//------------------------------//
// Chapter Two 
// Story: For Lack of a Better Word 
// by Gunsmith 
//------------------------------//

	A hard impact on my back jolts me awake. The air is knocked out of me, and I cough a few times, squeezing my eyes more closed than they already are in pain. The pain comes from not only my back, but from inside my head, in my legs, and in my side, like I've been running too much. I am attempting to regain a hold on why I'm in pain, why I woke up like that, and a multitude of other questions, when I hear a scratchy female voice call out.

"Twilight! Twilight! I found Bighoof! Spike, go get Twilight, tell her I found Bighoof!" The voice comes from above me, slightly to my right, where I assume whoever is talking is standing.

"Whoa...alright, Rainbow Dash, one sec..." This voice sounds farther away, and sounds like a boy's voice. I hear some small footsteps, then the boy, who seems to be named 'Spike', continues. "Twi, Dash's here with Bighoof! Come see, quick!" What's a 'Bighoof'? Am I a 'Bighoof'? 'Spike', 'Twilight', 'Rainbow Dash'? What kind of names are those? The hell is going on...? I slowly roll to one side, placing a hand on the surface of what I lie on. It feels like wood, like a wooden floor. I open my eyes, and despite some blurriness being present, I can tell I am indeed lying on a wooden floor. I blink a few times, trying to focus.

I hear someone else, maybe a small group of people, coming towards the room from another. "Spike, Rainbow Dash, how many times do I have to tell you that Bighoof isn't--" Yet another voice, another one that is certainly female and is much more...generic?...than the other, cuts off upon entering the room. I hear what sounds like the dull thud of a heavy book hitting the floor. "...real?"

"See? Told you! Bighoof is totally real, and I found him!" the scratchy voice brags to the other. I continue trying to clear my vision while steadily pushing myself away from the floor, albeit slowly. "You shoulda' seen it! I was out flying, in my usual spot, that big field out by Luna Lake? And then I saw something, and I was like, 'hey, that's weird'. So I went down, and it was Bighoof! And he started running! But I totally beat him, then he passed out, and I brought him here!" she explains excitedly. I'm able to bring up my other arm, placing my elbow on the floor.

"Rainbow, you brought a wild animal here! Don't you remember last time, with the wolf puppy you thought was the Chupacabra? The whole pack almost destroyed Ponyville!"

"Oh, c'mon, Twi, it's a Bighoof! It's like, the rarest thing ever! It's a myth! A legend! And now it's here, for real!" I place the palm of my left hand on the floor, pushing myself up farther. I shake my head, trying to clear away the fog.

"I don't know...a few things don't seem right about it. For one, it's wearing clothes. Two, I don't see any hooves, so I doubt it could even be a Bighoof, if they were real." There is a short moment of silence, only broken by the sound of my pant leg brushing against the floor as I place the first of my feet flat on the surface.

"Ponyfeathers! I don't see any hooves, either. And clothes are kinda' weird for a Bighoof. They're supposed to be all hairy and stuff, and have really big hooves. That's why all the hoofprints ponies find are so big." Another pause as I begin standing, keeping my hands on the ground for balance. "So if it's not a Bighoof, what is it?"

"I...I'm not sure," the other voice, the one who I believe is named 'Twilight', answers thoughtfully. "It almost appears to be a Diamond Dog, but its frame is too small, and it is nearly hairless. Maybe we can ask it? It seems to be waking up...Spike, can you get me the Encyclopedia of Equestrian Inhabitants?" I stand up a little more, pulling my other hand off of the floor and balancing on my feet. I stumble, but catch myself against a nearby wall. My hands lie against what feels like a row of old books; I continue blinking and shaking my head every so often in an attempt to regain my focus.

The sound of rapidly flipping pages fills the air. "No...no...aha! Wait, no, not enough legs...no...and no. I'm not finding anything. Rainbow Dash, you may not have found Bighoof, but you did find...something." I hear 'Twilight' say. I use the bookshelves that the books rest on to pull myself up to full height; I turn around, leaning my back against the bookshelves. I rub my eyes with my fingers for a moment, then look forward.

