//------------------------------// // A Slight Setback // Story: Splash of Cold Water // by Winter_Solstice //------------------------------// Part two of my plan, after saving up enough bits, was to find out where they filmed the show. If I couldn’t meet the ponies I’d come all this way to see, I could at least find and perhaps speak with their actresses. I realized this would be a monumental task, as they all were probably unapproachable if they were anything like the movie stars back home. Still, I had nothing to lose by trying. After about another week, I’d been promoted to waiter, as my skills with unicorn magic had greatly improved. I could still only carry two trays at a time, but that was enough for me to work and actually earn some tips. I’d also gained a reputation for being friendly, for I truly liked most of the ponies I met. They weren’t the Mane Six, but I found most of them almost unbearably cute. Still, I had to deal with various personalities and I soon learned they all ran the complete gamut I’d experienced on Earth, from vibrant and happy to sullen and suspicious, like my Earth pony roommate. Funny enough, even though he was short with me and barely spoke, I found out he liked to watch the show, which was a nice surprise. One afternoon after I’d gotten off work, I decided to try to strike up a conversation with him. He was laid out on his bunk, staring up at the ceiling when I came in. I set my things down on the floor next to my bed and said, “Hey, Grunt. How are you doing?” “Mmf.” “Is that…good?” He turned and looked at me. “What do you want, newbie?” I looked down at the floor. “I just want to get to know you better, that’s all.” I heard him shift his position, then he said, “Ten bits.” I looked up at him. “W…what?” He had a smile plastered on his face and his hoof extended. “Give me ten bits and we’ll have a conversation.” I frowned. “I’m not going to pay you to talk to me!” He shrugged. “Suit yourself,” as he turned his back on me and got comfortable. I stared at his back. “Are you serious?” He didn’t answer, he just raised a hoof and waved it in a ‘gimme’ motion. Finally, I threw up my hooves and said, “Fine!” I used my magic to pull the amount from my bags and put it in his waiting hoof. He jiggled them and said, “Sweet.” Then he turned and sat up. “So, what do you want to know?” ********** After about half an hour I learned that he’d come from a mining town, one, of course, I’d never heard of, but had since gone bankrupt when the mine had collapsed and the local powers that be decided it was too expensive to clear out. Rather than sit around and starve, he’d packed his few things and started traveling, looking for another town where he could ply his trade. That certainly explained his cutie mark, a pair of crossed pickaxes. There were no mining opportunities in this town, so he’d gotten a job with a moving company, one that needed Earth ponies and their strength. I also learned he’d only been in this shelter for a week before I came, and it would soon be time for him to move on, as a month was the longest anyone could stay. I kept away from more personal questions, such as did he have family he missed. Those kinds of questions made me homesick and I figured they might be sensitive for him as well. Finally, I asked him about the show and why he watched it. He put a hoof to his chin and thought before he answered. “It’s…innocent. Not like real life at all.” “So it’s an escape?” “Yeah. It would be nice if Her Majesty were really like that, for example.” “She’s not?” He stared at me. “Are you new to Equestria, or what? Everypony knows not to get near her unless you have a matter of life or death. Even then, you’d have to talk to one of her advisors first. She simply doesn’t care about us common ponies.” He intensified his gaze at me. “How do you not know this?” I began to sweat. I couldn’t tell him the real reason, so I had to come up with a good lie. “I just…never had any reason to consider her. My town is very secluded.” He stared at me further. “That makes no sense. Unless you were raised somewhere outside of Equestria, you should know this. Have you never been to a Summer Sun Festival?” I thought quickly. “Look, I really don’t like talking about it. Unless you want to pay me ten bits.” I smiled. “Fat chance, newbie.” He turned and lay back on his bunk. “Keep your secrets; I honestly don’t care.” I quietly breathed a sigh of relief. That was too close. Then I started thinking about what he’d told me, the most important fact being Celestia is not the benevolent ruler she’s portrayed. It’s a good thing I didn’t have to talk to her, or that might be a problem. No, my problem was finding out where the show was shot and seeing if I could speak to the actors. And I had no idea how to do that. ********** Feeling