It all started two days ago. I was sitting alone in my room working on a paper for college. I had just finished a paragraph, when I felt a strange shifting sensation. When I looked up, instead of seeing my usual plain bedroom, I was staring at thatched roofed buildings and carts. The most surprising thing being that there were colorful ponies everywhere.
Needless to say, I was pretty freaked out at suddenly being in the center of a town marketplace filled with talking ponies.
Looking around, I wondered why this place looked so familiar when it finally dawned on me. It looked exactly like that show my roommate was always trying to get me to watch, My Little Pony or something. He insisted it was amazing, but I'd never spent more than a few minutes watching it here or there.
I stood there for a few moments expecting the ponies to freak out once they noticed me. Seconds turned into minutes and still there were no reactions from any of them.
Cautiously I approached a stall where a big red pony with an orange mane was selling apples. I tried speaking to him, but he ignored me and continued to call out to passing ponies.
Angry that I was being ignored, I went to pick up one of the apples with the intention of chucking it at his head. Instead of grabbing one, my hand passed through the pile of apples and the cart, as if they weren't even there.
Nervously I raised my hand to my face and stared at it. Satisfied that it was still there, I tried touching the cart again, only to have my hand pass through it a second time.
Confused at what I was seeing, I stepped around to the side of the cart and put my mouth next to the stallion's ear. Obscenities flew from my lips as I told him where he could stick the apples. I gave up after a few minutes of yelling without getting a reaction from him. Carefully I lifted my hand and pushed against his side. My hand slipped through him and out again like a mist. I felt nothing and judging by the look on his face neither did he.
Turning my back on his cart I looked around the marketplace at the other vendors. It struck me that not only was I somehow in another world, but that I also couldn't touch anything. Even more bizarre was the fact that none of the inhabitants could see or hear me.
Panic and anger overwhelmed my brain and I stormed around the marketplace flinging curses at every pony I passed. I continued shouting at them for several minutes, trying to elicit a reaction from any of them. They were lucky I couldn't touch them right then or I would have strangled every pony in sight.
When my rage finally subsided, I fell to the ground, not bothering to wipe the tears from my face. I cursed whoever has put me in this situation and prayed they would meet a painful end. This entire world shouldn't even exist, yet there I was with no apparent way out.
Crawling over to where my notebook lay, thankful it had come with me, I picked it up and laid down in the shadow of a building at the edge of the marketplace.
The hours passed by and I watched as ponies sold and bought various items ranging from food to tools. As nighttime fell over the town, the merchants closed up their stalls and went home. Listening to crickets chirping in the distance, I laid my head on the ground and drifted off to sleep. My last though being that I would wake up from this nightmare tomorrow.
The sound of hoof-steps woke me and I opened my eyes to see that yesterday hadn't been some strange dream.
My head felt like it had been sat on and hunger clawed at my belly. Standing up, I did a quick circuit around the carts, trying to pick up various foods with no success. Resigning myself to the fact that I was still unable to eat, I sat back in my spot and contented myself to doodling in my notebook.
A few minutes later, I was rudely interrupted from my drawing, as a pair of pink legs stopped in front of me. Angrily I looked up at the intruder and was shocked to find a bright pink pony with a poofy mane and unsettling blue eyes staring right at me.
“Hello!” She said with a smile that split her face in half. “You must be new to Ponyville. I know everypony in Ponyville and I've never seen you here before. Come to think of it, I've never seen anything that looks like you before either.”
“You can see me?” I spluttered incredulously.
“That's strange,” she said tipping her head to one side. “Your lips moved but no words came out. Is your mouth broken? I know it's not my ears because I can hear me just fine!”
Quickly I flipped my notebook open to a blank page and wrote in big bold letters before holding it out for her to read.
You can see me?
“Of course I can silly,” She said smiling. “It's your mouth that's broken not my eyes.”
I scribbled another message for her.
No one else can.
“Well that's just ridiculous,” She said. “Of course they can.”
Shaking my head, I reached out and watched her eyes nearly pop out of her head, as I waved my hand through her leg.
“Wow, can you teach me to do that?” She said bouncing up and down on her hooves excitedly. “I've never met anypony who can do that before.”
Facepalming, I spent the next few minutes writing down messages for her, explaining my situation. In the process I learned her name was Pinkie Pie and that she was a baker and professional party thrower, whatever that meant.
“Okie dokie, I'll be right back with someone who can help,” Pinkie Pie said before vanishing in the blink of an eye. I stared dumbfounded at where she had been standing, unable to comprehend how quickly she had moved.
An hour passed and I figured she had given up on me, until I heard shouting coming from down the street. Pinkie Pie appeared from around the corner pushing a purple...unicorn...in front of her.
Looking around the marketplace, I saw there were other unicorns as well as a few ponies with wings that I hadn't noticed earlier.
“He's right here Twilight,” Pinkie said as she stopped in front of me and pointed a hoof directly at my face.
“Pinkie Pie,” Twilight said giving pinkie a confused look. “There's nothing there.”
“Yes there is,” Pinkie said bouncing around Twilight. “Cast some super duper magic spell and you'll see.”
Rolling her eyes, Twilight's horn glowed purple and a blanket of what I assumed to be magic appeared in the air and fell over me, outlining my shape.
“See!” Pinkie shouted happily. “He's right there!”
