The air rushed in, it was cold and crisp. "Wait, what? No, no, no it was sunny yesterday. Why there is snow now and why is…What?" I didn't know what to think, one day you wake up and it's just snowing. I looked back to Applejack "What?" Back outside "what?" Then turned back to her "What!"
Applejack chuckled a little.
"C'mon now, we're going to need yall's help in the big wrap up." She passed me as she walked outside with a jacket on.
"…What!" Pickup up some snow I caught up, it definitely felt like real snow. "Is this really snow?" I thought "wait, is she wearing clothes?" I bent down just wondering how the hell it was made, "what?"
"Ya'll never seen clothes before?" She asked, stopping in her tracks. Staring at her I remembered she had a hat on, I snatched it off her head. "Hey!"
I stepped away from her and looked at it. "It looks just like a normal ten gallon you'd find back on earth" I thought. Applejack jumped and tried to grab it from me; I sidestepped still looking at it.
"What in tarnation is so interesting 'bout mah hat?" I ignored her and still stared at it.
"But how did they make it if they didn't even have any fingers? Wait…" Dropping the hat back on her head I knelt down and looked at her hooves…
"How do you make all this stuff if you don't even have fingers?" I stood back up, "even more how the hell are you talking? But how are you the dominant race if you don't have fingers, or hands? This shouldn't even be freakin' possible!"
She head-butted me down the road, "c'mon now, we're gunna be late. You can worry 'bout your fancy science later."
Walking down the road I still wondered how they made clothing…No thumbs, no fingers, and no hands? "Maybe they just use magic or something, yeah. That's the solution to everything now isn't it?"
When we got to the town square it looked like the whole town was gathered around, then I remembered the dream from last night, it all added up. I said to myself: "So wait, I dream about a human, then the whole town gathers around like they did for me. Not to mention the weird dream thingy's so…Does that mean…"
"What're you muttering 'bout Michael?"
"So, where are we going anyway? Meeting someone new in town?"
"Nope, no pony new, everypony has to help set up winter. No pony's allowed to use magic, seein' as how ponyville was founded by us earth ponies. Twilight can tell ya it all."
I sighed "well there go my chances of meeting another human."
When we finally got there I stood tall over the sea of ponies, it felt really awkward just standing up, if I didn't stand out enough already. The mayor gave a quick speech about having the quickest winter set up ever, it was weird hearing fillies and gentle-colts it's one of those things you never think you'd hear, ever.
Four groups were given, one choice to be made. What would best suit me?
"I had trouble choosing too." Said Twilight, I jumped back in surprise.
"Man, I'm gunna get a heart attack from all this one day. So what did you choose in the end then? I can't really see you as a work horse, you don't have wings, so you chose working with the animals I guess?"
"I wish in the winter wrap up the first creatures I woke up were snakes" joked Twilight. "I ended up getting my own team, official team organisers." She proudly showed off her team vest it was blue on top, green on the lower half and gold around the seams.
"Huh, sounds like the animal team would fit me; I'll go find Fluttershy, cya Twilight."
"Bye"
I shivered as I walked, rubbing my hands together, every breath came out as a faint cloud. Looking up I saw a group of ponies disbanding as I spotted Fluttershy I ran over to her and called; "Fluttershy!"
"Oh, hello Michael" she said with a smile.
"So you're the team working with the animal's right?"
"Yes, you should see them sleeping. They're so cute"
"Alright, so we're putting them to sleep for hibernation I guess." As she walked me to my area I noticed that she was wearing clothes too. The surrounded by ponies excuse for not noticing might be getting a bit old but it's a damn good one! "Hey you're…Oh not you too."
"What?"
"Why is it that all the ponies are wearing clothes? Where do you even get clothes? You don't have any thumbs, and how do you build homes if you don't have thumbs? Or fingers."
"Oh, um…I guess unicorns…help with the…the building" she stopped and backed away shyly.
She wasn't looking at me anymore, and I should probably try to have as many friends as possible in this new world, and she seems sensitive. "Nah don't worry about it Fluttershy, I'll get used to it soon. No more yelling, come on lets go help with the animals."
Fluttery lead me to our area, we were in a small clearing in front of a half frozen river, with dens in small hills on the sides. In the middle of the clearing were pots hanging from a stand on top of a fire. Beside that were baskets of small blankets. I walked over to the pots while everypony stared at me, just like they had been for the past couple of days now. I was used to it though, can't really say the same for the sudden change in weather.