I appear to be standing in some sort of library. A circle of bookcases lines the edge of the room, all of them filled to the brim with many colors of books, none of which I can even see a title on. They just look like colorful, upright rectangles. Both the floor and ceiling are wooden, and have a pattern similar to that of a tree's trunk, a spiral of sorts. It actually looks like I'm inside a tree. A few small windows fill the room; beneath one is a wooden desk, covered in various books, scrolls of paper, feathers, ink jars, and even a bird cage containing a sleeping owl.

However, these are all minor details compared to what stands before me. A group of three creatures stand a short distance away, watching me with anticipation. One I recognize, the light blue and rainbow colored Pegasus that both does and does not resemble a horse. There is another similar to it, at least in body shape. It is mainly violet in color, and has a trimmed mane of the same color bearing only a pink streak through it. This one has a horn atop its head, rather than wings at its sides; a unicorn. Lastly, a smaller creature stands on two legs between them; it is purple in color, and has green spikes protruding from its head, neck, back and tail. The offset white color of its belly, the claws extending from its hands, and its general shape lead me to believe it is a reptile of a sort, a large lizard, maybe.

And, everything still looks incorrect to my eyes. The pastel colors, the lack of detail, the disfiguration of the bodies of those that stand before me in a way that reminds me of cartoon characters, everything. My focus locks onto the small group, darting between each of them. The silence is so great that I can actually hear my heart rate speeding up rapidly.

"Excuse me, erm, sir...ma'am? What is your name?" the purple one...says. This time I know my heart skips a beat. I assume what I am feeling is fear, a paralyzing fear that keeps me pinned against the wall, clutching at the rows of books behind me.

The purple unicorn frowns, looking at me with curious eyes of the same color. "Do you have a name?" I continue to stare at it, unable to do anything else. "Do you understand me?" I respond with an unblinking stare.

I'm almost relieved when the panic kicks in. My head spins around, searching for a door, a window large enough for me, some form of escape. I spot a wooden door with a small window, and bolt for it. I get about three steps towards it when a blur of color races ahead of me, stopping in front of the door. It is the light blue creature with the rainbow-colored mane and tail; it is angled down, low to the ground, wings spread out to its sides and a confident smirk on its face. Surprised, I go to turn around, but end up slipping and landing on my rear, instead. I kick towards the floor, propelling myself backwards, away from the thing. I go to push myself to my feet, but instead slam against one of the bookcases. I look around frantically, searching for another way out, but finding none.

My heart pounds in my ears as I look towards the blue, horse-like thing, then towards the violet one, then to the small reptile. The three begin approaching me slowly; I try to press further into the books as they near. I hold out my hands with my palms facing them, trying to keep them from getting any closer.

To my surprise, they actually stop. My brow furrows in some confusion. I was expecting them to eat, kill or maim me in some way, but I don't think I've ever seen a predator that abides by the pleas of its prey. I slowly lower my hands, watching them cautiously.

"Why's it all freaked out?" The blue one asks. It has the voice of the one called 'Rainbow Dash', so I pin the voice to the face, whether it is really its...her?...name, or not.

The purple one glances over to 'Rainbow Dash' with a frown. "Well, it got dragged away from its home by something it was trying to run away from, to start..." This one has the voice of 'Twilight'; I assume the lizard is 'Spike'.

'Rainbow Dash' winces, smiling bashfully. Their attention returns to me. 'Twilight's' face twists in some confusion. "Wait, where is your home?"

What? My confusion becomes evident on my face; I blink a few times at the question. It is a simple one, yet seems hard for me to answer.

"I think something's wrong with it," says 'Rainbow Dash'. "Why isn't it talking, or doing anything?"

"Well, I can check and see. One moment..." Much to my surprise, the violet unicorn's horn begins to glow. A purple aura surrounds it, pulsating and rippling on its own accord. I begin to feel a tingling sensation, beginning at my toes. It travels up my body, passing through my legs, torso, arms, and head before disappearing altogether. I tense up at the feeling, surprised at its presence.

"No, nothing's wrong. It seems to be suffering from fatigue and dehydration, though, but it isn't bad."

