Character Development Part 1

>Frankly? You're kinda hot shit

>Dad kicked the bucket when you were 19, leaving you the family biz: some accounting and stock trading shit

>Thankfully the old bastard taught you a good bit before he gave up the ghost

>You still miss him

>Mom has been out of the picture for a long time, you don't like thinking about it

>You spend most of your days managing the dumbass wageys in your employ and trying your best not to lose your shit at your dumbass clients

>The rest of the time you're out drinking with the boys, or socializing to get new clients and whatnot

>Honestly it's a lot sometimes, you haven't had time for vidya in years

>Today is no different. You've spent the whole morning fixing one of your boomer client's shitshows, and it's finally resolved

>Retard actually almost fell for that Arab Prince meme

>Anyway it's finally lunchtime, and you're fucking starving

>You head out of the office and start making your way down the street towards the cafe you tend to frequent

>You could absolutely afford to just UberEATS some shit but you need to get the fuck out of that office right now

>Fucking Joseph shouldn't be allowed to have an e-mail, honestly sometimes you think the whole goddamn internet was a mistake

>Reminds you of your time browsing /mlp/ back before you started filling your time with work and mild alcoholism, you idly wonder what those horsefuckers are up to now

>Speaking of substance abuse

>You light up a ciggy as you walk, reveling in the satisfying clink the zippo makes as you snap it shut

>One of the few things your dad left you other than the business, a house, his cars, the... world's smallest violin

>Okay honestly there's not much you can complain about, really, not that that will stop you

>As you walk you see an old lady sitting on the sidewalk, hunched over with her hat sitting out in front of her

>Gross. What is this place coming to? Need to get these fucking people in an asylum or whatever

>You don't like looking at them. You brace yourself for the inevitable spiel

>She looks up at you as you approach, and you studiously avoid looking anywhere but directly at her

"Spare an old lady some change sir?"

>Christ, these people never stop looking for handouts. Maybe get a job?

>You cough, unable to avert your gaze

>You fleetingly notice that her eyes are a weird dark blue, so deep they're almost purple

"Sorry, got nothing on me. Good luck miss."

>You speed up a little, eager to get out of there and get some lunch, but she's not done with you

"Please sir, you look like you have plenty to spare! Even just a little helps."

>Good lord you are sick of this shit already

"Nope, sorry, get a job lady!"

>You shout over your shoulder as you continue walking away

>She stands up, quicker than you would have expected

>Ohfuck.jpg

>She's probably going to stab you with an AIDS needle or something, time to go

>You pick up the pace a little more, this bitch is probably way too old to catch you

>She doesn't try to follow though, just looks after you. She doesn't look angry just... disappointed?

>And there's something else there too... You can't pinpoint what

>Whatever, you're hungry and you don't owe her anything

>Still, you can feel her eyes burning into your shoulder blades as you speedwalk out of there

>You arrive at the cafe

>Finally, you've been dying for that cold cut panini

>You wait in line for a bit, answering emails on your phone and occasionally sneaking glances at the woman in front of you

>Goddamn she has a dumpy on her

>You scan through your emails quickly

>One of your wagey employees wants a bunch of time off so she can visit some family in Switzerland or some shit

>Bitch you wanna get paid you gotta work for it

>Denied

>You put your phone away in time for the chick in front of you to finish ordering

>Dead-eyed wagey behind the counter asks you what you want

"Cold cut panini, and a black coffee."

>You're sure to speak slowly and deliberately so his toasted ass can understand what you're saying

>He blinks slowly, before entering your order

>You pay and move off to the side to wait

>Hopefully they don't fuck this up

>After a few minutes they give you your order

>You take a sip of the coffee and nearly spit it out

>This shit tastes like they pissed in it

"How hard is it to not fuck up a coffee?"

>You mutter just loud enough for the employees to hear

>They give you dirty looks as you walk out of there

>At least the panini is good

>You make your way back to the office, careful to switch sides of the street to avoid that old bitch

>Turns out it wasn't necessary, she's nowhere to be seen

>Good riddance

>You head back into the office with a sigh, mentally preparing yourself for whatever retarded shit your employees want next

 

***

 

>A few hours later and you're done for the day

>It's getting dark out, and you can't handle any more bullshit

>You slip out of there, deftly avoiding a few people in the office who want to talk to you

>Heading down to the carpark you use the fob to unlock your ride

>She's a Charger sedan, a nice and shiny red

>You get an odd familiar feeling as you approach, as though there were a pair of eyes burning holes into your back

>You look around, suddenly feeling paranoid. Where DID that old bitch get off to?

>Place is dead quiet, aside from a few empty cars

>Okay that's fucking weird

>Whatever, you open the door to your car and get in, enjoying the sound of the engine as you fire it up

>Damn this thing rips

>You peel out of there and start the drive home, weaving in and out of traffic once you make it to the highway

>Kinda makes you feel like your flying, sort of

>Freedom of the open road and all that gay shit

>You pull off the highway and start driving down the road towards your house

>You live pretty far out of town, a nice big old rancher innawoods

>There's that prickling feeling in your back again

>It's actually pretty dark out now and you find yourself unreasonably spooked

>There's nobody out here, so why do you still feel like you're not alone?

>You speed up, flying down the road towards your house

>The sooner you get home the better, you're pretty sick of this weird paranoia

>Finally you see your address in the headlights, and pull into your driveway

>You turn the car off and sit for a moment, scanning the darkness around your house while you listen to the ticking sound of the engine as the metal cools

>Nothing there

>You pull the keys and are about to open the door when you freeze

>You caught the slightest movement out of the corner of your eye, something in the rearview mirror

>Purple eyes greet you as you look into the mirror

"What the fu-!"

>Pain explodes all down your right side as she jams something sharp into your neck

>God fucking damnit she got you with the AIDS needle after all

>You clutch your neck as you open the car door, staggering outside

>The back door of the car starts to open but you kick it shut, feeling it connect with her

>Yeah that's right you fucking bi... Oh shit

>You suddenly feel incredibly woozy

>Yep that's gotta be the SuperherpagonhasyphylAIDS kicking in

>You dimly realise the needle is still hanging from your neck, and yank it out before throwing it on the ground

>Ohmyfuckinggod that's disgusting

>You stumble towards your house, holding your neck with one hand as you feel blood drip through your fingers

>Just gotta get inside, gonna grab your gun and call the cops

>This is fucking unreal, all because you wouldn't give her some spare change?

>You fumble with your keys, managing to get them into the lock and turn it

>Your movements feel sluggish, uncoordinated

>You glance behind you, but you don't see anything. The needle lies next to the car and that old bitch is nowhere to be seen

>Opening the door, you stagger inside and lean against the door to shut it, before locking it

>You reach into your pocket to grab your phone but- it's not there

>Fuck! You left it in the car

>Okay no problem, your dad had a landline in the kitchen that you never bothered disconnecting

>Saved again by the old man

>You stumble towards the kitchen, your vision starting to blur

>Fuckfuckfuck gotta hurry

>You can feel whatever nonsense you were stabbed with slowing you down, starting to shut down your coordination

>You turn the corner and enter the kitchen

>There it is, right next to the toaster

>You stagger over to it, nearly falling as you catch yourself on the counter

>You pick it up, and dialing 911 with numb fingers, as your vision starts to narrow to a tunnel

>It rings once, twice, and then you hear a female voice on the other side

"911, what's your emergency?"

>The voice sounds like it's very far away, you struggle to force words through your numb lips

"yweahh idd swlike uhh crrrld crrt puhnnnniiiiniiii..."

>Your last thought is appropriately brief:

>Fuck

 

***

 

>Pain

>Your head throbs, your neck aches, and your wrists and ankles burn

>You swim through an endless expanse of swirling darkness, your mind reeling

*crack*

>What was that noise? Your face hurts

>You can feel the pounding of your heart in your ears, the rush of the blood in your head

*Crack*

>Your face stings

>What the actual fuck is that sound?

*CRACK*

>Your eyes open blearily, your head lolling

>Blurry shapes are all around you, some of them look sort of familiar

>One of them is moving

*CRACK*

>You snap back to reality as your head is rocked to the side by another slap, and your eyes finally focus

>Purple eyes look back at you, the old lady's face leering over you

"There he is! Sorry for the rude awakening, I would have given you some more time to wake up but unfortunately you called the police, so we're going to have to make this brief."

>You stare up at her with a mixture of shock, anger, and fear

"W-what the fuck are you doing?"

>You slur, trying to sit up

>It's then that you realise that your hands and feet are bound, and you're lying on the living room floor of your house.

>You struggle in vain against the bonds as that old witch looks down at you, amused

"Like I said, I don't have much time to explain thanks to your stubbornness, but here's the short version: You are kind of an asshole, and I'm going to be sending you away somewhere where you might actually learn some manners."

>You look up at her drunkenly

"What the fuck are you talking about you crazy old bitch? The cops will be here and when they... when they find you here with all my blood everywhere they're going to arrest your ass! Let me go!"

>She grins down at you, her dark eyes glittering

"Ah but you see, when they get here all they will find is... you. A little too drunk and panicking over nothing."

>You look up at her, confused, in pain, and angry

"What do you...?"

>Before you can finish your sentence she raises her hand, snaps her fingers, and...

>What the fuck

>You're looking at you. A mirror image of you, looking down at the real you and grinning like the fucking cat that got the canary

>Your eyes widen as you stare in shock

>There are many things that go through your head at that moment; mostly expletives

>But also, damn. Magic is real and/or I'm on drugs

"Th... this can't be real. I fell and am severely brain damaged, or... or something."

>She (He? You?) laughs, in your voice

"No no, I assure you this is all quite real. Anyway, as charming a conversationalist as you are I think it's time to send you on your way. We're short on time as it is anyway. Have fun!"

>With that, she (You?) raises her (his?) hands and a bright glowing circle surrounds you

>You writhe around, trying desperately to escape, to get away or wake up or something, anything

>You manage only to turn yourself onto your side, and see with some amount of horror where that glow is coming from

>There's some kind of circle around you, drawn in... your own blood.

>The glow continues to intensify as you violently try to free yourself from whatever hell this is, screaming and shouting slurs and expletives at this crazy bitch, at whatever god is responsible for this, at anyone or anything that might get you out of this situation

"Fuck you you fucking whoooooooore-!"

>The last thing you see is your own image staring at you, those purple eyes looking down at you gleefully before a blinding flash erupts from all around you and then:

>Darkness

 

***

 

>The first thing you notice is the soft feeling of grass brushing up against your face, followed by a gentle breeze brushing past your ears

>Your eyes snap open, and you scramble to your feet, before immediately falling over again

>Goddamn your head hurts

>You press a hoof to your forehead, trying to alleviate some of the pressure

>No

>Nonononono

>You jerk your *HAND* away from your head as you lie on your back, your eyes squeezed shut

>Okay so I might still be on drugs

>You're going to open your eyes, and you're going to be home, and perhaps you had too much to drink, or maybe took something by mistake, or...

>You can't do it. You can't bear to open your eyes

>Okay whatever, stop being a pussy. It's fine. Right?

>You open your eyes and stare straight up at the sky

>It's a beautiful day out, there are some big fluffy clouds floating around

>The breeze rolls past you, pushing the scents of grass and flowers past your ears and gently ruffling the fur on... on your face...

>You close your eyes again

>Carefully, you bring your *HAND* up in front of your face, and prepare to open them again

>Okay, think hand vibes. Manifesting hand. There are fingers and a palm and stuff

>You open your eyes

>And you are greeted by a stocky hoof, connected to an arm... leg? That's covered in a light green fur

>following the path of the leg you find it is... fucking connected to your shoulder aaand you are a fucking horse

>You look down at your body in disbelief, finding where you would expect to see a human man's body there is instead that of a pony

>You've got some cute little legs and right between said legs is...

>Is not what you were expecting. There's nothing there, but a little further back under your tail is...

"You have got to be FUCKING kidding me."

>The voice that comes out of your throat is a lot higher pitched and much more girly than you remember

>You slump back on the ground

>It sure was your favourite bone. You're going to miss it

>Your back feels weird, and immediately your paranoia returns

>You scramble once again to your feet, clumsily trying to adjust to being on all fours, and whip your head around, looking for any sign of that old bitch

>Nobody

>You look behind you and come to the realisation that what you were feeling was your wings being crushed underneath you

>You lose your balance and sit down heavily, your front legs still planted on the ground

>You close your eyes and just focus on breathing

>Okay so... drug trip. Obviously. You've taken too many drugs before, Anon, you know what to do

>We're just gonna ride this bitch out

>Might as well... see how far this goes, you guess

>You open your eyes again, and for the first time take a moment to really observe your surroundings

>You're in the middle of a colourful meadow, there are flowers growing throughout and the whole place is surrounded by some kind of deciduous trees

>In the distance you can see an enormous purplish snow-capped mountain, and you can just barely make out what seems to be a city built into the side of it

>Okay so this is... Equestria

>Holy fuck it's been years since you saw the show, you haven't had time for that shit in ages

>That's... Canterlot, you think?

