SCPony by AponymousAuthor original post time: Sun 04 Mar 2018 22:59:28 Pacific original post: https://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/31977572/#32001719 original pastebin: https://pastebin.com/VW3W1NBJ Note: This was my attempt at saving AponymousAuthor's story that was in AiE, strung together by following the post numbers to the original post through a desuarchive search of AponymousAuthor's name, "pastebin" and trying to find any and all stories that were written by that author. I grabbed the title off of RHorse's paste that was cataloguing stories (https://poneb.in/eMYymLBR), and unfortunately, the last post (https://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/32283083/#32297441) by the author had this story put on hold. ============================== >Be Anon >Confused and unsure of just where you'd woken up >You'd been walking down the street, gone to take a step around a corner, and found your foot meeting air >You began to fall, shutting your eyes as you tumbled through the air, only to wake up the middle of a forest >It had been oddly silent, but you hadn't really been all that worried about that fact. The more pressing matter was just what was going on, and how you'd wound up here >After walking for a while, you saw light shining through the trees ahead of you, and you soon emerged from the dark, silent woods, the sun beaming down at you >This was when your memory began to get fuzzy >You'd noticed what looked like a brightly-colored village in the distance but then, as you began to make your way towards it, you felt a sharp sting in your arm >You looked down to see what had stung you, saw a...you couldn't quite remember, but then you were falling again, the world going dark ----- >When you awoke, you found yourself sitting on the ground in the center of a small, stone room, light beaming down at you from above >The walls were smooth, and you couldn't see any signs of cracks or partitions in the walls >Struggling to stand, you leaned against the wall behind you and, after looking around the room for a way in, or out, you slowly looked up, squinting into the light >With how bright it was, you couldn't make out just what it was, so you looked back down, staring at the walls again >Reaching out, you ran a hand over the wall in front of you, feeling the cool stone "Hello?" >You called out, stepping away from the wall, moving into the center of the small room, trying to resist the urge to panic >Wherever you were, this place clearly wasn't natural, so there must be people nearby, right? >If that was the case, then there had to be someone who could help you out of here, right? "Is anyone there?" >When no reply came, your panic started to rise again >Why were you here? >Had you done something? >This wasn't any kind of jail cell you knew, after all, and as far as you were aware, you hadn't committed any kind of crime nearly so bad as to warrant something like this >The fear began to take over here >If this wasn't a cell of some sort, then what kind of person would have this set up? >When you thought of that, you came to the conclusion that you really didn't have any desire to hang around and find out that fact. >Not seeing any way out around you, you glanced back up, squinting at the light >Reaching your hands out, they easily met the walls on your sides >Flexing, you brought your legs up, pressing them to the walls >You were still wearing your clothes, your soles giving you plenty of grip, even on these smooth walls >Shifting, you began to climb higher, keeping your head facing down so you didn't need to squint >The light was higher than you'd figured it would be, gauging you'd made it around nine feet up and you'd yet to feel your head bump into anything >You considered climbing back down, only to feel your head touch something hard and warm, your growing shadows nearly covering the room below you "Guess that's the light." >You grunted, moving your head up, staring at a...crystal? >What? >Sweat dripping down your head, you pushed as hard as you could with your legs and arm, moving your left up to see if you could grab it >It was warm to the touch, and clearly the source of the light being cast into the room, but unlike a normal light, it was hard as anything, and smooth too, your attempts to dislodge it from the stone ceiling proving all but fruitless >Disappointed, you slowly climbed back down, coming to rest sitting on the floor >No doors, a sealed ceiling, and a gem shining light down into the room? >Just where the hell were you? >You weren't really sure how long had passed, given you were standing outside during the day, and now you were in here >It could have been less than an hour, or maybe a day >You weren't feeling all that hungry or thirsty, so you couldn't imagine that much time had passed >Still, you were really hoping someone would come along soon and explain this >You weren't claustrophobic, but if anything would make you into one, this would be it >Though...boy were you feeling sleepy >Yawning, you leaned back against the wall behind you >A part of you said not to fall asleep but you were finding it harder and harder to keep your eyes open >As your head slumped downwards, you almost thought you could hear voices, but you just couldn't keep yourself up, you had to sleep >How many times were you going to have to handle the world falling out beneath you? ----- >When you woke up, you found yourself in another stone room, though this one was larger than the last >This room had to be nearly 9-by-9 feet, enough space to lay down or move about in >Light similar to last time was shining down on you, though now it was softer, and more spread about >You wanted to kick yourself for falling asleep earlier, but given what was going on, you could only imagine that whoever was keeping you here had done something to put you out so you could be moved in here >That, more than anything, gave you hope that you could at least talk to someone "Is anyone there? Please just tell me what's going on!" >Once again you were met with silence >With a groan, you went to lay down, sitting on the ground when you got what you thought was a response >"Qwrryl?" >You shot back up, your body tense as you looked around the room, trying to find the source of the voice >You waited for a moment, trying to hear if there'd be a follow-up, but when none came, you decided to try again "Quirrel? What does that mean?" >"Qwirrl courlarr? Clwah?" >Well this was going nowhere but yet... >Someone was there! >Slowly, you stood up to your full height, looking around the room before your eyes peered back up towards the light >Could the voice be coming from there? >If that was the case, maybe it was why you'd been moved into this room >Still, issues needed to be sorted "I don't know what you're saying! What do you want from me?" >Another pause, and fun the voice came again, different this time though >It sounded like the same speaker as before, but they were speaking in an entirely different way >"Grar? Rrgrath?" >There was a growling to their tone, and it almost sounded like they were gnashing their teeth when they spoke >On e again you responded with confusion, and once again your captor's replied with a different voice >Once you heard a third sort of way of speaking, you realized that they might just be trying different languages to see what you spoke >The only issue with that was the fact that you couldn't recall hearing any language before that sounded like these >The voice broke the silence yet again, and you sat down while the questioning tone rang out "I don't understand you! Do you speak English?" >The voice didn't respond after that, though you waited to see if it would >When you got nothing in response, you laid down, cold floor greeting you, making you shiver >Someone was out there >It was only a a matter of time >"Entity is a tall, bipedal creature. It stands 195 centimeters tall. It's arms both end with five digits, similar as to those of a Minotaur. No effort has been made as of yet to remove the entity's clothing, but given the lack of fur, the entity may very well wear clothes to maintain a preferable temperature." >The light green mare paused momentarily, examining the footage that had been recorded of the entity so far >It was a strange thing, tall and lanky, and something about it just looked...off >Like it didn't belong >While obviously that was normally the case, it seemed different in a way than many of the other items and creatures that had been contained >Was it something to do with it's eyes? >"The Entity has shown comprehensive abilities, using the size of its original containment unit to climb to the top. It recognized the crystal embedded there, and attempted to grasp it, but when it could not, the Entity returned to the floor." >Pausing again, she replayed the footage of the Entity responding vocally to the questions posed to it, her horn glowing, letting her take up her pencil once more "The Entity responded vocally to questions posed, but, as of yet, we have not found a common language. Further testing is required." >If it could talk to them, that would certainly be helpful >Then again, if they couldn't communicate verbally, they might be required to teach the Entity >First things first though, given it's shivering when it laid down, and the clothes it wore, it might be good to get it some proper bedding >While this was a place to contain these types of things, you were far from cruel, and besides, if it turned out that the Entity had some hidden powers, things might go far better for both her, and the rest of the foundation to have treated it well >No one wanted another "D-Day" Incident >Pressing down on a button at her