//------------------------------//
// The devil you know 
// Story: Spice on the wind 
// by xscar10 
//------------------------------//

We followed the elatedly skipping horse down the corridors to the palace and out onto a balcony. "Now witness my first act of freedom!" He laughed, and thunder could be heard despite the clear skies. In a matter of seconds four bolts of lightning crashed into the platform in front of him. "Enter my four horses!" He grinned, and looked back at us.
"Victory." He said, gesturing to the first, a white unicorn the same size as he, with a spiky white mane, and red eyes. His cutie mark was a bow and arrows.
"Wayland!" He said gesturing to the second, a dark red earth horse (not a horse from earth mind you) with a light red mane, and black eyes. Again the same size as him, but with a sword cutie mark.
"Euna!" He said gesturing to a black pegasus, this time female, with a poofy black mane and red eyes. She was again the same size as him, and had measuring scales as a cutie mark.
"And, last but not least, Fallout!" He said gesturing to the last, and strangest of the four. He was green at the hooves, but as your eyes move upwards he gradually turns white, and had a gas mask on... He had a radioactive trefoil as his cutie mark, and no mane or tail. They seemed oddly surprised to be there... other than Fallout that is, who showed no emotion. 
"Shallow? What's going on?" Asked Victory, looking down at his hooves.
"Don't you remember our deal?" He responded with a chuckle.
"You made a deal too?" Asked Wayland.
"You all did. Well... all but Fallout." He said, gesturing to the silent, motionless one.
"So why are we here?... and how are you free?" Asked Euna. "Time off for good behavior." He chuckled. "But to answer your question, I need you all with your new-found strength to do my will, now that I am free." He said, turning back to us with a toothy grin.
"What's going on here Shallow?" Asked Celestia, stepping forward.
"I'm gathering an audience! What good is a spectacle without an audience?" He asked, and walked over to the edge of the balcony. "Now! Behold my awe inspiring power!" He said, and started walking on air. He walked up into the air as if there were invisible stairs. He raised his head high, and the sky darkened, as if the sun itself had run away in fear. His eyes glowed as if engulfed in a mighty flame.
"THIS IS BUT A FRACTION OF WHAT MY WILL BECOMES!!" He yelled, his voice booming throughout all of Canterlot. Just as he said that a great wind came from the north, and dark clouds whirled around the castle. His laughter became more raving by the second until finally the clouds formed into the shape of himself, and ignited into an awesome display of pure power. With this final display, the visage dispersed into a shower of glimmering sparks, lightening the sky just before the sun returned. With that he stepped down, and back onto the balcony.
"Well, what did you think?! Wasn't is absolutely spectacular?!" He said prancing around in front of us.
"You're even stronger than I remembered." Celestia said with a realization that his power outmatched even hers.
"Oh I know, but how was the show?! What did you all think?!" He asked looking to all of us.
"It certainly was breathtaking." I said, not sure if I was scared or impressed.
"Nothing short of miraculous." Said the Captain.
"Absolutely wonderful!" Said Luna excitedly, she was probably the only one truly excited to see this.
"Oh positively smashing! I knew you'd love it!" He said, and turned to his 'friends'.
"Wow... that's nothing like what you used to do." Said Victory.
"Though it was intimidating." Wayland said, turning to him.
"Astounding..." Said Euna.
"What about you?" Shallow said walking up next to Fallout, who stayed silent. "Come now, don't disappoint our readers!" He said, tilting his head to the side. Fallout remained quiet. "Well he never was much of a talker, but he's loyal." Shallow said, and walked up to us. 
"This will be a most glorious day in history!" He said, and began walking down the hall.
"Wait, Shallow Graves." Celestia said, and he stopped dead in his tracks. "There is much we must discuss. Meet me in the throne room." She said, and he gave an inquisitive look.
"As you wish, Princess." He said without his gleeful smile.
"Come with me sister." Said Celestia, and Luna nodded. "You two, go back to Ponyville. I think you both are more needed there." She said, and continued off down the hall.
"As you wish." I said, and the Captain and I both started to walk away.
"Did that seem... a little too easy to you?" The Captain asked out of the blue.
"Now that you mention it, yes." I said, scratching my chin.
"Something stinks." He said, with a narrow gaze.
"Yes, but we have no evidence of anything, or even a clue as to what." I said, reaching into my pockets.
"Actually we do... remember? Shallow mentioned a deal with those horses?" He said, and I nodded.
"He made deals with both of us too... Why do you think that is?.. and what deals did they make?" He asked, and I felt my mind making connections.