>In between the meadow you currently reside in and said mountain is a massive, dense forest

>Which is the... Everfree? If you remember correctly

>Okay fuck it, this is a pretty immersive drug trip so let's send it and see what's up

>You shakily get to your feet and try to take a few steps forward, stumbling as you go

>Okay so this walking on four legs thing is pretty weird but... You can fucking do this

>Activating cro magnon brain

>You start making your way forward slowly, stumbling as you get used to all these weird new muscle groups

>You try to force yourself to walk forward, focusing as hard as you can on moving each new part of your body

>Fuck okay this is hard

>You can see a pond ahead, and a stream that lazily feeds into it

>Suddenly you realise that you are really thirsty

>Alright target acquired

>You stiffly walk, stumble, and stagger your way towards it, and after about five minutes (it really shouldn't have taken that long) you manage to make it to the stream

>Collapsing at the edge of the water, you lean down and dunk your face in, greedily drinking as much as you can

>Goddamn it's fucking delicious

>You idly make a note to switch to mountain spring water when you wake up

>You roll onto your back again, careful not to hurt your new wings, they're sensitive

>Not gonna test those babies out yet, definitely gonna kill yourself if you try to fly right now

>After resting for a minute you struggle to your feet, trying to use your wings to propel yourself up

>All you manage to do is flail but you get there

>You walk over to the edge of the pond, unsure if you want to take the next step

>You kinda want to know what you look like now but you're not sure if you can handle it

>Fuck it, not being a pussy here

>You step forward, and gaze into the water of the pond and... you gasp softly

>Looking back at you is a cute little green pony with a button nose, emerald eyes, and a jet black mane

>You're actually cute as fuck as a pony

>Okay enough of this, let's get some more water and get out of here

>You turn around and head a little further up the stream, idly thinking about how fucked this situation is

>In your experience, too many psychoactive substances made your perception of time... weird

>If it was mushrooms or whatever you're looking at eight hours of this, but it might seem like more when you've taken too many drugs

>You reach the stream faster than you had anticipated

>Huh. Guess not really focusing on walking actually makes it easier

>It actually feels kinda... natural

>You drink some more, standing this time, and then lift your head up, feeling rejuvenated

>Alright let's actually get the fucking scope of this place

>You turn around

>Nothing ventured nothing gained

>Besides this is all in your mind so you can't really get hurt, right?

>You clear your mind as best you can and start walking, then crank it up to a trot

>Surprisingly it feels kind of nice

>You turn it up again, galloping across the field, gaining more and more speed

>The wind rushing past your ears and through your fur feels amazing

>You spread your wings, feeling the air currents ruffling your feathers as you start to generate lift

>With a clumsy leap, you beat your wings and actually manage to take off

>For a beautiful, fleeting moment you're overwhelmed with emotion as you soar across the field

>Then you realise you are careening directly towards the Everfree Forest

>Ohfuck

>You beat your wings harder, clumsily trying to steer away from the woods but you only manage to propel yourself higher

>Just barely cresting the tips of the trees, you feel your wings strain as a gust of wind pushes you even higher

>Holy shit this is fucking awesome

>Gonna have to find out what drugs that old bitch used when I get back, definitely gonna try this again

>You scan the horizon as you soar over the tips of the trees, trying to figure out where you're going to land

>Oh fuck landing is going to be a problem

>We'll get there when we get there

>The wind gets stronger the further over the Everfree you get, gusts buffeting you around and pushing you off course

>Okay time to slow down

>You tip yourself back, beating your wings hard and trying to slow down, but before you can really land a massive gust blows you off course

>Your balance destroyed, you tip over and careen directly into the tops of the trees

"FUCK!"

>You crash through the treetops doing your best to dodge through the branches, just barely skimming past them

>You lean back further, before righting yourself and trying to slow down, but it's too late

>You brace yourself as you fly directly towards a huge branch overgrown with ivy and thorns

>Trying to turn at the last moment you almost miss it...

>But the thorns snag your wing, and you're sent tumbling through the branches

>They scrape and bruise you as you fall through, and your other wing clips a particularly large branch and sends you spinning

>You nearly black out from the pain

>Then you do black out as you crash into the forest floor

 

***

 

>A haze

>A drifting swirling mass of black and red and green

>Time is meaningless, memories of the past and senseless thoughts drift through the malaise

>Where are you?

 

***

 

>You open your eyes slowly, confused

>You look around, your mind unable to make sense of what you are seeing

>You're lying down, the ground underneath you somewhat... soft

>Above you is not the forest canopy that you would expect, but a... thatch roof?

>The soft glow of a fire illuminates the room you are in, and you can hear the bubbling of the cauldron atop it

>You groan, all your aches and pains flooding back to you

>You try to move your wings, and find that you can't

>Looking down, you can see that they're bound to your body, and one of your legs is too

>Thoughts of waking up bound on your living room floor flood your mind and you scramble to your feet, your eyes wide

"N-no! Where the fuck am I?"

>As you put weight on your bound hoof pain sears up your leg, and you stumble and fall to your knees

>You nearly black out again

>After the pain recedes, you open your eyes again, taking a more careful look

>You're not bound, you're bandaged

>A red stain gently starts to appear on your bandaged leg, and as you look at your wings you realise they too are bandaged

>Someone saved you, but who? And why?

>You look around at your surroundings again, drinking in some of the details

>A cauldron on a fire, casting dancing shadows on the wall

>A thatch roof, a wardrobe... and some shelves with various bottles lining the walls

>And a bed, that you had been lying on until moments ago

>A simple place but... somehow cozy

>You jump as the door to the little hut swings open

>You spin around and nearly have a heart attack as purple eyes gaze back at you from the darkness of the door

>You start backing away, your eyes wide with terror, before the shape steps forward and reveals herself

>Her eyes aren't purple, they're a light blue

>Just a trick of the light... You breathe a sigh of relief

>A zebra stands in front of you, her mane standing proudly and her blue eyes glittering

>Of course, fuck you're stupid sometimes. It's Zocira... or something

"Ah, I see you you are awake. Lucky it is, that no bones you did break."

>Oh of course, the fucking rhyming thing. You had forgotten about that

"Y-yes, thank you."

>You duck your head, suddenly very self-conscious about your girly voice

>Zecora closes her eyes and nods sagely, then turns around and steps halfway outside and dips her head down

>Bringing it back up again she turns around, a basket held in her mouth, and it appears to be full of mushrooms

>She walks to the cauldron, and dumps them in before putting the basket down and closing the door

>She turns around again

"I found you on the forest floor, after making such a racket I could not ignore!"

>God the rhyming thing is insufferable

>It's so bad

"Y-yeah... again, thanks for that. Wh... Why did you help me, anyway?"

>You manage to squeak out, still unreasonably embarrassed by your voice

>Why do you care anyway? None of this is real. Obviously. Except the pain, that was and is very real

>Maybe no more flying for a bit. Or ever

"Because you needed help, of course. Kindness is a powerful force."

>Uuuuuuuuughghghghg this is getting old

"Zecora is my name, what is yours to claim?"

>Holy shit you need to get out of here

"Nona. Thank you for saving me, again, I really appreciate it, but I should go. Gotta get to Ponyland. Ville. Ponyville, I mean."

>Zecora give you a look that clearly indicates that she thinks you're retarded

"You are injured right now, time for food at least you must allow!"

>Fucking fine if it will shut you up Zecora

>Come to think of it you are really hungry actually

>And that stew smells surprisingly good

"Okay... Thank you."

>You feel... grateful, astonishingly. And also weirdly guilty for some reason

>Zecora pours you some stew after another hour or so

>It's actually really good

>Not sure what kind of stuff she put in there other than the mushrooms but that Zebra can cook

>You never really did any cooking yourself, you didn't really have the time nor inclination and usually you would eat out or order food

>Besides, you had plenty of money

>Or at least, you did in the... waking world. Speaking of which, how much longer was this trip going to last?

>You were beginning to get a bit worried

"Zecora... how long has it been since you brought me here?"

>She looks at you serenely

"Two days it has been, since I brought you here I mean. How long you were there, I am not aware."

>Okay fuck

>Well it's... You haven't experienced two days. It's not like... actually two days have gone by

>But it feels like it. It feels like time has passed, and you refuse to believe it but it just feels so real

>You push the thoughts away. You're going to wake up at some point, and in the meantime this is just a wild trip

>You yawn, suddenly aware of how exhausted you are. Your body aches, especially your hoof

>Zecora looks at you knowingly

"Stay here for the night if you like, and you may leave at first light."

>Okay Zecora that one was a fucking stretch

"Alright. Thank you, Zecora."

>Zecora nods

>It feels fucking bizarre talking to what is a hallucination as far as you are concerned

>But it feels... right

>Like it would be rude not to

>Since when have you given a shit about that?

>Good lord it's fucking bedtime, you've had enough of this

>You stand up gingerly, keeping weight off your injured hoof

>It feels... easy, compared to how it was when you first woke up here

>Guess you're getting used to this body

>Hopping up onto the bed, you collapse, careful not to hurt your wings any more than you already have

>You're asleep almost before your head hits the pillow

>Your last thought is that you should do something to thank Zecora for her hospitality

 

***

 

>You jolt awake, sweating bullets

>You had been having a very familiar dream, one which had ended when a needle pierced your neck

>It takes you a moment to remember where you are, but it comes back slowly

>Fuck, still here?

>Morning light filters gently through the window, illuminating the motes of dust drifting through the little cottage

>Not sure how light even gets in here given how fucking dense the Everfree is

>Zecora is bustling around packing various things into a set of saddlebags

"Good... Good morning, Zecora. Going somewhere?"

>You're still not used to this fucking girly voice

>She doesn't turn to look at you, but the corner of her mouth quirks up in a smile

>Seems she's glad you woke up. Kind of concerning that that was in question but whatever

"Bring some things into Ponyville I must, you will come with me I trust?"

>You sigh

>It's going to be a long trip if she's talking like this the whole time

>Ultimately though you seem to remember the Everfree Forest being pretty treacherous, so going with her is probably a good idea

"Absolutely. Wouldn't miss it for the world."

>She looks vaguely pleased

"Very good, indeed. Breakfast is ready for you there, when you need."

>She gestures to a bowl and ladle next to the cauldron

>It's kind of a struggle figuring out how to maneuver the ladle with your mouth but you manage to do it without spilling, much

>The stew is actually even better than it was yesterday

>By the time you finish eating, she's done packing, and you head out the door together

>She walks slowly but confidently through the woods, as you limp behind her

>It's pretty clear she knows this place like the back of her hand (hoof?)

>After about fifteen minutes you're already sure you're lost, but Zecora always seems to know what path to take

>You take in the foliage around you idly, thinking about everything that's happened so far and where this is going

>Where and when does this end? It feels like it has been days, and according to Zecora it has

>When do you wake up?

>Your thoughts are interrupted as you realise you've lost sight of Zecora

>Fuck. Gotta stop getting distracted

"Zecora?"

>You look around, but don't see her anywhere

>Up ahead through the trees, you can make out shapes moving and hear the growling of some beast

>It's moving towards you

>You look around desperately for somewhere to hide

>The sounds are approaching rapidly, as they get closer you can hear there are multiple somethings moving through the brush

>You can hear growling and barking

>Fuckfuckfuck

>Just as they get start to crest the ridge, a pair of striped legs covers your vision, and yanks you off your feet and down onto the ground

>You're underneath a fallen log, in a small hollow created by some kind of soil erosion

>You open your mouth to thank her and Zecora places a hoof squarely over it, giving you a meaningful look and glancing up at the sounds of barking and growling

>After a moment you hear several pairs of footsteps race by, and then they start growing quieter as whatever it is runs past you

>A few minutes pass in tense silence before Zecora says anything

"A dangerous place is this land, Nona must pay close attention, you understand."

>Nona? Right, that's what you told her your name was. Why Nona?

>Your name is Anon, and you're a human man, goddamnit

>Why was Nona the first thing that came to mind when she asked your name?

>It wasn't like you were trying to hide your name or anything

>Whatever, this place is fucking getting to you

>Zecora gets up, and climbs out of the hollow

>You follow suit, clumsily clambering up after her

>For the rest of the trip you've got your head on a swivel, and you don't put too much more thought into anything other than not losing track of Zecora again

>There are a lot of things people could say about you, but at the very least you don't make the same mistakes more than once

>The rest of the journey is fairly uneventful

>Zecora stops occasionally and starts listening carefully a few times, and you follow her lead

>You can't hear anything suspicious but you're starting to feel a bit incompetent and it's irritating

>You're not sure how long it's been but it feels like a few hours at least by the time you start seeing light peeking between the trunks of the trees on the path ahead

>Zecora's pace has sped up somewhat, and despite the aching in your hoof you're eager enough to be free of this forest that you manage to keep up

>You approach the edge of the forest, and as you step past the threshold of the trees you're blinded by the brilliant light of the sun

>You squint, your eyes having adjusted to the gloom of the Everfree at this point

>But you don't care, you're just glad to be free of that goddamn place

>Fuck your leg hurts

"Arrived at Ponyville have we, and happy about it you must be."

>Goddamn you can't wait to have a conversation with somepony that talks normally

>SomeONE, fuck

>Despite your general annoyance at the moment you feel incredibly grateful towards Zecora

>Were it not for her you would not have survived

>Not that you can die here because this isn't real goddamnit

"Thank you again Zecora, I owe you my life. I wish I had something to repay you with, but it will have to wait. I'm dead broke at the moment."

>You feel the urge to hug her, and give in

>You're not sure why but it just feels right

>She looks at you somewhat curiously, and you can't tell what she's thinking behind those eyes

"Pay it forward, somepony else you can reward."

>Sure thing Zecora

>You bid your farewells and start walking towards town

>Now what exactly the fuck were you going to do here?

>Honestly you thought you would have woken up by now

>You're getting increasingly worried that this is not some dream you're going to wake up from

>You refuse to confront that possibility at the moment though

>The plan here was to check out Equestria and see how far this dream went, and so far it seems like it goes pretty fucking far

>But now that you're here you're not really sure what to do next

>Up ahead you can see more of Ponyville coming into view, and in the distance the mountains upon which Canterlot is built

>God it really is pretty here

>Okay so you're going to have to confront the fact that you might not wake up from this

>Fuck it, all balls

>Let's just run with that theory for a moment

>Magic is real, you actually are in Equestria, and you're... a mare

>So, if magic got you here it can get you out, right?

>So you have to find-

"Twilight! Hey, Twilight! Over here!"

>You look up and see a pink pony with a curly mess of a mane flailing her arms wildly at a Purple pony...

>Well, that was easy

>Bookhorse is in sight, purple bangs and everything

"Good afternoon, Pinkie!"

>Twilight shouts back, laughing at her friend's exuberance

>They make their way towards each other and start talking, Pinkie gesticulating wildly as she tells Twilight about some nonsense story or something

>Okay, now how to approach this?

>Suddenly there's fucking spaghetti spilling from your non-existant pockets

>What the fuck? Why would you be nervous about talking to some Pony? You talk to people all the time, it's part of your fucking job

>You look closely at Twilight

>She's only got the horn, no wings

>Okay so she's not an Alicorn yet

>You fleetingly consider the implications of you essentially knowing the future in this world and what that means

>She glances over at you, noticing your staring

>Oh no. You blush furiously

>What the fuck is wrong with you?

