Author’s Note

Sorry about the randomness of this. Basing something like this on dreams isn’t a good way to get a sensible and readable story, especially my dreams. I once dreamt I was a balloon, so… yeah. About 20% of the details are filling in the blanks. My head always seems to skip the little things. Anyway, on with the story.

“Ugh. Damn Sun.” Trying to relax on a hill in 100+ degrees Fahrenheit is not a good way to avoid other people. In fact, it’s definitely up there with the worst ways ever, especially when that hill is next to the one of two lakes in your community. It was getting late in the afternoon, and several of the families that had once sat and chatted amongst themselves were now gone. Only handful of couples remained, the younger ones making out, the elder ones laying down, staring at the sky. I, however, was alone. I liked being alone. I could actually talk aloud without sounding like an idiot, I could think without distractions and most of all, I could relax and be myself. I’m a teenage brony, too busy to contribute anything good to the community and too much free time to not have my parents pestering me about going out with friends, who all seemed to be on holiday or have disappeared.

It was a quiet day today though. Nothing going on, parents occupied with helping my sister with homework. I got time to relax and let my thoughts run away and be free. I closed my eyes and lay back on the soft green grass, acting almost like a pillow. With a blank mind and peaceful attitude, I almost fell asleep. Almost.

Some splashing from the lake went unnoticed by everyone else. I could hear someone gasping for breath as small white arms struggled to keep above water level. I sat up and stared at this oddity, wondering if anyone would do anything about it. No one did, leaving me to be the saviour and rescuer of the small child-like being drowning as I looked on.

I bolted onto my feet as I pulled my red t-shirt off reveal unimpressive physique and abdominal muscles. I’m not fat but I could do with losing a few pounds. They jiggled as I ran and dived into the lake, head first, only to hit my head on the bottom of the deceivingly shallow waters. I cursed my stupidity and eyesight as I crawled my way to the panicking figure. I reached both hands to save them, having both grabbed almost instantly, pulling me under for a brief second. Whatever had grabbed was either heavy or strong but from what I could see, it was quite small. My head was pulled to the bottom, doubling me over and making me tumble under. I hit my head once again, cursing afterwards. Realising you need air to curse, I jolted back out of the water and caught my breath to complete my heroic rescue, feeling that something was off.

I yanked my arms out of the water as I saw something unbelievable flailing on my arms. A small beady-eyed white rabbit. I walked over to the nearby shore and set it down, wondering how on earth it had reached so far out into the lake without almost drowning earlier.

As it coughed and spluttered, I patted it on the back, trying to simulate its gag reflex. When it did, half a cup of water poured out of its mouth and gasped a lungful of oxygen. It started to pant like a dog before calming its nerves and standing up. It crossed its arms and made a sarcastic expression. I looked back at it in amazement, wondering how it could make such a facial expression. After a second or two of wondering, I noticed that it wasn’t a normal rabbit. It was a cartoon-like rabbit that I recognised almost instantly from my many hours of browsing the internet. My eyes widened with the realisation and I started to Hyperventilate.

“You’re…But…Ponies…Real…You.” I managed to stammer, with each breath becoming less useful than the last while my vision darkened. I collapsed onto the floor, conscious but unresponsive to the prodding by the rabbit. It decided to buck me in the face, to no avail. I lay on the grass, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Was it Angel? If it was, then are the ponies real? What if the ponies don’t like me?

Luckily, my questions were answered by a quiet and soft squeak coming from a nearby bush. I turned to glance at the source. It was just a bush, nothing out of the ordinary visually, but a barely audible scream indicated that the bush was inhabited by something, or some pony. I sat upright and raised one eyebrow. If I hadn’t realised which of the many candy-coloured equines was hiding in the bush from the squeaking, I should have realised from who the small white bunny belonged to.

I looked at the bush once again for any signs of life. Nothing. I slowly picked myself up off the ground and shuffled over to the bush. “It’s okay, I won’t harm you. I’m friendly,” I pleaded, arms in the air showing no weapons, “I’m Connor. May I ask your name?” Knowing that the mare was Fluttershy, element of kindness and Ponyville’s pet consultant, I knelt in front of the bush, and pushed branches away to peer into the middle, but nothing was there. I looked closer in disbelief. Where was she? What was the whimpering?

“Ummm…Can I ask what you’re doing, Sir?” a quiet voice squeaked from behind me. It surprised me and a hit my head on a branch in the bush as I tried to withdraw. “Oh my. Are you okay? I didn’t me to scare you like that; I just wanted to ask what you were doing. I’m sorry.” She squeaked once again, almost rushing to my aid, if I were not already out of the bush, rubbing the back of my head.

