Chapter 4: Path to Freedom
Edited by: Chrome Masquerade
Sleeping in a cave on a hard, ice-cold surface was really not the most comfortable experience I ever had, especially regarding my still aching back.
After the first rays of sunlight penetrated the entrance of the small cave that the two mares and I used as an overnight shelter, me and Flitter and Cloud Chaser decided to immediately head out to use the provided daylight to scout the woods in hopes of finding a way out of this naturally made maze of a forest.
With no breakfast, mind you.
Cloud Chaser, though, was kind enough to offer herself as my support to lean on as my back was still feeling very sore, which also affected my walking. I was rather wobbly on my hind legs.
Having some companions to travel with made things so much easier to bear, especially boredom as the two mares and I would occasionally engage ourselves into small talks of various different topics, asking questions and getting to know each other that much better.
After a few minutes of silence I was about to retreat myself back into my own thoughts, when Cloud Chaser -still beside me- began to ask me something again.
“Sooo… is it really true that you have no idea how to fly, or how to use that horn of yours?” She asked looking at me.
“Yup, pretty much.” I simply answered while I was still looking at the ground.
“Then how did you managed to rescue us the way you did when you don’t know how to use those wings of yours?” She countered making me lift my head and letting out a sight.
“I already told you, I really have no idea how I accomplished that. I’m telling you the 100% truth when I said that I have no idea how to fly.” I answered with a bit of a sad look.
I could also have told them that I am scared of heights as well but I guess I didn’t have to if they wouldn’t ask me about it.
“Hey, guys look! A road! The main road that goes through the Everfree Forest! Finally, we can get out of this bucking place and get back home!” Flitter suddenly shouted up ahead, getting our attention in an instant.
“REALLY? Oh, Sweet I can’t wait to finally get something in my mouth and get all this gunk out of my fur and mane.” Cloud Chaser called back happily, a sense of happiness that I shared with her.
Finally a way out of this place, I was starting to get the idea that we’d never find out way back to civilization.
“Well, hurry up you two! If we hurry we could reach Ponyville before sundown. Come on!” Flitter shouted back excitedly before dashing off onto the distant road like a little girl.
Cloud Chaser giggled at her sister’s sudden change of character. “Don’t worry, while my sister is going all filly like we can take it nice and slow. No need to rush at this point.” Cloud Chaser said with a smile as she wrapped a friendly wing around me.
I gave her a kind smile in return as we continued to leisurely trot our way toward the road ahead of us.
The idea of finally seeing Ponyville for real was intriguing. If there wasn’t the problem of my appearance.
That reminded me. At what point in the timeline is all of this? Again, I don’t know much about the show’s timeline, simply because, again, I never really watched it. But it could still be important to know when I arrived, so that I don’t accidentally screw anything up, and I have read QUITE enough fanfiction to know that that’s usually is the case with situations just like mine.
Also, I probably have to deal with the Pink One as well at some point in my life here. An encounter -just like with the Princesses- I’d like to avoid at all cost... but would probably fail knowing the reputation the Pink One has.
“Hey, you still there, buddy?” Cloud Chaser suddenly nudged me.
“You kind of zoned out there, for a moment. Is everything ok?” Cloud Chaser asked, with a bit concern in her tone.
I simply shook my head. “No, nothing. Really, don’t worry. I guess I’m just hungry that’s all.” I half lied to her simply because I was pretty hungry.
Since I had awakened in this pony filled world I had not a single bite to eat, or even to drink. Actually, now that I mentioned food and drinks, I am really feeling the hunger and thirst right now as my stomach suddenly made itself known for the first time.
Man so this is how feeling really hungry feels like.
Cloud Chaser giggled at the sound of my stomach suddenly voicing his concerns, making feel a bit embarrassed about it.
Though that quickly changed when Cloud Chaser’s belly also voiced its own opinion as it was her turn to look slightly red in the cheeks at how much louder hers growled in comparison to mine. Which made me chuckle before both of our bellies growled together, making us both laugh out.
“(Hehehehe) I guess we're both pretty hungry, then. But don’t worry. As soon as we reach Ponyville I’m going to head over to the market and buy all three of us something to eat and drink. What do you think?” she asked as we finally reached the dirt road ourselves.
“Sounds nice, but is it really ok for you to dish out extra money because of me? I could, maybe, do something for you in return to pay that off.” I asked her with worried look as freeloading off of someone isn’t something i feel ok with.
She simply giggled at me as she pulled me even closer to her, making me blush a bit in the process.
