If this had been a video game I’d have starved by now. I look at the rope bridge over the chasm that kept most of the larger creatures away from the palace. Before me, my path leads to a rickety old rope bridge that could easily be a thousand years old and on the other side a very dark foreboding forest. Surely they would have had a better bridge considering the size of the building it led to. No, but judging by the cobblestone there had been a much larger bridge here at one time. Behind me, the old castle was only mildly more inviting in the dark, and when I looked back I could swear I saw a purplish mist looming about one of the upper towers. Slowly I make my way out onto the bridge keeping as close to the edge as I can. One board at a time I slowly inch my way across trying not to look into the gaping chasm below. Not that looking would have made any difference. Down below me, all I could see was pitch black. Inch by inch, hoof by hoof, wingspan by wingspan until I’d finally crossed. I breathed a sigh of relief and trotted down what remained of the now broken road. Here and there I’d be forced to go around trees, brush, or gaps. At times the road would simply be gone, and I’d have to do my best to pick it up again. At other times there’d be deep gullies that I’d be forced to fly over. Each short flight would tax my underdeveloped flight muscles, and I’d just barely make it to the other side.
Did I mention hiding?
Lots of hiding.
Every squirrel, bird, and bunny rabbit was a potential ring wraith. Or in this case a Timber Wolf. Of the two I think a ring wraith was far more likely to pass me by what with not having The One Ring on me. Did they really have giant pony-eating piles of forest debris? Then again, a little pony like me would scarcely be a snack for a real flesh and blood wolf. I for one had no desire to find out the hard way and even went so far as to dig holes to bury my bodily waste so as to not be tracked. Relieving oneself while afraid that something might suddenly lunge out of the undergrowth to eat me isn’t fun. As such, it took me the better part of the night before I found any semblance of civilization.
Did I miss my human family? Hell yes! It’s just that survival kind of comes first. That, and for all I knew I’d died in the human world.
Apple orchards. Apple trees filled with bright red apples. Nor could I resist climbing up into a tree and helping myself. To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure how I’d manage it with hooves, and yet I somehow managed to just shimmy up that tree. I could feel my hooves gripping, and once I had it down, it was the strangest sensation.
And it was there, while happily munching away that I was sprung upon by the horror of the woods.
“Oy, quit eat’n our apples!” Shouted a foal under the tree.
So startled was I that I found myself in another tree in the blink of an eye.
And promptly fell out of said tree.
Thunk!
“Ow,” I complained as I reached up to rub my head. A smile formed on discovering I’d a small unicorn horn. I really was my own original character.
“How’d you do that?!” asked a yellow filly with a red mane and tail, of which her hair was tied with an impossibly large red ribbon. She looks to be about the same age. No, younger, and I’m fairly sure that in a contest of cute I’d probably lose. Granted that my mane and tail was full of sticks and briers. She had no cutie mark yet. More likely a couple of years younger than myself. After all, she’s an earth pony. If we were the same age she’d be bigger than me more than likely. She seemed terribly familiar too, like...
“Apple Bloom, I might has't bethought thee w're a timb'r wolf.” I admit.
“Ya, well quit eating our apples.”She commanded while giving me a dirty look.
“I’m s'rry, but I haven't hadst a thing to consume all day. Er Night. Any chance I couldst haply doth some ch'res, and earneth myself a biteth to consume?”
“Hang on one moment, do you mean you’ve had nothing to eat?” She said in her odd accent that sounded remarkably like a southern twang. Granted my own accent while coming to me quite naturally was making me wonder if perchance I’d been spending too much time at Renascence fairs. Granted the lump on my head could be the culprit as well. And I don’t mean the horn.
“Might has't f'rag'd a dram on the way in.”
“On your way in?” She’s struggling to understand that which is spewing forth from my mouth. I’m struggling to figure out why am I talking like that?
