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The Beginning976 words
The Birth1,570 words
Morning3,440 words
Ponyville2,313 words
The Princess2,081 words
Withering5,894 words
Forest3,502 words

Morning

Author's Note:

I know it seems a little soon to post a chapter, but I've sorta been on an inspiration binge and honestly, I didn't think I'd finish a chapter so soon. Hopefully I can keep this up for both this story and my other stories, published and unpublished. I hope you enjoy this.

The next morning brought with it bright sunshine that made the lingering droplets of water on various trees, plants and spiderwebs sparkle like little diamonds. Fluttershy had already woken up and had begun to feed her animal friends which meant that her room was empty as her newest little guest stirred and awoke from her slumber. Black and white eyes blinked and looked around as her mind tried to put the pieces together.

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When I woke up, everything felt strange and different. The first thing I registered was how soft and warm this bed was. Sometimes I like sleeping in, but as my first coherent memories came back to me, I snapped my eyes open in an instant. The convention. That guy, then fainting. One thing I knew for certain, this was not my room or the hospital. Even more confusing was the angle of which I was seeing it. I knew I was small, but I'm not that small.

Then I noticed the rest. By virtue of the fact that I was now glowing, my attention was drawn down to my body. I didn't even need to think to know what kind of body I was in. White glowing fur, tiny hooves, strange arms, a tail and when I reached up to touch my head, I felt my ears. One pair was lower down on my head while a second smaller pair was on top. I knew exactly who I was but I still felt the need to confirm.

Quickly I jumped out of bed and went hunting for a mirror. It took some time, but eventually, I found a mirror in a bathroom. Getting up to look at it was easy and soon I was looking at Ori in the mirror. It was Ori alright, every single detail right down to the eyes. Only the proportions were off, like if Ori was younger and more childlike. Then my eyes widened as the rest of my more recent memories rushed back to me.

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After feeding the others, Fluttershy decided to check on her mysterious guest before starting on breakfast. As she was walking past the bathroom, however, she heard a clatter and when she looked in to investigate, she saw the little creature in question steadying a mouthwash bottle on the sink. As soon as she walked in, the creature's head shot up and it stared at her, frozen and still holding the bottle. Fluttershy on her part just stared at the creature's strange eyes. White with black sclera. She hadn't seen such eyes before. Clearing her throat, the creature jumped in surprise and fumbled with the mouthwash bottle before putting it back.

"Oh, I'm so sorry little one." Fluttershy apologized. "I'm just surprised, I didn't expect to see you up and about. And I certainly didn't expect to find you in the bathroom. What are you doing here anyway? Did you need to use the restroom?"

The little creature shook her head.

"Oh, well would you like to come get something to eat?" Fluttershy asked as she moved closer to the sink and stuck a wing out with obvious intent.

The creature paused for a moment and then nodded and jumped onto the offered wing. Despite her size, the creature was actually much lighter than Fluttershy expected. The only way she could tell anyone was on her back was because she felt a small amount of pressure on her hands and paws on her back. Even more surprising was what happened as she moved. In the little creature's wake were little 'leaves' of light that trailed behind her and faded away. After a moments pause, Fluttershy shook off her curiosity and began the trot downstairs.

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I was riding Fluttershy's back. I had a number of Brony friends who would be so jealous of me. After I'd accidentally knocked over a bottle on the sink, she walked right in and my brain just froze as I tried to comprehend what was happening. One thing I knew for certain, I wasn't on earth anymore. I was in Equestria. Of course, I knew My Little Pony and while I wasn't as big a fan as some people I would care to name, I was nonetheless a fan.

As Fluttershy and I went downstairs, I started thinking. If my memories were correct, after I fell through whatever I fell through, I ended up growing on the Spirit Tree like Ori did. Then I got ripped off, presumably in a storm like in the game, and now I was in Fluttershy's Cottage here in Equestria. What about Nibel? Did I fly through some sort of portal or do the forests of Nibel exist here in Equestria? There was no indication of such a place existing in the show, but maybe this was some alternate Equestria.