"Wait…Is that…Milk?" I peered into the pot as it softly boiled. I turned back to Fluttershy who was half way to the middle "wait what?"
"Actually, cream and milk" she said softly. "We heat it up to help the animals sleep."
"And the blankets?" I asked pointing to the basket.
"Those are to make sure they're warm for the winter, we wouldn't want them to get colds now."
"Yeah, that's good thinking I guess." I shot a quick look at the fire. I couldn't drag myself to look away; even the fire here seemed different. In a new way the fire seemed almost alien. I stared at the fire; it seemed like a ghost hovering above the ground and around the wood. Then the world went dark…
When the world snapped back I was sitting by a lake. Clear blue sky, rolling green hills, and mountains off in the distance, it was calming in a way. Getting used to these spontaneous dreams I looked around and noticed a lighter next to me. Holding it in front of my face I lit it, the flame was just as hypnotic. And with a streak of dark blue, like a sword, it was flicked out of my hand and into the lake. Feeling a bit depressed now, I got up and fumbled around in the lake to try and find it. Staring at my reflection the surface of the lake lit up, becoming brighter and brighter until it was blinding. It engulfed the world then it went purple. I heard a voice: "Michael, Michael" and felt my body shake like trying to be woken up.
I snapped back and Fluttershy was shaking me.
"Woah, woah yes hello what is it?"
"Are you okay? You were just…Just staring at that fire."
"Oh yeah yeah I'm fine. Ever since I was a kid I liked staring at fire. But no time for backstory now, let's get to work."
I mostly got snakes and birds to care for; every other pony seemed to be scared of the snaked. And I could climb trees a lot better, probably because I have fingers. When we were giving out bowls of warm milk to the animals in their dens, and giving them blankets. Near the end of my job I overheard a pony talking to Fluttershy about the animals on the edge of the Everfree forest, a unicorn actually. The pony was orange, with golden hair. I went closer and overheard:
"That's alright Fluttershy, we can find somepony else."
"What's this for?" I asked.
"I was asking Fluttershy to take care of the animals on the edge of the Everfree forest, but I'll have to find somepony else, shoe doesn't like going near the forest apparently."
"Well, what kinds of animals are you talking about?"
"Well there are foxes, maybe some wolves and-"
"You got me at foxes, which way?" The pony leads me to the edge of the forest with some milk for the animals, and a bag of bowls.
"Be careful" she said. "You're probably more scared of them than they are of you."
"Heh heh, yeah…Wait…What?" I turned around and she was already running back to the group.
"Huh, she seemed pretty casual around a human…Wonder why…" I followed the path in, looking out for anything near the path. "No wonder Fluttershy is scared of this place, it's pretty creepy." Suddenly, a two foxes jumped out onto the path with three cubs. I set down two bowls and poured them the milk, soon after more came along, then some snakes, and some mice.
Once I'd gathered up all the supplies again I saw a wolf staring at me off track. "Well I still have some milk left" I thought. Walking up to him the turned and jumped over some rocks then went back to watching me. I didn't know why but I felt like he was trying to tell me something. I followed him into a patch of clearing in the forest, he sat by me as I poured him the milk, and I waited for him to finish. "It's amazing how much this looks like earth" I said looking around.
When he finished he pushed the bowl towards me with his nose. "Wow, you wolves are smarter than they know." I picked up the bowl, looking up the wolf was holding his paw out. "How are you doing that? Are you sure you're not somebodies pet?" I grabbed his paw then it happened.
The wolf bit me on the hand, not savagely but only slightly. "Arrgh shit!" I looked at my hand and it was bleeding, it left an obvious mark. The wolf seemed smart like the ponies but he didn't speak. Then the wolf ran off. What just happened?
"It doesn't seem anything serious, I'll be fine." I walked back to the site and everyone was clearing up.
The orange pony ran up to me again, "Where were you? You've been gone for a while."
"I have?" I shot a quick look back at the forest, "it…Didn't seem that long."
"Oh well, just help us pack up."
When Fluttershy saw my hand I just said fell, if she didn't like going near the forest, she would hate the idea of a wolf bite.
