> hornless > by Icefire1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Found > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pain.... Excruciating pain. That's all that could be felt, as he blacked out....... ******* The yellow pegasus was startled as bad as the chickens when they heard the wail. She dropped the feed she had been holding when they screeched out. "Oh my," she fretted,” You heard that too? It sounds like some poor wounded creature, maybe about to die. Ohhh...I need to go help it." She was about to leave when suddenly she heard a cough. She turned behind to see angel sitting behind her, frowning. : what’s wrong, Angel?" She leaned down to his face. Angel had made a gesture to a clock that seemed to be pulled out of nowhere and pointed to his mouth; she knew this as a sign for him to want to eat. She couldn't afford to lose any time. Whatever out there that cried out must have been in terrible pain. "Oh Angel, I just can't feed you right now." Angel frowned even more. "But I promise that when I get back, I'll give you a special treat. Is that alright with you, my little Angel?" Angel gave a relenting sigh. She ran off, headed toward the Everfree Forest. A little nervous of the dark forest, she slowed down at the front of the path into the forest. She peered in, trying to see past the darkness, but to no avail. She dug a hoof on the ground, thinking where the creature could possibly be, until she heard the wail again. At this, she snapped and ran in. ******* He opened his , but could hardly see through the painful headache. He had splayed on his stomach, all legs like an X. He felt like he was hit by speeding pegasus, right in the center of his forehead. Not only that, he also had this unusual feeling of being emptied, but of what, he couldn't think of it. He felt like he was losing his very essecence of life. He clutched the center of his forehead, and regret it for a second, as the pain was extremely harsh, just like before. The next second, he was out. ******* She never expected to see a light in the forest. She walked on, searching and listening for any other sound that would help her find the source of the wailing. She looked in a circle frantically, and noticed a clearing a little ways to her left. She peered yet again, and was rewarding by an unusual sight: the clearing had a glow to it. Attracted to it, she drifted toward it, maybe a clue to help her. She was rewarded with more than a clue when she stepped into the clearing. In the air, there were sparkles of light blue in the air. She stared in admiration, wishing her friends were here to see the sight, as it was beautiful and calming. Her trance was broken when she heard the wailing again. This time, right next to her. She jumped at the sound, and looked down fearfully. "Oh...!" She gasped. She knelt next to the bloodied pony, and nudged the grey furred mass. "Please please, wake up!" She pleaded, her heart chilled at the sight of his blood. The pony gave a small rasping noise. Good, she thought, he's still alive. She moved so that she was on his back, and slowly lifted her up with her wings, slowly flying out of the forest, towards her house. Panting form her heavy wounded passenger, she slipped him into her bed and tucked him in. She left for a wet towel and came back and placed it delicately on his forehead. As soon as it was placed, the grey mare gave a quiet sigh. Whether from comfort or pain, she couldn't tell. But it was a sign that he was still alive. Now that he was safe, she could get a look at him. He was an unusual looking mare. He was grey furred with a really white man, soiled with dirt and flecks of blood. She ran a hoof over his chest fur, as she noticed something oddly white. She untucked the covers and saw some sort of markings around his neck and chest. A cutie mark? She thought. No, it can't be. She hoofed at the connecting fur of the white and grey, sure that it was fake. To her surprise, it was all the same, just a different color. She now remembered the dirt that was stuck to him. "Oh dear. You need a bath really bad" she whispered to the sleeping figure. She trotted out to her bathroom to get the water running. ********* Grey Cloud opened his eyes weakly. The pain he thought, had lessened slightly, and felt something on his forehead. He moved a hoof to touch it, and it slid off, leaving a wet mark down the side of his face. Of water and of blood. His blood. He looked from the towel and focused on where he was. He was lying under the covers of a cozy queen size bed with darkish pink cover. On one side of the wall was a window, the sun was slowly starting to go down. Along the opposite side was a row, along with some sort of bird stands, which held up an assorted amount of birds of different species. They looked at him curiously, with their wings tucked in and heads cocked to the side Using his magic, he moved the blanket...or so he thought. The blanket did not budge. He frowned. A simple levitation spell was simple to do. He put a hoof to his head, and immediately regret it. He had touched his 'horn' and the pain sent straight back to unconsciousness. ******* Fluttershy noticed the towel on the bed when she finished filling up the bath. 