desk, the Unicorn spoke into a speaker, letting them know that SCP-1067 would be needing a bed >Shifting about in bed, you awoke with a groan, feeling overly hot >Glancing down, you could easily see you were still wearing your clothes, despite being under a blanket >It was only by glancing up did you see the smooth stone wall your bed was pressed against >When had you fallen asleep? >You'd felt a bit tired earlier, but you didn't think it was that bad >Was it them again? >Why would they do it, though? "The bed." >You practically whispered, looking down at it >If nothing else, that at least gave you the impression that you were important in some way >Psychopaths wouldn't give you a comfortable bed to sleep in >Had something happened to you, then? >Were you in some kind of weird quarantine zone? >You didn't feel all too strange, other that warm from sleeping in bed >Speaking of which, you were feeling well rested if nothing else, so you got up, your eyes landing on a book left sitting on the ground >Glancing around your room, and then up at the ceiling again, you stepped over to the book, bending down to pick it up, examining the rather plain cover >There was a title of some kind on the cover, but you couldn't make heads or tails of the language >Opening it up, you were greeted with a kind of cutesy...horse? >It had it's hooves raised up into the air, a smile on it's overly-large face, it's big, colorful eyes sparkling >It almost looked like a picture, but you simply shrugged it off, flipping to the next page >Greeting you was a picture of a large apple, as well as a word written in whatever language this was >A book to learn to read for children? >Where the absolute fuck were you "Well...no time like the present, I guess." >Time to learn >Apple, bench, cheese, door, egg, flower, gold, hat, ice, jewel, kazoo, lantern, magnet, nail, oven, pail, quiver, recorder, safe, towel, ukulele, vase, watch, xylophone, yarn, zipper >You recognized the somewhat cartoonish images, ,though the words still eluded you >Still, when you compared the different words for each, the writing began to make more sense >You started to recognize repetition between the spelling, noting what you thought might be one letter her, or another there >It certainly wasn't easy, as it didn't quite flow like English, but you were making progress ----- >A while into this process, your stomach growled, and you realized that it must have been at least 8 hours or so since you ate anything >Getting up, you looked at the ceiling, shutting your eyes, hoping you were right and that they really were watching you from it >Raising the book, you pointed to the apple, to your mouth, and then to your stomach, trying to say the word for apple aloud when you did >A moment of silence passed, and then the voice from before returned >You still couldn’t make heads or tails of what they were saying, but you hoped they got the point >What felt like 10 minutes or so later, you heard a noise, one that was unlike the sound of the voice from the ceiling >This was the sound of stone on stone, and when you looked to the source, you could see one of your walls shifting, sliding to the side, moving over until a door was revealed! >The voice from above chimed in with a wary tone, and you tried to resist the urge to rush towards it >It was your first glimpse at real freedom in a while >Still, fortune would not favor you, a small hatch opening up instead, through which a singular, red apple slipped through, coming to a stop on the ground >This might take some negotiating >Taking what you assumed to be the individual letters, you put together a rough statement >You might have been completely off for all you knew, but if they wanted you to be able to speak whatever this language is, and were planning on only feeding you what you could tell them about, you'd need to learn and learn fast >M E A T >Thinking about how literal they'd been, you took the time to figure out how to say 'cooked meat', just to make sure to lessen the process >Once you were ready, you looked back up at the lights, raising one hand to shield your eyes as you spoke ["C O O K E D....M E A T"] >It was awkward to say, and some aspects of it was guesswork, but it sounded sort of similar to the way the voice normally spoke >Close enough for the voice to return, a hint of surprise to the way they spoke >Whether that was a good thing or not was yet to be seen ----- >In their office, the same green Unicorn quickly wrote down their latest discovery >How exciting! >The Entity had only had the book for an hour or two and it was already speaking! >It was nearly incomprehensible, choppy gobbledygook, but still! >Progress was being made! >"At 2146, the Entity spoke it's first words. The Entity's level of intelligence is still unknown, but it is clear that the Entity is capable of taking literature and learning from it. Neither 'cooking' nor 'meat' is mentioned in the book. Therefor, the Entity was able to deduce the spelling of the individual words written down, break them down into the letters it needed, and rebuild them into the words it was seeking." >She paused, looking back down at the strange thing, still staring up into the crystals above it >A part of her was grateful it was shielding it's eyes >"I would like to request a dialogue coach to teach the Entity to pronounce it's words correctly, as well as additional literature for it to study." >Satisfied with that for the moment, she rolled the page up, sealed it, and sent it on it's way >Panic >The Director wanted to handle this! >The mare rapidly tidied her office, cleaning and clearing all she could >She removed personal effects and hurriedly gathered additional papers, pencils, quills, and more >She figured that she would simply be sent somepony who could handle dialogue and working with the Entity to help improve it's grasp on the language >And yet, the Director wanted to come in and do it herself instead! >Trying to calm herself, a serious look crossed the mare's face, one of determination and strength >It soon fizzled, but it was enough to get her to calm down >"Come on, get it together, you'll be fine! Just let her talk to it, and things will be fine." >Feeling more self-assured, the mare settle down, waiting for the Director to arrive ----- >You needed to ask about a bath at some point >You'd gotten your food yesterday, and they'd given you another apple and steak today >One that was made surprisingly well, all things considered >That didn't change the fact that you'd been wearing the same clothes for probably three days now >Going back to your book to figure out how to say that, you twitched as the voice spoke again >They seemed nervous about something, and when the second voice spoke, you guessed what it was >There were two now >This second one spoke slower, and with a more authoritative tone, yet even as they did there was a hint of something else to them >Like some kind of excitement they were trying to hold in >Whatever the case, you needed to pose your question, and this was as good a time as any >Lifting the book up, you pointed at the pail and spoke ["B A T H?"] >You hoped that was clear enough for them to understand >You hadn't quite been expecting the new voice to respond with your word, repeating it back to you in the same way you'd said it >["B A T H?"] >Thank God you were good at charades > You sat down on the ground, starting to gesture, turning invisible knobs, watching invisible water fill up the invisible tub you were sitting in >You even grabbed some invisible soap and gestured like you were cleaning yourself, speaking your word as you did so ["B A T H."] >To which you got an immediate reply from voice #2, repeating what you said back at you >["B A T H."] >Unsure if you were being tested or not, you began to repeat your actions, and spoke again. ["B A T H."] >And again you got a response, only this time, it was a little faster, a touch more flow to it >It was still recognizable as the word you'd said, just smoothed out a bit >["BATH."] ["BA TH."] >["BATH."] ["BATH."] >["BATh."] ["BATh."] >["BA-th."] ["BA-th?"] >The two of you carried on your back-and-forth, repeating the word for 'bath' so many times that it began to lose all meaning, but you could feel yourself getting closer to the 'proper' way of saying it >You could of sworn you heard some sort of weird, happy snort when you said the word back to them correctly >Saying the word back softly to yourself, you could see why you'd been so thrown off by it before >There was a bit of a musical quality to the word, with a hint of bluster in them, almost accentuating it >It was familiar in a weird way, but you couldn't quite place it >The more you thought about it, the emptier your room sounded, the repetition having become normal in it's own way, silence now seemed strange >A small part of you found yourself longing for the voices to come back, for them not to leave you alone here >Trying to think of something to say, you found you already knew >Looking up at the lights, you began to mime a barbecue and some nondescript meat ["C O O K E D M E A T?"] >There was silence, and then voice #2 greeted you again, repeating >["C O O K E D M E A T?"] >It wasn't perfect, but it would do for now >You'd spent the rest of the day working, volunteering words and talking them over with voice #2 >You hadn't gotten anything other than food by the time you'd gone to bed >You were aroused from your sleep by the sound of something heavy scraping against stone, and a muffled grunt of annoyance >It wouldn't normally have been enough, but this experience had left you jumpy and, as nice as the voices sounded, you wanted out >Rousing yourself, you looked up, catching a