“From the forest.” I really needed to reign in my old ponish. Old what? Truly I have gone mad. Not sure I care anymore though. I mean, I’m talking to an actual pony. Hell, I’m talking to Apple Bloom, the Apple Bloom. I resist the urge to squee.
“No way you were out in the Everfree.”
“Afraid I wast. W'rst parteth is I’ve neigh idea how I did get out th're.”
“No fooling?”
“Wish that I was.” I offered as I got up.
“You sure you aren’t one of the creatures from the forest? Can’t rightly say I’ve ever seen a pony with teeth like yours, and you’ve a funny way of talking.”
“My name’s Kitsumi Nova. Just Nova tis enough.” I offer, deciding to go with that simplified version of my original character’s name. I run my tongue over my teeth. No, not horse teeth, but then Apple Bloom doesn't exactly have what I’d call horse teeth either. More of an interesting combo. Her teeth seem to be more like a human minus the canines. Mine had canines, and a few other jagged teeth followed by molars in the back for grinding. Best to do what I can to talk a little less like a Rennie. “I’ve a name, that proves I’m not some vicious creature out to eat apples. I’ve even a cutie mark. All I want is something to eat and to go home.
“If I knew where home was, or even if I have a home.”
“I suspect I’ll get my cutie mark in apple farming. Ain't got it yet, but I will, any day now. Names Apple Bloom. - You seriously don’t know where your home is?” She’s hanging on the fact I have a cutie mark and she doesn’t and hasn’t realized that I already know who she is.
“I’m a little disoriented. Found my way by following an old cobbled road. Friends?” I ask with my right hoof extended. I know who that little filly is and it also gave me a good indication of when I was provided this reality lined up with the show at all.
“Sure, why not.” Apple Bloom offered. “So how did you get from one tree to ta-other like that?”
“Not rightly sure myself, but it might have something to do with this horn sticking out of my forehead.” I offered with a smile, and a hoof held up. I had to brush my mane aside for her to see my horn.
“Well, I’ll be.” Apple Bloom said quietly. “You’re an alicorn?”
“No, just a pegasus with a horn in my head unless Princess Celestia says otherwise,” I offer, with a wink and my hoof still extended in greeting. “Although ponies like me do tend to be rather rare, as is my understanding.” My hoof is still out. Finally, Apple Bloom gets the hint, comes over, and gives me a hoof bump. “Now we are friends and I can’t eat you.”
Apple Bloom gives me the funniest look, I start laughing, and then she joins in.
“Come on then, I’ll show ya to the house.” Apple Bloom offered to direct me through the trees.
“Civilization, at last,” I say as I follow after her. “So what were you doing out in the orchard so late at night?”
✨
“Apple Bloom! Where in tar-nation ‘ave you been!?” Shouted Granny Smith as we enter the barnyard. The yard is full of ponies who look to be getting ready for a search party. That or a lynch mob what with the torches. “There’s timber wolves that’av been seen nosing about. Not to mention Nightmare Moon! - who’s that?”
Everything Granny says I take with a grain of salt. I mean, if the show is any indication, granny thinks there are sea ponies in the well. I resist the urge to say 'sho be do' while throwing my voice."
“Her name’s Nova. I found her out in the apple orchards.” Apple Bloom offered. “She’s lost, and doesn’t know how to get home.”
I suppose that was true enough, and yet if I was indeed Nova, I was not lost. Not really. My home was the place I’d just come from, but it was in ruins. As for other potential homes, the castle of harmony did not yet exist. Nightmare Moon… If that is indeed what's going on, that meant Twilight was likely out rescuing Princess Celestia and hopefully defeating Nightmare Moon. It also meant I missed the main six on my way in as they were on their way out. As for whether or not I could go to Canterlot once things settled down, I doubted that Princess Celestia would even know me. I couldn't even be sure how I fit into the timeline if at all. One thing I had to come to grips with is that if I am from the future, then whatever I do now, is meant to happen. If I was indeed present during the fight between mother, and… mother… I’m thinking of Luna as my mother. The fight between Muma and Aunt Tia. Could Luna be my mom in this timeline?