>Twilight waves awkwardly

"Um... Hi! Can I help you with something?"

>Pinkie, meanwhile whirls around and gasps obnoxiously

>Before you can respond she squees loudly and fucking takes off down the street

>Oh god you know where this is going

>Okay whatever, time to talk to Twilight

"Y-yeah... I um..."

>You find yourself unable to speak, shuffling your hooves nervously

>Okay what the fuck is going on? The last time you were nervous to talk to ANYPONY was in high school, and this is just some pony from some show!

>Ponyville continues on about it's daily business as Twilight slightly awkwardly, but patiently, waits for you to talk to her

>You take a deep breath, mustering your courage. This shouldn't be this fucking hard

"I n-need your help... with a spell..."

>She looks at you curiously, her interest clearly piqued

"I can certainly try! I don't think we've met before... My name is Twilight Sparkle. Who are you?"

>You shuffle nervously

"Um... Nona."

>Twilight smiles at you, a genuine smile

>Not some corporate facemask, or a forced smile for dealing with people in a professional setting, or like she's waiting for a photo to be taken

>Not some fake royalty smile, just a genuine, honest smile

>You heart warms, you can't help it. Your cares melt away, and suddenly you don't feel the weight of the worries you've been carrying since you got here

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Nona."

>She looks at you, clearly noting your injured state as she sees the bandages wrapping your leg and wings

>You can see the gears turning as she immediately files that away, already conjuring theories on your state

"Are you okay, Nona? You look... A little beat up."

>You can't help but laugh softly

"Yeah, I'm... not the best flier. Zecora saved me, actually. I crashed in the forest and... Well, I owe her my life."

>Twilight looks concerned

"That's terrible! Have you been to the hospital yet?"

>You look down bashfully

"No... I'm fine, really! I just..."

>You struggle to put into words what you're thinking. There's so many things you need to tell her, but you're not sure where to even start

>How you came to be here, who-what you really are, how do you even begin?

>All your aches and pains start coming back, and you feel a lump forming in your throat

>Where are these emotions coming from? Hold yourself together man, good god

>Twilight can clearly see the distress written on your face

>She comes closer, clearly concerned

"Why don't you come with me, Nona? We'll get you checked out at the hospital and you can tell me about this spell. I'm sure Zecora did a great job patching you up, but it's better just be sure, right?"

>Your eyes sting

"I... I don't have any money."

>Twilight shrugs it off immediately

"Nonsense, you won't have to pay for anything. And if you did I would help you out."

>She smiles gently, wrapping a hoof around your shoulders

>You nod, too overcome with emotion to speak

>You know that if you talk you'll start crying, and you refuse to do that gay shit

>The two of you walk through the streets of Ponyville towards the hospital, Twilight helping to support you

>It's embarrassing, but you're exhausted again, and so glad you have someone to lean on

>It doesn't take that long to get to the hospital, and before you know it you're being looked at by a handsome blue unicorn stallion in a white doctor's coat

>Wait, handsome? What the fu-

"Miss Nona, is it? Can you tell me where you feel pain?"

>You blush, not sure what to feel right now

"Yeah... My wings, and my hoof."

>He nods

"Of course. May I?"

>You nod bashfully, trying your best to look anywhere but his beautiful eyes

>What the fuck Anon? Get it together

>He spends about a half hour, all told, examining you, and redressing your wings and leg

>You spend the whole time steadfastly looking at the ceiling, trying to conceal your flushed cheeks

>Twilight is in the waiting room when you get back, she smiles and thanks the doctor for seeing you so quickly

>Did she really stay here the whole time waiting for you? She just met you, what the hell is with this place?

>Twilight turns to look at you

"How are you feeling, Nona? You look a little flushed. Are you feeling feverish at all?"

>You look away quickly

"Um yeah! Slight fever, doctor assures me it's fine. No need to worry!"

>She looks at you carefully, and although you can't tell what she's thinking you suspect she can see right through you

"...Right, well I'm glad to hear it! Now, do you think you can walk and talk? I don't live too far from here."

>You look at her quizzically

"Well, you're obviously new in town. I figured you would need somewhere to stay until you find a place!"

>You stare at her, not sure what to say

>You feel tears welling in your eyes again, and you do your best to blink them away

"Th... Thank you Twilight. That really means a lot."

>Twilight waves it off

"Don't mention it. I'm sure you would do the same for me were our positions reversed!"

>There it is, that stabbing guilt that hits you right in the gut

>God you hate that feeling

>Compared to that feeling you'd rather take two broken wings and a leg

>You both start walking, making slow progress thanks to your injured state

>Twilight doesn't quiz you on the spell situation, although you can tell she really wants to know

>You keep thinking about how to phrase it, what to say and how to go about it, but you're getting nowhere

>You're just too damn tired. Your leg aches and your wings are sore after that handsome- that fucking doctor examined them, stretching them out and whatnot

"I'm sure you're curious about... the spell I need help with, Twilight."

>Her ears perk up, belying her curiosity

"I don't even know where to start. I'm sorry I just... didn't know what else to do."

>She looks a bit disappointed, but she perks up pretty quickly

"It's okay Nona, you don't have to tell me anything until you're ready. I can tell it's weighing on you."

>That's an understatement. You're a fucking mess right now, all these conflicting feelings swirling in your head until it feels like it might burst

>God you need to eat, and sleep, then you can think

>You're just about to pass an enormous tree when Twilight stops walking

"Well, here we are!"

>She says, looking up at the tree adoringly

>Right, she lives in the tree library. Oof, better enjoy it while she can you guess

>You're reminded that you essentially know the future in this realm

>That's also a burden, don't even want to fucking think about that right now

"Wow, that's quite the place Twilight! It's beautiful."

>You muster as much genuine surprise as you can, but you know it comes across as pretty lame

>What would happen if you told her the things you knew? How are you going to hide what you know?

>Fuck you're too tired for this

>She looks at you curiously, again, as you avoid her gaze, instead appearing preoccupied admiring the tree

>Although you can't pretend to be surprised, you are genuinely impressed seeing the Library in person. It's a beautiful place to live, and it's more impressive than you had remembered

>Twilight steps up to the door, and her horn lights up as an identical glow appears around the doorknob

"Well, shall we?"

>You nod, tearing your eyes away from the tree

>Twilight opens the door, magically, of course, and you're greeted by a fucking explosion of confetti

"SURPRISE!"

>Jesus fucking Christ you forgot about Pinkie

>It looks like she's packed half of Ponyville into the library

>It's been like fourty minutes since she met you, how did she manage this?

>Pinkie literally bounces up to you and wraps you in a big hug, although she's actually careful not to hurt you

"Hi! My name's Pinkie, what's your name? Actually I already overheard your name wasNonait'snicetomeetyou!WelcometoPonyville,Isawthatyouwereinjuredandalsothatyou'renewsoIthoughtI'dthrowabigpartytowelcomeyouandmakeyoufeelbetter!Isn'tthisexcitingohmygoshIjustlovepartiesandmeetingnewponies,it'sjustmyfavouritething..."

>You can see Twilight supressing her laughter as you look to her for help as Pinkie talks a million fucking miles an hour

>She just doesn't stop, god you almost wish you were back talking with Zecora instead

>Despite this you find yourself genuinely touched by Pinkie's actions

>You manage to thank her as she continues babbling about whatever shit, you stopped listening a while ago

>After she bounces back inside you follow suit, and there's a bunch of cake, cupcakes, cider, all sorts of snacks and party games

>You talk to a dizzying amount of ponies while music plays loudly, introducing yourself and meeting them

>This is actually where you shine, memorizing names and faces and talking to people is basically your fucking bread and butter, and you kill it

>Despite this you're still exhausted, and Twilight eventually, mercifully, breaks up the party and ushers out the guests

"I'm sorry folks but our new arrival is injured and exhausted! I'm sure you'll get to know her well enough over the coming days and weeks. Right, Nona?"

>She looks over at you, beaming, and you smile falteringly

"Yeah... of course!"

>It... feels bad, to lie about this. You shouldn't care, you know that, but you do anyway

>Not because you feel like you're talking to hallucinations or some shit

>But because you genuinely care

>God you can't handle this right now

>Twilight finishes ushering everyone out, and closes the door with a sigh

"I hope that wasn't too much Nona, you look exhausted."

>You smile at her weakly

>It's not much, but it's real

"Not at all. It's all just... a bit overwhelming. The ponies here are incredibly nice and... I just feel..."

>You falter, not sure how to continue

>Like you don't belong. Like you don't deserve this

"Tired. And sore."

>Pussy

>Whatever, shut up Anon

>You're a faggot

>Fuck you

>You shake your head, clearing this nonsense from your mind

>Twilight looks at you, perceptive as always

>But she's graceful enough not to comment on the things she knows you're hiding from her

"You'll be staying here on the first floor. I'm just upstairs. Let me know if you need anything, okay?"

>You nod, and she uses her magic to put together a makeshift bed on the spot

>Honestly not bad, it's pretty comfy

>Twilight heads upstairs and puts the lights out, and you lie in silence in the bed

>Staring up into the darkness, thoughts whirling through your mind

>It doesn't last long though, you're too tired and sleep claims you before you can really get any thinking done

>Darkness

 

***

 

>You wake up screaming, you can fucking feel the needle in your neck, the blood dripping, the narcotics seeping into your bloodstream. Your wrists and ankles burn, the ropes digging in and cutting your circulation off

>The witch looms over you, purple eyes burning into you

>It's all gone in an instant

>Twilight is standing over you, she's got her hooves on your shoulders, her face concerned

>Your eyes are wet with tears, you can feel them running down your cheeks

>You look up at her, your mind still churning as you struggle to fight off the remnants of your dream, like tentacles trying to drag you under the surface of a black lake

"-ona, listen to me! It's okay, you're okay!"

>You start sobbing uncontrollably

"I-I'm s-sorry... I d-didn't know... didn't m-mean to wake you..."

>She looks relieved to have gotten through to you. Who knows how long she's been there, trying to wake you

"It's alright, you're okay now. What's wrong? Was it just a bad dream?"

>You sniffle, feeling naked and vulnerable under her piercing gaze

"Y-yeah."

>You wipe your eyes with your hoof, trying to master yourself

>You manage a weak smile

"J-just something I dream about occasionally."

>She looks at you, clearly not buying your shit

"Occasionally?"

>You crumble under that withering eye

"Okay every night since I got here. Except... for when I was fully unconscious from head trauma."

>She looks at you suspiciously, but then seemingly decides she believes you

"You have the same nightmare every night? Does this have to do with that spell you need help with?"

>You avoid looking her in the eyes

"Yeah... in a sense."

>She looks at you intently, and you give in, looking her in the eyes

"I'm... I'm still not ready to talk about it. I'm sorry, Twilight. I wish I could just tell you everything but I... I have to be careful."

>Twilight keeps staring at you, you can see the gears turning in her head

>After a moment she speaks

"It's okay Nona. I won't deny that my curiosity is piqued, but I don't want to push your boundaries. I do, however, have a few ideas for how to help your sleeping issues."

>Your ears perk up

"You do?"

>Yet again you find yourself surprised at how genuinely hopeful your voice sounds

>She nods.

"But let's save it for the morning. Would you like to sleep with me for the rest of the night?"

>She blushes slightly

"Back when I used to have nightmares as a foal I would hop in bed with my parents, and that always helped."

>You cough, conflicted

>You weigh your options, not sure what to think

"Okay... Yeah, let's do that. I'm desperate at this point."

>She nods, and you both make your way upstairs to her bed

>Slipping under the covers, you're both a little awkward about it but eventually you snuggle in and spend the rest of the night as Twilight's little spoon

>Needless to say you sleep immaculately for the rest of the night

 

***

 

>You awaken slowly, blearily, the next morning. Your thoughts inevitably turning to the events of the last few days

>In particular these nightmares are odd

>When you first got here you felt somewhat blasé about the whole situation, hell even while it was happening you weren't REALLY scared

>But now that you're here in this body... it bothers you more than you'd like to admit

>Guess that's called trauma or whatever

>Back on Earth you used to say that trauma was something women used as an excuse to be a whore

>Fucking shows you, you guess

>Whatever, thinking about this topic is uncomfortable

>Twilight has her leg wrapped protectively around you, her warmth and weight is comforting

>You look around the Library, your mane splayed delicately around your head on the pillow

>You feel like a little flower or some gay shit

>Careful not to move too much, you crane your neck around to look out the window, and find it looks like it's sometime in the early morning

>Twilight breathes softly, her breath gently brushing the fur on your neck

>Speaking of brushing you could use one

>Your mane is kind of a disaster, and for some reason you don't understand you find it embarrassing

>Don't want anypony thinking you're some tramp from the woods

>Although technically that's precisely correct

>You carefully wriggle out from Twilight's grasp, much as it pains you

>Rolling out of bed you stand up and stretch like a cat

>Kind of weird but it feels nice so fuck it

>Your wings actually feel a lot better today, you're pretty sure you could do a bit of flying if you're up for it

>You try to ignore the images of your broken body being hurled through the Everfree that flash through your mind

>Maybe we'll take it easy on the flying for now

>Besides, you can imagine a certain blue Pegasus that you might be able to convince to give you some lessons

>Looking over your shoulder you can see Twilight is still sleeping peacefully

>God she's cute, not really your type though

>So what is your type?

>You shake your head trying to clear out these intrusive thoughts

>You head down the stairs onto the main floor of the Library and take a look around, noting all of the streamers and confetti and shit left over from Pinkie's surprise party last night

>Shaking your head, you sigh

>Might as well clean this shit up, it's the least you can do

>It takes the better part of an hour to get everything put away, and by the time you're done you can hear Twilight stirring upstairs

>She pokes her head over the balcony and looks down at you blearily

"Good morning, Nona. You've been busy!"

>She murmurs

>You smile sheepishly, looking up at her

"Um... yeah. Least I could do."

>You're about to say more when you're interrupted by a loud growling from your stomach

>Shit you're starving, you haven't eaten since yesterday morning

>Twilight giggles

"Sounds like someone's hungry. Give me a few minutes to get ready and we'll go grab some breakfast!"

