Chapter 4, Part 1: The Hollow
After a few moments of silence, I hesitantly opened my eyes.
A pony stood a ways away with a small basket at its hooves, next to the brook. An orange coat adorned the stranger, and wisps of a dark mane fell from under their wide brimmed hat.
“You must be new here!” She called with a smooth, sonorous voice.
She bounded over and we were a few feet apart. I didn’t move.
“I’m Soft Spurn. Most call me Spurn though.” Her hoof extended.
I glanced from her hoof to her eyes. Golden eyes.
“I’m uh…”
Oh shit oh shit oh shit! I had to think up a name quickly. You can squeeze fruit into juice, and that mark on my hip is what was seemingly some sort of fruit…
“I’m Fruit Juice!”
Yeah, that works.
“Fruit Juice, huh? Nice name!”
I shook her hoof hesitantly, and her golden eyes grew more concerned.
“Why the hesitance?”
… Why the hesitance? I can’t answer that.
“Please..don’t ask.” I muttered.
Her gaze grew very concerned, before lightening.
“Well, I s’pose if you can handle it yourself, that’s fine.”
I can’t handle it myself. I’m not going to open myself up that quickly… but I can ask for help.
“I...well..I don’t have a home. Is there any place that’s at least livable? I don’t want to have to force one of you… errr… ponies, to take me in. I’ll just… live under a tree or something like that.”
Soft Spurn’s voice was melodic, and soft. I guess that makes sense, her first name is Soft, as far as I know..What are these names I’ve been hearing so far, anyway? Starlight… Twilight? What kind of fucking names are those? I zoned out, however, so she repeated herself with a slightly more irritated scrunching of her face and nose.
“Ugh… Sorry, but… you can maybe stay with me?”
After actually hearing her offer, I took it into consideration. No-one knew me here, right? No-one knew I was apparently this ‘Chrysalis’ character, whoever they were. Seeing as they had a bad reputation as far as I knew, that was a good thing. So, all in all, there really wasn’t a reason to not accept her offer.
“You know what… sure, Soft Spurn. I accept your offer.”
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Shaking my doused head, I groaned. The first step I took after accepting Soft Spurn’s offer ended up with me slipping into a river. Fantastic. Now I’ve really made myself look like a complete nutjob in front of bright, colorful ponies.
Soft Spurn was giggling to herself, while I pouted, shaking my head. My mind raced like it was up against Usain Bolt, as I counted up what had transpired so far in my time in this world.
From the top:
I was a girl.
I was a insectoid horse with shapeshifting and magical abilities.
I might have murderous tendencies. Ouch.
I’ve made myself look like a fool…
...And I have no clue what I’m doing.
Well, I’m thoroughly boned.
Having went through a list of ‘what the fuck is going on’, I stretched my hooves out in a way that would not make me fall for a second time, before shaking off the water. “Erm...I’m sorry about that. I usually fall with much more grace.” Hm..My mood was shifting, and I felt more serene, calm, and happier. Why was that? What was that feeling of...suction?
I’d have to move past it as Soft Spurn finally composed herself, waving me along with a hoof. I turned and observed all who trotted past me, so many different style manes and colors and tattoo...things. It was astonishing and overwhelming in more ways than one.
Soft Spurn walked along, humming to herself a little tune. I was curious as to why people were waving at me and not trying to be mean to me, or hurt me. Tilting my head, I spoke to Soft Spurn.
“What’s the name of this little village?”
She stopped trotting along to plant her hooves down in place, speaking to me. I learned that the town’s name was…
“Gardener’s Hollow!”
Nice name..Eloquent, and sells the point of the village, that’s for damn sure. I’ve seen so many gardens!
There were so many..a beautiful patch of roses here, a row of dandelion’s, sunflowers, and some weird pointy flowers next to them. Very beautiful. I gazed at the different architecture of the buildings within the town, smiling at how nice they looked. I was actually enjoying myself, and I hadn’t even done anything yet!
It was nice.
I tried to grab a flower that had fallen with my hoof, and after the fifth try, I managed to get there. “H-here you go!” I extended my hoof out to the silver-furred, black maned mare. In this moment of absurdity, I can’t fathom how I haven’t had a mental breakdown yet!
I’m a talking bug that can shapeshift and teleport, speaking to colorful horses with weird flowers and shit! It’s weird! But, somehow, my mind didn’t completely shatter, even with how discordant and spread out my thoughts were.
As I came back from my inner monologue, I saw the mare taking the flower from my hoof with a thanks of gratitude. Weird. People didn’t usually thank me for trying to be helpful. Must’ve been a fluke of compassion. Turning my head to Soft Spurn, she had a small smile on her face… Why are these people so weird?
Shaking my head, I brushed my braided mane out of the way of my eyes, blowing a strand of hair off my nose, feeling my face ‘scrunch’ in response to the stimulation.
My face slackened as I sighed, letting my mind wander as I went back to walking alongside the other mare. What was my plan from here?