glimpse of what seemed to be two figures hunched over >One had what you quickly registered as a flashlight illuminating the large object they were carrying >Glancing over at the door, you saw that it was shut >If you rushed it now, you'd more than likely find it was locked >No, the best thing to do would be to pretend to be asleep and let your mysterious guests do what they came in here to do >You listened to the sound of metal and stone, trying to keep your eyes shut, or close to that, not wanting them to spy you and guess your intentions >When you heard them start to leave, you prepared yourself >You didn't even question the odd, numerous sounds their footfalls created, you were focusing on the door >The light had left the room, making it hard for you to see more than glimpses of the second person leaving the room but, as soon as they were about to head through the door, you sprang to life >Surging from the bed, you whipped your blanket at the one by the door, not even bothering to think about how short he was, the blanket hitting him and distracting him for long enough for you to push past >There was a second sort of room beyond yours, this one smaller, though the multiple doors were unlocked >Bright lights were shining outside the room, and the sudden shift blinded you momentarily, forcing you to shut your eyes while you reached your arms out >You could hear startled voices around you, but you staggered forwards towards where you'd glimpsed the open door, your eyes slowly adjusting >Colors strobing in your eyes, your sight still blurry as you began to move, your eyes beginning to recognize a large, barren hall, clean, smooth walls on all sides >Around you you saw figures moving but they didn't look right >They were too short and oddly colorful >Were you being kept in some kind of farm or something? >You were kept from your confusion by a jolt, sharp, tingling jolts spreading out through your back making you shudder and stumble, slamming up against a wall >While it hurt, it wasn't enough to keep you down, and you whirled about, trying to get your eyes on what had attacked you, blinking away the last of your issues >You found yourself looking down at a small pony, similar in shape to the one you'd seen in your book, though this one seemed more muscular, a thicker frame being exaggerated further by the body armor it wore >Thick cloth covered its body with what looked like leather padding covering much of it's more vulnerable areas >Attached to it's body by a belt was a sort of club, and atop it's head, there was a horn, one that was still glowing, sticking up from it's helmet "What the fu-" >You raised your hand up instinctively, just in time to block another blast from the small creature, your hand going numb as shocks ran up your arm >The thing looked as surprised as you when you moved backwards, staying on your feet as you turned to run >You weren't sure if it was the shocking, or the lights, or something in the air, but the hallway was occupied with tiny horses similar to that of the one you'd seen in the book, each of which was wearing varying degrees of clothing >They were panicked, running from you, and in your addled state you realized that they must be running to someplace away from here >Right about now, away from here sounded like the best option >Pushing yourself off the wall, a bolt narrowly missed you, ricocheting off the wall and hitting a pony, bringing it to the ground >Time to leave >Your long strides made it easy enough to keep up with the running creatures, but with all the shocks you’d taken from whatever science freakshow robot thing that guard had come from, you were definitely slowing down >You hardly registered the other doors scatter along the wall as you moved, glancing back to see two of those weird guard things chasing you >You really should have been looking where you were going though, as something solid slammed into your gut, knocking the wind out of you and sending you down to the ground >Gasping for air, you started to try and get up, only to feel something like little hooves stomp down on your back with a surprising amount of force, keeping you pinned >Christ, you weren’t going to die to a bunch of animals, were you? >As you choked down air though, you noticed yourself getting heavier by the second, exhaustion sinking in >Or was it? >Looking at the other two, strange creatures, you noticed they had what looked like crude gas masks on >So it was a chemical then? >You really hoped it wasn’t messing with your body or anything >You passed out to the sound of Voice #2 saying something unintelligible ----- >You woke up in your bed, sore spots all over your body >The door was shut, there were no mysterious animals around, and now you had a bath tub and a stack of books >Groaning, you climbed free of your blankets, making your way over to the tub, your hands grabbing you shirt to lift it when you heard voice #2 >You couldn’t understand everything, but you picked out what seemed to be rather crucial words >[“You”], [“I”], [“Need”], [“Talk”] >You agreed with that, though you didn’t say it >All you wanted was to soak the pain away >Turning the tap, you were surprised to see plenty of hot water flowing into the tub >You decided to ignore the questions of why they would let you have this and focused instead on getting the tub full >You could question things later >The same mint green unicorn as before hoped her blush wasn’t noticeable as she watched the Entity disrobe, slowly removing its clothes to bathe >She winced when she noticed the bruised and inflamed areas >While she took notes, the Director paced from one wall to the other and back again, making tight oval shapes, muttering quietly to herself >They’d both shared the office when the containment breach occurred and, while there had been only one pony-related injury, this was not a good sign >The further this went on, the more intelligent the Entity was seen to be >Not only that, but it had been surprisingly resistant to those blasts, while a single one had downed a pony >If magic wouldn’t work that well on it, they couldn’t over-use the more mundane tools, such as the gas they’d been using to knock it out for the last few days >No, there was only one thing to do >[“I’m going to have to talk to 1067.”] >The Director said, prompting a swift response from her employee >[“Talk to it? With all due respect, Director, do you think it’s wise for you to interact with 1067 so freely? We still don’t know much about its methods, means, or even desires. Not only that, but it likes to eat meat!”] >The Director rolled her eyes at that, her pacing stopped as she looked over >[“Yes, as do other intelligent races. If I go, 1067 might find comfort in a familiar voice, and besides, of everypony here, the two of us know it best. If it wanted to hurt us, it would have done so during the panic of it’s attempted escape.”] >She took a moment to think about that >Given its large size, it wouldn’t have been too hard to grab up ponies left and right, and with the shocks it’d taken, the Entity might very well have been able to claim the lives of a few ponies before being forced back into its cell >Yet it hadn’t, a fact that relieved the green mare, both because she didn’t want other pony’s to be hurt, and for some other reason she couldn’t quite explain >[“Alright, but I’m going to request at least two guards.”] >She said, smiling slightly when the Director nodded in agreement >[“That seems reasonable to me. Hopefully they won’t be needed. Considering how panicked 1067 looked on the footage, we really don't need it to be any more agitated, especially if it turns out that it IS from another world."] >That thought hadn't occurred to the Unicorn, glancing down at the image on the screen of the Entity sinking into it's bath, a look of pained contentment on it's face >What if the thing they were holding here was no different from anypony else, just from another place? >Sure, it might look...off, but still, being slightly unsettling was hardly a crime, and especially not one worthy of keeping it here >At that thought, she perked up, glancing over at the Director who was wearing a similar look >["Do you think...it might be possible to make friends with it, Director?"] >The Unicorn asked, looking into the Director's eyes >They seemed almost warmer now, the trained professionalism the high-ranking Mare had about her slipping some as she considered the question >["I suppose that's what I'm hoping to find out~"] ----- >After setting the schedule up for tomorrow's interview of sorts, the Director headed home, eager to relax in bed >It had been a long day at the facility, and while she might enjoy writing reports, as well as giving them, it was always nerve-wracking to have to deal with a containment breach >Thankfully, nopony had been seriously injured, so she could rest easy >Laying down in bed, she shut her eyes, drifting off to sleep >Or, she would have, had she not decided to gather a few more books to read in bed before going to sleep >One could never be too well-informed after all >You weren't entirely certain as to when you'd gotten into bed, but you found yourself being awoken by a buzzing sound >Sitting up, you looked around the room before staring at the door >The buzzing stopped then, making you wonder if it had been intentional >They hadn't woken you up before, after all, but then, you hadn't tried to escape until yesterday >Was this some form of punishment? >Whatever it was, it'd be best to be fully dressed >Getting up, you made your way to the tub, covering yourself as you grabbed your freshly "washed" clothes >You still only had the one set after all, and since they'd let you have plenty of