“This can't be possible,” Twilight said as she ran her hoof through the space where my head was. “I can detect him, but it's like he exists on a different dimensional plane.”
Dimensional what?
“Oh don't mind Twilight,” Pinkie laughed. “She always uses big words nopony but her can understand.”
“I do not!” Twilight said stamping her hoof. “I just have sophisticated vernacular skills.”
I gave Twilight a blank look that sent Pinkie Pie rolling on the ground in laughter
“Whatever,” Twilight said frowning at her. “Just come with me and we'll try to find a way to help him.”
The next few hours passed by in a blur as Twilight led us to the Ponyville Library. I had to admit it was pretty cool seeing a living tree being used as a building. Stopping on the main floor, Twilight spent a few minutes casting various spells around me before leaving to do research upstairs.
Left by ourselves, Pinkie Pie and I passed the time talking to each other. Well, she did most of the talking and I occasionally would write down a question for her. She shared her life story with me and told me about the adventures she and her friends had been on.
Strangely the longer we talked the more relaxed I felt. Being around her put my mind at ease and I stopped worrying about getting home. Right then she was the only one I could talk to and that made every difference in the world to me. The loneliness and terror I had felt the previous day were non-existent when talking to Pinkie Pie.
After she had her fill of talking, I wrote down my life story and shared it with her. I was a student going to college for a teaching degree. I had average grades, a girlfriend, and the typical story you would expect to hear from a college student.
It wasn't typical to Pinkie though and she asked me questions about everything that peaked her interest. I could tell she enjoyed making others happy because each time I laughed at something she said, her smile would grow a bit bigger.
As the sun set through the windows of the library, Twilight finally came downstairs and addressed Pinkie Pie.
“I'm sorry,” She said somberly. “I've searched in every book I can think of and I can't find anything even remotely helpful.”
“But Twilight,” Pinkie said giving Twilight a pleading look. “We have to hurry! He's already gone a day and a half without water and apparently humans can't survive more than three or four days without it.”
“I'm sorry Pinkie, but I'm just too tired right now to keep searching. I need to sleep tonight and I'll keep looking in the morning. I've already sent a letter to Princess Celestia and she might be able to help.”
Turning away from us, Twilight went upstairs to her room. Pinkie looked at me and tears welled up in her eyes. Her expression pulled at my heartstrings and I quickly scribbled a message for her.
Don't worry, Twilight will think of something. Go home and get a good night's sleep. Thanks for helping cheer me up!
Pinkie's frown turned into a sad smile and she stepped forward to hug me only to have her hooves go through my shoulders. Assuring me she would be back tomorrow, she turned and walked out of the library.
Laughing to myself, I laid down on the floor of the library and counted dancing Pinkie Pie's as I drifted off to sleep.
The next morning I woke up to the worst headache I had ever felt. It was like a conga line of hippos was marching around inside my skull. My whole body ached and my dry mouth was begging for water. Sitting up, I ran through the list of symptoms I knew related to dehydration.
Dry skin? Check. Headache? Check. Dizziness? Check.
Slowly I rose to me feet, giving the world a moment to stop spinning. Walking to a bookshelf, I checked to see if I was still unable to touch anything. My suspicions were confirmed when my hand passed through it.
Sighing, I went into the kitchen and saw Twilight sitting at the table reading a letter. Her expression was grim as her eyes traced the paper. Curious, I walked behind her and read it over her shoulder.
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
I received your letter and while I have never personally seen a human, I know of ponies who have. Occasionally they wind up in our world due to dimensional shifts in the fabric of space. However due to the nature of their universe, they are not compatible with our own. This means they cannot interact with anything in our world and they cannot communicate with us either. For some reason they are able to hear us, even though we can't hear them.
You may be wondering how Pinkie Pie is able to see this human. It is very rare for a pony to have this ability, but Pinkie has always been a rather strange mare. It doesn't surprise me that she would have this talent as well. However that's what makes what I have to tell you all the more difficult.
Unfortunately there is no way I know of to send a human back to their world. The nature of how our universes are aligned tends to make it a one way trip. I won't tell you to stop researching a way to send him home, but you should understand what you're getting into.
If you choose to explain this to Pinkie Pie I would do so gently. If necessary, I know of a spell that will keep her from seeing anymore of them in the future. I wish you the best of luck in this endeavor Twilight. You're my best student.
Sincerely,
Princess Celestia
After finishing the letter, I ran back to grab my notebook. Quickly I scribbled down a note as I walked outside, Setting the note on the ground in front of the door, I turned my back on the library and ran in the direction of the marketplace.
That is where I am now, writing this message in the hope that the next person who's sent here will find my notebook and get some help from it. Who knows, maybe they'll have found a way to send you home by now. Should you by chance meet Pinkie Pie, please don't tell her what happened to me or that you've read this. She was the last friend I had and she made my last moments worth living for.
Pinkie Pie bounced happily toward the library. Today she would cheer her new friend up again and make him forget his worries. A white piece of paper caught her eye and she looked down, recognizing it as a piece from her friends notebook.
Good news Pinkie Pie, I found a way home! I'm sorry I couldn't say goodbye in person, but I have to leave right now if I'm going to get home. I'm glad I met you. Thanks again for making me smile!
Pinkie Pie grinned at the message, happy that she had been able to comfort her friend while he had been here. Opening the door, she stepped inside to share the good news with Twilight.
Author's Note
Just a quick little one-shot.
