>Three months since /Pon-E/ General started on /mlp/ >Two months since I went pony for the first time, I got lucky and was in the first wave of Pon-E deliveries >and now... I was starting to run out >”Afternoon, Fleetwood, you waiting here long?” “Normal names in public, Sam.” >Sam rolled his eyes at me > we’d not known each other before using Pon-E >now? Well, Pon-E is more fun in groups, so we’d ended up organising in the thread >There was five of us in Atlanta that we knew of, and now we’d pooled to re-order Pon-E >By the logic of being the largest pony, I was put in charge. >Of course, they’d pick the earth pony to do the work….bucking lazy pegasi >at least the walkover wasn’t too bad, the sun is shining, and Sam isn’t being as frustrating as usual. >”So what’s the sketch? We just walk in, collect our illegal drugs, and walk out like nothing happened? >Taking a moment to answer, I double-check my phone. “Well, the email said it should have been delivered yesterday so we can collect then take it back to my place. Dad’s been a little off the past few days, but he won’t notice.” >”Faust bless the US postal service, you take the lead’ non.” >The two of us head into the DHL to grab our package. It shouldn’t take more than thirty minutes. >I was down to my last dose of Pon-E, and the others were out entirely. >I was worried; Anon had been acting strangely for the past few months >Suddenly, he’d started going out more, heading to parties almost every other day and joining a local football team >I wanted to be proud. Finally, my boy was going out and engaging with people, but something felt wrong. >Holding my head in my hands, I weighed my options. >Either I was right, and drugs were involved, my concern was warranted then I could get him the help he needed >or >I was wrong. Anon and I had never seen eye to eye. >Despite my best efforts, we just couldn’t connect. >I’d spent my youth taking buses or trains all over Nottinghamshire to catch concerts >and….well, drugs were familiar to me >Anon? He spent most of his school life shut away in his room playing worlds of Warcrafting or something like that. >Then a sudden change, surely I wasn’t paranoid to suspect outside involvement? >He’d gone out saying it’d take a few hours. >This was my chance to make sure it would be worth it for peace of mind, and he’d never know if there was nothing. >The stairs creaked as I climbed them, painfully aware that this was a massive violation of my son’s privacy >still, he was my son. >I wasn’t going to remain inactive and let drug use ruin his life. >I’d not been there when I was needed before, and I was not going to fail my son like that >It must have been a few years since I went into Anon’s room >Pushing open the door revealed several bizarre posters on the walls >Why are they all horses? >With my brow furrowed in confusion, I started to look around the room >More horse-related things caught my eye, including framed artwork sitting on his desk? >God, these horses were weird, bright garish colours, five of them in total >two had wings? Were those pegasuses? Pegasi? >and that one in the back was a unicorn? >It took a surprising effort to divert my attention away from the artwork >Rummaging through his desk revealed everything I’d been expecting >His first phone with the screen smashed to hell >bundles of cables that I couldn’t even begin to identify >Just as I was about to close the draw, my hand brushed against something inexpertly hidden >it was just taped to the underside of the inside of the draw >one soft tug and a small resealable opaque bag plopped onto my hand >my heart sank as I gently pulled it out of the draw >Shaking the contents out onto the palm of my hand >1 Pon? “What the hell is this supposed to be?” >I was expecting something I recognised >Christ, I must be getting old if the drugs are this different >It had some kind of clear gel inside from what I could tell >I guessed it was probably a hallucinogen? >An old itch started up in the back of my mind. Surely it couldn’t hurt? >If a twenty-year-old was doing it, it wouldn’t be that strong >Anon had said he’d be out for a few hours, so… >Sam trot- >Sam walked alongside me as I shook my head >Fucking slip-ups with my words were happening more often >Still, our little resupply run was successful. >between the both of us, we had nearly two hundred and fifty dosages of Pon-E in our bags. >and after a particularly tense bus ride with a cop standing opposite us the entire way, we were at the doors to my house “I’ll let us in. My old man should be around so just act normal” >”Like