'Is he awake?’ she wondered. 'I hope I don’t wake him if he is.' "Good morning!" She chirped, just in case he was simply resting. No response. She sighed worryingly, and she walked over and laid him over her back, and carried him to the bathroom. Ever so softly, she slipped him into the tub into a sitting position. She only just barely stopped him from whacking into the edge of the bed when he woke up. Just then, she saw the lump of something on his head. Something solid that was cracked off.... "Oh no! This is terrible! You're missing your horn!" *she whispered as she stroked his face. Already, despite being awake for a minute, he already seemed to relax to her touch. ******** He awoke, but this time to be submerged in a pool of warm water, up to his chest. He noticed that a hoof was on his face. Somehow, that simple touch melted some of the pain away. He looked up to the one touching him, and could barely believe his eyes. A beautiful yellow pegasus was looking down at him, her feathers a little ruffled, and a concerned, almost worried look on her face. Her pink mane hug close to the edge, curling right upright in his face. It didn't seem real to him. "Am I-I-I d-dead..?" He stuttered softly She giggled softly. Music to his aching ears. "No, you poor thing. I found you in the forest where I found you...badly hurt." She glanced off to the side, as if she had more to say, but didn't want to say it. ***** "Badly...? He whispered, still in pain. “How bad?" Oh no, she thought mournfully, he doesn’t know what happened. I have to tell him. "Umm, you're a unicorn, right? I mean, it’s ok if you don't want to tell me, you know, it being personal and all..." she asked timidly. The pony smiled." Of course I am." He answered as-of-matter-of-fatly. “I have a horn and can use magic. You see my horn right?" She looked at him at him sadly. “Actually... no...I-I don't." She felt so bad seeing his distraught face. "Ooh I’m so sorry!" she leaned over the edge and hugged him with her forelegs. He stared glumly over her shoulder, silent. She began to cry, and she began to shake from it. She felt his hooves slip back around he, and laid his head on her shoulder. He eventually pulled back from the embrace and gave a weak grin. "It's ok, it's not like I used it that much anyway." he said. She doubted that. The horn was their one thing they used daily, just for the simplest of things like turn a page or opening a door. He raised a hoof and scratched the back of his head, water drops splashing back into the tub. Fluttershy noticed this and blushed beet-red, realizing he was in the tub, washing him all over. He saw her cheeks, but he said nothing. He couldn't think straight still. His horn still throbbed, scattering any thought with each pain that came. Instead, he just slumped a little lower into the tub, and he let her finish cleaning him. ****** Fluttershy had never really cleaned a pony but herself before, much less a male pony. She picked up her sponge from the soapy water and used it to clean up his mane. A tear escaped her eye as she saw how heartbroken pony was. He didn't even really respond to her touch in the slightest, even when she washed past the waist. She leaned over and hugged him again, still saddened for him, but she wrapped her hooves around his neck again, but accidentally bumped the sensitive craggy part of his forehead. He gasped out loud, and she shrank back in fear. "I'm so sorry! I didn't m-mean to!"She frantically apologized. The pony looked up, his eyes water. “It’s ok. You didn’t mean to.” He said, though through gritted teeth. “Ahem.” Both ponies both looked up in surprise. Angel had walked in, and by the gesture he was making with his mouth, he wanted his treat now. “Oh, umm Angel. Could you just wait a teeny tiny bit longer? I’m about to dry off Mr.….” She looked back at the pony, unsure of his name. He stepped out of the tub, and rubbed an eye. “Grey Cloud”, he answered. Angel stared at the pony in curiosity. This was a somewhat new to him, seeing another pony in her house, besides her usual friends. “Could you wait Angel? I promise I’ll get to you as soon as I can.” She pledged.