I looked up at the adults who looked back at me discussing what they were to do.
“Will the militia be around to drive off the timberwolves?” I asked.
“Honey, we are the militia.” Offered a peach-colored mare with a bright orange curly mane. Her cutie mark is a mason jar of peach preserves. I know that cutie mark. Hang on, hadn’t she vanished? That meant events in this world weren’t following the same timeline. That or Granny is full of it concerning Nightmare Moon because the perfect pare vanished long before the return of Nightmare Moon.
“Oh,” I replied. “But surely you’re not going to go chasing after Timberwolves, not when, not when you've a lost filly to tend to?”
Sure enough, I am a mess, and well beyond the stuff in my mane and tail. My white coat looked more like a mud coat than white. Granny was certainly giving me the once or twice over as well.
“I’m sure Granny Smith can get you cleaned up.”
To their surprise, I intentionally put the peach mare between myself and Granny. I’d a good idea who that mare was and I wasn’t too keen on her going after timberwolves. And for that matter, I don’t think Granny was too keen on me. I pressed in tight and gave Pear Butter my best sad puppy dog look.
“You sure that their filly ain’t a timber wolf in disguise?” Granny grumbled. “Maybe it’s a timber wolf pup. Might be best ta just chuck it back into the forest.”
Pear Butter let out a sigh while giving Granny a pained look. “Come on then. My name's Pear Butter. Let's see if we can get you cleaned up.”
A short time later, outback in an oversize washtub I soon learned what it was to be a dog getting a cold bath. No wonder they ran at the very mention of the word bath. The worst part was that I was so dirty I had to get out of the tub, so the water could be dumped and refilled three times. At least that’s what I thought before they started picking my mane and tail clean. Heck, they could have started out by dumping me in the pig wallow and I’d have come out cleaner than I started.
“This is no way to treat a princess,” I muttered after the third rinse.
“I thought you said you weren’t a princess?” Apple Bloom asked with a smile. Probably glad it wasn’t her getting a cold bath.
“I said I wasn’t an alicorn unless Princess Celestia said otherwise,” I corrected. “Just a pegasus with a horn. Otherwise, I can still be a princess, can’t I?” Even if I was a deposed princess I was still a princess as far as I was concerned.
My own reasoning made me laugh. Princess indeed.
“Like that little horn of yours has any power.” Miss Lofty added. She was a pale yellow pegasus mare with a seafoam mane who’d joined Pear Butter to help clean me up.
“Saw her teleport.” Apple Bloom offered.
“Well, it was a panic teleport,” I admit. “No idea how I did it.”
“Can you levitate anything?” Pear Butter asked.
“Not really, no.” I offer. “Truth is, I hadn’t even tried. I’d no idea how to do it, and whatever powers I might have had are presently on the fritz.” The teleport had been a fluke, undoubtedly linked to my cutie mark.
“Kind of looks like she’s a false alicorn.” Miss Lofty remarked. I hazard to cast a glance at her. I could hear it in her tone, and the concerned look on her face spoke volumes.
I’d been dumped. Likely had a memory charm used on me on the unlikely event I might actually make it out of the forest alive.
Telling her my mother is Nightmare moon wasn’t going to help.
And then the sun came up and you’d think they hadn’t seen it in weeks. I had to think about it, the amount of time it took me to get through the forest. It had seemed like a really long time. It had felt like it took all night and all day except it'd been dark the whole time. I'd find out later that I really had arrived during the Summer Sun celebration on the return of Nightmare Moon and that Granny hadn't been full of horse on that point. And now I couldn't help but wonder if they'd be looking for me, or if any pony would even know to look. Something told me that the latter was probably what I could expect. There was no way anyone in Canterlot could know to come looking for me. Probably just as well as there was no telling what sort of reception I'd get.