"Yes... and that one, Fallout. He is the only one that didn't make a deal." I said as we passed through the archway into a staircase. We continued conversing until we got to the front gates. We came to no conclusion, there were still to many missing pieces to this puzzle. We headed down to Ponyville, and were met with the eyes of surprised ponies.
"You don't think they thought we..." I started, but I was quite abruptly cut off. A blue blur, and a tackle had me on the ground in half a second.
"You're ok! I thought you were dead! Don't you ever do that to me again!" Rainbow-Dash said, frantically kissing me.
"It's fine... I just had to... explain a few things... to the prin... cesses." I said between kisses.
"I don't care." She said nuzzling my cheek warmly.
"Need a room?" The Captain said sarcastically.
"Cap'n!" Pinkie called out, glomping him as well.
"Do you?" I asked in trollish response, as Pinkie hugged him.
"Shut up!" He said angrily.
"Where'd you guys go? I haven't seen you all day! I've been wanting to ask you a few things, like what's it like to have hands instead of hooves? Why are your muzzles so short? If you're the first human to have wings, why did you already know how to fly?" She went on and on with her questions, and the Captain trudged off with her on his heels. Dash and I resumed our 'pleasantries' as I stood.
"You know there's really no need to worry about me." I said, and she shot me an unimpressed look.
"Really? All the times that you've had me worried since you got here are starting to pile up." She said, and I wondered what she was talking about. Obviously it showed on my face, because she sighed, and started reciting. "Your coughing, your falling from a building, your not taking medicine, and now getting taken away by the princess?" She said, and it occurred to me... I am a freaking mess.
"Wow... I really am a walking time bomb huh?" I said, percing my lips.
"Darn right you are, but that's why I love ya." She chuckled.
"You, what now?" I said raising a brow. Suddenly realizing what she said, her eyes darted to mine.
"I-I said, umm...." She tried to think of a replacement word but nothing came to mind fast enough. "I uh... gottagobye!" She said, and zipped off in some random direction.
At this moment I realized... I have absolutely nothing to do... so I started walking down to Sweet Apple Acres, but halfway there I remembered the cloud walking spell. I can head by Dash's house! I could surprise her by waiting for her there. I remembered where it was, and found myself directly beneath it in minutes. I crouched down, and leaped as high as I could, but it was too high. Then I backed up, and tried to get a running start, but again still too high. Finally I found a tree nearby, and jumped from there. This time I made it by the skin of my teeth. I grabbed hold of the cloud's edge, and pulled myself up onto it.
I walked up to the front door, which was unlocked, and walked inside. It was amazing really, it was like being on top of mount Olympus with the Greek gods. It felt like I could look out the window and wave to the neighbors Zeus and Athena. I walked around for a while, checking out the rooms, and the awesome cloud furniture. Eventually I came, and just sat in a cloud chair in the living room. It was so comfy, I almost fell asleep on contact. I reached in my pocket, and pulled out my knife twirling it around my fingers. After a few minutes I start to wonder how much she actually comes by her house... does she always come home, or does she do like Skyrim, and use it to store her stuff? It must have been about an hour before I nodded off.
As I was sucked into the realm between consciousness and darkness, I felt something off about my nightmare. It was actually something I'd 'felt' since I made came to Equestria, but it wasn't like this...  My nightmare began in a place I'd seen before. It was Shallow's cell.
"Ah! You're here sooner than expected." Said Shallow, looking at him with his usual vigor, but his fur looked.. greenish. 
"Listen closely, I haven't much time! There is something very important I need you to see." He said, and my voice came into focus.
"You want to show what to me?" I asked scratching my head.
"Don't talk, I'm having a hard enough time invading your dream as it is." He said, shaking his head.
"You're jacking my dream?!" I exclaimed, shortly followed by a face-hoof.
"I just told you not to speak... you had one job!.. Never mind, it's fine. Just watch, and listen." He said, his heavy lidded gaze biting harder than his words. The scene disintegrated into shadow, and formed into a cave.
"What is this?" I asked, and he gave me the 'are you freaking kidding me' look.
"This is a cave off the coast somewhere. Now stop talking and look!" He said and pointed up to a beam of light coming from a hole in the ceiling.
There in the beam of light was a skeleton... not a pony, or a griffin... a human skeleton. Even more odd was there on it's forehead was a large horn. I looked for a while before Shallow came up to me.
"She was here before either you or 'the Captain' as you call him. As nice as Equestria may be, she saw the brunt of the cruelty of a forest even deeper than Everfree." He said, looking up at the hole.
