Prologue:

Okay, it sounds pretty crazy when you write fan fiction as a fictional character. But what if I told you that I didn't know before that I was a product of someone else's fantasy?

Ever since I appeared one night in Equestria in the Everfree Forest, the question of my origin has been on my mind. But the answer was to be found far away from fantasy, where my story was finally written down: My name is Rico Heartstrings and I am a pony from earth.

Chapter 1 - Awakening In A New World

I came to consciousness and turned my gaze to a being that stood before me in the darkness. After a moment I could see the being more clearly in the moonlight. It had a large head, green eyes and white-blue hair. On its left ear it had the blossom of a flower. I didn't know exactly what it was, but it resembled a horse. A colored horse.

I started to get nervous inside because I noticed that something was wrong with my head. It hurt and was wrapped in a bandage, which the friendly horse named Levita examined directly.

"Oh dear, poor you! You must have had an accident and now you don't remember who you are. Were you attacked by a Timberwolf? Are you alone? Who put that bandage on you? Are you from Ponyville... or maybe Cloudsdale?"

Levita asked me dozens of questions, but I didn't know what she was talking about. I was completely overwhelmed by the situation, but I didn't want to panic, so I asked her carefully what she meant.

At that moment I looked down at myself. I was completely covered in mint green fur and I had hooves. On the sides of my shoulders were two wings folded together and a green strand of hair was hanging in my face, which was probably my mane. As I panicked and tried to grasp the situation, I turned around and discovered a tail hanging from the back of my body, shining purple in the moonlight.

"What am I? How am I...? What's going on here? Where... where am I?" I stammered desperately.

"Hey, now, just take it easy, will you? Apparently, you got hit harder than I thought. You are here in Everfree Forest, not far from Ponyville. Come with me, I'll take you somewhere safe. Can you walk?"

I tried to collect myself and tried to stand up, which was a very shaky business. My legs were shaking, but the Pegasus pony helped me so I could stand stable. Apparently this Pegasus pony called Levita was friendly and tried to help me. So I trusted her, tried to pull myself together and not lose my temper. Maybe she could help me understand what was happening around me...or had just happened.

At least she had already answered me what kind of being I was. A Pegasus pony...and apparently Levita was one, too. At that moment I remembered the appearance of a Pegasus, but I actually bore little resemblance to the winged horses I knew from Greek mythology. I was much smaller and my wings were much too small. This probably had to do with the pony thing, since ponies are generally smaller than normal horses. My thoughts were interrupted by Levita.

My head started to work and I tried to remember. I did not know what to answer. Then the panic in me rose up again and it ran down my back in a freezing cold when I noticed a huge hole in my mind. I could not remember where I came from. This feeling frightened me and without me wanting it, I burst into tears of desperation.

I didn't want to react like that, but I was just too desperate. Levita noticed my condition and hugged me with her hooves and sat down next to me on the grass.

"Just stay calm. We'll leave this place first and then we'll see what's going on with you. What's wrong with your head?"

While I was still struggling with my nerves, I grabbed my head in bewilderment and felt the bandage. I had apparently hurt my head. Levita smiled at me reassuringly.

"You seem to have fallen on your head and now you don't know where you are. Classic amnesia. Don't worry about it now. We'll figure it out. Follow me."

I agreed with Levita and so they both left the forest for a small settlement she told me about. She was probably right that now it would be best not to worry too much. So I tried to concentrate on staying calm and wait for my memories to return with Levita's help. But even when I had amnesia, I still wondered where the bandage came from. I mean, someone must have treated me after my accident. But apart from Levita and me, there was no one around. The moon shone brightly over the forest. But there was something special about it: the craters on it formed a motif that looked like a unicorn to me.

After a few minutes we came to a clearing that led out of the forest. I looked at a large landscape and the top of a high but distant mountain glittered in the moonlight. Further down in the field I could see the outlines of small houses. We had apparently arrived at the small village that Levita had mentioned. As we approached the village, Levita kept asking me how I felt. Personally, I was totally out of it, everything else seemed to have been erased from my mind, I no longer recognized my surroundings. But I tried not to think about it too much. Levita seemed to know exactly how she could help me. Then we both arrived at a house that I had never seen before. Thanks to the moonlight, I was able to get a good view of the building from outside. It looked like a...half-timbered house. That is what I remembered. The only difference was that the house was painted in yellow and the supporting beams in the masonry were painted in a matching pink. The walls were made of wood. For me it was strange that a pony lived in a house and not in a stable. But maybe I don't remember that either. I should try not to ask myself too many questions, surely everything will clear up.

