Watcher landed with the soft ticks of claws on the cobblestone street, their tail swishing as they got a feel for their new body. Twibright was just beside them, looking unchanged entirely, save that her bright colors were not quite as jarring compared to the world around them.

Sure, it was a dully palette, overall, but it was an animated world. Watcher checked quickly, confirming their appearance. A bipedal creature with a long muzzle and sharp ears atop their head, while an equally long tail trailed off from the back. "Well, we don't match, though we do both have long tails." He twitched his new appendage in little swishes. "I am male this time."

Twibright giggled. "How does it feel?"

"It doesn't matter." Watcher took stock of their surroundings before heading down a nearby alleyway. They didn't need the eyes on them, and there was a certain familiar feeling to slinking along in an animated world. "I am what I am. You are, I imagine, what you are. What does it feel like to be a pony?"

"I like being a pony." She trotted along at his side. "But I was always a pony. You were a human a few moments ago, and a pony before that. You know the difference, so you could say what being a, hm. Fox?" Her eyes wandered over Watcher's new form. "A cute fox creature, taller than me. Lean build." She reached up and batted a swinging hand of his. "With dexterous digits."

Watcher gave her a wry look, but he knew what she was doing. The more he understood the world around them, the better off they were. "Being a pony is fine." He moved carefully around some trash that smelled particularly vile. "Being a fox is also fine." He paused a moment. "I think I prefer having additional limbs. I am poor at broadcasting emotions, and they assist. Mobile ears and tails give more ways to do that." He flattened those ears. "Where is everyone?"

"They're all hiding." Twibright pointed with her horn. "Nothing looks abandoned, but not a creature in sight. I think I hear something, that way." She pointed with her horn again, towards the source of distant music.

Watcher heard it too, and they walked over to the end of the alley, peering down at the corner. "I smell food from that direction as well." He perked along with his pace. "Perhaps we are in luck. A festival perhaps? Remember, we are perfectly normal residents of this world. Don't draw attention to yourself or me, and let me speak."

Twibright nodded along with him. "You seem to have a knack for this part of our adventures." She followed along, watching the people passing them by as they grew closer. It was nice to actually see some creatures. Each was a different animal, upright. The ones that were the same were also close together, perhaps a family?

Watcher walked up to an empty booth and tapped the wooden surface. "Excuse me, we've been traveling for days. What is this event?"

"Oh!" A young lady came out of the back room. Her thick tail flicked behind her in a voluminous display for the skunk. "New to the city? I'd bid you welcome, but now's an odd time." She sighed at that. "Still, coin is coin." She laid out a menu and pointed at it with a claw. "We've got plenty of things, take your pick."

Twibright peeked up over the counter. Behind the counter she could see what seemed to be a curious blend of edible things and armor. "Is this a place to get something to eat, or something to wear?"

"Both." She grinned at Twibright. "And yes, before you say something nasty, that one is a salad plate. The lettuce is supposed to be green, it's not toxic." She rolled her eyes. "But it's seen better days, I'll admit. It's the freshest you'll get around here, promise."

Watcher nodded along. "What's happening, then? If it's such an odd time?"

She reached down and tapped a finger on the counter. "It's a holiday, of sorts. Not one I like. And during a bad time." She almost closed her eyes at the two of them. "You know about the king, I trust? His crazy new laws are not helping. The craziest part are the people who seem to be going along with it. Swear, half the nation's gone mad." Her eyes narrowed on the two of them. "And you?"

"We're fine." Watcher waved it off. "We were traveling like I said, then we got a little lost trying to come in."

Twibright reared up, hooves on the counter as her tail wagged. "I'd like to try the salad. Something green and fresh sounds wonderful."

The shopkeeper chuckled. "I knew you weren't from around here." She shook her head gently at Twibright. "With how things have gotten lately, it's almost refreshing to see someone new." She turned away, tail swaying with each step as she went about making a new salad. "I feel sorry for you two, coming at such an awful time. Look, don't trust nobody that says they got what you need, okay? They're almost always lying."

Watcher watched the activity on the streets, and noticed that the people going about were in small groups, keeping their heads down. One man walked by alone, but he was wearing thick armor and carried a bow and sword. Their tail was naked, like that of a dragon, but that was the only hint as to what species the person could be. "It feels like there's a war going on, or about to be."

She looked over her shoulder. "If I'm being honest, it's not just a feeling. That new law is going to bring it on, if we're lucky." She came back and set a fresh looking salad out, though the lettuce had seen better days, along with a helping of colorful beans she sprinkled over it. "Now eat up, little horse. We all need our strength in tough times."

Twibright gave her a big smile. "I hope everything works out well for you."

Watcher placed a hand on the pony's back. "We should get a move on. But, if you don't mind, would we be able to see your kitchen?"