"I believe it was a manticore, but it's been far too long to remember." He said siting beside it, oddly seeming... sympathetic. 
"Why are you showing me this?" I asked, and he sighed in frustration.
"This poor fool came here long before you did. She saw Equestria before any other human, and look where she ended up." He said, motioning to the dank surroundings of the cave.
"And?" I said, restating my question.
"And, let's just say Humans have a history of banishment in Equestria..." He said, and the weight of the statement was heavy on my chest.
"So... Celestia?" I asked, almost in disbelief.
"Yes, you finally understand! I want to warn you! Celestia isn't the kind ruler you think." He said, and he could tell the suspicion in my face.
"Now I would never try anything against our 'beloved' princess, but I need you to know to question her judgement. Never follow without question." He said, and walked over to the skeleton.
"Why did you take the time to show me this?" I asked, and he sneered at me.
"I know you're asleep, but pay attention. Your gift will be arriving soon..." He said, before fading away into darkness.
"Wait!" I said, but I was shocked awake.
I was... in the apple family barn.
"Ugh... My head feels awful..." I said bringing my hand up to my forehead... but it felt different. I looked at my hand, or rather, lack there of. I raised both my arms, and at the end I see... hooves. I scrambled to my hooves, and fell forward, now being unable to stand. I tried to get up, but I continued to fall forward. I stood on all fours, and saw my arms and legs covered in grey fur. 
I stumbled forward, trying to understand how to walk, and barely succeeding, but probably looking like an idiot. I walked up into the apple house, and snuck into the bathroom. I looked in the mirror, and saw a grey pony with blue hair, and blue eyes. 
"I... I'm a pony... I. am a pony..." I gulped, at the realization. Stranger still, my voice was even different. I placed a hoof on the glass, and my eye twitched. 
Suddenly the bathroom door opened and I saw Applejack walk in.
"Umm... Hello?" She said, and my eye twitched again.
"Hello... Hello? He- heeeeelllllloooooo. Helloooo. Hello." I fumbled around with my new voice.
"Hi." She repeated, seeing a stranger in her house must have been creepy enough without my weird greeting.
"May I help you?" She asked, stepping back once.
"That depends..." I said looking back in the mirror.
"On what?" She asked, raising a brow.
"On if you have any idea what happened to me." I said, looking at my hooves.
"What...?" Applejack looked more confused than ever.
"I woke up in your barn, and have no idea why, and- Oh look at that! I can flip my ears!" I said, and flopped my ears back and forth an up and down.
"Yer startin' to scare me hun." She said, and I turned back to her.
"I'm so sorry... I'll be going." I said, wobbly walking out of the bathroom.
"Why are you walking like that?" She asked, walking beside me.
"You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you." I said continuing to walk.
"Try me..." She said, and I nudged the door open with my nose.
"It's me... the big guy. The human. I was turned into a pony somehow..." I said, and continued walking like an idiot.
"Wait what?... You mean to tell me you just randomly turned into a pony?" She asked, and I nodded. 
"I have no idea how, or how to prove it..." I said, and she took a sniff of me. 
"Well you do smell like him." She said, and I looked back at my side.
I see my cutie mark was still the same as well.
"Ah! I still have the cutie mark!" I said, and smiled. Applejack looked, wide eyed, and bewildered. 
"Now just how did you go about turnin' yourself inta a... rather strapping stallion?" She said eyeing me up and down.
"I Don't know,  I-" I said, and tripped forward. "Just woke up like this!" I said, blowing my mane out of my face. I quickly pushed myself back up into a sitting position, and Applejack came up in front of me. I stood up as she walked, and... I never noticed how nice a flank she had before...
What am I thinking?! 
I stumbled forward again, and she giggled. 
"Somethin' wrong sugar cube?" She said, looking back at me. 
"Yes, something is very wrong..." I said, standing back up.
"What is it, having trouble walking?" She asked, and I sighed.
"Something like that..." I said, and she shook her head.
"Come on, just do like I do." She said, and started walking slowly.
"Ok... ok... Just one hoof at a time." I said with a gulp.
I went on to try to walk with Applejack for about half an hour. I started to get used to the movement after that, and we made it all the way back to Twilight's house. I knocked on the door, and started to tap my hoof impatiently. Applejack didn't seem in any hurry... actually come to think of it she might have actually preferred me this way. Which was completely understandable, but still. The door opened and there stood Twilight, with a smile.
"Oh hello Applejack... and, who's this?" She asked, looking at me. 