When we were in the house, Levita took me to the upper floor of the house and insisted on sleeping in her bed. She said she would sleep downstairs in the living room. I got into bed and Levita gave me a cup of tea to help me sleep. Then she blew out the lights in the candle lamp that hung over the bed and disappeared downstairs. Although I had a lot of questions going through my mind, I tried to stay calm and get some sleep. Tomorrow the world would surely look very different.

When the warm rays of sunshine woke me up the next day and I looked around the bed I realized that I still did not know how I could end up here in this strange world. But before I panicked again, I looked around in the room I was lying in. It had become day by now. The walls were wooden and painted in a cream color. Most things made of fabric seemed to be self-knitted. I saw some candles hanging on the walls, probably for lighting. This room seemed to me to be remarkably simple. Neither pictures nor clocks hung here. I didn't know what time it was, but it seemed to be daylight already. Warm sunshine came through the window and I could see a blue sky with grey clouds. I wanted to have a look outside to see the surroundings. When I wanted to get up, something was wrong. I realized again that I was in the body of a pony. But on the last evening I was able to walk here without any problems, now I found it difficult to stand up straight. With every step I began to sway.

"What the? This is not normal... What's wrong with me? These...ugh...stupid hooves!" I snorted.

It seemed to me that I had never walked on four legs before. How difficult something as natural as walking can turn out to be. I probably didn't even have to think about walking because of the upset yesterday, but now that I was aware of every step...

After a few steps I had some routine. At least I only had to take care of my front legs, my back ones moved almost by themselves. Slowly I approached the window until I could take a look out. My mouth was open. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

I looked at a magnificent landscape full of colors. Green trees, wide meadows and this beautiful sky! I rubbed my eyes, because I thought I was dreaming. Despite my amnesia, I was sure; I had never seen anything so wonderful before. The sun was shining brightly over the landscape. I wanted to enjoy this sight. I tried to open the window by pressing it, which worked without any problems. The feeling afterwards was indescribable. There was no wind and yet the temperature was pleasant. I sniffed the air and smelled fresh grass, numerous fruits and the flowers growing in a flower basket by the window. I didn't know how all this could be, but it was a wonderful feeling of security, freedom and freshness.

I looked down from the window and saw several houses standing next door. Although many of the houses had the same paint scheme, none of them was structurally similar, each house was unique. I discovered several paths in front of the house. And that's when I saw them: a handful of creatures with different colors and shapes: Ponies.

And again I rubbed my eyes. This could all have been just a dream, but it was reality. I was awake and there were really colorful ponies running along the paths...in all kinds of colors. Now I had to admit to myself that I was still in this strange world that I could not remember. But at least I could remember the last evening, the pony that had brought me to this house. Where was the pony now? As I looked around, I discovered a staircase at the other end of the room, which seemed to lead to the ground floor of the house.

I already saw myself falling on my nose as I looked down the stairs. I climbed the first step very slowly. It was quite quiet in the house, so I didn't want to make any noise at all. I didn't want to hurt my head again and also didn't want to wake up Levita. The first step felt like I was walking down a steep hill. After all four of my hooves were on the stairs, my whole body began to tremble with tension. When I wanted to take the next step, it happened as it had to happen. I slipped off the step with one hind hoof and tumbled forward down the stairs. When I arrived at the bottom of the stairs after rolling several times, my purple tail was hanging down on my face from above, I blew it away annoyed. I was just about to get up slowly when Levita came straight out of the kitchen next door.

Levita was already awake and so was I now. What a welcome! My back fur had lined up like a cat. Anyway, I was awake now. I didn't want to bother Levita, but she insisted that I should regain my strength. She laughed and said that this would also improve my thinking ability. I personally thought that was really sweet of her, so I agreed to her help.

The table in the kitchen was really abundantly set. There was apple pie, pancakes with applesauce and apple juice to drink. But here a memory gap opened up again. Somehow I was not familiar with eating with my mouth off my plate. Somehow something was missing. But with the delicious selection I didn't find it that difficult. So I tried to grab a pancake from the stack with my teeth, which looked pretty funny, as Levita giggled. But after a bit of practice I got the hang of it and Levita quickly picked up the theme from last night.

"I have a bit of a headache, but that could also be from the stairs. But since yesterday it has gotten better. What kind of tea was that?" I joked.

"This was an herbal tea so you could sleep soundly. So I could take a closer look at your head injury. To be honest, I was a little scared at first. I was able to treat the wounds with herbal water, but something seemed to have attacked you. I put a new bandage on your head. The way the old one was wrapped, only a unicorn could have made it. Can you remember anything?"

"No, I'm sorry. No matter how hard I try, I just don't know where I'm from... or who I am."

"On Earth? Do you mean the ground? That's quite a lofty way to talk about the ponies here, are you sure you're not from Cloudsdale?" she laughed.

Now I was confused. Did Levita want to test my thinking skills with it or was it just a joke from her? I tried to answer carefully.

