Amber Wood
Well being dead could be worse I guess.
I opened my eyes and questioned if I still needed to blink when I was dead.
But something caught my eye which caused me to pause and stare.
A hoofed leg?
The color of the fur was somewhere between golden brown and orange, but that is not what drew my attention.
What really drew my attention was that I felt that leg like it were my own arm.
Okay then either reincarnation is right, or we become animals in the afterlife, or even something else.
Well there was no point in just laying here so I raised up on to my four legs.
I did not seem to have any difficulty in controlling my new body.
In fact it felt like I had been using it for my entire life.
In fact the idea of walking around on my hind legs seemed wrong. Did I just think what I think I did.
Okay this is getting weird.
Taking in a few deep breaths I took in my surroundings.
I appeared to be in some kind of forest with dense foliage all around me. Looks like I will have to go through the bushes.
The bushes were dense and the occasional vine was not helping with wading through them but I was making progress.
Then the roots or rather branches I was balancing on gave out.
I started to roll down a slope that got steeper and steeper until levelling out just before a sheer cliff.
It was an almost cartoonish chain of events.
Unfortunately I did not reach the ground since I was now tangled in vines.
The way I was tangled was preventing me from untying myself, but I was more worried about strangling myself with them.
Hopefully there is nothing around here that wants to eat me.
But...
Off to the side I could see what was clearly a road or trail of some kind.
Well I guess that I won't lose anything for trying, "HELP!!!"
I heard a short yelp before a series of clanking and crashing and a slight grown of pain.
From behind a bend in the path what looked like a blue unicorn wearing a wizard hat and cape.
The unicorn called out, "Who dares to interrupt The Great and Powerful Trixie!"
When our eyes met I could see the gears turning in her head.
Trixie as she was calling began to question me, "What is a kirin doing here? How old are you? Where are your parents? Are you injured?"
Well I guess I should be glad that at the very least a somewhat responsible. I sighed and asked for her help in getting down.
Her horn started to glow as did parts of the vines.
I felt as she tugged the vines in different directions. It definitely was not a comfortable experience. Why could she not just cut them or something?
I even felt the vine around my neck tightening a little.
As my temper raised I all but shouted, "Just cut them with a knife or something!"
When I did though, multiple things happened.
First, I heard flames and the unicorn named Trixie back up with a look of shock.
Second, was that I hit the ground.
Trixie pulled out a folded cloth from her hat and used it to smother the vines which were now on fire.
Did I do that?
After she put out the fire she asked, "I didn't know that kirin were able to turn into nirik? Is that just a you thing or...?"
I looked any I thought about how to get out of this situation.
Though to do that I will need to find out more about kirin, "How much do you know about kirin?"
Fortunately it seems that she took the bait.
Trixie was a stage magician that regular claimed to face off against dangerous monsters from somewhere called the Everfree Forest.
As she lead me to her wagon I started to remember a show that one of my friends watched and often told me about.
She never mentioned this Trixie but I guess that since it was still ultimately a children's show, so it is unlikely that they would focus on a monster hunter.
She quickly looked at pocket watch of some kind and asked me to light the fire for her to cook lunch.
Were I not most likely immune to fire I would call her irresponsible.
Remembering that I caught on fire when I got angry I focused on the my parents and ignited my hoof on the fire wood.
Trixie came out of her with some stew to heat up.
As she began to prepare our lunch she handed me a book intended for children that depiction various magical creatures.
She apparently used it for a reference for visual illusion for her performances.
Despite being made for children it had everything ponies knew, including a depiction of the shield.
Trixie asked me if I was from the Peaks of Peril since we were so far.
When I said that I was not from there she asked me if I was in needed of help returning home.
Since she probably won't believe me if I said that I was from another dimension so I could not actually lead her anywhere. Even if she could I really don't want to go back to my parents, "I don't want to go back to my own village."
She finished pouring the stew into two bowls and sarcastically asked, "Let me guess, a poor relationship with your parents?"
When I nodded her eyes when wide and she said that she was just making a joke.
As we finished our stew Trixie asked me if I wanted to go to the Peaks of Peril.
Though she commented that it was a bit farther than she was used to.
I asked if there was anywhere closer she could take me.
She got a little nervous and said that many ponies would scare easily at an unfamiliar creature like a kirin, so it may actually be best to avoid revealing myself.
Given what I do know about the show at least early on that may actually be a good idea.
I agreed and she suggested that I stay in the wagon for the time since she was planning to go into town.
Trixie seemed to not want to press me for anymore details which was good for me.
Looking into a mirror she had in the wagon I got a good look at myself.
The color of the fur was somewhere between golden brown and orange.
My scales were a yellowish orange.
I had a dark brown...
...antler I think?
The wagon shook a lot but it seemed like Trixie was going slow to not shake it for me to rest.
I was not really that tired but Trixie didn't know that but the thought was nice.
Looking in the mirror I noticed that I still had the scar which parted my left eye brow.
I wonder if other things carried over. Looking at the skin under my chest fluff and saw old surgical scars.
While I amused myself with the thought, it hit me...
Unfortunately I was not flexible enough to check but hopefully no one gets the wrong idea.