Everything was packed up now, not really sure what to do I went off to try and find Pinkie. Fluttershy had mentioned Pinkie baking for the food supply so I went over to Sugar cube corner. I'd imagine it was noon by the time I got over there, but you can't really tell through the thick clouds and snow.
"I still can't believe it's snowing. It's really snowing!" I laughed to myself. "Oh what my family wouldn't give to see this" then it hit me, what had been hiding from me all this time. "Wait…Who are my family?" I stopped dead in my tracks. "My family, my friends…I can't remember any of them, not a single name or face. And why the hell am I talking to myself?" I stood there for a while, trying to remember. It was like a distant memory, something looming in your mind that you know you should remember but you just can't. I stared at my hand, "and why did the wolf do that?"
"Come to think of it…I can't remember anything. What my house looks like, where I went to school, what sports I played, not even my favourite colour…Only my name…" I slowly took of walking again, "I'm a lone human in a pony's world. Heh, that reminds me of Doctor who…Did I like that show? Why can I remember that then but not anything about my life?" I sighed heavily, "the last of my kind. Am I going to die here? I wouldn't even know my family's faces." I looked up and I was at the bakery, still as silly looking as it was the time I first saw it.
The door flung open and a pink blur flung me inside, I landed with a thud. I looked up and a baker hat was thrown on the floor in front of me. With the pink blur dashing into the next room with a "come on!"
I picked myself up to follow the blur and put on the hat, as soon as I came in Pinkie shoved a bowl filled with cake mix towards me. "Here, mix this" She quickly said. Just going along with it I picked it up and started mixing.
"What's the rush?" I asked as she zipped around the room.
"What's the rush? The rush is that you weren't here to help me bake anything!"
"Wait, I thought that I was meant to be helping with the whole…Uh winter thingy." I stumbled over my words.
"Yes, but you had a job today helping me bake the food supply."
"Well, they didn't really give me a time an-"
"Just help me Michael!"
"Fine fine, what'd ya need?"
Everything was like rush hour in the kitchen, cracking eggs, sifting power, mixing goop, all at the same time. We were always bumping into each other, I nearly fell over about five times. Eventually after all the running around and flour going everywhere even into my face, things quieted down a bit and it was back to the pace of a normal kitchen. Pinkie was humming a cheery tune as I just stared out the window to the falling snow, when I finally looked down I noticed my hands were covered in flour, and the bite was still there.
"Oh no" I placed the bowl down and ran over to the sink. With Pinkie staring I turned on the tap, the cool water stung on my hand as it washed the flour and blood away. "Hope I'll be okay after all this." The last ration to make was cupcakes.
All you have to do is take a cup of flour, add it to the mix.
She pulled out a tray of hot cupcakes from the oven, I don't know how but they were iced.
"Wait what? You didn't even put anything in there? How the hell…Just…urg," I said face palming. "I give up."
"Well I didn't write this script." She said bouncing to the front door.
"Wait. Script what? This story needs a translator option." I walked out to the front desk where Mrs Cake threw four coins on the counter. "So, what's the normal pay for a baker anyway?"
"Oh around this much, four bits a day."
"Alright, thanks I guess." I stuffed the bits in my pocket and walked out, Pinkie still bouncing beside me. "So what now? Still got a lot of daylight left. What'd you want to do?"
"Hmm…Oh I know! Let's go prank rainbow Dash! Come on!" She boosted away. I would have followed her but I saw that pony again, black and white, around a corner. He gestured for me to follow him as he disappeared around the corner.
Pinkie came back "I said, come on"
"Pinkie I'll catch up with ya, meet me back at Twilights." I took off following that pony. Turning the corner, he was gone, all that was there was my IPod on the ground. "Where the hell did he get this from?"
Picking it up, a sound tuned in: "Is this thing working?" It sounded like a male teenager's voice.
"Listen, I know you don't know what's going on but just listen. That bite on your hand, you have to get to Twilight with it. Believe me it's bad news. If anyone asks just say you thought you saw something over here. Go along with Pinkie's pranks; don't let anyone know about this. When you and Pinkie split up go back to the library, I'll explain later. Don't tell anyone. Good luck."
The sound but out there, I tried turning it back on but nothing worked. That voice seemed so familiar though, like I knew him. But why did that Pegasus have it? And how did the recording know I'd been bit? No one was there when I was.
