The snap and crack of a log fire woke me but I regretted it as I groaned in pain. My head throbbed as if a marching band was having a parade between my ears.
“Ouch...damn what happened to me,” I asked no one in particular. I remembered running away, sleeping under a tree outside of town getting robbed and hallucinating. It was vivid to be sure but it must have been one. I dragged my talons across my face and stopped at my beak. My mind blanked as it processed this.
“You took quite a tumble and broke your wing, those are both very precious things.” I heard say in a thick African accent I remembered from my hallucination. I moved to stand up but my legs wobbled and I collapsed again.
“Who are you?” I asked as the Zebra walked out from behind a shelf. I got a better look at her now. Her blue eyes caught my attention followed by the zebra stripes that made up her coat, accented with golden earrings and neck ringlets that climbed up her neck.
“I am known by Zecora and who might you be?” She asked approaching me with a tray of what looked like food.
“I'm…” I thought about it for a moment I could tell my name but it just didn't feel right for the current situation so I decided to use an alias, but coming up with one on the fly... I looked around saw a mirror that had my reflection.
“Umm Beak,” I said without thinking. Zecora looked at me funny.
“Feather Beak….” I pushed forward with my completely ‘unoriginal’ name.
“Feather Beak, that is quite a name for someone to claim.” She said putting the tray down. It had fruit I recognized and some I didn't. I tried what I was familiar with and began to eat while I looked around thinking of what happened then a thought occurred to me.
“Did you knock me out?!” I asked with sudden realization. Zecora chuckled and didn't reply so I chalked that up to a yes.
“Where am I?” I asked finally as the silence had become increasingly heavy.
“You are in Everfree Forest, a place you would not consider living unless you were more than a simple florist.” She said as she began to put several flowers and grasses into a mortar & pedestal and began to grind them up. The smell began to become unpleasant before she dumped them into her cauldron.
“Everfree…” I said thinking out loud. I have heard of that name before. But where?
“Ok Everfree Forest, but what country am I in?” I asked probing further for information.
“Why Equestria of course, now help me by picking up that plant labeled Tender Horse.” She said. My mind went blank as I robotically picked up the weed that was labeled Tender Horse and went to give it to her. She gestured to me to grind it up. I struggled to stand but I did it. My body ached and protested against my movement. I sat on my haunches and began to grind the herbs.
“Equestria isn't real, it's...it's a fictional place made up by cartoonists or…” I began to force myself to say but the pit in my stomach that had formed was growing heavier by the second.
“It is most certainly real as the air you breath Feather Beak, this is the reality, you cannot turn the other cheek.” She said as I looked over my shoulder to see she was so close to me that I jumped slightly in surprise nearly dropping the mortar & pedestal. Zecora caught it and placed it back on the counter then finished grinding it before adding it to her bubbling brew.
“I'm sorry I-It's a lot to take in. How did you know I am not from this world?” I asked suddenly curious as to how she would know.
“You were close to the wishing tree, and there are no griffins in the area, so you see.” She said simply leading for me to finish.
“You guessed,” I said flatly with half lidded eyes.
“Yes, I guess that is so.” She said with a smile over her shoulder. I was surprised to think that was all it was.
“What do I do?” I said voicing my loss. Zecora looked at me with a raised eyebrow.
“What do you wish to do?” she asked. This gave me pause as I reflected on the question, What did I want? I ran away with no intention of returning. Now that I am here of all places what was next? Lifting my gaze to Zecora she was quietly waiting for my answer.
“I don't know what to do,” I said truly not knowing what's to come next in my new life.
“I am to make a trip to give out my brews if you wish you can come too.” she offered as I tilted my head and then nodded.
“It's a step in a direction I guess,” I said as I stood up shakily. Zecora produced a ladle and began to fill a bottle with her new made brew. Zecora placed the bottle on the counter and then lifted her saddlebags onto her back. I approached her and lifted the brew placing it into her saddlebag. She smiled and nodded her appreciation.
As we left her hut we walked along a barely seen path. Walking on all fours was...surreal to say the least. Sure I sketched ponies and griffins at school only to destroy them before anyone could see them. But being one?
“We are almost there,” Zecora said over her shoulder as I stepped out of the grim treeline of Everfree into a sunny and warm green field that had a path that cut through the grass leading to the town in the distance.
“What place is that?” I asked walking beside her.
“Why that is Ponyville Feather Beak, where many different ponies you will meet,” Zecora said with a smile. I stopped quickly as my eyes widened.