The skunk looked confused a moment. "You're already looking at it." She waved behind herself as put one hand on her wide hip. "And that isn't free, no matter how cute you may be. Three copper coins." She brought up three fingers to make that extra clear.

Watcher fished into his pocket, producing three coins. He wasn't certain that they were copper, but neither seemed to mind as the money was taken. "Sorry, but I am concerned about cleanliness right now."

The skunk burst into laughter, body shaking with the sudden sound that drew looks. "I keep my place clean enough. If you're that fussy, you came to the wrong city, sir." She met eyes with Twibright. "Keep an eye on him. He'll kill himself, worrying about things like that."

Twibright nodded. "Thank you." She ate her salad quickly, hopping down from the counter to rejoin Watcher. "That was good. It hit the spot. What's next?"

The skunk waved as they departed. "Interesting couple." Her eyes wandered to the street. "Now if I could get a few more customers like that."

Watcher tapped Twibright's horn lightly, drawing her attention. "Did you see her armor? How many others had similar protection? I believe we must be prepared, so—" A shot rang out over them, causing a loud scream and a scramble of creatures nearby.

Down the road, the crowd quickly parted for a heavy looking racoon with a firearm pointed into the sky. "Get out of his way, you lot! You want to meet His Royal Majesty? Or are you going to make this harder on everyone?" He let the crowd stare before he bellowed in anger, "MOVE!"

The crowd parted around him as two more creatures stepped out behind him, each with their own armor. Behind them, a cart carried what must have been the king. An elephant that looked like she had enjoyed the luxuries of her position a bit too much, the white of her dress and adornments made her stand out even more than her size did. She was large, easily towering over most of the crowd. Her trunk waved slowly in the air before her as she sat on what could only be a throne, though one small enough to fit in the cart. "My people." She smiled at the terrified masses. "It's so good to see you all."

A white rabbit, his face hidden by a mask, leaned out of the crowd. "I hope you're going to do something about those new laws of yours."

The king's eyes fixed on the speaker, her smile unwavering. "Do something? Of course! I will see that each and every one of my lovely subjects can enjoy each of them." She leaned forward, head on her thick hands. "Like you."

Watcher felt Twibright tense beside him. He reached down and patted her head gently. "We are not ready to face this."

She whispered back to him. "But, aren't we?" She watched as one of the guards approached the rabbit that tried to scramble away. "When are we?"

"We aren't here to fix this world. What is wrong by it is normal by it. We must find how it changed, and address that, and that alone." Watcher's fingers danced as he spoke, them and his tail desperately trying to emote what his words were saying. "To interfere is to become a crack ourselves, and we don't want that, do we?"

"But we could help," Twibright whispered again. Then her eyes widened in shock as the rabbit was struck down, blood pooling on the stones beneath him as the crowd gasped. "I can't just stand by."

Watcher grasped Twibright by the scruff, holding her firmly enough that his claws pricked against her hide. "We will do just that. Even if that king who is female is affected, we don't know how, or the source. We must be cautious, or risk spreading it ourselves."

Twibright struggled, but Watcher's greater height and weight made it so that he was able to haul her back into an alleyway while the crowd tried to deal with what had happened. She broke free when they were off the road. "How can you just accept this?! You know you could do something, anything! We could have saved—" Her voice became shallow, tears welling. "—that creature. They didn't." She trailed off, slumping against a wall. "It's not fair."

"No." Watcher felt it, too. The desire to help, to fix it. But he had a job, a purpose. "I have seen worse, if you can believe. I have seen worlds depraved enough to make this look wholesome. But they are what they must be. Each participant acting in accordance to the world before them. They must. It is only when that chain of causality is broken that I must act."

Twibright looked up at him, a single tear working down her cheek. "Then why help at all?"

Watcher pointed to the sky. "There are those that think it unfair that this universe should exist at all, and would rather it cease to exist. I don't agree with them. Each universe has a story to tell. Some of them have happy parts, and sad parts. Joyous, depraved. There are infinite stories to tell in infinite more ways. It is my duty to see that each and every one of them gets told."

Twibright was quiet for a long time. "And that world?" She sniffled, rubbing at her face. "What happens to it?"

Watcher looked down at the ground, then back up to Twibright. "If we act smoothly, we can save this world. We saved two others, didn't we? This one hasn't crumbled yet. It is not beyond our reach. I believe we will succeed."

Shuddering a breath, Twibright nodded slowly. "You know more about these things than I do. And if you're wrong?"

Watcher chuckled as he patted at Twibright, leading her back towards the street. "We must not."

Author's Note

Welcome to a new world. It's softer, fuzzier, and worrisome all the same.

A thank you to my Supporter Patrons: Zap Transfer and Dapple!👋🏽

Join the special community of folks who like my stories and/or get your own here at atreon!

Don't want to do an ongoing thing? You could

Join my discord to chat!