this latest development poses serious problems Gribble-wise. One: I am currently marooned on Horseworld with no means of escape. What affects these ponies for the time being affects me as well. Two: if Horseworld succumbs to the wiles of these mysterious bug-like invaders, the other planets of the galaxy will soon fall like dominoes. There won't be an Earth for me to return to.
I have decided therefore to form a temporary alliance with the warriors of the horse planet. The so-called 'cutie mark crusaders' are the least-untrustworthy of the ponies I have met thus far, and seem to have no worrisome connections to their government or mine. But, they also have no practical experience in detecting and exterminating hostile creatures from outer space.
I must now explain to these naive horse-children the full gravitas of the battle ahead, and the true nature of the enemy I believe we face. Full disclosure. Nothing held back.
I can only pray that the truth doesn't break them.
[hr]
It was now late afternoon and school had long since ended. The day had grown overcast and humid, the air in the treehouse heavy with the smell of impending rain.
"Do any of you have any questions so far?" I asked.
The three fillies just stared at me in silence. Finally, Scootaloo raised a hoof.
"Um, could you explain the part about the Warren Commission again?"
"Yeah," chimed in Apple Bloom. "And what does it have to do with that floor-ride stuff you said the government was puttin' in your drinkin' water?"
"All fine questions," I said, lighting a stalk. "To answer, we'll have to go back to a time I like to call 1947. The place: Roswell, New Mexico. In many ways it was a halcyon time for this small town of fifteen thousand, but thanks to the crash of a purported 'weather balloon—'"
"What does any of this have to do with giant bugs taking over Ponyville?" interrupted Sweetie Belle crossly.
"Uh... yeah," added Apple Bloom. "I mean, this is all real interestin', Mr. Rusty, but I'm kinda with Sweetie Belle. We all saw the bugs this mornin', and I don't think they're those zebra... regular... uh, what did you call 'em, again?"
"Zeta Reticulans."
"Yeah... uh... those."
I took a puff of asparagus.
"While I've never heard of Zeta Reticulans having shapeshifting capabilities either, we can't afford to rule anything out. For the record, though, I also agree with Sweetie Belle. Reptilian Archons are far more likely culprits in this case."
"That's not what I—arrgh, we don't have time for this!" said Sweetie Belle. "What are we going to do?!?"
"I still think we should tell a grownup what's goin' on," said Apple Bloom. She gave me kind of a sheepish look. "I mean, no offense Mr. Rusty, but—"
"We could tell Miss Cheerilee," Scootaloo offered.
"I don't know, she was acting really weird today," said Sweetie Belle.
"Weird how?" I asked.
"I don't know, just weird. Her voice sounded funny, and she kept asking us about you."
"Yeah, and she didn't even care that Sweetie Belle slept for like half the day," added Scootaloo.
"Oh come on, I only shut my eyes for two minutes."
"It was more like two hours. And you were snoring, too!"
"Was not!"
"Were too! The whole class heard. And you were blowing bubbles with your nose!"
Scootaloo squeezed her eyes shut and made exaggerated snoring noises. Sweetie Belle ground her teeth, and her horn began to light up.
"Miss Cheerilee didn't really teach us anythin' today, either," said Apple Bloom, quickly stepping between the two of them. "She just kept talkin' about how we're all gonna go on this field trip to the Golden Oak Library next week, and how it's real important that the whole class is there, but also we're not supposed to tell our families about it. I don't know, that all sounded kinda fishy to me."
"Yeah, that actually was pretty weird," mused Scootaloo. "And the bugs from this morning, the ones that looked like you guys? They were talking about the Golden Oak library too."
"The invaders probably have bases all over town," I said. "The library is definitely one. I went back there today."
I gave them a brief account of what I'd seen that morning.
"I don't really wanna go there anyway," said Scootaloo with a shrug. "It's pretty boring. There's nothing to do in there but read."
"It's a library," said Sweetie Belle. "You're supposed to read in there."
[Read more] Gribble's Log
Location: Treehouse
Day 8
I have been careless.
In my efforts to infiltrate Horseworld and prevent the terraformation of Earth, I failed to consider that Horseworld might itself be infiltrated and terraformed. As 'Princess Celestia' sits in her high castle, scheming her audacious schemes for full-scale interplanetary invasion, it appears that all the while a third player has been working on a scheme of their own.
While I would normally call this poetic justice, this latest development poses serious problems Gribble-wise. One: I am currently marooned on Horseworld with no means of escape. What affects these ponies for the time being affects me as well. Two: if Horseworld succumbs to the wiles of these mysterious bug-like invaders, the other planets of the galaxy will soon fall like dominoes. There won't be an Earth for me to return to.
I have decided therefore to form a temporary alliance with the warriors of the horse planet. The so-called 'cutie mark crusaders' are the least-untrustworthy of the ponies I have met thus far, and seem to have no worrisome connections to their government or mine. But, they also have no practical experience in detecting and exterminating hostile creatures from outer space.
I must now explain to these naive horse-children the full gravitas of the battle ahead, and the true nature of the enemy I believe we face. Full disclosure. Nothing held back.
I can only pray that the truth doesn't break them.
[hr]
It was now late afternoon and school had long since ended. The day had grown overcast and humid, the air in the treehouse heavy with the smell of impending rain.
"Do any of you have any questions so far?" I asked.
The three fillies just stared at me in silence. Finally, Scootaloo raised a hoof.
"Um, could you explain the part about the Warren Commission again?"
"Yeah," chimed in Apple Bloom. "And what does it have to do with that floor-ride stuff you said the government was puttin' in your drinkin' water?"
"All fine questions," I said, lighting a stalk. "To answer, we'll have to go back to a time I like to call 1947. The place: Roswell, New Mexico. In many ways it was a halcyon time for this small town of fifteen thousand, but thanks to the crash of a purported 'weather balloon—'"
"What does any of this have to do with giant bugs taking over Ponyville?" interrupted Sweetie Belle crossly.
"Uh... yeah," added Apple Bloom. "I mean, this is all real interestin', Mr. Rusty, but I'm kinda with Sweetie Belle. We all saw the bugs this mornin', and I don't think they're those zebra... regular... uh, what did you call 'em, again?"
"Zeta Reticulans."
"Yeah... uh... those."
I took a puff of asparagus.
"While I've never heard of Zeta Reticulans having shapeshifting capabilities either, we can't afford to rule anything out. For the record, though, I also agree with Sweetie Belle. Reptilian Archons are far more likely culprits in this case."
"That's not what I—arrgh, we don't have time for this!" said Sweetie Belle. "What are we going to do?!?"
"I still think we should tell a grownup what's goin' on," said Apple Bloom. She gave me kind of a sheepish look. "I mean, no offense Mr. Rusty, but—"
"We could tell Miss Cheerilee," Scootaloo offered.
"I don't know, she was acting really weird today," said Sweetie Belle.
"Weird how?" I asked.
"I don't know, just weird. Her voice sounded funny, and she kept asking us about you."
"Yeah, and she didn't even care that Sweetie Belle slept for like half the day," added Scootaloo.
"Oh come on, I only shut my eyes for two minutes."
"It was more like two hours. And you were snoring, too!"
"Was not!"
"Were too! The whole class heard. And you were blowing bubbles with your nose!"
Scootaloo squeezed her eyes shut and made exaggerated snoring noises. Sweetie Belle ground her teeth, and her horn began to light up.
"Miss Cheerilee didn't really teach us anythin' today, either," said Apple Bloom, quickly stepping between the two of them. "She just kept talkin' about how we're all gonna go on this field trip to the Golden Oak Library next week, and how it's real important that the whole class is there, but also we're not supposed to tell our families about it. I don't know, that all sounded kinda fishy to me."