water, it seemed like a good idea to clean them >You pulled your shirt on, only to hear an unfamiliar sound coming from the door >Locks being unlocked >So this was it, then, the “talk” your captors wanted to have >When no one came to get you, you hesitated, looking towards the door, wondering if this was some sort of test >They might not want to keep you around if you tried to escape again, after all >Then again, nothing would be gained by hanging around in your cell >Choices >While a part of you was sure you’d regret this, you forced yourself to walk up to the door, flinching as it opened on it’s own, and stepped through >On the other side was a separate room, a large glass wall sitting in front of a desk of sorts >More crystals dotted the edges of the glass, and beside it sat an unopened door >You flinched again when the door shut behind you >You stood there for a moment before moving over to the chair in front of the window, sitting down, only to find yourself staring through the glass at >Why were you looking at another cartoon pony? >And why was it flanked on the sides of the room by two of those guard-looking ones “Not this shit again...” >As nice as it was to have something else to look at, you really didn’t think you could handle more of these weird-ass pony things >You started to get up, only to hear the familiar sound of Voice #2 speaking >[“Please sit.”], [“Need”], [“Discuss.”] >Only this time, it wasn’t coming from above, but through the glass >Quickly stopping, you turned your head, looking back at the thing beyond the glass >It stared back at you, a serious expression on it’s face >You sat back down, looking up as you spoke, still unsure as to where Voice #2 was talking from now [“Where you?”] >Your answer came from beyond the glass and, as you looked back down to it, you had a horrible moment of realization as you watched the pony-thing speak >[“I”], [“here”], [“You”], [Not see”], [“me?”] >Oh no >No no no this isn’t happening >Pushing back, you stood up, the thing on the other side’s already huge eyes widening further, it’s eyes shrinking down as you moved, though it didn’t pull away from it’s seated position “How the shit are you speaking? Why am I speaking to a horse? Where are the people?” >[“Calm”], [“not”], [“understand”], [“you.”] >There was a radio >Something, anything >It was either that, or they were putting people’s brains into pony things and you really didn’t want to think about the ramifications of that right now >They were just messing with you >Well two could play at that >You sat back down again, feeling a whole lot more confident, looking into those big eyes as they settled back to normal >Well as normal as big, purple eyes could be [“Where I?”] >You asked, your talking in this weird, made-up language enough to get a smile out of the thing across from you >[“Equestria.”] >Equestrian? You were pretty sure that’s what it said >What she said? >She sounded like a girl, at least >Her answer didn’t really answer your question, but whatever, they were messing with you >Maybe this was the test >[“Where”], [“you from?”] [“Earth.”] > That seemed to make her happy too >A shared word, perhaps? >It is a pretty important name, after all >[“What”], [“you?”] >You weren’t entirely sure how to answer that, but given it’s a proper name, you figured your way of saying it would be fine for now “Human.” >You gestured to yourself to make your point, but it was a little odd how it looked like she was examining you >It certainly didn’t look like a random decision after all >Fuck, you really didn’t want to think about these things as being actually intelligent >[“You”], [“Earth Hyooman?”] “No, I’m a space Human.” >You replied, rolling your eyes >[“Not”], [“understand”] >Okay, one of you needed to pick up the other’s language soon because hearing that every time you spoke normally was going to get old fast [“Joke.”] >[“Ah.”] >Okay, yep, that clinched it >The fact that she looked sheepish after that, the way she was moving around >She was definitely intelligent >That of course created a whole new problem >WHY IS THERE AN INTELLIGENT PONY-THING TALKING TO YOU? >Before you continued on this train of thought, she spoke again >She looked like she was having trouble thinking of a way to phrase it, eventually coming up with >[“Sky hyoomans?”] >Sky Humans? >What, like angels? >You weren’t entirely certain you were in the right state of mind to try and explain life and death to what should be a dumb animal >Wait, it might mean people in planes and helicopters [“Sky Humans.”] >You said, nodding confidently, quirking a brow as she seemed to grow even more excited >Well, an animal would probably be relieved to- >Wait >Big head, big eyes, strange language, bizarre holding cells, laser blasts >Had you been fucking abducted? >Time to go over the facts >She didn’t know what the name of the planet was >She didn’t know what you were >She wanted to know about “flying machines” or whatever >Was this a test of how advanced you were as a species or something? >You quickly glanced down at her ‘hooves’ and said a silent prayer that she didn’t want to ‘probe’ you >Fuck, not only that, but were you even on Earth any more? >What if they’d grabbed you and put you on one of their ships? >You could be anywhere by now! >Fuck! ----- >The Director watched as 1067 began to panic >She tried to speak to it, but it simply ignored her, growing more and more agitated >She’d been making such good progress too! >They’d been talking and, despite their admittedly limited comprehension of one another, she’d learned of some similarities between their worlds >Perhaps 1067 wasn’t as otherworldly as they’d thought it to be >Still, with them as unsure of it’s capabilities as they were, the Director gave the order, the two guards she had with her entering the room to bring 1067 back into it’s holding cell >She’d made sure they were Earth Ponies too, not wanting similar issues as to the containment breach >While 1067 had struggled to reach the door, the guards had been trained hard, one of them alone enough to stop even a Bugbear >With their joint effort, they managed to get him past the door, the metal barrier shutting, sealing 1067 inside yet again >Once it was sequestered away yet again, the Director went through the necessary decontamination and debriefing steps, before finally coming to rest in her office >Try as she might, she couldn’t think of a proper reason behind why 1067 might have become agitated >She ordered copies of all recorded footage of 1067 to be brought to her office for her to review, an idea beginning to form in her head >While it learned their language, she would learn it’s >Communication, one of the first steps to making a new friend ---- (https://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/32058427/#32081357) >Three days passed, and you were beginning to grow more despondent as time drew on >As terrifying as your situation might be, you also didn’t want to piss off the things keeping you around >So you practiced, but it was still slow-going >And not being able to really communicate with anyone, not properly at least, was getting to you >You could only go so long without real interaction >That was why you were surprised to hear the same buzzing noise from before when you woke up the next morning >As you had before, you put on your clothes and made your way over to the door, watching it open before stepping through >You saw the glass window and the metal door when you passed through, as well as the desk and chair >When you sat down, you even saw the same purple pony-thing sitting on the opposite side >It was admittedly hard to tell if the guards were the same or not but you weren’t too worried about that >In actuality, you found your eyes being drawn to the purple one, looking her up and down >She looked frazzled, like she hadn’t slept much, her hair (mane?) brushed into submission, though small curls stood defiantly >Well, bedraggled alien or no, it paid to be courteous [“You morning good?”] >Not your best work you’d admit >Still, she didn’t seem to mind, still smiling at you >It was pretty easy to notice the big breath in she took, so you mentally prepared yourself to catch as much of what she sa- >”My morning was good. Thank you, Anonymous!” >What “What?” >”What?” >You sat across from the small, purple pony, shock and confusion no doubt evident on your face as you tried to understand what just happened Your mind soon wrangled an eloquent sentence to say “You can speak?” >Pausing before realizing what you’d missed, you added it on before she could blow your mind again “English, I mean!” >There was that relief again, the Pony’s shoulders dropping while the smile on her face returned to full force >You didn’t even care that this made it feel like your effort to learn the language before was entirely pointless >Nor did you care that she was mispronouncing some words/sentences, and was clearly shaky on some others >”It’s English?” “Yeah, English! Have you been able to speak this whole time? English, speak English.” >Her horn began to glow, and for a second there you thought she might have been about to shock you like the guard had from before, only to see a notepad levitate up and onto the desk on her side, along with a pencil, both of which were enshrouded in a glowing aura >Telekinesis? >Maybe that was why these aliens’ heads were this big >You watches as she furiously wrote with her mind, looking at the paper before her eyes snapped back up to you >Man it was disconcerting watching those big eyes shift to stare into yours, especially when she was so casually showing off her powers >”So you are Earth Human?” “Wha- Uh, yeah.” >You’d almost forgotten that you were