As I was occupied with my thoughts, I didn't notice we were downstairs until Fluttershy set me on the table. From my place on the table, I watched as Fluttershy brought in a few bowls and set them in front of me. I peeked into all the bowls and saw that some had vegetables, fruits, and various plants while others had things like fish, pork, and chicken.

"Since I've never seen a creature like you before, I didn't know what you eat," Fluttershy explained as she settled into a seat. "So I just made a little of everything and hoped you would instinctively know what was good for you and what wasn't."

Smart, though what interested me the most was how Fluttershy apparently knew how to cook meat (every single meat food item wasn't just cooked, it smelled glorious), even though she was an herbivore. For the moment, I would chalk it up to taking care of various animals including carnivores. Setting that aside, I began to wonder what did I eat? Thinking back on the game, you never really see characters eating except in the opening sequence and in that one, you only see these orange fruits and a few purple fruits that could be seen as plums and peaches or apricots.

Heck for all I knew, Guardian Spirits didn't need to eat and the only reason why Ori died of starvation was that the Spirit Tree was dying. This thought made me pause to think about the Spirit Tree and how connected the Guardian Spirits were to it. Honestly, the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Sein didn't go into detail about it, but he did say as much when they came to Fil's tree.

"Umm, are you okay?" Fluttershy's worried question pulled me from my thoughts. I just smiled and nodded. There was no need to worry Fluttershy and the way I was feeling, there was a chance that the tree was okay. I looked back at the bowls of food and ultimately decided to sample them.

I started with some fruits, vegetables, and grains, skipping over most of the foods like grass, hay and pet food. I did sample a bite of those (new body, new rules may as well see what I can take) and though they tasted alright and went down fine, I wasn't too keen to eat them and I made this clear to Flutters. Next came the meats. And to my pleasant surprise, I found that I can eat and digest meat like I used to. Even better, it tasted just as gloriously as it smelled. Fluttershy could really cook. Soon, I cleaned almost all the bowls of food.

"Wow, I suppose that means you're an omnivore," Fluttershy said as she gathered up the bowls and leftover food.

Not completely accurate, but you know it. I groaned mentally as I lay on my back and gave her a thumbs up. Most likely, she didn't know what it meant but whatever. Even though I wasn't hungry in the first place, I felt stuffed and I applauded Fluttershy's cooking talent. Hands (or hooves) down the best meal I'd ever had. A big round of applause all around. Whoop whoop!

"I'm glad you like it," Fluttershy said with a smile that could melt the hardest of hearts. "If you don't mind me asking, do you have a name?"

I sat up as her question reminded me of my current situation and nodded.

"Oh good, would you tell me what it is?" That question made me pause as I thought about how to answer her. There were two different ways I could answer her. My human name back on earth and the name of the character I currently was. I looked down at myself and thought about what had happened. While I had once been human, I wasn't anymore. I had essentially been reborn as a different being so I didn't seem like my old name fit.

~Call me Ori~ I finally said. Fluttershy, however, cocked her head in confusion.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" She asked in confusion and I looked at her in confusion too.

~What do you mean, I said-~ I stopped once I heard what I was saying. While I was speaking and to me, it sounded like what I was trying to say, the sounds were different. There's no easy way to describe this, but it sounded like coos, chirps, trills, and squeaks with a musical echo.

~Hmmm, that's new. And considering your reaction, I'm going to guess that you can't understand me.~ I said. Fluttershy just stared at me in confusion for a while then shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I can't understand anything you're saying." She said.

~Yep, I guessed as much.~ I replied. Flutter's ears dropped and I certainly hoped she didn't think I said something mean.

"I'm sorry, this has never happened before with any other animals I've talked to." She apologized, looking so upset I moved as close as I could and patted her on the hoof.

~Hey, hey it's okay.~ I soothed. ~Its not your fault. It's most likely because I'm not an animal.~

Thankfully before she could get too upset about her inability to understand me, her stomach let out an audible growl that made her blush. After a moment of silence, she spoke.

"I suppose I should get myself some breakfast too." She said. She then stood up and quickly trotted into the kitchen to prepare herself a meal.