"Yeah, that actually was pretty weird," mused Scootaloo. "And the bugs from this morning, the ones that looked like you guys? They were talking about the Golden Oak library too."
"The invaders probably have bases all over town," I said. "The library is definitely one. I went back there today."
I gave them a brief account of what I'd seen that morning.
"I don't really wanna go there anyway," said Scootaloo with a shrug. "It's pretty boring. There's nothing to do in there but read."
"It's a library," said Sweetie Belle. "You're supposed to read in there."
>>382160
"Yeah, but they don't even have any comic books or anything. Plus, you know Twilight Sparkle that works there? Rainbow Dash says she's a total egghead, and if I spend too much time in the library I might turn into an egghead like her—"
"Not trusting Twilight Sparkle is a good instinct," I cut in. "She's clearly an undercover operative in league with your nation's government. And she grounded me."
"I like Twilight," countered Sweetie Belle primly. "I think she's nice."
"You won't think she's so nice after she copies your brain-waves and sends them off to Canterlot. Besides, she's been replaced by multiple clones of herself, so it's not even her."
"I hate how that doesn't even sound crazy anymore," muttered Sweetie Belle.
"What do you think the bugs're tryin' to do, Mr. Rusty?" asked Apple Bloom, changing the subject. "Are they just swappin' out random ponies, or... what do they want?"
"It's a classic covert infiltration scenario," I said. "I've seen it before. Take a look at their targets so far. They start by quietly replacing the most important people—ponies—they can get to. Silver Spoon's parents do government work in Canterlot. Cheerilee is your town's Minister of Propaganda. And Twilight Sparkle is Celestia's personal stooge, as well as her eyes and ears in Ponyville. She was probably the one they got to first."
"What about my sister?" asked Sweetie Belle, with an anxious flick of her tail.
"She probably wasn't part of the original plan. Last night, you and me witnessed something we weren't supposed to. When they couldn't catch us, they went for Rarity. And just this morning they were trying to get to Scootaloo. Get it? These things know who you are and where you live and who your friends are. They've probably been watching Ponyville for months. All of us are targets now. Probably your families, too. Well, except for you, Scootaloo."
Scootaloo looked a little dejected. Apple Bloom shot me a sour look.
"If they're goin' after our families, then that means my brother and my sister and Granny Smith are all in trouble!" she said. "We gotta go warn 'em!"
"Can't, it's too risky. Besides, they've probably already been replicated."
"I don't care, I need to help if I can! Besides, if she ain't been replicated yet, my big sis might be able to help us!"
"And if she has been replicated, she'll put you in one of those coccoons and ship you off to the Draco system to be dissected. Is that what you want, Apple Bloom? Huh?"
"I think she's right," cut in Sweetie Belle, with an irritated glance at me. "And anyway, we really should tell somepony about what's going on. I think this problem might be too big for us to handle on our own."
"We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders, though!" Scootaloo objected. "And if we can save the town by ourselves, we could be heroes, just like Rainbow Dash! We might even get our cutie marks!"
The other two paused, considering.
"I still think we should at least tell my sister what's goin' on..." said Apple Bloom, but the prospect of a town hero cutie mark was clearly tempting her.
"I'll tell you what we need to do," I said, taking another puff. "We need to round up every firearm and every scrap of spare ammunition in a twelve mile radius of this town, and prepare ourselves to fight off the invaders."
"Uh... firearms?"
"Ammunition?"
The fillies looked at each other in confusion.
"You know, guns? Rifles? Weapons?"
The three ponies just stared blankly at me.
"Wait a minute, do you ponies not have any guns?"
They looked at each other, and then back at me. Apple Bloom shrugged.
"Sorry, Mr. Rusty, I don't think we have anything like that. Also, what are guns?"
I was so astonished the asparagus stalk fell right out of my mouth.
"You mean to say your society isn't armed?!?"
They shook their heads.
"Then how do you defend yourselves against the encroachment of a hostile government?!?"
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked at each other and shrugged.
"We're awful sorry, Mr. Rusty," said Apple Bloom. "We've never been in an alien invasion before, we don't know what kinda stuff we're supposed to have. I guess we could ask Granny Smith, she might know somethin' about what guns are..."
I wasn't listening anymore; I was too busy trying to slow down my own heart rate. The three fillies watched in silence as I paced back and forth, muttering to myself while attempting to light another stalk.
"Hey, I have an idea!" exclaimed Scootaloo all of a sudden. "What if we have a campout here in the treehouse? We don't have to be back at school for a couple of days. We can go up to the farm and ask Applejack if it's okay, and while we're there we can check on them and make sure they haven't been replaced by bug-ponies. And Mr. Rusty can get... whatever he needs."
"That's a pretty good idea," mused Apple Bloom. "And we ain't had a treehouse campout in awhile... what do you think, Mr. Rusty?"
I managed to get my hand to stop shaking long enough to light an asparagus stalk. The roof of the treehouse was uncomfortably low, and I had to hold my neck at a weird angle in order to stand up in there. I took a deep, long puff, and felt the soothing magical nicotine flow through my body.
"I had no idea the situation in Ponyville was this dire," I said finally. "Not having access to combat rifles with high-capacity magazines throws off my plans, but as a professional soldier of fortune I've had to work with less."
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle exchanged another confused look.
"So, uh, does that mean we're having a campout then?" asked Sweetie Belle.
"What this town needs is a well-regulated citizens militia," I said. "And the four of us are going to form that militia. So yes, it does mean we'll be camping out in the treehouse this weekend."
The three fillies looked at each other and grinned. They each raised a hoof and bumped them together.
"Cutie mark crusader citizens' militia campout!" they cried in unison.
[Read more] "Yeah, but they don't even have any comic books or anything. Plus, you know Twilight Sparkle that works there? Rainbow Dash says she's a total egghead, and if I spend too much time in the library I might turn into an egghead like her—"
"Not trusting Twilight Sparkle is a good instinct," I cut in. "She's clearly an undercover operative in league with your nation's government. And she grounded me."
"I like Twilight," countered Sweetie Belle primly. "I think she's nice."
"You won't think she's so nice after she copies your brain-waves and sends them off to Canterlot. Besides, she's been replaced by multiple clones of herself, so it's not even her."
"I hate how that doesn't even sound crazy anymore," muttered Sweetie Belle.
"What do you think the bugs're tryin' to do, Mr. Rusty?" asked Apple Bloom, changing the subject. "Are they just swappin' out random ponies, or... what do they want?"
"It's a classic covert infiltration scenario," I said. "I've seen it before. Take a look at their targets so far. They start by quietly replacing the most important people—ponies—they can get to. Silver Spoon's parents do government work in Canterlot. Cheerilee is your town's Minister of Propaganda. And Twilight Sparkle is Celestia's personal stooge, as well as her eyes and ears in Ponyville. She was probably the one they got to first."
"What about my sister?" asked Sweetie Belle, with an anxious flick of her tail.
"She probably wasn't part of the original plan. Last night, you and me witnessed something we weren't supposed to. When they couldn't catch us, they went for Rarity. And just this morning they were trying to get to Scootaloo. Get it? These things know who you are and where you live and who your friends are. They've probably been watching Ponyville for months. All of us are targets now. Probably your families, too. Well, except for you, Scootaloo."
Scootaloo looked a little dejected. Apple Bloom shot me a sour look.
"If they're goin' after our families, then that means my brother and my sister and Granny Smith are all in trouble!" she said. "We gotta go warn 'em!"
"Can't, it's too risky. Besides, they've probably already been replicated."