"Well, I can't remember much. But I can assure you that I know that 'Earth' is the name of this world."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. I only know fragments. But it's quite possible that I knew it before."

"You really need professional help. And I know just the place to go when it comes to information."

She lost no time and set off with me after we finished breakfast. We went to a nearby library to get an overview of where I was and hopefully...what I was exactly. When we passed a market place near a bridge, grey rain clouds covered the sky. The special thing about it was that the clouds didn't move a bit. There was no wind blowing either. Somehow this sight seemed unnatural to me. How could that be?

"Hm...apparently the Pegasi want to make it rain today. I just hope that they will take their time with it..."

"Yes, that would be really weird if the clouds were moving by themselves? Imagine it would start raining without any announcement. A pure chaos," Levita joked.

This "chaos" seemed more familiar to me at that moment than this weather. Levita noticed my doubts and said that most of my questions would surely be answered in the library again. We approached a large tree that could be seen over the roofs of the other houses.

On our way there I noticed other ponies on the road. They all looked quite different. I saw two older ponies, one blue and one yellow, coming from a big house. It looked like a gingerbread house, covered with sweets. As we walked across a large square, I saw an apple stand where two ponies were selling apples. One was apparently still very young, because it was only half as big as me.

I realised that the big tree was not ordinary. There were windows in the trunk and a small balcony hiding in the treetop, on which a telescope stood. This must have been the library Levita had spoken of. Although I found it a bit strange that not only the books but also the library itself was made out of a tree. But when we arrived, we couldn't go into the library because the door was firmly locked.

"Hm...Probably the mayor has the key. I'll ask her quickly, I'll be right back," Levita said and ran into a tall round building in the middle of the large square. Apparently it was some kind of town hall.

There I stood...alone...in the middle of a strange world. I had no idea where I came from or what exactly I was. Sure, from the outside I looked like a kind of pony. But something told me that I didn't always look like that. This body was unfamiliar. I tried not to let on anything and smiled at the ponies that passed by me. All the ponies looked at me as if they were seeing me for the first time. I was not afraid of them, but I did not dare to talk to them either.

A brown pony with raised hair, accompanied by another with red strands, caught my attention. The strange thing was that the brown one was walking around with glasses on its nose, the lenses of which were tinted red-blue. Then it looked at me. I tried not to act weird and smiled at it too. But the brown pony looked at me closely.

"That pony there..." muttered the brown. He put his glasses off and on again and again. As if he would see something else through it.

"Something is wrong, when I take off the glasses it is a normal pony, but when I put them on..."

"Um... Nothing, Roseluck. It's probably just my imagination running riot again. Let's move on, allons-y!"

I was totally shocked when a pink pony threw itself on me from behind and sat on my back.

"Do you know that today is a very special occasion? I'm going to throw you a welcome party and introduce you to all my friends...or you'll get to know all of Ponyville! Tonight is the summer sun celebration and every pony in town will be there! What do you say?"

"Levita," you say? I know her well. I know everyone here very well. Well, except you. Who are you and...what happened to your head?" the pony asked me and squeezed his eyes together.

I was totally confused. What did the pony want from me? He seemed extremely pleased that he had met me. But I still tried to act normal. After all, I first had to learn to understand this place.

"Oh, where are my manners. My real name is Pinkamena Diane Pie. But just call me Pinkie Pie, that's what everybody here in Ponyville does. What's your name?"

I tried to avoid her question. It would have been too embarrassing if it came out that I didn't even know my own name.

"Nope, just me. Mostly when I greet new ponies or when I hadn't seen one of my friends for a long time. I will come up with something very special for your welcome party. Maybe I should introduce you to all my friends right now."

"That's real nice, Pinkie Pie. But like I said, I'm just waiting for Levita Dream. She's getting the keys for the library.

"The library? That's a great idea! There hasn't been a pony there for a long time and from the space available it would be the ideal party location! Thanks, give her my best wishes when she comes back. I have a welcome party to prepare! Yippee!"

Before I could say anything, Pinkie Pie had disappeared again. A short time later Levita came by and did not get the keys. The mayoress said that the library was closed for a special matter. I told Levita Dream about Pinkie Pie, but she hadn't seen her in the town hall. I told Levita Dream that I was unsure if I could go to a party in my current condition. She agreed with me and tried to visit Pinkie Pie with me to talk to her about the party again. And so we went to the Candy-Gingerbread house I saw earlier, which was called the Sugarcube Corner.

Just as we entered the Sugarcube Corner we noticed a big pile of party stuff. But Pinkie Pie was not to be seen.

That was scary. I didn’t say anything, how did she know we were two? And where was Pinkie Pie, anyway? Then we noticed that something was rummaging through the pile of party stuff.