"Then why isn't it saying anything? Can't it talk?"

"Yes, but I think we might be scaring it. Just give it some time, Rainbow."

I watch the odd-looking horses for a moment longer. Well...they seem to have good intentions in mind...The negative part of my mind reminds me they are violating every rule in nature just by existing, that I have no idea where I am, that everything looks wrong...I push it away. I decide to talk to the creatures, see if they can help explain...well, everything.

I glance about, past the group of three; my eyes lock onto the desk below the window, opposite me in the circular room. Determined, I stand, walking past them and straight for the desk at a good clip. Approaching it, I find the desk much shorter than I, and kneel down to access it. I pick up a few scrolls, opening each until I find an empty one. I then grab a plain, white feather, along with an ink jar, pulling the cork out of it.

I turn around, sitting down and rolling out a portion of the blank scroll on the wooden floor. I set the ink next to me, then dip the feather in it. I find the best grip that I can on the lightweight writing utensil, then carefully bring the tip of the feather to the paper. I make a splotch of ink the first time; I frown, dipping my feather in the ink and trying again. Hate writing with these things. After a few more attempts, I manage to messily spell out a word.

Help

I turn the scroll, showing it to the three, who are now standing close to me, watching with curiosity. 'Twilight' looks at me with question.

"Help?" I nod, pointing a finger to my chest and tapping my sternum. "You want us to help you?" I nod rapidly, pulling the scroll back towards me. Priorities, what's most important? I scribble for a moment on the paper, my next word coming out a little less splotchy.

Where

All three of them look fairly confused now. 'Twilight' speaks for them. "Where?" I gesture all around, waving about the room. Damn it, I don't want to play charades right now... "Where are you? You're in the Ponyville Library, which also happens to be my house."

I frown, looking at her. Ponyville? What the hell? I tap my finger against my written word again.

"More? The Ponyville Library, in Ponyville, Equestria...?" 'Twilight' answers hesitantly. "That's all."

My frown deepens. Equestria...? Where am I? I again go to the scroll, scribbling furiously.

Earth?

I again show them the scroll. I get the feeling I'm confusing them as much as they are me.

"You're on the earth, though. Or do you mean something related to Earth Ponies?" I squeeze my eyes shut, furrowing my brow. I pick up the quill, writing more. I accidentally tear the paper with the sharp tip of the feather, and drop down a few inches to start anew. I think for a moment, drumming my fingers on the floor. The quill bounces around as I write.

Home

I draw a crude arrow from the word 'home' to the phrase 'Earth?', trying my best to imply it is where I am from, where I want to be. 'Rainbow Dash' is the first to look up from the scroll.

"Oh, your home is earth? Like in the ground?" I frown again. Well, that was a pretty good try. I take back the scroll, moving my right hand next to 'Earth?' and starting another word.

Planet

'Twilight' looks up, realization dawning on her face. "Your home is Earth, a planet? You aren't from Equestria?" I shake my head back and forth, feeling some slight relief that they understand. The purple unicorn looks over to the small lizard. "Spike, please go get every book on inter-space and inter-dimensional travel."

'Spike' looks at her in disbelief. "But, Twilight, there's like, thirty books on that!"

"Spike!"

A sigh. "Fine..." The lizard trudges off to the bookcases, starting to climb up one in search of the books he needs. My focus returns to the two technicolor talking-horse-things before me. The rainbow-haired one looks at me, cocking her head a few degrees.

"So, you can understand us, right?" I nod cautiously in reply. "Why do you have to write to talk to us, then? Twilight, didn't you say everything was okay with it? It should be able to talk, right?" she questions, directing her attention to her fellow equine.

The same look of wonder crosses 'Twilight's' face. "Well, yes, it should...I've been wondering the same thing." Their focus returns to me. "Can you talk?"

My jaw tightens a little, almost on instinct. I slowly spin the scroll so it faces me again, dipping the quill in the ink jar and writing slowly.

No

The unicorn frowns. "But, your vocal cords are in working order, or they should be. Your body structure is certainly much more different from other natives, though..." she trails off in thought. I pull the scroll back, this time writing more. It's almost painful to write with the quill from how difficult it is to write legibly.