"I don't care, I need to help if I can! Besides, if she ain't been replicated yet, my big sis might be able to help us!"
"And if she has been replicated, she'll put you in one of those coccoons and ship you off to the Draco system to be dissected. Is that what you want, Apple Bloom? Huh?"
"I think she's right," cut in Sweetie Belle, with an irritated glance at me. "And anyway, we really should tell somepony about what's going on. I think this problem might be too big for us to handle on our own."
"We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders, though!" Scootaloo objected. "And if we can save the town by ourselves, we could be heroes, just like Rainbow Dash! We might even get our cutie marks!"
The other two paused, considering.
"I still think we should at least tell my sister what's goin' on..." said Apple Bloom, but the prospect of a town hero cutie mark was clearly tempting her.
"I'll tell you what we need to do," I said, taking another puff. "We need to round up every firearm and every scrap of spare ammunition in a twelve mile radius of this town, and prepare ourselves to fight off the invaders."
"Uh... firearms?"
"Ammunition?"
The fillies looked at each other in confusion.
"You know, guns? Rifles? Weapons?"
The three ponies just stared blankly at me.
"Wait a minute, do you ponies not have any guns?"
They looked at each other, and then back at me. Apple Bloom shrugged.
"Sorry, Mr. Rusty, I don't think we have anything like that. Also, what are guns?"
I was so astonished the asparagus stalk fell right out of my mouth.
"You mean to say your society isn't armed?!?"
They shook their heads.
"Then how do you defend yourselves against the encroachment of a hostile government?!?"
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked at each other and shrugged.
"We're awful sorry, Mr. Rusty," said Apple Bloom. "We've never been in an alien invasion before, we don't know what kinda stuff we're supposed to have. I guess we could ask Granny Smith, she might know somethin' about what guns are..."
I wasn't listening anymore; I was too busy trying to slow down my own heart rate. The three fillies watched in silence as I paced back and forth, muttering to myself while attempting to light another stalk.
"Hey, I have an idea!" exclaimed Scootaloo all of a sudden. "What if we have a campout here in the treehouse? We don't have to be back at school for a couple of days. We can go up to the farm and ask Applejack if it's okay, and while we're there we can check on them and make sure they haven't been replaced by bug-ponies. And Mr. Rusty can get... whatever he needs."
"That's a pretty good idea," mused Apple Bloom. "And we ain't had a treehouse campout in awhile... what do you think, Mr. Rusty?"
I managed to get my hand to stop shaking long enough to light an asparagus stalk. The roof of the treehouse was uncomfortably low, and I had to hold my neck at a weird angle in order to stand up in there. I took a deep, long puff, and felt the soothing magical nicotine flow through my body.
"I had no idea the situation in Ponyville was this dire," I said finally. "Not having access to combat rifles with high-capacity magazines throws off my plans, but as a professional soldier of fortune I've had to work with less."
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle exchanged another confused look.
"So, uh, does that mean we're having a campout then?" asked Sweetie Belle.
"What this town needs is a well-regulated citizens militia," I said. "And the four of us are going to form that militia. So yes, it does mean we'll be camping out in the treehouse this weekend."
The three fillies looked at each other and grinned. They each raised a hoof and bumped them together.
"Cutie mark crusader citizens' militia campout!" they cried in unison.
It gets better and better, I love what you're doing, keep it up, friend!
>>382161
By the time we reached the Apple farm, drops of rain were beginning to fall from the sky. Applejack was outside, hurriedly pulling a tarp over the back of a wagon loaded with barrels. Hitched to the front was a large red earth pony I hadn't seen before.
"Oh, Apple Bloom, you're back," said Applejack when she saw us approaching. "That's good. You can help us get the rest of these apples inside before the rain starts comin' down."
"Well, actually sis," said Apple Bloom hesitantly. "We were just comin' to ask if we could have a campout in the treehouse this weekend."
Applejack frowned, looking up at the darkening, overcast sky.
"Y'all want to sleep in the treehouse tonight? Rainbow Dash says there's supposed to be a pretty big storm comin'..."
"We promise we'll come back and sleep in the house if there's any lightnin' or anythin'."
Applejack looked back and forth between the four of us, still frowning.
"Mr. Rusty's gonna camp out too?"
I didn't answer. My asparagus stalk had gone out, and I was in the process of trying to relight it. The wind was picking up, and I was having trouble getting a flame.
"We promise we'll keep an eye on him," said Sweetie Belle.
Applejack's frown deepened, and then she just shrugged.
"I guess it's okay," she said. "Big Mac and I can take care of your chores for this weekend, so long as you promise to do a little extra 'round here next week to make up for it."
"I promise!" said Apple Bloom.
Applejack turned and called over her shoulder.
"That okay with you, Big Mac?"
"Eeyup," said the big red pony.
She turned back to the fillies.
"And Sweetie Belle? Rarity said it's okay for you to stay over? Scootaloo, you talked to... uh... your folks?"
"Yes," they both said in unison, smiling sweetly.
"Alright then, I guess that's settled," said Applejack. The wind was making it difficult to control the tarp, and she tugged at it roughly, trying to get it into place so she could tie it down. As she was struggling, Apple Bloom approached her hesitantly.
"By the way, sis," she began. "You haven't seen anythin'... strange 'round here lately, have you?"
Applejack caught the tarp string in her teeth and yanked it as tight as she could.
"Strange?" she considered the question for a moment. "No, I don't reckon I have."
Meanwhile, I had moved under the nearby eave of the barn, and was still trying to light my asparagus in the drizzle. Applejack watched me for a moment and chuckled.
"I guess Mr. Rusty chewin' on that burnt asparagus all the time is the strangest thing I've seen in awhile," she added. "Why do you ask?"
"Uh... no reason," said Apple Bloom, looking away uncomfortably. "It's just..."
"It's just that we're... investigating stuff!" Scootaloo put in. "We're investigating... what did Mr. Rusty call it?"
She looked at Sweetie Belle, who shrugged.
"Paramoral disturbances, I think?"
"Yeah, that."
"So we need to know if you've seen anythin' suspicious 'round here recently," finished Apple Bloom.
Applejack looked amused.
"So y'all are investigators now, huh? That's cute. And Mr. Rusty's helpin' you?"
I was still too preoccupied with my lighter to answer. Applejack chuckled again, shook her head, and lightly kicked the side of the wagon with her front hoof.
"S'all ready to go, Big Mac!" she called out.
The wagon began to creak slowly forward. Applejack watched it go, then turned back to her sister.
"You know what," she said. "I actually did hear somethin' kinda strange at the market today. Golden Harvest was sayin' that a bunch of her carrots got dug up from her garden the other day. Maybe y'all could investigate that."
"That just sounds like rabbits," Scootaloo muttered indignantly.
"She said her neighbor had some stuff go missin' too," Applejack went on. "And she had her garbage cans knocked over."
"Raccoons then," said Sweetie Belle.
"I don't know about that, but it sure sounded pretty darn mysterious to me..."
Her voice had a distinctly patronizing note to it.
"Come on, sis, we're bein' serious!" Apple Bloom protested. "You're sure you haven't seen anythin'... you know... really strange? Like... giant bugs takin' over Ponyville? Or anythin' like that?"
Applejack snickered.
"Giant bugs takin' over Ponyville? Uh, no sugarcube, I'm pretty sure I'd remember seein' somethin' like that." She ruffled her sister's mane with a hoof, and Apple Bloom grunted. "I think y'all been listenin' to a few too many of Mr. Rusty's stories—"
"Yeah, that Mr. Rusty sure tells some crazy stories, all right."