With this sentence the digging stopped at a blue small cannon. As we looked curiously into the barrel, Pinkie Pie suddenly jumped out of it.

"This will be the best welcome party in a long time! And it will be tonight. Pinkie promise," she said frantically and full of anticipation.

"PINKIE PROMISE!" she shouted and pushed us out of the store with the pressure of her voice. Levita and I were still on the floor and our hair stood on end as if a storm had just raged.

"See you tonight, folks!" Pinkie Pie waved to us excitedly before she threw herself back into the party stuff and disappeared.

So that was Pinkie Pie, good to know. The next time I needed something from her I knew what to expect. Next, Levita wanted to introduce me to a unicorn named Rarity. When we arrived at her house, I was already surprised by the façade. This house looked different from the other houses in Ponyville. Levita explained to me that Rarity would like to live in Canterlot, so her house was modelled on the style of the houses there. Canterlot was a town built on the edge of the highest mountain nearby. From the distance you could also see a castle from where Princess Celestia watched over Equestria.

Once upon a time, Celestia, the Princess of the Sun ruled together with her sister Luna, the Princess of the Night. Celestia was responsible for making the sun rise and set so that Luna could then ring in the night with the rising moon. Since Luna had disappeared a long time ago, Celestia took over her task until today. But I would learn more about that later, Levita said. It should also have something to do with the unicorn symbol on the moon.

When we knocked on the house, a white unicorn with a purple mane opened up on us. That must have been rarity.

"Hello, darling. Who is your good-looking companion..." she flattered me. I blushed slightly.

"Hello, Rarity. This is...a friend of mine, he's new here in Ponyville. He..." Levita tried to find an explanation.

"I fell down the stairs when I wanted to get something to drink at night. But thanks to Levita I'm feeling much better," I said.

"Glad to hear it! Then let me introduce myself: My name is Rarity and I am the owner of the Boutique Carousel, the generous destination for all fashion-conscious ponies in Equestria. If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask me."

Rarity was also very nice. She showed us around in her boutique and showed us her works. Even though I was not particularly interested in fashion, I liked her boutique very much. She used so many colors and each garment was a work of art in itself. When I asked her how much an item of clothing costs, she laughed and said that I can have whatever I want. Apparently money was not as important here as I thought. After getting to know each other and also meeting Rarity's younger sister, Sweetie Belle, Rarity said she had an important task to do today for the summer sun celebration. So we said goodbye to them and made our way to Levita's next friend.

Just as we were leaving Ponyville to the west, I saw over a landscape of apple trees.

Levita told me that this plantation is the home of her friend Applejack and her family. As we walked past the first trees, We already saw two family members that I had seen before at the apple stand in the center of the village. One pony was called BigMacintosh, a big red stallion with a yellow mane. That was Applejack's big brother. He kept kicking the apple trees with his hind hooves, and masses of big apples fell down. A smaller pony with yellow fur and a red mane ran around with a basket on his head and caught the apples before they hit the ground. This was Applejack's younger sister Applebloom.

As we walked on to the farm, I asked Levita if it was rude of me not to introduce myself. She smiled at me and said:

"Applejack's brother is not a big talker. He concentrates only on the essentials in what he says. I like his quiet manner."

The family was already sympathetic to me, too. I liked the fact that the whole family, young and old, helped with the work. But there seemed to be one exception. In front of the farm, an orange colored pony with a yellow mane and a brown hat was lying in front of a tree with a piece of hay in his mouth.

The orange colored pony opened his eyes and looked at me. Then it spat out the piece of hay, stood up quickly and euphorically shook my hoof.

"Howdy! It is always nice to welcome new residents in Ponyville. What the hay happened to your head?"

"He fell from the stairs at my house, but otherwise everything is fine. He's a friend of mine and I thought I'd show him the countryside around Ponyville."

I wondered how many more times Levita would go through this before anyone would find out the truth.

"First time here, eh? Then I welcome you to Sweet Apple Acres! My name’s Applejack and I am one of the fam’ly members who own this wonderful piece of land built on cohesion and ‘onesty. Here’s the place for all ponies in Equestria when it comes to apples. Whatever questions you may have, I will try to answer them all, openly and ‘onestly! Especially when it comes to apples!"

During the conversion she was still shaking my hoof. Then she took us around the farm. She introduced me to her family... and it was a big family. However, the introduction round was interrupted by Pinkie Pie who appeared in the middle of the family crowd.

"Um... hello, Pinkie Pie. I didn't know you were a family member..." Applejack replied.

"Applejack! I absolutely need you! Today is the summer sun party and before that a huge welcome party! I've been ordered by the mayor mare that we need food..."

Pinkie narrowed her eyes and slowly approached Applejack until their noses touched.