>Before she turns to leave you speak up

"Hey Twilight! Do you have a brush I could borrow? I'm feeling a bit... ragged."

>You feel like a burden, but for some reason you can't stand the thought of walking around Ponyville in this state

>She nods, seemingly nonplussed about the request

"Of course! Follow me."

>There it is, that fucking guilty feeling again

>Eugh not again

>You follow her upstairs and into the bathroom, where she levitates a small box with some brushes and combs out from under the sink

>She looks at you, her eyes sparkling

"Here, you can brush my mane out and I'll do yours."

>Twilight you fool

>You're making a grave mistake

"O-okay, sure... yeah."

>You manage to stammer out

>You pick up one of the larger brushes in your teeth and start doing your best to brush out her mane while she effortlessly levitates a comb through yours

>Shit maybe it would have been better to be a unicorn, using your mouth for this stuff is awkward and difficult

>You are actually starting to get the hang of it though

>By the time you're done your mane is in great shape, and hers is almost presentable

>She finishes brushing her mane herself, smiling at you knowingly

"You don't have too much practice with this do you?"

>You shuffle your hooves

"Uh... no. I'm not... I don't usually have long hair."

>Once again she seems unbothered, which for some reason still bothers you

"Don't worry about it Nona, I happen to know an EXCELLENT mane and tail stylist."

>Of course, Rarity is a thing. How could you forget?

"Thank you Twilight... I would really like to give something back to you, though. I appreciate everything you've done for me and I feel like I'm taking advantage."

>She rolls her eyes

"Don't be ridiculous, it's no trouble at all. If you really are earnest about that, though, I'm sure we can find a place for you to work in town somewhere. But for now, let's go eat. I'm famished."

>You nod, you feel like you could eat a horse

>You almost say that out loud, but think better of it

>The two of you finish up and head out of the Library, making your way towards the cafe

>Twilight tells you about the town as you walk, some of its history and a little bit about the locals

>You can tell she's trying to take your mind off of your troubles, and you're both impressed with her tact and appreciative of the effort

>After a few minutes you're seated at the cafe, and you let Twilight take care of the ordering

>You're not sure what the fuck you would order anyway

>Twilight orders two daisy sandwiches as it turns out

>Great, horse food

>You look around the cafe's surroundings while you wait, admiring the quaint style of the architecture

>This place is so pretty, it reminds you of the old rancher your dad left you back home

>Home... with its dreary modern buildings, its day-to-day grind, and apparently unstable homeless wizards

"-ona? You there?"

>You snap out of your reverie, noticing Twilight looking at you

"S-sorry, what?"

>She blinks, her expression inscrutable

"I was saying I have a few ideas about your nightmares."

>You nod

"Right, of course. Please, go ahead."

>She pauses a bit, studying your face before continuing

"Well, we could try asking Princess Luna for help. Nightmares are kind of her domain, although she is a little sore about the topic still."

>Your mind races

>Aren't Luna and Celestia basically like the immortal gods of this world?

>You're not sure how you feel about that. You just have this feeling that meeting either of them is not a good idea, although you're not sure why

"I'm touched that you would go that far for me Twilight but... Isn't that a little below her concern?"

>She smiles at that

"Please Nona, the welfare of their subjects should never be beneath the concerns of our rulers. They wouldn't be very good rulers otherwise, would they?"

>...Yeah. You're starting to feel like an asshole now

>You nod, feeling that stabbing guilt again right in your gut

"I suppose you're right. If it's okay I'd still like to hold off on that."

>She looks at you curiously, again you can see bookhorse trying to suss out your motives

"I just don't want to bother her if it's not necessary!"

>She continues looking at you, and you can see in her eyes... disappointment?

>She shrugs

"Well, I have two other ideas. For one, we can see if Zecora can brew up something to help you sleep. Alternatively, you could just make sure you sleep with another pony in the meantime. It's not a permanent solution, but it seemed to work well enough last night."

>Before you can respond, Twilight looks up over your shoulder and smiles

"Hi, Blue Cross! Nice to see you this morning."

>Who?

>You turn around and OHFUCK

>It's that handsome doctor from yesterday

>You can immediately feel your cheeks colouring

"Good morning, Twilight."

>He says with an easy smile

>He turns his attention to you

"How's our patient doing? Looks like you're taking good care of her."

>Your mind goes completely blank

>All you can do is giggle nervously

>God what the fuck is wrong with you?

>Thankfully he looks back to Twilight

"Be sure to bring her in if there's any complications, alright? My doors are always open."

>He turns back to you, placing a hoof gently on your shoulder

"And if those bandages are giving you any trouble you can visit me anytime."

>You mumble something that sounds vaguely like "thank you"

>He turns as the waiter approaches

"Looks like your food is here! I'll leave you to it. Ladies."

>He nods his head and continues walking down the street, towards the hospital

>Finally, you can fucking use your brain again

>What is going on here? Actually, you don't want to think about it

>You turn back to Twilight to find her eyes dancing with mirth

>Don't you say a fucking word Twilight

>The waiter places the sandwiches on your table, and despite yourself it looks... really good actually

>Goddamnit you're a human, a fucking human man and you're not going to eat a daisy sandwich

>Twilight levitates her sandwich up to take a bite, and your willpower crumbles as your hunger overwhelms your pride

>Okay fine I'll try it, it smells delicious

>You take a bite and find... it actually doesn't taste like flowers at all

>Sure there are some floral notes in there but it tastes like spices, sweet and savoury all at once

>It's gone in no time at all, and you find yourself wishing you could have another

>The mind is willing but the body says you've had enough

>You chat idly with Twilight as you both finish your food, and the topic eventually turns to work

"So what kind of skills do you have, Nona? I seem to recall Mayor Mare saying she was looking for a new secretary and bookkeeper if you've any skill with numbers."

>Oh god anything but that

>Memories of Joseph rambling about this Arabian Prince he's invested in come flooding into your mind

>Then again, you owe the residents of Ponyville a debt for treating you like this, and you have to start somewhere

"Actually, that sounds perfect Twilight. I can't thank you enough."

>She nods sweetly, and then her expression turns serious

"You can thank me by telling me the truth, and what you needed my help with."

>You stare at her in shock, surprised at her directness

>She looks at you sympathetically

"You don't have to tell me everything, not yet at least. But I don't think it's unreasonable to ask for your honesty, is it?"

>You look down, ashamed

>She's right, of course

>You've been delaying this, hoping you could avoid it but it was inevitable

"...Okay. But you have to promise to keep it to yourself for now, okay? I don't want to have to explain myself to everypony else."

>Her eyes burn with curiosity

>She puts a hoof over her chest

"Cross my heart, hope to cry, stick a cupcake in my eye."

>That brings a smile to your face

"And... there are some things I can't tell you. I can't explain why but you just have to believe me that I can't."

>She looks less pleased at this, but at this point you can tell she will take what she can get

"So... I'm not from here."

>She continues staring at you

"Well, obviously. Everypony around here knows to steer clear of the Everfree Forest."

>You stifle a laugh

"No, like I'm not from this WORLD."

>She looks at you like her dreams have come true

"No way. You mean multiverse theory?"

>Lmao what a fucking nerd she is

"Yeah, pretty much. Until a few days ago I was in my own world, some stuff happened and then I got sent here. I don't really want to get into the details but the stuff that happened is what I've been having nightmares about."

>She looks fascinated

"And you think that this is a sort of message, and that if you can get back to your own world these nightmares will go away."

>It's a statement, not a question

>You nod anyway

"And that's what you wanted the spell for. Some kind of planar transportation spell."

>You nod again

>She stares at you, you can see the curiosity eating away at her but it seems she manages to refrain from peppering you with questions

>Her expression turns a bit rueful

"Well I'm sorry to say Nona but I think that sort of magic is beyond me. Perhaps with years of study I could do enough research into that area to help you but... as it stands I can't help you."

>Your heart plummets, but... not as much as you would have expected

"You mean you can't just magick me away back to my own world? Can't you just teleport anywhere, how is that any different?"

>She shakes her head

"It's not that simple. Magical teleportation is one thing, but that's typically to and from places you're at least somewhat familiar with. Shifting between planes of existance is... something else entirely. I haven't done a lot of research on it personally, but I've rarely even seen any research materials on it in any Library I've been to anywhere, and from what I have seen it's dangerous."

>You can't help but look crestfallen

>You know she would help you if she could, but it's still disappointing

"Teleporting here is like... imagine walking to the store in your hometown. You know where it is, and you know how to get there, because you know what to look for all around you. There are buildings you recognise, streetsigns, that sort of thing. Now imagine your hometown is... infinitely big. There are no signs, and buildings underground, in the sky, everywhere and with no way to tell them apart. And it goes on FOREVER. That's plane shifting. You see the problem?"

>You nod sadly

>She looks up at you, noticing how dejected you look. Seems she was moreso talking to herself by the end of that

"But buck up Nona! I may not be able to help you, but there might be somepony who can."

>You look up at her, not wanting to acknowledge what you know she's thinking

"Who?"

"Princess Celestia, of course! She's the wisest and strongest pony I know of. Other than maybe Star Swirl the Bearded... But he's obviously not an option."

>Damnit you knew she was going to say that

>You don't know why but you have this overwhelming feeling that you shouldn't meet Luna OR Celestia. Especially not Celestia

>Fuck it you'll say it, you're afraid of her, and you don't know why

"...Yes. I suppose that's the only way, isn't it?"

>Twilight looks at you, clearly not understanding your aversion to meeting either of the two regents of this land

>You don't understand it yourself so you're not about to try to explain it

"Well... maybe if the opportunity presents itself. For now, though, I'd just like to focus on repaying my debt to Ponyville."

>She nods, and stands up

"Let's go to Rarity's first. She can spruce you up a bit before you introduce yourself to the mayor."

>You look at her nervously

"You mean you're not coming?"

>She shakes her head

"I have some things to take care of today, but you'll do fine! Plus, I will write you a letter of recommendation."

>You nod

"Okay. Thank you, Twilight."

>She beams at you

"Shall we?"

>You stand up and together you begin walking to Rarity's Boutique

 

***

 

>By the time you reach the Boutique it's approaching noon

>It only took a few minutes to walk there but you had spent more time than you realised chatting with Twilight at the cafe

>The bustle of Ponyville is calming, ponies walking to and fro going about their daily business

>Back home it was just... too much. So much traffic, noise, people, everywhere. A constant chatter that set your teeth on edge

>Here it's more like the wind blowing through the trees, or a babbling stream

>You look up at the building as you approach, standing tall and imposing closer to the edge of town

>Honestly it's a little garish, but whatever

>Twilight knocks on the door as you approach, and you find yourself somewhat apprehensive about meeting Rarity

>You hear her voice from the other side of the door

"Just a minute darling!"

>After about three minutes (you were counting) the door opens and the stylish white pony stands in front of you, her sewing glasses still on

"Twilight!"

>She says adoringly, embracing her friend

>Rarity turns to you

"And this must be our new arrival! Nona, was it? It's a pleasure to meet you, darling."

>She hugs you too, surprisingly

>These goddamn ponies keep surprising you

>Twilight speaks up

"I've just been showing Nona around Ponyville, and she's decided to apply for a job with the mayor. I was hoping you could touch up her mane a bit, as a favour to me?"'

>Rarity doesn't hesitate for a second

"Of course, darling! A friend of Twilight's is a friend of mine. Come in!"

>Twilight holds up a hoof

"I'm sorry Rarity but I actually have to run. Can we catch up later?"

>Rarity nods and hugs her again

"Absolutely, see you this evening. Ta~!"

>Twilight embraces her friend again, and turns to you

"Good luck Nona! I'm sure you'll do fine."

>And with that, she's off, leaving you alone with Rarity

>Before you know it you're seated as Rarity fusses over your mane, scissors flying around your head perilously

>She's damn good with them though

>Rarity chats with you as she works

"So Nona, what brings you to Ponyville?"

>You try your best to sit still

"It's a long story actually. I don't think I'll be staying long, honestly... I just owe Twilight for taking me in, and I'd like to pay her back before I go. Of course, I owe you too now don't I?"

>Rarity looks mildly surprised at this

"Wherever else would you want to go, darling? Isn't Ponyville just the most adorable little town?"

>You're kinda stumped at that

"And that's nonsense, you don't owe me anything! I'm happy to help a pony in need."

>There's that familiar feeling in the pit of your stomach

>You push it down, trying to ignore it

>Celestia, you're sick of that feeling

>You're trying, damnit

>Rarity seems to have finished with your mane, and is now carefully applying some makeup to your face

"Oh no, that's really not necessary Rarity I-"

>She brushes you off

"Of course not darling, you're very beautiful as is. But after this~"

>She finishes with a flourish, and levitates a mirror over for you to look at

"~You'll be drop-dead gorgeous."

>In the mirror is a face you barely recognise

>The most adorable green pony with a button nose, long fluttering eyelashes and emerald-green eyes

>Your mane flows lusciously down your neck in sweeping waves, and your bangs perfectly frame your cute face

>You realise you're staring open-mouthed at the mirror, blushing furiously

>Rarity looks incredibly pleased with herself

"You're going to have stallions fighting each other just to talk to you, darling."

>You feel tears starting to well in your eyes

"Rarity I- I don't even know what to say."

>Rarity looks alarmed and holds a hoof up

"No-no! None of that, you'll ruin the blush. Now scamper off, and next time you need a touch up, you just let me know!"

>You nod

"Thank you, Rarity."

>She ushers you out of the Boutique, shaking her head

"You can thank me by not ruining that makeup! Good luck, darling!"

>You bid your farewells, trying to quell this emotion in your chest

 

***

 

>Walking towards the town hall you get more than a few looks from the stallions you walk by

>Damn Rarity wasn't kidding

>You shyly look away, not at all used to this sort of attention

>It doesn't take too long to reach the town hall, and when you enter you can see there's no receptionist at the desk

>Knocking on the door, you're quickly greeted with the beleaguered face of Mayor Mare

>She looks rough, like she's been pulling all-nighters

"Hello! You must be Nona. Twilight dropped off a very complimentary letter of introduction earlier. Come in!"