The foals all froze at the sound of a familiar voice. I dropped my lighter in surprise, my asparagus stalk still unlit. Applejack, however, just glanced past her sister and smiled broadly.
"Oh, hey there, Twilight!"
Sure enough, Twilight Sparkle was walking up the drive from the orchard, her dragon servant a few steps behind.
"Applejack! Be careful!" hissed Apple Bloom, but her older sister ignored her.
"What brings you all the way out here?" she asked.
Twilight smiled. Her horn lit up, flipping open the saddle bag she wore slung across her back.
"I just came to return this plow harness you loaned me," she said.
Applejack frowned.
"Did I loan you a plow harness?"
"Yeah, don't you remember? I came by the other week, said I had to do some gardening, you said you had a plow harness that would fit me...?"
"No, I can't say as I recall that," said Applejack, stroking her chin. Then she shrugged. "But, things have been pretty busy around here, probably just slipped my mind."
[Read more] By the time we reached the Apple farm, drops of rain were beginning to fall from the sky. Applejack was outside, hurriedly pulling a tarp over the back of a wagon loaded with barrels. Hitched to the front was a large red earth pony I hadn't seen before.
"Oh, Apple Bloom, you're back," said Applejack when she saw us approaching. "That's good. You can help us get the rest of these apples inside before the rain starts comin' down."
"Well, actually sis," said Apple Bloom hesitantly. "We were just comin' to ask if we could have a campout in the treehouse this weekend."
Applejack frowned, looking up at the darkening, overcast sky.
"Y'all want to sleep in the treehouse tonight? Rainbow Dash says there's supposed to be a pretty big storm comin'..."
"We promise we'll come back and sleep in the house if there's any lightnin' or anythin'."
Applejack looked back and forth between the four of us, still frowning.
"Mr. Rusty's gonna camp out too?"
I didn't answer. My asparagus stalk had gone out, and I was in the process of trying to relight it. The wind was picking up, and I was having trouble getting a flame.
"We promise we'll keep an eye on him," said Sweetie Belle.
Applejack's frown deepened, and then she just shrugged.
"I guess it's okay," she said. "Big Mac and I can take care of your chores for this weekend, so long as you promise to do a little extra 'round here next week to make up for it."
"I promise!" said Apple Bloom.
Applejack turned and called over her shoulder.
"That okay with you, Big Mac?"
"Eeyup," said the big red pony.
She turned back to the fillies.
"And Sweetie Belle? Rarity said it's okay for you to stay over? Scootaloo, you talked to... uh... your folks?"
"Yes," they both said in unison, smiling sweetly.
"Alright then, I guess that's settled," said Applejack. The wind was making it difficult to control the tarp, and she tugged at it roughly, trying to get it into place so she could tie it down. As she was struggling, Apple Bloom approached her hesitantly.
"By the way, sis," she began. "You haven't seen anythin'... strange 'round here lately, have you?"
Applejack caught the tarp string in her teeth and yanked it as tight as she could.
"Strange?" she considered the question for a moment. "No, I don't reckon I have."
Meanwhile, I had moved under the nearby eave of the barn, and was still trying to light my asparagus in the drizzle. Applejack watched me for a moment and chuckled.
"I guess Mr. Rusty chewin' on that burnt asparagus all the time is the strangest thing I've seen in awhile," she added. "Why do you ask?"
"Uh... no reason," said Apple Bloom, looking away uncomfortably. "It's just..."
"It's just that we're... investigating stuff!" Scootaloo put in. "We're investigating... what did Mr. Rusty call it?"
She looked at Sweetie Belle, who shrugged.
"Paramoral disturbances, I think?"
"Yeah, that."
"So we need to know if you've seen anythin' suspicious 'round here recently," finished Apple Bloom.
Applejack looked amused.
"So y'all are investigators now, huh? That's cute. And Mr. Rusty's helpin' you?"
I was still too preoccupied with my lighter to answer. Applejack chuckled again, shook her head, and lightly kicked the side of the wagon with her front hoof.
"S'all ready to go, Big Mac!" she called out.
The wagon began to creak slowly forward. Applejack watched it go, then turned back to her sister.
"You know what," she said. "I actually did hear somethin' kinda strange at the market today. Golden Harvest was sayin' that a bunch of her carrots got dug up from her garden the other day. Maybe y'all could investigate that."
"That just sounds like rabbits," Scootaloo muttered indignantly.
"She said her neighbor had some stuff go missin' too," Applejack went on. "And she had her garbage cans knocked over."
"Raccoons then," said Sweetie Belle.
"I don't know about that, but it sure sounded pretty darn mysterious to me..."
Her voice had a distinctly patronizing note to it.
"Come on, sis, we're bein' serious!" Apple Bloom protested. "You're sure you haven't seen anythin'... you know... really strange? Like... giant bugs takin' over Ponyville? Or anythin' like that?"
Applejack snickered.
"Giant bugs takin' over Ponyville? Uh, no sugarcube, I'm pretty sure I'd remember seein' somethin' like that." She ruffled her sister's mane with a hoof, and Apple Bloom grunted. "I think y'all been listenin' to a few too many of Mr. Rusty's stories—"
"Yeah, that Mr. Rusty sure tells some crazy stories, all right."
The foals all froze at the sound of a familiar voice. I dropped my lighter in surprise, my asparagus stalk still unlit. Applejack, however, just glanced past her sister and smiled broadly.
"Oh, hey there, Twilight!"
Sure enough, Twilight Sparkle was walking up the drive from the orchard, her dragon servant a few steps behind.
"Applejack! Be careful!" hissed Apple Bloom, but her older sister ignored her.
"What brings you all the way out here?" she asked.
Twilight smiled. Her horn lit up, flipping open the saddle bag she wore slung across her back.
"I just came to return this plow harness you loaned me," she said.
Applejack frowned.
"Did I loan you a plow harness?"
"Yeah, don't you remember? I came by the other week, said I had to do some gardening, you said you had a plow harness that would fit me...?"
"No, I can't say as I recall that," said Applejack, stroking her chin. Then she shrugged. "But, things have been pretty busy around here, probably just slipped my mind."
>>382349
The plow harness was floating in a green aura a foot or two in front of Twilight. Applejack stepped forward and extended a foreleg to take it.
"Hey Twilight," I cut in. "How come your magic's a different color?"
Twilight turned and glared at me. Spike did too. It was too late though, Applejack had stopped, and was now looking at the object suspended in the air in front of her, a curious frown on her face.
"Huh, that is mighty peculiar," she said. "Your magic's usually purple, right? How'd you make it turn green like that?"
"Oh, it's just this new spell I'm trying..." Twilight stammered.
"How's it work?" I pressed, stepping forward. I walked around the floating plow harness in a circle, pretending to be fascinated by it. "The other day in school, Miss Cheerilee told us a unicorn's magic color can't be changed."
"Hey, yeah," put in Sweetie Belle, taking my cue. She and the others approached and started gawking and poking at the harness. "We just learned that the other day. A unicorn can't change the color of her magic any more than she can change her cutie mark!"
"W-well, I know that of course, it's just, an illusion spell I've been perfecting—"
Twilight was now hemming and hawing, and her voice sounded off. Her eyes had a slight green glow behind them. Applejack looked confused.
"Uh, that doesn't sound right," she said, scratching her chin with a fetlock. "I'm not a unicorn, and I don't mean to contradict your teacher or nothin', but I'm pretty sure that's just an old mare's tale..."
"Oh, wait, you're right!" I said, slamming my fist into my hand like I'd just had some sort of revelation. "Still, though, don't you think it's strange that a real unicorn like Twilight Sparkle wouldn't know that...?"