"Oh...okay. Folks, I'm sorry. I have to interrupt the family show. We'll catch up later. Everybody get to work, we have a big party to prepare. Yeehaw!" she shouted as she stood on her hind hooves and whirled around in the air with the front ones.

And already we were on our way to more friends of Levita. Two Pegasi named Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. She had known them for a very long time. Levita helped Fluttershy build her cabin when she moved from Cloudsdale to Ponyville because of her fear of flying. She was the only Pegasus that was there for Fluttershy because after she moved, she lost contact with Rainbow Dash. But later Rainbow Dash moved out of her parents’ house and built her house of clouds at Cloudsdale, but moved it directly over Ponyville to make it easier to visit Fluttershy. It was interesting to learn so much from Levita about her friends. I asked her if she still has close contact with all her friends today. She told me that the contact is still there, but she is more interested in seeing if her friends are doing well. That way she could protect them better from evil. And maybe these two Pegasi could recognize me from somewhere in Cloudsdale. I couldn't have come across a better pony than Levita. She was open and had a very strong protective instinct. She was a real friend.

When we arrived at Fluttershy's hut we saw two Pegasus ponies through the windows, drinking tea together inside. One of them had a yellow coat and a smoothly combed pink mane. The other pony had a very distinctive mane in rainbow colors and I immediately thought that this was probably the Pegasus pony called Rainbow Dash. Levita knocked gently on the door. Then it didn't take long and the yellow Pegasus Pony opened the door for us. That must have been Fluttershy.

"Oh...hello Levita and hello...um..." Fluttershy stammered as if she was afraid of me.

"Don't be shy, Fluttershy. He's a friend of mine. He wouldn't hurt a fly," Levita replied.

"O...okay. What...do you want from me then?" she still stuttered slightly frightened.

"Don't worry. He's already well looked after, but unfortunately he's not so good on stairs," joked Levita.

"Um...not to say that I wouldn’t help...sorry...I'm just a little...shy about new acquaintances. I always enjoy seeing new residents in Ponyville, and since Levita trusts you, you can expect the same from me. I am Fluttershy and I welcome you in my beloved home. It’s usually the first address for all animals that need support...oh, and also ponies. Whenever you need something, you can count on my kindness."

"Oh...and Levita...you know that you are of course always welcome in my home, too. Come on in, we just had our tea party. Maybe you can tell us a bit about your friend."

"I think he needs a little more time for that. He is still quite new here and therefore a bit...shy."

You could hear someone laughing behind the door. Then the blue Pegasus pony with the rainbow mane jumped out through the door and looked at me from above.

"Hah! You wouldn't be the first shy pony that moved to Ponyville. But if Fluttershy gets along with the ponies here by now, you can too. Hehe...you probably heard of me."

I tried to hide the fact that I had no idea who Rainbow Dash was by alluding to their distinctive appearance.

"Told ya. Every Pegasus Pony from Cloudsdale knows my name. But I've never seen you before. What brings you to Ponyville?"

"He moved to me from Cloudsdale. We've known each other for some time now and we decided to spend more time together." Levita saved me.

"Oh, that's nice. You have picked up a special stallion there, Levita. I like the way he wears his mane..."

I didn't know what to say to it. Either she was just paying me a compliment...or she was hitting on me.

"Anyway, it is always nice to welcome new ponies to Ponyville, especially Pegasi. Welcome to Ponyville. I am the one and only Rainbow Dash and I am the fastest Pegasus Pony around here. Also I am the weather pony here and responsible for the...well...weather. If you want to fly a race, I’m on it. And if you need anything else, I will loyally stand by your side."

"Come on up. I could use a little company in the air again. No offense, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy nodded to her understandingly. But how should I be able to fly? From my appearance my body is perfectly designed for flying, only I had no idea how to beat my wings. Not to mention folding them out.

I concentrated and tried to unfold my wings. But I couldn't get them far enough away from my body.

"You're probably shy when you're dealing with a special pony like me, huh? There is nothing to be ashamed of. Let me help you."

Rainbow Dash flew over me and grabbed me under my belly from above. With me tightly in her grip, she suddenly began to flap her wings more strongly and I felt the ground disappear under my hooves. I didn't know what she was going to do, but when we were about one meter above the ground she suddenly let go. Even though it was not high and the landing was surprisingly soft, she had just given me a huge fright. Before I could say anything, she smiled at me:

"You see? And your wings are already up. I knew this would work. It's really just a reflex when Pegasi gets scared or surprised."

"In addition, birds also do this with their young so that they learn to fly," Fluttershy added.

Rainbow Dash smiled until she stared at my wings. Her eyes got really big and the corners of her mouth started to shape a much bigger smile. Levita and Fluttershy did the same.