Don't talk

They both frown at me. I see the lizard stumbling around with a tall stack of books in the background; a smile touches my face as I watch for a moment. Reality returns to me when the blue one begins talking again.

"So, wait, you can talk, but you don't? Why not?"

I shake my head back and forth. A distant memory starts to return to me; I push it away before it can begin. Living it once was bad enough; re-living it over and over is...I shake my head again, looking away from the large, questioning eyes of the creatures. I look back after a moment; 'Rainbow Dash' looks confused, and 'Twilight' looks worried. I sigh inwardly. Those seem to be the usual reactions I get.

"Do you have a name?" the purple one asks. I silently thank her for changing the subject, and take to my scroll again.

Mark

"'Mark'?" the Pegasus questions. "That's a weird name." I let out a quiet snort of laughter. Yeah, I have the weird name. In response, I raise my eyebrows and gesture towards each of them. 'Twilight' catches on after a moment.

"Oh! I'm Twilight Sparkle, and this is Rainbow Dash," she says, placing one of her hooves on her chest and then aiming the same hoof at the horse who believed me to be a creature of legend. Twilight Sparkle points back at the small lizard. "That's Spike, my assistant. It's nice to meet you, Mark." She extends a violet foreleg towards me; I look at it for a moment, then reach out with my right arm, grasping onto the hoof and slowly shaking up and down. Her coat is surprisingly soft, more like fur than the usual hair of horses. I release my grip, automatically moving my arm over to Rainbow Dash before me. She looks at my hand hesitantly, then puts out her hoof, sliding it into my hand. Her fur is even softer, and I can feel some warmth coming from her, seeping into my hand. I pull away from the odd feeling.

Spike returns to the others, now carrying a stack of books around three times his own height. He trembles under the weight, and just as he is about to collapse, the books begin levitating. I watch in awe as a violet aura carries the books around, separating them and sending them revolving around Twilight. Every so often, a book will come up to her face, flip through its pages, then get sent back into the air. I watch as the unicorn flips through book after book for a few minutes, utterly confused and shocked by whatever it is I'm seeing. Eventually, the books return to an orderly pile on the floor; Twilight Sparkle wears a look of dismay.

"I couldn't find anything even remotely similar to a situation like this..." she says, more to herself than anyone. "Maybe I could ask Princess Celestia, or have somepony search the Canterlot archives..." Her attention comes back to me. "Mark, I don't know what to do. Do you know how you got here?" I shake my head, only remembering awaking in the field earlier. Twilight brings a hoof to her mouth, looking down in thought. "Well...Rainbow Dash, can you keep an eye on him for a while? I need to write a letter and do some research."

"Aww, what?!" Rainbow Dash exclaims. "Why can't...oh, yeah, you can't be interrupted when you're researching." Twilight nods in response, then looks at me again.

"Is there anything you need, Mark? You should at least get comfortable while I try to figure something out."

I don't have to think for very long, and scribble with the annoying quill for a moment.

Pencil/pen?

The unicorn takes a second to read the scroll. "Oh, I think the schoolhouse has some pencils, probably some paper as well. I suppose writing with a quill might be harder for a non-unicorn..." she realizes. "Rainbow, could you take him there, make sure he gets what he needs?"

Rainbow Dash sighs, rolling her eyes in an exaggerated manner. "Fine...should I just bring him back here when he gets his stuff, or what?"

"I think that will be alright. Just keep an eye on him, and try not to attract too much attention, okay?"

Rainbow gives a short laugh. "Me? Not attract any attention? Ponies can't keep their eyes off me!"

"Just stick to back roads and outskirts, Rainbow Dash!"

"Okay, okay!" The light blue...pony?...looks at me, spreading her wings. I blink a few times, leaning back upon seeing the wings from only a few feet away. They seem a little small for her body, but nonetheless appear quite majestic in nature, like the wings of a large bird of prey. "C'mon, let's go." I nod shakily, pushing myself to my feet and walking with the pony to the exit.