>Entering the office you notice there are stacks of papers everywhere, littering the desk and all over the floor

>You're starting to realise that you might not have been the best boss on earth, or the best person frankly

>But you ran a tight ship. You would have reamed someone out for having a workstation like this

>Too easy to lose documents, and get in trouble with the tax-man

>Your archenemy

>Oddly you can't actually remember if you ever had to deal with that sort of situation

>You're sure you have but... the memory is just slipping away

>You're interrupted by Mayor Mare clearing her throat

>You look up and she's gesturing to the chair across from her

>You carefully use your hooves to move a stack of papers from the chair onto the floor

>Not sure how it worked that well but it did

>You sit down and look up at her

"So, Nona. My receptionist and bookkeeper had to leave for Manehattan at the last minute on some emergency business, and I received word from them a few days ago that they actually won't be returning to Ponyville."

>She gestures around at the stacks of papers surrounding you both

"As you can see, you'll have your work cut out for you to start off with. Can you tell me a little bit more about your particular expertise...?"

>The two of you talk for about an hour, although the actual interview only lasted about ten minutes

>Turns out the two of you have many things in common, dealing with shithead employees being one of them

>Mayor Mare checks her watch

"Well Nona, it's been a pleasure but I should get back to work. Much to do! Can you start right now?"

>You blink, surprised yet again

"Does that mean I'm... hired?"

>She nods, looking over her glasses at you

"I got the measure of you after the first five minutes we spoke. I think you'll be perfectly suitable for this job, and I need all the help I can get, starting immediately!"

>You think for a moment, then nod

"Where should I start?"

>She gestures around her again

"Anywhere, dear. These need to be organised and filed properly yesterday."

>You sigh

"Alright. Let's get to work."

 

***

 

>Several hours later and you're exhausted

>Your hoof hurts, and you're having trouble focusing your eyes after scanning through hundreds of documents

>You did manage to get a fair bit done though

>You're walking back through the streets of Ponyville, the sun hanging low in the sky and casting long shadows that reach across the quaint streets

>Mulling over your conversation with Twilight earlier, your thoughts turn to Princess Celestia

>You're still not sure where this feeling of dread involving her and Princess Luna comes from, but you also don't see a way back home without them

>Seems like you might just have to bite the bullet on this one

>You walk past a park, idly looking at a few pairs of ponies sitting on blankets and watching the approaching sunset

>Not really planning on going in any particular direction you find yourself walking downtown

>Your path takes you to the footsteps of the hospital, where you look up at the enormous peaked roofs

>Your wings shuffle of their own accord, seemingly

>Alright fuck it let's get these bandages off

>You head inside to find the waiting room nearly empty, barely anypony there

>Approaching the receptionist you're about to ask to see a doctor when you hear a voice from your left

"Nona?"

>Ohno

>You look over and immediately feel that familiar flush creek across your cheeks

>Blue Cross stands in front of you, labcoat on and clipboard floating next to him

>He looks a little shocked to see you, and you can actually see a faint flush on his face too

"Hi! I um... think I'm ready to get these bandages off."

>You mumble, cursing yourself

>To his credit he recovers quickly from seeing your new look

>He looks over to the receptionist

"You can check her in with me, Nurse Redheart."

>Redheart nods and looks at you a little jealously

"Of course, doctor."

>Blue Cross turns back to you

>He gestures to the hall behind him

"Right this way!"

>You step in with him and the two of you walk together down the hall

>You can't help but sneak glances at him out of the corner of your eye as you walk

>He's... well built, to put it mildly

>You can see the muscles rippling on his shoulders and rump beneath the labcoat as he walks

>Okay settle down Nona you're not into that shit

>Let's just get these bandages off

>He brings you to an exam room a few doors down from the main hall, opening the door and waiting for you to step inside

>Swoon.jpg

>You walk in and hop up on the patient's chair, settling in awkwardly

>You're not sure what to do with your tail so you wrap it around the side of your body, letting the hair cascade down the side of the chair

>Blue Cross follows you in, turning his back to you as he scribbles a few things on his clipboard magically

"I hope you don't mind, Nona. Just taking some notes for your file."

>You stare at the ceiling to avoid looking at his butt

"Uh-huh! No problem, Doctor Cross."

>He turns to look at you, an amused expression on his face

"Please, Blue is just fine. Doctor Cross was my father."

>You take a deep, shaky breath to steady yourself

"Blue."

>You breathe

>He sets the clipboard down and turns to face you

"So, let's have a look at these wings shall we?"

>He carefully undoes the bandages on your wings, closely examining them and stretching them out, flexing them in various ways to check for mobility

>Celestia forgive you, you can't help it

>While he's distracted you stare at him with half-lidded eyes, admiring every bit of him as he works

>He glances up at you after he's done the first wing, and suddenly you're looking him dead in the eyes as you realise your muzzles are about three inches apart

>Celestia help you, they're so deep you could drown in them

>The colour of autumnal leaves, of amber in the sun

>Richer than any gold you had ever seen

>His breath softly stirs the fur on your muzzle and you suddenly have to fight the urge to lean in

>He seems similarly enraptured, staring into your eyes like he's hypnotized

>You manage to tear your eyes away, blushing furiously

>He clears his throat, also looking away

"Ah-hem... Next wing, please."

>You can't believe you got caught so openly staring at him

>Fuck

>You extend your right wing, while carefully examining the texture of the wood of the door

>He does the same procedure on this wing, steadfastly avoiding looking directly at you this time

>You try to compose yourself as he finishes up and turns away, scribbling a few more things down on his clipboard

>Now is not the fucking time to catch feelings Nona, you have to get home

>What would be the point, anyway? You're not staying here

>But you can't shake the mental image of those beautiful eyes staring into yours

>Blue turns around again

"Congratulations, Nona, you're hereby cleared to fly again. Your leg, however, is going to need a few more days. Just try to stay off it as much as you can, okay?"

>He smiles at you reassuringly, like you didn't almost just kiss him

"Thank you Doc... Blue."

>You murmur, still unable to look directly at him

>He holds open the door for you again, and follows you after you walk through

>You walk next to him in a haze, your mind feeling sluggish and dazed

>He holds open the main doors to the hospital as well, turning to look at you as you walk out

"Come back in two days and we'll see if we can't get those bandages off your leg, alright?"

>You nod dreamily, and see Nurse Redheart staring daggers at you from the receptionist's desk

"Uh-huh."

>You mumble

>And with that he disappears back into the hospital, and you're alone outside

>The coolness of night envelops you, your breath briefly visible as a trail of vapour as darkness settles upon Ponyville like a blanket

>You start making your way back towards the Library, your mind completely empty for once

 

***

 

>You somehow make your way to the Library, despite the blissful daze you find yourself in

>The lanterns within spill light out onto the street, drawing odd dancing shadows on the dark cobblestone walkways

>You can smell woodsmoke coming from a nearby chimney, sweet and bitter at the same time

>Fuck it looks cozy

>As you approach the door, you can hear voices coming from within

>Twilight must be having some guests over

>Against your better judgement, your press your sensitive horsey ear to the door

"-ust seems like she's in a lotta pain, Twi."

>That must be Applejack

>You hear Twilight pipe up

"That's exactly why I need you to help her!"

>You hear Rainbow Dash's voice next

"Why can't you do it, Twilight? She's YOUR basket case."

"Rainbow Dash that's very rude. And besides, I already explained this to you. I'm going to Canterlot for a few days and she doesn't have anypony else!"

>You can hear Rainbow's exasperated sigh

>Applejack speaks up again

"Settle down, Rainbow. Ah'll stay with 'er Twi."

"Thank you, Applejack."

>You can practically feel the accusatory glare Twilight is no doubt casting at Rainbow right now

"Ugghhghghgh, fine! I can foalsit for a day or two I guess."

>Rainbow again, obviously

>You take a few steps back, then walk up to the door and knock a few times

>You hear a stir from within, and then after a moment the door swings open

>Twilight stands in front of you

"Nona! Perfect timing, we were just talking about you. Come in!"

>You catch your first look at Applejack and Rainbow Dash as you come in

>Applejack looks cool and collected

>Rainbow looks guilty

"Nice to meet you both! I'm Nona. Why... were you talking about me, exactly?"

>Twilight looks pleasantly over at Rainbow

"Well, I'm heading out of town for a few days and you're going to need somepony to sleep with you, aren't you?"

>You blush, taken aback

>These fucking ponies will just go to no end, will they?

>For Celestia's sake they don't even know you

>You clear your throat to try and get rid of the lump that seems to be forming there

"Honestly, it's fine! I'll be okay, there's no need to inconvenience anypony on my behalf."

>Applejack pushes off the wall she was leaning against, and walks over to you

>She puts a hoof on your shoulder

"Don't be silly, sugarcube. Twi told us all about yer nightmares, it sounds awful. You can come an' stay with me at Sweet Apple Acres tonight. It ain't no trouble at all."

>She turns to look at Rainbow

"An' Rainbow can take care of ya tomorrow, right Rainbow Dash?"

>Rainbow sulkily looks over at her, hovering near the far corner of the Library

"Yeah, yeah, sure thing."

>Well so much for those flying lessons, maybe you can win her over though

>You look at each of their faces

>Twilight concerned, Applejack pitying, Rainbow mostly irritated, but behind that you can see she is sympathetic

>You don't deserve these ponies

>You once again find yourself fighting the urge to cry, the emotion threatening to bubble over into tears

"Thank you all... I really don't deserve this."

>Applejack pats you on the back

>Ow, she's fucking strong

"That's ridiculous, ya hear? Now come on, it's already dark out an' Ah'd rather be back at home 'afore the chill sets in."

>You nod, and get ready to pack up your belongings before you remember... you don't have any

"Thanks again Twilight, have a safe trip to Canterlot!"

>You manage to squeak out

>The four of you say your goodbyes, Rainbow taking off somewhere (Presumably her little cloud house or whatever) and Twilight continues packing her bags to catch the late train to Canterlot

>You and Applejack walk through the chill darkness, taking the lengthy road to Sweet Apple Acres

>Neither of you say anything, finding comfort simply in each other's presence

>You've been walking for about fifteen minutes or so before Applejack speaks up

>She doesn't look at you, not that you could tell in the darkness

"Twi really seems ta care about ya, sugarcube."

>You nod, although you realise she probably can't tell

"She's a good pony... like, really good. Everypony here is, really. I feel so lucky that you've all been so accommodating."

>Applejack is quiet for a moment

"That she is, a good sort. A trustin' type, ya know?"

>Where is this going, exactly?

"Just don't do anythin' that would hurt her, ya hear?"

>You stare at your hooves as you walk

>You don't know exactly how much Twilight told her, but you get the feeling she kept her word

>Applejack doesn't seem to trust you, and frankly you don't really blame her

>You haven't really done anything to earn the trust of these ponies

>But there are some things you just can't share, even if it hurts

>How are you supposed to explain that you know the future of this realm, of all these ponies?

>Even if they believed you that would lead to a whole slew of other problems

>Aside from the obvious implications of disrupting the future, you're still not even sure exactly where you are in the timeline

>And if they knew that you knew what was going to happen to them, how would they react?

>It's just too damn risky

>And just a few days ago... you wouldn't really have cared

"...Yeah. I'll try, Applejack."

>She seems satisfied with this

>You continue walking in silence until eventually you can see the dim lights of the Apple family acreage up ahead

>Applejack stops for a moment to admire her ancestral home

"There she is, home sweet home. C'mon, let's get ta bed. Ah'm beat, and we got a lotta chores ta do tomorrow."

>You look at her doubtfully

"We?"

>You can just barely make out her nodding in the darkness

"If yer gonna stay here with us yer gonna have to pull yer own weight, sugarcube."

>She says bluntly

"But I have a job with the Mayor to get to tomorrow!"

>She laughs softly, her adorable drawl bringing to mind aged caskets of cider in a barn, rolling fields of orchard trees baking in the sun

"Then Ah suppose we'll just hafta get up extra early, won't we?"

>You groan aloud, suddenly yearning for sleep more than you thought possible

>You think you can just make out Applejack's amused grin in the dim moonlight

>The two of you head onto the property threshold, and sneak in to the house

>Seems like most of the Apple family are already fast asleep

>Thank Celestia, you're not sure you could handle that sort of gathering right now

>Applejack takes you upstairs to her room, and collapses into her bed, gesturing for you to follow

>You look around the room, admiring the rustic house with it's oaken beams and old family photos

>Applejack clears her throat impatiently

>Okay fine fuck

>You awkwardly hop up onto the bed and snuggle under the covers

>Can't quite figure out what to do with your wings

>Applejack snorts and turns over, grabbing one of your wings with her teeth and drawing it over herself underneath the blanket

"Ain't no need to be shy, sugarcube. Let's get some rest."

>You can feel your cheeks colouring again

>Whatever

>You snuggle into her and close your eyes, finding sleep waiting for you like an old friend

 

***

 

>Or perhaps enemy

>Your sleep is fitful, restless, and entirely unsatisfying

>You must have woken up a dozen times over the course of the night, jolted awake by images of coarse ropes wrapping around your legs and neck

>Wicked laughter and amaranthine eyes haunting you as you woke, and waiting for you just behind the thin veil of sleep

>For her part, Applejack is very tolerant of your outbursts, stroking your mane and soothing your worries with her adorable accent

>Even so, you feel bad for imposing

>She's got a long day ahead of her and even though she wouldn't admit it, you know that this situation is costing her

>Eventually, the light of day begins to gently glow through the old windows of the barn as night gives way to morning

>You awaken to find yourself alone in the bed, Applejack nowhere to be seen

>Guess she decided to have some mercy on you after all

>You're exhausted, and Applejack must be too

>You head downstairs to find breakfast on a plate resting on the counter, a small note lying next to it

>You can immediately recognise Applejack's hand(hoof?)writing as a messy scrawl across the page

Good morning sugarcube

I know I said you had to help with chores but after you finally settled I didn't have the heart to wake you

Enjoy the food and meet me in the field when you're done

-AJ

>You smile, touched by her words and deeds

>The food smells incredible, and tastes even better

>A slice of apple pie (of course), cherry tomatoes on the vine and some kind of sweetbread

>While you eat your mind wanders

>Twilight seemed like she was in a hurry last night, and hadn't previously given any indication that she would be leaving town

>You wonder what business was so important that she would drop everything and take off to Canterlot

>Finishing up the last of the pie, you feel some of your strength returning

>Still so tired

>You get up and head outside, finding Applejack already hard at work tilling the fields

>That plough looks heavy as fuck

>She sets you up with a few tasks that she thinks you can handle, and after a couple of hours you've worked up a good sweat and your muscles are sore

>You look up at the sky, trying to gauge what time it is

>Mayor Mare didn't actually give you a specific time to show up, but it probably isn't wise to keep her waiting

>Applejack sidles up to you

"It's about nine, sugarcube. You'd better get goin'."