Twilight Sparkle gave me a hateful look and made a low hissing noise in the back of her throat. Her eyes were glowing bright green now. Applejack took a step forward.
"Twilight, are you sure you're feelin' okay—"
All of a sudden there was a bright flash of lighting, accompanied by a deafening thunderclap. We all winced, shielding our eyes. The thunderclouds that had been slowly gathering over our heads exploded into a downpour.
"Are y'all okay?" I heard Applejack cry out. "I think that lightnin' mighta struck somethin' nearby..."
I wasn't paying attention. I looked all around, but could find no trace of either Twilight or Spike. Applejack had noticed too.
"Twilight!" she called out. "Spike—oof!"
She grunted, as her legs were suddenly yanked out from under her and she collapsed face-first in the mud. She rolled onto her back, and discovered that the plow harness that had been floating in the air a moment ago had been tied around her hind legs.
"Sis!" shouted Apple Bloom from somewhere nearby.
There was a burst of sickly green light, and a hideous creature materialized over Applejack, looking like some kind of half-transformed mutation. Its coat and mane were still Twilight Sparkle's, but its body shape had contorted. Its front legs were bored through with strange holes, and the eyes were bulbous and faceted like an insect's. It buzzed in the air on a set of translucent dragonfly wings.
The long, curved purple horn jutting out of its forehead sparked up, and a green aura began to take shape around Applejack's body. However, Applejack reacted more quickly than the bug anticipated. She flipped deftly over onto her two front legs, cocked back her hips, and aimed a powerful buck. Her hind legs were still bound at the fetlocks by the harness, but both hooves hit the creature square on the horn. It broke with a sickening crack, and the monster shrieked in pain.
It fell to the ground, flailing back and forth in the mud, still shrieking. Meanwhile, Applejack scrambled to her hooves, shaking off the plow harness. It dislodged quickly, and fell with a plop next to the convulsing insect creature.
"Whatever that thing is, it sure don't know nothin' about tyin' knots," she muttered, as she scrambled towards where the fillies and I had taken shelter under the barn eaves.
"Are y'all okay?" she demanded. She approached her younger sister, lifting her chin with a hoof and examining her face.
"Sis, this is what we were tryin' to warn you about—" began Apple Bloom.
"Where's the other one?" cut in Sweetie Belle anxiously.
The sky had grown considerably darker with the onset of the sudden thunderstorm, and it was difficult to see anything. I could make out the bug with the injured horn, now fully transformed into its insect state, limping slowly away towards the orchard, nursing its injured horn. It didn't look like it was in a mood to cause any more trouble. However, there was no trace of the one that had been disguised as Spike.
Applejack took a hesitant step forward, squinting into the rain that was now coming down in thick sheets. Suddenly, a red blur came from out of nowhere and barreled into her, once again knocking the wind out of her and sending her flying to the ground.
"Big Mac?!?" she mumbled, staring up in confusion at the massive stallion that had pinned her down.
"Nope," the pony replied with a malicious grin. A glowing, curved horn sprouted out of his forehead, and his eyes lit up with toxic green light.
[Read more] The plow harness was floating in a green aura a foot or two in front of Twilight. Applejack stepped forward and extended a foreleg to take it.
"Hey Twilight," I cut in. "How come your magic's a different color?"
Twilight turned and glared at me. Spike did too. It was too late though, Applejack had stopped, and was now looking at the object suspended in the air in front of her, a curious frown on her face.
"Huh, that is mighty peculiar," she said. "Your magic's usually purple, right? How'd you make it turn green like that?"
"Oh, it's just this new spell I'm trying..." Twilight stammered.
"How's it work?" I pressed, stepping forward. I walked around the floating plow harness in a circle, pretending to be fascinated by it. "The other day in school, Miss Cheerilee told us a unicorn's magic color can't be changed."
"Hey, yeah," put in Sweetie Belle, taking my cue. She and the others approached and started gawking and poking at the harness. "We just learned that the other day. A unicorn can't change the color of her magic any more than she can change her cutie mark!"
"W-well, I know that of course, it's just, an illusion spell I've been perfecting—"
Twilight was now hemming and hawing, and her voice sounded off. Her eyes had a slight green glow behind them. Applejack looked confused.
"Uh, that doesn't sound right," she said, scratching her chin with a fetlock. "I'm not a unicorn, and I don't mean to contradict your teacher or nothin', but I'm pretty sure that's just an old mare's tale..."
"Oh, wait, you're right!" I said, slamming my fist into my hand like I'd just had some sort of revelation. "Still, though, don't you think it's strange that a real unicorn like Twilight Sparkle wouldn't know that...?"
Twilight Sparkle gave me a hateful look and made a low hissing noise in the back of her throat. Her eyes were glowing bright green now. Applejack took a step forward.
"Twilight, are you sure you're feelin' okay—"
All of a sudden there was a bright flash of lighting, accompanied by a deafening thunderclap. We all winced, shielding our eyes. The thunderclouds that had been slowly gathering over our heads exploded into a downpour.
"Are y'all okay?" I heard Applejack cry out. "I think that lightnin' mighta struck somethin' nearby..."
I wasn't paying attention. I looked all around, but could find no trace of either Twilight or Spike. Applejack had noticed too.
"Twilight!" she called out. "Spike—oof!"
She grunted, as her legs were suddenly yanked out from under her and she collapsed face-first in the mud. She rolled onto her back, and discovered that the plow harness that had been floating in the air a moment ago had been tied around her hind legs.
"Sis!" shouted Apple Bloom from somewhere nearby.
There was a burst of sickly green light, and a hideous creature materialized over Applejack, looking like some kind of half-transformed mutation. Its coat and mane were still Twilight Sparkle's, but its body shape had contorted. Its front legs were bored through with strange holes, and the eyes were bulbous and faceted like an insect's. It buzzed in the air on a set of translucent dragonfly wings.
The long, curved purple horn jutting out of its forehead sparked up, and a green aura began to take shape around Applejack's body. However, Applejack reacted more quickly than the bug anticipated. She flipped deftly over onto her two front legs, cocked back her hips, and aimed a powerful buck. Her hind legs were still bound at the fetlocks by the harness, but both hooves hit the creature square on the horn. It broke with a sickening crack, and the monster shrieked in pain.
It fell to the ground, flailing back and forth in the mud, still shrieking. Meanwhile, Applejack scrambled to her hooves, shaking off the plow harness. It dislodged quickly, and fell with a plop next to the convulsing insect creature.
"Whatever that thing is, it sure don't know nothin' about tyin' knots," she muttered, as she scrambled towards where the fillies and I had taken shelter under the barn eaves.
"Are y'all okay?" she demanded. She approached her younger sister, lifting her chin with a hoof and examining her face.
"Sis, this is what we were tryin' to warn you about—" began Apple Bloom.
"Where's the other one?" cut in Sweetie Belle anxiously.
The sky had grown considerably darker with the onset of the sudden thunderstorm, and it was difficult to see anything. I could make out the bug with the injured horn, now fully transformed into its insect state, limping slowly away towards the orchard, nursing its injured horn. It didn't look like it was in a mood to cause any more trouble. However, there was no trace of the one that had been disguised as Spike.
Applejack took a hesitant step forward, squinting into the rain that was now coming down in thick sheets. Suddenly, a red blur came from out of nowhere and barreled into her, once again knocking the wind out of her and sending her flying to the ground.
"Big Mac?!?" she mumbled, staring up in confusion at the massive stallion that had pinned her down.
"Nope," the pony replied with a malicious grin. A glowing, curved horn sprouted out of his forehead, and his eyes lit up with toxic green light.
