//------------------------------//
// Phantom Pain 
// Story: Out of Breath 
// by Phantom Wolf 
//------------------------------//

Voices, along with a painful cramp, woke Emily up. Her body was heavy and tiered, a sign of her last attack. She cracked an eye open and looked up at the people surrounding her. Correction, the ponies surrounding her. They stared at her with wide eyes as she sat up.

"Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie!"

A pink, fluffy maned, pony jumped up onto the bed and grinned at her.

"Err. . . "

Pinkie Pie was quickly pulled off the bed by her tail. An orange pony mare wearing a Stetson spat out her tail and frowned at her.

"Pinkie, give her some space."

Southern. Emily smiled slightly. The purple unicorn shushed them both before turning to the human.

"Hello, my name is Twilight Sparkle."

"H-hi. Ah'm Emily."

The Stetson wearing pony smiled at her own southern accent. Human or pony, a southerner was a southerner.

"We'll howdy Emily. Ah'm Applejack. You already met Pinkie Pie an' Twilight. That there is Rainbow Dash"

Applejack pointed at the hovering pegasus. She was aptly named.

"This is Rarity"

A styled unicorn tossed her mane, smiling.

"And lastly, this-"

Applejack pushed a cowering figure out from behind her to bed.

"is Fluttershy."

Fluttershy glanced at Emily through her mane. Emily recognized her as the pony from earlier.

"It's nice to meet y'all, but. . . where am Ah?"

Twilight smiled kindly.

"You're in Ponyville, which is in Equestria."

"Ah-Ah've never heard of Equestria."

Twilight nodded.

"I didn't think so. I'm not sure, but I think you may have somehow jump dimensions.

Jumped dimensions?!

Emily's eyes widened in fear. Her heart skipped a beat as she took a shallow breath. Tears started to gather in her eyes. Twilight saw this and stepped forward, her horn glowing.

"Whoa, now. It's alright."

The second the magic touched the shaking human, all panic left her. She hadn't felt this calm in almost two years. However, when the panic left, so did the adrenalin. The cramping in her leg intensified. Emily reached down and started to massage her knee.

"H-how did ya do that?! That-that was amazing!"

"It's just a simple calming spell. Nothing really. Now, I've sent a letter to the Princess. She might be able to help you get back home. So until we get a reply, we'll help you as much as we can."

Emily smiled as she dug her knuckled gentle into the muscle above her knee.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

"Um. . . uh. . . is-is"

Everyone looked over at Fluttershy, making her blush even more.

"Um. . . is s-something wrong with y-your leg?"

Emily looked startled at the question.

"Nah, just some phantom feelings. Gets cramped up if Ah walk to much."

Pinkie Pie bounced over.

"What's phantom feelings? Is it like a ghost? Is it fun?!"

Twilight yanked back the bouncing mare.

"Pinkie Pie, don't! Phantom feelings are. . . are. . . "

Twilight swallowed, looking pale.

Emily sighed as she pulled back her left pant leg. Everypony gasped. Just below the knee joint, the leg was gone. In place of it was a prosthetic. Rarity fainted. Fluttershy started to cry. Pinkie Pie pined back her ears and frowned.

"T-that doesn't look fun at all."