>She pats you on the back

>Ow

"Thanks fer the help."

>You doubt you actually helped that much but whatever

"No, thank you."

>Applejack taps an imaginary watch on her hoof

"Tick tock, sugarcube. Ah'd fly if Ah were you, Mayer Mare is mighty frightful when she's angry."

>You nod, and before you lose your nerve give her a hug, which she returns after a moment of surprise

>Flying

>Now there's an idea you're really not keen to try out again

>But if Applejack is right you'd better get a move on

>Picking up a gallop down the road away from the Acreage you spread your wings, feeling that familiar rush of the wind between your feathers

>Here goes nothing

>You beat your wings, generating lift and launching yourself into the air, falteringly gaining altitude as you go

>As nervous as you are, the exhilaration of flying still manages to bring a smile to your face

>It's not very windy today and you find that this is much easier than it was over the Everfree

>Even so, you're not looking forward to the landing

>Although you're not that high off the ground, you can see Ponyville's quaint sprawl up ahead, stretching out before you as the little town wakes up

>You can make out ponies walking around, greeting each other and preparing for the day ahead

>And there's the town hall

>Alright let's land before we get into the town proper, don't want anypony to see you embarrass yourself with this landing

>You lean back, trying to slow down but instead find yourself climbing higher before you even yourself out again

>Oh fuck

>Instead you try leaning forward, and find yourself picking up speed, hurtling towards the ground

>OH FUCK

>You level out again, feeling a growing fear in the pit of your stomach

>Ponyville is getting closer and closer

>You look around for something soft-ish to crash into, starting to run out of options

>Your train of thought is interrupted by a familiar voice from right next to you

"Uhhh, what are you doing?"

>You look to your left and see Rainbow Dash flying belly-up next to you, her front legs folded behind her head casually

>How the fuck did she sneak up on you like that?

"Help! Please, I don't know how to land!"

>You gasp

>Rainbow looks at you incredulously

>You look back at her pleadingly

>She rolls her eyes, flips over and flies above you before grabbing you with her hooves

>You fight the urge to scream as she take you into a divebomb towards the ground, flaring her wings at the last minute and coming to a stop before dropping you off on the ground and landing next to you

>You stand shakily at the edge of town, eyes squeezed shut and breathing hard

>You knew flying was a bad idea

>Rainbow looks at you with thinly veiled annoyance

"Didn't they teach you how to land in Cloudsdale? That's like, flying 101."

>You're still trying to catch your breath

"Didn't... grow up... in Cloudsdale..."

>Rainbow laughs, her expression amused

"So you don't know how to fly and you thought you'd just wing it?"

>You open your eyes and glare at her, not appreciating the pun

>She laughs again, her eyes sparkling

"You're nuts! Well, no need to worry, I'm here to save the day, as usual."

>She stretches languidly, then noticing your expression punches you softly in the shoulder

"Oh, calm down I'm just kidding!"

>You sulkily rub your shoulder with your hoof

>Rainbow beats her wings and takes off, hovering

"Well I should get going. Try not to die while I'm not around, yeah?"

>You sigh

>She starts flying away, and you hear her call over her shoulder

"And I'll see you tonight! My place is the big cloud with the rainbow falls."

>You look after her as she flies away, conflicted

>You are grateful that she saved you, but she can be such an ass sometimes

>You're also getting a bit sick of having to rely on all these other ponies to pull you out of the stupid situations you put yourself into

>Shaking your head, you start walking into town

>You're greeted by name more than a few times as you walk down Ponyville's streets

>Damn, that was quick

>You chalk it up to small towns, everypony knows everypony's else business

>Still, it's charming. You do your best to say hi to the ponies you've met thus far. It's not hard

>And they seem so genuinely happy to see you

>It's not long before you arrive at the town hall, and heading inside you find the receptionist desk empty, just like last time

>Whoops, guess that's supposed to be your job

>You knock on Mayor Mare's office, and hear

"Yes, yes, come in!"

>From the other side

>You walk in to find it's much as you left it yesterday

>A little tidier but still an absolute shitshow

>Mayor Mare sits at her desk, scribbling notes on some paper and contributing to the ever growing stacks of papers around the room

>This is gonna be a long fucking day

>She looks up at you

"Yes? Oh, it's you. Great timing, can you get started on sorting these?"

>You nod, mentally preparing yourself

"Oh, and Spike is around here somewhere. Twilight lent him to me until we can get all this under control. Keep an eye out for him if you get a minute?"

>You sigh. Sure, might as fucking well

>Despite your resignation about dealing with this you can't help but enjoy it on some level

>There is something satisfying about bringing balance to disorder, order to chaos

>Celestia help you you're turning into bookhorse

>You spend the next several hours sorting through and filing documents

>Yawn.jpg

>You've actually got a lot done, surprisingly

>It's beneath a particularly dense and messy pile of documents that you find a little purple and green dragon, tucked away in the corner of Mayor Mare's office and fast asleep

>That little shit

>He's snoring softly, his chest rising and falling

>Time to put a stop to that

>You give him a little shake and he jolts awake

"Whu-wha..? I-I wasn't sleeping!"

>He rubs his eyes

"Just... just had my eyes closed, I swear."

>You look down at him, his eyes still bleary as he struggles to wake up

>You can't help but feel a tinge of jealousy at how easily and deeply he was sleeping

"You must be Spike. I'm Nona, Mayor Mare's new secretary."

>He nods sleepily

"Y-yeah... Twilight mentioned you, I think. I'm helping Mayor Mare too, for now... And looking after the Library until Twilight's back."

>He mutters

>You roll your eyes

>Yeah, great job Spike, you're killing it

"Since you're so well rested, I'm sure you shouldn't have any problem sorting these."

>You nudge a stack of papers over to him with your muzzle, and can't help but relish the dread with which he regards them

"Yeah... sure."

>He grumbles

>With Spike's help you're actually able to just about sort though the entire office, and only at the cost of several hours of your life that you'll never get back

>He's actually pretty helpful with the proper management

>By the time you're finishing up for the day the sun is getting low, the glow gently seeping through the office windows in the town hall

>You're pretty tired, and as you're about to pack it in for the day Mayor Mare stops you before you can leave

>She looks pretty exhilarated, you're not sure how this damn vixen has so much energy

>She holds out a small pouch in her hoof, beaming the whole time

"Your first paycheck! Normally I'd hold off until the end of the week, but you've worked a miracle here and I wanted to show my gratitude."

>She seems genuinely impressed by your hard work

>You feel that lump forming in your throat, and stuff it down as usual

"Thank you Mayor... I'm just glad I could help."

>And to your own surprise you genuinely are

>It feels good to help out after how generously you've been treated by everypony you've met

>You leave the office with a spring in your step, despite your exhaustion

>Spike walks with you as you leave, yawning loudly

"Good work in there Spike, I don't think we could have done all that without you."

>You say, looking down at him

>He shrugs, blushing slightly

"Aw, it was nothing."

>You pat him on the back with your hoof

"Say, do you know how to get to Rainbow Dash's house? I'm staying with her tonight."

>He nods

"Yeah, Twilight told me about all that. It must be awful what you've been through, Nona!"

>You shrug, thinking about all you've experienced in this place

>It's not all been so bad

"We all have our burdens to bear, Spike. I'll be okay."

>You smile at him

>You thought it would feel forced, or rueful, but it's completely natural

>He looks up at you, his little eyes trying to decipher you further, before he clears his throat and looks ahead

"So... you head past the Library, take a right, and then walk through the field until you get to a huge willow tree. Then turn left and follow the spiky-looking rocks and you're there!"

>Seems simple enough

>You're almost at the Library at this point, the setting sun framing the tips of the branches like the tree of life symbol from...

>What mythology was it from? It's just at the edge of your cognizance but you can't quite grasp it. You should know this...

>Spike interrupts your thoughts

"Do you want me to come with you, Nona? It'll be dark out soon."

>You shake your head, the little dragon looks like he's about to tip over

"I'll be fine, Spike. Go ahead and get some sleep."

>Almost on cue he yawns

>You say your goodbyes and he heads into the Library, while you continue walking downtown

>And you find yourself heading not towards Rainbow's place, but the hospital

>You just... want to get a checkup, that's all

>Make sure everything's still in good shape, maybe see if you can't get this bandage off

>Yeah, no other reason

>It's almost dark by the time you reach the place, the now familiar peaked roofs standing proudly against the sky, half painted with sunlight and the other shrouded in darkness

>Walking through the doors, you're greeted with the same near-empty waiting room, the same too-tall receptionist's desk

>You walk up to the desk, and after a moment the unicorn receptionist looks up at you

"Can I help you, dear?"

>You shuffle nervously

"Uhm... is B- Doctor Cross in today?"

>She shakes her head

"I'm sorry, but no. He went home early today."

>You heart falls

"Oh... okay, well would you let him know Nona stopped in to see him?"

>You can see an amused expression pass over her face briefly

>Guess you're not the first mare to try this shit

"Of course."

>You turn to leave, but before you can get to the door you hear her voice again

"Oh wait, I've got something for you here!"

>You turn back to see her scribbling a note on a small piece of paper, before she levitates it over to you

"I just remembered; Doctor Cross said you might come by, and to give you this if you did."

>You take the note with your hoof, trying to decipher her chicken scratchings

>It's... an address

>You feel heat creeping into your face almost immediately

"Uh, right, thanks!"

>You dash out of there before you can embarrass yourself further, trying to ignore the knowing look in the receptionist's eyes

>Walking down Ponyville's dimly-lit streets you find yourself holding the note in your mouth, turning over the possibilities in your head

>Are you actually thinking about doing this? You told yourself you weren't going to bother, that you wouldn't be here long enough to form... attachments

>Then what are you doing?

>His amber eyes flit through your mind, and you replay the moment you shared, however briefly, in the doctor's office yesterday

>You feel weak in the knees just thinking about it

>That scene, and a few more possibilities subject only to your imagination bounce around your head as you walk, and you realise you're biting your lip

>Fucking stop that Nona

>You shake your head to clear your thoughts, looking around

>You hadn't really been walking with any clear destination in mind, and yet here you fucking are

>The little paper slips from your mouth as you look up at the address in question

>It's a little shotgun-style house on the corner of the street only a few blocks from the hospital

>Modest, but the carvings in the wood suggest a subtle wealth

>You sigh, cursing yourself for being so weak-willed

>Well you're here, you might as well follow through

>You walk up the steps and knock a few times on the rich oaken door, making a satisfying thud with your hoof

>It only takes a few moments for the door to open, but it feels like hours to you

>And there he is, standing in the door with those beautiful eyes, like golden wheat-fields in the summer

"Nona! Is everything alright?"

>You shuffle uncomfortably, drawing intricate designs on the porch with your hoof

"Yeah, I um... just wanted to get a checkup. Maybe get these bandages off, you know?"

>Idiot, what are you doing?

>He nods, the slight quirk on the corner of his mouth telling you all you need to know

"A-actually, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come here, I didn't want to bother you at home."

>You turn to leave, but before you can walk away he speaks up

"Nona."

>You look back at him, and he steps back, leaving space for you to walk through the door

"I told you my doors were open any time, and I meant it."

>Celestia help you

>You brush past him as you walk in sheepishly, catching a trace of his scent

>He smells like sweetgrass and flowers, honey and smoke

>Your whole body feels hot

>He shows you to the living room, and you look around to distract yourself from how you're feeling

>It's a cute place, fairly simple and surprisingly austere

>Guess he doesn't really spend a lot of time at home, other than sleeping

>He sits you down on the couch, and then disappears down the hall and into one of the back rooms

>You kick your feet nervously as you sit, trying to think of what to say to him

"Your... place is really nice, Blue. Have you had it... long?"

>Ugh just stop Nona

>He reappears from down the hall with a stethoscope and a small doctors bag, smiling

"Thank you, Nona. No, it was my grandmother's, and she gave it to me last year when she passed."

>You feel your ears droop down

"Oh... I'm sorry."

>He shakes his head, levitating the end of the stethoscope up a few inches away from your chest

"May I?"

>You nod, not making eye contact

>He presses the stethoscope to your chest, and you gasp a little

>He laughs softly

"Sorry, I should have warned you it's a little cold. And don't worry about it, she was a wonderful mare and lived a long and fulfilling life. I've made peace with it."

>You struggle to sit still as he continues examining you

"So... does anypony else live with you? This place just seems... so empty."

>He looks up at you, those amber eyes arresting your attention immediately

"No, it's just me."

>You can't look away

"Sounds... lonely."

>You breathe

>He keeps staring into your eyes, and you realise that once again your muzzles are only inches apart

>Your brain seems to have stopped working

"It has it's little charms."

>ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh

>He leans forward, his lips only a hair's breadth from yours

>You're on a precipice, poised to jump and it's scary and exhilarating and addicting all at once

>His breath gently ruffles the soft fur on your face, and you realise you want this more than anything in your life

>You take the plunge, your lips meet and it feels like there are jolts of electricity surging through your whole body

>Your blush is volcanic

>The kiss couldn't have lasted more than a few seconds, but it feels like a lifetime to you

>He pulls back, and a thin strand of saliva connects your mouths together

>You look at him through half-lidded eyes, trying to force your mind to work through this haze

>He looks back at you in similar fashion, an adorable blush colouring his cheeks too

>Before either of you can say anything, you pounce on top of him, your lips meet again and you both crash to the floor, passion lighting up your nerves like fireworks

>You don't know what you're doing with this body, and you don't fucking care

>You let your instincts take over

>And you don't regret it for a second

 

***

 

>An hour later (or several, maybe, your thoughts were anywhere but on the time), you're lying on the bed next to Blue Cross

>Your whole body aches, in all the right ways

>Your forays had taken you from the living room, to the kitchen, the bathroom, the bedroom...