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After eating, Fluttershy announced that today she was going to take me to see my friends. I had mixed feelings about her friends. Applejack was a nice sort of pony and so was Rainbow Dash, though sometimes she could be a bit better about somethings. Rarity would probably try to design an outfit for me, but the two I was more concerned about was Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle. Pinkie meant well, but I thought that she could dial things back a notch.

Some might like surprises and her getting in your face, but there were some that didn't and I felt that that was a lesson she needed to learn someday. As for Twilight, it wasn't that I disliked her as a character, as a matter of fact, she's one of my favorites. It was just that in this instance, I wasn't looking forward to meeting her. Think about it, I'm a species that these ponies had never seen before and if there was something Twilight didn't know about, her thirst for knowledge would make her seek out answers. I foresee tests and maybe experiments in my future.

Unfortunately, I couldn't communicate this directly to Fluttershy, but I did make a vow. Under no circumstances would I let myself be alone in the same room with Twilight. I will stay as close to Fluttershy as possible and when she leaves, I leave with her. With this plan in mind, I lept up and with a flip, landed on Fluttershy's back. The gentle pegasus stared at me and then smiled.

"Well, I suppose that means you're ready to go, huh?" She asked. I only nodded. No need to remind her of her inability to understand me when a simple head bob would suffice. And with that, we were out the door.

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Applejack took in a deep breath of fresh air. After a good rainstorm following that dry spell, everything smelled fresh and clean instead of dry and dusty. It was moments like these that made her pause and just take it all in and wish that it would last forever. Unfortunately, there was work to do, so AJ snapped out of her reverie and proceeded to strap herself to the cart. Once she was sure the straps were secure, she pulled out the gate and was on the road to the Ponyville marketplace to sell her family's wares. As she trotted down the now cool and wet road, her ears perked up at the sound of somepony calling her name.

"Applejack!" The farmpony turned in the direction of the soft shout and saw a familiar pink maned pegasus approaching from the air.

"Mornin' Flutters!" She greeted good-naturedly once she came closer.

"Good morning Applejack," Fluttershy replied as she came in for a landing and now that she was closer, she could see there was something bright behind her friend's head.

"Hey Flutters, is everythin' okay?" She asked and her friend gave her a confused look.

"Everything is just fine, why would you think anything wasn't?" The pegasus asked.

"Well, Ah don't know it just seems a little bright out for you to be carrying a lantern," AJ answered. Fluttershy looked a little confused a bit longer before a look of realization dawned on her face.

"Oh, you mean- I'm sorry, but this isn't a lantern. Just my newest friend." As she spoke, Fluttershy reached behind her and pulled out the strangest (and admittedly most adorable) critter she'd ever seen. There was a long pause as the farmpony took in the entire critter, from it's glowing white fur to it's black and white eyes.

"Well I'll be, that's the most interesting critter I've ever seen." She finally said. "Ah've never seen anything like it. So what is it?"

"I don't know," Fluttershy replied. "I've never seen her species before either. Not even in the books I've read."

"So does that mean that this here is some new species?" Applejack asked as Fluttershy placed the critter in question back on her back.

"Or a previously undiscovered species," Fluttershy added. "Remember, there are places that haven't been explored yet, so it stands to reason that there are a number of undiscovered species."

"True. So, how did you find this little critter?" As Applejack asked her question, she had started walking with Fluttershy following.

"Last night, during the storm," Fluttershy answered. "I spotted this leaf that was flying around in my backyard."

"A leaf?" AJ asked with a raised brow.

"Mm-hm. A white leaf that glowed just like her." Fluttershy said as she pointed to the creature on her back. Applejack's look of skepticism lifted while the strange creature seemed to be listening attentively as Fluttershy continued her story. "Once it landed on the ground in my backyard, there was this bright flash of white light and when it cleared, there she was."

AJ was quiet as she took in Fluttershy's story. "Hmm, well I can't say I've ever heard of such a thing before." The earthpony said sagely. "But Granny always said that magic works in strange ways, so it doesn't surprise me much. Anyhow, does yer new critter have a name?"