“Dude… you’ve already done FAR more than most ponies possibly could! If you ask me, it is WE who owe you a lot. I would happily spend some extra bits just for you so you don’t have to go to sleep on an empty stomach again.” She answered me with another very sincere smile.
“Oh… well… thank you then. I really appreciate it.” I answered back, smiling at her shyly.
The rest of the trip was mostly met with silence as the two of us simply enjoyed the serenity of walking through a forest along a dirt road. Yeah, weird, I know. Especially since this forest is practically spelled with the words danger and death.
“Oh, thank Celestia! Finally, the light at the end of the tunnel. Come on. I will just carry you so we can get out of here faster.” Cloud Chaser suddenly shouted excitedly into my ear, making me flinch from the volume.
I let out a yelp of surprise as I was suddenly (and somewhat roughly) picked up by the surprisingly strong mare beside me (Or maybe I am just very light, who knows) and draped over her back at a somewhat awkward angle; My hind legs dangling from one end and my head off of the other.
What the heck just happened? This is so freakin’ random.
“Wa… wait a minute, why did you…?” I tried to ask before my sentence got lost inside my throat and instead found myself hanging on as the forest scene in front of me began to zoom by.
All I could do at this point was hold on by wrapping my both my forelegs around her neck and hope that I didn’t have to eat dirt along the way.
If it didn’t look and felt awkward before, it definitely did now! A grown Stallion dangling off of an overly excited galloping mare, trying to keep himself from falling off while crying out in the winds for her to stop.
Yup...brilliant, dignity and pride out the window, not that i had any to begin with since i woke up here.
“Cloud Chaser- what the hell- please stop and- put me back down- this is really unnecessary-y-y-y! WHY THE HECK ARE YOU DOING THI-I-I-S??!!” I complained in a high pitched panic tone as I slowly started to feel dizzy.
She, of course, completely ignored me and continued her mad dash towards freedom…with me on the verge of falling off and losing my stomach juices, if I had any.
“Ah finally out of this damn forest, and hello-o-o-o freedom!” The mare holding me shouted as she skidded to a halt, right after we passed the clearing.
Ahh, sweet, sweet sunlight and clear open skies. Too bad I can’t FUCKING enjoy them ALL at the moment.
I began to slowly slide off of her in a rather…comedic fashion as I groaned.
“Oh… why… why, oh why does everything here have to be so difficult for me?” I groaned as I simply laid flat on my stomach.
Who knew that you can easily lose your hunger by just getting a pony ride? Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
“Cloud Chaser, what the buck did you do?” I heard Flitter ask in an unamused tone.
“Nothing, really, I simply placed him on my back and galloped over here.” Cloud Chaser casually answered.
I wanted to retort on that, but sadly I wasn’t in the best of moods to do so. Again who knew that an empty stomach can feel sick? The more you know.
“Cloud Chaser, I swear, sometimes it feels like I have to look after a little filly.”
A pair of hooves began to move closer towards me as I continued to moan into the dirt. “I am so sorry for my sister’s antics, Nava. Do you need help getting back up?” I heard Flitter ask as a hoof suddenly appeared in front of my vision.
“Yeah… I think so.” I replied as I slowly grabbed her hoof with my own.
With a grunt -and some shakiness- I managed to get myself back up on all fours. I gave away a small hiss as a small stab of pain erupted from my back, reminding me again of the injury I supposedly have back there. To be honest, I have yet to see it.
“Oh your back, I completely neglected that. How does your back feel anyway? Still as painful as before?” She asked me with concern.
“Well, surprisingly no… no it’s not as painful as it was yesterday… which is really weird to be honest.” I answered as I looked at her with a bit of surprise in how much the pain and soreness has subsided since yesterday.
“Wait…I also wanted to ask. How DID my back look anyway, after…that one particular event happened? Was it an open wound, or was it a…”
“No…besides some obvious bruises and dirt there was surprisingly nothing too serious-looking other than that, maybe, a few cuts here and there then some rather badly ruffled feathers on your wings. Which I preened this morning while you were still asleep.” Flitter answered causing me to raise an eyebrow.
“Wait…seriously, just that? Nothing more?” I asked in disbelief.
“Yeah, really. Both me and Sis here were quite surprised as well after we carried you to the cave and took a much closer look at your back afterwards.” Cloud Chaser responded as she came up beside her sister.
