Forced Perspective

**Derek**

I finished descending the stairs and curled up on the couch with my book. I haven’t spent much time in this part of the library, I realized, so I looked around.

It was a large circular room with bookcases inset into the walls. The rainbow of book covers and dust jackets gave the room an energetic feel. Looking at them like this made me want to read them all. There was a round table with a horses’ head center piece in the middle of the room. Reading nooks were positioned around the room with cushions laid out, presumably for ponies to lie on as they read.

The library smelled of books, no surprise. It also smelled quite heavily of ink and earth. Despite the fact that the room was closed, it had a freshness and openness about it. The couch I rested on was old and worn; the light purple color had faded and the individual threads of the cushions were clearly visible. The seat sank slowly as you sat in it, inviting you to enjoy a good book and stay awhile.

I opened the book to the page I had marked. It was a particularly good one. The mare rescued the stallion from the lizard king, but she injured her leg in the escape. They made it beyond the lizard king’s clutches but couldn’t make it all the way to safety. They were hiding together in a small cave.

Just as the mare was realizing her feelings for the stallion, my stomach loudly reminded me that I had only eaten a few crackers. The tray was still upstairs with Twilight. Maybe I could go snag them while she’s thinking. But just as the thought crossed my mind, I heard hooves cross the floor upstairs.

Please bring them, please bring them, yes! Twilight trotted down the stairs bringing the plate of crackers with her. She set them on the small table in front of the couch.

Twilight walked to the far side of the table directly across from me and folded her legs under herself. She lowered her head onto the table as she lay down, seemingly still deep in thought. Her eyes drifted, settling in my lap. Her eyes, staring into the middle distance, were positioned right at my crotch.

I crossed my legs remembering what she was considering. Odd, I thought, I can do that now without any discomfort. I grabbed a cracker and waited for Twilight to break out of her reverie.

Eventually she said, as if to herself: “But she’s so smooth…” She lapsed into silence for several seconds before I heard her continue, with more resolve. “I promised Celestia that I would take responsibility for the portal.” It didn’t seem she was talking to me; it seemed she was just vocalizing one half of an inner debate. I had another cracker.

Just then there was a knock at the door and both of our heads snapped around to look at it. Twilight got up and walked towards the door, head lowered, still in thought. She made it about half way there when a multicolored streak appeared. It shot down the stairs and ended at a blue pegasus with a rainbow hairstyle.

Twilight turned around wide eyed, broken from her trance. When her eyes settled on the new visitor, she relaxed visibly.

“Hi, Rainbow Dash,” she said, subdued.

Rainbow Dash responded saying something about how nobody had seen Twilight in a few days and something about a dangerous experiment. I wasn’t really paying attention though. Something seemed familiar about this pony. I stood up and walked over to the creature, squatting down to look her over more closely. There is something about her...I can’t quite place it though. As their conversation continued I studied the way her mane and tail changed color, I looked over at Twilight, I noticed she had similar stripes.

My thought process was broken when the pegasus turned her head to face me.

“Ummm…” she said and I felt a tugging in my hand. I looked down and realized I was grasping her tail… “Good job, you got it dude,” she said. “But I wasn't exactly avoiding you this time. Can I have it back now?” I released the tail, embarrassed. She's talking to me like we'd met before… We hadn't...met...before...

“You're the pretty colors I was chasing when I first got here!” I exclaimed as I figured it out.

“You aren't the first to chase these ‘pretty colors’,” she bragged, striking a pose.

I gave her a confused look.

“There’s a reason my name’s Rainbow Dash,” and in a second she disappeared. A rainbow stripe appeared around the room before she skidded to a halt in her original place.

Odd, I can understand naming her Rainbow after seeing her mane and tail, but how did her parents know she was going to be fast? And if Rainbow Dash’s name is simply a comment on her hair and speed...

I looked over at Twilight. “What does ‘Twilight Sparkle’ mean?”

“Not all of our names are quite that literally applicative. For example, one of my good friends is named Rarity; what’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means not a lot of ponies get her,” Rainbow said, waggling her eyebrows at Twilight.

Twilight ignored Rainbow and continued. “I’ve been meaning to ask, what’s the significance of your name?” Twilight said as she turned to face me. “There’s a thing that ponies in Saddle Arabia use but it’s spelled d-e-r-r-i-c-k. It’s used for oil drilling. As far as I know Derek isn’t even a word.”

“In my world names aren’t words. I guess sometimes they are, but most are just names. There are thousands of names and your parents just pick the one they like most. It doesn’t really mean anything. Some people even just pick a collection of sounds they like and call it a name.”