Suddenly, the pegasus wilted a little and Applejack felt like she accidentally hit a nerve. "Oh, well technically she does have a name, I just don't know it."

Once again, the farmer raised a brow this time in curiosity. "What do you mean by that, can't ya just ask her?"

Fluttershy wilted even more and AJ knew she hit a nerve. "Earlier today I did and she did answer, I just didn't understand anything that she said." The caretaker explained.

In response to Flutter's sudden funk, the mystery critter jumped on top of her head and began patting in an attempt to calm her. Applejack also added some comfort of her own in the form of her foreleg slung across her friend's now empty back.

"Hey now, don't y'all worry, it's nothin' to be ashamed of." AJ soothed. "Matter of fact, Ah don't think it's entirely your fault."

"You don't." Flutters sniffed.

"Not one bit." Applejack said firmly. "You said that you were able to communicate with animals, right?" At Fluttershy's nod, the farm mare continued. "What if this here critter, ain't an animal at all?"

Fluttershy gave it some thought. "That might explain why I can't understand her." She said. She then turned to her passenger, who had moved to her back once more when AJ's hoof left it. "Is that true? Are you really not an animal?"

The glowing creature nodded and Fluttershy slumped to the ground. When her flank hit the dirt, the little creature slid off her back and onto the ground with her. For a moment, they sat there in silence until Applejack finally broke the silence.

"Well, I suppose that's one mystery solved." The Apple said heartily. "Now, all we gotta do is figure out what ya are and where you come from."

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After Fluttershy recovered and got back on her hooves, she offered to let me back up on her back but I declined. I'd had enough riding and I wanted to see what my new body could do. Plus, there's nothing wrong with a little exercise and I had some things to think about myself. Fluttershy's account of how I'd ended up here confirmed what I'd already suspected\known. Until recently, I'd been growing on the Spirit Tree. It was almost exactly like the game. Of course, if that was the case, it was entirely possible I'd have to save the forest.

This thought made me pause my flipping and jumping around. The idea of going through the game in real life sent a number of mixed thoughts and feelings through my brain. On one hand, the idea sounded awesome to the video game geek in me who was currently squealing like a fangirl. But on the other hand, my more sensible half was reminding me that this wasn't a video game, it was real life. Meaning that if I died, then there would be no revival to start over. It would be game over period.

But on one hand, if something did happen, I couldn't just back out. If the Spirit Tree was here in Equestria than it dying would lead to the end of Equestria. Could I really just sit back and let a whole planet die. I glanced back at Fluttershy and Applejack who were walking side by side and chatting with each other. When they'd noticed I had paused to look back at them, Fluttershy waved at me and without thinking, I waved back.

No. Absolutely not. I would not allow it if I had any sort of say. There was nothing I could do now, but if things would play out like in the game, then I wouldn't hesitate to rise to the challenge. For now, all I could do was pray that nothing happened to the Spirit Tree.

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"Energetic little critter, ain't she?" Applejack commented casually as the little creature in question ran up the hill they were going up and disappeared from sight. "Nimble too, did ya see all those jumps and flips it was doing? Ah, ain't ever seen any critters able to do stuff like that."

Fluttershy nodded as the two mares crested the hill. "Earlier this morning, I found her on the sink in my bathroom."

Applejack nodded. "Fer a small critter, she seems capable of getting up ta places out of reach."

Fluttershy frowned and her brow crinkled in worry. "Oh my, I hope she'll be careful."

"Hey, don't worry Flutters." Applejack said. "Ah may not be an expert, but from the looks of things, it seemed like she knew what she was doing. She'll be just fine."

"I hope you're right," Fluttershy answered, still worried though less so than earlier.

When she looked up, she saw that her new friend had once again stopped and was staring at what was over the crest of the hill. Once the two ponies caught up, they could see what she was staring at. From this vantage point, Ponyville was visible in all its glory. Applejack grinned and placed a hoof on her head.

"That there is or hometown li'l critter." She said. "Welcome to Ponyville."

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