An Interesting Video Call
Frank sat down as he began to unlock his computer. He was going to surprise his girlfriend, Ellie, with a video call. He smiled as a crazed Twilight Sparkle rubbed her hooves from behind his wallpaper. He fired up Google, clicked on the 3x3 dot waffle in the corner, and clicked on “Hangouts.”
Frank and Ellie never bothered to get each others’ numbers. They had always been contacting each other through Google Hangouts for the better part of 9 years, ever since they became friends in 5th grade. It wasn’t until a year ago that Ellie wanted to take a step further, and Frank agreed. And as such, Ellie loved to prank Frank. Always calling him to scare him, always coming up with a plethora of jokes to bombard his 3 AM skull with. Now it was time to pay it back.
He hovered his mouse over the button labelled as “Video Call.” The computer opened up a new window for the video call. And just as he was about to invite Ellie, something happened to his computer. It froze. Frank began to panic. Nonononono! My computer! He grabbed the back of his skull and began to murmur hurriedly, “No, this can’t be happening, I only got this computer last week, why is it freezing? Why?” Suddenly, purple wisps began to spill out of his monitor. Frank cocked an eyebrow and inhaled some of the discoloured smoke. He coughed, and a lavender smell began to emanate from his computer fan. All of a sudden, his computer blinked on. He felt a jolt of adrenaline as he began to pant, but slowly, as the video quality improved, he relaxed. He was staring face to face with a familiar lavender unicorn. Frank’s eyes widened until they looked like they were about to pop out of his skull, his mouth upturned into the biggest grin he could physically muster, and screamed, “Twilight!?”
Twilight cocked an eyebrow. “How the hay did you know my name?” Frank began to squeal like a pig. “What is wrong with you?” Twilight was extremely confused. Frank sat himself back down from bouncing around his room. “Sorry, you’re my favorite character in a show I watch.” Twilight’s already larger-than-life eyes widened. “A SHOW?!” Frank nodded. “Urgh.. I told Fluttershy to put her hidden cameras away…” Twilight mumbled. “So what do you need from me?” Frank queried.
“Well, um…” Twilight was visibly distracted. Frank felt awkward all of a sudden. “Well, what?” Frank asked, to fill the awkward silence. Twilight then became visibly distressed. Frank’s expression turned to one of concern. “Twilight, is everything okay?” Twilight finally sighed, and began her long recountanance of the events over the past several days.
“It started a week ago. A skelepony, an old mare’s tale creature, wandered out of a cave. The other five girls and I got rid of it, after it had injured us really bad. Soon, more came out of that same cave. We blasted them back inside the cave and sealed them in, thinking that was going to stop them. We were wrong. They kept coming. They’ve killed nopony. Just serious injuries here and there; a broken wing, a big cut; just because of some ponies who weren’t happy with ponies cutting through their yards. But those skeleponies just waddled right through Ponyville! And it doesn’t stop there. Wendigos are crawling out of that cave now. Many lost fillies have gone missing during the night due to screams only heard by them. The only reason we know this is because there was a wendigo inside Applejack’s barn last night, and only Applebloom heard its mimicking cry from who she claimed to be Applejack. She peeked inside and ran off, and we all woke up and took care of it, disposed of the body and now we’re all really tired. Is there any chance you could help?”
Frank shook in fear. “I’m not sure,” he lied. Frank was an expert at monster hunting. He’d been hunting demons ever since he was twelve. Twilight read these thoughts through a telepathy spell. “I know what you are, Frank, that’s why I asked you to help.” She smirked. “So then you know that I’m a Poe.” Frank queried darkly. “Twilight, nobody but my parents know this. How the
ing
do you know?” Twilight smiled menacingly. “I know more about you than you possibly know.” Frank gulped. That means she knew about his escapades to Tartarus even though the Poe Council had forbidden him. “Frank, I’m a Poe too. I’ve been hunting monsters ever since I met the girls. I just didn’t know it until then. I thought everypony knew that Chrysalis was a changeling. Not only did I have proof, but I knew what she was. I knew her danger. I just didn’t know who she was at that moment.” Frank acknowledged all of this with a few curt nods. “I understand, Twilight. I know where you’re coming from, being a Poe. I’m ready for the transport.”
