~~~Canterlot~~~
“I am saying, sister, that this is a cause for concern! Can you not see THE signs? Do you not remember?”
“I can, and I do, Luna. I'll send a letter to Twilight informing her of the portal and of the possible implications, but I do not feel that this is reason to risk inciting public worry. The royal guard should not be needed for an event this small.”
“SMALL? MAY WE REMIND YOU OF THE LAST OCCURRENCE?” Luna shouted in the Royal Canterlot Voice.
“Luna, please, there is no reason for volume here.”
Luna looked up, apprehensively. “But what of the portal, sister? Last time the portal opened there was chaos as that 'legion' marched through!”
Celestia paused a moment, considering her choice of words. “Yes, that was a regrettable incident. However, there have been other times this has happened while you were gone, and none were that large, and never bad. Usually the poor things are terrified and need guidance and a friend. Many are quite intelligent, and bring knowledge of things that have improved life for ponies everywhere. That is why I will be sending Twilight to investigate.”
"But the destruction of the temple was supposed to destabilize the portal and stop this from happening sister."
"You now as well as I, that we only destroyed one link on our side."
An uneasy silence drifted over the balcony as the two alicorns mulled over the talk. Luna glanced over at her sister. While they were sisters, sometimes they really were as different as the day and night. Which was a fairly appropriate comparison, considering their sphere of influences.
After a few more uncomfortable moments passed Celestia sighed and relented “ I understand your concern, and I see that no amount of talk will still that, and I cannot stop you if I wished to. You may investigate but on three conditions sister: Be sure that your duties are accounted for, don't rally the army without me, and Luna?”
“Yes sister?”
“Don't judge without cause. Not all things different are evil.”
~~~Everfree Forest~~~
Warm, so very warm.
"Thump... Thump Thump."
Kinda soft also I didn't think that Sam liked soft things, wait... Is that a zebra print blanket? No this feels too real, almost like a real pelt, Sam would never use a real pelt as a blanket. Groggily I look up.
At a zebra.
'AGHH A ZEBRA WHA—'
Thump... Thump thump.
'AGHG A ZEBR—'
Thump... Thump Thump.
'A zeb—'
Thump... Thump Thump.
"Yawn" 'Sam's probably playing a joke on me. This can'—'
'Damn it why am I so sleepy? I've gotta get outa he—WHAA!'
A crushing hug engulfed me as the zebra pull me closer and snuggled me closer to her chest? What is it called on a- no no time for that brain! Gotta get outa here now! "Gack!" Wriggling to get out is only causing her to pull me closer! 'How am I goi—'
Thump... ThumpThump.
'How am I goi—'
Thump... Thump Thump..
Discomfort practically oozes away as the zebra's simple-yet-continuous heartbeat starts to calm me down, and it’s not long before I’m snuggling deeper into the hug with each little beat. I know my Dignity will be smarting after all this is done, but... this isn’t so bad. pretty soon i find myself not caring. anymore
Thump...Thump Thump.
'Hmmm so...so warm.'
Yawning, I snuggled in closer. Trying to get warmer.
"Hmmmm what a strange dream." Looking up at the bewildered but now awake looking zebra, if only slightly awake, I see that it has woken up and is talking!
Zebras can't talk...
AHH—
Thump...Thump Thump.
Ahh so warm here. 'If I get closer can I get warmer?' Despite myself, I found myself snuggling into a more comfortable position closer to the zebra's chest.
The zebra's eyes whipped down to me still snuggled up in her hug. It eyes widened.
"..."
"AHHHHHHH!!"
And that how I found myself flying like a football across the clearing. A short ,but highly squeaky, “AHH!” brought to an abrupt end as I made touchdown. "WHUMP." SHE SHOOTS! SHE SCORES! And the crowd goes wild. Whoooo!
Trying to stand up, I shakily stand for an instant before I face plant again. That's when I see them.
Hooves.
Breathe in, breathe out. Calm calm happy thoughts! HOW CAN I BE CALM!? I have HOOVES! Nonononononono! This can't be happening! What did I do to deserve this?? Tears start to well up as my breathing sped up almost painfully, and I try to hold it all in.
I tried, really I did, honest!
I failed.
And the floodgates opened up.
"Whaaaa!"
'What is wrong with me! I mean sure I was a creature with hooves but I never cried, at least not for a few years. Why am I so miserable!' Turns out huddling up in a ball and crying doesn't help all that much.
I had never felt so low.
I cried, and cried, and cried. Alone. abandoned. Was it permanent? Where was I? A squeal slips out of me, echoing off the ruins at the edge of the clearing as I jump and go rigid, thoughts completely interrupted by a hoof rubbing me calmingly in between the shoulder blades. The surprised reaction nets a low, giggle from my ‘captor’ while she slowly rock me from side to side between her hooves.She looks terrified, but she is cooing at me, telling me it's ok. She sounds familiar some how.
Thump...Thump Thump
Instantly I felt better. Slowly my breathing calmed down and I got my mental dam closed again as my tears stopped.
How long I stayed there pressed up against her chest listening to her heartbeat, I have no idea. She just kept telling me that it was going to be alright, and I believed her.