restless, and still a bit annoyed at my roommate, I decided to take a walk. This was a fairly large town and I hadn’t yet had the opportunity to see much of it, so preoccupied was I with earning bits. I waved at the few ponies I knew as I trotted along and they smiled and waved back. That part of Equestria was still true, I realized: ponies are generally a friendly folk. I hadn’t seen any griffons or minotaurs yet, so I wondered what they’d be like. I was just passing an apartment building when I began to feel strange. My head started spinning, so I sat down where I was and rode it out. “Are you okay?” I heard someone ask. I looked up to see a mare I’d never seen before speaking to me. I smiled at her and brought my hoof up to my forehead, intending to speak. But then I froze. My hoof was wavering and becoming indistinct. As I stared at it, it shifted from being a hoof to being a hand. The pony backed away with a frightened look on her face. “What…what are you?!” She then turned and bolted off. I didn’t know what else to do, so I concentrated my magic on my hoof/hand. It immediately stopped wavering and became a solid hoof again. I looked around. It’s a good thing it was late in the evening, so there weren’t that many other ponies in the vicinity. No one else had noticed. But the experience left me shaken. Could it be the magic that brought me here has a time limit? This was bad. This was very bad, especially considering that mare’s reaction. I turned and ran back to the shelter. I huddled in my bed and tried to think. I know if I was back on Earth and a human had started to change like that, he or she would soon find themselves in a lab with a bunch of men in white coats, if they weren’t shot on sight. And I had no reason to believe these ponies wouldn’t act any differently to an unknown. I could only hope it wouldn’t happen again. Logic notwithstanding, I resolved never to go back to that building. I honestly didn’t know if the change had anything to do with that location, but I was taking no chances. A town this size had to have other places with rooms to rent, and I’d better start looking soon. I knew I had a little bit more than two weeks to go in the shelter, but this recent event made me decide to speed up the process of moving. Also, that mare that saw me change might be a problem. I’d just have to keep an eye out for her and hope she didn’t talk to too many other ponies, although I knew this last was a slim hope. The next morning I woke up early and glanced over at my roommate. He was still snoring loudly, so I took the opportunity to examine myself. Everything seemed to be in its place, so I breathed a sigh of relief and headed for the showers. From the clock in the main room I had about fifteen minutes to wash up, grab a quick bite and trot to work. I was just crossing the room when I looked up at the receptionist’s desk and saw that same police officer that I’d met on my first day talking to the pony behind the desk. I faltered and stopped and my heart skipped a beat. It was very unlikely he was here for me; he might have just been bringing in another pony for the shelter. Still, I turned around and looked for another way to the showers when he must have seen me. “Hey! You! Come over here a minute.” I looked around and pointed a hoof at myself. “Me?” “Of course ‘you!’ I want to talk to you.” He came over as I stood there waiting. I could already feel a bead of sweat forming on my forehead. I hoped he wouldn’t notice. The smile on my face belied my nervousness. “Hello, Officer. What can I do for you?” “I just wanted to see how you’re doing. Settling in alright?” “Oh, umm…yes. Quite well, thanks. I got a job and I’ll be moving out soon.” Something in my voice must have been off, for he stared at me a few moments before speaking. “That’s…good.” Then he smiled. “You know, I never did catch your name.” “Scholar.” “'Scholar.’ That’s a unicorn name if ever I heard one.” Then he stepped a bit closer and his voice lost all friendliness. “Tell me something, ‘Scholar;’ why so nervous?” I gulped. “Me? I’m not nervous! Why should I be nervous?” “You tell me.” “I’m fine, Officer, really. Now, please excuse me; I have to get to work.” He stepped in front of me. “Not so fast. A unicorn matching your description scared a mare pretty badly last night. You know anything about that?” I looked down at the floor as my heart speeded up. “No sir, I don’t. Can I go now?” He was silent and I could feel his eyes on me. “I don’t like problems on my beat. You just keep your nose clean and you’ll have nothing to worry about.” Then he stepped aside. “Have a good day at work.” “Yes, sir.” I hurried off as fast as I dared. I had only ten minutes to go, so I made my way to the showers. I wouldn’t have time to eat, but that was okay. I’d completely lost my appetite.