Damn, this storm is strong. Reykan and I have been walking through the wet and dancing tall grass, heading towards the edge of the forest which is still a few more yards away, shivering from the cold rain and from the cold gusts, but we continue on.
And yesh... The two of us are soaking wet...
“Grrr... Th-this is why I hate wild storms...” I hear Reykan say, who’s a few paces behind me. “They will suddenly show up a-and rains hard...like now!”
I keep my mouth shut and continue on, since I’ve no idea what to respond. And then I slip, my chin slamming first on the wet earth. “Oof!”
“Jay? Don’t tell me you’re falling asleep again!” he says as he stops beside me.
“Ngggh-no,” I say through gritted teeth as I stand back up on four hooves, ignoring my aching dry throat. “Le-let’s move on...”
He nods his head as I turn my attention ahead and continue to walk towards the edge of the forest, Reykan following close behind. We haven’t seen any other living creature since the storm began and we barely say anything to each other though, but it’s all okay for me—
“Wait,” Reykan suddenly says. I stop and turn my head in time to see him turning his head to a direction, both his ears twitching. And then, despite the occasional howls of the wind, rumbling thunder up in the heavens, rustling tall grasses all around us and the loud and constant splashes of rainwater, I faintly hear my little feline companion’s stomach growl. “I hear a rabbit.”
I arch an eyebrow. I let out a sigh.
“...Probably a mouse... You go on ahead, Jay,” he says without turning to me. “I’ll...just catch up...” And he quietly walks away to a direction.
I shake my head and continue heading towards the edge of the forest. Right... So I’m all alone on this little journey of mine again...for the time being, at least. And whenever I’m all alone, my mind starts to wander elsewhere...like home...and my bro...and my mom...
How are they, I wonder? How many days have I been away from home now? Hm... Let’s see... I woke up in this alternate Equestria outside Pinkie’s and AJ’s pasture. That was Monday morning... Spent a night in that forest route with Sienna and woke up still in that location. That was a Tuesday... Then we parted ways and I continued to the unicorns...and got stoned. Woke up in the evening, to Reykan dragging me... That was Tuesday evening...my supposed deadline. I then collapsed and woke up earlier today...at around noon...so it’s a Wednesday afternoon at the moment.
The thick and dark clouds up above makes the afternoon look like the sun’s already gone, with how dark everything looks, but not too dark like the evenings here. Whatever... I continue moving, slipping once or twice.
Hm... How should I deal with Twilight...? She’ll be different, that’s for sure... And if she is, then how is she supposed to help me get back home? I doubt she’d be researching about magic and other ‘impractical’ things... I doubt she can afford wasting time researching magic outside of basic necessities... That’s how the creatures here work, right? Doing, performing and achieving only basic needs...
...I doubt she’ll be sane enough to listen to me...
I sigh, slightly hanging my head low... Twilight won’t be able to help me, apparently... And...in this world, she’s crazy... Crazy enough to try and steal young cattle and...tele-steal a bunch of gems from her own kind for unknown reasons... So yesh...she’s definitely crazy... Now begs the question of why I’m still trying to go and see her. It’s already obvious that she can’t help me... It’s...not hope to hope that she can help me... It’s now just pure stupidity... Many Equestrians already told me that Twilight’s crazy, yet here I am, working my way to see her... This is going to be like the unicorns again... Despite what the others said, I ignored them, and look what happened?
I stop and hang my head lower, shivering from the coldness of everything around me... Damnit... I am...stuck here... Am I stuck here? Am I really going to be stuck here...forever? I...I-I don’t want to live as a pony for the rest of my life! Damnit, no! I want to be with my family again! I want my hands back! And the internet! And...and...pizza! There...there has to be a way! A way for me to go home...! Some...some magical artifact or something...or anything!
“Pl-please...” I whisper through gritted teeth as I glare at the small puddles of water on the ground. “I...I-I can’t stay here... I shouldn’t be here...!” I slowly lift my head up, glaring at the dark heavens. “This...this is a mistake...! Why am I here? I shouldn’t be here!” Rainwater hit my large eyes, and I angrily blink them away as I try to continue glaring at the sky. “Celestia... Luna...! Please help me...!” A low rumbling noise. “Help me g-get back home...! Please! Show yourselves to me! I-I don’t care if I got here by magical accident or whatcrap! Just... Just...” I clench my eyes shut. “I want to go home!”
But of course...there’s no reply. There’s no one around to reply...
“...I want to go h-home...” I choke on a sob as I hang my head low, shivering from the cold gust of wind passing by.
“Then why not just head home?” I hear a loud, curious, cheerful and feminine voice right in front of me.
I blink and lift my head up to see a small and white...head...with an orange-colored beak poking out of the tall grass in front of me. “Uh...” I blink again. That’s...a swan’s head. There’s a swan in front of me...
The white swan tilts her head slightly to the side, blinking her golden amber eyes at me. “Instead of,” she shrugs, “standing under this storm.” She smiles at me. “I’m sure you live close by, anyway!” She blinks, her smile fading, and suddenly she let’s out a squawking gasp. “Oh my goodness! Don’t tell me you’re lost!”
“Er...” There’s a swan standing in front of me... And it can talk...
“Oh... You poor thing.” She quickly extends a large, white and feathery wing to hold my cheek—thud thud thud!—but she stops and looks down, gasping with another squawk again. “Oh, clumsy me...!” She folds her wing back to her side and starts grabbing the fallen carrots and some other small vegetables on the muddy ground with her beak and hides them under her now-folded wing.
“Uh...” There’s a talking swan picking carrots in front of me...
“Brr...” she shivers as soon as she tucks the last carrot under her wing. “I sometimes forget that I’m bringing something...well, a lot of something under my wings.” She chuckles airily, but stops as soon as her gaze lands on me. “Oh my! I forgot that I’m talking to a pony!”
“Uhhh...” There’s a talking swan talking to me...
“Oh, where are my manners?” She violently shakes her head. “Twilight taught me better than this...” She then smiles awkwardly at me. “Well, she sometimes teaches me stuff when she's not...what was that term she mentioned? Episodes? Eh...” She shrugs again and then gives me a beaked smile. “Hi there, mister pony. My name’s—!”
“Grrraaaarrr—!” A black blur pounces on the white swan, leaving a few spinning carrots and other vegetables in the air before they fall on the muddy ground.