And then It clicked. Why that voice sounded familiar, where I had heard it before. I knew.
It was Sam.
"S-Sam? Is that you?"
Personally I'd never seen eyes get that big before, but there's a first time for everything i guess.
H-how do you know m-my name?" She stuttered out after a few minutes of holding me up, and staring at me like I'd grown an extra head.
"It's me Jack."
"WHUMP!"
'Ah my good friend,dirt, nice to see you again! How are you doing? I'm doing well just thought I'd "drop" in, and see how you’re doing.'
"Jack?" What happened to you? You're a pony... And a girl."
"WHAT?!"
Time for a check! Legs? Check! Manhood? That's a negative captain! And further back...NOPE! nope nope! Not happening! This is just a sick joke! It has to be! 'Snap outta it Jack! Calm the hell down!'
I feel hollow inside as my world comes crashing down around me once again.
What had happened to me? Why am I so small? Am I zebra also? No I don't have stripes. But I am a white color, and I'm pretty sure I saw black when I looked... back.
Hmmm... Looking back again, I saw I had a tail. A black tail.
Suddenly I feel Sam trying to withdraw. Faster then I realized what I was doing, I was wrapped around one of her legs, begging her not go.
Shaking her leg she dropped me off...on her back.
"It's okay Jack, I’m not leaving you behind"
I cling to her neck sobbing as she starts to leave the clearing and crumbled ruins, a little shaky but I'm not going to going to fall off no matter what.
'Surely nothing else can compare to the horrors of today.' I thought curling up on Sam's back as I watch the forest pass by.
~~~later~~~
Ugh it's so boring!!! Just trees, trees and, you guess it, MORE TREES. I'm getting so bored I'm counting all the oak trees as a game.'Seventy-four'...'seventy-five'...'seventy-si—no more!'
"Are we there yet?"
"..."
"No."
"How about now?"
"No."
"What about now?"
"Nnnooo..."
"Annnnd... How about now?"
"Look Jack I’m sorry but we are not there yet, I don't even know where there is! Much less how to get there!"
"Oh that's easy, just follow the smoke."
"Smoke?"
Glancing up, she caught sight of a thin trail of smoke curling through the branches.
'Oh that smoke." She said sheepishly.
for a while we followed the twisting trail of smoke in silence, that is until my stomach decided that, it wanted food, now.
"Sam, I'm hungry.
"Hmm that could be a problem, still you are a pony now so I guess you can eat grass? Possibly a few flowers?" Reaching down, she grabbed a few blue flowers from the side of the path we were following and placed them on her back for me.
Sighing, I hide my disgust at her using her mouth, but really I guess we don't have much of a choice at this point. Taking a bite out of one of the flowers I was assaulted by the most wonderful flavor I have ever tasted! In a instantly I shoved my muzzle into the small pile of blue flowers. "ITS LIKE THE AMBROSIA OF THE GODS!" I squeaked out, and with that I lost all control. Petals flew everywhere.
"Hehe you’re pretty cute like this Jack."
Gasping and sputtering I could only gasp out the most daring and amazing of denials ever concocted by man. "I am not! Take that back!" I squeaked out indignantly while I gave Sam my best death glare. Unfortunately based on her reaction I come across as more cute then intimidating based on the "D'awww" I got in response. Forgetting that I stood on her back I promptly backed off into the air. "Whump" 'Ah, hello ground. Nice to see you once more. If I dropped in anymore, it might as well be a date.'
"Are you okay?" she asked.
Dignity aside no. I'm a talking pony for crying loud! "Y-yes Sam I’m fine"
"Hmm, if you say so."
"Ohh never mind! That hurts!" I cry out as my stomach cramps up, and a horrible itching covered my body.
Grabbing me by the neck and tossing me on her back she takes off toward the source of the smoke.
The forest trees passed by in a blur as the smell of smoke got stronger. Not that I saw much of anything with the tears streaming from my eyes. For a second there, I thought I saw my muzzle turning black.
We burst into a clearing where another zebra sat surrounded by strange tribal looking masks and stirring a large black pot.
"Help! Please she's in pain!" inwardly i was glaring at her referring to me as a girl, but hey i guess i was one at this point.
"Pray tell what is wrong, what has been done?" The strange zebra ask, in a rhyme.
"I don't know! She ate some flowers and she started crying in pain!"
"What color of shoot? She ate of what root?"
"Some blue flowers"
"Ah if that is true, I know what to do." Turning, she heads into the strange tree-house. A few minutes later she she came back out with a packet of some sort.
"Put in a bath and let your daughter soak."
"MY DAUGHTER?!" Sam cried out in shock.
"Is she not of your folk? She has her mother's coat?"
Looking back at me, Sam's jaw drops as she see a small zebra filly shrimped up on her back groaning.
"Jack! Are you alright!"
"I'm fine" I grumbled as the pain finally receded. Looking up, the first thing I spot is a mask not six inches from my, now black, muzzle and with an ear shattering "eek!" I toppled off her back and into the dirt... again.
What a day.