>>382350
"Get away from my sister!" shouted Apple Bloom, galloping towards the creature. It swatted her aside effortlessly, and she went flying. She was caught in midair in by the aura of a third bug, who was joined by two more who had appeared out of nowhere. The filly could only flail her limbs helplessly as she floated, suspended between their horn-beams. Within seconds, she was encased in one of those translucent cocoons.
"Apple Bloom!" shouted Sweetie Belle.
"There's more of them!" cried Scootaloo, pointing. Another flash of lighting illuminated the barnyard briefly, and sure enough we could see an entire horde of flying insects, twenty or thirty of them at least, descending upon the farm.
"Run!" I shrieked.
We took off at a sprint. The ground was basically mud at that point, and we kept slipping and sliding. Between the rain and the growing darkness I could barely see a foot ahead of me. I was dimly aware of a green beam brushing against me, trying to take hold of my arm, but I was able to swat it away.
Finally I stepped on a particularly slick bit of mud, and landed flat on my back. I thought I heard Sweetie Belle calling my name from somewhere nearby. I rolled over and scrambled to my feet as quickly as I could. Before I could take another step, however, I felt an electric tingling on my skin.
I turned around. One of the aliens now had me in its tractor beam. My feet began sliding through the mud as it pulled me slowly towards it.
Lightning flashed again, and for a fraction of a second I saw the whole hopeless scene. Somewhere along the way one of them had caught Scootaloo, and was in the process of sealing her into one of those green cocoons. Two more sacs containing Apple Bloom and her big sister were being carried away towards the town.
I was now being dragged steadily forward. The electric tingling engulfed my entire body, and it was hard to move my arms and legs. I felt like I was trying to swim through molasses.
A beam of aquamarine light shot out from nearby, striking the creature in the face; Sweetie Belle must have fired some kind of unicorn laser beam at it. From the bug's reaction it'd had about as much effect as shooting it in the face with a squirt gun, but it was enough to break its concentration and allow me to move.
Thankfully I'd had the foresight to reload on the walk up to the farm. I was now thoroughly soaked, as was everything in my pockets, but I grabbed a generous glob of what I had and threw it in directly into the creature's eyes.
"Pocket mud!"
It snarled, temporarily blinded, and the tractor beam broke off completely. I looked around, and saw Sweetie Belle a few feet to my right, trying to gallop away as yet another of the bugs was encasing her small body in its aura.
I kicked the monster in the horn as hard as I could. My boots were nowhere near as strong as Applejack's hooves, but it was still enough to break the beam and deal it some damage. The insect-thing howled with rage and pain, and some kind of reflex made it transform into a bug-like approximation of me.
In a stroke of pure luck, the one that had grabbed me managed to wipe the mud out of its eyes at just that second. It mistook its friend for me, and lashed out with its aura. The Dale-bug, still howling in pain, reacted by firing its own tractor beam at the thing that had attacked it. They struggled for another couple of seconds, and then both bugs were entombed in translucent cocoons. Their limbs jerked feebly for a bit longer, then came to a stop.
The dim light and the rain still made it difficult to see, but from what I could tell these were the only ones that had come after Sweetie and me. Most of the swarm seemed to be concentrating on the barn itself, darting in and out and hissing to each other. A new cocoon, containing what looked like the big red pony I'd seen earlier, was being rolled out with visible effort by two exhausted-looking bugs. There was no sign of Scootaloo.
"We have to go back!" shouted Sweetie Belle.
I looked down at her. She was standing knee-deep in mud, her normally poofy mane soaked through and plastered to her head. She looked like a Persian cat that someone had sprayed with a fire hose. Next to her, the two alien bugs were still floating in whatever sort of goop was in those cocoons. I took one more look at the barn, where the rest of the insects still seemed more or less preoccupied.
Without another word, I grabbed Sweetie Belle by the scruff of her neck and took off running, away from the farm. She squeaked in protest, struggling and yelling for me to put her down, but I ignored her.
I made it to a white picket fence and vaulted over, and then we were out of the barnyard. I spared a quick glance over my shoulder, but it seemed the rest of the bugs still hadn't noticed us yet. Sweetie Belle continued to struggle and protest. I transferred her into the crook of my arm, and then sprinted away, across the main road towards the dark treeline beyond.
[Read more] "Get away from my sister!" shouted Apple Bloom, galloping towards the creature. It swatted her aside effortlessly, and she went flying. She was caught in midair in by the aura of a third bug, who was joined by two more who had appeared out of nowhere. The filly could only flail her limbs helplessly as she floated, suspended between their horn-beams. Within seconds, she was encased in one of those translucent cocoons.
"Apple Bloom!" shouted Sweetie Belle.
"There's more of them!" cried Scootaloo, pointing. Another flash of lighting illuminated the barnyard briefly, and sure enough we could see an entire horde of flying insects, twenty or thirty of them at least, descending upon the farm.
"Run!" I shrieked.
We took off at a sprint. The ground was basically mud at that point, and we kept slipping and sliding. Between the rain and the growing darkness I could barely see a foot ahead of me. I was dimly aware of a green beam brushing against me, trying to take hold of my arm, but I was able to swat it away.
Finally I stepped on a particularly slick bit of mud, and landed flat on my back. I thought I heard Sweetie Belle calling my name from somewhere nearby. I rolled over and scrambled to my feet as quickly as I could. Before I could take another step, however, I felt an electric tingling on my skin.
I turned around. One of the aliens now had me in its tractor beam. My feet began sliding through the mud as it pulled me slowly towards it.
Lightning flashed again, and for a fraction of a second I saw the whole hopeless scene. Somewhere along the way one of them had caught Scootaloo, and was in the process of sealing her into one of those green cocoons. Two more sacs containing Apple Bloom and her big sister were being carried away towards the town.
I was now being dragged steadily forward. The electric tingling engulfed my entire body, and it was hard to move my arms and legs. I felt like I was trying to swim through molasses.
A beam of aquamarine light shot out from nearby, striking the creature in the face; Sweetie Belle must have fired some kind of unicorn laser beam at it. From the bug's reaction it'd had about as much effect as shooting it in the face with a squirt gun, but it was enough to break its concentration and allow me to move.
Thankfully I'd had the foresight to reload on the walk up to the farm. I was now thoroughly soaked, as was everything in my pockets, but I grabbed a generous glob of what I had and threw it in directly into the creature's eyes.
"Pocket mud!"
It snarled, temporarily blinded, and the tractor beam broke off completely. I looked around, and saw Sweetie Belle a few feet to my right, trying to gallop away as yet another of the bugs was encasing her small body in its aura.
I kicked the monster in the horn as hard as I could. My boots were nowhere near as strong as Applejack's hooves, but it was still enough to break the beam and deal it some damage. The insect-thing howled with rage and pain, and some kind of reflex made it transform into a bug-like approximation of me.
In a stroke of pure luck, the one that had grabbed me managed to wipe the mud out of its eyes at just that second. It mistook its friend for me, and lashed out with its aura. The Dale-bug, still howling in pain, reacted by firing its own tractor beam at the thing that had attacked it. They struggled for another couple of seconds, and then both bugs were entombed in translucent cocoons. Their limbs jerked feebly for a bit longer, then came to a stop.
The dim light and the rain still made it difficult to see, but from what I could tell these were the only ones that had come after Sweetie and me. Most of the swarm seemed to be concentrating on the barn itself, darting in and out and hissing to each other. A new cocoon, containing what looked like the big red pony I'd seen earlier, was being rolled out with visible effort by two exhausted-looking bugs. There was no sign of Scootaloo.
"We have to go back!" shouted Sweetie Belle.