Twilight smiled. “I knew you’d agree, whether I forced you to or not.” Frank felt his body slam into what felt like a brick wall as he squished against his computer screen, then slide through what he felt was ooze. He slowly turned his head to look back at his world one last time before he blacked out.
Author's Note
Please note, a Poe is a spinoff of a Grimm, a person who can see monsters and demons for what they really are. Just renamed...
An Interesting Video Call
Frank awoke on a soft bed and went to rub his eyes. Instead, he bashed his snout in with a hoof. Wait, snout? Hoof? Oh,
... Frank sat up as best he could as a pony, and looked around the room. A familiar orange pony, with a ragged upper mane and a golden braid sat next to him, holding an ice pack. “Applejack…” He smiled weakly as he shook his head to wake himself up.
“Yer awake!” she grinned, putting her hat back on her head. Her freckles gleamed in the waning sunlight glistening through the nearby window. Twilight floated a cup of water over to his shaky hooves and he took a sip.
“Sorry, Frank.” she grimaced, obviously embarrassed.
Rarity, who was on Frank’s other side with a rag covered in blood, waved her hoof and comforted her with, “It’s okay, darling! What matters is that we got here and helped you.”
Twilight nodded, swallowing. “I’m still sorry, though.”
Rainbow Dash blurted, “When you fell out of the computer monitor, Twilight didn’t catch you in time and you hit the floor, because she thought you would be awake when you came through to our world.”
“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight glared at RD.
“Sorry, but somepony had to tell him!” She folded her hooves, floating in the far corner.
Pinkie Pie was sitting at the foot of the bed with Fluttershy, watching Frank. “We’ve been watching you, just to make sure that you didn’t start turning blue or something!” Pinkie grinned.
Fluttershy smiled warmly and whispered, “You’re kinda cute when you’re asleep.” Pinkie looked at Fluttershy with the most weirded out face she could muster. “I-I meant cute like ‘an animal’ cute!” Fluttershy blushed. Pinkie cocked an eyebrow suspiciously.
“Ooookay, then…” Twilight interjected, saving Fluttershy from the embarrassment she put herself in.
Frank finally found his eyes and rubbed them. “So,” he yawned, “am I just going to be Frank while I’m here?”
Applejack grinned. “Why, sugarcube, you should always be frank! No point in lyin’!” Frank facehoofed.
“Dangit, AJ, do you have a different name for me while I’m here?”
Twilight pointed at Frank’s flank. “Go ahead, check it. It should tell you what your name is.” Frank pushed the covers off of his reddish-pink body, to reveal his long, teal and orange tail, and most importantly, his cutie mark. I’m Berry White! Frank frowned.
“What does grape juice have to do with me?” Twilight looked at his mark, then at him, and frowned.
“That wasn’t supposed to happen…” Then Twilight realized what happened. “One of my desktop icons must have gotten stuck to your flank.”
Rainbow stifled a laugh. “What icon was that, Twi?” she giggled.
“Spike’s juice ordering service. Not mine.” Twilight lied. Fluttershy climbed up on the bed and placed her forehooves on his cutie mark.
“Stay still,” she ordered. And she began to chant:
“Let his genealogy be known unto thee, O Faust, let his true mark show.”
A bright light flashed from his flank beneath Fluttershy’s hooves, and a mis-shapen pony skull with a sword through it appeared where the bottle of grape juice had once been. Fluttershy gasped. “Y-you’re a-a Poe t-too?” Twilight facehoofed.
“Fluttershy, we’ve been over this. I told you he’s a Poe!” Fluttershy flushed with embarrassment.
“O-oh… Sorry. I forgot…” She flitted back to her place beside Pinkie, hiding her shame behind her long hair.
Frank looked down at his mark to learn his new name. Sharp Edge… Perfect.
“Howdeeya feel, sugarcube?” AJ asked, kneeling by Frank’s side.
“I’ve got a bit of a headache, but other than that, I’m fine.” Frank rubbed his mane where he felt pain.
“Good, we’ll let you rest for a bit more, and we’ll start in the morning.” Rarity smiled.
“I’ll be ready,” Frank promised. He looked Twilight dead in the eyes and declared with a serious expression, “I’m always ready.”
Author's Note
Fudge, that took a while. Hope you enjoyed!