>The whole house basically

>You're staring at the ceiling as Blue snores softly next to you, still a bit shocked at your own behaviour

>And you want to say you feel ashamed or guilty for indulging in this, but the truth is... you're contented

>Happy, even

>You look over at Blue, his form handsome and masculine even as he sleeps

>...Guess you are into that, after all

>Sleep...

>Oh shit, you're supposed to stay with Rainbow tonight

>She's probably wondering where the fuck you are right now

>You carefully roll out of bed, walking to the doorway before you stop and glance at Blue again as he stirs slightly

>A smile creeps onto your face as you replay the events of the night in your mind

>You briefly consider blowing off your meeting with Rainbow before thoughts of your nightmares creep back into your head...

>No, you'd rather not subject him to that, much less have to explain yourself

>You slip out the doorway, down the hall and out into the crisp night air before you can second-guess yourself

>Maybe you should leave a note...

>No, you'll have to explain later when- if, you get a chance

>You start briskly trotting down the street, making your way through the quaint little town until you arrive at the Library, its windows dark and silent

>You look up at the library mournfully, the streets around you hushed and empty

>You always preferred it to the castle or whatever that comes next, and you can't help but wonder how much time it has left

>Spike's instructions come into your mind, unbidden

"Right, here, I guess."

>You follow his directions, struggling slightly to see in the oppressive darkness

>Outside of town, you have only the light of the moon to guide your way

>It glows coldly from above, casting a pale light that sharply defines the shadows of every bush, tree, and rock on the way to Rainbow's place

>You look up at it, admiring the beauty and loneliness of the night

>It's times like these you feel like you're the only soul in Equestria, and there's something indescribably comfy about that

>You close your eyes and inhale, taking in the sharp, chilly air

>It's wonderful

>No wonder Luna was so pissed about everypony sleeping through this

>You realise you've arrived

>Dashie's house floats above you, a grand and imposing cloud structure reminiscent of Mount Olympus, or how you always imagined god's throne as a kid

>Memories that seem so, so far away in this place

>Now, how to get up there? You're not about to try flying again right now, or maybe ever for that matter

"Uhm... Hello? Rainbow, are you up there?"

>Silence

>You raise your voice

"RAINBOW!"

>After a moment she pokes her head over the edge of the cloud, looking sleepy

>Guess she didn't bother waiting for you

>Fair enough, honestly, you've been... preoccupied

"Well, look who decided to show up. Where exactly have you been?"

>You shrug, not sure how to explain yourself

"I um... got lost. Sorry."

>She looks at you like you're an idiot

"You... got lost? In Ponyville? Nona, there are like ten buildings here."

>Drat, she's got you there

>You shrug again, trying not to look guilty

>She stares at you suspiciously

"You're... absolutely glowing, Nona."

>Her eyes widen as your cheeks colour

>Damnit stop giving yourself away like that!

"You were getting busy with somepony, weren't you?"

>You don't answer

>She falls onto her back, laughing so hard she snorts

"Celestia, it's written all over your face!"

>You look away in embarrassment

"Shut up, Rainbow! You are such a jerk."

>She lies down on the cloud like a gossip girl, her front hooves supporting her cheeks as she looks down at you

"So, who was the lucky stallion?"

"None of your business! Can we just go to sleep?"

"Was it Bulk Biceps? I bet it was Bulk, wasn't it?"

>You snort angrily

"No, it was n-"

>You stop yourself, frustrated

>She almost got you there

"Rainbow stop it! It's late."

>She rolls her eyes

"Fine, fine. Come on up."

>You stare at her, pleadingly

>She sighs

"Right, right, I forgot."

>She swoops down and picks you up, then flies up and drops you briskly on the cloud just outside her house

>The surface of the cloud is weird... It's spongy, but also doesn't have a ton of give to it

>You thought you would have had a harder time balancing on it

>She leads you up into the house, through the main hall and into her bedroom

>Despite yourself, you're captivated by the cloud house, it's pretty cool

>Somewhere between a college athlete's room and the throne room of Zeus

>...Whoever that is

>You tune back into whatever Rainbow was saying

"...and right here is where you can sleep. I put it together earlier tonight, when you were SUPPOSED to be here."

>You look at the cloud bed doubtfully

>It looks very comfy, and you're sure it is but...

>She notices the look you're giving it

"Oh, what now? Don't tell me I'm supposed to sleep WITH you with you?"

>You look at her helplessly

>Her cheeks colour a bit

>Aha! Your turn

"Relax Rainbow, I'm not into mares."

>It doesn't even feel weird to say out loud, to your mild surprise

>She snorts, cheeks reddening further

"Whatever! I'm only doing this because Twilight asked me to, so don't get any funny ideas."

>You nod, beaming

"Don't worry, I don't bite... much."

>You can almost hear her grinding her teeth

"Just get into bed you doofus."

>You saunter over and flop down next to her, using your wings to pull her in close

"H-hey, what gives?"

>You look at her innocently

"What? It's cold."

>You can't suppress a grin as she grumbles

>Despite her reservations she relaxes into you before long, and together you drift off into sweet oblivion

 

***

 

>You awaken, floating, in a cold void, silent and empty

>Dark mists roil around you, obscuring your vision and filling your nose and mouth with a bitter, oily, smoky film

>You cough, trying to clear it from your lungs and throat, and bring a hoof over your mouth

>A tendril of mist snakes around your front leg, materialising into a rope as it coils tightly around your wrist and digs in painfully

>No, no, please not this again

>You bite it, and try to use your other hoof to pry it loose, but before you can find purchase your other three legs are restricted in similar fashion

>You cry out as they all pull taut, stretching off into the infinite void and leaving you dangling helplessly, unable to move

>Amethyst eyes open all around you, hundreds, thousand of them leering cruelly at you as the ropes pull tighter

"Please, just leave me alone! Have mercy!"

>You scream

>The ropes stop, leaving your shoulders and hips straining

"Mercy?"

>A familiar voice echoes through the darkness

>Your voice

>Not your voice now, but the one you had on... Earth

"Do you really think you deserve mercy?"

>Images of your past life flash before your eyes, mixed with scenes of Equestria

>The past, and the future all pouring into your mind until you feel like your head will explode

>You struggle against the ropes, to no avail, tears streaming down your face

"I'm... I'm TRYING!"

>The scenes pouring into your head stop, and you see something else...

>Twilight, lying on the ground in a battered heap

>And next to her, twisted metal fragments scattered around

>Some kind of timepiece?

>The vision ends as abruptly as it started

"That's not good enough."

>The ropes start pulling again, the pain becoming unbearable as your vision blurs

>You dimly think about how ironic it is that traditionally with this form of torture it would be horses that were affixed to the end of each of these ropes

>Damn, you really are turning into bookhorse

>A piercing voice splits through the vision, like a trumpet's call

"ENOUGH!"

>Dark wings wrap around you, and the ropes disintegrate like mist exposed to the sun

>The eyes all go wide, then snap shut as the scene around you fades

>You're left in the middle of a clearing in a moonlit forest, a huge pair of midnight-blue wings obstructing your view

>You turn around and stare in awe

>Princess Luna kneels with one leg in front of you, her wings stretched protectively around you

>She stands to her full height as she draws her wings back and looks down at you with a mixture of kindness and pity

>You realise you're staring, and before you forget your manners you bow your head

"Thank you, Princess."

"No thanks is necessary, child."

>You look up at her, tears still in your eyes

"Is that it? Is it gone?"

>She shakes her head solemnly

"The spectre that haunts you is not so easily banished."

>You close your eyes, exhausted and defeated

>She steps closer, and kneels down to get closer to your height

"Fear not, child, for this is my domain, and no harm shall befall you under my watch."

>You open your eyes again, unsure of how to even begin conveying your gratitude

>But there is no need, you can see her understanding in her eyes, an unspoken message that tells you it's going to be okay

"Rest, now."

>She leans down and gently kisses you on the forehead, and the scene fades away

 

***

 

>You awaken, slowly, next to Rainbow, still snuggled firmly into your feathered embrace

>For the first time since you came to Equestria you actually feel well-rested

>Thanks Luna

>Your mind inevitably turns to your dreams, and of course your seemingly irrational fear of meeting either of the Princesses

>Princess Luna had saved you, and you can't help but feel guilty for having been worried

>Your forehead still tingles slightly where she kissed you

>Although it seems your fear of meeting Luna was unfounded, your apprehension about meeting Celestia remains

>You have this feeling that it's unavoidable, and that it won't be as pleasant as your little soiree with the Lunar Princess

>What did she call that thing, a spectre?

>What IS it? The witch that sent you here, or something else? And why does it haunt you so far into your journey here?

>It's like the dreams have been getting worse the longer you've been here

>You know that you've changed since you got here, and that's something that you've been avoiding thinking about

>There's been this nagging feeling in the back of your mind, like you're losing something, some part of yourself

>But damnit, you're starting to like who you've become, you like this body and these ponies and this place

>But you have to go back

>You're a stranger here, a traveller from a distant world and you don't belong

>That's what you tell yourself, anyway

>You shake your head

>This is too much self-reflection for this early in the morning, and you have a job to get to

>Time to piss off Rainbow while you have the chance

>You lean over and give Rainbow a kiss on the cheek, watching as her eyes open sleepily, looking directly into yours

"Last night was wonderful, Rainbow."

>You murmur in your most sultry voice, eyes half-lidded

>She leaps straight into the air, like a spooked cat, her feathers ruffled

>Lmao so worth it

"What- What is wrong with you?"

>She shouts, glaring at you and blushing furiously

>You give her your signature innocent look

"What? I slept great, and I appreciate you letting me stay with you."

>She stares at you suspiciously

"Y-yeah. Well, don't get used to it."

>You nod, beaming

"Can you take me to the ground? I have to get to the Mayor's Office."

>She rolls her eyes again

"Yeah, fine."

>She drops you off on the ground just below her house, and starts to fly away

"Hey, Rainbow!"

>She stops, and looks back at you, wings beating

"Thanks. Seriously, I do appreciate it."

>She blushes again

"Yeah, whatever... No problem. Don't get all sentimental on me, okay?"

>You nod, and blow her a kiss

"Ugh, you're the worst!"

>She fucks off immediately, a streak of rainbow blurring off towards Ponyville

>Good shit

>Alright, down to business. Fucking with Rainbow Dash aside, you do actually have a job to get to

>You start trotting towards Ponyville, enjoying the feeling of the wind in your fur and how natural the gait feels

>If only you could get the hang of flying, or more accurately, landing

>It doesn't take you long to get to the office, and you're a little chuffed to find it in pretty good shape

>Most of the documents have been sorted and stored properly at this point, and there's only a few small stacks left to take care of

>Thank Celestia

>Spike is there already, listening to Mayor Mare as you enter the building

"-ot much more, Spike. Just these last few piles and you're a free dragon. Thank you for the help, this place would be a mess without you and-"

>Mayor Mare looks up at you from across her desk

"Nona! Good to see you. I was just telling Spike that his job here is almost done."

>You nod at Spike, pleased to see the little dragon looks well-rested this time

"My pleasure, mayor. Couldn't have done it without Spike, though."

>Spike looks excited at your arrival

"Hey! I have something for you."

>You look at him curiously, as you approach

>He holds out a scroll, sealed with an emblem that you recognise...

>Twilight's sigil, her cutie mark

>Your heart sinks, and images of her broken body on the ground assail your mind as your dream comes back to you

"Twilight? What is it, is she okay?"

>He looks somewhat confused

"Um, yeah? Why wouldn't she be? I haven't read it."

>You shake your head

>Of course, you're jumping to conclusions

>That spectre or whatever was probably just trying to mess with you

"Nothing, she just ran off to Canterlot and... I don't know. I just get worried easily."

>Spike looks at you, unconvinced

"Let's have a look."

>You mumble

>Rolling open the scroll you can see an even, well-practiced flowing script

>Yeah that's definitely bookhorse

Nona

I think I have a way to get you back home! Come to Canterlot as soon as possible, I'll explain everything when you get here!

-Twilight

>You stare at the page, re-reading it over and over again

>Home...

>A mixture of excitement, apprehension, and... a tinge of regret run through your heart

>Some part of you wishes you had a little more time here...

>But no, it's time to go

>You realise you've been rereading the same script for a few minutes now, and Spike is snapping his fingers in front of your face

"-ona, Equestria to Nona. Hello?"

>You snap out of it

"Whu-wha? Oh, sorry!"

>Spike and Mayor Mare are both staring at you curiously

>He speaks up first

"So, what did it say?"

"Twilight wants me to come to Canterlot as soon as possible."

>You look sheepishly at the mayor

"I know it's a bit early for this, but is there any chance I could get a few days off?"

>You give her your best puppy dog eyes

>Mayor Mare looks at you for a second, her expression stern but kind

>You can see the shift in her eyes as she considers you

>Yes! It worked

"...Alright."

>She checks her watch

"The morning train to Canterlot will have already left, but there's an overnight one at nine O'clock tonight."

>She looks back up at you

"If you can finish sorting the last of these documents, I suppose I can hold the fort on my own for a few more days."

>You beam at her

"Thank you, mayor!"

>You can't help but feel a twinge of guilt

>If Twilight has actually found a way to send you home, you won't be coming back at all

>You push the feeling down

>How are you supposed to explain that?

>You turn to Spike

"Spike, can you tell Twilight that I'll be there tomorrow morning?"

>He looks at you with a cheeky grin

"Why not tell her yourself?"

>He produces a sheet of paper and a quill

>Don't want to know where he was hiding that, but okay

>You write a quick missive back to Twilight, and with a surprisingly huge burp and a blast of greenish fire, the little dragon sends it off

"Sent!"