I looked down at her. She was standing knee-deep in mud, her normally poofy mane soaked through and plastered to her head. She looked like a Persian cat that someone had sprayed with a fire hose. Next to her, the two alien bugs were still floating in whatever sort of goop was in those cocoons. I took one more look at the barn, where the rest of the insects still seemed more or less preoccupied.
Without another word, I grabbed Sweetie Belle by the scruff of her neck and took off running, away from the farm. She squeaked in protest, struggling and yelling for me to put her down, but I ignored her.
I made it to a white picket fence and vaulted over, and then we were out of the barnyard. I spared a quick glance over my shoulder, but it seemed the rest of the bugs still hadn't noticed us yet. Sweetie Belle continued to struggle and protest. I transferred her into the crook of my arm, and then sprinted away, across the main road towards the dark treeline beyond.
>>382351
Gribble's Log
Day 8, Nighttime
Location: The Woods
Our resistance force has been decimated. The alien hunters have become the alien hunted.
In a cruel twist of irony, I write these words from the bowels of the very forest where I spent my first night on Planet Equestria. Once more hungry and smokeless, it seems I shall again be forced to rely on my expert wilderness skills should I hope to survive.
Morale among the remaining troops is low. We are once again isolated in an unfamiliar and hostile terrain. Our first priority will, of course, be the acquisition of additional smokes, along with a way to light said smokes, as my Lee Harvey Oswald Zippo was lost in the melee earlier—
"Will you forget about that stupid notebook?!?"
My writing was cut off mid sentence as my notebook was suddenly seized in a blue-green aura and yanked away.
"My log!"
I sprang to my feet, but before I could grab the notebook back, Sweetie threw it into the woods as hard as she could. I could only watch helplessly as it flew through the air and then disappeared into the surrounding darkness.
I hadn't had a smoke since we'd left the treehouse, and I was jonzing hard. But even between the adrenaline and the fog of nicotine withdrawal, I could see everything crystal clear. The pieces were all snapping into place. It had been her all along. The very first horse I met when I came to this accursed planet.
I rounded on her, pointing my finger accusingly.
"So, you've shown your true colors at last, eh Sweetie Belle? How much did they pay you to set me up?"
She was on her hooves now, still glaring at me. A brief flash of lightning illuminated the small clearing for a fraction of a second. The filly was soaked through to the skin, shivering from wet and cold, but her angry gaze held steady.
"How much did who pay me?"
"Don't try to play dumb! Was this your plan all along? I'll bet you and your handlers have been having a nice, long chuckle at my expense!"
"What are you talking about?!?"
"So who is it you're working for, Sweetie Belle, if that even is your real name? Huh? The FBI? The CIA? The DEA? NIT? SAG? KHJ? The NEA? The NRA? The FDA? The NBA?"
One of those agencies must have hit a nerve, because the little horse suddenly came charging at me full steam. She rammed her blunt horn into my shin as hard as she could, and while I was hopping around on one foot, she spun around and bucked my other shin. I collapsed on my backside into the soft mud.
"Shut up!!" shouted Sweetie Belle. "Just shut up for once!"
"Yaaagh..."
She stomped towards me, her horn glowing with malevolent alien power. I crawled backward, until my back was pressed up against the tree.
"It's been nothing but trouble ever since you got here! Now my sister is gone, my friends are gone, all I've got left is you! And all you can do is keep talking about stupid nonsense, and writing in your stupid book!"
She was now standing on my thighs, her front hooves pressed into my chest, looking me straight in the eye. The glow of her horn gave her face an eerie aquamarine cast. I reached into my pocket and took out my last asparagus stalk, then realized I had no way to light it. I put it in my mouth anyway.
"If you're gonna finish me off, do it quick."
She glared at me for a moment longer, her bottom lip trembling. Then she backed away and sniffed. She wiped angrily at her eyes with her front leg, leaving a streak of mud across her face.
"Just leave me alone."
She turned and galloped off into the woods.
[hr]
[Read more] Gribble's Log
Day 8, Nighttime
Location: The Woods
Our resistance force has been decimated. The alien hunters have become the alien hunted.
In a cruel twist of irony, I write these words from the bowels of the very forest where I spent my first night on Planet Equestria. Once more hungry and smokeless, it seems I shall again be forced to rely on my expert wilderness skills should I hope to survive.
Morale among the remaining troops is low. We are once again isolated in an unfamiliar and hostile terrain. Our first priority will, of course, be the acquisition of additional smokes, along with a way to light said smokes, as my Lee Harvey Oswald Zippo was lost in the melee earlier—
"Will you forget about that stupid notebook?!?"
My writing was cut off mid sentence as my notebook was suddenly seized in a blue-green aura and yanked away.
"My log!"
I sprang to my feet, but before I could grab the notebook back, Sweetie threw it into the woods as hard as she could. I could only watch helplessly as it flew through the air and then disappeared into the surrounding darkness.
I hadn't had a smoke since we'd left the treehouse, and I was jonzing hard. But even between the adrenaline and the fog of nicotine withdrawal, I could see everything crystal clear. The pieces were all snapping into place. It had been her all along. The very first horse I met when I came to this accursed planet.
I rounded on her, pointing my finger accusingly.
"So, you've shown your true colors at last, eh Sweetie Belle? How much did they pay you to set me up?"
She was on her hooves now, still glaring at me. A brief flash of lightning illuminated the small clearing for a fraction of a second. The filly was soaked through to the skin, shivering from wet and cold, but her angry gaze held steady.
"How much did who pay me?"
"Don't try to play dumb! Was this your plan all along? I'll bet you and your handlers have been having a nice, long chuckle at my expense!"
"What are you talking about?!?"
"So who is it you're working for, Sweetie Belle, if that even is your real name? Huh? The FBI? The CIA? The DEA? NIT? SAG? KHJ? The NEA? The NRA? The FDA? The NBA?"
One of those agencies must have hit a nerve, because the little horse suddenly came charging at me full steam. She rammed her blunt horn into my shin as hard as she could, and while I was hopping around on one foot, she spun around and bucked my other shin. I collapsed on my backside into the soft mud.
"Shut up!!" shouted Sweetie Belle. "Just shut up for once!"
"Yaaagh..."
She stomped towards me, her horn glowing with malevolent alien power. I crawled backward, until my back was pressed up against the tree.
"It's been nothing but trouble ever since you got here! Now my sister is gone, my friends are gone, all I've got left is you! And all you can do is keep talking about stupid nonsense, and writing in your stupid book!"
She was now standing on my thighs, her front hooves pressed into my chest, looking me straight in the eye. The glow of her horn gave her face an eerie aquamarine cast. I reached into my pocket and took out my last asparagus stalk, then realized I had no way to light it. I put it in my mouth anyway.
"If you're gonna finish me off, do it quick."
She glared at me for a moment longer, her bottom lip trembling. Then she backed away and sniffed. She wiped angrily at her eyes with her front leg, leaving a streak of mud across her face.
"Just leave me alone."
She turned and galloped off into the woods.
[hr]
>>382425
Gribble's Log
Day 9, Morning
Location Unknown
I am once again on my own, with an array of hostile alien forces lined up against me. The one called "Sweetie Belle" has turned out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing. Horse in wolf's clothing? Wolf in horse's... sheep's... whatever. Point is, I put my trust in an alien horse, and I've been betrayed—
I sneezed. The rain had stopped hours ago, but I was still soaked through to the bone, and the early dawn air was frigid. I had been in the throes of smokeless agony for hours now, and my mind was beginning to play tricks on me. Writing in the soft mud with a stick was laborious and time consuming, but since Sweetie Belle had thrown my notebook away I didn't have much choice.