“It’s fine. I’m okay, really. Anyways, I thought I heard something in the bush. Turns out it was you were instead behind me, ready to give me that shock, eh?” I joked, trying to get on Fluttershy’s good side, “I was going to ask what your name is?” I knew her name already, but I didn’t want to invoke further curiosity or fright out of the fragile Pegasus. Celestia know how that could turn out…

“I’m…” She trailed off, brushing a hoof against the ground, avoiding eye contact. Pretty much her go to move to avoid telling too much to strangers. It was quite awkward to have it happen in person. “I’m sorry. I didn’t hear it too well. Fluttershy, was it? It’s nice to meet you. I’m Connor.” I said with what I thought was comforting smile. She actually looked up at me, only to bend her head down again, with a stifled giggle. Apparently, it wasn’t all that comforting, but slightly funny looking. She covered her mouth with a hoof and muttered a quiet apology. She sat on her haunches and proceeded to stare and kick at a rock on the floor in front of her. I smiled at the timid creature sitting before me and walked over to her. I noticed the rabbit pulling on her pink mane and when she looked the rabbit started pointing at me, making all sorts of gestures, that she seemed to understand. I picked up a few signs as well, and as far as I could tell, he was telling her of his near death experience and how he survived. Holding his nose and squatting meant drowning.  Holding his paws in front of him and raising them over his head meant pulling. And lastly, pointing at me and then, with the back of his paw on his forehead, falling backwards meant I fainted, something I surely didn’t do.

“Hey, I didn’t faint. I just collapsed out of disbelief. It’s not every day you see a semi-famous rabbit and...” I stopped and face-palmed as soon as I realised my mistake. I had just said that Angel was famous, and as a result of that, receive two fairly quizzical looks. I just smiled and avoided eye contact.

“F-famous? How so, umm, if you don’t mind me asking?” Fluttershy asked, still confused. The rabbit was now staring at me with one eyebrow (or whatever it is rabbits have) raised. I almost became hysterical, or at least more hysterical than I already was. How could I make a mistake so early? I had to make up something quick, something believable.

“I think I saw him on TV once. Nature Watch, last week.” I claimed, exaggerating the truth. I had in fact seen a rabbit bearing similar resemblance to Angel on that show. The fabrication was that I wasn’t referencing that rabbit. It was in fact the show I had watched afterwards that had this particular rabbit, and the many Technicolor ponies, inhabiting the world. Unfortunately, only the rabbit seemed to relax and release his baffled expression. Fluttershy just tried to comprehend some part of that sentence. Something about it had made her even more confused. My eyes darted around the room, giving off the impression that I was lying, even though I had only stretched the truth.

“Umm…What’s a TV? I mean, I’ve never heard of it, but it sounds interesting…” Fluttershy mumbled, audible but quiet, going back into her retracted and timid state. I had forgotten there are no TVs in Equestria. It was a stupid mistake and another one that would add to the levels of suspicion Fluttershy would have. I had to confess to Fluttershy. I dropped to my rear and sat fiddling with grass, between my fingers, smiling. I looked up for the first time that afternoon and recognised nothing. It certainly wasn’t the slopes where the couples had once lain. It was flat land, next to a river and just in front a small house sitting on a hill to my right. Fluttershy’s cottage. I gasped at the conclusion I had made. I was in Equestria! I could live every brony’s dream! My jaw was on the ground in sheer scepticism. I was in Equestria!

“Are you okay, Sir?” Fluttershy asked, still giving me a look of bemusement. She seemed to be prodding at my leg and jumped when I finally stopped daydreaming. She squeaked a little and retreated into her shoulders, much like a tortoise. I sighed and looked over to her. This time the comforting mile was automatic and didn’t look funny at all. It actually led to her coming back out and returning a smile.

“No need to keep calling me Sir. Just Connor is fine. And I guess I am alright.” I chuckled. All the fan fictions I’d read told of the character freaking out, and the ponies trying to calm them down. I obviously was close to following half of that tradition, in my beliefs. I wasn’t freaking out just yet, but I was trying to be calmed by a pony. I could count that as a sort of win.

“Anyway, err, Connor. Thank you for saving Angel. I couldn’t have possibly have done it myself.  I’d like to see you again. This evening…if that’s okay with you, I mean. ” Fluttershy continued, realising that I couldn’t explain what one was. She had never heard of it so she probably wouldn’t understand it, or at least, that’s what I thought. She just wanted to speed up a fairly slow conversation. “Oh. Yeah, sure. I’d be more than happy to.” I said, grinning. I was actually being asked to meet Fluttershy, even though I guess I already had. I was on the brink of laughing at that thought but, uncharacteristically, Fluttershy half shouted “Oh, I’m late. I’m late. For a very important date. I’ll have to see you later. I need to meet my friend, Rarity, at Sugar Cube Corner, in town. It was nice meeting you.” And with that she galloped off towards the barely visible town of Ponyville. Angel Bunny didn’t go with her though. He stood next to me in the same disbelief that such a shy pony would run off in a hurry like that. It must have been important. Something I wanted to get through my head, but I was interrupted by a soft ‘yay’. My text alert.

{NEW MESSAGE}

NIALL – received seconds ago.

>Jamie and I heard you dropped into Equestria. Meet me this evening, at Sugar Cube Corner. I’ve got plans.

I read the text without suspicion until I finished it. I caught on a few seconds later. My friends are in Ponyville. I guess it explains their lack of being available. Without a second thought, I set off to Sugar Cube Corner, wondering what their ‘plans’ were, leaving a fairly bemused Rabbit behind. Their last plan, like the many others before, got us banned from our Lunch room. Whatever the plan was, I knew that there was going to be some problem.