still a captive here and you were still having questions asked of you >That sullied the mood considerably, and she seemed to notice your gloom return >”What’s wrong?” >What was wrong? “Oh well first the airline food was bland, and that awful turbulence!” >Her blank expression let you know your attempt at exasperated humor hadn’t breached the language gap, apparently “What do you think is wrong?” >You might have snapped that one out, but you felt you deserved to be a little upset after all this >”I do not know. That is what I want to find out by talking to you. Can we talk?” >She was trying to be as clear and easy to understand as possible >Despite everything though, you found yourself almost wanting to talk >Were you really that starved for affection? >Sure, you hadn’t exactly been the most beloved guy back home, but you weren’t “getting locked up in a box” bad either >You'd had friends! >At least one! >Then again, considering your position, who knew when you'd get the chance to even talk to anyone from back home >You could be well and truly alone out here, aside from these Aliens >Alone in a box >"Anonymous?" >Hey... "How do you know my name?" >It was the second time she'd used it, after all >"Oh, I read it off of one of the items we found near you." >Items? "Do you mean my wallet?" >"Yes, we found a small card with a photograph of you on it. It also had helpful information." >Your driver's license! >If that had come over here, had everything you had on you made it too? >The wallet would be nice to have but you had something else in mind "Was that all you found?" >She tilted her head, a look of interest growing on her face, one she was either unable, or not caring, to hide >"Yes, we found more. What are you looking for?" "It's a sort of a metal and glass rectangle? It might even have some wires coming out of it?" >You waited as she thought about your description for a moment before nodding and looking back at you >"Yes. It had buttons and there were wires near it. Is it important?" >A part of you told yourself you should lie, but you decided against it >Considering you'd been abducted or something by Aliens, they might already know what it does and are just testing to see if you'd lie to them about it "It is. It has music and pictures from home on it. Please, can I have it?" >Another thought for her to mull over >You hadn't noticed it, but her pencil had been going for much of this >Her abilities really were scary >Finally, she nodded, looking up and into your eyes with an eager intensity >She seemed a little too excited about this >"Okay, you can have it back but-" >Of course >"You will need to be under direct sur...survie...watch when you interact with it so that we can make sure it is harml...safe." >It was comforting, in a way, that even an Alien with telekinesis, authority, and the ability to rapidly figure out English could still stumble and be confused "That's okay, it's harmless." >"Harm-less." >She repeated the word to herself, pencil slowing for a moment before scribbling rapidly again "So...you had more questions?" >That had left you in considerably higher spirits >Sure, this was no penthouse, but they'd actually decided to let you have your phone back! >It wasn't home, but it was a memory of it >"Anonymous?" "Yes?" >"That was not it, right?" "What do you mean?" >"You seemed upset about more than your block..." >Looking at her, she seemed stuck between her question-asking enthusiasm and some kind of desire to help >Should you tell her? >She'd yet to be harsh or cruel with you >You'd been given quarters, a bed, a bath, food, books >Even after you tried to escape, they hadn't done much to you "I guess I'm just..." >Say it, you pansy! "When can I go home?" >Wow, she looked almost as sad as you after that >Her ears drooped, but she tried to keep looking at you >"Well, hopefully we can figure out some way of getting you there." "What, do you only have enough fuel to get home or something?" >"Fuel? I am sorry, Anonymous, but I do not know what you mean." "Your ship, or whatever you guys call it, the stuff that makes it go?" >Man, these Aliens are expressive >You'd just prefer her to look something other than confused right now >"A...boat? Can you try saying it in Ponian?" "fine." ["Space ship. No gas?"] >Her expression deepened, a fact that made you worry even more >"Anonymous, we do not have a 'sky boat'. What do you know of your arrival here?" "Well..." >All the Director really wanted was to head home and sleep, but she had more work to do >Doing her job, her other duties, and maintaining her social life was more of a strain than she'd originally imagined it to be >Plus, now she had papers to fill out for a test with Anonymous' strange block tomorrow >It was a little short notice, but she considered it to be important for them to study >Anonymous was from a whole other world, if not dimension, after all! >Thinking back, she replayed the recordings of their conversation, listening, and watching Anonymous' reaction as she explained how he'd been found >She left out specific details of who, where, when, and how >She'd been doing this long enough she could [REDACTED] her words as she spoke them >But the moment when Anonymous realized he hadn't been brought here on purpose was almost heart breaking >It certainly made hers ache >It wasn't hard to understand either, especially since he claimed to want to return home >To be forcefully taken from your home and dropped into some unfamiliar place >How awful >... >Then again, what if he was lying? >He certainly wouldn't be the first >She had to make sure she didn't become too emotionally invested >Considering that, she quickly wrote a note to herself, to remind her to check for enhanced pheromones or anything of the like while near Anonymous >Whatever the case, she'd have to be the one to interact with him verbally until he could figure out more Ponian, or other Ponies learned "English" ----- (https://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/32166831/#32171184) >time rolled around, and a pair of guard ponies flanked a familiar green-furred mare towards Anonymous' containment unit >She was glad to be doing this than dealing with other Entities >Strange as he was, she couldn't help but be interested by him >It seemed like the Director had had similar thoughts when she mentioned the possibility of enhanced pheromones, or some other sort of attraction-based lure >Unlocking the first door, they proceeded into the meeting area, and then through the door there to Anonymous' >With their surveillance, they already knew he was awake, but they gave him two minutes upon being alerted to prepare himself >When the time was up, they headed in, finding him standing there, waiting eagerly for them ----- >You watched as the pony stepped inside with the cart, the guards sealing the door behind her, leaving just you, and the skittish-looking pony alone >Well, not quite alone, given whoever might be watching from above [“Hi.”] >[“Hello!”] >She squeaked her reply out, looking all the more embarrassed thanks to it >Still, the fact that she was embarrassed put you at ease >The more Human these things seemed, the better >It gave you hope that you might get out of here eventually >Speaking of getting things >She pressed her hoof down onto the top of the large, black box on the cart, turning her leg one way, then another >It almost looked like a person turning a key >Click >The front of the box swung open, and there inside was your phone >Carefully, you reached in, fingers finding the cool metal and glass >You brushed against the “wires” of your headphones, taking a firm hold on your things, drawing them out >Raising it up to your face, you examined it’s screen, and then the rest of it, looking for any obvious signs of damage >When none were found, you let out a sigh you hadn’t realized you were holding back >Turning the screen back around to face you, you looked into it the darkness, seeing yourself reflected in it >Moment of truth >You were met with the reflection of yourself >Nothing had changed >Growing worried, you pressed the button again >Again you got no reaction >You held the button down, giving it five, then ten, then thirty seconds >It was dead >No lights, no warning, nothing >The screen remained dark and you remained alone >You couldn’t even tell if it was broken or not >Not only that, but considering they had no clue what this even was, the odds of them being able to charge or repair it seemed slim to none >You didn’t even have the energy to groan about this as you sat down on your bed >You felt tired >Even after a night’s rest, the weight of everything that had happened was really hitting you >This had been a last bastion of hope >And now it was gone >A few minutes must have passed before you, dejectedly staring down at the floor, remembered that you weren’t alone in here >Your head snapped up, staring right into the eyes of the mint green, labcoat-wearing mare by the door >You must have looked pissed or something because she flinched just from you staring at her >There was some rage there, it’s true, but you could scarcely bring yourself to care >You were something to be examined to them >An alien >You didn’t belong >Letting your head hang, you just sat there, not wanting to think of anything for the next while >It was only after a few minutes more that you felt something lightly press against your thigh >The Human looked sad >Really sad >The mint mare had seen this kind of sad before, and it felt as bad to watch now as it did then >She hoped she hadn’t been too obviously startled when Human looked at her >He’d just looked so angry and lost >The mint mare wasn’t much of a cheerer-upper >She wasn’t the