I turned around and saw them. My wings were huge, unlike Rainbow Dash's. I didn't know that I had special wings. How could I? One day ago, I didn't even know I was a Pegasus. Rainbow Dash was just as impressed with them and gently touched them with her hooves.

"You...have apparently never seen such big wings before, have you?" I asked cautiously.

"Only the princesses have ever had wings like this. Are you from the royal family?" Fluttershy replied.

Royal family? I couldn't remember. Was I a prince, or even a king? No, that couldn't be. Otherwise everyone would know me, which was not the case.

Levita noticed how I looked at her perplexed. But before Levita could answer, a pony came running towards us very quickly. It was Pinkie Pie again.

She grabbed Rainbow Dash around her shoulder and pulled her down to her on the floor. How she could make her front legs so long was a mystery to me.

"Tonight is the summer sun celebration. Fluttershy? Have you already practiced with your birds for the concert? Rainbow Dash? Have you cleared the sky of clouds yet?"

Then both disappeared on the spot. Fluttershy ran behind the house and Rainbow Dash flew towards the center of town. Only Pinkie Pie was still sitting alone in front of us.

"Well...i think that's enough ponys you should know. Please forgive the behavior of Pinkie Pie. She takes her parties very seriously...like...always."

"Well, I don't think we should visit any more friends because I'm afraid Pinkie Pie will get in the way again. Please forgive her behavior. She takes her parties very seriously...well...always, actually."

"Are you kidding? I think all of your friends are totally likeable. Pinkie Pie in particular has a pretty...distinctive behavior. But I'm sure it'll be a great party, too, if she puts her mind to it."

"I think it's nice that you've changed your mind about the party. Come'! There is still a little time left until tonight. I'll show you around town."

As we went into the city center, we saw that Rainbow Dash began to clear the sky of clouds. Apparently it had rained quite a lot, because the ground was completely soaked, at least the clouds were bright white again. On closer inspection I saw Rainbow Dash taking a break from clearing the sky and practicing flight maneuvers. She flew up at lightning speed, only to take a nosedive with a loop down until she flew up again just above the ground and did a few more maneuvers. When I asked Levita why she was doing this, she replied that Rainbow Dash's biggest dream was to be part of Equestria's elite flying team: They were called Wonderbolts. It was interesting to watch her, but I just hoped that she wouldn't run into a pony at that speed. That would be quite a mess on the wet ground after the rain.

In the puddles I could see my own face for the first time. Levita noticed that I looked thoughtfully inside, wondering who I was seeing. I noticed that the style of my mane and my tail were similar to Rainbow Dash's...they just had different colors. But I had to realize that my reflection would not tell me who I was. At least now I knew which ponies I could turn to if I needed help. I thought of the brown pony with the red-blue glasses. Maybe he would be present at the party and maybe...he could help me.

The day came to an end as we walked to the Sugarcube Corner to see how far Pinkie Pie had got with her preparations. When we were almost at Pinkie Pie's home, we noticed a golden carriage over Ponyville that was about to land.

"Look! A royal carriage from Canterlot! Someone very important seems to want to visit us. I just wonder who it could be." Levita asked herself.

When the carriage landed we saw who was sitting in it. It was a purple-colored unicorn with a smooth mane, which had various dark shades. But she was not travelling alone. An also purple-colored little creature with green spikes sat with her in the carriage, Levita told me that it looked like a baby dragon. It seemed to me that I had never seen anything like it before. The draught horses whinged proudly as the carriage landed on the ground. The unicorn walked up to them and thanked them. She seemed to be very friendly.

"Leave that to Pinkie Pie. Whenever a pony comes to Ponyville, she's the first to arrive."

Levita was right. Pinkie Pie was the first pony next to her that had spoken to me, at least since I can remember. When I looked back at the unicorn again, I noticed Pinkie Pie slowly approaching in the background. Apparently she seemed to take it easy during royal visits, otherwise she would have jumped at the new pony, just like me. But she only stood in front of the other pony with a friendly smile. The little dragon said something. Then I noticed how Pinkie Pie's eyes fell directly on us and she stood there with her mouth open. She stared at me and Levita.

The purple unicorn addressed Pinkie Pie, but she did not answer her. Instead, she jumped up into the air as if stung by a tarantula and rushed over the pony and baby dragon directly towards us. She positioned herself in front of the entrance door of the Sugarcube Corner and blocked our way.

"What are you doing here? You should be at the party by now! You can't be late," she gasped excitedly and pushed us across the floor towards the library. Before we knew it, we were at the library and PInkie Pie hastily opened the door, only to push us in and close it again behind us with a bang. It was pitch dark inside, but I could hear the sounds of other ponies standing around us. I did not know what would happen next. I was taken by surprise by the events. After some time I heard voices from outside. Apparently someone was talking outside the door, but the only voice that was recognized was that of Fluttershy.

