Lost in Translation - Chapter 3

Lost in Translation - Chapter 3
Written by: Wuten

>It’s been about ten minutes, and the ponies have warmed up to you…
>If the nuzzling into your hands as you scratched them wasn’t any indication, you have no idea what is.
>You sigh, looking around. What you wouldn’t give for something to eat right now…
>Then, your stomach growls. Loudly.
>The ponies look at each other for a moment, before standing up. They begin to walk away, when the pink one beckons to you with a hoof. Seems they want you to follow them.
>Maybe they know where you can get food? Great!
>You quickly stand to your feet, staggering a moment from slight dizziness due to lack of nutrients, and follow the group of ponies.
>They seem to know their way around the forest; maybe they can lead you out?

>”Why are we helping this thing again?” Rainbow asks, turning to Twilight and letting out a hefty sigh. “I mean, didn’t he just try to attack us not too long ago?”
>”He’s just hungry, silly!” Pinkie giggles, covering her mouth with a hoof. “Besides, I know he didn’t mean it. He DID make up for it, after all…” she sighs happily, her ears flicking about energetically.
>”But-but you saw what he was about to do to you, Pinkie! He could have snapped you in half!” the blue pegasus waves her hooves around, before shooting the human a look of contempt. “We can’t trust him...”
>”Rainbow, don’t worry,” Twilight says, smiling up at the pegasus. “If anything does happen, we’ll be able to take care of it. There’s six of us and only one of him, after all. I’m sure we could handle him.”
>”You’d better be right about that…” Rainbow mutters, floating back up into the air and hovering next to the group with her forehooves folded across her chest.

>Food?
>No. No food here.
>There?
>Your eyes shoot around the forest as you walk alongside the group of ponies. You seriously need something to eat right now…
>No! You must focus! These ponies might be taking you to food!
>But you’re hungry noooooooowwww!
>Damn it, pull yourself together. There! In the distance, there’s some sort of tree… hut?
>Finally, food!
>You sprint forward, much to the ponies’ surprise, and run through the underbrush, before leaping out into the clearing.
>Finally, you’re about to fill your belly with delicious, cooked food…
>You savor the moment; taking in all of the sights, the sounds, the smells… Oh dear God, the aroma coming from the hut, it’s…
>It’s different, but still your belly can’t tell the difference.
“Food… finally…”
>You stand upright and walk to the door, knocking on it.
“Hello? Is anyone there? I’ve been lost for days in this forest, and if it’s not too much to ask, I could really use a bite to ea—”
>You never finish your sentence.
>The door opens, and on the other side…
>Standing in front of you… was the zebra from days ago.
>…
>Oh yeah, Anon. You’re DEFINITELY going to feast tonight.

>”TWILIGHT!” the rainbow-maned pegasus gasps, pointing her hoof at the human.
>”On it!” Twilight exclaims, running forward with her horn glowing. The rest soon follow.
>A glowing purple aura surrounds the creature, pulling him away from the door just as he began to lunge for the zebra.
>He’s floating in the air now, struggling helplessly as he dangles at the mercy of the unicorn magic.
>”Twilight? Ah, you have arrived,” Zecora turns to the purple unicorn, a calming smile on her face. “Please, I’ll tell all of you everything inside,” she says, motioning with a hoof.
>The six ponies walk inside, leaving the human levitating there, unable to do anything.
>Still, he struggles for a minute or two, before finally giving up and staying put.
>”What -is- that thing, Zecora?” Applejack turns to the zebra once they had all entered. “Ah don’t think ah’ve ever seen anythin’ like ‘em before…”
>”You are correct, my friend.” Zecora walks around to the other side of her hut, observing a bubbling liquid inside a jar for a moment, before returning to them. “It would seem he is not from this land.”
>”Not from here? That makes sense…” Twilight mutters, “But what exactly is he?”
>”That, I do not know, Twilight,” Zecora says, shaking her head. “But perhaps your princesses may have a way to answer your plight…”
>”Princess Celestia?” Twilight asks, looking up at the zebra with widened eyes now. “Do you really think she would know what to do?”
>Zecora is silent for a moment, before responding. “At this time, this is our best choice,” she says, looking over to the boiling cauldron in the center of the tree-hut, “Perhaps the princesses will be able to understand his voice.”
>Twilight nods, turning to the other ponies. “You heard her! Time to let Princess Celestia know about this new species!”
>”Do you mean… we’re going to Canterlot?” Rarity asks, her face instantly beaming at the prospect.
>Twilight smiles and nods. “It may end up being that; we should at least send a message through Spike,” she says, turning back to Zecora. “Thank you, Zecora; I don’t think we could have ever—”
>There’s a crashing noise from outside, cutting off the unicorn mid-sentence.

>Okay, so you were just floating.
>What the blueberry fuck is going on here?!
>You groan, rolling over onto your side; that fall was at least ten or fifteen feet up, and you landed square on your front, knocking the wind out of you.
“Ow…”
>You claw at the ground to the strange tree-hut thing; you will have your vengeance, and no single fall is going to stop you…
>Finally, just as you make it to the door, it swings open, smacking you in the shoulder and causing you to roll over once again, a nice welt on your side.
>The ponies stare at you with strange expressions, before talking amongst themselves.

>”Should we let him in?” Twilight asks the others, turning to them.
>”Remember what he was about to do to Zecora, Twi?! I say no way!” Rainbow Dash exclaims, stamping her hoof to the ground.
>”He… looks hungry…” Fluttershy murmurs to the group, staring down at the creature.
>”Yeah, hungry for your flesh!” Rainbow replies, glaring at Fluttershy. “I say we bolt outta here while he’s still weak with hunger.”
>”That wouldn’t be right, Rainbow. We need to help this creature somehow…” Twilight rubs her chin with a hoof. “Hm… if we could somehow communicate to it that if it leaves us alone, we’ll get it food…”
>Pinkie immediately perks up. “Oh! Let me try, let me try!” she exclaims, pulling out a cupcake.
>”Pinkie, where did you find that?” Rarity raises an eyebrow at the curly-maned pony.
>”I hid it in Zecora’s hut. Y’know, in case of cupcake emergencies,” she smiles at the white unicorn. All the ponies, including Zecora, give her a strange look, before she bounces off to the creature.
>”Here, crazy-giant-monster-thing, try a cupcake!”

>…There’s a pink pony staring at you with a cupcake in its hoof.
>You have got to wake up from this hallucination somehow. But…
>You’re not exactly one to turn down free food at this point. Even if it is a sugary cupcake.
“Alright, I’ll play your little game…”
>You push yourself up off the ground and reach for the cupcake, taking it from her and biting into it-
>HOLY SHIT THIS IS TERRIBLE
>You gag, before looking at the cupcake. What was this shit made of? Shit?
>…Probably not best to find out.
>You spit out the “sweet” before shaking your head side to side, handing it back.
>She has the saddest look on her face, but fuck that shit. You are NOT going to eat that again.
>You turn and look to the zebra, before slipping into the hut.
>It’s cramped, but you can at least squat and fit inside.

>”H-he didn’t like it?! B-but that just can’t be! I specifically picked out this one for creatures in the Everfree Forest!” Pinkie stares at the rejected cupcake, tears streaming down her face.
>”Well, you tried, Pinkie,” Twilight smiles to her friend. “But at least we know what he’s wanting. Zecora?” The zebra perks up at hearing her name. “I have a feeling he’ll be a lot calmer once he gets food in his belly. Think you can help us?”
>”Not to fret,” Zecora smiles, walking to the back room of her hut, “I’ll have something fixed up yet!”

>End Chapter 3