I’m not normal?” >I deadpan at Sam “Really? The feather brain that names himself Super Sabre wants to start talking about being normal?” >as expected, Sam wilts under my gaze >I still can’t believe that he’d named himself after an aircraft >or the fact the ass had gotten a cutiemark before me >Fishing through my pockets for the keys, I stop >I swore I just hear someone’s voice from inside the house? >”You hear that?” >evidently Sam had heard something too >it was faint >if I was a pony, I’d be able to make it out, I was certain >Fucking human ears are like wearing earmuffs >I had to resort to pressing my ear against the door like some sort of cartoonish burglar >Straining to hear, I could make out something >It was definitely dad’s stereo system. The subtle crackle of vinyl was unmistakable >”WOOO!” >However, the girlish whooping? that was odd >The sound of a bass guitar and drumset fills the air before giving way to what I think was a keyboard. >”An Ill wind comes arising, Across the cities of the plains” >She was singing? >a strange woman had broken into my house, raided dad’s vinyl and was singing with the stereo at max volume. >was she trying to get caught? >where the hell was dad? “I’m gonna let us in, stay behind me sam” >The click of the door unlocking was masked by the unknown woman hitting an admittedly impressive high note >“Anon, you’ve not got the whole EP strength going right now, shouldn’t I take point?” >I only held up a hand as we slunk from the door towards Dad’s study >”You sometimes drive me crazy, but I worry about you!” >She was still singing, thankfully unaware we were even in the house >Sam and I stopped at the doorway to the study >I held up three fingers >”Cruising under your radar” >two fingers >”Watching from the satellites” >one finger >”Take a page from the red book” >as I put my last finger down, we stormed around the corner. >only to see a bright pink pony with a mane like she’d been electrocuted holding my dad’s decorative mic. “What the fuck” >”What the fuck” >”Hi Anon!” >The bright pink pony is looking at us, smiling wide enough she could probably win a pinkie pie look-alike contest >Feeling a headache approaching, I rub my temples “Why the fuck are you in my house, you’re lucky we haven’t called the cops” >We can’t call them because we’re literally drug mules right now but still, she doesn’t know that >The side-eyed glance from Sam suggests he realises I’m bluffing >”What? Cops? Why would you call them?” “You’re not supposed to be here, this is my families house, and last I checked I don’t recognise you” >She just giggles and waves a hoof at me >”Oh don’t be silly, of course you know me!” “I really don’t, Sam go to the kitchen, under the sink. I think we’ve got duct tape.” >The pony starts to bounce up and down to the music as it continues to play >”Why’d you want duct tape? Not like I’m hurting Anypony.” “You broke into my house.” >Again, she bursts into a bout of giggles, collapsing to the floor as she pounds it with a hoof >”Oh this is gold! You don’t even recognise me, boy howdy. These must be strong.” >Before I could even say anything, she practically bounces on her hooves over to the cabinet >with an ease I didn’t expect, she bumps a hoof into the door, swinging it open to reveal my dad’s vinyl collection >”Let’s turn this into a game then! You guess who I am, I’ll give you a hint!” “Sam, get that fucking tape!” >The pink pony slides an unmarked vinyl out of the rack, swapping it with the one on the turntable with an ease that would make Pon-3 jealous >if she was real...then again, Lunanon turned into Luna, so it’s possible I suppose >The pony plops her plot down beside the turntable and looks at me, her smile still all the same >an eerie silence falls over the room as the vinyl crackles softly before the sound of a children’s toy fills the room “Wait…” >to confirm my suspicions, an acoustic guitar starts up moments later >”Come on Anon, use that noggin” “Why the fuck would you play this tra….” >I had a dosage of Pon-E upstairs >this mare knew dad’s vinyl collection like the back of her hand >she knew this track >as I realise who she is, the mare bursts into laughter >”it’s a shame this is all a trip” >Sam returns, duct tape and scissors in hand >”What’d I miss?” “That’s my dad, and evidently she thinks this is all a drug trip” >Sam, helpful as ever, bursts into laughter, joining the mare on the floor >I should have got Lily to come with. At least she’d be useful. “So, we were out for what? About an hour? So she’s like this for another eleven…” >Well, that could be worse >At least dad didn’t have to head into work today >With a sigh, I pull out my phone >time to let the others know that we’re gonna likely be getting a new member >”So then, what’re you gonna call yourself? Can’t just use a boring human name” >oh, for fucks sake Sam! >The mare rolls onto her stomach and looks up at him, visibly thinking >I can’t help but notice that she’s more expressive than most of the other ponies i’ve met >”Limelight!” >well shit, she’s named herself now. > Wasn’t it that the thread warned about naming yourself? >admittedly that nugget of wisdom came a bit late for us in the first wave but still >Sam and Limelight start talking to each other as I take the opportunity to turn the music off >her reaction is immediate >A panicked scream from behind me before Limelight plows into me >”putitbackputitbackputitback” “W-what?” >Sam stands back shocked as she tackled me, ears splayed as she clamps her hooves over them >”PUT THE MUSIC BACK” >Faced with the prospect of an earth pony having a meltdown within bucking distance of my chest I reach for the turntable >by the time the album starts from the top, she’s covered in sweat, her chest rising and falling as she hyperventilates. >Slowly, she starts to calm down >Despite my reservations, I pull her into a hug, stroking her sweat-soaked mane as the meltdown comes to an end >”what the fuck was that?” >Limelight starts to rock herself in my arms, shuddering >”don’t wanna talk about it” “Can you call Lily? I think Limelight is gonna need some help cleaning herself up, and I am not willing to do that” >Sam shudders before heading for the door to make the call >By the time Lily arrived, Limelight had calmed down enough that she seemed “normal” >I was slumped in dad’s armchair, watching as she bounced across the room, pulling vinyl’s and swapping them out to create a constant stream of music. >”Sam, you can let me in, what’s the deal? You call me at work, use the other names and then say I need to get here as soon as possible?” “Let her in Sam, let’s get this over with” >”I was gonna” >Sam protests as I hear the door’s lock clunk open and a rustle of plastic bags >As Lily steps into the room, she immediately drew Limelight’s attention >”Hi!” >The pink mare bounced over, hugging Lily’s leg with her forelegs >”Anon, who is this?” “My dad” >”What” >Lily looked at me like I was mad, as Sam groaned >”he took Anon’s last Pon-E, then had some kind of panic attack and well look at her” > Limelight’s coat was still damp with sweat, the remains of white foam around her neck. >”So your dad turned into a mare?” >I just nodded, trying not to think about the implications of the situation “She needs a bath, and both of me and sam are men” >”Fucking rule three, why did we write that bloody thing” >Rule 3, regardless of your human gender, pony gender takes precedent when pony. >women wash mares >Men wash stallions >Sam and I shrug, prompting a sigh from Lily as she scooped up Limelight and headed for the stairs. >”So...what now?” “Fuck knows, when dad’s back to normal I’ll ask him to come with us to our next get together.” >The two of us sit in silence, the record finishing moments after Limelight left >upstairs we could hear her singing something along with the occasional shriek from Lily >”She’s gonna be soaking wet, calling it.” “Lily being unable to bathe a mare without getting soaked by them? By Celestia as if that every fucking happens” >After twenty minutes, the joyful singing got louder >A squeaky clean limelight trotted into the room, her ears twitching before she bolted and started another album playing >Lily entered shortly after, absolutely soaking wet >”Do not comment, I know you both are going to” >We didn’t comment. >We just laughed instead >Lily glared at us hard enough I was half expecting one of us to burst into flames >thank Faust she didn’t have her horn right now >Lily’s glare softened as she looked behind me at something >”look at limelight” >I turned to look, the pink mare sat on her flank, gently bobbing her head along to the music >as we watched she intensified, her ears joining in her movement as a guitar solo intensified. >it was cute, despite the building dread about how the hell I’d handle this discussion when dad was back to normal >”Hey limelight” >The mare looked at Sam, still bobbing side to side >”You wanna come meet other ponies sometime?” >”Hay yeah! That sounds fun!” “Well that settles it then, next time we get our little gang together, you can come too.” >Somehow I knew that that next meeting would be important, although I didn’t know why.