Anthropomorphism

Chapter One: The Grass is Always Greener...

Edited by: TheDaringDone

Dramatic Reading here.

You stared out the window beside your bed, feeling the nice, cold breeze caress your exposed face. You were trying to fall asleep, but the combination of jet-lag and coffee since you arrived had left you with a mild case of insomnia. Agitated, you turned over onto your back, staring at the stucco ceiling and the ever-changing designs that melted and swirled whenever you looked away. You decided to do a mental recap of the day's events to help calm your over-active brain.

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Since your entire family is of the regular variety of ponies, your dad had worked in the Field of Nanotechnology for years. Finally, after many years, he made the breakthrough that he'd been raving about: he managed to make a new type of self-repairing, microscopic nanobot capable of things that ponies couldn't even comprehend. At least, that's what he had said to you. Your father had sold the rights to the Solar Corporation for a very large sum of money.

With the money earned from selling the patent, your parents thought it appropriate to move to a nicer locale. When you first heard that, you didn't think that they meant across Equestria. You were given only a few days to pack and say goodbye to your friends and classmates. Fortunately for you, you only ever had two friends. You three were virtually inseparable: you had been friends since elementary school. Saying goodbye to them made you feel like you were cutting a small piece out of yourself.

Ever since the announcement that you were moving to a small town named Ponyville and leaving your friends behind, you had felt lethargic. The plane ride hadn't helped. Boarding a plane at five in the morning and sitting still for seven hours hadn't been easy.

At least, you had thought absently, we got to ride first class.

You had gotten off the plane with your mom and dad, following them straight into the waiting limo. You weren't used to the special treatment that you had only recently been on the receiving end of. The two hour limousine ride was taken in silence. Any attempts from your father or mother to start a conversation with you was shut down by your monosyllabic answers.

Upon arriving at the town of Ponyville, you were awestruck by it. It had all the aspects of a modern town: cafes, restaurants, a coffee shop or three, and a shopping mall, yet it still felt like a small, rural town. You guessed that there was at most two thousand ponies living there, if that. It made you homesick just looking at it.

You glanced out the tinted window of the limousine at a group of students walking out of a coffee shop, talking and laughing. You were surprised to see members from all three sub-species hanging out together. Where you were from, everypony stuck to their respective groups. You also noticed that their expressions changed dramatically as soon as they laid their eyes on the limo.

Great. I never thought that I would be the rich kid new in town, you thought.

You closed your eyes for a few moments. You knew that having money didn't instantly make you into a shallow, pedantic asshole, but the expressions on the student's faces had made you think otherwise. Sighing, you leaned back into the leather seat only to have the limo stop and shut down.

"Well family, we're here!" your dad said enthusiastically as he opened the door, his short, vibrant gold hair swaying slightly in the breeze. He offered his hand to your mother and she graciously accepted, her own crimson red locks bouncing.

"Oh my," your mom said dramatically once she stepped out of the limo. "This place is simply fantastic!"

"Yeah," you mumbled. "Freakin' fantastical." You opened the other door and took in the sights: you knew that you'd be here for a while. The house, or rather, mansion, was three stories tall, made of stone and brick, and looked like something straight out of a Conmane movie. There were guard towers - guard towers! - embedded along the stone wall that surrounded the mansion, giving it a looming, unfriendly look. You saw unicorns wearing black uniforms patrolling along the wall. Sighing, you caught up with your mom and dad, who were already walking towards the gate.

Fortunately, you had long legs that enabled you to catch up relatively quickly. At your old school, your friends had told you that you looked so imposing when you walked. They had jokingly said that the only reason they kept you around was because you intimidated anyone that didn't know you personally. Which, now that you thought about it, was most people. You never really understood the intimidation factor: you had never physically harmed or abused anyone before. Apparently, you were just 'freakishly tall'.

You followed your parents through underneath the large archway that was a part of the outside wall. You couldn't help but notice the two massive wrought-iron gates that were opened to let you and your family pass.

There goes any ideas I had about sneaking out at night, you thought wryly. Not like I would ever do that, but still. Those things are overkill.

Sighing again, you caught up with your parents once again, trailing slightly behind them. You overheard a bit of their conversation.

"Dear, are you sure that he's going to be alright here? I think that the small town atmosphere is just making him homesick," your mom said.

Right on the money, mother, you thought.

Your dad sighed and replied, "I know it is, sweetie, but I'm sure he'll adjust. He just needs to spend some time and effort into making some new friends here."

Yes, spend time and effort into making new friends while I leave my old ones behind, you thought.

You decided to make your hoofsteps a bit louder, as if you were just catching back up to your parents. You had learned long ago how to walk very quietly, despite your large hooves. It worked: your dad glanced behind him and motioned for you to walk beside him.