"Does this answer your question?" I asked, turning to show her my cutie mark. 
"Yeah that was my reaction too." Said Applejack, and I turned to see Twilight's wide eyed look. She let us in, and I walked inside with Applejack. Instantly I felt a very unsettling disturbance.
"No... Oh no... Not good!" I said, and both Twilight, and Applejack turned to me.
"What?! What is it?!" Twilight asked, looking around.
"I have a major problem!" I said, and started trotting in place.
"Well spit it out! What's wrong?!" Asked Applejack.
"I have to... have to pee." I said, still trotting in place.
"...Pee?" Said Twilight. "That's your big emergency?" She chuckled.
"You don't understand, I don't know how! I need help!" I said, hopping in place. suddenly the realization of just what I meant sunk in.
"Can't you just figure it out?" Asked Applejack, her face as red as Big Mac's.
"That's bloody easy for you to say, now isn't it!" I snapped, and I probably shouldn't have, but... I freaking had to go!
"Calm down, I'll take you." Twilight said, and opened the bathroom door. I leaped through as fast as I could, and started trotting in place again. She closed the door behind her, and turned to see the pleading look on my face.


 For comedic and censorship purposes this scene will be done from the view of third person.
 

Man Twilight
"Alright... first thing's first. Pull it out of the sheath." 
"How do I do that?!"
"I don't know! Just... do what feels natural!"
"Ok... I think I got it... There, now what?"
"Oh... wow..."
"What? Is something wrong?"
"N-nothing, never mind. Now just aim it."
"Ok... how?"
"Just use your hoof."
"But I don't know how to grab things with my hoof!"
"Then what are you going to do?!"
"...Use your magic."
"What?!"
"Well I can't do it, and unless you want to use your hoof, your magic looks like the only way."
"B-but... oh fine!... But you owe me!" *shimmer*
"* releasing the floodgates* *sigh of relief*"
...Awkward silence...
"Umm... Thank you... Twilight Sparkle... for your... help..."
"How about we never speak of this again?"
"Agreed..."


The door opened, and we both walked out, seeing a traumatized looking Applejack. 
"You. Heard. Nothing." I said, and glared at her. 
"Pinkie pie promise." Said, Applejack, covering her eye. I sighed, and sat down in the living room... thinking about what could have happened... when a few words echoed through my mind... "Your gift will be arriving soon..." No... No he couldn't have... could he? He was going to give me a gift... could this be that gift? I mean there are up sides to being a pony, a better sense of balance, being able to sleep standing up, or lying down, or digesting grass, better senses, better night vision, only having to sleep a few hours a day, and... being a pat of a herd.
I'm a pony now, I could fit in perfectly with everyone in town. I would look just like them, and maybe look good to them... Maybe Dash would find me handsome like this? We could even start a family, if she would like that sort of thing. I wouldn't be an alien anymore.
Maybe this really was a gift.
"Hello? Anyone home?" Applejack knocked on my head.
"Huh? Wha?" I said, suddenly pulled back into reality.
"We were asking what's the last thing you remember happening?" Twilight said, as if to remind me.
"Oh! Umm, yes! I fell asleep in Rainbow-Dash's house." I said, and the both of them looked at each other.
"You don't think this is what happens when a pony, and a human..." Twilight said, looking at Applejack.
"Nah... well maybe..." Applejack replied, looking at me.
"...Hold on! No! That is not what happened! I only fell asleep in a chair, and woke up in a barn." I said, with a huff.
"Relax sugar! Don't get your tail in a twist. You say nothin' happened, nothin' happened." Applejack chuckled, and I snorted.
"Thank you... Now how are we going to explain this to Dash?" I asked, swishing my tail.
Suddenly a pop cracked through the air, along with streamers, and party horns. 
"You could spell it out for her a great big cake! That way even if she thinks it's bad news, she'll have some good news!" Pinkie said appearing out of the confetti cloud.
"Pinkie? When did you get here?" Twilight asked, with an amused smile.
"I was here the whole time. Me and the Cap'n were on the balcony. The words hit me with a pang of fear.
"I forgot about the Captain! Is he still human?!" I asked, wheeling around and meeting eyes with Pinkie.
"Yes he is, and still all sulky, or more like brooding with a dash of mopey." She said with her cheery tone that was bound to give you diabetes.
"Is he still out there?" I asked, inwardly pleading.
"Nope, right now he's..." Pinkie stopped mid sentence, and started shivering.
"What's up with... oh! Your Pinkie sense!" I said, and she nodded through her shivers.