Then the door opened and Fluttershy flew into the dark room with the baby kite in his arms. She was immediately pushed out of the library by the purple pony.

“Yes, yes, we'll get right on that. Well, g'night!” said the purple unicorn from before and closed the door.

“Sorry, Spike, but I have to convince the Princess that Nightmare Moon is coming, and we're running out of time! I just need to be alone so I can study without a bunch of crazy ponies trying to make friends all the time. Now, where's the light?”

She stood at the entrance as if rooted to the floor when the light came on. Now I saw how many ponies were in the library. I didn't want to exaggerate, but it seemed that Pinkie Pie had invited all of Ponyville. I hid in the crowd as best I could.

"Surprise! Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie, and I threw this party just for you! Were you surprised? Were ya? Were ya? Huh huh huh?" Pinkie Pie introduced herself to Twilight with a giggle.

Pinkie Pie cheered Twilight up a bit and took her to a table with drinks. I looked around for Levita. But I didn't have to look for a long time, she stood next to me the whole time.

"Great surprise party, right? Just as well that another pony is the center of the party. I'm sure that will cheer you up," she said to me.

Even before I could finish my sentence, I noticed how all the ponies slowly gathered around Twilight. Something was happening to her. Her face turned flaming red and her cheeks puffed up. Then she jumped into the air and her mane literally went up in flames. Then she disappeared up the stairs to the upper part of the library. I saw Spike inspecting the bottle that Twilight had filled into her sippy cup. It was hot sauce. Now we knew what was going on with Twilight. But Pinkie Pie didn't seem to mind the hot sauce, she dumped a whole cupcake full of the sauce and scooped it up in one bite.

"What? It's good!" she shouted euphorically, "Alright, ponies. I actually had two parties planned today, but since our first party guest is...totally on fire...I thought I'd introduce you to our second new addition to Ponyville!"

I became slightly nervous when each pony turned around asking for the second newcomer, me. When Pinkie Pie pointed her hoof at me, every pony looked at me with interest, either because of my bandage or because they had perhaps really never seen me before. I didn't want to move from the spot, but Levita gave me a little push. There were loudspeakers in the front and a pony with a blue-striped mane was sitting at a kind of mixing desk and wanted to give me a record. At that moment I had to laugh at myself. I knew what a record and a mixer was, but I couldn't even remember who I was.

While all the ponies of Ponyville were looking at me, I tremblingly went to the mixing desk and took the record to put it on one of the turntables. But I had to grab it with my mouth, as I was not yet trained to pick up objects with my hooves. So I put the record on the turntable and the music started with a dull bass. I turned around to the crowd. I grinned strained into the crowd and Pinkie Pie took the floor:

It did not take long and the ponies were in party mood and the party was in full swing. The conversations started and some started dancing. After I received welcome greetings and recovery wishes from the first ponies, the brown pony with the distinctive mane came towards me again, followed by the pony with the rose mane.

"Hello! We've met before, haven't we? Ealier on the market place. Excuse our appearance, but something about you caught my attention. Anyway, allow me to introduce. I am The Doctor, and this is Roseluck, my companion."

I recognized the two ponies, but the brown pony did not have his glasses with him.

"No, doctor is just my title. My full name is Dr. Emmet Hooves. I am a scientist and spend a lot of time exploring the universe. Even though the universe seems infinite compared to the time I have left to explore it. Heh heh, little science pun. You just moved here, right?"

I didn't want to waste any time. Maybe the time was not the best, but I needed to know who I was.

"Right. Listen, Dr. Hooves. I don't know how to say this, but I could probably use your help."

Before I could answer the doctor, Pinkie Pie rushed up from nowhere and threw herself by my side.

"Hey! I got a great game ready! Pin the tail on the pony! Do you want to be first?" she asked me.

"That's a very generous offer, Pinkie Pie. But I guess one tail is enough for me."

"Silly, I have your tail right here," she said, waving my tail in the air. I looked back and realized that my tail was no longer there. How had she managed that? That was impossible!

"So...who wants to stick his tail on him? I am the first!" she called and came towards me at a gallop. I tried to dodge in panic, overlooking Spike who was standing at the table with the drinks. I bumped into him and he fell against the lamp that stood next to him. The lampshade covered his face. I stopped and helped him up.

"Sorry! Are you all right, uh... Spike?" I tried to remember the baby dragon's name.

"Of course. Just look at my new hat! This party is absolutely amazing! I'm going to check on Twilight, she's missing all the fun," he said.

"Gotcha!" cried Pinkie Pie behind me. I looked behind me in panic and my tail was back where it belonged.