I simply looked at both of them in utter disbelief. No serious injuries after a fall like that besides ruffled feathers and some cuts on my back? That… that’s just… how… You know what, screw it. I already made the decision to not try to make sense of this world and its rules. Just roll with it and learn from it, besides I should really be more happy that I am still generally intact after that incident and not question its probability. Magic Nava…its bloody magic.
I shook my head. “Well, anyway… all impossibilities aside, where exactly are we?” I asked as I began to look around a bit.
Flitter smiles. “Well we are on the outskirts of the Everfree just two or three kilometers away from Ponyville.” Flitter answered as she pointed with her hoof in a general direction.
I followed it and, to my surprise, she was right. Just below the hill in a vast, open, green valley lay the famous town of Ponyville itself. Well, famous regarding the cartoon show.
All the buildings, the style, the size were pretty accurate in comparison to what I saw on the internet. Even the large town hall was visible from here, also including the large apple farm of in the distance -the name of which I just couldn’t remember at the moment.
Again, never watched the show itself. I blame the internet for the knowledge and interest I developed later on.
What immediately ruined the amazing scenery of wide open fields, hills and chain of mountains of into the horizon was the sight of Canterlot off into the distance.
A sight which, again, reminded me of the problem in keeping myself as anonymous from those two as I possibly could, and the rest of ponykind, for that matter.
“Well anyway, come on let's go. We need to get some proper medical aid in Ponyville hospital and then get something to eat afterwards. Not to mention checking back at the local weather service office.” Flitter announced as she slowly trotted off into the direction of the town with Cloud Chaser again offering her assistance to me.
But before she could get even far I called her out. “WAIT! I… I can’t go down with you guys. I mean, look at me. Wouldn’t my presence cause some sort of confusion, suspicion or even outright panic within the locals?” I explained while gesturing to myself with a hoof, making her stop and look at me in thought.
“We… well, I don’t know, to be honest. But I guess you might be right judging by how I reacted to you at the beginning. Minus my sister here, who sometimes just doesn’t give a feather what’s happening around her.” Flitter answered while giving her sister a deadpan look.
“HEY! You’re making me sound like an idiot again.” Cloud Chaser retorted.
“I never implied that.”
“Girls… please focus. I can’t go into town looking like THIS! We need to find a way to hide my true appearance.” I quickly interrupted before another argument between these two could start.
Flitter tapped her chin in thought for a while before she looked like she had an idea.
“Wait… how about covering your wings with bandages? You can pretend that you have suffered some kind of back injury (which is actually kind of true) or whatever and make yourself look like an ordinary unicorn.” She suggested.
“A unicorn with an abnormally long horn.” Cloud Chaser suddenly added which made both of us switch our gaze up to my horn in realization.
That could easily be turned into a dirty sex joke.
“Well… true, but there’s nothing we can do about that. But I think it should be alright. I have heard of some unicorns who did possess abnormally long horns compared to other unicorns around their family, so I guess it’s not an impossibility, but more of a rarity.” She commented while looking thoughtfully up into the air.
I sighted. “Well, I guess that’s it, then. Wrap myself up in cloth and pretend to be a unicorn.” I said as I grabbed my Trilby off my head and began to rummage through the interior until I felt and grabbed onto another large stack of Bandage rolls out of my hat.
I remembered that I had a shelf full of medical supplies back home, including large stacks of bandages that I never used, which...shouldn’t be hard to imagine why to be honest.
Both of their reactions were predictable, to say the least.
“What?” I asked looking between the two.
“No… nothing. All right, hold still while me and Cloud here wrap those bandages around you.” Flitter responded with a confused shake of her head.
It took a while, but eventually my midsection was completely wrapped up, hiding my central torso and -more importantly- my wings from any outside viewers.
“There. All done, no trace of wings in sight. How does it feel? Is it too tight?” Flitter asked after she looked over their hoofiwork.
It does look somewhat ridiculous, I have to admit, but it least it serves its purpose. Better this than nothing, I guess. But I do have to eventually think of much better way in hiding my wings in the future because the whole “I’m injured around my chest and back” gag won’t work its magic forever, ponies will eventually get suspicious as time goes on.
I could, one day, use actual magic to do the trick, but that was simply a plan for another day. First I needed to learn how to use actual magic before I could even get there.
Getting back to the present, I simply shook my head letting her know that everything felt fine before Flitter, Cloud Chaser and I finally made our way down to Ponyville together.
Well, here we go, meeting the land and these locals face to face for the first time. Let’s see how long I can last before I make things awkward again.