Suddenly, my Gribble-sense warned me of a hostile presence nearby.
"Shi-shi-shaw!" I hissed, throwing my body protectively over my writing.
I turned to face the interloper. A small bunny-rabbit was perched on a rock not far away, watching me curiously.
"Who do you work for?" I demanded.
The bunny cocked its head inquisitively to the side, and stared at me a moment longer. Then, it made a gesture like a shrug, turned, and hopped off into the thicket.
I stood up, brushing the mud off of my wet shirt. I realized that in my haste to cover up my writing, I'd accidentally smeared it beyond recognition. All that time had been wasted.
I sneezed again. My hands were shaking, and it wasn't just from cold. I still had two more stalks of asparagus in my pocket, but without a flame they were just vegetables.
I squinted. The sun was coming up, its golden light making the dew drops twinkle like diamonds. It was a beautiful morning in Equestria, and yet there were menacing vibrations all around me. Unseen eyes were watching me from every shadow; behind every tree was an enemy waiting to pounce. Slithering tendrils of paranoia were clawing at the back of my neck, teasing at the knots that held my sanity together.
I sneezed a third time, collapsing on my backside into the mud. I noticed the rabbit had returned, and was once again watching me from its perch on the rock.
"What am I even doing here?" I asked it. The rabbit had no response.
I had no response either. This was the morning of my ninth day on the Planet of the Ponies, and still I was no closer to understanding who had brought me there, or for what purpose. My entire world had been turned upside down, and then turned upside down again. Logically, that should mean it was right side up, but somehow it was even more upside down than ever.
Seemingly, I'd gotten myself mixed up in an intergalactic war between the regular ponies and the bug-ponies, but was that what was really going on? What if the whole thing was just some elaborate kabuki theater, designed to keep me distracted while the pincers closed around me, tighter and tighter? The ponies' mantra was that "friendship is magic," but what if that was just what they wanted me to think? And how did Sweetie Belle's betrayal fit into all of this? Confused, paranoid thoughts gnawed away at my brain. My hands shook for want of nicotine. Ominous pony-shaped specters floated at the corners of my vision.
And then suddenly, without warning, I was taken away from that place. For one brief, tranquil moment I was back on the sweet terra firma of Arlen, Texas. It was just me and the guys, out in the alley. Boomhauer was regaling us with the story of his latest romantic conquest. Bill was tittering like a woman, lost in the vicarious thrill of another man's exploits. Hank was excited about grillstravaganza the following week. I could hear a Jeep turning up the drive, blasting a Def Leppard tape. It must have been John Redcorn, on his way to pick up Nancy for another of her new-age healing sessions. It was all so peaceful, so beautiful, so familiar.
The vision passed. I was back in the Everfree Forest, hundreds of thousands of light-years from everything I'd ever known. The loneliest non-equine in the galaxy. But I wanted to go back. I wanted to smell my wife's hair again. I wanted to enjoy the refreshing taste of an ice cold Alamo. I wanted to feel the caress of sweet lady nicotine on my lungs, without that annoying asparagus aftertaste.
I rose to my feet. I was through wallowing. The alien bugs had to have parked a spaceship around here somewhere. If I could find it and hotwire it, it was just a simple matter of plotting a course back to Earth. All I had to do was figure out the navigation system, and my recovered memories from previous abductions would probably help with that.
I turned to the bunny-rabbit, who was still watching me curiously.
"Tell your masters in Washington that the horse-people can fight their own interplanetary war," I said. "Dale Gribble is going home."
[Read more] Gribble's Log
Day 9, Morning
Location Unknown
I am once again on my own, with an array of hostile alien forces lined up against me. The one called "Sweetie Belle" has turned out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing. Horse in wolf's clothing? Wolf in horse's... sheep's... whatever. Point is, I put my trust in an alien horse, and I've been betrayed—
I sneezed. The rain had stopped hours ago, but I was still soaked through to the bone, and the early dawn air was frigid. I had been in the throes of smokeless agony for hours now, and my mind was beginning to play tricks on me. Writing in the soft mud with a stick was laborious and time consuming, but since Sweetie Belle had thrown my notebook away I didn't have much choice.
Suddenly, my Gribble-sense warned me of a hostile presence nearby.
"Shi-shi-shaw!" I hissed, throwing my body protectively over my writing.
I turned to face the interloper. A small bunny-rabbit was perched on a rock not far away, watching me curiously.
"Who do you work for?" I demanded.
The bunny cocked its head inquisitively to the side, and stared at me a moment longer. Then, it made a gesture like a shrug, turned, and hopped off into the thicket.
I stood up, brushing the mud off of my wet shirt. I realized that in my haste to cover up my writing, I'd accidentally smeared it beyond recognition. All that time had been wasted.
I sneezed again. My hands were shaking, and it wasn't just from cold. I still had two more stalks of asparagus in my pocket, but without a flame they were just vegetables.
I squinted. The sun was coming up, its golden light making the dew drops twinkle like diamonds. It was a beautiful morning in Equestria, and yet there were menacing vibrations all around me. Unseen eyes were watching me from every shadow; behind every tree was an enemy waiting to pounce. Slithering tendrils of paranoia were clawing at the back of my neck, teasing at the knots that held my sanity together.
I sneezed a third time, collapsing on my backside into the mud. I noticed the rabbit had returned, and was once again watching me from its perch on the rock.
"What am I even doing here?" I asked it. The rabbit had no response.
I had no response either. This was the morning of my ninth day on the Planet of the Ponies, and still I was no closer to understanding who had brought me there, or for what purpose. My entire world had been turned upside down, and then turned upside down again. Logically, that should mean it was right side up, but somehow it was even more upside down than ever.
Seemingly, I'd gotten myself mixed up in an intergalactic war between the regular ponies and the bug-ponies, but was that what was really going on? What if the whole thing was just some elaborate kabuki theater, designed to keep me distracted while the pincers closed around me, tighter and tighter? The ponies' mantra was that "friendship is magic," but what if that was just what they wanted me to think? And how did Sweetie Belle's betrayal fit into all of this? Confused, paranoid thoughts gnawed away at my brain. My hands shook for want of nicotine. Ominous pony-shaped specters floated at the corners of my vision.
And then suddenly, without warning, I was taken away from that place. For one brief, tranquil moment I was back on the sweet terra firma of Arlen, Texas. It was just me and the guys, out in the alley. Boomhauer was regaling us with the story of his latest romantic conquest. Bill was tittering like a woman, lost in the vicarious thrill of another man's exploits. Hank was excited about grillstravaganza the following week. I could hear a Jeep turning up the drive, blasting a Def Leppard tape. It must have been John Redcorn, on his way to pick up Nancy for another of her new-age healing sessions. It was all so peaceful, so beautiful, so familiar.
The vision passed. I was back in the Everfree Forest, hundreds of thousands of light-years from everything I'd ever known. The loneliest non-equine in the galaxy. But I wanted to go back. I wanted to smell my wife's hair again. I wanted to enjoy the refreshing taste of an ice cold Alamo. I wanted to feel the caress of sweet lady nicotine on my lungs, without that annoying asparagus aftertaste.
I rose to my feet. I was through wallowing. The alien bugs had to have parked a spaceship around here somewhere. If I could find it and hotwire it, it was just a simple matter of plotting a course back to Earth. All I had to do was figure out the navigation system, and my recovered memories from previous abductions would probably help with that.
I turned to the bunny-rabbit, who was still watching me curiously.
"Tell your masters in Washington that the horse-people can fight their own interplanetary war," I said. "Dale Gribble is going home."
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