“Wait, Ponyville as in…” I said taking a moment. Well, it was Equestria so yea Ponyville would be apart of it, but actually going there. Zecora hadn’t stopped and I jogged to catch up and soon we were close to the town. I looked around and the sight I could only describe as rustic and warm. Colorful ponies walked around but seemingly gave Zecora and I a wider berth as a few seemed to whispered amongst themselves.
“Is it just me or are they…” I began but Zecora nodded.
“There was a time when all ran to hide anyplace, but it was the courage of young Applebloom who showed their fears were misplaced,” Zecora explained and I could see old fears are hard to undo it seemed.
“Gilda!” I heard yell out as a Rainbow blur slammed into the ground with her hooves kicking up a cloud of dust. As the dust settled Rainbow Dash looked at me and frowned.
“You're not Gilda who are you?” Rainbow demanded. My mind went blank after a moment of taking in the situation. Oh my god… Rainbow Dash is right in front of me.
“This is Feather Beak, he is a friend of mine whose wing is a bit... tweaked,” Zecora said filling in my stupid silence.
“Feather Beak huh?” Rainbow said squinting at me till she looked at my wing and flew to my right side to inspect it.
“Whoa, what did you do? Get into a fight with a hydra?” Rainbow asked as she beat her wings just hovering off the ground.
“N-No I was being chased by wolves in Everfree and I fell down a hill,” I explained as she gave me a look like I was an idiot.
“Was falling down the hill before or after you broke your wing?” She asked. I wish I could just turn invisible, I was a griffin who got his wing hurt for running away instead of flying away how lame was that?
“After,” I mumbled and she leaned in.
“You're gonna need to speak up.” she said.
“After, all right!” I snapped which made her do a somersault backward in the air.
“Jeez! No need to get your feathers in a bunch,” she stated with a frown.
“I don't know how to fly,” I said looking down hoping Zecora would start walking but she simply stood there with a neutral face which just put me in a more sour mood.
“What! Don't you know how to fly? You're a griffin!” she proclaimed before Zecora stepped between me and Rainbow.
“Rainbow please be kind, for he is a special case of mine,” Zecora stated as I simply began to look at the details of the dirt road.
“Whats wrong with him Zecora? Is he like afraid of heights or something?” She asked blatantly which caused the feathers on my back to flair angrily. Before I could spout my anger a striped hoof was placed on my shoulder firmly. I looked up at Zecora who showed no anger or any emotion than a simple smile.
“He is a special case, maybe later you can show him since you are such an ace?” Zecora offered which caused Rainbow’s chest to puff out with an emboldened pride.
“Well, I am the best flier in Equestria. When his wing is all healed I'll teach him a few things.” She said making it sound as if I was given a great privilege. Truth be told I found her to be abrasive and brash but then what I gathered from the few episodes I did see she was that kind of pony. Zecora nodded happily as she began to walk waving goodbye.
“I will hold you to your word, and soon Feather Beak will soar like a bird!” she said with a slight joking jab at me which I did pick up on.
“Don't worry he'll be flying better than any slow bird!” She proclaimed as she rocketed into the clouds.
“Why...why did you have to do that,” I asked lamely.
“There was a griffin that came here one day, a friend of Rainbows I hear say, She was angry a bully who threatened and yelled, you were getting angry and what you would do next I could tell,” she said causing me to think. I was getting so angry that I wanted to punch Rainbow...like how my dad would. I felt a mixture of fury and fear clash inside me. I never wanted to be like my father.
“Thanks for stepping in,” I said as Zecora nodded accordingly.
We made several stops where several ponies who ordered Zecora's concoctions. We then began to approach a large tree that had windows in it. If I recalled it was the library where Twilight the unicorn lived. Zecora approached the door and knocked the sound of banging and crashing could be heard from the door before it opened and smoke bellowed out and a half lidded purple dragon looked up at us. Recognition spread across his face as he looked at Zecora.
“Zecora!” he said happily before looking into the library tree.
“Twilight, It's Zecora.” He announced and a purple unicorn with wings who was having a coughing fit came to the door. I raised my eyebrow in surprise. When did that happen?
“*Cough* Spike! Wait, Ze--*cough cough* Zecora I'm glad your here! I need your help with a potion!” Twilight said urgently. Twilight completely disregarded me and went back inside. Zecora shook her head and looked at me.
“Go around the town, and see what can be found,” she said with a smile and walked inside. Spike looked up at me and shrugged.
“Spike I need you!” Twilight's order came from inside and the door was promptly closed on me. I turned around and looked at the various ponies who went about their business while many gave me stairs and then my stomach rumbled.
“Right...Ponyville...what could go wrong.” I said before the worst possible thing that could happen did. A pink blur stopped in front of me and with eyes as large as saucers and a smile to match.
“A NEW ARRIVAL!” Pinkie exclaimed.