"Something's gonna be a doozy!" She said, and sort of... vibrated toward the door.
"Don't worry, I'll follow Pinkie, you two start figuring stuff out." Applejack said, and ran out the door.
"First thing... I need to learn how to pick things up with my hoof..." I said,  catching Twilight's ear.
We went on for a few minutes as she taught me the basics of being a pony. Simple things, like turning my ears, lifting things with my hoof, and how to eat. It didn't take nearly as long as I thought, and in even less time than it took me to learn to walk.
"Ok... Ok... I think I got i-no!" I said, dropping a quill. "I can only hold things for a few seconds." Twilight giggled at me.
"Close enough." She said, trotting over, and fixing my hair for me.
"It will have to do for now." I said, unwary of Twilight's actions. 
"I need to figure out what's going on. I just-" I stopped when I distinctly heard a sniff. I looked to the side for a second, and the tip of my nose touched Twilight's. "Umm, Twilight. What are you doing?" I asked, as she smiled.
"I don't know. I just... need to scratch an itch..." She said, leaning in as I leaned away. I leaned away further, and fell onto my back. Twilight didn't stop when I fell, but crawled on top of me instead.
"Twilight this isn't like you. What're you doing!?" I stated as her cheeks began to flush. I felt her hoof on my chest as she started to close her eyes. "Twi-" I started, but her lips met mine suddenly, and I felt her body lie on top of mine. She seemed to be much more affected than before, but what did I do to cause this? She pulled her lips away taking deep breaths. 
"I'm sorry I just... can't help myself." She stared, and her hoof slid down my chest.
"That's quite far enough thank you." I said, trying to crawl away on my elbows.
"Wait, I-" She started, pulling me back, but a quick kick off the floor, and I slid away. I got to my hooves as fast as possible, and took for the door. It suddenly closed in front of me, and I tried to open it but grabbing was hard enough when I wasn't panicking.
"Hey there, big guy..." I never thought a seductive tone was scary before today... I finally got the state of mind to pull the door open, and leaped forward. I felt her hoof grab my back hoof. I shook my hoof free quickly and ran down the street. I think I lost her over the bridge.
"Why does this keep happening to me?! Why couldn't I have this problem back on earth?!" I exclaimed quietly, and sat in the stream of quietly flowing water. I waited for a while before leaving, and when I actually did, walking through town seemed normal... at first. After a few minutes I noticed I was being followed. A small gathering of mares were about ten steps behind me. Most notably, Lyra, Bon-bon, and Colgate. The rest I didn't recognize. After a while it got to be too odd, so I stopped, and turned to them.
"Excuse me ladies, may I help you?" I asked, and they all started looking around, possibly choosing who would answer. Finally Lyra stepped up to the plate.
"Who us?" She said, motioning to herself.
"Yes, you seem to be following me, might I ask why?" I asked, and held her hoof over her mouth.
"Umm... I don't know..." She answered, and I sighed.
"That's what I was afraid of." I said with a smirk. "Alright, do as you please... just try not to stand to close." I said, and started walking again. Not ten seconds after, the girls had closed half the distance between us. I started to walk faster, and they did the same. "Lord have mercy." I said as I heard the sound of running behind me. I started running away, and  glanced behind me for a second, seeing a few of them very close behind me.
"Why are you chasing me?!" I asked the crowd of mares behind me.
"I don't know!" I heard called from the one closest to me.
"What's going on?!" I yelled into the air, quickly tuning a corner, and the crowd ran past.
"You don't know? I thought I made it obvious..." Said Shallow, who had just conveniently popped up next to me. He adjusted a black tie around his neck, and gave his usual toothy grin.
"Shallow? What did you do to me?!" I asked, for once looking up towards him, when a sudden sense of... dread came over me.
"I made you a pony, as my gift to you." He said, and I couldn't help but cringe despite there being no malice in his voice.
"Yes, but what about that." I said, pointing to where the crowd had just past.
"Oh yes! Merely a side effect." He said, waving his hoof.
"A side effect?! I'm being chased by a mob!" I whisper/yelled.
"Well... what can I say? I've been in jail for over twenty years, and got a marefriend the same day, what do you think was on my mind?" He chuckled mischievously, his fiery eyes seeming creepier by the second, and his pupils seemed ever more unnatural. 
"Look, I get that you are trying to do me a favor, but I am being hunted by girls..." I said, checking around the corner.
"You don't know how lucky you are. I used to have fun with people all the time, but it was by scaring them. I only made you irresistible." He said, and lowered his face close to mine.