softest or quietest of ponies >She was good at her job, and at caring about her friends >And she’d been watching Anonymous for a while now >He wasn’t like many of the other entities here >Shifting from her spot, she moved towards him >Anonymous seemed surprised to feel her touching him >She couldn’t say she was all that surprised. He didn’t really get much contact in here >Considering that, as well as his claimed interest in his homeworld, he might be far more of a social creature than they’d considered >Maybe they should organize more visits? >Going off the records, he’d been pretty eager to talk to The Director when he found out she could speak his language >Wait, what was he- >She’d been too distracted with her thoughts on how to better accommodate him >She hadn’t noticed his arms moving until she felt one begin to wrap around her barrel >Some odd, limb-like things squeezed her, things she quickly came to register as the digits connected to the ends of his arms >Fingers, the Minotaurs called them >Whatever the case, they squeezed her, dragging her up, into the air before drawing her in close >Fear flooded her in an instant >Had this all been an act? >He wouldn’t be the first entity housed here alone that used deception to lure it’s victims in >He had canines >He ate meat >They were alone. The guards would take a few seconds to get through the door at least >She started to kick her legs, flailing ineffectively at the open air as both his arms and hands wrapped around her, pressing her backwards against his chest >She shut her eyes, waiting for it to happen, the bite, or the crushing squeeze or, whatever >When it didn’t come, she slowly peeked at him >It was a little hard to see his head, though she felt it lower, giving her a chance >Of course, that chance came in the form of his head resting against her neck >Once again she was thankful his eyes were shut >Also, WOW he was warm! >This... >This actually wasn’t that bad >Lifting her hoof up, she stopped the guards, who had just opened the door back up, from coming any closer >This was progress and they weren’t going to spoil it >She didn’t know how long they stayed there like that >Anonymous seemed like he really needed it >Also, he was a whole lot stronger than he appeared >Eventually, he let her go and she slipped from his lap and onto the ground, landing on her hooves >Sure, she’d need to get checked out in a decontamination room, but either way, this had been incredible! >While she was primarily interested in the fact that Anonymous had been more open with her, she couldn’t deny that they’d learned a lot from this encounter >Undoubtedly, the Director would be interested in reading her report >In yet another moment of her being distracted by thinking, she felt those same digits from before come to rest on her head, gently rubbing her >Turning, the "hand" not leaving her mane and scalp, she looked up at Anonymous >Even sitting down, he was tall ["Thanks."] >It was simple and still a bit rough, yet there was a real sincerity to it >Maybe he did have some sort of attraction based aura or scent to him >But that? >She knew in her heart that was genuine >Something inside the pony swelled, but she tried to ignore it, not wanting to ruin this strange, kind moment the two of them were sharing >She didn't even mind his eyes that much >"Yer welcoom." >She wasn't sure what she'd said to make him snicker like that, but he wasn't upset >He ruffled her mane, then took his hand away, placing it back down and onto the bed >considering the moment, the mare wondered if she should ask him a question or two >He seemed decidedly less on-edge than he usually did >She'd even try in his language >Here's to hoping she didn't screw it up >"Anonee...Anonymoose?" >Another snicker, but he was smiling now >"Yes?" >Alright, moment of truth >She needed to be direct, yet also careful in her approach >Anonym...Anonynym...Anon, often became upset while being asked questions >Keep it simple >She looked back up into his eyes as she spoke >"Was it...good for you too?" >From her spot in her office, the Director read over one of the latest reports she’d received on Anonymous >She paused for a moment, considering what it meant that she defaulted to his given name, even when alone, and not his classification number >He wasn’t the only case where she used given names as opposed to the more cold, clinical numbers >But she had begun doing it quite quickly, which was slightly worrying >Looking back at the report, as well as the decontamination log, she didn’t see anything that immediately suggested magic, or drug-related contamination >They couldn’t rule out the possibility that they simply didn’t know that much about Anonymous yet >Looking back at the report, she went through most of the newer points that had been made >Anonymous appeared to be, due to his body heat, skin, muscles, mane, and other pre-notated facts, mammalian >Anonymous’ “arms” and “hands” were similar to those of a Minotaur, but he had more dextrous control over his digits >Not only that, but his hands were softer, less coarse and rough than those of the average Minotaur >Anonymous’ block did not appear to work, a fact that made him sad >The Director sighed, Anonymous being sad seemed to be a staple of his time here >Though, given what had been seen of his latest visit, there might be a way to fix that >Her horn glowed as she wrote >While she wouldn’t be able to meet Anonymous face-to-face, so to speak, due to protocols and risks, she could still send others who were willing in >If this footage, and record, was accurate, they should be able to safely interact with him >Not only that, but he was more receptive to questions, which were vital to their understanding and evaluating him >They’d gotten some information out, but it was mostly surface level >What was his world like? >What was the block supposed to do? >What would he do when faced with the fact that he might never be able to go home? >The next few day came around and about halfway through it, you had another visit >The same mint mare as before walked into the room, smiling over at you >It looked genuine enough, and with how lonely things could get in here, you appreciated it [“Sorry no chair. Bed?”] >You gestured, sitting down on the sheets >You noticed her glance upwards, a look of hesitation crossing her face, but she adjusted quickly, nodding and trotting over >With a small jump, she was on the bed, sitting down beside you >Mimicking how you were sitting >Weird [“How you?”] >”Good, thankz!” >Her pronunciation was still weird, and she seemed to know as much English as you knew Ponian >This at least gave you both time to practice [“Questions?”] >She nodded, pulling out a scroll from who-knows-where, holding it in front of her with her hooves >Unrolling it, you quickly began to realize just how many questions were on here, knowing there would be no way to answer them all in one sitting >Despite that, you actually felt glad about the sheer density >If it meant you got to have more company, you’d take it >”Anoneemoose?” >Heh [“Check.”] >”From Earth?” [“Check.”] >”Earth Hyuman?” [“Check.”] >And on it went, going over basic facts, with the mint pony marking down your answers >The first while was rather mundane, though at least later on, it started getting to more interesting questions >You were asked about how much you knew of this world, your goals, your needs, your diet, all sorts of different things >The mare had seemed especially intrigued when you mentioned the fact that no one had magic back home >You explained as best you could in their language that magic was essentially tricks people could pull to make it appear like the impossible was happening, when it really wasn’t >You almost thought you heard her mumble something about an “amoolet” but you weren’t quite sure >She seemed unconvinced, and you could understand why >She explained that every aspect of life here, even friendship itself, had love interwoven into it >After hearing that, you likened her disbelief to the idea of a person being confused about the concept of gravity, or time >Then you remembered that flat-Earthers exist and you decided to simply accept her explanation for now >This world being some sort of magic-filled fantasy land sure explained a few things >Besides, you had more pressing questions in mind [“My turn?”] >She was slightly surprised but, after mulling it over for a little, she nodded >”Okay. Whatz your qweestion?” >While you knew your odds of getting out of this place entirely were slim-to-none, you really wanted out of this room >They’d touched it up with the additions they’d made, and being able to talk to ponies, albeit slowly, and awkwardly, helped as well >You couldn’t help but feel like you were going a little stir-crazy >With all the revelations you kept having, you really needed a change of pace [“Can I leave? Room?”] >”Thatz...hard.’’ >She admitted, glancing upwards again >You didn’t want to lose this chance though, so you pressed on [“It not need be long. Just want sun. Exercise.”] >”Living space s’bad?” >Admittedly, this would probably be an easier conversation to have with the other Pony >While she wasn’t fluent yet, she had a mastery over English that was far advanced from the Pony you were talking to >You were a big enough man to admit you weren’t too fluent in their language yet, after all >Actually, given the fact that you were undoubtedly being watched right now [“I talk to Director.”] >You stated, before looking upwards towards the light, squinting, but trying to keep them open “Director, it’s not that I’m not grateful to have the things I have here, but being stuck in one room for weeks is...exhausting. I don’t need much right now, just sunlight and room to move around in. Can I have that, please?” >There was a momentary pause, both you and the pony beside you remaining quiet >While you didn’t think she’d understood all you said, she at least caught enough of it to know who you were talking to >After the moment had passed, the Director’s voice reached through the speakers, or whatever they were. Loud enough for the two of you to understand >”Yes. I will mark the date for tomorrow.” >Her voice disappeared as soon as it came, your room returning to silence until it was broken by the pony beside you >”I doon’t under...get t’all, but thatz sound good!” “It sure is.” >You wrapped an arm around the pony, drawing her in for a side-long squeeze >You hadn’t originally been the huggy type, but that was a small victory worthy of a hug >The Pony seemed pretty pleased with themselves as well, so a win/win all ‘round >She let you have a minute or two to yourself and, when you were ready, the two of you went back to questions >While you hadn’t been thinking about it, you’d yet to remove your arm from the Pony beside you >Eventually, when the long list of questions had been answered, or at least a lot of them, she got up to leave >Once she was by the door, she turned, smiled and waved at you, and then headed out >Finally >You hadn’t been lying about this being exhausting >You hadn’t been focusing on your confines too much given all the various reveals that had happened to you recently >Thinking about it, you couldn’t help but wonder if this place helped with your gloom >As dressed up as it was, it was still a cell ----- >The mare practically bounced to the Director’s office >She’d done her job well! >She’d gotten just about every question answered, aside from the ones Anon claimed not to know >The Director would definitely be pleased with her work >Plus, not only that, but Anon seemed happier as well! >Heck, not only had he hugged her, but he’d kept holding her afterwards until they were done! >If things kept up like this, they’d be close friends in no time >The next day rolled around, and you found yourself staring at the door to your room as it opened >Beyond it stood a pair of guards, one of which had a horn, the other nothing >So just a normal Pony then? Or was this one off or something? >From the way it shifted, it seemed like it didn’t like you staring at it, so you decided to just move on outside >Passing the first door, you waited for them to open the second, crossing through that barrier when they were ready >You hadn't been this far in, what, a week? >Well, it didn't matter, you just had to stay calm and cooperate >It didn't matter if you felt a little tense with these ponies watching you >You couldn't remember many specific details from when you'd been caught during your escape attempt, so you had no real way of determining if either of these Ponies were the same ones as those that had caught you last time >Hopefully they didn't hold a grudge for your making a break for it >Should you ask them? >No, not right now >Your Ponish wasn't nearly good enough for diplomacy, and they had a job to do >Speaking of which >The final door opened slowly, a familiar, mint, labcoat-wearing mare on the other side >It felt good to see her smiling at you, though the two guards standing behind her lessened your mood somewhat >You knew you were big compared to them, but four guards? >Like before, you kept yourself from commenting >They had their directions and orders here >"Yoo readee?" >Heh ["Yes. Where to?"] >Short and simple, that was the best way to do this >Their language still felt weird to say >As long as you could get the message across though, you'd be fine >She gestured for you to follow her, turning to head down the hallway to the right of your door >As she did, the guards behind her moved to intercept you, creating a small barrier between you and her >The ones from your room did the same, though they took up spots behind you >No chance to sight-see, huh? >Well, lead on, Ponies >Cool stone walls flanked your group as you moved along >Lights from crystals shone down from above, with some no doubt tracking your progress >Who could tell how things worked when it came to magic >One thing that you noticed from your last escapade into this hallway was the utter lack of Ponies >Last time you'd been "out" there had been at least a dozen of them running around >Now it was just your convoy >Was it really just because you were being escorted? >What did they think you were going to do, take a hostage? >Considering that, you looked down at one of the guards in front of you >Their tail was cut short, so there wasn't much to grab there >Still, it really wouldn't be too hard to just reach down and grab them >Given their legs, if you lifted one into the air, it'd be like holding a dog, right? >Keep them facing away from you and as long as you control their head, they can't do much to you, yeah? >Glancing back, you looked to the guards that had entered your room >Unlike the two at the front, one of the ones behind you had a horn >So, only one magic user? >You wished you could remember more about your jail break >It would have probably helped you figure out why there was only one Unicorn here ----- >Had you not been so lost in thought, you might have noticed that you had walked past a few doors >For the most part this hallway was rather barren, only three other doors situated along the walls, two on each side >The walls around them were quite barren aside from a number, and a single sign, each of which had different images and writing on them >Mostly they were warnings and instructions, though one seemed to have been vandalized >Much of the information it had listed was garbled or nonsensical >What little there was that made sense to read seemed entirely pointless >Not only that, but every now and then, it seemed to change >At the end of the hallway was a single set of doors with a slot for a card to be placed inside >Her horn glowing, the mare leading the squad pulled a card out of a pocket in her coat, slipping it in and out of the slot >The door hummed softly while she moved the card back into her pocket, metal doors opening up, revealing an elevator >It was a little jarring to see such an obviously modern device in a place that was supposedly filled with magic >It wasn't like your room was all too advanced, after all >As the doors kept sliding open, you quickly realized that this was a sort of freight elevator >Not wanting to get a shock or anything, you complied, following the group once that started to move, stepping into the elevator >Once you were in place, all four guards turning to watch you through their helmets, the mint mare moved to a series of large buttons >She repeated the same trick with her card as before and, with a press of a button, the doors slid shut and you were all on the move >Next stop, outside >Or something to that effect ----- >Alright, one more hall to travel, apparently >Just how big was this place? >You'd all gone downwards for what you could only guess were about three floors, and when you had gotten out, there were a series of trolleys waiting outside >they were a bit like miniature trains, now that you looked at them >They hardly looked like they were made for comfort >The mare took the lead again, the five of you following after her >It was as you all got aboard the train that you realized you'd never asked her for her name >The talks you'd had with her had been few and far between, after all, but still >Being able to refer to her name would probably make her feel a bit more easy around you, right? >Sort of like being friends >After a fairly short, awkward, ride, your train came to a stop, the six of you disembarking, heading into yet another elevator >Another elevator ride, and finally, the doors opened to face >Yet another door >You could understand security, but this bordered on paranoia >Either they had something powerful locked up, or they really didn't want to risk anything ever getting out >When your group leader unlocked this door, you noticed something different >The metal doors opened, but there was thin, shimmering blue light that filled the doorway >No one else seemed to worry about it, so you headed through as well >It tingled as it passed over you, but that was about it >Besides, you found what awaited you on the other side so much more interesting >You scarcely noticed the enclosure, you were just too focused on the sun >Great beams of light shone down from the cloudless sky, illuminating the area you found yourself standing in and, as those sunny rays hit you, you felt the world melt away >You'd known it would feel good, but you had no idea that it would be this good >The sun felt so warm, heating your body up, driving your worries and fears out of you >It was a little like being enveloped in a full-body hug >The warmth of the light spread through you >You couldn't hold it back >You started laughing >For the first time in weeks, you felt at peace >You weren't scared or nervous >Tensions you hadn't even realized you were carrying lessened >It just felt so GOOD ----- >The Ponies watched as Anon stood there, eyes shut, head tilted up towards the sky, a real laugh escaping him >It felt good to see him like this >It wasn't often that a Pony got to see another warmed by Celestia's light for the first time >It was a precious experience, one that made the heart soar like a Pegasus, and filled the body with the energy of an Earth Pony >They knew they had a time limit here >But the group seemed to silently agree >They could let him have this for a while ----- (https://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/32283083/#32296959) >After