I got up and just ran wordlessly out of the library, far away from the party. I wanted to go to Levita's house and hole up there. When I arrived, I opened the front door and ran upstairs to the bedroom to hide under the blanket. I didn't want to ruin the party, but it all happened way too fast. I didn't know how long I sat under the blanket and cried until Levita came home to check on me as well.

"I... I didn't mean to ruin anyone's party. But all that affection and... it was all too much at once," I sobbed.

"I can understand you well. I remember when Pinkie Pie threw my first party. I was as surprised then as you were. But don"t worry, she"s not mad at you. All she cared about was that you had fun at the party."

"So...the trick with the tail was really not bad. I'd like to make it up to Pinkie Pie if she can forgive me."

"I can't leave you alone in this state. I've been to the summer sun celebration so many times, this time will be just like last time. So I'm not missing anything," she grinned.

I really appreciated that Levita cared about me instead of following her habits. But when the summer sun celebration was no longer special to her, I could understand that she was happy when something new happened.

The next day I was woken by a loud noise in the village. Outside Pinkie Pie seemed to be having another party, but apparently all of Ponyville was present. Levita rushed to my room and told me that Princess Celestia had arrived in the royal carriage with a new alicorn and she suspected it was Princess Luna, who had been banished as Nightmare Moon and has now returned. When I went outside with Levita, all the ponies were cheering loudly. Apparently the unicorn Twilight and five friends of Levita had something to do with the festivities. For the first time I saw what an alicorn looked like when I looked at Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. They had the same feather structure as my wings, no wonder Rainbow Dash was so amazed. But I differed in one essential point: I had no horn growing out of my head. Probably this in turn made me a Pegasus Pony.

In the hustle and bustle we were joined by another Pegasus Pony, which turned out to be Levita's best friend after a short introduction. The pony had grey fur and a yellow mane, which was slightly untidy. But the most striking thing about her were her eyes, which looked slightly twisted in different directions. Apparently the pony had a visual defect and I tried not to stare too much as she probably had a hard time with this disease. In fact, I was pleased that the pony was not perceived negatively by anyone else, the ponies treated her normally and didn't make weird faces. I didn't take this tolerance for granted, did it perhaps say something about my origin? Did I come from a bad environment or had I even been a bad pony?

But I soon realized that she was not at all embarrassed by her visual impairment. In fact, she often alluded to it in conversation, especially when she was talking to me. I liked her immediately, just like her name: Derpy. Of course, we immediately got back to my head bandage, but Derpy was the first pony Levita told about my real problem. Apparently she seemed to trust her the most. But Derpy didn't know me either and she was the post pony in this village. She must have seen every pony in Ponyville at least once in all that time, except me. What she did notice was that my coat color was very special. She had only seen it on one other pony. Her name was Lyra Heartstrings, a unicorn from the castle town of Canterlot. Levita remembered seeing Lyra yesterday at the party with one of her old friends. An earth pony called Sweetie Drops, who had been living here in Ponyville for a long time.

"Of course! Why didn't I think of her? She will certainly be able to help us, after all she is..." Levita touched her forehead in amazement.

"Oh...uh. I mean, after all, she's been living in Ponyville for a while now. Maybe she knows him...or something." Levita evaded.

Her argumentation gave me some doubts. Something Levita seemed to know about that pony, which almost gave her away. But if she should know who I am anyway, that would be enough information for me. Levita decided to patch me up for now. She took off my bandage and treated my injuries with herbal water again. The wounds were really numerous, Levita suspected that a so-called Timberwolf might have gotten me. I was really lucky that Levita had found me, who knows what else was waiting for me out there in the forest. Levita thought that the wounds would heal faster in the fresh air and combed out my mane a bit wider so that the injuries left were not so visible. Levita dachte, dass die Wunden an der frischen Luft schneller heilen würden und kämmte meine Mähne etwas breiter aus, damit die verbliebenen Verletzungen nicht so sichtbar waren.

I spent the day at home with Levita because I wanted to get away from all the hustle and bustle. Towards evening the party mood in the village had settled down and we decided to go to Sweetie Drops. When we left the house, the sun was still high in the sky, which I found a bit unusual. A few ponies were busy removing rotten branches from the trees to prevent them from falling down uncontrolled and hurting someone. Apparently autumn was slowly coming in. Levita explained to me that Derpy was assigned to the weather service with Rainbow Dash today and that she is a bit worried. Normally Derpy was always a bit scatterbrained, but Levita thought that was okay, as long as the one or other letter was misplaced. But controlling the weather was an important task, so it could even be dangerous if the weather gets out of control. For some reason I still found it fascinating that there was such a thing as weather control.

Rico Heartstrings - A pony from the earth

by BlazeGriff1n

Chapter 1 - Awakening In A New World