"Also, Moon River, you're going to need to know that. Now stop asking questions and go!"
I didn't know who it was, or how he knew, but if he knew about the bite. He probably knows a lot more; I stuffed the IPod in my pocket and went back to the library. "So what were ya saying about pranking?" I asked, walking in.
"Grrrr. I just can't think of any pranks" pouted Pinkie.
"You have no idea" I replied. "Well what've ya got?" I opened a sack she had next to her. "A bucket, a shovel, a hand buzzer, and smoke bombs? Hmm…Got it!"
"What?"
I picked up a small light bulb on a shelf and put it over Pinkie's head. "Hold on" I twisted the bulb and let go, it floated above her head then-
Pinkie gasped "I've got it!"
"Works every time." I put the bulb back on the shelf and followed Pinkie out as she dragged the sack. "End of sequence then fade to black."
We stood out in the street arguing about how to use all of those in the bag, and with some convincing we got Twilight to help as well. Turns out Rainbow Dash is really into racing, "okay then, here's a good plan."
After getting a map I waited for Rainbow Dash by the edge of town. "HEY RAINBOW!" I yelled up to a lazily flying Rainbow Dash coming by.
"What's up?" She said landing next to me.
"You up for some winter racing?"
"A race? You are so on!"
"Okay," I unrolled the map. "So ponyville is like a maze…Wow, never thought I'd be saying ponyville that casually… Anyway, you have to get through to the other side of town any way you can. But two rules. One: No going through the market in the middle, I want it to be like a maze race, going through the alleyways."
"Hah, no shortcuts, no problem."
"Two: No flying…Well not above the buildings, so you can fly, just don't go above the buildings. Also I've got Pinkie up on twilight's balcony to make sure ya don't cheat. And three: no going around, pretty obvious that one I guess."
"You sure about this? I bet I can beat you in ten seconds flat!" The pure flame determination in her eyes was amazing. And this was the spark.
"Try me…Alright then." I rolled the map back up. "Three…Two…One…GO!" Rainbow took off faster than I could believe, gone in a snap with only a trail into the alleyways for a trace. I turned around and Twilight came from behind a tree. "Got that spell ready Twilight? Wait…Why are you wearing a saddle?"
"Well it's to keep warm, anyway. All set, this will get her back for that invisible ink." I shielded my eyes as her horn glowed then a flash of light. Next minute, we were on the other side of town.
My body didn't go limp this time, instead it all went stiff. "Arrgh, that's new, all stiff now." I said stretching my back. "Okay, hide somewhere go!" Twilight hid behind some crates.
Rainbow Dash skidded to a stop making snow fly everywhere. "What? But no I-"she stuttered.
"Ten…seconds…flat."
"How'd you beat me?" She pointed still puffing.
A bonus popped into my head. "Remember how I could walk on clouds? Turns out today I have some awesome speed, even faster than you really."
"But, no I'm the best flier in Cloudsdale."
"Alright, let's go check with Pinkie then." We trekked through the snow back to Twilight's where Pinkie was bouncing around outside. "So who won Pinkie?"
"Rainbow Dash…" Said Pinkie in a surprised tone.
"Yeah!" Yelled Rainbow Dash leaping up in the air.
"You lost!"
"Huh!" She dropped to the ground.
"Ah well, nice race." I held my hand out. Rainbow jumped back as she grabbed the buzzer on my hand. "Heh heh. No seriously, come inside." I gestured to the door. She eyed me as she pushed the door open; a whole bucket of water came down on the head. "SMOKE SCREEN!" I threw down a smoke pellet I had in my pocket.
Twilight teleported Pinkie and myself up to the balcony. Where we had a shovel of snow ready, when the smoke had cleared we dumped it on Rainbow.
"How's the weather Rainbow?" Called out Pinkie, we all fell back onto the snow laughing. Rainbow flew up to us with a face that just screamed 'not cool'.
"Ah lighten up Rainbow, you and Pinkie do pranks all the time!"
"Hey" said Pinkie, still giggling. "How'd you know?"
"Yeah Michael. How did you know?" Intimidated Rainbow, flying closer. "Are you a spy for somepony?"
"Well I...I um…How did I know?"
"Oh so now you just suddenly forget eh?"