"There's my gentle giant," your dad said teasingly as you walked up beside him. "How are you doing, kiddo?"

"Just dandy," you replied. "After waking up at five in the morning, sitting in an airplane for seven hours, and having my head hit the ceiling after every bump during the two hour long car ride, I just can't wait to start unpacking," you said, your voice dripping with sarcasm.

A glint appeared in your father's eyes. "Who said anything about unpacking?"

You were going to ask what he meant by that, but the massive double doors being opened by two well dressed men caused your words to die in your throat. You walked forward with your mother and father, too dumbstruck to do anything but stare.

The main foyer was huge. So large, in fact, that you thought your old house could have probably fit inside of it without touching any of the walls or the ceiling. Heck, now that you thought about it, it might even have fit two. There was a golden chandelier that was attached to the ceiling, almost two stories high. I hope that I don't have to change the lights on that, you thought absentmindedly.

Your gaze scanned across the rest of the foyer, taking in dark, royal blue carpet that was laid on the floor, the intricate carvings on the wooden stair rails leading up to the second floor, and the lack of any packing boxes. You looked at your dad who grinned back at you.

"What do you think, son? Nice place, eh?" your father asked you.

"Err, yes. Yes it is," you responded. You bent down and took off your shoes, then stepped onto the carpet.

"By Celestia," you exclaimed. "So this is what it feels like to walk on clouds..." You thought that it was funny, considering you weren't a pegasus.

Your mother and father took off their footwear and joined you. "Oh my," your mom said. "I must agree with you, darling. This carpet is simply to die for."

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You and your parents spent the next hour going through the various rooms of your new home. There were six bedrooms, all of them equally large in size. You were shocked to learn that each bedroom was practically a suite in itself: they each had a full-sized fridge, an oversized three dimensional television, and a bathroom. You were even more surprised to learn that there was to be a unicorn chef cooking your families meals from now on.

After taking the grand tour of the house, you asked your parents if you could go back to your room, seeing as how everything was already unpacked. Your father, however, had other plans.

"Son, your mother and I think it would be best if you went into Ponyville and at the very least say hello to some of your future classmates," your dad said.

You take a quick look at the watch on your arm. "But it's already eight o'clock!" you countered.

Your father checked his own watch, an eighteen karat gold Rolex. "I do believe you forgot about the Time Zone change, my dear boy. It's only five."

Your shoulders slumped. You had been looking forward to spending some time alone in your new room. "Alright, I'll go."

Your father started to wave the chauffeur over, but you stopped him by saying, "Dad, I really don't think that having me dropped off in a limo is the best first impression that I can give. I think I'll walk."

"Stay safe, darling!" your mother called to you as you started to walk down the gravel driveway towards Ponyville, adjusting your watch as you went.

"I will, mother," you replied as you continue to walk.

Your stroll didn't last all that long. Ten minutes later, you found yourself walking briskly on the sidewalk of Ponyville's main street, Mane St. You found the street name to be ironic as you continued to walk, your hands in your jean pockets to protect them from the brisk October wind. You looked up from your hooves as you noticed how far you've walked. You stopped and looked around, trying to figure out where the students would congregate on a Friday afternoon. You eventually settled on a coffee shop/cafe hybrid called 'The Blue Pony Cafe'.

You walked in and were immediately entranced by the aroma of freshly ground coffee. Oh coffee, how I have missed you...

You took a quick look around and saw only five ponies in the cafe, of which two were using computers. I guess this isn't the high school haunt, then. Well, I'm here anyway, might as well grab a cup...

You strode over to the cashier whose eyes became wider with every step you took. She was a unicorn with shoulder-length turquoise coloured hair that had a white stripe going down the middle, and she appeared to be about a year or two older than you. Her fur colour was a few shades lighter than her hair. She was wearing a blue apron over her clothes. And she was looking at you in what appeared to be terror.

"Umm, hi there?" you asked quietly. "Are you alright?"

She blinked several times before giving her head a shake. "I'm so sorry about that. I thought you were someone else..." she trailed off.

"I get that quite a bit..." you said as you looked read her nametag. "...Lyra."

I wonder if she plays the lyre, you thought. You decided to ask.

"Do you play the lyre, Lyra?" you asked, stifling a smile at the wordplay.

Lyra visibly brightened when you asked. "Yes, yes I do! In fact, I'm the band leader at my school! I play all sorts of instruments, but I am by far the best at playing the lyre."

You nodded. "Cool. I hope I can see one of your performances in school sometime. I'm brand new to Ponyville."