"I don't know... this is pretty scary..." I said, glancing to the side.
"Oh dear boy," He let a light breathy laugh. " you don't know real fear." He said, and with his tone... I believed him.
"Right... well, I hate to return a gift, but can you change me back?" I asked, and he smirked.
"I can..." He said, and after there was an awkward pause.
"...Will you?" I asked, and he shook his head.
"How about... no." He  said, adjusting his hat.
"No? Why not?!" I asked disconcertingly. He stopped and stared at me for a while. 
"...Because, if I turn you back now, you'll never understand to the fullest extent of what I've done." He said floating in place as he curled his legs down under his body.
"To the fullest extent? I don't... fine, I'll play along. What do I have to do?" I asked, and he bared his toothy grin.
"First, go see Zecora, she has a package for you. Finally go find your marefriend, and give it to her. Then I will change you back." He said. It had a bit of a sadistic... almost narcissistic ring to it, but I had no other choice.
"That's it? That's all I have to do?" I asked, and he nodded vigorously.
"That's it, that's all you have to do... but not all you can do." He said, nudging me with his elbow. "Be sure that you take your time, dash is fiery, and you'll need your energy." He said with a wink before disappearing in a foul smelling smoke.
"That... troll." I muttered to myself. I looked around quickly, and ran down the alley. I getting better at running, I still had my strength, but I was having some trouble with coordination. I had to sneak around Ponyville, and away from mares with surprisingly strong noses. 
"Alright, just going to head up to the barn, grab my pocket knife really quick... and stop talking to myself..." I said, trotting quickly up the path to the barn. I open the door, walking inside, and see my Jacket on the bed. I walk over to it, and pull my knife out of my pocket. As I take it in my mouth I hear a light creaking noise. I looked up to see what it was and was met with three pairs of large eyes on the support beam. Who were they you might ask? Well none other than two dictionaries and a chicken. Yes you guessed it. The Cutie Mark Crusaders.
"Hey Mr. What're you doing?" Asked Sweetie Belle, with her curious voice. 
"I'm retrieving a knife, but I might ask why you are up there. It's dangerous." I said, putting the knife down.
"We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders! We're trying to find our cutie marks." Said Apple Bloom, stepping forward.
"I see, well I doubt your cutie marks will be of broken bones, so get down from there." I said, and the crusaders looked at each other.
"Oh fine, but if our cutie marks do turn out to be tightrope walking, you'll be sorry you stopped us." Scootaloo said, and I rolled my eyes.
"Just get down, and go play somewhere safer." I said grabbing the knife, and walking toward the door. The three sighed, and started to climb down.
"Yes sir..." They said simultaneously, and I started to pass them. Scootaloo was the first down, and Apple Bloom was halfway down. Sweetie Belle however was having a bit of trouble. She reached her back hoof down, and tried to get a grip, but she missed and her hoof slipped loose.
She looked down and started to panic as she begun her descent. I stepped quickly beneath her, and she landed on my back, breaking her fall. She bounced off me, and onto the floor.
"Ok... no tightrope walking." She said as she stood up.
"You ok kid?" I asked, slightly muffled by the knife in my teeth. 
"I'm fine," She said, as her friends rushed over to her. "and thanks for breaking my fall." She sighed.
"No problem, I'll just-" I started as I began to walk, and they stepped in front of me. "be going now." I said trying to walk around, but they stepped in my way again.
"But don't you want to stay, and hang out a while?" Asked Scootaloo.
"Sorry, I have somewhere I have to be." I said, continually trying to get around them, and failing.
"Come on, just a little while?" Apple Bloom said in protest. I started to back away and they began advancing.
"No I really have to-" I started, and backed into the pole. I quickly jumped over them, and stated to... "run!" I yelled back, and they quickly started to chase after me. I still lacked coordination, and the uneven surface made it even harder to run. I  actually found Scootaloo catching up to me. I took a few quick turns to slow them down, and jumped a good ways over the fence, which worked as an obstacle for a short while.
"Wait!" I heard one of them cry, and I saw Scootaloo run up next to me.
"Get back child!" I yelled in fear, and ducked as she jumped at me. She went over my head, and once I made it to the road I outran them.
I eventually slowed down as I approached Everfree forest. I didn't know exactly where Zecora's hut was, but I remembered the path through the poison joke. I walked Around the poison joke, and down the path. It  was then I realized I had lost my knife in the chase. It took about ten minutes to actually find the hut, but the trip back shouldn't be nearly as long.
I hope.