enjoying the feeling of freedom, even if only a slight amount, you started stretching >You were going to go for a hell of a run >You could almost feel the Ponies' eyes boring into as you limbered up, wondering if they had any idea just what it was you were doing >While they were basic stretches, your two people were quite alien to one another >When bending backwards, you almost thought you caught a glimpse of something pink in one of the trees, but you blinked and didn't see it again >Focusing on your warm up, you finished up, and moved to space you planned to run in >Due to this location being circular, you had an easy track in mind, and so you started off, slow at first, but quickly picking up speed >You might be out of shape and practice, but it felt good to just get moving >One lap, then two, then three, you just kept jogging along, feeling the stiffness in your body fade >When you passed the group, you watched them follow you as you moved >Was this fast for them? >Was it slow? >You had the height advantage, but Humans weren't meant for incredible speed after all >You were made for endurance >Coming back around, you slowed to a stop by the group, panting and sweating, looking down at the guards and mare "Hey, this might be- right, sorry." ["Any of you want run with me?"] >They seemed a little reluctant at first, but then the green Unicorn gestured to the guards, and they nodded, moving to stand around you, flanking you on either side like you were all at a track meet >Taking it as your wish being granted, you checked to make sure they were ready to go, and then took off, jogging your laps like before >Considering their status as guards, they kept up with you with ease, though they had to work their legs more to match your gait >One lap >Then another >You kept going until you had matched the amount you'd done previously >It was a large space, so you couldn't help but feel pretty winded >The guards though, looked fine >Coming to a stop in front of your handler, you and your guards skidded to a stop >Your face felt as sore as your legs did with how much you were smiling >MAN had you needed this ["Gonna relax. Thank you all."] >They nodded to you, stepping back to the side while you moved over to the center of the room, flopping back down onto the ground, staring up at the sky, letting the warmth of the sun wash over you >Shutting your eyes, you found you were actually a whole lot more tired than you figured you'd have been >Was your sleep schedule messed up or something? >It was certainly understandable if so >While the lights lit and dimmed, you had no guarantee it actually matched the world outside >Or that the outside world was anything like yours back home >Yet more questions >Actually, hadn't you planned to ask some things? >Crossing your arms behind your head, you turned your head to the side and, when you'd caught sight of the only labcoat-wearing Pony, you beckoned her over >The guards started to move with her, but she stopped them with a raised hoof >Guess she felt fairly comfortable around you, huh? >That was a nice thought ----- >Anon had called her over >Not wanting the guards to worry him, she'd gone on her own, settling down on her back just to the side of him ["Who Celestia?"] >Interesting start, but given how often she was named in literature, it made sense he'd be interested >He might even have read something about her controlling the movements of the sun >"She iz the prinzess of Equestreea. She lifts the zun." >She was thankful she'd grown used to him enough to not flinch when those eyes of his widened ["Lifts sun? Wow..."] >His voice trailed off, Anon seemingly lost in thought >If his world really was devoid of magic, that might have been a pretty shocking reveal to him ["And this...A-Quest-Tree?"] >She forced her giggle down, covering her mouth with a hoof before nodding, gesturing at the space around them >["Equestria."] ["Eh-qwestree-ya?"] >Well he was catching on faster these days >That's a good sign >["Equestria."] ["Eqwuestreea."] >["EQUestrIa."] ["Equestria. This world Equestria."] >She tilted his head when a rich, low chuckle rose from her current sunbathing companion >"Whatz funny?" ["Way back...I thought said 'Equestrian', not Equestria."] >Well, that wasn't much of a difference >Was a single, added letter all that funny? >"Duz 'EquestriaN' mean something?" >He nodded, turning his head again to stare into her eyes, an innocent look on his face >She could see him struggle to think of how to explain it in the words that he knew, finally settling on ["Human that rides horses."] >She could feel the blood rush through her body, quite assured that her face was turning from green to red >Yet oddly enough, she couldn't quite find the energy to look away from his eyes >He was less expressive than a Pony, which meant reading him could be difficult >Looking at him now though, he seemed...happy >It might have been the sun, or maybe she was still feeling a bit out-of-sorts due to his wording, but she found herself smiling >It felt good to see him like this >The two of them laid there for a moment, Celestia's sun bathing the two of them in warmth and light ["I don't know if allowed...what is name?"] >Oh! >That was... >What should she say? >Knowing a Pony's name could be quite powerful >Some spells only worked if you knew a being's name >And with the wide variety of creatures out there, it was a given that a name might be valuable to at least one of them >And yet, when she looked up at Anon, she couldn't find it in herself to think of him that way >He was too innocent, too gentle >Would she get in trouble for this? >Maybe >It was a risk, but it demonstrated an important step >This was for friendship and understanding >"Itz alright, Anon. I know yours, yoo can know mein. I'm Lyra Heartstrings." >She hadn't told anyone, but she'd actually been practicing how to say her name in his language >After all, she'd wanted to be prepared for such an event >This was an important breakthrough of sorts! >She watched him mull it over in his head, seemingly thinking it over >While hers was certainly different than his, their names were not too different >She'd always been good at music, and it turned out that that may have translated well to her work here >Identifying patterns and working to link disjointed issues together came quite in hoof here >She'd yet to find out just what Anon did back home, but his name certainly worked well here >'Anonymous' >A no one, a strange being without identity >He had no history here, no one that knew him, nothing >Whoever his parents had been, if he even had any, they'd been as apt at naming him as parents here were with their own foals ["Lyra Hearstrings"] >He'd translated it back into Ponian with ease, the faint smile growing after he said it >It was strange how...right it felt when he said it >Like it was some treasure for him to inspect and polish >Nodding, Lyra licked her lips to keep them from drying >This was an odd feeling >She'd felt something like this before, back when Anon had first touched her >It was similar to how she'd felt becoming friends with Bon Bon, but off by just a little >Not in a bad way though >The old Pony parts of her head started to question it though >Did she actually know what she was feeling? >Was he doing something? >Why did she feel so strange? >She'd been warned to watch out for something like this happening after all >Had she gotten too attached? >Working herself up into a bit of a panic, she made a quick start to get up, before freezing up when a hand found her, stopping her sudden shift ["Please. Don't go. Please."] >Something was wrong >Something was definitely wrong >This wasn't normal, this didn't feel right >She shouldn't look back at him >Because she was starting to understand >This new feeling >Of course it was similar to what she'd felt with Bon Bon, yet...more >It was love, or at least the start of it >It was love, and she had to move >If she didn't, if she looked back at him... >If she looked into those eyes >A whine escaped her as Anon asked again ["Please...just for a little..."] >She wasn't sure if it was the face she was making, or Anon and her's "struggle" had been more noticeable than she thought it was, but she could see the guards start to move >It was slow at first, the tilting of heads, acknowledgement that something was happening >Then, they began to move in, jogging at first, but quickly picking up speed >With her position, Anon probably couldn't see them >All he had right now was her in his sights >Just her >It was just her, and the guards were getting closer >They'd pull Anon off her, bind him, and then they'd all go back >They'd move through the doors and down the elevator and onto the train >They'd lock him back up and she'd go decontaminate herself, and Anon... >Would he forgive her? >Did he even feel the same way towards her as she was feeling towards him now? >Raising a hoof up, the guards stopped just a meter or so away >Anon hadn't hurt her or anything of the sort >He was just holding her >Compared to all the other creatures and things that she and the foundation stored, he was so gentle >Gentle and understanding and accommodating >She could feel her resistance wavering >This wasn't the end though, right? >This wasn't the be-all-end-all >Things grew and changed with time >She might feel this way today, but in a week's time, would she be able to say the same? >A month? >She might lose this feeling by the time they were apart >And truth be told >Was it so wrong? >It felt...nice >Her resolve wavered a little more >A little more >And then >Well, it was such a lovely day after all, and she had a friend beside her >Why should she waste her time worrying?