The cashier visibly brightened when she heard that you were new to the town. "Oh, that's wonderful! I'm sure you'll find Ponyville to be the most happy and welcoming town!"

"I hope so too," you replied. You squinted at the board listing all the types of coffee behind the cashier. "Can I just get a large double-double coffee? I can never remember the difference between a 'macchiato' and a 'cappuccino' or any of the other types..."

"Sure thing!" replied Lyra as she entered the amount in the cash register. "That'll be $2.79. Cash or credit?"

"Cash," you said as you handed her a five from your wallet. Cash is king...

With a little magic, the turquoise-headed girl made your coffee and handed it over to you in less than a minute. "Thank you very much," you said as you started to walk towards the exit.

"See you in school!" said the cashier happily.

"Bye, Lyra."

You stepped back out onto the sidewalk, sipping on your coffee as you determined the next place you should visit. Your decision was made for you when you saw two ponies causing a commotion in front of what appeared to be a bakery.

Friendly and welcoming, eh? you thought wryly as you crossed the road.

As you walked closer, you were able to determine that the two arguing were both ponies around your age. The one facing away from you had hair that was the brightest shade of pink you had ever seen, the curly locks reaching down to the middle of her back. The other pony had shoulder length hair that was coloured in the vibrant hues of the rainbow and you could see her wings fluttering in annoyance. You overheard their argument as you walked closer.

"Damnit Pinkie! How many times do I have to say it?! We're not kids anymore!" yelled the one with the rainbow hair, who seemed to be an athletic type, if her track suit was any indication. Both her and her wings were a light cyan colour.

"But Dashie-" the curly pink-haired one started to respond, but was cut off. You noticed that her fur colour was also a few shades lighter than her hot pink hair.

"I told you not to call me that anymore! It's either 'Rainbow', 'Dash', or 'Rainbow Dash'!" interrupted the pegasus.

By this point, you were standing a few feet away. You cleared your throat and asked, "What's going on here?"

Startled, both of them turned to look at you. The one with the rainbow hair seemed like she was going to yell at you, but decided against it. "Nothing," she said, her tone unfriendly. "I gotta go anyway. Don't call me, Pinkie."

With that, she turned around, unfurled her wings, and flew away, leaving you alone on the sidewalk with the girl with the curly pink hair. "What was that all about?" you asked her. You couldn't help noticing that she was teary-eyed.

She sighed and said, "Dashie was mad at me for inviting her to a sleepover at my house. She said that we were too old to do things like that, since people might get 'the wrong idea'. Whatever that means." She sniffed and added, "I thought that we were friends..."

You couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She seemed so innocent. 'Rainbow Dash' is going to get a piece of my mind when I see her again.

"I'm sure that she has other things bothering her," you said, hoping to comfort her. "You just happened to ask at the wrong time, that's all."

"I hope so," she said, her posture downcast. She looked up at you and locked onto your eyes. Her expression went from sad, to surprised, to exuberant. She gasped and made a squealing noise as she ran inside the bakery without saying a word to you.

You blinked several times, wondering what had just happened. I don't even...

Shaking your head, you looked around for the next place of interest. Your eye spoted the words 'Library' on a nearby building, causing you to do a double-take. Do my eyes deceive me? you asked yourself.

You started to walk closer towards the building and realized that, yes, it was a library. Nice! Nothing beats reading a good old paper book. At least they don't give me a headache when I stare at them for too long.

You adjusted your course and headed straight for the library. As you approached, you realized that it might not even be open this late. You quickly checked your watch. 5:25.

Your worry was for naught, however, as the sign beside the door said it closed at 7pm. You pushed the door open and as you walked through the open door, you cracked your head on the ceiling.

"Damnit!" you exclaimed, holding your head in one hand and your coffee in the other. Your cursing attracted the attention of an employee of some sort, who came rushing over to see what was wrong.

"Are you alright?!" she asked nervously.

"Yeah," you said as you stood back up, slowly this time. "Just cracked my head on your ceiling, that's all." You took a moment to look over the girl in front of you, a unicorn who appeared to be perhaps a year or so younger than you. You noticed that she had violet-indigo coloured hair, along with some pink highlights. Upon closer inspection, you also noticed some faint purple streaks as well. Her fur was the colour of lavender.

"You...you're very tall," she said, staring up to look you in the eyes.

"Tell me about it," you muttered. "What's the clearance height in here?"

The library worker thought for a second."I think it's six hooves two inches."

"Of course. Just has to be one inch too short," you said under your breath. "Anyway, hi there. I'm in need of a library card and a book to read."

Her whole demeanour changed when you said those magical words. "Really?! You actually want to take out some books?" she questioned.

You weren't sure why she was acting so strangely. "Uhh, yes? Why wouldn't I?"