"Wait a second the recording, oh crap" I thought. "Listen I've got to go so I'll-" Before I could make it out the door Rainbow held me back.
"Hold it bub. Where are you going now?"
"Michael, you've been running off a lot recently" said Twilight. "Is there something we should know?"
"Look, I'll explain it all later but I have got to-"
"And how did you get here in the first place?" Interrupted Rainbow "You don't just pop up one day like some parasprite. And why haven't you told us anything about you hmm?"
"DO YOU THINK I KNOW?" I angrily yelled at her, she let go and everything went silent. It was that awkward moment when someone yells in a crowded room. "If I knew anything about how I got here I'd be trying to get back. If I knew anything about my life I would tell you but I don't, I can't, I can't remember a thing. The only thing I know is my name that's it!"
"Stop fighting you two, this is just like when you met" said Twilight.
"Pretty much, as though it was only the second chapter. But all I know is that I can't tell you, now I need to go now!" I turned and ran down the stairs, out the door, into the snow filled streets, and into an alleyway."
"This is a blast from the past isn't it?" I pulled out my IPod, "so what now?" The device tuned into a recording again, yet still a blank screen.
"By now I know you're away from the others and that you didn't tell them. Now I know I said I was going to explain but I can't, not yet at least. But you still can't tell Twilight or anyone else anything about that bite, trust me on that. Because if I know all of this then you should trust me by now but if you still don't listen to this: In two days you're going to get a letter from Celestia, that's all I can say. If that happens you know you can trust me." After that nothing more came through.
"Wait no, what else! Anything else, who the hell are you?"
"Oh and by the way. Remember, Moon River."
"Well what the fuck does that mean?" It remained silent "I can swear I'm just going insane."
By that time in the day the sun was starting to set, so I went back to Applejack's. Back up in my room I just sat on my bed staring at my IPod. "What are you…?" I muttered.
Applejack poked her head through the door, "dinner's all set if ya'll want any."
"Thanks, I'll be down in a minute." I sat there staring at it for about another two minutes until I went over to my table and picked up my drawing. "Who are you? And why are you two so important? I give up." Throwing them back onto the table I heard a thud at my window. I looked and saw Ditzy rubbing her nose. I ran over and opened it. She had a cheesy smile on her face, and a spark in her eyes.
"Ditzy, what are you doing here? How are you?" My face lit up, I don't know what it was but Ditzy was just one of those people who made you smile.
"I'm fine thanks; I've got a letter for you." She handed me a small note.
"Hey, you want to come inside? It's cold out here, and you're probably the only pony in this town that isn't paranoid about me."
"I-I've more deliveries to run so-"
"Aww come on. It's snowing! It's like Christmas time, the feeling of Christmas."
"The feeling of what?"
"Oh yeah, you don't know what that is do you? Never mind, but are you sure you don't want to come in?"
"Well, I guess I could-"
"Ditzy!" Someone cried out, looking over I saw it was a brown mare with a chocolate mane.
"Oh I-I've got to go now" Said Ditzy.
"Hey wait, I know you. You were at that party, what's your name again?"
"It's alright. I'm a doctor." He called back before running of with Ditzy.
I opened the note and it read: 'Don't worry about it, go have dinner.'
Looking up I said: "Those two make a pair don't they?" I said to myself.
"Ya'll coming down anytime?" Said Applejack popping her head through the door.
"Oh, yeah sorry just had to take care of something. Let's go and by the way, do you have a god or something like that? You must have religion somewhere."
"We worship Celestia for bringin' out the sun 'n the moon."
"Boy this place is different." I sighed.
We had Apple Pie for dinner that night, really filling and kept you warm. Applejack had asked me where I came from; I told them I didn't know that I only knew my name. Not much else. They didn't ask me much else after that. But even though it wasn't really Christmas, well I don't think it was. It really did feel like it.
After the long day I went back upstairs, took my shirt off and laid down my head. I didn't know why but the nights were getting warmer for some reason. "Interesting world these ponies have here. Oh what a world." I drifted off to sleep pretty quickly with a stomach full of pie.
I woke up surrounded by torn trees on the edge of the apple tree orchard in a ditch.
"Urrg, what happened last night?" I looked around, "where's my shirt gone?" I spat something out. "Wood? What?
"Hey you…Michael!" Applejack called out from on top of the ditch.
"Ohhhh~what?"