“Maybe you need a new name then,” Rainbow suggested.

“No.” I said firmly. “I don’t need a new name because I’m not staying. Soon Twilight is going to find a way to send me home.”

“Oooo, another portal! Can I watch?”

“Um,” Twilight said sheepishly as her cheeks began to redden. “I don’t think that would be good.”

“Fine,” Rainbow said, “Just hurry up already. Remember we have tickets to see Vinyl tomorrow night!” Before either of us had a chance to respond, she had left.

With Rainbow gone I sat back down on the couch and ate another cracker.

“It might work, you know…” Twilight ventured, rubbing one foreleg on the back of the other as she looked to the side.

“Hmm?” I asked as I sat back on the couch.

“The book idea, it might work.”

“That idea is three shades of ‘nope’. First, no way I’m going to have sex with a horse. Second, I’m not a girl; no way is anyone sticking anything in me! Third, I’m not gay; no way I’ll have sex with a dude!”

“Well lucky for you, I’m not proposing sex with a horse,” she said, obviously miffed. “I’m suggesting sex with a pony. Second, if you look down you may find you are, in fact, equipped for someone to ‘stick something inside of you’. Third, well I guess that’s already been addressed.” Her tone suggested that the argument was over and that she had won.

If she thinks this is over she’s got another thing coming! I stood and raised a finger to make my argument but I was interrupted.

Her horn glowed and my stomach lurched as I was raised into the air. It was strange; it didn’t feel like I was being held aloft. It felt more like gravity had been lessened around me. I floated uselessly in the air trying to reach something to push off of while Twilight maneuvered me upstairs.

“Look, this has to happen. I’m not looking forward to this, but it needs doing if you want to go home. I promised Princess Celestia I would take responsibility for the portal and that means you.”

Again I felt my stomach lurch as she tossed me from her doorway to the bed. Halfway through the air, everything went white. My vision returned just in time to land on my back in her bed...naked…

I snapped into a sitting position and locked eyes with her. She stood in the doorway with a determined look on her face.

I matched her stare with a look of my own. I went to retrieve my clothes but as soon as my foot touched the ground I was lifted and set back in the middle of the bed. I crossed my arms and settled for glaring. My expanded chest made it awkward as I repositioned a few times to try to find a comfortable place for my arms to rest.

She sighed “Look, you want to go home but you can’t until this happens. Just close your eyes and don’t think about it...or enjoy it, either way…” She took a step forward.

I felt a tear slide down my cheek, a tear? I was going for rage and anger, how do tears factor in? Twilight’s image blurred until I was glaring at a purple blob. I rubbed my eyes but they filled again. I can’t stop her. There’s nothing I can do. She can pin me with her magic and do whatever she wants. I’d never felt so helpless in my life.

We stayed there for a long time. The purple blur standing in the doorway and me sitting on the bed letting streams of tears run down my face. I’d given up trying to wipe them away. I settled for letting them drip onto her bed as silent sobs occasional shook my shoulders.

She can pin me down and spread my legs. There isn’t anything I can do, I’m completely vulnerable.

At least I’ll fight, I resolved. If I resist then it’s not like I want it to happen. For some reason it was a comforting thought. If it does happen, at least I can go home... That thought earned a particularly powerful sob and I felt my face contorted as memories of home assailed me.

“I want to go home,” I wheezed with what little voice I could force through my constricted throat. At least people care about me there. My family loves me; my teammates need me. I know how things work there. I’m the star of the team; I have decent grades; I have things figured out.

Now I’m in the strange world with talking ponies that can fly and do magic. I just want to go back…

Maybe it would be worth it to let her do this… Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. I mean, girls seem to enjoy it, right? It’s not like anyone back home would know. That was also a comforting thought. I could pretend it was all a bad dream when I got back.

My crying slowed. I wiped the final tears from my hot face. My puffy eyes refocused on Twilight. She was giving me a look of concern. It looked like she couldn't decide if she should try to comfort me or if she should leave.

This time when I stepped from the bed to retrieve my clothes I wasn’t stopped. They didn’t fit this new body but it was comforting just to have something on. I turned toward the door to ask Twilight for some time but by now it was empty.

My shoulders slumped; all of a sudden I was exhausted. I shut the door and turned off the light. I slipped under the sheets. After a minute I got back out of bed and pushed the bed against the door. I don’t think Twilight would come back up here, but I really don’t want to see her again until I have some time to think.