She grabbed your arm and started dragging you over to a large desk, which you assumed was the librarian's. You could have easily broken free, but you decided to go with it. "Some explanation would be nice..." you said as you were being dragged by the younger, smaller girl.

The unicorn apparently realized what she was doing and let go of your arm. "I'm sorry, I was just so excited! Nobody besides Ms. Huk and I have entered the library for weeks!"

You didn't like that at all. "That's...that's terrible!" Your ears eventually report their findings to your brain, which prompted you to ask, "Wait, who's Ms. Huk?"

"She's the librarian," replied the girl who was sitting in a leather swivel chair, facing the lone computer.

"If Ms. Huk is the librarian, who are you and why are you helping me?" you asked, becoming slightly suspicious.

She giggled. "I'm the librarian's assistant." She pointed to a tag on her shirt. It read 'Twilight Sparkle: Library Assistant'.

Fair enough.

"Alrighty then." You looked around the library. It looked completely devoid of life and lustre. A flickering light bulb only enhanced the effect. "Why's this place so dead?" you asked.

Twilight didn't even look up from the computer screen, her fingers floating across the keyboard. "Well, if you had the option of reading anything you wanted on the Internet at any given time or having to walk to the library whenever you wanted a book, what would you pick?"

"The library. Reading on the computer hurts my eyes and gives me a headache," you replied earnestly.

Twilight stopped her typing and looked at your eyes. You noticed that they were the same colour as the purple strands of her hair.

"You have pretty eyes," you murmured, finding yourself lost in the two glimmering orbs'.

Twilight blinked like you had slapped her. "Excuse me?"

"I said, 'you have pretty eyes'..." you say louder. You then blinked a few times and face-palmed yourself. Stupid! Why did I have to say that out loud? And why'd I have to repeat myself when she asked me to clarify!

To your surprise, Twilight blushed and turned back to the computer. You thought you heard a 'thank you' come from Twilight, but you weren't sure. Thankfully, the awkward situation defused itself when Twilight Sparkle asked for your name, birthday, and phone number. Instead of answering, you pulled out your wallet and gave her your old library card, which already had all the necessary information written on it.

"Alright!" she said after she had given you your new library card. "What type of books do you like to read?"

You shrugged. "Anything that isn't Shakespeare." Twilight laughed and motioned for you to follow her further into the library. She ended up bringing you to the new releases section.

She started pulling books out with telekinesis. "'Blood is Thicker Than Friendship'? Hmm, doesn't seem like your sort of story. 'On the Wings of Angels'? No, you don't seem to be that type." You had no idea how she determined what type of book you liked and what you type you didn't but, once again, you just decided to go with it.

"Ah, this one will do," said Twilight as she read the cover of the latest book held by her magic. "'Red Thrush Private School'. I thought it was really good, so hopefully you'll like it too!" You graciously accepted the book and both of you walked back to the sign-out desk. You gave Twilight your brand new library card and she signed out the book for you.

"Thank you kindly, Twilight Sparkle. I may be back this weekend, depending on how quickly I read it," you said as you headed towards the exit. "And if I'm not, I'm sure I'll see you at school."

"Bye!" said Twilight as she waved.

You opened the door and stepped outside, breathing in the cold and virtually pollution-less air. You took a glance at your watch. 6:12. Bloody hell! How'd I lose track of time like that? You glanced up towards the sky and you noticed that the sun had started to set. You took the last swig of your coffee before tossing it into a conveniently placed trash can.

You were torn between two decisions: try to meet some more of your future schoolmates or go home to a nice, warm bed and read. You stared at the book in your hands.

I think that's an obvious choice, you thought as you started to head back towards the mansion. Read.

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You had gone back to your new home, eaten the best lasagna dinner you had ever had (courtesy of your family's new personal chef), then stayed locked up in your bedroom suite. The time flew by as you delved into the book that Twilight gave you. You had to admit: the book was pretty damn good.

Before you knew it, it was almost eleven o'clock and your parents were heading to bed. "Don't stay up too late, kiddo. I know it's Friday night, but you still have more socializing to do tomorrow!"

"Sure thing, dad," you replied. "'Night mom, 'night dad."

"Goodnight son."

You had made good on your father's request: you had brushed your teeth and crawled into bed at no later than 11:15. Unfortunately, you couldn't fall asleep. Your brain just wasn't cooperating when you told it to shut up.

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Your mind had drifted off in the purgatory between consciousness and sleep: the recap had done its job. Tired and more than a little grumpy, you fell asleep wondering what the next day would bring forth.
Next Chapter: Chapter Two: A Rainbow in the Dark Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours, 13 Minutes