>He turns back to the mayor

"I can help finish this up too, mayor!"

>Mayor Mare nods sagely

"Thank you Spike. After the work you two put in yesterday, I'm sure you'll have it done in no time."

>Together you and Spike finish filing the few remaining piles of documents in only a couple hours, and Mayor Mare sends him home

>You spend the rest of the workday future-proofing the filing system and making sure the mayor won't have a hard time while you're gone

>Even if you're not coming back, you're going to leave this place in better shape than you found it, damnit

>You also spend some time familiarising yourself with the roll of secretary, which is something that comes to you quite easily although you don't actually have much experience in that particular area

>Kind of pointless, you figure, but you do your best to help out as much as you can, while you still can

>Before you know it, the light is fast fading and it's time to get going

>You have a few hours left in Ponyville before the train leaves, and your thoughts inevitably turn to Blue Cross

>Conflicting emotions swell inside your chest

>Still, you knew what you were doing when you saw him last night, and you know you shouldn't, but...

>You have to see him again before you go

>It's stupid and pointless, and it's just going to hurt but you can't stop yourself

>Trotting through the mellow streets of the little town, it's getting less busy as everypony winds down for the day

>You arrive at Blue Cross' door after just a few minutes, and walking up on to the porch you raise a hoof to knock

>You stand there, unmoving

>Fuck, maybe this is a bad idea

>You close your eyes, mustering your courage, and rap the door gently with your hoof

>After a moment the door opens, and Blue stands in front of you

>He looks relieved and happy to see you

>Damnit, those beautiful eyes make your heart ache

"Good evening, Nona. I missed you last night... I was worried I had done something to scare you off."

>You smile nervously

>If anything it was the exact opposite, you have to fight the urge to pounce on top of him right now

"No, of course not, I..."

>You trail off

>He steps back, and gestures inside

"Please, come in."

>You close your eyes, steeling yourself, and shake your head

"No, I can't, I'm sorry."

>You open your eyes to see he looks a little hurt, but mostly confused

>Celestia, why does this have to be so hard?

"I'm... going away. And I... I won't be coming back."

>His eyes widen a bit, and he steps forward

"But... Was it something I said?"

>Fuck! Fuck.

>You rush forward and hug him, trying not to cry

>He returns your embrace hesitantly, clearly confused

>Gently pushing you back a bit, he holds you while he looks into your eyes

"Nona, what's going on?"

>You look up at him, finding comfort in his hooves despite what you know you have to do

"I'm sorry. I can't explain, I just..."

>You choke up

>He looks down at you sadly, the look of a pony who knows he's already lost

>Before you lose your nerve, you lean forward and kiss him passionately

>A kiss that he leans into, his muscular frame holding you up as you melt into him

>You wish it could go on forever, but you know if you don't act now you won't be able to make yourself leave

>You tear yourself away from him, and turn away on your heels, galloping down the street towards the Library, choking back tears as you run

 

***

 

>A few hours later, you sit at the Ponyville train station, feeling distraught and empty

>You feel like a bit of an emotional trainwreck

>You miss Blue already, and part of you just wants to throw this whole plan of yours away and run back to him

>But you can't

>You also can't stop thinking about the dream you had last night, specifically the part involving Twilight lying motionless on the ground

>It had been so fleeting, and you were overwhelmed at the time by various other visions being forced into your mind

>The rest had largely faded from your memory, but that bit had remained

>What were those metal fragments lying around her?

>Did either of these things have any significance at all?

>Applejack's words echo in your mind

>"Don't do anythin' that would hurt her, ya hear?"

"I won't."

>You mutter under your breath

>You had spent the last few hours after running off from Blue's house sneaking around Ponyville, leaving small pouches of Bits at the homes of your benefactors

>Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and of course Twilight

>It wasn't much, but it was all that you had

>You had only left yourself enough to buy the train ticket to Canterlot, and you were dead broke again

>It occurs to you that you hadn't seen Fluttershy the whole time you were here

>Wonder where she is?

>Your thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the train's whistle blowing

>Time to go

>You hop off the bench and present your ticket to the inspector before being allowed entry to the train

>There's almost nopony else here, only a handful of sleepy looking souls at this late hour

>You sit down in an empty seat and gaze out the window at the cozy little homes of Ponyville, the lanternlights from within slowly starting to go out as ponies go to sleep

>You're not sure what exactly Twilight found, but if it was big enough to call you to Canterlot, you're certain this is the last time you'll see Ponyville

>Your heart aches at the thought of leaving, something that would have seemed impossible to you just a week ago

>You can scarcely remember the time when all you wanted was to go back home, and now things are all just so goddamn complicated

>You yawn, and your thoughts turn to sleep

>Something you had thought about already, dreading the necessity

>Luna had saved you from your nightmares last night, but you had no idea if you would still be under her protection tonight

>And it's not like you had a way of defending yourself against whatever was tormenting you

>You briefly consider staying awake for the entire overnight train ride, but another yawn tells you that seems improbable

>With a hiss, the train's brakes release and it lurches forward, slowly gaining momentum as it trundles out of the station

>You watch Ponyville disappear into the darkness as the train accelerates into the night

>Turning your attention away from the window, you hop down from the bench seat and stark walking towards the back of the train, looking for an empty sleeper car

>No sense in subjecting whatever other poor ponies are trying to grab some shuteye to whatever waits for you beyond your waking hours

>Luckily the second car you check is empty, and you lie down on the bed closest to the back

>Staring at the ceiling of the car, you can feel the gentle vibration of the train running up the legs of the bed, slowly lulling you already

>Might as well fucking get this over with

>You close your eyes, and within minutes sleep claims you

 

***

 

>Your dreams take an unusual turn tonight

>You find yourself wandering through some kind of abandoned stone structure, long halls twisting into the distance

>The air is stale, and you have some kind of light with you but it casts only a small glow, illuminating a circle a few feet from you

>It seems as though there's something in the darkness just beyond the edge of the glow

>You make your way down the hall, quickly, desperately trying to find a way out

>The glow slowly, but steadily shrinks, the darkness closing in around you

>You break into a run, praying that you'll be able to get out of here before your light source dies

>It's only a foot from you now

>You can see light coming from up ahead, growing steadily brighter the closer you get

>Your own light flickers, and fades

>Thousands of amethyst eyes open in the shadows around you

>Before you can even scream, the scene shifts

>You open your eyes, and you're in a library

>Not the Library that Twilight lives in, this one is much more... grand

>Vaulted ceilings soar overhead, and the far stone walls look to be finely chiselled

>Looking down, you see a familiar sight

>Twilight sits on the floor of the Library, reading intently

>She's surrounded by piles of books, and she looks a bit haggard, like she's been at this for a while

>You approach her

"...Twilight?"

>She doesn't look up, just keeps reading

>You get a bit closer, and reach out to put a hoof on her shoulder

>She dissolves like mist, and the scene shifts again

>You're on top of some kind of bluff, the wind whipping at you so hard you feel like you might be blown away

>It's dark out, cloudy and with no moon in sight, the dark clouds race across the sky above you

>There's some kind of shape up ahead of you, you can't quite make out what it is

>Rain starts to fall as you approach, first a couple of drops, and then a downpour, then a deluge

>You fight your way through the wind and rain, approaching the shape

>You know what it is, and you don't want to look but you have to

>Twilight lies on the ground in a crumpled heap, unmoving

>You rush towards her, but the wind surges and blows you back, throwing you off the edge of what turns out not to be a bluff, but a cliff

>You hurtle towards the ground, trying to beat your wings, but the air seems to slip through them like sand through an hourglass

>You close your eyes and brace yourself as you prepare to hit the ground

 

***

 

>You awaken with a start, not immediately sure of where you are

>It comes back to you quickly as you feel the rumbling of the train beneath you

>Well that could have been worse

>You take a deep, shuddering breath, and look over at the train car's door

>You can see light seeping in around the door, so it must be morning

>You stretch and yawn, then roll out of bed and head back up towards the passenger area of the train

>Walking out of the sleeper car, you shield your eyes from the light of the morning sun

>As your eyes adjust, you look out the window to a brilliant sight

>Equestria stretches out before you, the distant sunrise illuminating the landscape in hues of green, purple, and orange

>You can see the Everfree Forest, and next to it, the little buildings of Ponyville

>Further to the right, towering columns of clouds hover like a distant mountain range, rainbows pouring off the clouds in sparkling waves

>You sigh, admiring the view

>The train must have been climbing the mountain most of the night, and you must be close to your destination

>The train feels level, and you can feel the deceleration as the tracks start to curve

>You switch sides of the train, and look out

>There it is, Canterlot

>A great stone castle-town built into the side of the mountain, the royal palace rising into the sky like a beacon

>You sit down and gaze dreamily out the window as the train pulls closer and continues slowing down

>A few minutes later and you're at the station, having disembarked

>Alright, now to find Twilight

>Your dream comes back to you

>She must be in the Canterlot Library

>You wander through the cobblestone streets, taking in the sights

>Canterlot is very different from what you're used to

>It's a lot busier, but still nothing like what you're used to back on Earth

>The ponies are still friendly enough, although these ones seem a little more poncy than the ones you met in Ponyville

>Even so, they greet you as you walk through town with a polite smile or a small head nod

>Walking in the general direction of the palace, figuring the library can't be far from there

>You start seeing more and more of the gilded palace guards as you approach, and you're reminded that this is Celestia's throne

>A thought you don't exactly relish

>You spy a large domed building a few blocks away, and you imagine those vaulted ceilings you saw in your dream would be right at home there

>As you walk towards it you can't help but enjoy the impressive marble and stone architecture of Canterlot

>It's somewhere between a medieval European castle and some kind of wizard's sanctuary

>There are grand fountains every other street, and even the most humble buildings seem like they've been carved, engraved, and chiseled to perfection

>You stop to admire one of the fountains, some unknown armoured Pegasus standing regally on a marble column, with water jetting from where his wings should be

>Damn. You wish you had more time to explore this place...

>Your thoughts wander as you consider the statue

>Maybe you could just spend a bit longer here...

>Sure, you don't know how long you've been gone in the 'real world'

>But if that's the case, then what does it matter?

>You might have to contend with that witch when you get back... you're not even sure how to begin approaching that situation

>Then again... Even wizards probably aren't immune to a case of acute lead poisoning

>You startle yourself with that thought, the idea of killing somepony, er, someone... it's repulsive to you

>Another thought worms its way into your head

>When did you start using somepony instead of someone?

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

>A regal voice from behind you startles you from your thoughts

>Oh no

>You close your eyes, not wanting to acknowledge the voice

>You were so close to getting out, you could have avoided this if only you'd stayed focused!

>But some part of you knows that this meeting was inevitable

>And there's no point in running from the inevitable

>You turn around, slowly, and open your eyes

>You're in a void, not dissimilar to the one you found yourself in when Princess Luna had saved you

>But there's no choking mist, no amaranthine eyes, and no darkness

>Just white, as far as the eye can see

>And standing in front of you is Princess Celestia, a radiant sun behind her framing her like a massive halo

>She's absolutely blinding, and the light shining upon you feels like it's burning

>You cower, trying to shield yourself with your wings as her radiance overwhelms you

>Through the gaps in your wingtips, however, you catch a glimpse of her eyes

>And you're immediately enthralled

>She stares at you, through you, into you

>And you can tell that she knows you, truly

>Your whole existence is laid bare before her, your flaws and mistakes and insecurities

>Your avarice, your pride, your callousness and cruelty being burned away, vaporised like dust in the wind

>But there is good there too; kindness and generosity, and love, for this place and its inhabitants

>The radiance dims, and then fades

>You drop your wings, and they hang limply at your sides

>Your head hangs low, tears in your eyes as you confront the truth of yourself and your existence

>And it occurs to you that that was what you were afraid of

>Not Celestia, but what she would show you about yourself

>You feel a hoof under your chin, and it tilts your head back to look her in the eyes once more

>Eyes that are kind, wise, and immensely ancient

>And there's a sadness there too, the sadness of a being that's seen much tragedy, enough nearly to match the innumerable triumphs

"Hello, Traveller. You're a long way from home, aren't you?"

>You stare at her in awe, the sorrow in her eyes enough to make you want to weep

>There's nothing you can say that she doesn't already know

"How did you know?"

>You murmer

>She looks down at you

"I perceived it, the moment you arrived in this land. I have been watching you since, and when you arrived in my city I decided to get the measure of you myself."

>You realise with some amount of fear that she was monitoring you to make sure you weren't a threat

>You come from a place much more coarse, violent, and ugly than this

>That she could, and would, have destroyed you if she found you lacking

>You can see all you need to know in the look she gives you

>Your thoughts turn to your purpose in Canterlot

>She knows what you will say, but she's waiting patiently for you to say it

>Confronted with the reality of going back, you almost don't want to ask

>But you force the words out anyway

"Can you send me home?"

>Celestia smiles kindly, and nods

"I can, Anon. But it will not be quite so simple as that."

>You look at her, concerned

"Speak with Twilight, at the Canterlot Library. She will explain everything you need to know."

>There's something else, something she's not telling you

>But you're not about to interrogate the Alicorn who almost just destroyed you with a thought

>There's a curious look in her eyes

"She thinks very highly of you, you know."

>You look down, more embarrassed than guilty

>Kind of a nice feeling for a change

"And what do you think?"

>You mumble

>She considers you for a moment

"That you have potential. If only you live up to it."

>The white void around you starts growing brighter once more, until it's so bright you can't see

>And you open your eyes to find yourself in Canterlot again, facing the Princess of Sunlight still

>She's flanked by two of her royal guards, both of them regarding you with calm but watchful eyes

>Celestia looks up at the Pegasus statue admiringly

"That's Commander Hurricane, one of the founders of Equestria. A great pony, whose deeds will be remembered long after him."

>She gives you a meaningful look

"We should all strive for such greatness."

>Without another word she strides off, her guards in lockstep slightly behind her

>You turn to regard the statue, considering everything Celestia had told you

>She had said she could send you back, so why are you so... disappointed?

>It must just be that complication she mentioned

>You tear your eyes away from the statue

>Time to go find Twilight

 

***